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Hi there We are doing a Validation visit to Adelaide in July/August. We're a family of 4 and the 2 little ones are age 2 and 7. We have currently booked a few days in Glenelg and a few days in Stirling to get a feel for the different areas. We are wondering on the 3rd area we could visit and need some help. Should we also stay in the CBD? Should we stay more down south like Brighton or Seacliff? Maybe Norwood or more north of the CBD? We are trying to find out what suburbs are nice to live in, not too cramped and not congested (we're from the UK so not interested in too many queues ). We need to also look for good Primary schools. Once we move, our final destination will need a good sized garden, along with a view of some sort (sea or hills), it just boils down to space and views but not too far out with lots of traffic. Not asking for too much are we! . Has anyone got any advice on where this 3rd holiday stay could be? I am thinking of Norwood, Brighton or going 40 mins north or south from the CBD, but don't have any idea on how remote they really are. We both need jobs, so don't want to make it difficult for ourselves xxxxxx

Beaumaris Another affluent suburb on the Port Phillip Bay Coastline which is popular amongst the Upper Class. It is located on a headland that surrounds the majority of the suburb. Beaumaris is only 23km from Melbourne CBD or 10km South of Brighton however the median house price is a lot more achievable unless you are trying to get a foot on the property ladder. The population in 2016 was 13,349. Of which 72.6% were born in Australia, y.3% England and the remainder split between China, Scotland, New Zealand and South Africa. Just like Brighton, the workforce is predominantly White Collar workers with only 3.3% being manual labourers. Nearly half of the property in Beaumaris is owned outright with no outstanding mortgage. In fact over the last 3 years property prices have risen by over 35%. You will find that the majority of residents are lobbying to keep the natural history and architecture of Beaumaris as well as protecting the green open spaces that currently exist. In fact in 2017 they were successful in changing the council plans for the Councourse Village Square managing to keep the area in its natural state instead of installing play equipment, shelters and lighting. Beaumaris is a suburb that is popular with stay at home mums who can be seen taking a morning stroll along the cliff tops or sipping coffee in the village. Beaumaris has a lovely village square called the Concourse Shopping Centre, this can be found off Reserve Road. Here you will find a Super IGA, Cafes & Restaurants and a large number of boutique stores. Don’t worry if you are not within walking distance of the local shops you will find a central car park which adjoins a large shady reserve that fronts Reserve Road with lawns and picnic tables. Other corner stores can be found along Balcombe Road. If the local stores don’t have what you are looking for then don’t panic just up the road, 3.5km or 5 minutes car journey is a shoppers paradise with 129,180m² of shops and restaurants not forgetting the 16 screen multi screen cinema complex at the Westfield Southland. Southlands as it’s known to the locals is home to over 400 stores, 3 department stores and 3 supermarkets. You also have Chadstone Shopping Centre a 20 minute drive away or the DFO Factory Outlets and Costco in Moorabbin just 10 minutes away So with the beach and shopping on your door step what more could you ask for. No wonder the women choose to stay at home and let their husbands work. Once the weekend comes the beachfront of Beaumaris comes alive with young and old enjoying the coastal scenery and fantastic beaches. It is also here where you will find Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary (RPMS). At 115 hectares in size, it stretches over 3 kilometres along the coastline between Table Rock Point in Beaumaris and Quiet Corner in Black Rock, and 500 metres out to sea. It is ecologically valued for both its diverse marine life and migrant and resident bird populations. Families spend hours playing amongst the rock pools or snorkelling in the shallow waters. There is ample car parking with refreshments being served at the iconic beachfront Ricketts Tea Rooms which have been part of the Beaumaris foreshore Reserve for over 50 years. Nearby there is ample parking and shady lawns with picnic and BBQ facilities. Education Even though you are within a stones throw of Melbourne’s most elite schools one would be a fool to overlook the two local primary schools. Beaumaris Primary School and Beaumaris North Primary School. BPS has the better reputation of the two but personally I would say they both rank higher than other state Primary schools in the area. Secondary schools could be a little more difficult. If you want an average school then Sandringham College (this is the zoned secondary school for Beaumaris)will be absolutely fine, otherwise I would look at Kilbreda Catholic College in Mentone or the more exclusive Firbank Grammar in Brighton which is also a combined school meaning it caters from prep to year 12. Although the fees can reach into the high $30,000 once your child reaches year 12.

