Considering Brisbane??
 

Hi Guys,
I'm new to this forum and really after some help. My Husband and I are considering moving to Australia with our two children who are 4 and 2yrs. On initial research we were considering Perth but have recently been put off from a seminar that we attended. Now looking at Brisbane or Gold coast. My Husband is in talks with a company as we are needing to get a sponsored visa. He works in Recruitment and I am in childcare.
Can anyone offer any advice on what its like to live in Brisbane, good areas to live with kids for schools, parks, beach etc.

Thanks
LLoveys79

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

Look at the north brisbane areas of redcliffe, Woody Point:thumbup: if you want beaches. These are flat safe beaches not the surf beaches of sunshine and gold coasts, SC is about 45 mins from that area. Masses of parks beaches down there, miles of riding tracks etc.

Good thing with north brisbane is it has a huge amount of development planned so better chance of work. Childcare workers are in demand but honestly its not that great pay or so I am told.

Housing in the above areas is very very cheap, you could pick up a house minute to the beach for upwards of $300,000. Fraction of many other states and they are not flood areas and a rail link is planned for the area.

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

We originally stayed in the Bayside region when we arrived and if we didn't have to live in the Western suburbs we would definitely be living there.

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

If I didn't live out in the sticks halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast I'd also live up near Redcliffe and the surrounds.

If the rail link ever happens it'll be even more of a growth area.

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

Thanks guys I'll take a look at those areas. Do you know if they have an expat community?

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

If you want to be around British people why are you coming to Australia? :unsure:

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

As soon as you get involved with schools and prep etc with young children you soon make friends, there are lots of us Brits everywhere but you won't have any trouble meeting people, depending on your budget and where you hubbie will be working determines where you will end up settling I expect but Brisbane in our experience is a great place to bring up children and to enjoy a great climate (most of the time).

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

Up north towards redcliffe, maybe even sandgate as there is a train station to Brisbane or out east to Wellington point, manly, would be for me. Instead I am half way between bris and gc, jobs won over location for us.

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

Oh and redcliffe and Wellington point areas have lots of expats. In birkdale, bayside area of brisbane there is an English chippy, Indian and shop!

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

I love the Gold Coast (not Surfers Paradise though). Lots of people don't, but I and many others do. I find the bayside area nice but a bit quiet. Sunshine Coast is nice enough but too far for me to commute and not enough job opportunities.

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

Those areas are miles away. One of the attractions for me about Brisbane is that you dont have to live an hour away from the CBD to be affordable.

There are nice areas a lot closer to the City, but you will be near the river not near beaches. not sure how keen you are on beaches.

Any idea where the likely job will be?

I have never lived in the Gold Coast but I dont think I'd want to.

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

Each to their own, Surfers is not for me, but where I live (Hope Island) suits me. I work in Brissie CBD but wouldn't live there.

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

Indeed, living 'on the Gold Coast' does not have to mean being surrounded by concrete, crime and glitz.

There are plenty of nice areas away from the crowds (and the Poms ;)).

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

It's got many fantastic places to live up and down the coast, it is a different world, we loved it. :thumbsup:

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

I wouldn't mind living on one of them posh estates in Sanctuary Cove.

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

You're welcome to it, it was all sweaters draped around the shoulders and manicured trees last time I looked :blink:

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

We were keen on a house in Sanctuary Cove but the Body Corp fees put us off. We bought nearby on Hope Island and visit the cove regularly, its a bit plastic but so am I, I suppose ;)

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

I don't know which is worse, Sanctuary Cove or Sovereign Island. :confused:

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

I recently (about 2 months ago) moved to Brisbane from the UK with my wife and 2 young kids and work in Toowong.
I settled on living in Taringa, which is fairly pricey, but seeing as I can walk to to work I haven't bothered buying a car yet and when I DO get a car, I won't be using it for commuting, so will save lots of money that way.
Taringa, Indooropilly and their surrounding areas are lovely and loads of facilities and very good schools as well.
That and there's loads of public transport to wherever you want to get to as well. The city centre is very close and accessible.

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

....as long as your not moving to Oz to ever see a beach!! I lived in Taringa and hated it!!

No-one can tell you where a nice place to stay is cause its so personal - my advice - for what its worth - is don't sign a lease longer than 3 months..!!!

Least you have kids so you will make friends.......:nod:

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

We have gone to the beach with no problems. IT's not THAT far to a beach and you don't even need to drive there, the public transport is great here.

Yes I suppose it's down to expectations and what you feel is too far to what you're looking for.

Good luck finding a place that will allow you to sign a 3 month lease.

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

Six month or one year rental would be the best idea, After that time you should have a very good idea of what Brisbane and its surrounds are like before committing to buying. There will be numerous threads on here related to life in and around Brisbane for you to read. - Good Luck, 100's of Brits come here every week !

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

Work out where work is and make the commute as easy as possible for you. Toowong is a good spot for public transport to the city. If you have to drive along Coronation drive as part of your commute I promise you it will make you weep. One aspect of Brissy I dislike is the lack of decent beaches - Nothing like as good as Perth, Syd or Adelaide. Northern suburbs (redcliffe etc) are lovely and the beach is quite nice. Great beaches can be found within an hour - hour and a half drive if the traffic's O.K

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

If you live in Toowong and work in the CBD, you could easily cycle into work.
There's a very nice wide cycle path/footpath along the banks of the river.

It'd only take 20-30 minutes to cycle in. But yeah I agree, driving into the CBD along Coronation drive as a commute is not nice.

You can use www.translink.com.au to plot journeys using all the available public transport as well, it's very good, we often just use public transport instead of driving, especially when going into town for a shopping trip.
The kids love taking the ferry into town along the river from Toowong.

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

I'd rather a longer commute than be forced to live in Brisbane.

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

I live in Toowong and it is a lovely area to raise a family.

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

If you live near the busway you can have a really quick commute and not have to live in the city. If I could afford to buy a house (Ha Ha Ha!) I'd try to buy one where I could walk to a busway or train. I commuted from Mount Gravatt to Toowong for a year and drove. Coronation drive twice a day nearly broke my heart. It's a really short distance off peak from my house but you never knew what the traffic would be doing or how long it would take, particularly return journey after 4 p.m. When it rained hard, there was an alarming tendency for people to drive into each other... Sheer frustration caused by desperate queues and so many traffic lights.

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

We drive to the CBD from Hope Island on the Gold Coast daily, the commute is a real pain, about an hour each way but its a beautiful place to live, the train is a nightmare though.

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

We live in Cleveland and have done so since moving here almost 8 years ago.
End of the train line to Brisbane (about 1 hour in aircon train to Central Station) or 35 mins drive by road (outside rush hour).
Good schools; easy to visit North Stradbroke Island (beautiful beaches and scenery) as the ferry leaves from Cleveland; 45 mins to the Gold Coast; 75/90 mins to Caloundra / Mooloolaba.
We rented an apartment in Brisbane for 2 weeks when we arrived to give us time to sort out a 6 month rental, buy a car and organise furniture etc for the rental. We then bought a house which we still live in and have settled well finding friends through Bushwalking Club, Bowls Club and work (Nikki!)
Good luck with whatever decision you make - but remember you can always move if a place doesn't work out for you.

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

Trains are pretty reliable, but unless you live within 5-10 minutes walk of a station parking at a station can be next to impossible after 7-7:30am.

There are dedicated busways running both north and south of the city, but the same parking problem exists.

Don't even contemplate driving into the CBD unless your job contract includes guaranteed parking - and even then the traffic can be a nightmare (though if you are coming from a major UK city you'll probably think it's fine!). All the major roads into the CBD clog up after 7:30am and from 4:30 pm - and a stupidity (I refuse to call them accidents) will turn any road from a snail to a car park..

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

I agree. The train, citycat, busses and major bikeway from Toowong make the city very accessible. The area also has some of the cities best schools, some great streets with lovely old character homes, the university, mt coot-tha, pubs, cafes, shops etc. It is a great area of Brisbane imo but would need more info to know if it was right for you...note that Brisbane is a river city, not a beach city, so if you love the beach I wouldn't recommend it, except maybe redcliffe.

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

Hi,I'm also new to the forum
Me an my husband are trying to make our way out there we are finding it difficult to settle on a place to go. we originally was settling on Perth until we got told it's not good at the moment for bricklayers so I'm just wondering if this is the case all over Australia,iv read the above and noticed brisbane is looking quite promising,we also have children to think about so good parks and schools so we can settle in and make new friends and meet other families
Any suggestions would be great
Thanks

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

Hi Dominich1981 and welcome to the forum. :)

I hate to put a downer on things but do you have a visa or do you know if you entitled to one?

Have a look here, which will give you a start. Apologies if you have the visa side of things sorted. If you do, if you let us know what sort of visa you have / are applying for, we can help you further.

See how you go. If you get stuck you can ask question in this forum. Good luck.

Enjoy B.E. :)

Re: Considering Brisbane??
 

Hi,we have passed the point scheme,we are wanting to start the process soon as but my wife is wanting to find a suitable place to go first where's there work an also schools,
With the visa side would you suggest going with a company or doing it yourself ?