Planning a visit... what to do?

[Guest stickman]

So, it looks like my wife and I are coming over to Adelaide for a bit of a nosey around

 

Hopefully flying out on 26th May, spending a couple of days with my sister in Sydney, and then flying over to Adelaide for a couple of weeks. Haven't a clue where to start planning what we want to do while we're there so I thought I'd ask for some advice on where to go and what to see. We're trying to treat it as both a holiday and a reccie but with limited time we're obviously going to have to prioritise.

 

My wife's a nurse specialising in early pregancy so we'll be checking out the Womens Hospitals, and checking out some of the many, many suburbs (any hints gratefully received - it'd be nice to find somewhere semi-rural, not a million miles away from the Womens Hospital and the motor racetrack, lol)

 

So what did you/would you do other than that on your reccie?

 

(Any offers of cheap accommodation also appreciated - hey, you gotta ask right?)

 

Thanks,

Tony

 

 

(Can't wait - woooohooooo)

[Nicky]

Thanks for starting this thread Tony, I've just sat down in front of the computer to ask the same questions. We're waiting for our visas (but may be some time as we lodged last Nov and I think the Aug applicants are only just getting their case officers) so in the meantime we thought we'd come for a reccie too probably in June. We'd really love to bring the 3 kids along, come for a few weeks and make a holiday of it too but it's just going to cost too much. So we thought we come over for just 2 weeks on a fact finding mission, leaving the kids with my poor mum and dad!?!! We're planning to have a drive around and suss out different areas probably heading more towards the hills. If anyone's got any useful comments about affordable areas somewhere around the hills that'd be great.

 

Also my OH's a carpenter. Could anyone give us any pointers about places to go or any contacts he could speak to when we come over in June.

 

We've done mountains of research but nothing quite compares with coming over and seeing the place first hand to get a feel for it I guess. Plus it's a good excuse to have a break from the kids!! It goes without saying I'll miss them, but I can't wait!

[Guest leemi1]

Thanks for starting this thread Tony, I've just sat down in front of the computer to ask the same questions. We're waiting for our visas (but may be some time as we lodged last Nov and I think the Aug applicants are only just getting their case officers) so in the meantime we thought we'd come for a reccie too probably in June. We'd really love to bring the 3 kids along, come for a few weeks and make a holiday of it too but it's just going to cost too much. So we thought we come over for just 2 weeks on a fact finding mission, leaving the kids with my poor mum and dad!?!! We're planning to have a drive around and suss out different areas probably heading more towards the hills. If anyone's got any useful comments about affordable areas somewhere around the hills that'd be great.

 

Also my OH's a carpenter. Could anyone give us any pointers about places to go or any contacts he could speak to when we come over in June.

 

We've done mountains of research but nothing quite compares with coming over and seeing the place first hand to get a feel for it I guess. Plus it's a good excuse to have a break from the kids!! It goes without saying I'll miss them, but I can't wait!

 

Hi we are going on Saturday for two weeks for a look around we are going to make a video and hopefully post it on this web site if I allowed so with a bit of luck you might find something interesting on it

Hope this helps

mick

[Guest stickman]

Hey Nicky It looks like we're going to have to go without our 12yr daughter as well. It's a shame, but the extra expense isn't small is it? We'd also have to make the trip during the school summer holidays so the cost of the flights alone goes up by more than 50%

 

(Besides she's been before with her grandparents and we haven't, lol)

[Nicky]

Yeah, it's a hardship isn't having to go without the kids!?!! Mind you I was just relaying the prices back to my husband for return flights for the two of us in June and one way flights for when we all go possibly next Jan/Feb. My eldest daughter's face lit up and said in an excited voice "are we going for a short holiday first then?" I didn't have the heart to tell her that she wouldn't be coming. Nothing's booked yet for our reccie so there's no point upsetting her ..... just yet. I know I shall feel really guilty when the time comes tho and she'd love to come but we can't take 1 without the other 2 and that brings us back full circle.

