Feedback on some areas needed

[niknjas]

Hi

 

Coming out Jan 2010 and been trying to investigate areas through the internet and a book that was sent to me by the migration agent called Where to live Guide Adelaide. Obviously can only get so much through books / internet.

 

Needed to ask you guys what you thought of the below areas etc and how easy it is to get around as still not done my driving test and looking to hold off until get to Oz. Looking at rental only at the mo so also whether rental is expensive in those area's and what facilities there are or recommendations for other areas.

 

Area's put down are:

 

Christies Beach / Noarlunga

Reynella / Morphett Vale

Sheidow

Brighton / Hove

Gawler

Marion

Aldinga Beach

 

Not asking for much am I:biglaugh:

 

Thans guys

 

Niki

[Toni]

I lived at Hallett Cove and loved that. I always felt like I was on holidays especially of a night when I used to go home by public transport and you could see the ocean when travelling on the train. I've moved closer to Adelaide for a few years now and really like that also because it is where most of my friends are. I think wherever you move you will love and Adelaide they say is like a big country town not like some of the other cities in Australia that can be quite hectic.

[Guest SA Great]

Hi

 

Coming out Jan 2010 and been trying to investigate areas through the internet and a book that was sent to me by the migration agent called Where to live Guide Adelaide. Obviously can only get so much through books / internet.

 

Needed to ask you guys what you thought of the below areas etc and how easy it is to get around as still not done my driving test and looking to hold off until get to Oz. Looking at rental only at the mo so also whether rental is expensive in those area's and what facilities there are or recommendations for other areas.

 

Area's put down are:

 

Christies Beach / Noarlunga

Reynella / Morphett Vale

Sheidow

Brighton / Hove

Gawler

Marion

Aldinga Beach

 

Not asking for much am I:biglaugh:

 

Thans guys

 

Niki

 

Hi Guys and how are my friends from Swindon going? Say hi to Stratton St Margaret for me!!

 

OK the comments are only my opinion and I am generalising but it's a start!!

 

Christies Beach / Noarlunga - can be a bit rough in areas but nice beach and good snorkelling at Noarlunga

 

Reynella / Morphett Vale - Morphett Vale has its good and bad areas

 

Sheidow Park - Very suburban. Good value for money along with Trott Park

 

Brighton / Hove - Very nice, good location, near Glenelg and not far from city but pricey, will get less for your dollar

 

Gawler - Other side of town and a long way from a good beach but a very pleasant town

 

Marion - Not bad, good location near Marion Shopping Centre

 

Aldinga Beach - Nice spot but a fair way out from the city. Be aware that if you work in an industry like toolmaking where most of the work is in the north, some employers can be put off by someone who has to travel from Aldinga. Nice place though and quite cheap

 

Good luck, hope this helps and bring me a lardie cake over!!! Only joking!!

[niknjas]

Thanks guys.

SA Great - how do you know which area's are rough. You know with Swindon to avoid the P area's like the plague.

I know we won't really know until we get there but it's just nice to get some insight from peeps living there.

J has got 2 meetings with possible employers in Valley View which I understand is about 20km from city and another one in Dry Creek 5094. Bit difficult to know where to go when you haven't got a clue where you're going.

 

Niki

[Diane]

Both Valley View and Dry Creek are a long, long way from most of the suburbs you have mentioned! Both in the North/North East. Could easily take you over an hour each way just getting to an from work, and that's on a good day!!

 

Only one of all those I'd even consider if this is where your OH will be working is Gawler - but even that is quite a long way from those places. Check out the North East suburbs (Golden Grove and surrounds, Modbury and surrounds, Athelstone and surrounds) or if you're set on beachside, look at the northern beaches - Semaphore and around there.

[Guest Lisado]

Hi there

 

I love Noarlunga area. We live in Port Noarlunga - its beautiful. THe wee town is perfect - fab wee cafes. The beach is great. The people friendly. I havent seen any rough areas. I find the rough areas closer to city - lot of graffiti but I guess you get that anywhere. Mind you I was warned away from Christies Beach by few people!

 

I travel from Noarlunga to the city each day - 35/40 mins by car and 40 mins by train (and drive to station but plans to extend the line)

 

Aldinga Beach is lovely, Sheidow Park seems okay (we stayed in Hallett Cove for wee while and I liked that)

 

Marion shopping centre is HUGE!

 

Lisa

[Diane]

I travel from Noarlunga to the city each day - 35/40 mins by car and 40 mins by train (and drive to station but plans to extend the line)

 

But neither Valley View nor Dry Creek are on a train line, nor in the City! If you drove you'd have to allow at least another 20/30 minutes from the City out again at peak times, and as someone above said, a lot of employers will be put off if you live that far away!

[niknjas]

Thanks for that. J is a roofer by trade so from what I understand he will have about the same time start as here. He's been getting up to work in Milton Keynes from here at 5 and I don't generally see him until 7. He's said he is up for travelling. My concern about not being near things is getting the kids places and obviously feeling quite isolated until we get to know people. Obviously everything takes time.

Christies was suggested by an estate agent there - should know better really shouldn't I. Ideally would like to be close to the beach for the kids but if I can bus it will be no biggy. At least now it means I can start narrowing things down as you guys have given me other area's to look at as well.

Cheers

Niki

[niknjas]

PS Sorry to any estate agents on here for last comment / genralisation. Can't really say much as my best mates other half is one

[Guest rachinadelaide]

Thanks guys.

SA Great - how do you know which area's are rough. You know with Swindon to avoid the P area's like the plague.

I know we won't really know until we get there but it's just nice to get some insight from peeps living there.

J has got 2 meetings with possible employers in Valley View which I understand is about 20km from city and another one in Dry Creek 5094. Bit difficult to know where to go when you haven't got a clue where you're going.

 

Niki

 

Sorry to be a bit thick but what are P's? Here they are new drivers!

[Guest kangomik]

you have to look at where you will work..commuting here is not like commuting in the UK. It takes time out of your life here.

 

The hords are heading down south at the Mo and it seems natural to follow. Take time out, land arrive, and investigate other areas. Get YOUR feel for things.

 

A 1 hour commute here is not like a 1 hr commute in the UK.

 

Like Diane says some employers take into account these commute times.

[niknjas]

I guess really what we are going to have to do then is sit tight until we get there. We made a decison to get OAA and use that as a base - seems like we made the right decison as such for the mo.

Really excited about going but sounds like I'mgoing to have to accept the fact that I can't get everything organised for us before we get there:arghh: Never mind.

 

Appreciate the feedback from everyone and if anyone else feels like adding to it, happy to listen / read.

Niki

[mydearboy]

I guess really what we are going to have to do then is sit tight until we get there. We made a decison to get OAA and use that as a base - seems like we made the right decison as such for the mo.

Really excited about going but sounds like I'mgoing to have to accept the fact that I can't get everything organised for us before we get there:arghh: Never mind.

 

Appreciate the feedback from everyone and if anyone else feels like adding to it, happy to listen / read.

Niki

 

 

Hi Nick & Jason

 

We too live in Swindon and are moving to adelaide next june, we have just come back form our reccie visit yesterday and have visited all the areas you mention..we have decided on port nor/ nor centre and seaford. PM me and i can tell you more.

 

We might even know each other lol

 

Darren 38 Lisa 37

[Diane]

Hi

Don't worry about feeling isolated when you get here - wherever you end up, there will be get togethers you can join in on, and you'll find that most people in Adelaide - aussies and brits and every other nationality you can think of - are incredibly friendly and helpful to newcomers! If you do end up living to the North East side of town (if your OH ends up getting a job with either of the employers you mentioned) then we have monthly girls nights out at a local pub which you're very welcome to come along to and get to know a few people! I don't know about roofing jobs specifically, and whether employers in that field are based in a particular area, but I'd recommend getting initial accommodation as centrally as possible and getting work sorted first, then basing your suburb search on that. Who wants to be sat in a car for over an hour in 35 degrees when you could have been at home in 15 minutes with a cold beer or glass of wine in your hand!!

 

If you get OAA and it's not central, then if you have kids I'd advise not rushing into putting them into school to start with until you know where you will be living long term. It's a lot easier to get that sorted first, then find a school, rather than putting them into your nearest school and then being tied to living in the near locality rather than changing their schools, even if that doesn't suit where your workplace will be.

 

Diane

[jo_marnes]

I can only make a couple of very generalised comments!

 

Christies Beach / Noarlunga - not been but have only heard negative things from the Aussies at work

 

Reynella / Morphett Vale - More house for your money but quite a long way out and no train

 

Sheidow - like a brand new massive housing estate. No shops that I'm aware of. No train. Cheaper houses

 

Brighton / Hove - We live in Brighton. Good seaside location but expensive housing. Good shops, transport, no real nightlife to speak of.

 

Gawler - never been - seems a long way away!

 

Marion - currently the suburb with the most elderly people! Great shopping centre, good transport links.

 

Aldinga Beach - no idea, never been there either!

[niknjas]

Thanks Diane

Do have little ones. Eldest that is coming with us is 6 so is in Y2 here. Am I right in thinking that once you get there you have 6 weeks grace to get them in school? When do the school holidays finish over there?

