Irish family new to Brisbane...........Help!

[pollymac]

Hi everyone.

I'm from Donegal. New to the forum and Brisbane. Been here a week with hubby and two kids 6 and 4. Living in North Lakes. Not loving what we've seen of NL so far and are considering moving to Manly once our lease is up in December. Anyone in a similar position interested in meeting for a cuppa, give me a shout. Also, could anyone advise me on the schools in the Manly/Wynnum area. Probably go for the Catholic school option but interested in hearing anyone's views on the state school there too.

[xkwzit]

Hi Pollymac
Welcome to the Hub (and Brisbane). I can't help you directly, but I'm sure there will be some lovely hubbers along to answer your questions. See you round the threads.

Cheers

[Janz]

Snap Pollymac. We're new here too. Sadly google maps tell me your over an hour away because I'm the other side of Brissie in the Logan area. We're from Meath. We've 2 kids. Daughter nearly 5 and son that's 2. We're here just under a month. My daughter has started kindy and loves it! We've gone down the route of the catholic school. Myself & my little girl have an interview this week for starting prep in 2012. Hopefully she'll get a place. They have already done the first round of interviews here and offered places. They said all going well hopefully my little girl will get in on second round. Sorry I can't be of any specific help to you. Best of luck settling in :-) Jan

[pollymac]

Hi Jen,

Thats such a pity, would be great to meet up with someone going through the same things as us. My little girl will be 5 in Feb and due to start prep next year, I'm sure they would get on great. We have been for interviews for four different schools in this area and got into all of them and just when we had decided on a school we liked, we go and fall in love with Manly so going for an interview in the Catholic school there tomorrow. My son (6) should be in prep now but he has completed a full year at home so not in any rush, just want to get it right the first time. How are you settling in? It takes time, don't think I will ever get used to how expensive it is!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, for a trip to Penny's!! LOL
Good luck with everything.
P.

[mysonroger]

Hi, just saying hello. I've just come back from four weeks in Portstewart, Northern Ireland, where our permanent view was of donegal. I'm not irish, DH is, but welcome to Australia. I live in Perth, but I used to live in Brisbane, but it was more inner city, so probably not quite so far away from everything as NL is. Good luck with your decisions....and allow yourself plenty of time to get settled into your new country.

[xkwzit]

Have you found the myschools website? It won't nec help you with opinions about a school, but it gives a reasonable guide of general schooling standards.

Cheers

[jo101]

Pollymac, there are two catholic schools in Wynnum/Manly Guardian Angels and St John Vianny, Wynnum/Manly is nice but its a bit of a drive if your working in the city or inner city even during peak hour mornings/afternoons.

The schools are a bit tough to get into also, or were when I lived in the area, as their fee's are reasonable compared to other private schools.

Hope you settle in nicely wherever you end up living, I don't live in Brisbane anymore but still visit often :)

[xkwzit]

It's a little closer than North Lakes though! ;) :)

Would you like to be more inner city Polly? Morningside could be a good compromise (bit closer, but not far from the bay?)

[pollymac]

Thanks for the replies everyone. We got accepted into St. John Vianney...... So it looks like Manly for us but who knows we might find somewhere even nicer on our weekend travels. LOL

[xkwzit]

Manly is lovely, good luck for your weekend hunts :)