Maryborough VIC

[Wokko]

Heading up there today to look at houses with a view to possible relocation. Anyone on here ever lived, worked, visited the place and can give me the inside scoop?

FWIW I've loved living in both Bendigo and Woodend and despise Geelong with a burning passion.

[Tannin]

Lovely town, I'd live there myself like a shot. Economically, the broader district has (from memory) the highest proportion of people living below the poverty anywhere in Victoria, but it's anything but a slum - country people have a marked ability to live well and enjoy life on the smell of an oily rag. Maryborough has a strong community life and provides everything one could sensibly ask for by way of facilities. Best of all, you are close to both 3. and me. Sing out when you get organised and we will meet up for a beer, a coffee, or a game of pétanque in Clunes.

[nomadjack]

Have had family living there for the last twenty years so have spent quite a bit of time there. In my opinion its a complete and utter shithole. No work, high unemployment especially amongst the young, and full of illicit drugs (ICE becoming a major problem). If you are familiar with Bendigo it's like a big version of Long Gully and California Gully. If you are looking for somewhere like Woodend you'll be sadly disappointed.

[Wokko]

Woodend was nice, but weekend tourism was a pain in the arse and it's too expensive.

Well that's two wildly disparate opinions. FWIW I'm in Geelong right now, which has high unemployment, drugs and a shrinking retail base (CBD is becoming a ghost town). About to leave (been ready for two hours, but waiting for someone to get their clothes just right)

[nomadjack]

Has good facilities but none of the charm of Clunes or Woodend unfortunately. I spent most of my life in small country towns and fully appreciate the community spirit and resilience you often find. While Maryborough has elements of it I'm sure, there are far too many nasty do-nothing drug-addled hillbilly farknuckles for my liking.

Castlemaine is pretty as is Maldon and both have a nice feel about them although Maldon is very touristy now. I also lived in Sunbury for three years until recently and it had a lot more going for it. Country feel, solid country people, good community and close enough to the city to commute and get to the footy without any problems. Not bad house prices either.

[Tannin]

Nomadjack has lived there, I've only passed through and visited. (Well, I did do my teaching rounds there but that was a very long time ago.) His experience is vastly greater than mine. Nevertheless, I've always liked Maryborough and wouldn't hesitate to live there.

I wouldn't expect it to be remotely like Woodend, more similar to Castlemaine or even Bendigo. Like them, it is a real town with a bit of size about it. Woodend these days is a mixture of a cheapish dormitory suburb, a city weeekender, and probably the remains of a country village, but you know that.

PS: Woodend? "Charm?" Interesting notion. (I grew up near Woodend, always regarded it as a place you have to go through if you want to get to some other place.)

[nomadjack]

^^^
Just to clarify, I never lived there myself but visited often. My two sister-in-laws lived there which probably has a lot to do with my low opinion of it...


We quite often take our bikes for a run through Gisborn, Woodend, Mt Macedon. Beautiful country to me - then again I haven't had to live there....

[think positive]

my sisters live just past Romsey, near lancefield, magnificent country, people are lovely.

[Tannin]

Sisters-in-law

[David]

Victoria's answer to Salt Lake City, you're suggesting?

Woodend is our favourite day trip destination—we've been heading up there regularly since the beginning of our relationship. We talked about living there at some stage, though I think we'd want somewhere with a little more of an arts scene. Castlemaine sounds like it'd be a good destination for that.

[nomadjack]

[Tannin]

Actually, I was just being a grammar nazi .... which would doubtless be less trouble in the family than two sisters-in-law. Or, as my mother calls them, the dills.

[Wokko]

I have two little bitchy Brothers in Common Law who I'd happily trade for a couple of Sisters

[3.14159]

[Wokko]

Cheers 3 (and Tannin earlier), it'd be nice to move somewhere and not be totally isolated. About the only bad things I've seen doing research is medical care (GP) is difficult and many people just drive to nearby towns or even Ballarat, and it's a bit bogan (which is fine by me).

Also surprisingly seems to be issues with people dinging each others cars in Kmart car park and driving off.