frances62 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Just wondering if anyone does this? If so, how do you find it? Is it doable longterm & is it expensive? My OH works for a company that has an office in Sydney where a transfer may be possible or if not, there is an host of other companies/opportunities in Sydney (he's a software developer) unlike Brisbane, where we actually want to live! . Exploring all options at the moment. Sydney is a lot more expensive for property, we're looking at outer suburbs which are less expensive & but have a daily commute of approx 3hours +, which in the longterm would be exhausting. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozmaniac Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 (edited) I knew someone about 4 years ago who did the Brisbane > Sydney > Brisbane commute every day but they only lasted about 3 months. They found it very stressful particularly during Daylight Saving time when Sydney is on EDT and Brisbane is on EST and very expensive when they included parking in Brisbane and cabs in Sydney. IIRC, it was taking them at least 3 hours each way on a good day. Edited March 19, 2015 by Ozmaniac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Just wondering if anyone does this? If so, how do you find it? Is it doable longterm & is it expensive? My OH works for a company that has an office in Sydney where a transfer may be possible or if not, there is an host of other companies/opportunities in Sydney (he's a software developer) unlike Brisbane, where we actually want to live! . If he has to travel every day, definitely not. I know someone who does it, but he only has to go into the office two days a week, the rest of the time he works from home. He wouldn't contemplate doing even one more day! Why do you want to live in Brisbane, apart from cost? It has its pros and cons like any city. You could get just as good a quality of life in Newcastle or Wollongong if you want city life and a commutable distance to Sydney (it would be two hours on the train but that's better than three, and I know several people who do it). Alternatively look at the Central Coast - Umina Beach seems very popular with Brits and the commute is about an hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maruska Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Agree with Marisa. The Central coast is within commutable distance, lots of people do this every day. There is a train from Central coast into the CBD so you don`t have to drive. We wanted to go to Brisbane as well but the job was in Sydney so here we are :rolleyes:. It`s very beautiful and we love it. That said, the property market is crazy expensive and we might need to move in the future because of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungo Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Just wondering if anyone does this? If so, how do you find it? Is it doable longterm & is it expensive? My OH works for a company that has an office in Sydney where a transfer may be possible or if not, there is an host of other companies/opportunities in Sydney (he's a software developer) unlike Brisbane, where we actually want to live! . Exploring all options at the moment. Sydney is a lot more expensive for property, we're looking at outer suburbs which are less expensive & but have a daily commute of approx 3hours +, which in the longterm would be exhausting. Thanks in advance! What do you mean by commute? Weekly or daily? I lived in Sydney and for a while travelled to Brisbane every week for a couple of day. But this was not at my expense and certainly I did not do it daily, but stayed for a couple of night or so. I think daily commuting is out of the question for a medium to long term. Too stressful, too expensive and too many delays. Yes delays, you don't notice them as an occasional traveller but when you become a regular one you do a lot more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frances62 Posted March 19, 2015 Author Share Posted March 19, 2015 Thanks everyone, a couple of days a week commute would perhaps be doable long term and working from home the rest of the week. Will have a look at the Central Coast & other suburbs mentioned. Have spent a short time in both Brisbane & Sydney & whereas Sydney is amazing, Brisbane suits us better to raise our family. The cost of housing is a major factor for us aswell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfndirt Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Why on earth do you think it would be any different to; 1) Living in London and commuting to Berlin 2) Living in Chicago and commuting to New York 3) Living in SF and commuting to LA Australia is a first world (very expensive) country, just like all the other first world (very expensive) countries. That sounds like a completely daft idea..... Do the job properly and do the analysis on your projected cash flow in specific situations. For example; Newcastle, NSW - $90k salary. ~ $350 - 400wk rent Sydney, NSW - $130k salary. ~ $600 - 800wk rent Brisbane, QLD - $100k salary. ~ $500wk rent That's your starting point.... Commuting half way down the east coast is a stupid idea.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Would drive you crazy, there are crazy amounts of delays at those two airports too. Be spending half your life in the terminal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I do it - 2 days a week every week in Sydney. Its exhausing and I am buggered by Friday. Up at 3.30 for the 5.00 am flight out, back at about 7pm I live close to the airport so I can get there in about 10 minutes and I go by taxi so I dont have to park Wouldn't recommend it :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I do it - 2 days a week every week in Sydney. Its exhausing and I am buggered by Friday.Up at 3.30 for the 5.00 am flight out, back at about 7pm I live close to the airport so I can get there in about 10 minutes and I go by taxi so I dont have to park Wouldn't recommend it :-) Must live near me, my partner has to do it every now and again and despite being 10 mins away has to get up at crazy o clock during daylight savings in Sydney and is very tired at end of week. Also from picking her up I appreciate the annoying delays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frances62 Posted March 19, 2015 Author Share Posted March 19, 2015 Why on earth do you think it would be any different to;1) Living in London and commuting to Berlin 2) Living in Chicago and commuting to New York 3) Living in SF and commuting to LA Australia is a first world (very expensive) country, just like all the other first world (very expensive) countries. That sounds like a completely daft idea..... Do the job properly and do the analysis on your projected cash flow in specific situations. For example; Newcastle, NSW - $90k salary. ~ $350 - 400wk rent Sydney, NSW - $130k salary. ~ $600 - 800wk rent Brisbane, QLD - $100k salary. ~ $500wk rent That's your starting point.... Commuting half way down the east coast is a stupid idea.. For future reference, don't want/need your personal opinion on whether you think it's a good or 'stupid idea'. Quite obviously it isn't since there are those on this thread who do the commute!! Thanks to everyone else for their informative responses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 For future reference, don't want/need your personal opinion on whether you think it's a good or 'stupid idea'. Quite obviously it isn't since there are those on this thread who do the commute!! Thanks to everyone else for their informative responses! Funny thing was his examples were useless. Chicago to NY would take a few hours. London to Berlin is changing countries and much longer. SF to LA would be pointless as I imagine it is more expensive in San Fran if not similar so would be pointless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robfromdublin Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Just so you are aware, Brisbane Airport is close to capacity and experiences a lot of delays during peak commuting hours. See the following from the airport website: http://www.bne.com.au/sites/all/files/content/files/Delays%20at%20Brisbane%20Airport%20-%20The%20Facts.pdf A second major runway is under construction and will ease congestion but it'll be a few years until it's ready (2020) so expect to have a number of delays. I know someone in IT who lives in Brisbane but works for a Sydney company. He basically works from home though, and only goes to Sydney occasionally for specific reasons. It's probably several times a month but it's not really a commute and the company pays. He's very happy with the arrangement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta2 Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 You don't stay overnight in Sydney? Two days a week might be manageable if the employer paid for that. And of course, the fort could be held at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Thanks everyone, a couple of days a week commute would perhaps be doable long term and working from home the rest of the week. Will have a look at the Central Coast & other suburbs mentioned. Have spent a short time in both Brisbane & Sydney & whereas Sydney is amazing, Brisbane suits us better to raise our family. The cost of housing is a major factor for us aswell. Like I said, don't assume the capital cities are the only places worth living. Newcastle is a sizeable city with great beaches and good value housing. I know several people who live in Newcastle and work in Sydney: it is a longish commute but they tell me Newcastle is such a good place to raise a family, they're not prepared to move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta2 Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Just so you are aware, Brisbane Airport is close to capacity and experiences a lot of delays during peak commuting hours. See the following from the airport website:http://www.bne.com.au/sites/all/files/content/files/Delays%20at%20Brisbane%20Airport%20-%20The%20Facts.pdf A second major runway is under construction and will ease congestion but it'll be a few years until it's ready (2020) so expect to have a number of delays. I know someone in IT who lives in Brisbane but works for a Sydney company. He basically works from home though, and only goes to Sydney occasionally for specific reasons. It's probably several times a month but it's not really a commute and the company pays. He's very happy with the arrangement. My son, who will be returning to Brisbane from the UK permanently later this year, is considering a similar arrangement in IT - to get a Sydney salary but pay Brisbane house prices. He will be living close to the airport. Brisbane airport, unlike Sydney, has no curfew. Not sure what difference this makes to most people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfndirt Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Funny thing was his examples were useless. Chicago to NY would take a few hours. London to Berlin is changing countries and much longer. SF to LA would be pointless as I imagine it is more expensive in San Fran if not similar so would be pointless. Hmmm, was more intended to illustrate a point regards the notion that one would take a job in one city and then work in another - a very significant distance away thus sign up for a massive overhead in terms of cash flow outlay on flights. More-over, the reason I followed up with some cursory examples of how you might analyze the situation critically, rather than looking at pretty pictures of Brisbane on the internet and house rentals costs of houses on realeastate.com in Sydney.... I take your point though - Chicago to NY may be more than 1:20mins, can't remember. All other examples are valid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfndirt Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Like I said, don't assume the capital cities are the only places worth living. Newcastle is a sizeable city with great beaches and good value housing. I know several people who live in Newcastle and work in Sydney: it is a longish commute but they tell me Newcastle is such a good place to raise a family, they're not prepared to move. Agreed - the Toon # 2 is a great spot. Again, I wouldn't want to commute to Sydney though - not at all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfndirt Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 You don't stay overnight in Sydney? Two days a week might be manageable if the employer paid for that. And of course, the fort could be held at home. Good point - although why would an employer pay for it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta2 Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 He does the same thing in the UK - lives in the Midlands and works from there most of the time, but commutes to London and other places occasionally. They live in the Midlands because of family support. Employer is happy to pay for transport and accommodation. He's been doing that for quite a while. Like everything else, it depends on how much they want you. Obviously, avoiding Brisbane airport on Monday mornings or Friday nights would be good, if possible. Glad to have the reminder about the improvement to the airport and the time frame - had more or less forgotten that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Good point - although why would an employer pay for it? Becuase they want you to work for them and they know you wont live in Sydney! The difference between your international examples is the efficiency of Australian airports. Turn up with no check in bags 1/2 hour before rather than 2 hours. I almost got caught out with this when I was last in the UK. I flew Manchester to London - its an internal flight I thought - easy peasy -but no! Had to check in and queue with the international passengers, security was inefficient, no self check in - took me almost all of the 2 hours I was planning to be swanning about in the lounge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungo Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 For future reference, don't want/need your personal opinion on whether you think it's a good or 'stupid idea'. Quite obviously it isn't since there are those on this thread who do the commute!! Thanks to everyone else for their informative responses! Isn't that what you asked for? You mention Sydney housing costs, but the cost of flights to Sydney and back, maybe twice a week will be more than the differential in housing. I am someone on the thread that has spent a lot of time flying between the two cities for work and I think your idea is one that you would quickly come to regret. You might not have liked the post, but it is hard to fault the sentiment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta2 Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Isn't that what you asked for? You mention Sydney housing costs, but the cost of flights to Sydney and back, maybe twice a week will be more than the differential in housing. I am someone on the thread that has spent a lot of time flying between the two cities for work and I think your idea is one that you would quickly come to regret. You might not have liked the post, but it is hard to fault the sentiment. If an employer really wants you, paying the cost of your airfares and accommodation costs will be considered chickenfeed. Obviously, if you have to pay for it yourself it's a different matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scattley Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 It really depends on the level of salary you are on. If you are on under 150k then you are effectively asking for a 33% minimum increase in salary from the company to pay for you travel. Someone on 300-500k it might be acceptable but for most people you are pricing yourself out of the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfndirt Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 My son, who will be returning to Brisbane from the UK permanently later this year, is considering a similar arrangement in IT - to get a Sydney salary but pay Brisbane house prices. He will be living close to the airport. Brisbane airport, unlike Sydney, has no curfew. Not sure what difference this makes to most people. Would the cost differential between the Brisbane house and the total for flights for a year not break even?? i.e. not worth it? 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.