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Maitland is about two hours drive north from Sydney and is part of the Hunter Valley region. The streets of Maitland are wide and clean and this town is not as industralised as compared to Newcastle. The pace of life here is definitely slower than Sydney and hence makes it a good retirement option for many who still want to be Sydney.

There are many historical buildings dating from the early 1800s in Maitland. Houses here are like the typical houses you can find in the suburbs of Sydney. As there is more land out here, houses here do tend to be slightly bigger than those of the inner city suburbs of Sydney and the streets around here are clean and tidy.

Drummoyne is a beautiful inner city suburb in Sydney. There are both houses and residential units around this area. Roads around here are not as narrow as those that you find in Paddington and houses here are neat and tidy with several small parks around the area.

Drummoyne is famous for Birkenhead Point Shopping Centre. It is a factory outlet that caters to the bargain hunters in Sydney. The view in front of the mall is spectacular and it would be a great to be able to own one of the boats along the marina. Unfortunately, Drummoyne is only serviced by public buses and this can be a nightmare during peak hours as Victoria Road gets clogged up in traffic.

Camperdown is a nice inner city suburb that is within easy walking distance to Sydney University. Additionally, it is only a ten minutes' bus ride to Sydney CBD. There are many terrace houses, residential units and parks around this area. The streets can sometimes get pretty narrow and due to its proximity to the hospital and university, it can sometimes be difficult finding parking.

Additionally, depending on which side of Camperdown you live at, it is only a short stroll to Glebe Point Road or King Street of Newton. There are plenty to eat and do at both these places; from restaurants to shops and etc. Missenden Road at Camperdown can get pretty busy during the mornings too. This is a two-lane road with traffic going in both directions and this road runs parallel to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Be prepared for the traffic lights and pedestrian crossings along Missenden Road.

Carlingford has a large Chinese population and as a result has a lot of different types of Chinese food on offer. There is the usual yum cha along with northern Chinese dumplings and also clay pot rice. If you ever go to the parking lot of either Carlingford Court or Carlingford Shopping Centre, there seem to be Toyota Camrys every where since it is like the Chinese value for money car that every Chinese family drives.

Since it is generally a middle-income area, the houses are quite nice and the streets are relatively wider than those in the inner city suburbs. It is probably easier to commute from Epping station since there are more trains there that go direct to the city rather than catching the train using Carlingford Station.

If you work in North Sydney or even in Sydney, North Sydney is a fantastic place to be. It is well connected by public transport - both buses and trains service this suburb. It is also a quick ten minutes' bus ride into the city. Most people who live on North Sydney find that there is plenty to do in North Sydney and you do not really need to go into the city.

North Sydney is home to many corporations and large organisations. It is the second largest business district in the whole of Sydney. There are malls, boutiques, shops, plenty of restaurants, cafes and pubs to cater for everyone's needs. This convenience does come with a price and you can expect to pay top dollars in rent in North Sydney. Despite the exorbitant prices, it has not deterred demand and people are often on waitlists for rental apartments in North Sydney.

North Sydney is recommended if you like the convenience of being close to work and do not mind the daily hustle and bustle of this high energy city.

Gerroa is slightly more than two hours' drive south from Sydney. It is a beautiful town that leads to the famous Seven Mile Beach - where you are able to enjoy stretches and stretches of white sand. Since the beach is seven miles long, it never gets overly crowded like Bondi Beach and this makes it very enjoyable, as you are able to have your own space and privacy.

There are many beautiful beach houses and apartments around Gerroa. The area is peaceful and tranquil. You will be able to enjoy breathtaking views of the ocean each and every single day. However, there is really not much to do in Gerroa. The closest town is Gerringong and it is there that you will be able to find restaurants and cafes.

Gerringong is about a two hours' drive from Sydney. Visitors to Gerringong will be able to enjoy views of rolling hills and the beach. In Gerringong, you can golf, fish, sail, surf or visit the winery. You are able to access the famous Seven Mile Beach from here.

The people in town are really friendly and there are many shops for your entire daily needs too. I was there over the Easter long weekend and it was not as crowded as I had expected. The best part of Gerringong is that you can buy your lunch from one of the cafes and just sit on the hill overlooking the magnificent blue waters. If that is not life that what is?

