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The Rumours Thread

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,249
Sydney is the shittest city in the world. I’ve been sitting in an Uber and moved 150m in past 40 minutes trying to get through Friday evening traffic. It’s a shithole, if only I could move out of this cesspool of a city, I hate it.
Wasn't always that way Crush. I feel very lucky to have enjoyed an upbringing in Sydney, the greatest city in the world imo, great times in the 70s and 80s. But I moved up north in 1998. I keep coming back and still love the place, but only need one trip down King George's Road to remind me why I moved out.
 

Mojo

Bench
Messages
3,380
Wasn't always that way Crush. I feel very lucky to have enjoyed an upbringing in Sydney, the greatest city in the world imo, great times in the 70s and 80s. But I moved up north in 1998. I keep coming back and still love the place, but only need one trip down King George's Road to remind me why I moved out.
I did the same Willow. Born and bred in Sydney - a Kogarah boy. It was a fantastic lifestyle during the 60s through to the 80s but, very sadly, sitting in a traffic jam in Concord one day, watching a couple of youths kicking a tin can down the street, I just decided this isn’t where I want to raise my family. We pulled-up stumps and relocated to the Gold Coast immediately after the 2000 Olympics. We still love Sydney - to visit occasionally- but wouldn’t move back there - even though we‘d be more asset rich had we stayed.
 

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,249
I did the same Willow. Born and bred in Sydney - a Kogarah boy. It was a fantastic lifestyle during the 60s through to the 80s but, very sadly, sitting in a traffic jam in Concord one day, watching a couple of youths kicking a tin can down the street, I just decided this isn’t where I want to raise my family. We pulled-up stumps and relocated to the Gold Coast immediately after the 2000 Olympics. We still love Sydney - to visit occasionally- but wouldn’t move back there - even though we‘d be more asset rich had we stayed.
I go to Sydney for every Kogarah game and find it's great to catch up with old friends. It's funny, my better half and I do touristy stuff we never did when we were living there. Great place to visit... etc.

We have very similar stories Mojo. Young family in the 1990s. Living in Rockdale above our business at the time. One day I was working and looking out the window saw a bloke get out of his car and punch into another driver sitting in his car. It was over nothing, just dumb anger. Short time later someone hanged themselves off the Target carpark behind our rented home. Plus I regularly cleaned up syringes in the alley way there because it backed onto our premises. Suffice to say it wasn't a good place for kids to explore. We tried to buy a home with a proper yard but it was like chasing smoke. I figured the best days of Sydney were gone. Not a good place for our kids. Also, I found I was getting desensitised by it all.

Went to the Gold Coast in 1997 for a holiday and saw houses twice the size and half the price. Eventually moved in 1998. I have one more year to go and I can call myself a 'local'. I've been told that 25 years in the required time. lol.

In comparison it was like a country town back then so we had to adjust. You could shoot a cannon ball down Scarborough Street on a Saturday night and hit no one. We looked at each other and said "what the f**k have we done?" lol.

More BBQs was the answer. We discovered that the Broadwater was a treasure and we spent our weekends diving and taking advantage of the free bbqs. Financially it hurt us. I had to start from scratch again. And as you alluded to, the real estate pricing was fairly stagnant. It was definitely a lifestyle move, not a monetary investment. But even that changed for the better.

Now it's a proper city. People moving in by the thousands every month. I know this because I whinge about the traffic on that f**ken M1. lol.
 

Dragon David

First Grade
Messages
7,491
The Government spends billions of dollars on new road infrastructure particularly the big motorways and cross connex projects and all it takes is for a breakdown and the whole system is effed. The problem with these new highways and bi-ways is that traffic has got to eventually merge and then you get the congestion. The cost to millions of commuters (private and business) is horrendous who have to pay the motorway owners' fortunes a year on tolls.

But, there are of course, after putting aside the dollars having to be paid out on tolls, the advantage of saving time which in a way can save you dollars by spending more hours on the job to earn more bucks.

I drove everyday from Sydney's nor-west area to Glebe and back for a decade and a half along Victoria Road and on most days there were bottlenecks along the way but I got used to them as there wasn't anything anyone could do anyway. Breakdowns/accidents were a curse of course and the much longer delays meant getting into work much later.

