Warrnambool, VIC 3280

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There's a lot of negative comments here about how boring the town is, outdated, lack of food variety, bogans, etc...but lets think for a minute...isn't every country town like that?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.

As others have said, it's very windy but that's the least of your troubles in Warrnambool. I have lived here a while, & I agree it's very bogan, the town centre is always filled with yelling, hardcore swearing, tobacco smoke and drinkers. It's hard to get a decent tradie, and when you do, they'll charge like a raging bull. Restaurants/cafes are limited and tend to be quite old & expensive for what they are. It's very white, you will stand out if you don't look Anglo/Irish. Schools are meh.

Some of these reviewers are nuts . It wasn’t voted most liveable country town in Aus for nothing . It has it all apart from maybe climate . Scenery , facilities every type including educational , down to earth people , great coast not that far from bigger centres . No heavy industry Rather live here than Broken Hill or Port Augusta 🙈🙈or Wollongong . Needs to promote itself more . Big history big attractiveness . Summer does exist or my childhood memories of sunburn play me wrong .

Dated , cold and full of bogans. I am Well travelled and don't see the appeal of the so called great south coast. Facilities are terrible for 2021. The place is a time warp back to 1995, with Melbourne cbd prices for dinning out and activities that aren't worth seeing or eating. If travelling the south coast. Stop at Port Campbell and head north to the grampians area and avoid warrnambool to Portland and all in-between.

Moved for work from another Regional vic city. Warrnambool looks like it's stuck in the 90s. Shops and the town are Run down and dirty looking, a coat of paint and a clean would help. People are friendly tho but house prices are out of control for what you get. Terrible road surfaces. Very depressing place. I've travelled alot and towns like broken hill in nsw for example are alot nicer and more vibrant them poor old warrnambool.

Ok so I live I Warrnambool and I fully agree Warrnambool has a ridiculous obsession with being a historical town while not having nearly enough history to be considered one. Even in flagstaff hill there is nothing to do with very little explanations on what little buildings there that are not houses or fields they do have some nice sheep tho which is about the most notable thing a person will encounter while visiting Warrnambool.
The bottom half of the main road is consists of overpriced cafes that have food that is well below standard for the price the only good shop that is somewhat in the 21st century is a chocolate shop named middle island chocolate and a pizza shop if you are visiting and arrive late at night the only shop that will be open is maccas everything else closes at 10:00 by that I mean 3 supermarkets that close between 9:00-10:00pm because you would be hard pushed to find a cafe that is open past 4:00 the second half of the main road consists of a random selection of shops such as overpriced adult clothing a expensive boost juice maccas some random discount stores realestate hair dressers and a noodle box. The supermarkets have little useful food and ingredients so you have to go from iga to gateway just to get the weekly stock up good luck if you just moved here from the city and are expecting a diverse range of food also good luck coming here for a holiday as unless you are meeting up with family or friends and someone is hosting a massive party lasting the entire time you are here and is completely stocked up with stuff from Melbourne you will have an incredibley hard time finding something to do short of buying something that you can get for cheaper at a city and fiddling with it until you inevitably get bord and decide to wander aimlessly up and down the hill that contains the Main Street where you will get constant rude looks and stares and angry ranting under the breath about damn foreigners if you look slightly too tan or your eyes are the wrong shape people in Warrnambool are rude as hell in general but when it comes to people that are not from the small town it is on another level (just note that this is in general not everyone but most) even moveing here and sending your kid to school is not safe as you will be disrespected as a parent and your kid will be most likely relentlessly bullied as the kids have very exclusive groups even teachers are not necessarily nice to new comers they tend to pick on them not just to answer questions but to blame them for things that are not their fault and most certainly do NOT send your children to at johns as the teachers are extremely prone to being rude and even bullying new kids also telling them off for getting bullied but not talking disciplinary action against the bullies the high school teachers at emmanuel are a lot better but there will always be rude and disrespectful teachers. However there is lake portobe which is slightly redeeming it has 4 play areas however it has not been updated in yeas which is odd for what is unfortunately the most interesting part of Warrnambool although the Warrnambool “city” council claimes many feats and lots of exclusive entertainment at lakeportobe however this is blatant propaganda and exaggerated advertising. While the SMALL TOWN has nether a interesting historical background or a single tall building it and the people in it continue to insist that it is a city while being stuck in a 1970s mindset and culture liveing here is a absolute NIGHTMARE and would not wish it on my worst enemy as the people are close minded to mental health and people that don’t live in this crappy wannabe city and there is literally nothing if you are over the age of 4 and under the age of retirement please don’t come here expecting even normal human decency from the locals places near here I would recommend are Bendigo if you want somewhere quiet but still interesting and with more than 1 place that is open after a 13 year olds curfew with reasonable prices or Melbourne if you want a wide range of tourist destinations and fun stuff in general they have slightly higher prices than Bendigo but also more stuff Geelong has only slightly less stuff and less people also full of fun tourist destinations all 3 have at least 1 major shopping centre and atlest 5 places with amazing food Warrnambool is simply not worth the price or rude stares I truly hate living here have fun travels :)

