josephb3

Ferny Hills as its name suggests has lots of hills so if you like flat terrain read no further. The suburb, located within the Moreton Bay Regional Council area, is quite large with the older, main part now around 50-60 years old so houses and gardens are well established. A notable feature of the original area is that street names are clustered by first letter. For example, Conlo Cr, Coolibah Cr and Corang Cr are in the same area. This makes it easier to know where streets are. The houses closer to Bunya are much newer and more expensive but further away from amenities (except the dump).

Ferny Hills has two state primary schools, public library, public pool, great parks (esp George Wilmore Park) and is close to Kmart Plaza and a good number of small local shops. The Ferny Way bakery is excellent and always has customers lined up. Brookside Shopping Centre is a 10 min drive away. For those who want to do serious shopping, it is probably easiest to go to Westfield Chermside which is absolutely huge (30 mins drive). Bus transport is available but expect a good wait and the excellent Ferny Grove railway station is just over the local govt boundary in Brisbane CC zone. Thousands of locals a day catch the train into the city (around 30 min trip).

The suburb is undergoing a noticeable change with more and more residents renovating their properties. Pride in yards is generally good, let down however by a few negligent residents. Street appeal does vary from street to street. For the record, Bunnings Warehouse at Keperra is a 10 min drive away. The crime rate around Ferny Hills is not really a concern and the Ferny Grove Police Station is not far away.

If you like a blended, multi-cultural melting pot, Ferny Hills will disappoint. It typifies the white, middle-class income area. About the only cultural experience will be the local Thai joints or your typical Indian or Chinese take away a short trip away to Arana Hills. Residents are not spoiled for fast food choice - KFC, Maccas, Hungry Jacks, Red Rooster, Subway, Dominos, Pizza Capers and Guzman Y Gomez, are all a short trip away.

Current property prices in Ferny Hills are mostly beyond affordability of unskilled persons and many of the newer buyers are typified by dual income households, tradies, and university educated professionals. Many houses are owner occupied with many long term residents. Not many units or townhouses in comparison to detached houses. In 2020/21 house prices have increased somewhat but the area is still good value for double-income families. Overall, a nice place to live.

The top end of Ballylin Street is one of the highest points in Ferny Grove. Try to buy a house on the northern upper side (Rinavore St end) of the street with very pleasant forest views. The street is easy walking distance to the local shops (inc Coles supermarket), schools and train station. Local facilities include a tavern with drive through bottle shop, lawn bowls club, Aussie rules jr football club, dog park (with small dog area), multiple small parks. There is also a local police station, doctors and dentists. The suburb is close to state forest and there is a bike track which is planned to go all the way to Samford.

Ferny Grove is a very respectable, upper working class area with little crime. You don't tend to get lower class people living here and most residents work for their income. Ballylin St residents tend to be long term and hence there is a relatively low turnover of properties. The house prices in Ferny a Grove don't reflect the lifestyle benefits to residents. The area is yet to be "discovered".

Carawatha Ave would have to be one of the best locations in Ferny Hills. It is centrally positioned and within walking distance to primary schools, shops, swimming pool, library and the spacious George Wilmore Park. Carawatha Avenue is well within the Ferny Grove High School catchment area - the school has a great reputation and offers excellent educational opportunities. There is abundant bird life to be seen with galahs, cockatoos, noisy miners and lorikeets frequenting the area. It is a fairly short "street" with a higher than average number of corner blocks. If possible, pay extra for a corner location and enjoy the views from the front patio.

This area was one of the first to be developed in Ferny Hills and the avenue is not far from the Arana Hills boundary. The suburb is not technically in Brisbane but rather belongs in the Moreton Bay Regional Council zone. Ferny Hills residents can currently dump rubbish for free at the the Bunya Waste Management Facility which is an easy 10 min drive away.

The Ferny Grove train station and FG Tavern (inc drive through bottle shop) is a five minute drive or 15 min walk away. Arana Leagues Club is only 5 mins drive away and is a great place to enjoy a meal, have a drink or play the pokies.

A quick trip down the street and it becomes evident that owners are spending money on home improvements. This shows confidence in future property value increases. As a current resident, I don't think house prices will stay within the range that ordinary income earners can afford for much longer.