Moving from Melb to Canberra

[K_Raheja]

we are thinking of moving to canberra from melbourne...looking for a smaller city to raise our child...plus i think the commute to CBD for work is bearable in canberra plus i can make atleast $25K more per year (not contract - regular fulltime) in my current job.

atm, I am 1+ hour from melbourne CBD by train...more if I drive during peak time...and the most jobs in my field in melbourne suburbs dont pay well enough.

Going there (to canberra) this weekend to check it out...and i know 2-3 days is not enough to judge...but thats all the time i can manage atm.

The only input i have is from other online forums saying how boring,dull and bad the city is to live in...What are your thoughts ?

 

[Jamie M]

Hi K

My office is in Dickson - about 4kms north of the CBD.

I can spare half an hour next week (if you're here on a week day) if you want to drop in - we can grab a coffee and I can answer any of your Canberra questions.

I've lived here my whole life so know a thing or two - and I have a little one too.

I don't expect anything - well, maybe you can shout the coffee

Cheers

Jamie

 

[K_Raheja]

Thanks for the offer Jamie
yes - I will be in Narrabundah (where my hotel is) till Monday (7th April ) noon..
If it is feasible for you ..I can drive up to your office early/mid morning on the 7th ?
I will ring you early/mid morning and check your times..thanks again

 

[Jamie M]

No probs - I'll keep 10am - 11am available on Monday the 7th.

Just give me a buzz when you're on the way.

Cheers

Jamie

 

[K_Raheja]

Sure - Thanks

 

[luckyone]

I don't mind it here, but it's definitely not as lively as Melbourne! I'm past all the nightclub stuff and spend most of my free time just at other people's houses, so I don't have a great need for outside entertainment. I do really miss having a beach nearby though!

 

[Jamie M]

Yeah I don't head out too much these days - but there are a lot of new bars/restaurants popping up.

Cheers

Jamie

 

[jroth]

There always seem to be a number of interesting events on every other weekend if you know where to look. The people that say it is boring/bland are usually either generalising based on other peoples comments or are focusing on the lack of party night life.

We've loved raising our family here so far, the work is plentiful (despite some uncertainty in the public service right now) and the lack of traffic compared to the other capital cities is great.

 

[cimbom]

I grew up in Melbourne and have lived in Canberra for the last 3.5 years. I would say the "boring" aspect is pretty overstated as us Australians seem to have a Napolean complex when it comes to our big cities

It has been nothing but a positive experience for us. I get paid more, have a very short commute (used to be an hour each way, like you) and own a much more value for money house than I would get in Melbourne. Not much comparison for me

 

[K_Raheja]

Thought I'd update this thread with some recent activity.

I am closer to securing a job in Canberra - possibly may have 2 offers.

One company is based in Griffith and other in Canberra City.

Also, looking to rent a 3BDR under $375 per week.
re.com.au shows quite a few rentals and am going thru suburb profile etc to get an idea.

Would anyone suggest which suburbs to avoid ?
some local knowledge would help.

Also, what would you recommend regd buying a car ?
I have option to buy in VIC before moving but may eat up time from packing etc to move..wife is already stressed about it

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

 

[Francesco]

I think the suburbs to avoid would be those close to the outer boundary of ACT as they are bound to be away from facilities and detract from social well being. Try a suburb like Florey where there are many rental choices, shopping mall, health clinic, child care, shop and primary school are nearby. Public transportation by bus is good to Belconnen and to the city.

 

[Jacque]

Hey K

If you're in a hurry and prefer to buy have you considered using a BA? I know REBAA colleague Tom Duffy knows Canberra pretty darn well
http://rebaa.com.au/member/canberra-property-buyer-solutions/

 

[S.T]

I think with all the gov job slashing mentioned in the budget, act house market could tank in the next few years, might be best to rent until then.

 

[Lovehouses]

Most suburbs in Canberra are OK. Would you like your kids to go to a catholic school, private, or public? I am a South Canberra fan and can recommend good suburbs down here. Rent is cheaper in Tuggeranong just because of the distance to the CBD. But there are nice suburbs and schools there too. Woden is great. When the kids grow up they have 3 universities to choose from. It is a great place for kids to grow up. A few good public schools for a guide are: Primary Schools: Telopea, Red Hill, Garran, Farrer, Torrens, Wanniassa. High Schools: Melrose, Telopea, Deakin.

 

[K_Raheja]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I will check out Florey and the list of schools.

 

[Francesco]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I will check out Florey and the list of schools.

There is a high school and primary school in Florey. The schools mentioned by Lovehouses are all in the South. Florey is close to Belconnen Mall and the University of Canberra in the northside of Canberra. Significantly, many of the schools mentioned by Lovehouses are private and obviously costly.

Private or public, the schools in Canberra are quite reputable in terms of comparable testing.

 

[heiding]

i was born and raised in Canberra, and have only lived here in Australia (spent some years overseas). It's a great place to grow up, very good schools, government as well as private.

my kids went to Telopea and Forrest Primary, and went to Telopea High School and Narrabundah College. year 11 and 12 here is called 'college' and is a great bridge between high school and university. You can do the IB (English or French) at Telopea and Narrabundah and a few other schools.

one thing - Telopea primary is a French/Australian school, your child needs to speak French to go there - if you want that, you can send them to Red Hill first preschool to learn. They can continue with French in the high school, or switch to English only. There is a lovely montessori in Yarralumla, where your child can learn Italian. Telopea is a government school, so it's almost free. There is also a Steiner school.

Sport is great here, my son played AFL for years, there are lots of good clubs. There are plenty of things to do, it's a much smaller town than Sydney or Melbourne, so of course it has a different vibe. The beach isn't far, a couple of hours. Half of Canberra is there in the summer.

If you are going to work in Griffith, Narrabundah is a nice place to live (its right next door) and is in the catchment area for Telopea and Narrabundah schools, although I don't think you'd find a three bedroom to rent for $375 - but the cost would be offset by less travel. Rents are way cheaper at the moment. My house (2br) rented for $485 a year ago, now i'd be lucky to get $400 for it, so it's a good time to move here. allhomes.com.au is the place to look.

good luck with the job and the move!