Any Aussie Mumsnetters....??

[melbournemum]

Hello again. Also wanted to check if there were any Aussie Mumsnetters out there...? Melbourne in particular? Just feeling a bit isolated and would love to make contact... :-)

hi melbournemum, how are you going? I'm in Westgarth where are you?

hi Mamapossum. I am in Sandringham. Where is Westgarth? We are slowly getting settled. Loads of great things about being back its just taking longer to find our feet than I anticipated...

am an aussie who discovered mumsnet whilst living in the UK - returned to Aus 2 years ago with english dh, dd1 and dd2 on the way.

Am in Brisbane - sunny lovely queensland

I'm moving to Melbourne mid August. Have a DS of 23 months and am 25 wks preg with No. 2. In Toronto atm but back to London Wednesday for a week or so before Melbourne. Can't wait! Lived there for a bit in 2000 and loved it. I'd be keen for a meet up when I get there so keep in touch!

hi everyone, just logged in to find these lovely messages!
eidsvold I really remember your name... I'm sure I remember chatting with you on mumsnet some months ago about my brother in law who has Downs (he's almost 50 now and still as large as life!) would that be you???.
Sue W, we live in Duff Street, just off Tulip. I know Sims Street, its lovely. I do completely love Sandringham.
Tangox3, I'd love to meet up when you arrive, will definitely keep posting. Its been really tough and lovely and exciting and sad all at once.. :-)

that would be me I have an almost 4yo ( next Tues) with Down syndrome.

Used to live in Melbourne....ohhh for the lovely pubs and shops...and restuarants..and pubs. We're in Tassie now ( which is really beautiful, nothing like England for everyone that gets told that) Pubs aren't as good here, though with a 3 & 1 year old, getting to one is now a very rare event, the hangovers are just too hard. How long have you been in Oz?

how's the weather atm melbournemum? Packing now and trying to remember what August was like?! Hats and scarves still or is it a mild one?

We've been here 4 months now, the weather was still nice when we arrived thank goodness. Its cold now about 12-14 is the average each day I guess ((definitely coats, hats optional but I've not had to get the gloves out yet!) its sunny though a lot which is gorgeous, we've still managed to get to the beach to dig in the sand at least a couple of times a week which is not bad in the middle of winter!
SueW I will wander past number 34 and let you know what its like! Have not seen Hodgsons, where was it?

Hi melbournemum I will be moving to Melbourne in the New Year
I won't know anyone ........... was interested in your other thread about why you miss the UK so much - it worried me ... is Melbourne that bad?

oh poopy not at all, in fact Melbourne is a brilliant city, I really do love it, it has absolutely everything to offer. I just miss my friends, my ds's friends, my little mums community in Pimlico and the amazing ability to travel so easily to Europe. Funnily enough I also miss walking everywhere! We didn't ever own a car in London as we just didn't need one but we bought one as soon as we arrived here, its so much more spread out, which is a good thing. I'm just finding it hard to make good friends but I know anniemac was right and I have to give it time. I think I want to create my mums group all over again and that just won't happen, we are slowly making acquaintances at toddler groups etc which I know will turn into friendships. I'm just not used to spending days on end not talking to anyone except the boys or the 'friendly man' as my ds has named him at the local cafe.... I'm used to having someone to text and say 'meet you at cafe nero in an hour, have cabin fever!' but here at least if I feel that way I can take the boys down to the beach which I did yesterday. there was a gorgeous sunset and it really lifted my spirits. we'll get there on the social side, I just need to be patient. Please don't be put off Melbourne by my moaning! where will you be based?

It is hard to move from close friends and start all over again ... I did it 4 years ago and now DH's job is moving him again and I am not sure I have the energy really ... but I have to find the energy because once you have one or two people you can (like you say) text and say, "Fancy a coffee?" life seems so much more bearable.
I am not sure really where we will be yet - DH's job is in Kew and he won't want more than a half hour commute so anywhere East of Kew is where we are looking at the moment ....
We will be much more citybound than we are used to (a bit the opposite of you) and so that scares me a bit ....

melbournemum Westgarth is NE of the CBD, between Fitzroy North/Northcote/Fairfield (about 10 - 15 mins out of city by train). I know how you feel about missing your old mums group etc, we moved here in Feb not knowing anyone, and i was so lonely, once I cried when the Coles advert came on (you know the one with the babies - 'she's all smiles... and so am I', it was the shot of all the prams parked in the house that did it) because it reminded me of my mums' group in Sydney! We moved from the UK to Sydney last May on a 4 year employer-sponsored visa, DS born July and then out of the blue in Nov DH's company (who had relocated us from the UK) let him go on the last day of his six month probation, no warning at all. We decided to stay out here and he got offered jobs in Brisbane and Melbourne and we chose Melb. So just as we had put roots down in Sydney, we then upped sticks and moved here with DS then 8 months (and our poor 4 year old cat who had just about got over the flight from the UK in May and then had to fly to Melbourne, this time on his own because his furry brother got killed by a dog in Sydney the month before we moved - January was not a happy time for us ), knowing no-one. I was so desperate to meet people I just went to every kind of baby activity under the sun, felt like the new girl in school / billy-no-mates but 4 months on I finally feel like I have made some proper friends. Can your maternal child health centre put you in touch with some stuff going on? For me playgroups were my lifeline - I joined 2 (cos that's how desperate I was for conversation), have you checked out Playgroup Victoria's site at www.playgroup.com.au to see what's on near you?

