We are moving to Melbourne in five weeks. Where should we live?

[savoycabbage]

We are moving in five weeks now. My dh's job is in Richmond. I have been looking at South Yarra as it seems close enough to Richmond but a bit cheaper. My dh will be on public transport to get to work.

I want to live somewhere with a good school as my oldest will be five in January. Where I live at the moment I can walk to the shops and the park and things like that and I really like that.

Is there any other advice you can give me? Like shipping your things. What should we bring and what should be leave behind? Who did you ge to ship your things?

I am terrified at this move and don't want to o it at all. But dh does and has taken the job and resigned so there's no going back. Am not so much sad as devastated. Surely moving to the other side of the world is hard enough when you really want to. But when you don't!

[poshtottie]

I never got to go to Melbourne when I was in Oz but I've heared its a great city. Can't give you any practical help but just wanted to say try to be positive and think of it as an adventure. Sorry you are devastated. I'm a bit that this wasn't a joint decision.

Australia is a lovely country. I hope you get to enjoy it. Good luck

[ninedragons]

I am packing up for my fourth international move and I would say that unless your DH's job includes a relocation package (i.e. paying to ship all your stuff), it doesn't really make financial sense to ship things that aren't either very expensive or hugely sentimental. We are using Crown this time. We used Links last time and they were ok, but a few things got broken and they were pretty quick to try to shift the blame to our packing (it was furniture, so they'd actually done the packing themselves).

Definitely don't take anything from the kitchen - shipping is done by volume not weight, and a stack of a dozen plates and bowls can easily take up a fairly large box once they're wrapped in many layers of paper. Don't take appliances - they cost more to ship than they would to replace once you're out there. Target, Kmart and Ikea are all cheap for household goods. Gumtree.com.au is full of household clearances by people moving overseas, so lots of things like cheap fridges and televisions.

Melbourne is lovely, and I hope you do end up enjoying it. I am also a bit disturbed that it wasn't a joint decision. If you agree to give it a year and come back, do you have someone who can store things in their loft for you? You wouldn't want to spend thousands shipping everything all the way out only to have to ship it all back again.

Inner Melbourne is quite villagey, a bit like London. It's a conglomeration of lots of little villages with nice little shops and restaurants. Don't let your DH talk you into living in the outer suburbs because they are cheap - they are diabolically ugly and MILES from anywhere. You could definitely get away without owning a car in the inner city.

[poshtottie]

I noticed there are quite a few mners on here and are planning a meetup.

[superloopy]

Hello savoycabbage. I am so sorry to see that you are in this situation. A major move like this should really be a joint decision.
I am Australian but even I felt a bit freaked out about moving back here after 10yrs in London.
Ok I must say that Melbourne is bloody lovely!! I live in one of the outer "diabolically ugly" suburbs which 9dragons mentioned but it suits me to the ground. The housing is all new, modern, spacious and perfectly suited to family living. The schools are all very new with fab facilities and huge playgrounds.
Melbourne is in my opinion a wonderful city to live in and to raise a family. It is very family friendly with loads to do - museums, zoos, parks, playgrounds, beaches...
Where we live we have in recently been to the beach which is a 5 min drive away and to the snow which is a 2 hr drive away.
There are many Brits (assuming you are too) living here - including my DH. The food isn't too different. We drive the same cars on the same side of the road. The sense of humour is similar. There are many English tv show on here. It's similar but different.
There are a few mners here and I'm sure we will do our best to help you out with any questions you have.
You really do need to talk to your DH tho, does he know how you feel about this move? No matter what he has planned you don't have to move. He can decline the job and find another there. As I said before I had a tough time moving and it was something I wanted to do and DH wanted too.
We used Anglo Pacific to move but hardly bought anything with us, just clothes, toys, books, photos, laptop and other personal stuff. We sold our flat fully furnished as we knew this move was for good and we won't be going back to the UK. We bought everything again here at Ikea, Target, Kmart,etc...
I'm sorry this has gotten so waffley but do let me know if there is anything else you'd like to know.

