Help!!!!

We have had an offer accepted on a house in Coromandel Valley but are getting major cold feet. We currently near Henley and the beach etc.
Does anyone live there or have kids at the primary school? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


:help:

Hi Karen,

We live in Coromandel Valley and are really happy here, there are loads of facilities near by and the people are really friendly. We have been here for nearly 2 years even though it wasn't our first choice of suburb.

The train station is only minutes away, as are all the shops in Blackwood. Marion is about 15 - 20 mins and the beach about 5 minutes more.

It depends what you are looking for, we like the villagey feel to the area and being hidden away in the trees. The plot sizes are generally a bit larger than you get on the flat too. Since we have been here 2 sets of our friends have relocated here.

There are some lovely walks through the valley along the creek and loads of nice reserves. Lots of nice coffee spots locally too!

Unfortunately I don't use the school, but it has a good reputation and is part of the IB program. It is located in lovely grounds, with a reserve and a creek and pond behind it. I believe they have recently had money given to redo the aircon and heating and they have had a new library built and sports courts resurfaced.

Hope that is some help, if there is anything specific you want to know just ask. It is always scary signing on that dotted line, and even more so over here when you feel so tied!

Nikki
xx

We had some information sent from the local school and its looks like a nice school. I cant do links , but when you get on the web site there is a video cam around the school and grounds.
The area is on our visit list when we do our reccie in 11 days :bouncy: :clap: :bouncy:

We think that we will settle in the North East because of Ralphs work, but Coromandel Valley really appealed to us on paper and over the net .
So we have to check it out.
I am surprised you havn't checked out the school and area though before making an offer on a house .
If you make an offer out there is it like Scotland where you have to follow it through, or can you pull out?
Bev
:D

Unless you buy the house at auction, there is a 48 hour cooling off period.
http://wic003lc.server-web.com/~admin417/i...ling-off-period

(learn to do links, it's not that hard :)

Hi,

Thanks for your comments. I have checked out the area and the school and have even tested the local pub. But we don't know anyone there or what it is like to live there. It really appeals as it's so green and the plot we are interested in is huge, you definitely get more for your money up there.
I was just wondering if anyone had kids at the local school to get 1st hand views.
Thanks again for your advice.

trees.....nice in winter....scary in summer

and one main road entrance/exit......if that gets blocked during a fire........(shudder)


having said that...it's a nice part of the world, although there is a lot of complacency relating to fire awareness and preparedness....particularly amongst migrants I suspect.

when living in such areas, there are a few things folk need to consider.......

In a big fire, the chances of a fire truck sitting on your doorstep is virtually zero.
Homeowners need to be prepared prior to the season
Homeowners need to understand that they will likely have to protect their own, and their neighbours property.
There is likely to be no or very reduced mains water
there is likely to be no electricity
Main road is likely to be choked with traffic, making evacuation very difficult and movement of emergency resources/appliances also very difficult.

Homeowners should consider what they can do to prepare for such an incident.....call the local cfs brigade and ask for their advice on your property...look at passive protection (ie tree/shrub placement, placement of flammable materials about the place, decking etc), then consider active protection (sprinkler systems, hose systems, independent water supply, pumps etc)


join the CFS!


As said, lovely part of the world....used to live there and would happily live there again......... but folk should realistically consider the possibilities - however unpalatable, and prepare for them.


will apologise now for a summer of banging on about fire safety :lol: :rolleyes:
http://www.cfs.org.au/

To follow up on Andy's comments, part of "Homeowners should consider what they can do to prepare for such an incident", means being prepared to walk away and let it all go. If you don't think you would be able to make that decision.........

(All of the above goes for Crafers as well.)

Thanks for that Andy.

I will certainly keep your comments in mind when looking for a property - both to buy and to rent.

One of the problems us migrants face is accumulating all the knowledge that native Ozzies take for granted.

Nicola

There are plenty of complacent Aussies too I reckon.





