Captain Roberto Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 We went up there for a look around and it looks very nice. It's probably a bit more suitable for us for many reasons (but not all - commute!) We went to a few places, including Terrigal and Avoca Beach is pretty awesome. It's as nice as any I've seen here really, up there with the likes of Avalon and Palm beach. We were amazed that we could take our dog places and not just a dog field (including most of the beaches, except there the flags are etc) Whilst it's not 'cheap' it's cheaper than Sydney. If we stay and buy that's the kind of place we'd like. So much more chilled than Sydney. No road ragers and no 'rat race' feeling. The only problem is that the commute looks a bit of a push. Trains probably better than car, but not great. Does anyone do this kind of commute? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 We stayed on the Central Coast when we came over on our reccie, not realising just how far it is from Sydney. OH had some meetings with his new company in Chatswood which he drove to, and it took him over four hours to get back to the holiday house on one occasion because there was an accident. I don't know if you've ever seen the live traffic app/website, but that might give you an idea of how often there are accidents/delays on the freeway up to the Central Coast. You could check it at rush hour times or the times you would be commuting to see what sort of delays you would have, if any. I would imagine that the train would be easier and less stressful, although it would depend a bit on how far you are from the train station etc. My OH commutes by bike/train/walk and enjoys his commute, but it is only a 20 min cycle, 20 minutes on the train and 5 minute walk at the other end. We are only a 30 minute or so drive from his work, so when the trains are delayed (the delays can be quite spectacular at times!) I can easily put the kids in the car and go and pick him up. That wouldn't be so easy to do when you have a long train commute. That said, I am sure that people do commute from the Central Coast by both car and train. It is a beautiful (and less expensive) area, and I guess the pay off is that you have to sacrifice a bit of time to commute back and forth to Sydney. It wouldn't have suited us, OH works until 6pm, he works Sundays and does a late night once a week, and these hours are totally inflexible, so anything more than a one hour commute for him would mean that he wouldn't really see the kids before bed which was something that we weren't willing to sacrifice. If he had more flexible working arrangements and could go in earlier but finish earlier we might have considered living further out, so it perhaps depends a bit on your job, family life and other commitments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northshorepom Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Plenty do it, but you need to be prepared for 1.5-2 hours each way commuting, and that wears really thin It (long commute) is one of the reasons we came here: I used to do 90 mins e/w on a good day, often 2 hours (so roughly the same time as you're looking at) and I grew to hate it; I left the house at 5.45 (so up at 5.15am) and rarely got back before 7.30, usually closer to 8pm. It meant I was knackered all week, and all that house admin type stuff (like clearing bills, organising jobs between the two of you, little DIY jobs like fixing locks and so on) got pushed into the weekend, so I lost time at the weekend as well. The final straw was overhearing my son say to one of his schoolmates "Daddy lives in London during the week, he only comes to see us at the weekends" and I knew I had to change something. Where we lived (in Suffolk) was idyllic, but not worth the stress and damage to family life for me I realise I'm being totally negative here but just giving you my experience of long commutes. If you have the type of job where you can work from home a couple of days a week then I think it's perfectly OK, but if you're doing 5 days a week in the city that's another matter Terrigal and Avoca are really nice, but be warned are both really bad for the commute to Sydney - it's a slow and annoying drive to Gosford for the train. Woy Woy/Ettalong/Umina might be a better bet. The "express" trains stop at Gosford, Woy Woy and then Hornsby, but there's no such thing as a fast train up that line, it's very steep and windy - beautiful scenery though if that's your bag Woy Woy to Central is about 1hr 10 mins. And of course Central isn't very central, so most CBD locations will involve another 15 mins at the city end. Add on the time to take you to get to the station etc and you can see it's a 90 mins+ proposition. Driving might actually be quicker but there are frequent accidents on the M1, the steep hills are a factor - and the Central Coast Highway through Gosford is awful. If you look at the map you'll see that almost all traffic from south of Bateau Bay has to get to the M1 through that one road up to Kariong interchange, so it's predictably choked. I start work early so am usually on the Pac Hwy in Wahroonga at around 6.45 and it's already very busy with tradies coming down from the coast. Not trying to put you off but you need to be prepared for the journey and its consequences. As I said, if you don't have to do it every day (or can be flexible with hours) then that could make a hell of a difference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Roberto Posted February 22, 2016 Author Share Posted February 22, 2016 I definitely hear you @northshorepom - in fact i did a commute that was between 80 and 100 mins each way in the UK and wasn't keen, especially after a few years of it. That was a factor in our deciding to move (which eventually ended up with us arriving here). So I agree - I can't see the commute being much joy (not year on year). It's a shame though as it's great round there, more relaxed, all the right kind of things that fit the lifestyle we like. Sydney is also great, but it's too expensive to buy and the dog is only allowed a few places, then there's all the rat-race stuff. It's a bit of a puzzle... and a bit frustrating. It used to be said that you could get something cheaper around Hornsby area, but you can't really. Even places like Mt Colah are expensive and it looks a bit boring there (maybe it's good if you really like trees). You can get places in the Shire, but they are small boxy places on busy roads. or miles out to the west. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Roberto Posted February 22, 2016 Author Share Posted February 22, 2016 @nicolarobley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallyman Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 I work on and off down in Sydney to fill time in between jobs. I am further up above the central coast in Pokolbin basically it's 2hrs door to door to most parts of northern Sydney and by the end of the week I am worn out , as I don't do it for long periods I put up with it, the standard of driving along the m1 is very bad at the best of times , if you can I would do the train a lot less stressful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 I've known several people who commuted from the Central Coast. The train line is much, much better than it used to be. Take a look at the train timetables to find a station that offers an acceptable commute, then look for towns within a few minutes drive/cycle/walk of the station (if it's a drive, check to make sure you'll be able to park at the station). Don't even think of commuting by car. My boss did it for years and I'm amazed he's still alive. We got used to him being constantly late due to accidents and hold-ups on the highway, and he used to regale us with stories of the crashes or near-misses he'd seen on the way in. He had a few nasty smashes himself and wrote off two company cars. The problem is that stretch of the Pacific Highway is the last stretch of the journey from Queensland for the long-haul truckers, and they're dangerously tired (or on uppers!). On top of that you have commuters rushing because they're late for work in the morning, or tired and hurrying to get home at night. Umina Beach seems to be popular with Brits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janlo Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 The trainline is better than it used to be? Geez must have been pretty bad! I did the CBD commute and it's a looong trek. I used to drive from Davistown to Gosford ..ok there was parking up near the hospital but still it was a 20 min drive, then of course you arrive 10 mins before the train so there's half an hour gone. 1 hour 20 to central....10 min walk to the office. Cereal bowl to log on - 2 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 The trainline is better than it used to be? Geez must have been pretty bad! I did the CBD commute and it's a looong trek. I used to drive from Davistown to Gosford ..ok there was parking up near the hospital but still it was a 20 min drive, then of course you arrive 10 mins before the train so there's half an hour gone. 1 hour 20 to central....10 min walk to the office. That's why I said, if you're going to live on the Central Coast then you've got to live close to the station! Yes, the train used to be a lot worse, the line was in a poor state and there were constant delays and closures due to problems with the line. You can imagine what a pain it would be to find you're constantly being decanted on to a bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janlo Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 ...no need to shout. I wasn't disagreeing with you, was just giving my personal experiences of travelling to the City. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 ...no need to shout. I wasn't disagreeing with you, was just giving my personal experiences of travelling to the City. Sorry, who was shouting? I was just answering your question about why the train journey was even worse a few years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janlo Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Sorry, who was shouting? I was just answering your question about why the train journey was even worse a few years ago. Apology accepted. :cute: ( I'm a bit sensitive to exclamation marks) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Apology accepted. :cute: ( I'm a bit sensitive to exclamation marks) I was always told that if you want to shout online, you use capital letters - exclamation marks express surprise or provide emphasis. Maybe I'm out of date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janlo Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Lol. I think this site should be called "poms off topic" !!! :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janlo Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 I was always told that if you want to shout online, you use capital letters - exclamation marks express surprise or provide emphasis. Maybe I'm out of date. Your probs right, I'll google it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Roberto Posted February 22, 2016 Author Share Posted February 22, 2016 Yep. It sounds like it's not a good plan for a long term. Commute. Shame though. It's really nice out there. Maybe in time I could set up my own thing and work from home but I'll need more experience and contacts to get in a place where I can do that. In many ways, as long as I have fast internet and a little room I can do it anywhere, buy ultimate it requires paying clients. Without those you have nothing. And as I have only been here 7 months i Just don't have enough contacts, business 'friends' relationships and local currency. I suspect that kind if things but takes time Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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