Perth or Sydney?

[Drazic]

Hi, I’m new to the forum so thanks for being a (very nice) sounding board. As the OP suggests I’m of two minds as to where to move to. I’m Australian by birth but as with so many people on here I have a British parent and as a child of divorce I’ve spent half my life in the UK (am now 40). Spent most of my first 20 years in Canberra and Melbourne and haven’t even set foot in Australia in 20 years but have decided after a break up (where I spent a lot of time trying to convince her to move to Oz but with no success - probably a theme familiar to lots on here) to move back to Australia. 
 

I haven’t been to Perth (ever) but have done lots of research and feel I have a relatively accurate feel on the place and while I have been to Sydney before, it was in my teens so don’t quite have that ‘feel’ of the place enough to know if it’s where I want to be. What I’m really looking for is somewhere that I can move forward with my life that doesn’t feel like a purgatory sentence if that makes sense. Everything in my life points to Perth over Sydney - more likely to buy a house, more sunshine, more areas to explore etc but I guess I’m scared that if I choose Perth I’ll get there and then if the whole ‘being isolated’ thing becomes reality I’ll always think ‘should I have chosen Sydney?’ - That also could go the other way if I did choose Sydney..

 

What I’m really looking for and what would be brilliant if any Perth-ites (is that what you’re called?) could educate me on is what is Perth really like it so someone coming from 20 years in London. I know the basics, all the obvious things like it’s a smaller city, it’s less hectic etc. I’m looking for anyone who perhaps has been in the same situation - lone traveller arriving in Perth and looking for some sort of connection. Can that connection be made or is Perth a desolate centre with a bunch of families all living in the Burbs? 
 

Sorry for the ramble, it’s just my mind is going 100mph these days with a decision needed to be made by the end of the month . I’m a positive person who finds it easy to make new friends - I just need to find a place where I can make new memories rather than hang on to all the nice UK ones without feeling like I moved from something as amazing as London to somewhere where I just see out my days. (I understand Sydney is the obvious choice for a ‘new’ London but Perth ticks so many lifestyle and affordability boxes I kinda need to be sold on that)

 

Thanks guys

[Tulip1]

2 hours ago, Drazic said:

Hi, I’m new to the forum so thanks for being a (very nice) sounding board. As the OP suggests I’m of two minds as to where to move to. I’m Australian by birth but as with so many people on here I have a British parent and as a child of divorce I’ve spent half my life in the UK (am now 40). Spent most of my first 20 years in Canberra and Melbourne and haven’t even set foot in Australia in 20 years but have decided after a break up (where I spent a lot of time trying to convince her to move to Oz but with no success - probably a theme familiar to lots on here) to move back to Australia. 
 

I haven’t been to Perth (ever) but have done lots of research and feel I have a relatively accurate feel on the place and while I have been to Sydney before, it was in my teens so don’t quite have that ‘feel’ of the place enough to know if it’s where I want to be. What I’m really looking for is somewhere that I can move forward with my life that doesn’t feel like a purgatory sentence if that makes sense. Everything in my life points to Perth over Sydney - more likely to buy a house, more sunshine, more areas to explore etc but I guess I’m scared that if I choose Perth I’ll get there and then if the whole ‘being isolated’ thing becomes reality I’ll always think ‘should I have chosen Sydney?’ - That also could go the other way if I did choose Sydney..

 

What I’m really looking for and what would be brilliant if any Perth-ites (is that what you’re called?) could educate me on is what is Perth really like it so someone coming from 20 years in London. I know the basics, all the obvious things like it’s a smaller city, it’s less hectic etc. I’m looking for anyone who perhaps has been in the same situation - lone traveller arriving in Perth and looking for some sort of connection. Can that connection be made or is Perth a desolate centre with a bunch of families all living in the Burbs? 
 

Sorry for the ramble, it’s just my mind is going 100mph these days with a decision needed to be made by the end of the month . I’m a positive person who finds it easy to make new friends - I just need to find a place where I can make new memories rather than hang on to all the nice UK ones without feeling like I moved from something as amazing as London to somewhere where I just see out my days. (I understand Sydney is the obvious choice for a ‘new’ London but Perth ticks so many lifestyle and affordability boxes I kinda need to be sold on that)

 

Thanks guys

With such a big decision, you’d be mad not to spend a bit of money going there first to get a feel for the place.  You could love it from the start but you could equally think no way.  Go on a recce first to be sure. Try and squeeze Sydney in too and that way you’ll know. Gut feeling is huge I think.  

[Marisawright]

Gut feeling is everything. What you’re asking is like, “I’m moving to the UK, should I live in London or Aberdeen?” They’re such different places. 

