mike and Nikki Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Hi all, So we have been granted visas (permanent) with a date of 31st May to get there. Now we have them it is now time to start the process of choosing where to live. Mike is a joiner/carpenter and we have 2 girls 3 and 5 so advice on where the work would be for mike and where bringing up a young family would be good. I know it must be a question with a thousand answers but advice from all corners would be good. We really would prefer to be close to the beach so we have looked at the following Perth seems like a good option all around and have been told to look atound Butler, clarkson sort of way but the on the other hand an old school friend living in Perth say its booming to a point where it will crash and will be a down turn is this just him thinking this or is it thought across the board, also told expensive but it seems a place where a lot settle The other was east coast i know this is a massive area but sure there are places good for us and not so good? Obviously the work will determine where we go so my last question would be to ask if contacting companies before we arrive to secure something or at least start talking to people. Sorry for the very lengthy post i have a million more questions but i will start here Thanks to anyone who can help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nerak123 Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Hi, congrats! I think Brisbane is very very good for children. It wasn't great for work opportunities for me in professional services but it has all the lovely weather, you can live by the beach and seems less expensive than other places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike and Nikki Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 Thank you for replyin we will look into Brisbane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jac2011 Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Because we have 3 children we are aiming for the Gold Coast or within an hour or two's drive. It gives us lots of days out with the children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike and Nikki Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 We had thought gold coast and is an option. Will need to see what work availability is like Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumpkin Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Hi all, So we have been granted visas (permanent) with a date of 31st May to get there. Now we have them it is now time to start the process of choosing where to live. Mike is a joiner/carpenter and we have 2 girls 3 and 5 so advice on where the work would be for mike and where bringing up a young family would be good. I know it must be a question with a thousand answers but advice from all corners would be good. We really would prefer to be close to the beach so we have looked at the following Perth seems like a good option all around and have been told to look atound Butler, clarkson sort of way but the on the other hand an old school friend living in Perth say its booming to a point where it will crash and will be a down turn is this just him thinking this or is it thought across the board, also told expensive but it seems a place where a lot settle The other was east coast i know this is a massive area but sure there are places good for us and not so good? Obviously the work will determine where we go so my last question would be to ask if contacting companies before we arrive to secure something or at least start talking to people. Sorry for the very lengthy post i have a million more questions but i will start here Thanks to anyone who can help For many people, work will be the main factor but a carpenter can work anywhere there are people and settlements so I would not ave thought it too big a factor in your case. Most of the Australian cities are around the edges and therefore proximity to beaches is not too much of an issue so I probably would not let that come into it too much either. Next two differentiating factors are climate and housing costs, being two things that vary dramatically between locations. Have a think about what climate you would like or what you would like to avoid - the very humid and rainy conditions in some of the northern parts of the country are not for everyone. Housing costs most expensive in Sydney then Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide. Not sure where the other cities fit in and of course it can be a bit cheaper in the major towns rather than cities. I am always fascinated when people say Perth sounds like a good option, I can't think of anything worse than living in the most isolated city in the world myself. The east coast offers easy access to so many locations by comparison. Anyway that was just a musing, I don't want to put you off or even to criticise Perth, I am just genuinely curious as to why it appeals to so many. There are obviously some charms I cannot see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumpkin Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 We had thought gold coast and is an option. Will need to see what work availability is like It has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike and Nikki Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 Thank you very much or your advice, 2 other people I know in uk had said exactly the same re perth thrn others love it, im sure just personal preference. Thanks for advising re jobs, this makes us feel a little better. We want the warmth as much as possible and will be renting initially do you have your own favourites? Where are you? (If you don't mind me asking) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumpkin Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Thank you very much or your advice, 2 other people I know in uk had said exactly the same re perth thrn others love it, im sure just personal preference. Thanks for advising re jobs, this makes us feel a little better. We want the warmth as much as possible and will be renting initially do you have your own favourites? Where are you? (If you don't mind me asking) You really don't need to worry about seeking warmth, you will find it in Australia. No regarding climate you probably more want to think about excessive heat, humidity, rainfall and whether you prefer to avoid these things or not. We have been living in Sydney for four years. I think it offers a great balance of city life along with stunningly beautiful beaches and water that is safe to go into as well! Big downside is the cost though, we are on good incomes, but because we didn't have a big deposit we are still renting four years later. In all honesty on the prohibitive housing cost alone, I struggle to recommend it - we think we might move next year. We are going to see if we can sort a move to Brisbane. I have visited a lot, it is not as interesting a city as Sydney I don't think with none of the iconic landmarks of Sydney and none of the fabulous beaches either. But it is only an hour or so to either the Sunny Coast or Gold Coast for the weekends so I can get my sea view fix then. I think Queensland is our favourite state too, it has beaches, rainforest, Great Barrier Reef, Whitsundays, loads of fabulous and fairly local holidays to take. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Thank you very much or your advice, 2 other people I know in uk had said exactly the same re perth thrn others love it, im sure just personal preference. Thanks for advising re jobs, this makes us feel a little better. We want the warmth as much as possible and will be renting initially do you have your own favourites? Where are you? (If you don't mind me asking) I think it is personal preference and the key is finding out as much info as you can about places and if they fit into what you're looking for. I like living in Perth, and would hate to live in Sydney for example. We have a sister site Perth Poms where you can get more information from people who like in Perth and can tell you the good and bad points from experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jac2011 Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Perth has always seemed very tempting to me and when you consider even the East Coast locations are a long way from each other I don't think the Isolation is an issue. I try to imagine my daily living rather than the opportunities we may utilise every month/year. Perth is a modern city with lots of urban growth and development and I wouldn't consider the Isolation as if that was a factor, then you can jump on a plane. Gold Coast does have high unemployment but when you looks at the demographics of the residents (Especially in areas such as Surfers Paradise) you can kind of see why, young individuals whose main aim isn't full time employment. I do however, think employment opportunities for skilled individuals would be the same as other cities. For example the GC is still building housing developments at the same rate as all other cities and your husband as a carpenter should have the same chance of securing a job as most other cities. I am a nurse, but I specialise in MH and I know there are more employment opportunities in Brisbane in the area I work in therefore, we are looking at suburbs such as Ormeau which is near the Motorway and will allow access to both. I have spent most my life travelling 3 hours a day for work so a drive up the motorway to Brisbane would not stop me. I also think the house prices are far lower than most areas in Australia we have explored. Saying that, our decision isn't made yet and we also love Cairns (more from an adult point of view though) but don't think there are the opportunities for the children there are in other major cities. We love Townsville and its seclusion, we think it would offer us a very outdoors, affordable lifestyle without the hustle and bustle of a major city. We love Melbourne, after discounting it early on we did some research and as a city it has far more going on than a lot of the Australian cities. If it was just the hubby and I we would head there. Sydney we discounted as it doesn't offer us the quality of life we are looking for based on the cost of housing. It wouldn't be worth moving there. Adelaide is out for us for family reasons. Again, Perth is always a possibility... We all have our wants and desires from Australia and you need to work out with your husband what that is. Then aim for where your heart lies. As frustrating as the program can be at times, I felt Wanted Down Under did offer us a glimpse into the different states and cities to allow us to make some decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 All a totally personal thing. We would have looked at Sydney but just get so little for your money there and we are in our 50s so looking for a slower pace of life. Brisbane suits us. We are not really beach people though like to be near the sea. If you want beaches the GC and Sunny Coast are easily drivable and there are mountains and rainforests close by too. I also prefer humidity to dry heat which really dries out the skin I find (but each to their own). We each have relatives and friends in Sydney and Brisbane areas and also plenty in New Zealand (which is much more reachable from Brisbane than it is from Perth). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
engaus Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Perth has always seemed very tempting to me and when you consider even the East Coast locations are a long way from each other I don't think the Isolation is an issue. I try to imagine my daily living rather than the opportunities we may utilise every month/year. Perth is a modern city with lots of urban growth and development and I wouldn't consider the Isolation as if that was a factor, then you can jump on a plane. The East Coast locations are not really a long way from each other. Flights from Perth to anywhere on the East Coast are very expensive - it's not like the UK where you pay next to nothing for a flight. It's a lot cheaper - generally by hundreds of dollars if you have a family - for you to go from Melbourne (or another east coast city) to anywhere on the east cost then it would be for you to go from Perth. So I probably wouldn't think of it as just a matter of jumping on a plane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumpkin Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 The East Coast locations are not really a long way from each other. Flights from Perth to anywhere on the East Coast are very expensive - it's not like the UK where you pay next to nothing for a flight. It's a lot cheaper - generally by hundreds of dollars if you have a family - for you to go from Melbourne (or another east coast city) to anywhere on the east cost then it would be for you to go from Perth. So I probably wouldn't think of it as just a matter of jumping on a plane. I agree. On the east coast it is easy to jump on a plane and there are loads of places within 90 minutes. It is about 65 minutes flying time to Brisbane, a bit more to Melbourne, but about 90 with all the faffing about before take off. When you are in Australia, jumping on a plane is like jumping on a train or bus in UK. I flew up to Byron Bay recently, less than an hour. You can't do this from Perth, it really is isolated city, that bit is a fact not an opinion.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumpkin Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Gold Coast does have high unemployment but when you looks at the demographics of the residents (Especially in areas such as Surfers Paradise) you can kind of see why, young individuals whose main aim isn't full time employment. I do however, think employment opportunities for skilled individuals would be the same as other cities. . Your logic is flawed. Unemployment rates are firstly based upon what is called the participation rate. It is not based upon all adults, it is based upon adults actively seeking work "participation". And Gold Coast has a higher unemployment rate compared to other parts of the country. I cannot comment on particular trades, perhaps with the commonwealth games coming up there will indeed be more jobs around at the moment and could work out well for that reason, but it might be short term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaver Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 My daughter and son-in-law live in Perth. Any isolation seems to have passed them by. They have lived there less than 2 years and so far have had a long weekend in Melbourne, a week in the Kimberley region, a week spent between the Margaret river area and further South, 2 weeks in Indonesia and they are off for a week to Sydney next month. For next year they have trips planned for Brisbane, Cairns and Bali. I don't think they are suffering from isolation even in the slightest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
engaus Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Im not saying it's isolated, I'm simply saying it's really not as easy as jumping on a plane. I can get from melbourne to sydney for $39, I'd be paying close to $100 on top of that to get from melbourne to Perth, if you have a family of four that's $400 extra each way that you need to pull out of your pocket. For some people this has a big impact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 I agree. On the east coast it is easy to jump on a plane and there are loads of places within 90 minutes. It is about 65 minutes flying time to Brisbane, a bit more to Melbourne, but about 90 with all the faffing about before take off. When you are in Australia, jumping on a plane is like jumping on a train or bus in UK. I flew up to Byron Bay recently, less than an hour. You can't do this from Perth, it really is isolated city, that bit is a fact not an opinion.. But for some people Rupert that doesn't matter and they don't feel the isolation that is so often talked about. Statistically, though, if you take the nearest city (with a population of 5,000) Then Adelaide is some 2,104km and Jakarta 3,002 km away. Honolulu is 3,841 km from San Fran which makes Honolulu probably the most isolated place .... and that didn't feel isolated to me either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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