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