RippedOff

Partner and I moved into McLaren Flat over 8 years ago hoping to soak up some country charm but have been severely disappointed. The new housing estates are full of people from the socio low economic areas of the Fleurieu looking to make a big step up in the world. You'd think by the way they carry on they're Eastern Suburb material but generally their poorly educated and pretty shallow. There is of course some decent folks around but most them hide in their homes from the gossiping good for nothing bullying gangs that go out of their way to make you feel unwelcome. It's all a big competition. Gotta have the new house and the new car in the driveway too. The divorce rate and house sales that follow are an indication of the failed gotta have it all lifestyle.
No one likes the neighbour on one side of me because all he wants to tell you is how much bigger and better his house is. As for the other side well I've lost count of how many times their piss ups have kept my kids from sleeping in their bedrooms but apparently according to them I'm really ugly because I call the police to complain about the noise. But hey, they're abusive alcoholics and everyone else seems to like them so maybe I'm just uptight. The television show Neighbours would kill for the stories of deceit that are instigated in that house. I remember someone telling me years ago that if didn't own land or have your families last name plastered on a wine bottle you wouldn't fit in here. They were right. You can add completely self centred and shallow to that list too. And if you want to live in Jayden Court don't forget to bring enough Christmas lighting to light a small suburb. It's the latest tourist attraction. I don't know if they've heard of a suburb called Lobethal because it's probably where the should've gone to live.
As for services, well finally, we almost have a footpath on two sides of the Main Street, the local playground is great for under 5 year olds. Nothing for older kids like a small skatepark. In the last eight years the General Store is on it's fourth set of owners but at least we have a shop. There is no postal service. You need to get your mail from the General Store, a real pain when a lot of online shops won't deliver to a PO Box. I don't know why they bothered with a bus service because it's rarely used and has brought the territorial graffiti along with it. The local wineries are great if drinking wine and gourmet food is your thing but not much for families with young kids except for the Friday Night Lions Club Dinner. The local public primary school is OK. If you like soccer or netball or cricket or lawns bowls or tennis or horse riding or are a veteran road bike racer and want to pay the applicable club membership fees then this is probably the place for you. McLaren Flat could do with a bike lane down to the Vale and some safer pedestrian walkways. The traffic is not too bad however continual road works (South Rd./Victor Harbour road upgrade) and now the Victor Harbour Rd./Main Rd. overpass under path into the Vale makes us take the alternate route through Clarendon. It takes 25 minutes to drive to Collonades and about 18 minutes to drive to Seaford.
I feel for the long term residents of The Flat and totally understand their opinion of the town being destroyed by the new housing estates. The Swift Grove Estate has definitely had an impact on the local water fowl in the neighbouring wetland. The over supply of houses has seen the market values stagnant if not drop. You'd have to admit that McLaren Flat is always going to be the poor cousin to the Vale. And to be quite honest I have never felt so bullied and socially isolated as I have living here. We moved here to get away from the rat race and ended up living right in the middle of it. Would I recommend McLaren Flat to anyone well errr ummmm If you can't afford an acreage............. any other suburb in the South'll do. And please don't forget to bring a set of steak knifes with you, you'll need them to counteract all the backstabbers you'll meet.