Guest smileygrandma's son in Oz Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 Melbourne is lovely, it has it down trodden area's like most places on the globe, the peninsula is beautiful, I have lived in mount martha for over 3 years and love it. Don't be put off, you just need to know the places to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracy123 Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 Geoffrey - Just thought I'd mention that I am actually South African. Feel free to stereotype us as 'whinging' too, although collectively between UK and SA - you have just insulted in excess of 100 million people - very brave!! I am allowed to express my opinion even if it differs from yours. I know Australians are lovely people, but if I were to stereotype them based on your comment - it would be 'intolerant' of other peoples opinions. Its a good thing I am not as narrow minded to insult and stereotype people... As I have said before, there are many places in Oz that I love. Unfortunately Melbourne is the only place that I dislike. Bring em on I say!!! Very brave???? Sth African Vs English is there a difference???? I am glad you are enjoying Australia and wish you luck with your move down under, Melbourne is a place that grows on you not to many people fall in love with the place straight away as it doesn't have a WOW factor but it does have everything else! As for the rain Victoria needs it so I hope it rains until those dams fill up! All the best Geoffrey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE SELBIES Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 HI, GETTING A BIT WORRIED NOW, especially after reading the post from haysgood,we plan to move to Melbourne from Scotland,just waiting for our house to sell,just went on the market this week so could be a while, we went to Melbourne in january 2006 for 4 weeks holiday and really loved the place,but we were tourists then, this time we will be living ther for good, really looking fordward to going, will let you know once we get out there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest earlswood Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 Yes they have grown out of it ,they just love vandalizing peoples stuff and stabbing people instead! Wait till you get over here mate....it's just as bad if not worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest interested16 Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 Thank God 2 less whinging Poms not moving to Victoria Poms are only the English,is that right!? Im Scottish,live 2 hrs from melbourne in Latrobe Valley (Countryside) and i love it,just spent 3 days in Melbourne though in hotel paid for by my work and loved it,yes there is grafitti but so what! I been in Oz nearly 2 yrs now and i love the place,yes i understand,some people just LOVE a good moan...have fun in the UK if u can find a house as i thought most o them taken over by the polish and russians!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bella Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 Im sorry to say you can be anywhere in world and it would not please everyone. Im From London and i use to go to school in the west end And i lived in North London this use to be nice until we had a rush of the eastern block arrive and now its a crap hole.. So pleased i moved i feel sorry for my mum and dad who still there... I have moved to the west midlands and the part i live is nice and im happy. If people are not happy with what they see then move on. I have lived in Brisbane and it was nice and the weather for me was to hot, I dont really care what the weather does in Melbourne when i go.. Lets face facts we are all going for a better life then what we all have,we have all picked area's that suit all our needs that should be enough if then you feel it aint right then move on and dont moan about it life is to bloody short.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Just heard on the radio that the dump is the fastest growing city in Australia and more people are coming to live here than anywhere else in Aus. Also has the best economy at the present. Darn I thought they would stop coming to my shangrila.:sad: Said the property market will stay the same due to the new influx of people. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bordy Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Ive been in Melbourne for 9 years now & it just gets better & better. Ive visited Sydney, Cairns, Perth & Gold coast & although all great for a few days break its always great to get home to Melbourne. I'm also quite glad not everyone loves it like me & they can go & stay in Petrg or Brissie etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pj Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I've been in Melbourne for 2.5 years and have seen all other major cities apart from Adelaide. I had to laugh when I read Hayley's post about lack of restaurants in Melbourne, are you kidding? Where exactly did you go? The only problem with Melbourne food is the there is so much choice and such good quality, people tend to put weight on when they first get here. Add that to the world-class wines (a lot of which isn't exported) and you've got a foodies paradise. Other readers, please do not be put off by comments from someone who simply didn't take the time to find a website or book detailing all the best places to eat, and judged their experience on some tourist cafe assuming that was all that's on offer. Saying that Melbourne is a dump is also a major sweeping statement and if your suburb research was a bad as your restaurants research, it's hardly surprising. People arrive in Australia will all sorts of pre-conceptions about what's it's like, but a dump it certainly isn't. I live 4Kms from the city and have never felt so safe and at home as I do here. The suburbs are not for me, I'd rather city or rural, but you have to remember that there are no amazing churches or ancient pubs to build suburbs around so most are bland, repetitive and boring. However, there are many that aren't and it's horses for course. Just because I don't like the South East Suburbs, doesn't mean to say someone else won't love it. Pj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest itskaren Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 After reading a few threads when I was still in the UK about how awful Melbourne was, my first thought was that the people were just homesick. Now I realise they were not negative homesick posts, they were honest posts, Melbourne is really awful (and I am not homesick)!! I have been to Oz before, and have travelled from Cairns all the way to Sydney (via Brisbane) by car over a number of weeks. I absolutely loved almost