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HKGC trial move 2012

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jan 2012
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    2

    HKGC trial move 2012

    hi all, I've been reading your posts here and i have convinced my husband that we should stay in a serviced apartment for a month before committing to a move from Australia to Hong Kong. We are going to stay in a 2 bedroom serviced apartment in HKGC in April / may this year.

    We currently run an online company here in Australia and we will be opening an additional HK office in Hong Kong if we can get the visa's ect. So we don't need to be in central.

    We have a 1 year old boy that we would like to learn Mandarin while he's little and so we are thinking about a local kindergarten for him.

    We have about $100,000 hkd (after other expenses) to spend on rent and living costs per month in hong kong.

    We were thinking of spending less than $25,000 hk on rent and we were looking at the Gold Coast area. We are thinking about a 3 bedroom apartment as we have lots of family who will be visiting when we move (and retired grandparents who will stay for a while) Neither of us want a car so we are hoping to use the busses/MTR if we need to go anywhere.

    What i want to know is when we come over on our scouting mission:
    1) does this area have good quality shopping for daily items?
    2) Are there lots of Australian brands for baby items? huggies nappies, infacol, nurofen ect?
    3) Are the schools (for a 1 year old and up) in this area that are good. Should i try to view them when we come over for a month?
    4) Is the internet speed and service of a good quality? and is it available in the GC area.
    5) do you have to pay extra for facilities in the hotel? i.e. clubhouse, gym.
    6) anyone know how big the beds are as i'm 6'2?
    7) Out of Central is the office space cheaper and the online services still just as good as in the city centre? Is there office space around the HK GC Area?
    8) Any meet and greet groups in that area?
    9) Any food joints that we should try or avoid?

    I know it's a lot but if you guys can answer a couple we would really appreciate it.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Gold Coast Marina
    Posts
    17,934

    i can answer most of that but too hard my mobile . . Will do when i get home.

    Sent from my GT-P1000 using GeoClicks Mobile


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Gold Coast Marina
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    17,934

    1) does this area have good quality shopping for daily items?

    Yes - there is a MarketPlace supermarket which stocks a wide range of fresh and other produce from around the world. It's one of the "upper" brands of supermarket with more expat goods than others. And priced to match.

    There is a chemist (pharmacy) which also sell the standard products and a few smaller stores (photo stores, laundry etc).

    2) Are there lots of Australian brands for baby items? huggies nappies, infacol, nurofen act?

    I have no idea. But there will be equivalents if not. Between the supermarket and the chemist you should be fine. If they are not sold in GC, probably not found anywhere in HK other than perhaps a few specialist stores in Central.

    3) Are the schools (for a 1 year old and up) in this area that are good. Should i try to view them when we come over for a month?

    There is a kindergarten that operates out of the Yacht CLub and another in Sui lam (just up the road). The only school for older kids is Harrow, opening later this year. That'll be good yes. Otherwise I have seen several school buses pick up at Phase 2 for other schools.

    4) Is the internet speed and service of a good quality? and is it available in the GC area.

    What a stupid question. Yes, of course it is. Where do you think you are coming? Alice Springs?

    5) do you have to pay extra for facilities in the hotel? i.e. clubhouse, gym.

    This is an odd question. You say you are staying in the service apartments? If so, you will be in Phase 2, NOT the hotel. Phase 2 has all its own facilities - clubhouse, gym, swimming pools (plural), squash, tennis, football field etc. You have to pay a nominal fee for some of these - squash, for example, is HKD10 per hour (i.e. just over 1 AUD per hour - hardly noticeable). I don't know about the fees for other stuff.

    If you want a separate club, the Country Club is right next door. It has similar facilities - slightly higher quality (for example, they provide towels etc) and hugely higher costs. That's where I am a member, but only because I live on a boat in the marina and not in Phase 2. I catch buses in Phase 2 and have played plenty of squash there, which is how I know about it.

    6) anyone know how big the beds are as i'm 6'2?

    Huh?

    7) Out of Central is the office space cheaper and the online services still just as good as in the city centre?

    Yes, of course. (bizarre question - we are only about 20km away from the CBD here!) Office rents in Tsuen Wan (for example) are about 10-30% of those in Central.

    Is there office space around the HK GC Area?

    No. Perhaps a few odd commercial buildings or house conversions maybe. Or you could try Tuen Mun (1km up the road) or Tsuen Wan (which is a well developed office location).

    8) Any meet and greet groups in that area?

    Yes - there is a Gold Coast club (never been to their stuff) but it's for expats. Someone on here is a member and will probably post details if they see this thread - unfortunately I cannot recall their name!

    9) Any food joints that we should try or avoid?

    Try them all - I'm not a foodie so my views are probably not helpful here. There is quite a range - from MacDonalds up to a fancy French restaurant (with fancy prices to match). There are also several good restaurants in the hotel.

    Last edited by MovingIn07; 20-01-2012 at 07:56 PM.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Hong Kong
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    176

    If you want your one year old to learn Mandarin, I would suggest getting him in a Mandarin speaking play group or tutor. The local schools here teach in Cantonese.

    hello_there likes this.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Gold Coast Marina
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    Just for you I checked out the nappy aisle in the supermarket this afternoon - full of pampers and huggies.

    Yiou can't buy Nurofen here (I've tried) but you can get the generic ibuprofen pretty easily which is the same thing.

    Last edited by MovingIn07; 21-01-2012 at 10:12 PM.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Mar 2011
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    923

    The name looked familar so dug through my pills drawer and there's a box of nurofen. I don't recall purchasing it but it has a paid-for mannings sticker on the back.


  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jun 2007
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    Ex Sai Kunger Sunny Qld for now
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    You can get Neurofen at any local non franchised pharmacy. Never had any problems buying it here in Sai Kung at the dispensary, either. You can even buy stuff that needs a prescription back in Australia, over the counter here, anti- biotics etc .

    And I did provide a post about 2 years ago for Moving that the pharmacy in Yan Oi market sells both versions of the 200 and the 400 Neurofen, we bought it there all the time, when we lived in the area. The Pharmacy at Tuen Mun City plaza also sells it on the same side of the street as SUNING appliances entrance, at street level.

    Last edited by Skyhook; 21-01-2012 at 11:56 PM.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Gold Coast Marina
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    Quote Originally Posted by Skyhook:
    You can get Neurofen at any local non franchised pharmacy. Never had any problems buying it here in Sai Kung at the dispensary, either. You can even buy stuff that needs a prescription back in Australia, over the counter here, anti- biotics etc .

    And I did provide a post about 2 years ago for Moving that the pharmacy in Yan Oi market sells both versions of the 200 and the 400 Neurofen, we bought it there all the time, when we lived in the area. The Pharmacy at Tuen Mun City plaza also sells it on the same side of the street as SUNING appliances entrance, at street level.
    I went there and I asked for it and i got a bottle of pink pills which are the same - so I have no problem just pointing out that people who want a branded bottle might have more trouble. I have yet to see the actual "brand" here.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Apr 2005
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    Sai Kung
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    8,561

    i buy baby liquid nurofen all the time for my kids' fevers...


  10. #10

    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    88

    Hi, the GC is nice but travelling is quite a hassle esp with a small child. If MTR would have been available it would have made travelling easy but just buses is quite difficult, although i keep wondering how quietly the local kids of any age are when mine would run up and down the aisle.

    Anyway, for 25k you won't get much in GC as they have unreasonably increased prices. You can have a look around when you are here. I know a very nice and helpful agent if you are interested pm me

    There is a cantonese nursery across the road and a couple of english ones in Siu Lam and Tuen Mun.

    You can find pretty much anything at the local shop but you can also order online and just get the fresh stuff there.

    Lots of Huggies and Pampers everywhere


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