Ping Pongers

[Dan Not Dale]

33 minutes ago, HappyHeart said:

I’ve only ever visited Melbourne twice and not seen beyond the CBD. That didn’t thrill me tbh. 
 

House prices very much depend on your needs and where you want to live. We live 35 mins from the city and house prices are average 500k in our suburb. 
 

Rush hour is a pain. If I’m driving back from the office after 4pm it’ll take me an hour to get home. If I get on the road before that 45 mins. 30 outside of rush hour. Same in the morning and it’s worst from say 7 till 8.30am. The train is a good option. A lot of people park at train station and commute in that way. 
 

Infrastructure not too bad. Freeway goes up to Butler which is about 50 mins out from City with extensions planned to start soon. My husband works at the airport and recent works have shaved a good 10 mins off his commute. 
 

Id recommend Perth but I’m biased. What’s your lifestyle like? What are you looking for?

I’d describe Perth as a clean, modern, pretty city with stunning coastline and bush in equal measure. If you like the outdoor lifestyle it’s perfect. It’s very quiet in comparison to Melbourne. 
It’s diverse with the coastal burbs having a very different feel to the hills and the outer burbs respectively. 
 

500k sounds good for a 30 min outside rush hour.

We have a new build but it’s small 3 bedroom house (by Aussie standards but great for us), Outer suburb, infrastructure cr*p. 50-55 mins to city off peak. 1.5+ hours every morning and similar home from 3.30 - 6.30pm. 

To cover it succinctly, Im not outdoorsy. Im thinking ahead, I want good life for my child (which we don’t have yet lol). And I just don’t want to feel like I’m in a rat race all the time.

Sorry to be vague, but these comparisons are so valuable to hear! I think mainly I just want some time back every day to remember what I like doing and not be a miserable moaning Pom.

I stay at the office till 6.30 every day just to not sit in the traffic if that paints a picture. 

Edited June 17, 2021 by Dan Not Dale

[Dan Not Dale]

12 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

What about the rest of Victoria? 

Not seen much of it. Warrnambool was lovely though when we went there. Have you been there?

[Marisawright]

19 minutes ago, Dan Not Dale said:

Not seen much of it. Warrnambool was lovely though when we went there. Have you been there?

A very long time ago.   Warrnambool is only 35,000 people compared to Bendigo's 110,000 people. What size was the town you came from in England?  S

It's far too easy to sit in Melbourne and think, 'Oh, there's no point moving somewhere else because they'll be just as bad".  Doing that, you're just making massive assumptions and that's no basis for making decisions.  You're within driving distance of all these places so do your research.

I'm wondering if either:

• deep down, you really long to go home, so you don't WANT to find place you could be happy in Australia - you'd be surprised how often that's the case;
• you've got depression, which makes it difficult to get up and do something about your issue - so a counsellor might help;
• you're a lazy bugger.

I'm actually wondering if it's the first one that really applies but your partner isn't keen to leave their family?

Edited June 17, 2021 by Marisawright

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Dan Not Dale said:

I’ve often said to partner can we just try Perth.

Now you're being inconsistent, because Perth is a hell of a long way from Melbourne, and you said you needed to stay close to one family.   Air fares Melbourne to Perth are high enough to be a serious disincentive to frequent family visits so I can't see why you'd consider it, no matter how nice a city it is.

If you're willing to consider Perth, I'd go for Adelaide instead.  I'm sure @Lavers can give you some pointers.  Adelaide to Melbourne is driveable (by Aussie standards) and only a short flight for family visits.  

Edited June 17, 2021 by Marisawright

[HappyHeart]

15 minutes ago, Dan Not Dale said:

500k sounds good for a 30 min outside rush hour.

We have a new build but it’s small 3 bedroom house (by Aussie standards but great for us), Outer suburb, infrastructure cr*p. 50-55 mins to city off peak. 1.5+ hours every morning and similar home from 3.30 - 6.30pm. 