[ninedragons]

Oops, hope I didn't offend you, super. This is my absolute dream house (to the point I have been gently nagging testing the waters with my DH all day about moving to Essex - getting a flat NO), so you can see what floats my boat and why it's antithetical to anything you'd find in the outer suburbs of Melbourne or Sydney.

[superloopy]

9dragons - No offense taken at all! I am loving the Tea Caddy cottage too, fancy a bidding war?? I have much monopoly money .
Having lived in a 100yr old one b/room flat in London for several years I was gagging for the 4b/room new build in the 'burbs!!
If you do find an area you like check out streetview on google maps - be prepared to waste loads of time doing it tho!!

[superloopy]

Tht last line was for savoycabbage....

[savoycabbage]

He knows all right! I think he thinks that I will 'come round'. We lived in Sydney for two years before we were married but always knew that it was going to be for two years.

We have always said that we would go and live there and he thinks I am being unfair and backing out of a deal. But I didn't know I was going to feel like this. I am happy and have friends and family here. My dd is starting school TOMORROW!

It is all so quick The job he got were pushing and pushing for him to come quick. Last weekend we decided that we were not going to go and then 24 hours later he accepted the job! If this was happening to someone else I wouldn't be able to believe it. He is a lovely man.

I have been on Google maps a few times now. It's hard to know where to start though. I have never been to Melbourne. We have got a furnished apartment for the first month in Richmond, where the job is. I suppose we will have to find somewhere before the schools break up so that I can get my dd in a school.

I can't believe this is happening!

[ninedragons]

I don't have school-age children but I understand from friends who've done both systems that it's a lot easier to get children into Australian schools than in the UK. If you move into the catchment, they are obliged to take your child.

I think Eidsvold is quite an expert on this - I have a vague idea she may have moved with at least one school-age child.

[kitkat9]

sorry to hear you don't want to go, I hope you fnd it all ok.

Melbourne is really lovely, if I had to choose any city in the world to move to it would be there! However, I was there as a backpacker many moons ago and imagine it's changed a bit.

I lived in South Yarra and can highly recommend it. It has lovely houses, parks, fantastic shopping and great cafes, bars and restaurants. Obviously I have no dea what the schooling situation is like as it didn't appy to me when I was there, but I do recall there being a lot of young families and seeing the kids in their uniforms!

Close to South Yarra is St Kilda, which is the coastal area - the beach is nice (not spectacular, but fab for your kids...) - it's more of a bohemian community and well worth considering.

Let us know how you get on.

[mckenzie]

hi Savoycabbage. Sorry to hear you're not really happy abou this move - I hope it works out well for you. I lived in Melbourne but back in the 80s (in the City) but my sister moved out 6 years ago and lives in Diamond Creek and some friedns moved 5 years ago and live in Mount Eliza. I dont know where these are in connection to Richmond but these were my feelings about the places when we visited this year.

Diamond Creek could be any suburb in Australia I think. It had a large supermarket, parks, good schools, swimming pools etc.
Mount Eliza was lovely and on the coast. To me it felt like a Cheltenham by the sea (although I have never lived in Cheltenham!!). It had lovely boutiques, book shops, coffee shops, it was much more individual whereas Diamond Creek, although great (don't get me wrong with the Creek land and loads of space) was rather more ordinary. But, and this is a bit but, I was only visiting and not living there so I could have got it all wrong.
Happy house hunting.

[robinpud]

You need to speak to Ghosty, she will put you straight. Good luck; I am quite envious. Having had a year in Sydney, we were happy to come home but after a British summer, even the prospect of life in Coober Pedy seems appealing.

[savoycabbage]

Thankyou. I have looked up Diamond Creek and Mount Eliza on Google maps. I suppose that we are going to have to wait until we get there to choose an area but it definately helps to have something to go on. The school situation is scary as we have to pick somewhere and stick to it.

Ghosty has been giving me some advice too.

I am still not happy about the move. I am happy here you see. I am more resigned to it now. I am hoping that I will be able to come back when my sister has her baby in March. That would help I think.

