Guest peteking1 Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 Hi there! I have just registered and am new to this forum.. I am relocating with my fiance and her 7 year old son in August. My fiance has family based in different areas around Sydney, so they have been giving us some indication of areas they think will be suitable for us.. Following extensive research and infirmation gathering we have narrowed it down to Terrigal/Avoca. I just really wanted to gain some feedback from anybody regarding the schools, facilities and area in general.. it seems to be quite a buzzy sort of place and on the face of it looks like it ticks the majority of our boxes.. However any pointers and advice good or bad would be greatly appreciated.. Many thanks.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HeatherDawnKeane Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 Hi there, We are emigrating to the Terrigal area mid September. We were in Central Coast (Empire Bay area) back in April and had a good look around at local areas and must say although Empire Bay, Woy Woy etc were very pretty, I definitely think Terrigal, Avoca, Erina etc have a younger community and are more lively. I can't really help you as far as schools go, as we are coming on student visas (my other half is going to be studying) so we have to get a student visa for our 15 year old too. This means there are only certain high schools that she can attend in central coast, Erina High School being one of them, however it looks extremely good. I have heard good things about Terrigal schools, just by reading things on the forum. Having visited Terrigal a few times when we were on holiday it does seem a lovely place. Erina which is just down the road, has a huge shopping centre, so if your other half likes shopping that is the place to go!! Anyway just thought I would touch base with you as it looks as if we will be new to the area at the same sort of time so may be able to give each other some advice!! Good luck with everything. Heather, James, Hayley and Lauren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peteking1 Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 Hi Heather, Thanks for your response, thats a really big help. We have researched the area as much as you can from the UK, so are confident we ahve got it right. Sarah (my fiance) has a large family network in other areas around Sydney, so they have been doing some leg work for us also.. The schools do look good, which is obviously a big concern. Good to know that Terrigal is a younger more vibrant community.. That will really suit us and match our lifestyle here in the UK.. Funny as Sarah has spotted and looked into Erina Fair.. Actually why am I saying its funny?? Could prove to be horrendous... Lets hope she does'nt get too comfortable with Aussie fashion too quickly.. ha.. Hope the move goes very well for you, who knows we could one day crack open a beer on the beach.. Regards Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 Hi. We live in south Sydney, but we have been to Terrigal and around a few times on holidays. It does seem a nice area. Terrigal is a little seaside suburb, beautiful beaches and lots of little cafes and things like that. There always seemed to be lots of people around. Erina is a bit more built up, I would say but there is a big shopping centre there as has been said, plus loads of other shops etc in an industrial-type area. I would say it is about 1 1/2 to 2 hours drive up from the Airport, and about 1 1/2 from Sydney CBD. There is a train station at Gosford which has trains in to Sydney, although I think if you were doing it regularly (i.e. commuting) it might get tiresome. Gosford is only a short drive from Terrigal. For schools, haven't had a look myself because we've never intended to move up there, but have a look here Find a school | ACARA and you can type in the area/post code and get a list and score for the local schools. Hope that helps a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peteking1 Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 Thats a big help.. Many thanks.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuju Posted June 23, 2010 Share Posted June 23, 2010 I live in Terrigal, 4 years now & hubby has been here on the coast since 1989 bar 4 years so pm any questions to me if you like. Stuju Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikci Posted June 23, 2010 Share Posted June 23, 2010 Hi there, We have lived on the Central Coast for a year and love it... I have 3 children albeit they are older than yours my youngest being 10. She attends Avoca Primary School, it has a fair few English children enrolled and she loves it having said that Copacabana Primary School is also supposed to be very good. My older boys attend private school as the local high school in the Avoca catchment area is not great. Their school is very good and it does start from kindy and go all the way to yr 12 so in theory children need only attend one school if you want.. this is a personal choice. Terrigal High School is also supposed to be very good particularly if children are into sport and drama.. STUJU can help u on that one tho.Education here is different but you get used to it. I have relatives at Kincumber High and Erina and they have all said stay away from both these schools....again a personal choice but think it is telling when a relly says "don't send your children there" but I am happy to be corrected if anyone has children attending either school. Avoca, Terrigal,Erina and Copacabana are all lovely places to live again my opinion, I would probably not going much further than Wamberal (next suburb north of Terrigal) and whilst St Huberts Island and Empire Bay are nice, they are too far away for me and also a wee bit isolated, can't comment on the schools in those areas but personnally not for me.. (gosh sound like a right snob)! Like everywhere you get nice areas in a suburb and not so nice except Avoca; its all nice! Avoca, Terrigal etc all have nippers, I am a bit bias towards Avoca because I live here.Nippers is on on a Sunday morning on Avoca beach (my lot dont get out of bed early enough to go) and we have often seen them whilst having breakfast at the Point Cafe which is right on the beach here in Avoca. Avoca sharks is our local rugby team, its rugby uinion and I think (could be wrong here) football as in soccer is played at Kincumber. We also have ice skating at Erina and ten pin bowling at Gosford. Dance classes are held here at Avoca Primary school... they do jazz, modern, hip hop, tap ballet all sorts really, there are also drama schools and gymnastics clubs in erina. There is also a swim school in picketts valley which is all of 5 mins from Avoca. Bensville has a horse riding school as does picketts valley.My daughter and I used togohorse riding together but the novelty wore off so we dont go any more. Hope that helps but feel free to email me if u have any questions. All the best, Nikci Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerrygal Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Hi There, We