aldinga beach,an overview please?

[pablo]

hello all, we havnt even been to oz,let alone aldinga,but from looking on the net and forums it seems a decent place to live, can anyone enlighten us as to wether there is supermarkets,pubs,restaraunts etc within walking distance of aldinga beach area?or is it similar to where my friend lives in perth,i.e 45 minute walk to his local pub?!i.e do we have to drive everywhere? im a bricklayer by trade and have been told there is plenty of work in aldinga district? ANY info would be helpfull as we are hopefully moving over early next year( if the house ever sells ) thanks

[Guest sarahsmartiepants]

hello all, we havnt even been to oz,let alone aldinga,but from looking on the net and forums it seems a decent place to live, can anyone enlighten us as to wether there is supermarkets,pubs,restaraunts etc within walking distance of aldinga beach area?or is it similar to where my friend lives in perth,i.e 45 minute walk to his local pub?!i.e do we have to drive everywhere? im a bricklayer by trade and have been told there is plenty of work in aldinga district? ANY info would be helpfull as we are hopefully moving over early next year( if the house ever sells ) thanks

You will have to drive and if you become a brick layer here you wont always work in Aldinga.

Aldinga has a lovely beach and I know a few people who are living there and building there.

Personally it is too far out for me to live, unless I had retired.

I always say everyone is different and we all come form diff walks of life. So what might only be good for me in retirement might be fantastic for you now.

You REALLY should wait til you come and make up your own mind. I know lots of people who have been put off subs on this and other forums only to end up loving it there

sarah

[Guest redfoxy]

You will have to drive and if you become a brick layer here you wont always work in Aldinga.

Aldinga has a lovely beach and I know a few people who are living there and building there.

Personally it is too far out for me to live, unless I had retired.

I always say everyone is different and we all come form diff walks of life. So what might only be good for me in retirement might be fantastic for you now.

You REALLY should wait til you come and make up your own mind. I know lots of people who have been put off subs on this and other forums only to end up loving it there

sarah

 

Hello Sarah,

 

We live in Seaford Rise and have been here 10 weeks. My husband has lived in Perth and Sydney in the past and prefers those places but because we have a regional visa we have to live in south australia for the time being. I have never been to Australia before and I like Adelaide very very much, its much better than Manchester anyway LOL ! It seems the Australians think nothing of travelling for work etc as this is such a big wide open country many have to. Personally I love Aldinga and am planning to build there in a year or so. yes there is muc building going on there and it will probably extend out towards Victor harbour or further in the future. This is just my opinion. I would imagine that bricklayers would always be able to find work even if it is on older properties too. It only takes about 40 minutes to drive into the city from seaford and about 50 from Aldinga. In the UK I used to drive 30 miles on a pitch black wet icy packed M6 / M62 and it took me between 45 minutes and 3 hours !! on a regular basis. No, you dont come to Oz for pubs as there are not many and No you dont come for fancy resturants as again there are not many. Personally I have had my fill of those places but yes I do enjoy a very good meal, mostly cooked at home and BBQs of course and I also enjoy a good drink but again I dont like load packed pubs.

This of course is all JUST my opinion and no I am not ready to retire although I am in my 40 s but there again I have never been much different.

As regards shops, there is a small shopping centre at Aldinga with a COLES which is like sainsburys and you can buy all you food there. If you want clothes and houshold goods its best to go to the Westfield Marion on Sturt road which is about 30 minutes drive from Aldinga, this is my favourite place !! you do not need to go into the city.

Anyway, anything else you want to know just ask !!

 

Kind Regards,

 

Lynne

[Guest redfoxy]

MMM Im a dozy cos .. reply should have been to Pablo !!!!! SOrry Sarah !!!!! x

[pablo]

thanks very much for your replies, im not a massive pub goer anymore,since the smoking ban( yes,sadly im a pariah) i only go out about once every few weeks,and then only where heated patio etc is, just sort of take a bit of getting used to not having a "local" if i did want to go out every now and then,but its not the be all and end all,thanks again

[Guest sarahsmartiepants]

MMM Im a dozy cos .. reply should have been to Pablo !!!!! SOrry Sarah !!!!! x

I wondered why you were telling me!!!

