Beanigan Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 Hi, Hope you can help us. We are looking to move to Melbourne and I have an interview for the Royal Children's Hospital in Parkville next week (but not got the job yet!!). If I were successful, which areas are easily commutable to the hospital, bearing in mind that I would need to drop children off to before school clubs before an early shift (7:30/8am start) so ideally need to get into work within half hour? (I can always cycle, maximum about 30 mins). As we're both healthcare workers (my husband is a paramedic), we won't be big earners so need to rent an affordable 3 bedroom house in a nice area with nice schools and not a million miles away from a beach (we will be renting out our UK property). It will be on a 457 visa so is anyone aware of school fees that we would need to pay? I assume we'd have to pay some sort of insurance for medical care. I know some parts of Melbourne, I really like Yarraville and my brother lives out in Box Hill North (which may be a bit too far away). Any help much appreciated! :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amibovered Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 30 minutes from Parkville, affordable, close to the beach, it's any two of those 3 I'm afraid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beanigan Posted April 8, 2016 Author Share Posted April 8, 2016 30 minutes from Parkville, affordable, close to the beach, it's any two of those 3 I'm afraid. Fair enough! Maybe I'd drop the beach then, as we can always drive there! Looking at Yarravile, Brunswick, Moonee Ponds, Essendon and Ascot Vale. All seem easily cycable to the hospital. I have friends in Yarraville and family in Box Hill North but can drive to these places.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amibovered Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 Fair enough! Maybe I'd drop the beach then, as we can always drive there! Looking at Yarravile, Brunswick, Moonee Ponds, Essendon and Ascot Vale. All seem easily cycable to the hospital. I have friends in Yarraville and family in Box Hill North but can drive to these places.... All those suburbs are quite nice, it's all subjective of course, but all have good access to the RCH Have you had a look on here to check out some rentals https://www.realestate.com.au/rent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beanigan Posted April 8, 2016 Author Share Posted April 8, 2016 Yes I have, i probably can afford up to $700 a week as long as my husband gets a job pretty quick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amibovered Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 Brunswick, Moonee Ponds, Essendon and Ascot Vale all have easy access by tram too, good luck with the interview. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beanigan Posted April 8, 2016 Author Share Posted April 8, 2016 Brunswick, Moonee Ponds, Essendon and Ascot Vale all have easy access by tram too, good luck with the interview. Thank you very much, fingers crossed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 Affordable three bedroom house in the areas suggested is not likely. My daughter pays $500 a week for a wee tiny house in Brunswick that you cannot swing a cat in and no room for children. No room much for the two of them. Ascotvale has houses and is a nice suburb. North Melbourne is the closest place. A lot of Brits live in Point Cook and areas around it as its affordable and houses. However the traffic is a nightmare in peak. I suggest you have a look at the transport map and follow the train lines out and then look up realestate.com.au and domain.com.au and see what properties are available and their prices for rent. There are many apartments for rent but a lot are very small. I guess it will also depend where your partner is based as well. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Fair enough! Maybe I'd drop the beach then, as we can always drive there! Looking at Yarravile, Brunswick, Moonee Ponds, Essendon and Ascot Vale. All seem easily cycable to the hospital. I have friends in Yarraville and family in Box Hill North but can drive to these places.... I live in Yarraville and we moved here as we really liked the village feel... Unfortunately the pollution in this area is gross. Our internal window ledges get covered in a thick black soot from the lorries travelling in the area and the noise from the trains is sometimes unbearable. Personally, I would move to Seddon if you were thinking about living out west. There are some great things about Yarraville, but the pollution and the noise outweigh all the positives in my view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amibovered Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 I live in Yarraville and we moved here as we really liked the village feel... Unfortunately the pollution in this area is gross. Our internal window ledges get covered in a thick black soot from the lorries travelling in the area and the noise from the trains is sometimes unbearable. Personally, I would move to Seddon if you were thinking about living out west. There are some great things about Yarraville, but the pollution and the noise outweigh all the positives in my view. The pollution problem will probably get worse before it gets better with the new weight restrictions on the Westgate forcing more trucks to go that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beanigan Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 I live in Yarraville and we moved here as we really liked the village feel... Unfortunately the pollution in this area is gross. Our internal window ledges get covered in a thick black soot from the lorries travelling in the area and the noise from the trains is sometimes unbearable. Personally, I would move to Seddon if you were