Breezer Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I emigrated to ACT in June 2012 on a 176 visa (Permanent Resident). The following is my truthful feeling about ACT/Canberra with some guidance regarding food and house prices (rent and buy). A lot of people, Australians and other migrants that migrate to other states, are negative to ACT. I had never been to Australia although my wife had been in 2000 so I didn't know what to expect. When we boarded the aircraft in London to fly to Aus the stewardess's asked if we were going on holiday. When we told them we were emigrating to ACT they asked "Why?" This didn't reassure me we had don't the right thing. When we arrived in ACT we didn't have accommodation (a long story I wont bore you with) so we stayed in a Hotel for 2 nights before renting a 1 bed apartment in Barton (400m from the Parliament Building). Within 3 weeks we found a rental property in the North of ACT (Gungahlin suburb) and are currently still in the same house. ACT is a little like London in the North/South divide. You either live North or South and never the twain meet (sort of). My personal opinion (and don't shoot me) is the South is more established with older houses (generally) and the North has newer houses especially in Gungahlin (nicknamed "Nappy Valley"). ACT is split into suburbs with the North mainly consisting of either North Canberra, Belconnen or Gungahlin suburbs. The South has Woden, Tuggeranong, Weston Creek and South Canberra. ACT is the only State/Territory in Australia not to have a coast line. It does however have beautiful parks, kids play areas with BBQ's which are free to use, skate parks for little and big kids, plenty of swimming pools (a brand new one is being built in Gungahlin Town Centre along with a brand new Oval for Rugby League and Aussie Rules games). ACT is approx. 2.5hrs to the nearest coast (subject to how fast you drive) which is Batemans Bay, 3 hrs easy drive to Sydney and approx. 3hrs to the snow fields of Perisher and Thredbo. The season past saw great snow especially in Perisher however its not cheap to stay and ski. Plenty of golf courses. There are eight 18 hole golf courses in ACT alone and a few near by in NSW. Recruitment agencies - I am not a lover of recruitment agencies and my experience of them since arriving in ACT has not been the best (excluding the agency that actually treated me as a person, 'thought outside the box', kept me informed all the way in the process and ultimately I secured the job which I totally love. As a migrant without an employer sponsor you will find it difficult to gain employment. To work for the Commonwealth/Federal Govt you must be an Australian or New Zealand Citizen. Unless you have an exceptional quality/skill they won't even look at your Resume (CV in UK). Jobs in the private sector will be easier to secure however many put you through the competency based interview process of which I am not a fan. Even if you can secure a temporary job this will help you gain a reference from an Australian employer which can be of assistance landing your next job. The following are rough prices in Australian dollars for renting in Gungahlin suburb: 4 bed house from approx. $500 per week - most rental agencies/lessors want rent paid fortnightly however weekly or monthly can be arranged. The following is site that you should review before you emigrate showing rental and selling properties for all ACT - www.allhomes.com.au. Another site is www.domain.com.au. Food and drink is slightly expensive (again my opinion). A loaf of bread (not fancy bread from a bakers but from supermarket) costs between $2 and $6. 3 ltr milk costs $3 (subject to where you buy but this is the cheapest I found in the supermarket - own brand). Sliced ham in the supermarket deli ranges between $16 and $24 per kilo (common measurement used here). Butter/spread is $3 when on offer. Fresh vegetable and fruit prices fluctuate daily. I have seen green or red peppers (Capsicum as they are called here) cost as little as $2.50 per kilo up to over $9, I even saw the price jump $7 per kilo within a day. Soft drinks are commonly on offer and not badly priced so shop around. Beer and wine is pricey. A carton of Carlsberg lager (24btls) normally costs $46 to $50. I bought a box for $38 last week which was on offer and the cheapest I have ever seen it here. Hahn Super Dry lager is around $50 for 24 btls. Castlemain Gold XXXX costs around $38 for 24. Wines - cheap cask wines are about $12-$15 for 4 ltr (Stanley brand). Bottles of wine start at approx. $8 to over several hundred per bottle. Hardy's Stamps is approx. $8.99 for 1ltr bottle. Cars are pricey and hold their value especially 4x4 vehicles. Check out www.carsales.com.au and compare the price of what your vehicle is worth in UK/Ireland compared to what it is worth in Australia. A friend who emigrated to WA sold his Nissan Patrol (not brand new nor in excellent condition) and wishes he hadn't sold it but imported it as they cost a fortune out here. Petrol is approx. $1.54 per litre for 91RON petrol. I bought 95RON (normal unleaded in UK) today and it cost $1.64 per litre. Diesel is about $1.79 per litre. Please note prices above are from major supermarkets (Coles and Woolworths). Do I like ACT? YES. Am I glad we made the move? YES. Will I move back to the UK? I hope not as life is never certain. Would I recommend ACT? YES, especially to families. Couples and singles might find the night life a little un-Australian compared to Sydney however its only a short drive away and then you come back to