But what Lynn says proves my point, I am in my 40s too and Aldinga is too far out for me, Lynn is in her 40s, not ready to retire, and is building in Aldinga.

All what Lynn says is there, but it is not enough for me.

My point being, make up your mind once you are here.

sarah:)

[Guest Guest75]

I wondered why you were telling me!!!

But what Lynn says proves my point, I am in my 40s too and Aldinga is too far out for me, Lynn is in her 40s, not ready to retire, and is building in Aldinga.

All what Lynn says is there, but it is not enough for me.

My point being, make up your mind once you are here.

sarah:)

 

I've just hit 50 and not ready for Aldinga yet.

 

Seriously it is a nice place but further out.It needs more amenities developing.

 

We will probably move closer to the city once the body won't do what the mind is telling it.

[Guest guest569]

How can anyone say Aldinga is too far from CBD ?? The roads are good and the train services are great. Most people travel this time and / or distance in the Uk WITHOUT the bonus of a great beach on your door step for the weekends.:notworthy:I think when people move over they might expect abit too much to ask for cheaper housing ( and bigger ) , close to the beach and work 10 - 15 mins from home ????

Somethings got to give ???

[Guest redfoxy]

How can anyone say Aldinga is too far from CBD ?? The roads are good and the train services are great. Most people travel this time and / or distance in the Uk WITHOUT the bonus of a great beach on your door step for the weekends.:notworthy:I think when people move over they might expect abit too much to ask for cheaper housing ( and bigger ) , close to the beach and work 10 - 15 mins from home ????

Somethings got to give ???

 

Thanks for that.. I reckon ! ye 10 weeks in and its catching ! aldinga just seems a long way in the scale of things..when you compare the distances people travel in the UK its nowt !! and yes although we have to work and shop life isnt ALL that is it !! and I can have a nice drinky in my own garden... I love all the space..hey there are lots of nice places here just wish the graffitti artists would bugger off !!:v_SPIN:

[Guest graandjac]

:)I guess what sarah is saying that there is nothing wrong with Aldinga .....we also like it .......BUT we also know LOTS of people who have moved to Aldinga when they first arrived and found it was just too far out, the beach is fab its close to Willunga and Mclaren Vale, its a huge decision to make just listening to other peoples oponion........you should take a look yourself........after all is a 50/50 thing . You either will or wont like it.......just the same as every other suburb. good luck

[Guest tooeasy]

it is personal choice i love aldinga but my wife doesn't

[pablo]

How can anyone say Aldinga is too far from CBD ?? The roads are good and the train services are great. Most people travel this time and / or distance in the Uk WITHOUT the bonus of a great beach on your door step for the weekends.:notworthy:I think when people move over they might expect abit too much to ask for cheaper housing ( and bigger ) , close to the beach and work 10 - 15 mins from home ????

Somethings got to give ???

hiya, we dont really need a big property,theres only the two of us,it would be nice living close to the beach but im not one for living on fish fingers and chips so i can have a big house,we will probably only have about £30k to come over with,maybe get a mortgage for equivalant £70 k, so about £100 k and im not expecting to live by the beach for that,could build my own i suppose(im a bricky)but ive just spent last 5 years totally refurbing our current house and dont think ive got it in me to do it all again!as long as its quieter than where im from(huyton lpool originally),and it must be!that will do,will help if i can get fox?sports etc to watch the reds,but if not theres allways the footy doctor or p2p on the internet hopefully,anyway thanks to yourself and all the others who have replied and tyke who i have seen on PIO,cheers

[Guest KandC]

Hi,

 

Aldinga is great, McLaren Vale is not bad either. Prices are cheaper the further out you go. It's all a matter of what suits you. When we get out there we intend to rent for a year or two and try different areas. Our last reckie turned our heads 180, so take your time. We did find that doing visits to houses on the market gave us a very good insight into the types of places available and costs.