It's just something to consider.....particularly if folk buy houses soon after arriving.....in winter..........it's nice, big blocks, trees, greenery, red wine, brisk walks, etc etc it's almost English in it's feel

However, in early feb, when it's 40 degrees, everything is brown, strong northerly blowing, kids are at school, little one at kindy, dad at work, car's in for a service etc etc etc.........when the CFS siren goes off..........it gives a whole new perspective

I am not trying to put anyone off....I have lived in the hills since arriving here 9 years ago, and wouldn't live down on the flat if you paid me :rolleyes: .
However, as I said, you need to be aware of the possibilities and prepare accordingly.
:)

Must admit, in our search for a home, my voice has often been heard piping up "bit too treey for me here" or "there is only one road into here, how would you get out in a fire?" for me these are real fears and so at this time, I would not choose to live somewhere so densly filled with trees and hard to get to (not saying this is Coromandel Valley, just areas similar) They are beautiful and I was nearly swayed last week in our desparate hunt for a house but now I am glad we have found something and realise it is just not for me, also the more bush like the environment surely the increased frequecy of wildlife visitors (specifically spiders and snakes)?

Karen - it does seem a really nice area and the surrounds too. At least you have cooling off time, keep driving past and around and go with your gut feeling, as long as you are prepared you'll be fine, if you don't feel its for you, pull out now. Good luck with your decision :D

Hi,

Thanks again for your comments guys, I think this has confirmed my gut feeling that it is not for us. (tho' the house was my dream house).
All the things mentioned we have had fears about and I guess if it was right we would have signed the contract by now. Think I've got a difficult phone call to make!!!
Thanks again,
Karen.

Hi Karen!
We live in Hawthorndene but started off in Coromandel, it's such a beautiful area we loved it there (just the house that was not so good!). Our youngest (8) son is at Coromandel Primary School and I must say it's fantastic. He has always struggled with school but the teachers and staff are so friendly and love the children...something we never experienced in the UK...
We find it pretty local to everywhere, only 20 mins to the beach, 10 to marion and again probably 25 to the city, all pretty close really, but far enough to get away from the hussle and bussle of it all.
Hope this helps a little, good luck
sylvi

You sound a bit like the grim reaper, Andy, but what you say is a reality.

As you say, it's not only immigrants who tend to forget (Or not know in the first place), But Aussies forget over time when nothing major has happened. Very serious bushfires don't happen every year, but it is part of the Australian climate that they will, again.

If you haven't been here for a long time, events such as the Ash Wednesday Bushfires of 1983 will most likely not be in your mind, but when you have lived through a day like that, you will make sure you are prepared for bushfires.

I wasn't involved personally, but you could see the smoke, and the eeriness of the day even before the fires started. One journalist actually witnessed his own house burning down as he was reporting. His comments were very chilling. In SA, 28 people died that day, both in the Adelaide Hills and the South-East. In Victoria, it was even worse, with 47 people losing their lives.

A couple of years ago it was near Port Lincoln. There will always be the threat of bushfires, but you can't sit around being scared of something that you may never be involved in. As Andy says, just be prepared. We don't have deathly hurricanes, twisters, huge floods (although that seems like a good idea at the moment!), or large earthquakes, (Even though Adelaide sits on a fault line or two.), so we are lucky in a lot of ways, but our climate leads us to have bushfires in the summer, and every now and then they can be really deadly.

As for the snakes and other wildlife more prevalent in a treed area, I wouldn't be too concerned. The enjoyable wildlife would make up for the possibility of an extra sighting or two of snakes.

Hi

Having a Fire Plan is very important and can save lifes. I live at the Beach and would love to live in the hills it is beautiful. It is not the fires that stop me though it is the SNAKES :sign68: :sign68: :sign68: When I first arrived acouple of years ago the spiders really freaked me out I would scan all rooms before entering I have got over that now and know I have Red Backs in my yard!! If I get bitten then I will get treated. But if a snake bits you and you go to the hospital then you can still die :loopy: I don't really know aas I do not live in the Hills but as far as I knew the hills are far worse for snakes and the hotter and the dryer it get the more the snakes come out to bake in the sun, I know all about stand still shout for help snakes can't hear and all that stuff but Brown Snakes are DANGERous and would I be right in saying if you live in the hills there are more of them. I also know that they are in everyones yard but from speaking to experts.

IF YOU LIVE IN THE HILL WITH THE TREES THERE FAR MORE SNAKES.

Great reply TBA,

I don't think we are complacent. We have had 2 summers in Coro now and have seen the smoke coming from KI and the bushfires lipping Clarendon.

I also know people who lived through Ash Wednesday and watched the fire destroy the houses on the edge of Hahndorf - they lived in Hahndorf too.

