Mummy3

So, we are 95% sure we are going to accept and go, and as my last thread was answered so positively, I wondered if you could answer some more...

If OH is on a 457, can I work? I am a supply teacher in the UK, would my qualification be recognised?

Areas, NE is coming up favourite, going to rent in case 457 gets withdrawn for any reason, so rental at $500ish pw, preferably 4 beds and a bit of space for 3 kids to run around.
I like Eltham, but OH says too far on the train...

How well are Brits welcomed? I feel that we have to embrace our new home and culture, but don't want kids bullied for being poms!

Thanks, sure there will be more!

steve_kelly_and_boys

have no worries about the kids they just slot straight in, i have 3 boys 10, 8 and 6 and they are australian already

everyone will tell you melbourne is GREAT weve been here nearly 2 years now and absolutely love it

get over here and ENJOY

Mummy3

Ah thank you, thats exactly what I want to hear, I have boys 9,7 and girl 5, so good to hear from someone with similar ages.
Where do you recommend living, schools??

elice_in_oz

You can work on a 457.
Not sure about teaching qualifications but more knowledgeable people will be along soon.
Honestly, for $500 pw, you will find it hard to find a 4-bed house with garden less than 45 minutes from the CBD. The unit we used to rent in Hawthorn which was 3-bed with courtyard went back on the market at $480 when we left (we'd been paying $430 pw) and the large 3-bed with small garden we rented in Camberwell for $340 pw in 2006 was back for rent last year at $675 pw. Rents seem to have gone up a lot and so you might find it hard to get what you want close to the city. You could always try some of the new suburbs like Point Cook... Not my style at all but some like the lifestyle there.

I just had a quick look on realestate.com.au and there really aren't many 4-bed houses within 30 minutes of the city.

Can't comment about kids as ours are Australian-born, although they also speak French and that has been more of a bonus than a hindrance. People here are very accepting of others. I have friends here in Monty from Ireland, England, NZ, Sweden and have not seen any problems at school or elsewhere.

Why is your OH so hung up on the train commute? What job does he do? My OH and I both commute and honestly it is not the same as being on the train in England. OH used to commute to London from Warwickshire and that was hell and expensive. Here, it is not so expensive and the further you are on the line, the more likely you are to get a seat

Anyway, good luck with choosing where to settle. It can't be easy. We had the luxury of trying a few very different areas before and after kids and so are very happy with our final choice.

steve_kelly_and_boys

all depends where you intend to work

i work in the city all the time

live in mornington and it takes on average and hour to hour and 15 to get to the cbd in the mornings driving

cant beat it down here and i couldnt imagine living anywhere else ( its that good )

just back from spending the night down the beach for bbq and beers after work / school

Mummy3

OH works long hours and moans he hardly sees the kids here, so doesn't want to ship us and not see us. I just need the info to present to him!

So, which beach were you on? Sounds idyllic and the reason to be there!

I also want to have some areas short listed before we arrive, maybe a beach, city, NE.

Haven't read great things on the SW suburbs, don't fancy the smell?

Just a bit of a list maker!

Mummy3

Spent most of the day googling suburbs and schools, have yet to see a school where I haven't gone wow at the facilities...

Mummy3

Also, what are the main supermarkets and which are they comparable to in the uk?

Buzzy--Bee

Hi, hope I can answer some more of your questions.

In your previous posts you were talking about Eltham, which is a lovely suburb but nowhere near a beach, so if being close to the beach is a reason to be there then I recommend you have a good look round before choosing where to settle!

Our kids have been welcomed here from day 1 although they were younger than yours, in one of my girls first kinder reports it said "I love the English accent". NOBODY will take the piss out of your kids for being poms, that does not happen in Melbourne which is a big cultural melting pot. I get the very occasional pom comment, and it's almost always from someone who was not born Australian!

The main supermarkets are Coles and Woolworths, there is also Aldi and Costco. Shopping here is totally different to the UK, the supermarkets charge you a premium for the convenience of everything being under one roof so its cheaper and often better quality to buy meat from the butcher, bread from the baker etc. This also results in good quality high street shops and more of a neighbourhood feel, as people do not go to vast out of town supermarkets like in the UK.

If you want some info to read and photos why not indulge me and have a look at my first opinions of Melbourne when I did my reccie in 2006 -

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=413388

Some beach photos -

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=527425

My 4 year-ish update -

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=673936

Enjoy!

BB

Mummy3

Great articles thank you.

OH has been told cost of living is really expensive and people can't afford to buy, I have told him they are probably in expensive areas!

He has accepted that we need to go further down the line! He is in IT so the CBD is where he needs to be.

I like the look of Eltham, found Watsonia earlier, not sure about there. I love the idea of the beach esp after the post about being down the beach after school!

Thanks again, any advice on what things cost would be great.

