Aussie Hopeful

Hi, we are moving back to the UK later this year from Oz. I understand that when shipping household items and personal effects back to the uk you have to pay tax on them. Does anyone who has recently moved back know what the situation is with this and how much it costs. Cheers

Hi all, planning a couple of nights away over Christmas in the mountains in Victoria. Can anyone recommend a nice hotel or B&B in a good location. We are a young family with a 2 year old. Thanks

We have just recently moved to Melbourne and are looking for a small car as a run around. Does anyone have one or know anyone who has one for sale? Alternatively, does anyone know any reliable second hand car dealerships? Thanks

A friend of mine came to Perth about 6 months ago with excellent experience in senior positions as a mechanical engineer. He was told while in the UK that he would get a job easily. He arrived and was applying for hundreds of jobs very week and didn't get anywhere. In WA he couldn't get anything because he didn't have any oil and gas or mining experience. After spanking a lot of savings he finally manage to get a job in NZ and left. Don't want to bring doom on your move but make sure you do some research and call employers before you come out to get an idea on how employable you might be in the current market. Hope this helps and good luck

Let's get back to the original post which was about the cost of living in Perth. Firstly, it is realistic to live in Perth on an average wage if you cut your cloth accordingly and choose to live in a less expensive area so its not a case of Perth being unaffordable. However, the real issue is the actual cost of living in Perth. I don't care how much people earn because whether you earn 60k or 200k, the cost of a coffee or a pack of strawberries is the same and the issue is not the wages people earn but the value of what you are buying. If you are going to pay $25 for lunch then I would expect good service and an excellent bit of grub, but the reality is that everywhere you go, you pay stupid money for crap service and average products. What makes it even worse is that the people providing the product or service don't care and often look at you as if to say, "Well it's Perth". Clothing is of a chocking standard unless you are willing to pay a ridiculous price and rent is a farce. One week the rent is $500, the next week after a lot of interest, the landlord has decided that it is now $620. The fact of the matter is that Perth has just grown on absolute greed. Everyone wants a piece and where they can make more money they will. People harp on about the fact that its remote and stuff has to be imported, but thats just propaganda. FIFO has played a big part in prices surging, but then who would blame someone for taking stupid money to clean or drive a truck in the mines. The reality comes back to the fact that people are greedy and will charge as much as they can for a sub standard service and product. Before anyone starts on about overheads and premise costs, I have been to a number of restaurants that sell their food for a reasonable price and provide a great service. They are packed every night and flourishing so it can be done. There just seems to be a culture of getting as much money for as little effort as possible here (yes I know thats a generalisation) and its disgusting. Before anyone jumps in, yes I know I have a choice to buy things or not and to be honest, outside of the necessities, I refuse to part with hard earned dollar for absolute rubbish. Perth is a beautiful City, beautiful beaches and beautiful parks, but spoilt by a culture of greed and sub standard service.

Hi all, I have secured a job in Melbourne and will be moving out early August with my wife and 2 year old son from Perth. I need some advice on the current rental market in Melbourne. Our experience in Perth was horrific with 30+ families attending every viewing and then getting into a bidding war to secure the property. I was wondering if this is the case in Melbourne or is it relatively easy to secure a rental? We were planning to get 2 weeks temp accommodation while we waited for our furniture and in that time secure a rental. Is this a realistic expectation? We are also considering trying to secure a rental whilst in WA and just spending a couple if days in a hotel when we first arrive and moving into the property with some basics while we wait for our furniture. Is this realistic? would really appreciate some feedback from people who have recent first hand experience if the market or just a good bit if knowledge around it. Thanks.

Hi, we are moving to Melbourne in August and just looking at suburbs. Could someone please give some feedback in what Cheltenham is like? What is the train commute into the city like? What is the area like? Friendly, rough, etc.. what is in the local area for families? Does it have a high street? Is it safe and what is it like to walk around? Any general opinions would be much appreciated.

We booked our one way flights through the IOM when we were moving out. They offer cheap deals if you can provide your visa details and they give you extra baggage allowance. Fights are normally with Emirates too. Can't remeber how much we paid but they were significantly cheaper. You just drop them an email and tell them when you want to fly and they will come back with dates, times and prices. http://www.iomaustralia.org/

In comparison to Perth, Melbourne and Sydney are amazing and so I don't blame you for leaving Perth. Unfortunately, until you live somewhere you never know what its going to be like so fair play to you for making a positive move. Based on what you said, I would go with Sydney, especially if you already have your heart set on it, but either would be a winner. It sounds like Woollies want to look after you and thats normally a good sign too. On the SS Visa argument, as I said above, you can never know what it will be like living somewhere until you have tried it and despite going somewhere with the best intentions, things change. It is a moral obligation, but the WA government state that you can apply to be released from your state sponsorship, giving you the freedom to move interstate and peace of mind with any future citizenship applications. We received confirmation today that we have been released from our 2 year agreement and will be moving East as soon as is humanly possible. Good luck with the move ​

We had direct experience with this. We were planning on selling our house before we left which would have given us a chunk of money to bring. We put this amount in our application form. However, some issues meant that we couldn't sell our house and we only had $9000 to come with and no job!! I called WA Immigration and they said there were absolutely no issues. They just said that they wanted to make sure that we had enough money to set ourselves up. They don't check bank balances or anything like that. In fact, they haven't checked anything since we arrived! Hope this helps. Good luck with the move.

Funnily enough I'm from Middlesbrough too!! In all the years I lived there I never witnessed anything so disgraceful and at least the people are down to earth and friendly! I've lived all over the UK and Clarkson is in a league of its own and by far the worst place I have lived! And yes everybody, we did do our research but like many other families we were desperate for somewhere to live because every house we went to view turned into a bidding war! Trust me, Clarkson wasn't my first choice! how bad could it be we thought!!?? i know what everyone is saying about not basing our experience of Perth on Clarkson, but Living here is just one contributing factor to a raft of factors for us wanting to move out of Perth. I'm not even going to go there with that because it will just turn into a love perth vs hate perth argument! To answer some other posts, yes I have some evidence that has been handed over to relevant authorities. However I am willing to sell copies to those who seem to think that this kind of behaviour is acceptable for say... The cost of a one way ticket to Melbourne!

Last night I was reminded exactly why I am desperate to get out of chavtastic, bogansville cra* pit they call Clarkson and in fact out of Perth as soon as humanly possible. Just as I launched into a deep sleep my wife and I were awoken by some southeners in a car who had kindly pulled up outside of my house who had clearly enjoyed an evening of intoxication. I was initially annoyed by the noise and slamming of car doors, but seemed to settle. Just as I was about to drop back off, a different noise this time woke us both and as we looked out of the door, both were unashamedly at it in the back of the car and intent on letting the whole street know exactly how much they were enjoying themslves. If that wasn't bad enough, it would appear that the car would not allow them enough room to manouvre so decided it would be a good idea to get out of the car completely stark naked and continue outside of the car. As a young family moving into Perth with the promise of such a great family friendly place I was absolutely disgusted by the whole experience. Some might find it funny, but when you have a child sleeping in the room next door it certainly isn't. I wouldn't mind but this isn't the first time and when we aren't faced with this, the chavs next door are having a domestic after an alcohol fuelled night out. Needless to say a letter has been written to the council, but no doubt nothing will happen. before anyone says anything, in 32 years living in the UK I never experienced so much cra* in one place anywhere I lived! If anyone is considering a move to Clarkson, I wouldn't bother if I was you. Unless of course if you enjoy dogging! Get me out of here!!!! #notlivingthedream

Thanks for the constructive comment, I'll add you to my list: Reason 101 to leave Perth - Another thick British Chav

Hi all, Thanks for the responses to my post. Well, I have just got back from spending some time in Melbourne and was totally blown away! Its a personal opinion but it completely blows Perth out of the water in every way (apart from the beaches). From the suburbs to the shopping, culture, people, transport, things to see and do. Its an absolute no brainer for us and will be moving as son as I can get a job and move out of this place. Watch this space......

