Glad i stumbled across this website and forum! Already found out alot of information from fellow blighty escapees!
I'm in Australia at the moment and waiting for my skilled independant regional visa to be processed. The places i'm currently looking to settle in are Mandurah, Bunbury, Busselton or Dunsborough. From some of the threads i can see there's already been some discussions on Mandrah v Busselton for families. However, i'm a young single professional, and at the age of 27, want to be located somewhere that has a mixture of good job prospects and a bit of nightlife happening at the weekends.
Is anyone in a similar position out there or already moved to any of these areas that can help me out?
Hi there, just thought I would email and (try) to give you some info about Bunbury.
There are lots of pubs in Bunbury, although sad to say I haven't been out that much since i got here. The pubs are friendly and busy and on a friday I think quite a few of them are open late. There are a few pub brawls I've heard about in the newspaper but never seen any (had beer goggles on).
I think mainly the area is good for its proximity to Perth (not that close though) but its great for weekend tripping around. Dunsborough is lovely, lots of cafes and friendly people, but we have jobs in Bunbury and enjoy being able to walk to work in the CBD (if you can call it that!)
We are young (not single) and don't have any kids or anything and are enjoying the outdoor aspect of being here, have bought the surfboards (and a car big enough to put them in!). Looking forward to spending a bit more time socialising but think that alot of australians tend to have things at home, as the weather is so good for bbqs.
Anyway, god I can talk!!
Bunbury is great, theres plenty to do at weekends if you like the outdoors and nice bars cafes and pubs to go and spend your cash in. Plus I think they are redveloping another bit of land near the beach, so with any luck will be more free gas bbqs to be had! ;-))
Glad i stumbled across this website and forum! Already found out alot of information from fellow blighty escapees!
I'm in Australia at the moment and waiting for my skilled independant regional visa to be processed. The places i'm currently looking to settle in are Mandurah, Bunbury, Busselton or Dunsborough. From some of the threads i can see there's already been some discussions on Mandrah v Busselton for families. However, i'm a young single professional, and at the age of 27, want to be located somewhere that has a mixture of good job prospects and a bit of nightlife happening at the weekends.
Is anyone in a similar position out there or already moved to any of these areas that can help me out?
I've been in Aus over 30 years. Lived in Rockingham for 4 years which is near Mandurah, I've work in Mandurah for many years & visited Bunbury on many occasions. Beautiful beaches, blue skies most of the year,friendly people, lots of cafes & a few bars although there are English & Irish bars here they aren't the same as the typical pubs back in the UK. The atmosphere isn't the same, the beers good, the foods good & you'll meet lots of friends, you can buy Aussie beers, some English & Irish beers. My son is your age he went to the Uk for a few years & returned back home to Aus. He told us the night life in Rockingham & Mandurah wasn't as good as back in the uk in the local towns. But he now lives closer to the city of Perth where he goes out at the weekends to Northbridge & Subiaco which rocks !! very up on night life, but not close to Bunbury. However for lifestyle Mandurah & Bunbury are very good. Alot of Aussies do entertain at home with friends, we also meet on parks or the riversides for BBQs. Aus is a fantastic place to live & a great way of life. No matter where you are I'm sure you'll find something to do & entertainment close by. Check out perth.com.au it has lots of info.
just read your reply and not sure if the other posters are still around on here but I appreciated your reply which answers a question like one I have posted a thread on. We are hoping to move to wa this May or June with 2 young boys and would absolutely love to move to bunbury but it's just too far for my oh to travel to perth as he will be based in perth metro but travelling around a lot as a field service engineer on fork lift trucks and loading bay equipment.
We have started looking at mandurah areas slightly inland around the lakeland areas if you have any recommendations or areas to avoid advice???? Or possibly around the Rockingham areas??
We are looking for the quieter life so not having busy pubs is an appeal to us old folk now!!! We really want a community feel suburb near enough to the beach to not feel like an ordeal to get there and with good schools and safe enough that our 2 energetic boys (10 and 8) can play out safely and enjoy the outdoors living - not much to ask then??
just read your reply and not sure if the other posters are still around on here but I appreciated your reply which answers a question like one I have posted a thread on. We are hoping to move to wa this May or June with 2 young boys and would absolutely love to move to bunbury but it's just too far for my oh to travel to perth as he will be based in perth metro but travelling around a lot as a field service engineer on fork lift trucks and loading bay equipment.
