Lara, VIC 3212

Moving here from Melb, everybody is SOOO much friendlier, and so many dog walkers!!!!
Joined a few clubs and enrolled in art and tai chi - so much more I could do if I only had the time!
Easy commute to work in Melb too, the train is faster than from some of Melbourne’s outer suburbs.
Found a hidden gem called Kevin Hoffman walk - like a small native botanical garden situated along Hovell’s Creek. Well worth a look.

Potential growth:

-Move the operations port (Spirit of Tasmania) from Port Melbourne to Corio Bay some time in 2022

- Geelong fast rail which will commence in 2023 with Werribee Corridor ( 30 minutes from Lara to Melbourne CBD instead of 40 minutes )

-Avalon Airport is expanding & more international flights

My partner and I moved to Lara a year ago and couldn't be happier with our decision. We lived in Southbank Melbourne for 4 years and we thought we could get a bit bored here but it hasnt been the case at all.

There are many parks, bushwalks, cafes, restaurants, farms, the you yangs mountain (which is excellent to go hiking), multiple schools, childcare, woolworths, coles, and so much more! (Yes, I love it here ♡)

People are very friendly, it has a good country feeling but it's still so close to 2 big cities. It takes me only 40mins by train to go to Melbourne CBD, trains are comfartable and services run often. Going to Geelong waterfront takes only 20mins and there's a Kmart, freedom and many other shops just 10mins away. The Little creatures brewery in Geelong is very nice too, you could have some beers and take an Uber home for around 20 dollars, a bargain!
There are some beatiful wineries in towns nearby (Anaki and Lethbridge).

We're 2 young professionals with no kids who found that Lara has everything for us right now and also has everything for our future family :)

A lot of good walks by lakes and rivers in the town, good local primary schools including a Catholic school. Your kids can easily get bus services to Geelongs private high schools, albeit Lara secondary is good for a public option.

You have the option of working in Geelong (18 minutes to CBD) or Melbourne. The train is Vline (get to Melbourne in as little as 45 minutes) and it is zone 2, about 1/3 the cost compared to Geelong stn to melbourne. You can also still find a park at Lara stn which has a huge car park.

It's also a short drive to Avalon Beach, Moorpanyal Park, the You Yangs and Serendip Sanctuary. 10 mins to Avalon Airport and 45 mins to Tullamarine Airport.

There are good day trip options, of course there's Geelong (and nearby coastal towns). There's also the great ocean road, the otways, and going north theres Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges. Werribee Mansion and Werribee Zoo are nearby Melbourne options.

There is a Coles and Woolworths locally, a few cafes and restaurants but not too many local shops. It's a 10 minure drive to Corio shopping centre or 25 to Werribee Plaza. There are some nice local parks, sports facilities and a big public pool.

I like the character of the town generally, there are a mix of houses from the 80s, 90s , 00s, 10s right up until today and there are some well designed newer estates.

We moved to lara just over a year ago and it’s the best thing we ever did. Never looking back

Went to Lara to buy land at MANZEENE village very nice spot. Driving through the area it was nice to see the trees remained and streets where built around them. The shopping centre was quite small and not to many speciality stores either. It's not a bad commute from lara to city 40 minutes in total. Lara needs more schools, and definitely some more attractions , central train station, nice and quite and rural . Noted also one pub with pokies wow, let's just hope they have high speed NBn . Plenty of hobby farms, lots of sheep, horses close to Geelong for major shopping appliances. Overall score 6/10.

I have lived in Lara for more than 15 years and couldn't imagine living anywhere else. It is the perfect location for those wanting a relaxed, easy-going lifestyle.
Although Lara is growing, it will always have the Country feel to it. Only 45 minutes from Melbourne CBD and 10-15 minutes from Geelong CBD, Geelong is the perfect location for those who enjoy exploring the Coast & also the sights of the City.
The local's of the town are always very friendly, and all the shops/facitlies are very easily accessible when it comes to parking etc.
Lara is only a 5 minute drive from Avalon Airport which is expanding and becoming International in the near future.
There has also recently been plans approved for a new development containing a brand new supermarket along with several other specialty shops & a restaurant.
Lara is a popular place for commuters who work in Melbourne to catch the train to and from as it has lots of parking & the fare is cheaper rather than leaving from Geelong. The public transport is fantastic with buses running to and from Geelong hourly.
The price of homes in Lara are at a reasonable price for an average regional area. Rental properties are also reasonable but may seem a little more expensive than neighbouring suburbs like Corio/Norlane which hold alot of commission homes.
Lara is a clean, child friendly town which has been proven a great place to bring up a family.
I would recommend anyone thinking of making the move to consider Lara as their next venture.

A great little town that is so close to Geelong and only 30 mins (in non peak time) from the Westgate Bridge in Melbourne. Yes houses are a bit dearer in Lara when compared to some other parts of Geelong such as Corio etc but Lara has many benefits which people living in Melbourne and closer to Geelong don't have. It's got a real 'country feel' to it. I like the shopping area - if you want more shops then Corio Shopping Centre is only 10 mins away. I'm glad there are not too many shops in Lara as it would cause too much traffic and ruin the country feel. People are very friendly I've found since moving to Lara. There are a few 'yobbos' speeding around in cars (that may not even be from Lara) but the police do a good job keeping that under control. Close to Geelong but great for people like me that work in Melbourne. Less than 10 mins away from the Home Maker Centre on Melbourne Road Corio for shopping, Harvey Norman, Bunnings etc...10 mins away from Corio Shopping Centre. A new gym has been built as part of the home maker centre less than 10 mins away.

Ok, but house rentals are to expensive

Nice quiet town that is close to Geelong and Melbourne, Avalon airport only 5 minutes away and due to be developed into international shortly, would be great to spend 5minutes in a taxi and go anywhere you desire. Lara needs expansion of it's shopping center as it's Safeway is more like a small IGA store than a fully equipt supermarket. I believe it is due for expantion soon though. Everything esle is great in Lara!

Lara is a lovely community. It has plenty of parks and playgrounds, a good bakery and plenty of lovely walking/riding tracks. It is not somewhere I would recommend living if you do not own a car or are not fond of driving. The bus runs only about once an hour and the trains also run on a similar schedule (with the exception of peak hours) so it is very difficult to get around. Lara is situated about half way between Geelong and Werribee and it is an easy 15-20 minute drive to each. There is also very easy access to Melbourne city via the trains and freeway (but the trains are MUCH faster than sitting in traffic). If you love Geelong but work in Melbourne then Lara is the perfect town for you. It is also ideal for those who are looking for affordable properties in the Geelong area whilst avoiding rough neighbourhoods like Corio and Norlane.

I work in Melbourne and my husband works in Geelong, so Lara is great for us. We are within walking distance of shops and train station which is incredibly helpful. Think the local shopping strip could be better and have more on offer (but this is also demand led), but it's great that you can get a decent coffee from the local coffee shop, and the deli and local fruit shop and butcher have great produce.

only 35 mins from the westgate - lara is ideal for melbourne commuters.
property is expensive compared to Geelong, but dirt cheap compared to Melb city.
4 kinders, 3 primary schools, 1 high school but plenty of transport for students into geelong.
public transport to melbourne/geelong is great - trains leave every hour at least.
bus service to geelong is pretty poor.
atmosphere is very small town, community based - not much nightlife or eating - just takeaway (ciccio's pizza is great!) or pub bistro style. shopping is just essentials - safeway, post office, banks, chemist, butcher, grocer and a few gift shops.
very peaceful, friendly place to live!