need advise from people living in cairns and canberra

[pommekate]

Yes I was sponsored, so applied for job whilst in the UK and the hospital sponsored me. When I questioned them on relocation costs they said very unlikely as there would be many applicants who would take up the opportunity and pay their own costs, so if i went ahead with the application I would probably be unsuccessful as they would rather sponsor someone who paid their own way. They did tell me not to let this affect me applying but I didn't want to risk not getting the job. I have since asked other midwives to see if they were paid relocation costs and none of them were successful. It may be different if one of the jobs your wife is applying for are in desperately need of midwives. I know some remote areas do offer financial incentives to encourage applicants, however I can't imagine Canberra being one of them. But if she has already been told they will give her a relocation package then go for it and have it written into her contract.

[pommekate]

Another point just to mention, if it is a private hospital your wife is being sponsored by she may find it very frustrating as a british trained midwife. As you work as an obstetric nurse rather than a midwife. A midwife will care for a women in labour but as she comes to birth you have to call the obstetrician to actually birth the baby. Initially I was sponsored by a public hospital but after 5 years we moved and I worked for a private hospital, although a very nice hospital but very demoralising as a midwife. Thankfully I am back in the public system.

[SUPERSTARDJ01]

Another point just to mention, if it is a private hospital your wife is being sponsored by she may find it very frustrating as a british trained midwife. As you work as an obstetric nurse rather than a midwife. A midwife will care for a women in labour but as she comes to birth you have to call the obstetrician to actually birth the baby. Initially I was sponsored by a public hospital but after 5 years we moved and I worked for a private hospital, although a very nice hospital but very demoralising as a midwife. Thankfully I am back in the public system.

 

that's really good to know thank you, I may contact you once everything is underway for advise if that's ok?

[Paul1Perth]

Canberra

 

Closer to Melbourne and Sydney

Closer but not exactly close enough to be a pleasant drive. It would be a drag with a few kids.

There are heaps of choices in Aus mate, why just think about those 2? I don't live in either but have visited Canberra on work trips. I've also visited Darwin, Townsville, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and several smaller places on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast on holiday. Canberra is my least favourite City in Aus. Bit like Milton Keynes without the nice villages on the outskirts.

Cairns might be a bit small and limiting. Why not go for a bigger city? Perth is brilliant btw.

[SUPERSTARDJ01]

Nothing wrong with MK, but I have lived in MK most my life lol, we were originally thinking Adelaide not sure why it's been crossed of, Canberra was mainly due to work, cairns because my wife has a friend there and the climate, We don't want a London type city but also don't want a Grimsby.

[Paul1Perth]

Nothing wrong with MK, but I have lived in MK most my life lol, we were originally thinking Adelaide not sure why it's been crossed of, Canberra was mainly due to work, cairns because my wife has a friend there and the climate, We don't want a London type city but also don't want a Grimsby.

I don't think you'll come across a Grimsby lol. We have just booked a holiday in Cairns and Port Douglas for September. It looks fantastic and we've not been to the Great Barrier Reef yet.

In my experience, with kids to consider, give them some nice beaches in easy reach, a warm climate and they will entertain themselves for hours. Canberra definitely doesn't have that.

[Dekra]

Nothing wrong with MK, but I have lived in MK most my life lol

 

You likely passed through MK on the way to somewhere else at a young age and due to the significant lack of signpostage to get back out of MK you remained there by default. Kidding, mostly Not been in MK for a good 12 or 13 years, there could be so much signage you can't see the road now for all I know.

[SUPERSTARDJ01]

You likely passed through MK on the way to somewhere else at a young age and due to the significant lack of signpostage to get back out of MK you remained there by default. Kidding, mostly Not been in MK for a good 12 or 13 years, there could be so much signage you can't see the road now for all I know.

 

Lol, there's loads of signage now, but the population has almost doubled as well, MK is one of those places you don't get until you've lived.

