jumpingjellybean Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 nope, not loaded! Just a couple of average professionals with 3 kids. I was just teasing you in regards to Right and Wrong sides (although some people do follow this idiotic snob factor) Yes SOME areas of the North Shore are very expensive. Generally anywhere East of the train line is more expensive, than West of the train line. And I am talking about the same suburbs................. A friend had to move from the East side to the cheaper west side in Wahroonga; as could not afford her mortgage repayments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpingjellybean Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 We just want a nice place ($800 a week rent) for family life, decent schools, not a million miles from the coast and a good commute. God - you don't want much do you! :laugh:...........let me know the name of this perfect paradise when you find it please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpingjellybean Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 (edited) So my suggestion is: HORNSBY HEIGHTS. For example: http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-hornsby+heights-415844469 Where you can still rent a decent looking nice four bedroomed house (with an entertainment area and in-ground pool) for $750 per week. It is close to several good schools both junior and senior. It is only 24km north of the CBD – you can catch the excellent and regular train service from Hornsby into the city (or even drive) It is in a very beautiful bushy location The “lifestyle” is there: bushwalking, trail-bike riding, horse riding, a new community swimming pool, coffee drinking, good restaurants, large shopping centre with practical supermarkets, kayaking, sailing and fishing on the nearby Hawkesbury River. Loads to do for kids and adults alike. Surrounded by several National Parks where you can walk or go boating. And a relaxing drive through Galston Gorge to Wisemans Ferry to “country area”, and drive the back way to the Hunter Valley. Plus loads of decent beaches are only about 30 mins away, either on the Northern Beaches or The Central Coast. http://www.hawkesburyaustralia.com.au/info/towns/hornsby/ A very popular area for families and most people commute into the city daily. Edited May 28, 2015 by jumpingjellybean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Roberto Posted May 29, 2015 Author Share Posted May 29, 2015 (edited) Ah yes @jumpingjillybean obviously everyone wants 'ideal' things. If all boxes can't be ticked we'll how close we can get. Could prob stretch to $850 or $900 at a pinch. Still also looking around Oatley/mortdale on the train line to the south. There just seems to be a choice of many great beaches and parks in the north. Cronulla and Brighton beaches also look good in the south, as well as the George river area. Will have a reccie when we arrive but will need to sort it all quickly as need to start work asap. They wanted me to start 2 days after arriving but I can push it back a bit. But not for ages, probably 2 or 3 weels tops. 2 weeks to sort a place would be good, so trying to line up areas in advance to speed the process up a bit. Edited May 29, 2015 by Captain Roberto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpingjellybean Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Ah yes obviously everyone wants 'ideal' things. If all boxes can't be ticked we'll how close we can get. Well we can try can't we :smile: Honestly, if you do find the perfect place that ticks each box - please let me know. I have found that you can get near perfect here (Sydney suburbs) but you often have to compromise on one thing. Next week I am moving to Palm Beach NSW. I absolutely love the area. Apart from one small thing.......the commute to work. Otherwise it ticks 99.99.99% of my boxes. But totally prepared to make the sacrifice of commuting, to live in such a wonderful place. Only going to be there short-term for six months; so then back to the drawing board of find the perfect place to live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelP Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 The big dilemma for us (and many Sydneysiders) is that the suburbs that are interesting and lively such as the inner west don't have many good public (ie govt) schools. That's why we moved up north for better schools, even though we knew it would be a bit dull compared to Stanmore where we used to live. A lot of Brits seem happy to live in the Hills suburbs in the north west, but we missed the independent cafes and shops of the inner west. Chatswood is a compromise for us - when the kids go to college we'll be moving back to Stanmore! The school don't have a problem with us being here as we used to live in the catchment area and the boys are only 1-2 years away from leaving. I'd say the other north shore suburbs are similar to Turramurra - Sydney's answer to the Chipping Norton set! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Roberto Posted May 30, 2015 Author Share Posted May 30, 2015 (edited) Thanks @MichaelP - tricky isn't it? I guess the reality for us is that we don't normally have the time or money to go to cafes and restaurants here in the UK, and don't expect to get the opportunity over there too often. And the kids need decent schools. It seems to funnel people in our position into certain areas. Thanks for your take on things. I'll bear it in mind when we do a reccie in our week upon arrival. Ideally I think we might have liked Narrabeen or something like that, but lack of state high schools, pricey rents and a potentially tedious daily bus commute seems to make that a no go. I think if I am honest, we have been compromising ever since we became parents in 2003. And I'm fine with that. It's just a case of finding the most agreeable compromise. Make the best of it. Edited May 30, 2015 by Captain Roberto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 (edited) Have you considered the Sutherland Shire side of the Georges River? We are in what I would call the extremities of the area (i.e. in one of the outer suburbs), but still have very good schools, easy access to the CBD, beaches, the airport etc, and we are lucky to have recently had a massive upgrade on our shopping centre with a new cinema, restaurants, cafes etc. We are on the doorstep of the Royal National Park which is beautiful for bushwalking and beaches, and we are on the doorstep of the Illawarra region which is spectacular. ETA: We are from Cambridge/Suffolk area and found this area the perfect blend of peaceful but not boring (if that makes sense!). Edited May 30, 2015 by LKC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Roberto Posted May 30, 2015 Author Share Posted May 30, 2015 (edited) Have you considered the Sutherland Shire side of the Georges River? Yes, we have, and it's the other place on our list. We are going to look around Oatley/Mortdale, as it's on the train line and a bit nearer to the CBD. It's a little bit cheaper than some of these north shore places, and the Schools are also pretty decent. After spending the last 4 years with commutes of between 70-90+ mins each way in and out of work, we are trying to reduce this. Under an hour door-to-door is desirable. 