Fern Tree Gully area

[Mhags]

Hi,

I am out in Melbourne at the moment, on week 2 of a 3 week recce visit.

Would like any opinions or information on Fern Tree Gully and the surrounding towns and villages............good and bad!

 

we have 2 kids at secondary age( 14 and 13) and 1 at primary age(just turned 10)

 

we will be renting for first 3 years.

 

Any advice gratefully received,

 

M

[Guest IrishInOz]

Nothing wrong with Ferntree Gully, although personally I would prefer Upper Ferntree Gully. I would avoid Mountain Gate in Ferntree Gully.

 

You have a large area to cover and why Ferntree Gully?

 

Belgrave, The Basin, Montrose, Kilsyth South, Croydon, North Croydon, Wantirna, Rowville and so on................

[olly]

Agree with Irish's post, but some parts of upper FTG and Belgrave can be a fire risk, depending. Montrose lovely, rural feel. Some of the other suburbs have better secondary schools than FT/Gully. Ringwood Secondary College okay as is Wantirna Secondary College, and also Vermont Secondary College. As the other poster mentioned, keep away from Mountaingate part of FT Gully area. Some parts of Boronia okay and affordable, not so much near the station area though.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

I think you have had some great advice. I agree that there are some lovely suburbs around FTG and you could consider looking at them.

Enjoy your reccie.

Kate

[furkew]

Hi,

I am out in Melbourne at the moment, on week 2 of a 3 week recce visit.

Would like any opinions or information on Fern Tree Gully and the surrounding towns and villages............good and bad!

 

we have 2 kids at secondary age( 14 and 13) and 1 at primary age(just turned 10)

 

we will be renting for first 3 years.

 

Any advice gratefully received,

 

M

 

We live 10/15 minutes past ferntree Gully up in the hills in Monbulk.

 

If you are in the area, and fancy dropping in for a cuppa/wine/beer just drop me a line, and we'll be happy to chat.

 

We have 2 boys. 11 & 14, eldest at school in Ferntree, youngest going there next year.

 

maybe hear from you.

 

Paul.

[Mhags]

Hi ,

Thanks for your replies, we are really trying to get a feel of different areas in Melbourne. Have been driving round various places trying to cram as much as we can when Scott's not at work.

 

We've been enjoying the sunshine......but oooh hasn't it got cooler! Back home I'd consider yesterday warm but out here we were cold!!

 

The search for an area continues........

[Guest The Pom Queen]

Hi ,

Thanks for your replies, we are really trying to get a feel of different areas in Melbourne. Have been driving round various places trying to cram as much as we can when Scott's not at work.

 

We've been enjoying the sunshine......but oooh hasn't it got cooler! Back home I'd consider yesterday warm but out here we were cold!!

 

The search for an area continues........

 

It was freezing yesterday and today, have pulled out all our winter woollies.

Have you any areas that you have shortlisted?

[Guest olive]

The Dandenongs neat there are awesome, lovely pub(some english and swiss like) its lovely that area, I moved to W.A after living in Melbourne for 5 yrs would move back tommorow Mel rocks, came here to make money W.A good but lack the culture of melbourne

[furkew]

Hi ,

Thanks for your replies, we are really trying to get a feel of different areas in Melbourne. Have been driving round various places trying to cram as much as we can when Scott's not at work.

 

We've been enjoying the sunshine......but oooh hasn't it got cooler! Back home I'd consider yesterday warm but out here we were cold!!

 

The search for an area continues........

 

Its a different cold, and definitely here in the hills it was cold both yesterday & today.

 

I was fine with it, but EVERYBODY at work was complaining all day about the cold.

 

Later this week will warm up & we will get a bit more sun which makes a big difference.

 

any questions, just give me a shout.

[Guest kitkat37]

Agree with Irish's post, but some parts of upper FTG and Belgrave can be a fire risk, depending. Montrose lovely, rural feel. Some of the other suburbs have better secondary schools than FT/Gully. Ringwood Secondary College okay as is Wantirna Secondary College, and also Vermont Secondary College. As the other poster mentioned, keep away from Mountaingate part of FT Gully area. Some parts of Boronia okay and affordable, not so much near the station area though.

