Dude

Prices range quite significantly between different areas. We live in Manly and the prices in Coles / Woolies are significantly more expensive here compared to shops in Western suburbs of Sydney, not to mention other areas in Australia. That's at least my gut feeling, I haven't done an accurate analysis. One of the reasons might be that Adelaide is much closer to many of the farming areas, so you save thousands of miles of transport and that on its own will provide you a significant discount.

We will be going overseas and are looking to rent our 3 bedroom unit + balcony in Manly between 22/03 - 26/04. It's fairly large (around 100 sqm), less than a hundred meters from the beach itself. Fully furnished and suitable for families (we have 2 boys with toys, Xbox etc.), large 50" TV, fast internet and more. You can see and hear the ocean from living room, balcony and kitchen. Located in a quiet part of the famous Manly beach, yet easy walk to to tons of shops, restaurants, bars, playgrounds and all the goodness that Manly has to offer including the ferry that takes you to Sydney CBD. We are not looking to make a profit, just to cover our costs and the price is very low compared to similar properties in area. If you are arriving to Australia at this time, or just want an affordable holiday in paradise, this can be an ideal solution for everyone. Happy to provide more information including pictures etc - please send me a private message

Saw it yesterday. Fantastic movie. LOVED IT! Yes - a bit long, and as a Tolkien fan, not really true to origin, but overall great. IMAX was a bit much at times as the massive screen doesn't allow you to really grasp everything, but it was really superb and quite a few times I caught myself amazed and 'wowing' on the visual experience. Overall - very recommended! (And yes, I too am a Tolkien fan and it does help...)

It's a very individual question. What suits me may not suit you. We are a family with 2 young boys living in Manly. We LOVE it. For us it is paradise. Still I am aware of the disadvantages - traffic to CBD, cost of living etc. We don't mind living in a unit since our backyard is the ocean and the great Manly coffee shops, playgrounds etc. Others would prefer to live in a big house with a 'real' backyard while having to drive to the beach and other places. It really does depend on you at the end of the day. My best recommendation - Get to the city of choice (i.e. Sydney / Melbourne), rent a car and start driving around to see what suits your personal style.

Yeah - not all are Aussie, as described above. While on this, I can recommend the Moonshine which is a pub in Manly on the third floor of the Steyne hotel. They have about 15 ciders on draft and others in bottles. Cool place!

Hi, We've recently received a gift package of Ciders. Drank them all and rated them one by one. here is our personal rating. Hope this helps... :cute:

I'd strongly suggest Manly. We live here for about 6 years now and the place is pure paradise!! amazing beaches all around, great restaurants, beautiful people, great vibes and overall fantastic for young couples and young families. Not cheap, but cheaper than many alternatives around. And as for the traffic - I work in South Sydney. I either take the bike on the ferry (best bike ride ever!) or take the car and try to leave early. Even on worst days it's usually not more than 45 minutes to Sydney South so it's not so bad. Good opportunity to listen to podcasts / audio books.

Going to see it tonight in the IMAX. Also heard many bad reviews but I grew up with this book, so I feel like I must do it. Hopefully it's not as bad (& long) as they say... :wacko:

We had the same dilemma and eventually chose Sydney. We are here 6 years and couldn't be happier! All depends on where you settle in as well - Sydney has over 150 suburbs and each has a very different style. We chose Manly and I really can't think of a better place in the known universe... :-):biggrin:.

Shocking. Never came across anything like this in Sydney and hope I never will!

Not sure how relevant it is, but just last night I heard of a guy from the UK that was here on Working Holiday Visa. He got caught twice drink driving and got deported from Australia without the option to come back. He's a cousin of a mate of mine. Not sure if this helps, but thought I'd mention this here in case it does. Good luck with your application