Guest Buzz Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Hi all, havent posted for a while but have another question for all you PIO ers, Everyone talks about living around Melbourne but when i look on the map of victoria i see other relativley big towns/cities such as Waramambol or some similiar spelling and Coroc and Portland, My question is 1) what are these other cities/towns like ie facilities for schools, entertainment, socialising etc etc and 2) tell us about where and why you live further out of the vivinity of melbourne and geelong area. These places look quite good but i would love opinions from people who actualy live there, why does everyone say you must be near melbourne if you live in vic. Are the job prospects non existent in these other towns, my wife will be coming over as a nurse and i am a lab worker what are our prospects. Please helpppppp :cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Buzz Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 I know its a big place but ......IS ANYONE OUT THEREEEEEEE!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Hi Buzz Probably no one answered as no one lives so far out, lol!! Warrnambool is a gorgeous place and if you were guaranteed work there then I would be very tempted. However, if you can't get a job it is a long way back to Melbourne (4 hours). Most people live in Melbourne Metro or the outskirts because if they can't get a job in their suburb there are plenty more on offer. A lot of people who live in country Vic have to travel to Melbourne for their hospitals if needing emergency treatment. A friend of mine had a baby with a cleft pallet and other medical problems and had to travel to Melbourne (a 3 hour trip) four times a week. Sorry I cannot help with in depth knowledge of each town you have mentioned. Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Buzz Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 wHILE I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, FIRSTLY THANKS FOR REPLYING AND SECONDLY I SEE YOU DO RENTALS IN mELBOURNE DO YOU DO ANY FOR GEELONG? AS WE ARE THINKING OF COMING OVER NEXT YEAR POSIIBLY FOR A RECCE (excuse caps) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Hi Buzz Is the shouting (caps lock on) to get my attention:biglaugh: Well it worked:jiggy: Unfortunately we don't have anything to the West of the city. You could try Accommodation Geelong - Aaronlee Waterfont Apartments - Victoria Australia or Quest Geelong Serviced Apartments Geelong if no luck there try the Stayz website Geelong Accommodation on Stayz - No 1 Holiday Accommodation Rentals I know they charge more than we do and don't include the airport pick up and suburb tours but they may be a good place to start. Let me know if you have no luck and I will see where else I can find. Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Melway Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 The best places to live in Victoria are out of Melbourne - providing you can find a good job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Buzz Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Can you tell me more please Melway Thanks, Buzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalhousie Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 Hi all, havent posted for a while but have another question for all you PIO ers, Everyone talks about living around Melbourne but when i look on the map of victoria i see other relativley big towns/cities such as Waramambol or some similiar spelling and Coroc and Portland, My question is 1) what are these other cities/towns like ie facilities for schools, entertainment, socialising etc etc and 2) tell us about where and why you live further out of the vivinity of melbourne and geelong area. These places look quite good but i would love opinions from people who actualy live there, why does everyone say you must be near melbourne if you live in vic. Are the job prospects non existent in these other towns, my wife will be coming over as a nurse and i am a lab worker what are our prospects. Please helpppppp :cry: Hello Buzz, I am new to this site too, but I have been living in and around the Geelong area for over 50 years. I would suggest that you google the following cities and read the sites that come up. I have set out below details of distances of the four major regional cities in Victoria from Melbourne and addresses to the Victorian Government websites. If you have specific questions I will try and find out answers for you. Geelong (second largest city in Vic) approx 75 kms from Melbourne. Trains to Melbourne every half hour peak period, every hour off peak. Good beaches, schools, good shopping centre, excellent hospital. Close to Great Ocean Road and surf beaches. An industrial town. Branches of Ford Motor Company, Alcoa Aluminum, Sheet Metal Industry. Exports wheat and wood chips to China. Various service industries www.geelongcity.vic.gov.au Ballarat approx 120 kms Melbourne - inland. Not sure of the industry structure, or train services to this town as I have only visited as a tourist. Beautiful mid late Victorian buildings, excellent arts centres, good shopping cafes resaraunts, good hospital and schools. www.ballarat.vic.gov.au Bendigo approx 150 kms Melbourne - inland. Another old gold mining city. Good architecture, Arts etc shopes and cafes good. Don't know enough about it to advise on hospitals and schools. www.bendigo.vic.gov.au Warnambool approx 270 kms from Melbourne seaside town. Not sure of industry structure, but would think it would be support for the Western District farms etc. Cheese making, dairy industry etc. Popular tourist town . at the end of the Great Ocean Road. Pretty town , good shopping centre good beaches. Very much a country town though. www.warrnambool.vic.gov.au