asher

having lived in Cronulla in Sydney and Williamstown in Melbourne I can definitely say I love them both. Williamstown and Altona are cheap to rent because they are in the west and near the refineries. But they are great places for commuting as you can go under the Westgate bridge.
Melbourne has more extreme weather than Sydney but it doesn't get the humidity. The cold is fierce near the coast due to a biting wind. Sydney seems to get more rain than Melbourne.
Both places have a laid back beach lifestyle.
Whichever you live in you will find plenty to enjoy.

The Weezer

Auckland! Does not have a train to the airport! Actually the infrastructure is pretty lacking throughout. Although is Auckland a major international city?

I usually post on the NZ board, but since I visited Australia recently, I come on here to have a read.

Back to topic...

fish.01

Redcliffe is a possible Brisbane beach place...like a Melbourne bayside beach rather than a beautiful Sydney beach.

@OP: The bonus of course is that it is often warm and pleasant (20c+) during the day right through winter in Brisbane unlike Melbourne which is only wetsuit surfing or beach walking with jacket weather for a long part of the year.

In Brisbane you can have winter beach holidays/long weekends to Moreton Island/Stradbroke Island for example or drive to Bribie Island. I've even been sunburnt in winter

Re Sydney and Melbourne I love both for different reasons. Both great cities though with unlimited funds Sydney would get my money overall.

Something I always consider was brought up tonight when talking to a colleague up from Melbourne. He said the prices in Melbourne meant he lived 25km out. Because of this he said he experiences far less city life than he did when he spent a few years in Brisbane. Sydney is obviously worse again. It obviously depends on circumstances though.

So even though those cities are more exciting sometimes the expense of them can mean you don't live anywhere near them so they end up duller overall. Adelaide may be a better urban bet on some budgets. Often where you can afford to live in a city affects things just as much as which city. You may spend a lot of your life in a less than exciting satellite suburb far from the promoted stuff. That still might be preferable for some but worth considering I think if you are choosing a place for it's urban stuff.

Molly Coddle

Yep! Will do.
I've been having a good look today. I've also watched a few vids on YouTube of the area, it looks nice.

Do you know anything about the high schools in the area?


I really do like Brisbane and I love the Sunshine Coast. It's lovely there but unfortunately there isn't as much work for the hubby as there is in the bigger cities.

As for city life, I can take it or leave it. I'm used to living in a village with around 150 -200 people, so not much going on really apart from the odd Barn-Boogie
Oh and the Village fair.



Did the camera arrive?











Thank you everybody for your input/advice I appreciate it.

Beoz

Assumptions on weather will bring you unstuck. Ill take Melbourne's longish hot dry summers over Brisbanes long humid wet summers any day. Melbournes short winters are cold and damp but blink, and they are gone.

Beoz

Auckland is a dump. Driving to the airport through suburban streets in rush hour is so last century

Molly Coddle

Which would you choose out of Sydney and Melbourne?

I know you live in Sydney, but that's for work, right?

paulry

I'm rather like that too but the kids yearn to be near a large city. It'll possibly be the same for yours

Molly Coddle

They have never really experienced city life before haven't my lads, I mean we go to London a fair bit but only for a few days at a time.

It will be interesting to see how they react in that environment, hopefully I've done a good job of bringing them up and they wont end up turning towards the darker side of city life.

Beoz

I could live in Melbourne. I like visiting the place which I do regulary for work. I sometimes take the weekend and drive to the coast or up north. Inner Melbourne is great. The suburbs would send me nuts. Then again the western subs of Sydney would send me nuts. I like being near the beaches and the waterways in Sydney. They are very beautiful and there is lots to do. As an irish colleague visiting said to me once 'Sydney is the only city in Australia that is a proper city without trying'.

Molly Coddle

Why would the berbs send you nuts? Do mean because there isn't as much to do there?

What areas are near the beaches in Sydney?

bcworld

I've got no idea what this even means!

Beoz

Some bizarre Irish poetry. He also mentioned atmosphere.

Beoz

Yes. Mowing the lawns all weekend is not my idea of fun.

You may want to look to the north or south of central Sydney. More bang for your buck. That said, you can access the beaches pretty quickly from inland. But dont stray too far.

bcworld

I totally take on board all the comments about Melbourne from the Sydneysiders on this thread...but surely Melbourne is more 'atmospheric' than Sydney?