To cover it succinctly, Im not outdoorsy. Im thinking ahead, I want good life for my child (which we don’t have yet lol). And I just don’t want to feel like I’m in a rat race all the time.

Sorry to be vague, but these comparisons are so valuable to hear! I think mainly I just want some time back every day to remember what I like doing and not be a miserable moaning Pom.

I stay at the office till 6.30 every day just to not sit in the traffic if that paints a picture. 

Do you like things to do nearby, bars, restaurants etc, history, culture? Country feel? 

Fremantle or Leederville might suit you for a city vibe. More culture in Freo. Both on the train line. You’d be paying closer to 1000k to live there though. Houses for 700k up in Leederville. 
 

Guildford is lovely. 20 mins from city. On the train line. Hills region.  Historic early settlement town. 700k plus for a 3 bed though. 

[Lavers]

Adelaide is nice and chilled and easy to get around.

We are currently looking at building a house in Mount Barker which is only 30-40mins drive into the CBD, and you could get a 4 bedroom house on a decent enough block for under $500,000.

House prices are shooting up at the minute but still cheaper than Victoria I would imagine.

Never done the drive in peak traffic but I would have thought that it would still be well under an hour.

Good beaches and plenty of scenery in the hills.

[Dan Not Dale]

13 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

A very long time ago.   Warrnambool is only 35,000 people compared to Bendigo's 110,000 people. What size was the town you came from in England?  S

It's far too easy to sit in Melbourne and think, 'Oh, there's no point moving somewhere else because they'll be just as bad".  Doing that, you're just making massive assumptions and that's no basis for making decisions.  You're within driving distance of all these places so do your research.

I'm wondering if either:

• deep down, you really long to go home, so you don't WANT to find place you could be happy in Australia - you'd be surprised how often that's the case;
• you've got depression, which makes it difficult to get up and do something about your issue - so a counsellor might help;
• you're a lazy bugger.

I'm actually wondering if it's the first one that really applies but your partner isn't keen to leave their family?

Basingstoke, Hampshire, approx 180k and rising.

yep highly likely could be the first one and I don’t want to find a place to justify my move home, and fortunately I’m somewhat aware of it on some level.

I may have given the wrong impression on having to be vic. It’s comfortable to choose vic as her family is here. But we are willing to look elsewhere. 

[Dan Not Dale]

12 minutes ago, HappyHeart said:

Do you like things to do nearby, bars, restaurants etc, history, culture? Country feel? 

Fremantle or Leederville might suit you for a city vibe. More culture in Freo. Both on the train line. You’d be paying closer to 1000k to live there though. Houses for 700k up in Leederville. 
 

Guildford is lovely. 20 mins from city. On the train line. Hills region.  Historic early settlement town. 700k plus for a 3 bed though. 

This things you point out would be nice. But I’m willing to drive to them on the weekend if the proceeding week hasn’t felt like such a slog.

Do you know anything about places like southern river or Parmelia? 
we’ve just had a look at what you can build there for under 500k and we are staggered!

[Dan Not Dale]

6 minutes ago, Lavers said:

Adelaide is nice and chilled and easy to get around.

We are currently looking at building a house in Mount Barker which is only 30-40mins drive into the CBD, and you could get a 4 bedroom house on a decent enough block for under $500,000.

House prices are shooting up at the minute but still cheaper than Victoria I would imagine.

Never done the drive in peak traffic but I would have thought that it would still be well under an hour.

Good beaches and plenty of scenery in the hills.

Definite value to be had then. And a slower pace potentially. I shall have to do some research on Adelaide too. 

[HappyHeart]

11 minutes ago, Dan Not Dale said:

This things you point out would be nice. But I’m willing to drive to them on the weekend if the proceeding week hasn’t felt like such a slog.

Do you know anything about places like southern river or Parmelia? 
we’ve just had a look at what you can build there for under 500k and we are staggered!