 

 

Hmmmm - wondering why "keep away from Mountain Gate"? Would appreciate clarification please! Agree Montrose is lovely though.

I migrated in 2002 and live there and would never leave!! Yes - about 15-20yrs ago it was rough but now is well and truely back on it's feet. We are a 5 min walk to local shops (with some of the best restaurants and cafes around), 10 mins drive from Knox Shopping Centre, 10mins from Dandenongs and 45mins from city. Our kids go to a fantastic primary school (recently went back to Uk for visit and kids attended UK school where the teachers were impressed with their knowledge), never had any problems with crime and the people are extremely friendly! My house looks out onto the Dandenongs and I have a 1/4 acre block for the kids to run around in. there is the choice of a couple of good public secondary schools (including the above mentioned ones that are all busable), a great catholic school with a trade school attached incase your kid isn't the achedemic type and several Private schools within busable distance. Only problems we have ever had is graffiti at the shopping centre but that is everywhere.

My sister often visits from Sydney and raves about how much she would love it here if only it was a little closer to the city (and she lives near Darling Harbour in Sydney!!!!)

I work at local hospital that has a great A+E / general wards and so know some of the demographic around here too. I would personally be a little wary about "The Hills" (Dandenongs) due to fire risk - we are far enough away for it not to be a problem. There is an attraction of the hills to people wanting an alternative lifestyle - if that is what you are looking for too. Boronia/Bayswater I would stay away from too - everywhere has it's rough areas and it seems to be happening there the past couple of years.

Ok - rant over but I would definitely not write us off here in Mountain Gate - and I could do with some Pommy company!!!

[starlight7]

I was wondering about Mountaingate too- it is only a shopping area and a smallish one at that. I hadn't heard that it was particularly rough and it has a couple of nice cafes there which I have been to on and off over the last 10 years or so.People always say that Ringwood Sec Coll is a good school but I don't think it is any better than any other. One of my daughters went there and she did well academically but I think she would have anyway. I pulled 2 of our daughters out because the teachers didn't even know who they were and they did far better at their new schools. I didn't even bother sending the youngest one there. I guess its horses for courses.

[fossda]

Hmmmm - wondering why "keep away from Mountain Gate"? Would appreciate clarification please! Agree Montrose is lovely though.

I migrated in 2002 and live there and would never leave!! Yes - about 15-20yrs ago it was rough but now is well and truely back on it's feet. We are a 5 min walk to local shops (with some of the best restaurants and cafes around), 10 mins drive from Knox Shopping Centre, 10mins from Dandenongs and 45mins from city. Our kids go to a fantastic primary school (recently went back to Uk for visit and kids attended UK school where the teachers were impressed with their knowledge), never had any problems with crime and the people are extremely friendly! My house looks out onto the Dandenongs and I have a 1/4 acre block for the kids to run around in. there is the choice of a couple of good public secondary schools (including the above mentioned ones that are all busable), a great catholic school with a trade school attached incase your kid isn't the achedemic type and several Private schools within busable distance. Only problems we have ever had is graffiti at the shopping centre but that is everywhere.

My sister often visits from Sydney and raves about how much she would love it here if only it was a little closer to the city (and she lives near Darling Harbour in Sydney!!!!)

I work at local hospital that has a great A+E / general wards and so know some of the demographic around here too. I would personally be a little wary about "The Hills" (Dandenongs) due to fire risk - we are far enough away for it not to be a problem. There is an attraction of the hills to people wanting an alternative lifestyle - if that is what you are looking for too. Boronia/Bayswater I would stay away from too - everywhere has it's rough areas and it seems to be happening there the past couple of years.

Ok - rant over but I would definitely not write us off here in Mountain Gate - and I could do with some Pommy company!!!

 

LOL - have been looking out for this - knew you would have to comment and have you not just had enough 'pommy company' ha ha !!:goofy:

 

Missing you tho and so are the boys. Spk soon

[Guest kitkat37]

LOL!!!! Get yourselves over here love - forget Perth and come to Victoria!!!!!!!!!!1

[Mhags]

Thank you for all your replies, recci officially over today....sob! Start the looong journey home today...European airspace allowing!

