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Bonnyrigg is located about an hours' drive southwest from Sydney City. It is a very multicultural neighbourhood with many migrants living here due to the relatively cheaper housing prices. The closest train station will have to be Cabramatta and most residents will drive to Cabramatta, park their car there before catching a train to the city (if they do work in the city). Bonnyrigg is also serviced by a T-way and hence is pretty convenient getting to Liverpool (which is the closest suburb that has a Westfield).

There are a couple of different places of worships for different religions. For example, there is a Chinese temple and a Burmese temple in Bonnyrigg. There is an Aldi supermarket along Cabramatta Road and Bonnyrigg Plaza boasts a few more other retail shops. Bonnyrigg is a good place to live if you work around this side of Sydney. However, if you work in the city, the commute can be pretty long and driving to the city usually takes an hour and a half each way during peak hours.

Berala is a suburb to the west of Sydney and is about a thirty minutes' drive from Sydney city. Mainly families live around this area and most of them commute to work in the city using train that stops at Berala station. The journey from Berala to the city via train is about forty-five minutes to an hour and you will need to change train at Lidcombe station.

Berala is typical suburbia with family homes and a handful of residential units sprouting around the suburb. As with any typical suburb in the west of Sydney, there is a "town centre". For Berala, this town centre, located next to the station, boasts a few Vietnamese restaurants and a handful of other shops. Apart from that, there is really nothing interesting about Berala.

Footscray is about a twenty minutes' drive west from Melbourne city. This is a very interesting suburb where you can find plenty of Asian cuisines, supermarkets and shops. This is the suburb to visit in Melbourne if you are after authentic Vietnamese food. Different restaurants cater to different crowds. For example, for lunch, there are Vietnamese restaurants that offer the traditional noodles, soups and rice. At night, for dinner, there are restaurants that offer seafood dinner and patrons are encouraged to sing Karoake during dinner.

The Asian supermarkets here offer plenty of fruits, vegetables and condiments for the Asian community. The prices are very reasonable and often you can pick from a wide variety of goods that are on offer. During certain months, you will also be able to find more exotic fruits such as mangosteens, durians and star fruits. I recommend this suburb to those who are after a more exotic experience when in Melbourne.

Lorne is situated along the Great Ocean Road of Victoria and is about a two and a half hours' drive from Melbourne. The road to The Great Ocean Road is pretty straight forward. However, be prepared for bendy and windy roads on your way to Lorne and the other towns along The Great Ocean Road. It is a good idea to bring a bag for those who frequently experience car sickness.

Lorne is a beach town that offers plenty of swanky restaurants, cafes and accommodation for those visiting The Great Ocean Road. It is also a great place for surfing, fishing and visiting the surroundings of The Great Ocean Road. There is the Otways National Park, Melba Gully, Triplet Falls and etc around the area for some serious exploration. However, it is a slightly more expensive place to stay and holiday as compared to Apollo Bay.

Port Fairy is located almost at the end of the famous Great Ocean Road of Victoria. It is approximately a four hours' drive from Melborune. The drive along the coastal route can get pretty "windy" but the view is absolutely breathtaking. As it is a relatively further town as compared to the likes of Apollo Bay and Lorne, it is much smaller and quieter.

When I visited Port Fairy a couple of years back, I noticed two pubs of very distinct flavours in the main part of town. The pub on one side of the main street has more of a local feel and is more like your typical country town pub without any fanfare. The pub on the other side of the main street is swankier looking and more for those with more money to throw around. Additionally, there are many boutiques and shops around the area that service tourists. Despite it being a small town, the locals were not very friendly like what you would expect from a small town. Instead, the tourists were friendlier than the locals.

Crows Nest is located about a twenty minutes' drive north from Sydney. There are buses that service this area and the closest train station is located in St. Leonards. It is about a thirty minutes' bus ride to get into the city if there is not much traffic.

Crows Nest is a good mix of commercial, high-rise residential apartments and houses. There are plenty of professional services business, boutiques, supermarket, restaurants, pubs, cafes and animal hospital in Crows Nest. Unfortunately, it is often very difficult to find parking in Crows Nest and this is especially so on the weekends. Due to it's convenient location, it is a very popular area for young, professional working individuals and hence rental prices are on the higher scale as there is high demand for housing around this area.

Apollo Bay is a great beach town located along The Great Ocean Road. This is a nice town that is not as pricey as its Lorne counterpart. However, Apollo Bay is slightly further from Melbourne than Lorne is. Nonetheless, the distance should not matter when you are witness the breath taking view along The Great Ocean Road.

