Melbourne 4 months in

[buckbuchanan]

Yes.... an update is well overdue. After the manic couple of years leading up to the move I have been enjoying having time to relax at night, knowing that I don't have a list of things to organise and not having the constant worry on my shoulders.

 

I think it's fair to say that my impression of Melbourne is softening a little bit, but I still stand by my words - lots of Melbourne is scummy and not nice. I am beginning to think the trick is to be careful about where you go. I still find the graffiti unbearable but the government seem to have finally realised it is a problem and now offer 2 years in jail and up to $24000 fine for people caught doing it - not before time. And the other negatives I listed in previous posts still exist... but let's not go there again!

 

Since my last posting we have done quite a lot. We have been to see the Phillip Island penguins and Koalas, Arthurs Seat, the Great Ocean Road, etc, etc. There is certainly plenty to do, and although generally you will need a few hours driving to get to these places it is a cheap day out, unlike the UK where it seems to cost money the minute you step out the door. It could partly be because the weather is so nice that you can just take a picnic rather than have to go somewhere to eat, but generally you can

find something to do that doesn't cost much. You can always find a free open air barbeque spot as well.

 

I have come to the conclusion that the trick to living here is to get away at the weekends. Monday to Friday is the same as it was back home (except that I can now work flexi time, and I can cycle to work every day along the beach road!!). At the weekends we always go somewhere out of the city and this is when you see the beauty of the place that everyone talks about. If you don't do this you might as well live in the middle of London, because Melbourne is just a city like any other. Last weekend we took a trip to Aireys Inlet which is just at the start of the Great Ocean Road. We were all blown away by this place (it is like a mix between Dorset and Cornwall). The beaches are great and there are some nice walks along the coast and some of the scenery is stunning. We are planning to buy a tent as it seems that quite a lot of people just throw a tent in the car and go away most weekends in the summer, which makes sense to me. My OH was worried about creepy crawlies before we came out and said there was no way she would go camping, but now she has changed her mind as we haven't seen any scary spiders since we have been here (which I am kind of disappointed about in a strange way).

 

The big plus is the weather... it is now winter and although it is cold in the mornings (around 6c today when I got up) it doesn't feel like a UK winter morning. This was our main reason for coming here (along with all the benefits that good weather brings with it) and it certainly hasn't disappointed us on this front. The skies are always blue and at the moment it feels like a spring morning in the UK. We do get rain, but the difference is it remembers to stop raining here! It will generally rain for a few hours and then the skies will be blue again. We are still in the habit of taking coats with us everywhere we go but haven't needed them yet! I still walk around in a tee shirt although the natives wear winter coats.

 

The one thing that still evades me is this great reputation that Melbourne has for food. We have found a couple of good places to eat, but that accounts for < 1% of the number of eateries we have looked at. Most places look like you would be guaranteed a dose of food poisoning if you went in to them. Having said that, I think lots of the good bars and restaurants are well hidden. When I have been out with the locals I normally end up in places that aren't visible from the street (e.g. you need to go through a mall and down a couple of flights of stairs to get to them). I have also come to the conclusion that you can't get a good curry here, and even most take-aways (Indian, Chinese, etc) will serve you up a dish with the horrible bits of chicken that you would normally not eat (something I haven't seen in the UK for well over 10 years)!

The cost of living is higher than the UK (based on the current exchange rate, and taking into account that wages are less). We certainly don't have anything left at the end of the month (so the same as when we lived in the UK), but now we have the added burden of having to pay several thousands of pounds to fly home every couple of years - don't know how we are going to manage that yet!! Petrol and rent/house prices have shot up even in the short time we have been here. The supermarkets are similar to 1985 supermarkets in the UK - they don't really do anything other than the basics (e.g. you can't get ready meals, etc) and they even have the short checkout conveyor belts that you used to get back in the 80's, which means that you can only fit a quarter of your trolley onto it while at the checkout. But, they are good enough, and it means that we still have the small shops (green grocer, butcher, etc) which the supermarkets in the UK have put out of business years ago.

 

I don't think we will be staying here long term. We will do at least 2 years here but at the end of that time we are going to decide whether or not to return to the UK or to move elsewhere in Australia or Victoria. If we stay in Victoria it will be somewhere outside of Melbourne, although that could prove difficult on the employment front! We just don't really have a good feeling about Melbourne - there is nothing there that makes us want to stay and we do our best to avoid the city. I dare say if you don't have kids you could probably have a good time there but it's just not for us. We know a few people here who have emigrated from the UK... 1 family love it and get offended when we point out the negatives, but the rest of them don't think it's great but like the weather and the laid back Aussies, and that is what keeps them here. We know another family who are on their 3rd stint here having returned to the UK twice - I think they are still undecided.

