buckbuchanan Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I'm afraid this is the beginning of the end of our time in Melbourne folks. Without meaning to upset anyone from Melbourne, we basically haven't liked it since day 1 (it's all well documented on this site!). Without going into too much detail, we basically found it a bit of a slummy dirty place with unpredictably poor weather and not much in the way of nice suburbs to live in. This is something which many disagree with - as always this post is about my opinion (and to be fair, i'm beginning to question my sanity on a lot of things so I advise you to do your own research!). It's now been 11 months since we landed in Melbourne. After the initial disappointment we peaked a bit once we found some of the nice things to do in the area. The weather was poor, but we waited with much anticipation for the long warm summer everyone had talked of and made big plans for it. We even decided to buy a plot of land and build a house thinking that once we had our own place things would look up. Unfortunately, the summer hasn't really come to much leaving us asking why we are here. Anyway... we had some friends from the UK with us over new year. They stayed with us a few days, then we all went down the great ocean road for a (cold, wet, miserable) week. Then they went to Sydney for a few days, before returning to spend the last couple of days with us again. They were planning on moving to Melbourne next year and we were looking forward to this. Then, one drunken night we told them that really we weren't convinced about Melbourne, and that was when they told us that they much preferred Sydney and were considering going there instead. On top of this, my work had been asking for people to move up there as they are having trouble filling some jobs. So... we decided to go and look for ourselves last weekend as it was a bank holiday. We drove up the Hume Highway (11 hours from door to door - long but really nice drive) and arrived late on Friday night. We then spent Saturday looking at suburbs and Sunday in the city. I think it is fair to say that we totally fell in love with the place, and so are now making plans to relocate there! The first thing that struck us as soon as we entered NSW was that everything generally looked neat and tidy compared to Victoria. Most of the suburbs we saw were 200% better than most of the Melbourne suburbs. Everything is just much neater and there is virtually no graffiti (graffiti is celebrated in Melbourne). Everything that I hate about Victoria isn't there in NSW. There are fantastic beaches all the way down the coast with amazing scenery and easy parking. The layout is less grid like and seems to have more character. There is less in the way of vacant waste land full of litter and dumped rubbish. Even the weather was nice! We were also really impressed with the city itself - it is absolutely gorgeous. We took a train (which was spotless) to Circular Quay, then took the ferry to Darling Harbour, past the opera house and under the bridge. There are hundreds of restaurants and pubs and shops all within the same area. We then got on the mono rail and looped around the city which was great. I could go on.... lets just say we both thought it was an amazing place. I just think it is clear that Sydney has had lots of money spent on it which makes it look fantastic compared to Melbourne's tired run down look. Sydney seems to have everything you need in the centre, unlike Melbourne where you need to spend time finding the nice places among the many not so nice places, which seem to be spread out all over the city. So... some people have posted on here that if you are unhappy you should try moving to a different state before going back to the UK. I think this is good advice now - possibly there are people who are unhappy in Sydney and would love Melbourne! Off course I could also get there and hate it as well, but our first impression of Melbourne left us feeling depressed, whereas our first impression of Sydney left us feeling excited. We literally can't wait to move up there now. The only problem I may have is that I am on a state sponsored visa - someone has posted on here in the past saying that you can get out of this, but even if I can't we will just wait until our 2 years is up and then move up there. We have also paid a deposit to a house builder in Victoria and bought a plot of land - luckily the value of the land has gone up $20k since we bought it so this will easily cover any costs that we incur by cancelling the build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JoanneHattersley Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Without meaning to upset anyone from Melbourne, we basically haven't liked it since day 1 (it's all well documented on this site!). You wont upset anyone! It would be a sad world if we were all the same! Then, one drunken night we told them that really we weren't convinced about Melbourne, and that was when they told us that they much preferred Sydney and were considering going there instead. Dont they say truth will out when you`re drunk!!!! LOL! So... we decided to go and look for ourselves last weekend as it was a bank holiday. We drove up the