Joondalup

[half a dozen]

Hi

 

We have been thinking of moving to Adelaide as we were looking to get state sponsorship but hubby has got a telephone interview this week with a company in Joondalup, Perth. Does anybody live there who could give us an idea of the area, house prices, schools etc. I know I'm being a bit presumtious about the job, but you never know!! We have 4 kids, ages 14, 11, 9 & 7. Thanks very much x :jiggy::goofy:

[Guest LeighandViki]

Hello,

Im afraid we live in the UK at mo but have been granted visas and will move out there early next year.

We spent 2 weeks in Joondalup last year to check the area out and we liked it very much. Have you been to Australia before? A few things suprised us as i guess it was our first visit.

The town is ideal for family life and is very relaxed and chilled, but it would help if you can drive out there as distance to shops, suburbs and the beach can be far.

Most family homes are found in suburbs around Joondalup and each suburb has a small selection of shops with a bigger selection of larger stores found towards Joondalup itself.

The area itself is very clean and tidy and the homes are lovely but its best if you google Joondalup and go on the areas website to check out schools and house prices etc.

We felt we would prefer to be in Perth itself as we have no children at mo and Joondalup seems a little quiet but I think its ideal for family life.

The whole area north of Perth and Joondalup is growing with houses being built towards Burns Beach so its ideal if you like sea views.

I would recommend it but always think about distance in Australia and that its not a simple trip down the town on foot. However there are buses and the Train service from Joondalup to Perth is FANTASTIC unlike here.

 

Good Luck.

 

Kind Regards,

Leigh.

[ali]

I've never actually been to Joondalup so can't comment, but a friend validating a visa last year liked it a lot. It's an area very popular with Brits. It wasn't an area we considered due to my job offer being further south - and wanting to be closer to the city and Fremantle

 

Ali

[Guest teresha]

Hi. We moved to Australia from the UK a year and a half ago and we live in Iluka which is one of the suburbs within the city of Joondalup's boundaries. Joondalup itself probably isn't where you want to live with kids as the house prices will be more than the outlying areas due to the fact that Joondalup is the hub for the northern suburbs. If you work in Joondalup there are a variety of places to live in within a short drive from the city centre. You do need to drive though (I'm 36 and in the process of learning) as the buses are not frequent. There is an excellent train service but it only connects the major centres. Perth to Joondalup or vice versa is 30 minutes by train. But to get from Joondalup to my house is a 6 minute car ride ;-) but there's only one bus an hour and none on the weekends. There are other areas that are better served by public transport, the further south you go (towards Perth and then south of Perth) the more infrastructure there is. Feel free to let me know any specific questions about Joondalup, we have an office there and go there a lot for shopping, errands, events and so on.

[Mongrel]

Hi

We are in somerly we stayed in Connolly on the golf course resort in a short term let we have been here 7 months. Joondalup is a city actually but that is like a big council area. The housing area of joondalup is just top of Moore drive next to the city centre cant comment on schools but I think all the schools are good. Shops there is ast of shops.there are these centres in every suberb. Youhave the lakeside shopping precinct off joondalup drive. which is being extended. There is the joondalup sports arena with swimming pools very good. The c oast and beaches are about 10 -15 mins away. The train service to Perth is very good and efficient . In WA and rest of oz you have to realise its a BIG country and you have to drive a bit I used to travel 3 miles and oh 15 mins here she is 30 min me about 40 min but summat you get used to. . We are movin to a new rental in Kallarroo if we get it a bit further south but joonies good housing is on a par with other suberbs around.

 

Malx

aka Billy 6mk

[Guest Graham&kym]

Move to Adelaide!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest teresha]

Obviously everyone wants something different but we've got a friend from Adelaide who now lives here and he keeps saying how much more modern and "happening" Perth is than Adelaide which frankly surprised me :-) but I've researched it online and it does seem to be the opinion of those born and raised in Adelaide. I think it may be that Adelaide hasn't yet had the "boom" that Perth has benefited from.