[Guest JoanneHattersley]

Thanks for the update Buck! Glad that things are a little better, not perfect tho!!! Come to QLD, its the fastest growing state!!!

[the hutchies]

Glad to hear you are making the most of your time there, are you actually living in Melbourne?

I think you are right going off for weekends tho something we are looking forward to when we eventually get there. Hopefully the Aussies will allow my oh some family time cos back here they don't think family time counts for nothing, some customers are soo demanding.

lisax

[buckbuchanan]

We're living in Beaumaris which is a SE suburb. We spent the first few months in the city and couldn't get out quick enough!! I think I would say employers are generally more laid back, but they still want you to do your hours... and then stay behind late every night as well!!

 

We are definately considering QLD, but at least we can holiday there before we move!

[Guest Ripha]

Know where you're coming from BuckB and the familiarity of the UK can be tempting when you're unsettled. I can say wholeheartedly that I will not be growing old in Melbourne, but I've not written off the rest of Oz - yet. LOL!!

 

Quite fancy a look at Adelaide meself....

 

Mind you, we have no kids, they are all grown up. A smaller, quieter place than a large city like Melbourne would be OK for us. As cities go, Melbourne is fine, but I'm glad I don't have the daily work commute.

 

I haven't come here to settle for the same/similar day to day lifestyle that I had in the UK and I won't settle for second best either.

 

Ripha.

[Guest Hello Kitty]

Do you like Beaumaris though? I think it is a lovely suburb with a nice community feel and we have friends who live there and enjoy it. If you have kids tough you get more opportunity to be part of the community as you meet people through school etc. but it does take time. I think Beaumaris is really a good family area as are many Bayside suburbs but maybe not so suited for singles or couples. We live in Malvern.

 

Have you been to Zaika the Indian restaurant yet in Beaumaris? Our friends took us there and a good indian in my opinion as is The Indian Palace in Brighton. There are probably not as many really good restaurants in this part of Melbourne as say in the inner city areas or areas with a larger multicultural population. I actually really like the CBD of Melbourne but you do have to get to know it properly. Get yourself a copy of The Age Cheaps Eats guide or The Age Good Food Guide for suggestions and you might need to drive a bit further.

 

With regard to ready made meals in supermarkets, they trialled that here a few years back based on the British model but it just wasn't popular. Apparently Australians were a bit suspicious of them re. value for money and quality prefer to cook from scratch.

 

Yes there are 'scummy' parts of Melbourne as there are in any large cities but there are also many lovely parts of Melbourne. The ones I have visited and liked are in my opinion the inner/middle east suburbs such as Canterbury, Hawthorn, Malvern, Kew, Armadale, Ivanhoe, South Yarra etc. Also some northern suburbs such as Eltham, Warrandyte plus Bayside areas from Elwood down to Mordialloc. Also Mt. Eliza, Mt. Martha, Mornington Peninsula and the dandenong ranges areas. I am sure there are many more. I don't know the western suburbs well but Williamstown is lovely.

 

Maybe you should explore some other areas and perhaps country areas like you mentioned.

 

Oh and I agree about the graffitti - it is a blight on the landscape and really stupid. Hope they do crack down on it.

[buckbuchanan]

That was a nice post!! Yes... Beaumaris is nice and has everything (well.. at least for a family like ours). The thing I like the most is that everything is on our doorstep - there are 3 small shopping precincts in Beaumaris, and Southlands Mall within a couple of miles (I think you could probably say that about most Bayside suburbs). The only drawback is that property is expensive and although we can afford to rent here I don't think we could afford to buy (but like everyone else who is renting at the moment we are hoping for a massive price crash!).

 

Thanks for the tip on the food guide - can't believe I hadn't thought of that! Strangely there is a great restaurant on the beach road in Beaumaris so we are quite lucky in that way. It's also interesting what you say about the ready meals - strange!

[tracy123]

Hi Buck

Im really sorry your not enjoying yourself fully. I agree with what you say about the city being the same as london (somethings different of course) but i honestly think that is the same as all cities. Its not until you get out and about that you really see the place.

