Melbourne - One year in

[PityTheFool]

I think proximity to the city is a big thing for Melbourne, life is very much centred around the city which is surprising to say how far it sprawls.

 

Places like frankston and dandenong, whilst offering some employment opportunities, don't seem to have taken any focus from the CBD itself - which I find a bit strange. To have so many people spread over such a large area focused around one city seems strange to me, maybe that's just coz I'm from England and pretty much wherever you are in the country you could expect to have three or four decent size cities around you!

[Quinkla]

I think for us it just feels like we're through the honeymoon period and now we're just living the day to day life, the instant shock of the big city and proximity to nice beaches has long gone and we're left with what seems like three months of decent weather combined with a live to work attitude.

And, of course, living the dream

[thediggler]

I think proximity to the city is a big thing for Melbourne, life is very much centred around the city which is surprising to say how far it sprawls.

 

Places like frankston and dandenong, whilst offering some employment opportunities, don't seem to have taken any focus from the CBD itself - which I find a bit strange. To have so many people spread over such a large area focused around one city seems strange to me, maybe that's just coz I'm from England and pretty much wherever you are in the country you could expect to have three or four decent size cities around you!

 

 

Hey Shane, sent you a private message in response to yours about items for sale in Melbourne but not sure it got through, I've had problems with sending messages on PIO in the past. If it didn't arrive, drop me another message with your mobile number and i'll give you a call mate. Cheers, Neil

[Marisawright]

as you say it's all about how long you spend at work and not what you actually achieve

 

I was complaining about that exact same thing to my sister (who's a high-powered senior manager in London). She has worked at several big multi-nationals in London, and she said they're all like that - if you want to get ahead, you have to forget about doing a thorough methodical job, and focus on what will look good. So I don't think it's an exclusively Aussie thing. Maybe you were just lucky with the companies you worked for in the UK, or maybe Midlands companies still have that old work ethic.

[PityTheFool]

I was complaining about that exact same thing to my sister (who's a high-powered senior manager in London). She has worked at several big multi-nationals in London, and she said they're all like that - if you want to get ahead, you have to forget about doing a thorough methodical job, and focus on what will look good. So I don't think it's an exclusively Aussie thing. Maybe you were just lucky with the companies you worked for in the UK, or maybe Midlands companies still have that old work ethic.

 

I fear you could be correct....I'd be interested to hear where this ethic is available anywhere in Oz?!?

[Guest]

Depends what company it is. I imagine a smaller company would recognise who the better employees are results wise and promote and larger companies more likely to promote based on time sat at the desk.

[PityTheFool]

I was complaining about that exact same thing to my sister (who's a high-powered senior manager in London). She has worked at several big multi-nationals in London, and she said they're all like that - if you want to get ahead, you have to forget about doing a thorough methodical job, and focus on what will look good. So I don't think it's an exclusively Aussie thing. Maybe you were just lucky with the companies you worked for in the UK, or maybe Midlands companies still have that old work ethic.

 

I fear you could be correct....I'd be interested to hear where this ethic is available anywhere in Oz?!?

[Marisawright]

I fear you could be correct....I'd be interested to hear where this ethic is available anywhere in Oz?!?

 

I've only ever worked in Sydney and I got out of the rat race a few years ago, but the only company like that I came across was privately owned (it was RAMS Home Loans, and it was an amazing place to work - but they got bought over by Westpac so I assume they're the same as everywhere else now).

 

I agree that you'd have a better chance of finding such a thing in a smaller company, as the bosses will have more chance to see what you're really doing - in a big company managers are always over-worked and only looking at the surface.

[chrispeck]

I think proximity to the city is a big thing for Melbourne, life is very much centred around the city which is surprising to say how far it sprawls.

 

Places like frankston and dandenong, whilst offering some employment opportunities, don't seem to have taken any focus from the CBD itself - which I find a bit strange. To have so many people spread over such a large area focused around one city seems strange to me, maybe that's just coz I'm from England and pretty much wherever you are in the country you could expect to have three or four decent size cities around you!

 

So, I have only been in Melbourne 6 months after living 2 years in Adelaide. Adelaide was way too quiet for me, and although the heat & blue sky was good at first, i ended up pining for clouds, and the consecutive hot days were an issue, other than being in a pool, in summer it's just too damned hot to do anything. Even the beach I couldn't deal with for more than an hour before I thought i was cooked. Being positive, late evenings in Autumn and spring, when the temperature drops to 25 or so were lovely.

