Confused on where to go

[Melissa1983]

DH needs to put in his preferences before he goes on course in May, so we need to get in by the end of the week.

We are tossing up between Nowra and Melbourne..

Pros for Nowra:

We have friends there and some family there
Decided on a school for DD1

Negs:

We had alot of marriage problems when we were there.
Job opportunity for me

Melbourne: Pros
More job opportunity

Negs:

To cold and not sure how DD2 will go with the weather.

Has anyone else been to the two places?

Which one did you like more?

[laraandzacsmum]

Good Luck with what every you choose... sorry I haven't been to either...
You will make the right choice....:fingerscrossed:

[MilkOnTap]

I've lived in Melbourne for 2 and a half years and LOVED every minute of it (its where I met my husband!) I've been out to Nowra a couple of times to drop hubby out there for courses and Melbourne has got SOOO much more...

The biggest thing that stands out to me on that list is the marriage probs in Nowra. Were they BECAUSE of Nowra? Or did you just happen to live in Nowra at the time?

There is STACKS of opportunity in Melbourne for schools for the girls and employment for yourself - though it sounds like you have equal opportunity in Nowra.

Are you ready to try something new? Is now the best time for it? Would it be best to have the girls in a familiar environment or do you think they could handle a bit of change?

I cant answer the question for you - but what is your gut telling you???

Best wishes with this decision!!! :hugs:

[Olismum]

I would probably prefer Nowra to Melbourne, just because I'm not a big fan of Melbourne, lol. The thing I've learnt though is to not really give it too much thought or base things on getting a certain location because we are yet to ever receive a posting to one of our top posting preferences. Our last posting before here was to a base which we had down as the one we never ever wanted to go to, lol.

[taragirl]

Hi,
I have lived in Nowra and spent a fair bit of time in Melbourne when my parents where posted there.

I would choose Melbourne.

I hope not to offend any Nowra people, but I always felt an undercurrent of violence in Nowra especially at night. It was like something was or could happen at any second.

There are a lot of drug related issues (I know this is everywhere) but in a small town it makes it a big problem.

This is all simply my opinion so please dont flame me! It is quite a rough place IMO.

Melbourne - although a big city it is still possible to stay out of the hussle and bussle. There are a lot more things to do and see on weekends etc. and is even close enough to Tassie to pop over for a break.

Doesnt really matter what preference order you put down, they will send you whereever they want you anyway :D .

Goodluck!

[mummyof5]

I haven't lived at Nowra, but have lived on the peninsula in VIC for 4 years in our last shore posting. Are you going to be sent to Melbourne proper or to Cerberus? It is a nice part of the world down there and I would personally take VIC schooling over NSW any day. The cut off for their school year is the end of April though, not July like NSW. Don't know if that has any bearing for you or not. Also kinder (preschool) only usually goes for about 3-4 hours a day, 3 days a week, though some offer longer hours. There is a child care centre onboard cerberus though.
Good luck making choices, am facing the same dilema myself in the next few months...never know, we may end up neighbours...:D .

[Melissa1983]

Thanks for the replies

Pinklady - I'm ready to move to start off fresh. With the marriage troubles we were in Nowra at the time, not because of the location.

Mummyof5 - With schooling, its hard because i never had schooling outside of QLD. With DD1, she would be at school fulltime (school hours). And DD2 will be at Preschool which is a few hours a week. We will posting to Cerberus, if we go Melbourne.

Taragirl - When DH first joined the Navy, we lived in Melbourne for 18 months, and the weather really took a toll on our youngest. The whole time we were in both locations i didn't have any troubles with crime or anything like that, i think i felt more unsettled in Melbourne than Nowra. But i think its because i have never been in a big place before.

Olismum - Thanks for the reply and the PM. Its just so stressful because i need to book DD1 into a school so she in enrolled..

