Jems30 Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 We are torn between Adelaide and Melbourne. Hubby has more opportunities in Melbourne. My questions are what is the climate like in Melbourne? is the climate like the UK like some people say? I suffer with SAD's but don't like the strong heat so we think Melbourne could be a good option. Also could anyone recommend a good family suburb near the beach. Our children are 12, 10 & 8. We want the outdoor lifestyle and being near a beach would be great for us. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Melbourne does not get as many really hot days as Adelaide and tends to be a little wetter. I don't think the climate is anything like the UK for a start we grow veges all year around, flowers all year around and its only cooler than 8 degrees during the winter on a few days a year. However our houses do not have double glazing and a lot of the older ones are very cold to live in. So its best to look for a house that is newer as they are better insulated. What happens is when we first arrive we think its ok in winter however after a while we aclimatise and what we think is cold is not that cold. You need to really go where the work is especially at the present time. Melbourne is a huge place and to live near the beach you need to look at areas on the Frankston rail line which is on the public transport site. A lot of Brits are choosing to live in the west these days and most seem to like it there. I prefer the East and the south but that is me and I guess because I have been here so long I remember what the west used to be like. It will really depend on work and how long a commute is suitable to you. Some people travel for an hour and half to get to work, as I said Melbourne is a big area the size of greater London with four million people so there are places that I have never visited in all the years I have lived here Join up with the Life in Victoria forum there is a link at the foot of this one, most of the active members are here in Melbourne and they will be able to give you more information on where to live based on what your needs are going to be. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furkew Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 If you don't like the heat, then Adelaide might not be what you are looking for. It is not unusual for them to get 8-10 days in a row of high 30's and low 40's in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jems30 Posted July 5, 2014 Author Share Posted July 5, 2014 Thank you both. That's what I'm thinking, Adelaide heat might be too much for me. Thank you. I shall take a look at that forum. Much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 If you suffer from SAD I would be looking at how many hours of daylight each place has, as you probably know it is hours of daylight not temperature that is the key factor in SAD - if my geography is right then Melbourne would have more I think as it is closer to the equator. Both are going to have less than the UK, and although I don't suffer from SAD I did find the short days in summer in Perth quite depressing. You can find all the facts and figure here http://www.gaisma.com/en/dir/au-country.html - Cairns would probably be one of the best options - 12 hours daylight even in the winter! The site also has UK daylight hours so you can compare to where you are living now http://www.gaisma.com/en/dir/gb-country.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 If you suffer from SAD I would be looking at how many hours of daylight each place has, as you probably know it is hours of daylight not temperature that is the key factor in SAD - if my geography is right then Melbourne would have more I think as it is closer to the equator. Both are going to have less than the UK, and although I don't suffer from SAD I did find the short days in summer in Perth quite depressing. You can find all the facts and figure here http://www.gaisma.com/en/dir/au-country.html - Cairns would probably be one of the best options - 12 hours daylight even in the winter! The site also has UK daylight hours so you can compare to where you are living now http://www.gaisma.com/en/dir/gb-country.html Actually Adelaide gets the longer winter days but there isn't very much in it. My OH suffered from SAD and finds it much better in Australia to the UK - not only are the winter days longer they are also brighter. In terms of climate Melbourne is slightly cooler and wetter, but again there really isn't that much in it. You still get 40 plus days in Melbourne, but as a rule the temps are 2-3 degrees cooler than Adelaide (but not always, sometimes it's warmer in Melbourne than Adelaide). I'd say there really isn't enough of a difference in climate and sunshine hours to really choose one over the other for that alone. They are however very different places that suit different needs. Read up on both and develop a preference based on what the cities are like. Then go with the place that would best suit your needs, including the ability to get work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 Adelaide tends to be a bit drier than Melbourne but there really isn't much difference in their climates. Adelaide weather tends to arrive in Melbourne 4 days later as they say. Melbourne isn't a particularly beach oriented place though beaches are within reach of most suburbs. The city beach areas tend to be pricey but you can get reasonable housing a bit further out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jems30 Posted July 5, 2014 Author Share Posted July 5, 2014 Thank you so much Lady Raincorn. Big help, I shall take a look x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jems30 Posted July 5, 2014 Author Share Posted July 5, 2014 Thanks all for your help, much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Pitstop Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 Adelaide is definately warmer and dryer than Melbourne, Adelaide has better beaches near the city, but Melbourne would probably be better for jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambethlad Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 Melbourne wins all round. Places I would consider are bayside suburbs Mt Eliza, Mornington, South Frankston. Commuting can be a real pain so living close to work is an advantage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jems30 Posted July 5, 2014 Author Share Posted July 5, 2014 Thank you. I like the idea of living near the beach but of course my husbands job would come first so the commute couldn't