thinking about living out west. There are some great things about Yarraville, but the pollution and the noise outweigh all the positives in my view. OK thanks for the advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petitescargot Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 (edited) We lived right in the centre of Yarraville and had the same problem. Great village feel, shops, cafes and beautiful houses but the trucks on the surrounding roads were scary. The main roads around the suburbs at certain times of day could be like the wacky races. And the pollution was another issue, thick sooty diesel dusty on our inside window ledges and the outside of our little cream coloured weatherboard house was filthy. We moved to williamstown and love the more open and greener feel of the suburb, plus no traffic or trucks passing though. I'd have a look at Newport where there tends to be newer and roomier houses for families and also consider suburbs just a bit further out like Altona (around Westona station), still an easy train ride into the city to then get the tram up to Parkville but much more reasonably priced. The inner west is always a bit overlooked but we absolutely love it and I think it's made our move to Oz in some ways easier and more enjoyable. Edited April 20, 2016 by petitescargot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosiew Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 If I had your budget and I was working at the RCH I'd be looking at properties like this that are walking distance to the no 55 tram in Melville Road that takes you to the back of the hospital. Brunswick West is more suburban, less hipster and therefore less expensive than Brunswick. Brunswick Secondary College is getting great school results. http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-brunswick+west-418172938 OR houses near the no 59 tram in Moonee ponds/ Essendon. The 59 takes you to the front door of the RCH and these are solid family areas with good facilities. Like this http://www.realestate.com.au/property-townhouse-vic-essendon-418247250 Just remember you need airconditioning and heating in Melbourne. You are covering a day time temperature range of 12 - 42 and a night range of 5 - 25! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beclang Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 If you have up to $700 a week you may find something in Travancore Kensington or Flemington (we currently rent a small 2 bedroom house in Travancore for $415pw) also if you follow the 59 tram route on Mt Alexander Rd it's a easy trip to all the hospitals so ascot vale moonee ponds and Essendon would work, you'd get more for your money the further out you go, what age are your kids? Primary schools, most in the areas you have suggested are great Flemington primary and Kensington are both awesome. Strathmore secondary in Essendon is supposed to be great too. If you want something cheaper you could look arround west footscray (we're planning on moving this way later in the year due to cost. Williamstown seddon Newport spotswood, the train line from here goes through north Melbourne so easy access if you choose not to ride. Nib do pretty reasonable medical insurance for the type of visa your on. good luck with it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beanigan Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 Thank you so much! We'll be receiving around $200/300 a week from our property in the UK (currency rates depending) so we figured we'd like an OK sized 3 bed house (we can manage 1 bathroom) with an outside space for barbies! The children are 6 & 9 (just turned) so Primary school for both. I'll be starting work at 7:45am so I need to drop them off at 7am at before school clubs. I've been going through all the schools before/after school clubs and the only one I can spot which starts at 7am (in the areas we are eyeing up) is Moonee Ponds West Primary school. I can easily cycle to work from there (saves parking fees and tram feees). We just need to sort out after school care now as I'll be finishing at 6pm and that's when after school care finishes! There must be childminders who pick up from these clubs? My husband is a paramedic practitioner so he'll be working shift work also. We figured we'd try and stick closer to the hospital for ease of getting back following night shifts etc so Moonee Ponds is a perfect distance away (and not far from the beach, my friends in Yarraville and my brother in Box Hill North). Thank you for the tip on Medical Insurance - does ths cover ambulance cover as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beclang Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 (edited) Moonee ponds is a good suburb especially for what you need, you will get a little more space there than in Flemington, Travancore or ascot vale. Moonee ponds is where we do our grocery shopping there's a Aldi, Woolworths and Coles there aswell as other smaller shops. I found this site really helpful as the primary schools are zoned so even if you were paying international fees you still need to live in the zone for that school. (http://melbourneschoolzones.com/schools/moonee-ponds-primary-school/) There is very few options for childcare in australia especially for shift workers, I worked in hospitality before having my kids and have been unable to go back to work due to the lack of options!! Your best bet would be to find a family day care to do pick ups from school clubs, another option which may work would be to advertise for a au pair in your area who wants to get some extra work by doing school pick ups, depending on the family's they are placed with they may not be needed at that time and are looking for extra work, Iv found the Facebook group "AU PAIR in Melbourne" handy for this. Also there is another Facebook Group called "Moonee