rgpat1

There are some odd views of the Mountain. Yes it is beautiful, no question. It is quiet and a percentage of the community are friendly. Those locals that are friendly are very nice to be around. It takes a long time to become accepted and you will find your little group but that describes the community up here very well. If you like going out to really good cafes etc, find somewhere else. There are some acceptable eateries, but nothing outstanding at this time. They come and go but the locals have their favourite haunts and they are generally mediocre. To travel anywhere you really need a car as there is no public transport and an element of the locals are fighting tooth and nail to prevent more footpaths from being built. Mould, termites and ticks are at times severe problems on the mountain.
The schools are genuinely outstanding and the national parks are world class. The medical centres are also top notch, but if you have any chronic health issues remember you are at best 35 minutes from the nearest hospital. There is adequate shopping on the mountain with a new shopping centre now being built. If you want to do a major shop then very good shopping centres are within 30 to 40 minutes drive. There are 2 gyms on the mountain, one is outstanding the other is very ordinary.
It is a beautiful place to visit and it can be a nice place to live.