Brisbane or Perth for young family

[Dusty Plains]

2 hours ago, Marisawright said:

I agree, lovely areas, but the same caveat applies as for Perth.  If for some reason they don't like the area, it's a heck of an expense to move East.   Whereas if they're open to living in a smaller city like the ones mentioned, they would have a huge range of choices on the Eastern seaboard.

Agreed, however the SW of WA is a boom area, socially, commercially and even industrially,  whereas Brisbane and Newcastle are generally not boom towns. Aside from the lovely areas, I am certain that the SW of WA is Perth's new Gold Coast. Brisbane and Newcastle are fine but especially in the case of Newcastle, they are not growing at the rate that is evident in the towns and cities of SW of WA.

My daughter and SIL resided for five years in Newcastle, but then moved to SW WA (Dunsborough) and would never return to Newcastle. They are far richer and happier.

SW/WA is not just a pretty face. There is sprawling new housing, commerce, industry and the retail sector has boomed. The schools are also very well regarded. I love the Farmers Markets at Busselton. 

I guess there is somewhat of a conundrum in the advice we offer here on PIO, to prospective immigrants, advising them go to the established cities or, as in the case of Harty who is an electrician, and who, has a young family, I suggest to go to the boom towns in Australia where you don't have to try and bust into an established mafiosa of existing tradies and companies that have the market already stiched up.  There are thousands of electricians, teachers, builders etc. in Brisbane and Newcastle. 

 Boom towns on the other hand are a mecca for the individual tradie.    

Edited November 26, 2020 by Dusty Plains

[MARYROSE02]

I was thinking that I can't compare Perth with Brisbane because I've never spent any time in Brisbane but then I thought, "Hang on, I'm into my fifth month in Surfers Paradise and that is practically an outer suburb of Brisbane?!" And I spent 12 or 13 weeks spread over two visits to Perth in the summer of 2017/2018 and the autumn on 2018.

I wish I could find some reliable statistics on the popularity or otherwise of Perth and WA compared to other cities and states. Judging by the number of posts for each state on PIO WA is far and away the most popular - 42,000 for WA, 32,000 for QLD, 21,000 for NSW, the state with the biggest population and the largest city (unless Melbourne has passed Sydney?)

I know some people do complain bitterly on PIO about Perth BUT is it because they hate Perth but love the rest of Australia, or because they hate Perth, have no desire to go anywhere in else in Australia, and just want to go home to the UK?

When I first came to Australia in 1978 I started off in Perth and I loved it (I recorded it in my diary!) but I could not get a job and I travelled east, ending up in Sydney. When I went back to Perth three years ago I thought it was still a pretty good place. I was thinking of moving over there permanently but after the second trip I felt that, with all my family in Sydney and a good social network I did not fancy "emigrating" all over again.

The "isolation" which some people criticise Perth for is irrelevant to me because it had everything I need. It's a city of two million people so what essential services would Sydney and Melbourne have that Perth doesn't?  Perth is like a smaller version of Sydney, i.e. without the horrendous traffic.

I was thinking of going back to Perth this year, after a friend there invited me to stay with her but Covid got in the way then Covid got "out of the way" in July when the QLD border briefly opened and I came up to stay with my brother for a holiday which has so far lasted four months and counting., And I don't think I want to go to Perth any more!

I did not actually care for Brisbane on my one trip up there from Surfers Paradise - horrible traffic and it is a "big" city too, not unlike Sydney (just my opinion). However, I do love Surfers Paradise so if you can get a job here on the Gold Coast I recommend it. I live 250 metres from the beach and all the shops are just as close if not closer. Medical services seem to be good - I've also seen two specialists without having to travel far to see them, and the public transport is good, especially the tram line.

[MacGyver]

On 26/11/2020 at 16:32, Dusty Plains said:

Agreed, however the SW of WA is a boom area, socially, commercially and even industrially,  whereas Brisbane and Newcastle are generally not boom towns. Aside from the lovely areas, I am certain that the SW of WA is Perth's new Gold Coast. Brisbane and Newcastle are fine but especially in the case of Newcastle, they are not growing at the rate that is evident in the towns and cities of SW of WA.

My daughter and SIL resided for five years in Newcastle, but then moved to SW WA (Dunsborough) and would never return to Newcastle. They are far richer and happier.

SW/WA is not just a pretty face. There is sprawling new housing, commerce, industry and the retail sector has boomed. The schools are also very well regarded. I love the Farmers Markets at Busselton. 

