Queen Victoria Market – Hot Chocolate @ Max Brenner Phillips Island Mt. Buller – Sightseers $56 Family – Snow tubing free, tobogganing free Federation Square Children’s Playground Collingwood Childrens Farm – Farmers Market 14th August Shopping There are four main shopping areas in the city of Melbourne. Bourke St mall, which is where the major department stores are, Melbourne Central and QV (NOT the Queen Victoria market), which are both located on La Trobe St, and Spencer St shopping center (the old DFO). DFO – Authentic Converse Factory Outlet Melbourne - Chocolate Shops Haighs Block Arcade, Lind't, (Collins street), Koko Black ( Royal Arcade or Upper Collins st), Max Brenner (QV Centre), San Churro (QV Centre), The Chokolait Hub (Hub arcade just off Royal Arcade). SIM cards for phones are very easy to buy- they usually cost aorund AUD$20 or $30 dollars and come with a credit (usually aorund $5 or $10) towards phone calls. Most calls are time charged and charged by either the second or 30 seconds. 3 largest companies are; Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Mobile phone shops (which breed like rabbits) or department/discopunt stores are your best bets to purchase these as they usually have a range. The Post Office also retail them. SURBURBS TO LIVE Doncaster and Balwyn Hawthorn and Kew as you mentioned, Ivanhoe, Alphington, Fairfield, Northcote, Brunswick, Essendon, Strathmore, Ascot Vale, Moonee Ponds. In regards to schools one area to consider in the Eastern suburbs is Balwyn. Little bit further out than Kew or Hawthorn but very nice area and a resonable tram ride to the city. The local secondary there has a great reputation and many people compare it a private school without the fees. So much so that people deliberately try and buy or rent in its catchment area (Postcode 3103) so that there kids can get into that school. Also good primary schools in the area. Checked on Domain . com . au and there seemed to be a number of retals there around $350.00. Here in Fairfield is excellent as I mentioned, 15mins by train, 25 mins on a bike, 1 hour walking or 20-30mins by car in normal peak times. I don't know all the schools around but I do know that Strathmore has an excellent high school (did you want primary or high schools..??). Essendon is a great choice as well, surrounded by very good schools. Ivanhoe will probably be too expensive, much like Kew. The public vs private schools is HUGE debatable subject. Have a look at a map as 6Andy6 suggests and throw up a few choices that catch your eye and we can let you know what we know of the areas. Melbourne is very safe and most areas will be fine, there may just be a few areas that will be best avoided. Good luck Wouldn'y necissarily recommend FG or Bayswater. OK but there are better areas. Have a look at the North Eastern suburbs like Eltham, Greensborough, View Bank, Rosanna, Eltham. Bery nice green lesfy suburbs along a train line to the city. Good schools, shopping and family facilities. GlenWaverley (on the Monash Fwy and Glen Waverley Lines) and Wheelers Hill/ Mt Waverley. On the other side of the city you have Sunbury (a separate town but with all facilities) and Keilor areas (urban fringe). Even further out in the South East are greenfield sites (large new estates or a choice of purchasing a block and building to your own design) is where i live Berwick (which is one of the fastest growing municipalitys). This is also on the Monash fwy (40 klm from city) and the Dandenong/Pakenham train lines (about 55 mins by train to city and 30mins on freeway outside peak hour- about an 1 hour in peak hour). Your head must be really spinning with all this information. I think it was will that suggested that you would have to go out a bit. I live in Vermont, and over this way you should be able to find something. The rail line out this way is quite good as the trains run every few minutes, and the bus service is quite good. There are plenty of schools in the area. Shopping is very good as you have Eastland, Knox City, Doncaster Shoppingtown, Chadstone, and there is Box Hill . If you miss the food of Singapore, then Box Hill is the place to go as a large Asian Community live in the arrea as well as shopping there. If you get to the startion early in the morning you can park in the basement, as it is free, and it is mainly for the train traveler. Driving to the city is only about half an hour, but a little bit longer in peak