 

However, on this point about the city density, I totally agree.

 

We have taken drives around the countryside near Melbourne (in about a 150km radius), and it amazes me just how few other towns/cities there are, and indeed how dark the landscape is at night (you just don't see the kind of density of occupation as the UK). If you check out the biggest cities/towns in Victoria, it goes Melbourne 3.7m, Geelong 143k, Ballarat 85k, by the time you get to the 7th biggest at Sunbury it's 35k.

 

It's the same in South Australia, there's Adelaide at 1.1m, then Mt Gambier at 25k. Western Australia is Perth 1.1m, Rockingham 60k. Have pity on NT, it's Darwin 70k, Alice Springs 25k!!

 

And bear in mind, that for these big cities, they are a long way apart. Adelaide to Melbourne is 750km, and Melbourne to Sydney is 850km. Getting your head around the scale of Australia is a challenge I think.

 

I guess we forget, the UK is tiny (and therefore packed), and has been settled with permanent towns for over 2,000 years.

 

On the other hand, that's one of the reasons I came to Australia, as a Scot I can't begin to cope with the south of England, it's just too densely populated for me. I wanted a bit more space...and there sure is more space in Australia!

[flag of convenience]

Thanks for the replies.

@thediggler

 

Sorry to hear your heading back - did you considered anywhere else in Oz before deciding or was enough enough?!?

 

For us it's I think it's just not worked out as we'd have hoped, don't get me wrong I know the grass isn't always greener and same sh!t different place, etc. but we were hoping for a more relaxed lifestyle and attitude to life generally. At the minute we're doubting whether Melbourne is able to offer what we're looking for.

 

It would be awesome to have more sun, spend more time at the beach, surf (the water around Melbourne is freezing, even in summer), basically work to live and not live to work!!

 

I work in the city and we live in the burbs, in some respects it's good but at the minute is seems all I do is work and then spend the weekends wishing it was sunny - not too dissimilar to the UK.

 

We read that Melbourne is very European and I'd def agree, maybe we should have taken more notice!! We came here to experience the Aussie way!!

 

Has anybody moved from Melbourne to Brisbane and if so can you offer any advice / comparisons???

 

I don't think it very European. Only in the Aussie context perhaps, but far less European than thirty years back when the vista was very different. Living in suburbia is something akin to the Aussie way which is prominent in all cities. Brisbane is a far longer drive to the beach than other cities, so unsure how Aussie that is.

[flag of convenience]

But Paul's point (and it is a reasonable one) is that if you live in a capital city but never travel interstate then it is immaterial whether your nearest capital is an hour's flight away or four hours away.

 

Well it can do as the world around you can reflect that isolation. Besides being far from elsewhere the lack of alternative near places can jar after a time. Perth is as introverted as other cities described, I'd have thought more than Melbourne, with a very much need to know culture to get a leg in the employment door.

 

On top of that it is very expensive. I'd say more than Melbourne for housing and dining out and in general. Houses are cold inside during winter and hot in summer. I rather like the winter months in Perth, but long endless hot summers can be draining to say the least.

[flag of convenience]

I know it is, I'm just saying I don't know why anyone would be worried about that. Doesn't affect us one bit, almost glad sometimes that it is, seems a bit removed from a lot of the worlds troubles.

 

I know one of the arguments for living in the UK was "Europe on the doorstep" like you can walk out your door and you're there. In reality how many times to people go, ordinary working class people that is. When we were young and single and had plenty of money I would go with mates maybe 3 times a year to Spain mostly, for the cheap booze, sun, sand and sex. Later on I would go with my girlfriend and went to Greece, Portugal and maybe to a bit more upmarket places, though we did many a place on the cheap and stayed longer. When we got married however and had our first mortgage even a cheapie to Spain was out the window. We ended up in a caravan in a wet field in Anglesey. It wasn't looking like it was going to get any better in the near future either.

 

Now we're in Perth, isolated or not, we don't have a hankering to be anywhere else.

 

Perhaps your at the end where a quiet home life is paramount to a happy existence. Nothing wrong with that of course. Just as others would prefer a place with more options to travel to over a weekend, a city with a bit more vibe about it, while not paying a small fortune for the mediocre on offer.

[Quinkla]

I don't think [Melbourne] is very European.

I can see that. In many ways, Melbourne feels quite Asian. It has big, tall buildings covered in glass. It has food courts. It has bureaucracy and corruption. It has a kind of arbitrariness and unpredictability. It has good, cheap public transport. It has something of a dual track economy with a wide gulf between the discount shops and the regular shops. It has the long hours thing.