I guess there is somewhat of a conundrum in the advice we offer here on PIO, to prospective immigrants, advising them go to the established cities or, as in the case of Harty who is an electrician, and who, has a young family, I suggest to go to the boom towns in Australia where you don't have to try and bust into an established mafiosa of existing tradies and companies that have the market already stiched up.  There are thousands of electricians, teachers, builders etc. in Brisbane and Newcastle. 

 Boom towns on the other hand are a mecca for the individual tradie.    

I agree SW of WA is at a tipping point and the secret is almost out (if it isn’t already). It’s already a lovely place to visit but in ten years I think it will really have taken off and may offer a “second city” feel to it, to offset some of the isolation Perth experiences as the only major population centre in WA. A lot of development is already underway from Bunbury down to Margaret river and lots more to come.

It won’t have the same population as the Gold Coast (nowhere near it), but it will have the same feel of a cluster of population centres combining into something greater than the individual parts, much like the Gold Coast is. it offers desirable cold winter breaks by the fireplace, beautiful warm summers, stunning beaches, established wine region, more pleasant climate than Perth and soon to be direct flights from Melbourne which I imagine will grow to direct flights from other cities. An underdeveloped gem and it’s time is about to come.

[DavidIII]

I can only speak as a tourist having been to Perth and Brisbane and for me Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast would be my vote.  I spend 10 days in Noosa every year and fell in love with The Sunshine Coast from the first time I was there.  Perth was lovely, but just felt very British, whereas Brisbane felt Australian and yes one of the draws from moving from the UK to Aus is the weather which Perth has, but for me you also want to feel you're living in another Country which I felt more in Brisbane and towards Sunshine Coast.  

[MARYROSE02]

On 28/11/2020 at 03:01, DavidIII said:

I can only speak as a tourist having been to Perth and Brisbane and for me Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast would be my vote.  I spend 10 days in Noosa every year and fell in love with The Sunshine Coast from the first time I was there.  Perth was lovely, but just felt very British, whereas Brisbane felt Australian and yes one of the draws from moving from the UK to Aus is the weather which Perth has, but for me you also want to feel you're living in another Country which I felt more in Brisbane and towards Sunshine Coast.  

I assume you mean Perth feels more British because there are more British migrants there than because it has anything in common with the UK?  And the reason there are so many Brits there? Because most of them like it there?!

Personally, Perth feels as much an Aussie place as any part of Australia, and now I'm in Surfers Paradise, I'm expecting people to tell me it's not the "real" Australia because it's full of tourists.

[Marisawright]

7 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

I assume you mean Perth feels more British because there are more British migrants there than because it has anything in common with the UK?  And the reason there are so many Brits there? Because most of them like it there?

I assume most of them are still there because they like it there, otherwise they'd have gone home.  However, it's circular logic to say there are so many Brits in Perth because they like it.  When they chose Perth, from the UK, they had no idea whether they'd like it or not.   They chose Perth because Auntie Flo or Cousin Bert moved there.  That's how big migrant concentrations build up.  You'll see the same with Vietnamese in Sydney or Indians in Melbourne.  Once there, they can find others from their country and they'll tend to stick in the same suburbs, giving those suburbs a feel of their old country.

[MARYROSE02]

55 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

I assume most of them are still there because they like it there, otherwise they'd have gone home.  However, it's circular logic to say there are so many Brits in Perth because they like it.  When they chose Perth, from the UK, they had no idea whether they'd like it or not.   They chose Perth because Auntie Flo or Cousin Bert moved there.  That's how big migrant concentrations build up.  You'll see the same with Vietnamese in Sydney or Indians in Melbourne.  Once there, they can find others from their country and they'll tend to stick in the same suburbs, giving those suburbs a feel of their old country.

Yes, I know that, and maybe using the number of posts per state on this forum is not a reliable guide either. I  assumed because NSW and VIC are the most populous states they would get the most Pommie migrants but if that PIO post totals is a reliable guide then WA is first and QLD second in popularity.

I did read somewhere recently that in the days of migrant ships many migrants got off the ships at Fremantle and just did not want to get back on and continue over to the Eastern States. I shall have to try and find it. It may have been an academic thesis I found which looked at a group of English women migrants.

Apart from the number of Brits in Perth I can't think of any other reason that Perth would seem more British than Brisbane?

[ali]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

  When they chose Perth, from the UK, they had no idea whether they'd like it or not.   They chose Perth because Auntie Flo or Cousin Bert moved there.  

Isn't that true of anyone who migrates to any state and not exclusive to Perth?

[Paul1Perth]

On 25/11/2020 at 18:48, calNgary said:

I dont know how Perth is doing after Covid but Brisbane is ticking along fine and development is blooming in some area so maybe a good time for job hunting. Brisbane is also fantastic for families and you will never be short of finding somewhere different to visit or a different thing do each weekend. 