are an irish family who have been living in the entrance for the last 6 weeks. My hubby has bee here for 3 months now. I would love to meet up for a chat with women/families in and around Erina, Wyong etc. I have three children also 18 16 and 12. Avoca has a beautiful beach... Anna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cooch Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Hi there, My wife and I are looking at moving up to the Central Coast. We moved over from the UK a couple of years ago and we have ended up in Sydney (I have a good job in St Leonards). At the moment we live in Wahroonga but it is far too expensive with not that much to do. We have a 3 year old a 10 week old and a dog, the Central Coast seems a lot more dog friendly and seems to have quite a lot of nice beaches for weekends that you don't have to battle with traffic to get to. At the moment the areas we are looking at are Saratoga, Terrigal, Avoca, Wamberal, Erina, Tuggerah and Mardi, from what I can see Tuggerah and Mardi don't have a lot going on around them—things for my wife to do during the day like walking to parks with the kids and dog etc. so we are looking more at the others. I'm trying to find some more info on other things that don't seem to get mentioned much, like: do the areas flood? do they have loads of mozzies and midges? are there loads of hoons about? do you know of any groups of like minded Mums and younger children that meet up during the day? Any info on these would be great, also if anyone does or has a partner that commutes from these areas what is it realistically like? and how early do you need to be on the train to actually get a seat? I've heard that if you are too late you'll be standing the whole way to Sydney, not my idea of fun. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SophieB Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Hi there, My wife and I are looking at moving up to the Central Coast. We moved over from the UK a couple of years ago and we have ended up in Sydney (I have a good job in St Leonards). At the moment we live in Wahroonga but it is far too expensive with not that much to do. We have a 3 year old a 10 week old and a dog, the Central Coast seems a lot more dog friendly and seems to have quite a lot of nice beaches for weekends that you don't have to battle with traffic to get to. At the moment the areas we are looking at are Saratoga, Terrigal, Avoca, Wamberal, Erina, Tuggerah and Mardi, from what I can see Tuggerah and Mardi don't have a lot going on around them—things for my wife to do during the day like walking to parks with the kids and dog etc. so we are looking more at the others. I'm trying to find some more info on other things that don't seem to get mentioned much, like: do the areas flood? do they have loads of mozzies and midges? are there loads of hoons about? do you know of any groups of like minded Mums and younger children that meet up during the day? Any info on these would be great, also if anyone does or has a partner that commutes from these areas what is it realistically like? and how early do you need to be on the train to actually get a seat? I've heard that if you are too late you'll be standing the whole way to Sydney, not my idea of fun. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Hi Cooch, when are you thinking of moving up to the area? I only ask because we'll be moving there in August and I will be finding out stuff about mums/kids things to do when we get there. We have friends who have just moved to Umina but they don't have kids so I haven't got that information yet. I too would be interested to know about flooding/mozzies etc - they are all questions that have crossed my mind. If I find out, I'll post on here. If hoons are groups of youths then I think you do get them in the more built up areas of Gosford but we spent a few days in Woy Woy/ Umina /Terrigal and didn't see any. My friend commutes to Sydney with her bike. It's not the easiest journey with a bike, apparently. I do think the train is busy but the view out of the window is amazing. It would be good to share info on here - positive and negative. Sophie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cooch Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Hi Sophie, I should have signed off with my name, so I'll introduce myself properly, I'm Graeme and my wife is Vanessa. Our lease in Sydney is up on the 2nd of May so we'll be looking at moving the last or second to last week of April. Yes by hoons (sorry I'm a Kiwi originally and my wife is English) I mean young people causing trouble and loads of noise (now I feel old) and people racing their cars around the streets. I thought about taking my bike on the train but you do have to pay for it, apparently even if it's a folding bike with is rubbish I think. I was thinking of getting a scooter to ride to the station or a bike if we are close enough and locking it there… not sure how safe Gosford is to leave them there. I'll definitely share anything I learn here. Cheers Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cooch Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Hi again Sophie, Here's some info I found on another site, thank you to the original poster whom I would credit here if I could find the original post again. I've only got this text as I emailed it to my wife to read. COMMUTE TIMES There is a direct train service from Gosford to central Sydney that takes about an hour and a half (bit less on a good day). So if you live in Gosford and work in the Sydney city centre its probably not too bad a journey. The problem comes in getting from wherever you live on the central coast to Gosford and depends on what times you’ll be working. For example, it could take you close to an hour on some days to drive from Terrigal to Gosford station in rush hour. Many people do the journey from places like the Entrance, Terrigal,l Avoca (and all the places in between) across to either Tuggerah or Gosford to catch the train to Sydney (and monay other drive to parts of Sydney) - So the roads can be quite busy! The other problem is that if you don’t work in the centre of the city (or somewhere along the rail line near to a station) then it could be a bit of hassle at the other end as well! I know people that live in Terrigal and work in the city and they allocate a little more than 2 hours each way – this could obviously be reduced if you lived at Gosford or somewhere nearer to the station. (I wouldn’t want to live in Gosford – I’ll get onto that in a bit). If you worked odd hours (started really early and finished early) then perhaps you could miss the major rush hours and improve that a little bit – but probably not by much. The problem with working odd hours is that the trains don’t run as frequently outside peak hours! The commute can be done – but you need to put some thought into it! And its not that big a deal really. My last job was only about 30 mints from terrigal, but the new job I am going back to will be about an hour and a bit each way (depending on whether I get up early enough to miss rush hour). But