andym79

Whilst the wife and I are most likely moving to Adelaide next year, I want to consider all my options! I am not really a big city boy, I left Cardiff after a year because I wanted to see something other than houses out the window!

So I am considering small town OZ.

Based only on size >20,000 < 100,000 and affordability <$250,000 (for a 3 bed house)



NSW: Albury 42,000
Armidale 20,000
Bathurst 30,000
Broken Hill 25,000
Dubbo 40,000
Goulburn 24,000
Griffith 24,000
Nowra 24,000
Orange 38,000
Tamworth 32,000
Wagga Wagga 42,000

QLD Bundaberg 55,000
Maryborough 26,000

SA: Mount Gambier 23,000
Whyalla 21,000

TAS: Burnie 20,000
Devonport 25,000
Launceston 98,000

VIC: Ballarat 83,000
Bendigo 68,000
Mildura 28,000
Shepparton 36,000
Warrnambool 27,000
Wondonga 31,000

WA: Geraldton 25,000
Kalgoorlie 30,000

If anyone knows information about any of these towns (even better in you live or have lived or have relatives there), I would be very happy to hear from you. Whilst I will probably end up in the big smoke, I just think I would be happier in a smaller settlement.

joho

Golbourn suffers from accute water shortage.

Canberra is a nice city I think and although it is big it doesnt feel big as its very spread out and lots of grassey areas, havent lived there though but our aunty and uncle do and love it.

Jo

andym79

Yere your right:

"Goulburn is suffering more from the current Australian drought conditions than most places, the last significant rain was in November 2004, the water supply for the city was last full in 2000. Goulburn may soon be the first Australian city to use recycled water."

Not sure I fancy drinking refined sewage!

Isn't Canberra really expensive?

I also need to find out unemployment stats!

Weasy

Have you thought of somewhere like Mount Barker in SA? It's a lovely town but the freeway makes it easy to reach the 'big smoke' of Adelaide if you need access for jobs.

In fact there are lots of townships within easy reach of Adelaide city and anyway Adelaide itself really has a townie feel rather than that of a big city.

Lou
xx

CasG

I've been to all the Vic places, and Albury, Broken Hill, Goulburn and Wagga Wagga in NSW.

Don't get so tied up with stats .... all these places have their own characteristics , good points and bad.

Ask yourself what you want to have around you, what job do you do....are there jobs available in these places, ...research.

Think of distances .... Broken Hill is approx 300 kms from Mildura for example - and there is nothing inbetween (apart from one Roadhouse at Coomba)

I can help you with the places I've mentioned ....but only what they are like to visit (some of them I've been to a few times) ...I've only lived in Melbourne.

Pollyana

By the way, Whyalla isn't in Tassie....

andym79

Thanks for that, have corrected it!

wanderingwombat

NSW: Albury 42,000
Mexican border patrol

Armidale 20,000
Wannabe agricutural town with Uni

Bathurst 30,000
Quiet place except for the Great Western Highway and long weekends

Broken Hill 25,000
Must have included all the roos

Dubbo 40,000
A Dishy place amongst the sheep, cattle & roos

Goulburn 24,000

Bring your own truck to carry your own water

Griffith 24,000
Wine n dope

Nowra 24,000
Retirement village with its own Naval Base nearby

Orange 38,000
Like cherries?

Tamworth 32,000
Bring your own gittar n boots. Ute n dog essential.

Wagga Wagga 42,000
Army & air force bases amongst sheep, cattle & roos

WW

Teabag

what sort of Job do you do? That's you're first consideration really.
Maybe we can offer more advice once you tell us that.

CasG

Thats what I said ..... but he completely ignored me

andym79

Didn't mean to ignore!

I am an electrician, can do domestic, commercial and have done some industrial work. I prefer domestic work in peoples houses, so thats the sort of work I would be looking to do in OZ (thats why I figured the town had to be at least 20,000).

Do any of these towns have large unemployment?

So far then there is only one town not recommended!

Teabag

Go to Launceston then, very pretty and they need sparkies in Tassie from what I've heard

Vicky88

Whyalla is one place i would not like to live. It's isolated, boring, brown and dry. I had relatives there, so made regular visits as a child.

brissie-here-we-come

my sis is in tamworth at the mo been there for about a year,partners job means they can move around,all i can tell you is that her 16 year old son has come back to england as he thought it was so boring and was well away from anything,not been there myself,or seen it,and when do adults listen to teenagers,but just thought i would add this incase you have teenagers yourself.sorry couldnt have been more informative

3littlefigs

I know someone has said this before, but Canberra is a fab place. I am returrning home with my family after being in the UK and other parts of the world for the last 12 years.

Canberra is really expanding at the moment, but still manages to keep that small town feel, but with a multicultural feel. Loads of stuff to do. Free stuff too Not far from the snow and 1 hour from the beach. Very good school, low crime rate. high standard of living. gets bit stick from other states somthing to do with the parliment fat cats. But i have lived in several countries, also London and the home counties and I still love canberra and can't wait to raise my family there.

To check out what you can buy for your money go to www.allhomes.com.au This web site shows all homes in canberra and the surrounding areas.

Also check out Batemans bay. Fairly big town on the coast about 1 hour away from canberra.

Good luck and have fun checking out all these places.