The number of cars on the roads will increase as the population grows which is obvious I know and it will continue as part and parcel of our existence.

Unfortunately, when it comes to living and driving/commuting in and around Sydney with all the cars/trucks, buses etc. particularly during peak hour traffic, it can be a nightmare but this happens everywhere in other countries and many worse (L.A. USA for example).

For those who reach retirement and the benefit of having sufficient funds to see them out during their latter years, moving away to smaller regions or other parts of the country where there are far fewer people and less traffic on the roads is the alternative. Maybe a big jackpot win on the Lotteries is the answer?
 

Mojo

Bench
Messages
3,380
The Government spends billions of dollars on new road infrastructure particularly the big motorways and cross connex projects and all it takes is for a breakdown and the whole system is effed. The problem with these new highways and bi-ways is that traffic has got to eventually merge and then you get the congestion. The cost to millions of commuters (private and business) is horrendous who have to pay the motorway owners' fortunes a year on tolls.

But, there are of course, after putting aside the dollars having to be paid out on tolls, the advantage of saving time which in a way can save you dollars by spending more hours on the job to earn more bucks.

I drove everyday from Sydney's nor-west area to Glebe and back for a decade and a half along Victoria Road and on most days there were bottlenecks along the way but I got used to them as there wasn't anything anyone could do anyway. Breakdowns/accidents were a curse of course and the much longer delays meant getting into work much later.

The number of cars on the roads will increase as the population grows which is obvious I know and it will continue as part and parcel of our existence.

Unfortunately, when it comes to living and driving/commuting in and around Sydney with all the cars/trucks, buses etc. particularly during peak hour traffic, it can be a nightmare but this happens everywhere in other countries and many worse (L.A. USA for example).

For those who reach retirement and the benefit of having sufficient funds to see them out during their latter years, moving away to smaller regions or other parts of the country where there are far fewer people and less traffic on the roads is the alternative. Maybe a big jackpot win on the Lotteries is the answer?
I'm still working on the proposition in your last sentence.
 

Crush

Coach
Messages
10,490
It’s just hard work.
Live in the suburbs, still renting, will never afford to buy, sit in traffic for 15-20 hours a week, car parks in the city are priced so high as to discourage anyone other than corporate credit cards from parking in them.
Road rage is rife, you make the slightest error in traffic and prepare to be abused.
Tolls, lol, I spend a small fortune on tolls.
I refuse to get in my car on weekends, the roads have made me a weekend recluse!
Gold Coast sounds great….
 

Dragon David

First Grade
Messages
7,491
It’s just hard work.
Live in the suburbs, still renting, will never afford to buy, sit in traffic for 15-20 hours a week, car parks in the city are priced so high as to discourage anyone other than corporate credit cards from parking in them.
Road rage is rife, you make the slightest error in traffic and prepare to be abused.
Tolls, lol, I spend a small fortune on tolls.
I refuse to get in my car on weekends, the roads have made me a weekend recluse!
Gold Coast sounds great….
There lies the answer I suppose Crush. A great friend of mine lived in the Eastwood then Dundas area for years and as his daughter and her husband and kids had moved up to the Gold Coast and rented up there, he and his wife decided to sell up and was able to buy outright a much bigger home on the Gold Coast and is loving it up there. Their daughter has recently been able to buy in one of the suburbs up there now. It's doable but if you are still working and need to for a while, you might have to continue renting up there in a quieter area.

Willow sorted things out many years ago by the looks of what he has posted so maybe if you still have the time and energy to move away and then rent say somewhere in the Gold Coast where it is quieter, it won't take that long to re-adjust. There are so many Dragons supporters up that way and the lifestyle is very good as well as you would probably know.

The cost of living in Sydney is the highest in any city of Australia and it will get worse.

Life is too short to suffer the ways of the world.
 