Arrived a few months ago to live not far from Warrnambool. The town is a bit too small for my taste, but clean and with a lovely view of the ocean down the end of the CBD. Shops are a bit selective - okay, but nothing to write home about. Restaurants, food marts and cafes are few and overpriced. Lush green countryside, cattle & sheep healthy & thriving. People overall seem friendly and ready to help, but social life seems quite limited. Most of all, there's wind almost every single day year round, usually moderate to severe, which for me, along with many grey days, spoils it totally. Am told it's worse in Winter, with heavy rain and very cold. Sea water too cold to swim in, beachside very, very windy. Have had very few warm days over Summer 2019-20. Housing and rental costs were once affordable, now because of greed have shot through the roof the same as everywhere else in Oz. Large farms now not seen much elsewhere in Victoria. Country roads mostly single-lane with large potholes caused by heavy trucks & semi-trailers. Overall, unfortunately I find it isolating and depressing. No drought here, however, and no water restrictions!

I have lived in Warrnambool for a few years now and I love it and hate it equally. On the practical side there are some valuable PROS:
Good choice of quality primary schools. the public high schools in town are only two though, the other two are private and are not cheap, although very good by what I've heard.
There is a Tafe and a university although they have both threatened to close in recent times due to several factors, including lack of funding.
Traffic is non-existent and you can get anywhere within minutes and parking is hardly ever a problem, even on busy days.
You have a more than sufficient array of shops/ major chain stores (except Big W and some other ones) you would normally find in major cities/ big regional centres.
Most roads are wide and green and depending where you live, it's not hard to find safe areas as there is a fairly big choice of properties and rentals, with very reasonable prices.
Health services are good and so is the public hospital. Some years ago the local private hospital has been voted best in Australia.
You have very good sporting clubs/ facilities for kids and adults all year round. Lake Pertobe is fantastic, green and across the road from the main beach. Locals and tourists simply love it. The smell of the ocean is great and reinvigorating all year round.
There's a world class bmx track, a dedicated mountain bike track on the cliff side of the beach, with a great long walking track as well, a well maintained large skatepark and if you like fishing there are two rivers as well as the ocean.
The views in Warrnambool are breath taking everywhere you go. The sunsets over Thunder Point are spectacular with a 360 degree view of the ocean, the town and the magnificent sea of green vegetation around it (find the lookout up the top from the car park).
If you can't find an activity to do here, or if your kids get bored, it's probably because of you. There is a fantastic local scouts group and several ways to get involved in the community if you're not lazy.
The architecture of some of the period homes around the town is fantastic.
There's a hive of artists and musicians in Warrnambool, so if you get to know the right people and are either an artist or musician, you won't get bored.
During one week of the school holiday Warrnambool hosts Fun4Kids, which is Australia's biggest and best children festival, a must see and it's very reasonably priced.
The local library is a bit old but is big and there is good enough variety for everyone.
Another pro is that you don't need to have an air conditioner at home as it never gets hot or humid enough to use one. There are only a number of hot days, but even then, the cool breeze provides relief at some times during the day. On some hot nights a fan in the house is sufficient to get a good sleep.
During the months of December/January there is an overall good vibe in Warrnambool (and Port Fairy) due to a warmer climate (although not steady) summer markets and activity, beach vibes etc.
If you hate the inland heat, then Warrnambool is for you in summer as it doesn't get hot generally.
Elderly people are well catered for here and there is a big proportion of retirees enjoying the quiet lifestyle here.
Unlike many regional centres there aren't too many hoons around.

So I've said all the good things about Warrnambool. I need to mention the CONS, whilst being honest.
The distance to Melbourne is 3 hours and although it doesn't seem to be a great deal, it's actually a 6 hour round trip, meaning that if you visit Melbourne you need to book accommodation because you can't have a day trip there. You're 2 hours away from either Ballarat or Geelong though, but I personally don't go there often.

The state of the ROADS immediately outside Warrnambool are the WORSE in Victoria as VicRoads does not provide adequate funding. Potholes and uneven surfaces present a real danger as well as a rough ride.
The roads in the town are average too; some bike lanes have recently being added in the CBD, along side rough sections of the roads that need fixing and haven't been done yet, and probably never will.
The CONSERVATIVE councillors are always in bitter dispute as to preserve the town's heritage by not changing much so there are always debates and poor outcomes when it comes down to "looking ahead" and "improve". It took them years to figure out that our main street is dying ad most shops are closing down and this is not a good look for the town.
There isn't a dedicated pedestrian area in the CBD as the lazy locals expect to park their cars right in front of the shops rather than walking a few extra meters- this means that a walking area, such as a mall like in Bendigo or Ballarat will not happen here.
Locals constantly complain about parking fees in the CBD and I find it ridiculous as parking is fairly cheap and there are areas with free parking only meters away from shops, yet this isn't good enough for some wingers.