Brighton Apart from the prices of property what isn’t there to love about this luxury bayside town. Brighton is an exclusive family Suburb only 10km from Melbourne’s CBD with stunning beaches, fantastic views of the city, boutique shops and some of the best schools in Melbourne no wonder so many people long to call it home. Brighton is home for some of Melbourne’s most wealthiest people, Shane Warne, Frank McGuire and Chris Judd are amongst the celebrities you will bump in to when taking your morning stroll along the beachfront or drinking your coffee in one of the beachside cafes. Brighton is home to around 23,253 people with a median age of 45. The average weekly income is $2,410 per week. The most common ancestries were English followed by Australian then Irish, Scottish and Italian. The occupation of over 61.8% of Brighton’s residents was listed as management and professional. The historical Brighton Bathing Boxes we discussed above are one of the most visited sites in Melbourne and can be found along Dendy Street Beach. If you like going back in time why not take a visit to the Brighton Baths Health Club established in 1881it is now a multi purpose health club which incorporates a stunningly presented outdoor sea pool, steam rooms, gym and a café/restaurant with views over the bay. When it comes to shopping you will be spoilt for choice. Church Street is home to over 200 stores which include gourmet café/bars, fashion, beauty and homewares. Brighton even has its own intimate cinema. When it comes to healthcare everything can be located along Church Street with Brighton Medical Centre being a one stop shop for all your medical needs. Do you need your eyes checked over, if so you will be spoilt for choice with Specsavers, OPS and locally owned optometrists there to help you chose the right glasses. You can also find a dentist, skin clinic, pathologist and cardiologist within walking distance. Nightlife – The majority of residents in Brighton are happy to stay at home or take one of the four coastal strolls along the foreshore. If you don’t fancy cooking then why not visit one of the many eateries along or surrounding Church Street. A couple worth trying are The Groove Train and Vivace a popular Italian on Bay Street. Fancy a cold beer then the Half Moon is Brighton’s well known local pub and family restaurant. When it comes to education you really can’t go wrong with Brighton being home to some of the most elite schools in Melbourne. The good news is you don’t even have to pay to attend private schooling with the state schools having great reputations. For primary school take a look at Brighton Beach Primary, it is a small government school achieving great results. The same can be said for the state secondary school “Brighton Secondary College”. You can also find a number of specialised schools like the Japanese School of Melbourne or the Adass Israel School close by. If Brighton ticks all your boxes but the financials don’t measure up then why not take a look at Brighton’s sister Suburb Brighton East. The median price for a 4 bed property to purchase is $1954,000 and a rental will cost you around $980. Brighton and Brighton East are separated by the busy Nepean Highway but if you don’t crave for the beach on your doorstep then it could be the perfect solution.

Hi, We're expats who've been living in Melbourne for the last 9 years. We're now looking to finally get the sunny lifestyle we moved down here for and are contemplating a move to Queensland. My wife is a teachers aide and I work in IT, but the reliance on me getting a job in IT isn't really high, I'll happily work at Bunnings if it means we get to be near the beach! The boys are 8 and 10 years old. The two areas we're looking at are Sunshine Coast and Hervey Bay. Looking for any recommendations and info about both, including good areas to live etc. Like I said, proximity to the beach is a must! Thanks Aidan

I've been thinking about this all arvo, first whilst hanging my washing out (taking my mind of the faux pas of mixing coloureds with whites -WHY does that matter?), and then taking a shower (a PROPER one, not a 'Pommie' one!) There's no point in saying 'Avalon', 'Bondi' or 'Cronulla' when you live over the road from the beach and don't have to worry about parking. PAYING to park too! Why would anyone want to undergo an hour or more in Sydney's traffic or public transport system when it's 40 degrees? The only time I got burnt last summer was when i put a short sleeve shirt on, forgot to take my sunscreen, and by the time I'd driven from Artarmon to Curl Curl at noon on a mega hot day, my right arm was 'gone'. I've swam on over a hundred days at Neilsen Park this year - free parking, natural shade, safe swimming but I don't think I'd go if I had to use the bus. (I'm enough of an anorak to record all my swims in my diary - sad I know.) After all, they all have 'sand' and 'water' but what makes them stand out?!

Hi, We're hoping to be moving over to Brisbane next year and are just starting to research places to live. My husband hopes to find a job at Brisbane airport as he has a work contact there. We want to live within walking distance of a beach ideally, and he would like to be able to get to work within about 45 mins. Can anyone please suggest anywhere we could consider. We have three young kids so will be needing a family friendly community with good schools. Our friends over there have suggested Bribie Island and it sounds great but I just wondered where else we could research too. Are there any coastal places on the train route to the airport which could allow us to live a little further away from the city? He will have a car so a train route isn't essential, but I wondered if this could open up more options for us. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks.