Colac is another smallish town. about 80 kms from Geelong inland, but only about 45 minutes drive from Lorne and the Great Ocean Road. Small basic country town. Mostly service area for the Otway Region and Western District farmers and timber industry. Small shopping centre and hospital. Close enough to Geelong though if an emergency arises. www.colacotway.vic.gov.au Hope this is of some help. Let me know if you need specific information. dalhousie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 There are lots of nice big country towns and people have a lovely life there. If you join in with the community there is always something to do. Bairnsdale is a large town and near Lakes Entrance in Gippsland. Mildura is a large town and growing all the time up on the Murray River. My son worked in a school 75 ks out in the mallee and he had a great life the three years he lived there, we used to visit and I love Mildura its a lovely town. My son now lives in Yarrawonga and teaches there and its a great little town as well, lots going on lots of clubs over the river in NSW not far from Albury, not far from Wangaratta, Shepparton, Benalla all easy drive. Its a growing area lots of people retire there good golf courses etc. He loves it, he belongs the cricket club, the footy club although he does not play, golf club, darts club. Has a lovely life. We like Albury which is NSW and Wodonga on the Vic side its a very large town and has everything you need. Alexandra is a lovely town in Victoria and close to the mountains for skiing in the winter and very popular place for people to move to onto small acreage. We spend quite a bit of time in the country and go up to Bright a lot and we love it. We live on the Peninsula here in Melbourne but we love the country too. Its just a matter of finding a job in the country. Ballarat is ok I like Bendigo much better my daughter went to uni there last year and loves Bendigo, she said she could easily live there. Aluminium smelter at Portland so there is work there. Have a look at the Shire Councils of Victoria and they will tell you all about the areas and all the facilities that are available, just google Shires Victoria. Good luck :smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spottymercedes Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 Hi Buzz, There are some really beautiful places in Victoria, away from Melbourne. I always used to look at these places when we were in the uk, and never wanted to live so close to it, but unfortunately it was the work which brought us so close to Melbourne. I say unfortunatley, but don't mean it is a bad place that we are as it isn't, it is 100 times better than where we were in England, it just wasn't quite what I wanted. We have recently visited Bendigo which we thought was a lovely place. It had a lot of old beautiful buildings and had a lot going on, without being too busy. There were some lovely surrounding areas too. Bendigo seems to have a lot going for it as I'm sure a lot of other places do too. I didn't check up on hospitals, but I did look at work and there seems to be a fair bit going on there. There are a lot of employment websites which could give you an insight into what jobs there are in other areas. I think the best way to look is to do a google search for employment and the particular area you are interested in. I hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hello Kitty Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 I also live in Melbourne but I would suggest checking out a few larger towns when you come for a visit. Bendigo would certainly be worth checking out. We were there recently for a couple of days and it seemed a very nice town with some lovely old buildings, a good art gallery, cafes etc. It is not too far from Melbourne (about 1 1/2 hours) if you need a big city fix of shopping, culture etc. Not to say there is no culture in a place like Bendigo. We went there specifically to see the Archibald Prize winning portraits at the Bendigo Gallery which is the national portrait prize of Australia. You should also check out Geelong and Warrnambool though I have only pased through Geelong. In fact there are many lovely places to live outside Melbourne but am not sure of the job situation in the smaller towns. Mildura in my opinion is too far from Melbourne (over 5 hours drive) and it gets very, very hot in summer. If it is 35 degrees in Melbourne it will be 40 degrees there and whilst we get a cool change here they swelter for weeks on end with no relief and the nearest beach many hours drive away. Colac and Portland I don't know much about but it is not somewhere I would think of going but then again, I haven't been there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Buzz Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Thanks for the great info dalhousie, i will google all these towns , much appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Buzz Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Thanks to all with the great info, Id love to hear from people from more smaller places in victoria Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Melway Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Hello Again, Buzz I live in South Gippsland - about 2 hours south of Melbourne, a little seaside town called Inverloch (pop 2000, in the winter at least). Lived in Melb. for the first 10 years I was here and loved it but the small towns have a lot going for them,especially once you have a family. We are close to 2 larger "towns" Wonthaggi and Leongatha which provide most of the employment. If you like the quieter, outdoorsy life but still want to be close to a big city to get your "fix" from time to time, South Gippsland is a good option - especially if you like