I lived in Sydney for 30 years and loved it, but can’t afford to live there in retirement. I wouldn’t live in Perth if you paid me - perfectly nice place, but the vibe just doesn’t tuit me. I’m too used to a big-city buzz. 

Whereas I have friends from Sydney who never liked Sydney much and are now happy as a pig in mud in Perth. Horses for courses.

Sydneyvis bloody expensive if you want to live anywhere nice. The outer suburbs of Sydney are a depressing desert of McMansions, you might as well be in Milton Keynes. 

 If you can cope with a quieter city then I’d go to Newcastle not Perth. Good cafe culture and fabulous beaches, on the doorstep of the wine country AND only a couple of hours on the train to the bright lights of Sydney when you need it.

Edited May 13, 2020 by Marisawright

[Wanderer Returns]

After 20 years in London only Sydney or Melbourne are likely to cut it for you, unless you're looking for a more Australian experience. I lived in Sydney for a year and it has a lot going for it, but as @Marisawright said it's become hellishly expensive, and unless you're selling a £1m house in London you'll probably be renting or living in a sweat-box out west. Surprised you're not considering Melbourne as you've lived there before, so may already have a few old friends there? I've been to Perth three times over 20 years and it still feels provincial. On the upside, there are some beautiful and interesting places to visit nearby, and you're closer to the rest of the world for trips to Asia and back to Europe (hopefully in the not too distant future!). I've lived in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Cairns, and I now live in Brisbane, which ticks most of my boxes. If money was no object, my list of the Australian cities I'd choose to live in would look like this...

1. Sydney

2. Brisbane

3. Hobart

4. Adelaide

5. Perth

6. Melbourne

7. Canberra

[Marisawright]

2 hours ago, Wanderer Returns said:

I've lived in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Cairns, and I now live in Brisbane, which ticks most of my boxes. If money was no object, my list of the Australian cities I'd choose to live in would look like this...

1. Sydney

2. Brisbane

3. Hobart

4. Adelaide

5. Perth

6. Melbourne

7. Canberra

Interesting that Melbourne is so far down the list.  I'm now in Melbourne and love it.  The OP said that Sydney was Australia's London - that's often said, but the main reason is that like London, it's the most expensive city (for housing) and is also the main business centre.   However, in terms of size, culture, arts, sport - almost everything else, in fact - Melbourne and Sydney are neck-and-neck, and it's a matter of personal preference which one you think is ahead. 

The only thing I miss is being close to beaches - not for swimming or surfing, but for long walks along the shore.  The bay in Melbourne is just not the same!     I don't mind the more European weather in Melbourne - I can't stand hot, humid weather, so that was always a negative in Sydney's summers and puts Brisbane out of the question for me.  

[Drazic]

Thanks guys. I’ve always loved the look of Mosman and that area but as others have said, I have no chance in hell of buying something - probably the same anywhere decent in Sydney. I have family in Newcastle and have been there a few times but it’s just not for me. I went to high school in Melbourne and it’s a great city but I’m looking for better and warmer weather haha. I think I’m that rarity who loves warm weather. The hotter the better . 
 

Ultimately there is no right or wrong choice I guess. In life you just make the best of wherever you land. It’s all about having a positive attitude and having the courage to take that first step forward - once that’s done it’s a lot easier to make your bed and lie in it (on a great run of cliches there). 
 

Australia is a funny place isn’t it? So many different choices for where to live all with their own character. Could never do Adelaide though (sorry to anyone who chose that ). Canberra is underrated but my old house there burnt down in a bushfire so will always have that worry. Recommend people going there to visit if they get the time. Autumn there is great. 

[AliQ]

Perth. You have to go and see it for yourself to fully appreciate the greatness of Perth

There are always the usual comments about the "isolation",  but that means different things to different people.

Deciding on which state to live in will depend on work opportunities I suppose, and how you like to spend your free time.

Good luck and enjoy your next move.

[Drazic]

The idea of Perth is alluring. I like the idea that it’s a hidden secret and once you become a Perth resident you’re part of something amazing that the whole world isn’t rushing to see. And while I’m sure it’s nothing like London, it does seem to be falling over itself to make itself quirky and trendy enough to cater for those needs. I’m buying my one way ticket at the beginning of June so I’m sure I’m the coming days I’ll be flip-flopping like a crazy person - but I very much appreciate all of your advice guys. Talking to English friends who’ve never been in my friend circle just isn’t quite the same. 

[s713]

We lived in Perth for 11 years and are now back in the UK.

If I had your choice, it wouldn't be Perth. Nice looking place but not much going on, especially if you are used to London or big cities.

Good luck.

