Birmingham to Brisbane
Oct 6th 2014, 1:12 pm
#46
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Birmingham to Brisbane
Weather is such a subjective thing so we can't know how you will feel so we can only give all our varied opinions...I'll give it a shot in the knowledge it is difficult.
Being subtropical the weather is upside down in many respects to much of the weather you are used to...and to much of temperate southern Australia as well.
For many (not all) summer is our worst season, rather than the best. It can be too humid on and off, we get afternoon storms sometimes and both of these can be very uncomfortable sometimes and for some the tipping point. We get most of our rain in summer and very little in winter. Our grass goes dry in winter not summer; summer is when everything is lush and alive.
Of course like all climates we adjust and go out early and late and hide in a/c during the middle of the day when humidity is up. Other days are fine and normal summer fun can be had...swimming pool at midnight anyone
It is not always bad as we tend to get lower max temps than the temperate climates in Australia so when the humidity is not high the temperatures are often mild in comparison. We don't get the extreme max temps and too dry, standing in a hairdryer effect they can get on a bad day in the temperate climes of Australia, or the bad fly season thankfully, but humidity definitely brings its own challenges.
The payoff for a variable summer is really great weather for much of the rest of the year. We get loads of 20c-25c low humidity, sunny, clear blue days right through winter and it is this long stretch of mostly good weather that I think the majority really enjoy...I assume it is close to the majority's idea of pleasant weather.
The mean max temp varies between 20c-29c for the whole year and we almost totally skip the wet, long, cold windy winter other parts of Australia get. We do get cold at night though because the day is often so pleasant (and the houses are often made for heat not cold, specially the rentals) the nights can sometimes be a shock. We personally only use heating occasionally as a blanket on the lap is usually enough but ymmv.
I bicycle commute every morning and evening all year round (2 hours per day) and overall I think the weather is really fab when I consider how many pleasant commutes I have (compared to other places rather than nirvana) but it really does come down to how the balance of "all" seasons affects you. The weather does give me a boost on many days but of course not every day.
Hope this helps and hopefully some more voices will add their opinion to give you some varied views. My wife is a geordie and she thinks the weather is far better overall but your weather may be better than newcastle or you may have different preferences...
Being subtropical the weather is upside down in many respects to much of the weather you are used to...and to much of temperate southern Australia as well.
For many (not all) summer is our worst season, rather than the best. It can be too humid on and off, we get afternoon storms sometimes and both of these can be very uncomfortable sometimes and for some the tipping point. We get most of our rain in summer and very little in winter. Our grass goes dry in winter not summer; summer is when everything is lush and alive.
Of course like all climates we adjust and go out early and late and hide in a/c during the middle of the day when humidity is up. Other days are fine and normal summer fun can be had...swimming pool at midnight anyone
It is not always bad as we tend to get lower max temps than the temperate climates in Australia so when the humidity is not high the temperatures are often mild in comparison. We don't get the extreme max temps and too dry, standing in a hairdryer effect they can get on a bad day in the temperate climes of Australia, or the bad fly season thankfully, but humidity definitely brings its own challenges.
The payoff for a variable summer is really great weather for much of the rest of the year. We get loads of 20c-25c low humidity, sunny, clear blue days right through winter and it is this long stretch of mostly good weather that I think the majority really enjoy...I assume it is close to the majority's idea of pleasant weather.
The mean max temp varies between 20c-29c for the whole year and we almost totally skip the wet, long, cold windy winter other parts of Australia get. We do get cold at night though because the day is often so pleasant (and the houses are often made for heat not cold, specially the rentals) the nights can sometimes be a shock. We personally only use heating occasionally as a blanket on the lap is usually enough but ymmv.
I bicycle commute every morning and evening all year round (2 hours per day) and overall I think the weather is really fab when I consider how many pleasant commutes I have (compared to other places rather than nirvana) but it really does come down to how the balance of "all" seasons affects you. The weather does give me a boost on many days but of course not every day.
Hope this helps and hopefully some more voices will add their opinion to give you some varied views. My wife is a geordie and she thinks the weather is far better overall but your weather may be better than newcastle or you may have different preferences...
I have only visited Brisbane.
Brisbane does not get Daylight Savings : for some British people it is almost a deal breaker.
I personally would find that very difficult.
Also whilst it does not get the extreme heat, high humidity can make the summer tough (as has been said) : (I don't mind the hair-dryer heat of Melbourne as it is only a few days a year ) - there is the chance of mini-cyclones and floods. The Brisbane river overflowed a few years back and it will happen again
Oct 6th 2014, 1:13 pm
#47
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,039
Re: Birmingham to Brisbane
Thanks for all your comments. The area where I currently live (Hollywood, Wythall) backs onto fields, it's a nice area and my eldest goes to a great school. We have paid for the postcode for a slightly smaller house than we were in previously but that was on a council estate. I really don't want to go back down that route of living on an estate that is full of idiots, lowlifes, etc. I don't want to have to worry if my car has been vandalised or my kids have been bullied. I know this can happen anywhere and I'm not a snob by any means, but in order to move to Oz it would be creating a better life for my kids. I don't need to live by the river or right by the beach, I don't even need a pool (although that would be nice!), I just want to be able to be happy that we've moved to the other side of the world away from our family into an area, house that we are proud to live in. We love open plan living and I love gardening, so a decent size garden would be great. But decent schools (state not private) and for my kids to feel safe and integrated is by far more important. Maybe I'm chasing the impossible dream? Heeeelllpppp... xx
The most expensive areas have the state schools showing in the top 10 tables etc but there are good schools scattered throughout the city, they just may get thinner on the ground the further you go into the outer suburbs, specially in a very low socio-economic area, so more careful research would be required.
I found this map in a report that may help you work out the various areas:
Who Lives Where - Disconnected Youth by fish.2, on Flickr
Oct 6th 2014, 1:19 pm
#48
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,039
Re: Birmingham to Brisbane
Good post.
I have only visited Brisbane.
Brisbane does not get Daylight Savings : for some British people it is almost a deal breaker.
I personally would find that very difficult.
Also whilst it does not get the extreme heat, high humidity can make the summer tough (as has been said) : (I don't mind the hair-dryer heat of Melbourne as it is only a few days a year ) - there is the chance of mini-cyclones and floods. The Brisbane river overflowed a few years back and it will happen again
I have only visited Brisbane.
Brisbane does not get Daylight Savings : for some British people it is almost a deal breaker.
I personally would find that very difficult.
Also whilst it does not get the extreme heat, high humidity can make the summer tough (as has been said) : (I don't mind the hair-dryer heat of Melbourne as it is only a few days a year ) - there is the chance of mini-cyclones and floods. The Brisbane river overflowed a few years back and it will happen again
The floods are fairly irrelevant in the overall decision in my opinion...about 3% of residences flooded from a 1 in 100 year flood...it is all mapped to precision (in most cases) and most of the flooded houses in the brisbane city council area are in expensive riverside character areas that few migrants discuss on here. Just need to check the flood maps to avoid those particular streets...not difficult. It was a sunny day and I was amazed how normal the next suburbs were when I went to fetch sandbags for someone...out mowing the lawn and shopping. Traumatic for those in it though of course.
Last edited by fish.01; Oct 6th 2014 at 1:38 pm.
Oct 7th 2014, 10:16 pm
#49
Almost more Oz than Pom
Joined: Aug 2010
Location: Brisbane northern suburbs
Posts: 1,154
Re: Birmingham to Brisbane
Originally Posted by jobolt
I'd like to be more rural.
Oct 8th 2014, 4:44 am
#50
Last resort... format c:/
Joined: Mar 2012
Location: Singapore to Surfers Paradise to... Tenerife... to Gran Canaria!
Posts: 1,627
Re: Birmingham to Brisbane
None of the areas mentioned seem like you describe so all possibilities but really depends on what you consider acceptable.
The most expensive areas have the state schools showing in the top 10 tables etc but there are good schools scattered throughout the city, they just may get thinner on the ground the further you go into the outer suburbs, specially in a very low socio-economic area, so more careful research would be required.
I found this map in a report that may help you work out the various areas:
The most expensive areas have the state schools showing in the top 10 tables etc but there are good schools scattered throughout the city, they just may get thinner on the ground the further you go into the outer suburbs, specially in a very low socio-economic area, so more careful research would be required.
I found this map in a report that may help you work out the various areas:
Oct 8th 2014, 9:29 am
#53
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: Perth
Posts: 6,775
Re: Birmingham to Brisbane
Doubtful if a better life but a different life. Economy is certainly on the slide in many areas and housing over inflated with little in the way of ideas in what to do.
Pretty certain though the flipping of housing as a main economic factor is unsustainable.
Pretty certain though the flipping of housing as a main economic factor is unsustainable.
Oct 8th 2014, 9:34 am
#54
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 297
Re: Birmingham to Brisbane
I'm good at driving around bends.
Oct 8th 2014, 9:45 am
#55
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,039
Re: Birmingham to Brisbane
When I was growing up sleepy far outer suburban areas like Redcliffe were considered different places to Brisbane and a lot cheaper and many people who were struggling were attracted to the rents. Over the decades the outer places with some natural advantages, like Redcliffe, improved dramatically so today you are left with some really great aspects plus some remnant issues from times past.
For example I wouldn't be surprised if on a Friday night you got a few boy racers on the main road and then on Saturday morning your saw cafes full of families enjoying the lovely shore front.
I have friends who emigrated to Redcliffe from Cambridgeshire, an IT consultant and events coordinator with 2 girls, and overall they love it. Some of things they tell me:
- love the sense of community as you get to know a lot of people on the Redcliffe peninsula
- when they cross the bridge to Redliffe they get they that peaceful relaxed feeling of coming home to a nice place out of the rat race - could be the brisbane traffic that induces that feeling
- they love that the kids join together with all the other kids on the street and play at each others houses with ease.
- they like the calm bayside water, cafes and nice shorefront bike rides and parks.
The downsides they have mentioned:
- You need to stick to the rights parts of Redcliffe, too far away from the beach and some of those boy racer types appear...apparently everyone knows to live on the the right side of such and such main road.
- Some of the cheaper rentals are in very poor condition...avoid houses that are below market rent. Saying that when they arrived 4 years ago they rented a lovely 2 storey 4 bedroom house with a garden gate onto the beach for $500 so it's somewhat dated reputation from times past means great deals can be had, though more and more seem to be discovering its charms by the look of my visits.
- No train...though one is under construction at the moment. Currently it is roughly a 15min drive to Sandgate station and then a 35 minute train ride to town. My friends bought a cheap little car to do the station drive. The new direct train line being built will be roughly 55mins from something I read.
Overall they seem very happy but they are obviously the only example I can go on. I'll say one thing, it really looks great these days when I visit...full of lovely riverfront park, pools and little cafe strips and on a sunny day is really pretty.
Oct 8th 2014, 10:12 am
#56
Banned
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: The REAL Utopia.
Posts: 9,910
Re: Birmingham to Brisbane
Fish, do you work for Queensland Tourism? 