 

Good luck,

 

Kris and Chris

[Guest Guest75]

hiya, we dont really need a big property,theres only the two of us,it would be nice living close to the beach but im not one for living on fish fingers and chips so i can have a big house,we will probably only have about £30k to come over with,maybe get a mortgage for equivalant £70 k, so about £100 k and im not expecting to live by the beach for that,could build my own i suppose(im a bricky)but ive just spent last 5 years totally refurbing our current house and dont think ive got it in me to do it all again!as long as its quieter than where im from(huyton lpool originally),and it must be!that will do,will help if i can get fox?sports etc to watch the reds,but if not theres allways the footy doctor or p2p on the internet hopefully,anyway thanks to yourself and all the others who have replied and tyke who i have seen on PIO,cheers

 

Hiya Pablo - thought it was my Earlswood hating friend :biglaugh:

 

Renting as K&C said is a good idea - getting a 12 month rental in an area you fancy does cover you before getting the bricks and mortar.

I'm sure house prices are not going anywhere upwards in the next 12 months.

[Guest Guest75]

Pablo - look at Seaford Meadows as well - that is just getting built/filled up now.

Newest suburb in Adelaide I think.

[Guest guest569]

Pablo - look at Seaford Meadows as well - that is just getting built/filled up now.

Newest suburb in Adelaide I think.

Seaford meadows is setting the bench mark for silly prices. If your on a slightly tighter budget then Aldinga is the way to go to get yourself back on the property ladder.

[Diane]

I've said it before, and I'll probably say it again, but do consider hard if you really want to be all that far from the CBD. Also, there is a lot of work in the northern suburbs so check out travel distances to there too. Aldinga is lovely to head out to for a daytrip or a weekend camping even, but bear in mind that pretty much everything that happens in South Australia, happens in ADELAIDE - I'm talking concerts, festivals, sporting events, shows, nightlife etc. If you lived out in Aldinga, would you really bother heading into the City to grab a bite to eat and a few drinks on a Friday night, when it would cost you a hefty sum in taxi fares to get home, or mean a 45 minute drive or a long train journey afterwards?

 

If there are just the two of you, I'd definitely consider somewhere maybe a bit closer to the CBD, just for the option of having stuff to do of an evening if you feel like it, without it being a major operation.

 

Even families who say they are moving out here for their kids should be aware that all the opportunities for a child that excels at something - whether it be music or sports, or whatever - are centrally located. For example, my daughter's particular forte is singing - she is in the top level of the Australian Girls Choir, and every week they rehearse at Kensington. It takes us 15-20 minutes to get there. Parents of girls in the choir who live a long way south (such as Aldinga) have to travel for about an hour to get their daughters there (in the 'rush hour' such as it is) - for some, it is not worth driving home again so they have to kill 2.5 hours waiting till it's time to drive them home again. My daughter is knackered when she gets home at 9:20, if we lived a long way south she wouldn't be home till nearly 10pm. Performances are generally held in the City and for a recent concert she had to be there from 8am till 10pm. If she had an hours travel each way on top of that....

 

My son enjoys cricket and every holiday there are coaching clinics at a top level held at the Adelaide Oval - again, central. The best football teams are located centrally (by which I mean those clubs that generally provide the players that go on to make a career of the sport, and those that attract the highest qualified coaches)

 

If you like watching football, the main football stadium is at Hindmarsh - again, central (more or less) and if you want to go see a band/show, you're looking at either the Entertainment Centre or AAMI stadium - more or less central again.