We have a bush fire plan and we attended an evening at the CFS on bushfire safety in our first year. In our old house we had a pool and watertanks, but here we haven't and will be looking at some other water sources, we also plan on having tree surgeons out to check our gardens as we have loads of trees and there is a large one overhanging the house. We have a sprinkler system installed on the roof, but I hadn't considered that the mains might be off, so thanks for that.

We did consider this threat when moving here, but decided that the benefits outweigh the risks. Incidentally we originally lived in a different suburb (also high fire risk) and last year the CFS stated that they would not even attempt to enter that area if there was a fire.

As for wildlife, as I speak there are wild birds on our balcony and a koala (I think it has a baby too) sat in the tree right outside our lounge window!! We have lived in this area for 2 years now and I have not yet seen a snake either. (Not saying they are not there - just haven't seen one).

Oh and just a point - Coromandel Valley spreads in a number of directions and some areas that some of us would consider Blackwood or Craigburn Farm are actually part of Coro too and don't necessarily have the same issues, eg access.

I hope the OP wasn't put off her "dream house" by these risks. It is obviously best to be aware and ready. But if you feared everything in life you would never leave the house (which is where incidentally the most accidents happen).

Good luck Karen,

Nikki
xx

Great reply Nikki,

What have I started!!!!!
No, I have never heard of Ash Wednesday, we have only been here less than a year. It is definitely worth considering.

We are still procrastinating, will let you know what we decide at the weekend.


Thanks again.
Karen.

Absolutely!

Re snakes: Seriously, your likelihood of being bitten is extremely rare, especially if you don't try to kill them or interfere with them. It is very fortunate that they will attempt to escape if they feel the vibrations of you coming towards them. The most likely scenario is to see the tail of one when it is trying to get away from you. The majority of bites are from people attempting to kill them. You are FAR more likely to be killed in a car accident, than by a snake-bite, even though it has happened on a very few occasions.

I know that when you are not in a place, your mind can run amok with imagining what it will be like re things like snakes, but once you've lived here (for people still in the UK), you will probably wonder why you were afraid. I have lived in Australia for 50+ years, and have rarely seen snakes, even when living on a farm for the first 18 years. I have lived in my current home in the foothills for about ten years, and have sighted two snakes in the backyard. On the other hand, I daily watch magpies drink from the water I supply for them just outside my study window (actually, in the spring, they can be more dangerous than snakes!), I interract with a blue-tongued lizard in the backyard frequently during the warmer months, I delight in the sight and sound of the rainbow lorikeets and other beautiful parrots, and enjoy the cheekiness of the smaller birds. We have at least two koalas who frequent the gully next to our home, and I love to spot them in the trees, and watch if they decide to be active. I DON'T worry about the possibility of a snake being in our backyard, although it is quite a possibility.

Likewise, Nikki, I wouldn't be put off living in a dream home, because of the possibility of fire. Providing you are as prepared as you ever can be for such an occurrence. As you say, if you spent your life not doing things because of possible bad things that could happen, you would have a very difficult time deciding where it is safest. More people die on average from house fires caused by accidental fires in homes, than bushfires. Risk is everywhere, and you just have to decide to what extent of risk you are comfortable with.

yeek....hope not :D

just sharing experience I suppose....and pointing out something that people might not have considered, as they have no prior experience.

I guess in the UK, we are used to having paid emergency services pretty much on hand to deal with emergencies like fire, whereas here....if you live even slightly off the plains, the services you get are voluntary - still very professional and capable, but likely to be your next door neighbour, or the girl down the road........
So places like Belair, Blackwood, Eden Hills - despite their closeness to the city, are all covered by volunteers....and that goes for bush fires, house fires, road crashes, etc etc.
Even a place like Seaford, although quite heavily populated is, (as yet), covered only by volunteers.


it may or may not be an issue for some people





As I've said before, despite this, I wouldn't want to live anywhere other than the hills. I love the scenery, the wildlife, the community and the relative peace and quiet. I think the important bit is to be as prepared as much as you can be....then not to worry too much.


and don't worry at all about snakes :)

We have 2 girls at Coromandel school, and I love it. The emphasis is on the child and not just ability. Children are given awards for caring attitudes and all sorts of moral type standards as part of the IB program, they are presented with certificates in assembly. The school is very relaxed, I have been extemely happy with the school and can highly recommend it.

We live in Flagstaff Hill, but I often think about moving up to coro. Also The Duck in on main road sells wonderful meals. It has a roaring log fire in the winter.

Hope this reassures you.

Regards Carol