I think in regards to food it maybe you rather than the food (not being rude to you) When i first came to England 4 years ago i hated going out i thought the food in this country was crap! no taste, it all seemed to taste the same, no matter which restaurant you went in, but now i enjoy going out and the food taste great?! Well maybe just good! lol.

As for the supermarkets i like the fact you dont bag your own shopping, i like the fact you just buy food and you have a larger range of choice, Once again i thought it was silly having clothes in a supermarket or tv's etc but now im used to it i enjoy it (well as much as you can).

Once you get used to new things, and a new way of doing it, it becomes normal. When i first arived in England i compared everything (and i hated England as it wasn't Australia) I think you are doing the same its normal. Once you can get over the fact that you are in a strange place and its not England cross fingers things should fall into place for you, i think it took me 2 to 3 years but im a stubborn sh!t, i still sometimes compare prices etc!

Enjoy your family, enjoy your weekends and if things dont work out for you hopefully you will come back to England having enjoyed your time in Australia, looking back with fond memories and not being bitter.

Keep your chin up and i hope all works out for you

 

All the best

 

Geoffrey

[buckbuchanan]

You may well be right, but one thing I will disagree with you on is the packing at the checkout - this drives me insane because it takes them so long! Hey - maybe I need to chill out a bit more!

 

We will definately be going back with fond memories and won't be bitter!! The Aussies are so nice that you can't feel bitter towards them! And at least we will have done it - if we had not it would have bugged me for the rest of my life.

[Guest maz&jon]

oh my god,i cant believe you r still here if its that bad!we have been here for 2mnths and b4 we came i read your posts and thought oh my god what r we doing flying to the other side of the world and its no better than here,but we made the move and im not being funny but have you been living in some sort of cocoon all your life because we all love it here and would not trade places with anyone.we are living in mornington and it is safe,clean and just a wonderful place to live and bring up children.

every city in the whole world has graffiti even rome the most beautiful place in the world and it has dog poo,litter etc so what in gods name do you want,go back to england turn your tv on and listen to all the teenagers getting stabbed and shot.i lived in liverpool and as hard as it was to leave all my wonderful family i had to get out for mine and my childrens sake.there was a boy my sons age rhys jones was playing football and was shot dead.im sorry to go on but watch sky news from time to time and maybe you will learn to love victoria like i love it the peninsula is an amazing place to live and i wouldnt go home tomorrow if i had a free ticket,but thats just me.x

[tracy123]

oh my god,i cant believe you r still here if its that bad!we have been here for 2mnths and b4 we came i read your posts and thought oh my god what r we doing flying to the other side of the world and its no better than here,but we made the move and im not being funny but have you been living in some sort of cocoon all your life because we all love it here and would not trade places with anyone.we are living in mornington and it is safe,clean and just a wonderful place to live and bring up children.

every city in the whole world has graffiti even rome the most beautiful place in the world and it has dog poo,litter etc so what in gods name do you want,go back to england turn your tv on and listen to all the teenagers getting stabbed and shot.i lived in liverpool and as hard as it was to leave all my wonderful family i had to get out for mine and my childrens sake.there was a boy my sons age rhys jones was playing football and was shot dead.im sorry to go on but watch sky news from time to time and maybe you will learn to love victoria like i love it the peninsula is an amazing place to live and i wouldnt go home tomorrow if i had a free ticket,but thats just me.x

 

Hi really happy you love Melbourne

Different strokes for different folks.

[Guest maz&jon]

i know its different for everyone but come on some one needs to get real if they think melbourne is worse than the uk.maybe in 10\15 years it may catch up to being as bad but now,today its no where near as bad as london.so all i would like to say to anyone who is thinking of coming here is 'give it a go,put 100% into it and you will not be sorry'.two months here and i feel like i`m still on me hol`s and i was working after only being here 2wks.we met up with people froms pom in oz and they made us feel so welcome so you have got to put yourselves out there and make friends.x

[alcocainmel]

Hi Buck

 

Glad to hear that you are feeling a bit happier in your new life. We too live on the Peninsula and love it. Perhaps you should try another part of Vic before deciding that its not right for you. My OH commutes to the City everyday and its really not that bad. The City itself is not perfect but then what City is? Its a City after all!!

 

Good Luck

Deb xx

[buckbuchanan]

Hi Maz & Jon.

This is something that still surprises me every time I post something negative to this site.... Everyone who has moved to Victoria seems to think they live in Melbourne and immediately jumps on the defensive. Let's get something clear - Mornington *is not* in Melbourne. The commute for me to the CBD takes between 1 and 2 hours by car so I would imagine that for Mornington the journey would be 2 to 3 hours. It is a bit like people living in Portsmouth jumping to the defense of London (lets face it - nobody living in Portsmouth gives a crap about London).

 

I think you are the one living in a coccoon - maybe you should go and live in Melbourne city and then re-assess your post! Your idealistic problem free view of the country may well be shattered after 1 night. I'm not saying it is all bad - I have always said my posts were realistic painting the bad as well as the good, because a lot of people would have you believe this is heaven on earth.

 

I think it sounds like where you came from was a particularly bad part of the UK, and you have moved to a particularly nice part of Victoria. I lived in a nice part of the UK and moved to a bad part of Victoria. My argument has always been that you don't need to move to Australia to find a nice trouble free area. There are many places in the UK where people don't get shot at in the street - you didn't need to move out here to find that, and now that you are here you don't need to make out that everywhere in the UK is like the Bronx. Hardly a week goes by here when you don't hear about shootings and stabbings. There was a shoot out in the street with the police a couple of weeks ago. The police here carry guns and are soon to be upgraded to semi-automatics - they wouldn't need to if it was the crime free place you are making it out to be.

 

Now... I don't want to fall out with you, but I do find it annoying when people who live in a paradise coccoon over here and can't see that there are lots of negatives to this place and jump on people who tell the truth!!

[Guest JoanneHattersley]

i would like to say to anyone who is thinking of coming here is 'give it a go,put 100% into it and you will not be sorry'.

 

Thats exactly right!

 

Put in the 100% and embrace Australia as a place and a culture and you will do fine!

 

Buck - I can understand what you mean though. WE only visited Melbourne though and didnt live there and we really didnt like it! It was "like London" and the lifestyle that we had just left behind. There was nothing about Melbourne that grabbed me whereas here in Brissie it was an instant "yeah this is right"

 

Sometimes it just aint for everyone! People on PIO will respect you for being honest and open.

[Guest Pete da Wombat]

Hi Buck great to hear you have been getting out and about i knew that you would soften your feelings once you moved to such a nice area and i hope it was my suggestion that made you start taking beach road instead of the highway its so much more relaxing that way (but please tell me you havent become one of those mad lycra wearing cyclists who terrorise us poor motorists along there). If you liked Aireys Inlet (i believe the tv series Round The Twist was filmed there) you will love the drive down to Apollo Bay - stop off at Lorne and enjoy Erskine Falls and keep an eye out for koalas on the side of the road between Wye and Kennett River! Maybe a shorter trip you would like would be a trip out to The Dandenongs and bushwalking thru the temperate rainforest there and maybe spot some lyrebirds!

I cant recommend highly enough the Age Good Food Guide and Cheap Eats guide also if you like your food.

I always enjoy reading your honest opinions and hope that others do the same because nowhere is perfect for everybody and people should be aware of this!

[Guest oldn66]

Come to Perth WA. I travel to Melbourne for a holiday every now and then only for the shopping and Footy,Its a bit too Metropolitan for us. Theres plenty of work and alot more sunshine ( although we have had some storms in the last 24hrs).We live in Rockingham that has a large English population. They even seem to have adopted a couple of local pubs like the Swinging Pig and the Port Kennedy Tavern.Theres plenty of work and the rental/ housing market is not that bad.Average price close to the beach is around the 400,000k aus mark.Its still a laid back lifestyle and theres plenty to do on the weekends. We are about 35 minutes from Perth and less to Fremantle.We also have one of the best wine regions in the world being Margaret river which is only a couple of hours drive. Theres plenty if you want to escape for a week or two with WA being the largest state in Aus. I think you can fit the UK in 7 times and our population is around the 2 mill mark. Gives us ago before thinking about going back to grey ol England. I dont work for the local Tourism group just love where I live. I have some friends and family who have emigrated recently with kids in tow and they dont mind the place either.Melbourne is certanly a great place to visit but not sure If I would live there. All the best

[buckbuchanan]

Thanks for all the replies. I will definately be checking out Brissie and Perth before we decide our fate! And Pete.... I definately don't wear lycra!! And I use the cycle path rather than the road, although it feels a bit lonely on there!!

[Guest Pinhead]

I lived in Melbourne CBD for 6 months in 2004 and loved it (corner Bourke & Exhibition), then again I am single with no kids.