Cheers

Niki

[Diane]

Hi Niki, mine are a little older - 12 and 15, but there's plenty of girls come along to our nights out with kids of all ages, from tinies to grown ups!! I don't know about any rule about getting kids into school within six weeks - think they're fairly flexible here: they're definitely much nicer about letting kids have time off during term time than the draconian way I remember in the UK! One of the teachers told me she thought family holidays were a great way for kids to learn about geography far better than in the classroom from books!

 

When we came over, my son was 7 and had just finished Year 2 in the UK (we came in August) and did another term till the end of the year in Year 2 then went into Year 3 in the following January. It means he's a little younger than his class mates, as they don't start school in Reception here till they're 5 so he had started in the UK at the age of 4, as I guess your eldest must have done. If your son (?)has just started Year 2, I would think that's the Year he'd go into here from January 2010, but individual schools do vary and again, they're very flexible and consider the individual a lot.

 

The long school holidays over summer usually end at the end of Jan - here are the State School dates for SA for next year: http://www.dete.sa.gov.au/custserve/pages/default/pubhols/?reFlag=1

 

Hope that helps.

 

Oh, just thought of another suburb in the North that's really nice that you could look at - Mawson Lakes - 20 mins to city, 20 mins to beach, 20 mins to Barossa (about!)

[niknjas]

Thanks Diane.

Charlie's birthday was in June so he is among some of the younger ones in his class. They are still very draconian as you put it about holidays as school have just sent another reminder to all parents. I think we should have got idea by now.

We're looking to book flights for 20th Jan so it hopefully should work out quite nicely for us to have a proper look around and not rush things.

Phoebe has just started pre-school at 2.5 but did not put her in for too many days as I know they again start at a different age.

I'll look into Mawson as well and put it on my list of stuff to put in the bags for when we get there.

Cheers

Niki

[Guest SA Great]

Thanks guys.

SA Great - how do you know which area's are rough. You know with Swindon to avoid the P area's like the plague.

I know we won't really know until we get there but it's just nice to get some insight from peeps living there.

J has got 2 meetings with possible employers in Valley View which I understand is about 20km from city and another one in Dry Creek 5094. Bit difficult to know where to go when you haven't got a clue where you're going.

 

Niki

 

Good question, its really hard until you live somewhere. Yeah I remember Penhill, Pinehurst, Park South and North were a bit rough.

Well seeing as you asked the question I would say down south that Christies Beach, Morphett Vale, Hackham, Huntfield Heights are generally the areas to avoid. In the North, Davoren Park, anything that starts with Elizabeth, Paralowie and Parafield Gardens would be considered rough. In the North West, Port Adelaide, Wingfield, Pennington and up to Outer Harbor on the eastern side of the railway line could be considered rough. In the East I don't think they have any rough areas (think Fairlawns or Broome Manor from Swindon).

We are at Flagstaff Hill which is really nice because you live in the hills but are only a 10 minute drive to the nearest beach Seacliff. I also think Hallet Cove is really nice because it has the added benefit of a rail line to the city (although if you lived there long enough I reckon you would develop a Manchester accent!!)

Any more questions please don't be afraid to ask and don't forget the above comments are only my opinion (before people jump down my throat!!!)

[Guest SA Great]

Hi Nick & Jason

 

We too live in Swindon and are moving to adelaide next june, we have just come back form our reccie visit yesterday and have visited all the areas you mention..we have decided on port nor/ nor centre and seaford. PM me and i can tell you more.

 

We might even know each other lol

 

Darren 38 Lisa 37

 

Jees MORE people from Swindon. We will have to set up a Swindon fan club!! I also have another friend from Swindon who lives here!

[niknjas]

Us Swindon lot will probably take over at some point in the future if it carries on this way haha. Thanks for info.

Hubbie thinks I'm nuts as sat down writing list on feedback from everyone re the areas

[Guest SA Great]

Us Swindon lot will probably take over at some point in the future if it carries on this way haha. Thanks for info.

Hubbie thinks I'm nuts as sat down writing list on feedback from everyone re the areas

 

Nah way to go nik, can't have too much info. What school did your hubby go to, he is only 3 years younger than me, I might know him!!!!

[niknjas]

He went to Penhill School. There's a few of his mates that he went to school with that are either over there are in the process of applying as well- if you know him, you might know them as well

[Guest SA Great]

I went to Dorcan, other side of town but may have played soccer against him

[niknjas]

Probably, and you never know you might know him by sight. We'll have to see once we get over there if you are about