Chezza66

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could give me some feedback on this area, in terms of living there. Ideally, I would like to know what childcare facilities there are and what you think of the Primary & Secondary schools. Is there a large British contingency or is it fairly mixed? How easy is it to commute to the CBD and SE suburbs, such as Hawthorne & Bayside? Finally, are theere plenty of places to eat out and socialise? Thank you.

We have used Toby Haenen Swim Centre on Bay Rd since our daughter was 2. She is now 6 yrs of age and loves it. If you use this centre, I would suggest you try and get Emily, Dillon or Cathy as your tutors. They are all good, but these really brought out the best in our daughter. Can't help on gymnastics other than suggesting Kelly Sports, who run in school programmes at local Primary schools.

The cheapest I can find is $570 pr week with Ourproperties.com.au. It must just be the area as to why so pricey!

Try Balcombe Serviced apartments, not sure what they charge but they are in Parkdale. Or Bayside servied apartments

Try Balcombe Serviced apartments, not sure what they charge but they are in Parkdale.

I've just posted in the Wants for a Side by Side fridge freezer, but apart from The Good Guys & Appliances on line, is there any other place to search for one? We currently have a Westinghouse 610L but it appears the top half of the freezer will no longer freeze and the fridge has started to freeze the lower part of itself!!! :arghh: Sadly, not enough to move thing around, but it froze my tomatoes, cucumber & spinach!

If you live close to the postcode 3188 and are heading back and needing to sell a Fridge/Freezer we are in the market for one. Otherwise, apart from the Good Guys and Appliances on line, is there any other place to shop for one? Thanks

We have done several trips back to the UK and back to oz again. We learnt our lesson after thr first trip, as our daughter was only 9mths old, she slept in bassinette but if you hit turbulance you have to take them out. This made for a very overly tired baby on the leg out, the return we didn't have turbulance. Our 2nd trip we chose to do a one night stop over in Singapore on route over and this made for a better trip for all. Our daughter was aged 19mths then. We took playdough, crayons and paper, but dependent on who you fly with they also provide activity bags. Our best purchase was a portable Dvd player, we took about 8 dvds with us and whe watched those when she grew tired. Our return leg we stayed in Hong Kong for one night and almost a whole day, which really helped with jetlag. Since we always pack our own little food snacks, such as crackers, sultana's and fruit. Our daughter suffers terribly with her ears, so we also take ear defenders which help. If you have never flown with your little one before, I suggest you invest in these, as having their ears hurt during descent/ascent is excruciating for them, you and others. I suggest stop-overs of at least 12 hours, so your little one can stretch legs, run around and burn off energy. Take night flights too, as they will sleep for 4 + hours if you do! Good luck!

I do not mean to sound or even be racist, so apologies if that is how this post has come across! We have been here 7 years, have adapted well and have many Australian friends, but I just wanted a connection to my roots too. For instance as someone already stated, Oakliegh has a greater Greek community, as other areas are more Italian etc. I merely wanted to know where our Ex-pats have called home and why. As in what does the area have that appeals to them etc. I also admit I do like knowing that there would be a percentage of Brits in the area that socialise, so we can begin the friend making process again. Not that I would not make friends with any other Nationality, I pretty open and friendly :wink:

Strangely I have just been looking at Mounts Martha & Eliza, I'm amazed at what you can get for the money, ie: 1300mtrs square 4 bed house for $695k......makes it very interesting now!

Thanks for the information thus far. I know I will find it very hard to leave this area, due to the very strong friendships I have formed in my Mother's grp, which is 6 yrs old now!!! I told them this morning and they were all in tears at the prospect of us moving out of the area. So many of them suggested we just looked to move down the coast towards Mordialloc or Aspendale, but I admit to having very little knowledge of these or other areas.

We currently live in Hampton, Bayside, but with the ever increasing cost of living and a soon to be change of jobs (not so well paid) we are considering a move. Ideally we would like a 4 bed property, with outside space. We love the vibe of both Sandy and Hampton so it will be hard to say goodbye, but I know many of you love the suburb you live in, so if you can get property for 600-700k in your area, it has good recreational space and a nice village feel, please tell me about where you live....we may become neighbours! :wink:

Interesting! We are currently renovating our house and cannot get a tradie!!! They say they will come and take a look at work but never show up.....:sad: Locally there are more new house builds or renovation sites than there are Auction boards. I read recenlty that more and more people are updating and extending their homes as opposed to moving, due the the slump in the housing market. I'd like to know which tradies are struggling for work, as they could come visit me!!! :yes: People at the end of our road are selling. Due to family illness they are moving back to NZ, they brought their house 2yrs ago for 1.61m and are hoping to get 1.475m when it goes to Auction in a few weeks time!

We recently went on a mini break to Daylesford. We did alot of walks, but wanted something a little more interesting for our daughter to do. On our way back we took in Sovereign Hill and spent 5 great hours with her,she is aged 5 and three quarters. She loved panning for gold, the horseride and a tour down a mine. We went during school holidays but there was no queue, lots to do and keep your little ones entertained. Just thought I would share as yes it's a little pricey, but its pretty good value if, like us, you have a great carefree family day out.

An inspiring Post. There have been many days in recent months I have felt more homesick than most. Dealing with a newborn that has acid reflux probably has not helped the matter. I longed for my family and friends in my darkest hours and wished I could move the two countries closer together, if just for a while. I now countdown holidays back to the UK, where I know when we arrive, friends come out of the woodwork to greet us and make a fuss, as do family and then we are back in Oz again with a little lift in our step and a smile on our hearts, until the next trip to the homeland. Recently, several people we know have moved or are moving back due to missing family and friends more than they realised. This year, due to the Jubilee & Olympics, they have seen our country at it's best and packed up their belongings. Those that have been back a few weeks are already saying they are fed up with the lack of Summer, the sadness and depression that hangs around and that it was a HUGE mistake to return without planning a comeback to Oz plan if they failed to re-ignite the love they once had for Blighty. Now they are asking when they can fly and visit us for a holiday! I love my family and my friends, but they have moved on, we skpye often, we appreciate each other more and do not take the time we do spend together for granted. I guess for that reason, despite my loneliness recently, we will stay and enjoy the outdoors, the new friendships we are making and the family we are building. Life should be about the adventures you have living each day, the friends you share it with and the family that will always be there albeit a phonecall away.