Moving to Australia!

[JockinTas]

Whether you chose to live in the Scottish one or the McMansion, you'd need servants/cleaning lady to help out. All those rooms/bathrooms and windows to clean.

 

I know which place I'd prefer to live in though. :cute:

[Skani]

I think it says far more about Australia materialism that people want houses like that - style over substance. I used to live in Essex and there was a lot of that sort of thing there too.

 

So...by extrapolation...that must say a lot about English materialism. :rolleyes: All the people I know who are buying/building houses here are looking at very modest footprints, both size wise and environmentally sustainable wise. But I don't draw the conclusion from this that it represents the entire country.

 

The reason the baronial castle is so relatively inexpensive to buy is that you need several more millions to maintain it - both the built structures and the grounds. They need constant attention. You have the option of either maintaining a small portion of it as a comfortable, heated space for living and leaving the rest empty...or investing in it as an income producing business such as a hotel.

[Guest]

So...by extrapolation...that must say a lot about English materialism. :rolleyes: All the people I know who are buying/building houses here are looking at very modest footprints, both size wise and environmentally sustainable wise. But I don't draw the conclusion from this that it represents the entire country.

 

The reason the baronial castle is so relatively inexpensive to buy is that you need several more millions to maintain it - both the built structures and the grounds. They need constant attention. You have the option of either maintaining a small portion of it as a comfortable, heated space for living and leaving the rest empty...or investing in it as an income producing business such as a hotel.

 

If I recall correnct Skani you live in Tasmania which is probably as different from Perth as Scotland is from Essex

[flag of convenience]

There really are some snobs on here. Seriously way to get a downer on someones excitement. Realism is one thing but really it doesn't need to be so offensive.

 

WA has a number of ostentatious folk. Is that the same as snobs? I think not. Things built purely on the back of a bank loan in order to impress both self and others is to my thinking ostentatious. Nothing more. Living in paper houses hoping it is all going to keep upright.

[Skani]

If I recall correnct Skani you live in Tasmania which is probably as different from Perth as Scotland is from Essex

 

Yes, exactly....which is why the housing preferences of some people in Perth doesn't add up to

Australia materialism

.

[flag of convenience]

I think some of the comments have been a little harsh on Perth and area. We live in Mandurah and with a young family have a better lifestyle than we ever did in the UK. I appreciate that people will have different views on what a better lifestyle is, but happier, active, outgoing children must be up there. Work opportunities for some is limited but I know many Poms who have obtained work without the network of friends and family to assist them. I have noticed many people on Facebook forums who moan about the lack of work, but can't put a simple sentence together without me cringing. We have started to venture south, but have yet failed to go past St Hilary's. I have already visited Vietnam since arriving last year and plan to see more of Asia over the next few years (not just Bali!) I have to agree that Perth has plenty going on, I am of a sporty nature so with so many sporting teams I am easily pleased. I really can't see what people are moaning about!

 

Fine but Mandurah is a bit of a black spot. WA doesn't through the nature of the place, attract for the most part, professors or educated elites. No we tend to make do with the humble tradesperson whose written language may well be found wanting.

Believe me, I wish whole heartily that we could depart this boom/bust cycle and develop a city of arts and culture, music and creativity. Afraid it is what it is.

[starlight7]

Adelaide has managed it though- think it is something to do with the original settlers and their interests.

[flag of convenience]

Adelaide has managed it though- think it is something to do with the original settlers and their interests.

 

Adelaide has managed what? A city of challenging employment prospects and limited growth rates. It has some great cultural aspects though, thought once of moving there on those grounds alone.

[VERYSTORMY]

I think some of the comments have been a little harsh on Perth and area. We live in Mandurah and with a young family have a better lifestyle than we ever did in the UK. I appreciate that people will have different views on what a better lifestyle is, but happier, active, outgoing children must be up there. Work opportunities for some is limited but I know many Poms who have obtained work without the network of friends and family to assist them. I have noticed many people on Facebook forums who moan about the lack of work, but can't put a simple sentence together without me cringing. We have started to venture south, but have yet failed to go past St Hilary's. I have already visited Vietnam since arriving last year and plan to see more of Asia over the next few years (not just Bali!) I have to agree that Perth has plenty going on, I am of a sporty nature so with so many sporting teams I am easily pleased. I really can't see what people are moaning about!

