I bet this has never been asked before ;-)

[Adidasandy]

Ok, got PR family visa all sorted and we're heading out in March for a 2 week sussing out holiday. The question is where?

It's in QLD we have agreed that but what part. Has to be near the coast line so somewhere like Victoria point or right up the sunshine coast area. I know it's our choice but is there a site that gives true point scoring rather than public hear say. We are a family of 4 with 1 daughter aged 5 and 1 aged 18.

Any help or feedback from own experience would be fantastic.

Thanks in advance.

Andy

[Marisawright]

Go where the work is. That's why most Australians live in the capital cities - because that's where the work is.

[Keith and Linda]

Hi Andy, we live bayside at Thornlands, was at Victoria point and soon to be again, whilst a great area and on the coast there really is not much of a beach to speak of if that is what you are looking for. Also there would be a good chance that you will have to travel for work as ltd opportunities there. If you could advise as to what type of work you would be looking the folk on here might be able to help/advise further. Schooling for 5yr old no problem, your eldest would be looking for work or Uni ? and she may find it a little difficult to settle, our two teenagers struggled for the first couple of years.

Sunshine coast is very nice but again employment opportunities would not be as good as further south.

Good luck with everything.

Keith.

[Adidasandy]

Hi all and thanks for the replies. I'm a hgv fitter / welder. I have ran my own business in U.K for the past 12 years and its booming so people think I'm mad to give it up but there's more to life than money and working all the hours of sends. I don't mind travelling. I can get a job on the mines for mega money but I want to spend time with my young family before it's too late. Hope you understand.

[Keith and Linda]

Hi all and thanks for the replies. I'm a hgv fitter / welder. I have ran my own business in U.K for the past 12 years and its booming so people think I'm mad to give it up but there's more to life than money and working all the hours of sends. I don't mind travelling. I can get a job on the mines for mega money but I want to spend time with my young family before it's too late. Hope you understand.

 

Well I suppose you may be able to do the same here regarding running your own business. Regarding employment though you would be looking at Industrial areas in the outer suburbs towns, there are a few haulage/commercial contractors along with truck parking yards around the Redlands area but not sure how or where they maintain their trucks but they could give you leads I suppose, other than that there are many more with-in an hours drive.

[AJ]

 

I can get a job on the mines for mega money

Thats not as easy as you might think!

[Guest]

The coastline around Brisbane isn't that interesting. Which is why Brisbane folk tend to hit sunshine coast/Gold coast/ Bribie island for a beach fix. It's not often I go to Sandgate or Manly etc because they can't compare. However there are so many great ones you can go to any weekend you like.

[Keith and Linda]

The coastline around Brisbane isn't that interesting. Which is why Brisbane folk tend to hit sunshine coast/Gold coast/ Bribie island for a beach fix. It's not often I go to Sandgate or Manly etc because they can't compare. However there are so many great ones you can go to any weekend you like.

 

The Redcliffe peninsular is alright just do not get the bigger surfing waves, but as you say the choice is almost endless within 1 1/2 hr drive, even Byron bay is not too far beyond that and well worth the occasional visit.

[Guest]

Sunshine beach followed by the sunshine beach surf club the best for me :wink:

[Keith and Linda]

Sunshine beach followed by the sunshine beach surf club the best for me :wink:

 

And there's me thinking it would be the other way round for you...............sleeping it off on the beach:wink:

[calNgary]

Sites like these may help , but im not sure how up to date they are

- http://www.reiq.com/suburbs

- https://www.realestate.com.au/neighbourhoods

- http://propertydata.realestateview.com.au/propertydata/suburb-profile/queensland/

 

Cal x

[VERYSTORMY]

Hi all and thanks for the replies. I'm a hgv fitter / welder. I have ran my own business in U.K for the past 12 years and its booming so people think I'm mad to give it up but there's more to life than money and working all the hours of sends. I don't mind travelling. I can get a job on the mines for mega money but I want to spend time with my young family before it's too late. Hope you understand.

 

I suggest you do some research.

 

Mining is is in a massive downturn. Your chance of getting a job in mining is about the same as becoming an astronaught.

 

As for HGV fitting. Two a penny. I can get one for minimum wage and have him clean toilets when not busy.

[AJ]

I suggest you do some research.

 

Mining is is in a massive downturn. Your chance of getting a job in mining is about the same as becoming an astronaught.

 

As for HGV fitting. Two a penny. I can get one for minimum wage and have him clean toilets when not busy.

Oh my goodness - how rude! You could say the same about geologists - two a penny - who needs them! Why dont you go clean some toilets your always getting laid off, not really a demand for geologists is there

[JockinTas]

Oh my goodness - how rude! You could say the same about geologists - two a penny - who needs them! Why dont you go clean some toilets your always getting laid off, not really a demand for geologists is there

 

 

Well, that is why Stormy is returning to the UK. Best people are warned what it is actually like here. My son's friend also a geologist couldn't find a decent job here so he's now working as a geologist in Chile.

[AJ]

 

Well, that is why Stormy is returning to the UK. Best people are warned what it is actually like here. My son's friend also a geologist couldn't find a decent job here so he's now working as a geologist in Chile.

It was the manner in how it was said!

[Adidasandy]

My friend over there runs a mine and can get me in if I wanted too. If hgv fitters are 2 a penny then I will struggle but will never know unless I try and because we have already got our PR visa I would be stupid not to test the water. As I said I do really well in this country but it comes a time when enough is a enough of working all hours and missing out on my family life so I thought Australia would be the place to do this so I hope I'm not to deluded.

Thanks Andy

[Gbye grey sky]

My friend over there runs a mine and can get me in if I wanted too. If hgv fitters are 2 a penny then I will struggle but will never know unless I try and because we have already got our PR visa I would be stupid not to test the water. As I said I do really well in this country but it comes a time when enough is a enough of working all hours and missing out on my family life so I thought Australia would be the place to do this so I hope I'm not to deluded.

Thanks Andy

 

That other poster has very much a Perth/WA perspective. I have no insight into HGV fitters but the job market appears more positive overall in the Brisbane area. No doubt you can sound things out for yourself when you are here in March.

[Keith and Linda]

My friend over there runs a mine and can get me in if I wanted too. If hgv fitters are 2 a penny then I will struggle but will never know unless I try and because we have already got our PR visa I would be stupid not to test the water. As I said I do really well in this country but it comes a time when enough is a enough of working all hours and missing out on my family life so I thought Australia would be the place to do this so I hope I'm not to deluded.

Thanks Andy

 

I am sure you will get work and prove yourself to be invaluable. The only delusion would be thinking that the best job will fall in your lap on day 2.

Life is what you make it as they say.

Good luck

[VERYSTORMY]

Oh my goodness - how rude! You could say the same about geologists - two a penny - who needs them! Why dont you go clean some toilets your always getting laid off, not really a demand for geologists is there

 

Sorry, but bluntness is sometimes needed.

 

No, there is no current need for geologists - hence our 50% unemployment rate. I have cleaned toilets and my wife, as I write I actually doing just that.

[Parley]

Your own toilet doesn't count.

[VERYSTORMY]

My friend over there runs a mine and can get me in if I wanted too. If hgv fitters are 2 a penny then I will struggle but will never know unless I try and because we have already got our PR visa I would be stupid not to test the water. As I said I do really well in this country but it comes a time when enough is a enough of working all hours and missing out on my family life so I thought Australia would be the place to do this so I hope I'm not to deluded.

Thanks Andy

 

Sorry, but, yes, HGV fitter are not in demand in any way at the moment due to the mining downturn - there are thousands of miners laid off with a significant number of HGV fitters Mines are closing at a rate of about 1 a week at the moment) Initially, this only affected the resource dependent areas, however, many guys are now heading off to other areas where there are mines in search for work which has created big issues of over supply in those areas as well.

 

This has a number of issues for people wanting to break into the industry such as yourself. First, many companies now insist that applicants are already inducted to the company. Second, they now insist that fitters have significant experience on particular equipment - equipment that unless you have been working mining, you won't have (for example, they will stipulate particular models of CAT only used in large scale mining).

 

Be very careful of relying on friends - is your friend a General Manager of a mine? Even then, (I am a senior mine manager), it is very hard now to help a friend in.

 

As for hours, well, I would research. Australians work the longest hours in the developed world. In mining, you would either work 5 X 12 hour shifts, but this would mean living in a small / regional town, usually in the middle of no where or you do fifo - fly to work, do a stint, then go on break. This would usually be a minimum of two weeks away doing 12 hour days, 7 days a week (168 hours a fortnight) with a week on days and a week on nights. Plus of course, being in time for drug alcohol daily screen and prestart morning meeting at start prior to shift and 30 mins per day at end.

[Adidasandy]

Life is what you make of it my friend, I was a complete waster in my youth and was told I would amount to nothing and boy have I proved them wrong. I know the Oz dream will have to be worked at once there but the harder you try the closer it gets. We will make this work. Thankyou

[Johndoe]

Life is what you make of it my friend, I was a complete waster in my youth and was told I would amount to nothing and boy have I proved them wrong. I know the Oz dream will have to be worked at once there but the harder you try the closer it gets. We will make this work. Thankyou

 

I'm sure you will with that attitude mate. Good on yer. Good luck.

[starlight7]

Good luck and hope everything works out for you!

[Marisawright]

Life is what you make of it my friend, I was a complete waster in my youth and was told I would amount to nothing and boy have I proved them wrong. I know the Oz dream will have to be worked at once there but the harder you try the closer it gets. We will make this work. Thankyou

 

You sound like you've got the right attitude to make a go of it so good luck with it - but I don't know why people think that moving to Australia means working less hours. It doesn't. If you want to make the same money you're making now, then you'll have to work just the same hours.

 

There are two possible differences. One, if you currently live in London, then you'll have a shorter commute in Queensland which will give you an extra hour or two a day. Two, it's more likely to be warm and sunny when you do get some free time.