Jzombie

The Gap definitely gets a thumbs up. 25 min from the CBD by bus and with the bush on the doorstep - and great schools plus lovely atmosphere!

Where did you end up? Manly? Let me know if you're out on the Gap Creek trails sometime!

Just as an extra to my other post - your location, Essex... I'll assume you've been a regular around Epping Forest. Was where I first got into MTB. The trails here in QLD are IMHO so much better, more like trail centres but without the poor weather and with the chance for a BBQ too. Brilliant single track with plenty of features - maintained by volunteers with council support. You'll love it!

Take a look at the following links: http://www.mtbdirt.com.au/qld-trails http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/environment-waste/natural-environment/bushland-parklands-wetlands/natural-areas/reserves-wetlands-parklands-and-forests/mt-coot-tha-reserve/mt-coot-tha-mountain-bike-trail-map/index.htm http://www.weekendnotes.com/mountain-biking-in-brisbane/ MTB is very popular here - and the weather is so much better. Tons of trails for every skill level. It's amazing to be able to fit in a 2hr trail blast BEFORE going to work! Gap Creek trails, Mt Coot-Tha are my playground. Since moving here I've been thrashing my bike. New wheels, new BB, chain etc., along with various upgrades - all because I'm just wearing it out. Am going to have to save up and get myself a real All Mountain monster... There's a great guide too - Where to Mountainbike in South East Queensland. You can probably get it on Amazon before you get here so you can start salivating over the MTB adventures you'll have! There are also MTB mags like Flow that showcase the great trails over here. Bike shops here are good too - especially the non-major-chains but Chainreaction cycles ship to Australia and bill in $AUD - excellent delivery times and free delivery for orders over $99... Good luck!

Thanks for that Loopylu, will give the Muscat a go. A worthy excuse for a tasting session. :smile:

Emigration is a huge emotional, physical and psychological upheaval. Ups and downs, regrets and joy, sometimes the whole range of emotions over the space of an hour. We're fast approaching our 1st anniversary of the move from the UK and while we love our new lives here, there are still things we miss, things that almost make us wish we could go back - but even though we can, we won't. After less than a year, we can already see our social circle growing yet we still have to remind ourselves that our old social lives took all our lives to get to where they were, so hardly surprising that it's going to take time and a lot of effort. Emigration is like a bereavement. You'll never forget the old life and at times the loss is painful. But like a bereavement, time helps. The loss, although still there and the memories though still strong become somehow less painful. Give it time. 2 years at a minimum.

Now that winter is upon us in Brisbane, Sunday roast chicken is back on the menu. Part of the ritual is the pre-lunch glass of Sherry. Has anyone found a decent substitute for Croft Original Pale Cream Sherry over here? TheDrinkShop.com don't seem to ship to Australia anymore! Ideas for decent substitutes welcome please!

Really depends on your interests and working arrangements. I've added some URL's below that we found helpful for picking schools. Look at the NAPLAN results for local state schools and not only will that tell you about academic achievement levels but will also give you some indication of the socio-economic status of the area. http://www.myschool.com.au/ http://bettereducation.com.au/SchoolRanking.aspx http://www.myschool.edu.au/

Fish is spot on. Not a hard guess though eh? ;-).

http://www.myschool.edu.au/ http://www.myschool.com.au/ http://bettereducation.com.au/SchoolRanking.aspx All of these will give you an idea of the socioeconomic status of the areas. We decided to stick to suburbs within 10k of the CBD and only suburbs with state schools with a '95' rating or better according to http://bettereducation.com.au/school/Primary/qld/brisbane_top_government_primary_schools.aspx and have decent secondary schools to follow into. Bought a map, circled it at our radius and checked the schools in the suburbs captured to narrow it down. Northside won out. Seems like a very narrow minded viewpoint when written down but it worked for us. No trains where we are, but the bus service is good and you need a car anyway for trips out. 20 - 25 min to the CBD by bus. Perhaps 30 - 35 at peak times. TPG ADSL 2+ @ 17MBit so I'm doing better than I was in London. Very happy with our choice. Great schools, great facilities for us and the kids and really no bother to get into town or to major shopping, while the local shopping centre pretty much covers our usual needs anyway. Seems like we found a bit of a gem in terms of location and hoping we can buy here when the time comes. No beach but it's only half an hour to 40 min away. I work from home and yet bike and MTB trails are 500m from the door (or less). Doesn't get much better than this - for us at least! - J

We arrived at the end of July and are loving it. Our kids are in school and have settled really quickly (ages from 7 to 9) and everyone we speak with has been incredibly welcoming and supportive. We're finding some things expensive, but others not as bad as we thought. Constant sunshine makes even a cheap day out better. Take your time in picking the right suburb for your lifestyle as there's plenty to choose from.