martincburgess

Get well soon - hopefully some warmer weather will help in the near future! Martin:ssign3:

Have to agree with the humidity. Brisbane in the summer is a killer. FIne if you dont need to do anything, but hot AND humid, not good! Canberra is dry and in the summer this makes for an enjoyable climate.

Just go to Sydney, driving there is a real test. Dont even mention taxi drivers, they are all pretty manic and I always feel ill after the roller coaster ride. Good old Black Cabbies in London! As for cold housing, we rented in the Metropolitan Towers, a relatively new apartment block in the City, we froze sufficiently due to large areas of signle glazing until we found a double glazed apartment in Kingston - now much warmer. Oz is 10-20 years behind the UK. For a Country that has just brought in a controversial Carbon tax, the lack of double glazing to keep the heat in / out seems rediculous. Be aware of this if you are looking for a property in Oz - find a well designed / constructed modern property if you are looking for a warm property! Martin

Unfortunately Tracey (ex Swansea) and I (ex Exeter) will, be away in Sunshine Coast; keep us posted on future get togethers, we will be there! Well done for taking the initiative, Martin

Hi Trisha, Dont panic! A lot of people over here will happily joke about Canberra. It is actually quite a small City and I liken it to Milton Keynes, which gets a bad press in the UK but everyone who lives there seem to like it! We started life in Oz in Sydney - full or romantic dreams about a fantastic City. Visiting a City as a tourist and living there is different and in practice we found Sydney more of a pain than London for getting around. It also is quite polluted and with a mild to warm climate is not that well suited to people with resporatory ailments like Asthma. Whilst Canberra is "inland" you can be back in the Coast within 2.5 hours which, once you have lived in Oz for a while, is a day trip! Canberra is well placed for all capital cities and because all the "pollies" (Politicians) come here for their work, the airpot is fantastic (Sydneys is a poor relation due to being under capacity). Public transport within Canberra is not so good; you will need to pick your location carefully to be close to a bus route - weekend services are very limited. We chose to live in Civic, which is an area close to the city centre. Canberra is known as the civil service capital for Australia, and believe me, its like going back to the 70's in the UK, when the public sector rules - I am staggered the number of public servants over here. Because of this the city is busy between 9 and 5 Monday to Friday...and completely dead at the weekend! We have now relocated to Kingston, which is in an area with plenty of weekend activities; cafes, bars and restaurants. Manuka, within walking distance, is another popular area. Beware though, they just don't do proper beer here, although the wine is good, albeit you can get Oz wine. cheaper in the UK! The accommodation is also more expensive in the City. However if you are prepared to commute 30 minutes then there are good deals for both rented accommodation and if buying. Even if considering buying, I would strongly suggest renting for at least 6 months, to allow you to find your feet and explore. Commuting in Canberra is so much fun! Avoid the rush "hour" between 8.30 and 9am and 5 - 5.30 and you will be anywhere in about 20 mins at the worst. The rush hour is matched by the 9-5 lifestyle in ACT (public sector again!) If coming to Oz beware, the cost of living here is expensive, and in the short three years we have beeen here, its been getting greater. We are heading back to the UK at Xmas and will come back with empty suitcases, to fill up with cheap Tesco Jeans!!! We love Canberra, but still get our City "fix" in Sydney and Melbourne, as work takes us there. Canberra's climate is well suited to Brits and I would fully recommend Canberra for a fantastic lifestyle.