Elwood Village

  

 

(Typical way to start the day in Elwood.)

G'DAY folks! Thought I'd give you a wee peek into our village. Last time we lived in Melbourne we were on the other side of town in the very bohemian suburb of North Fitzroy. This time around we have different plans and want different things from where we live so we decided to give Elwood a trial run for our first year - and so far we both really love it. T is especially keen on the area and loves the beach.

Elwood is in the South East of the city and is only 20 minutes from the CBD (Central Business District) but it has a lovely, laid back feel, due in part to the fact that it is so close to the beach. It is big enough to be interesting and is diverse enough to avoid the grinding conformity of the suburbs, yet it is self-contained and separate enough to have a genuine community feel, which I really like.

(Elwood Village.)

Split into two main sections separated by a short stretch of road, we are bang in between the two. There are lots of cafes, good restaurants and funky little shops and it has every amenity you could need. I was a bit worried at first that we wouldn't fit in because we didn't have a 4X4, kids, a designer dog and a boat parked in our driveway, but fortunately it welcomes all sorts and, because of the beaches and cafes, there are a few proper hippies and artists floating about (including a village trannie) which I really like and which also means lots of yoga classes. There are organic veg shops, osteopaths, pilates classes, beauty spas, a chippie...and the beach has everything else, including tennis courts.

(Other end of Elwood.)

(Our Street.)

The beach is only a couple of minutes walk from our flat and we have both made good use of it. We both like to go running there (I'm doing a regular 7K route at the minute) or just go for a walk. It's a good spot to go for breakfast and you'll always find someone down there no matter what the weather or time of day. It has a separate cycle/rollerblade path which runs the length of the bay and links up with the pretty Canal Route which runs through Elwood and is referred to as Little Venice by highly imaginative but obviously delusional estate agents.

(Elwood Beach.)

 

(Elwood Beach.)

(View of the City from Elwood Beach.)

It's Autumn here now which is turning out to be a lovely time of year. The days are shorter and the mornings and evenings chilly, but the rest of the day is warm, sunny and everywhere has a golden hue. The streets are full of big brown leaves shed by the enormous and beautiful Ghost Gum Trees that are all over Melbourne. Their silvery trunks wrinkle around the branches like elephant skin and they shed their bark to reveal different splotches of colour making their trunks look like French Impressionist paintings. Now they're shedding their leaves it is easier to see the local birds, including the colourful Lorikeets and the nocturnal Possums.

(Ghost Gum Tree.)

(Detail of a Ghost Gum Tree.)

We plan on house hunting in July and would like to buy a house in Elwood. In the nine years since we were here last, house prices have gone up all over the city and Elwood is quite a desirable place to live but we'd like to get a foot on the ladder here if we can. It may not be our dream home, but at least we'll like the area and if anything my years as Homes and Interiors Editor for the Evening Times has taught me it's location, location, location.

(View of Elwood from our flat.)