We have started looking at mandurah areas slightly inland around the lakeland areas if you have any recommendations or areas to avoid advice???? Or possibly around the Rockingham areas??
We are looking for the quieter life so not having busy pubs is an appeal to us old folk now!!! We really want a community feel suburb near enough to the beach to not feel like an ordeal to get there and with good schools and safe enough that our 2 energetic boys (10 and 8) can play out safely and enjoy the outdoors living - not much to ask then??
Donna
Hi Dave & Donna.
Although Lakelands is ok, there is only 1 school which is a private school,onthe otherside of the carriage way there is Madora Bay, Singelton a little higher but again you'll have to use that one school crossing a busy dual carriage way. Secret Harbour is beach side, near a golf course, has a new shopping centre & several schools around which are all very good, there are state & private schools. There is alos neighbouring Port Kennedy which has a lot of school a few of them very nice. Port Kennedy is inbetween Secret Harbour & Rockingham. From Secret Harbour your travel time to Perth CBD would be around 30-40 mins by car depending on the traffic, there is also the train which take around 20 mins. Mandurah would be a 40-50 mins travel via car. Secret Harbour is a nice beach very clean & clear blue waters, plenty of surf, safe for children. There are parks throughout all suburbs in Perth, lots of place for your boys to play safe. The Golf course at secret harbour has the homes built around it, it is very picturesque.We've done alot of work in Secret Harbour, Madora Bay,Mandurah, Port Kennedy, Rockingham. We personnaly feel the closer to Rockingham you get the suburbs aren't so good( alot of older homes & north side of Rockingham is industrial ( kwinana).
Hope this helps you out a little guys.
secret harbour sounds good then but not sure how much houses are and not really on large plots so that's why we looked more inland. Had a look at lakelands, parklands, greenfields was it and areas near mandurah and Baldivis near rockingham which all looked to be on bigger plots any ideas??
secret harbour sounds good then but not sure how much houses are and not really on large plots so that's why we looked more inland. Had a look at lakelands, parklands, greenfields was it and areas near mandurah and Baldivis near rockingham which all looked to be on bigger plots any ideas??
Donna x
What size lot (block of land) are you looking for? The average building lot in Secret Harbour,Baldivis are 500sqm to 650 sqm well big inuf for a 250sqm+ home a nice pool & grass for the kids. Lakelands/Parklands are ok pretty much the same size lots as Secret Harbour & Baldivis (you will get smaller lots which are cottage blocks) Greenfileds you can get larger lots even acerages but you will feel like your in the bush, quite isolated.
For prices of lots, houses, rentals etc check out Real Estate, Property, Land and Homes for Sale, lease and rent - realestate.com.au, www.reiw.com.au & Real Estate for Sale, Rent and Share @ Domain.com.au
I've visited Bussleton for a short holiday and have to say it's beautiful, but my friend said Dunsborough is even nicer. I have honestly only heard good things about Bunbury too and it's certainly on my places to visit list (which keeps getting longer)
Ali
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"POZZIE" - HAPPY AND LOVIN IT!
I'm sick of following my dreams, I'm just going to ask them where they're going and hook up with them later
Hi, we are living in Lakelands. Our house is on a 600sqm block. New releases of land happening all the time. The way house prices are at the moment though, it is cheaper to buy one already built than buy land and build yourself! (Just something else to confuse you!) Land sizes here are around 600sqm generally, there are some bigger (quite a few) and there are cottage blocks too.
There is a 2nd school planned for Lakelands but just because you live here, doesnt mean you have to go to that school. There is 2 more really good schools next door in Meadow Springs.
Parklands have really big blocks of land but from what I have heard, they can get swarmed with Mosquitos. Just something to consider. Greenfields are older style homes so are on larger blocks. Some housing in Greenfields are "council" houses (I grew up in one in UK so not knocking them!) but some are a bit unsightly and when we were looking to buy, greenfields was labelled "rough". I now know people that live there and they have no problems with the area at all so its probably like anywhere else, pot luck!
Regional WA recommendations?
Check out perth.com.au it has lots of info.
