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Hi All, We just moved to Berwick (we are building a house in Berwick waters) and searched for a primary school for my son to start prep next year. Due to our location I only had three options Berwick Primary, Brentwood Park Primary and Berwick chase. Berwick primary responded saying it's full and I added my self to waiting list. out of other two. I didn't like the attitude of the principle of Chase and open class room thing. Brentwood park principle was very good and knew students by name. Also the students seemed well focused even when we were walking around them. So I submitted the enrolment form then and there as we are running out of time. However the schools looks a bit old and I do not see much on it on the forums However today I got a call from Berwick primary saying we have a slot available. Could anyone tell me whether ignoring it and going with Brentwood be a good idea? both schools have good statistics on mySchool website but I still haven't seen Berwick Primary. I am all stressed out with all these including building the house etc. But I really need the best for my son. I need to take a decision very soon Thanks in advance Vilani

Hi, Is there anyone who lives in Berwick (melbourne) who can tell me the pros and cons? We will be commuting to cbd for work and we have 2 young children who need day care/ schools in 2 years. Thank you Sent using Poms in Oz mobile app

Hi, Can anyone help us please. We are moving to Melbourne in Sept this year and have narrowed it down to a few areas; Berwick, Narre Warren South, Lynbrook, Endeavour Hills. Our kids are primary school age still but we are trying to think about Secondary Schools for when the time comes in 3-4 years. Can anyone shed any light on the situation with secondary schools in these areas? Any good ones to recommend, or avoid? Also, where does Lynbrook Primary feed into? Many thanks, Sam

Hello all ......you'll probably think i'm mad but here goes..... Is there anyone out there in the eastern suberbs of Melbourne who would like the chance of a natter and a coffee, whilst holding a Tupperware party?? I'm trying to start my "career" as a Tupperware consultant but as i'm new to Berwick, don't know that many people to branch out to! The product is great, the Ozzies love it, and its a chance to have a bit of a laugh, all the host needs to do is "host" it and they might even get a fab free gift! I'm not really mad, just trying to fit in around the kids, i can do daytime or evening parties, the choice is yours!!! Hope to hear from anyone whos interested, send me a message or just reply to this thread! Thanks in advance Emma xxx

Hi Howe are hoping to move to Melbourne and I have been trying to research ares based on decent state / public high schools. Berwick seems to be my favourite so far, so any opinions on that will be greatly received. PI have also been looking closer to the coast and Mentone sounds nice but as I have daughter (10) and a son (7) I seem to be struggling to find a mixed state school. Does anyone know of one accessible to those living in Mentone? Thanks

Hi all, We (Me, the wife and our 3 and 6 year old) have our 176 visa and are coming over to Melbourne in 3 weeks time for a holiday and a reccie visit. We have made a coupe of appointments with schools, Berwick and Aspendale Gardens, but are still having trouble finding suitable suburbs for us to rent when we finally move over in December. We like the look of Berwick but are a bit concerned about the distance from the city. Can anyone recommend any suburbs with a similar feel/make up of Berwick? Endeavour Hills? Narre Warren South? Keysborough? Cheltenham? We are looking for a nice area with modern houses, decent schools and not too far from the city & beach (isnt everyone) Its a mine field!! Is there anyone out there who understands our dilemma and is able to offer some tips? Cheers guys Andy (Sarah, Briar & Jesse)