I think Parmelia is one of the cheapest suburbs in Perth. I expect the ambiance is reflective of that. However I could be way off...We are in the Northern suburbs. There are people on here who live south though. 

[Marisawright]

16 minutes ago, Dan Not Dale said:

Basingstoke, Hampshire, approx 180k and rising.

I may have given the wrong impression on having to be vic. It’s comfortable to choose vic as her family is here. But we are willing to look elsewhere. 

If Basingstoke feels around the right size, then I would take that as a guide.  Maybe think about what other cities you like in the UK, and check what their populations are, too.  In my experience, the size of population isn't a bad guide to what place is likely to be like in either country (certainly not perfect, but it's a place to start!).

Ballarat and Bendigo are a bit small at 110,000 people but they are tipped to grow fast due to the exodus from Melbourne, so that sounds like they could have potential. Both have lots of history and historical buildings too.  

Other than that, there isn't a lot of choice of similar-sized cities in Australia.  You've got Hobart, Townsville, Cairns.  

I would definitely recommend Adelaide, but also look at Newcastle.  It's bigger than Basingstoke (nearly 500,000 people) but much smaller than any of the capitals.  Like Basingstoke, it's within a couple of hours'driving distance of a major city (London for Basingstoke, Sydney for Newcastle).   Housing much cheaper than Melbourne, good beaches, on the doorstep of the wine region.  

Whichever you put on your shortlist, I'd say it's absolutely essential to visit.  Not just for a day or even a weekend, but for a couple of weeks to do a proper job.  

(as for Perth - if you find amazingly cheap suburbs, remember your Melbourne experience.  Perth has some lovely areas but it has a huge swathe of soulless suburbs too, like any city that size - and that's where housing is cheapest!)

Edited June 17, 2021 by Marisawright

[HappyHeart]

23 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

 

(as for Perth - if you find amazingly cheap suburbs, remember your Melbourne experience.  Perth has some lovely areas but it has a huge swathe of soulless suburbs too, like any city that size - and that's where housing is cheapest!)

Not strictly true of Perth. The cheaper suburbs are usually consider 'rougher'. Not as polished and shiny. Often older suburbs. An element of 'undesirables.' Certainly not soulless, full of life in fact! 

Don't be fooled, some of the mid price so called better suburbs have huge problems potential with wayward youth. 

The suburbs I think of as soulless are the new far flung beachside burbs. Eglington, Alkimos,  Jindalee etc. They appeal to young first time buyers and dare I say new poms to the country? There's little infrastructure, concrete jungle, not enough greenery....but you are near a beach in a big new 4 x 2. Wouldn't suit us. 

Edited June 17, 2021 by HappyHeart

[Dan Not Dale]

48 minutes ago, HappyHeart said:

I think Parmelia is one of the cheapest suburbs in Perth. I expect the ambiance is reflective of that. However I could be way off...We are in the Northern suburbs. There are people on here who live south though. 

What is your suburb? Now I know your travel times to CBD I can base other estimates off of it.

[Dan Not Dale]

55 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

If Basingstoke feels around the right size, then I would take that as a guide.  Maybe think about what other cities you like in the UK, and check what their populations are, too.  In my experience, the size of population isn't a bad guide to what place is likely to be like in either country (certainly not perfect, but it's a place to start!).

Ballarat and Bendigo are a bit small at 110,000 people but they are tipped to grow fast due to the exodus from Melbourne, so that sounds like they could have potential. Both have lots of history and historical buildings too.  

Other than that, there isn't a lot of choice of similar-sized cities in Australia.  You've got Hobart, Townsville, Cairns.  

I would definitely recommend Adelaide, but also look at Newcastle.  It's bigger than Basingstoke (nearly 500,000 people) but much smaller than any of the capitals.  Like Basingstoke, it's within a couple of hours'driving distance of a major city (London for Basingstoke, Sydney for Newcastle).   Housing much cheaper than Melbourne, good beaches, on the doorstep of the wine region.  

