ukjoiner

We are in the process of considering everything about these two cities to move to in May next year.....we have spent time on the Mornington Penninsula and love it but feel Adelaide may be more affordable for us.

We are very big campers and outdoor people and want to be able to live where we can get to interesting things to do around us (don't want to be isolated or bored). We like the idea of being able to go on local holidays as we won't have the money to go very far (have 2 young daughters)

I am getting the impression that Adelaide has less range of things to do within a fair distance whereas Melbourne you can camp/ski etc etc in a relatively manageable distance.

Can anyone give their experience/comments on this please.

Thanks and apologies if I have gone and posted this in the wrong place ;-)

Jenny

Buzzy--Bee

I reckon there would be LOADS of opportunities to camp near both. Around Melbourne you have the Mornington Peninsula, Gippsland, Wilsons Prom, the High Country, the Murray, Lake Eildon, the Great Ocean Road etc etc around Adelaide you would have Kangaroo Island, the other end of the GOR and the wine regions plus that end of the Murray - no shortage in either place.

Adelaide would definitely be further for skiing though....

BB

Wendy

We have loads of places to camp in South Australia

I went to Waikerie at Easter, up in the Murray Wetlands. It's a wonderfully stunningly beautiful place - going back again at Christmas to Lake Bonney

Google Camping South Australia and Camping Victoria for lots of info!

rajj

I'm well biased towards melb, but for what its worth we've just come back from a major resort/camping trip in South Australia. We ventured as far up as Wilpena Pound and further into the outback at Arkaroola - 4wd country. Wsa absolutely fantastic there and was truly more of 'the great outdoors' feel than anything i've experience in vic. Distances are relative - we covered 3250 kms in just 10 days which is no problem for some but a major turn off for others.

KJCherokee

Adelaide is a great place for easy access to a wide range of different types of countryside for camping.

South you have the Fleurieu Peninsular with the coastline from Goolwa to Victor Harbour and round to Cape Jervis (where the Kangaroo Island ferry leaves from) and then up the west coast to Normanville: after that you are getting into the outer outer residential areas like Sellicks Beach.

South-east you head out past Murray Bridge and Tailem Bend, after which there are a lot of options: due south down the coast to Robe, Millicent and on to Mt Gambier, SSE to Narracoorte and Penola (home of the Coonawarra wine district) to Mt Gambier, or east into Victoria via either Pinnaroo or Bordertown.

East takes you up into the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa Valley.

North takes you either up to Port Wakefield, from which you can access Yorke Peninsular, and on to Port Augusta to access the Eyre Peninsula, or up through Burra and Peterborough. From either road you can get into the Flinders Ranges which have some of the most spectacular scenery in Australia.

So whether you want a weekend away or a trip of one or two weeks (or more) there is plenty to see based in Adelaide.

ukjoiner

Thats really helpful thanks everyone. Sounds like we would have options with either. Its an incredibly hard decision from this end having never been to Adelaide. I don't know how people decide who have never even been to Oz. We have heard (and researched) that it is going to be more affordable for us, don't know what you think about that? What are the "better" areas of Adelaide? Obviously thinking about bringing up children and schools etc.

ukjoiner

Thanks for that. Where abouts in Melbourne are you from? Where do you generally holiday from there?

Wendy

I think it is cheaper here in SA, but then I don't really know how much the difference in pay would be in Vic and if it would cover the extra cost of living? We moved here because I had family here, so never really researched Vic.

Given a choice I would probably choose to live South of the City. After saying that we settled in the North near my OH's work and it's fine too. I would live south purely because of the beaches down there - I adore the southern beaches.

It really depends on where you find work, and what kind of lifestyle you are after when you get here.

There's a suburb profile thing on Realestate.com.au

rajj

We're in the south east suburb of Melbourne - mentone to be precise. As I said, i'm biased towards melbourne due to its multicultural, sporting and generally progressive way of life. But I guess its also handy for 'holidaying' to the mountains in the winter (4 times in 8 years); short & long camping (approx 10 or so times in 8 years) to places like Gippsland, mornington peninsula, beach holiday lets at the great ocean road and the peninsula and thats about it (excluding the compulsary holidys to the uk and north quueensland - family innit!).
Have to say, that holidaying in oz can be pretty pricey (excluding camping) compared to the cheap deals available in Europe.

Cannot compare it to SA tho as i've not spent much time there. I have spent 5 to 6 years in Queensland which is great for holidays and young kids but i would not live there if you gave me a million bucks!

ukjoiner

Thanks for the link - have had a look at that and it is interesting the difference...

When you say you would prefer to live in the south, can you say why?

Thanks everyone for the advice also

Wendy

Just to be closer to the sea!

Otherwise, I am perfectly happy up here in the north