[Guest stickman]

Pretty quiet around then huh? :biglaugh:

[Guest The Pottertons]

Know what you mean about the guilt. We are going childless too. Our children are younger and wouldnt manage all the driving around and researching Or the flights and we've no time for a stopover. Makes me feel sick to leave them but ive organised the whole family to do activities whilst we're away so im sure my eldest will be fine. I just dont know if i'll cope without them! But anyway i'll be watching this post for any helpfull hints too! Come on aussie poms where are ya!!! Yvonne x

[Guest Guest75]

Pretty quiet around then huh? :biglaugh:

 

Sorry not to have replied earlier.

 

V.Busy at the moment.

 

It's all the serious stuff really if you are on a reccie.

 

Narrow down areas/suburbs.

Drive through them at different times of day - perhaps buy a street map and make notes in it for future use.Houses buy/sell quickly here so you might find the perfect street suburb where a house will come up when you are over here permanently.

 

Go to a few open houses/viewing - that will be practice for later.

Same with car yards.

 

Work will dictate suburbs to a relative degree.

 

Call into banks and see what they have to offer - you might want to open an account while you are here - more choice then.

 

Even going shopping will give you a good indicator of the life here.

 

If it's just the two of you the city has plenty of life to offer - both day and night.

 

 

I'll try and think of more stuff today........knackered at the moment.

 

How is sunny Leeds??

 

Originally a Pudsey lad myself:)

[Guest stickman]

 

I'll try and think of more stuff today........knackered at the moment.

 

How is sunny Leeds??

 

Hey Tyke, cheers for that. Hadn't actually considered doing the open house/car yard things but what a cracking idea

 

The weather in Leeds? Let's just say that spring was a long time coming... had a bit of frost this morning but we are out in the sticks. Nice and sunny at the mo and promising to get up to a massive 15 degrees today . Not missing it then?

 

Thanks again for the suggestions.

[Guest Guest75]

Hey Tyke, cheers for that. Hadn't actually considered doing the open house/car yard things but what a cracking idea

 

The weather in Leeds? Let's just say that spring was a long time coming... had a bit of frost this morning but we are out in the sticks. Nice and sunny at the mo and promising to get up to a massive 15 degrees today . Not missing it then?

 

Thanks again for the suggestions.

 

No worries - anything where you can have a "practice run" is a good thing:)

 

Not missing it at all.

It's not been a bad day here - cool start then sunny - then a shower then sunshine again.Certainly caught it on my face today.

Out there harvesting there grove I feel like a millionaire - very different to my old life in Leeds.

[Guest Roo1]

Hi Lou (Tony's better half, no doubt ),

 

Have you been on www.nursingdownunder.com The members on there might be able to point you in the right direction regarding info on Women's hospital etc.

 

Judi x

[Guest stickman]

(Tony's better half, no doubt )

 

Objection Your Honour!

[Nicky]

Yeah, thanks Tyke. I had thought about the suburbs, cars, housing etc but, can you believe it girls, not the shopping!! I thought we'd be cramming so much 'fact finding' stuff in those 2 weeks that shopping hadn't even crossed my mind.

 

But of course you're right .... shopping it is then! Oh and the occasional drive around!?!! I was reading an article in the A&NZ mag the other day about the chocolate cafe in Adelaide. Now that DEFINATELY sounds like it deserves a visit. Is it as good as it reads? As you can see from my picture I'm partial to a little chocolate. (I must update that picture now I've downloaded some photos).

[Guest neil and mari]

Hi we are over in october so if you have any good tips on where to visit i would be gratefull. We arebooking this week and i cant wait. Have a wonderful time and hope to hear from you when you get back. Mari

[Rachiegarlo]

If you see some areas you like, you can check out the schools in that area too. To get a feel for the city I think you need to get off the main roads, drive through the residential areas, not just the ones by the beach but also the ones in the hills as each area offers something different even if it is only subtle. If you think you might have to use public transport, take a few rides and see how much of the suburbs you like are serviced by transport. Read the Advertiser daily, look at the ads for jobs, houses and the local news disregarding all things interstate as sometimes a cat got stuck up a tree in Brisbane might be in the news here.