 Cal x

You wouldn't know covid ever happened in Perth after about May. Very few cases, would have been even less if it wasn't for 1 cruise ship. People had to be careful and did the right thing for a few weeks, even the beaches stayed open though, we have so many, close to the City that people could still go and maintain a safe distance.

It's a tough call between the 2 cities and they were on the top of our list when we emigrated in 92 with a 2 year old. What swung it for us was we liked the climate better, house prices were a lot cheaper, me and the wife loved the beach lifestyle, we used to have a timeshare in the Algarve and when we read the Perth climate and coastline were much like the Algarve that was a massive positive.

On the jobs front we were told not to come to Perth but go to Melbourne or Sydney. We disregarded that advice as work, to us, was a very small part and we wanted a change in lifestyle package. We moved from near Stockport and I'm from Chesterfield, so about as far from a coast and decent weather as possible. It was the middle of a recession, high interest rates and a lot of our friends/families thought we were crazy to give up our jobs with nothing organised to come to. My wife is a nurse, midwife and health visitor and got a job at royal perth hospital in a couple of weeks. I work in IT and communications having gone back to uni at 30. I was a fitter before that and did my apprenticeship with the NCB. I was out of work for 5 months but we were able to tick over on the wifes salary while renting in Como.

My fitting and mechanical experience got me a job and after a year I got back into the IT and comms sector. I worked for the same company for 27 years and retired last year. My wife is still working 2 days a week in an onclogy clinic. My wife had to go back to working shiftwork and weekends for a few years but we worked through that. Gave me a lot of time where there was just me and our eldest. I bought a bike, got a child seat on the back and went out exploring the amazing bike paths we have around the river. 

After about a year we'd had a good look round suburbs and settled on one we loved from the first time we went there. Live within 10 minutes walk of a gorgeous beach with big parks, free barbeques, coffee shops, a pub, surf club and it's exactly the lifestyle we thought we could have. We are about 30km North of Perth, 10 minutes drive to Joondalup. If we want to go into Perth the bus and train service is excellent. 2 mins walk to the bus stop and a 40 minute trip into the City.

As cities go we like Perth. Clean, plenty of room, modern and lots of places to go to eat and drink. Nice City to look at, obviously on 2 rivers so fantastic views from Kings Park.

I've been to Brisbane a lot on work trips, along with every other major City, also been to places like Townsville, Darwin, Toowoomba, Sale. Brisbane is a nice city but beaches are quite a way from there. They have a man made "beach" and swimming area near the City which gets packed but is nothing like a real beach and ocean. There are some good pools around, which has become an important thing for me since living here.

It's a nice City and I think we could have settled there and had a good life. The lifestyle we have here though we couldn't do in Brisbane. Gold or Sunshine Coast yes but jobs are harder to come by. We loved the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast was too high rise and too busy.

I love Sydney but to have the lifestyle we have here we would have to be multi millionaires. Think living in Manly would be an equivalent to where we live, but busier, more traffic, more people on the beach and house prices in the millions. It's do-able if you're super rich.

As a sparkie you should be fine anywhere. My son left school did his electrical apprenticeship, nearly as soon as he was qualified he got a job in the oil, gas and mining industry, on seriously good money. A lot more than I've ever earned. He used to save up for 6 months and go "travelling" for 6 months. Me and the wife would always worry he wouldn't be able to get work when he came back but he never struggled once. He went to live in Whistler, Canada for a couple of years as he loves snowboarding and was young enough to enjoy the full on party lifestyle. Worked as a barman and a handy man in a hotel. Rent is really expensive there so he had to have 2 jobs for a while. He got a job as an electrician there after about a year so was better off then. He met his girlfriend there, she's an Aussie from Newcastle. When they came back they went to live there as she wanted to be near her family and sister who all live there. 

Our eldest got a job here on an oil rig and flew in/out from Newcastle. Then Covid came along, he said Newcastle housing and rent is really expensive compared to here, so he talked his girlfriend into moving to Perth. She had to isolate with us for a couple of weeks and got a job offer. They moved over here and rent a 2 bed apartment in Scarborough for about the same price as they paid for a 1 bedroom place in Newcastle inner City. 

They both say there's much more to do here.

I think the house price argument still stands for Perth. Brisbane outer suburbs would be a lot more than Perth outer suburbs.

Be careful as some of those suburbs, in any place, can be really non discript. In my opinion there are suburbs around Perth that have nothing going for them. They aren't near the beach, are 10 degrees hotter as soon as you get 10km inland, away from the sea breeze, you need a car, maybe 2 to get anywhere. You can end up in places like that in any City, the houses are cheaper for a reason.

If you read these forums there are a lot of negative posts about Perth. IMO a lot of the people that write the negative posts are stuck in suburbs like I mention. They complain that they never see anyone out, people sit in the house with the aircon on in summer and don't go out.

In the suurb we live that couldn't be further from the truth. Summer is great, people are attracted to the beach, parks, coffee shops and beachside cafes and pubs. When we've had visitors they can walk to the beach from where we live. Even my parents who were in their 70's when they first came loved walking down and just sitting either on the beach, in the park or in one of the few cafes they have to choose from. They met people, sometimes other holidaymakers, to have a chat with. Every visitor we've had, all the families have been,  have loved it. My Sister and family applied for emigration after their first visit but didn't get in. Devastated they were.

So...I would obviously be putting Perth in front of Brissie but it all depends what you want and expect. I think Brissie or maybe the Sunshine Coast would be our second choice.

Whichever you choose spend some time renting, exploring, talking to locals in different suburbs. The lifestyle we have is still affordable in Perths Northern and Southern suburbs. We nearly chose Secret Harbour, which is way South. You couldn't have that lifestyle in Sydney unless you have millions.

I've really liked smaller places too. Townsville was nice, hotter more humid though. In fact Brisbane is a lot more humid than here. When I stayed there and had weekends to explore, walking with a backpack in low 20's temps used to have me sweating. Take the backpack off and my T shirt would be soaking. Perth is a much more dry heat with low humidity.

Lots to think about, good luck with whatever you choose. You can do some excellent research on line these days. Google maps street view is great.

 

[Bulya]

4 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said:

You wouldn't know covid ever happened in Perth after about May. Very few cases, would have been even less if it wasn't for 1 cruise ship. People had to be careful and did the right thing for a few weeks, even the beaches stayed open though, we have so many, close to the City that people could still go and maintain a safe distance.

It's a tough call between the 2 cities and they were on the top of our list when we emigrated in 92 with a 2 year old. What swung it for us was we liked the climate better, house prices were a lot cheaper, me and the wife loved the beach lifestyle, we used to have a timeshare in the Algarve and when we read the Perth climate and coastline were much like the Algarve that was a massive positive.

On the jobs front we were told not to come to Perth but go to Melbourne or Sydney. We disregarded that advice as work, to us, was a very small part and we wanted a change in lifestyle package. We moved from near Stockport and I'm from Chesterfield, so about as far from a coast and decent weather as possible. It was the middle of a recession, high interest rates and a lot of our friends/families thought we were crazy to give up our jobs with nothing organised to come to. My wife is a nurse, midwife and health visitor and got a job at royal perth hospital in a couple of weeks. I work in IT and communications having gone back to uni at 30. I was a fitter before that and did my apprenticeship with the NCB. I was out of work for 5 months but we were able to tick over on the wifes salary while renting in Como.

My fitting and mechanical experience got me a job and after a year I got back into the IT and comms sector. I worked for the same company for 27 years and retired last year. My wife is still working 2 days a week in an onclogy clinic. My wife had to go back to working shiftwork and weekends for a few years but we worked through that. Gave me a lot of time where there was just me and our eldest. I bought a bike, got a child seat on the back and went out exploring the amazing bike paths we have around the river. 

After about a year we'd had a good look round suburbs and settled on one we loved from the first time we went there. Live within 10 minutes walk of a gorgeous beach with big parks, free barbeques, coffee shops, a pub, surf club and it's exactly the lifestyle we thought we could have. We are about 30km North of Perth, 10 minutes drive to Joondalup. If we want to go into Perth the bus and train service is excellent. 2 mins walk to the bus stop and a 40 minute trip into the City.

As cities go we like Perth. Clean, plenty of room, modern and lots of places to go to eat and drink. Nice City to look at, obviously on 2 rivers so fantastic views from Kings Park.

I've been to Brisbane a lot on work trips, along with every other major City, also been to places like Townsville, Darwin, Toowoomba, Sale. Brisbane is a nice city but beaches are quite a way from there. They have a man made "beach" and swimming area near the City which gets packed but is nothing like a real beach and ocean. There are some good pools around, which has become an important thing for me since living here.

It's a nice City and I think we could have settled there and had a good life. The lifestyle we have here though we couldn't do in Brisbane. Gold or Sunshine Coast yes but jobs are harder to come by. We loved the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast was too high rise and too busy.

I love Sydney but to have the lifestyle we have here we would have to be multi millionaires. Think living in Manly would be an equivalent to where we live, but busier, more traffic, more people on the beach and house prices in the millions. It's do-able if you're super rich.

As a sparkie you should be fine anywhere. My son left school did his electrical apprenticeship, nearly as soon as he was qualified he got a job in the oil, gas and mining industry, on seriously good money. A lot more than I've ever earned. He used to save up for 6 months and go "travelling" for 6 months. Me and the wife would always worry he wouldn't be able to get work when he came back but he never struggled once. He went to live in Whistler, Canada for a couple of years as he loves snowboarding and was young enough to enjoy the full on party lifestyle. Worked as a barman and a handy man in a hotel. Rent is really expensive there so he had to have 2 jobs for a while. He got a job as an electrician there after about a year so was better off then. He met his girlfriend there, she's an Aussie from Newcastle. When they came back they went to live there as she wanted to be near her family and sister who all live there. 

Our eldest got a job here on an oil rig and flew in/out from Newcastle. Then Covid came along, he said Newcastle housing and rent is really expensive compared to here, so he talked his girlfriend into moving to Perth. She had to isolate with us for a couple of weeks and got a job offer. They moved over here and rent a 2 bed apartment in Scarborough for about the same price as they paid for a 1 bedroom place in Newcastle inner City. 

They both say there's much more to do here.

I think the house price argument still stands for Perth. Brisbane outer suburbs would be a lot more than Perth outer suburbs.

Be careful as some of those suburbs, in any place, can be really non discript. In my opinion there are suburbs around Perth that have nothing going for them. They aren't near the beach, are 10 degrees hotter as soon as you get 10km inland, away from the sea breeze, you need a car, maybe 2 to get anywhere. You can end up in places like that in any City, the houses are cheaper for a reason.

If you read these forums there are a lot of negative posts about Perth. IMO a lot of the people that write the negative posts are stuck in suburbs like I mention. They complain that they never see anyone out, people sit in the house with the aircon on in summer and don't go out.

In the suurb we live that couldn't be further from the truth. Summer is great, people are attracted to the beach, parks, coffee shops and beachside cafes and pubs. When we've had visitors they can walk to the beach from where we live. Even my parents who were in their 70's when they first came loved walking down and just sitting either on the beach, in the park or in one of the few cafes they have to choose from. They met people, sometimes other holidaymakers, to have a chat with. Every visitor we've had, all the families have been,  have loved it. My Sister and family applied for emigration after their first visit but didn't get in. Devastated they were.

So...I would obviously be putting Perth in front of Brissie but it all depends what you want and expect. I think Brissie or maybe the Sunshine Coast would be our second choice.

Whichever you choose spend some time renting, exploring, talking to locals in different suburbs. The lifestyle we have is still affordable in Perths Northern and Southern suburbs. We nearly chose Secret Harbour, which is way South. You couldn't have that lifestyle in Sydney unless you have millions.

I've really liked smaller places too. Townsville was nice, hotter more humid though. In fact Brisbane is a lot more humid than here. When I stayed there and had weekends to explore, walking with a backpack in low 20's temps used to have me sweating. Take the backpack off and my T shirt would be soaking. Perth is a much more dry heat with low humidity.

Lots to think about, good luck with whatever you choose. You can do some excellent research on line these days. Google maps street view is great.

 

Humidity sucks!

[Paul1Perth]

On 26/11/2020 at 16:32, Dusty Plains said:

Agreed, however the SW of WA is a boom area, socially, commercially and even industrially,  whereas Brisbane and Newcastle are generally not boom towns. Aside from the lovely areas, I am certain that the SW of WA is Perth's new Gold Coast. Brisbane and Newcastle are fine but especially in the case of Newcastle, they are not growing at the rate that is evident in the towns and cities of SW of WA.

My daughter and SIL resided for five years in Newcastle, but then moved to SW WA (Dunsborough) and would never return to Newcastle. They are far richer and happier.

SW/WA is not just a pretty face. There is sprawling new housing, commerce, industry and the retail sector has boomed. The schools are also very well regarded. I love the Farmers Markets at Busselton. 

I guess there is somewhat of a conundrum in the advice we offer here on PIO, to prospective immigrants, advising them go to the established cities or, as in the case of Harty who is an electrician, and who, has a young family, I suggest to go to the boom towns in Australia where you don't have to try and bust into an established mafiosa of existing tradies and companies that have the market already stiched up.  There are thousands of electricians, teachers, builders etc. in Brisbane and Newcastle. 

 Boom towns on the other hand are a mecca for the individual tradie.    

