Personal experiences

Hi

Love to hear about people's personal experiences in Adelaide and surrounds. This is one of our States we're looking at. Obviously not too personal of course! Just looking for some insights, good and bad.

Cheers!

Stayed at a beautiful place in Christies beach adelaide back in 2012. Tamara and Shaun on here....homes down under?....have a few lovely properties available to rent there.

It had supermarkets, hairdressers, doctors, beaches, beautiful promenade, parks, city within 40 mins drive.....lively and quiet.....just lovely.

We got out and about to zoos,wildlife park etc....wish we'd done more investigating around the city centre though as from what we heard upon return we'd missed out on a few things.in my opinion that specific area is a beautiful place.

Thanks for your comment here also Jodipodi. Christies Beach is one of the places I've heard was good to visit. We don't need a rental, however, thanks for the information. If we choose here we'll look forward on exploring the city centre and wildlife areas.

Thanks for your comment here also Jodipodi. Christies Beach is one of the places I've heard was good to visit. We don't need a rental, however, thanks for the information. If we choose here we'll look forward on exploring the city centre and wildlife areas.

No problem Ozzie....Tamara does short term rentals as well as long term....so if you were looking for a stop off til your find your feet then that's an option. We only went for a reccie/holiday and just stayed 4 weeks at boomerang house.

Christies is beautiful though. Would go back in a heartbeat x

We have lived here in Adelaide for about 12.5 years now, what would you like to know? :wink:

Ok, it's a great place to live and bring up kids. Everything is within easy reach (if you don't base yourself too far out in any direction - still can't get why so many people move to what is really a large town and then go live an hour's drive away!) We live in one of the Northeastern suburbs and we are about 30 minutes from the Barossa, 30 minutes from the Adelaide Hills, 35 minutes to the beach, 15 minutes to the city. This weekend, my husband and I had a weekend in the Clare Valley wine region which is about 1.5 hours drive away. If you like wines, you are so spoilt here. There is also a growing craft beer industry and a couple of distilleries ... but I'm not an alcoholic, honest!

Workwise, Adelaide is challenging. It is very much a 'who you know' type of place for work, and with Holden closing down in Australia for good in 2017, there has been, and will be, a lot of people who have lost their jobs if they are in any way associated with the motor industry. If you work in Hospitality though, there seems to be a growing and thriving restaurant and bar scene in the city. Many people say Adelaide is a bit of a backwater, and many young adults do head off elsewhere at the end of their education - but a lot come back when they have families of their own, so as I say, good for families. Maybe not so good for couples or singles without kids though.

We have three universities and the city is buzzing on summer days - never more so than during one of our fabulous festivals in "Mad March" - the Fringe Festival with the Garden of Unearthly Delights on a hot summer evening is an experience truly made in Heaven! If you like your sports, there is lots of that on offer - both organised and independent, and the Adelaide Oval is a world class venue that hosts cricket, AFL and soccer through the year.

House prices are still fairly sensible here (although rents seem high to me) but it costs a little more to go on holiday abroad from here as not as many airlines fly direct from Adelaide, which bugs me a little! I hate having to go via Melbourne or Sydney! Climate is generally hot and dry in the summer, cold in the winter - you will still need your gloves here and some sort of heating - as well as air conditioning - is a must. Good mix of nationalities - both European and Asian migrants have made Adelaide their home over the past years - bonus is great food choices! Power costs are high compared to elsewhere though, and our speeding (and other motoring) fines etc are about the highest in Australia I reckon! We have some great schools, to suit all budgets - and even some of the great private schools here are much cheaper than their equivalents interstate. You do still find with people you meet as an adult though, that where you went to school (if you grew up here) has a bit of weight in a conversation, which is a bit weird! Also I don't know how anyone manages to have an extra-marital affair in Adelaide as once you've been here a short while, you always bump into someone you know, wherever you go!

It's not a "bright lights, big city" type of place - Adelaide's charms are more subtle and relaxed. You can go to somewhere like Morialta which is just ten minutes from the city, and feel like you are in the middle of a gorge in France - apart from the koalas and brightly coloured birds you will see!

Don't know if this is the sort of thing you wanted to know, ask away if you wanted anything specific and not just ramblings!

Great post Diane.

What Diane said is pretty much spot on re Adelaide.

My husband was one of those who was born and raised here, moved away for a few years after leaving uni and 8 years later returned with wife and child And he is very happy being back here and we, wife and child are very happy living here also.

Diane has nailed it..!! We've only been here for two yrs and have to say it's been the best 2 yrs ever. Adelaide is an amazing place to live and bring up young kids. We're fortunate to live in Brighton 100m from the beaches a short walk to Glenelg, 25mins on the train to the city, everywhere and everything is so accessible and all the people we've met so bloody friendly. Seems a shame we're off to Sydney in a few weeks! Adelaide is a special place, you won't regret moving here.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As my friend called it not long after they moved from Sydney....deadalaide!!!

I personally liked it, small, quiet, the city centre is pretty much walkable with some really nice parks surrounding it. Still far cheaper than Melbourne or Sydney in terms of getting on the housing market. I believe the beaches are far better than what Melbourne has on its doorstep, without having to travel to far.

If you have a family, I think it would be great while the kids are young. As they get older, I suspect they may want to move somewhere a little more busy, but you never know. 10 years or so down the line, Adelaide could also be a hustling and bustling city. People are being forced out of Sydney and Melbourne due to the high costs and Adelaide is a good destination chatting to some of my colleagues in the office.

Depending on what you are your partner do for a living, I suspect you will find the job market not as buoyant as say Melbourne or Sydney. Seen a few posts on here and other forums, people relocating as the job market is tough.

I like Diane's post which seems to capture a lot of personal experience.

Not sure what city/town you are coming from in the UK, as it could be a culture shock for you or a blessing!

Oh and another thing, either bring some thermal clothing or expect to stock up during winter time. Same can be said for pretty much the whole of SE Australia. My parents and friends still find this funny.

A lot of my colleagues call Adelaide 'Radelaide' :cool:

Adelaide has some great positives as others have said: close to the beach, excellent public transport, close to the Barossa and Clare Valleys plus the Adelaide Hills region for wine and really amazing food, the people are genuinely really friendly, and no doubt it's a great environment to bring up young children because although it's a city, it's more like a country town which has grown a bit so it's quite sheltered and not too built up.

Some criticisms from my own experience: it lacks the opportunity of the big 3 (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) in terms of jobs and in my opinion, lifestyle and things to do although some South Australians may argue me down on these points. It's just how I've felt when I have visited. I also believe the economy is going through a tough time as others have mentioned. I find Adelaide itself quite underwhelming.

Overall, nice place and surrounds...depends what you are looking for.

Good luck with your move.

No problem Ozzie....Tamara does short term rentals as well as long term....so if you were looking for a stop off til your find your feet then that's an option. We only went for a reccie/holiday and just stayed 4 weeks at boomerang house.

Christies is beautiful though. Would go back in a heartbeat x

Thanks Jodipodi. Looking forward to it. We have something lined up if we choose Adelaide against another State we're looking at. We have distant family in Adelaide and they've offered their place which will be free for a few months. Where are you now if you don't mind me asking?

We have lived here in Adelaide for about 12.5 years now, what would you like to know? :wink:

 

Ok, it's a great place to live and bring up kids. Everything is within easy reach (if you don't base yourself too far out in any direction - still can't get why so many people move to what is really a large town and then go live an hour's drive away!) We live in one of the Northeastern suburbs and we are about 30 minutes from the Barossa, 30 minutes from the Adelaide Hills, 35 minutes to the beach, 15 minutes to the city. This weekend, my husband and I had a weekend in the Clare Valley wine region which is about 1.5 hours drive away. If you like wines, you are so spoilt here. There is also a growing craft beer industry and a couple of distilleries ... but I'm not an alcoholic, honest!

 

Workwise, Adelaide is challenging. It is very much a 'who you know' type of place for work, and with Holden closing down in Australia for good in 2017, there has been, and will be, a lot of people who have lost their jobs if they are in any way associated with the motor industry. If you work in Hospitality though, there seems to be a growing and thriving restaurant and bar scene in the city. Many people say Adelaide is a bit of a backwater, and many young adults do head off elsewhere at the end of their education - but a lot come back when they have families of their own, so as I say, good for families. Maybe not so good for couples or singles without kids though.

 

We have three universities and the city is buzzing on summer days - never more so than during one of our fabulous festivals in "Mad March" - the Fringe Festival with the Garden of Unearthly Delights on a hot summer evening is an experience truly made in Heaven! If you like your sports, there is lots of that on offer - both organised and independent, and the Adelaide Oval is a world class venue that hosts cricket, AFL and soccer through the year.

 

House prices are still fairly sensible here (although rents seem high to me) but it costs a little more to go on holiday abroad from here as not as many airlines fly direct from Adelaide, which bugs me a little! I hate having to go via Melbourne or Sydney! Climate is generally hot and dry in the summer, cold in the winter - you will still need your gloves here and some sort of heating - as well as air conditioning - is a must. Good mix of nationalities - both European and Asian migrants have made Adelaide their home over the past years - bonus is great food choices! Power costs are high compared to elsewhere though, and our speeding (and other motoring) fines etc are about the highest in Australia I reckon! We have some great schools, to suit all budgets - and even some of the great private schools here are much cheaper than their equivalents interstate. You do still find with people you meet as an adult though, that where you went to school (if you grew up here) has a bit of weight in a conversation, which is a bit weird! Also I don't know how anyone manages to have an extra-marital affair in Adelaide as once you've been here a short while, you always bump into someone you know, wherever you go!

 

It's not a "bright lights, big city" type of place - Adelaide's charms are more subtle and relaxed. You can go to somewhere like Morialta which is just ten minutes from the city, and feel like you are in the middle of a gorge in France - apart from the koalas and brightly coloured birds you will see!

 

Don't know if this is the sort of thing you wanted to know, ask away if you wanted anything specific and not just ramblings!

Love this Diane! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this all down. Exactly what I was looking for. I'll be certain to ask more specific questions as and when they arise if that's ok. PS I didn't your post was ramblings, it was really insightful and wonderful to read. Cheers again!

As my friend called it not long after they moved from Sydney....deadalaide!!!

 

I personally liked it, small, quiet, the city centre is pretty much walkable with some really nice parks surrounding it. Still far cheaper than Melbourne or Sydney in terms of getting on the housing market. I believe the beaches are far better than what Melbourne has on its doorstep, without having to travel to far.

 

If you have a family, I think it would be great while the kids are young. As they get older, I suspect they may want to move somewhere a little more busy, but you never know. 10 years or so down the line, Adelaide could also be a hustling and bustling city. People are being forced out of Sydney and Melbourne due to the high costs and Adelaide is a good destination chatting to some of my colleagues in the office.

 

Depending on what you are your partner do for a living, I suspect you will find the job market not as buoyant as say Melbourne or Sydney. Seen a few posts on here and other forums, people relocating as the job market is tough.

 

I like Diane's post which seems to capture a lot of personal experience.

 

Not sure what city/town you are coming from in the UK, as it could be a culture shock for you or a blessing!

 

Oh and another thing, either bring some thermal clothing or expect to stock up during winter time. Same can be said for pretty much the whole of SE Australia. My parents and friends still find this funny.

Ha! Yes I've heard Deadelaide and Radelaide and all sorts inbetween :laugh: we do have a young child so thinking this all sounds perfect. We had heard the job market can be very very tough so if we choose SA will try to make as many connections as possible and be prepared that there may be a long wait until we secure roles. If we end up getting something sooner, then that's better than having high expectations dashed.

We have loads of warm clothes, coming from Scotland! Definitely planning on taking things over. Thanks for the advice - any other advice about anything SA please feel free to impart!

A lot of my colleagues call Adelaide 'Radelaide' :cool:

 

Adelaide has some great positives as others have said: close to the beach, excellent public transport, close to the Barossa and Clare Valleys plus the Adelaide Hills region for wine and really amazing food, the people are genuinely really friendly, and no doubt it's a great environment to bring up young children because although it's a city, it's more like a country town which has grown a bit so it's quite sheltered and not too built up.

 

Some criticisms from my own experience: it lacks the opportunity of the big 3 (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) in terms of jobs and in my opinion, lifestyle and things to do although some South Australians may argue me down on these points. It's just how I've felt when I have visited. I also believe the economy is going through a tough time as others have mentioned. I find Adelaide itself quite underwhelming.

 

Overall, nice place and surrounds...depends what you are looking for.

 

Good luck with your move.

Thanks SRH82. We're probably looking for quieter life, having worked many major UK cities and experienced a very fast pace of life. Especially now we have a young child. We both like the idea of living outwith a city also, and travelling in (no longer than an hour) to work if that is necessary. We would prefer to have a lovely semi rural place to spend as a little family at home at night/on weekends rather than be close to the CBD/very small commute. I know many people probably disagree, however it's just how we feel. Thanks for the wishes for good luck! Hope all is working out for you in QLD

Thanks Jodipodi. Looking forward to it. We have something lined up if we choose Adelaide against another State we're looking at. We have distant family in Adelaide and they've offered their place which will be free for a few months. Where are you now if you don't mind me asking?

Oh we are still trudging on the UK.....but I suspect not for long now....however unfortunately adelaide does not offer the employment opportunities for my husband therefore it will not be there we are headed. Doesn't matter how much you love a place if you can't afford to live it's pointless xx

Doesn't matter how much you love a place if you can't afford to live it's pointless xx

truer words have never been uttered! Have you been back and forth a few times?

No just the once to Adelaide......I pined to go back when we got back to the UK....it really felt like home. So laid back.....the good life.x

And by that Ozzie I mean through lack of employment opportunities for my husband.....not through cost of living there x

And by that Ozzie I mean through lack of employment opportunities for my husband.....not through cost of living there x

Yes, I understood, cheers. Shame it didn't work out for you there however I am a firm believer that it must not be meant for you. I'm sure wherever you end up will be great :-)

Ha! Yes I've heard Deadelaide and Radelaide and all sorts inbetween :laugh: we do have a young child so thinking this all sounds perfect. We had heard the job market can be very very tough so if we choose SA will try to make as many connections as possible and be prepared that there may be a long wait until we secure roles. If we end up getting something sooner, then that's better than having high expectations dashed.

 

We have loads of warm clothes, coming from Scotland! Definitely planning on taking things over. Thanks for the advice - any other advice about anything SA please feel free to impart!

I too am from Scotland and never owned any thermals. Reason the housing quality is not the same, no double glazing for a large majority(cannot comment on the very new builds), poor insulation and no central heating. Some of the new housing have ducted heating or an electric fire, the old art deco buildings nothing some have open fireplaces. So while it does not get as cold, you certainly feel it more.

What type of work do you and your hubby do?

Have you started checking out the job market to see what is available to give you an idea?

I too am from Scotland and never owned any thermals. Reason the housing quality is not the same, no double glazing for a large majority(cannot comment on the very new builds), poor insulation and no central heating. Some of the new housing have ducted heating or an electric fire, the old art deco buildings nothing some have open fireplaces. So while it does not get as cold, you certainly feel it more.

 

What type of work do you and your hubby do?

 

Have you started checking out the job market to see what is available to give you an idea?

We'll definitely buy some more thermals, nice to have new ones anyway. My OH grew up in Aust so understands how no central heating / poor insulation can feel winter and summer. Definitely going into this eyes open.

We're both involved in different levels of administration.

Also meant to say yes we've been keeping a close eye on the job market over the past 10 months and will continue to do so. Once the visa is approved we will start in earnest contacting agencies and sending speculative CV's. Most likely won't secure a role before landing, however good to get connections underway.

We'll definitely buy some more thermals, nice to have new ones anyway. My OH grew up in Aust so understands how no central heating / poor insulation can feel winter and summer. Definitely going into this eyes open.

 

That made me smile Good luck with everything and hope your move goes well.

That made me smile Good luck with everything and hope your move goes well.

Thanks, hope so too