THE LOCAL MENTALITY. I get told all the time "if you're not born here you're not a local". It's true, the locals here are very clicky and generally don't make you feel part of the place.
Although I have made some friends, generally walking around the streets I constantly get people staring and it's not a great feeling. Their body language says it all really. I've heard this from many people I've known that have come from some other places- they're not happy here.

DRIVERS cannot turn right without occupying the left side of the road, as if they're turning a semi trailer, so most of the time you can't get past them until they have completed their turn; this really holds the traffic behind them, but they don't seem to care- however bad drivers are everywhere, but I just see this specific thing done here and nowhere else. It's frustrating to have this happening every day.
Night life apart from a couple of pubs is non existent. Once the shops close the town goes to sleep and there is nothing to do apart from going home or drive to look at the scenery.

Food choice is very poor and overpriced. It's sad but it is what it is.

There aren't many FESTIVALS and the few around are small and offer very little in terms of entertainment.
There are only very few MARKETS that are overpriced compared to some I've been in country Victoria; some new markets have recently been created and offer some good items/ produce but their prices are unrealistic.

Warrnambool has a MONOCULTURE and small town syndrome and the clicky locals attitude doesn't help to attract people from different cultural backgrounds, so that means the place isn't growing much in mentality since the colonial era.

V-Line has the worse trains in the state here in windy Warrnambool. They're poorly maintained, slow and always late.

I cannot find anything else as to why I wouldn't like Warrnambool apart from the number one problem here: THE WEATHER! It's 4 seasons in one day almost like in Melbourne, but windier.
Even locals talk about it- because it's NEVER right (apart from February-March if you're lucky).
It's ALWAYS windy! The sun does not shine in the morning. You may get glimpses of it in between clouds in the afternoon.
The constant GREY blanket of cloud generally keeps the sun away most of the day and most days of the year. Between May and November it's grey and windy 6 out of 7 days with one hour of sun per day combined (not all at once). The sky usually clears after the faint sun goes down. So it'll be dark outside but the sky clear. During these months it rains every day, with strong winds, meaning that umbrellas prove useless as it's almost always sideways rains. This time of year it's INDOOR lifestyle every day and unless you can travel up to QLD, the surroundings in Victoria have similar weather, so not much of a life if you like the outdoors. Frosts are rare in Warrnambool as it is for sunshine during these months.

There is NO REAL SUMMER in Warrnambool as spring officially arrives in December and between January and March you get about 20 days of summer in total. Also between November and April you get a 50% in total of sunny days.
Typically you'll start your day in a long sleeve even in summer and most nights are fairly cold (considering it's summer).
Forget summer barbeques outdoors- it's too cold and windy most of the time- but if you wear a jacket then it's fine.

Warrnambool has a FANTASTIC main beach with safe and surf areas, BUT, you can only use it when the moody sun decides to shine and you can only enter the water with a WETSUIT because it is cold all year round.
When you're at the beach you will notice that the sun does not go up- it goes around. So you'll be facing the water and the sun is behind you, burning your skin, while the cold wind blows straight from the ocean. You won't be able to read the paper or a book at the beach, as the wind will always get in the way (as well as the constant clouds). Also eating fish and chips by the beach proves impossible.
If it's between 22 to 30 degrees in summer in town, it will be between 19-23 by the beach....with wind.

Don't get fooled by the photos showing the outdoor lifestyle here because that is limited to about one to two months of the year. The wind and the grey sky are constantly there to spoil your outdoor fun. The sun is rare and, unlike QLD, has very intense UV rays and when it comes out it really burns your back - you need to turn your chair if you want to get some sun basically.
It might start with grey clouds and move to a beautiful sunny evening (but windy) or be the opposite but it's never the same.
Early AUTUMN is more constant with temperatures.
The weather is very CHANGEABLE here and if you're not used to it or not prepared for it, then you'll have a hard time. To plan to do anything outdoors is a very hard task. Warrnambool doesn't get the weather extremes though, which is a good thing.

WINTER is absolutely dead and boring as there is really nothing on.
Locals and newcomers with children particularly have a really hard time on weekends from June to September as the weather prevents you from doing anything outdoors, including walking. I think this is a major contributor to the high rate of people being overweight in this area (the Herald Sun in Dec 2016 had an article in the front page that said the Western district had the highest rate of obese/ overweight people in Australia, and I'm sure the weather doesn't encourage people to get out and be physically active).

