Guest Lucie Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Hi everyone, I have been offered a job in Bunbury but not sure what it is like (would rather live in Perth if I am honest, but not been offered a job there so far). Anyone live in Bunbury or been there? Can you let me know wht it's like? How big it is? Is there lots to do? I have 2 kids aged 5 years and 5 months, so what are schools etc like? Sorry for all the questions just that I have no idea what to expect. I am used to living in a big city and hate the idea of living in a small place with nothing to do How far from Perth is it by car or train? Please help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedolly Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Dont know about the housing but Bunbury is a really nice place, we were there yesterday. Its actually quite big. We saw dolphins swimming in the water just accross from the town centre and had a lovely pub lunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lucie Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 I also have a job offer in Mandurah, I am thinking this might be better as nearer to Perth. Do you have any idea what Mandurah is like and how long it takes to get to Perth from there? How long have you been over there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedolly Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Mandurah is nice as well. Again I havent looked at the housing. We were looking nearer to Perth but - this is my opinion - we looked all the way from Butler down to Secret Harbour and was not impressed. Some of the older suburbs are lovely but way overpriced. My OH was going to be earning about $1400 and to find somewhere decent in the older suburbs you were looking at over $500 a week rent. We saw houses at various prices, they might look nice on internet but when you go to see them you soon change your mind. The newer places I hate! Yes nice houses but not much else! They were cheaper in Secret Harbour,Baldivis, Butler etc but they are just big housing estates and quite far out. We have been in Melbourne for 2 years and moved over here a month ago and really wish we hadnt! If we stay here I would say the nicest place I have seen so far is Bunbury, it feels like a place, rather than just a housing estate. Mandurah has a lovely play area down at the water as well, my wee one loves it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Give me a break! Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 we live in Secret Harbour and it is gorgeous its not a big housing estate it is well planned and has lots of parks and open land. You can get a really nice place for up to $400 a week and there are also some lovely places nearby, Baldivis is gorgeous. Its not easy to get a feel for a place unless you live there. We have been here for 14 months now and we have lots of friends here and some on on this Forum. Mandurah is beautiful too. We would of happily lived there but decided with a then 9 year old that Secret Harbour was more geared for a family, and it is. Now we are on the move soon as we are building in Lakelands as we have got a bargain, its early days and I really hope we will love it as much as Secret Harbour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedolly Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 As I said - that is my opinion - and we are all entitled to our own opinion - big housing estate with a few shops plonked in the middle of nowhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Give me a break! Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but how long have you been in Perth? You say you have visited every Suburb between Butler and Secret Harbour? How long were you in each of these Suburbs? Did you see all of each and everyone of those suburbs? Have you lived in any of those suburbs to form a considered opinion, you cant form a proper judgment until you do, you have to approach looking for suburbs with as open mind. Sorry just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedolly Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 First I apologise to the OP for us taking over her thread - ....I didn't say I have visited every suburb I said I had looked from Butler to Secret Harbour - which you will know.... are at opposite ends of Perth. Just because you think living in lego land is wonderful not everyone does! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Give me a break! Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Im not an authority on WA as I have only lived in Secret Harbour however as I have only lived here I also think that makes me a bit better informed on the Suburb than you yes. Yes apologies to the OP for these pointless post but we shall have to agree to disagree on the place that I call home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest claire261 Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Hi I have lived in Bunbury since April and although it is a very pretty place lovely beaches I personally find it a little boring. It is too far away from everything..I would live in Mandurah if my husband had not already found work..Saying that the average 4x2 rental is around $360 and schools seem to be great, I have two children here ages 4 and 14. This of course is only my opinion and the friends I have here love Bunbury and would not live anywhere else.. Claire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusieQ Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Hi Lucie, I too live in Secret Harbour and have done since our arrival 2 1/2 years ago. Have to say we love it here...it has all we need, beach, school, shops, sports complex...lots of green play areas for the kids. We have Movies in the Park, Spring and Summer Fairs, Weekend Markets with lots of little business stalls....even an organised dog walking day if its your thing...look we even had Black Eyed Peas turn up one Sunday morning at the Surf Club for Brekkie and a surf!!! We have 2 primary schools and a senior college plus nearby Private schools if thats what you want, even have a daycare centre here. There is a great community feel here with the school too. Yes it is a fairly new subburb so plots aren't as big as older suburbs but they do us! Average rental is about $400/$450 with a pool probably about $500/$550. As you see I love Secret Harbour and most of us that live here love it too!!! Baldivis is also a very good suburb for kids with several Primary Schools and they are in the process of building a secondary school. I would have thought if you area a city girl you may like these areas as the city it approx. 