at the end of the week its SOOO worth it. My last place (don’t have it anymore) weas literally opposite the beach – so those long drives to work are well worth it when it comes to Friday evening and your out on the deck looking at the waves, drink in hand, knowing that you’ll have a weekend on the beach whilst others are stuck out in the suburbs!! If you are looking at specific places to live then let me know and I can give you a run down on likely commute times or short-cuts along back roads etc. I can probably give you a good idea how long it would take in rush hour to get from A to B etc. PLACES TO AVOID In all honesty – it works like this – anywhere on the coast, where houses are expensive, are generally not going to have any major social problems. If it was me looking (and I am looking currently for a new house) then I would be sticking to the areas from Avoca/North Avoca/Terrigal, Wamberal/Forresters Beach, Shelly Beach, Bateau Bay and so on – There are not that many ‘bad’ areas but there are of course (like anywhere) bad patches. So you could easily get somewhere in Erina, East Gosford, Tumbi Umbi (very nice semi- rural housing) and I would consider them all to be pretty good – just have a look at the houses nearby and that will determine how ‘nice’ an area is. Even places like Woy Woy and Umina, which used to be considered a little rough, are generally quite good now. Gosford is the one area I wouldn’t want to live – despite being close to the train station Gosford has really stagnated over the last few decades – it really needs a bit re-development and although I think some investor money is coming in it will take a while before its reputation can be repaired. I wouldn’t want my kids wandering the main street of Gosford. There are generally 2 main centres for entertainment/restaurants etc. One is Terrigal, the other is the Entrance. These appears to be the main two gathering points for people on weekends – although it depends what your interests are. The good thing about the central coast is that you are within an hour or so of everything – you can be in Sydney for a day out in a few hours, Somersby Falls, The Watagan State Forest, The Beachs, Brisbane Water, Newcastle – whether you like surfing, kayaking, camping, walking, swimming, sailing, ruinning, mountain biking or sitting on your arse whilst the missus cooks dinner you’ll LOVE the lifestyle of the central coast! It is the only place I have ever been to where you can be having lunch in one of the biggest shipping centres in Australia (Erina Fair) and then an hour later you can be sitting on a deserted beach by yourself (Maitland Bay). I have been to the snowfields in early October and skied for 3 days, driven home and gone to the beach! Where else in the world can you do that!?!? Before moving to England I had so many ‘boys toys’ it wasn’t funny! You will need a kayak, a surfboard, some body-boards for the kids some snorkelling equipment and camping gear! Oh, and for the winter you are more than welcome to join me on my yearly few trips to the ski fields (a short 9 hour drive away)! Basically, you will have the best of everything! Also, days out are cheap! After the initial costs of buying a surfboard, snorkelling gear or mountain bike, you and that family can be out every weekend doing something different for next to no cost!! AREAS THAT ARE LIABLE TO FLOODING In Australia areas that are liable to flooding are tightly controlled in terms of development. In housing for example, no habitable room of a dwelling is permitted to be below 1:100 flood level (1 in 100 year flood level is the level of flooding that can, statistically, be expended to occur one year in every hundred). Why did you ask this specific question? Is it something that you are concerned about in terms of buying a property. If so, then there are some things built into Australian legislation that will help you out! All Council’s in NSW produce a certificate called a Section 149 Certificate – this is something issued under Section 149 of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act. Basically, it is a certificate that will list for you all of the policies and documents that affect the land. So, if the Council has a policy relating to cutting down of trees, it will be listed on the certificate. If the land has been identified as zoned for future commercial development, it will be noted on the certificate. If the land is identified in a Council policy as being subject to flooding …you guessed it, it will be on the certificate. etc Now, anyone can go into Council and buy one of these certificates for a parcel of land. AND anyone who is selling any parcel of land (or house or whatever) MUST, by law, provide one as part of the contract for sale. So if you are looking at a house to buy, and you are concerned that it may look like its subject to flooding, or you think there might be some other issues, then ask the estate agent for a copy of the S.149 certificate – they will usually have it! If there is anything on the Section 149 certificate that concerns you, then go to the Council and ask to speak to someone who can explain it! Or you might find the answer on the internet (if the 149 certificate says that the land is affected by a Tree Preservation Order, for example, that Council may have a copy of that policy/document online that you can view). Alternatively, you can get your solicitor to check out any of these issues through formal channels before you proceed with the purchase. Does that all make sense?!? If you need any clarification on this then let me know (I am a Town Planner). GENERAL AMENITIES Not sure what this refers to ?! Depends on where you live. There are generally little corner stores and little schools and a pub/restaurant or two close to most residential areas. Other than that there are numerous shopping places etc within an easy drive. Other than the restaurants and eating places etc in The Entrance and Terrigal there are HEAPS scattered around the place – lots of local eatieries and café’s – especially near the beaches. All the beaches have surf clubs that you can join – you’ll have to do your bronze medallion if you want to be a patrolling life guard (voluntary). If you are a strong swimmer and fit then this is a good way to meet people. Often members are long term locals who know everyone else and they are often welcoming. If you don’t think you’d trust yourself rescuing someone then maybe your kids can join as juniors! It really does add to the lifestyle being a surf club member – and there are lots of social things to do and lots of people to meet! SCHOOLS The following website has a list of schools on the central coast – have a look through and see what you can find – most have websites and you can search them out on the internet. I don’t have kids so can’t comment on which ones are the best schools although I would presume that most of the ones along the coastal fringe would be very nice. Central Coast: Schools Perhaps find the ones nearest to where you may be living and see if you can do some research! If you likve, once you have a few schools that