a clean and pleasant area that of ACT. Do I miss my family back in Ireland/UK? YES, but I made the conscious decision to emigrate for the greater good (lifestyle, etc) of my family. I hope the above is of some assistance to readers. I am not often on this site as life is busy settling in and with family which I love however I will try and answer questions as I know how nervous we were when we emigrated. Best of luck to you all. Breezer.:biggrin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifi69 Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Thanks for posting ...interesting seeing the difference in food prices. It doesn't matter if ACT gets a negative response...as long as you are happy. not like Perth doesn't get a bashing :mad: I think like myself, a lot of migrants want the beach and ocean on their doorstep, so maybe sidestep Canberra. but posts like yours can show another side. Enjoy your adventure... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckleface Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Great post. One thing that made me laugh though is how long it takes you to drive to the coast. Did you actually mean 1.5 hrs? Everyone loves to hate Canberra but the people who live here usually rave about it :smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Glad that things have worked out well for you. Don't tell any Canberran they haven't got a coastline though! Jervis Bay is ACT! interesting perceptions from a newcomer - for years the Northside was the older established area while Tuggeanong was definitely Nappy Valley for the longest time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I emigrated to ACT in June 2012 on a 176 visa (Permanent Resident). ACT is a little like London in the North/South divide. You either live North or South and never the twain meet (sort of). My personal opinion (and don't shoot me) is the South is more established with older houses (generally) and the North has newer houses especially in Gungahlin (nicknamed "Nappy Valley"). ACT is split into suburbs with the North mainly consisting of either North Canberra, Belconnen or Gungahlin suburbs. The South has Woden, Tuggeranong, Weston Creek and South Canberra. :biggrin: thanks for this great post. We're currently debating where to retire - choice is narrowing down to either the UK or Canberra, so I 'd love to pick your brain. What else defines the North/South divide apart from type of housing? Are we talking bogans in the North and latte-sipping yuppies in the south, or vice versa? Or is it families vs retirees, or something else? Whatever it is, it seems like a real division and I'm struggling to work out which side we'd belong on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 thanks for this great post. We're currently debating where to retire - choice is narrowing down to either the UK or Canberra, so I 'd love to pick your brain. What else defines the North/South divide apart from type of housing? Are we talking bogans in the North and latte-sipping yuppies in the south, or vice versa? Or is it families vs retirees, or something else? Whatever it is, it seems like a real division and I'm struggling to work out which side we'd belong on! Heavens - you really want to retire in Canberra? It was so boring I went back to work! Am really retired now in UK and the trouble is there is too much to do! Nope, no difference between the two sides! Latte on both sides and bogans on both sides. It's just one of those ephemeral divides and affiliation seems to depend largely on where you start out! It is interesting that I know of very few who have voluntarily crossed the divide! I don't think I would (Northside girl here!). Jokes that you need your passport and a packed lunch to cross the Lake have been around ever since the lake filled up. I've worked on both sides over the years and apart from structural differences in some facilities based on the era of development there isn't much to choose between them. Personally I'd go for inner suburbs (inner North marginally less expensive) rather than bring stuck out in the boonies but each to their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ptp113 Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Only boring people get bored. As for the supposed North South divide it's just a converstion piece. I've lived in many places in both over nearly 4 decades and it's no different than anywhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Only boring people get bored. As for the supposed North South divide it's just a converstion piece. I've lived in many places in both over nearly 4 decades and it's no different than anywhere else. Nope, definitely not a boring person (and I used to say that to my kids too!) but going to the club to play the pokies never really appealed! LOL Yup N/S is a talking point and a chance for banter. It's worse than which footie team you support! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ptp113 Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 (edited) Nope, definitely not a boring person (and I used to say that to my kids too!) but going to the club to play the pokies never really appealed! LOL Yup N/S is a talking point and a chance for banter. It's worse than which footie team you support! Club playing pokies isn't my cup of tea tks. So much to do here we just can't fit every event and activity in, some people get get stuck in a rut. Edited January 25, 2014 by Stephen Page-Murray spellin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Heavens - you really want to retire in Canberra? It was so boring I went back to work! Well, we can't afford to retire in Sydney. I know Canberra is the second most expensive city in Oz, but it's still cheaper than Sydney - and we could live further out in cheaper suburbs because the roads are so good. Perth and Adelaide are too isolated, Darwin and Brisbane too hot, and Melbourne has the same problem as Sydney - to be affordable, we'd have to live too far away from the action. We considered Hobart but activities are too limited. I dance (belly dance, modern jazz, flamenco) and I also do ballroom dancing/rock'n'roll with my husband. Canberra seems to have a reasonable choice of classes. We've visited several times and I had a contract a couple of years ago where I spent a lot of time working with Canberra companies. I'd like to continue working part-time and I liked the more relaxed attitudes in Canberra - people actually took their lunch hour, and went home at a reasonable time (unheard of in Sydney!!). My husband is into history and culture so I'm hoping he might get a volunteer job in one of the museums or galleries to keep him busy. The other alternative is to go to the UK. The big obstacle is claiming the Aussie pension, because we'll have to come back again for two years to claim it - and doing a double move will add considerably to the cost of the whole exercise. Of course one possibility is to stick it out for another four years, and don't relocate until we've got the pension claimed - but we don't want to wait that long, life's too short to mark time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ptp113 Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Well, we can't afford to retire in Sydney. I know Canberra is the second most expensive city in Oz, but it's still cheaper than Sydney - and we could live further out in cheaper suburbs because the roads are so good. Perth and Adelaide are too isolated, Darwin and Brisbane too hot, and Melbourne has the same problem as Sydney - to be affordable, we'd have to live too far away from the action. We considered Hobart but activities are too limited. I dance (belly dance, modern jazz, flamenco) and I also do ballroom dancing/rock'n'roll with my husband. Canberra seems to have a reasonable choice of classes. We've visited several times and I had a contract a couple of years ago where I spent a lot of time working with Canberra companies. I'd like to continue working part-time and I liked the more relaxed attitudes in Canberra - people actually took their lunch hour, and went home at a reasonable time (unheard of in Sydney!!). My husband is into history and culture so I'm hoping he might get a volunteer job in one of the museums or galleries to keep him busy. The other alternative is to go to the UK. The big obstacle is claiming the Aussie pension, because we'll have to come back again for two years to claim it - and doing a double move will add considerably to the cost of the whole exercise. Of course one possibility is to stick it out for another four years, and don't relocate until we've got the pension claimed - but we don't want to wait that long, life's too short to mark time! A lot cheaper than Sydney except for fuel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 (edited) Well, we can't afford to retire in Sydney. I know Canberra is the second most expensive city in Oz, but it's still cheaper than Sydney - and we could live further out in cheaper suburbs because the roads are so good. Perth and Adelaide are too isolated, Darwin and Brisbane too hot, and Melbourne has the same problem as Sydney - to be affordable, we'd have to live too far away from the action. We considered Hobart but activities are too limited. I dance (belly dance, modern jazz, flamenco) and I also do ballroom dancing/rock'n'roll with my husband. Canberra seems to have a reasonable choice of classes. We've visited several times and I had a contract a couple of years ago where I spent a lot of time working with Canberra companies. I'd like to continue working part-time and I liked the more relaxed attitudes in Canberra - people actually took their lunch hour, and went home at a reasonable time (unheard of in Sydney!!). My husband is into history and culture so I'm hoping he might get a volunteer job in one of the museums or galleries to keep him busy. The other alternative is to go to the UK. The big obstacle is claiming the Aussie pension, because we'll have to come back again for two years to claim it - and doing a double move will add considerably to the cost of the whole exercise. Of course one possibility is to stick it out for another four years, and don't relocate until we've got the pension claimed - but we don't want to wait that long, life's too short to mark time! Seriously though - Canberra is as good a place as any if you want to live in Aus. There are plenty of facilities and if you look around you will find something that fits. OPH, National Gallery, AWM etc take a lots of volunteers, mostly retired Canberrans - think there's a queue for the Gallery! There's also thriving charities like Lifeline that use a lot of volunteer labour (Lifeline if books are your thing!). I wouldn't venture too far out into the suburbs though - can be desolate when everyone's at work during the day and the further out you are the ropier is the public transport. (And lots of clubs with the Pokies LOL LOL). Not too sure about the laid back attitude - there's a lot of driven people and with most families being two income there isn't that great a community feel - it can feel quite isolating unless you happen to land in a particularly chummy street. Edited January 25, 2014 by Quoll Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CommanderMaxil Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 This is really useful as i'm moving to Canberra from London in mid-March. One question I do have is if you could elaborate on your experience with recruitment agencies. I'm technically coming out as a policy advisor after 10 years in Whitehall advising UK govt but of course no chance of initially getting into the australian govt service due to the restrictions you mention. Have had some initial contact with agents in ACT (which have also been a bit of a mixed bag so far) but any insights you may have would be really valuable am sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breezer Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 Hi Commandermaxil my experience of recruitment agents in ACT has not been the best. Prior to emigrating they didn't want to know me and told me to wait until I got here then contact them. I visited a large recruitment agent in Civic shortly after arriving and was told to leave my Resume (CV to us but resume here in Australia)at reception who will pass it onto an agent. Guess what- no call back. The best agency for me was Mosaic Recruitment based in Curtin, South Canberra. They were very helpful and supportive and even better out me forward for an interview shortly after registering with them. The job was permanent and I am still in that job. Even better I love my job and employer. Contact them and ask for Edwina or Sarah Tamasi. Both were of great assistance to me. Website: http://www.mosaicrecruitment.com.au You are right about Govt jobs if you are not a citizen it is almost impossible to gain employment with them. Best of luck with Mosaic. Regards Breezer This is really useful as i'm moving to Canberra from London in mid-March. One question I do have is if you could elaborate on your experience with recruitment agencies. I'm technically coming out as a policy advisor after 10 years in Whitehall advising UK govt but of course no chance of initially getting into the australian govt service due to the restrictions you mention. Have had some initial contact with agents in ACT (which have also been a bit of a mixed bag so far) but any insights you may have would be really valuable am sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CommanderMaxil Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Thank you very much for your reply Breezer, I shall certainly follow up with the agency you recommend. At the moment any information like this is really useful, both in term of what i'm going to do when I get there but also in terms of making me feel better about the nerves of the actual move! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Keith Cantlie gets good reviews from several folk I know too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skelinoz Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 If I may IHMO the OP has called it just about right. I have been here just over two years and I have to say off the bat I love the place and have from day one, yes it has its own peculiarities but where doesn't? Compared to the UK in general things are more expensive., cars certainly are but there again they last longer out here and therefore hold there second hand value for longer. I live South side and agree the locals do like to play on the North South divide but ive never seen any real evidence of it. I will say ive found everyone ive met in the ACT to be freindly, very welcoming and helpful. I have made some very good freinds since my arrival. Jobs wise? The Government is out as stated above, and I have to agree a lot of jobs seem to be through word of mouth. If you are in on a bridging visa awaiting a decision on a partner visa for example even if you can work, a lot of employers will shy away from you. I got lucky with my bridging visa and got work at the airport, but only because I met my future boss over a beer one night and was able to fully explain my situation. I know of many bosses though who see the words Bridging Visa and the application is binned immediately. The only real gripe I have about the ACT is the right hand lane hoggers on the highways, they seriously will head for the right hand lane and sit there oblivious to the queue behind. Not a big gripe and if thats all I can find wrong with the ACT life has to be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ptp113 Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 If I may IHMO the OP has called it just about right. I have been here just over two years and I have to say off the bat I love the place and have from day one, yes it has its own peculiarities but where doesn't? Compared to the UK in general things are more expensive., cars certainly are but there again they last longer out here and therefore hold there second hand value for longer. I live South side and agree the locals do like to play on the North South divide but ive never seen any real evidence of it. I will say ive found everyone ive met in the ACT to be freindly, very welcoming and helpful. I have made some very good freinds since my arrival. Jobs wise? The Government is out as stated above, and I have to agree a lot of jobs seem to be through word of mouth. If you are in on a bridging visa awaiting a decision on a partner visa for example even if you can work, a lot of employers will shy away from you. I got lucky with my bridging visa and got work at the airport, but only because I met my future boss over a beer one night and was able to fully explain my situation. I know of many bosses though who see the words Bridging Visa and the application is binned immediately. The only real gripe I have about the ACT is the right hand lane hoggers on the highways, they seriously will head for the right hand lane and sit there oblivious to the queue behind. Not a big gripe and if thats all I can find wrong with the ACT life has to be good. That'll be enough of that young'un. Don't want any more PB's turning up 'ere................