We had the removal people here yesterday giving us a quote.

[MelbourneMum]

I completely love Bayside savoycabbage and its an easy commute on the train to Richmond. We live in Sandringham and my dh works in the city and its a 25 train journey. I just completely love it here, the beach is wonderful for the kids and the local shopping areas have a very nice villagey feel to them. Great local primary schools etc. I'm very biased but I would SO recommend at least checking this area out.

Good luck. You'll be ok, you really will, we're a nice lot out here and we'll just adopt you and get Ghosty to organise another night out for when you arrive.

[savoycabbage]

That sounds like just what I want. I am going to google it right now!

[lulalullabye]

Hello again savoycabbage, I thought I had better find your thread again and not keep hijacking the other one.

I met Melbournemum in March and she is great and she is very right about Bayside. We plan on living in the same area as the streets are all well established and leafy etc.

You willl have to keep me informed of any tips you may have about renting as I believe it is hard work viewing properties etc.

We will have to meet up when we get there

[eidsvold]

nope - my dd1 started school 4 years after we got here.

best bet - start with education dept of Victoria. Look at catholic education dept if that floats your boat.

Other thing - just look at schools in your area.... ask to go and visit prior to enrolling your child. I know our local school let us visit a number of times when we were looking for dd1 - she has sn BUT still - they are very welcoming.

No help for Melbourne - been there 3 times in my life.

[eidsvold]

nope - my dd1 started school 4 years after we got here.

best bet - start with education dept of Victoria. Look at catholic education dept if that floats your boat.

Other thing - just look at schools in your area.... ask to go and visit prior to enrolling your child. I know our local school let us visit a number of times when we were looking for dd1 - she has sn BUT still - they are very welcoming.

No help for Melbourne - been there 3 times in my life.

don't bring anything electrical unless you cannot possibly live without it. Despite being on 240v like the UK - different plug so would need to bring lots of conversion plugs.

When we moved back from the UK to Aus - we took things we could not imagine never seeing again - if that makes sense.

day to day crockery, linen etc - you can pick up very very reasonably at places like K-Mart, target, big W etc. Kids toys etc - again relatively easily replaced.

You will be surprised how many expats you may come across - the Uk are after all our largest immigrant group. People tell me Melbourne has a more european feel about it and weather wise a little better than up north BUT can still have very hot summer weather ( sorry but true).

[eidsvold]

whoops no idea what happened with repeating the start of the message again?!?!

[eidsvold]

i know you said you did not want to come - BUT what a fabulous opportunity for you to come and experience somewhere else with some familiarity about it. great place to raise children!!

[j3]

Melbourne is a fantastic place
lucky you
good luck

[savoycabbage]

I am feeling a bit happier about it now. It really wasn't helping that the move was so quick. Now dh is coming in two weeks and we are coming after Christmas things can progress at a bit of a slower pace.

I know it sound like I am miserable or even ungrateful that I would rather not be doing this, but I was just so happy here!

The removal men are coming next week. There is a need to panic.

Poor dh will be trailing around houses and schools when he arrives. He is going to have to pick a place to live based around those things I suppose. We have looked at some of the school websites in the Bayside area and they look lovely - but huge. There are 74 children at my dd's school where goes now. I would quite like to find a smaller school - not as small as 74 - but one class per year group if I can. She is not a confident child and I don't want her to feel overwhelmed.

We will have to meet up Lulalullabye. When are you going?

[lulalullabye]

We fly out on the 15th with a 3 day stopover in Singapore. So that makes us there on the 20th. Very busy couple of weeks as we have a wedding out in a place called Leongatha which is about an hour east.

But yes, we will have to meet up, and we can compare our likes and dislikes. The Melbourne mumsnetters that I have met are lovely.

[pinkypig]

I agree Bayside Melbourne is a really lovely area to live. I would check out St Kilda, Elwood, Brighton and if you have tons of money Albert Park and Middle Park.

Elwood primary school always looked good to me.

Good Luck with the move.