EmmaKate

Hi there,
After months of to and fro on which city to go to my other half has been offered a well paid job in Canberra. We have a 9 month old daughter and Canberra does look like a good place for family. Bit cold but the wages on offer are pretty good.

If there's anyone in Canberra can you give some HONEST feedback please.
Cheers

quoll

It's as good a place as any although the Sydney Melbournites who have probably never been here in their lives will slate it for being dull and boring.

It isnt a monster city - just over 330,000 I think at the mo although our venerable leader has plans to make us a mini Sydney in the next few years - no infrastructure but he thinks he needs to preside over something bigger.

Anyway, Stanhopeless (Chief Minister John Stanhope) aside, it does have all the benefits of a big city along with those of a big country town. It is new - most buildings are post 1960 in reality as there has been big suburban boom building for the last 30 years - first Tuggeranong and now Gungahlin. Nice wide roads and until this past couple of years virtually no traffic jams - they have increased significantly recently, due in part to a massive road works campaign which seems to be digging up every road on every route all at the same time Public transport is better the closer in to the town centres you are - out in the mulga there is still a bit to be desired. Because it is a planned town there is a lot of green and you can see the bush from pretty much anywhere in the ACT (we even have kangaroos in our garden, 2 miles from the centre of Civic!). Lots of bike paths as well.

We have great facilities - more Olympic size swimming pools than the whole of UK for example. There is plenty to do for kids and adults - lots of sport, arts, music, outdoor activities. Check out http://the-riotact.com/ for the low down on what is happening in Canberra

We have seasons which are real seasons and sure it is a bit on the nippy side at the moment (correction, it is bloody cold) the upside is that you are 2 hours from the snow fields (or 2 hours from the beach) so even if you are cold you do get snow. The houses are expensive and mostly single brick, fibro or weatherboard which makes them susceptible to big extremes in temperature but once you own your own place or can install good heating/cooling then it isnt so much of a problem.

We have had a problem with drought for about 7 years but our dams are now hovering at 55% (that's one reason why Stanhopeless wont get his half million people - not enough water) up from the 30%s at one stage.

Education is OK - there is a strong private system alongside the gov system and so you do have choices there.

Housing is tight - very tight, actually - but they are building more homes further out and medium-density-izing the inner suburbs as well. It ranks up with Sydney on the housing cost factor.

The largest employer is the APS (Aus Public Service) which is a disadvantage for new migrants because they require citizenship for jobs and they are a bit touchy about contract workers who arent citizens as well as there are lots of security clearance hurdles to jump. The rest of the city is pretty much dependent upon the APS and so if a government jumps into small government then things happen in Canberra - housing stalls or falls, other employment also stalls and falls as the economy shrinks a bit. Hasnt happened for a few years but it did happen when John Howard got into power and may well do again if Gillards' latest decision to sack 50 people with no notice at all continues.

3 hours to Sydney, 7 hours to Melbourne - it's pretty accessible really. You could do much much worse! (edited to say though a reasonable Canberra salary would start at about $100k for a single income family - most families are two income and I wouldnt be surprised if many homes brought in between 150 and 200k pa especially if both are gov employees although of course we do still have a lot of welfare recipients and other folk who arent nearly as well heeled )

louH

Its hell on earth! Stuck it out for 3 hellish years. The weather is cold and the locals are even colder. No way would I go back.

POW148

Mate, you havent seen hell on earth. Canberra is one of the best places I have ever lived in and I can assure you, I have seen some really shite places this globe has to offer. Todate, I have been to over 50 countries so I think I can have a say on what is good and what is bad that this world has to offer.

Barney

louH

ha! okay mate whatever - how about I think Canberra is hell on earth? Work better for you?

quoll

Agree with you Barney, there are a lot worse places out there and to describe it as hell on earth is just plain stupid, it is nothing of the kind.

IvanM

I am now a public servant for my sins and go to Canberra too many times. The place is dull and boring but fine for families and those that get on with public servants. For about an hour traffic is hell and parking can be impossible. Those I work with often who get in late have to move their car around a couple of times a day. Those who do not have kids love getting out to the real world. I have some family there. They used to get more visitors in country NSW as Australians have been on too many bad school trips there.

Its good for some.

quoll

LOL, dont you just love that miser mentality which makes them reluctant to pay for parking. There is plenty of parking if you pay the going rate. Apart from the day or two before Christmas I have never had a problem with parking but, then, I acknowledge that the land must make a living and so I make the decision to fork out. If I didnt want to do that then I would catch the bus, walk or bike, all of which are cheaper options. The desperate hunt for free parking goes along with the need to find bulk billing doctors rather than shell out the co-payment. There arent too many shiny bums who couldnt afford either.

I do agree that it isnt really the place for older teens/young adults although the youngsters in my work place never seem to have a problem with places to go and people to see - my own kids escaped when they could but both of them enjoyed their childhood here.

Dunno about bad school trips - one of DH's family's kids came here for a school visit and insisted that his parent brought the family for a holiday! Maybe a pollie in the making with high aspirations!

IvanM

That is a typical public servant mentality.

You should hear the whinging about the banning of FF points. I reckon government business travel costs will plummet.

Medical access to certain types of specialties is a problem but most people do not need that. I could not move there because of that.

Broad Shoulders

Not just those. I live in Brisbane, which regularly gets described as dull and boring and I find Canberra much worse for that. I go there approx 4 times a year for days at a time and have done for the last 4 years, so it's not like I haven't given it a fair chance.

Obviously this is a personal taste choice, but the purpose of my comment is to highlight that people's distaste for Canberra shouldn't be discounted because of a few Sydney and Melbourne people who you claim have never been there.

louH

That's another interesting take - I don't agree with your opinion so I'm going to call it stupid. Nice, thank you.

paulry

Can you explain what is so hell on earth about it?

EmmaKate

Thanks for the responses! We're 95% sure we're coming so on to my next question...... suburbs.... reasonable safe and good for me with my 9 month old daughter! I will have a car but would be nice to be in a family area where we can go for walks and stuff. She is very nosey and gets bored indoors all the time (currently in rainy Auckland).
Del's job is based in Manuka but I gather that most areas are accessable within half an hour or so. Bear in mind we are used to Auckland traffic where it takes 25 minutes just to drive down Queen Street sometimes, quicker to walk.
So, recommended suburbs please! We are going to come for a few days before Del accepts the position so we can have a good drive around to get a feel for the place.

paulry

My family (wife, two teenage boys) and I did a recce in April and are moving there from London in November. We liked what we saw and have chosen the inner north suburbs for close-ish proximity to the city centre, facilities and good schools. Having seen a lot of Sydney during our trip to Aus and how overcrowded it is and considering our overall circumstances, Canberra is the best place for us at this stage in our lives.

Good luck

IvanM

I hear it is great for those who love porn.