Hi all, Just wanted some thoughts on making the move from Perth to Melbourne and wondered if anyone had done it. We arrived in perth 6 months ago and to be honest, we have found it utterly boring, backwards, full of chavs and bogans, a nightmare to get around if you haven't got a car, too hot, barren, rubbish shops and ridiculously expensive. (However, the beaches and parks are nice). We don't see a return to the UK as an option and want to give Melbourne a go. We are coming out to have a look around in March to see what we think. We are looking for somewhere that just has a bit more soul and things going on. Has anyone made the move before and found it to be better (I know this is completely subjective) and also what are the employment prospects? I am working as an RTO manager in Perth and from what I can see, there are plenty of similar jobs out there. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Hi Lol34, We were in exactly the same boat as you a few years ago. Married in our late 20's and always dreamed of life down under. Anyway, in the meantime, we had a baby, but finally got the opportunity to move out to Perth in August 2012 on State sponsorship. A couple of points that you may find useful and I will try and be as balanced as possible. I believe your husbands occupation is on the state occupation list which means you could apply for sponsorship through his for WA. I know someone who moved from the UK in the same industry and because of the quickly expanding infastructure, he shouldn't have an issue with work. In terms of teaching, I am secondary teacher and was an absolute nightmare. You have to register with the state regulatory board (was WACOT but just recently changed its name). That was an absolute nightmare as they just wouldn't accept my degree transcripts. The education system (in terms of employing teachers) is backwards here if you want to work in the state sector. I know a lot of primary teachers who are either working in other jobs, or still struggling to find permanent contracts despite working in Australia for a few years. The recruitment process is done centrally by the schools board and basically, teachers get shipped here there and everywhere. From what one of my employees tells me (used to teach primary), to get a foot in the door you need to go remote first for a couple of years before you even get a looking at working in and around Perth. Alternatively, there are a lot of private schools which you might have more luck with. They normally advertise on seek.com.au. However, a lot of these are religious and require evidence that you attend church. In the end, I had quite a lot of experience in the vocational education sector and managed to get a job in an RTO (registered training organisation) which I am actually really enjoying more than I would teaching in school. In terms of Perth, you will have heard that it is expensive. It is ridiculously expensive, but then the wages are a lot better. It depends on how you want to live your life, but a household income of $70,000 - $80,000 is manageable. Rentals are overpriced because the market is flooded with people desperate for renatals so unless you are johnny millionaire, you can forget the house overlooking the sea. However, there are affordable suburbs further from the CBD that can get you within a short drive from the sea. If you are considering having a baby here, you need to consider the cost of healthcare here. A health package which covers your maternity needs is about $200 per month. This comes with an excess and all of your other health needs will cost you as even having private doesn't fully cover everything. People slate the NHS but when you have had to pay for healthcare, you realise how privileged we are in the UK. You do however get a $3000 baby bonus from the state. The lifestyle here divides opinion. If you are a sun worshipper, the endless days of glorious sunshine are a big draw, the beaches are great and you can actually plan a BBQ without fear of rain!! However, even the sun becomes unbearable at times and you look around your local area to see a lot of people with the blinds down and air con on. You can enjoy a more outdoor lifestyle, but the sun can be equally as prohibitive as it is a positive. In Perth, there are a number of nice places you can go and see and enjoy such as Kings Park which is amazing, but once you have been there and done it, there isn't a lot more. I have to be honest, there isn't a lot to do here, however we do have a young child in tow so nights out etc are not on the agenda. I think as a young married couple with no children, you will have every opportunity to enjoy a an active social life, providing you don't expect to stay up any later than 10pm. Its time for slippers and glass of milk at night time here and there isn't a lot to do. Don't underestimate the pull of family and friends that you are leaving. The idea of going is great, but when you have children in the mix who aren't benefitting from their grandparents involvement it is really difficult. You will be starting your friendship circles from scratch here and if you read a lot of posts, you will see that making new friends here is challenging. You have to willing to throw yourself into every invite going. There is also the lack of sense of belonging that people struggle with. We are 6 months in now and we are already planning to move back to the UK. Australia is beautiful and has so much to offer, but for us, life is more than just sunshine and lifestyle. We want our son to enjoy the richness of growing up with his family and close friends and we firmly believe that his education is better off in the UK based on what we have seen. We sold everything and paid a fortune chasing that dream. For us it wasn't the dream we thought it was. Looking back, would we still have done it, knowing what we know now? Yes! Of course we would. It has been a fantastic experience and the itch has been scratched. I would rather have done it than be one of those people sat in the UK saying, "we were thinking of moving to Australia!"... but never had the balls to do it. If it is a dream then my advice would be to come and give it a go, be completely open minded and don't expect everything to be a bed of roses. It isn't better than the UK, it is just different and it depends on what you want out of life. It may even be worth you thinking about a 1 year working visa to come and see it without making such a huge commitment. You will read so many views on here that are for and against Perth and other parts of Australia, but to be completely honest, you don't know until you come and try it for yourself. I hope this helps and gives you a realistic picture of what you may be faced with. If I can help with any other questions, then just ask. Aussie Hopeful

We made the move on less than $10,000 and I would say that providing you are sensible and keep your expectations in check in the first instance, it is do-able. Lisa, you are definitely coming with the right attitude. What I didn't mention was the fact that I had already set up other work (nothing to do with my occupation) just in case the jobs I wanted didn't turn out. From my limited experience, the Aussie employment market wasn't as easy to get into as it first seems and it is a lot about who you know etc. Providing you can show that you are hardworking and you get your foot in the door somewhere, you will soon make a breakthrough. Lisa, what are your occupations? Chris

Hi, we have just moved to Perth and will be shortly moving into a rental. We sold everything we owned in the UK and need to fill our house with absolutely everything you could possibly need in a house. If anyone is going back to the UK and has stuff to sell or just moving and has stuff to sell in the Perth area, then please get in touch as we would be very interested. Thanks Chris