Dunsborough and the SW of WA, whilst beautiful, are great for a visit but I don't think I could live there. They are all country towns really and if you like City life you would still have to come to Perth. I'm sure they are a splendid lifestyle for someone not bothered about City life. I was in Dunsborough a couple of weekends ago for an adventure race. Love it down there, wneries, breweries, fantastic coastline and some people would be more than happy with that. Work would be a bit harder to come by and lower paid I would imagine. House prices are scary in nice places round Dunsborough too, we had a look when we were there.

[Paul1Perth]

On 26/11/2020 at 01:05, Harty said:

That's great to hear, Australia have handled things very well imo

 

How long have you been in Brisbane?

I love the location of Brisbane there just seems so much more to do there than Perth,  I do however love the look of the west coast, albeit there will be alot more travelling involved 

 

 

Why would that be? Travelling for what? To get to work? You have to do that anywhere.

We really don't spend much time travelling at all. Mostly because we love where we live, which is a critical part of your choice. We can walk to where we spend most of our time or take the bikes to Hillary's boat harbour if we want more choice of pubs and restaurants. Fantastic leisure centre, 50m outdoor pool, 25m indoor, water playpark for kids, massive gym, plenty of free parking 10 minutes away.

Unless we are going away for a weekend or over to Rotto we don't go far at all in the car. My wife can be at work at the hospital in Joondalup in 10 minutes. No reason to travel more in Perth than other cities. If you do want a drive out to the wineries or the hills you would find the traffic is a lot more pleasant to handle too.

[Paul1Perth]

On 28/11/2020 at 01:01, DavidIII said:

I can only speak as a tourist having been to Perth and Brisbane and for me Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast would be my vote.  I spend 10 days in Noosa every year and fell in love with The Sunshine Coast from the first time I was there.  Perth was lovely, but just felt very British, whereas Brisbane felt Australian and yes one of the draws from moving from the UK to Aus is the weather which Perth has, but for me you also want to feel you're living in another Country which I felt more in Brisbane and towards Sunshine Coast.  

Yep, Noosa is lovely but another place you would need serious money and jobs wouldn't be nearly as many.

[Paul1Perth]

6 hours ago, Marisawright said:

I assume most of them are still there because they like it there, otherwise they'd have gone home.  However, it's circular logic to say there are so many Brits in Perth because they like it.  When they chose Perth, from the UK, they had no idea whether they'd like it or not.   They chose Perth because Auntie Flo or Cousin Bert moved there.  That's how big migrant concentrations build up.  You'll see the same with Vietnamese in Sydney or Indians in Melbourne.  Once there, they can find others from their country and they'll tend to stick in the same suburbs, giving those suburbs a feel of their old country.

If people are like us they did their research and liked the look of it. We hadn't visited Aus before, didn't know anyone, all the rest of the family are still in the UK. House prices play a big part too, even these days.

I have heard a lot of people who live here refer to it as poms paradise. Living the dream is another comment we hear a lot.

[Marisawright]

33 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said:

If people are like us they did their research and liked the look of it. ....I have heard a lot of people who live here refer to it as poms paradise. Living the dream is another comment we hear a lot.

If they love the beach and outdoors, and they can afford to buy a nice place near the beach like you have, I can well believe it.

It's the same as many other places in Australia - if you arrived 20 or 30 years ago when house prices were cheap and jobs were plentiful, Australia fulfilled all those Pommie dreams. However, with house prices soaring, new migrants now end up in sterile new suburbs, sometimes far from the beach and far from what they dreamed of, and that's where the disappointment comes in. 

Edited November 30, 2020 by Marisawright

[Paul1Perth]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

If they love the beach and outdoors, and they can afford to buy a nice place near the beach like you have, I can well believe it.

It's the same as many other places in Australia - if you arrived 20 or 30 years ago when house prices were cheap and jobs were plentiful, Australia fulfilled all those Pommie dreams. However, with house prices soaring, new migrants now end up in sterile new suburbs, sometimes far from the beach and far from what they dreamed of, and that's where the disappointment comes in. 

Jobs weren't plentiful in 92. It was the worst of a world wide recession and interest rates were high. House prices in beachside suburbs in perth are still doable for most people who have sold a UK house.

There are sterile new suburbs, a long way from the beach as you say, some people might like them but I think if your dream is to be in a beachside one it beats me why some end up in those suburbs and then continually moan about them, as if it's Perths fault. I think a lot get sucked in by a new, big house with a pool on a big block for the same price they would have paid for a 3 bed semi in the UK. We have friends who moved from near us to Ellenbrook into a huge place  that backs on to a splendid golf course and resort. They have a ride on mower their garden is so big and you can't see the house from the road. They want to downsize now though as the kids have moved out. They are moving back close by.

