Farida Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Hi, We are new to this forum so would appreciate some comments on where we could settle in Australia. We are applying for a 189 Visa so we can effectively choose a location where to live versus being nominated by a state. We are both accountants (yawn) and are moving for a better life for our daughter, but also to get us away from the long hours and pressure that we endure in London. We will be moving and fortunately through the rise in house prices in the UK and FX rate we will be able to live without a mortgage which is a great plus for us. We still want to work, but not in such pressured jobs and jobs where we can enjoy a good work life balance versus work work balance. We've already been to Australia and have visited Sydney, Melbourne and Perth and while we like Sydney it is out of our budget and are looking at Melbourne, Perth and possibly Adelaide. I'd be interested to hear from people on the ground the views of these locations and where having already settled in Australia are they most happy or would prefer to live if they had a choice. I know everyones view is personal, but for us we don't just want to live on the beach for the sake of living near a beach. We want to live in a nice family orientated area where we can enjoy more of an outside lifestyle versus here in the UK and feel safe at home. I look forward to some interesting posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birsisa Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Sydney.......just sentiments, I love the city Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 A couple of things, no one else can really advice you on where to live as we all want different things, for instance Sydney would be about the last place I would choose and in fact any city to be honest. The only city I would live near is Brisbane. Now Australia will not give your daughter a better life, you could move 50 miles and achieve that. Next, unfortunately Australians work some of the longest hours in the western world and it won't automatically give you a better work life balance. Of course it will just be seen as me being negative but others will no doubt say exactly the same things. Don't fall into the trap of thinking this move will make you live life in a totally different way, all the things you dislike such as long hours at work, crime, etc etc still exist. There will be plenty along to give you their endless positives but just be aware you need to come with both eyes wide open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifi69 Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Think the OP was asking on advice on where to move to in Aus.. Not why they shouldn't move:no:. The outdoor lifestyle is just the best for children here. I live in Perth and love it, its a v laidback life. We don't do stress lol. Sydney will be as far removed from Perth as you can get, so if you like Sydney's buzz, but can't afford to be mortgage free there (It does seem to be panic there re house prices at the mo) and you aren't bothered about beaches, then I think it could only be Melbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Well it's lucky I didn't tell them not to move then isn't it lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Tom Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 We are off to Melbourne, had it pencilled in for some time, it's a great up and coming city, but we have picked an eastern suburb more like a town, and within reach of the CBD easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungo Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Hi, We are new to this forum so would appreciate some comments on where we could settle in Australia. We are applying for a 189 Visa so we can effectively choose a location where to live versus being nominated by a state. We are both accountants (yawn) and are moving for a better life for our daughter, but also to get us away from the long hours and pressure that we endure in London. We will be moving and fortunately through the rise in house prices in the UK and FX rate we will be able to live without a mortgage which is a great plus for us. We still want to work, but not in such pressured jobs and jobs where we can enjoy a good work life balance versus work work balance. We've already been to Australia and have visited Sydney, Melbourne and Perth and while we like Sydney it is out of our budget and are looking at Melbourne, Perth and possibly Adelaide. I'd be interested to hear from people on the ground the views of these locations and where having already settled in Australia are they most happy or would prefer to live if they had a choice. I know everyones view is personal, but for us we don't just want to live on the beach for the sake of living near a beach. We want to live in a nice family orientated area where we can enjoy more of an outside lifestyle versus here in the UK and feel safe at home. I look forward to some interesting posts. It is pretty hard to pick a location for someone else, but to help you narrow it down you need to think about what differs between those locations. There are family orientated areas all over the country, your lifestyle is down to your choices and I don't believe any of those cities is renowned for being particularly safer than any other. The things that differ, well climate is one thing, it varies a lot across Australia so think about what kind of climate you would like or would be able to tolerate? House prices vary a lot as well, in your chosen locations Melbourne will be most expensive and Adelaide the cheapest. Availability of work will be another factor, rating your choices as an accountant I would say more opportunity in Melbourne, followed by Perth, followed by Adelaide. Another thing to consider is the geographical location of Perth, several hours flying to get anywhere else whereas the eastern cities are a short hop away from each other (on a plane). This may or may not bother you. I do agree with bristolman on some points, I am afraid that there are quite a few of those troubling comments in your post that make me wonder if you have a case of rose tinted. You could certainly use the move as a catalyst to change some things in your life, but moving to Australia does not in itself change your lifestyle, make it better or make you more outdoorsy. And the weather doesn't make you more outdoorsy, it is actually quite a punishing climate and will keep as many people inside as out. Work life balance is only going to get better if you make conscious decisions to do something different, like go part time for example, which you could do as easily in the UK. But as far as full time work for accountants, well I noticed no difference whatsoever in the hours worked or work ethic in London versus Sydney for example. I noticed less generous annual leave (20 days is the norm), stingy parental leave allowances and sick pay much more tightly controlled, you really wouldn't want to get sick in Australia until you have spent a few years accruing some paid sick leave. People do not knock off early and go to the beach for a barbie, Australians are hard working. I honestly do not want to put you off, I loved my five years in Australia and have very few bad things to say about it. But I will never be able to say that it provides a better life. It is just something different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 We are applying for a 189 Visa so we can effectively choose a location where to live versus being nominated by a state. We are both accountants (yawn) and are moving for a better life for our daughter, but also to get us away from the long hours and pressure that we endure in London... We still want to work, but not in such pressured jobs and jobs where we can enjoy a good work life balance versus work work balance. We've already been to Australia and have visited Sydney, Melbourne and Perth and while we like Sydney it is out of our budget and are looking at Melbourne, Perth and possibly Adelaide. ...We want to live in a nice family orientated area where we can enjoy more of an outside lifestyle versus here in the UK and feel safe at home. . In the corporate world in Sydney and Melbourne, people work longer hours and have shorter holidays than anywhere in the UK, plus most have a very long commute on top of that. From my observations (when working on projects interstate), offices in Perth, Canberra and Adelaide are more reasonable and people actually get to leave the office before 6 o'clock - but of course, there are fewer jobs around. As you say, choosing a location is very personal and depends a lot on your lifestyle. I'm used to living in Sydney so I find Perth too quiet, and it's expensive to go anywhere else in Australia. If you're into the arts, you'll find you see fewer major shows/operas/ballets/concerts because the cost to transport productions to Perth is prohibitive. I like Adelaide, it is an elegant, cultured city with all the amenities but still manages to have a small town feel about it - but a friend who moved there found it hard to break into social circles. Her comment was it was "too clique-y". By coincidence, I saw someone posting exactly the same comment here just a few weeks ago. You don't mention Canberra, which I like very much. Australians love to hate Canberra, but it is the safest of all the cities by far. It's dominated by professionals because most of the work is in white collar jobs, mainly in government. Because it is so full of bureaucrats and bean-counters, some assume it's boring, but I find they often have hidden depths! It's easier to make friends because so much of the population is from outside Canberra, meaning they don't have a long-established group of friends already (but of course they are also more likely to leave!). No beach of course, and it's freezing in winter. But Bateman's Bay is only two hours' drive away, and it's close enough to Sydney to visit for shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungbean Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 In the corporate world in Sydney and Melbourne, people work longer hours and have shorter holidays than anywhere in the UK From what I've seen so far, everyone gets 20 days earned leave and that's it. Is it the same for absolutely everyone, due to "Fair Work" regulations, or does it depend on what "award" you're on? Back in the UK I got 35 days annual leave (although I was always too busy to take it all), but 20 seems pretty mean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungo Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 From what I've seen so far, everyone gets 20 days earned leave and that's it. Is it the same for absolutely everyone, due to "Fair Work" regulations, or does it depend on what "award" you're on? Back in the UK I got 35 days annual leave (although I was always too busy to take it all), but 20 seems pretty mean. In the corporate world, it is pretty much 20 days everywhere, no matter how senior you are or what company you work for. I went from 20 days to 30 days when I moved back to the UK in January, it felt amazing to have all those days! The thing I found very odd in Australia, is that despite having only 20 days leave, so many people wouldn't even take that! There were people in my company with a hundred days of accrued leave built up, there were programs to force people to take leave, I had to devise formal action plans with some of my team to get balances down, but even then they will say in March "well I will take a week at Christmas", by then of course they have accrued another two weeks. Work life balance bah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 From what I've seen so far, everyone gets 20 days earned leave and that's it. Is it the same for absolutely everyone, due to "Fair Work" regulations, or does it depend on what "award" you're on? Back in the UK I got 35 days annual leave (although I was always too busy to take it all), but 20 seems pretty mean. I have worked in many different jobs in Australia including management, and have never had more than 20 days leave. I imagine some senior management could negotiate a personal deal to get extra but it's definitely not usual to do so. Also quite a few companies now have a policy that if you don't take the leave within a certain time, you lose it. Mind you, Americans tell me the Australian leave allowance is generous compared to the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungbean Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 There were people in my company with a hundred days of accrued leave built up, there were programs to force people to take leave, I had to devise formal action plans with some of my team to get balances down, but even then they will say in March "well I will take a week at Christmas", by then of course they have accrued another two weeks. Work life balance bah! Exactly the same here... right down to the action plans to use up accrued leave. (It shows as a liability on balance sheets apparently - one for the bean counters) And then there's people with huge amounts of Long Service Leave as well Does this stuff apply to everyone, regardless of whether you're a primary school teacher, nurse, accountant or whatever? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Exactly the same here... right down to the action plans to use up accrued leave. (It shows as a liability on balance sheets apparently - one for the bean counters) And then there's people with huge amounts of Long Service Leave as well Does this stuff apply to everyone, regardless of whether you're a primary school teacher, nurse, accountant or whatever? 20 days is standard, even for teachers believe it or not. Teachers have to take their leave over Christmas, the remaining days of the 6 weeks "holiday" are stand down and technically you can be required to attend work during stand down time (happened once to many teachers in Canberra to my knowledge) but usually they arent required to and many seem to forget that their only entitlement is their 20 days. Some workplaces have leave purchase schemes - take home less in your pay packet each week to "buy" additional leave. You've got to stick at one place for 10 years to get LSL and that's getting harder to do these days but some old timers (and I admit to having been one) accrue months for a nice long leave every now and again. I'd say go where you can get a job. Whilst it may look like there are a gazillion jobs for accountants, getting a couple of them in the same vicinity is a whole other issue so go where you are offered a job in the first instance then work from there. Like the others, the "better life for the kids" mantra is a furphy - it's different that's all. No great advantage, or, to be truthful, disadvantage - swings and roundabouts really. You could do just as well by moving to Cambridge (for example LOL). Personally I wouldnt go for the big cities - some of the smaller cities are more habitable and, generally, a bit cheaper (not Canberra though, it's very expensive too) but you will have to be a tad more specific about what other things you want in your life - if for example, skiing is your passion then you'd probably want to be NSW/Vic/ACT or if you want scuba diving then Qld would be the pick. If theatre/opera/music is your bag then Sydney or possibly Melbourne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardsuction Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I've been watching these threads for the last couple of years and Bristol man is the most negative person you can ever ask any advice on Australia. I believe he was found out when he was there and left with his tail well and truely between his legs!! People beware of Bristol man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 In the corporate world, it is pretty much 20 days everywhere, no matter how senior you are or what company you work for. I went from 20 days to 30 days when I moved back to the UK in January, it felt amazing to have all those days! The thing I found very odd in Australia, is that despite having only 20 days leave, so many people wouldn't even take that! There were people in my company with a hundred days of accrued leave built up, there were programs to force people to take leave, I had to devise formal action plans with some of my team to get balances down, but even then they will say in March "well I will take a week at Christmas", by then of course they have accrued another two weeks. Work life balance bah! I worked with a guy who worked for dept of mines for 20 years, never took a sick day or holiday or long service. He wasn't antisocial either, just loved his job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Think the OP was asking on advice on where to move to in Aus.. Not why they shouldn't move:no:. The outdoor lifestyle is just the best for children here. I live in Perth and love it, its a v laidback life. We don't do stress lol. Sydney will be as far removed from Perth as you can get, so if you like Sydney's buzz, but can't afford to be mortgage free there (It does seem to be panic there re house prices at the mo) and you aren't bothered about beaches, then I think it could only be Melbs. Adelaide is lovely and good value if you can get a job. Were your kids deprived in the UK? Perth is a good lifestyle, but it has all the first world problems you get everywhere. Parents who ensure their kids have a good life do it regardless of country. I grew up in Perth, and I don't think I had a better lifestyle or more advantages than my kids have in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I would base it most around work. Getting work as accountants will be a challenge across Australia - there are a LOT of accountants looking for work. So, use sites such as seek.com.au to try and act as a guide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 If you want better work conditions go work for a university. We get 20 days plus the option to forego our leave loading for another 4 days leave plus we get 4 free days off over Christmas (by working 7.5 hours a day instead of our contracted 7hours and 21 minutes but nobody's counting anyway). And of course we get all the public holidays off as well. We also get 17.5% super contributions, 12 days sick leave a year and 9 days family responsibility leave a year. How flexible it is depends on who you are working for but I've been lucky and have a wonderful boss who has been happy for me to work just 4 days a week. I agree with what other people have said about not being able to choose a location for you and that Australia is not necessarily better for kids than the UK. A lot depends on your kids and what they are interested in. I do like the fact that the kids here in SA don't go in to high school until year 8 and I like that we can use the school grounds outside of school hours. I think you need to decide what it is you want from a place to live and then narrow your search down from there. As accountants there should be potential jobs everywhere (although getting one could be a different story). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpingjellybean Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 we don't just want to live on the beach for the sake of living near a beach. Don't knock it or dismiss it so lightly. It is brilliant. All my life I have wanted to live near the beach - and now I do. I hardly ever go to the actual beach, but the outdoor lifestyle and beautiful views and laid back lifestyle are worth it. I live in a nice safe family orientated area; near the beach. To me, Sydney is the best place to live and there are loads of accountant jobs here. But since Sydney is not on your radar, then what about: Living in the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria, and working in Melbourne CBD. About a 45 - 60 minute commute. http://www.visitvictoria.com/Regions/Yarra-Valley-and-Dandenong-Ranges/Things-to-do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortlepuss Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 The annual letter explaining the 'expectation' for staff to take 2 weeks at Xmas has just been circulated at work..... I'm a contractor so not affected (no work = no pay) but when I worked full time I did resent having to take almost half of my annual leave allowance over Xmas....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 @Farida Just to let you know I've moved this thread out of the Migration forum as it isn't a migration related issue (ie visa applications etc would go there). If you have specific questions about schooling say, you'd post those in Education, will your TV work in Aus would go in Household and so on. So have a browse of the different forums to see where best to post your questions. If unsure, this forum, News, Chat and Dilmemmas is probably your best bet and mods can move threads elsewhere if need be. Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Hi, We are new to this forum so would appreciate some comments on where we could settle in Australia. We are applying for a 189 Visa so we can effectively choose a location where to live versus being nominated by a state. We are both accountants (yawn) and are moving for a better life for our daughter, but also to get us away from the long hours and pressure that we endure in London. We will be moving and fortunately through the rise in house prices in the UK and FX rate we will be able to live without a mortgage which is a great plus for us. We still want to work, but not in such pressured jobs and jobs where we can enjoy a good work life balance versus work work balance. We've already been to Australia and have visited Sydney, Melbourne and Perth and while we like Sydney it is out of our budget and are looking at Melbourne, Perth and possibly Adelaide. I'd be interested to hear from people on the ground the views of these locations and where having already settled in Australia are they most happy or would prefer to live if they had a choice. I know everyones view is personal, but for us we don't just want to live on the beach for the sake of living near a beach. We want to live in a nice family orientated area where we can enjoy more of an outside lifestyle versus here in the UK and feel safe at home. I look forward to some interesting posts. I would go where the work is rather than aesthetics of a particular city. To be honest I thought accounting was an over subscribed vocation here in Australia, with Australian student numbers vastly reduced for that reason. Also it was if I recall correctly the leading vocation to enter Australia on until recent times. Not forgetting a favourite for Asian students as a means to stay on in Australia. Of course a double edged sword the rapidly falling dollar. While over inflated house prices may appear cheap (ish) to Stirling holders at the moment (they are in fact highly over inflated) salaries will also appear less in comparison with London if compare dollar to pound basis. Certainly less than a year ago with a 35% effective currency devaluation against the $US. The endless debate of what is better for kids rages on. Having had a childhood in both countries I'd say to hard to call. I equally liked both places for different things as I did dislike for the same reason. It probably resulted though in nowhere being truly home, which also has its benefits as can live most anywhere all being equal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 From what I've seen so far, everyone gets 20 days earned leave and that's it. Is it the same for absolutely everyone, due to "Fair Work" regulations, or does it depend on what "award" you're on? Back in the UK I got 35 days annual leave (although I was always too busy to take it all), but 20 seems pretty mean. Hubby started on that but then it increases the longer he works for the company. 2 weeks sick leave is also pretty common (at least round here, I guess its 10 days if its working days). Loads of people use their sick days for things other than being sick I notice. Also the long service leave thing which I find an odd thing to be continuing in this day and age but it seems its still held on to here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I have worked in many different jobs in Australia including management, and have never had more than 20 days leave. I imagine some senior management could negotiate a personal deal to get extra but it's definitely not usual to do so. Also quite a few companies now have a policy that if you don't take the leave within a certain time, you lose it. Mind you, Americans tell me the Australian leave allowance is generous compared to the US. Compared to America two weeks being the norm Australia appears generous. Britain of course more so and Europe insane when it comes to holidays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I actually get the same annual leave here as UK but with a couple more public holiday's here. Commute also drastically reduced. Swings and roundabouts. Think this was because they started including public holidays into the 28 days or whatever you get in UK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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