 

I know that plenty of people spend at least an hour in the UK commuting, hell, I did it myself from Essex to London for many many years, but when the sun is out, it's 26 degrees, and I've done a full days work here, I'd rather be home in 20 minutes with a cold glass of chardy in my hand, or home in time to take the kids to the beach while it's still warm, not sitting on a train/in my car getting stressed out at the behaviour of other drivers and traffic lights for an hour! Isn't it the "lifestyle" here that attracts us all? What kind of lifestyle do you have when you hardly see your family/partner because you are working long hours and commuting for ages? That's what we had in the UK - I for one came here for something better!

 

Rant over, but time enough when we retire to live somewhere "out in the sticks"!

 

Not having a go at anyone who has checked out all the options and chosen Aldinga, but it's the first bit of that phrase that I want to emphasise -"check out all the options, and make your choice then!" which you really can't do from the UK, despite the wonders of the internet - you have to do it when you get here!

[Guest guest569]

Dianne i don't often dissagree with you BUT ... come on talk sence, we can't all afford to live by the city and stroll in for a meal or a drink. You say Aldinga and alike are nice for a trip or a weekend away well that works both ways... A nice trip into the city for a drink, meal or show. After all thats what we did back in the uk.

Maybe after ive won the lottery then i'll move down to Brighton or Marino but for now i have to live where my budget takes me...UNLESS i mortgage to the hilt and then work 12 hours aday , 7 days aweek to pay for it ( never seeing the kids ) . Sounds too much like the life i moved away from:arghh:

Rant over. Peace to mankind and happy xmas to all.

[Diane]

I'm not saying you have to live within walking distance PP, but I reckon 20 minutes is a reasonable time to travel and there are plenty of lovely affordable suburbs within a 20 minute drive or bus ride, and not extortionately priced either! In fact, a lot of the suburbs that haven't up till now attracted the Brits in huge numbers (perhaps because they are 30 minutes drive to the nearest beach) are places where prices are a lot more reasonable, you get a lot more for your money, and, being older, more established areas, the infrastructure is a lot more developed.

 

Even though I used to work in the City (London), it was very rare that we actually went out for a night there, to see a show or to go to a museum, but then in the UK there are a lot more "centres of civilisation" and Chelmsford and Colchester were a 15 minute drive away and had plenty of restaurants, clubs, bars, sports facilities etc.

 

I know that all the areas have their own facilities, with maybe one or two places to get a drink, sports ovals, etc, but really, the only "centre of civilisation" that I'd consider here is Adelaide City Centre. There are shopping malls, cinemas, a few restaurants, in other places, such as Tea Tree Plaza, Marion and the like, but everything "big" centres around the City, and to someone coming from the UK, they may not realise quite how much that is the case here in Australia where there is miles of miles of country, but everyone lives around the edges, and everything focusses around the capitals.

 

Diane (with one n please!)

[pablo]

well thanks to all of you for taking time out to reply,great!obviously we were thinking of renting first,then we will decide if its "too" quiet,but quiet is what were looking for tbh.spent far too many years burning the candle at both ends so a wind down is in order now.thanks to diane for such a detailed post,but if we have to choose between an affordable house near the coast ( and i havnt checked out what £100K to £120k will get us "in detail" ) with less nightlife,events etc or a house near the city and all its attractions then i "think" the coast would win,but as you imply the extremes may be more extreme in oz than what we can comprehend from here,we "will" make sure obviously. we like nothing more than relaxing at home now tbh,dont really go out that much anymore:SLEEP:and have no kids to entertain so although we are not at retirement age ( 46 and 41 ) we do like the idea of living close to the beach, and an hour train ride ( if going for a drink )or drive into adelaide isnt really a problem tbh,i do that now if im going into lpool for a drink ( we live on the outskirts now ),anyway as i say thanks very much to you all,thx tyke

[Guest Rob and Clare]

Just one last thing Pablo, the train doesn't run to Aldinga, it finishes about 20km short at Port Noarlunga. So it's an hour train ride plus a 20 min drive according to google maps.