periods. Car parking in the city is a nightmare and they have just increased the price of the fees as well. Box Hill is a great suburb, and it has nearly everything that you will need. On Saturdays in the afternoon the fruiterers auction of the food they haven't sold which is the time to get a bargain. Having spent 6 years catching the train from Croydon Station to Melbourne (32 km's approx 50mins approx) from 1994 to 2000. It can become an issue. Personally, if your husband will be using Public Transport rent a home close to the Lilydale Train line. This line goes through the Eastern Suburbs eg) Hawthorn, Box Hill , Ringwood , Croydon, Lilydale (1 hour to the end of the line). Melbournes outereast is having major road works being done over the next couple of years which will cut down car travell time significantly. From the info you have supplied around Box Hill may be the spot for your family. Easy access to Melbourne, great food choice, plenty of school options. In Australia there are plenty of Gyms, or swimming pools, parks etc. available for use. Another option would be around Glen Waverley (Glen Waverley Train Line). Doncaster/Templestowe while great suburbs (I'm biased having grown up there) transport is the issue, closest train station either Box Hill or Eltham Essendon seems to be the most affordable choice given that its prob closest to the city (within zone 1 of the trains too). Box Hill sounds interesting too & seems to be surrounded by other good suburbs too. And seems to fit my budget too. Balwyn seems affordable too from my search Sunbury had a populaions of about 2500o in 2993 but has had a lot of development sincs so expecy it to be 30000 by now. Has 2 ir 3 supermarkets, 3 pubs, all the major banks and good shopping. Has transport to city on a country(I think)train line. Of the nort-eastern suburbs I mentioned here is a summery. Note all are on a frequent suburban train service to the city. All are in undulating to hilly ares with plenty of trees and parkland. Eltham The trediest, greenest and most expensive. Good shopping in a hogh street type shopping centre wih allbanks etc & a couple of supermarkets. Slightly longer access to the Ring Road &therefore Sommerton Greesborough; Nice hilly sort od area Large shopping mall, plenty of shops, banks etc. Easy access to the ring road. Montmerency: Nice hilly area 5 minuts to Greensborough shopping plus its own smaller but nice local shopping strip. Cheaper housing thanthe above 2. Pretty good for ring road. Macleod: Closest to the city, good shopping access to Grenaborough and another big mall ito the west in Preston as well as a food market in Preston (10mins drive) Good treed area with lots parks. Housing on 2 levels older Macleod about the same as Monty but has a big new development called Springthorpe which is megs $$$$. The easiest access to Ring Road as you go against the traffic flows. These are very much outer suburban areas with hoses an 1/4 acre blocks, all within 20 mins drive of Somerton via Ring Road. Ivanhoe is very nice, upmarket suburb on the same train line to Eltham etc mentioned in my earlier posts. Drive to Somerton would be 30 to 40 mins but pretty easy as you would be heading outbound against the flow of the traffic which is predominately inbound. $500k would get you a house in Ivanhoe but not at the top end of the suburb where prices can reach $2million. Be wary of cheaper prices in West Ivanhoe as this is an alomst seperate suburb with lots of government & former government housing and not nearly as nice. Ivanhoe is a great area! Look at east ivanhoe as well, my friend just bought a small house in east ivanhoe and just loves the area!! Very pricey though...you might prefer a bigger house in a less glam suburb!! Fantastic schools in Ivanhoe though, the above poster is right it is an up market area so it might be out of your price range...have a look at www . realestate . com . au and look at Ivanhoe prices...its just my opinion but $500,000 wouldnt buy a family home in Ivanhoe...5 years ago yes but not anymore!!!! again, totally up to you, rent there if you wish and make up your mind once you arrive! MM, Ivanhoe is right next door to me. I agree with EJH, that money won't get you anything there these days. I am in Fairfield which is the adjoining suburb, it is also a very nice suburb and has a bit more life in it than Ivanhoe but even here now you will struggle to get anything over 2 bedrooms for 500,000.