Turban Explorer

I'm just back in London for a visit and I'm finding everything just amazingly cheap in comparison to Qld where I live. If you earn an income of 2.5+ your Uk income you should be roughly in line with your lifestyle overall. As for supply teaching - once registered with Victoria education department and a blue card in hand that's probably all you need (4 years B Ed or 3 year degree and pgce). As for how much work you get I can't comment on Melbourne.

elice_in_oz

My Oh is in IT too and the hours can be long but can also be very 9 to 5. Since we've been here in Monty, the times when he's not made it home for the kids' bath time at 6.30 are few and far between, except for when he had work drinks
He is starting a new job next week so it might all change, but TBH it's always been pretty laid back. Maybe it is down to the sort of job he has (Solutions Architect), but he worked longer hours in the UK.

The beach is great if you are beach-goers. We're not so we don't miss it. Houses by the beach do cost more though of course and you most likely will have to go further out than 25 kms to find something with prices similar to here.

Watsonia is OK, with a smaller high street than Eltham or even Montmorency. We looked in Watsonia to buy and almost did, but we are happier to have bought here. The houses in Watsonia tend to be older and smaller than Eltham or even Montmorency. It doesn't have the tall gum trees and so feels a bit more like suburbia than countryside. It does have a lovely large green reserve in the heart of it though so you can go see kangaroos any time. If you end up in Watsonia North, you are nowhere near the train station so you have to be careful where you look.

Best way to work out what things cost is to look at the websites for the main supermarkets http://www.aldi.com.au, http://www.coles.com.au, http://www.woolworths.com.au
DO NOT USE EXCHANGE RATE TO COMPARE THOUGH! The best way to work it out is to get an idea of what your income would be in $AU (if your OH has an offer, you should know what money will be coming in - to work out after tax amounts, go to http://www.taxcalc.com.au) and then look at the cost of groceries with that amount in mind. Off the top of my head, I'd say we spend about $500 a week on food and eating-out/take-aways. We could do it a lot cheaper but are not organised enough to make the effort. Many people on here will tell you that you can do it on a lot less by going to the Queen Vic market and by buying the cheaper stuff. All true so don't take my amounts as gospel. Everyone is different. BB is right in saying that shopping local is often cheaper and better quality, although it depends on your local shops of course. Shopping local in Toorak will be much more expensive than shopping local in Monty

We have a mortgage which takes up a good chunk of our income. Renting would be cheaper, maybe. A weekly rent of $500 would set you back about $26,000pa. Our bills are average, maybe $800pa for water, $1,600pa for gas, $2,500pa for electricity, $1,500pa for building and contents insurance, $1,800pa car expenses for a 1999 Honda CRV (incl. services), add to that childcare (we get 50% rebate because I work but get no Chilcare Benefit), clothes, petrol, entertainment, etc., etc. We live a very comfortable life with our combined income. Disclaimer: the amounts quoted are only very rough estimates!
We could probably spend less on many things and of course some people will spend more, but as long as you know what your limits are, and that you can live within them, you should be fine. If you plan to send your kids to private schools, then that would add a big expense to your budget so make sure you factor it in.

Can't think of anything more to add for now

BadgeIsBack

Good to see other bi-linugal kids on these forums. Commuting is fine - yes you get a seat on the way out. It's on the way back it might be harder if you don't get on at say Flinders or Southern Cross (CBD). As the train goes around the loop it fills alarmingly.

For an hour commute say, I reckon Melbourne trains are not as comfy or as 'lovely' as UK trains for the same distance. Having said that, there are plenty of trains that do 45 mins out of London's Waterloo on similar stock...(so I will contradict myself). Sydney's trains are far superior.

Overall I don't have an issue as you really do pay peanuts, frankly.

I work in IT and to be honest I would say the hrs are less than the UK. I do long hrs occasionally, but only when I find myself on a particularly good project and that is as much for me as the company! Infact I am quite choosy about where I will work now - I've had one duff role in 8 years - but that was partly because the company had a curious blue-collar/battler culture. I finally got to see what other people are talking about...The only issue I have now is that I took a paycut but that was to get into a particular interesting area - and it looks like it will pay off.

Mummy3

Everything is really useful, thanks so much

Petals

I live on the Mornington Peninsula Westernport side and we have train as well as bus so a lot of people take the local train to Frankston and change to the Melbourne train for work in the CBD.

However if your oh does not want a long commute have a look at the

http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/ site and follow the train lines out to see where all the suburbs are situated.

If you want the beach and closer in you could look at Patterson Lakes, Chelsea Heights, Bon Beach, Chelsea, Edithvale, Aspendale, Mordialloc. Further in still Mentone, Cheltenham, Moorabbin. These areas have access to good state and private education.

Berwick is very popular with Brits but I find that the traffic over there is horrendous. The one good aspect of living near the beach is that traffic only comes from one side so tends to be a little lighter.

With the new Frankston bypass due to be finished early next year it will make a big difference and we are fortunate to live the closest to an on ramp but not that close that we will be bothered by the freeway. I believe that a lot of people will look to moving further down the Peninsula then buying up the old holiday homes for permanent residence.