 

Perhaps that's a bit harsh on Asia - it's not meant to be, and I know Asia is a vast and diverse continent. But from my perspective, a European who has lived here for over 4 years, I tend now to notice more differences than similarities to back home.

[andyjmason]

Wow, what a negative view of Melbourne. Not at all how we have experienced it in the 2.5 years we have been here. But I guess you get out what you put in and people will be warm and welcoming here if you are willing to accept change and embrace a new life without harking back to everything British. The weather is a million times better than the Uk all year round. You can easily insulate your home, and its as warm inside as you want it to be, carpets are available just as in the UK. We live in Mornington and love how cheap and easy public transport is into the city, it would cost us twenty times as much to get into the city by train in England.

The beaches are lovely, the countryside equal to the UK and the sea is much warmer. Perhaps you were mixing Melbourne up with Malibu?!

Best of luck on your return to the UK, especially moving to the dreary, grimy Midlands, we are returning to visit a sick relative next week and are dreading the motorways and the depressing M5 M6 interchange as we pass from south to north.

No regrets whatsoever for us thankfully, we love the Aussie way of life, how welcoming they've been to us and how positive their attitude to life is here. So refreshing compared to the 'let's all vote UKIP' doom and gloom of England.

We left the beautiful jurassic coast of Dorset to move here and will enjoy revisiting briefly, but the seaside towns of the UK are littered with drug rehabs, ex prisoners and the drinking culture of teens and stag do's, which definitely ruins the potential charm of the beaches.

[Paul1Perth]

Wow, what a negative view of Melbourne. Not at all how we have experienced it in the 2.5 years we have been here. But I guess you get out what you put in and people will be warm and welcoming here if you are willing to accept change and embrace a new life without harking back to everything British. The weather is a million times better than the Uk all year round. You can easily insulate your home, and its as warm inside as you want it to be, carpets are available just as in the UK. We live in Mornington and love how cheap and easy public transport is into the city, it would cost us twenty times as much to get into the city by train in England.

The beaches are lovely, the countryside equal to the UK and the sea is much warmer. Perhaps you were mixing Melbourne up with Malibu?!

Best of luck on your return to the UK, especially moving to the dreary, grimy Midlands, we are returning to visit a sick relative next week and are dreading the motorways and the depressing M5 M6 interchange as we pass from south to north.

No regrets whatsoever for us thankfully, we love the Aussie way of life, how welcoming they've been to us and how positive their attitude to life is here. So refreshing compared to the 'let's all vote UKIP' doom and gloom of England.

We left the beautiful jurassic coast of Dorset to move here and will enjoy revisiting briefly, but the seaside towns of the UK are littered with drug rehabs, ex prisoners and the drinking culture of teens and stag do's, which definitely ruins the potential charm of the beaches.

 

Mornington is a long way from Melbourne though and could be a world away. I liked it there too.

[PityTheFool]

But I guess you get out what you put in and people will be warm and welcoming here if you are willing to accept change and embrace a new life without harking back to everything British.

 

Best of luck on your return to the UK, especially moving to the dreary, grimy Midlands.

 

To your first comment; this is based on your experiences only, which are obviously very different to ours! We are more than willing to change and are not 'harking back to everything British' we are merely making comparisons between what were our hopes and what now is a reality, this is called re-evaluating and is required in order to move forward!!

 

To your later comment; we are not moving back to the midlands we are staying where we are and contemplating a move elsewhere within Australia in search of what we were hoping to find in Melbourne.

 

In summary, quite a constructive post - thanks!!!

[Geraldine]

If you are considering a move to Brissy I don't think you will be disappointed by the climate, although its still too cold for me in the evenings . We live on the sunshine coast and think we are just about the luckiest devils alive in terms of our location. Oh did do a commute from sunny coast to north brissy and it isn't for everyone. We had been spoilt in the Uk though with a 2mile commute to work so nothing like what many have to do. I asked my OH what did laid back mean before we came over as I didn't know what to expect. I do now…we feel like we have a mini holiday each weekend enjoying a bbq at the beach or a walk in the hinterland. The scenery up here is stunning, customer service in the shops has been a pleasure. We still like a little night out so usually head up to Noosa. Cant wait for our chums in the UK to visit and see where we ended up. We don't go to the city that often but knowing it isn't that far away is great. All depends what is most important to you, why don't you come for a little holiday, walk from Moffat Beach to Kings and back and take in the view of the glasshouse mountains . A trip round the hinterland will remind you of the UK with rolling green hills and trees…its only the odd palm tree that gives it away that it definitely isn't Wales. Kids are about to take surfing lessons and the local nippers groups are fantastic. Have never been to Melbourne and have heard it has a european vibe. For us the climate was our big number one, work is work, doing the dishes is doing the dishes wherever you are in the world. Its what we get to do in our down time that makes the drudge of the day to day more enjoyable. If you are down our way in true british fashion…we always have the kettle on for a cuppa even in the summer !:smile:

[paul1977]

To your first comment; this is based on your experiences only, which are obviously very different to ours! We are more than willing to change and are not 'harking back to everything British' we are merely making comparisons between what were our hopes and what now is a reality, this is called re-evaluating and is required in order to move forward!!

 

To your later comment; we are not moving back to the midlands we are staying where we are and contemplating a move elsewhere within Australia in search of what we were hoping to find in Melbourne.

 

In summary, quite a constructive post - thanks!!!

Be carful in what you wish for. It's all well and good wanting sunshine and beaches but look at the bigger once the novelty wears off. I fell for it with perth, it becomes very boring. Must admit that your have more to do in Queensland than WA. Just think long and hard in what's really important . Take that from experience

[Marisawright]

we are not moving back to the midlands we are staying where we are and contemplating a move elsewhere within Australia in search of what we were hoping to find in Melbourne.

 

 

I'd say reading through this thread carefully should give you lots of clues. Different parts of Australia suit different people - for instance, Paul is obviously blissfully happy in Perth, because his life revolves around family life and the beach, and he doesn't feel the need (or have the time/money) to travel - whereas other posters, who like to go away for weekends, find it much too isolated. Geraldine loves the Sunshine Coast whereas anothe poster said she was bored to tears in Maroochydore. You need to work out whose lifestyle you'd like to emulate!

[PityTheFool]

@ Geraldine - Wow, sounds amazing, that the lifestyle we were hoping for!!

 

I think a weekend trip up North is in order!!

 

How long would a commute be from the Sunshine Coast to brissy?

 

@ Paul - totally agree about the weather and the novelty wearing off, that's what made us choose Melbourne over Perth. Maybe we we got it wrong!

@MASisawright - couldn't agree more. When your in the UK reading all of the posts I guess your opinion could be a little clouded by excitement, but now we're here is good to hear what others like, and don't like, about a place so that you can apply it to your own aspirations and see how it sits.

 

It would be a boring world if we all agreed on everything, we'd all be living in the same place!!

[Guest]

@ Geraldine - Wow, sounds amazing, that the lifestyle we were hoping for!!

 

I think a weekend trip up North is in order!!

 

How long would a commute be from the Sunshine Coast to brissy?

 

@ Paul - totally agree about the weather and the novelty wearing off, that's what made us choose Melbourne over Perth. Maybe we we got it wrong!

@MASisawright - couldn't agree more. When your in the UK reading all of the posts I guess your opinion could be a little clouded by excitement, but now we're here is good to hear what others like, and don't like, about a place so that you can apply it to your own aspirations and see how it sits.

 

It would be a boring world if we all agreed on everything, we'd all be living in the same place!!

 

I wouldn't advise Sunny coast to Brissy commute, I personally wouldn't be able to handle it, could be several hours on a bad day. I like being 10 mins from the city and work and then a choice of gold coast/sunshine coast/straddy/bribie at the weekends when I fancy it.

 

You wouldn't have time to enjoy the beach in the week anyway if you commuted between the two. I'd rather save the 90 mins each way

[PityTheFool]

Are there any nice beach towns/burbs between brissy and sunshine, maybe 45mins out of brissy??

[boganbear]

God you lot are a bunch a whingeing poms. Did you not do your research before coming? Australia is bigger than Europe and will have a variety of climates. Surely watching Neighbours will tell you that it does rain in Melbourne. its not sunny every day. having said that, when we arrived it was at the start of the drought and it didnt rain for 4 months Melbourne is expensive as are most large cities. I dont know why so many people are moaning about working hours either. My hours were only 1.5 hours more a week than i worked in the Uk and i now work in a job that is 35 hours a week and if i have no work after 3pm i am free to go home or work from home if i am not seeing clients so it depends who you work for. I do have to do a bit of travel around the country which means travelling on sundays but being put up in 4 star hotels and a good food allowance makes up for it. i even request flying on sunday mornings so i can have half a day of luxury when i get to my destination...and my partner often comes too so they become mini holidays.