[ChrisH1]

I live in Cairns, work in the hospital and my wife is a midwife. That being said, I would suggest that you describe more the ages of your children (to provide discussion on educational, and subsequently employment goals), and your occupation to also allow discussion of your employability (if indeed that is an issue).

While I have have not worked in ACT, I have worked in southern NSW.

We love living in Cairns, our children love living here, and we have no plans to ever move. But we know that we are very lucky.

Cairns has many wonderful aspects to the lifestyle and climate. However, we visited Canberra many time while living in NSW, and found it also has great aspects, it's just that climate is not one of them!

I would be happy to make more specific comment, with further information.

[ChrisH1]

I've now had a chance to read the thread.

Cairns is not rural or remote, so your wife would not attract increased pay on those grounds.

Your lack of employment may be a major issue in Cairns. It depends on your skill and transferability of previous qualifications. You may need to re-skill in a whole new area. That should be factored into into your financial equation.

I like the climate of both Cairns and Canberra. Although I just would never choose to live in the cold ever again. Most people get used to the tropical wet season (with occasional cyclones) here within a year or so. In my opinion I would choose 16-36C and tropical wet over -3 to 40C and bush fire risk every time.

Check the map of greater Cairns area. Gordonvale gets frost in winter, whereas in central Cairns a very cold winters morning is 16C.

Education in Cairns is good, but probably not as good as ACT or NSW. Unless you go out of mainstream education as we have done, every school is blighted with NAPLAN.

Property in ACT is cripplingly expensive. You would probably choose to live in NSW anyway. Cairns is much more affordable. Yes, energy costs more, and I would agree on needing a pool when it is warm. Nearly everyone has solar hot water. Many have solar electricity. Once you have been here a while your air-conditioning use will fall. We hardly use it at all at home. But you can't work without it.

As I reflect on your responses I think it depends: on cultural demands, your employability, and desirable climate.

Personally, I never been happier in my life.

 

 

 

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[Maggie2012]

Look up my posts in ACT about Canberra. If we had the choice it would be Cairns. Canberra is artificial, jobs are limited to services. We are finally in Queensland, but it cost us some $7000 to move since even getting out of Canberra is a pain. Also be warned that probably one of Australia's worst spots for allergies. It is cold (yes cold), winter can see -10 Celsius and because it is windy and dry everything feels even colder.

 

Hi,

 

I have a dilemma, were thinking of moving to oz but going on a holiday there first but only for 1 week (mad I know) but we can only go to cairns of Canberra, my wife is a midwife and in Canberra she can get $6-8k sin relocation money and well paid job they'll sponsor her and help- with the application, how-ever the climate is n't as good as cairns.

 

in cairns she can get a well paid job possibly relocation money but the weather is better more of what we want, the issue is we have 3 children coming with us and need to get the location right the first time as we don;t want to disrupt them too much.

 

please give me the positives and negatives of both plus your personal opinions.

[Maggie2012]

Cost of housing is not much different in Canberra either, depends which suburb you choose. Take the new northern suburbs and you will be able to find 3-4 bedroom house rentals from $425-450 pw. I would call Canberra depressing. Nothing is close by and what the city offers can be exhausted in 2 weeks time (max). There is no place in Australia that is not family orientated. But Cairns offers beauty what Canberra lacks. No offense, unless you like brown dry landscapes year around. Oh and everything is leasehold as is the state itself is leased from NSW territory. Withdraw the federal, commonwealth money that build Canberra and the city will die out....

 

Schooling in ACT is free for 457 visa holders (or waived), I checked this out as I was considering Canberra myself at one point. The problem is the cost of housing in ACT when it's much cheaper just a few km down the road in NSW. Cairns pay will also likely be higher as it is classed as rural and remote, depending if she is employed at a public or private hospital this might make a significant difference to the household budget. Flights to and from a state or territory capital a number of times a year for recreational leave is also paid for a state employee in Qld which again is a rather nice perk. Personally with your choices I would go for Cairns but I am not you, my own choice has been Alice Spring so I do tend to be a bit different and went knocking their door asking for a job there. Good luck with your decisions.