Hume Highway (11 hours from door to door - long but really nice drive) and arrived late on Friday night. We then spent Saturday looking at suburbs and Sunday in the city. I think it is fair to say that we totally fell in love with the place, and so are now making plans to relocate there! Good on ya guys So... some people have posted on here that if you are unhappy you should try moving to a different state before going back to the UK. Brill advice! You have shown how worthwhile that can be Good on ya for having the courage to stand up and say "nope, not for me!". We`re proud of you on PIO! I visited Mebourne and from the second I landed I never liked it either. I got slated for that by certain members as I recall! I only really saw the city but it werent for me. I couldnt wait to get to Brissie again! Our fellow migrants here , Susie and Chris love Melbourne! We cant all be the same. Sydney is beautiful and having been there too I can say it does not disappoint! I was in awe of the bridge etc when we got there. Couldnt believe that I had made it to the iconic city! Good Luck Bucks, keep in touch on here and if you decide to keep driving..........see you in Brissie xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gunner Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Interested to know where you are living in Melbourne and where you think you may live in Sydney. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Hi Buck Do you know what? When I started reading your post I thought, "Uh Oh. The long goodbye to Australia....." I was all set to post a reply urging you to try somewhere else in Oz because the place is so vast that it seems like several different countries tacked together (which I guess it could have been if the politics had worked out differently.) The only requirement with the State Sponsored visa (are you on a 137?) is that your intention to settle in the Sponsoring State must be a genuine intention at the outset - which yours clearly was. If things do not work out in that State - which they clearly haven't for you and that is not for want of trying - you are free to move to any other part of Oz without waiting for two years. You have nothing to worry about on that score because your posts on here alone prove that you have made a herculean effort with Melbourne and with Victoria generally. The brilliant part of it is that Sydney has grabbed you and so you will probably settle happily and successfully once you move there. Good luck with the move. Best wishes Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Hi Buck Yes I know I live in Melbourne but I enjoyed reading your post. As you say Melbourne has never been the right place for you and you have been so unhappy here, there will be some who hate Sydney and love Melbourne and vice versa and that is good that we are all different!!!! I am really happy that you enjoyed your stay in Sydney and you are approaching it in a different light so i am sure things will work out for you. Good luck and please, when you are settled in Sydney let us know how you are going on. At least with Melbournes weather at the moment you should be able to catch some sun before you leave. The newspapers are saying this week is going to be the worse heatwave most people will have lived through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PommieLady Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 So... some people have posted on here that if you are unhappy you should try moving to a different state before going back to the UK. I think this is good advice now - possibly there are people who are unhappy in Sydney and would love Melbourne! Excellent advice, we moved intra and inter state and I would definitely advise this before returning to the UK. Remember what you where hoping for when you left and find a place that provides that lifestyle. Moving to Tassie from WA was like emigrating again, its hard to believe they're part of the same country and I don't mean just the physcial environment. I hope you've found the right part of Australia for you. All the best :wubclub: Stef x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pingpongpom2 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 a really good post..it's good to hear updates..i remember reading your post when you arrived in Melbourne and my heart went out to you..scary:shocked: can't believe that was 11 months ago..we've moved back to Perth from the UK since then..it is good to read that you have decided to give another part of Aus a go and i wish you all the best in your plans.. Tess:cute: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackboots Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 what a really good post , just proves a hat does not fit all, so good luck in the move to nsw and hope you get there as soon as ! its so true though , you have to go and give it a go in the first place, all the best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WARDStoOZ Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Well done for not running back to the U.K. and trying another area of Oz! All the best with the move interstate!!!! Dan xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckbuchanan Posted January 27, 2009 Author