 

We did move 2 years ago to Brisbane mostly because my partners family are here and most of our holidays were spent seeing them so we decided that we might as well move here. The humidity can be unbearable in summer but we dont whinge about it. We do what we can to make the most of it - go to the rellies house as they have a pool or the cinema or shopping mall or to the beach or (after saving up the cash) got aircon and a spa. There is plenty to do here and there is nothing i love more than going for a scenic drive, hike, chilling out with some beers or BBQ and a picnic in one of the water holes we have discovered.

 

You have to make an effort here and try different things but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

Life is definitely much better here than in England.

[velphick]

God you lot are a bunch a whingeing poms. Did you not do your research before coming? Australia is bigger than Europe and will have a variety of climates. Surely watching Neighbours will tell you that it does rain in Melbourne. its not sunny every day. having said that, when we arrived it was at the start of the drought and it didnt rain for 4 months Melbourne is expensive as are most large cities. I dont know why so many people are moaning about working hours either. My hours were only 1.5 hours more a week than i worked in the Uk and i now work in a job that is 35 hours a week and if i have no work after 3pm i am free to go home or work from home if i am not seeing clients so it depends who you work for. I do have to do a bit of travel around the country which means travelling on sundays but being put up in 4 star hotels and a good food allowance makes up for it. i even request flying on sunday mornings so i can have half a day of luxury when i get to my destination...and my partner often comes too so they become mini holidays.

 

We did move 2 years ago to Brisbane mostly because my partners family are here and most of our holidays were spent seeing them so we decided that we might as well move here. The humidity can be unbearable in summer but we dont whinge about it. We do what we can to make the most of it - go to the rellies house as they have a pool or the cinema or shopping mall or to the beach or (after saving up the cash) got aircon and a spa. There is plenty to do here and there is nothing i love more than going for a scenic drive, hike, chilling out with some beers or BBQ and a picnic in one of the water holes we have discovered.

 

You have to make an effort here and try different things but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

Life is definitely much better here than in England.

 

I didn't think anyone was really whinging, just reviewing their opinion in what they have experienced... but that's just me.

 

I didn't really see anyone bring up working hours or complaining about it either.... so was a bit random to bring that up ;p

 

The problem with Melbourne MAINLY is the weather and the lack of beaches compared to the rest of Australia... (Adelaide doesn't really count as the beaches ain't that crash hot either)

 

http://www.livingin-australia.com/sunshine-hours-australia/

 

The site above shows you just how much sunshine in comparison Melbourne gets.... Tasmania even gets more and it is closer to the Antarctica. Melbourne is very close to that of a lot of European places sunshine wise. No where near that of the rest of Australia's cities.

 

Also andyjmason, I did point out and everyone has Melbourne people are nice so not sure why that was the first thing you mentioned.... people obviously have put in a lot to get a lot back with the people here.... it is viewed on a lot more of the TOTAL aspect of the place... not just the people that you meet here.

 

But yeah to answer the OP again, PityTheFool I don't think so.... Brisbane seems to be what anyone mentions then the next thing north Sunshine.... but I have read some nice reviews on Redcliff (Suttons Beach mostly) , I'd definitely live there based on the reviews but I think yeah, a trip up north is definitely in order

 

PS Everything gets old I agree... you get used to it but I certainly would be a lot happier with endless sunshine with beaches etc than endless clouds and rain. I grew up near the beach and always lived at LEAST semi close by.... even after I got used to it it and didn't go all the time etc, it was just SUCH a nicer place to be every day. Now I'm in Melbourne I spend most of my time indoors cause of the crappy weather with depression kicking in. I think there is a reason TBH why most of the population lives from Sydney up because people need Sunshine (just for brain chemical reactions, dopamine, serotonin etc) just to feel "normal and happy etc" I sure miss it.

 

I got nothing against people who like Melbourne btw, my best friend loves it (but he likes the rain and constant cloudy days really dont phase him at all.... but then again he is from NZ and gets nose bleeds even when it gets slightly hot so go figure)

[Paul1Perth]

Be carful in what you wish for. It's all well and good wanting sunshine and beaches but look at the bigger once the novelty wears off. I fell for it with perth, it becomes very boring. Must admit that your have more to do in Queensland than WA. Just think long and hard in what's really important . Take that from experience

 

For some!! That's what the father in law said when he first visited us, "you'll get bored with it". We never have and love it just as much, if not more, than when we first came.:cool: