House & Home Where to retire to in Australia?

Discussion in 'Living Room' started by Lizzie, 2nd Feb, 2016.

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  1. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    I know there was a similar thread recently - "where would you live" - this is more specific.

    We're not looking at retiring for around another 5 years as junior won't finish year 12 until 2021 ... but house prices seem to be stabilising and I'm toying with buying somewhere we can rent out and renovate/develop/simply move into when the time comes.

    We both love the beach - plan to travel heaps - love a cosmopolitan life but without living right on top of the hustle

    Although we love where we are, we miss the beach being on our doorstep and being half an hour to a major domestic airport, would like to be near a major hospital for our old age ... but mainly the beach thing.

    I've been looking back in Newcastle - Wickham, Maryville, Hamilton, Merewether etc - but everything seems to be up for auction so might have to wait until the "auction" frenzy dies away. Also been looking at Nelson Bay and Hawks Nest.

    Sadly, we haven't travelled Australia much - love Byron Bay but can't afford - don't like the Central Coast - worried South Coast might be getting to cold but will have a poke around Tassie just because - Gold Coast to blingy - Perth is tempting (Freo) but so far away from anywhere - haven't looked at Sunshine Coast ... but open to any suggestions.
     
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  2. Hodor

    Hodor Well-Known Member

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    The beach is a must for me too.

    I've only visited the sunshine coast once, seemed like a great place. Everyone I met was super friendly, beach was great and nice cafes and a brewery along the beach front. Actually looked at moving there around 1.5 years ago, unfortunately it didn't work out as easily with work and been near friends/family.
     
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  3. D.T.

    D.T. Specialist Property Manager Business Member

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    Definitely beach side.
     
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  4. Chrispy

    Chrispy Well-Known Member

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    Now retired and travelling a lot. I wanted to keep my house as it was designed and built by Alan and I plus we had our retirement in mind when it was designed. So little upkeep. Close to everything, hospitals, doctors, restaurants, picture theatres, etc.
    However, being on my own now, I still wanted to be by the beach some of the time, so bought a Beach House 2 and a half years ago. It is absolutely fantastic. I spend one or two weeks there every month or so and a month there over Christmas and Easter. When the weather is 44C in Melbourne it is fabulous having the Ocean Breeze with much better temperatures and being able to sit on the balcony and listen to the Ocean. The Beach house is 1 hour and a half from home, so no big deal to just decide to go down there. It is at Cape Woolamai on Phillip Island and cost me $370k plus oncosts. Best property buy ever!!!
     

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  5. keithj

    keithj Well-Known Member

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    I too thought about a holiday home. But practically, it wouldn't make sense for me.

    An extra set of fixed outgoings.
    Time & $$ spent on maintenance.
    Feeling obliged to holiday in the same place every time.

    You have a desirable place - consider house swapping.
    Or airbnb/stayz in the low season - you'll either find somewhere you like & book every year way in advance or at short notice if it's available. And you get to stay in different fantastic places all over Oz (or the world).
    Or try a caravan for the big lap....

    But to answer your question.... Everywhere - Tassie for a month of walking in summer, Perth for the wildflowers, a week in the snow in Aug, maybe Melbourne for the tennis week, Byron for a while when it's chilly down south,.....

    Unless you can afford a holiday shack in all those places, don't buy one at all IMO.
     
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  6. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    As your wanting the infrastructure for retirement plus the warm weather and beaches, I'd pick sunny Coast. Nice weather, amenities, beaches, bush, airport and city 1 hr and a bit away. You can still get bush blocks to up in the hills which gives you best of both worlds.with a look up there. Check out eumundi, Cooroy and Montville, Maleny
     
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  7. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    It's wouldn't be a holiday home - but rather a base to come back to when we're old a decrepit and have spent all our money or need a break.

    I know we are in a top spot, but the idea would be to sell and "downsize" in both size and cost so would have no mortgage on any of our properties, plus several hundred thou in the bank to splurge.

    ... and we most certainly plan on "house sitting" our way around the world in the meantime :D

    Currently we are only an hour from the best beaches - but even that is too far - hubby likes to surf early morning
     
  8. Azazel

    Azazel Well-Known Member

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    Down near Jervis Bay is nice. Might be a bit cool in Winter for me.
    Probably somewhere halfway up the QLD coast, far enough South to not have to worry about jellyfish and crocodiles so you can swim in the ocean.
     
  9. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    Yeah to cold down there unfortunately. 1770/agnes waters south to the border. Byron is done in my opinion, sold out long ago to Sydneysiders
     
  10. EN710

    EN710 Well-Known Member

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    Nice beachside with reasonable car travel to amenities. The current me Sydney North Shore :eek: This might change as I get older.

    Sunshine Coast is lovely too , just too quiet for me at the moment :)
    Coffs Harbour?
    NSW South Coast is lovely! I don't think it's that cold, at least not in Batesman bay when I visit
     
  11. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    Port Macquarie, Lizzie. Some of the prettiest beaches on the whole east coast - Flynns Beach is amazing. Apparently it climate is kept mild because the warm currents are closest to the coast at that point - that could be tourist bureau nonsense, though. Lots of services in town and some good food and stuff like that. The Glasshouse often has interesting cultural stuff. Airport. Good priced housing. Some really interesting estuaries and stuff for fishing not far south of Port.
     
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  12. RPI

    RPI SDA Provider, Town Planner, Former Property Lawyer

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    I have been spending a lot of time in Noosa lately (opening new office there shortly) and it has really grown on me. It was too quiet when I was younger but not now. Sister lives in Tewantin, takes 5 mins to drive into Noosa and house prices are very good.

    Restaurants in Noosaville are awesome. Traffic doesn't seem to exist by comparison to Brisbane. Nice laid back lifestyle too. Being 1 1/2 - 2 hours to Brisbane is not too far away and seems to have decent size local hospital and services and then bigger ones down the road also.
     
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  13. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    Looks like got beaches and dining out covered :D ... now just have to win the city abode via rslartunion for the theatre and concerts
     
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  14. wategos

    wategos Well-Known Member

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    Byron Bay for me, born and grew up in the area, haven't seen anywhere else in Australia I would prefer to live. Lucky to have my foot in the door already with a house near the beach (100m), as long as sea levels don't rise too much should be ok (big issue with a lot of places in the bay). The town sure has changed a lot though over the last 45 years.
     
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  15. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    This is my envious look :(
     
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  16. euro73

    euro73 Well-Known Member Business Member

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    You could try Perth's Northern most suburb... Bali :)

    Seminyak , Jimbaran or Nusa Dua specifically, as they all offer distance from the Kuta madness and all have Western medical facilities... great inexpensive seafood and cheap ice cold Bintang! :)

    And of course - that sunset... 5 hour flight back to Western civilisation in a worst case scenario...


    2016-01-08 11.13.13.jpg 2016-01-08 18.18.14.jpg 2016-01-08 19.18.49.jpg 2016-01-10 12.36.34.jpg IMG_0012.JPG IMG_0041.JPG IMG_0051.JPG IMG_0059.JPG

    Or if you want to look at something a little left field, SA has some great coastal towns like Port Lincoln .

    Port Macquarie in NSW is also worth a good look.
     
    Last edited: 2nd Feb, 2016
  17. Mooze

    Mooze Well-Known Member

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    What about between Byron and the border?

    Noosaville area as mentioned is lovely.

    If you're after frequent air travel check the schedule if looking regional - over an 8 hour wait for our last leg cominghome last time due to a delayed flight and next flight a while later.

    Not a fan of the services/infrastructure in Port Mac but at least the hospital specialises in geriatrics. Just watch out for the big fish.
     
  18. Nemo30

    Nemo30 Well-Known Member

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    My mum retired to Coffs Harbour. Climate is perfect and the town is a reasonable size with good amenities and airport... Just too many old people for my liking.. And not close enough to other major centres.

    If you're looking for awesome sunsets, don't think you can go past Adelaide beaches.. Just stunning.

    Agree re Noosa or Sunshine Coast hinterland .. Would be my pick, although maybe a little too humid.
     
  19. WattleIdo

    WattleIdo midas touch

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    @euro73 that picture with the trees on the beach is amazing. Never seen them grow like that with all the sand rather than mangroves/ swamps.
     
  20. chindonly

    chindonly Well-Known Member

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    Sunshine coast. That is our plan. Market hasn't moved too much and has been down for a while.
    Has all the amenities you have asked for.