be too far for him. I heard Frankston was a little scary at night, very rough, is that not the case now? It looks a beautiful place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzy--bee Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Thank you. I like the idea of living near the beach but of course my husbands job would come first so the commute couldn't be too far for him. I heard Frankston was a little scary at night, very rough, is that not the case now? It looks a beautiful place. There is a lot of Frankston - many different parts of it, some better than others. The beach is lovely there, as are most of the beaches between there and the city for various reasons. One of the reasons we chose Melbourne was so we could live within walking distance of a beautiful beach, while being within commuting distance of a major city. BB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jems30 Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 Thanks BuzzyBee. Frankston does look really nice, and the houses are fairly priced too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Just be careful with Frankston- it is mixed, some lovely, some definitely not lovely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jems30 Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 Can you recommend which area is nice in Frankston? or is it just a big avoid area?;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzy--bee Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Can you recommend which area is nice in Frankston? or is it just a big avoid area?;-) Frankston South is the best bit, the nearer you get to Mount Eliza (border with Humphries road) the better. Frankston heights is OK, the area between Cranbourne Road and the High School is OK, the area around Kars Street is OK. Frankston North is probably best avoided, Karingal is probably too, although it is coming up. Centre of Frankston is mainly commercial, not many people live there. HTH BB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Ballam Park is ok on the hill side of Cranbourne Road. Anywhere on the hill actually is ok. If you want walking distance to the station then you can look between Beach Street and Cranbourne Road, often renovated houses or town houses for rent around that area. Frankston South is a nice area as has been mentioned but you will need two cars as transport is bus and they tend to go round the world to get where they are going. Mornington is popular with Brits as well and there are a lot of newer houses in the area. It really depends where you will be working. You could also look at areas like Patterson Lakes, Carrum, Bon Beach, Chelsea, Edithvale, Aspendale, Mordialloc all on the Frankston line and all older areas with all the services. My friends live in Frankston Heights, Lakewood and they have lived there for 15 years and been fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Yes I would avoid Frankston North- kind of Dandenong overflow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aconcannon Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I spent most of my gap year living and working in Melbourne as I have family there and I can tell you that they can literally experience 4 seasons in 1 day - they have the most varied weather in all of Australia and in terms of being the most similar to the UK I think people say this because they have more noticeable seasons than any other states! Summer in Melbourne is hot - just like anywhere else in Oz- with temperatures often topping the mid-high 30's, but then there are day as well when the rain comes in and the temperatures drop so it can be a little predictible. Autumn is quite nice with some hot days where you'd have your shorts on but mostly it's a lot cooler. Winter is freezing - I was going to work in thick winter coats and felt very much like I was back at home, perhaps not as cold as our winters but definately as grey and I'd say day time temperaures averaged about 6-10 when we were there. Spring - I didn't spend Spring in Melbourne so can't really comment but I believe it's very similar to autumn and can be a mixture of cold and miserable days and warm sunny days. DO NOT move to Adelaide - there are lots of beautiful places surrounding the city, but as a city we found it extremlly boring and unintersting and how can i say this nicely - a bit backwards in both the city and the people! I think they get more stable warm summmers but pretty sure the rest of the year it's quite similar weather to Melbourne. Melbourne is an amazing city and in an amazing state with so much on your door step so you'd be a fool not to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzy--bee Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Winter is freezing - I was going to work in thick winter coats and felt very much like I was back at home, perhaps not as cold as our winters but definately as grey and I'd say day time temperaures averaged about 6-10 when we were there. This is not our experience of winter in Melbourne. BB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 This is not our experience of winter in Melbourne. BB Nor mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Adelaide is the sort of place it is nice to live in short term though- not for ever. It is very small and I think people don't realise this. Plus is that you can drive North and get into the real outback up beyond Flinders Ranges Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 (edited) Adelaide is the sort of place it is nice to live in short term though- not for ever. It is very small and I think people don't realise this. Plus is that you can drive North and get into the real outback up beyond Flinders Ranges Wouldn't that totally depend on what balance of things you prefer ? Adelaide may suit many for a whole lifetime and not others....Melbourne may suit many for a whole lifetime and not others. Every city has advantages and disadvantages and people who prefer the city because it has a balance of things that best suits them ? Edited July 11, 2014 by fish.01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celt Down Under Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 This is not our experience of winter in Melbourne. BB Same here. I have a heavy jacket but rarely wear it. Actually bought it to wear on an Alaska cruise. Normally when out and about during the Winter months I wear a lightweight jacket over a polo top, and often wear shorts. If the wind chill drops the temp down a bit, I will wear jeans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.