matjones

That section is one of my favorite to ride along. Its just stunning as you approach the city, with all the sports venues across the river. If you are new to Melbourne and love to ride, there are some really great bike paths along creeks and rivers. There is also a good network of on-road bike lanes to help get around the city without a car.

If I recall, Medicare was quick and easy. We went into the local office, gave them the required info and we were registered there and then. They gave us a temporary ID number printout, and the Medicare card came a few weeks later in the mail.

If you win the lottery and want to get adventurous with your beer tasting, then head to Cookie in the CBD. They have a huge beer menu with a lot of exotic beers: http://cookie.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Complete-Beer-List.pdf Can even get your VB

$50 is too easy to spend. Just lunch for 1 can cost you $15-20. Without drinks. Vue de Monde is on our list, and will probably go there for the wifes birthday. They actually have a bar next door called Lui Bar, which has fantastic view of the city and a great place to take out of town guest to give them a taste of the high life without spending $400. Drink are a little pricey, but cheaper than paying to go up Eureka SkyDeck. There is something about the river that fascinates me. Every time I am on a bridge crossing over, or walking down southbank, I get captivated by the city and remember why I fell in love with Melbourne.

Yeah, can't really compare Melbourne beaches to Perth as they sit on on the bay. I think the further down the peninsula you go, they get much better. Although, Brighton has one of the best dog beaches I've ever seen. A completely fenced in area (apart from the water) and during summer there are hundreds of dogs there.

Don't get me started on a mid/high end list. So many good places and plenty on our wish list that we haven't made it to yet. Do you live in the city?

When I said cheap eats, I intentionally put quotes around the word cheap, as it's all relative. Some of our favorite 'cheaper' places include: - Bunga Raya North Melbourne (Malaysian) - China Red (not to be confused with China Bar) in CBD - Dahon Tea Lounge South Melbourne (Filipino) - The Merrywell - Downstairs (Crown Casino) One of the better 'American ' style burger & fries. (has been a little hit & miss lately though) - Garamerica South Melbourne (Indonesian) - Nama Nama - Japanese Housemade Udon

Yeah there are a few 'celebrity chef' places that are expensive and don't have good reviews on urbanspoon, so we have avoided them. Don't just fall for the name behind the restaurant always seek out the reviews of others.

What utter nonsense. Whoever told you that Adelaide has better food must not have been to Melbourne, or not know food at all. The food here in Melbourne is absolutely amazing (and when I say Melbourne, I mean the city & inner suburbs). There is an endless choice of 'cheap' eats or fancy dining, with restaurants by some of the worlds top chefs. A lot of innovative food stuff here.

Kazze - thanks for an answer that was not patronizing to the OP. RNB31 - Pest are a legitimate concern for a lot of people moving to oz. It really depends on where you move as to the amount of bugs. In the inner city the only bugs I really see are roaches on the street. We had the house sprayed, and have only seen a couple of spiders, but that was because we had some reno work done. In the newer developments you might be prone to more critter, especially if you are on the edge of farmland. I also found this link too: http://pointcookactiongroup.org.au/snakes-are-also-residents-in-point-cook/ Not wanting to scare you, and you probably wont find them in the house, but if you are out enjoying the nature around there, its good to be aware of.

We pay approx $240/m for health insurance for 2 people. Maybe you were looking at the rates for single people per week.

We live in North Melbourne, and love it here. Some nice restaurants on around Errol St, walking distance to city/markets. On tram line and cheap to get home by taxi after a night out. Very quiet at nights for inner city living compared to fitzroy/brunswick. It's actually going to hit 20C today.

Personally, I love the sofitel. The only hotel bed I've actually enjoyed sleeping in. Avoid the Hotel Windsor, we had a bad experience there. With regards to weather, it can get chilly, but not as bad as UK. Pack some winter woolies.

You want to avoid the city at all cost during rush hour. You would be better off living in the eastern suburbs.

You will be looking at around $300 per month for a dedicated parking spot in the city. Depends which part of the city you want to park. Also remember the city traffic is a nightmare to drive in and catching public transport can be much quicker. Again, depends where you are driving in from.

Ecclestone is only keen on lining his pockets, he doesn't give a damn that it stays in Melbourne, despite what he's saying to the press.

Hi Hannah, welcome to Melbourne! Glad you are enjoying it! My wife and I are mid/late 30's (no kids). Would be happy to meet up for drinks/dinner somewhere in the city. We are on the edge of the CBD in North Melbourne, and spend a lot of time in the city, sampling all the great restaurants. Definitely spoiled for choice here if you like to dine out. PM me and we can discuss details.

Hi! Don't be too put off with what you have heard. Yes, it's a little harder, but not impossible. I just don't understand all the hoopla around allowing pets. Frankly, as a property owner I would rather rent to someone with dogs, than someone with kids, or a bunch of students. The latter 2 tend to be much louder and do much more damage. We have 2 small dogs, and have managed to find rentals previously in Canberra and now here in Melbourne that were dog friendly. If you are looking to rent an apartment, you will probably not find anything, as body corporate rules usually only allow owners, not tenants, to have pets. Avoid searching using the 'pets allowed' option on realestate.com.au. I find that not to be an accurate search feature. If you see a house you like, just drop an email to the agent, and ask them if they allow dogs. They will most likely tell you that dogs will be considered on application. Once you secure a property, just make sure that there is a clause in the contract that specifically allows dogs. Also, if you plan on getting a second dog once you are here, try and get that written into contract too. Sometimes there will be a limit on number of dogs in the original contract. Also be aware that some people still believe dogs should be outdoor only, and this might be specified in the there too. Good Luck, Mat

South Yarra is a little nice than Prahran. The main shopping strip would be Chapel St, which starts up in South Yarra (Toorak Rd) and runs down through Prahran. The bottom end is a little grungier, and the shops are not as nice. You could also consider CBD living too as there is no shortage of bars/cafes/galleries there.

Back in the old days, those 'gorgeous old buildings' were probably considered 'modern day rubbish'.

Congrats on the visa!! For that price range I think you will probably be looking at a studio apartment in the city, or 1 bed if lucky. I assume you are looking on realestate.com.au and domain.com.au ?

He should be able to sponsor you as soon as he gets there. From what I can tell there are 100 available spaces each month. http://www.immi.gov.au/skills/skillselect/

Moving to Perth???? Might want to edit the title of your post

What price range are you looking at?

Well, I think they will be ok with your visa as it allows you to be there for up to 5 years, right? What would you need to do to get PR? Is there a pathway for spouses of NZ citizens, of would you have to try and get Employer Sponsored Visa once you are here? Yeah, I can imagine that IT Support wouldn't be considered high demand, but once you get here hopefully you will find something soon. I work in IT too (programming/web design), but work remotely for a US company, and don't have too many connections in the AU IT industry. Do you have a date set for arrival yet? Does your wife have a job lined up?