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Dear all, In the new year, my wife, my one year old son and myself are planning on moving to Sydney, where my wife's brother lives (in Newtown). My wife wants to stay home and look after our baby for a while longer, probably another six months, and I will be working as either a primary school teacher or a German and Spanish high school teacher. My salary is likely to be around 100k, but we have heard horror stories about living in Sydney with how expensive it is, so we are not sure if we will be able to get by on my salary alone. However, there must be plenty of other folks on 100k or less in Sydney, who manage to get by and some kind of comfortable life... I hope! Is 100k going to be enough? We would also be looking to buy a small place to live, but our budget will be about 600k. After looking online, it is likely we will have to live in the outer suburbs, as property elsewhere in Sydney is completely unaffordable. Are there any areas in Sydney you would recommend for a small family, with a price range of up to 600k? We don't mind the type of property (unit, flat, townhouse etc) but we do not want to have a balcony but some kind of garden/communal area, as we want our son to be able to run around somewhat. We are in our mid 30s, do not want to be renting forever and would like to have something we can call home. Staying in the UK is also not an option, because it is on its way down the drain. Any help or pointers much appreciated.

Hi All, my partner and I are looking to relocate to Sydney or Melbourne. My partner has 12 years experience in construction ranging from project management, quantity surveying and managing projects up to 50 million pounds in value. He owns his own construction business with his own staff and contractors and turns over about 2 million a year. I'm a Town Planner and have 7 years experience and I am chartered. We are wondering how this would translate in terms of job opportunities, salary expectations and if anyone else reading this has any tips or information they could share? Ideally my partner would try to get sponsored before coming as his job is in high demand but is that difficult to do? Thanks for any responses all.

Hi all, So glad to have found this forum! 12 months later than planned (thanks COVID!), my partner and I finally received our 4 year TSS visa and travel exemption to move to Sydney. We have had a bit of a nightmare with the cost of flights (work are not covering our moving expenses but that’s another story…) and are booked to travel from London> Doha> Sydney at the end of March with Qantas, which is the cheapest we could find. I’m slightly worried with flight cancellations and needing to get a negative test before flying – feels so close but also those final hoops to jump through. Has anyone successfully got on a Qantas flight recently with no last-minute cancellations? Living We are in our late twenties and previously lived in London (Vauxhall/ Oval area) – enjoy pubs, bars and nice restaurants but equally love the outdoors (hiking, beaches etc). Does anyone have any advice on where would be best to move? We are thinking Zetland, Waterloo, Paddington, Bondi Junction, Surry Hills, Moore Park, Redfern. We need to be a commutable distance to CBD ideally and do not have a huge budget for renting. Moving Only have a 20kg luggage case included with our flight. We do not have any white goods, furniture etc to transport but I would like to bring as much of my personal items, clothing, shoes etc as possible. Does anyone have any recommendations on how best to transport - I do not think we will be needing a container – potentially a few storage boxes etc? I’ve seen MoveCube and Sendmybag mentioned on here, any experiences of either? Sorry for all the questions, any help/ advice would be much appreciated. I’ve loved reading all your threads Thanks, Ellie

Hey all, I was hoping to get some advice on this forum about UK and Oz, and thought what better place to go than Pomsinoz I am trying to weigh up the pros and cons of Sydney vs London I'm from London and moved to Sydney 2 years ago for a change of lifestyle and pace, the weather, beaches and out door lifestyle all were very appealing, so i decided to make the move... Well my circumstances have changed now and my role have come to a close, so my 457 visa is now at critical point where I'd need to find something asap to keep it active.... Roles haven't been coming through so time pressures are accelerating this process of a possible London... So the question i am faced with is should I head back to London or try and stay in Sydney? I miss all London has to offer culturally and of course the Brits! but commuting and weather not missed at all!!!!!! I've also found Sydney not to be the most friendly place especially when single, I also prefer the brits sense of humour Is there anyone on here, that has been in living Sydney as a singleton and moved back to London? How have you found the comparison and experience so far? Also cost of livings and work / life balance? lots to consider! To add to this i am in my mid 30's so no spring chicken! (lol) but i feel that it's easier to meet people in London than here in Sydney, also another contributing factor!!! I am worrying about the stress of London life and sometimes I think that the standard of living is better in Sydney (and possibly in my field better comparable salary), but coming from London, Sydney's feel not half as exciting and much less variety on offer I love the diversity of London - but not the stress. Any thoughts would be gratefully appreciated about how London is now!!!