I stayed at the YHA in Apollo Bay a couple of years back. It was new, clean, reasonably priced and eco-friendly. Dubbed a five stars YHA, I have to agree with that rating especially when there is a nice kitchen facility, TV room and a fireplace to warm up the place during the cold winter months.

There are shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants along the main road of Apollo Bay. It feels very safe to walk around the neighbourhood at night and people around here are really friendly too. I would highly recommend Apollo Bay to anyone wanting to spend a night at The Great Ocean Road for their holiday.

Botany is a nice and neat suburb that is located about a twenty to thirty minutes' drive from Sydney. The easiest way to get to Botany from the city will be via public buses. Additionally, the closet shopping mall is located in Pagewood, that is about a ten minutes' drive from Botany. There are many pubs, cafes, shops and restaurants around the main road. The Waterworks hotel is a nice and cosy pub that is often frequented by the locals. Pizza is also served at the bistro in the hotel.

There are mainly houses and low density apartments in this suburb. Many who work at the airport like living around here as it is really close to the airport. On the flip side, residents around Botany are often exposed to the noise pollution that is caused by the aircrafts.

Alexandria is an inner city suburb that is about four kilometres to Sydney and there are plenty of buses that service this area. It is usually a twenty to thirty minutes' bus ride to the city or a fifteen minutes' drive to the city. You can also find pubs and cafes around the area.

As a typical inner city suburb in Sydney, the roads in Alexandria are very narrow. Often, buses will have to go on the kerb just to be able to make a turn. Hence, it is a good idea for pedestrians to stand away from the kerb to avoid being hit by a bus.

Alexandria is a good mix of commercial warehouses, residential high rise and low density units as well as heritage terrace houses. Due to its proximity to the city, Sydney University and The University of New South Wales, housing in Alexandria is highly sought after.

Mildura is a country town located on the border of Victoria and New South Wales. It is approximately a twelve hours drive from Sydney to Mildura via the Hume Highway and Sturt Highway. It is a good idea to make Wagga Wagga your pit stop before heading to Mildura. This is because the road between Mildura and Wagga Wagga is all grassland and there are no shops or stops around this area.

Mildura is famous for its oranges and wines. There are a few boutique wineries and plenty of fruit farms. Additionally, there is a town centre where locals are able to get their daily necessities. Just like any other country towns, there are restaurants, cafes and fast food. A nice place to visit in Mildura is the Murray River, which is great for a family day out.

Kemps Creek has to be one of the most beautiful places in Sydney. It is a complete opposite to the St. Mary's end of Mamre Road and not many people know of Kemps Creek. Kemps Creek is filled with acreages and land. There are fields, horses, hobby farms, ponds and stables around this place. Driving along Mamre Road during sunset, you will notice the most picturesque side of Kemps Creek with the light reflecting off the water and the tranquility that you can feel while driving through Kemps Creek.

The only drawback is the fact that you need a car to get around. The closet motorways are the M4 and M7.

Tregear is about forty to fifty minutes' drive west from Sydney via the M4 motorway. There are many houses around this area but they are a mix of private owned and public housing. I used to work around here and never had a good impression of this place. This was because, I often encounter police cars parked outside the houses and the cops used to raid the houses around here.

There is a small shopping complex with a supermarket, fruit market, shops and cafe. Apart from this, there is nothing much to do. The next major centre is located in Mount Duitt, which is about a ten minutes' drive away. I would not recommend living around this area if you can avoid it.

For those looking for value for money when it comes to housing, South Granville can potentially be the solution to your answer. South Granville is located in the west of Sydney and it takes about forty minutes to drive to the city via the M4 motorway. This suburb is self-contained and has it's own local shops, butchers and convenience store. It is also an easy drive away from Woolworth's that is located in Granville. The houses in South Granville are mainly made of fibro, weatherboard and brick.

If you head further south, you will find many warehouses and commercial buildings. Additionally, the closest train station for South Granville will be Granville station. Most residents of South Granville will drive to Granville station and park their cars there before catching a train to the city. There are not too many buses that service this area. Due to these factors, rent and house prices are not as costly as those in the inner city suburbs.

Mosman is a suburb located to the north of Sydney next to Cremorne. On a day without traffic, Mosman is only a twenty to thirty minutes' bus ride into the city via Military Road. However, during peak hours, Military Road gets extremely congested and it is advisable to give yourself more travel time during those periods. Another way of getting to the city from Mosman will be via the Ferry.

