Any Sydney mums around?

[thatsnotmymonster]

I am getting pretty excited as it is looking increasingly likely that dh is about to be offered a job in Sydney (should know by next week). However, whether we are able to accept or not all depends on the salary package, particularly with th school fee issue- has anyone else moved and had the company pay the school fees?

We live in Scotland and so ds is in P1 but he will be 6 in March and dd1 is due to start school after the summer as she will be 5 in July. I don't know whether they should go into Yr 1 and 2 in Oz from when we move or whether they shoud go into Yr 1 and kindergarten. Do most people wait until the year the dc turns 6 or send them the year they turn 5?

The office is in Pyrmont and we are hoping to rent in a nearby suburb- I have been looking at Lilyfield, Five Dock, Drummoyne...can anyone recommend any other nice suburbs in that area or tell me if there are any to avoid?

Anything else I should know? If this happens we will be moving around April.

Thanks!

[thatsnotmymonster]

mmmm yes I have tried that transport link a few times and the results are not very encouraging!!

So do people not drive in to work then (what everyone does here!) I have no idea about London and I have never lived in a big city (I went to school in Edinburgh and uni in Aberdeen) So I am completely unaccoustomed to city living!

In terms of quality of life is it better to live in the city or further out? We are a sporty family- like mountain biking, cycling, walking, running etc. The kids love swimming and are determined that we will have a pool but this seems less and less likely

[thumbwitch]

No, the problem is that lots of people DO drive into work - that's why the roads are so horrible!
DH works in Parramatta 1 day a week (the rest of the time he works from home) and it takes him 1 hour to get to Sydney on the F3 freeway and then another 30-60 minutes to get to Parramatta depending on traffic.

I can't answer your quality of life question except to say that where we live (uncommutable for your DH by general time standards) there is lots to do sport wise, we are on Lake Macquarie and we have our own pool. It's a reasonably-sized town, but would seem very provincial to the Sydney-siders! In fact, we are technically in "the country", I discovered.

[HighFibreDiet]

Hi hope I can jump on this thread, having recently arrived in Sydney. We are staying in a friend's house in Coogee and about to start the hunt for houses. I wanted to ask where to buy child car seats from - I have found the safety ratings and browsed the internet a little for shops but not found anything very comprehensive. Also are there any websites with general information about playgroups etc. or is that the kind of thing we will have to just go out and find? Thanks so much.

[thumbwitch]

HFD - welcome! Of course you can jump in on the thread.

you can look at Playgroup NSW for those that are affiliated; but other than that, just check around. I found the first one I went to by going to the Community Centre (which also happens to be a Playgroup affiliated one) and the second, I just noticed a sign for it at our local Baptist Church when I drove past one day.

Haven't had to buy a child car seat yet as MIL got us one - but they sell in Toys'R'Us, KMart, and also Target, BigW (I believe). Toys'R'Us might have the best range - they certainly did for pushchairs.

Online shopping is somewhat behind the times here unless you check out ebay. In fact, online product searching is pretty behind the times as well, which I find deeply frustrating. Amazing how quickly we adapt to the ease of internet searches!

[HighFibreDiet]

Thanks v much thumbwitch, and best of luck with your pregnancy. I'm also pg with my fourth - not planned, and certainly not good timing, but should help with meeting other mums wherever we end up!

[thumbwitch]

I think you have me mixed up with someone else there, HFD - I'm not pg at the mo (afaik!) Still working on it...

[Astrophe]

HFD - also Babies Galore have a big range. There is also a big ish baby wearhouse type store on Anzac Pde around Maroubra or Kensington, so not too far from where you are staying. Your friends might know its name?

My DH drives to work in Blacktown - it takes him 40 minutes ish. To go by public transport would take about 2.5 hours though! Totally hopeless! When he worked in the city though, he went by bus. There is nowhere to park in the city unless you have an amazingly cushy job or are willing to pay a LOT.

[HighFibreDiet]

Thanks for the other recommendations. Our friends are away on holiday so haven't been able to help us out with stuff like this - but we will have a look around. Dp is planning to get the bus to work (in the CBD) but we're definitely hiring a car just to check out the neighbourhoods.

Sorry for the mixup thumbwitch - from reading earlier in the thread I think it was astrophe who is also pg with number 4. And hello to sunnyd who also helped out loads when we were first thinking of moving over.

[Astrophe]

HFD, yes, its me expecting number 4. 12 weeks today. How far along are you?

Try this place <a class="break-all" href="//pwww.babythings.com.au/" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">Baby Things :) Its not too far from you.

[HighFibreDiet]

I am 13+3 today - not that my pregnancy gets remembered much with all the other stuff we are trying to sort out. Dp has just hired a car so I have sent him out to Toys R Us with a list of other places to try if he doesn't see anything good there. Have added Baby Things to the list, thanks v much again.

[exexpat]

thatsnotmymonster - just saw this in the Sydney Morning Herald which looks like useful reading for anyone planning to move to Sydney:
Signs that you're a Sydneysider .

