KiwiKaye

Libby,

It does depend on your budget, but when we moved to Frankston in late 2015, we had the same issue. We ended up buying in Frankston Heights, which is still in zone, albeit a little further away from the school. It is still close enough that the kids can walk to/from school (about 30 mins), and the prices are still a bit lower than Frankston South.

I don't have any particular experience on either school, only anecdotal, but one of my daughters friends moved from EMC due to issues in the school. She's is now at Frankston and doing well. I have heard that both Mt Eliza and Mornington are ok.

Just come across this thread and am thrilled to know I'm not the only PomsInOzzer in Mounty! If anyone fancies meeting up sometime, we are in our 40s with 3 kids aged 6, 7 and 10. They attend MEPS and I'm often found in Ritchies at the samples counter ;-)

Hi. I would love to meet up some time. We are up the road in Frankston, with kids aged almost 9 and 13. We are at work during the week, but around most weekends. Hope you're enjoying the area.

Don't even bother catching trains to work. It's much better driving in. Several years ago I had to attend a course in Collins Street which is the centre of the city for a week, my wife said I was mad to drive in but it was so easy. I really enjoyed the daily drive in from Frankston which only took less than an hour. At least I wasn't standing, stuffed in a carriage with a couple of hundred strangers pushing against me. I could listen to 3AW talkback radio, have a coffee and a snack, a smoke and just relax. If you go by train you have to first drive to the nearest station and then try and find a car park. If you drive you just get in your car and go. There are regular breakdowns and accidents at railway crossing that means you will be unloaded off the train and then wait forever for a bus which will make you many hours late. I know there are occasional accidents on the road that can hold you up but I would put up with that any day rather than take a train.

The problem with driving in though is not the traffic. It is the cost of parking in Melbourne CBD. If you don't have parking provided (which is rare for office jobs), it costs anything from around $14-$30 (or more) for a days parking. This is more than the daily cost of a train ticket, and then you have to add the cost of petrol and other car-related costs on to that.

To the OP - we live in Frankston which is a suburb I would recommend. The transport links are good and, as others have said, the train is fine. I drive to Carrum station each day (as I can get parking there), and if I catch an express train it takes about 45 minutes to Richmond Station (about 50 mins to Flinders Street). Otherwise I can catch a loop train straight to Parliament station which takes around 50-55 minutes. I catch a train between 7.30-8 in the morning, to get to work easily by 9, and can always get a seat. I can usually get a seat coming home too, but I do usually leave the city after the main rush hour (about 6-6.30pm most days - if I leave at around 5 it is busier).

The Cranbourne/Packenham lines also come down this way but tend to be MUCH more crowded IME. I have in the past changed at Caulfield so I can get an express straight to the loop, but have had on occasion had to let 1 or 2 trains go first as you simply couldn't get on the train, much less get a seat.

If you wanted to look at Frankston you would be able to get a reasonable house for you budget down here - look particularly at Frankston South, and many of the houses have pools. We don't but it wasn't a priority for us. My daughter has started at Frankston High this year and so far we are very impressed. Most of the primary schools are also good. Beware though that to get into the high school you will need to rent/buy in the zone.