p182 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Following on from RobzNdebz's "Recently arrived in Canberra some info/tips 4u!" I thought I'd post some musings on my experience in Canberra after two years of living here. Myself and my partner arrived in Canberra just over two years ago on 457 visas. We're both late twenties and male, and have no other family with us. We could both see where the impending cuts and the economy were going in the UK and so decided to jump ship while we can. We were both pretty disillusioned by life at the time and fancied a change. A job opportunity came up for one of us and after about 15 minutes of discussion we decided to just do it. The 457 visa process took less than 3 weeks to sort out. We had been to Canberra once before (but only for a weekend) as part of a holiday to Australia a few years earlier. So I guess we hid the tiniest little idea what it might be like. On arrival in Canberra I did think, WTF have I done? That lasted about 3 hours and I haven't looked back since. Canberra is a very liveable and very easy city to live. Commutes are small compared to other Australian cities, and tiny compared to the UK. Canberra is probably the most cycle friendly city in the world. There are cycle paths just about everywhere in Canberra. And it does make for a healthy and easy way to get around. Driving is also very easy. In general both houses and gardens are of a good size. The general living side of life I find so easy and totally stress free. The city is dominated by one employer, the Australian government. If you are moving to Canberra and have a job offer it is worth thinking about what your partner can do. Since if they are not an Australian citizen it is very unlikely that they could get a job working in the public service. This does limit your job opportunities somewhat in Canberra! That's not to say there aren't other good jobs, but it does mean you have to try hard to find them and it might take a little longer to find the right job. For me the best part of living in Canberra is not the city itself but the surrounding areas. There are some stunning national parks in the region. So if you like walking and wildlife this is the place for you. You can go walking for a day and be guaranteed that you won't see anybody else and you will see a load of kangaroos, wallabies, parrots of various kinds, even echidnas. It's such a good way to escape for a while. I must say the wildlife in the city is also amazing. I don't think seeing the amazingly coloured cockatoos and parrots in the garden will ever get less exciting. The city itself is rather quirky, and far better than most non-Canberra based Australians give it credit. I've heard somebody say that it has more restaurants per person than anywhere else in Australia and I can definitely believe that. There are places like civic (the city centre), Kingston, Manuka, Dickson that are lively. Don't expect the west end of London, or Deansgate in Manchester, but there is enough places to go to enjoy yourself. It will take you a while to figure out where they are though. What Canberra does lack is good pubs. There's lots of those plasma screen sports type bars, but good pubs are few and far between. And unless you choose where to live very carefully you're very unlikely to live within walking distance of a pub in the way that you might be used to in the UK. Canberra is pretty much devoid of good architecture, and I do find that gets me down at times. There's a lot of concrete and glass and not much creativity there. Being a young city there's very few buildings that you could call historic. That said, it does have all the national institutions here. So there's galleries and museums galore if that's your kind of thing. I'd say the city's demographs are rather skewed towards the having 2.4 children lifestyle, and there does seem to be a lack of young people. We've found it quite hard to meet people our age and of similar interests for these reasons. Things here do seem very set up towards family stuff, and there is a habit of once the kids hit 18 they go and move to Sydney or Melbourne. Most of the people we know have young children and so it can be hard to find socialising opportunities. That said, part of the reason we haven't met lots of people is by virtue of the types of jobs we do, and also because we haven't tried as hard as we should! If you are a bit younger, and don't have kids, don't be put off by what I've said. Just be a little prepared for it and be ready to seek out social opportunities. I would say that Canberra does seem very monocultural compared to the UK -- there a few ethnic minority groups compared to other cities. However it is a very liberal city, probably the most liberal city in Australia (an I mean liberal with a small L). Housing is very expensive here, both buying and renting. The renting market always appears to be in crisis, with far more tenants than available properties. I wouldn't even bother to start looking until you get here. I think legally you actually have to physically view a property before you can put in a tenancy application, so letting agents aren't interested in you until you get here. Both whilst expensive I still think you get more for your money here compared to the UK. You get bigger rooms and bigger gardens. And when you compare things you've got to stop converting it into pounds. What you need to do is work out your post-tax salary and look at what percentage of that will be tied up in housing costs, or any other costs for that matter. And then compare this to your situation now. Healthcare can be a pain in Canberra. There are not enough GPs in Canberra and so it can be hard to get on the books at a practice. It took us a year to find a GP admitting new patients. However we did have to use the public hospital (Canberra Hospital) once in an emergency and received excellent care. Since moving here I've been back to the UK three times. Once for a wedding, and twice for christmas, but we'll be having our first christmas here this year. Every time I've gone back to the UK, Canberra has felt more like home. And every minute I'm back in the UK I can't wait to get back to Canberra. Not sure what else to say, except it's been two really fun years, I don't regret it all, and if you're in a similar situation to us and get the opportunity I'd give it a go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest siamsusie Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 A great post, I thoroughly enjoyed reading that! Its a place I havent been to yet... on my wish list lol. xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Well said - Canberra doesnt get enough bouquets for my liking - it is often dissed by the Sydneymelbournites who have probably only ever been here once on a school camp! I reckon that if you have to live in Australia it is one of the better places to live Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Trouble is it is just too cold. I don't think I could live there just because of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Trouble is it is just too cold.I don't think I could live there just because of that. It is bloody cold at the moment, I agree, but at least you can wrap up warm against the wind from the South Pole (just wish I had brought back the down jacket I took to UK last year in winter for 2 trips and never wore at all!). It is very much like standing on Flinders St station and feeling the wind come up from the South! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I moan a bit this week when it was only 11 degrees and 6 degrees overnight. Then I see Canberra -1 degree overnight. Going outside is actually not so bad because you can rug up, but keeping the house warm must cost a fortune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I moan a bit this week when it was only 11 degrees and 6 degrees overnight.Then I see Canberra -1 degree overnight. Going outside is actually not so bad because you can rug up, but keeping the house warm must cost a fortune. Hmm, not too bad for us as we have a wood fire and DH is an avid urban scavenger so we have a couple of winters' wood stacked up behind the garage. But, yes, in general, with the poorly insulated and thin walled homes that abound here, it is a very expensive proposition. Have hot water bottle, will travel LOL!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olly Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Trouble is it is just too cold.I don't think I could live there just because of that. Much better to live in boiling hot Melbourne Parley:laugh:I think Quoll is right, I have been to Canberra twice in my life, and I have known people from Melbourne (public servants) who have been transferred there. I don't think it can compare to other cities, it is so different, and of course serves the function of a political capital mainly, but I have always thought it was a pleasant family oriented place to live and so have my friends who have made the move there. As has been already suggested, there may be some limited job opportunities there, as opposed to Melb or Sydney, but if you have a job sorted, then there are worse places to live in my opinion. Can I have my medal now Quoll for saying nice things about Canberra !:biglaugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurls Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Thing is....everyone says how it's cold...which it is......but I find it bloody hot in summer!! Anything over 25 degrees fries me. I got to say, Autumn and Spring are nice though. :biglaugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I enjoyed it when I visited. Probably 10 years ago now, but the museum was excellent on the history of Australia. Also going to parliament was interesting too. It might get a bit boring living there permanently ? Just guessing as I've only spent a few days there. The cold puts me off. Mind you I was considering looking for an IT job there, and commuting back to Melbourne every 2nd weekend. That is my last resort though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richste Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Just wanted to say what a great honest post about Canberra, glad you are enjoying it, we are moving over in July this year and really are looking forward to it, if somewhat rather daunted as no jobs to go to as yet...but as you say we have been given the opportunity so got to give it a go Rich & Steven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
restfamily Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I have to say I totally agree with this post. I lived in Canberra for four happy years. In the end I left for the bright lights of Sydney, but Canberra will always be my Australian home and it doesnt deserve its reputation. Why did I leave? I am single and 30 something... and I needed to meet new people and to have variety and challenge in my career. I have some of the best friends I have ever had in Canberra and leaving them was hard, but its easy to get stuck in a routine in Canberra. I joined the only clubs going for my interests, I went to the one venue that did X on a Thursday and so I never really met anyone or did anything new after a while (which is nice too). I mean to the point I didnt need to ask if my friends where going to venue X, I just rocked up and I always knew people - its a small town! The second major reason was I was over the federal public service. At the management levels the pay is shocking for the level or reponsibility and risk/stress. The culture is very risk adverse and is not exactly bleeding edge in its HR or technology policies! There is still a one job for life / stable pension mentality, that has long gone in the private sector. Dont get be wrong I am not against