Keefo

How long does it take on train/bus from Rockingham to CBD. Rockingham is where my parents friends live.

Not sure if age matters in deciding where to live, I am 38 and my wife 30.

verystormy

About 30 - 35 mins

h2oskineil

The closer you are to water..... ocean or river view the price will rocket.
The exception to the rule might be the Craigie water treatment plant.

smidsy

I can only compare North Dublin, as thats where im from, and it is nothing close to it. Crime is insignificant in Aus, compared to home.

There is an issue in Perth with break in's(partly cause the houses are not built well for this, in my opinion, as in, If i was that way inclined, I could break into a house if I wanted to, flimsy doors, weak locks etc) but very little "personal" crime, ie muggings etc. I have never had an issue, but my neighbour, 10 feet away has been broken into 3 times in 1 year. Maybe its cause im vigilant about locking doors at night and little things like that. An Aussie bogan, doesnt even compare to a Dublin knacker/scanger. There's a lot of personal respect here.

Some people say Rockingham is rough, and some say south east perth is rough(Armadale). But while Armadale looks like a dodgy town, Rockingham is a nice looking place, by the beach etc.

smidsy

Actually, the reason why I put a smiley face after saying about mining, is because mining jobs are very difficult to get. I dont have a job yet, im job hunting, iv been hunting for almost 2 months(been in Perth 7 Months, but spent first 5 studying full time, and started job hunting middle of January) now and thought I could walk into a mining job, as a lot of people do. But its a big surprise once you get here, to find its difficult to get. For several reasons...

1. They much prefer mining experience, but I dont have any. Im willing to work as a "management accountant" on mining, which is a step down for me, but would get me "mining" experience on my cv, and would be a big advantage for the high paying mining jobs.

2. Most mining jobs are FIFO, ie, fly in fly out. Usually you fly into the mine(company pays), then you stay there for 8 days, 12 hour shifts, company pays your accomodation food & drink(not alcohol obviously). Then you fly home on the 8th day, and spend 6 days at home. Thats an 8/6 roster, some are more(like 20/10, or 3/1(weeks)). If your not used to this, people tend to pack it in after a few months. Which is a big pain in the bum for the company, as they made the effort to train you up initially. So, they are reluctant to hire new guys, as regardless of all the promises, it doesnt suit some people. Depending, it can also put pressure on your marriage, and is best suited for young single people, although I know of mature couples who do this, but they are well used to it. The good thing is, its great money, and if you do it for say 5 years, you can then buy a house out-right from your savings.

My skills are accounting based, or business based. Im hoping for a job as a Commercial Manager, but its likely I will have to step down to a management accountant, as I need to get "local" experince, ie Aussie experience on my cv. This is a significant issue for all new immigrants, and it can be very disheartening, and frustrating, as the recruitment consultants I meet couldnt balance a cheque book, yet they are telling me I cant do a job, which I know would be a simple task for me. An example, is I was a Financial Controller back home, and a recruitment consultant asked me if I was any good at budgets(despite it being listed on my skills). To me thats like asking if I can add using a calculator. Its a very simple task. But she didnt have a clue, and yet she was placing accountancy positions.

I dont know anything about a CAD draftsman, its not my area, but I do know(ie. I know some architects) that architects are highly underpaid here, but thats a local competition thing(ie. too many architect companies, not enough projets, and they are undercutting each other). However, if you can work engineering type CAD, then maybe you will be fine. Also, near Fremantle, I know someone in boat design, and there's a big navy base near Rockingham, so that may be something for you to look into. But really you should start another thread on that, as I dont really know about CAD.

Either way, you should assume that you will be unemployed for 3 months minimum, up to 6 months. And allocate a budget based on that. I dont know about your Wife's skills, its not my area. So I dont know how long it will take for her to find work.

On Brisbane, I like Brisbane also, but I think my blog was a bit too rosy. There are significant traffic issues in Brissy, and it gets to be a pain. I lived in Ipswich near Brisbane, and liked it there, but there are few jobs, and its a long commute to Brissy. I believe the wages are a bit lower in Brissy also. However, Brissy has the Gold Coast(bit young & wild, with theme parks) & Sunshine coast(relaxed & casual, great for romantic getaways) on its door step, which is great for weekends away. Also, you have to like humidity, which living in Philippines for 8 months I was used to, so it didnt bother me(except some days).

For the record, im 32, but iv burned out my party lifestyle, and prefer a good chat in the local over a few beers.

smidsy

I agree, but thats literally the time the train takes from sitting on it, to getting off it. Commuting from Rockingham to Perth, including finding parking at the train station, waiting on the train etc. Id say your looking at a minimum of an hour door to door, but probably more. Do you agree ?

Keefo

When you say if you do not find a job and you will be off, do you mean to Melbourne or back to this sh** hole lol ......also how do you like a comment on these sites

smidsy

Melbourne or somewhere else. I dont think you can "like" comments, just "karma" someone.

verystormy

As someone that works in the mining industry maybe i can throw a little light on things.

Most of what is said here is correct and it is certainly true that a lot of guys come into it thinking they will be fine being away from families but then find they cant do it. Personally i love the 8/6 roster as it works out 7 nights away and 7 home and the 7 home are good quality time.

There are a lot of jobs available in the industry at the moment, but most are for experienced staff or certain trades and proffessions. However, you can get work as a new green miner though it will take perserverance. Have a look at web sites like infomine.com in the careers section.

However, there is one thing that i do need to make clear. The thought of big money is a myth. It is not badly paid, but it isnt great paid as a new person to the industry. For example, the classic entry point job for a underground miner is a truck driver and most companies will take staff that have never driven a truck before and train. However, the starting salary on this would be about $75k for doing 2 weeks on 1 week off with a week of days and a week of nights and your not likely to see much improvement on that for a couple of years. There is big money to be made down the road, but it can take a very long time to get there. For example, a jumbo driver (someone that operates a large machine with two big drills on it) can make $250k a year. But it normally takes 5 - 10 years before you get the chance to become one. In the mean time the pay will be just "ok".

This is by far the biggest reason new people do not stay in the industry. They come in thinking that they are going to make big buck quickly. Then they get to site and find that to get good money is going to take a long time and so leave.

smidsy

Thanks for clarifying verystormy. My post is based on rumour, innuendo and word of mouth, so its nice to have someone who knows clear up a few things.

I have heard that loyalty is rewarded in the mines, and as you say, a person who is unskilled, the company will train up if they do their job & stick with it.

For unskilled labour, even the potential of earning $200k+ after 5 years is a significant opportunity, when you compare it to something like retail. So its not completely incorrect to say its big money. If you started at age 21, thats mega money for a young chap.

Iv been trying for 8/6 roster on-site accounting entry level positions. But no luck. Also work in the Perth head office, but no luck either.

verystormy

Yeah, you can build a good career in mining if you stick it out. Though being away from home isnt for everybody and a lot of people cant stick the boredom of truck driving. Open pit is the worst as you drive down a spiral, get loaded, drive up at less than 5km an hour, dump the load and start again for 12 hours. Underground is a little better, but still very tedious.

This tends to combine with the odd moment everybody has of hating being away. I generally love it, but even i can have a moment where there should be something big happening social wise at home one weekend and i cant be there.

With accounting, certainly on site you will find it a struggle simply because of the numbers. Even the biggest mines usually only have one accountant on site.

Have a look at the industry job web sites like jobs4mining and infomine.