aconcannon

That’s really interesting. I never ever knew that. I think it definitely must have been back in the day [emoji848]

I know!! 3.5 years later & I still role my eyes every time I hear an Aussie say they’re going to put their thongs on, especially when it’s coming out of a mans mouth haha

They use all sorts of random words over here! The one that still baffles me is why they call flip flops thongs...and don’t even get me started on the chips debate haha

Haha it’s basically what the Aussies called a vest, or a strappy top! Such a random name isn it!

We live on the northern Gold Coast (not far from Brisbane) & we’ve never needed ‘warm’ clothes. You’ll probably wear jumpers / hoodies & jeans on a morning or evening in the winter but the rest of the day you’ll be back in your shorts & ‘singlet’ [emoji23] you definitely wouldn’t need a big winter jacket of scarves etc

Hi Nicky, where about in the UK are you from? We moved to the Gold Coast in September & are based in Runaway Bay. We’re in our mid 30’s. We moved up from Sydney, where we first emigrated to 3.5 years ago. How are you finding it here?

I probably shouldn’t advertise this but it’s only a moral obligation for you to stay in NSW for 2 years, it’s not a legal one. I know 3 different couples who emigrated on state sponsored visas. None of them lived in the states where they were nominated for longer than a month & 1 couple didn’t go there at all! You really don’t have to be in NSW, but you ‘should’. No not Brisbane; you don’t want to go there! There’s no beaches!

I wish I could be more positive & tell you a suburb where you’d get a 3 bed house for that price but sadly, there’s a reason why Sydney is rated one of the most expensive suburbs in the world to live in. We moved from the uk to Sydney with no jobs & then from Sydney to the Gold Coast with no jobs & we were both working within a month. Work isn’t hard to come by. I’d honestly be considering living elsewhere - heading north of Newcastle. Can definitely reccommend the Gold Coast for affordability, more of an ‘Aussie dream’ & year round better weather! Hope you get everything sorted. I know how daunting it is moving over :( it’ll all work out in the end!

Honestly, I think you’d even struggle to get a 2 bed house really far inland for that price. The cost of living in & around Sydney is crazy! That’s why we left. You might get something out West but I doubt it. Is the central coast coming up in your budget? We used to pay $720 in Sydney for a small & fairly outdated 2 bed flat with no facilities. We live in the GC now & are paying $650 for a huge 4 bed home with pool & large garden.

Everybody says to avoid the west but it’s really not that bad. Yes some suburbs are worse than others, but when you compare them to your average UK council estate they really aren’t rough at all. You’ll be a fair trek to th beach again though if you’re out west! If you don’t mind me asking what’s your budget & what you looking for? I could probably help you a bit better then.

Look, everybody is different, but for us when we made the move we wanted to be living that whole Aussie beach lifestyle & thats what we did & we’ve never looked back! You need the sea breeze too. I wouldn’t fancy living inland where it’s hotter & there is no breeze, especially during the humid summer months! I’d say Mona Vale would be the closest beach & you’re looking at around an hour depending on traffic. You might even be closer to some of the central coast beaches maybe?

West of Sydney - Blacktown, Stanhope gardens sort of area perhaps? Or further south into Woolongong

It’s nice there but it’s very quiet, pretty much in the middle of nowhere by Sydney standards & a fair trek to the city or nearest beach etc

Runaway Bay is fab! I probably prefer Paradise Point but there was nothing on the market that we wanted to apply for, and I guess it’s just that tiny bit further north too which could be problematic. For sure we could meet up when you move - we could end up neighbours :)

My husband & I (no kids) relocated to the GC a few weeks ago. We spent 3 glorious years on Sydney’s northern beaches & like you, we’ve been driven out by the crazy property prices & were desperate to get away from apartment living. Mermaid Beach is fab! It’s pretty lively & popular with bars and a cafe scene. It’s close to Burleigh & Broadbeach & all of the other stunning beaches & creeks in the south. All of the beachy suburbs between Broadbeach & Palm Beach have higher rents though due to their popularity, and the houses are older so you don’t get quite as much for you money. We arrived with a view to live in Mermaid, Miami or Burleigh & we’ve ended up putting an application in for a house in Runaway Bay. Personally I’d avoid Southport. They say Southport & Labrador are pretty rough, and it’s always busy with traffic and stuff. If you need public transport it would be handy for that. Check out Paradise Point - we’ve fallen in love with it. Reminds us more of the northern beaches where we lived. Real sort of community/family cafe & bistro scene. They have a beautiful waterfront and walkways too. Mermaid would be quite full on in comparison. Traffic is pretty heavy down that way too which is worth bearing in mind. Check out Palm Beach & Currumbin as well. They’re south. Both have quite a lot going on and lovely beaches.