Hi all, Just thought I would give you an update. We arrived in Perth on 20th August and was surprised at how ok the flight was. We were fortunate enough that a friend of a friend had offered to take us in until we got on our feet, so the day after we arrived, we went and sorted everything (bank, medicare, tax number etc etc). I had also done a lot of groundwork job wise before we landed so I had an informal interview 2 days after arriving. Anyway, I had my final interview the tuesday just gone and they have offered me the job. I was concerned that I would have to move sidewards or even down for a job, but this is a promotion from what I was doing in the UK and the package is excellent. We now just need to find somewhere to live and looking at a house in Quinns, perth today. Not bad for 2 and a half weeks! I have to say though that it hasn't all been plain sailing. My wife has found it very difficult with not having the familiarity and her own place. What has made it worse is our little boy has been ill with throat infection and conjunctivitis for the first 2 weeks so none of us slept and someone crashed into the back of the hire car which was a nightmare and cost us $4700. However, we should be getting this back. Now that we have a job, my wife is finding it easier and is a lot happier. Thanks again for all of your advice. i am glad that we just bit the bullet and came out. If any of you know anyone who is selling furniture then please let me know. Chris

Hi all, Thank you so much for your advice and guidance. You really only confirmed what we thought we needed to do and having sold everything else, Rupert, you were right, we were just clinging on to the last thing we had. Well, we booked our flights last week and will fly our on 19th August. Amazingly, we have some temporary accomodation in the form of a friend who is going to put us up until we get on our feet, so a massive burden off us there. We are so excited now and just the good bye's to say over the next few weeks and some serious job applying to do and networking to do. I have been making a point of speaking to most of the employers anyway, so hoping to arrange some meeting when we arrive. Thanks again guys, I will keep you all updated on our progress. Chris

Hi Cox's, the car is still available if you are interested? We are flying out in 2 weeks so let me know if you would like to come and take a look. Thanks Chris

Hi all, Would really appreciate the benefit of your experience on this one. We had our visa granted about 4 weeks ago and we are unbelievably excited about making to move to Perth. As we have limited funds, we decided to wait until I secured a job (VET teacher/lecturer) before making the permanent move out to Perth. However, so far, this has proved more difficult than I first thought. Despite having mountains of experience and qualifications and a diversity of skills, I am even struggling to get shortlisted for even a basic teaching role. I have changed my CV to suit, tailoired my letters to meet the criteria in the format that the Aussies are loking for, but time after time, they are shortlisting Aussies over me and after speaking to a number of employers (who have been brutally honest), they are stating that I am a risk to employ because of not being there for a face to face interview and the chance that I might not come (which isn't that case). I completely understand where they are coming from and know that if I could get my foot in the door somewhere, I would be fine. We have sold everything (and I mean everything short of our clothes and a few small bits we want to take) and are currently residing with family. Not the most ideal situation. We also have a 16month boy to consider. We vhave enough money to cover costs for the first month, possibly 2 at a stretch. Our dilemma is this: Do we sit and wait until I eventually get offered a job. Or, do we book our flights, apply for jobs notifying them of when we are arriving and do some serious job seeking when we get there. Any advice you guys could offer would be much appreciated. Thanks Chris

We are just about to make the move to Perth and have a car for sale in the UK, available to purchase asap. It is a Seat Altea 1.6 Reference (2008) Sport in immaculate condition. Silver, 23,000 miles, electric windows, air con, CD player, Isofix seats for child seats, Huge boot space, MOT due Aug 2012, Service Due Aug 2012, Tax due Feb 2013. Low Insurance bracket. Car is in excellent condition and runs great. £6,000 - Price reduced for a quick sale (equivalent private sale are priced at £7,500). If you are interested or want more details, please just get in touch. Chris

Although I am a first timer, my wife and I have been using this website since January when we started the monstrous process of applying for Australia. We have had our medicals and police checks and just awaiting the outcome for our visa. Very excited!! I have started looking for and applying for jobs but was wondering whether any teachers/lecturers in WA could offer any advice. I am secondary PE trained but have experience in Secondary, FE and HE and have been granted state sponsorship as a vocational education teacher as I have bene teaching vocational programmes for the last 7 years. I was just wondering what the employment prospcts are like for teachers/lecturers and I want to be realistic in the jobs I am applying for. I have several years management experience but so far have assumed that australians would like to see some australian experience under your belt before you start leading anything. Is this true or would you recomend that I go for jobs similar to what I am doing now? Also, has anyone got any suggestions on how write a killer letter of application to suit the Aussie employer? Thanks, an excited and hopeful migrant