Hi everyone as you can tell we are looking to move to australia in the next few years and are now wanting to research the best places for our family to move to. We are a young family with 2 babies who will both be 4 and 2 when it comes to the move, obviously the children are our world and it is of the upmost importance that they settle in the area so good schools are a must.
We currently live in the uk about 40 miles outside of london and would love to find somewhere in the suburbs as city living is not for us.
We know of all the big cities in oz and are really hoping with your help to find that beautiful australian dream

Thanks for taking the time to help

Fitzpatrick family

Maybe you could take a holiday out here to see which city feels right to you? Choose a motel out in the suburbs rather than one in the city. I suspect you could be happy in any of them. They all have different advantages and characters. I've only been to Brisbane, but we've decided to make that our home and we're moving next month. No more winter for us.

Hate to disillusion you, but we often get down to single figures in Brisbane - I think last year we hit 2 degrees in places

Yeah, but the single figures are mostly when you're tucked up in bed. I can deal with that!

It really depends what kind of lifestyle you're after? I'm from Adelaide and I love it there, after a year overseas I really miss the lifestyle, the food, the coffee and especially the beach! I also love Melbourne and go on holiday there a lot. I think that you really need to go over there and check out some places first. When we are in Adelaide we live in Brighton, near the beach. If you are after a really nice beach side lifestyle I would suggest checking out Brighton, Glenelg, Somerton Park, Seacliff, Henley Beach. The good thing about Adelaide is that the beach is only about 20 minutes drive from the city and public transport is fantastic.

Good Luck!

..and can you deal with your living room being 10C during the hottest part of the winters day? 'cos our houses DONT hold heat... so winter will see you sat inside huddling under a blanket wishing you were back in a cosy UK house with functioning central heating!

IF you don't have alot of money to buy a house Adelaides probably the best as it has the cheapest real estate, if l had a million dollars plus to buy a home l would choose Melbourne
Why have you ruled out Canberra, Perth , Hobart and Sydney? Also theres plenty of nice country areas an hour or two outside the cities on the coast,
but l guess theres less educational and employment opportunites.

Go where you can get a job in the first instance.

I would not have expected it to feel that cold in winter. Hmm. I guess we will have to lump it for the year that we're renting, then after we buy look into things like insulation and reverse cycle air conditioning. And flyscreens. Why do so few houses in Brisbane seem to have those?

But you can step outside into the beautiful winter sunshine (average 20c+) You lot bought up on central heating are so soft

Most brick and tile houses have them - unless a dodgy rental. With the wooden queenslanders it's harder to put them in with the old style windows and french doors - plus the height and position of the houses often make them not as necessary. We don't get the plague flies that some of the other capitals do so ours are mostly for mossies - a high positioned queenslander house with a good breeze will often take care of them.

You can be very cold at night in winter. I don't recall feeling cold like that during the day, but it certainly can be warmer outside than in. The winter days are usually cloudless perfect blue skies of 20c+ (hardly any rain in winter) so it is great to get outdoors.

Be very wary with Aus Cities at this distance out. Aus cities tend to have a paradoxical social makeup compared to UK Cities. Where you are more likely to find the lower social economic groupings, and the problems that go with it in the outer suburbs than the inner suburbs.

Thats not a 100 pct rule... but far more so than the UK.

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No1 rule in my book.

That sounds like the answer then. Hammocks in the back yard with a stack of books.