Hi, We're moving over next yr and are considering where to live. My husband is going to look for work at an international airline so we need to live within 45 mins of an airport. We thought Brisbane was going to be most suitable as we have a good work contact there but finding somewhere to live within walking distance of a nice beach is proving unlikely from the research I've been doing (I've just put a post in the Queensland section in case anybody has any bright ideas that we've missed). We are unmovable on living near to the beach - at the moment we live a 10 min drive away in the UK but never get around to going and I'd like to be able to take the kids after school regularly. We loved Sydney but don't think we can afford to live close to the beach there as house prices are too high (unless there are suburbs further out that are accessible to the airport where house prices are more reasonable?) Although we liked Cairns when we visited, we don't like the fact you can't swim in the water. Perth is an option as we loved it there too, but feel he would have a long commute to the airport in order for us to be able to find an affordable beach suburb. Can anyone suggest where might be a good fit for us? We haven't visited Melbourne, Adelaide and lots of other potential cities. We have three kids so need good schools and are looking for a place that has a community feel. Any suggestions of places we could research would be appreciated! x

Hi there. Me, my wife and three children (4,9, 15 years old) are meeting at Hillarys on Sat 9th November at 12pm for a picnic, drinks and fun by the beach. Other families are coming too and it will be a great opportunity to socialise and to meet new people. Don't worry if you don't have kids, this is an open invitation for everyone. Look forward to seeing you. Please let me know if you can make it. Philip

We have pretty fair skin in our family and I don't tan. I do most of my swimming / exercise before 8am but once my son gets in the surf he tends to hang around in it and dip in and out of it most of the day. When he was little there were plenty of kid sun suits available everywhere. his last few times in Oz have been during winter so we have not needed anything except a tee shirt over the shoulders. Has anyone got any recommendations for adult protective swim / surf gear? it will need to be pretty durable so it won't rip when getting on / off boards and comfy too? I see plenty of stuff online but am hoping some members have used some? Millie x

KILLER jellyfish, "baby-eating dingoes", crocodiles, rips and birds that could disembowel you: Welcome to Australia's beaches. That’s the warning tourists have received by popular US website the Huffington Post, who selected three Australian beaches in its list of the world’s most dangerous. No other countries featured as many mentions on the list. The beaches to “tread on with caution” include Queensland’s Fraser Island, as “a dingo could eat your baby” – referring to the well-know Azaria Chamberlain case. Even though Azaria was taken by a dingo at Uluru, not Fraser Island. Oh, and stay away from the “Northern Territories”, where deadly box jellyfish swarm in the waters in the summer months. Yes, that's all the beaches in the "Northern Territories". And the flightless cassowary bird could hunt you down and disembowel you at the apparently appropriately-named Cape Tribulation beaches. That is, if the box jellyfish, snakes, sharks and crocodiles don’t get to you first. Other beaches around the world made the list for their sharks, pollution, crime and nearby volcanos which force lava into the water, heating things up. Most dangerous beaches according to the Huffington Post 1. Fraser Island, Australia 2. Hanakapiai Beach, Hawaii 3. Praia de Boa Viegem, Recife, Brazil 4. Chowpatty Beach, Mumbai 5. Northern territories, Australia 6. Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro 7. Gansbaai, South Africa 8. Volusia County, Florida 9. Kilauea, Hawaii 10. Playa Zipolite, Mexico or “the beach of the dead” 11. Second Beach, Port St. Johns, South Africa 12. Cape Tribulation Beaches, Queensland, Australia 13. Acapulco, Mexico

Its the Mooloolaba Surf Club Nippers sign on - 9th Sept. http://mooloolabasurfclub.com.au/active/nippers/sign-up/ If you live near the ocean and your kids love the beach then they need to be safe and know how to read the beach. Nippers will teach them that and they'll have great fun.

Hi all, i wonder if anyone has had any experience with this cos me and my fiancée change our minds every week and would be great to get someone else's views! We are moving to Sydney in 2 weeks and can't decide on where to live. We love the look of the new build apartments that seem to be available in Waterloo/zetland etc but also like the idea of living near the beach, yet most apartments in our price range that are near the beach are older - coogee or Bondi ? Has anyone else had this dilemma and if so what did you decide? Was it the right choice etc? Did you go for space or location? We think we have decided then we change our mind! Thanks in advance! Jay :-)

Hi All, Me (27), my husband (25) and our two dogs moved to Umina Beach on the Central Coast end of Feb but three months on we've struggled to meet many people.....I think mainly due to me working silly hours (I don't get home until 8pm) so the only people I meet are through work, who are all great but everyone lives in the city and to be honest are still in that partying every night phase...........been there, done that and although we love a good night out, would much rather go out to a local pub or have people round for food, drinks etc! We'd love to hear from any one local, of all ages, that likes the same! Danielle and MJ Danielle xx

We have been in a bit of a dilema recently as to whether to head for Perth or Melbourne - we have now decided (once and for all!) that Melbourne is for us, as we originally thought!!!. One main draws to Perth was the amazing beaches. We are now researching suburbs in Melbourne and are trying to find out where the best beaches are. Is it fair to say that the best beaches are the citiy ones, Sandridge / St Kidla / Elwood / etc, and those around the Mornington Peninsula???

