I'm considering moving to the southern highlands. We have little children. What's a good area?
4 Answers
Old Bowral is great, especially if you can walk to the Main Street of Bowral. The main part of Bowral has lovely parks, cafe culture, great shops and a vibrant vibe. The houses around the main town are a bit pricey but character filled and interesting. There are also good preschools and day care centres and medical centres in Bowral as well as slightly warmer weather than some of the outer areas such as Robertson and Moss Vale.
We were told before we mived here 10 years ago, "unless you were born here or own a horse, you will not be a local until you've lived there for 25 years ". We should have listened. We have since moved. It is the most unfriendly town we have encountered. They hate people from Sydney and frequently refer to them as "blow-ins".
Most of the towns and villages have lovely parks and walking areas. But each town has its own flavour. I love Mittagong because it is only an hour from Sydney yet it is very much a country town, and a gateway to the rest of the Highlands. It has antique shops, Lake Alexandra (which is popular with young families), and reasonable shopping facilities, as well as the Playhouse; famous for its local productions. There are good schools in the general area too. My other favourite is Robertson because it is so green and lush, and close to the coast. But you would need to travel for large shopping needs. You would need a car no matter where you live because public transport is very poor everywhere in the Highlands. Most sports are played and have representative teams. Good luck .
Dear Lancer1, Would you please answer to my question if it's possible for you. How good is Moss Vale/bowral for a young family? I with my husband and our small baby are new comer to Australia and because of our visa condition we must move to a regional city in NSW. We have read about many cities in this web site.How good is Moss Vale/Bowral cities for a young family? In addition to academic studies my husband, has a lot of practical experience in agriculture and likes to work in this field too. Which other cities do you recommend us to live in? We are a small quiet family want to live in a safe and friendly area. In comparison with Moss vale/Bowral how is Bathurst?The possibility of finding job is very important to us. Any help would be great
We dont live outside of Sydney, but my husband and I are looking to retire into the Southern Highlands. From our experience, we believe Bathurst could be an excellent option for you. It is larger than Bowral or Moss Vale, and therefore more employment opportunities. Orange is also a wonderful option. Good luck.
There isn't a lot of work in the Highlands. I don't know a lot about Bathurst but I think it is a bigger city, so therefore more work. As Elaine says, Orange might be an option. Personally, I would pick Orange. It is a beautiful city. I don't know how friendly it is in comparison to Bowral/Moss Vale however.
East bowral is bogan