Whichever you put on your shortlist, I'd say it's absolutely essential to visit.  Not just for a day or even a weekend, but for a couple of weeks to do a proper job.  

(as for Perth - if you find amazingly cheap suburbs, remember your Melbourne experience.  Perth has some lovely areas but it has a huge swathe of soulless suburbs too, like any city that size - and that's where housing is cheapest!)

Yeah definitely conscious of not swapping one soulless suburb for another

[Jon the Hat]

5 hours ago, Bulya said:

Everywhere in Australia is changing.  One only has to look at the remarkable transformation of so many once dead NSW country towns.  Yass, Goulburn, Marulan, Bowning and Crookwell come to mind, with Jugiong as the standout.  When you can go to a wine bar in Yass and realise it’s made it into the top 50 wine experiences in the world, you know things have changed.  Sadly most poms won’t discover any of this, because they just won’t travel… 

Not just POMS mate, most people in Australia won't travel either. Or they will go to Bali...

[Bulya]

6 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

Not just POMS mate, most people in Australia won't travel either. Or they will go to Bali...

Nonsense.  Just about everybody I know travels o’seas most years and they sure don’t go to Bali.  And I think you missed the point, I was talking about travel locally and daily.  

[ali]

11 hours ago, HappyHeart said:

I don’t know Leeming well but there’s another PIO member who does. I’d call Leeming a ‘typical’ pleasant older suburb though. A very different feel in other areas, dependent on your needs. 

Yes an older suburb, we've noticed houses sell quite quickly, alot of demolition and re-building on the blocks.  It does have a good community feel.  I like being 20 mins from the city - I'm located within walking distance of the train station so easy to get into the city (3 stops to the esplanade and 3 into the CBD) and only 20 mins from Freo. 

[Tulip1]

11 minutes ago, Bulya said:

Nonsense.  Just about everybody I know travels o’seas most years and they sure don’t go to Bali.  And I think you missed the point, I was talking about travel locally and daily.  

How do you know about the local/daily travel habits of ‘most’ poms? 

[Bulya]

25 minutes ago, Tulip1 said:

How do you know about the local/daily travel habits of ‘most’ poms? 

Because I’m educated and aware.  Oh, and they’re always whingeing about having to travel.  Watch the episode of Escape to the Country where the team find the most perfect abode for the prospective buyers, yet they turn it down because it’s three miles from the village.  I know what I’m talking about…

[Bulya]

12 hours ago, Dan Not Dale said:

Not seen much of it. Warrnambool was lovely though when we went there. Have you been there?

I have many times.  Premier Speedway in the centre of town holds one of the worlds top three sprint car events.  The weather is ‘variable’ and that’s putting it nicely.  

[Tulip1]

47 minutes ago, Bulya said:

Because I’m educated and aware.  Oh, and they’re always whingeing about having to travel.  Watch the episode of Escape to the Country where the team find the most perfect abode for the prospective buyers, yet they turn it down because it’s three miles from the village.  I know what I’m talking about…

You’ve watched a tiny amount of people on a tv programme turn down a house because it’s 3 miles from where they want to live and you know that’s how the other millions and millions of brits think.  If this pandemic has shown anything it’s that people here really miss travel.  Far from whinging about travel, if I had a pound for every time I’ve heard people say how desperate they are to get life back to normal so they can travel/explore I’d be a very rich person. People have serious cabin withdrawal I think. You’ve only got to see the tens of thousands that hit Portugal and other places the minute they could. Travel sites crashed because so many where on them. It’s almost a daily chat at work.  One girl seems to talk about little else and so many people have booked staycations.  They moan because the prices have really gone up for U.K. holidays this year but they’re still going.  The last few weeks has been hot here and thousands have flocked to seaside resorts.  Some roads into them have been gridlocked for hours it’s so busy. I speak to hundreds and hundreds of people every week in my job as well as many friends, family and what people are saying on social media.  Be assured there is an enormous amount of people who love to travel/go out and can’t get enough of it.  