[MARYROSE02]

3 hours ago, Paul1Perth said:

If people are like us they did their research and liked the look of it. We hadn't visited Aus before, didn't know anyone, all the rest of the family are still in the UK. House prices play a big part too, even these days.

I have heard a lot of people who live here refer to it as poms paradise. Living the dream is another comment we hear a lot.

I was just thinking that the only time I have ever "lived the dream" is the last four months living in Surfers Paradise. The rest of the time I was 
"living the nightmare!" That is not actually a criticism of Australia so much as that I came from a little village where I lived with my parents and brothers and had a job I liked. I swapped that for living in a huge city and stressful jobs and long commutes. London would have been much the same, albeit with the  convenience of being 85 miles from home.

This is all with hindsight mind as I never had the intention of going "home." My brothers were with me after the first six months too. But looking back now back now, perhaps the older me would have jacked it all in and gone back. Mind you that option would only have been available when my parents were alive.

Now, sitting at my table, I look up and see the waves breaking down on the beach. The weather is in the mid 20s - we don't seem to get the 40 degree days here, no commuting, no stressful job, everywhere within walking distance. I should have moved here 40 years ago!

PS, whilst i am talking to you, have you  been to a restaurant called The Shorehouse at Swanbourne? My friend in Perth mentioned it. I must ask her why she prefers Perth to Sydney? 

[MARYROSE02]

16 minutes ago, Toots said:

I thought this thread was about Brisbane or Perth for a young family.  Why turn it into some sort of political, argumentative thread?  

Start a thread about oppressed people of colour in Australia and all the other stuff if that's what interests you.

 

1 hour ago, Paul1Perth said:

Jobs weren't plentiful in 92. It was the worst of a world wide recession and interest rates were high. House prices in beachside suburbs in perth are still doable for most people who have sold a UK house.

There are sterile new suburbs, a long way from the beach as you say, some people might like them but I think if your dream is to be in a beachside one it beats me why some end up in those suburbs and then continually moan about them, as if it's Perths fault. I think a lot get sucked in by a new, big house with a pool on a big block for the same price they would have paid for a 3 bed semi in the UK. We have friends who moved from near us to Ellenbrook into a huge place  that backs on to a splendid goays lf course and resort. They have a ride on mower their garden is so big and you can't see the house from the road. They want to downsize now though as the kids have moved out. They are moving back close by.

Ellenbrook! That is the name I was trying to think of the other day. It must be a "new" burb because it's not in my 1990s vintage Australian Road Atlas (which I bought in Coffs Harbour in, I think,1993.  I went to Ellenbrook one arvo, got my hair cut there, had a beer in the pub. 30km to Perth CBD? I just Googled it. And they are extending the railway line to Ellenbrook?

I suppose some people choose a suburb far away just so they can have a big and modern house? I don't think my brother in Sydney ever had any desire to live close to the city. I must ask him. I know he did say he was bored in Spring Farm. He lived in Edensor Park, then Picnic Point - 32km from Sydney, and now he is double the distance in Spring Farm. His daughter had already bought there and he had an investment property in Mt Annan.

For me I always wanted the convenience of being able to walk and having good public transport and of course living on my own a one bedroom flat was not an imposition.

Actually, although i have waxed lyrical about the joys of South Perth and it has "grown" on me, I would probably have picked Northbridge for that Surry Hills "close enough to the city to walk there" ambience.

 

[ali]

6 hours ago, Marisawright said:

If they love the beach and outdoors, and they can afford to buy a nice place near the beach like you have, I can well believe it.

It's the same as many other places in Australia - if you arrived 20 or 30 years ago when house prices were cheap and jobs were plentiful, Australia fulfilled all those Pommie dreams. However, with house prices soaring, new migrants now end up in sterile new suburbs, sometimes far from the beach and far from what they dreamed of, and that's where the disappointment comes in. 

Have to disagree - we're not beach goers and wouldn't buy near the beach (if I had a few million it would be a place overlooking the river).  We also don't live in a sterile new suburb - i think you're making a lot of generalizations and assumptions.  I don't think you can speak for everyone about their migration journey, certainly what you've written isn't our experience.

[Drumbeat]

20 minutes ago, ali said:

Have to disagree - we're not beach goers and wouldn't buy near the beach (if I had a few million it would be a place overlooking the river).  We also don't live in a sterile new suburb - i think you're making a lot of generalizations and assumptions.  I don't think you can speak for everyone about their migration journey, certainly what you've written isn't our experience.

