Thank you very much everyone for your precious feedback. We have started to check all the places you mention.
Insurance: below 31 degrees means the cheapest premium with no specific constraints. But if the cost of life in (for instance) Pittwater is much more expensive than Brisbane, then we could decide to spend the cyclone season there.
Here are our parameters (= same as 90% of cruising families I guess):
-
security (risk of theft, unsafe to swim because of sharks, crocodiles - any in Lake Macquarie? etc)
- if on the hook or buoy, possibility to leave the boat for a couple of weeks without worrying too much
- local cost of life (food, transportation, etc... What kind of difference can we expect between Pittwater and Port Macquarie, for instance?)
- convenience (presence of a
dinghy dock, shops within walking distance)
- possible local nuisances (mosquitoes, pollution,
noise from traffic...)
- privacy (not too close to shore / urbanized areas, even if, after 2 years in
French Polynesia, we don't expect to skinny dip nor be able to
shower outside anymore)
- ease of access from land (bus lines or car rental)
- good and safe schools nearby
Any of you know how much, about, we would have to pay to sign up our
children, as non-residents? (High
school, Middle
school and Primary school) - we haven't done our homework yet. Can major differences be expected, for public schools, between a suburb of Sydney or Brisbane, and a small town?
Thanks!
PS: Yes, it did cross our mind that Hobart must be an "Australian Wellington", but after more than 3 years swimming nearly everyday in warm waters, we are not sure we can handle the cold... We will check though.