[mummyof5]

When you say you lived in Melbourne before was that at Cerberus?? Cause the Peninsula is much more countrified if you like than Melbourne suburbia. The schools are relatively small too, which I find very appealing. Crib Point is a great school, that's where my two started, and would go back there in a heartbeat. Have friends who's kids went to Somers and they were happy there too. If you end up at Cerberus, don't stress, the schools are used to not finalising their numbers till the last min due to Navy post ins/outs!
Can't help you with the weather though:( , sorry.

[Melissa1983]

We lived at Mornington. And i found it very lonely, and really hard to make friends there

[MilkOnTap]

The biggest thing that stands out to me on that list is the marriage probs in Nowra. Were they BECAUSE of Nowra? Or did you just happen to live in Nowra at the time?

Reason I ask is I know how hard you have fought to keep your marriage together - and to me that is probably more important than ANYTHING else. Everything else will fall into place - but you need to know within yourself that you are happy and at ease with your first relationship... The girls will follow :yes:

[mummyof5]

We lived at Mornington. And i found it very lonely, and really hard to make friends there

That's why I lived on the westernport side...figured if I lived in Mornington, might as well have stayed in Sydney - too suburban.
Most friends I have from there (and are still my friends to this day) are actually ladies I met through the kids preschool and school, so you would no doubt find it easier this time around with your kiddies being that age.
Which does hubby prefer? Nowra might be a better choice if you have family and friends already there. Marriage problems can happen anywhere, so maybe this could be a chance to change how you feel about the place?

[my2boyz]

I lived in Nowra (not part of the army) for about 7 years. My parents live there currently and my siblings. They cant stand the crime and violence in the area, especially my younger sister who is 14. There are good and bad points to living everywhere though. I myself have never lived in Melbourne, so cant make a comparison. Norwa is good for its diversity in terms of going places, the beaches, different markets etc. But it is a worry in certain areas.

Good luck with your decision

[Cat13]

I vote Melbourne but I'm biased, it's where I called home until I met DH and started roaming the country.

This is going to sound cynical but don't stress about the decision too much as Defence will send you wherever they want to anyway. Preferences schmeferences........we were told last year 99.99% chance we'd be staying in Sydney. So how come I am typing this from Townsville.......??

:fingerscrossed: you do get your preference and all the best for the future posting and move.

[lavenderpegasus]

I would also choose Melbourne, much more exciting than Nowra... I have never lived in Nowra but have friends who have lived there, they loved it. I think Nowra is way too small, and clicky in the way that if your not the sort of person that joins in, then your not welcome. You have friends there so that may not be the case.
Melbourne is great and offers so many oportunites... I'm a born and bread Melbourne chick, until meeting my Navy man and now have lived all over the place.
We are posting out of Sydney (well most probably) in August and we are off to Perth. I'm not against Perth. But if it is bad I'll just keep telling myself it'll only be for a couple of years...

But for the sake of your marriage it would be best to go to a place that you are Happy, it will help.

Good Luck

LP

[Salina]

I'm posted with DH to Melbourne Metro and live just in behind Simpson Barracks, After living in Crows Nest Qld where civilisation is at least 40minutes drive away, I am in heaven. The area we live in is a nature preserved area so it is heavily tree'd and very pretty. We happen to be walking distance from some duck ponds and hungry ducks, so I take the kids down to feed the ducks once a week..We are 15 minutes drive from 3 major shopping centres in each direction and 25minutes drive from the city. The children are under 4yrs so there are a lot of things we can go to that admit children free, and adults for a fairly affordable cost, we take the kids to the aquarium,science works, urban farms, etc.. on a regular basis. And now we are posted near family we take advantage of the fantastic night life Melbourne has to offer in stage shows, restaurants, exhibitions etc. It might seem like I like "the high life", and I do to some degree, but having the option to do so much more than the "same old, same old" is excellent.
On the flipside groceries are very expensive (We could add $60-
$100 a fortnight more easily) and because we are close to the city, things like hairdressers and stuff like that I have found to be more expensive than in Toowoomba.
Anyway, I suppose it depends on where exactly you will be posted as to what you will experience lifestyle wise.
I grew up in the Dandenong Ranges so I was pleased after 9 years to be coming home for a while.