Share Posted January 27, 2009 Thanks folks for all your replies. I will certainly keep you posted on our move. We haven't really decided on a suburb in Sydney yet. We really liked it around Manly (and some of the smaller burbs north of Manly) but I think this might be out of our price range. We also liked the Cronulla area, but would also consider around Mt Annan, Camden, etc. The trouble here is that we now have too many nice places to choose from!! Gill - thanks for the info as always! It's a relief to hear that i'm not going to be stuck here!! The Vic visa people sent me an email saying that I was 'expected' to stay in Victoria for 2 years. I have replied twice to this asking them to confirm if I am 'expected' to stay or 'must' stay. They normally reply the next day but as of yet they still haven't replied to either of the emails I have sent. I think I will give them until next week and then try phoning them. Will keep you posted on my progress!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belinda Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Hi there, I hear what you are saying about Melbourne. Thing is I came the other way, moved down from NSW. There are positives and negatives in both states............... I lived in Parramatta in NSW to start with, becuase NSW is so expensive, I could NOT afford to live any closer to Sydney. Let me tell you, you western suburbs of Sydney (where most people can afford to live) are not neat and tidy at all, go to the delightful Rooty Hill or somewhere like that and see how much pride they have in their own houses. I actually found houses here in Victoria are looked after much more and are actual houses, as in brick and morter. I also didn't like the fact that nearly all the houses in NSW are wooden and on piers and the humidity is the big killer, the seasons were hot and bloody hot ! :twitcy: I then moved to Newcastle because I disliked Parramatta and as I said couldn't afford the Sydney area and we loved it. The lake, the sea, the Hunter Valley, it is all great, just like being on holiday all the time. It is beautiful, but, after a few years, we just couldn't afford to buy a house there and the jobs market is very limited, so had to move to Victoria to afford to buy a house. This I feel is the issue with oz, the jobs market is great around the major cities and not so much anywhere else...... and that's Australia, it isn't Britain and we all have to go where we feel the most comfortable. The cities and inner suburbs are great, but not everyone wants to live a city life and in oz, unless you have a lot of money, you have to live near a city to work, there isn't a choice, you can't live in the burbs and be too happy, because there's nothing there. Australia isn't as established as the UK and we have to accept that. Having been seriously ill, I am considering going back to the UK, but like you feel as if I am going out of my mind ! I miss things in th Uk a lot, yet would it be a mistake............. who knows ! I like the area I live in Melbourne, but do miss the home land, I think that is natural, but sometimes hard to deal with. Good on you for at least trying to look outside the box and seeing what fits for you, personally, I couldn't afford Sydney. :spinny: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckbuchanan Posted January 27, 2009 Author Share Posted January 27, 2009 That's probably a good point you are making. I had heard that the western burbs weren't great so didn't actually go for a look (we had limited time). The areas we looked at were all brick built houses and very well looked after (in my opinion much more so than Victoria). I got the feeling that for the money you pay in Sydneys outer burbs you get nicer areas than in Melbourne for the same price. Having said all that though.... some of Melbournes outer burbs are very affordable and not that bad (certainly not many wooden houses). We bought our plot of land in Melton which is a nice little town west of Melbourne and only 40 mins to the CBD. It's not the best area in the world but for the money you pay it is pretty good. I'm glad you posted to this thread.... it gives a good balanced view to the thread. Just shows you how we're all different and how a move to a different state can change things completely! Good luck in Victoria!! (make sure you wrap up warm this summer :-) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gunner Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 That's probably a good point you are making. I had heard that the western burbs weren't great so didn't actually go for a look (we had limited time). The areas we looked at were all brick built houses and very well looked after (in my opinion much more so than Victoria). I got the feeling that for the money you pay in Sydneys outer burbs you get nicer areas than in Melbourne for the same price. Having said all that though.... some of Melbournes outer burbs are very affordable and not that bad (certainly not many wooden houses). We bought our plot of land in Melton which is a nice little town west of Melbourne and only 40 mins to the CBD. It's not the best area in the world but for the money you pay it is pretty good. I'm glad you posted to this thread.... it