Hi all, Sorry it has taken me so long to get around to this post, life gets in the way sometimes! Well where do I even start, we have been reflecting on our journey over the past year and wow what an adventure! One year ago, we left England to embark on the biggest adventure of our lives, the goodbyes were sad but ahead we had a sense of excitement and anticipation. I remember when we landed in Melbourne on the 5th September 2011 thinking - wow, we are really here! For the first 5 weeks we stayed in serviced apartments provided by my husbands company, it was right by the beach so we enjoyed that novelty! We then moved to a suburb near my husbands work called Berwick, we love it here, it is very family focused, only 40 mins from the CBD, 25 mins to the beach and 20 mins to the mountains, lots of bars, cafes, restaurants, parklands etc :-) The first few weeks were (we can look back and laugh) somewhat challenging, we managed to meet a few people and their generosity will never be forgotten, our first night in new rental we ate our first meal off a cardboard box and watched a tv the size of a laptop (with only 3 channels) that we borrowed from friends ha ha, but lets not be ungrateful, we were essentially starting again! The children have been our saving grace, whenever we felt down or like things werent going our way, we would look at them and see happy faces, enjoying playing in the fresh aussie air and things felt, I dont know, right I guess. The last year has been totally amazing, we have seen and done more things than in our entire lives in the UK, I guess looking back we didnt make as much effort so maybe that's our bad but a fresh start was what we needed! The best part of all is most of the things are readily available to us, within 30-45 min drive - we have Australian beauty on our doorstep, how lucky are we! Australia has more than exceeded my expectations, it is clean, vibrant, beautiful, the food is fresh and in abundance, the people are (mostly) friendly and cannot do enough for you! In fact I sometimes dread going some shops when I am in a hurry because they make such a fuss of you and conversations are plentiful! For those of you that like to complain about how 'expensive' Australia is, please remember these things - The roads are big, spacious and clean - yes the car tax is expensive but then look around you! You get tax back every year you work, that for us is a new novelty and what a bonus! You get super annuation (pension) if you are employed, between myself and my husband we get 19% pension paid by our companies. Food is more expensive yes, but it is fresher and lasts longer so you throw a lot less away, so is it more expensive in the long run? Outdoor life - pack a picnic, fill up your petrol tank and you have a cheap day out, anywhere you fancy, and unless you go to the city or somewhere very touristy, parking is FREE! All parks whether they be in the city, mountains or coast, there are bbqs everywhere, they are free and readily available to use, I love this! in the summer we drive to the beach pack a few sausages and rolls, let the kids play, enjoy a paddle or walk along the beach, have a drink and a hotdog and then go home, awesome! Trains are cheap as chips here, in fact on Sundays they are almost nothing so take a train into the city, walk along the yarra river, have a drink and cake and come home - cheap trip out! Petrol prices match the uk but dollar to pound therefore cheaper! The weather, well Melbourne is the state of all seasons but certainly the sun shines way more here which we love. In the right trade you get paid well here, both my husband and I earn 2.5 times our wages in England :-) I could go on and I know that everyones situations are different but these are our reasons as to why we want to live and bring up our children here :-) The things we miss about the UK - Obviously friends and family Bisto - we get this sent out!! Galaxy - we also get this sent! Clothing - I still shop online at Dorothy Perkins, Next and River Island who all ship to Oz but this works out because I shop in the seasonal sales! CURRY! But fortunately I have a husband that cooks an awesome curry, phew :-) We have so many exciting things to look forward to here most weekends, we spend more time together as a family and love the great outdoors, we work hard and play hard, our kids are the happiest I have seen them and hardly ever watch tv anymore :-) As a family moving to Australia there are hurdles you will come across and problems you will face, its not paradise but in my opinion close enough! Moving anywhere whether is be Australia or Scotland you will always have difficulties to face but you HAVE to put yourself out there, when we first moved here we got ourselves out there and met people and now have a great circle of friends. You have to make an effort to meet people and network yourself - especially if you have children, they are the best networking tool of all! I dont know why there is so much negativity on this forum, people are very quick to talk about the bad stuff but rarely take the time to talk about the good. So my advice to anyone thinking of moving to Australia, do your research, plan, network and enjoy! You only live once so take a chance! I am happy to try and help if anyone wants to know anything - anyway must go, off to the top of a sunny mountain for a free childrens fun day :jiggy: Thanks all, will update at 18 months xx

Just carrying out a little research last night and came across this; Were moving to Melbourne in June 2013 and had Berwick on our hit list - not too sure now!!! Don't get me wrong we expect crime, as with any big city but is the Pakenham line really that bad (i.e. the worst)?!?!? Is this a true reflection or just a media horror story?

Hi all, We are an irish family with two girls aged 2 & 4 and are looking for a nanny full time. Transport would be essential as we are a decent walk from the train station. Ideally we would like the girls minded in their own home but if there is a stay at home mum with her own children out there that would be great as the girls are really sociable. Pm us if you are interested. Sally Anne and Colman.