[s713]

16 minutes ago, Drazic said:

The idea of Perth is alluring. I like the idea that it’s a hidden secret and once you become a Perth resident you’re part of something amazing that the whole world isn’t rushing to see. And while I’m sure it’s nothing like London, it does seem to be falling over itself to make itself quirky and trendy enough to cater for those needs.

Freo is about the best vibe in WA.

[ali]

I love living in Perth and would probably live in Queensland if not here.  I agree with people who have said it's horses for courses, we've never been bored at what's on offer here nor have we felt isolated.  We're not beach goers and as much as I love our coastline we don't visit often, so you don't have to just be into the beach lifestyle to live here.

You can't compare it to Sydney or Melbourne - we don't have that sort of hustle and bustle - but there are some gems and if you want a more relaxed lifestyle it's worth having a look at.

[VERYSTORMY]

I have lived in both. We started in Sydney and then spent 8 years in Perth. I would say if you like city life, the Sydney. Particularly coming from London. 
 

Perth has its pluses, but it is very small.The city itself can be walked from end to the other in 15 minutes. Beyond that it is just suburbia with identi kit shopping centres. 

[Drumbeat]

36 minutes ago, VERYSTORMY said:

I have lived in both. We started in Sydney and then spent 8 years in Perth. I would say if you like city life, the Sydney. Particularly coming from London. 
 

Perth has its pluses, but it is very small.The city itself can be walked from end to the other in 15 minutes. Beyond that it is just suburbia with identi kit shopping centres. 

The newer areas are like that, yes but the older suburbs and hills areas are very different. I get tired of reading about Perth's boring suburbs but if people make the effort to look for something different it's out there.

[Paul1Perth]

On 14/05/2020 at 06:26, Marisawright said:

Gut feeling is everything. What you’re asking is like, “I’m moving to the UK, should I live in London or Aberdeen?” They’re such different places. 

I lived in Sydney for 30 years and loved it, but can’t afford to live there in retirement. I wouldn’t live in Perth if you paid me - perfectly nice place, but the vibe just doesn’t tuit me. I’m too used to a big-city buzz. 

Whereas I have friends from Sydney who never liked Sydney much and are now happy as a pig in mud in Perth. Horses for courses.

Sydneyvis bloody expensive if you want to live anywhere nice. The outer suburbs of Sydney are a depressing desert of McMansions, you might as well be in Milton Keynes. 

 If you can cope with a quieter city then I’d go to Newcastle not Perth. Good cafe culture and fabulous beaches, on the doorstep of the wine country AND only a couple of hours on the train to the bright lights of Sydney when you need it.

My eldest is currently living in Newcastle with his girlfriend, who he met when he worked in Whistler, Canada for a couple of years. Her family are all near Newcastle and she wanted to be close to them for a while.

They came to Perth for a couple of weeks, she had never been before, all her mates, who had never been all told her she wouldn't like it and how crap it would be.

She loved it. Now they are planning to move here, which would be a lot better for my son as he's FIFO  on the rigs out of Perth.

Both of them said there's a lot more going on in Perth than Newcastle. A lot livelier and more to do. Rental for equivalent property is much cheaper and buying would be a lot cheaper too.

Sydney is nice but overcrowded and very expensive. Beaches get too packed. We still have free parking at beaches here.

[Paul1Perth]

18 hours ago, s713 said:

Freo is about the best vibe in WA.

How long is it since you were here? Perth has changed a lot and there is a lot more choice in Perth now. Freo is nice but small.

[MacGyver]

Perth is beautiful and the 'isolation' often mentioned isn't noticeable in day to day life. The only time it becomes an issue is when you want to go for a short weekend trip somewhere as there are no (city) options nearby. For me, thats what it lacks. If Perth was on the East Coast it would be very difficult to beat. Or if there was another large city on the west coast to visit for a change of scene every now and again. It has beautiful beaches, fantastic weather, incredible wineries, very easy pace of life. If it just had another city like a Brisbane, or Sydney or Melbourne a few hours flight (or a long drive) away it would be perfect. Yes its close to Singapore, Bali etc, but the absence of another large population centre nearby means less interesting towns dotted across the countryside between cities (in my opinion) with a few exceptions.

[Toots]

I am not a city person at all and when we moved from Perth to Sydney it was a real shock.  The crowds, the noise and it wasn't as clean as Perth.  I would have been happy to stay in Perth - we were in Mullaloo close to the beach but Perth went into a bit of a slump (1987) and there were more opportunities at that time in Sydney.  I suppose for city lovers Perth would be a bit on the quiet side but for people like me it was a very nice place to live.  I was very busy at the time with babies so the thought of travelling, sightseeing and nightlife was of no interest to me at all.  That may have changed after a bit of time.  Compared to a lot of places Perth scores highly as a place to live for me.