[Toots]

13 minutes ago, Tulip1 said:

You’ve watched a tiny amount of people on a tv programme turn down a house because it’s 3 miles from where they want to live and you know that’s how the other millions and millions of brits think.  If this pandemic has shown anything it’s that people here really miss travel.  Far from whinging about travel, if I had a pound for every time I’ve heard people say how desperate they are to get life back to normal so they can travel/explore I’d be a very rich person. People have serious cabin withdrawal I think. You’ve only got to see the tens of thousands that hit Portugal and other places the minute they could. Travel sites crashed because so many where on them. It’s almost a daily chat at work.  One girl seems to talk about little else and so many people have booked staycations.  They moan because the prices have really gone up for U.K. holidays this year but they’re still going.  The last few weeks has been hot here and thousands have flocked to seaside resorts.  Some roads into them have been gridlocked for hours it’s so busy. I speak to hundreds and hundreds of people every week in my job as well as many friends, family and what people are saying on social media.  Be assured there is an enormous amount of people who love to travel/go out and can’t get enough of it.  

It's the same in most countries.  Some folk are the happy to stay at home types and the others are always here, there and everywhere.  One of my friends is going stir crazy as she and her husband holiday overseas twice a year.  In my old age I am turning more and more into a stay at home type.  Loathe airports and just can't seem to get very enthusiastic about going overseas any more.  I'm sure that'll change when we can actually leave the country without any hassle.  I would love to see my sons again too.  

 

[Bulya]

26 minutes ago, Tulip1 said:

You’ve watched a tiny amount of people on a tv programme turn down a house because it’s 3 miles from where they want to live and you know that’s how the other millions and millions of brits think.  If this pandemic has shown anything it’s that people here really miss travel.  Far from whinging about travel, if I had a pound for every time I’ve heard people say how desperate they are to get life back to normal so they can travel/explore I’d be a very rich person. People have serious cabin withdrawal I think. You’ve only got to see the tens of thousands that hit Portugal and other places the minute they could. Travel sites crashed because so many where on them. It’s almost a daily chat at work.  One girl seems to talk about little else and so many people have booked staycations.  They moan because the prices have really gone up for U.K. holidays this year but they’re still going.  The last few weeks has been hot here and thousands have flocked to seaside resorts.  Some roads into them have been gridlocked for hours it’s so busy. I speak to hundreds and hundreds of people every week in my job as well as many friends, family and what people are saying on social media.  Be assured there is an enormous amount of people who love to travel/go out and can’t get enough of it.  

We’re talking about local daily travel.   

[Lavers]

3 hours ago, Bulya said:

Because I’m educated and aware.  Oh, and they’re always whingeing about having to travel.  Watch the episode of Escape to the Country where the team find the most perfect abode for the prospective buyers, yet they turn it down because it’s three miles from the village.  I know what I’m talking about…

3 miles is a long way though haha

Edited June 18, 2021 by Lavers

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Bulya said:

We’re talking about local daily travel.   

I do think the Australians' willingness to travel is a myth.   I think it was true many years ago, and outback Aussies still travel long distances because they have to - but in my experience, modern urban Aussies are far more reluctant than Brits to travel far.

When I first arrived in Australia, I lived in Warracknabeal and worked near Horsham.  That meant a 200K round trip every day, but it was a fast run on a long, straight, empty road, and there were no jobs locally.  Everyone at my work (all Aussies) were gobsmacked that I would drive that far to get to work.

I lived in Sydney for over 30 years.  When I lived in the Eastern suburbs and Inner West, friends would come to visit.  We moved to Oatley, were there for five years, and never once did any of those friends come to a BBQ or dinner party.  We had to go to them.  "Too far" apparently.  

By contrast, when we were in Southampton, I was stunned to find that people happily travelled to Portsmouth or Bournemouth for their weekly dance classes - and in winter that meant in the dark and probably pouring rain, not to mention horrible traffic.