[half a dozen]

Hi

 

Thanks to all of you for replying, it's always good to get feedback from people actually living there! Can anyone comment on schools in Joondalup area? 3 girls aged 14, 11 & 7 & boy aged 9.

 

Thanks again x :notworthy:

[Guest teresha]

Hi

 

Thanks to all of you for replying, it's always good to get feedback from people actually living there! Can anyone comment on schools in Joondalup area? 3 girls aged 14, 11 & 7 & boy aged 9.

 

Thanks again x :notworthy:

 

The Lake Joondalup Baptist College is supposed to be quite good. It's private but private isn't all that much here (well, compared to England anyway). A friend's son is going next year and we're trying to get our son in but they're currently full for year 8. They take primary and secondary age children Lake Joondalup Baptist College. St Marks in Hillarys (short drive) is another good one but again, hard to get a place St Mark's : Anglican Community School, Christian Community School, Perth Western Australia. We're on the waiting list for that one as well :-) If you are willing to drive a bit north there is Peter Moyes Anglican Community School Peter Moyes Anglican Community School which is where our son will go if we can't get him into one of hte other two. It is a VERY nice school but it's a 20 minute drive.

 

For a list of government schools see Education Department of Western Australia - Schools Online and for a list of private schools see AISWA - Search for School

 

If you go private your kids can go to any school you can get them into. If you go for government schools you are locked in to the one school that serves your area, you don't have a choice. That may be fine depending on the school but it's worth being aware that you can't provide a 2nd and 3rd choice like you can in the UK.

 

There are no LEA tables or any sort of comparable system for primary school to allow you to compare schools "at a glance". For government secondary school you can see the final year results, not sure about private secondary - I've never found any online.

[half a dozen]

Thanks teresha for your replies. I will look into the schools that you have mentioned. It looks quite positive on the job front, I daren't get too excited as we have the 457 visa to sort out yet. We are catholic and I have read many times about the catholic private schools being good and quite affordable? Do you know of any in the Joondalup area? We will look at any school options, also as we are going on a sponsored 457 visa do we have to pay for the government schools and are we even allowed to go to them? :unsure::jiggy:

[Guest teresha]

On the 457 visa your kids can go to the government schools without having to pay any fees. As far as I am aware WA is the only state that allows this, the other states charge roughly the same as if you were going private. We haven't paid anything in the 2 years our son has gone to the local primary school.

 

Have a look on that independent schools site - it will list the Catholic ones. I think you can even limit the search criteria to religious schools only. There is a very nice Catholic one within walking distance of us - I must have forgotten to mention it Prendiville Catholic College - Home. They take primary and secondary students. St. Simon's is also just there but it's only primary. If you haven't already seen this site it's very, very helpful for getting to know the local area Schools - Ocean Reef, Perth, Australia - that's the schools around here but for information about Joondalup specifically have a look at Suburb Profile - Joondalup, Perth, Australia. Apparently there's also a Catholic school in Currambine. I think this entire area is quite Catholic, at least the Catholic church owned all the property in Iluka until 10 years ago.

[half a dozen]

Thanks teresha, you're a mind of information! I'll have a good look through these today x :notworthy:

[Guest teresha]

Thanks teresha, you're a mind of information! I'll have a good look through these today x :notworthy:

 

LOL, it's just cause I had to do all the research when we moved over. Best of luck with the visa

[northernbird]

Thanks teresha for your replies. I will look into the schools that you have mentioned. It looks quite positive on the job front, I daren't get too excited as we have the 457 visa to sort out yet. We are catholic and I have read many times about the catholic private schools being good and quite affordable? Do you know of any in the Joondalup area? We will look at any school options, also as we are going on a sponsored 457 visa do we have to pay for the government schools and are we even allowed to go to them? :unsure::jiggy:

 

Catholic High Schools in the area are Mater Dei in Edgewater, Prendiville in Ocean Reef and Irene McCormack in Butler.

[half a dozen]

Thanks Northernbird for you reply, I'll have a good look at these aswell. This site is brilliant, god knows how people emigrated years ago without the web, it must have been like being blindfold, I am getting so much info from you all.

 

Thanks again! xx :notworthy::notworthy: