smidsy

Hi All,

I thought this might be useful to some people. This is from my blog here http://alanpeters.blogspot.com/

This was my initial impressions of Aus cities, based on travelling the country in a campervan(excluding WA). Since then we settled in Melbourne for 3/4 months I worked full time, while Cheryl awaited her Nurses resgistration papers to come through. Then we moved to Ipswich QLD(very close to Brisbane), as I got a tempting job offer, been there 6 months. It didnt work out very well(long story, nothing to do with Ipswich or Brisbane), and in the last month we have quit our jobs, bought a caravan and are heading to explore WA this time, and have a look at Perth. If we like it there, we'll settle down. Otherwise, maybe continue onto Adelaide, as im considering studying again and we may be on a single income, or if an opportunity arises, we'll go back to Melbourne.



Title: Why we chose Melbourne



Firstly, let me start by saying that this is just opinion, and its a general opinion. It may even be an incorrect opinion, but its my honest opinion. Feel free to correct me on anything I say, or if I leave a few things out(there's a comment section at the bottom, or post on facebook). Also, it should be remembered that my views of the cities is in no way extensive, and was usually on a tight budget, so I could have had a completly different view on the cities, if my experiences were slightly different.

When emigrating to a new country, your toughest choice, is where to live. Most people choose to live near family/friends who have already settled there, or to live near a workplace etc.

For Cheryl & I, its not that easy, as our visas are open, so we can live anywhere we like !

In Ireland, its an easy choice, you live in Dublin, cause its the best place to live !!

But in Australia, its a bloody big country(as big as the USA), and it has many places you could live happily.

Cheryl & I decided a long time ago, that we are suburbanites, for different reasons, but either way, we want access to a big city, while still having access to the countryside.

So although on our travels, we realised we would be happy in a smaller city, we have decided to stick to our original plan, and go for one of the big cities.

To give you an idea, some of the cities can be compared to Irish cities(and London)

So, there's....

Sydney...

Its a lot like London. In a way that its expensive, and its very spread out. However, it has good public transport.


Advantages...

Beauty - Its a beautiful city. You have the harbour, the Harbour bridge, and the Opera house.

Recognition - Its one of the top 10 livable cities in the world.

Weather - its less harsh, and more stable than Melbourne

Public transport - Good train & bus network

Also, its a very buzzing place. You feel your at the heart of the action. There's money here, and lots of it. Lots of flashy cars, and hugh houses !

Salary, I would earn the highest salary here.


Disadvantages...

Expensive, its the most expensive city in Australia. Houses cost a fortune. In the advantages, I said that I would earn the highest salary, however, Cheryl's salary would be almost the same, as elsewhere. So proportionally to cost of living, she would be earning less.

Commuting distance. Sydney suffers terribly from urban sprawl. This is the killer for Cheryl & I. Setting up, we cant afford to stay in expensive places. As such, we would be commuting large distances. Like 20 kilometers outside the city. It would involve waiting on a bus to the train station, waiting on a train, 45 minutes on the train, then bus, or walk to where we are going. Door to door, it could be 1.5 to 2 hours. Thats a nightmare! However, when we have money, and can afford a place closer to the city, we will reconsider Sydney.

Trafic - Same as commuting distance, it takes ages to get to the city.

"I dont have time" attitude - Im not sure of the correct phrase. But like in New York, and London, Sydney being a major city has developed this couldnt care less attitude. Im not sure how to explain it, but if you walked around with half a head, I think people would just walk past you as if they didnt notice ! Or, as if they have seen it all before, and are too busy to care. Its not being rude, its different, its just a couldnt care less attitude. In some ways thats a good thing, cause you can do/dress/act as you please(within the law), and noone will bat an eyelid.

Claustrophobic CBD - Although the harbour is beautiful, the CBD itself is extremely closed in. Iv never seen a city like it. The streets are very narrow, and the buildings are hugh skyscrapers. So you kind of feel caved in. Iv never experienced the GPS not working in a city, but in Sydney CBD, even the GPS cant get a signal, and you have to memorise the turns before it loses the satellites, due to the massive buildings blocking out the sky! Its what I would imagine New York to be like, but I dont know if the streets are as narrow.

Cockroaches - They are a bit of a problem here





Melbourne

Its so similar to Dublin. Its just has a Dublin feel about it.

Advantages...

Its like Dublin - Its very similar in size & feel to Dublin, the suburbs are very similar to wealthy villages surrounding Dublin city.

Fashion & Culture - Its Australia's culture capital. Its a trendy city. Its got European chic all around it. You see designer gear & trendy restaurants etc. everywhere. Art gallerys and fashion houses.

Sports & activities - Its Australia's sporting capital also. Im not into field sports, but still, its really nice to know that something is going on every week in the city, who knows, maybe ill be a crazy AFL fan in a few years. Be it formula 1, golf, AFL(most popular), rugby, soccer, motogp, and thats just naming some. There's always something happening in Melbourne.

Public Transport - Trams are the main form, but busses link the trams(think spiderweb), its very well thought out.

Recognition - Its one of the top 10 livable cities

Salary - Not quite as much as Sydney, but still a good salary

Longer days - It has the longest daylight hours(sunset Winter 6pm to Summer 8.45pm), so evening BBQ's after work are possible.

Disadvantages...

Its like Dublin, I left Ireland for new things, not the same thing on the other side of the world.

Weather - This is the biggest disadvantage, and we had wrote Melbourne off because of this. The weather is as eratic as Ireland. Its very unpredictable and it rains a lot. However, we have only seen it in Autumn. Ask any Aussie about Melbourne, and they usually say "yea, its a nice city mate, but the weather is terrible"

Rude people - I really hope it was just a few rare instances, but we found that people in Melbourne were rude. Like, "you have caused me a second of inconvenience, so I will huff and puff, until you hurry up". Also, in traffic, people beeping at you if your not instantly accellerating at the green light. Maybe(I hope) its just because I was a new driver in the van. And maybe(I hope), it was cause it was F1 week, and there was lots of stressed people in the city, and possibly lots of non-residents. This can destroy a cities reputation & feel-good factor. I just hope I received an incorrect impression.

Trams - Driving with trams can be a scary experience. Their big, and they wont turn. They are in the middle of the road. Also, your meant to undertake them, unless the door opens, for a newcomer, this can easily lead to you running over a person getting off. However, im sure you get used to them.

Trams - Whats the point in trams, if cars share the same lanes, and block the trams path, which leads to the trams getting stuck in rush hour traffic.





Brisbane

Its a bit like cork, a bit of an underachiever complex, at the same time, people have a certain arrogance or smugness about them, that they KNOW they live in the best city.


Advantages...

Weather - The weather is great. Its sunny all the time, and it rarely rains.

Transport - The Bus network is impressive, with raised roads, dedicated to bus only. Also, just like the underground network in London, there's an underground network for busses in the CBD. Which is very similar to a London underground tube stations. Very unusual & innovative. The Mayor is a structural engineer, which explains the innovative thinking.

Friendly - We found the people to be extremely warm and friendly

Outside lifestyle - Because of the weather, its a truely proper outside lifestyle

Australian - its the first city we seen that we felt was a proper Australian city.

Surrounding areas - The gold coast, and sunshine coast are an hours drive away. It would be great to go there for weekends away.

Originally we decided to live here.


Disadvantages...

Weather - the weather is great, but apparently its humid in the summer

Transport - I really dont like busses, although I am impressed by how they did it in Brisbane

Unattractive - It cant be described as a pretty city. Melbourne and Sydney are much more attractive!

Mozzies - they are there all year round !

Shorter days - The sun sets very early in Brisbane(5pm winter, 6.45 summer). And they dont have daylight saving time. So its very likely to come home from work in the dark. No evening BBQ's in the sun.

Smoking policy - Its the strictest in Australia. Which may be an advantage for some. But when we got there, I sat OUTSIDE a coffee shop, drank a cup of coffee, and lit a cigerette. The waiter came outside, and told me to put it out. I was puzzelled, and couldnt figure it out, as I was outside, even Cheryl was surprised. Usually when im breaking the rules, Cheryl gives me this wifey look of disapproval, that a husband learns to interpret, but not this time! This time she was as confused as me! Anyway, I found out after, you cant smoke anywhere in Queensland where drinks or food are served, this includes outside tables. Its kind of understandable, as they have a proper outside lifestyle. So often there are more seats outside a restaurant, than inside. Gets annoying though, as rather than giving smokers a place and treating them like humans, better to treat them like unwanted pests, and maybe they will quit. Anyway, its not a reason to not live there, just an annoyance.


Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Darwin

Thats the big three, I can only briefly describe the other three based on what I know of them, as I have only personally visited Darwin & Canberra, and I havent seen much of Adelaide properly yet.

But..




Perth - Its a big city, but very far away from the rest of Australia. I heard Singapore is closer to Perth than Sydney. If you look at a globe, thats a eye opener! We met a few people from Perth on our travels, and they seemed like relaxed happy people. Apparently it gets very very hot !



Adelaide (like Waterford)- I have been recommended to live in Adelaide, by many people in Sydney. But on further research, I discovered its got Australias highest unemployment rate & lowest wages of the major cities. This just reminds me of the depression in Ireland at the moment, and I definitely want to avoid that. Unemployment usually is closly followed by crime, misery, and poverty. At the same time, its only like 8.3%. Which isnt hugh. But isnt it better that you feel an employer needs you more than you need them ? Also, a good thing is its Australias cheapest city for houses. A great place for education & healthcare workers, as you earn similar wage to the other cities, but the cost of living and houses is less, so your proportionally wealthier. On further inspection of Adelaide, I find it a bit, dare I say, boring. There doesnt seem to be much to see and do here. Its very pretty and spacious, with little traffic, and lots of open spaces. I think its more of a place to end your career and retire, then to begin a new one. It looks very similar to Canberra.



Canberra - Its an unusual capital city. Its the Capital city, but most capital cities are the business hub, Canberra is lacking this enterprising spirit you find in other capitals. Its a very pretty city, often critisised for being artificial, which it is completly, as its man made, but isnt every city ? It is a great place to visit, as there's national this and that everywhere, and its almost all free ! So you could spend a week here, only paying for food and accomodation, while being entertained every day. Sydneysiders critisise Canberra as being boring, with no night life or action. Lets face it, you stick all the bureaucratic cival servant office workers in one small city, take away the entrepreneurs, artists and creative thinkers, and what have you got left. A bunch of cival servants. Not reputed for being the most entertaining unpredictable dinner guests. Canberra is lacking that spontaneity & excitement of other capitals. A nice place to live still, but a little too civalised and organised for my liking.



Darwin - Forget it. You would have to pay me a lot of money to live permanently in Darwin. Its a very small city, bit like Galway. But its humid all year round, humidity hurts my ears, as Cheryls doesnt stop going on about it. Mozzies, crocs & Jelly fish(in the water all year). You cant fish unless you have a boat, as the crocs will eat you if you fish off the river banks. I could live there, but it would only be for a year or 2, and at big money rates. Also, we visited during peak holiday season. I would imagine its a dead city at other times of the year. In saying that, I didnt hate it, its a nice place to visit, just not to live.



A great websire for comparing the cities is available here => http://www.livingin-australia.com/ the links on the right hand side are very informative.

Now all thats said, we have visited many places in Australia, and honestly, we would have a happy life in any of them. No where is perfect. But everywhere has its advantages and disadvantages. It just depends on whats right for you ! It made our decision more difficult for us, as everywhere is good.

Originally we had agreed to settle in Brisbane. We were both happy to live there, it seems to have everything. However, I will be going back to college again, only working part-time. Which means that Cheryl will be the main breadwinner, while ill be a student bum ! So I had to consider that as a student, it really didnt matter where I was. However, as Cheryl would be working everyday, it mattered a lot to her where she was, as chances are, she would be the one to get pissed off first.

Cheryl has decided on Melbourne, because...

She hates humidity !
She likes the sun, but not all the time, she prefers colder climates. Cheryl sees Melbournes weather as an advantage, rather than a disadvantage.
She wont admit it, but I suspect that the fact that its a fashionable city may have pushed her also.
It is better for me too, as Melbourne and Sydney are the best places to base myself for my studies.

However, as I said to Cheryl, I can imagine that in a year or 2 we'll be pissed off with the weather, and move to either Sydney(if we have money to spare), or to Brisbane. But who knows, maybe we will love living in Melbourne, and bring up a family there !!

Kapri

Thanks Smidsy, it's always good to hear opinions from people who have lived in a couple of different cities

Just one thing....it rarely rains in Brisbane??
It was completely flooded a few months ago and a lot of people on here have been complaining about incessant rain


Oh, and btw - Cork is the best city in Ireland :P

Pollyana

Just doing the figures now, been raining overnight here in Brisbane, between 5 and 25 mm across the city in the last 12 hours.

Buzzy--Bee

Fantastic read mate, we chose Melbourne for many of the same reasons.

One which you haven't mentioned is beaches - the beaches in Melbourne's suburbs are excellent and so accessible.

The weather in Melbourne isn't that bad - like London (Dublin?) plus 10 degrees. It also has less rain than any city in Australia except Adelaide.

By the way, in response to your last point, I know of a couple of families who had to emigrate here for at least 2 years because they were state sponsored by Victoria, their idea was to live here two years and then move to somewhere like QLD after 2 years. 5 years later they are still here and wouldn't move anywhere else.

BB

OxOz

What are your thoughts on Hobart?

DownUnderPaddy

Poor old Hobart, didn't even get a mention.
I'd certainly pick rank Hobart over at least 2 of the others.

you can update the winter sunset time for Mellie Sidsy. It was dark here yesterday at about 5:30, and it's still Autumn !

Enjoyable read though to see your overall experience and perspective. Thanks for posting.

Pollyana

Another Hobart lover here. if I could get work down there I'd move straight away, beautiful city

Buzzy--Bee

That's often the problem with beautiful places that are nice to live in....lack of work.

If there's lots of work everyone moves there and then they are no longer so beautiful and nice to live in.



BB

DadAgain

+1 Shame its a 'business free zone' with no hope of ever having a job for me.

smidsy

Quick comment.....

As mentioned earlier, this was my first impressions, un-edited, as I thought them, & wrote them.

Check out my blog link for more.

If I edited it due to recent events & experiences, then it wouldnt be my first impressions, would it ???

Smarty pants !! <<comment removed by moderator>>

And besides, Hobart, is difficult to drive to ! So I have no opinion, none, positive or negative !

fish.01

Been a weird year everywhere due to southern oscillation index...wasn't completely flooded btw, just a small percentage of Brisbane and rain was from elsewhere

On average brisbane has lowest number of rainy days compared to other capitals. Source: BOM stats on number of days with rain > 1mm at main regional offices

smidsy

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KJCherokee

There are two great positives to Adelaide. One is the parklands that totally surround the CBD and make a distinct barrier between the city and the suburbs: this together with the 5 city squares mean you don't have to go very far in the city to find an open space.

The second is how easy it is to escape from the city and what beautiful country there is around within 1 hour's drive from the CBD. North to Gawler and the Clare Valley, NE to the Barossa, east to the Adelaide Hills, South to McLaren Vale and the Fleurieu Peninsular.

However if you like a vibrant city life then Adelaide is probablly not for you!

Dreamy

Adelaide was featured in Phil Down Under this week, and it did look a very picturesque place. We're quiet souls and if we hadn't already decided that if we ever ever ever ever ever move again it'll be back to Qld, then I think Adelaide would be a definite option.

Except I bet it gets flipping cold

BadgeIsBack

I don't think I've ever seen a post get tainted so quickly - and by the OP too! Focusng on the city comparisons:

After arriving in Australia almost 10 years ago I recognise the comparisons. People tend to focus on aspects of Australia that are almost cliched when comparing the cities. People talk about salaries in Sydney - our experience at the time was that the 10pc difference say was blown out by house prices.

The reality is that choosing a place to live is different. Longevity is important to me and that is why we like Melbourne and I cottoned on to this in a very short time. Based on anecdotal evidence, Melbourne keeps going long after the other cities have started to bore people. People can talk about how friendly people seem et cetera but ultimately you have to live here and have a life. When people start complaining about the age-old issues then it seems Melbourne provides the largest insurance against them.

I still find Melbourne incredible - exciting. It's hard to quantify sometimes.