you consider to look OK I can ask some friends etc and see what inside into I can find! Hope this all helps, if you have any other questions please let me know A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Burchos Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Hi again Sophie, Here's some info I found on another site, thank you to the original poster whom I would credit here if I could find the original post again. I've only got this text as I emailed it to my wife to read. COMMUTE TIMES There is a direct train service from Gosford to central Sydney that takes about an hour and a half (bit less on a good day). So if you live in Gosford and work in the Sydney city centre its probably not too bad a journey. The problem comes in getting from wherever you live on the central coast to Gosford and depends on what times you’ll be working. For example, it could take you close to an hour on some days to drive from Terrigal to Gosford station in rush hour. Many people do the journey from places like the Entrance, Terrigal,l Avoca (and all the places in between) across to either Tuggerah or Gosford to catch the train to Sydney (and monay other drive to parts of Sydney) - So the roads can be quite busy! The other problem is that if you don’t work in the centre of the city (or somewhere along the rail line near to a station) then it could be a bit of hassle at the other end as well! I know people that live in Terrigal and work in the city and they allocate a little more than 2 hours each way – this could obviously be reduced if you lived at Gosford or somewhere nearer to the station. (I wouldn’t want to live in Gosford – I’ll get onto that in a bit). If you worked odd hours (started really early and finished early) then perhaps you could miss the major rush hours and improve that a little bit – but probably not by much. The problem with working odd hours is that the trains don’t run as frequently outside peak hours! The commute can be done – but you need to put some thought into it! And its not that big a deal really. My last job was only about 30 mints from terrigal, but the new job I am going back to will be about an hour and a bit each way (depending on whether I get up early enough to miss rush hour). But at the end of the week its SOOO worth it. My last place (don’t have it anymore) weas literally opposite the beach – so those long drives to work are well worth it when it comes to Friday evening and your out on the deck looking at the waves, drink in hand, knowing that you’ll have a weekend on the beach whilst others are stuck out in the suburbs!! If you are looking at specific places to live then let me know and I can give you a run down on likely commute times or short-cuts along back roads etc. I can probably give you a good idea how long it would take in rush hour to get from A to B etc. PLACES TO AVOID In all honesty – it works like this – anywhere on the coast, where houses are expensive, are generally not going to have any major social problems. If it was me looking (and I am looking currently for a new house) then I would be sticking to the areas from Avoca/North Avoca/Terrigal, Wamberal/Forresters Beach, Shelly Beach, Bateau Bay and so on – There are not that many ‘bad’ areas but there are of course (like anywhere) bad patches. So you could easily get somewhere in Erina, East Gosford, Tumbi Umbi (very nice semi- rural housing) and I would consider them all to be pretty good – just have a look at the houses nearby and that will determine how ‘nice’ an area is. Even places like Woy Woy and Umina, which used to be considered a little rough, are generally quite good now. Gosford is the one area I wouldn’t want to live – despite being close to the train station Gosford has really stagnated over the last few decades – it really needs a bit re-development and although I think some investor money is coming in it will take a while before its reputation can be repaired. I wouldn’t want my kids wandering the main street of Gosford. There are generally 2 main centres for entertainment/restaurants etc. One is Terrigal, the other is the Entrance. These appears to be the main two gathering points for people on weekends – although it depends what your interests are. The good thing about the central coast is that you are within an hour or so of everything – you can be in Sydney for a day out in a few hours, Somersby Falls, The Watagan State Forest, The Beachs, Brisbane Water, Newcastle – whether you like surfing, kayaking, camping, walking, swimming, sailing, ruinning, mountain biking or sitting on your arse whilst the missus cooks dinner you’ll LOVE the lifestyle of the central coast! It is the only place I have ever been to where you can be having lunch in one of the biggest shipping centres in Australia (Erina Fair) and then an hour later you can be sitting on a deserted beach by yourself (Maitland Bay). I have been to the snowfields in early October and skied for 3 days, driven home and gone to the beach! Where else in the world can you do that!?!? Before moving to England I had so many ‘boys toys’ it wasn’t funny! You will need a kayak, a surfboard, some body-boards for the kids some snorkelling equipment and camping gear! Oh, and for the winter you are more than welcome to join me on my yearly few trips to the ski fields (a short 9 hour drive away)! Basically, you will have the best of everything! Also, days out are cheap! After the initial costs of buying a surfboard, snorkelling gear or mountain bike, you and that family can be out every weekend doing something different for next to no cost!! AREAS THAT ARE LIABLE TO FLOODING In Australia areas that are liable to flooding are tightly controlled in terms of development. In housing for example, no habitable room of a dwelling is permitted to be below 1:100 flood level (1 in 100 year flood level is the level of flooding that can, statistically, be expended to occur one year in every hundred). Why did you ask this specific question? Is it something that you are concerned about in terms of buying a property. If so, then there are some things built into Australian legislation that will help you out! All Council’s in NSW produce a certificate called a Section 149 Certificate – this is something issued under Section 149 of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act. Basically, it is a certificate that will list for you all of the policies and documents that affect the land. So, if the Council has a policy relating to cutting down of trees, it will be listed on the certificate. If the land has been identified as zoned for future commercial development, it will be noted on the certificate. If the land is identified in a Council policy as being subject to flooding …you guessed it, it will be on the certificate. etc Now, anyone can go into Council and buy one of these certificates for a parcel of land. AND anyone who is selling any parcel of land (or house or whatever) MUST, by law, provide one as part of the contract for sale. So if you are looking at a house to buy, and you are concerned that it may look like its subject to flooding, or you think there