the sea - beautiful coastline down here. Melbourne is certainly not the be all and end all of Victoria. The major drawback is the employment opportunities which are very limited compared to Melbourne of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Hello Again, BuzzI live in South Gippsland - about 2 hours south of Melbourne, a little seaside town called Inverloch (pop 2000, in the winter at least). Lived in Melb. for the first 10 years I was here and loved it but the small towns have a lot going for them,especially once you have a family. We are close to 2 larger "towns" Wonthaggi and Leongatha which provide most of the employment. If you like the quieter, outdoorsy life but still want to be close to a big city to get your "fix" from time to time, South Gippsland is a good option - especially if you like the sea - beautiful coastline down here. Melbourne is certainly not the be all and end all of Victoria. The major drawback is the employment opportunities which are very limited compared to Melbourne of course. Inverloch looks great - did you enjoy the bike race going through? I quite like Orbost, a bit further east, but, as you say, job opportunities zip. Mallacoota too has an appeal with even fewer job opportunities (if that is possible). There are also some lovely spots along the Gt Ocean Rd which would be fine if you didnt need employment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 I like Foster and Kurumburra, Lang Lang is commutable to the outskirts of Melbourne as is Garfield, Drouin, Warrigal. The Latrobe Valley has more employment as the power stations are situate there and there are several largish towns. Sale, Traralgon, Churchill. Healesville is on the outskirts too and a nice area to live but towards the Dividing Range. Poowong is a nice town in Gippsland too right up on the hill and you can see for miles. My oh did bike races around there very nice area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spottymercedes Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 Hello Again, BuzzI live in South Gippsland - about 2 hours south of Melbourne, a little seaside town called Inverloch (pop 2000, in the winter at least). Lived in Melb. for the first 10 years I was here and loved it but the small towns have a lot going for them,especially once you have a family. We are close to 2 larger "towns" Wonthaggi and Leongatha which provide most of the employment. If you like the quieter, outdoorsy life but still want to be close to a big city to get your "fix" from time to time, South Gippsland is a good option - especially if you like the sea - beautiful coastline down here. Melbourne is certainly not the be all and end all of Victoria. The major drawback is the employment opportunities which are very limited compared to Melbourne of course. We went to Inverloch last weekend and it was really lovely. I have to say I'm quite jealous of you living there!!!:v_SPIN: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Buzz Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 Thanks to all so far giving excellent info . Lets keep em coming this is getting really interesting anyone else out there that live outside of Melbourne??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tasormelb Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 Hi. Can I jump in on this thread? We are having a tough time deciding between Geelong and Hobart in Tasmania. Dalhousie, you have mentioned that schools are good in and around Geelong. Could you possibly name a few? We will have one in primary and one in high school. I am a nurse in oncology, I have looked at Geelong hospital on the web and it looks good. OH works in stores, fork lift driving, goods in and out etc, do you think he will find work around Geelong? Any info will be helpful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalhousie Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 Hi. Can I jump in on this thread? We are having a tough time deciding between Geelong and Hobart in Tasmania. Dalhousie, you have mentioned that schools are good in and around Geelong. Could you possibly name a few? We will have one in primary and one in high school. I am a nurse in oncology, I have looked at Geelong hospital on the web and it looks good. OH works in stores, fork lift driving, goods in and out etc, do you think he will find work around Geelong? Any info will be helpful! A lot depends on where you will live of course. Geelong Public Hospital is in Ryrie Street and within easy walking to the shopping centre of Geelong, (and you are right it is a great hospital) Geelong Private Hospital is in the same area. Another Private Hospital is St John of God and it is situated in Myers Street, so suggest you search Google Maps to get an idea of where things are. Firstly Geelong: The second largest city in Victoria situated on Corio Bay. Good beaches at Eastern Beach for children. Good hospitals and amenities. Plenty of schools both private and public, has a great shopping centre. Train service to Melbourne every half hour during peak and every hour out of peak times. Driving to Melbourne on the three lane freeway takes about an hour. Nearest surf beach is Torquay about 20 minutes drive away. Bellarine Peninsula and great wineries about 30 mins away. Now places to live in Geelong, I will try and be as honest as I can about the areas I but of course I will not be able to cover all of them. North Geelong is the area closest to Melbourne; certain areas are considered working class. One area in particular seems to have a “bad” name viz Corio, but honestly the new estates out there in the Lovely Banks area seem OK. The amenities and services are very good I believe. I think Corio carries the stigma because it is very near to an older public housing scheme that