valley Buy swap and sell"which can be helpful finding childcare, looking for advice on the area and picking up some nice second hand furniture for your house. NIB insurance does have ambulance cover but even if it didn't it's only $80 a year for a family, the NIB cover worked out the most cost effective option for my father at $70 per month for basic cover as he will be staying for a year on a tourist visa, there are a number of different company's which offer this type of cover though. Edited April 20, 2016 by Beclang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beanigan Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 Thank you again! International fees for schooling??!!! I thought we didn't have school fees in Victoria on a 457 visa - am I wrong???:nah: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melbpom Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 For government info on schools look at http://www.myschool.edu.au. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beclang Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Sorry your probably right, Iv only delt with friends on different visas to your one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosiew Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 No international fees in Victoria. Moonee Ponds West has a great reputation. Have a look at http://www.findababysitter.com.au to line up someone to collect the children after school and look after them - either from the end of school or at 6pm. Presumably your husband will not be working straight away so you have some wiggle room on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Working in Parkville would make living in the west a possibility. I would consider Footscray, Seddon, Sunshine, Maribyrnong. They sometimes get a bad rap - they are not wealthy and are racially diverse, but this means they are vibrant, have a great food scene, lots of community events and relatively affordable housing. They also have a lot of young families, so plenty of schools to choose from. I have friends who live in the west and love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aileen Cox Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Hi Beanigan, New to the forum and just came across your post. We're also moving to Melbourne with an eye on Moonee Ponds and Moonee Ponds West Primary school for our boy whos 7. I was wondering how you've got on with all your planning and when you are hoping to move? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beanigan Posted April 23, 2016 Author Share Posted April 23, 2016 No international fees in Victoria. Moonee Ponds West has a great reputation. Have a look at www.findababysitter.com.au to line up someone to collect the children after school and look after them - either from the end of school or at 6pm. Presumably your husband will not be working straight away so you have some wiggle room on that. Yes we have a bit of wiggle room! he may be getting an off shore job or shift work so would be good if I had someone to help cover some of my shift work - that website looks great thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beanigan Posted April 23, 2016 Author Share Posted April 23, 2016 Hi Aileen, Fab! We're looking to move in July so not long (not even started sorting our lives out yet!). I'm looking at schools with extended before and after school care although, we'd get no help on the 457 visa and childcare fees look expensive (especially the Camp Australia ones!. We have a 9 year old boy and a 6 year old girl. Moonee Ponds is still on the list as well as surrounding areas. I have a list of 16 schools to go through (shortlisted already on rankings) and now going through striking off all the schools with before school clubs starting at 7:30am or later! I have Footscray, Brunswick, Yarraville, Moonee Ponds, Maribrynong, Kensington, Fitzroy and Carlton on the list so lots to sift through! My friends children go to Wembley Primary in Yarraville and said she can help me with school runs if I live over that way - but the cycle ride may be a bit far! So much to look at and think about! How are you getting on? Where will you be working? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aileen Cox Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 Hi Aileen, Fab! We're looking to move in July so not long (not even started sorting our lives out yet!). I'm looking at schools with extended before and after school care although, we'd get no help on the 457 visa and childcare fees look expensive (especially the Camp Australia ones!. We have a 9 year old boy and a 6 year old girl. Moonee Ponds is still on the list as well as surrounding areas. I have a list of 16 schools to go through (shortlisted already on rankings) and now going through striking off all the schools with before school clubs starting at 7:30am or later! I have Footscray, Brunswick, Yarraville, Moonee Ponds, Maribrynong, Kensington, Fitzroy and Carlton on the list so lots to sift through! My friends children go to Wembley Primary in Yarraville and said she can help me with school runs if I live over that way - but the cycle ride may be a bit far! So much to look at and think about! How are you getting on? Where will you be working? I'm going to be working at the airport, also working shifts so trying to find somewhere with suitable childcare also! proving more difficult than expected. I am in serviced apartment in Flemington initially provided by work and then looking to find a place in August in preparation for my partner and boy arriving in September. We also still have so much to do! Moonee ponds west is our first choice but we have heard its full and May not be the space to take our son so we're writing out a list now too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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