Flights Booked - Canberra here I come!

[matjones]

Hey Everyone,

 

Just wanted to introduce myself to you Canberra folks. My wife and I just received our 176 visa last weekend, and have booked our flight to AU on Jan 17th. We will be spending the first month in a short term rental in Sydney, because our dogs are in quarantine there, and will drive back and forth to Canberra to look for rentals etc during that time.

 

I was hoping for some advice on good neighborhoods to live in. We are in our mid 30's, no kids, just 2 dogs. We like neighborhoods where there are a good selection of restaurants (nice ones, not McDonalds) and shops, maybe even walkable to from our home. Somewhere with convenient green space for exercising the dogs. The inner south seems rather appealing from what I've seen, although I know it can get expensive, but I've heard that the Manuka area is nice. At a stretch we can go to $600/w but would like to keep it in the $4-500/w range. Ideally 3 bed house, but maybe 2 if the area & price is right. With the dogs, apartment living would be too difficult. I would like a quieter neighborhood where I won't find excessive number of hoons & bogans I've been told to avoid Tuggeranong.

 

Looking forward to finding out more about the Canberra area, I'm sure I will have a million more questions as the weeks progress here.

 

Regards,

 

Mat

[Quoll]

As schools wont be an issue for you then the Inner suburbs (north or south really) would be good - probably where you are going to be working is a good clue as to which side you should opt for. As nowhere is really that far from anywhere else, do check out places like Yarralumla, Griffith, Narrabundah (the Caley Cres end, not the other end!), Kingston (mostly apartments these days), Campbell (not too big on the restaurant front), Ainslie, Downer, Lyneham. The inner suburbs are gradually being medium-densityized so places like Braddon and Barton tend to be apartment living rather than house on quarter acre. I guess you have checked out Real estate properties & homes for sale, rent and share for rentals - for inner suburbs you are probably going to have to go to the top of your range.

 

Defo rule out Tuggeranong if you arent into hoons and bogans!

[matjones]

As schools wont be an issue for you then the Inner suburbs (north or south really) would be good - probably where you are going to be working is a good clue as to which side you should opt for. As nowhere is really that far from anywhere else, do check out places like Yarralumla, Griffith, Narrabundah (the Caley Cres end, not the other end!), Kingston (mostly apartments these days), Campbell (not too big on the restaurant front), Ainslie, Downer, Lyneham. The inner suburbs are gradually being medium-densityized so places like Braddon and Barton tend to be apartment living rather than house on quarter acre. I guess you have checked out Real estate properties & homes for sale, rent and share for rentals - for inner suburbs you are probably going to have to go to the top of your range.

 

Defo rule out Tuggeranong if you arent into hoons and bogans!

 

Thanks Quoll. I am really liking the inner suburbs. We have been told that the Fyshwick markets are the best place for foodies like us, so would be nice to be within a reasonable distance to that. Also, there is a market at the Exhibition park I believe. How are the suburbs there? Watson, Downer?

Location doesn't really matter for me, as I will work from home, and we don't yet know where my wife will work, but we will have a car for her to get around. I've been looking online at Allhomes, and can see some stuff in those areas in my price range, just want to make sure theres no pockets of 'dodgy' areas I need to be aware of.

[Quoll]

Thanks Quoll. I am really liking the inner suburbs. We have been told that the Fyshwick markets are the best place for foodies like us, so would be nice to be within a reasonable distance to that. Also, there is a market at the Exhibition park I believe. How are the suburbs there? Watson, Downer?

Location doesn't really matter for me, as I will work from home, and we don't yet know where my wife will work, but we will have a car for her to get around. I've been looking online at Allhomes, and can see some stuff in those areas in my price range, just want to make sure theres no pockets of 'dodgy' areas I need to be aware of.

 

Pretty much wherever you go there will be "pockets", Canberra has a salt and pepper policy with respect to public housing so check out the neighbours and make sure they dont have a front yard full of Holdens and you should be fine.

 

Watson is gradually becoming apartmentized with the new developments up in the north being mainly town houses. Personally I prefer Hackett - the houses tend to be a bit bigger and the blocks are good. Bit more of a stroll to a restaurant but they arent that far away, Watson has a couple and you are spoiled for choice in Dickson and Civic is wall to wall fooderies.

 

The fruit and veg markets are OK - there is one at Fyshwick and one at Belconnen. The Farmer's market at EPIC is where we do most of our f&v shopping (and lamb, very good lamb from Vince the lamb man) but we live on a quarter acre block in Ainslie and the DH grows most of our own. I find the thing with the big f&v markets is that if you buy on Sunday, as many people do, then you tend to buy too much and just as it is about to go off - fantastic deals on buckets of stuff do suck you in to getting things that you dont really need. I tend to buy just what I want from IGA down the road. There is an organic f&v shop in Griffith and also a borderline organic butcher there too. There is an organic (I think) butcher in the Belconnen markets as well and he sells the more esoteric type of meat if you are into oddities.

[SimoneAL]

Hi Mat,

 

How was your first Xmas in Canberra?

Have you found a longer term accomodation? Are settling down?

 

I am trying to obtain 176 visa and ... I am curious!

 

Simone