Mosman is very densely populated due to its proximity to the harbour and the city. There are many residential units here and a handful of houses. People who live here are usually young working professionals. Mosman is also a a very convenient location with plenty of shops, boutiques, cafes, restaurants, banks and furniture shops around the area. Prices here do tend to be more expensive as rental does cost more here as compared to the Western suburbs of Sydney.

Gladesville is a nice suburb that is located about ten kilometres north Sydney. There are no trains around this area and residents have to mainly rely on buses to get into the city. The buses run along Victoria Road and during peak hours, this road gets very congested. It will be a good idea to give yourself extra travel time during peak hours. Another alternative, albeit more expensive option, will be to travel via the ferry to the city.

There are many nice houses, townhouses and apartments around this area. The streets are not unusually narrow and provides easy access into and out of Gladesville. There are many shops, cafes and restaurants along Victoria Road. This makes it quite a convenient suburb to live in. I would recommend this suburb to those who do not mind getting to the city by bus.

Beechworth is a charming, and tidy little town located in the north-east of Victoria. The drive from Melbourne to Beechworth is about three hours. Beechworth is famous for its gold rush history, association with Ned Kelly and Beechworth bakery. There is even a Chinese museum to educate people on the history of the Chinese people and their contribution to the gold rush period in Beechworth.

Just like any other country town, there are plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants around Beechworth for the whole family. The most interesting shop will have to be the lolly shop. This shop stocks all types of different lollies that you can think of. Also, there are plenty of heritage buildings around this area. Despite their age, they have been well maintained and kept alive by the businesses that are conducted on those premises. Each year, Beechworth attracts plenty of tourists and it is a definite must-see town if you are ever in rural Victoria.

Collaroy is a lovely suburb located on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. It is approximately a thirty to forty minutes' drive from the city (depending on traffic) and it does not get as busy as Dee Why and Manly. There are mainly houses here and they are often built on hills. The streets around the residential area can be quite narrow at times too.

Along the main strip of Collaroy, you can find your organic food cafe, a milk bar, surf shops and a day spa. It is a rather small suburb as compared to Dee Why and that is pretty much the reason why it is not as crowded as Dee Why. Many people love living here because of its proximity to the beach. However, getting to the city during peak hours can be a real chore due to its distance and the sheer amount of traffic on Pittwater Road.

Edensor Park is located about thirty-eight kilometres southwest of Sydney. It is very close to suburbs such as Bonnyrigg and Bossley Park. There are plenty of big houses around this area as land is relatively cheaper than the inner suburbs of Sydney. This suburb is very multicultural with many families of different cultural background calling this place their home.

When you drive along the streets of Edensor Park, you will notice that some houses are out of proportion compared to the rest of the neighbourhood. There are a handful of MacManions that have been overbuilt and they look like they have at least ten rooms within the house. Additionally, the nearest train station will have to be Cabramatta. Hence, if you live here but work in the city, you will have to drive to Cabramatta, leave your car there and catch a train from Cabramatta station to the city. All in all, it is a typical Sydney suburb but really inconvenient for those who work in the city.

Canley Vale is located about thirty kilometres south of Sydney. There is a train station that services this suburb and it takes between forty minutes to an hour of travel to get to Sydney CBD (depending on the time of the day). Canley Vale can be likened to a smaller version of Cabramatta as there are plenty of Vietnamese people who reside around this area. The houses in Canley Vale are a good mix of fibro, weatherboard and brick.

Along the main road, Canley Vale Road, you will find many shops such as restaurants, bakeries, newsagency, accountants and plenty more. There is even a pub around the area that offers some pretty inexpensive but good yum cha. Many locals frequent the restaurants around this area and parking is never a problem here as there is plenty to go around for everyone.

Karani Avenue in Guildford West is a nice block that is nestled away from the hustle and bustle of Guildford. This street is lined with many trees and there is a park that is located right in front of Karani Avenue. I know of a family who lives here and I often visit them at Karani Avenue.

The neighbours are really friendly here and the houses are very well kept. There are mainly young families around this area and most of them have nice cars and boats parked in their driveway. Karani Avenue is a stone's throw away from the T-way to Parramatta. This makes it very easy to get to Parramatta and there are also buses that go to Merrylands station. It is about a ten to fifteen minutes' bus ride to Merrylands. The only flaw with this place will have to be the lack of a train station, otherwise it will be the perfect place for a family.