Hi I am moving to Sydney in Jan 2010. I am looking to rent a serviced apartment in north Sydney. I had a look at astra apartments. does anyone know about it? what other suggestions do you have. I will be working in Macquarie Bank in the CBD Thanks

Hi, I am in Queensland (Townsville) and trying to get home to the UK. Singapore Airline (who I flew out with) have announced a “rescue” flight leaving from Sydney. I’m trying to confirm whether I can fly from QLD and transit through Sydney airport, or will I have to quarantine for 14 days??! Obvs if that’s the case I’ll pass on the SIA flight and travel via Brisbane. Thanks

Hi everyone! Just thought I'd say Hello and introduce myself - my name's Susan and I look after the Moneycorp Australia office over here in Sydney I've been here a while - originally from the UK - and have been through the Migration process myself; so I completely understand how frustrating/painful/maddening/exciting/brilliant/crazy it can be! I do a lot of travelling & have been in the Banking business most of my life, so if I can help in any way just ask the questions

Has anyone ever regretted moving to Australia for reasons other than missing family and friends? Maybe money, jobs, weather, location, insects, health, something?! Me and my husband are due to move to Sydney from the UK in June, we have never been to oz before and if we dont like it we can just come back. We dont have any family or friends that we feel we will miss so thats not an issue for us. The only thing i hope is that i love my new job as much as i love my current one. Just looking for some negatives to level out all the positives i keep hearing...or are there no negatives?! Thanks

Hi All, Looking for some real world experience here. We are hopeful of receiving a grant of 190 for NSW. We will most likely be arriving without jobs (although you never know). Assuming it is going to take 3 months to get a job, how much money would we require to cover that initial 3 months? I realise this is a "piece of string" question, but I'm keen to see what others spent in this initial period, given my career it is likely to be Sidney that we end up living in. Thanks...

Hi, We are being relocated to Sydney in September with my husbands job and are considering the following schools: Redlands St Luke's Grammar School John Colet If anyone has had any recent personal experience with any of these schools I would be so grateful for any constructive thoughts or criticism. My daughter turns 5 in December and so will be expected to go into Kindy In January 2020. Many thanks

trHi, My husband is being relocated to Sydney in September and we are faced with the tricky task of finding a school for now four year old from London. I know she is still young but we only plan to be in Sydney for 2/3 years and then move back to the UK. Having already had over 18 months of learning to read and write (as they start earlier with this in the UK) we have been advised to put her into year 1. She adores what she calls 'work' and her teachers in the UK, teachers I know in Sydney and two educational consultants have recommended this would the best move especially since we would prefer her not to be too far behind when we come back to the UK. We wanted to send her to a Public school but they refuse to even asses her for a Year 1 place. Does anyone have any views or experience with this situation? Or found a private school that worked well in this situation? Any thoughts or ideas so appreciated. It seems so daunting with never having been to Sydney and not being able to look around schools before we leave the UK. We were thinking of northern beaches as where we may base ourselves but again this is not set in stone. Thank you!

Hi, My husband was approached by one of the Big 4 for a role at their Sydney office - He was made an offer this morning of $120K a year plus bonus (unknown currently) and relocation package (which we think is low) and we intend to try and negotiate. We have been looking at living out of the CBD e.g. Kellyville, Baulkham Hills, Liverpool so hoping for lower rents but my question is do you think this salary is doable for a family of four? I don't intend to work for the first 3 months to get the kids settled (5 and 3 year old) and don't want to feel rushed into doing so either. The recruitment agency in Sydney (who have been very good) keep saying that we shouldn't compare to the UK but it's hard as we both have a combined salary of £100K here in the UK (hubby on £55K) so have a comfortable life. We have used salary calculators and budget planners and we do seem to have the a similar surplus to the UK but still unsure as we are not physically there. Any advice would be greatly received. Thanks Marc.