[Drazic]

I’m absolutely leaning towards Perth. Renting into my 50s is a bit of a wake up call so perhaps I should take the leap and become responsible in my 40s. . Thanks for the feedback guys. Food for thought. Plus the idea of being so ‘close’ in relative terms to Esperance is alluring. 

[Paul1Perth]

1 hour ago, Drazic said:

I’m absolutely leaning towards Perth. Renting into my 50s is a bit of a wake up call so perhaps I should take the leap and become responsible in my 40s. . Thanks for the feedback guys. Food for thought. Plus the idea of being so ‘close’ in relative terms to Esperance is alluring. 

Esperance is beautiful, but still a ling drive from Perth. We went a couple of times when the kids were younger for surf club country carnivals. Had a great time. Twilight Bay, where their surf club is one of the nicest most picturesque places I've seen, great big rock in the centre you can climb up and jump off and when we were there a really good swell for surfing and catching waves with the paddle boards.

There are a lot of places closer that are almost as nice. Yallingup, Margaret River, Denmark, Augusta. I think there are over 100 wineries and several breweries just between Yallingup and Margaret River, on caves road or just off it, so plenty to do when you're not too busy enjoying the surf. Love it down there.

We are just about over the Covid crisis too. No new cases and very few active ones. My youngest works in a local beachside cafe and they are open next week. He was very happy to get his roster.

Edited May 15, 2020 by Paul1Perth

[Drazic]

5 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said:

Esperance is beautiful, but still a ling drive from Perth. We went a couple of times when the kids were younger for surf club country carnivals. Had a great time. Twilight Bay, where their surf club is one of the nicest most picturesque places I've seen, great big rock in the centre you can climb up and jump off and when we were there a really good swell for surfing and catching waves with the paddle boards.

There are a lot of places closer that are almost as nice. Yallingup, Margaret River, Denmark, Augusta. I think there are over 100 wineries and several breweries just between Yallingup and Margaret River, on caves road or just off it, so plenty to do when you're not too busy enjoying the surf. Love it down there.

We are just about over the Covid crisis too. No new cases and very few active ones. My youngest works in a local beachside cafe and they are open next week. He was very happy to get his roster.

Great to hear. Looks like Australia got it right in a way that sadly the UK didn’t. 

[starlight7]

After London you might find Perth a bit lacking.I was a Londoner and that was my reaction to Perth.  Very pretty though, depends what you want. Personally if I was going for somewhere warm and beachy I would look at Brisbane or north NSW. 

[Paul1Perth]

11 minutes ago, starlight7 said:

After London you might find Perth a bit lacking.I was a Londoner and that was my reaction to Perth.  Very pretty though, depends what you want. Personally if I was going for somewhere warm and beachy I would look at Brisbane or north NSW. 

Brisbane is a long way from any beaches. Nice City though.

[starlight7]

Guess I was thinking of the islands nearby Bribie and Stradbroke

[Wanderer Returns]

14 hours ago, Paul1Perth said:

Brisbane is a long way from any beaches. Nice City though.

 

13 hours ago, starlight7 said:

Guess I was thinking of the islands nearby Bribie and Stradbroke

I live in South Brisbane and it takes and hour to drive to the Gold Coast, and an hour and half to drive to the Sunshine Coast. It's not as close to the beach as Pert, but I'd hardly say that's a long way. The beaches on Stradbroke Island actually take longer to get to than the Goldie because of the Ferry, and then the bus ride on the other side.

[Wanderer Returns]

On 14/05/2020 at 12:35, Marisawright said:

Interesting that Melbourne is so far down the list.  I'm now in Melbourne and love it.  The OP said that Sydney was Australia's London - that's often said, but the main reason is that like London, it's the most expensive city (for housing) and is also the main business centre.   However, in terms of size, culture, arts, sport - almost everything else, in fact - Melbourne and Sydney are neck-and-neck, and it's a matter of personal preference which one you think is ahead. 

The only thing I miss is being close to beaches - not for swimming or surfing, but for long walks along the shore.  The bay in Melbourne is just not the same!     I don't mind the more European weather in Melbourne - I can't stand hot, humid weather, so that was always a negative in Sydney's summers and puts Brisbane out of the question for me.  

Can't argue with you about Melbourne, @Marisawright - it's got lots going for it, but I lived there 18 months and was happy to leave. Like many Poms I came to Australia for the nice weather and to reasonably close to some nice beaches, as I like to surf. Port Phillip Bay never really cut if for me and Melbourne's weather is consistently dreary, although notably warmer than the UK. I much prefer Tasmania to be honest - at least there's some outstanding countryside there. I don't think Sydney is excessively humid, apart from 2-3 months over the summer, although it seems to be getting hotter everywhere these days!