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABL275 Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Keith Cantlie gets good reviews from several folk I know too. I've been through Keith Cantlie too - very professional and great local contacts, certainly worth a call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABL275 Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 If I may IHMO the OP has called it just about right. I have been here just over two years and I have to say off the bat I love the place and have from day one, yes it has its own peculiarities but where doesn't? Compared to the UK in general things are more expensive., cars certainly are but there again they last longer out here and therefore hold there second hand value for longer. I live South side and agree the locals do like to play on the North South divide but ive never seen any real evidence of it. I will say ive found everyone ive met in the ACT to be freindly, very welcoming and helpful. I have made some very good freinds since my arrival. Jobs wise? The Government is out as stated above, and I have to agree a lot of jobs seem to be through word of mouth. If you are in on a bridging visa awaiting a decision on a partner visa for example even if you can work, a lot of employers will shy away from you. I got lucky with my bridging visa and got work at the airport, but only because I met my future boss over a beer one night and was able to fully explain my situation. I know of many bosses though who see the words Bridging Visa and the application is binned immediately. The only real gripe I have about the ACT is the right hand lane hoggers on the highways, they seriously will head for the right hand lane and sit there oblivious to the queue behind. Not a big gripe and if thats all I can find wrong with the ACT life has to be good. On the subject of right-hand lane hoggers we were mystified at just how ingrained it seems to be. Time and time again you'd see a car pull out from behind another only to then settle alongside it and then drive in formation with it for mile after mile, almost deliberately blocking the road. Wasn't sure if it was some sort of Public Service vigilante mentality (i.e. blocking the road to ensure that no-one can exceed 80kmh) or just a minifestation of Australian egalitarianism (i.e. I'm as good as anyone else so I'm not going to sit behind someone else, but by the same token, I'm not going to put myself ahead of them). My wife did a straw poll at work (in the APS) and many people said they'd never heard of a rule about staying left unless overtaking, or that it only applied on major highways. Since then I've taken to just zipping down whichever lane takes my fancy..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skelinoz Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 (edited) LOL Abl, it drove me nuts at first, Yamba Drive is bad for the right hand lane hogger, or going slower than the left lane. There are signs around that say keep left but as a former user of the M25 im not going to complain about Canberra's roads, at least you move on them Edited March 7, 2014 by Skelinoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 LOL Abl, it drove me nuts at first, Yamba Drive is bad for the right hand lane hogger, or going slower than the left lane. There are signs around that say keep left but as a former user of the M25 im not going to complain about Canberra's roads, at least you move on them It's the tailgaters that p*ssed me off - is the "Do not tailgate" sign still up there on a Capital Hill? But, yes, the Right hand Lane hoggers - and the idiots who have no idea about roundabout etiquette are right up there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skelinoz Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Or the lets change lanes after stopping at the lights just to even it up brigade. Still scares the bejesus out of me when they do that. Roundabout etiquette seems to be, I can overtake him here lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmap Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Hey all.. I'm looking at migrating to Canberra in sept.. I dnt know anyone from ACT.. So wld need some guidance as to how ul managed ur move to Canberra.. Can someone brief me how you managed to find a job and most importantly rent a place.. Hoping some1 wld be able to help me out.. Thanks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Hey all.. I'm looking at migrating to Canberra in sept.. I dnt know anyone from ACT.. So wld need some guidance as to how ul managed ur move to Canberra.. Can someone brief me how you managed to find a job and most importantly rent a place.. Hoping some1 wld be able to help me out.. Thanks... Most rentals through http://www.allhomes.com.au but book a holiday rental for around 4 weeks for when you arrive so you have time to find something. For jobs, check out the Canberra Times on Saturday and start applying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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