I agree with you Ali, I've lived in a few suburbs over the last 30 years, none of them sterile!

We moved to the Hills 10 years ago and love it, like you our preference would be river over beachside.

 

[Marisawright]

33 minutes ago, ali said:

Have to disagree - we're not beach goers and wouldn't buy near the beach (if I had a few million it would be a place overlooking the river).  We also don't live in a sterile new suburb - i think you're making a lot of generalizations and assumptions.  I don't think you can speak for everyone about their migration journey, certainly what you've written isn't our experience.

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear.  I didn't mean to say that all migrants have that experience.   I'm just trying to explain how Paul's experience of Perth as "the Pommie dream" can exist alongside posters who hate the place.   I'd say most big cities have some great suburbs, some mediocre and some awful, and I'd be surprised if Perth was an exception. Migrants who arrive on a tight budget (or who, as Paul suggests, are sucked in by the dream of a big house on a block) end up in the awful 'burbs and that's when the disappointment sets in. 

I'm always surprised how people who've ended up in the "awful" suburbs don't realise how nice other parts of their city are. Paul himself mentioned meeting someone who'd come down to his local beach from another suburb, where he'd lived for a considerable time, and said it was like "a different world".    I rememer meeting someone who'd migrated to Sydney and told me at length how much they hated it and couldn't wait to get home - it turned out they'd spent their whole year in Mount Druitt, and had never even visited the CBD.  

[Jon the Hat]

25 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear.  I didn't mean to say that all migrants have that experience.   I'm just trying to explain how Paul's experience of Perth as "the Pommie dream" can exist alongside posters who hate the place.   I'd say most big cities have some great suburbs, some mediocre and some awful, and I'd be surprised if Perth was an exception. Migrants who arrive on a tight budget (or who, as Paul suggests, are sucked in by the dream of a big house on a block) end up in the awful 'burbs and that's when the disappointment sets in. 

I'm always surprised how people who've ended up in the "awful" suburbs don't realise how nice other parts of their city are. Paul himself mentioned meeting someone who'd come down to his local beach from another suburb, where he'd lived for a considerable time, and said it was like "a different world".    I rememer meeting someone who'd migrated to Sydney and told me at length how much they hated it and couldn't wait to get home - it turned out they'd spent their whole year in Mount Druitt, and had never even visited the CBD.  

Some people are just daft

[MARYROSE02]

I think that five months ago, given the choice between Perth and Brisbane I would have said "Perth" but now I would say "Surfers Paradise." Does Surfers Paradise qualify as Brisbane I wonder? 76 km away so just about in the far suburbs. You might have to move to the "hinterland" inland from the coast for a family home.

I'm not sure if I would like to move to Brisbane though. It's a big city, "Sydney without a beach?" I would probably get to know it after a while if I moved up there. I was talking tonight to a young bloke from Toowoomba who has moved to the Gold Coast.  That might be an option?138 thousand people I think

"

[calNgary]

8 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

I think that five months ago, given the choice between Perth and Brisbane I would have said "Perth" but now I would say "Surfers Paradise." Does Surfers Paradise qualify as Brisbane I wonder? 76 km away so just about in the far suburbs. You might have to move to the "hinterland" inland from the coast for a family home.

I'm not sure if I would like to move to Brisbane though. It's a big city, "Sydney without a beach?" I would probably get to know it after a while if I moved up there. I was talking tonight to a young bloke from Toowoomba who has moved to the Gold Coast.  That might be an option?138 thousand people I think

"

Surfers is definately Gold Coast not Brisbane. There are tons and tons of nice suburbs in-between suitable for families, thats why is always best to drive, drive and drive some more to look at areas before you commit to one place.

   Cal x

[Paul1Perth]

14 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

I think that five months ago, given the choice between Perth and Brisbane I would have said "Perth" but now I would say "Surfers Paradise." Does Surfers Paradise qualify as Brisbane I wonder? 76 km away so just about in the far suburbs. You might have to move to the "hinterland" inland from the coast for a family home.

I'm not sure if I would like to move to Brisbane though. It's a big city, "Sydney without a beach?" I would probably get to know it after a while if I moved up there. I was talking tonight to a young bloke from Toowoomba who has moved to the Gold Coast.  That might be an option?138 thousand people I think

"

Don't think you'd like Toowoomba MR. I've stayed there a few times on work trips, when I had to stay over weekends I'd drive down to surfers and work would book me into a hotel there rather than stay in Central Apartments Toowoomba. Found it really boring.