Hello.
We live in Kennedy town. Have been here since September this year. This is our second time living in HK.
I can't help u about a school commute to the Gold Coast, but I know lots about K town. We chose to live in an old building. More room that way, we felt. And not so high rise, as I have awful vertigo! K town has, as mentioned, a brand new mtr and is very quick into central. We don't have a car. We don't need one ( but I do miss it). Bus routes are plentiful, and k town is the end of the tram line. New builds can have gym and pool facilities. But watch out as many have out door pools and they close in the winter months. If u have pets, old builds can be easier to rent. K town has a nice mix of local and expat. Heavier on the local at the mo, but this is changing.
K town has everything you will need. Apart from clothing. Traditional market, supermarkets, complete with waitrose essentials range. Some of it anyway. All HK supermarkets have western food available and there are plenty of delis too. Be warned, it's very expensive to shop western. There are Drs, dentists and hair dressers too. But be careful about prescription meds. We use a private gp service ( ot&p in central) and our lovely dr suggested the victoriA pharmacy in central as fake meds can make their way onto the island. I use IKEA for cheap bed linen, but there are plenty of other places. There is a Laura Ashley in city plaza, if that's your thing. Gap is here too. And Zara, and h&m.
What to pack in a container? Depends on how much space you can afford and whether your furniture will fit into a HK flat! We took no furniture. Went to IKEA. Do u have a furniture allowance?
Took toys, books and clothes. Crockery too, although we'd had to buy more in IKEA so now we have too much! Extra clothes. We took bed linen but. No pillows or duvets. IKEA again, but you can spend anything you like.
Didn't take mattresses, but I have friends who did. I appreciate a Good mattress is really important. I don't like IKEA mattresses so we bought from Seahorse, a local HK supplier who make to order. Foam only. Sealy mattresses Are here and am sure others too if you want to spend more.
Also watch out for kitchens with no oven. Or strive to find one. Table top ovens are readily available.
K town is also close to cyberport, which is a bit further out, but before bel air. There is a cinema there which is really handy.
Fwiw, we were in wan chai serviced apartments when we arrived and I found it too busy and polluted. Kids would come back from the playgrounds black with pollution.
Pfl and k town are very handy for hku sports ground. Also, cyber port has a good park.
Will you be getting a club membership as part of your package? That will be a real bonus. They can be hard to get and the waiting lists are years long. You can work around this of course, if you don't. All depends on what you like to do as a family. Some residences offer outside memberships and HKU at sandy bay, v close to PFL have memberships too, but watch out for those outdoor pools closing! Finally, Kennedy town now has a fantastic public pool. Outdoor with a kids splash and play area. Sadly, they have closed it til March 2016 as they are constructing phase 2, the indoor pool. Will be fab when ready, but need to find another pool til then.
HTH.
Good luck!