Hi All So I thought I would give a little something back. We arrived in Oz on 27th August 2011, by we I mean me and my 4 children, and by Oz I mean Berwick (a beautiful suburb of Melbourne). My hubby was already here and had been since March. We travelled via Singapore where we meet hubby for a long weekend/family holiday. Must admit it was a much needed break. Weather when we arrived was crap, damp and cold but think that was because we had just come from Singas, anyway our container turned up the day we arrrived which was seriously bad timing but nothing we could about it. I think I walked around in a daze for the first week or so, collected my car so we could all get around. We explored as much as possible, I think hubby wanted to show us all the things he had discovered. During this first 2 weeks my eldest (18yrs) decided he didnt want to remain in Oz and time then was tense for everyone, lots of arguements and tantrums. 3 weeks in we gave in and bought him a one way ticket back to the UK, not knowing if this was the right thing to do but knowing he had to spread his wings and find his own way. As a mother that was heart wrenching and to be honest didnt see the point of us staying if our family was fragmented. But life went on and the other kids (16,14 and 12) started school. I was determined when we got here that I had to hit the ground running, so I contacted Poms in Oz and a very kind lady put me intouch with other lovely ladies and before I knew it I was being invited here there and everywhere, BBQs, parties, lunches etc etc hubby and my son even got involved with a 5 aside footie team. We have been lucky that we have met some truely wonderful people that have supported us through our ups and downs. I have wobbly days, normally Mondays, but I am learning to put things in place to help myself through those days. One of those is to learn to be kind to myself, to remember we have only been here 3 months and everything is still so new. So in a nut shell we have more friends now than we had in the UK which means at times a hectic lifestyle, which is fine by us. We spend more time together as a family. Dont get me wrong its not all a bed of roses and learning to adjust can be hard at times. Remembering not to compare everything to the UK is the best place to start, after all it isnt the UK. Yes somethings are more expensive here but at the sametime its not everyday I would eat banana prawns in the UK and be wowed by how cheap they are!! Life in Oz is what you make it, with some hard work, an open mind and a little bit of the no worries attitude then its mostly great. I know before I left the UK I was reading everything I could and once I was here this website was an absolute godsend, so if my post just helps 1 person feel more at eaze then thats great, and if anyone has any questions, not promising I will know the answer but I am sure I will find someone in my cirlce of friends so far that will. Good Luck!!

Hi Guys Moving to Berwick hopefully in November. Came to Melbourne in May and decided Berwick was for us. It's now getting to the point where we are both worried about not having any mates and having to spend all our time talking to each other or the dog! Anyone out there who has regular meets etc, let me know as would be great to meet up when we arrive! Also any general Berwick info - when we visited we got as far as the Berwick Inn!! Caroline, Gaz & Tony (the dog)

Hi there, We, as a family, moved from the UK to Berwick just over 2 years ago and bought a house and a dog (so there's our commitment). Our two girls have settled in well and are loving life down under. Having spent the time renovating the house (whilst watching the housing market go down the drain!) and we me working from home part time and my wife working for a company which is, shall we just say, less than socialable at times we have come to realise that our social life is non-existant! Is there anyone nearby who can resuscitate us? Regards, Geoff

What are people's opinions the above? Are there any particular upsides/downsides? We would basically like a house with a garden, 2/3 bedrooms within an hour of the CBD with good transport links for c$350pw (there is just the two of us (both 30), no kids (yet!)). I have read that Ferntree Gully is a fire risk area, but would like to know if anyone has had experience of there actually being any fires/how much of a daily risk it is. Seen a beautiful house in Upper FTG with amazing views for $320 pw but no doubt it will be long gone before we arrive in January. Cheers in advance - any other suggestions of good suburbs most welcome! x

Hi everyone, Well where to start, we arrived in Berwick on 27th August so we are very new to all this. By we I mean, me, Lisa 39, on the cusp of the big one!, my hubby, Nick 43 and our four children, 18,16,14,and 12. My eldest is already having a wobble and wants to go back to the UK:confused:. We have enrolled the other 3 into Berwick Secondary College but they dont start until October so we are all going a tad stir crazy in the house alone. We would love to meet up with others in the area and get together for drinks and a laugh, we are determined to make this the move that is right for all of us and are looking forward to meeting new people. Lisa

My daughter is going to school next year in berwick , Im not sure how good is the state schools and which ones to go to .Or should I go private and why?

Hi we have been looking in Berwick at rentals and really love the place we need schools for our 6 year old and our 13 year old. Is there a lot of difference between Berwick secondary college and Kambrya school. This is just for the catchment areas.Any advice most welcome.I have to say its hard work trying to sort out a rental most agents are not interested at all.

My daughter is 4 in May 2011. Does anyone have any reommendations where she can go when we arrive in Berwick. She currently does 3 hours every morning goverment funded so to do nothing would be a little unfair as she really enjoys it. Im guessing some kind of day care? Do I need to register her for starting kindergaten or would she go straight into prep as a school? For example my son will prop attend Berwick primary so would she go there at 4/5 years? Plus Im on a 457 visa. Will she get funding to attend and if so when would this happen. Thanks

Can anyone give me some information about alkira secondary, and berwick secondary. We are trying to make a decision................ Anything you know is helpful. Thanks! Jenny