 

We lived in Mandurah for 8 years until returning to the UK in March this year.

 

The main reason we we returned was due to lack of work.

 

I am a trained lawyer, with a post grad in law and a geoscientist with a degree and masters and have worked in Australia and internationally as a geoscientist for years. In the last 18 months in the Australia I was able to get enough work to earn a grand total of $22k. Despite completing an average of 10 applications per day, ever day.

 

My wife, who is a senior administrator and teacher of English as a foreign language managed to get a job for 4 hours per week as a cleaner at a hotel in Mandurah.

 

As for travel, we are both very well travelled and I have lived / worked in 13 countries and we have visited many more. We didn't find it any easier or cheaper to travel to Asia from WA than we did from the UK. It is a shorter flight, though still a decent length, but packages were about the same. Shortly before we moved to Australia, we visited Thailand for less than the same deal was available in Perth. But from the UK we can travel to many more places far easier.

 

We have visited the SW of WA extensively, it is very nice and we have visited every winery in the region. But, within a few years we found we had been there and done it all. It became pretty dull.

 

I have also seen a fair bit of Australia due to my work, particularly the remotest areas and we lived in Sydney for 6 months when we first arrived. The problem is that travel within Aus is expensive and not necessarily easy. For example, I have paid more a flight to Kalgoorlie from Perth, than I have London to New York. Though it has got a bit better now since more competition are flying the routes, but still expensive. By the way, our shipping costs from Sydney to Mandurah are about the same as UK to Oz!

[benj1980]

I think our lives are very different VS with all due respect. We have three children so despite going to some wineries there are plenty my wife would like to still visit! Our weekends are made up of socializing, sports club and generally being out and about as a family. We are only just over one year in though so maybe we will feel different in a few years. I really can't comment on that for obvious reasons. I was fortunate enough to get work relatively easy as a teacher and my wife has also started working part time in an administration capacity as she did in the UK. So we are waiting for something to go wrong to be honest as we didn't have this amount of breaks in the UK and that was one of the reasons we thought we'd give another country a go. I considered working at an international school as I thought the experience would be awesome for the family and knowing families that have thrived in that environment.

 

I haven't seen the big meltdown that I read on here sometimes but I appreciate that my glasses are still somewhat tinted! My trip to Vietnam cost me 400GBP including hotel for 4 days at the time. I thought this was quite reasonable? I absolutely agree it would be nice to pop on a plane/train/ferry and be somewhere with a foreign language within a couple of hours but that simply isn't possible here. These are the choices you make I guess?

[starlight7]

Good to hear some realism , benj and from someone who actually lives there, too.

[deryans]

Adelaide has managed it though- think it is something to do with the original settlers and their interests.

 

You are of course Kidding ? We lived in Adelaide for just under 4 years and a place of such narrow minded, myopic and thought inagility would be hard to find, although it seems some people think Perth may fit this bill, I won't comment on Perth but Adelaide is seriously backward, highest unemployment rate in the country and no real prospect of this changing.

[VERYSTORMY]

I think our lives are very different VS with all due respect. We have three children so despite going to some wineries there are plenty my wife would like to still visit! Our weekends are made up of socializing, sports club and generally being out and about as a family. We are only just over one year in though so maybe we will feel different in a few years. I really can't comment on that for obvious reasons. I was fortunate enough to get work relatively easy as a teacher and my wife has also started working part time in an administration capacity as she did in the UK. So we are waiting for something to go wrong to be honest as we didn't have this amount of breaks in the UK and that was one of the reasons we thought we'd give another country a go. I considered working at an international school as I thought the experience would be awesome for the family and knowing families that have thrived in that environment.

 

I haven't seen the big meltdown that I read on here sometimes but I appreciate that my glasses are still somewhat tinted! My trip to Vietnam cost me 400GBP including hotel for 4 days at the time. I thought this was quite reasonable? I absolutely agree it would be nice to pop on a plane/train/ferry and be somewhere with a foreign language within a couple of hours but that simply isn't possible here. These are the choices you make I guess?