 

We have had a great 3 weeks in Melbourne , have done a fair bit of scouting around areas, lots of time in the CBD which I love (although wouldn't live here/ couldn't afford to live here) the choice of shops/cafes/bars etc is amazing.

 

There is such a good feel to Melbourne and while I haven't been elsewhere in Oz to compare I go with my heart and feel it's a good place to be and for my family to grow up in. I am not deluding myself that it will be easy making this huge move over here but I'm more prepared for it now.

 

Hopefully if visa is approved we will be coming out in August and starting the next chapter of our lives and most importantly be together as a family.

[Mhags]

Recce not quite over!

We can't get out the country because of Icelandic volcano ash!

Look on the bright side....it's a nice day!

[olly]

Recce not quite over!

We can't get out the country because of Icelandic volcano ash!

Look on the bright side....it's a nice day!

 

Call me biased but there are worse places to be stuck in than Melbourne, thankfully Bobj is away fishing at the moment and can't answer me back !

Enjoy the sunshine then, 27C today, woo hoo, summer is supposed to be over :jiggy:

[Guest jeza]

can anyone comment on rowville and knoxfield areas? Good? Bad? I am also interested in the fire risks of these areas. Also considering belgrave. . . . any advice appreciated!!!

[olly]

can anyone comment on rowville and knoxfield areas? Good? Bad? I am also interested in the fire risks of these areas. Also considering belgrave. . . . any advice appreciated!!!

 

Rowville is fine, so is most of Knoxfield, but Belgrave is right up in the Dandenong Ranges near where I am, and is part of that area which is definitely a fire risk, so while it is nice to live up in the hills, you always live with the possibility of fire danger. Check out Rowville first, it is easy to get to the Burwood Highway from there, to access the Eastlink toll/freeway. Rowville is also a bit closer than Berwick. It is gettable to Knox Westfield shopping complex, whereas if you lived up in the hills you would have limited shops up there, but depends what you want. If you wanted access to the city, Belgrave is a bit of a hike. Over this side, on the Maroondah Highway is Chirnside Park, Ringwood, Mitcham.

Check them out on the map if you have one already. I do know that Rowville High School is quite big numbers wise (or was last time I heard). Hope this helps ?

As I and others have mentioned, Melbourne is a massive metropolis the way it sprawls out in all east/west/nth/sth directions, it can be hard to get some bearings without deciding what exactly it is that you might need, i.e access to city, or 'lifestyle' and a bigger commute.

[furkew]

Also considering belgrave. . . . any advice appreciated!!!

 

You could also look at places like Upwey as well maybe.

 

Not as far into the Dandenong ranges as Belgrave, but still a beautiful place to live.

 

Closer to the city, and all major amenities than Belgrave as well.

[Guest jeza]

Thanks so much, that was really heplful. My husband will be working in dandenong, so we have a large number of areas we could consider to spend out 420,000 odd dollars in! We would really like somewhere with cafes and nice places to walk around on the weekend. Does that sound like knoxfield?????

 

Jenny

[olly]

Thanks so much, that was really heplful. My husband will be working in dandenong, so we have a large number of areas we could consider to spend out 420,000 odd dollars in! We would really like somewhere with cafes and nice places to walk around on the weekend. Does that sound like knoxfield?????

 

Jenny

 

Have you thought about Wantirna/Wantirna Sth as well, which is a hop onto the freeway.

The bike path/ walking path to the city all connects up this way, it is not far away might have to drive the car there and walk though. From where I live along the way from Knoxfield (Ringwood/Heathmont) for entertainment/cafes there are always local ones of course, but we go to Knox Westfield Shoppingtown, there is a cinema complex there with Gold Class too, and an area around the cinema within the shopping centre called Ozone where lots of us go to eat etc. You can also go up into the hills from there to the cafe's, eateries etc. Or you can drive to Warrandyte and have a pie at the baker and walk along the river, it is lovely there, some of the PIO members are around that area.