gives a good balanced view to the thread. Just shows you how we're all different and how a move to a different state can change things completely! Good luck in Victoria!! (make sure you wrap up warm this summer :-) ) After reading your post are you actually comparing Melton with Manly and cronulla. Thats like comparing Brighton and Elwood with Blacktown and Rooty Hill. I hope you are prepared for higher house rent/prices in The Shire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Its pretty bleak in the west of Sydney and agree about the houses. I lived in Sydney for three years but fortunately lived in Neutral Bay and McMahons Point very nice areas to live. Sydney life is completely different to Melbourne life in my view. When I moved to Melbourne a friend of mine born and bred in Sydney came too and she has never returned apart from holidays. We found that the accommodation here in Melbourne was much better and cheaper and more of it. Sydney has always been a very difficult place to find rentals. If I had oodles of money then Sydney would suit me fine but as I have not Melbourne is better. West is not best in either for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 LOL you do know that NSW is just about bankrupt dont you and there are forever complaints about the transport, education, health care etc. Just so you are forewarned! I guess if push came to shove I would be going to Melbourne but as you say it is good that we all have different ways of thinking. I do find suburban Sydney to be dark, dirty and racially divided. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chuchu Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Everyone is different and we all look for different things in a place to live, but when you hear comments like, 'we went to Melbourne on holiday twice and didn't like it, but we went to Sydney on holiday and it was great...the harbour bridge...etc' Er hello! I don't wish to sound patronising, but where do you reckon you're going to live?! An apartment opposite the Opera House?! Sydney is a great city to visit and has some lovely, very affulent, suburbs..but...Get real....joe normal doesn't live in those suburbs!!!! They live in the 'normal' suburbs, which i can guarantee are a damn sight scruffier, run down and rougher that Melbourne's 'normal' suburbs. Please don't always believe that the grass is always greener. It normally ain't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest smc01 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Everyone is different and we all look for different things in a place to live, but when you hear comments like, 'we went to Melbourne on holiday twice and didn't like it, but we went to Sydney on holiday and it was great...the harbour bridge...etc' Er hello! I don't wish to sound patronising, but where do you reckon you're going to live?! An apartment opposite the Opera House?! Sydney is a great city to visit and has some lovely, very affulent, suburbs..but...Get real....joe normal doesn't live in those suburbs!!!! They live in the 'normal' suburbs, which i can guarantee are a damn sight scruffier, run down and rougher that Melbourne's 'normal' suburbs. Please don't always believe that the grass is always greener. It normally ain't. Hear hear!!! never have truer words been spoken!! :notworthy: Also Buckbuchanan - you mentioned Cronulla as a great suburb to look at - google 'Cronulla Riots' or 'Bra Boys' and you might change your mind!! :nah: If you're really that unhappy with Melbourne (and it's weather - you may change your mind on that one after this week!) I'd be considering Brisbane, Perth or Adelaide rahter than Sydney - way too touristy and more problems than all other states put together!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckbuchanan Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 are you actually comparing Melton with Manly and cronulla. I'm not comparing Manly with Melton. I'm making a fairly generalised comparison In the year we have been here we haven't been too impressed with any burb we have seen, yet in 1 weekend in Sydney we only saw nice burbs. I would say that Manly is probably one of the best in Sydney and out of our price range, but some of the ones we looked at are in our price range. I know about Cronella's troubles - again it's probably ruled out, but looks like a nice place other than that. Either way, I feel happier with the areas we can afford in Sydney compared to the areas we can afford in Melbourne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete da Wombat Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Glad to see you have found somewhere you like Buck and im sure you will be much happier in Sydney. I have friends who live in Coogee and its an amazing area (dont mention the ice cream:biglaugh:), but very pricey and the warmer nights in spring/autumn will suit you much better. Word of warning the western suburbs can get extreme temps and has some socio-economic problems especially with youths so avoid if possible. Cheers Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckbuchanan Posted January 29, 2009 Author Share Posted January 29, 2009 Thanks Pete! Thanks for the tips on the wild west. I've been told it's