There are three tiers of high school in Sydney: - Private schools. Nowhere near as expensive as Britain, because they are subsidised by the state, but even so, when you are earning Aussie dollars, they can certainly add up. - Selective high schools. Each year, year 6 students can elect to take tests to see if they can get a place in a selective high school. About a quarter of those sitting the tests get offered a place. Don't assume that your "local" secondary school is operating on a catchment system. These schools are all fully selective: Baulkham Hills High School · Caringbah High School · Fort Street High School · Girraween High School · Gosford High School · Hornsby Girls' High School · Merewether High School · Normanhurst Boys' High School · North Sydney Boys High School · North Sydney Girls High School · NBSC - Manly Selective Campus · Penrith High School · Smith's Hill High School · St. George Girls' High School · Sydney Boys High School · Sydney Girls High School · Sydney Technical High School Some of the remaining ones, Chatswood High School on the north side and Ryde Secondary college, on the north west side come to mind, are partially selective, whatever that really means. Comprehensive schools - these schools are like sinkhole schools, educating those who are either not bright enough (more like not good enough at sitting exams) to get into selective state schools or have parents who can't afford to send them to a private school. Something else to think about with these schools - a large proportion of the students have a south east Asian background, so Chinese, Vietnamese, people from well off families, including Indian ones. There is some controversy at the moment about North Sydney Boys, for instance, where it is claimed over 70% of their students come from a non English speaking background. Of all the cities to live in, in Australia, the one I liked the most was Sydney. But I wouldn't educate my children there. If you are not into the 11+, or into the kind of selective hell one goes through to get one's children into certain primary schools or secondary schools in some parts of England (Bradford comes to mind, and the Trafford part of Manchester, though not the much more egalitarian Manchester local education authority), and if you don't want your children to be in the minority if they are "fortunate" enough to get into a selective high school, then maybe it is better to look at areas other than Sydney for places to live. The impact of selective high schools tends to mean that the neighbouring non selective comprehensive school is like a sink hole school. Basically, the selecitive high schools take the cream of the students, including from private schools. In Sydney, if you can afford to send your kid to a private school, first you would try to save the $15,000 to $25,000 a year fees by seeing if you can get them into a selective state school. If you look at somewhere like Melbourne, in comparison, they have only 2 selective high schools and if you live in the catchment area for Balwyn High, (one of the best state schools in Victoria) you get to go to the school. In Brisbane, Brisbane High school is selective, but only partially so. Not sure about Adelaide high school - it is selective, but I am not sure if it also offers places to it's local catchment students.

Hello everyone, I am writing because I would like to know if those who already worked at fantastic framing can give me a testimony of what they did. Also maybe you can give me more details about the accommodation they give? Am I taking risks in this company ? This company seems to have the "dream job" but I am not sure. Thanks for your answers

I’m going travelling solo for a year soon and doing the classic Australia and Asia backpackers route. I’m starting with Australia then doing Asia later on cause I don’t have time before my visa deadline expires. My rough plan is travel around Australia, maybe head over to New Zealand for some time then go to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore areas. Then come back to Australia to do some work before the visa ends. I’m already 31 (seriously cutting it fine!) so I won’t be eligible to extend the visa for a second year but I’m an experienced graphic designer and hoping to get a job doing that for a while. I’ve done a lot of research but it’s mainly articles and blogs and It would be good to get some personal opinions too, I have a few questions: Do you have any advice on which route to take through Australia? – I’ll probably be starting at Sydney. For long term accommodation is hostels the best option or getting a house share? I know in London it’s common for backpackers to stay in house shares for a few days or weeks, occupying someone else’s room while it’s vacant. Round the world plane tickets vs booking your own flights – is it worth it? The backpack – I’m looking at 70-80L Osprey bags and something with a laptop pocket – Is this too big and a ball ache to carry around?

HI, I am an International student and is coming to Australia to pursue Masters in SCM and Project Management.I got admission from both UOW Sydney and Wollongong. Which is a better place in terms of part time jobs ? I just want a situation where I can pay for my own expenses over there. Any help would be a relief .

Hoping someone is able to help me out and offer advice! Little bit of a different topic. So I've been over to Australia a couple of times and fell in love with it. And in typical British fashion, would love to up sticks and move there. I've got quite a lot of close family friends and school friends who live out there so luckily I wouldn't be completely alone over there. I'm currently studying a Masters in Professional Acting in London and for the last year, I have been contemplating moving after I have graduated. It's now or never right? But my main concern is my career choice. I'm well aware that the acting industry is tough and very competitive no matter where you are - however I was wondering if anybody on here knows a thing or two about the Acting Industry over in Australia - specifically Sydney, or even Melbourne? If so, I have a couple of questions. What is the industry like? Is it a good place to be for a career in Acting? How tough is getting an agent? And are the agencies good out there in terms of getting you auditions? Do you get many opportunities in terms of Film & TV? Is it possible to get representation if only on a Working Holiday Visa? Do they offer opportunities to audition for US TV shows & Films? Any advice would be amazing!! Would massively appreciate it as it is hard to find advice on this through google. Thank you, Zoe

Hi all, Looking for some advice from anyone else in my situation. We came to Sydney in January on a 3 month visitor Visa. We have just applied for the Last remaining relative Visa (835) and been accepted and granted a BVA WA, with rights to study. Does this mean I do not have to pay the school fees for my daughter to go into primary school? Or are we classed as temp residents even though we are awaiting PR?

Hi, I am currently studying A Levels in the UK, England. My boyfriend and I are thinking of moving to Australia in the near future, he is fully Australian and his family live there also. After I have finished my A-levels, this is where my problem starts, I have no idea of any of the methods in which I can train. I am fully English myself so I can imagine this could be quite awkward. I have tried looking into this but I cannot find a lot of information, my plan in the UK was to finish my A-levels, move on to a higher apprenticeship and continue from there until trained and qualified. Is an apprenticeship in Law an option in Australia, NSW? Or do you have to go university? If a junior contract is available, are they easy to find? If not is there any advice on how university would work for me? And how long either of these processes will take? Will becoming a solicitor eventually be an option to me in Australia or is it the end of what I wish to do? Please leave ANY advice you have as I am completely stuck!! Thank you in advance, Whitney.

Hi, We are looking to move back to Sydney and have a 4yr old and 3yr old. We will move just before or after my daughter 4yrs starts school in Jan 19 and looking for a family area with a commute to Randwick or Westmead for hospitals. We are looking at the Shire for affordability but wanting somewhere that has good schools with some cafes and facilities nearby. Are there any suburbs anyone can recommend? Thanks

Hi community Thank you for accepting me to this forum, amazing topics over here. I have been offered a job in Sydney with 100.000$ (QA Engineer 7 years experience) as a yearly gross salary. Is it enough for a good living, taking in consideration : - Married and wife is not working. - Have to travel to Spain twice a year for family and parents visit. - Be able to save some money and do some activities over the weekend. I've seen the renting prices are high, what do you think ? Thank you for the help

Hi everyone, first time posting in Poms in Oz, I was a frequent poster in Poms in Perth when we moved over 4 years ago, and got a great deal of advice on there. Sorry to post yet another suburb related post, I will try and keep it as straight to the point as possible. We moved to Perth 4 years ago, we have loved it here, but a work opportunity has developed in Sydney so we will be relocating there in January (we have 2 boys 11 & 6). I will be based in North Ryde, and would like to keep the commute manageable if possible. Happy to use public transport if need be (North Ryde Station is 10 mims walk from the office). We currently live in the Piara Waters / Harrisdale area of Perth if anyone knows it, which are pretty new suburbs, in fact we are the first to live in the house we rent. We really like the modern feel of the suburb, and would like something similar in Sydney. Not sure how possible this is (are there many ‘new areas’ being developed?). The main things we are looking for is a decent area, with a nice community feel, good schools within a commutable distance of work. All of this for circa $700pw I am there in 2 weeks and will be checking out suburbs. Have been told to look at The Hills district (Kellyville, Cherrybrook, Rouse Hill) and the Central Coast area (will see what the drive is like). Would really appreciate some guidance from you all, tell me where to check out, and where to avoid Pete & Jo.

Hi all, My family and I are moving over to Sydney at the end of November. I'm having a massive panic about schools and which year my son will be enrolled in. My 7 year old's DOB is 21.07.10. He started school in the UK when he was 4 years old in 2014. He's one of the youngest in his year and gets on fine. He's currently in Year 3 in the UK and I'm being told if he starts in Oz at the beginning of the year (2018) he'd start in Year 2. Which means, if we catch the end of this school year (which I'd like to because he might make a couple of friends before the school break up over Xmas) he'd actually enter Year 1 which sounds like a huge step backwards for him in terms of where he'll be at academically compared to the other children. Has anyone else had similar worries and how have you addressed them? Someone said that if he is finding it too easy then he would be moved up a year. Can anyone clarify any of this for me please? Thanks so much Helen