I hope I haven't put you off by this weather talk, but this is the truth about Warrnambool and also surrounding places such as Portland and Geelong.

Conclusion:
You can't fault Warrnambool too much, as it would be similar everywhere with a similar population. But if you like the OUTDOOR Lifestyle, then DO NOT move here, as you you will spend many days indoors complaining about the weather. Warrnambool and the district just don't get enough hours of sunshine and that's a reality.

It's a GREAT place to bring up the kids, but once they grow up there's not much for them in terms of employment so they will leave- some come back because if they go to Melbourne, they won't keep up with the cost of living unless they make seriously good money there.
It's not a generally up beat sort of place so I definitely won't recommend it for new singles in town, but if you move here with the family and you like an indoor lifestyle it's perfect.
You can most definitely feel isolated here if you don't have family around, but that's like that everywhere, even the cities, so if you hear the word 'sea change', think again, because you don't get to enjoy the sea here, due to the un-Australian weather. Unless of course you only want to 'see the sea' from your window.

All in all if you get used to the weather, it's a good place to live.

Peaceful town with beautiful views of Lake Pertobe and the sea.
Feels safe (low burglary rate and car theft) except late at night in town when people are under the influence.
Unfortunately new land developments and cheap new houses make Warrnambool look like a cookie cutter suburb. Sad that a seaside town with so much potential looks more like a cheap western suburb of Melbourne.
Apart from a few events (Port Fairy Folk Festival, Fun 4 Kids, sprint cars and horse racing) there isn't a lot to do. General activities include Lake Pertobe Adventure Playground, maritime village, mini golf, go karts, dirt bike track, tenpin bowling, cycling, little nippers, fishing, boating, swimming. The weather is usually too cold or windy (with rough seas) to pursue many of these activities though. Jan to Apr is better weather (although changeable) with March being the best.
The locals have their established circle of friends and don't generally desire new friends so don't expect to break into their circles.
People who move to Warrnambool start friendship groups with others in their situation specifically to make friends. They generally move away or back to their place of origin due to loneliness.
As far as employment goes, best to develop contacts in Warrnambool if you're an outsider and wish to work here.
Restaurants don't offer a huge variety (especially for celiacs).
Customer service in this town isn't the best. Locals tend to have attitude. My son was surprised at how polite Melbournians are but that's because he's only had Warrnambool to compare.
I don't think the local hospitals provide all of the services a city would but nonetheless, they are exceptional. Had excellent experiences with the local hospitals. Public patients tend to be treated like private patients (often getting their own room, some with a sea view). Then there is the personalised service as they aren't run off their feet as much as city hospitals.
I would like to go to Melbourne more often but over 3 hours drive is a disincentive.

it is as you come into wbool a new subdivision on the hopkins river opened in 2005
almost built up. views of the hopkins river. next to deakin uni and golf course. retirement home and hostel at the corner. flying horse brewery, bp and macdonalds 5 minutes walk. homemaker centre, harvey norman bunninings and kmart and coles nearby. catholic school and church close by.5 km to main st.
is a nice walk flat ground lovely houses . is near a train track.

This is a fantastoic place to holiday or live. Fantastic place for retirment. The beaches are just beautiful. Arount the months of October/November you can go whale watching. It is absolutely amazing. Lots of fun for the kids. In December there is also an annual Fete that they have. Lots of games,food and activities.For those who want to retire it is oure serenity.

A great seaside town only 3 hours out of Melbourne on the Great Ocean Road.
The beach is great and it’s a top spot to surf for those that love the beach lifestyle.
The streets are attractive and well laid out making getting around easy.
If you want to get out and have a good time there are a few reasonable places to go. Or you could just go into one of the many restaurants or cafes.
You will be able to get everything you need in Warrnambool and then some, unlike so many country towns. There are a good range of shops in town.
When driving back from Adelaide we had to make sure we stopped at Cheese World and it was a highlight. Nothing better than fresh well made cheese.

I have visited Warrnambool a few times while on my way to the Great Ocean Road. This city is about a three hours' drive from Melbourne. Warrnambool has everything that a big city offers. You have your usual pubs, supermarkets, fish markets, fruit and vegetables markets, Rays Outdoors, K-mart, fast food chains, bakeries, butchers and delis. It is a good idea to stock up at Warrnambool as prices at the other towns along the Great Ocean Road can be costlier.

The streets and roads in Warrnambool are clean and wide. Houses here just resemble those of typical suburbia. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes to dine at in Warrnambool. However, the highlight of this city has to be the Cheese World that offers free cheese tasting for everyone. Warrnambool is a good place to stop for a couple of hours just for stocking up but I will not recommend hanging around here too long if you are visiting the Great Ocean Road as there is really not much sight-seeing you can do around here.