akq

Hi everyone,
I had originally thought about settling in Brisbane, but from hearing a lot of people's opinions, I think the summers would be just too unpleasant, particularly for my partner who hates humidity. So we're pretty much leaning towards Perth. Helena, I'd like to thank you for your lovely description of your life there, it really helped me feel like that is where we should go. I'd like to ask people who have lived there for as much practical information on it as possible, please not just "I like it, I hate it" arguments and definitely no more practically incomprehensible juvenile drivel from "pommie bastard"!
What type of jobs are likely to be the easiest to find?
How hot are the summers and how long does the hottest weather last for?
What are the winters like, is there a lot of rain?
Are there many facilities for children?

I'm sure I'll think of other questions but for now that's a starter.
Thanks to anyone who can offer me info,
Cheers, Tegan

Perth Helena

*Jobs: not as good as Sydney & Melbourne but not terrible. Of course, it depends on what line of work you're in. I.T. isn't great, as everywhere, but seems to be improving slightly. Fourth quarter of last year and first quarter of this one were particularly dismal for I.T. There's always a need for accountants and nurses, it seems. And service industry jobs. I've got my name in with a couple of temp agencies for part-time, temporary office & I.T. work and turn down most things because I'd be working full-time if I accepted them all.

I worked in a large financial company earlier this year and most of the temps there ended up working permanently after being offered jobs there. I've heard that a lot of employers will prefer to "try before buying", hiring temps, seeing how they work out before making any commitment. So that might be a way to get a start, in this tough job market. And a good way to get local experience, learn the way things go here, and to see where you'd fit in.

*Hot summers: The first summer will probably be quite rough for you. Don't bother trying to do without aircon - just get it installed if it's not already there - and ceiling insulation too. There are whole-house ducted systems but also cheaper options - wall-mounted units for much less. Worth every penny, plus they heat in winter too. Houses here aren't cosy and insulated like northern hemisphere houses so you feel the winter chill more. Bring some warm clothes to wear around the house in winter, and some warm jackets too. You might not need them the first winter while you're still used to cold temperatures, but you'll start to feel cold when it gets below 20.

Most summers will have one heatwave where temps will be in the mid to high 30's, even hitting 40+ for at least a whole week or two. Last summer was an exception. We never got a heatwave and I don't remember ever getting a 40 degree day at all. The typical scenario for daytime temps in Perth is a few days of mid to high 30's, or the odd 40+, followed by some low 30's or high 20's, up and down, up and down. The afternoon seabreezes kick in around 1pm or later. Try to live as close to the coast as you can, to take advantage of this wonderful relief. Summer temps (30+) will begin early to mid November and go til mid April. It'll still be in the mid to high 20's through til early May, and start up again in mid September. The hottest month is typically February, with December and January, and March being next hottest. But we're talking differences of only a couple of degrees average. Hot is hot, whether it's 36 or 39. You do get used to it though, and 32-35 is now my favourite temperature range.

Very dry heat with the odd humid day or two or three, if there's a cyclone up north. On those humid days I'm thankful I live in a dry climate.

Loads of sunshine and blue sky, even throughout most winter days. Protect yourself from the sun as much as possible since skin cancer is very common here. Kids must wear hats during recess and lunch, otherwise they're not allowed out of the shade. Get yourself Aussie cossies (bathing suits) - ones that cover up a lot of skin. They're actually quite nice. We wear rashie vests - the tops you see on bodyboarders, and board shorts, versus bikini type bathing suits. It's more fun to not suffer from sunburn. Plus you get tanned just going about everyday business. You buy sunscreen in litre-bottles with pumps and use it generously. Not to the point where you look like guano-covered statues, but don't go cheap on it either. Buy the good-value ones so you don't worry how much it costs. Many people go to the beach in the early morning to avoid the hottest part of the day. It's warm enough most summer mornings - 30 by 10 a.m.

Just remembered this site: http://members.iinet.net.au/~jacob/2002data.html
has daily observations of temps in Perth, night and day for the past several years. Gives you a good idea of what happens here.

*Winters: Blissfully short but funny thing, this winter I find it almost too long. I'm tired of winter already and want it gone. Sunny today, 21. Was sunny yesterday, 20. Cold nights though! 2 degrees. Bring any down-filled quilts if you've got them. We find them useful since we don't trust electric blankets.

Rain? Yes, heaps. I believe stats say we get just as much rain as London, but 90% of it happens during June-August. Downpours sometimes. Buckets. Cats and dogs. Monsoonal, rip-your-gutters-off-your-house rainstorms sometimes. And windy. Perth is 3rd windiest city in world, after Chicago and Wellington. Gusts of 100km/h sometimes. They warn you ahead of time though so you can batten down the hatches. Perth also has a "Tornado Alley" between Perth and Mandurah. Very rare though but scary. Most of the rain is very short-lived. Dumps then goes away, none of that constant grey and dreariness. Rain in summer is rare, too rare.

*Facilities for children? Something to check out when you look for where you want to live. If you need daycare, there's usually a place or two in most suburbs. Every suburb has at least one good-sized park with playground plus other small ones. Sports ovals, pitches and such, as well. Tennis courts - although you have to book and pay, which is a drag. Community centres offer child programs (gymnastics, pottery, dance, art, etc.). Swimming pools offer lessons (good idea to have them in that every year to keep up the skills and build confidence). Soccer's quite popular here in Perth, due to many people being of European background (Brits as well as Continentals), so many kids are in soccer as well as Aussie rules and cricket.

That's all I can think of now. Hope it helps.

Good luck,

Helena

willywh3r3

These are questions what we (migrant to be) are looking for!

Rgrds,
Wil

Steve & Family

Hi Helena,

Thankyou so much in spending that amount of time writing such a detailed response, I found it very informative.

Kind Regards

Steve

Perth Helena

Thanks Steve. Although some might say what I wrote was too "fantasyland" and insist that I was on anti-depressants at the time

Honest, I don't take anti-anythings; just thyroid pills and they're not known to cause hallucinations.

Gareth W

Helena,

You don't sound delusional - you just sound happy.

Not a bad way to be !

GW

Aussiemove

Hi Tegan, On the work front, I agree with Helena - I'm in IT and it's dead here. But
in most fields you can find work and the services industry is huge
- people pay for services they would never think of in the UK - lawn mowing,
pool-cleaning, dog-washing - anything. The "white-collar" services - financial
advice, real-estate etc also employ large numbers of people.

It's probably an overused phrase, but kids DO have a great life here, certainly if
they're into sports and the beach. My kids and most of their mates are involved in 2
or 3 sports at any one time.

Unless you REALLY suffer in the hot weather, I wouldn't worry about it
- the really hot stuff never lasts more than a few days and all the other great days
make up for that.

regards Geoff www.aussiemove.com