Diane1968

Hi Julie , can't help with your questions but I see you are from Bangor. We are from Comber/Crossgar and have been here in Melbourne from January 2013. Just wishing you luck in your journey to Australia Diane

Hi John . We live in Aspendale. All the areas you have mentioned are very family friendly. We can walk to the beach in 10 mins. All areas are on the Frankston Line which takes approx 45 mins from here into Flinders Street. There are alot of activities for children in the area including dance schools , drama , oz kicks , cricket and nippers. Schools also have a great reputation. My daughter attends Aspendale Primary School. There are quite a few expat children already at the school and 3 of the teaching staff are from the Uk. Check real-estate.com.au for current rental prices in the area. The advice I would give you is to also check the prices to buy in these areas , whilst we love renting here , we are looking to buy by the end of the year and for our budget we could only afford a house which would need work or a smaller unit. Also check out Chelsea Heights and Aspendale Gardens which are great family areas , 10 mins away and very affordable. All the best Diane

At my daughter's school , the role of teaching assistant is mainly undertaken by mums. We have a rota and assist the teacher for 2-3 hours a day. There is a qualification you can undertake for $900.00 , which at Monash University, in Melbourne is only 8 classes and then you are ready to go ! It is very rare for posts to be advertised and those I have seen are for 8 to 10 hours a week , plus with all the mums volunteering, the schools have no need for paid staff. Good Luck with your decision

Good luck with your move. We moved from County Down in January this year. I have a 6 year old daughter who now has an aussie accent and doesn't want to return to Ireland ! We live in Aspendale , not too far from Sandringham

Hi Lynsey I bet you can't wait. We have been in Melbourne for 9 months and my 6 year old daughter doesn't want to go back to Northern Ireland. I can remember being nervous like you but its worth it. Will hopefully get to meet you at one of the meet ups when you arrive. Diane x

There is an airport bus which will take you to Brighton. I live in Aspendale (not that far away) and it is what we use. The web site is http://www.fapas.com.au. Much cheaper than a taxi. Good luck and hopefully meet you at some stage. Diane

Dates for channel 4 are late November or early December. Full title of show will be Phil Spencer Secret Agent Down Under. Lifestyle Channel in Oz started to show it last night.

Hi SunshineJ We live in Carinya Ave. Our 6 year old daughter attends Aspendale Primary. I know 2 families who have taken their children out of Bonkers ,for inadequate supervision of their children.

Sustain We were shown property in Chelsea , Sandhurst , Frankston South and Tecoma. We ended up settling in Aspendale.

Thats a bit nasty Mongrel , it was a great experience taking part in the show. We had only been in Melbourne 11 days and it was great to be shown different areas and styles of housing available for our budget. Its got nothing to do with 15 minutes of fame !!

Thank goodness we are all individuals with different views and opinions on areas we wish to live in. At the end of the day , where we settle is where we can afford and be happy

Secret Agent Zed .Due to be shown in the UK Sept .

I would avoid Seaford as some areas there are not the best to live with children. We recently took part in a tv property show and Frankston South was one of the recommended areas. We currently rent in Aspendale . For your budget , I would recommend Chelsea Heights and Aspendale Gardens . These are good family areas and also close to the beach.

We are actually breaking our lease on a brand new designer townhouse to go to another suburb , where we will be living in a 33 year old bungalow . We are doing this because we have found an excellent school , where our daughter is very happy. School all the time ......

No word yet on when it airs .......

Hi Hannah We are here 4 months now in Melbourne. Going well and my 6 year old says she only wants to go home on holiday. I agree about Phil's comments , oh well , it'll give everyone a laugh. ​Diane x

Hi hannah ​I'm dreading seeing myself , lol

I think its due to be broadcast late summer in the uk.

Hi Andy There is a gymnastics club in Patterson Lakes Community Centre and our daughter attends swimming at Toby Haeenen Pool in Chelsea Heights. ​Diane

Hi Mandy We have been here from January and like you , we stayed in Quest Apartments in Cheltenham , when we first arrived. The staff were fantastic to us. We have settled in the Aspendale area (only 10 minutes away). My 6 year old daughter attends Aspendale Primary school , at the school , there are lots of Irish , English and Scottish children , as well as English and Scottish teachers. I'm more than happy to show you around , once you arrive , just send me a message and we can meet up. Aspendale has a fantastic beach and lots going on for the children . My daughter loves Nippers. We too , looked at Sandhurst, but for us it lacked a sense of community and the transport/shopping wasnt good, although the next estate up now has a shopping centre. I will hopefully meet you soon. Good luck with the flight , you are going to love it here. ​Diane x

Oops Wallie Seems I have broken the rules , suggesting a social network page , which may be useful to you. You can always PM me , if you need too. Good Luck ​Diane

Hi Wallie I'm from County Down and moved here with my husband and daughter in January. Theres a big Irish Community here to look out for you. I'm in the middle as I'm Irish and my other half is English. If you need anything , give me a shout, my nephews are your age and I'd like to think others would help them if they were in your shoes. All the best , you're going to love it !! ​Diane

We are vacating on June 22nd. The property will be on with Hocking Stuart in Chelsea , if anyone is interested. Thanks ​Diane

Hi everyone We are moving closer to our daughter's school and are therefore breaking our lease , which runs to 24th January 2014. It is a 3 bedroom townhouse (new build) in the bayside suburb of Bonbeach. The house has 3 large bedrooms , ensuite and dressing room off Master Suite. Large open plan sitting room , designer kitchen , study/play room and comes complete with an indoor atrium.The house also has air con in every room , heating vents throughout and video entry system. 10 minute walk to train station and 15 minute walk to the Beach. The rent is $595 a week. We hope to move out mid to end of June. Please PM me for further information. Best wishes ​Diane

just arrived yesterday , looking forward to hearing about the meet up x