Lambethlad

When it comes to things like lawnmowers and chainsaws I've made the mistake of buying cheap crap in the past and now I have quality products that last and don't let me down. Don't bother with self-propelled or electric start lawn mowers they are much heavier and harder to use and there's more things to go wrong with them. Just get a quality lightweight push mower. I have over an acre to mow. I use a light large cut mulching mower called a Big Bob which I can recommend.

I guess anyone who stabs someone to death has mental health issues. Of course the government doesn't want any mention of the T word. If they check out the killer's background and find out he has any radical Islam links it will look like a security failure. I know we need cheap labour for fruit and veggie picking but do they just let anyone in on a WHV without a background check?

Just sickening. The killer was a French national chanting Islamic slogans in Arabic so it may be the crime of a radicalized nutter.

It depends how big your house is. We have a small 3BR house and our only heating is a woodburner but it does the job and it is a lovely cosy heat. If you are prepared to collect your own firewood you can save a heap of money but then you need a chainsaw and a ute or a trailer - but it's good exercise.

Sounds terrible. Where do you live? I just want to make sure I don't go there!

Cairns is very safe and not boring at all. In fact I would move there tomorrow - but for family reasons I'm stuck in cold old Melbourne.

The Economist has named Melbourne as the world's most liveable city for the 6th year in a row. Perth and Adelaide also made the top 10. http://www.realestate.com.au/news/melbourne-worlds-liveable-city-sixth-year/?rsf=ps%3Afacebook%3Anatrei

Country coastal towns I like are Inverloch and also Cowes on Phillip Island (bridge access to island). Suburban coastal towns I like are Mornington, Mt Eliza and Mt Martha.

Sydney? Don't go there.

Too bad for those who managed to do it online before it was shut down - the Russian mafia have already stolen your personal information.

If you want to live in Port Mac you need to work there. It's much nicer than Canberra, has a great climate and a mild winter, Canberra is in the middle of nowhere and has a long cold winter - it's 2 hours to the coast but close to ski resorts if you're into snow sports.

3 months of that! You must be a saint. I reckon I would have been lucky to last 3 days before telling His Lordship to shove his job up his pretentious arse.

This is a good site for anyone thinking of investing in Frankston. http://www.investfrankston.com.au/

I agree that the central shopping precinct is awful. It has been totally messed up by council and its dealings with developers. Central Park should have been used for a nice public garden space instead it was handed over to developers to put up another ugly dump. It's still happening - the new mega-million dollar South East Water building along Kananook Creek is another disaster. Looking back at the building from the beach all that can be seen is a hideous eyesore monstrosity. Anyway there are a lot of shopping options in Frankston - I never go to the central precinct. I can walk out my back gate into a lovely village-feel shopping strip that has most of the shops I need and occasionally I'll go to Karingal Hub which is very nice.

You sound like a typical postcode snob. Negative attitudes however do have the positive effect of keeping property relatively affordable in Frankston. Although things are changing fast and Frankston is undergoing a massive gentrification process. A 1950's renovated weatherboard in James Street sold at auction last week for $685,000. Two months ago I was approached by a Chinese property company asking if I would consider selling and then last Thursday I had an approach from a Mornington developer. Of course I'm biased as an old ten pound pom who has been here since the 50's but Frankston has been a wonderful place to live and raise a family for a working class bloke. Frankston has the best beaches and its educational, health, transport, shopping, arts and theatre and sporting facilities are the best in Melbourne. Okay I admit I would rather be spending my twilight years in somewhere like Port Douglas or Noosa but family ties will probably keep me here until I kick the bucket.

Mt Buninyong near Ballarat a couple of days ago.

We use Apex Car Hire in Cairns. We think they are the best and cheapest.

Temperature right now in Canberra is 3 degrees - Cairns is 23 degrees - so it's an easy choice. You just need a house with a pool to live in Cairns.

It's about 6 degrees here south east of Melbourne but with the wind-chill factor I reckon it would be close to zero. Nevermind - I've got the log fire roaring and it's lovely and toasty sitting here in my underwear. Good news that the 8 year old autistic boy lost in the snow at Falls Creek has been found alive.

I am surprised that council will allow you to do that.

With two young kids I would suggest a few days on the Gold Coast and take in all the theme parks. Coconuts Holiday resort in Cairns is a great place to stay with young kids. My favourite place is Port Douglas but there's not much there for kids. We have just returned from 10 days up there with our 5 year old grand daughter. We spent 6 days in Port Douglas and the rest at Vision Apartments on the Esplanade in Cairns. There is no beach in Cairns but we were close to the Cairns Lagoon and Muddy's Water playground and the Cairns Night Markets.

Spent some time there a few years back and loved it.

Thanks for pointing that out. I do live in Skye and have done for the last 30 years. I always thought I was lucky living on 8 acres of peaceful paradise. Now I find I have been living in the worst place in Melbourne!

This has got to be a joke. For instance no one in their right mind would choose to live in Frankston North with its poverty, unemployment, crime and drug problems yet it is ranked much higher than Frankston and Frankston South which are vastly nicer areas. Frankston North has low property prices for a reason.

I have several friends who have bought houses in Langwarrin mainly because of the value for money factor. They love it.