Bec87 Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 Hi, I am new to this forum. This is my first post. Hubby and I have 2 young children (4 months and 23 months). My hubby has a good job as a technical sales engineer and I am an early years teacher currently on maternity. We are seriously thinking about moving to Australia. Life here in Nottinghamshire has become boring and same same. We lived in Jakarta, Indonesia for a year prior to having children so we have experience of living abroad. Although we arent going to make a rushed decision we are already considering Brisbane as my hubby would be considered for a job with a company he has worked for in the past, however we aren't going to let this sway us too much. My question is can anyone tell me their opinion on the best place to live (any suburb in any city) with 2 young children? A beach is a must, playgrounds, outdoor activities, indoor activities, good nurseries schools etc, somewhere with other like minded parents with who we could potentially make friends with. I have no idea where to start looking. Thank you:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 To be honest, this is a pretty hard question to answer in some respects, and really easy to answer in others. Australia is approximately the same size as Europe, and there are huge differences in climate between the different cities and states. Families live happily in every area, but it really depends on what you specifically want. For example, we lived in Sydney, and we could have quite happily lived in Tasmania or Victoria, but Queensland, WA and the NT would not have been to our liking. Work is going to play a massive part on where you can live in terms of actually getting a job and affordability. Sydney (for example) is great for families, but if there are no jobs and you can't afford the (very expensive) rent, living there is going to be pretty miserable. If your husband has the possibility of a job in Brisbane, I'd probably explore that first, and find the suburb to fit around the job, although as far as I know Brisbane isn't beachy, but there are areas nearby which are. However, commute distances will be more. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to visit Brisbane in the time we were in Australia, so I can't advise on suburbs, but I'm sure others will be along to help soon. My OH had a job offer in Sydney, and we chose an area to live around his job/commute, and that worked pretty well for the time we lived there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 The piece of string is 1000 km long. It's rather an impossible question to answer. There are kids in families literally all over Australia, some with beaches and some without. You might be surprised at how little the beach really features in your life even if you could afford to live close to one. I would agree, go where you can get a job basically and you wont be overwhelmed by the heat (if you are finding the UK a little on the warm side at the moment then Brisbane probably wouldn't be in in your future). I could tell you that Canberra is great for families - no beach but its only 1.5 hours away which is what you might well expect from other big cities except that Canberra isn't a big city, it's a nice cross over (also a couple of hours from the snow so we get it all!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
can1983 Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 10 hours ago, Bec87 said: Hi, I am new to this forum. This is my first post. Hubby and I have 2 young children (4 months and 23 months). My hubby has a good job as a technical sales engineer and I am an early years teacher currently on maternity. We are seriously thinking about moving to Australia. Life here in Nottinghamshire has become boring and same same. We lived in Jakarta, Indonesia for a year prior to having children so we have experience of living abroad. Although we arent going to make a rushed decision we are already considering Brisbane as my hubby would be considered for a job with a company he has worked for in the past, however we aren't going to let this sway us too much. My question is can anyone tell me their opinion on the best place to live (any suburb in any city) with 2 young children? A beach is a must, playgrounds, outdoor activities, indoor activities, good nurseries schools etc, somewhere with other like minded parents with who we could potentially make friends with. I have no idea where to start looking. Thank you:) Nottingham (shire) is a fairly uninspiring part of the UK could you not try somewhere else nearer to home and family? West Country, Lakes, etc Brisbane is the state capital furthest from the beach technically, though of course its not far to go! Never seen the point of Canberra, now fiercely expensive and miles from anything everyone leaves on a Friday. 35º summer's days and 5º nights. Freezing cold in the winter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 7 minutes ago, can1983 said: Never seen the point of Canberra, now fiercely expensive and miles from anything everyone leaves on a Friday. 35º summer's days and 5º nights. Freezing cold in the winter Lovely seasons though and got to be better than Nottingham! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 (edited) As others have said, impossible to answer. If I asked you, which part of Europe is best for kids, where would you start? The distance from Brisbane to Melbourne is as far as London to Madrid, and that's reflected in how dramatically the climate varies across the country. If you've lived in Indonesia and didn't mind the heat and humidity, you'll be fine in Brisbane - and you'd probably find Melbourne far too cold! Bear in mind, though, Brisbane doesn't have beaches - though you'll be in easy reach of many lovely beaches on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coasts for day trips on the weekend. I wouldn't dismiss the importance of having a job to come to. People seem to think that Australia is still the "land of opportunity", with plentiful jobs and great career opportunities. In reality, unemployment is about the same as the UK. It's common now to tell migrants to budget for six months out of work when they first arrive, as that's how long it could take to get a job. So having a job lined up would take a lot of the stress out of it. If you can get a temporary visa with that employer, then you should get all your relocation expenses to and from Australia paid, which would be a great way to have an adventure. However, if you decide you want to stay after that contract expires, you may not be able to - so if you think you might want to stay long-term, go for the permanent visa now. Edited August 3, 2018 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec87 Posted August 3, 2018 Author Share Posted August 3, 2018 Hi, thank you so much for all your replies. I guessed it would be a difficult question to answer. You see though, this is exactly why I asked...I assumed Brisbane, with it looking on the coast on a map, would have a beach nearby. Indonesia's humidity was actually too hot for me and it was actually one of the main reasons we decided to come home so already I'm being put off Brisbane. I love sunshine, love the holiday vibe but if it is difficult to live there because of heat it might be a no no for me. Obviously we want sunshine as that's one of the main reasons everyone moves to Australia right?! Melbourne is actually 2nd on my list due to the fact it has more seasons. Anyone know any decent child friendly areas to live in or around Melbourne ideally close (within 20 mins drive) to beach, parks, greenery, cafes, general good vibes. Thank you! I'm sure this question has been asked so many times and I'm also certain of how much of an amateur it makes me look. Just for info my hubby is currently on business in Oz. He has a 10 day trip starting Perth, Brisbane, Port Macquire, Sydney, Adelaide and then back to Sydney and home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 (edited) 37 minutes ago, Bec87 said: Hi, thank you so much for all your replies. I guessed it would be a difficult question to answer. You see though, this is exactly why I asked...I assumed Brisbane, with it looking on the coast on a map, would have a beach nearby. Indonesia's humidity was actually too hot for me and it was actually one of the main reasons we decided to come home so already I'm being put off Brisbane. I love sunshine, love the holiday vibe but if it is difficult to live there because of heat it might be a no no for me. Obviously we want sunshine as that's one of the main reasons everyone moves to Australia right?! Melbourne is actually 2nd on my list due to the fact it has more seasons. Anyone know any decent child friendly areas to live in or around Melbourne ideally close (within 20 mins drive) to beach, parks, greenery, cafes, general good vibes. Thank you! I'm sure this question has been asked so many times and I'm also certain of how much of an amateur it makes me look. Just for info my hubby is currently on business in Oz. He has a 10 day trip starting Perth, Brisbane, Port Macquire, Sydney, Adelaide and then back to Sydney and home. Sydney is by far the most expensive city in Australia. House prices in Melbourne are around two-thirds of Sydney prices. Everywhere else is cheaper. Check out domain.com.au and realestate.com.au to get an idea of house prices (but bear in mind, in Melbourne and Sydney, houses end up selling for a fair bit more than the price on the site). Everyone wants to live near the beach, greenery and cafes, so those are the most expensive neighbourhoods. You could find a cheaper Melbourne suburb with all those amenities, but then you're going to have a very long commute into the city. People don't really move to Melbourne for the beaches, though they do exist. It's the least outdoors-y of all the cities. Most migrants have to start out in a capital city because of work, but if a job can be found, I think the best places are the smaller cities along the NSW coast. For instance, Port Macquarie is a lovely little town with a holiday vibe, cafes, restaurants, beaches. There's no denying they are quiet though, so if you want lots of nightlife I wouldn't recommend them! They tend to attract a lot of retirees from Sydney, so they can feel like a bit of a mini=Bournemouth. Newcastle is a bigger city so it has more going on, It has a great beach, and it's also surrounded by wineries, more beaches and nature walks. I had friends who worked in Sydney and commuted all the way from Newcastle every day - they refused to move to Sydney because they felt Newcastle was a much better environment for their children. The advantage of these smaller places is that you'd be able to afford a house much nearer the beach with only a short commute. Edited August 3, 2018 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southchick Posted August 4, 2018 Share Posted August 4, 2018 (edited) I live on Lake Macquarie at Warners Bay after living In both Sydney and Melbourne so happy to answer questions! I work in the Newcastle community so visit most places... I too have two young children and love it here.... the lake, the ocean, the bush, not too far from Sydney or amazing places further north for camping trips. Melbourne was very similar to England in my opinion but it really depends on what lifestyle you wish for your family. We love the beach so are blessed here... it's a twenty minute drive to my work and love love the climate. Melbourne was very cold and grey in winter! Here we are mid winter and sat in a t shirt taking in the beauty of the lake! Edited August 4, 2018 by Southchick 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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