might be some other issues, then ask the estate agent for a copy of the S.149 certificate – they will usually have it! If there is anything on the Section 149 certificate that concerns you, then go to the Council and ask to speak to someone who can explain it! Or you might find the answer on the internet (if the 149 certificate says that the land is affected by a Tree Preservation Order, for example, that Council may have a copy of that policy/document online that you can view). Alternatively, you can get your solicitor to check out any of these issues through formal channels before you proceed with the purchase. Does that all make sense?!? If you need any clarification on this then let me know (I am a Town Planner). GENERAL AMENITIES Not sure what this refers to ?! Depends on where you live. There are generally little corner stores and little schools and a pub/restaurant or two close to most residential areas. Other than that there are numerous shopping places etc within an easy drive. Other than the restaurants and eating places etc in The Entrance and Terrigal there are HEAPS scattered around the place – lots of local eatieries and café’s – especially near the beaches. All the beaches have surf clubs that you can join – you’ll have to do your bronze medallion if you want to be a patrolling life guard (voluntary). If you are a strong swimmer and fit then this is a good way to meet people. Often members are long term locals who know everyone else and they are often welcoming. If you don’t think you’d trust yourself rescuing someone then maybe your kids can join as juniors! It really does add to the lifestyle being a surf club member – and there are lots of social things to do and lots of people to meet! SCHOOLS The following website has a list of schools on the central coast – have a look through and see what you can find – most have websites and you can search them out on the internet. I don’t have kids so can’t comment on which ones are the best schools although I would presume that most of the ones along the coastal fringe would be very nice. Central Coast: Schools Perhaps find the ones nearest to where you may be living and see if you can do some research! If you likve, once you have a few schools that you consider to look OK I can ask some friends etc and see what inside into I can find! Hope this all helps, if you have any other questions please let me know A Hi we are hoping to move to Terrigal area. We are just waiting to have our meds on 28th March and fingers crossed I will be heading there in November 2011 with my OH and two children aged 11 and 7. This thread has been very useful. Thank you Penny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANNEWILLIAMSON Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Hi again Sophie, Here's some info I found on another site, thank you to the original poster whom I would credit here if I could find the original post again. I've only got this text as I emailed it to my wife to read. COMMUTE TIMES There is a direct train service from Gosford to central Sydney that takes about an hour and a half (bit less on a good day). So if you live in Gosford and work in the Sydney city centre its probably not too bad a journey. The problem comes in getting from wherever you live on the central coast to Gosford and depends on what times you’ll be working. For example, it could take you close to an hour on some days to drive from Terrigal to Gosford station in rush hour. Many people do the journey from places like the Entrance, Terrigal,l Avoca (and all the places in between) across to either Tuggerah or Gosford to catch the train to Sydney (and monay other drive to parts of Sydney) - So the roads can be quite busy! The other problem is that if you don’t work in the centre of the city (or somewhere along the rail line near to a station) then it could be a bit of hassle at the other end as well! I know people that live in Terrigal and work in the city and they allocate a little more than 2 hours each way – this could obviously be reduced if you lived at Gosford or somewhere nearer to the station. (I wouldn’t want to live in Gosford – I’ll get onto that in a bit). If you worked odd hours (started really early and finished early) then perhaps you could miss the major rush hours and improve that a little bit – but probably not by much. The problem with working odd hours is that the trains don’t run as frequently outside peak hours! The commute can be done – but you need to put some thought into it! And its not that big a deal really. My last job was only about 30 mints from terrigal, but the new job I am going back to will be about an hour and a bit each way (depending on whether I get up early enough to miss rush hour). But at the end of the week its SOOO worth it. My last place (don’t have it anymore) weas literally opposite the beach – so those long drives to work are well worth it when it comes to Friday evening and your out on the deck looking at the waves, drink in hand, knowing that you’ll have a weekend on the beach whilst others are stuck out in the suburbs!! If you are looking at specific places to live then let me know and I can give you a run down on likely commute times or short-cuts along back roads etc. I can probably give you a good idea how long it would take in rush hour to get from A to B etc. PLACES TO AVOID In all honesty – it works like this – anywhere on the coast, where houses are expensive, are generally not going to have any major social problems. If it was me looking (and I am looking currently for a new house) then I would be sticking to the areas from Avoca/North Avoca/Terrigal, Wamberal/Forresters Beach, Shelly Beach, Bateau Bay and so on – There are not that many ‘bad’ areas but there are of course (like anywhere) bad patches. So you could easily get somewhere in Erina, East Gosford, Tumbi Umbi (very nice semi- rural housing) and I would consider them all to be pretty good – just have a look at the houses nearby and that will determine how ‘nice’ an area is. Even places like Woy Woy and Umina, which used to be considered a little rough, are generally quite good now. Gosford is the one area I wouldn’t want to live – despite being close to the train station Gosford has really stagnated over the last few decades – it really needs a bit re-development and although I think some investor money is coming in it will take a while before its reputation can be repaired. I wouldn’t want my kids wandering the main street of Gosford. There are generally 2 main centres for entertainment/restaurants etc. One is Terrigal, the other is the Entrance. These appears to be the main two gathering points for people on weekends – although it depends what your interests are. The good thing about the central coast is that you are within an hour or so of everything – you can be in Sydney for a day out in a few hours, Somersby Falls, The Watagan State Forest, The Beachs, Brisbane Water, Newcastle – whether you like surfing, kayaking, camping, walking, swimming, sailing, ruinning, mountain biking or sitting on your arse whilst the missus cooks dinner you’ll LOVE the lifestyle