Comments on: Do you want swamp with that?

By: raydixon

raydixon — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 03:37:14 +0000

It’s in Victoria Dave, the place that has hills & rivers, not dry arid paddocks with farm dams that substitute as wetlands, remember?

By: Dave from Albury

Dave from Albury — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 03:14:53 +0000

Ray, I think that Wodonga, however large it grows, will continued to be considered second rate to Albury in most areas. I just don’t think that you can easily overcome the historical factors, no matter how much you spend. The fact that Wodonga Council fought so hard to have the Bandiana link included in the freeway project just confirms that Albury continues to be the central destination for the region.

By: raydixon

raydixon — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 03:11:21 +0000

And yes Dave, you’re spot on about me & Myrtleford. Now that IS ’struggle town’ … and it’s just getting worse.

By: raydixon

raydixon — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 03:09:49 +0000

I’ve never regarded Wodonga as ’struggle town’, JR, and I think it’s got a lot going for it and a bigger future than Albury. It’s no surprise to me that it is developing rapidly as a desirable place to live, especially the hillier parts to the south. And let’s not forget, it’s in VICTORIA, which says it all!

By: Dave from Albury

Dave from Albury — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 03:08:21 +0000

jr, when there’s Wodonga sledging to be done, rest assured you’ll hear it from me first. Ray’s locality sledging speciality continues to be Myrtleford.

By: jr

jr — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 02:27:51 +0000

Well, there you go, Ray, sorry for miss-reading that. Maybe I should change my name to JR-.

By: raydixon

raydixon — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:45:13 +0000

You’re looking at what I said the wrong way, JR. I said positive things about the way Wodonga is going. It’s a compliment not an insult.

By: jr

jr — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:08:09 +0000

Hey, Ray, us Wodonga-ites just can’t seem to shed our struggletown image, OK? Thanks for helping to maintain it.

Coming from a low base. Sheesh.

By: raydixon

raydixon — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 06:57:21 +0000

Well it sounds like an old farm dam, Dave, so “fill it in” is the appropriate measure.

There are some estates with ‘curvy’ (or semi-curvy) streets that fit in with the topography. Wattle Glen in Wodonga is a good example of that. Nice undulating land and varied block sizes. And they’ve got a few (natural) wetlands too, but they’re not as big or dangerous as the one in your picture. The only problem is it has no facilities. Still, it’s only a short drive to the CBD.

I think, for all the criticisms, that White Box rise looks OK too. Except for that over-the-top pool they’re going to build.

I like Wodonga though, I like the way it’s forever improving. Mind you, it’s coming from a low base.

The blocks at Pt Cook aren’t all that small. My sister and her husband have just built a new home there and their land is 800 sq metres. But the whole area is as flat as a tack and there is an incredible sameness about it with all houses set back the exact same distance in a straight row. I think it needed some variation. not much, but just enough to break the monotony of it.

By: Dave from Albury

Dave from Albury — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 05:57:59 +0000

It’s out at Thurgoona, opposite the uni campus. It used to be a paddock, I couldn’t tell you if there was a wetland there previously, but it seems unlikely given the topography of the area.

I’ll always prefer grids to nonsense street layouts, but developers need to be prevented from selling tiny piss-ant blocks on narrow streets that make the type of suburb you’re referring to so unappealing. The reason I hate the curvy street-scapes so much is that they rarely fit in with the topography and are just wanky for the sake of it.