Simone

No, it's not only an inland thing. It's also a weather/climate thing, and country thing.

Seems there's more when it's hotter, when there's less wind(so not on coast often), and more in the country.

But it's not an exact science

Here around Perth, there's definetly much more(in the summer) when we go for days or weekends into the country.

possoms

Stayed in Ellenbrook 6 months enough said!

Mercedes

Do they have fly infested areas on the map.

Mercedes

I used to live outside Melbourne and had a horse near Warrigal and used to ride up in the State Forest near there. The flies didn't stand out to me as much as they did in WA. Mozzies that stand out to me was on Kepel island I had big bites on me that made me look like I had some disease LOL. I started to eat garlic and they kept away from me.........it didn't keep the guys away though.....maybe I should have eaten more...

Simone

How long were you in WA? Which season, which areas?
It depends on so much, it could have been bad luck.

Mercedes

6 months mostly spring and summer, but mostly around Perth.

janeyray

Hi Simone,

I dont think we chose the wrong suburb to live in. Ellenbrook is very affordable to new Brits, only a 10 min drive to a large shopping complex and only 20 min from the coast. Ellenbrook itself has the same as other suburbs (and lets be honest here, none are actually screaming life are they? It has a video shop, a supermarket, lovely parks and forest walks. Not really sure what it is lacking compared with somewhere else? The Swan Valley is only a min drive away and loads of pub type restaurants.
There, have I sold it to anyone?

I did try for jobs all over, I worked for Telstra in the city, it only took me 20 min drive to get there, no traffic is there in Perth

Our biggest mistake with Ellenbrook was buying without any aircon. When we went to the coast there were less flies but maybe that was the wind? When I say less, I mean only 2 million to each persons face compared to 5 million over in Ellenbrook :scared:

wombat42

All of OZ is'nt like Perth, it is only one small isolated city on the western edge of the contentent surrounded by desert. 90% of the population lives in the eastern states.

possoms

I think you did, and its no cheaper than anywhere else

Mercedes

I think she chose the wrong State. She probably may have liked Melbourne area better, more happening, some great State Forests to go riding in. Not far to pop to the other cities for a weekend.....easier to get work. I travelled from Darwin to Perth (well I hitch hiked) and did the Perth to Adelaide route both by train and coach and know it was a bloody long way to each. I often used drive up to Syndey for a weekend or Adelaide......like you do for a BBQ

janeyray

Hows that then? Have you been to Ellenbrook or even Perth to compare suburbs? Wel lived in Dianella at first for 6 months, it's a wonderful suburb and VERY expensive. most of the suburbs we did like (coastal) were far to expensive for us. Our budget was (in 2003) only $180,000 and to be honest there wern't many suburbs as cheap as Ellenbrook that didn't have some bad parts. Ellenbrook has no bad parts. No hoons, 24hr security, a nice shopping centre, lovely walks and forest etc etc.

They are all the same really, only difference with Ellenbrook is it's surrounded by counrtyside. I love the countryside, being a keen horse owner and rider I spend most of my time in rural locations.

Now give me Hillarys in a massive coastal villa and then we might have chosen the wrong suburb. Everyone chooses to their capabilities at the time. Having only lived in Perth 6 months we were hardly locals.

You get lots of British people slagging off different areas for such and such a reason, we stuck to the advice of an Aussie friend and a 'Mad Auntie' and cousins, the only thing they said about Ellenbrook was that it gets no wind and is hotter than a coastal suburb.

janeyray

Yeh thats more like it!! Maybe if we'd have chosen the east coast we'd have stayed for longer, who knows? Definitely more happening, alive in fact compared to Perth

Simone

We live in the centre of Perth. 5 mins drive to about 4 different big shopping centres, 10 mins to the city, Subiaco etc. A bike ride away from the city, subiaco, King's Park.
10 mins to the coast. There's two local pubs you can almost walk too. We have shopping streets nearby too, with boutique shops(Mt Hawthorn, Leederville). There are pubs, restaurants etc in Leederville. A filmhouse type theatre. A big movie theatre in Innaloo(5 min drive).
Theatres and concerts venues and the Subiaco oval all about 15 mins away.

Screaming with life depends on what you call life, and what your needs are. I have alls these things nearby, but I mostly stay at home, and am happy with that.

You are missing life, though still think Ellenbrook was the right choice? I don't get it... Money, that's the problem. We can't afford to buy a house in this area either. But that's not Perth's fault(because it's still affordable compared to other places), it's people with the wrong expectations.

20 mins drive, that actually suprises me, thought it was longer! There's lots of traffic in Perth, depends what time you are driving and your exact route though.

Yes, there's less flies on the coast because of the wind. As I said, we haven't had nearly any flies around our house at all(and we're not even right on the coast).

Thing is, you didn't like it out here, generally, and you were homesick. Don't have to blame it on all Perth's aspects. A few million people live here quite happily, so it's a persons 'fault', or the situation they're in and came from.
Yes, flies can be annoying in some area's, in the summer, but other people aren't as bothered, or get used to them.
Yes, getting a job as a migrant isn't always easy, or when you have kids, but WA has very low unemployment at the moment, and everyone else I know has been able to get jobs.
Yes, it can get very hot, but other people survive(even without aircon, 20 years ago there were most probably a lot less people with aircon!!), and it's usually only a few days a year it's above 35 for example.
etc etc.

I don't give a stuff if people don't like it here, and move away, or back to whereever. What I don't like is people generalising and/or exagerating, and blaming things that don't bother everyone, but have to do with the exact area people are in, or their particular situation, which doesn't apply to everyone. But everyone does it, I guess(me too most probably), some more than others.

Oh, I don't know what I'm blabbing about, never mind!!

CyndsandChris

We did this agonising once before when we moved to the UK from SA, its hard to do it and you doo feel like you are failing your friends and family by giving up but then you realise that you would be failing yourself if u stayed!

Now we are heading (hopefully) to NZ as our work permit is running out in dec 05 and we don't want to stay here in the UK! (for many reasons listed!)

Good luck and enjoy it for yourselves first and then think of all the people back home who would never have visited OZ or NZ if u hadn't moved!

possoms

Yep stayed in Ellenbrook for 6 months.