all the areas we saw. Cairns with its palm trees, Brisbane with its incredible beaches, Sydney with its great shops and vibe. My OH and I decided to come to Melbourne as we have some family here - we decided to give it a try even though we had never been to Melbourne, with the thought that we could move to Brisbane if we didn't like it. So many people we have spoken to have who had been to Melbourne only had good things to say about it, so we were very positive! The drive back from the airport to our accommodation through Melbourne was awful. The streets are awful, I was shocked at the amount of grafitti that is everywhere. I had heard there was graffiti, and this didnt bother me as I know that most cities do. But, I have never seen a city with as much graffiti as here - and I have visited many countries. Not a good first impression. We have now been here for a few weeks and have spent hours each day driving around to find a decent area to live. There arent many. Brighton was about the best that I saw, admittedly it is lovely there, but crazily expensive. I had a long list of possible places to live from recommendations, including Mornington and Mount Martha, and even those areas are not nice (in my opinion). I had also heard that Melbourne had many great restaurants. Where are they? I have looked around the city, and all the restaurants I have seen look like school cafeterias, very small, run down, with only one or two customers, I wouldnt want to eat in any of them. Ok, to be fair there are a few positive points. The people are friendly. The trams are great and seem to run on time. There is also a lot more parking in Melbourne than London. But thats it. The weather has rained non stop since we arrived 3 weeks ago and has been freezing - the locals say Spring will only come in November. Thats a few more months of miserable weather. Dont come to Melbourne if you are moving to Oz for the weather, its no better than the UK...! Sorry if I sound negative, I am just incredibly shocked with Melbourne and very confused how many people love it here when I think its nothing short of awful! I am 24 and my OH is 29, so we are still 'with the times' - what are we missing with Melbourne that everyone else sees? We will wait for our shipping to arrive in 3 weeks, and then we are heading up to Brisbane where the weather is a lot better, the areas are a lot better, there is less graffiti and the people are just as friendly. I'm afraid for us, the grass is 100 times greener in Queensland! A word of advice - if you havent been to Melbourne, do not assume that you will like it. I only wish we had visited it first so we could have missed out on this horid place and went straight to Brissie! Hayley Hi Hayley We have been living in Melbourne now for 9 months and really couldn't agree with you more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TimmyOZ Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Each to there own, whilst I agree about the graffitti, Melbourne is a great place to live. I have been here 8 months now and have barely scratched the surface discovering all the places that there is to find in and around Melbourne. It all depends on what you are looking for, a dump is a bit harsh though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracy123 Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I've been in Melbourne for 2.5 years and have seen all other major cities apart from Adelaide. I had to laugh when I read Hayley's post about lack of restaurants in Melbourne, are you kidding? Where exactly did you go? The only problem with Melbourne food is the there is so much choice and such good quality, people tend to put weight on when they first get here. Add that to the world-class wines (a lot of which isn't exported) and you've got a foodies paradise. Other readers, please do not be put off by comments from someone who simply didn't take the time to find a website or book detailing all the best places to eat, and judged their experience on some tourist cafe assuming that was all that's on offer. Saying that Melbourne is a dump is also a major sweeping statement and if your suburb research was a bad as your restaurants research, it's hardly surprising. People arrive in Australia will all sorts of pre-conceptions about what's it's like, but a dump it certainly isn't. I live 4Kms from the city and have never felt so safe and at home as I do here. The suburbs are not for me, I'd rather city or rural, but you have to remember that there are no amazing churches or ancient pubs to build suburbs around so most are bland, repetitive and boring. However, there are many that aren't and it's horses for course. Just because I don't like the South East Suburbs, doesn't mean to say someone else won't love it. Pj I cant believe I am doing this but here goes! The OP is right to a point I don't think the restaurants in the CBD are the best and most are cafe style as its mostly sandwiches business people want for there lunch! that said China town has some fantastic restaurants but it also has some that are just OK. As a local I know where to go. Personally I don't think the food on Lygon street is fantastic the atmosphere on a warm night makes up for it though! I would take a vistor there for a meal but i'd rather eat at an italian restaurant in Rathdown Street that is tucked away and most people dont know about it BUT you need to book to get a table!!! I think most of the better restaurants are out of town! but as a vistor to Melbourne would I know about these???? I think also some/most people are to frightened of getting lost or mugged so they don't venture to far from there hotel, so it can be hit or miss. South Bank has some wonderful restaurants Over priced???!!! The Crown casino I think that is the best restuarant in the CBD(the one up the stairs where you sit by the window and look out over the yarra) I think sometimes people are put off by what they see and if your 1st impression is of graffiti (so it looks run down) your 1st few meals are not the best its raining its hard to change your mind. Melbourne is much more than that after a while you don't see the grafitti, you see the wide open tree lined streets the clissic old buildings the wide open feel of the place. Melbourne has a wonderful feel to it, when the holiday feeling goes away when the WOW factor has gone of the other states and your real life starts, this is when Melbourne comes into a class all of its own. Personally the longer you stay the more the place feels like home and thats when the WOW factor starts. Good luck to all that love the place and to the rest when the WOW factor leaves you and you question if Australia is for you. Just remember Victoria is not to far away and will welcome you with open arms. Geoffrey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mutikonka Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I like Melbourne. Friendly people and a bit of kulcha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zagg Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I can't wait to go to Melbourne in a couple of months. From everything I've heard and read it sounds like a wonderfully diverse and cultural city. Of course it's going to be very different from other cities, but everyone likes different things which is good for us all! I don't think I'd want to live in Brisbane where in the summer I'd be hopping from building to building trying to find some shade. I like the ideas of four seasons in a year, and Melbourne is about 5 degrees warmer than the south of England, so it's not like it's cold! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Angie*mark Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I've really enjoyed reading this thread. Im hopeing to move to Melbourne and after reading everyones comments i cant wait to go. Im from Bristol so grafittii is a norm to me as mattcath said we got the famous Banksy on our walls in bristol. Keep the comments coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest vixpinkbabe Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Oh my goodness, I thought Melbourne was ok but maybe I'm wrong. Is Adelaide any good? The only city I have not visited, but need state sponsorship so have to go there xxxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claretjon Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I think it really is each to their own. I've been to Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra & Brisbane & for me, Melbourne is the best. In my opinion, Brissy & Canberra seemed a bit sterile whereas Sydney & Melbourne have got "soul". yes, there is grafiti but isn't there everywhere? Melbourne is just so culturally diverse - great food & great ambience. We stayed in Springfield lakes, near Brisbane, and found there to be a lot more grafiti up there than in Melbourne. But as I said, each to their own. Friends of ours moved to Brisbane & love the place. I suppose it depends what you're after. As regards the weather, I'm not moving to Oz just for a better climate & if you are, I wouldn't move to Melbourne but if you want 4 distinct seasons, you can't go far wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest earlswood Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Oh my goodness, I thought Melbourne was ok but maybe I'm wrong. Is Adelaide any good? The only city I have not visited, but need state sponsorship so have to go there xxxxx Perth is bloody boring, cant speak for Adelaide but it has not got a great reputation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest vixpinkbabe Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Ah. See, I loved Perth. I just love Australia basically. I only have to stay in Adelaide for 2 years anyways then I can go wherever hopefully. Adelaide may not be fab, but it definitely beats staying in the uk for an extra 2 years until I can pass ACS (going state sponsored route instead). x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sykestykes Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 This thread just goes to show, different strokes for different folks...as my nan would say "It wouldn't do for us all to be the same!" Sue x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnxiousMum Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 As usual a "seemingly harmless" thread has created war. I for one have learnt on this site to take everything you read with a pinch of salt. Each to their own as someone said. What does annoy me is people write a thread then seem shocked and get defensive when others give their comments too. You should be prepared for the onslaught with this kind of topic. I have never been to OZ let alone Melbourne so cant make any comments on anything being mentioned on this thread, BUT I would suggest for the people who are reading these threads and getting put off by the comments that they should just take what they want from the thread and do your own research. Everyone is different. Cant resist one little dig though. The OP came from Essex, that is where we are based and I can say with absolute certainty that crime/grafitti are rife anywhere in essex, so unless she lived in a little country village I havent heard of I really dont think she has seen all there is to Melbourne.:wacko: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete da Wombat Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 I find it almost impossible to believe you havent been able to find any good restaurants, have you asked anybody or got a copy of the good food guide? The CBD is not where the good ones are (there are a couple scattered around but not easy to spot) try Docklands or Southbank all the way down to the casino, Brunswick St or Lygon St and down the beach end of Fitzroy st or Port Melbourne there are hundreds. Melbourne restaurants dont have huge signs you need to do some research not just drive along hoping to spot them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest moonraker1961 Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 I lived in S.A for a long time.I guess compared to other aussie cities its classed as a big country town.Not alot happens there to be honest,but that depends what you are interested in.As far as say international bands go,they usually miss Adelaide!We do have Womadelaide,a world music/dance festival!Adelaide is easy to get around and its certainly not overwhelming if you are new.The people are generally friendly,and the city is pretty nice with the river and parklands going through it.There are great beaches if you're into beaches?And of course there is the Barossa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pinhead Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 If you think Melbourne's CBD is a dump, don't go to Brisbane! Out of Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane & Sydney, Melbourne is by far the most liveable city with the most to offer. If you struggle to live in Melbourne then perhaps cities aren't for you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracy123 Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 If you think Melbourne's CBD is a dump, don't go to Brisbane!Out of Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane & Sydney, Melbourne is by far the most liveable city with the most to offer. If you struggle to live in Melbourne then perhaps cities aren't for you? welcome back Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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