a place to avoid.... then again i've got a list from people here of places to avoid in Melbourne as well!! Hey, if it doesn't work out I can always come back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest treesea Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Well, I lived longer in Melbourne than in Sydney, but prefer Sydney. I can understand your decision. Good places to live in Sydney (imho) : Anywhere in the Eastern suburbs, but preferably around the coast. Woollahra and Paddington are nice places to live, especially Woollahra. In the inner western suburbs (I liked Glebe and Balmain and have lived in both. If in Balmain better to stay down the end, near the main ferry stop.) Further out in the west, I really liked Strathfield. No sea, but atmospheric in the fog! On the north side, Manly is lovely but a bit far and expensive. Neutral Bay, down by the ferry, was a nice place to live but a bit of a hassle when the fog came in and the ferries were off. So make sure on the north side that you are near two types of public transport if you intend to take the ferry. Mosman and Cremorne Point are lovely. I liked Kirribilli, but not so keen on McMahon's Point (too many cockroaches at night). Not too keen on any of the outer western suburbs. Even close in like Lakemba and Duulwich Hill. Too hot in summer out in the likes of Penrith and Campbelltown/Liverpool. Too much risk from bushfires up in the hills. Turramurra is nice, but around there and St Ives is funnel web spider country. Going south, the suburbs after the airport on the bay are nice - Cronulla and Brighton are nice places to live. I haven't been to Perth, but Brisbane would be too humid for me, and I'm not really into sharing my kitchen with lizards or my garden with frogs. Though these days Bardon (inner city area full of big queenslanders (type of house)) is very nice, so I hear. As for Adelaide, I'd never live there. Way too hot for me, one of the hottest cities in Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Perth Princess Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 It's interesting how we are all so different. I love Sydney as a place to visit but never got the feeling I wlould like to live there. I have just visited Melbourne for the first time and fell in love with it. I actually quite liked the grubbiness in a weird sort of way, made it seem earthy and real. I loved the cosmopolitan feel of it, much more hip and cool (not temp!) than perth where we live now. I love Perth but we are considering a possible move to Melbourne as it is more vibrant and has a better job market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Trina Findlay Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 There's a theme here isn't there Guys? Everyone's different!!:smile: I love Melbourne and Sydney for different reasons, simply because they're so different from each other. My sister lives in Harbord, near Manly, and it's lovely there - beautiful beaches and parks for the kids, but close enough to shops and buses so you're not isolated, but not in the hussle and bussle of the city. Having said that, it's soooo busy, driving anywhere takes forever because of the volume of traffic... But then again, Geelong has the most ridiculous number of traffic lights of anywhere I've ever been, and no wonder the power grid is always under such pressure when the temperatures soar and you add in the sudden increase in air con... and I hate driving in Melbourne CBD too - who invented the idea of turning right from the left hand lane, and do they have a death wish???? So what's my argument? To quote a couple of cliches, It's all swings and roundabouts, or Different Strokes for Different Folks, or Variety is the spice of life... I can't think of any more at the moment, but I'm sure there are loads, and I always say, they're only cliches because they're used so often, and they're only used so often because they're true!! Thank goodness for diversity - what a dull and unenlightened world we would live in if everyone was the same, and no one ever left the place they were born for fear of Change... Good luck in Sydney Buck!! :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest treesea Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Oooh, the dreaded hook turn - I had forgotten about that. What a shock that was when I first came across it. Talk about counter intuitive. That's something to do with the trams, i.e. you can't impede the tram (king of the road in Melbourne) by moving over to the natural, right, side of the road, so sitting on its tracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Trina Findlay Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Oooh, the dreaded hook turn - I had forgotten about that. What a shock that was when I first came across it. Talk about counter intuitive. That's something to do with the trams, i.e. you can't impede the tram (king of the road in Melbourne) by moving over to the natural, right, side of the road, so sitting on its tracks. Ah! Is that the reason for it? I did wonder.. I thought it was just to confuddle the tourists!! Thanks Treesea!! :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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