mateob

I just spent one year living in Warrnambool for a work contract, so feel well positioned to comment on living there relative to what others are saying. I had a rented house and family visited occasionally, so cant comment on schools or anything else. Here's what I think:

OVERALL VIBE.
There's a lot of negative comments here about how boring the town is, outdated, lack of food variety, bogans, etc...but lets think for a minute...isn't every country town like that? I'm trying to think which country town anywhere has amazing cafe culture and food scene... yes it isn't the best in Warrnambool but you have what you need and generally the town is nice. The historical thing is overblown but it does need some focal point. There is a fair bit of work here on surrounding farms and big construction projects, but also in the town itself.

Yes there are bogans, but there are in any town in Australia. I though most locals are friendly enough, you will get a bit of a closed circle in cases where people have lived there for generations, but that's all fairly normal. Maybe other posters had a bad experience and then assumed the worst for the whole town. Also note it isn't very diverse at all, compared to other country towns like Shepperton, although increasing all the time. Migrant groups will have much smaller communities here.

They have some annual events like Port Fairy folk festival nearby, Warrnambool races, royal show, etc, which adds a bit of vibrancy to the town. Great golf courses if into that, thriving footy scene. Very busy in summer holidays.

SCENERY
This is the best part, it really is a beautiful area and the countryside is green and lush most of the year. You have waterfalls close to town, Gt Ocean road one side, and the other you have Tower Hill with guaranteed wildlife spottings (for free), Port Fairy and the coast in between, its all really nice, with opportunities for whale watching, surfing, snorkelling and some lovely viewpoints in places. Going further out, Portland and Cape Bridgewater are an hour away and beautiful areas again. Mt Gambier is 2 hours away.

The town itself is also great, a bit hilly in spots but the whole Lake Pertobe/waterfront/beach areas are wonderful for kids....the playgrounds are huge with everything imaginable, a maze and also a lake filled with ducks/swans right there. Our kids loved it. As well as the hot springs...think most locals underestimate this area as one of the nicest parks you could take kids anywhere. The town centre is clean/tidy mostly, also have the botanical gardens. There is a bit of a alcohol/drug issue around Lava st, Geelong/Ballarat much worse though.


WEATHER
I dont think its as crazy bad as some make out, yes it is windy and mild, because its a coastal town facing the southern ocean. And its not wildly different from most of Victoria either. I'd say Geelong is slightly windier/cooler than Melbourne, and Warrnambool slightly windier/cooler again. You still get plenty of nice days. Spring is really an extension of winter, it doesn't really warn up until end of November. Its hard to predict the rain, as the BoM radar isn't reliable, needless to say, there is quite a lot, but it does help keep it all green. Recently there has a been a LOT of rain and local flooding, but its not like that every year.

On the plus side, when there's a heatwave across most of the state, its often a lot cooler in Warrnambool. Its funny... driving north, you hit Mortlake and its 35c when it was only 26c in Warrnambool. So have your expectations in order when you come here, and its easy to put on layers/rain jacket. If you dont like cooler weather, move to Queensland!

SHOPPING/EATING
Generally there is most bigger stores you need, Harvey Norman, Bunnings, BCF, auto stores, 5 or 6 supermarkets, etc. Groceries may be very slightly more than Melbourne. Pub feeds are ok but expensive. There is a worker shortage so you are better off buying at supermarkets and cooking at home, be prepared for long waits if eating out, you gotta be patient!

Rafferty's tavern and Flying Horse best if you have small kids. People who come expecting raging nightlife will be disappointed, you have to make your own fun. Couple mains, couple drinks and couple kids meals is easily $100 as of mid-2023.

Be well warned before you move here book an appointment at a GP clinic as there's 4-6 week wait for new patients, if they accept any at all!!

Also well warned the rental market is extremely tight, almost zero vacancy rates with all the post-covid effects. There's these big wind farms and other projects that have sucked up all the housing for their contract workers, a lot of locals struggling.

Overall, Warrnambool is a bit cool and windy, but very scenic and great for families too. Yes slightly bogan, yes food scene could be better and some people are a bit closed, however, accept it is a country town with that sort of vibe and just enjoy the scenery.

Armstrong Creek has risen from bare paddocks in less than 10 years to become the largest development area in Victoria. When we moved from Melbourne to Geelong, we decided that this was the best option for us for anywhere Geelong (north part of Geelong not great, middle part too expensive, eastern part too far from freeway/train). So here you get the best compromise on price vs location, with some of the cheaper house prices (for renting and buying) in Geelong, for a neighborhood that isn't considered rough. Considering that up the road in Belmont/Newtown and going the other way Ocean Grove/Torquay prices are on average $200-250k MORE than here, being smack in the middle of Geelong services and the beach for that price point is really fairly appealing.

You're also only a 10mins drive from Marshall and Waurn Ponds V-line stations, which take you to the city in 1hr 15mins on comfy trains w/ toilets. Not too bad, makes day trips long but very much viable, even possible to go out in the city and get a night train/coach back here. Parking is usually ok too. Uber and other ride shares come this way too. Best of all, you're only 10mins from Barwon Heads and Torquay, great anytime of year, 20mins drive to Anglesea and 45mins to Lorne. Just great. Surfing and outdoor things (cycling, mountain biking, hiking, etc) are all not far way either in the Otways, You Yangs and Gt Ocean Road. So good spot for outdoorsy ppl, and you can be in the countryside in minutes (or even see it from the estate!).

Theres three primary schools open in the immediate area for 2020, two new ones being built and a new public high school being built. Theres also a private girls school being built in Charlemont plus other private high schools nearby that are rated well.

Also for shopping, the local Woolies, 2 liquor stores, pharmacy, doctors, cafes, etc, is within the estate, and Waurn Ponds is 10mins away with everything under the sun, a huge Bunnings, JB-Hi Fi, Harvey Norman, multiples servos, supermarkets, furniture stores, etc. Theres a new Armstrong Creek shopping centre going up 5 mins away, which will open mid-2020 and gradually expand over the years. The ultimate plan is to have a train station there with (potential) high-speed services to Melbourne. There will also be a large commercial area, swimming pool centre, fire station and much more. Once that happens, house prices will shoot up in this area and this will be a hugely desirable place to live, given the proximity to the Surf Coast.

Cons - You are quite a long way from anything, and fairly isolated. I think younger singles and teens would be very bored here, and probably contributes to some nuisance crime, ie, kids roaming the streets and nights and trying to find unlocked houses/cars. Recommended to have cameras installed. There is now a bus route through the suburbs and along the main highways, but buses are sporadic and frustratingly dont always link up with V-line trains, making this a less viable travel option. Trains are often packed even when leaving Geelong, and become heaving once they hit Wyndham Vale and Tarneit. Traffic going into the city as well is terrible every morning going into Hoppers and later Westgate, and same in the arvo peak...really need to consider this if you're commuting every day to the city.

Also the roads need a lot of improving, they are still building new estates next to terribly rutted dirt roads that have no plans to be upgraded. One of the local schools has to be accessed by a shocking road that'll wreck your suspension and patience. Theres also no easy access to the Waralilly shopping centre, needing to cut through congested side streets to get there, until the developer builds a new east-west road to connect to Horseshoe Bend rd (which in itself is in bad condition, rough and pot holed). Traffic is an issue all around too...theres bad traffic on Barwon Heads road to the east and then again on Surf Coast Hwy in Grovedale and Belmont heading into Geelong.

However on the upside, getting to the freeway is a bit roundabout but generally without too much traffic, which is a huge plus. Having an already built dual carriageway (surf coast hwy) also is a big plus, for those that live close to it., unlike other new estates where thousands of houses are accessed by a single carriageway road.

Need to mention the weather...its like Melbourne but slightly cooler here...some 35c days in Melbourne will only be 25c here. Armstrong creek can even be 2c cooler than Geelong itself, due to proximity to the Surf Coast. It also doesn't get too cold in winter like Ballarat. The thing that makes all the difference is the wind....the suburbs gets blasted by the southerlies coming straight off the southern ocean, much more so than Melbourne. At least 3-4 days a month, you get gale forced winds that blow your rubbish bins over, your side gates open and bend the trees sideways. In Autumn, winter and spring, this makes it all the more colder, and less appealing having the beach nearby. In summer, it can make for a nice cool change on scorching days. All-in-all, think same as Melbourne, but more wind and very slightly cooler.

Worth mentioning too the demographics are largely Aussies here, with a much lower ratio of migrants like you get in the newer Melbourne suburbs. Some intl. students stay here that go to Deakin uni, but overall this is a consideration well worth bearing in mind, especially for the local schools, etc. Western Melbourne suburb like Tarneit/Wyndham Vale, for example, would be 50%-80% non-English speaking migrants born overseas. Here I'd say its 80%+ Australian born, English-speaking (roughly). Lots of families and kids, so that sort of ambiance. Not too many hoons, but it exists. Some streets vary, depending who lives on them, but some are noisier and rowdier than other. Do your research, as usual. Will do much worse in other areas of Geelong though!

All the houses are nice and new, power lines are buried underground and everything looks pretty good, so for that reason it beats the older, weatherboard houses in other parts of Geelong. Well-insulated too. One downside is the blocks are quite small, and seeing how far away you are from everything, you really are right on top of your neighbours and all their sounds/smells, much more so than house dwellers in Melbourne. Think the developers made some considerable coin of that...

However all that said, its got a great ambiance, people say hi on the streets and theres some nice community events. Overall, recommended, particularly for families, if you can figure out your commute well enough.