Ermington NSW is a busy suburb of South East Sydney that is perfect for families, couples and young singles alike. It is a place that is extremely close to everything a person could need; Shop’s, doctors, schools, entertainment venues, Universities, public transport and much more. The suburb of Ermington is growing daily with new homes being built at all times of the year. Ermington is seen below in the centre of the map. Public Transport Transport is something that everyone needs. Ermington meets this need with its wide variety of public transport. Buses, Trains and even Ferry’s are accessible only a few minutes in each direction. The closest train station is either Meadowbank or Rydalmere. These stations are roughly a 5-10 minute drive in either direction of Ermington. Rydalmere is home to the closest wharf in which you can catch a Ferry. Busses are available from many locations around Ermington – The most common being on Victoria Road. These busses can connect you to the Train and Ferry systems giving a greater flexibility in transport. Via public transport it takes roughly 50 minutes to get from Ermington town centre to Sydney’s Central Station. This time is due to get even shorter in the coming years with the NSW Government announcing a light rail that is coming to connect the greater area of Sydney with ease. If public transport doesn’t interest a person then there is an endless amount of Taxi’s and Uber cars available to take you from A to B. Using Taxi’s and Uber’s will take longer to get from Ermington town Centre to Sydney’s Central Station as depending what time of day it is traffic getting in and out of the city can cause delays. Education Something that is a deciding factor for many young families is the availability of Education. Ermington is the perfect location for those wanting education options as it is in close proximity of several schools and day care facilities. Most of these facilities are within walking distance which creates less of a burden when it comes to the school drop off. For those who want to study themselves there is only a short distance of travel required to reach both University of Western Sydney and TAFE at Meadowbank (right next to the Meadowbank Train station). Property Ermington is a suburb in which quite a few people tend to rent rather than buy. Located a short distance from the city it is the ideal spot for those who work in the CBD and surrounding suburbs. The average rental in Ermington is 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom and 1 carport – these houses go for roughly $300-600 per week depending on the vicinity to the Paramatta River and how new the house is. Home for purchase in Ermington as of October 2017 are going from anywhere between 850,000 to 2.5 million. Lifestyle Ermington is the perfect spot for a family who would like to live an outdoor lifestyle. There are many outdoor activities only minutes from your doorstep. Halverston Park is located in Ermington on the Parramatta River. This park has been completely refurbished to entertain children of all ages. With a wide grass area it is perfect to kick a ball around or to adventure around the park. There are also many tables and public BBQ’s making it a perfect summer destination. A short 15 minute drive from Ermington you can find other parks in the area which have public water activities and fountains which are a hit with the locals. These activities are free and are also in the vicinity of public tables and BBQs which makes it the perfect location for children’s birthday parties. Below is an image of the children’s playground at Halverston Park, Ermington. With a rough population of 10700 people it is easy to see that Ermington is becoming more desirable as time goes by. The Parramatta council and the NSW Government have put a lot into the development of this area in the last few years. The area of AE2 (pictured below) is just one estate inside of Ermington. AE2 is the perfect place for people of all backgrounds. With new state of the art apartments built along the waterfront that surround beautiful homes and townhouses; this is truly the place to be. Entertainment & Shopping For other entertainment Ermington is an ideal location. With Sydney Olympic park only a short distance away Ermington is the perfect destination to live if you are someone who likes to attend sporting events, concerts, The Royal Easter Show and many other conventions. Sydney Olympic Park has a range of events on every single weeks. Attending these events usually leaves a visitor with a headache with transport and parking issues. For Ermington residents these events are able to be visited with only a short 20 minute walk (across the Paramatta River). Sydney Olympic Park is also home to some amazing restaurants which is pleasing to residents as you can enjoy top quality dining without having to make the commute into the Sydney CBD. Ermington is home to a small shopping strip located on Betty Cuthbert Drive. These shops are perfect for the essentials with a pharmacy, doctors, hairdresser, supermarket, news agency and various fast food outlets. There is also a Vet, Dental Surgery and Petrol Station located on Victoria Road right across from If you are looking for other shops such as clothing stores, cafes etc then Top Ryde Shopping Centre is located only a 10 minute drive away. Top Ryde is also home to a cinema and Monkey Mania – Children’s Activity Centre. Employment Employment in the Ermington area is as adverse as the area is so close to the Sydney CBD. Opportunities include administration, retail, hospitality and many other specialist areas. Whilst jobs are highly sought after in Sydney it is a market that can be navigated quite easily. Many are given employment after simply dropping a resume off at a business in opening hours. For all of the reasons explored and more Ermington is the perfect place for people of all demographics. Ermington is home to people over a range of socioeconomic groups making it liveable for everyone from the single friends sharing a home through university to the families wanting somewhere to make their forever home.

Hi guys just a quick note..had our 190 visa granted on 11th August [emoji16]we will be arriving in Sydney on 5th November staying with my sister in law in Ashfield inner west, initially as a base for our travels and untill we decide if were gonna settle or not. I'm a gas fitter and plumber in the UK and my fiancee is an optical dispenser (works in an opticians)...would anyone know the like wages combined we may achieve in Sydney with relation to renting etc....we are renting out our 3 bed semi in Liverpool and have a decent amount of money to get us started...any help appreciated [emoji106]