30 mins on the train, but still away from the hustle and bustle...so have to agree with Give me a Break...Secret Harbour is FAB!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Den&Eammon Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Hi Lucie - I personally would find Bunbury a little to far out and away from the city, but I guess it depends what your priorities are. I work in Mandurah and find it a lovely place to work. I live in Secret Harbour and its a short 15-20 minute drive which is very pleasant indeed - a far cry from the journey I used to make in the UK, I find the view over the foreshore as I drive in to work quite breathtaking. I have to agree that we love living in Secret Harbour, my little one goes to one of the two primary schools and has settled in beautifully. There is a real community spirit here and we have a fabulous beach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest charmedp3 Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 I have to agree too.... we live in Secret Harbour too and love it here... we have settled in really well to our new lives in oz and as it's a real family orientated suburb, making friends has been so easy.. the kids are so happy in their school and even though it's a growing suburb it really does have a community feel.... you can be guaranteed that even just nipping to the shops will result in bumping into several people you know/recognise and who will always have a nice word to say Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dizzy bird Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 i love secret harbour in fact i love wa what i have seen of it and cant wait to get there, and i just want to say thanks to the people who take the time to come back to these forums once they have moved and help those that are still trying too, and it would be a shame if it all gets too negitive, its ok to have an opinion just dont make it personal cos i for one need the experience and the support of people allready there jools xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusieQ Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Hey Jools....no argument from me, same as you Love Secret Harbour, Love WA....and Give me a Break.....your posts are always helpful to newbies and oldies alike!!! Full of joy and the zest for life.....hey there are so many of us on here that love Secret Harbour and Baldivis we can;t all be wrong. x So come on Lucie...what are you waiting for.....get booking your rental, before they all go!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lucie Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 I was looking at Secret Harbour today on the internet as noticed a few people on other posts have mentioned they love livinh there. It looks lovely, but a bit quite for me maybe? I like lots of shops, cafes and restaurants close by. I think I am going to have to book an apartment for a month and have a drive around and get a feel for the place. Its so hard to look just using the internet, its not the same as actually being there and seeing it in person. To be honest I am still holding out for a job offer in Perth, I have a friend who is moving to Perth after Christmas so would be nice to be near her. Thank you for you advice has given me something to think about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Newlands Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 we live in Secret Harbour and it is gorgeous its not a big housing estate it is well planned and has lots of parks and open land. You can get a really nice place for up to $400 a week and there are also some lovely places nearby, Baldivis is gorgeous. Its not easy to get a feel for a place unless you live there. We have been here for 14 months now and we have lots of friends here and some on on this Forum. Mandurah is beautiful too. We would of happily lived there but decided with a then 9 year old that Secret Harbour was more geared for a family, and it is. Now we are on the move soon as we are building in Lakelands as we have got a bargain, its early days and I really hope we will love it as much as Secret Harbour. Hi, I agree, Secret harbour is nice and we are looking at lakelands too. What is Lakelands like? prices to buy and rent, things to do etc etc Sarah x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lucie Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Hi Everyone, thank you all for taking the time to come on here and share your opinions, they have all been very much appreciated. I agree with dizzy bird good of you all to spend some time helping others looking at making the move. Thanks again and you never know we may be neighbours some day in the future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 Lucie, Bunbury is about 2 hours from Perth and Mandurah about an hour. Burnbury is a lovely place and very self contained I've been told. Perth itself isn't a 'big city' and doesn't have the same feel as Sydney, Melbourne and Brissy (in my opinion), more laid back. If you're OH doesn't mind a commute you