Asor Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Hi all! We've been reading and surfing the net and asking around. My husband seems to like Doncaster. Anyone living there? We might get our visa only next year (who knows with the new waiting times!?) but it makes it less scary having a plan It's hard to plan as we don't know where my husband will be working... Sunbury seems nice as well. We heard that some folks we know through work colleagues are moving to Melbourne (activated their visas last week) so I'm excited about that as well. Will be nice to have someone to ask for advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polly Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 We live in Balwyn North, right next to Doncaster (a little closer to the city). The tram stops in Balwyn North, but you can take a bus from Doncaster into town, or to the tram stop. It is a nice area, with lots of schools. Some people from our church stay there. It is a little cheaper than Balwyn North and the houses are a nice size. Lovely parks, etc. I do my shopping at the Westfield in Doncaster (Shoppingtown they call it). All the major shops are in the area, and mostly they are the big stores, not small, token shops. We absolutely love staying in Balwyn North, the people around here are very friendly and helpful. The people from Doncaster are the same (8km away from us, so I guess it would be funny if they were drastically different )There are some photos of the area under Communities | Melbourne. If you need any specific information, let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Hi AsorThe two areas are pretty far apart, Doncaster is in the North East of Melbourne and Sunbury in the North West. You must also realise that a lot would have to depend on where you or hubby will be working. You would for instance, be ill advised, if you lived in the East and worked in the West, or vice versa. Travelling times, by car or public transport, in peak times, can be very time consuming and horrific!The Doncaster area is lovely, my children live there and they would not choose to live anywhere else. Good schools and lots and lots of South Africans. Good shopping, good bus service, only downside to me is the fact that they do not have a train link to the city. House rentals would be in the region of $350 to $600 per week, purchasing a house would probably start from no less than $500,000 and move swiftly upwards. Sunbury is where I live, and for me I would not choose to live anywhere else. I love the quietness, the birdsong, and the peacefulness of country living. We have good schools and quite a few South Africans. We have enough shopping for our everyday needs and if you need a big shopping centre, you have Watergardens Shopping Centre which is 15 minutes away by car or train. We have an excellent train service to the city which takes around 35min. House rentals would be in the region of $220 to $500 per week, purchasing a house would probably start from around $220,000 and move steadily upwards.If there are any other specifics that you need, feel free to PM me if you wish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alibaba Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 We live in Templestowe which is next door to Doncaster. Lovely area, big trees, hilly, lovely parks. There are many shopping opportunities on your doorstep, the freeway isn't too far if you want to go into the city, etc. I don't have children in school yet, but I believe the schools are good and there are many (I pass 3 primary schools on my way to the daycare centre which is only 2.8 km from my house). The only problem is the affordabaility of houses if you want to buy in that area.......they are expensive! Renting is good, but you won't find a proper place for less than $450 per week, depending on what your standards are. We looked in the price range $400-$450 per week and most places were a bit crappy or too small for our furniture. At the time I also worked from home, so needed space for a home office. We ended up paying a bit more than we initially thought, but we are very happy there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy2Bhere Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 We are in Mount Waverley, that is about 12 km (+- 30 min drive down Blackburn road) south of Doncaster. It is a lovely area and we have The Glen Shopping centre that is lovely as well as the 24hour KMart From Mount WAverley you can take the Monash Freeway into town (+- 15min) but there is also trains and busses. What makes Mount Waverley nice it is only 15 min to Chelsea beach! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asor Posted April 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 Thanks for the info all I can't wait to see these suburbs! Hopefully my husband can take some leave soon and we can come take a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polly Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 Check out the photos so long under the Melbourne section. Just about all the suburbs have photos by the locals, including Sunbury, Doncaster and Templestowe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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