 

Your weekends aren't that disimilar to mine. Mainly relaxing with family. Though we don't have children. Jut me, wife and dog. Lots of long walks and things. Usually drive somewhere we haven't been to before and head off.

 

The he windries are nice, though a lot are just tourist traps. We did a thing to visit every one and managed it. What we found though is that after a couple of years it was dull.

 

we started going inland to Dwellingup but again, only so much to see and do.

 

With travel, my last Thai holiday cost £600 each, but that was for 14 nights, with 4 in Bangers and 10 in Hau Hin staying in the best 5 star Thailand has to offer - Anantara in Hau Hin.

 

Teaching is is a bit different job wise. WA is very short of some teaching professionals. I nearly went into it myself via Teach for Australia. Got as far as an offer as a trainee teacher in Pinjarra to teach maths and science. But pay was less than my mortgage so couldn't take it up. Industry is on its knees and likely to still get worse. Rio laid off several hundred more staff only weeks ago, which shocked me as I still can't think what fat they have to chop after laying off thousands in the last couple of years.

[welder85]

Hi,

 

We are planning our move to Perth mid 2017.

I can see that people are worried about unemployment in the trades area but we have friends and family who are in trades, live from Perth to Esperance and none of them are saying "don't move there's no work"!! Yes I agree, if you have an illusion of working half what you do in the UK and earning twice as much, with a fancy house, a boat and a bath full of 100$ bills...then this is an absolute illusion.

My partner said to me the other day where would you rather struggle?? Here or in Australia? Weighing up the options, I'd rather struggle in Australia (not that we want to struggle) but looking at the worse case scenario.

I think whether you live in Perth, Brisbane or the UK you need to look at the options seriously and why you'd live there. We personally like perth as a city, know where we want to live/can afford, what to expect from the education system, wages-we budget on the lowest and our hobbies. We are both sporty people and love the outdoors, something as simple as camping...you are lucky not to wake up floating down the river camping in the UK but camping in Australia...you can camp from Esperance to Broome all year round if you wanted to. Yes the cost of living is higher but the quality of life is 10x what it is in the UK for people with our mentalities and interests. Australia is no paradise, it's just another 1st world country it depends on your own individual reasons for emigrating there.

[Home and Happy]

We lived in Mandurah for 8 years until returning to the UK in March this year.

 

The main reason we we returned was due to lack of work.

 

I am a trained lawyer, with a post grad in law and a geoscientist with a degree and masters and have worked in Australia and internationally as a geoscientist for years. In the last 18 months in the Australia I was able to get enough work to earn a grand total of $22k. Despite completing an average of 10 applications per day, ever day.

 

My wife, who is a senior administrator and teacher of English as a foreign language managed to get a job for 4 hours per week as a cleaner at a hotel in Mandurah.

 

 

 

Sorry to hear that. An all too familiar story these days.

[Que Sera Sera]

I love Mandurah it's a beautiful place and is certainly up and coming with lots of work on the foreshore and a huge shopping centre being extended bring many more shops cafes and restaurants. New bars and restaurants popping up everywhere. Employment levels may be low but my opinion on that is a lot that live there actually don't want to work. If you live there you don't actually HAVE to work in Mandurah there are plenty of other places to commute to, but many cant be bothered and work od rather claim unemployment benefits after all it's a lovely place to stay and not work.

 

Anyway to the OP if you are still here on this "Welcome" thread which I suspect not, please do your own thing and research and not take on board too much some of the opinions of some very negative and bitter prolific posters who can't help themselves because it didn't work out for them certainly doesn't mean it won't for you. I wish you good luck.

[VERYSTORMY]

Hi,

 

We are planning our move to Perth mid 2017.

I can see that people are worried about unemployment in the trades area but we have friends and family who are in trades, live from Perth to Esperance and none of them are saying "don't move there's no work"!! Yes I agree, if you have an illusion of working half what you do in the UK and earning twice as much, with a fancy house, a boat and a bath full of 100$ bills...then this is an absolute illusion.

