advice needed!

[nickey and neill]

hi guys,

we are about half way through our visa app for oz and are still torn bewtween melbourne and adelaide. im not really a city girl and keep being drawn back to adelaide. my worry is whether there is enough going on for the kids. i have 2 boys aged 13 and 12 and a 10 year old girl. all into sports etc. please can anyone help me decide my best option!!!

is there enough options and events to keep kids happy....sports etc.

any info gratefullly received...plus advice on where to live stay work etc!!

thanks

nickey and neill
;)

[The Monaghans]

Hi there,

Haven't been to either place yet so I can't be a huge amount of help but suggest you try looking at Lisa's site, www.adelaidebound.com. It gives some great info about Adelaide and what it has to offer. Everybody that I've spoken to who's been to Adelaide tells me it's very family friendly and from what we've researched on the internet, that certainly seems to be true. Hope this helps!

[Hayshake]

Having been to Adelaide numerous times, and Melbourne a few times mainly for short breaks, I would point out that Melbournes population is quite a lot larger than Adelaides and therefore stretches out to a very big city. Both are on the coast of course, and Geelong is if I remember about an hour from the city. Philip Island is fairly rural, but this is about 2-3 hours out. The Dandenongs are quite nice and very rural but again some way from the city.
I think Adelaide is big enough without being too big, and driving is definately easier in Adelaide.
I have 2 grandchildren growing up in Adelaide, and although only 2 & 5 are kept very busy with things to do, and my daughter in law has 3 nephews from 7 to 14 who also seem to be kept very busy with sporting things.

Hope this helps

[Russfamily]

it may b a smaller city in Adelaide but it is a city of 1.1 million people and so caters 4 everyone and everything with a average climate of 15 to 29 degrees sport is high on the list

[nickey and neill]

thanks for replying so quickly.....its so hard to decide, adelaide def seems to be more appealing i think! thanks again

[Django]

We have decided on Adelaide (at least to the south of it) even though I have some good friends in Melbourne. I am a London boy born and bred but love living in a smaller town. We have already said we would never move back down there so Melbourne got ruled out along the same lines.


Pete

[Roo1]

Hi Nickey and Neil,

I've been busy looking for a good school to send my boy to. He's a lot younger than your kids but I've been really impressed with the amount of sport on the curriculum at school. They do the regular, cricket, football, aussie rules, basketball etc, but I also liked the fact that one term in the school year they head down to the beach and learn how to surf, snorkle, body board and life save.
I was also impressed that in school holidays theres always something free for the kids to do in the city and suburbs. For example, aussie rules football practice classes.
There are plenty of clubs here too. My boy (age 4) goes to Pocket Rocket Gym class on a saturday and is starting martial arts next week.

I've only been to Melbourne for a week, years ago, so I can't comment on there. But as far as I'm concerned my family likes Adelaide. You can have the rush of city life or the tranquilty of the hills and beaches all within 40 mins or less of each other. Thats good enough for me.

Have you been on a reccie to either places yet? Maybe its worth spending a month out here doing a couple of weeks in each.

Good Luck with your choice.

Judi x ;)

[The Bowmans]

Hi Nickey and Neil

Having been to both, I prefer Adelaide. Of all the cities we have visited in Australia - Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide - Melbourne was my least favourite. Adelaide is compact, but civilised. Great beaches, great wines and the rolling hills remind me of Devon.

We have friends in both cities with kids and both sets are equally busy and fulfilled. I guess in the end it boils down to instinct.

Good luck with your choice and the process.


Deena:)

[nickey and neill]

Hi Nickey and Neil,

I've been busy looking for a good school to send my boy to. He's a lot younger than your kids but I've been really impressed with the amount of sport on the curriculum at school. They do the regular, cricket, football, aussie rules, basketball etc, but I also liked the fact that one term in the school year they head down to the beach and learn how to surf, snorkle, body board and life save.
I was also impressed that in school holidays theres always something free for the kids to do in the city and suburbs. For example, aussie rules football practice classes.
There are plenty of clubs here too. My boy (age 4) goes to Pocket Rocket Gym class on a saturday and is starting martial arts next week.

I've only been to Melbourne for a week, years ago, so I can't comment on there. But as far as I'm concerned my family likes Adelaide. You can have the rush of city life or the tranquilty of the hills and beaches all within 40 mins or less of each other. Thats good enough for me.

Have you been on a reccie to either places yet? Maybe its worth spending a month out here doing a couple of weeks in each.

Good Luck with your choice.

Judi x ;)

many thanks for that. i think we have decided adelaide is def the place for us!
your advice is really helpful and everyone on this adelaide forum has been so much more helpful than the melbourne one!! that speaks volumes i think....thanks again!!!!!

[betty22]

hi,
My girls are 11 and 9 and they both keep me on my toes with activities after school every night and at weekends.
my eldest is heavily into athletics and trains 4 times a week with races most weekends.
Adelaide is easy to get around and the furthest i have had to drive so far for comps is 2 hrs.
Looking at other states it would be difficult to get to some places for sports for kids
here are some websites which may be useful
http://www.littleathletics.com.au/
http://www.athleticssa.org/

Liz