CGERALDH

Hi Hayley, We left the Uk almost 7 years ago and the plan was to relocate to Perth. An offer of a permanent resident visa sponsored by Australian Capital Territory (ACT) persuaded us to come to Canberra instead. We have visited Perth albeit only for 2 weeks holiday and it certainly has it's attractions. Brisbane is busier than Perth but probably has more employment options. You are right to ignore Melbourne and Sydney. They are overcrowded, over priced and over rated. Having lived in Canberra for almost 7 years however I would highly recommend that you consider it as an option. It has more sunshine than any other state capital, higher salaries, a higher quality of life overall and low unemployment It has no traffic congestion and the average property price is around half that in Sydney which is a 3 hour drive away. Happy to provide more info re Canberra and other cities if required! Good luck, Chris

Good luck, you won't regret it. We moved out here to Canberra 4 year ago. Much better than Luton I can tell you! Most Poms go to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth or Brisbane. Having been to all of them I can recommend Canberra or Perth. Sydney is overcrowded and expensive. Melbourne has dismal weather. Canberra is Australia's best kept secret. Perth is another good option..

I can't comment on the visa but I reckon the pound will continue to strengthen against the AUD for another 12 months at least. I use HIFX to transfer my GBP over here - I bring chunk over each time there is a spike in the exchange rate. I expect 2:1 by mid/late 2014. Good luck..