From all the suburbs along the Burwood Hwy which runs through Knox/Knoxfield etc, Dandenong is very gettable on the toll/freeway, so anywhere along there is fine. One thing I guess to remember is that while Melbourne has shopping high street type 'villages' in certain areas and you can find out where they are, much of it is not like villages as you know them to be in England, as I said before, it is such a sprawling metropolis it can leave you a bit confused driving round seeing everything or where to live. Hope you find somewhere, as furkew says as well, Upwey is nice without being too far up in the hills and you'd get a pretty good house up there. The Burwood hwy runs through Upway too.

[Guest jeza]

wow that sound amazing! I am actually from New Zealand so I do not know what high street shops are like - but they sound very nice! In NZ we live near a very nice shopping strip a third of the size of mornington, but we love going down there for sunshine, coffee, and a play at the park/beach. It is such a part of our lifestyle that I think I would find it really hard to part with

 

However, I am ready to enjoy all the oz has to offer, and accept the need to forgo some of the things nz has to offer. Biking is a real plus in oz that is not so easy in nz because it is quite hilly out here. I REALLY love the idea of being able to bike into the city!! Amazing. Your post was extremely inspiring!

[olly]

wow that sound amazing! I am actually from New Zealand so I do not know what high street shops are like - but they sound very nice! In NZ we live near a very nice shopping strip a third of the size of mornington, but we love going down there for sunshine, coffee, and a play at the park/beach. It is such a part of our lifestyle that I think I would find it really hard to part with

 

However, I am ready to enjoy all the oz has to offer, and accept the need to forgo some of the things nz has to offer. Biking is a real plus in oz that is not so easy in nz because it is quite hilly out here. I REALLY love the idea of being able to bike into the city!! Amazing. Your post was extremely inspiring!

 

Biking is big in Melbourne, there are bike tracks everywhere and more and more bike lanes appearing on the roads. Out in the east here the eastern freeway/Eastlink tollway had a bike track put in when it was built, it goes to Jells Park in Glen Waverley too, or just keep going into the city, and there is a fantastic bike path around St. Kilda beach and it goes down the Beach Rd if I remember, stopping at cafe's etc, lovely if you want it.

[Guest jeza]

I am really enjoying your posts. Really useful. I looked up ringwood and wantirna areas on the real estate sight and unfortunately they are alittle out of or price range. Most 3 - 4 beds start at 450,000 - 480,000 au as far as I can see, and after changing our money over we will have about 420,ooo max to spend. Where would you suggest in the east, south east side? Love bike tracks, parks and cafes and shops! Would prefer a newer house, or to build. . . or an older house with abit of space between the houses.

 

Also, seeing as you are a wealth of information, :biggrin:would you know of any good parks to stop off at with the kids as we explore these areas? Is Jell park a fun park? Somewhere with heaps of playground equipment woulfd be great if you know of any. . . .

 

OH heck, I think i am addicted to this site!!! HELP!!!:laugh:

 

Many thanks

Jenny

[furkew]

I am really enjoying your posts. Really useful. I looked up ringwood and wantirna areas on the real estate sight and unfortunately they are alittle out of or price range. Most 3 - 4 beds start at 450,000 - 480,000 au as far as I can see, and after changing our money over we will have about 420,ooo max to spend. Where would you suggest in the east, south east side? Love bike tracks, parks and cafes and shops! Would prefer a newer house, or to build. . . or an older house with abit of space between the houses.

 

Also, seeing as you are a wealth of information, :biggrin:would you know of any good parks to stop off at with the kids as we explore these areas? Is Jell park a fun park? Somewhere with heaps of playground equipment woulfd be great if you know of any. . . .

 

OH heck, I think i am addicted to this site!!! HELP!!!:laugh:

 

Many thanks

Jenny

 

What about Berwick & areas maybe?

 

That all housing up to 400k in and around Berwick

 

Real Estate & Property For Sale between $0 and $400,000 in Berwick, VIC 3806 (Page 1) - realestate.com.au

 

Very nice area, and only 15/20 kms to Dandenong.

 

Narre Warren shopping centre only 5 minutes away.