BBTB

Juniors
Messages
915
There lies the answer I suppose Crush. A great friend of mine lived in the Eastwood then Dundas area for years and as his daughter and her husband and kids had moved up to the Gold Coast and rented up there, he and his wife decided to sell up and was able to buy outright a much bigger home on the Gold Coast and is loving it up there. Their daughter has recently been able to buy in one of the suburbs up there now. It's doable but if you are still working and need to for a while, you might have to continue renting up there in a quieter area.

Willow sorted things out many years ago by the looks of what he has posted so maybe if you still have the time and energy to move away and then rent say somewhere in the Gold Coast where it is quieter, it won't take that long to re-adjust. There are so many Dragons supporters up that way and the lifestyle is very good as well as you would probably know.

The cost of living in Sydney is the highest in any city of Australia and it will get worse.

Life is too short to suffer the ways of the world.
Moved to qld in the mountains 2008.Top spot, not one traffic light. Coldest town in qld. Love it, best move I ever made.
 

qld redvee

Juniors
Messages
1,325
did the same as mojo and willow . born and bred at punchbowl from say 60's to 2015. worked wetherill park so driving became an issue then pressures of work expectations so did the sea change and moved to Hervey Bay where I look after my elderly mother . Laid back lifestyle compared to the rat race of sydney . did your trick Willow - first new years so quiet no car horns no fireworks just nothing . early days up here Id fly back for some red v events but now too hard with mum . Still love the harbour and surrounds for visits but quite glad I made the jump
 

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,249
Moved to qld in the mountains 2008.Top spot, not one traffic light. Coldest town in qld. Love it, best move I ever made.
In the hinterland? Stanthorpe has the title of coldest place in Qld - the granite belt. Which btw is a great place as well. About 3 hours drive inland and there's a real buzz there.
 

BBTB

Juniors
Messages
915
did the same as mojo and willow . born and bred at punchbowl from say 60's to 2015. worked wetherill park so driving became an issue then pressures of work expectations so did the sea change and moved to Hervey Bay where I look after my elderly mother . Laid back lifestyle compared to the rat race of sydney . did your trick Willow - first new years so quiet no car horns no fireworks just nothing . early days up here Id fly back for some red v events but now too hard with mum . Still love the harbour and surrounds for visits but quite glad I made the jump
Actually lived at Riverwood as a child.Went to Narwee boy high. Played Punchbowl high,Ruby union. Great team, had some real hard games.
 

qld redvee

Juniors
Messages
1,325
Actually lived at Riverwood as a child.Went to Narwee boy high. Played Punchbowl high,Ruby union. Great team, had some real hard games.
bbtb we did have a pretty good team at times . When i was there steve folkes and ray downie ( played for dogs) were 2 that went on to better things
 

BBTB

Juniors
Messages
915
In the hinterland? Stanthorpe has the title of coldest place in Qld - the granite belt. Which btw is a great place as well. About 3 hours drive inland and there's a real buzz there.
Yep! Nailed it. Stanthorpe.
Expecting snow this year.
 

BBTB

Juniors
Messages
915
bbtb we did have a pretty good team at times . When i was there steve folkes and ray downie ( played for dogs) were 2 that went on to better things
Yes played for Penshurst RSL
on weekends. Played against a pretty good halfback, in Ross Studwick. On the right week played against Ross twice, Renown halfback, weekend,school he played for Hurstville tech high school. Nice bloke, real competitor. He also went on to bigger things.( Stgeorge,Australia)
 

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,249
Yep! Nailed it. Stanthorpe.
Expecting snow this year.
Earlier this year we stayed at the brewery on our way to the Charity Shield in Mudgee. Really good accomodation in the bush, and only 8 minutes drive to town. I've driven through Stanthorpe a number of times over the years and have noticed how much it has become a really cool place. Both literally and figuratively.
I found myself looking in the real estate windows.
 

BBTB

Juniors
Messages
915
Earlier this year we stayed at the brewery on our way to Mudgee. Really good accomodation in the bush, and only 8 minutes drive to town. I've driven through Stanthorpe a number of times over the years and have noticed how much it has become a really cool place. Both literally and figuratively.
I found myself looking in the real estate windows.
Yes, retired here about 6yrs ago.Just love the climate.
 
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