BadgeIsBack

Quite. Many people who don't earn far more!

I'm not disagreeing with the con, just explaining why it might be the case.

My brother in London is in a 'dead' spot - he earns govt wages in London. But he likes the work!

BadgeIsBack

I see you as being one of the exceptions on this forum, because - people couldn't repeat that nowadays and live in the northern suburbs. You hit your sweet spot many many years ago back in 1984 - and maintained it. You know, it's hard now for people like you now in the UK and Australia.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Some perspective for those in the UK who think everybody earns $100k a year here in Oz.

My wife works as a casual in disability services, looking after disabled, some of them severly, adults. Full time employees there are on the mighty sum of $17.26hr, just under $36k pa for a 40hr week.

stuckinblighty

Thats exactly what i was trying to say.People back in Blighty could be mistaken after reading this thread that its a doddle to get a job on 80k p/a +.

It isn't for most people.

BadgeIsBack

But noone said it was! Define most people! I remember being mocked in my 20s for earning less than a tradesman and having to do overtime.

I made it quite clear that a range applied to certain sectors, very clear.

hevs

Back to the posters question....

Pros, Simply the best city in terms of things to do, getting around and the change of seasons.

Phillip island (45 mins from Eastern burbs) has the best surf ever and a real holiday feel, a drive down there even for the day and your batteries are charged.

Close proximity to the mountains and beautiful scenery, far more accesable than say Sydney.

Close to snow, we are gonna head up to Donna Buang (maybe tomorrow?) In a little more than an hour it will be on for young and old throwng snowaballs and laughing at the kids falling off their tobbogans.

In the summer we have the beach and parks with lakes and gardens and of course the obligatory barbies!

I love the winter as much as the summer, this week my 3 yo has found a love of wellies and jumping in puddles whilst wrapped up warm, then coming home to the fire. The Dandenongs are just beautiful, cold and wet and full of pubs with open fires etc.

Travel is becoming cheaper and its very doable for the 5 of us to fly somewhere within Aus every year. Melbourne airport is a hub airport and this keep prices down as there are a lot more flights from here.

All of these things are achieved on a small salary as my hubby, due to health reasons, had to step down from the nice big IT salary he once had. That said he is wayyyy happier in the job he is doing now and even though we aren't earning mega bucks, stil have a great standard of life, its very do able.

Cons. SOME houses are cold, due to being single skin and having not much insulation, however the rub of this is that they, for the most, have air con to keep you cool in the summer.


Flying anywhere out of Aus, noyt just Melly, is prohibitive cost wise.

I'm really struggling to find cons for Melly...

OOOOhh new estates! As a new home hater (was in the UK) find the new estates all to Stepford wives for my liking, but thats personal choice, but a con for my cos they look hideous! Also the infrastructure is under a LOT of pressure where we live right now and I cant help thinking that its gonna bite us on the bum at some point!

Buzzy--Bee

Trouble is I can't find any cons about Melbourne except possibly the flies in summer. And they don't bother me that much.

Hey, you don't have to sell Oz mate. It's just you can choose whether to whinge about your situation and do nothing, or stop whinging and change it. If Oz is not working for you, it's not going to get up and change for you, you'll have to change.

Yes but interestingly it is the same place as you say. It's how we choose to deal with it that makes our takes different.

BB

stuckinblighty

[QUOTE=



Yes but interestingly it is the same place as you say. It's how we choose to deal with it that makes our takes different.

BB[/QUOTE]Complete Tosh

There are many reasons why a certain place work/doesnt work for a person.To say Melbourne will suit EVERYONE aslong as they make the right choices is utter bullshit !
There is no place is the world that can be described as 'one size fits all' but i'm sure you and your minions will continue to spout this cobblers

Melbourne works for you and i accept that but you can't seem to accept that it doesnt float my boat...strange,i dont understand why

Buzzy--Bee

I accept it doesn't float your boat. I don't accept that you can't change perceived negatives eg cold houses.

So now you're experiencing the different things? You got what you wanted mate, don't complain about it!!!

BB

Zambia

The constant use of speed cameras even if you drive very well a moments mistake will have a piont of your licence and 170 bucks.

stuckinblighty

I certainly am my friend !

TBH i dare'nt look at my old posts

Hebe

Melbourne is not for everyone - fact.

Not everyone earns the average wage but neither do they in the UK. Fact

If you come here later in life and after you have established yourself and your career in the UK then you may have to take a pay cut, particularly if you come here under your own steam on a PR visa. You should decide before you come whether you are willing to take that drop. For many that is a no go.

Life is/can be hard when you are setting yourself up. Many come here after years in their previous location where they have long term friends and family. It is hard when you don't know anyone or anything. Everything is unfamiliar to you and you can easily fall into depression/anxiety/hating it etc etc.

From a personal experience I really struggled to begin with - probably took me about a year to really get my mojo together with the help of my OH, a couple of friends I made and the Dr.! For me I thought "well I am here and we are staying, so either I have to try to make the best of it or leave my OH and go back". I decided the former and now some 5 years on I can't imagine going to live in the UK again. In fact I am going to France for 4 weeks in September and only popping into the UK for a couple of days!!!

Buzzy--Bee

onya!

BB

Coppock

Ok... I didn't read the last couple of pages, but here's my 2 cents.......

I hated England, England had failed me. I wanted to get out asap, the weather was horrible, there was no money to be made, people were miserable.....

Then I realised that it wasn't England at all. It was me.
Many people get trapped into a "victim" mode, where everything is absolutely awful and it's all affecting me, and there is supposedly nothing I can do about it.

So what did I do?
I realised it was me, I realised that the family and friends around me were exactly the same - and that's what kept dragging me down.

So I moved an hour away to Wrexham. It's not quite Oz!!! But it was a plan - move an hour away, see if I can be happy there, get used to not having my family invading everyday, and then still see if I want to move to Oz...

We've been here now for a year and a half and love it. The opportunities are out there, you just need to have your eyes open.

We make our lives, our choices make our lives.
If you're in a crap job, choose to do something about it.
If you're not earning enough money, then either make your employer realise how much more you are worth to them, or choose to start a sideline business or get a second job.
If you're bored, choose to find something to do or take up a new hobby.
If your suburb is horrible, choose to move.
If you hate Australia, choose to come back to the UK.....

However if you can't be happy in the UK, and you can't be happy in Oz, then there's a very high probability that you will never be happy anywhere.

I'm sorry if the post is a bit vicious, and I value everyone's pros and cons, but I'm talking from an "ex-victim" and I have just heard so many frightening echo's of my former thinking and fears I've just got to come out and tell it as I see it.

If it's cold in Melbourne, then fine I'll buy a jacket.
If nobody leaves their house, I'll take up some sports to meet people.
If pay sucks then I'll put my prices up.
If my house is cold I'll get it insulated.

Melbourne will no doubt suit all - it sounds a very brash comment, but if it was the only place in the world that you could live, you'd find ways to be happy there. "The best of us can find happiness in misery".

ozzieeagle

Brilliant post, one of the best ever on these boards about moving away from things and migration reasons for many. Seriously a real pleasure to read and sums up a lot of reasons as the ins and outs of peoples mindset in what this move is about for them.

This post should be a sticky and read by all.

Thanks from me for posting it.