the public sector at all, I have just spent the best 3 months of my career in NSW state government, just that I need variety in my work and variety in the type of people I deal with. As OP pointed out I found the healthcare harder to come by than the NHS, but once in the system the treatment and care better. The queues at Canberra Hospital A&E are twice as long as anything I have seen in the UK. I waited ages for private and public appointments. Remember if it does all go wrong Canberra has a very very large hospital for a country town, but it therefore doesnt have all the facilites of a city hospital. I took it for granted, thinking it was the capital but when my son needed treatment in ICU, it came as a really big shock to have to be treated in Sydney. I know this doesnt happen to everyone, but it did to us. Sydney is a long way when you have to go regularly for a 30 minute doctor's appointment. I have found the health service in Sydney a lot better. I get a GP appointment when I want it and the same day. I went to the GP on a Tuesday, saw a consultant on the Friday and was in surgery within a week, admittely private, but I doubt I would have seen a consultant in that time in Canberra or NHS. It costs a load whereever you live in Oz! Whilst I have not used a school in NSW my dealings so far are not as positive as Canberra. Canberra has great choice and consistent processes for its schools. NSW seems totally random and at the principal's discretion! If anyone manages to find their catchment areas let me know, because I am not sure the education department has made it into the 20th century yet in NSW! I like the fact all kids get pre-school in Canberra, unlike the other states. I hope that adds some extra value to the OP's post. In summary, I loved living there, its a great place, its suits a certain kind of person, right now that isnt me but for many young families it meets a lot of the criteria. (please excuse the fact its not as well polished as the OP's, I have had 5 hours of meetings and driven 700km of NSW today!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest destinationoz Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Thanks everyone - especially p182 for a brilliant, helpful and positive post! Just what I needed to read just now in my hours of confusion!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayandjen Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Hi folks! The original post really made me smile as we have our Visa granted and are set to arrive in Canberra late September 2011. Think we are both going through the "is this the right thing to do" phase, but the comments you guys have made have reassured us that we are making the right decision. We are both in our early thirties and looking to meet up with some people when we arrive so if you fancy some new friends then let us know! Jay and Jen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nik_kershaw Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Good luck with the move, hope it all goes well for you, looking forward to seeing you at a BBQ sometime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest journeydownunder Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Hi folks! The original post really made me smile as we have our Visa granted and are set to arrive in Canberra late September 2011. Think we are both going through the "is this the right thing to do" phase, but the comments you guys have made have reassured us that we are making the right decision. We are both in our early thirties and looking to meet up with some people when we arrive so if you fancy some new friends then let us know! Jay and Jen. Hi, we are in our early 30's, no kids and arrive in Canberra on the 3rd July. We would love to meet up with you guys when you get there. We've not been to Canberra before so don't know what to expect!! We're going with an open mind and a say yes to all invitations policy as we are determined to make new friends!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surhythms Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Hi, we are in our early 30's, no kids and arrive in Canberra on the 3rd July. We would love to meet up with you guys when you get there. We've not been to Canberra before so don't know what to expect!! We're going with an open mind and a say yes to all invitations policy as we are determined to make new friends!! Hey Guys If you want to meet up with us thats no problem - we are mid 30's - have a daughter who is 13 - let us know when you arrive! Suzanne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest journeydownunder Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Hey Guys If you want to meet up with us thats no problem - we are mid 30's - have a daughter who is 13 - let us know when you arrive! Suzanne Hi Suzanne. Sounds great, I'll pop you a message when we get there. We move in to our 12 week temporary accommodation on the 7th July, having to stay in a hotel from the 3rd for 4 nights, bit annoying but nevermind. As soon as we're settled I'll be in touch. Look forward to meeting you! Emma & Alan xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surhythms Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Hi Suzanne. Sounds great, I'll pop you a message when we get there. We move in to our 12 week temporary accommodation on the 7th July, having to stay in a hotel from the 3rd for 4 nights, bit annoying but nevermind. As soon as we're settled I'll be in touch. Look forward to meeting you! Emma & Alan xx Hey guys No problems - just send us a message and if you have any problems let us know we would be glad to help - we've only been here 3 weeks so we have been through most of the stuff you guys will go through in your first few weeks. good luck with the trip! Suzanne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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