Well we have been in Melbourne for 10 days now after a 5 day break in KL. So glad we had the stopover as we were able to chill a bit before diving into the rental and school search. Did lots of research before we left the UK as knew we would only have one week before the Easter hols to get things arranged. Had an area in mind (Berwick and surrounds). Viewed lots of properties on the internet and drove pass a few to get a feel of the area. Although there is quite a few properties advertised there are very few that are available to move into within a couple of weeks. Also, many of the agents didn’t even bother calling us back to confirm whether a house ws still available which was very frustrating. Anyway, this narrowed down the choice a lot, but we were accepted for a nice modern house on the Chase estate on our second day of looking and move in on the 20th of this month. Viewed the state school for our zone (Kambrya), looked OK and seemed very friendly, not sure why it’s got such a bad rap on here but obviously hard to tell too much from a quick tour. Had an interview (arranged from UK) and tour at St Francis Xavier for our eldest and have gone with this mainly due to the curriculum and pastoral care. Berwick Chase primary looked lovely too, very modern and new and would have happily enrolled our youngest. We chose to enrol him at St Catherine’s though due to the fact he will follow his sister onto St Francis next year along with most of the other kids in the class. So we managed to find a rental and have both kids enrolled in school in 4 days leaving us plenty of time to relax in the Easter hols before the OH starts work and the kids start school. :biggrin: We have lived in Australia (and visited Melbourne) before so had a general idea of what to expect and nothing has disappointed yet. We have experienced the famous four seasons already, but when the suns comes out it is still quite warm. Staying in South Yarra atm which is a great place to be based. Lots of cafes, restaurants and shopping to keep us busy, but have also ventured further out to a couple of the beaches. Overall looking forward to exploring more once we are settled and meeting some of the many other PIO'ozers in and around Berwick. :smile:

Hi again, Sorry for another post from me - I was just wondering what experiences people had of living in either Berwick or Eltham please? I'm moving out with my husband and young son (3) at the end of May. We've looked around both Berwick and Eltham but only briefly - you can only learn so much about an area in a couple of hours. Are there any particularly good and bad points about each town? We're looking for an area that feels quite rural, is under an hour on the train from CBD and is safe and family-friendly. Thanks ever so much for any help anyone can provide! Suzanne. x

Hi Boys night out in Berwick (Melbourne). Date: 28th Jan Time: 8 pm, ish Place: Berwick Inn, to start with. Plans: Drink beer and fix all the worlds problems! So far we have an Englishman, Scotsman and an Irishman confirmed so everyone should feel welcome. No jokes please!!! Taxi heading back to Lyndhurst, Cranbourne area if anyone wants to share. Cheers Danny.

Hi all, I'm a newbie to this forum lark so forgive me if I get things wrong, but I wonder if anyone could help me with a couple of questions please? We are moving to the Melbourne area at the end of May with our 3 year old son. We are considering renting a house in either Eltham or Berwick - does anyone know what these areas are like in terms of family activities, safety, etc? We've looked around both, but obviously you can't get much of an idea about a place in an hour or two. The second question is how easy will we find it to rent a house, ie what sort of references and paperwork will we need? As we will only just have arrived from the UK obviously we won't have any previous rental history in Oz, but we will have things like bank statements, employers' references (my OH already has a job) etc - will that suffice? Thanks ever so much for any help you can offer! Suzanne. x

Hi, I have my heart set on a long term rent in Berwick so have looked into Berwick schools. Out short term let is for 3 months in Lakeside, Pakenham! Can anyone give me some advise on Schools around Pakenham please? I believe there is a new school on the lakeside estate. I cant decide weather to settle him in at Pakenham as this town does seem nice to. I have emailed all Berwick schools and they are happy to see us when we arrive in Oz a week before the children start term. So I have a week to choose a school. I dont really want to have to move him schools again. So its Berwick vs Pakenham really! Also if you can recommend a school, where would he go after as I have heard bad reports about the secondary school in Pakenham. My son is 10 years old and would be starting year 5. Thanks very much

Hi, we have been over to Melbourne to sort contracts etc out with work, immigration being sorted and I start work 4th Jan. I am coming over between Christmas and New year with my family following beginning of Feb. We have decided to rent in Berwick, are any members living there? if so are any of you members of golf clubs? (I need to join one asap). I am thirty five, my wife is thirty with daughter five and two year old son. Obviously it would be nice to meet up with similar people as my wife is a little worried about leaving friends and family behind. Any info would be great. Thanks Neil Lucy Freya Tom

Hi Boys night out in Berwick (Melbourne). Date: 28th Jan Time: 8 pm, ish Place: Berwick Inn, to start with. Plans: Drink beer and fix all the worlds problems! So far we have an Englishman, Scotsman and an Irishman confirmed so everyone should feel welcome. No jokes please!!! Taxi heading back to Lyndhurst, Cranbourne area if anyone wants to share. Cheers Danny.