[kay and pete]

Hi,

We're waiting for a job offer to be finalised and wanting to be in Aus hopefully sometime this year!! Hubby's job will be in the centre of Wollongong and we want to live fairly close to his work. Does anyone know what the best suburbs are considered to be? Looking for somewhere family friendly – we've two boys aged 9 and 12. We'd like to buy our own home as soon as we can but will probably rent for the first 6 months.

Any replies really gratefully received as we are keen to build up our knowledge right now about Wollongong.:)

Thanks, Kay

[Martha]

Hello Kay,
Try this website for general social knowledge about 'The Gong'.

[URL="http://www.visitwollongong.com"][URL="http://www.visitwollongong.com"]


Wollongong has a lot of places to rent. Best to speak to an agent about the best areas for families. i've heard that Gwynville is nice and quiet. It's 6 minutes to town and has the university close by. Figtree has some nice areas as well. That's about 10 minutes or so to town and has Kmart in a large shopping centre - (Westfield).

[Sam66]

I had a friend who stayed in Figtree for several years and I agree it's a lovely suburb. The surrounding area and houses looked leafy and well kept. It's a hilly area so some properties have beautiful views. Figtree is also near the town centre – only 5 minutes away. You've got plenty of fantastic beaches nearby and Flagstaff Hill Park is a popular picnic area only 10 mins away.

For rents and house prices I suggest you have a look at www.realestate.com.au and www.domain.com.au . For Figtree suburb you would be looking at $450,00 - $700,00 to buy and $300 - $500 per week to rent a 3 bedroomed house.

Keiraville which is close by also looked lovely. It is home to the university so it will have uni students.

Further links you might find useful:

http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/
http://www.tourismwollongong.com/

[Martha]

Hi again,
I want to add that Wollongong is one of the most beautiful places in Australia. It is on the coast so has wonderful (and popular) beaches. It sits at the bottom of the mountain so has bush walking close by in Mt Keirra. 1.5 hours from Sydney the largest city in Oz. The South Coast is a wonderful drive and tourist spot. There are plenty of markets, fetes, festivals and celebrations starting with the weekly farmers market in town at the mall (Crown Street). Wollongong beach is host to NEW YEAR celebrations and fire works and has carnivals on school holidays. If you do live in the city itself you wont have to go far to have family outings and a wide variety of activities for the kids.

[kay and pete]

Hi,

Thanks for all the information. It must sound a bit silly, but I didn't realise that Wollongong was so touristy!! We're quite keen to live fairly centrally – but does the town get really busy in the summer months?? I know what it is like in the UK at seaside towns – absolutely impossible to move around in a car as the towns get jammed with vehicles. And it's horrible for pedestrians and not relaxing at all. Want to get away from that!!

[kay and pete]

Hi,

Thanks for all your replies. Can anyone advise how 'busy' Wollongong is in the summer? is it jam packed with tourists or can you still move around the town fairly well?

Any replies really gratefully received,

Kay

[Martha]

It doesn't get that packed unless it's specificly has council approved and organised events in the mall. Traffic is not too bad but you will definitely need to know where you are going - GPS - or road map until you get to know the routes. They changed it all to help with the flow but if you take a wrong turn it can take ten minutes to get back on track. It's not that bad, just annoying.

The tourist hotspot where it gets very crowded is Kiama, a lovely coastal town that has the blowhole as an attraction, a beautiful large park/picnic area, markets, quaint little shops. If you dont like crowds go there in the off season. It's a 20 minute drive from the city.

Wollongong city itself I don't find to be overly busy during holiday times. There are so many beaches it is spread out all along the coast. Other shopping centres that get a lot of traffic are at Shellharbour Square. It is a huge centre about 15- 20 minutes from the 'gong'.

I wouldn't be too concerned about being run over with tourists every summer. If you find one place too crowded or popular (like Austinmer beach) it's not hard to find the one that will suit you better.

[woody]

I was in Wollongong last year visiting a friend, not in the summer though, and it was fine for traffic. A new free shuttle bus had just introduced which travelled in a continuous loop (both directions) passing by most of the main Wollongong attractions. It's a great service and you can't miss it - the bus is painted green with "Free Gong Shuttle" on the side.


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