[thatsnotmymonster]

Hi and welcome HFD. How are you finding Sydney life so far? Looks like you and Astrophe are due at almost the exact same time I am definitely not having a 4th

Thumbwitch, if and when dh gets offered this job one thing we will definitely be asking about is whether he can work from of home. If he only had to commute in 2-3 times a week that would make a difference. One of the companies he interviewed with had an office in Lake Macquarie and also in Newcastle. I thought they would be good places to live.

I am really going nuts waiting for this offer. If we get to Friday and haven't heard anything I think I might explode! [

[thatsnotmymonster]

oh thanks exexpat! will have a read!

[thatsnotmymonster]

lol good article- actually reminds me of people here Except we're proud about how cold it gets and that it never gets warm in the summer and we moan about it too.

[thatsnotmymonster]

dh just got an email from another company saying they'd like to speak to him in the next couple of days. Their office is in Lane Cove- well Pacific Highway, Artarmon- this strikes me a better location, no?

[thumbwitch]

Better for trains, I think!

[Astrophe]

Lane Cove is really lovely. There is a lovely little 'village', with small shops, restaurants, hairdressers, toy shop, great book shop, as well as 2 major super markets, library, public school, catholic primary school. The Anglican church there runs a play group too, and kids clubs in the holidays.

Its really leafy and pretty too, and a few minutes drive to nice riverside parks and views. I love Lane Cove :) Hope you get it!

[thatsnotmymonster]

Thanks Astrophe! I really hope we get something we can go for after all this! It is important to do one's research though

Lane cove sounds lovely!

[Astrophe]

And if renting in Lane Cover was still to expensive (Its more than North Ryde, and we pay $600, but shoouldn't be too much more), thenyouy could go anywhere close to the Pacific Highway (Chatswood, Roseville, Lindfield, Gordon), or anywhere along Epping Road (East Ryde, North Ryde, Marsfield, Epping) as there are busses along both those roads that go along to Artarmon, and there are bus lanes on Epping Road at least, so theoretically it shouldn't take too long.

[Eralc]

Lane Cove is a fantastic suburb (am more than a little biased!) As well as what Astrophe says, it also has a fantastic aquatic centre too, and it's really easy to get into the city on the bus. The rent is quite high (we were looking at places that were around $850 for 3 bedrooms), but we live a 10 minute drive away from the "village" centre, which means that it is significantly cheaper (and it's only a 5 minute walk down the hill to the buses for the city, which go every 10 mins or so, and stop off at Lane Cove Village too). There are loads and loads of things going on for kids too, and several pre-schools and day care centres. The village bit is good too because it has a little area with benches and lots of cafes about if that's your kind of thing - means you can have a coffee while the small people play. And there are loads and loads of play areas around it too. I love Lane Cove :)

[thumbwitch]

Eralc - it sounds great! Might have to come and meet up with you for coffee one day, probably after the new one has arrived now, just to be on the safe side. Let me know if you fancy it...

[thatsnotmymonster]

Lane cove does sound really nice- that's why it's so expensive I suppose. Though I'm sure we would be able to find somewhere nice that we could afford in the area or the other suburbs that you mentioned.

Hopefully we will be living there in a few months- will have to have you all over for a housewarming

[lulalullabye]

Hey, thatsnotmymonster, did you find out yet? I have sent you friend request on FB, weird name so you will know it's me lol.

[HighFibreDiet]

Hi again, thanks for the welcome. We are enjoying it in Sydney so far although it's still like a holiday, with all kids and dp at home. We are going to bed late and getting up late so I dread to think what it will be like when I have to get the older two into school in the morning. I saw that Sydney Morning Herald article too and the bit that made me laugh was regarding cockroaches as we have already seen several in our friends' house so have been spraying Mortein barrier spray all over. I didn't scream though... We had to get out of the sea one day because of the bluebottle jellyfish which made it quite memorable for the boys.

We haven't been to any house inspections yet as I haven't got our 'pack' of information ready and I want to be fully prepared. Dp wants to go to a couple tomorrow even though our friends have warned us that Saturday inspections are a nightmare. I certainly don't want to take all the boys so I might tell him he can go on his own and I will take them to Manly Oceanworld instead.

Just wanted to check a few things- on the points system that estate agents use, does it matter if you just have the right number of things or will someone who's provided 150 points be more likely to get the house than someone who has only 100 points? Or does it matter more whether you've made a good impression with the agent during the inspection? Also, will we have to look smart? Dp and I have both been living in shorts and it will seem strange (not to mention hot) to dress up more but we will do it if that's what it takes!

Thanks again, and hoping to hear good news on your side, thatsnotmymonster.

[Astrophe]

I think 100 points are enough, don't think 150 = better. You don't have to dress up. Saturday inspections are awful, but often houses are only shown on Saturday, so do go! I think it can't hurt to make a good imnpression on the agent , but as far as I know its usually the owner who makes the final call (hence writing a cover letter and attaching lovely family photo). The agents vets the application and then gives the good ones to the owner who chooses one (as far as I understand it). If you love the house and want ti badly, offer $5 more per week than the asking price. If you think its overpriced or there are no ther lookers, offer less (but be prepared not to get it!)

Good luck! :)