now houses the unemployed and unmarried mothers this area is called Norlane. Because of the “sigma” of the area the schools carry the tag as well. Another area in North is Bell Park. This was populated by Greek, Italian and Croatian immigrants many years ago. Lots of over the top large houses in that area. Shopping centre on the Anakie Road seems adequate. A really nice area in North Geelong is St Helens, hidden away somewhat very close to the beach. Great wee spot. Another place of interest would be Lara, about 30-40 minutes from Geelong on the Melbourne freeway. To the West is West Geelong, a very old part of Geelong, close to the train station Large, old Edwardian houses, also smaller workers cottages, great restaurants, coffee shops etc search for Pakington Street. It’s about a five minute drive to the City Centre. Still West but a little more north is Hamlyn Heights and Manifold Heights: suburbs, in the real sense, shopping centres only small. Mainly a Middle class area, Lots of 60’s and 70’s houses. Still only about 5-10 min drive to the city. Also look at Newtown, an upper middle class area, close to the best private schools: - Bostock House (which is Geelong C of E Grammar’s primary school) Geelong College: Sacred Heart; St Josephs are others in the area. The areas closest to the Hospital would be East Geelong, and Eastern and Western Beach. Eastern Beach and Western Beach in particular are both sought after areas so is quite expensive. East Geelong has some large old houses, is close to the Geelong Botanical Gardens and Eastern Gardens sporting fields. Great area but again I expect expensive. Areas further south west would be Newcomb, good shopping, middle to lower middle class area about 10 min drive to Geelong. Further south east again Leopold, a new area quite good shopping but about 15 to 20 minute drive to Geelong To the south (heading towards the surf beaches of Torquay, Anglesea and Lorne) are South Geelong, a very old part of Geelong mostly old weather board Victorian houses but close to the city centre. Then Belmont, Grovedale and Highton. Belmont has a good shopping centre, and has good amenities and bus services great village feel about it. Highton is a little more upmarket and I know a great number of immigrants live there. Grovedale has been established for a while but is still the newest of the three close to the Waurn Ponds area which is a developing area near Deakin University. Highton has a nice village atmosphere; Belmont has probably more amenities and is a little closer to Geelong about 15 minutes. You can then travel further on to Torquay about 20 minutes from Geelong. A surfing town, growing very quickly, great beaches, reasonable shopping centre and coffee shops etc. but expensive. Anglesea would be about 35 minutes from Geelong again a seaside resort, not quite as “buzzy” as Torquay. I haven’t covered all the areas but I think this will give you a fair idea of what to expect in Geelong. Regarding employment with the financial situation at the moment, not sure about the employment prospects, but the government has just pumped 10b into the economy and it is considered that Oz should fare well. Who knows??? But there are a number of large industries Fords, Alcoa, Brinton’s Carpet Factory, Godfrey Hirst Carpet Factory. The Geelong airport (home of Jetstar) is upgrading and expanding. The Victorian Government has nearly completed the new Transport Accident Commission Office and that will move from Melbourne to Geelong very soon. As well there is the usual retail, services and small industries. Suggest you look up the Yellow pages on the net for Geelong to get a better idea. Now back to your original question, sorry this has been a bit long winded, but I thought that it was important that you first find out where you want to live and then settle a school. There a scores of good schools in Geelong both government and private. Again suggest you “Google search” Schools in Geelong Victoria, that brings up every school in the area. If you then need specific information on a particular area or school, then please let me know either by PM or on the site, I will be only too happy to do what I can. Good luck with your decision dalhousie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tasormelb Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 Thank you dalhousie for taking the time to write such an informative post. I am very grateful. I will take your points on board and investigate further. I will PM you if I need more info on schools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest asrais Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 This is a really interesting post. Its something I've been meaning to ask about myself as we will hopefully be heading to Victoria in the new year and don't particularly want to live in Melbourne. So thanks Buzz! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gary12 Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 Hi Does anyone have any views on Warrandyte? We are heading that way in January. From what we can research from this end it looks ok but obviously there is only so much you can find out on the web. thanks Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest adamlaw998 Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 Hi Im off to Pukapunyal (Military). I heard its 100 km N of Melbourne. I plan to commute from Melbourne. Any ideas of areas to live? N Melbourne? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 The nearest town would be Seymour and its quite a hike from Melbourne up the Hume freeway. So follow the Hume on google and you will get an idea of the suburbs of Melbourne that may be commutable for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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