of the central coast! It is the only place I have ever been to where you can be having lunch in one of the biggest shipping centres in Australia (Erina Fair) and then an hour later you can be sitting on a deserted beach by yourself (Maitland Bay). I have been to the snowfields in early October and skied for 3 days, driven home and gone to the beach! Where else in the world can you do that!?!? Before moving to England I had so many ‘boys toys’ it wasn’t funny! You will need a kayak, a surfboard, some body-boards for the kids some snorkelling equipment and camping gear! Oh, and for the winter you are more than welcome to join me on my yearly few trips to the ski fields (a short 9 hour drive away)! Basically, you will have the best of everything! Also, days out are cheap! After the initial costs of buying a surfboard, snorkelling gear or mountain bike, you and that family can be out every weekend doing something different for next to no cost!! AREAS THAT ARE LIABLE TO FLOODING In Australia areas that are liable to flooding are tightly controlled in terms of development. In housing for example, no habitable room of a dwelling is permitted to be below 1:100 flood level (1 in 100 year flood level is the level of flooding that can, statistically, be expended to occur one year in every hundred). Why did you ask this specific question? Is it something that you are concerned about in terms of buying a property. If so, then there are some things built into Australian legislation that will help you out! All Council’s in NSW produce a certificate called a Section 149 Certificate – this is something issued under Section 149 of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act. Basically, it is a certificate that will list for you all of the policies and documents that affect the land. So, if the Council has a policy relating to cutting down of trees, it will be listed on the certificate. If the land has been identified as zoned for future commercial development, it will be noted on the certificate. If the land is identified in a Council policy as being subject to flooding …you guessed it, it will be on the certificate. etc Now, anyone can go into Council and buy one of these certificates for a parcel of land. AND anyone who is selling any parcel of land (or house or whatever) MUST, by law, provide one as part of the contract for sale. So if you are looking at a house to buy, and you are concerned that it may look like its subject to flooding, or you think there might be some other issues, then ask the estate agent for a copy of the S.149 certificate – they will usually have it! If there is anything on the Section 149 certificate that concerns you, then go to the Council and ask to speak to someone who can explain it! Or you might find the answer on the internet (if the 149 certificate says that the land is affected by a Tree Preservation Order, for example, that Council may have a copy of that policy/document online that you can view). Alternatively, you can get your solicitor to check out any of these issues through formal channels before you proceed with the purchase. Does that all make sense?!? If you need any clarification on this then let me know (I am a Town Planner). GENERAL AMENITIES Not sure what this refers to ?! Depends on where you live. There are generally little corner stores and little schools and a pub/restaurant or two close to most residential areas. Other than that there are numerous shopping places etc within an easy drive. Other than the restaurants and eating places etc in The Entrance and Terrigal there are HEAPS scattered around the place – lots of local eatieries and café’s – especially near the beaches. All the beaches have surf clubs that you can join – you’ll have to do your bronze medallion if you want to be a patrolling life guard (voluntary). If you are a strong swimmer and fit then this is a good way to meet people. Often members are long term locals who know everyone else and they are often welcoming. If you don’t think you’d trust yourself rescuing someone then maybe your kids can join as juniors! It really does add to the lifestyle being a surf club member – and there are lots of social things to do and lots of people to meet! SCHOOLS The following website has a list of schools on the central coast – have a look through and see what you can find – most have websites and you can search them out on the internet. I don’t have kids so can’t comment on which ones are the best schools although I would presume that most of the ones along the coastal fringe would be very nice. Central Coast: Schools Perhaps find the ones nearest to where you may be living and see if you can do some research! If you likve, once you have a few schools that you consider to look OK I can ask some friends etc and see what inside into I can find! Hope this all helps, if you have any other questions please let me know A My husband and i and our 16yr old son are moving to Central Coat in October and this information is invaluable - thank you x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SophieB Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Oh wow thank you Graeme!!! We have been so busy selling our house we haven't looked on here in weeks. That is very useful indeed and gives us confidence that we're looking in all the right places. We're desperate for my hubby to get work close to the Central Coast area and avoid the commuting - it would make such a difference. He's a teacher and if he could get home soon after clocking off then it would make a real difference with child care and my own ability to go out to work or study. I'm off to look at the schools link now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nicole Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Wow that was very helpful. My husband already has a job offer in Bondi Junction and we have been looking south in the Sutherland Shire..but it is still very expensive so have started looking again at the central coast. We currently live in eastbourne and o/h commutes to London so won't be a huge shock re travel time..he would probably do it on his motorbike does anybody know if this feasible and what sort of times it is likely to take ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikci Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Hi there, My wife and I are looking at moving up to the Central Coast. We moved over from the UK a couple of years ago and we have ended up in Sydney (I have a good job in St Leonards). At the moment we live in Wahroonga but it is far too expensive with not that much to do. We have a 3 year old a 10 week old and a dog, the Central Coast seems a lot more dog friendly and seems to have quite a lot of nice beaches for weekends that you don't have to battle with traffic to get to. At the moment the areas we are looking at are Saratoga, Terrigal, Avoca, Wamberal, Erina, Tuggerah and Mardi, from what I can see Tuggerah and Mardi don't have a lot going on around them—things for my wife to do during the day like walking to parks with the kids and dog etc. so we are looking more at the others. I'm trying to