 

Most of the food shops are pretty much as described but I thought the Safeway in the QV centre was pretty good. I actually think it's a GOOD thing that they don't have lots of ready meal in Oz.

 

If you don't like Melbourne city stay clear of Brisbane, it's a complete dump in comparison (CBD that is)!

[Guest Durathor]

I've been here 8 months and have veered to both ends of the spectrum. Firstly, if you are expecting a cheaper standard of living, don't bother coming. Australia ia now seriously expensive. Housing in Melbourne is increasingly comparable to London prices. Which given that this is a sleepy big town as opposed to one of the world's great cities is frankly laughable. I think London looks a bargain when you compare the facilities and infrastructure (which are laughable) here to home. Makes the housing crisis in England all the more bizarre, as prices here are still going up and mortgage rates are higher. Food is jaw droppingly expensive as are clothes and basic necessities.

So the message is simple. If you are looking for a better standard of living, Australia is about the last place on earth to bring your money. Go to France.

On the other hand, I have enjoyed the sleepier lifestyle, loved the climate, my son's school is absolutely wonderful (though I hear it's one of the best primary schools in Melbourne) as is the beach. It has a nice cafe culture and has excellent coffee.

I am not in a hurry to go home, but then I am fortunate enough to be pretty solvent financially. Personally, I wouldn't bother if money was tight. It will be miserable. Doubly so at an exchange rate of 2 $ to the £.

This country is heading for a major fall once the commodities bubble bursts and they wake up to the fact that this isn't Paris, it's the last stop before the South Pole. Don't waste your money until then.

[Guest oldn66]

Comeon Southrick a standard of living is not just about money. If you want to live in any major capital city in the world its expensive.I was in London not all that long ago and quite frankly felt like the walls would cave in around my ears.As you can see from my original posting on this matter theres more to life. I dont think that I am as Financially liquid as yourself but I still manage to enjoy all the good things here. Accomodation in London is extrodinary in terms of cost compared to any Australian capital city. There are draw backs in all societies I just dont believe there are more here than in the UK and Europe. I suppose it all depends on your expectations and how you look at things. I think Melbourne is a little to like London. Maybe you should try somewhere in OZ thats more Oz than England.

[Guest Pinhead]

Ask yourself this, would it seem as expensive if the exchange rate was 2.50 GBP:AUD?

People need to get over comparing prices to the UK (at the current exchange rate). It's not about how much things cost in the UK compared to Oz, it's about how much things cost compared to what you can earn.

[Guest oldn66]

Nice one pinhead couldnt agree more.

[Guest Durathor]

Ask yourself this, would it seem as expensive if the exchange rate was 2.50 GBP:AUD?

People need to get over comparing prices to the UK (at the current exchange rate). It's not about how much things cost in the UK compared to Oz, it's about how much things cost compared to what you can earn.

 

 

But you have to compare. My point was not to denigrate Oz, I have had a wonderful time here and hope to continue for a long time, but to make the point, strongly, that people need to be very aware of expectations, and particularly the financial hardship, they may face if they arrive.

The cost of living here is pretty much the dominant conversation taking place.

[buckbuchanan]

I don't see how you can't compare. The trouble is lots of people have come over here while the exchange rate was somewhere between 2.5 and 3 and they keep posting on this site about how cheap everything is over here.

 

If you are bringing over thousands of pounds then the difference the exchange rate makes is huge. Someone who has just sold their house and has £50,000 from the sale would have got $125,000 if the exchange rate was 2.5 - now they would only get $100,000 - a difference of $25,000. How can you say this is not important?

 

These people also say that salaries are less but it doesn't matter because the cost of living is less. This is another load of crap. £ for $ salaries are less and the cost of living is higher. Nobody can argue with this fact. I took a drop of £6500 when I came over here, but a loaf of bread costs nearly half as much more than in the UK.

 

I think it is irresponsible to post on this site and give people false hopes that they can come over here, take a drop in pay, and somehow have a better standard of living. It's just not true.

 

I think southrick makes some good valid points in his post that I agree with - you will not be better off, but the climate, beaches, etc, can compensate. It depends what is important to you, but don't expect to be able to come over here, work 10 hours a week and live in a huge house with a pool - the reality is you will probably be doing the same hours for less pay and will still struggle to pay the bills (which, by the way, you probably won't be able to do on direct debit!).