Poopy we started out looking for houses in similar areas to you - Balwyn etc - but found a bit of a lack of young families... Camberwell/ Hawthorn area seems good altho haven't been there often, and I can highly recommend Fairfield / Northcote area - full of babies/pre-schoolers, fantastic facilities (community centres, libraries, playgroups etc), loads of cafes, and well-serviced with trains and trams so dead easy to get to the city.

MM what about a city meet-up or is it a pain for you to get there?

Hi just joining in here, have been reading a lot of the living overseas threads and am in a similar situation. Really identify with what a lot of you have said about not wanting to start all over again and not having the energy and just plain sad to be leaving all things familiar. We moved to Melbourne last year after being in Sydney for about 5 years - had my 2 kids there and felt really settled and it has been really traumatic making the move to Melb. It brought out feelings of homesickness (originally from the UK)and what are we doing here? Melbourne is a great city but unlike you Mamapossum, I feel that after a year I haven't really found anyone I've really clicked with like I did in Sydney. I've got stuff on every day but still don't have those couple of close friends that I can ring at the drop of a hat and pop round to which I really miss. As a lot of people said these things can take 2 to 3 years but I really felt like I just didn't want to spend time doing that again, but I've got no choice, so gotta get on with it. I think you've been lucky to find a good group of friends in 4 months Mamapossum. I'm in Bayside too Melbournemum. I do like being near the beach, but find I'm in the car more than I'm used to. Anyway if anyone's up for a Melbourne meet-up it would be good to exchange info experiences.

mamapossum and boo94 (and anyone else in Melb) I'd completely love a meet up! The city is no prob, ds1 loves the train so any excuse! If its a nice day the beach is lovely too if you fancy a trip out here mamapossum...
thanks for the playgroup website tip mp, I will definitely have a look. I go to one each week which is lovely and am starting to chat to the same mums there but I don't feel like we are at a point of popping around for coffee or playdate yet....

mamapossum ... where abouts is Fairfield and Northcote? I don't think we drove around there when we visited.
Camberwell and Hawthorn seem very very expensive and we thought that Mont Albert might be quiet nice ... do you know anything about those areas?

BTW ... I will be coming over to Melb for the first week in October and wouldn't mind meeting any of you guys for a coffee????

Def up for a meet-up but going back to the UK for 6 weeks a week tomorrow, so realistically won't be able to until mid-Sept when we get back :-(

Poopy - Fairfield is north of Kew on the other side of Yarra Bend Park, and Northcote is to the N/W of Fairfield. Sorry don't know about Mont Albert. Ivanhoe close to Mont Alb I think, we looked there and found it more affordable than Hawthorn but still pricey. Only thing I know about Mont Albert is that WIndmill is there - best toy shop EVER! (I'm lazy and do mail order instead of getting off my bum and going there :-)

Hi Poopy

My best friend lives in Mont Albert and loves it, good transport with train and trams and apparently some good schools.We are moving back to Melbourne from the UK at the end of this year and have been looking at different areas to live,Hawthorn/Camberwell seems great but like you say very very expensive.My friend suggested Mont Albert/Surrey Hills areas and we also really like Bayside area.
Hope your move goes well.

Hi Melbournemum

I am currently in Melbourne potentially arranging a move here with my family.

Absolutely love it here but have no clue who to ask about what the good areas are for schools whilst still keeping to areas where property is not absolutely OTT pricewise.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

tia
Dejags

dejags know nothing about local schools, sorry DS is only 1, but once u have sussed out some areas you like the look of, if u go there for a recce just ask the locals - not very scientific but Melburnians are usually very friendly, helpful and happy to chat, and it'll give you something to go on... good luck!

hi dejags, the best thing I can suggest is to contact the local council for the various areas you are looking at. I'm not sure about any other areas beyond Bayside, which is where we are. Schools seem to be good around here from what I've heard and house prices depend on where you go, some areas are ridiculous but we managed to find something in our price range (which was not a fortune) we are still only a couple of minute drive to beach and there seems to be lots of parks around and it just seems like a really good area (I don't have a basis of comparison really though...) sorry not to be more help but the councils will send you a pack which is full of information.