Commutable beachside suburb for family?

[Onmywayhome]

Hi All,

We are a couple in our 40s with a 3 and 6 year old considering moving to Brisbane, and would love some ideas about where we might live.

I'd work in Fortitude Valley and my husband would work from home.  I could manage a commute (train or driving) of up to an hour, and my husband travels a bit so proximity to the airport (under 45 mins) would be nice but not essential.

Good schools (public or private if there's not a long waiting list) is a must.

Ideally we'd love to be near a beach we can swim at (preferably sand not mud) and other "nice to haves" would be shops/cafes not too far away and walking/cycling/running tracks. I'd also love a village/country type feel, but I've no idea if this is realistic.  Somewhere family oriented with a sense of community would be good. 

A surf beach within an hour or so (or less!) would be also fabulous.

Do any such places exist?  

Thanks!

[NorthernLights]

You could look bayside ((Redland's), but you'd have to cross the river, so you'd have to leave early.

Depending on your budget there are some man made beaches at Raby Bay in Cleveland and a bit closer to the city at Wynnum. Manly also good. Wellington Point has a lovely little beach but you need to take the ferry over to Straddie for the surf. Schools in the Redlands include Ormiston College and Moreton Bay schools which are both excellent. State school in Ormiston is very good, not sure about other areas. All above named areas are served by a train into city centre (about 50 mins from the furthest station in Cleveland).

We love living here. Lovely breeze too so doesn't get too hot. 

45 mins to Gold Coast. 35 mins to airport. 1 hour including ferry to the beautiful Stradbroke island. 1.5-2hrs to Noosa.