Bowral is about an hour's drive south of Sydney. Due to its proximity to Sydney, many Sydney-siders turn to Bowral as a weekend destination. It is a very upmarket country town that features many grand multi-million dollars homes and acreage. There are plenty of golf courses around the area too. When I visited Bowral, I felt that all these characteristics made Bowral somewhat pretentious and very "touristy". Despite this, Bowral is definitely neat and clean.

As like the many other country towns, Bowral has a main street. However, this main street does not have that nice and warm country feeling. Instead, it reminded me of Sydney. The shops here are no different to those that you can find in Sydney and this just makes me wonder why are people so attracted to Bowral when they can just stay in Sydney for the same things. In general, if you are after a quiet weekend getaway, I do not recommend Bowral. Bowral is truly for the rich and retired.

I used to live on the border of Randwick and Kingsford and hence know this suburb pretty well. This is a lovely suburb that is located right next to The University of New South Wales. There is a good mix of both houses and low to medium density residential units. Land sizes here tend to be smaller than the ones out in the West but prices of real estate are definitely dearer. Due to its proximity to the university, properties here are always in high demand. Randwick is also very accessible by public buses and it is only about a twenty minutes' bus ride to the city. Additionally, Randwick is only a short walk to Coogee beach.

Belmore Street is the hub of the suburb. This street features restaurants, cafes, real estate agents, Randwick Plaza Shopping Centre, boutiques and the list goes on. During the day, Belmore Street gets very busy and congested as many locals come here to dine and shop. Further along Ranwick, towards Perouse and St. Paul's Street, is what is known as "The Spot". This is the quirky part of Randwick and is home to the famous Randwick Ritz cinema. There are many small cafes and restaurants around this area. "The Spot" is a popular destination for locals and university students.

Randwick is definitely a great neighbourhood as it is very convenient and close enough to the beach.

Campsie is located in the south west of Sydney. I often visit Campsie for the great Korean restaurant that is located right next to Woolworths. The food there is authentic and it is good value for money too.

The main street of Campsie is packed full of shop, restaurants and cafes. However, driving through that street is quite an ordeal at times when traffic is really bad as it has only one lane. There are also many cars along the streets of the residential area of Campsie due to the lack of parking along the main street for shoppers and diners. Products are generally cheaper in this suburb since real estate is not pricey. Campsie is also connected by buses and there is a train station that services this area.

Hornsby is located on the north side of Sydney and is a good forty minutes' train ride to Central station. There are houses and low-density residential units around here. However, the latter tend to be older style units. There are several good things about Hornsby. You have Hornsby Westfield located in the heart of the suburb. This mall is huge and all your shopping needs will be met here. There are department stores, chain stores, supermarkets, restaurants, cafes and foodcourts in the mall.

Additionally, Barker College is situated about ten minutes' walk from Hornsby station. This is a prestigious private school that boasts of many superior facilities for its students. The streets of Hornsby are lined with lovely trees and there is plenty of street parking to go around. Apart from these benefits, Hornsby is very far from the city. Traffic during peak hours is really bad too.

Wentworthville is a ten minutes' drive from Parramatta and about a thirty minutes' drive to the city via the M4 motorway. It is a very convenient suburb that is well connected by trains and buses. There are schools around here and hence making it a very popular suburb for families with young children.

Dunmore Street and Station Street are the main streets. There are plenty of shops, cafes, restaurants and take away stores around here. There are also many chemists and doctors for your health needs. Franklins and Woolworths also operate out of this suburb.

Wentworthville has a good mix of low-density residential units and houses. It is also very affordable living here as house prices are not as dear as Greystanes.

Shoalhaven Heads is the perfect spot for an outdoor adventure holiday. This town is about a two hours' drive south from Sydney. It is conveniently located next to a beach and a river. From surfing to fishing and sunbathing, there is something to do for everyone. I camped there during Easter and had alot of fun. However, do take note that fleas and sandflies are notorious during the autumn months and a few of us got bitten quite severely.

There are a few shops and a bakery along Shoalhaven Heads Road. However, most of the times, we headed out to Gerroa or Gerringong for most of our supplies, as these are much bigger towns. There is also a bowling club around the area if you are up for some Bocce. I will definitely recommend this place for a weekend getaway and a place to retire to.

Roselands has a reputation for being one of the better suburbs in the southwest of Sydney as compared to the likes of Punchbowl and Wiley Park. The houses here are like any typical Sydney suburbs - big with generous sized backyards. This suburb is only a fifteen minutes' drive to the airport via the M5 and about a thirty minutes' drive to the city.

There is a Roselands Centro to cater to the shopping needs of the locals. There are department stores, banks, boutiques, chain stores and etc. This mall is definitely cleaner and more modern than its Bankstown counterpart. Other recreational venues around here include Roselands Bowling Club, Roselands Soccer Club and Roselands Aquatic Centre.

Fairfield is located in the southwest of Sydney. It is a very multi-cultural city that is well serviced by both buses and train. In recent years, there has been a lot of development happening around this area. More and more residential units are replacing houses to meet the demand of the city's population growth.

There are many Asian restaurants, cafes and shops around the area. There is even a mall that is tucked away in Fairfield. Products here are really cheap as the community is not that affluent. There are also several schools, places of worship and an RSL for your entertainment needs here. This RSL often puts up quality live entertainment for the locals. It is a very convenient and cost effective suburb to live in for sure.

Greystanes is a typical suburb in Western Sydney. It is approximately a thirty minutes drive to the city. Most people who live in Greystanes will catch a bus to get to Parramatta before hopping onto a train to get them to the city. Although it is located in Western Sydney, most families here are middle income and the properties here are generally more expensive as compared to Merrylands and Wentworthville. Houses here tend to be older style but with quite substantial backyards.

In the heart of Greystanes, you can find supermarkets, doctors, chemist, a bakery and etc. Hence, it is convenient for your weekly groceries. There are also plenty of schools around this area, thus making it convenient for parents whose kids are still in school.

Wisemans Ferry is a nice little town on the banks of the Hawkesbury River. There is plenty to do in the area if you are into fishing and boating so it is very popular for locals during summer. The attraction of it all is the little car ferry that operates on the river and can ferry cars across to the other side. A drive through the area or along the banks of the river is quite nice and there are a lot of little spots to fish from or lower a boat. In the town there is not much there except for the one or two motels, pubs and the general store. It is more a fishing spot than anything else.

Blackheath lies about 15 minutes down the road from Katoomba and is a small little country town. It is the main town to drive through if you are heading for a look at Govett’s Leap and also heading towards Jenolan Caves.

Blackheath is a nice place to stop and have a look at the bookstore and cafes with a few hatted restaurants to ensure the upper income crowd are catered for. Vulcans restaurant is quite nice and receives plenty of good reviews; expect to pay about $50 per head for a good meal with excellent deserts. Blackheath also is the home of the Hydro Majestic Hotel. The hotel itself has an excellent colonial feel so a stay here and a visit to Govett’s Leap and dinner at Vulcans is an excellent combination.

Cooma is a country town on the doorstep of the NSW ski fields. There are many motels and ski hire shops in the town along with restaurants to service this stop to the ski fields. Cooma is the budget friendly choice of accommodation if skiing, with many modest motels accommodating the budget conscious family. There are cheap eats like pizza available, and your higher end restaurants. There is also a lot of competition amongst ski hire so you can shop around for the best deal, many of them opening 24 hours during the peak ski periods.

Cooma itself also has an excellent bakery that is on the side street off the main round about in the middle of town. They serve excellent home mad pies with actual pieces of meat that do not taste like they have been in the pie for more than two days. The pubs do not exactly get to all that much at night since everybody who is in the town for the snow tries to sleep early to catch the morning powder.

Dundas is a suburb in the western suburbs of Sydney and about fifteen minutes northeast from the commercial centre of Parramatta. It has a mix of middle-income families and government housing estates that flows from the Telopea end of town so the mix in income standards is quite varied. A train station on the Carlingford line services Dundas itself and everybody has to change trains at Clyde, if they use the service, before they connect with a train to the city.

The houses in Dundas are quite nice and are at the southern tip of the belt of middle income suburbs like Carlingford, Beecroft, etc. There is not that much to do in Dundas apart from a few clubs and pubs so it is more a residential area that has plenty of parks and quiet streets. The local public school has opportunity class placements, which makes it a popular area for Asian families.