Hi all
We are hoping to be in Brisbane in October to start work in November and hope for some sound advice!
We have two girls aged 9 & 6 and need a good area to rent in, not too expensive with good state schools. I have a job in and around Strathpine (pine hills) and my wife may have a job in and around Caboolture, any ideas?
We also could do with some tips re: when we arrive, where could we stop whilst waiting for our furniture, furnished holiday let or hotel/travel lodge type of thing (if you have them!) and about renting and buying cars!
We would love to meet up with anybody who's interested when we arrive!
cheers
tony & marie

 

First piece of info is to avoid living in Caboolture, Ok to work there but wouldn't recommend living there. There are a few nice places in between Strathpine and Caboolture also the mine train line runs through both. Its all down to individual Preference. What I recommend would be is once you arrive is to drive round and round and get a feel for a place. Holiday lets are a good idea to stop in when you first arrive as they have everything in them and makes things easier for settling, if there are a few home comforts around......Some sites to look at for accomodation are - www.realestae.com.au
www.ourbrisbane.com.au
www.realholidays.com.au
www.rentalsinoz.com

If you are going to rent a car do this well in advance of arriving as they are always busy. We used www.alphacarhire.com.au and they were reasonable on price and can meet you at airport too.
When buying a car there are 1 or 2 things you can do. 1.Go to the Queensland Transport office and get your Queensland driving licence straight away, you will need ID for this ie:a OZ address and Uk licence , Passports etc. 2. Go to queensland Transport Office and get a CRN number (which eventually will become your driving licence number ). You will need all the same ID for this as Driving licence. Beware second hand cars are expensive over here.

 

Cheers 'Its me'!
Thanks for the advice, we will need cars for our jobs, both nurses in community, how expensive are used cars? We could not afford new! Do we need a QLD driving licence before buying?
How much are holiday lets? Are there any holiday inn type places whilst we look for a rental and our furniture arriving? Would this be a cheaper option? so many questions!
My head hurts thinking about the logistics of it all!!!!!
I see you hail from Durham, I'm from Middlesbrough and my wife from York, lived near Leeds for many years now hoping to live in Brissy!
Thanks
Tony & Marie

 

Hi, we've been living in Warner for 4 months which we find really central for just about everything. My husband travels around Northside for work and the road system in this area means we are not reliant on the 'one road in, one road out', and can take alternative routes should there be traffic problems. Our kids (11 and 10) are at school in Albany Creek - they and us are really happy with the primary. Our son is due to move up to the local high school which also seems very reasonable. There are plenty of other state and private schools in the area, many with good reputations. There is also lots to do and activities for them to be involved in locally. We are close to Strathpine and Chermside shopping malls.
We found the cheapest 2nd hand cars ranged from 5,000dollars upwards. We spent 5,000 and have been really happy - got it from a dealer so no great bargin, but decent enough with an RACQ inspection.
Good luck with the shift

 

Forgot to add.....we didn't have QLD drivers permits when we bought the car and it wasn't a problem. Also we hired a station wagon for a couple of days to get our luggage from the airpoprt to where we were staying then swapped it for a Getz. These people
Brisbane Rent a car -
Ph: +61 7 3868 1500
international toll free: 0800 441 607,
email: sales@brisbanerentacar.com.auWeb: www.brisbanerentacar.com.au
were fantastic. I booked via email rather that through the web page and they did us the best price - just over 100dollars a week i think it was. Family business, brilliant to deal with and they can help find you a car to buy too.
When we applied for our rental, we had no credit rating as we've had no mortgage or debts and this is the 4th country we've lived in in 8 years, so we showed copies of the rental aggreement we have with our own tenents (even though it was in another language - i just highlighted the rent we receive to show income.) I also had people we've sold houses to to write up a quick email reference to say the good state we'd left houses in when we'd sold them on. We also put in copies of work references to show good character. I'm not sure if this was all completely necessary but felt it gave us a head start if others were going for the same property as us.

 

You don't need a QLD licence to buy a car , although some garages may say you do. There is an extra couple of forms to fill in if you don't have one.
You will need to take ID , so make sure you have passports, bank cards and birth cert with you.
Cal x

 

Hiya,

Got a job in Strathpine. What is wrong with Caboolture? Looking at places there, but keen for your thoughts as to why to avoid it?
many thanks

 

Hiya Some parts of Caboolture have the repuation for being a bit on the rough side. We fancied Caboolture way , well Deception Bay area before we came but when we had a drive around it just wasnt for us.
You do have to see areas in person really to see if they are right for you as everyone is different.

Cal x

 

Thanks Cal, looks like I will be coming out solo for 2-3 weeks before my wife and kids come over, so will give me a chance to experience first hand what these areas look like etc.

Cheers!!

 

To live in Caboolture, you may have to get a few tatts, have some teeth removed & refuse to wear shoes. Then you will fit in. :biggrin:

 

You can normally tell when you drive around an area what it is like, visit the local shopping ctr and see what the 'clientel' is,,lol, and pick up some local papers to see whats hitting the headlines.

Cal x

 

Depending on how much commuting you are willing to do, you could take a look at Bribie island, Its a 30min drive from caboolture and has some very nice areas and beaches. There is a good shopping area there with all the major retailers.

There are plenty who live on Bribie Island and drive to Caboolture and catch the train to Brisbane for work.

 

Hello, I'm an Australian lady (3rd gen Oz) however I can answer some questions about the area that you are planning to live in as I have lived here for almost ten years. If you are working in Strathpine and your wife may be working in Caboolture then I'd suggest looking for something within commuting distance of the rail-line (Gympie line). The traffic along the highway can be pretty full on and if there is an accident on the highway, then traffic is diverted to the back roads (A roads) which can be snarled up, so if you can generally avoid the roads and the delays, then thats useful. A lot of english people have moved out Albany Creek way (15min drive to Strathpine) and also in the North Lakes area (20min drive to Strathpine). Trouble is North Lakes only has bus services and not trains, although the long talked about Redcliffe railway may yet be built (but it will be years away still). If you consider North Lakes your nearest train station that will take you to both Caboolture and Strathpine is at Petrie. There are a lot of outer northern suburbs past Kallangur (on the rail-line) which will give you the chance to build on, or buy a bit of semi-rural land. Caboolture does have a bit of a reputation for being a bit rough and ready however there probably is nicer areas as in all towns. Keep in mind the tyranny of distance in Australia, Brisbane is a big (ie spreadout) city and it can take a good hour to drive from the outer north, to the outer southern suburbs. Petrol at the moment is pretty nasty (approx AUS$1.45-1.50 litre) so you'll need to factor that into your househunting. My advice is to contact the local council with some of your enquiries, they might be able to send you an information pack. http://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/

p.s. Good luck on your move to Oz

 

Aussielady,

That is a very informative reply, many thanks for the info and a reminder of why this forum is awesome!! ;-)

cheers