Oak Flats, NSW 2529

After moving here over 4 years ago we are very happy. It has a good Main Street and a town feel with a nice tree lined street. Water ways are popular and the parks are nice. Plenty of boating space and good boat ramps. As it’s close to good schools, transport, hospital and major shopping centre it ticks all the boxes.

It can be a rough neighborhood with crime and graffiti being the key issues. Surrounded by ugly house estates and housing commission (from Albion Park). No opportunities for children. Better for a day visit than to live or invest in!
The better options in Illawara would be: Kiama, Cordeaux Heights, Mount Pleasant, Stanwell Park.

Lesson learnt - there are much nicer places to stay for a holiday around Lake Illawara. I visited here last year (AirBnB) and the area looks quite Sad and dingy... Suspicious characters about (drugs is evidently a problem.) There is nothing here... I would never live here.

The actual town isn't that wonderful. A couple unimpressive clothes shops. Cheap low quality cafes. An expensive IGA with limited range and another similar store next door. However it is only a 5min drive to a major shopping centre, has its own train station, school, 10minute drive to the beach, a pool etc.

After growing up in Kiama I reasearched the property market for approximately 2 years before buying my first home in down town Oak Flats has the same little village feel as places like Kiama and Shellharbour without the sea side pricetag but being on the lake still has the cooling benefits of being near the water. Oak Flats has great schools from preschool right through to high school, it has great parks, sporting fields and a local pool (great in summer doesn't get too crowded). The main street has a great variety of shops like a very affordable supermarket, fruit shop, bottle shop, plenty of variety of dine in and takeaway outlets, hairdressers, travel agents, plus many more. I have since purchased and investment property in Oak Flats which has a solid retun and am at the moment in the market for another property in the area.

Balarang is close to both Lake Illawarra and beaches like shellharbour and The Farm for surfers. There is both a primary school and High school in the local area and that is why there are many young families that live here. But their is also a lot of original families from 25 years ago and plus.

Oak Flats is nestled on the lake and the tucked away from the highway and any main roads. It has a distinct country town feel to the main street, where local people support the local businesses. Comprising of around 2,600 homes there's numerous parks sprinkled around the suburb, local swimming pool, 2 primary schools, high school, private Catholic high school. There's the fantastic walking track along the lake, picnic areas and BBQ's. It has a very community feel about it where people look out for each other and each others things. It is very sought after area with a low turnover of homes for sale because no one wants to move out of the area. You're on average about 1 1/2 km from, Shellharbour Square Shopping centre, Cinema's, Bunnings, Wollworths & Dan Murphy's, plenty of take away outlets, a terrific Bowling Club with an excellent restaurant and hospital. Add to that your only about 2/3 km's from the beach. The main street is called Central Ave and it is aptly named as Oak Flats is a suburb that's a stones throw from all of lifes little pleasures and somewhere you won't want to leave.