Daniel G

The village centre consists of a train station, a small strip mall, a few stand-alone retail outlets, and a pair of large green sportsfield-parks. You could have once argued that Ourimbah was one of the best-kept secrets on the Central Coast, but these days the secret is well and truly out, and you can expect to pay a comparable premium to live in this community.

Due to Ourimbah sitting so close to the Ourimbah Interchange, drivers can easily access the M1 Motorway for commutes to Newcastle and Sydney.
The Northern rail line also runs through the town, stopping at a quaint historic station with many heritage features. It is possible to walk to the train station from most of the urban area of the suburb, but not every train service stops here.

There is a reasonably sized satellite campus for the University of Newcastle (UoN) within walking distance of the train line. This campus only offers select courses, and some local students may find themselves having to attend other UoN campuses from time to time.

The closest major shopping districts are Lisarow Plaza and Westfield Tuggerah, both of which are a short drive or train trip away. Westfield Tuggerah in particular is one of the largest major shopping centres in the surrounding region.

One could argue that there are at least 3 "Ourimbahs" that you might experience (though all are cohesive in their own right) - the first being the historic village centre, which is dotted by heritage buildings such as the post office, train station and a multitude of Californian bungalows; the second is the more modern suburban areas, particularly over the railway line along Coachwood and associated roads; and the third is the rural properties that extend outwards towards Palm Grove, Fountaindale and Glenning Valley, many of which have multi-generational family histories.

Much of Ourimbah sits at the bottom of a valley, a lot of the land was once covered in sub-tropical rainforest and wetlands, so you can expect some associated dampness - some homes in the area are subject to flooding, mould, and the occasional leech infestation.

Looking to the future of the suburb - there is already some conflict between those who want to maintain the historic nature of the village and those who see Ourimbah, with its extremely central location as ripe for significant expansion over the coming decades. Time will tell.