TheColebecks

Calling all expats who have lived in both Melbourne & Perth (or at least visited both cities!) ....

Hubby is at it again with his cold, dragging feet .. We visited Perth in July to validate our visas and do the whole reccie thing - we did really like it, despite 3 weeks of torrential rain!! I know we visited at the wrong time of year but it dawned on us that there really doesn't seem to be much to do there - everyone seems to visit either Freo or Hilarys for a day out as they seem to be the only 'happening' places to go (e.g. we had already visited Freo & done the touristy bit with fish & chips and prison visit and when we asked the rellies who've lived in Perth for 30+ years where we could take them for a day out and a meal they said ... Freo ...)

Ashley is now wondering if Perth is really the right place for us or if we should consider somewhere else a little more .. inspiring. We have pretty much discounted East Aus as its too humid, thought about Adelaide but feel it would also be too quiet for us and the boys so maybe we should consider Victoria?

I have to say, with this lovely 'traditional' winter weather we're having here in the UK at the moment (sharp cold, crisp days instead of the usual wet and grey ones!) I have also begun to wonder if we need to go somewhere where we can still experience extremes of cold such as in the Melbourne mountains in the winter as well as enoy the heat of summer and the beach life.

If you had a choice on Perth or Melbourne, which would you choose and why ...

hevs

Melbourne....for all the reasons you have written and...

We have beautiful beaches, AND beautiful lush montains.
We have seasons where the leaves fall off the trees and fires get lit.
We have more sporting events than you get the chance to go to!
Lots and lots to do and see in any weather

Theres more, but I'll let someone else have a turn

Oh and I also think our housing is cheaper at the moment too.

Oh and edit to say I have lived in both (all beit for 9 months in Perth)

stuckinblighty

Apparently Perth is boring

Dorothy

I've been to both and personally would choose Adelaide.

Sonn

We have been in this situation too, apart from the fact we havent visitied either places! At first we thought Melbourne area then we changed to Perth, we have been set on Perth for months and months but have looked at things realistically and decided that possibly Melbourne would suit us more due to all the reasons mentioned in your post and the other posts.
We are going to try and go out in August to have a look round (minus our 2children!!) and decide from there.

Pomster

very personal choice- some people love Perth, some love Melbourne, some hate both!

But here in Melbourne, I feel we are in a city, with all the attractions (museums, zoos, theatre, restaurants, shopping) but without the awful traffic and crowding.

Yesterday we were at the beach in Rye, enjoying the shallow bay (did not see the shark that was supposedly there) with our toddler, and today we are back to work near the city.

There are also gorgeous mountains and beautiful little towns like Olinda and Sassafras out to the East, further out (3plus hours) are the snow mountains for skiing in winter- if it is cold enough.
Has a bit of everything, but really it depends what you need/want.
Melbourne has a big water problem, so everywhere will look very brown shortly...a big downside!

CH33ZEBURG3R

We visited Perth + Melbourne back in 2001 whilst travelling and we finally moved to OZ sept 08 we really liked Perth and Melbourne and thought about both places to live, anyway we are now living in Melbourne and have to say i don't think id go live in Perth now, yes its very nice but i think theres more to do here and being an F1 fan well?? just up the road for me, Perth is more isolated i guess but has all the nice weather all year, but for me Melbourne has alot more to offer and i'mglad i'm here!!

Petals

Melbourne because its a busy vibrant place. It may not look the same as other areas and we do get four seasons of the year but with that we also get diversity of pastimes. Beach in the summer, ski in the winter.

Two big bays Port Phillip and Westernport, also Phillip Island.

Lots of places to visit in Victoria for a day or for a holiday.

Close to things on the East Coast as in Perth its a long way to get over here to the east for a holiday and of course much more expensive. Perth is a community on its own.

Plenty of good schools, universities and technical colleges for the young.

Live band scene is big in Melbourne.

Its a place you come to live in and think I will stay a bit, and then it grows on you and people stay for the long haul.

I like other places but cannot stand the fact that the shops have shorter hours, clubs instead of pubs.

Melbourne

I have relatives in Perth another reason to live here

mulben

Perth
Better no cost activities
ie BBQ weather
Seaside (not bayside) beaches
Better over all climate
More like a large country town for junior sport(participation )

Melbourne
Way better for activities that cost
Eating out
Shopping hours
Shopping Centres
Sport (watching)

If your life style is more outdoors than indoors Perth would meet your requirements but that's not saying Melbourne wouldn't .

sr71

I think in reality Melbourne outdoes Perth by a longshot in terms of both free activities and activities that cost. There is just an incredible amount of stuff to do in Melbourne that costs nothing. I know what you mean by the lack of seaside beaches but an hour or so either way outside of Melbourne and you have some pretty nice ocean beaches. (Lorne, Phillip Island etc)

bridie

suppose it depends what you're used to / what you want
if you prefer a quiet laidback life with a city that feels more like a big town then perth would be the better bet. a for weather, i'd far rather have the warmer winters of WA where it's still possible to walk round in t-shirts for several days of winter than the really cold.

it's very personal.... only you and your OH can decide what's best for you and your family.

Noocat

It all depends on what kind of lifestyle you want, but based on your list of preferences, clearly Melbourne would be a far better pick than Perth (and Adelaide).

Here's a list to get your imagination firing:

- thousands of restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs, and pubs (you will never be able to visit them all!) all serving great quality food and covering every imaginable cuisine
- museums, art galleries, concerts, IMAX, arthouse cinemas, plus lots of theatres with local and international productions
- fantastic shopping with shops open all the time, supermarkets open 24/7, plus great markets
- festivals happening at almost every week of the year
- major sporting events
- lots of streets and suburbs with their own distinct identity and charm

Around Melbourne
- rainforest covered Dandenong Ranges (on the edge of Melbourne's east) with lots of quaint villages with English-themed tea houses, pubs, and restaurants, plus occasional snow in winter
- major ski resorts in mountains starting approx. 2 hours from Melbourne, some minor ones a little closer
- surf beaches about 1 hour from Melbourne, otherwise Melbourne has bayside beaches with smaller waves
- lots of interesting, beautiful, or historic towns and villages all within a 1 to 2 hour radius (e.g., Daylesford, Hepburn Springs - natural spas and mineral springs, Woodend, Marysville, Bendigo, Monbulk, Warburton, Lorne, etc., etc.)

Weather
- four distinct seasons. Summer is warm with frequent hot spells but refreshing cool changes, Autumn has lots of calm, mild sunny days with cool nights and tree colours, Winter is windy and cool with occasional cold snaps, Spring is mostly warm but very changeable and traditionally wet

Downsides
- the traffic is bad, public transport can be crowded, and if you live in the outer suburbs it is quite a long way to get to the city


One other difficulty with Melbourne is that visitors often don't "get" Melbourne. It doesn't seem to have the immediate attractions like a harbour bridge or opera house. It's a place where you have to explore deeply because all the best stuff is hidden along narrow lanes and in hard-to-find spots. There are lots of layers to Melbourne that takes years to explore and understand, and you are unlikely to see this by spending only a couple of weeks here doing the typical tourist stuff. I have lived here for many years and am still discovering some fantastic little streets, lanes, shops, galleries, etc that I never knew existed. You can't get bored in Melbourne...

bigAPE

Tennis, Golf, Cricket, AFL, Soccer, Surfing, Kite Boarding, Sailing, Fishing, Rock Climbing, Cycling, Horse Riding, Skiing, Snowboarding, Sledging.. the list is ENDLESS. In fact name one outdoor activity that you can't do in Melbourne.

My 7 year old son and I just cycled 23km into the City all along the beach cycle path, had lunch on the Southbank by the river with all the music and artists then took the train home.

What a STUNNING city Melbourne is.

stewmac

I have lived in both and wld say Melbourne is more like the UK ,weather unpredicatable at times and the locals here now look like the ones i left in the West Midlands 3 years ago Perth is more like people expect Australia to be like ,mainly sunny,vast open spaces ,beaches ,easy goin ....downside is its very easy goin ,people are bone idle and never want to do anything for you,(altho this is the case Aus wide,just more so in WA) Melbourne has all your favourite shops like Aldi WA doenst have it ,local gvmnt refused them entry to WA...Melbourne has more to do but if you want the easy life Perth pi$$es all over Melbourne ...Given the choice i wld probably live in Perth but work means Melbourne for the time being

bigAPE

Easy = Dull ?