Where to live in Melbourne..........again

[savoycabbage]

Hi, my dh is in Melbourne now looking for somewhere to live. My dds and I are coming right after Christmas. My oldest one will need to start school in January. She will be five then.

My dh's job is in Richmond so he has been looking at areas along the train line from there. He has taken a fancy to Mitcham and Ringwood. He hasn't been to see the schools or anything although I have looked at their websites. Does anyone know anything about these areas? It is so hard to know where to look. He is going to Sandringham, as advised on MN and the surrounding suburbs at the weekend. Mordiloc? Something like that.

I don't know Melbourne well enough to advise you, but here's a bump for the evening Aussies.

Working in Richmond means both Sandringham and Mordialloc are on railway lines to get into town. Both are close to the beach, heading down the peninsula. Mordy even more so as its has creek and a thriving small boat economy.

Sandy is nearer town and the posher suburbs of Hampton and Brighton There are more schools to choose from, both state and private and it's altogether a more attractive, if more expensive area.
Mordialloc is rather cut in half by the Nepean Highway.

Mitcham and Ringwood are close together well inland with good access to the Dandenongs Park. Both have railway access to Richmond. I imagine housing is cheaper there, but couldn't say. Sorry, know nothing about the schools.

As you probably tell from this, I live near the beach, like so many Brits here.

Thankyou. Google maps is incredible but it's no good at telling you about an area. Hooray for MN

I'm not in Australia but have friends who live in Richmond and have been very happy with primary school there.

I have to say that I loved the school in Richmond from it's website. We can't afford to live there though as it is too close to the city.

Savoy - how is the house search going? Hope you have good luck.

Hello, I think it's going well! DH is quite struck with Mitcham and has found a place where he can walk to the station and there are shops nearby. He is going to see three schools on Tuesday.

Hi savoycabbage

Just saw your post so thought I would reply.

I live just down the road from mitcham in a place called blackburn (another leafy suburb not unlike mitcham). Both are really good for the city as have stations nearby. My husband even rides into work on his bike sometimes - think it takes around an hour.

I can't speak for schools in the mitcham area but in blackburn we have a really great choice of good primary schools. My son will be starting school the year after next so I will be looking then but know from other mum's that there area some really great schools.

Anyway if you have any questions or need any help let me know. I've been living in this area for about a year now and love it. It takes about 15 mins by car into the city plus we can get to the dandenongs and beach in around 20-25 mins. Best of both worlds.

I feel compelled to say that I haven't seen a Savoy cabbage since I got Oz. Just saw a nouveau-pov recipe from Nigel Slater which called for this. Boo hoo. Still, mangoes are very cheap now.

Hi Savoy Cabbage....what about St Kilda? It has a fantastic very arty state school and not far from Richmond. There is also a really good school in Brunswick....also not far from Richmond.

I am very concerned about the cabbage situation....are there another kinds of cabbage over there?

Also raspberries. I am sure I didn't see a raspberry when I was in Sydney.

I am going to put my husband onto Blackburn, Brunswick and St Kilda. I think he has looked at St Kilda though at it is too expensive. I don't know though as after a while all of the different places merge into one. It's hard to remember. It's so useful to get all of this advice. I am glad we shipped our bikes now!

The house he is looking at in Mitcham may not be happening now as they are now saying that it will not be ready until mid December and our stuff will be arriving before then.

They DO have raspberries, and cherries are very good, particularly Tasmanian ones, perhaps because of the slightly cooler climate. Strawberries are OK, but on a recent trip to England I bought some admittedly top grade English ones from Sainsbury's and realised how the very best English strawbs are unsurpassable.

There are two kinds of cabbage, as well as all the oriental ones; the close-leaved Dutch variety, and a looser, more green one.

Still, one mustn't repine, though, there's so much else to enjoy.

I am thrilled about the raspberries!

well... today i went to the market in melbourne, where i bought....a savoy cabbage!!!!

Hi savoy, how are the plans going for moving. We have only 8 wks left now and things are flying along at great speed. We go from excited to nervous within seconds. Do you have a date to fly yet ?

Hello lulalullabye, are you heading to Melbourne too? Where do you intend to settle?

Dreamworld - I know what you mean about the cabbage. No sooner had I implied a savoy-less state in Victoria than I saw label for Savoy cabbage at Top Shelf fruiterers, but..... nothing there. Did you go to Victoria Market - a bit more posh there I reckon, or "European" as the catch-all phrase has it.

We are off on the 15th of Jan and land in Melbourne on the 20th (singapore). we are planning on living bayside, Sandringham, Hampton area.

Excited !

Ohhhhhh! I really hope that there is a Savoy Cabbage now. It's all sounding very hopeful cabbage wise.

My dh is already in Melbourne now. I am coming with the children on 30th December. My dh has found us somewhere to live in Mitcham and has picked a school. It's all very strange being out of the loop for all of this but it seemed like it would be less disruption for the children.

I would love to meet up with some of you when we get there. Not only will I not know anyone but I think it's going to really hit my oldest who will be five on Wednesday. She is at school full time at the moment and she 'loves friends'.

I am going to get my dh to see if he can get some of the other parents from school to get in touch with me when I get there. He is going to a school meeting this week. But they might think that he is a maniac! I am very worried that she will be going to school without knowing anybody at all and all of the other children will know each other from pre-school. She is quite shy.

Savoy, lulalullabye, post here when you're landed and ready. It's good to met new folks. I live in the Bayside area, but have a car and can read a map.

Happy landings.

I feel I must say it's cold and pissing down right now.

Heigh ho.

Bloody freezing here today, about 1 degree brrrrrr !

Looking forward to meeting everybody

Hi Savoycabbage

Give us a shout when you get over here as I'm just down the road from you in Blackburn. Only about 10 mins drive at most so would happy to meet up and help you out. I know how daunting it is when you go to a new country.

Have a good flight over!

hkgirl