 

And when you are not doing your reccie research, try out the many cafes and restaurants that Adelaide boasts. Also take time to visit the museums etc on North Tce and stroll around the city centre. Go on a food trail in the hills, there are some great markets up there. Before you come make a list of all the things you might see yourself doing if you lived here and then check them out when you are here. You want to make the most of your trip here and a few weeks is not a lot, but it can give you a feel for the place.

[Selah]

Dear All,

 

We did our reccie last October/November with our 3 kids (then 10,8 & 3). Unfortunately, (or fortunately depending on how you think of it) my inlaws paid for us all as they wanted to see the grandkids. I am so jealous of you childfree lotl!!!

 

Tyke is right - driving around all the suburbs is a must. You can really do it in a couple of days and what we thought we like from aus real estate and what we really liked when we got here were two very different things. Definitely go to some open houses. They are brilliantly scheduled on Sat and Sun and you can hit 7-8 a day. Sounds ridiculous but we found it really helpful. Kids really enjoyed it too NOT!!!) Definitely go for a sunset dinner in Glenelg and hit the cafe's on the waterfront (proper attire requested but lovely.) Once you find a suburb you like, I would check out schools. We have made the decision to go private as we don't want to be limited to having to find a house in a specific suburb and in the Northeast particularly - schools are tightly catchmented. Private is actually affordable in Australia - not something we would have ever dreamed of here!!!! Check out shopping - nightlife in city centre, - do your comparison grocery shopping so you can get a sense that some things are more and some are less. We went furniture shopping and checked out IKEA, etc. so we could make a decision about what we really wanted to bring and what we didn't. Have a good time and a good mix between holiday and real life as you want to know what both are like. Definitely have a good hold of a Koala (recommend Cudlee Creek as a smaller place and they don't charge extra for koala holding!)

 

Have fun and enjoy the child free flights. Oh how I would love to do that -champaigne, cheese & biscuits - no beakers or young person kicking the seat in front....

 

Liz

[Guest Guest75]

Yeah, thanks Tyke. I had thought about the suburbs, cars, housing etc but, can you believe it girls, not the shopping!! I thought we'd be cramming so much 'fact finding' stuff in those 2 weeks that shopping hadn't even crossed my mind.

 

But of course you're right .... shopping it is then! Oh and the occasional drive around!?!! I was reading an article in the A&NZ mag the other day about the chocolate cafe in Adelaide. Now that DEFINATELY sounds like it deserves a visit. Is it as good as it reads? As you can see from my picture I'm partial to a little chocolate. (I must update that picture now I've downloaded some photos).

 

 

:biglaugh:

 

Shopping - as in groceries.!!

 

Always one -or is it all wimmin??? (Only kidding before I get a clip round t' ear ole)

Dunno about that choccie cafe - I'm surrounded by tons of choccie and goodies here in the office - Mrs Tyke has a gift basket business!!

 

Also call into the furniture/whitegood stores to compare prices.That will help you decide if you want to bring your furniture/whitegoods out.

[Nicky]

Only kidding Tyke, I'm one of the rare women who actually isn't that bothered about shopping. I'd rather be out walking my dog (which I plan to get when we get to Oz as I've been waiting a long time to get one) in your beautiful Onkaparinga Hills. This is an area we've been looking into and I know you're bias as you live there but why do you think we should move there; what has it to offer for a family?

