Broad Shoulders

Are you ABCDiamond in disguise?

fish.01

It's taken you long enough

derab

With the "much more moderate, I meant that I find Melbourne to be very similar to Northern France or the Low countries for about 11 months of the year, However in January and February it gets into the mid to high 30's for about 14 days total, possibly 40 on 1 or 2 days. in the winter the usual highs are in the low teens with the mid single figures as the overnight low and overall the relative humidity is in the 30-60% bracket.
So, for an Englishman with history of English winters the winters are mild and the summers are dry and hot which is not too bad.
unlike Christchurch, I have not found any of the Melbourne rentals I have looked at to be under heated, under cooled would be the main complaint with the rentals as air con is a luxury as far as landlords are concerned but good heating seems to be standard.
The main feedback I get from friends who have moved to Brisbane and the Sunshine coast are the whinges about the Mould inside the houses and the Insects and cane toads outside, and thats from Victorians.

fish.01

Yes agreed, for some Brits the cold winter in Melbourne might be moderate, especially initially...I am just talking about closest to the ideal (not too hot or too cold) the most often as people often do acclimatise in time. Being on here a long time I have noticed a fair few Brits complain of poorly heated houses in Melbourne, especially rentals, and some even say the winter is worse than the UK because of it. I'm sure many would not have this problem though...you have to be careful of rentals wherever you end up.

I've occasionally heard that thing about the mould on here. To be honest I don't understand it because in all my years I've never heard anyone in "real life" complain about it inside houses, but it must happen to a few people as I have heard it a couple of times on here, it certainly isn't a big deal...it's a far bigger issue in the tropics I think....maybe they lived under too many trees

We rarely have any insects in the house and if I find a spider in the garden I'm more likely to stop and watch it in fascination than wish it away so I'm probably not the best to comment on that ...I love the outdoor living and nature up here...probably one of the things I would miss most...

KJCherokee

The 30 years I have been in Australia has been split almost 50-50 between living in Adelaide (Edwardstown and Blackwood) and living in Brisbane (Albion and Wavell Heights) and I could happily live in either city but my preference is for Brisbane as far as the weather is concerned. The summer humidity takes a bit of getting used to but as long as you live in a house designed to catch the breezes it isn't unbearable, and the winters in Brisbane beat Adelaide hands down.

In Adelaide we had both heating (slow combustion stove) and cooling (evaporative) in our house and needed both. In Brisbane we have only just had an air conditioner installed, and we've only run it about 5 days this summer so far.

KJCherokee

Considering that Elizabeth (northern Adelaide suburb) was built specifically to house and provide work for the ten pound Poms in the 50's-60's it's not surprising that Adelaide has a high percentage of UK immigrants.

BadgeIsBack

I would say that Melbourne is far more comparable to the South of France. It is too warm in winter to be the North, surely? Overall, Melbourne is not bad, but it is extreme in so far as it gets some of the coldest winters, and hottest days (with wind), without the mitigation of sunny winter days like in Sydney or Brisbane. But some of us like the winters, for a while, and Autumn and Spring can be perfect.

When people say Melbourne is not as cold, they mean snow does not lie around, nor is it bitterly cold, nor do temps fall much below 7 degrees on many days. But it's true that a morning of 7 degrees will feel absolutely cold, and a sweatshirt or a coat is needed!

As for rentals, - it's pot luck. Our rental was cold. Others have ducted.

Zen10

The figures measure people born in England, many of whom came a long time ago and are fully Australian. More lately the bulk of English go to Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne and probably in that order. I've been looking for the figures that showed how more English immigrants go to Brisbane than anywhere else but I can't find them. All I can find are stats referring to what country people "feel" they come from and what country people were born in, which isn't the same thing at all.

As for weather, we all have our preferences, and I find the 38+ detestable, but we're only talking around 10 - 20 days a year of this, and the winters are beautiful. Also, couldn't handle no light evenings in the summer. It's great here going down to the beach and swimming well into the evening and still having sunlight. For me, I know I couldn't live up north for any length of time.

aries

Most of those £10 Poms have left Elizabeth and moved to other parts of Adelaide or elsewhere in Australia, and many have died. The two big local employers in those days were Holdens at Elizabeth and the Weapons Research Establishment at Salisbury. WRE died along the way along with Woomera, so the Poms working there retired or moved on. I moved to another Government establishment in Melbourne.

Bear in mind that a lot of immigrants from the UK also settled in the other states, and with varied nationalities contributing to the explosion of populations in the other capital cities, the Pom percentage has become lower in those places. However it doesn't reduce their real numbers.

Jaycee1

Please don't give up just yet...
We are entering our 4th year here and we've had our ups and downs. We've moved 3 times since arriving and my éxtremely english' husband has only just settled! He was a bit tipsy the other night and said it was the best thing Í made him do' lol.
He would probably returned to the UK up until recently when he met friends we both like through work.
I thought we would be all set up within one year of arriving but its taken much, much longer.
Give it time, give serious thought to moving elsewhere in Aus as others have said before you return to the UK with regret.
Good luck x x x

Almo

Sorry to hear you are having such a rough time. Emigrating is really hard, and I think it gets harder for a while after the first few months - initially it's new, exciting, lots to discover and learn, then that gives way to the reality of not knowing anyone and the differences between home and Australia. You should come out the other side though!

If you really dislike Brisbane then I would certainly consider giving somewhere else a go. You can see from the discussion that many people have strong preferences for different cities in Oz and that the different climates suit different people. You've travelled a huge distance and taken a big gamble, I would definitely not go back just yet.

Also, be aware that you are now always going to have two countries to compare. The curse of the expat is real and it really is a curse. We are back in the UK after nearly 6 years away and happy, but there ARE things that are better in Oz. There are also things that are better in the UK. For me, having lived longer in Asia than either the UK or Oz, there are many things that are better in Asia, too. You will never get perfection in any one place.

Chin up, OP, don't give up just yet. Australia has a lot to offer and you should give it a little longer, if you can.

bingobob777

I agree, the day in december when it was 37c and 12% humidity was worse than any humid day.

each to their own, but for me the weather in Brisbane is one of the best things about it. The thought of being in australia and facing a sydney or melbourne winter just isn't on

Zen10

We usually get humid weather in Adelaide around Christmas, and often some thunder as well. It's pretty much the only time it rains over the summer apart from the isolated downpour. In that time I get a very nasty, short temper and it catches me out every year. I felt the same way in Singapore. Much if the summer here is high 20s and low humidity, which by most people's measure is pretty bloody perfect, but..., but... you gotta be able to handle that north wind pushing temps up and up and up and....

aries

I'm not familiar with Adelaide having a humidity which changes temperament, though certainly from my long experience, the strong northerly summer winds can be trying when the temperature rises. However Adelaide is generally a pleasant place to live, spacious and well planned. How many other cities are surrounded by parkland before the suburbs begin? If Brisbane is creating problems and dissatisfaction, it is better to try other places in Australia before returning to the UK and wondering what if.

asher

get a raid mosquito plug in for the bedroom we use these when we have to sleep with the windows open in summer.

noisy neighbours can be fixed by moving

one idea amongst the other good recommendations already made is to maybe go on holiday to the UK and see if it's a case of the grass is greener on the other side.

whatever you decide good luck