find some more info on other things that don't seem to get mentioned much, like: do the areas flood? do they have loads of mozzies and midges? are there loads of hoons about? do you know of any groups of like minded Mums and younger children that meet up during the day? Any info on these would be great, also if anyone does or has a partner that commutes from these areas what is it realistically like? and how early do you need to be on the train to actually get a seat? I've heard that if you are too late you'll be standing the whole way to Sydney, not my idea of fun. Any info would be greatly appreciated. HI there ... As I mentioned in my previous post I live here in Avoca and am always happy to answer any questions so feel free to pm. All the best Nikci Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanthebrickie Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 HI there ... As I mentioned in my previous post I live here in Avoca and am always happy to answer any questions so feel free to pm. All the best Nikci Hiya I hope you don't mind me pm'ing you but was looking through this thread and saw that you had replied about schools on the central coast. You mentioned that your son goes to private secondary school, would you mind telling me which one he attends. I've been looking at the central coast but been strugging to find a decent secondary school. Are the fees reasonable and was it hard to get in. My children attend a catholic school in England and was looking to continue the same sort of education in Oz. Also looking for a school with a few english in. We've already made the move once, to Melbourne, but the kids struggled with the school as it wasn't catholic and there were no other english kids enrolled. We've just about convinced them to go back but to a different city but we've had to promise that we will try to find a school with english children in it. Need to get everything in place before we make the move from blighty again.!! thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mcginlm72 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Hi there, My wife and I are looking at moving up to the Central Coast. We moved over from the UK a couple of years ago and we have ended up in Sydney (I have a good job in St Leonards). At the moment we live in Wahroonga but it is far too expensive with not that much to do. We have a 3 year old a 10 week old and a dog, the Central Coast seems a lot more dog friendly and seems to have quite a lot of nice beaches for weekends that you don't have to battle with traffic to get to. At the moment the areas we are looking at are Saratoga, Terrigal, Avoca, Wamberal, Erina, Tuggerah and Mardi, from what I can see Tuggerah and Mardi don't have a lot going on around them—things for my wife to do during the day like walking to parks with the kids and dog etc. so we are looking more at the others. I'm trying to find some more info on other things that don't seem to get mentioned much, like: do the areas flood? do they have loads of mozzies and midges? are there loads of hoons about? do you know of any groups of like minded Mums and younger children that meet up during the day? Any info on these would be great, also if anyone does or has a partner that commutes from these areas what is it realistically like? and how early do you need to be on the train to actually get a seat? I've heard that if you are too late you'll be standing the whole way to Sydney, not my idea of fun. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Hi I have lived in Wamberal now for the past 5 years and my partner is from Tuggerah so we visit there a lot I would say that Wamberal and the surronding areas (maybe not Bateau Bay and onward) is a great place to live. There are plenty of beaches and plenty to do it is great for families. I see a lot of people with dogs (my partner hates dogs so unfortunately we can't have one) but there are areas of the beach marked to allow people with dogs and there is plenty of green areas for walking them etc.. I would say with regard to Tuggerah yeah it's ok but I wouldn't personally want to live there yes it has a great big shopping centre nearby which is good if you are looking for work but you have to drive a bit to get to the beach and the traffic there can be a nightmare! My nephew lives there and goes to school at Wyong and to be honest I wish he didn't as it is full of right deadbeats for want of a better description and my partner grew up in the area and down right flat refused to have our kids live and grow up there so that to me said it all for that area! some might disagree but I tend to go with that of my partner who was born and raised there! I have yet to see a flood happen here and as for the mozzies etc.. they are everywhere in Australia and annoying as hell but you can't really get away from it much on the coast it is just something you get used to they have plenty of product for them so you'll be ok. Terrigal can have some hoon types not bad, bad but because of the pubs and clubs that are there they are an obvious gathering spot for that type but to be fair every club or pub has bouncers and there is an obvious police presence on weekend nights so it is not to the stage or don't go out at night the only thing bad I have ever had is a bottle thrown at us by a bunch of kids in a car and they got arrested within 5 mins. As for Mum groups there are a few around but I find if you do not have a car or drive your pretty buggered. My partner worked in Sydney for years and it was about a 2 hour commute there and again back it should really only take an hour to get from Wamberal to Sydney but with him travelling at peak hours it took that much longer and we are so glad he has finally got a job on the coast though it did mean a big drop in wages. i have no idea about trains except Terrigal, Wamberal etc.. do not have train stations and you would have to travel to Gosford as that is the nearest train station by the way never consider moving to Gosford I have never seen so many scummy looking folk in my life and from the stories my partner has told me of the area I'd never live there!!! hope some of this helps and if you have anymore questions pm me anytime. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mcginlm72 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Hi Sophie, I should have signed off with my name, so I'll introduce myself properly, I'm Graeme and my wife is Vanessa. Our lease in Sydney is up on the 2nd of May so we'll be looking at moving the last or second to last week of April. Yes by hoons (sorry I'm a Kiwi originally and my wife is English) I mean young people causing trouble and loads of noise (now I feel old) and people racing their cars around the streets. I thought about taking my bike on the train but you do have to pay for it, apparently even if it's a folding bike with is rubbish I think. I was thinking of getting a scooter to ride to the station or a bike if we are close enough and locking it there… not sure how safe Gosford is to leave them there. I'll definitely share anything I learn here. Cheers Graeme Honestly I wouldn't feel safe about leaving anything in Gosford. It is a high drug, crime rate and the people I see hanging around the train station when I use it I wouldn't leave anything of value there for more than a few mins! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gellata Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Hi Guys I live up on the coast with my husband and young daughter and love it, I live between Bensville and Empire Bay which isn't too far from Avoca and Terrigal... I commute each day into Sydney CBD which isn't too bad we decided to live near woy woy to get the train and thought Terrigal was just a bit too far, my whole commute from door to door is 2 hours although I wouldn't suggest living in Woy Woy as I would say all the bogans are live there . I get the 650am train and always get a seat the trains are great it's a beautiful trip and people respect others and it's nice and quiet, coming home at night you may struggle to get a seat between St Leanords and Turramurra but after then you would be fine I can't recommend the CC enough, beaches are quiet and beautiful it's great for kids, no floods and the mozies aren't too bad at all There are some good schools and some not so good I think woy woy and Umina aren't too great but myschool website is really helpful Message me if you need any more details, I'm trying to get a social network started so let me know if you would like to meet up when you get up here Amanda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cooch Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Hi all, I haven't posted in a while, life's been a bit hectic, but I've been meaning to give an update. Firstly, thanks Nikci for the advice, it was muchly appreciated. Well we made the decision and moved up to Terrigal and honestly, best decision that we have made in a long time though I understand it's not for everyone. For the commute, I catch the bus to Gosford, leaves Terrigal at 5.55am and gets to Gosford at 6.20am about 6minutes before a train to Sydney, I wait for the 6.32am train as it goes direct to St Leonards where I work. I always get a seat and mostly a window seat on the East side and have a beautiful trip to work overlooking Brisbane Water and the Hawkesbury. Coming home I catch the 5.38pm from St Leonards and generally have a seat by Chatswood (two stops), get in to Gosford at 6.50pm, catch the 6.56pm bus to Terrigal and walk in the door at 7.20pm. I don't mind the commute as the weekends are amazing, we are five minutes from the beach and generally go to Wamberal beach as it's off leash dog friendly, we are three minutes from the Lagoon and take the dog swimming there. Walks around the headland at Terrigal Haven are lovely and we spend a bit of time rock pooling next to the Skillion which our three year old son loves. Erina is really close for shopping and is actually a nice shopping centre (my wife and I generally don't like shopping but Erina Fair is nice) All in all I love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikci Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Hi all, I haven't posted in a while, life's been a bit hectic, but I've been meaning to give an update. Firstly, thanks Nikci for the advice, it was muchly appreciated. Well we made the decision and moved up to Terrigal and honestly, best decision that we have made in a long time though I understand it's not for everyone. For the commute, I catch the bus to Gosford, leaves Terrigal at 5.55am and gets to Gosford at 6.20am about 6minutes before a train to Sydney, I wait for the 6.32am train as it goes direct to St Leonards where I work. I always get a seat and mostly a window seat on the East side and have a beautiful trip to work overlooking Brisbane Water and the Hawkesbury. Coming home I catch the 5.38pm from St Leonards and generally have a seat by Chatswood (two stops), get in to Gosford at 6.50pm, catch the 6.56pm bus to Terrigal and walk in the door at 7.20pm. I don't mind the commute as the weekends are amazing, we are five minutes from the beach and generally go to Wamberal beach as it's off leash dog friendly, we are three minutes from the Lagoon and take the dog swimming there. Walks around the headland at Terrigal Haven are lovely and we spend a bit of time rock pooling next to the Skillion which our three year old son loves. Erina is really close for shopping and is actually a nice shopping centre (my wife and I generally don't like shopping but Erina Fair is nice) All in all I love it. Welcome to the Central Coast.. am thrilled to hear that you have settled and feel that you have made the right decision. Am always happy to help but i think you only know whether a place is for you once you actually live here. My OH actually catches the bus from Avoca but heads to North Ryde so is on the ever so slightly later train... I am trying to arrange a big meet up of all the Coasties sometime in the spring time so will let you know once I have got myself organised if you are up for it. In the meantime if you ever want to catch up for a cuppa let me know, we are either at Erina or Terrigal/Avoca most weekend meeting peeps from the Coast.. Feel free to pm if you need anything... All the best, Nikci Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jubeeslanz Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Hi guys We live over in wa at moment and thinking moving over to new. We've got a restaurant in tuggerah and really want to know best places to live within 20 mins and best high schools. I can't believe how many kids take drugs in the high schools over in wa! I love oz but don't want move from frying pan to fire. Is there much close by For the kids or best areas. Boys are 14 & 15 plus girl of 17 who w ants do business studies course. Pretty confused as to what do. A y advice would be so grateful. We going over on Tuesday to look for a few. Ights Thanks guys juls Hi Guys I live up on the coast with my husband and young daughter and love it, I live between Bensville and Empire Bay which isn't too far from Avoca and Terrigal... I commute each day into Sydney CBD which isn't too bad we decided to live near woy woy to get the train and thought Terrigal was just a bit too far, my whole commute from door to door is 2 hours although I wouldn't suggest living in Woy Woy as I would say all the bogans are live there . I get the 650am train and always get a seat the trains are great it's a beautiful trip and people respect others and it's nice and quiet, coming home at night you may struggle to get a seat between St Leanords and Turramurra but after then you would be fine I can't recommend the CC enough, beaches are quiet and beautiful it's great for kids, no floods and the mozies aren't too bad at all There are some good schools and some not so good I think woy woy and Umina aren't too great but myschool website is really helpful Message me if you need any more details, I'm trying to get a social network started so let me know if you would like to meet up when you get up here Amanda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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