45 mins even better! As you've replied @LKC - if we lived around the George River (north) - Oatley/Mortdale, is the main beach option mainly Cronulla? do people also do much 'beach' stuff in Kogarah Bay too or maybe at Brighton? can you swim in the George river or is it just for people with boats? One factor that appeals on the North Shore is that there are lots of National Parks and the whole choice of beaches from Palm Beach down to Manly/Shelly beach. - but in some ways both areas have similar appeal, so it's just a case of picking one. Edited May 30, 2015 by Captain Roberto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Yes, we have, and it's the other place on our list. We are going to look around Oatley/Mortdale, as it's on the train line and a bit nearer to the CBD. It's a little bit cheaper than some of these Northern beaches, and the Schools are also pretty decent. After spending the last 4 years with commutes of between 70-90+ mins each way in and out of work, we are trying to reduce this. Under an hour door-to-door is desirable. 45 mins even better! As you've replied @LKC - if we lived around the George River (north) - Oatley/Mortdale, is the main beach option mainly Cronulla? do people also do much 'beach' stuff in Kogarah Bay too or maybe at Brighton? can you swim in the George river or is it just for people with boats? One factor that appeals on the North Shore is that there are lots of National Parks and the whole choice of beaches from Palm Beach down to Manly/Shelly beach. - but in some ways both areas have similar appeal, so it's just a case of picking one. I don't know for sure, but I would guess that the closest beach to Oatley would be Brighton-Le-Sands, although it is in Botany bay, is quite close to the airport and is just a flat sandy stretch of beach with no real surf, or rockpools etc (I don't know about your kids but mine like rocky beaches with rockpools just as much as sandy ones). The next closest would be Cronulla/Wanda beach, and then the beaches in the Royal National Park (which in my opinion are far superior). I don't know much about Kogarah, or whether you can swim in the Georges river. I guess so, but there are LOTS of boats around so it may not be safe. We can swim in the Woronora river at 'The Needles' in Engadine (and other places at a guess, I just haven't done it), plus there are lots of swimming holes in the national parks (curracurrang creek pool and karloo pools are our favourite), and you can swim in the Hacking River, which opens out to the ocean at Cronulla/Bundeena (best white, sandy beaches in my opinion). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi from Manchester Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 I agree with LKC re the beach at Brighton-Le-Sands. There are better beaches around, (unless you're a plane spotter!). I love how the Northern beaches have orange sand. I like yellow and white sand too, but I prefer orange! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetMeDownUnder Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 We moved from the UK straight to North Narrabeen. I used to get a bus which took 60 minutes to get home and a little less to get in. I then bought a scooter (as you can use the bus lane and I can get there in around 35. (this is a trip to CBD) We prefer the quieter area with a rent that has a nice front and back garden. You are away from the Sydney action though so it depends on what you want from your move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 (edited) As you've replied @LKC - if we lived around the George River (north) - Oatley/Mortdale, is the main beach option mainly Cronulla? do people also do much 'beach' stuff in Kogarah Bay too or maybe at Brighton? can you swim in the George river or is it just for people with boats? One factor that appeals on the North Shore is that there are lots of National Parks and the whole choice of beaches from Palm Beach down to Manly/Shelly beach. - but in some ways both areas have similar appeal, so it's just a case of picking one. From Oatley/Mortdale, the closest beach is Brighton-Le-Sands, which is about 20 minutes' drive away. The beach extends for miles along the edge of several suburbs (Monterey, Ramsgate, Dolls Point etc). The catch if you like surfing is that there isn't any surf - it's Botany Bay so it's sheltered and fairly calm, ideal for young families with several netted swimming areas. That said, many people prefer going to Cronulla because you can take the train and not have to worry about parking. Also of course, there's surf - more like a "real" Aussie beach. Again, Cronulla is actually a series of beaches, not just one. Don't forget that the original National Park, the Royal National Park, is in the Sutherland Shire. You'll also find quite a lot of smaller areas to walk like Oatley Park, and the walk/cycle path across the Como Bridge. Plus there's a great choice of small villages with nice beaches along the coast towards Wollongong, all within half an hour to an hour's drive. Edited August 5, 2015 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveS Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 I don't know for sure, but I would guess that the closest beach to Oatley would be Brighton-Le-Sands, although it is in Botany bay, is quite close to the airport and is just a flat sandy stretch of beach with no real surf, or rockpools etc (I don't know about your kids but mine like rocky beaches with rockpools just as much as sandy ones). The next closest would be Cronulla/Wanda beach, and then the beaches in the Royal National Park (which in my opinion are far superior). I don't know much about Kogarah, or whether you can swim in the Georges river. I guess so, but there are LOTS of boats around so it may not be safe. We can swim in the Woronora river at 'The Needles' in Engadine (and other places at a guess, I just haven't done it), plus there are lots of swimming holes in the national parks (curracurrang creek pool and karloo pools are our favourite), and you can swim in the Hacking River, which opens out to the ocean at Cronulla/Bundeena (best white, sandy beaches in my opinion). I relocated from Cambridge to the Shire as well and love it :-). I tried to send you a PM LKC but your inbox is full. My favourite family suburbs around here are Como, Oatley and the quieter parts like Illawong :-). Dave & Family Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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