can always live in Mandurah and travel to Bunbury which would be about an hour. Everyone is looking for something different and there's bound to be differences of opinion on the 'best place' to live. For me, being coastal isn't that important, I'm in an older suburb (not everyone's cup of tea), and we're about 20 mins from the City and Fremantle, we didn't want to feel like we were travelling lots of Km's to see concerts, sporting events, nights out etc., Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ktee Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 Can I ask where you lived in Melbourne, most of Melbourne is now new estates and they are gorgeous, your older suburbs are closer to the city and not that cheap. Mandurah is nice as well. Again I havent looked at the housing. We were looking nearer to Perth but - this is my opinion - we looked all the way from Butler down to Secret Harbour and was not impressed. Some of the older suburbs are lovely but way overpriced. My OH was going to be earning about $1400 and to find somewhere decent in the older suburbs you were looking at over $500 a week rent. We saw houses at various prices, they might look nice on internet but when you go to see them you soon change your mind. The newer places I hate! Yes nice houses but not much else! They were cheaper in Secret Harbour,Baldivis, Butler etc but they are just big housing estates and quite far out. We have been in Melbourne for 2 years and moved over here a month ago and really wish we hadnt! If we stay here I would say the nicest place I have seen so far is Bunbury, it feels like a place, rather than just a housing estate. Mandurah has a lovely play area down at the water as well, my wee one loves it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedolly Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 Can I ask where you lived in Melbourne, most of Melbourne is now new estates and they are gorgeous, your older suburbs are closer to the city and not that cheap. Hiya - that was one of the problems with Melbourne as well - I guess I just dont like living in lego land estates. We lived in Tarneit - which again in my opinion was awful! Maybe some of the older parts were nice but we lived on a brand new estate called the Reserve and it was just like living on a building site. There was no public transport in the estate and you couldnt even walk down the main road - if you didnt get hit by a mad driver you would have been knee deep in mud as there was no pavements yet. people tell you there are parks but they are just really an area of bark with a climbing frame on them - not much good for really little ones, you could walk to a few shops through another estate, at least half an hour walk but that was fine but was just a supermarket and a few cheap dollar shops. We moved to Wyndham Vale and I thought it was much the same but a little more established, was a little better this time as my husband changed jobs and could cycle to the train station leaving me the car so I could get out and about. You may think these new estates look gorgeous but really not everyone can afford 2 cars straight away and if you are stuck in one of them it is a very boring life!! I know I sound like a moan but everyone seems to paint such a rosy picture and that is not always the case - I know from speaking to other people I am not the only one but not everyone comes on these forums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ktee Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 Just because you had an unhappy experience doesn't mean everyone does. Personally I hate the West side of Melbourne etc but everyone is different, however you cannot form an opinion on a place after only 1 month as you have with Perth. Fair enough you don't like new housing estates but there is no reason to get personal. We spent 8 years in a new estate in Melbourne and loved every minute, we had schools, public transport, lakes, parks, Bbq's, shopping centres all within walking distance. From an outsiders point of view it seems you just don't like Australia full stop. I hope you find your happiness somewhere no one deserves to be miserable, good luck x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ktee Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 Another quick question can I ask why you moved in to the Reserve in the first place surely you knew it wasn't completed when you moved in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedolly Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 I have not said I do not like Perth but have given my opinion on the housing. Some parts of Perth are lovely but so unaffordable - what is the point in paying everything out on rent and being able to do nothing else and I do not want to stay somewhere I dont like just so I can say I live in Australia. and since you asked the reason I moved into the reserve was because I was due a baby in six weeks and had to find a house urgently as there was complications and I had to be induced early so obviously had to find somewhere quick and the house was available to move into straight away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackboots Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 Hi Weedolly , just out of interest have you looked at the Hills .. what you call legoland i call a suburb within a suburb .. As has been mentioned along the thread each and every one of us has our own personal experiences and tastes .. viva le difference ( is that the saying ?) To the OP , Bunbury is lovely i allways feel im going to a seaside village along the east coast of the uk .. it reminds me of that .. i have no help regarding schools or work though , im sure there must be as its quite a big place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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