Hello all, I've just returned to Brisbane, after training as a teacher in the UK. I spent 2 years there and nearly ended up staying, but saw the light and returned to Brissie - just in time for the floods! I've always found the Aussies to be a friendly bunch but conversationally a bit hard going, as my knowledge of big engines, AFL and fishing is somewhat limited! I never thought about looking for like-minded Brits before, who might be up for a few beers and a bit of banter, as well as sharing costs of the occasional weekend trip down to the 'Goldie' or up the 'Sunny'. I like a bit of surfing every now and then, although as soon as I try and stand up you can tell immediately that I'm a Pom! :-o Any information on regular meet-ups in the area would also be appreciated. Look forward to hearing from you. Cheers, Matt.

Hi................ We maybe looking at these areas, our budget is $500.00 aweek, basically because i would like to be near a big hospital as i am a nurse, and i would like to be close to the night life in Broadbeach/Surfers, and Southport as my partner maybe driving a cab for Gold Coast Cabs, and we can always hop on a train to Brisbane when we wish....... We are coming over for a year, maybe longer, but we will need a fully furnished two bedroom air conditioned house/apartment for twelve months, any thoughts and opinions most welcome. Look forward to meeting any expats when we arrive.........

As the title says really... We'll probably go to City Beach or Mullaloo On a side note, anyone know if it's ok to take your own small barbie to the beach?

Were are currently investigating places to live in Perth and we are hoping the Perth experts out there may be able to help with our rather optimistic wish list! We would be looking for; A family friendly area (I will be 32, my partner is 29 and our boys will be 8 and 6) As close to the beach as possible (making morning / evening visits possible) Close to good schools I will be working in the city and would like the commute to be under an hour (ideally 30/45mins). We like the feel of being out of the city but would like our local facilities to be the city as opposed to a small local town, suburb, etc. We would be looking to rent initially but when we do buy we would hope to have a budget of around $450k. I understand this will be a tall order and that something will have to give but if you could start us off that would be great! Also are the any main differences between the north and south of the river??? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hello All, I think I have decided to base myself in Airlie Beach (if not Mackay). I will have a 20 foot container being shipped from Dubai and they have quoted me for the container arriving into Brisbane. Is there a sea port nearer to me than Brisbane that would handle this? Thanks, GB

My husband and I live in Melbourne but are just not enjoying it. We have been here 3 years and to us Melbourne is not the Australia we pictured. When we visit Queensland we feel it is exactly what we envisioned when we moved her from the UK. My question is: Is it possible to commute to Brisbane and be 15 -20 minutes from a beach? Surf or no surf, not bothered! Also, If it is possible, how long does it take door to door by train preferrably? Also I am only interested in suburbs that have good schools with good results on Naplan and the majority who attend are middle class. My experienc teaching in London was not good in suburbs with lower SES so want to avoid that! Many thanks if you can help. Angibean

Hi guys, I work for Tourism Western Australia in London. We're helping Daybreak (the new GMTV which goes out every morning on ITV) do a live broadcast from Cottesloe beach on Friday 11th November and wanted to invite all Brits living in Perth to come down for the filming. The theme for the live link is Perth’s large British expat community and the city's awesome outdoor lifestyle. As part of this Daybreak wants to create a beach party atmosphere and attract British expats living in Perth to come down and take part in the filming. Filming will take place between 1pm – 4pm. If you'd like to be involved or want to know more please contact me. Thanks! Elen

My sister is currently in manly, nsw and looking at a possible moveto EFTA ing beach -.property seems cheap - anyone know what it is like for families/schools

Hi guys, I work for Tourism Western Australia in London. We're helping Daybreak (the new GMTV which goes out every morning on ITV) do a live broadcast from Cottesloe beach on Friday 11th November and wanted to invite all Brits living in Perth to come down for the filming. The theme for the live link is Perth’s large British expat community and the city's awesome outdoor lifestyle. As part of this Daybreak wants to create a beach party atmosphere and attract British expats living in Perth to come down and take part in the filming. Filming will take place between 1pm – 4pm. If you'd like to be involved or want to know more please contact me. Thanks! Elen

Might be down The Royal Exhibition Hotel later on, closer to 11pm.

We came across this place on our recent camping adventure and all i can say is WOW! This is one stunning area of Queensland and well worth a visit. t Located next to Rainbow Beach the sandblow is almost 15 hectaracres of sand in a valley type formation. Access is easy by driving to the top of Coolooa Drive and parking in the resvoir carpark. There is a short 600 mtr walking track that brings you out at the Sandblow. These pictures really dont the attraction justice the views were fantastic and the kids loved body boarding down the slopes. Cal x