Merlot

I am wondering how do you pick your first place to live in Australia once you have your visas?

I came here on a WHV and married a Pom/Ozzie 7 years ago. We stayed in Sydney as that is where he was when we met. Then moved to NSW Central Coast in 2001. Great place for families, not so great for anything else.

I often wonder if we had the choice where we would go in Oz and if it would have made any difference to us staying?

We are moving back to the UK in March 2004.

Any thoughts?
Merlot

PeteY

We are settling in Mount Gambier for a year or two, as its where my wife is from, and her close family are still here. We have managed to get work here (through friends), and its a really nice little town. Rural enough for me, and town enough for her

We'd both like to try somwhere in the top end when we depart the mount, but i suspect we will return.....

So to answer your Q.....it was mainly because we knew ppl here.

Cheers

Pete.

bondipom

Similiar to myself. I met the Mrs on a WHV in 97. She is from Sydney and likes the Eastern Burbs. I certainly enjoy the Eastern burbs but I am not here to escape the rat race and find a rural idyll.

renth

I came to WA on a WHV in about 1987 because a couple of my English mates had worked at Observation City and told me

"if you go to Australia, don't do what everyone else does and just do the east coast, Perth is great"

So I arrived in Perth. I ended up spending 8 months in WA, in various places like Perth, Kalgoorlie, Broome, Kunnunnurra. Then the other 4 in the NT, QLD and NSW. Travelling around on my 600cc Suzuki trail bike.

Came to the conclusion that one day I wanted to come back and live in Perth.

Brisbane was a close second though.

jat

i arrived in sydney (as most do) on a WHV - although i had been living in london and loved it sydney did nothing for me at all! after 5 months i was offered work for my old uk company in melbourne so moved here 4 years ago.. i love melbourne but ive had enough now and it will never be home for all the normal/obvious reasons... ive been to brisbane on holiday and it did nothing for me but prob not long enough to give fair judgement - i go to perth to visit friends and love it their and theirs a very small chance i will go over there to give one wee last chance in april - although not sure that it will really be any different! i would definetely advice people to go to perth! i had that advice 5 years ago also in london!

i prefer perth to any of the other cities but then again living there may be different - i love the uk/europe and london!

Luke I Amyofath

draw a big picture of australia on a sheet of plywood, cut around the coast with a jigsaw.
Then close your eyes and place a pin anywhere on the map as long as your thumb that pushes the pin in is along the edge of the plywood.
You wouldnt want to live anywhere away from the coast !!

owieb

I'd not really heard of Perth; infact all I really knew about it was that it had good winds for kitesurfing and nice weather!

I'm a man of simple pleasures!

jat

Hi owieb

whats perth like to live in - would you recomend it?

NickyC

Also came on a WHV but in 1979 (pioneer, me!). Landed in Melbourne where I had friends and actually liked it there but travelled on to Sydney for a look.

Took a taxi from the airport to Vaucluse where I had some accommodation organised via a friend of a friend. Taxi lost a hubcap on Heartbreak Hill at Rose Bay so stopped to pick it up. That view that day down the Harbour is what sold me on Sydney, the sun was shining, the water was sparkling and all the jacarandas were out. I remember thinking 'this'll do me' - and I'd not even got out of the cab! I was alone and didn't know a soul but 24 years later, I'm still here.

I did later spend a bit of time in Perth but once you've experienced living in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney, everywhere else seems tame. Perth is too far, too small, too isolated. Also had an unfortunate time in Canberra for a while. Least said about that, the better.

I probably could have been happy in Melbourne - but really the first look at Sydney spolit the chances of anywhere else even remotely measuring up in comparison!

owieb

To answer your question simply; as there are loads of posts about the pros and cons of Perth. I love it here.

Would I recommend it? Probably not as everyone is different and I want it all to myself!

To me Perth can be summed up by the following: "you'll get out of it, what you put in it".

Aashi

Anyone can provide the comparison chart between Sydney and Melbourne wrt
1)Quality of life
2)Employment opportunities
3)Cost of living
4)Real estate prices
5)Short term/long term option
6)Good for singles/good for family (children education)

Bluey

Where to choose, Mmmmm.

If you like it Hot and Dry - Adelaide
Hot and Wet - Brisbane
Cut of from civilisation - Perth
Is Inbreeding your thing - try Darwin
Do you have an inexplicable liking for the Mullet - Tasmania
If you love good neighbours - Melbourne
Have no sense of adventure - Sydney
Leave your options open for the future - Alice springs

Apparently, that is the official method for choosing.

Stacey Jones

LOL

sjn2003

24 yrs !! I bet that taxi fare has cost you a fortune

We're off to Sydney because we both like big cities (at the moment) and that's where I think there are more job opportunities for me.

But if it doesn't turn out that way we'll try somewhere else.

bondipom

The views from Rose Bay, Vauclause and Dover Heights are spectacular. If visitors are over I normally take them to the Gap (not to jump) and for take away fish and chips from Doyles. The restaurant is overrated and expensive.