[richjop]

...there is one on Greenhill Road right next to Burnside Village called Bracegirdles and they won lots of prizes at the Adelaide show, we bought chocs for some Aussie friends at a dinner party and were told that they were the best they have ever tasted, can't agree or disagree because they had run out before they got to me!!!! I would agree with all the things that have been said but also try potential routes to and from work in the rush hour because particularly around the city some roads can be one way, both ways, no left hand turn etc depending on the time of day!!!!!Opens are a must just to experience the Aussie version of interior design!!!!!!

[Guest Guest75]

Only kidding Tyke, I'm one of the rare women who actually isn't that bothered about shopping. I'd rather be out walking my dog (which I plan to get when we get to Oz as I've been waiting a long time to get one) in your beautiful Onkaparinga Hills. This is an area we've been looking into and I know you're bias as you live there but why do you think we should move there; what has it to offer for a family?

 

 

Well,I cant tell you to live anywhere - just give my views,it pressed all the right buttons for me.There is something for everyone here.

 

Onkaparinga Hills caught us due to the fact that it was a nice compromise for us.We wanted to buy a "lifestyle" property and work from home - the opposite to what we did in the Uk where we were out running a business all the time.

It's not too far from the city and close to local amenities.

We like living on the edge of suburbia - if I turn left it's town - if I turn right it's fields and then country.

 

It's divided into 2 areas the first is the Huntingdale estate and surrounds which is a nice and settled area with decent sized blocks.Most houses were built in the 90's.

The other area is mainly larger blocks /smallholdings near Upper Penneys Hill Road.A lot of "Horsey" properties and small holdings.This is where we live and it does feel as if you are in the country - great living in the hills with sea views.

 

The area does tend to get overlooked as it is such a small suburb with fewer houses.

 

No idea of your budget but the house in this link is the perfect compromise if you are looking for space,it's a little like our house minus the olive grove.Seems very well built.

 

http://www.realestate.com.au/cgi-bin/rsearch?a=o&id=104799086&f=0&p=10&t=res&ty=&fmt=&header=&cc=&c=3664014&s=sa&snf=rbs&tm=1209856905

 

When you are over have a good drive through,you'd be suprised what there is tucked away up here:D:D

[Nicky]

Wow, what a nice place. I'd like to say that we could afford something like that as it certainly ticks all the boxes but realistically to start off with anyway I think we'd be looking at spending probably about half that. It'd be great to have all that space too ,esp with 3 kids!!, but I think something we'd have to aspire to in a few years time, perhaps when I'm working too (when my youngest starts school). We'll certainly check the area out though.

 

Thanks Tyke

[Guest macu68]

So, it looks like my wife and I are coming over to Adelaide for a bit of a nosey around

 

My wife's a nurse specialising in early pregancy so we'll be checking out the Womens Hospitals, and checking out some of the many, many suburbs (any hints gratefully received - it'd be nice to find somewhere semi-rural, not a million miles away from the Womens Hospital and the motor racetrack

 

 

 

If you have time to fit it in you could have a look around the hospitals that you might be interested in. I visited the Adelaide Womens and Childrens and they were really accommodating, not for everyone but I love the drama of a big unit to work in. There is also Flinders, some others but not really sure. You can look up their website and mail them when you go and arrange a look around.

 

Good luck, hope it goes well. Keep us updated on your return.

[Guest Jack Jack]

Hello

 

We are going on 16 May for three weeks, not sure if we are lucky as we are taking the children with us (11 and 9) but we are lucky enough to have relatives to stay with.

 

One of my biggest concerns after getting a job is the schools. I am at the moment trying to make contac with a few schools in area we like the sound of, so we can arrange some visits to at least get a feel for the schooling in Australia. We wanted the children to be involved as much as possible and think they are old enough to cope with the travelling, being dragged around etc. Plus, nobody offered to have them for three whole weeks - what a surprise.

[richjop]

We contacted both Public and Private schools before we left and only heard back from a couple of them so were really worried but most we found like you to contact them when you get here and then we were shown around a lot there and then. If you mention the area you are interested in I'm sure there are members on here who will be in the know.