RVN Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 ah skippy, what would we do without you eh?? photos are fabulous and thankyou so much for taking the time to take them and put them on for us. It is just as I remember and I dont feel I could ever get bored of those amazing views. I think we passed though Jamberoo on the way to Kiama on a dolphin seeing trip (that was wonderful by the way- highly recommended) and was so green and lush. It reminded me very much of the UK countryside. I like the sound of Johnd comment of their not being too many brit expats in the area too... I just hope our medicals come through ok. Feeling quite tweeky about them now as I ve just read another post this morning where some poor chap was refused on medical grounds!! my little girl has a medical prob so im praying like mad that they will not refuse us. Stupid thing is the clean illawarra air and sunshine will make all the difference too..Both my OH and myself cannot bear the thought of having to stay here in the UK...reasons to leave are getting bigger every day. I decided to write them all down and have 2 pages of A4 (both sides) here is my last entry ---I went to collect my OH from luton airport yesterday morning and had to park in the shortstay car park for half an hour..it cost me £7.00!! :arghh: rip of britain once again....(ahhhh ill get off my soap box now) mmmmm maybe i should open a new thread..???? bye for now....:notworthy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 RVN, the pictures with the houses on them were taken from a spare block of land at the top of Scenic Cres [Regal Heights,] which is the last lot of houses on the hill on the left as you go out of town towards the Pass. The one with the lake on it shows the little airport between the lake and the park, the houses on the western side of R/H have great rural views, but get battered by the westerly winds during Winter, we live on the opposite side of the hwy & use to watch the roofs flying off in the westerlies when they were building R/H. There is a little new estate being built in the Park, it's called Tullimbah, it's different and they are having trouble selling the homes, they have a website, [Tullimbah Village] This is the view from our front garden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OldiesRUs Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Was there last week!!! We are definitely moving that area (if that nice Mr Immigration man ever lets us). It is soooooo beautiful and that's where my son and grandson are (well, Kiama). Discovered Wollongong airport! Loved it, loved it, loved it. Jean:wubclub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 I like the sound of Johnd comment of their not being too many brit expats in the area ? There are many Pommies that live in the Illawarra RVN, a lot are retired thesedays, most young families are children of Pommie migrants, but we don't have a lot of new ones like they have in W.A. I went to collect my OH from luton airport yesterday morning and had to park in the shortstay car park for half an hour..it cost me £7.00!! rip of britain once again. It was on the news a couple on nights ago, that parking at Sydney airport was the most expensive in the world ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Was there last week!!! We are definitely moving to that area (if that nice Mr Immigration man ever lets us). Jean:wubclub: Hope he doesn't keep you waiting too long Jean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravensfield Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Skippy, your pictures are fab and they have reminded me why I want to move back. I lived in Wollongong before moving to the UK 16 years ago (I only came to the UK for 12 months!!). We are planning on moving back next summer and renting initially until we decided which part of the Illawarra we will be settling in. I use to know the good areas but I imagine that it has all changed in 16 years. Nxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 ravensfield, there have been a few changes to main Hwy's & new estates have been built in the last 16 years, there are new high rise buildings in the Gong, and the shopping precinct around what was called Shellharbour Square has increased dramatically, Albion Park & Shellharbour township have more than doubled in size, but I wouldn't live anywhere else. I don't think we have any bad suburbs really, it's just certain sections of society that give some suburbs a bad name, lets face it, there is always one in every crowd, so no matter where you plan to live, check out the neighbours, ha ha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 I lived in Wollongong before moving to the UK 16 years ago. Where did you live in the Gong ravensfield ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookiecat Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 Hello all, just been reading your very interesting posts and know my hubby would totally agree with your comments. We have been living in the Illawarra, near Shellharbour for just a few months now, since November, after living in Sydney's North West for a year and a half prior and I agree also, that things on the job front for me have been rather slow in this area. I'm glad it's not just me! On our arrival to Sydney I had no problems securing work straight away but am struggling a bit down here to find the right thing without travelling into the city. Also, not come across many poms in this area but can't recommend it highly enough, we certainly have a bit of everything down here, beautiful beaches, rainforest and bushland. There's no going back for us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 not come across many poms in this area. cookiecat, it was said many years ago that you needed a British passport to go south of the Windang bridge, the Poms were instrumental in the birth of the Shellharbour Workers Club, many settled in government housing in Warilla, Dapto & Berkley before buying private once they had decided whether to stay or go back to the UK, many still live in the Shellharbour area. You will mostly only pick up the British twang from the older generation these days, their children grew up here and learned the Aussie twang, these kids are now in their 30's & 40's, so it's hard to pick the Pom these days in that generation, but the old Poms are out there in the hundreds, especially on pension day at the shopping centres. Funny story, my daughter in laws father has always taken the mickey out of me & called me a Pommie B, all in fun, last year at his birthday party I met all his brothers etc, one told me that their family came out with the first fleet, now I have my ammunition, I hold my head up high and remind him that I came here by choice. :biglaugh: Since the government introduced these so called job centres instead of just one department, it seems on paper that there are fewer jobs in the area as different companies use different job centres to advertise for employees, the best way is still the old door knocking proceedure, front up with your resume & ask. :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookiecat Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Great story Skippy, what an amazing family history! It would seem that my OH and I are in the minority then being both pommie and in our 30's! I have taken that approach already, submitting my CV in person to both Shellharbour public and private hospitals, I was a medical secretary in UK and at Children's hospital Westmead and I haven't heard a dickie bird from them. I must admit though I am being a bit fussy this time in holding out for what I want, I know what it's like to go to a job every day that you don't like so I suppose it's just a matter of time before the right job comes along. My parents will be pleased to know there are pommies of their generation out here, we are trying to get them out here, but it won't be for a while yet. Great to have found the Illawarra thread, did jump in on a Sydney meet one, but i think that has fizzled out! Thanks for all the great info.:smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravensfield Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I lived in Wollongong before moving to the UK 16 years ago. Where did you live in the Gong ravensfield ? I lived in Gwynneville and then later in North Wollongong on Church St. Very central as you can appreciate. I was younger then and keen on the city life. Older and wiser now and want a garden and quieter nightlife with less students. Spent many happy nights at Shellharhour Workers!! Have seen some great bands there and some very forgetable ones! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 ravensfield, there are more students than ever in the areas you mentioned, plus the Uni is a lot bigger and quite a money making industry these days, there is a lot more nightlife in the Gong these days also, with bars & night clubs staying open until the early hours of the morning, this has been an issue that has been of concern to the Police.:policeman: In the last year, a young woman had a beer glass pushed in her face by another woman and lost an eye, and the night club at the Novotel North Beach closed down for good after a bloke was shot and killed in there, recently the Gong council have all been sacked after certain ones got caught sleeping & taking bribes from developers, Shellharbour council are under scrutiny too these days, so it's given us all something to talk about for a change, but apart from that, everything in the Illawarra is fine and rosie. :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 [quote=cookiecat; I must admit though I am being a bit fussy this time in holding out for what I want. You sound like a smart cookiecat, and why not, after all, you are the one that has to go into certain environments to earn a crust, so why not be happy in it. :yes: I don't think the workplace is anything like it was years ago, everything is about making big money for the employer thesedays, so you are just a number. I have done my bit & I'm now retired, it's hard at times just sitting back & enjoying life, but someone has to do it. :biglaugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookiecat Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 [it's hard at times just sitting back & enjoying life, but someone has to do it. :biglaugh: Good on ya Skippy! That's what we came here for and there's no better place for it! I thought you might like to know that after seeing your pics of Port Kembla and Hill 60, we took a drive up there yesterday and had a walk around, the sea was the choppiest we have seen it so far but nice and flat on the other side, my OH is now starting to learn to surf, so is always checking out the waves now! You will have seen the TV ad for the Illawarra Mercury local paper and we had been wondering where that lovely pool overlooking the sea was and we spotted it at Port Kembla, so a double discovery! We got a bit wet on the way back though!!:shocked: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 cookiecat, if you want to see some good country & bush, take a drive through Albion Park and go up the Macquarie Pass to Robertson, just passed the pub is a left hand turn which takes you to Belmore falls, after that keep going and you will come to Fitzroy Falls. After seeing those falls etc, carry on down the road until you come to the main Road back into Robertson & head back to the famous pie shop which you will see on the way up, opposite is the Jamberoo Mountain Road, on that road is the new tree top walk which you have to pay to go in, then there is Carrington Falls, i'm not sure which comes first, the Tree road is on the left & the falls road is on the right, carrying on down that road, there is a lookout on the left that overlooks the Jamberoo Valley, it is very easy to miss this, so keep your eyes open, when you reach the end of the road, turn left for Albion Park or right to go through Jambero village on your way home, if you go through Jamberoo, there is a road on the left called swamp road, about 4 klms out of the village, that brings you out at Dunmore, otherwise you come out at Kiama. Kiama also has a small blow hole, that blows when the wind is from the east or north east, drive through Kiama passed the surf beach until you reach a garage on the corner, turn left and follow the signs. If you turn right at the garage and go up the hill, you can go up to the Saddleback lookout where you will be able to see Kiama & right up to the north of the Illawarra & the suburbs on a clear day, I don't think you would want to do it all in the one day though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravensfield Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 does anybody know what the high schools are like in the shellharbour area? my son will have just finished year 9 here when we plan to go to Australia and wiil have to repeat the last part of year 9 there. It will work out well really because he will have a chance to settle in before he gets hit with any year 10 work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVN Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Hello.. I found a fab web site which you can search all the schools in any area and if they have web sites you can search them straight away. Site is NSW Government Portal - Education Sector hope it helps.. RVN xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Just found this web site on another thread, pleasetakemeto/australia Some good pics of the Illawarra etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the hutchies Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 hi skippy we are moving to victoria soon was interested in your photos how lovely the area looks. we are state sponsered so we have to stay there for 2 years but definatetly interested in your neck of the woods. thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr luvpants Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Whereabouts in oz is illawarra JOHN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravensfield Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Hi John Illawarra is about 80kms south of Sydney. The region runs along the coast and includes Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama. It is a beautiful part of the world as you can see from skippy's photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OldiesRUs Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Kiama also has a small blow hole, that blows when the wind is from the east or north east, .................................... ........stop and have a delicious lunch/dinner at Cargos on the Wharf - restaurant right on the harbout wall - where my son is Head Chef (see avatar). Jean:wubclub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 hi skippywe are moving to victoria soon was interested in your photos how lovely the area looks. we are state sponsered so we have to stay there for 2 years but definatetly interested in your neck of the woods. thank you Hutchies, there are beautiful places wherever you go in Oz, so you might see something that suits you in Victoria, I've only poked my nose over the border into Victoria and seen it on TV and there are some great places there, the countryside is very similar to NSW from what I have seen, so you might be suprised. All the best with your move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Whereabouts in oz is illawarra JOHN John, check out this site, pleasetakemeto/australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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