[Guest graandjac]

I'm not saying you have to live within walking distance PP, but I reckon 20 minutes is a reasonable time to travel and there are plenty of lovely affordable suburbs within a 20 minute drive or bus ride, and not extortionately priced either! In fact, a lot of the suburbs that haven't up till now attracted the Brits in huge numbers (perhaps because they are 30 minutes drive to the nearest beach) are places where prices are a lot more reasonable, you get a lot more for your money, and, being older, more established areas, the infrastructure is a lot more developed.

 

Even though I used to work in the City (London), it was very rare that we actually went out for a night there, to see a show or to go to a museum, but then in the UK there are a lot more "centres of civilisation" and Chelmsford and Colchester were a 15 minute drive away and had plenty of restaurants, clubs, bars, sports facilities etc.

 

I know that all the areas have their own facilities, with maybe one or two places to get a drink, sports ovals, etc, but really, the only "centre of civilisation" that I'd consider here is Adelaide City Centre. There are shopping malls, cinemas, a few restaurants, in other places, such as Tea Tree Plaza, Marion and the like, but everything "big" centres around the City, and to someone coming from the UK, they may not realise quite how much that is the case here in Australia where there is miles of miles of country, but everyone lives around the edges, and everything focusses around the capitals.

 

Diane (with one n please!)

 

You still have higher prices 20 mins from the city, and not everyone can afford them, even if i did win the lottery i would not want to live in a city, it really is horses for courseswe cant all be the same,and at the end of the day folk must find out for themselfses.

[Diane]

I'm a country girl too, and would hate to live in any City, but I do like to have the option to go there easily and quickly - opens up job prospects too.

 

Not sure what counts as 'affordable' in terms of housing, as obviously everyone is different, but just did a search on www.realestate.com.au for the surrounding suburbs to me - all about 20 minutes from the City - of houses less than $300,000 and its still coming up with a fair few options in the 3 bedroom category.

 

I reckon pretty much everywhere in England is within a 30 minute drive of a town or a city (might not be the case in Scotland, I don't know) - traffic permitting - so it's hard sometimes to get your head round the fact that there are a lot bigger distances between towns here in Oz.

 

Diane

[Guest redfoxy]

Hi everyone, there seems to be quite a few differences of opinion about this subject. Weve been here 10 weeks and live in Seaford Rise. When we first arrived we lived in Brighton near the sea and it was very nice. We have tried to get out and about as much as we can and these are the area I like... Burnside, Maclaren Vale, marino, Aldinga...which for me has a bit of hippy charm about it ! and yes property is cheaper !! I have now just! much to my relief found a job and I start on Monday at Blackwood, which also seems a nice area. Its 25 minutes to drive from Seaford rise, add 10 to that at rush hour, not so bad and i may get the chance to start at 8 and finnish at 4 after a few weeks. I have learned that yes there is more work north and close to the CBD, especiallt admin type work as I have experienced this now first hand ! I understand what diane says about being far away from the city and "life" and especially if you have teenagers I think you need to think about them ie uni etc and travelling by public transport so they can go to work and out etc.

Is it me or does it seem like there is more crime in the city ? ie black youths stabbing each other ?

Which ever way we all have different views which makes it an interesting world ! and I think you have to see for your self and make your own mind up !!

I think we will all agree it is much much nicer here in Adelaide than in most places in the UK and that for all I see the only draw back is missing friends and family. However with the easy internet contact these days this makes this much less daunting.

Cheers folks hears to a lovely summer

[Guest tooeasy]

yes there is more work in the city but my personal choice is to live by the beach and i dont mind the drive to work (a lot shorter than i used to drive in the uk) so for me the beach life is better and as for kids and uni dont forget they can be on p plates by the time they go to uni (16 and 6 months) there are some lovley places closer to the city brighton, marino and i also love the barrossa valley to visit but a lot of the cheaper areas close to the city are cheaper for a reason

just my personal oppinion