My partner said to me the other day where would you rather struggle?? Here or in Australia? Weighing up the options, I'd rather struggle in Australia (not that we want to struggle) but looking at the worse case scenario.

I think whether you live in Perth, Brisbane or the UK you need to look at the options seriously and why you'd live there. We personally like perth as a city, know where we want to live/can afford, what to expect from the education system, wages-we budget on the lowest and our hobbies. We are both sporty people and love the outdoors, something as simple as camping...you are lucky not to wake up floating down the river camping in the UK but camping in Australia...you can camp from Esperance to Broome all year round if you wanted to. Yes the cost of living is higher but the quality of life is 10x what it is in the UK for people with our mentalities and interests. Australia is no paradise, it's just another 1st world country it depends on your own individual reasons for emigrating there.

 

Struggling in either country is not fun. Been there and done it.

 

If if I had to chose though based on practicality, I would struggle in the UK. We claimed dole in Oz. Something you won't be able to do. But even though we could, the total amount is less than the average rent. No such thing as getting your rent paid. You also have to continue paying council tax.

 

As for outdoors, we are very outdoors people to the extent, one of the main reasons I chose my career is because it is an outdoors job. But, we are much more outdoors here than we were in Oz. Being outdoors in Oz in summer is vile.

[welder85]

I love Mandurah it's a beautiful place and is certainly up and coming with lots of work on the foreshore and a huge shopping centre being extended bring many more shops cafes and restaurants. New bars and restaurants popping up everywhere. Employment levels may be low but my opinion on that is a lot that live there actually don't want to work. If you live there you don't actually HAVE to work in Mandurah there are plenty of other places to commute to, but many cant be bothered and work od rather claim unemployment benefits after all it's a lovely place to stay and not work.

 

Anyway to the OP if you are still here on this "Welcome" thread which I suspect not, please do your own thing and research and not take on board too much some of the opinions of some very negative and bitter prolific posters who can't help themselves because it didn't work out for them certainly doesn't mean it won't for you. I wish you good luck.

 

+1 Well said!!!

[Booma]

Struggling in either country is not fun. Been there and done it.

 

If if I had to chose though based on practicality, I would struggle in the UK. We claimed dole in Oz. Something you won't be able to do. But even though we could, the total amount is less than the average rent. No such thing as getting your rent paid. You also have to continue paying council tax.

 

As for outdoors, we are very outdoors people to the extent, one of the main reasons I chose my career is because it is an outdoors job. But, we are much more outdoors here than we were in Oz. Being outdoors in Oz in summer is vile.

 

 

millions of people would disagree with you but then they would disagree with most of the things you say about oz.

[Parley]

True and I think social security normally pays a lot more in Australia.

 

At least based on the puny state pension in the UK anyway.

 

But if you tell me the UK government fully covers people's rent then I will be gobsmacked and apologise.

[Skani]

No such thing as getting your rent paid. You also have to continue paying council tax.

 

 

Just to clarify (for those who may be confused by this): there is rental assistance for people on Centrelink benefits. And renters never pay council tax.

[srh82]

millions of people would disagree with you but then they would disagree with most of the things you say about oz.

 

+1

 

And the unregulated migration advice....

[Home and Happy]

I love Mandurah it's a beautiful place .

 

Would be a nice place to retire.

[Que Sera Sera]

Would be a nice place to retire.

 

 

Yes it would be and for those that are not of retirement age and all those with families young and old a singles alike. It's a fast growing place and is very multicultural. It's past may be a retirement village but it's future is rosy. Plus Retirees often know best with all their years of experience so don't belittle it.

[Que Sera Sera]

True and I think social security normally pays a lot more in Australia.

 

At least based on the puny state pension in the UK anyway.

 

But if you tell me the UK government fully covers people's rent then I will be gobsmacked and apologise.

 

Social Security does pay very well but ( just like the UK) is dependent on apllying for a certain amount of jobs. Apply for jobs you are over qualified for or not qualified at all and Bingo you get payments ( jobseekers not retirees I mean ) . This explains why many apply for hundreds of jobs and get no where, very easy really.