thanks guys.

Lilima - we considered Gisbourne but according to DP the train station is not close to the residential area. Ideally (and this is VERY ideally) we want somewhere that's walking distance to train and shops. We're moving from a place where we are a 30 second walk from the tramline and a 3 minute walk from the train station and as DP is a train driver with unsociable hours the less time he has to travel to the train station the better.

Having said all that, we've only been looking for a few weeks so our criteria may change. Walking distance has gone down the list a little and it's more important to me to have kind of an enchanting block. There's no point us moving there for just your run-of-the-mill suburban block. I want something with character that DD can explore, with established trees and nooks and crannies (but no dams). We went to a house in the hills near Healesville over Christmas and it was fanbloodytastic. DD insisted that she was going to find Peter Rabbit and Pooh every time we went for a walk around the property.

I'm not TOOOOO concerned about the fire stuff. To a city chick like me, it would be a no-brainer. Just get out of town and go stay in a motel. I know that's easier said than done if there's a run of bad days or one per week over summer which would be damn inconvenient but defending when we have DD to consider wouldn't even be an option.