just back from hols
Oct 2nd 2003, 5:34 am
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2003
Location: sunny essex
Posts: 51
just back from hols
Hi all
Just returned from a fact-finding mission. Just under 3 weeks was far far too short a time but work/money/schools etc prevented us from staying any longer.
This was a last minute trip as we were going to sell up lock,stock and barrell and go to Melbourne to a place we had only read about on internet, bookds etc and spoken to people. Thank God we made this trip first.
Melbourne is probably a hell of a lot nicer in the sun, but after speaking to locals and family and experiencing the '4 seasons in one day' for ourselves we now know it just is not the place for us. We WANT a life in the sun, thats the whole point! And I couldn't care less if that sounds shallow - I can add all the other bits on about the outdoor life, opportunity, broadminded people, open spaces for kids etc etc, but at the end of the day it is bloody cold and wet and dull in Melb in winter - just like it is here and for us its not enough to move to the other side of the world and it not be (in our heads) more or less perfect. So we have decided on Sydney. After driving up (12 hours) we arrived in the city at 6.30pm and absolutely fell in love with the city. It is fantastically planned out - loads of park and green spaces, fab harbour, water everywhere and THE best beaches!!!!! (plus it was pretty warm too!)
I'm sure Melbourne is right for a lot of you, but we like a bit of life, we don't like it too be too quiet and I really like the thought of being able to do and see different stuff all the time. Melbourne (the city) seemed pretty small to us but then I guess we are spoiled living on the outskirts of London.
We are all different - what is fantastic for one is no good for another we are all different, but Sydney blew us away!
Just returned from a fact-finding mission. Just under 3 weeks was far far too short a time but work/money/schools etc prevented us from staying any longer.
This was a last minute trip as we were going to sell up lock,stock and barrell and go to Melbourne to a place we had only read about on internet, bookds etc and spoken to people. Thank God we made this trip first.
Melbourne is probably a hell of a lot nicer in the sun, but after speaking to locals and family and experiencing the '4 seasons in one day' for ourselves we now know it just is not the place for us. We WANT a life in the sun, thats the whole point! And I couldn't care less if that sounds shallow - I can add all the other bits on about the outdoor life, opportunity, broadminded people, open spaces for kids etc etc, but at the end of the day it is bloody cold and wet and dull in Melb in winter - just like it is here and for us its not enough to move to the other side of the world and it not be (in our heads) more or less perfect. So we have decided on Sydney. After driving up (12 hours) we arrived in the city at 6.30pm and absolutely fell in love with the city. It is fantastically planned out - loads of park and green spaces, fab harbour, water everywhere and THE best beaches!!!!! (plus it was pretty warm too!)
I'm sure Melbourne is right for a lot of you, but we like a bit of life, we don't like it too be too quiet and I really like the thought of being able to do and see different stuff all the time. Melbourne (the city) seemed pretty small to us but then I guess we are spoiled living on the outskirts of London.
We are all different - what is fantastic for one is no good for another we are all different, but Sydney blew us away!
Oct 2nd 2003, 6:04 am
#2
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Cairns
Posts: 3,918
Hi,
we went out this summer and visited syd, mel and cairns. Didn't like mel AT ALL but when we go again, will try mel again just to make sure that we haven't missed something. We feel like we didn't do justice to the city, as you said, you can only see/do so much in a short space of time. We came home thinking " oh my god, why are all these people moving to mel "? but now we are thinking " Why ARE these people moving to mel "? Have to put our own minds at rest and give it another go at least.
Everyone likes different stuff eh?
we went out this summer and visited syd, mel and cairns. Didn't like mel AT ALL but when we go again, will try mel again just to make sure that we haven't missed something. We feel like we didn't do justice to the city, as you said, you can only see/do so much in a short space of time. We came home thinking " oh my god, why are all these people moving to mel "? but now we are thinking " Why ARE these people moving to mel "? Have to put our own minds at rest and give it another go at least.
Everyone likes different stuff eh?
Oct 2nd 2003, 6:56 am
#3
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2003
Location: sunny essex
Posts: 51
Originally posted by steandleigh
Hi,
we went out this summer and visited syd, mel and cairns. Didn't like mel AT ALL but when we go again, will try mel again just to make sure that we haven't missed something. We feel like we didn't do justice to the city, as you said, you can only see/do so much in a short space of time. We came home thinking " oh my god, why are all these people moving to mel "? but now we are thinking " Why ARE these people moving to mel "? Have to put our own minds at rest and give it another go at least.
Everyone likes different stuff eh?
Hi,
we went out this summer and visited syd, mel and cairns. Didn't like mel AT ALL but when we go again, will try mel again just to make sure that we haven't missed something. We feel like we didn't do justice to the city, as you said, you can only see/do so much in a short space of time. We came home thinking " oh my god, why are all these people moving to mel "? but now we are thinking " Why ARE these people moving to mel "? Have to put our own minds at rest and give it another go at least.
Everyone likes different stuff eh?
EXACTLY how we feel.. I have never met anyone who has had a bad word to say about Melb so I kept saying to other hlf, surely we are missing something here? We spent a full day in the city and went to a load os the suburbs in SE and all the supposed 'highlights' St Kilda, Accland St, Brighton etc but just could not figure it out. we had set our hearts on Sandringham but on going there - just shows you can research all you like but physically being in a place.... its complete madness (I personally think) to emigrate to a completely different country without first visiting.
Oct 2nd 2003, 7:24 am
#4
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2002
Location: Gold Coast- the best place in the world
Posts: 3,196
It must be hard to choose somewhere to live without visiting first.
It is a good job that you did!
If you want the sun have you thought of Queensland the weather is a lot more consistent there. House prices are much lower than Sydney as well.
Hope you enjoyed your hols. When do you hope to return for good?
It is a good job that you did!
If you want the sun have you thought of Queensland the weather is a lot more consistent there. House prices are much lower than Sydney as well.
Hope you enjoyed your hols. When do you hope to return for good?
Oct 2nd 2003, 10:57 pm
#5
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2003
Location: sunny essex
Posts: 51
Originally posted by tinaj
It must be hard to choose somewhere to live without visiting first.
It is a good job that you did!
If you want the sun have you thought of Queensland the weather is a lot more consistent there. House prices are much lower than Sydney as well.
Hope you enjoyed your hols. When do you hope to return for good?
It must be hard to choose somewhere to live without visiting first.
It is a good job that you did!
If you want the sun have you thought of Queensland the weather is a lot more consistent there. House prices are much lower than Sydney as well.
Hope you enjoyed your hols. When do you hope to return for good?
Yes we now think we mustv'e been cazy to have just uprooted everyone and gone over without first having visited! Nothing that you read and no-one that you speak to can really tell YOU how your going to like it. We all want different things from where we live.
I would have loved to have gone up to Queensland but time prevented us. To be honest I'm not even thinking about buying property over in Oz when we go. We are going to rent a unit and it will probably have to be a 2 bed (even tho we have 2 kids). The flats are HUGE and usually have use of a pool/gym etc. We are going to give ourselves 2 years to decide whether to commit to buying a place. I really don't know if it will be for us long term.
But yes the hol was fab and we got home to a letter from DIMA saying we had approx a 50 week wait!!
When are you off? Are you heading to Queensland?
Kerry
Oct 3rd 2003, 6:21 am
#6
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: North Lakes/Mango Hill, Brisbane
Posts: 1,134
We were quite lucky. We seen a lot about Brisbane on T'Internet and when we went there earlier this year to see for ourselves we were not disappointed.
Anybody who does it without visiting first would be mad.
Billabong
Anybody who does it without visiting first would be mad.
Billabong
