Hi all,

I didnt really search this forum thoroughly before posting my query as I would like some specific advice in choosing the right place to move so thanks in advance.

I have been offered a GP job by a corporate firm in Melbourne but they have practices in Brisbane too. Im struggling to decide where to move and was hoping someone could give some advice please.

My passion is for 6 a side soccer either indoor or astro turf, I dont mind sunshine as I dont need a tan and Im not a beach bum but still love the beach and I do enjoy fell running.

I understand Melbourne weather can be appalling at times! but is it that bad (Currently I live in Cumbria where is rains atleast about 3 times/wk)

I'd probably be married before I make the move down under and the practices in Melbourne are in the following areas:

http://www.alliedmedicalgroup.com.au...-locations.asp

Sorry I dont have a clue looking at the map which is commutable etc.

So kindly suggest Melbourne or Brisbane.
The place to be for football or soccer as they call it
The practices to suggest to them which can be commutable.

Regards,

Pepene.

You moderated the thread and you may wish to reconsider in order to get advice.

Like all locations both have their positive and negative aspects. Don't make any firm decisions until you visit and spend time in both places.

Melbourne is a beautiful city, businesslike, cooler, more unpredictable climate. Brisbane on the other hand is smaller and offers a more laid back, easy going lifestyle with easy access to beaches and lots of sunshine.

Try before you buy!

I've lived in both, Brisbane for about 4 years and Melbourne for just over 1 year.

Melbourne weather is rarely 'appalling' - leaving aside last Saturday's little incident! Brisbane probably has more days when conditions are such that you'd want to stay at home or be prevented from doing outdoor activities. On the whole though, Brisbane's climate is suberb...especially winter.

I'd also disagree with the comment that Brisbane is more laid back. Melbourne is a big city with big city infrastructure. There are numerous suburbs around the inner city each offering something different...but you can have a laid back time in all of them, and not have to worry about waiting an hour for transport to get somewhere, if there is any at all!

Can't really comment too much on your list of clinic locations - there are some popular expat locations in there. I'm sure working in a clinic at St Kilda would be, erm, intersting! In a you'd see it all kind of way. If you'd like to be in a more close to the country location I'd highly recommend Eltham.

Oh, and the answer is Melbourne!

Unpredictable and chilly? maybe, appalling? no

That's a really tricky question to answer for a person who we don't know..but if you are passionate about sports in general and football in particular then Melbourne is supposedly the sporting capital of Australia.
it's a great city, family friendly, 'cultured', very well located for getting out and about (beaches, skiing, wineries etc). It's big enough to be interesting but small enough to be accessible (and I don't care what anyone says, we make the best cappuccinos) but it's also expensive, and getting more and more crowded except the infrastructure can't support this exploding population so it does have it's down side.

I was in Brisbane city for 2 days last year and although I didn't get to see as much as I would have liked (had a 2 year old with me), I liked what I saw

To be honest, it may be worth considering an LSD trip (look, see, decide)..

In very brief summary....Melbourne is more of a big city, urban, good facilities, good cultural options, colder, often indoor kind of place. Brisbane is more of a medium city, suburban, average facilities, average cultural options, semi tropical, warmer outdoor weather kind of place. Melbourne the city centre and inner suburbs are the highlight; Brisbane the location lifestyle and year round sun is the highlight. Broadly speaking. Both have some of what the other has...just listed their strengths as I see them.

Indoor football is widely played in both of them so really won't be a deciding factor. They generally either:

- use indoor cricket nets and a big yellow fuzzy ball: http://www.supersports.com.au/index.php?categoryid=15

or

- play proper international futsal rules: http://www.vision6.com.au/download/f...657/futsal.jpg (Indoors)

or

- play proper international futsal rules: http://www.brisbanemagicfutsal.com.a...enue&L2=venue1 (Outdoors)


If moving to Brisbane I would choose Redcliffe over Springfield as it has a nice foreshore walking/jogging/biking path and access to islands etc: Redcliffe

Thanks to all you guys especially Fish 0.1 its been very useful, this is a brilliant forum. Still its sooooo difficult to make a decision but might go with Melbourne as there are more practices as well.

Good luck.

I agree about the last part...unfortuntalely too much of it occurs between 4am and 6am when I couldn't care less! Seriously, Brisbane's year round dark evenings were a big minus for me.

I'm more curious about what you mean by 'location lifestyle'? Lifestyle is obviously very subjective - mine was vastly improved by moving to Melbourne. Location? I find myself in an inner city fringe location now with all the services & stimulus I'd expect that to offer, but about 25 minutes walk to the bay - I can't ask for more than that.

Living in the Melbourne "inner city fringe" is better than the equivalent in Brisbane... because Melbourne is a more vibrant city.

But if you're living in the middle or outer areas, I reckon the Brisbane equivalent is better. The chances are, if you are living in these areas, you have a young/school age family. You don't go out to bars in the city too often, you will probably spend far more time at home. Your idea of "going out" will be going round to a mate's place for dinner, going for a picnic in a park somewhere with the kids, etc.

I don't really know Melbourne at all, only been there a couple of times and I only know the inner area around East Melbourne.

If I pick 15km in a random direction e.g. east, I end up in the box hill area in Melbourne, or the Wynnum area in Brisbane.

If you compare prices between the two, you can see that renting is more expensive in Melbourne... and buying is far, far more expensive. Therefore for the same amount of $$$ you will get to live in a bigger, better home... and if that is where you spend a lot of your time, then it is a very important factor in lifestyle.

In terms of location you will obviously be able to live closer to the Brisbane CBD than you would in Melbourne for the same $$$.

Not sure whether or not my example is really indicative of Melbourne as a whole... as I say, I don't know it well at all. But I reckon it is probably fair to say that Brisbane 5km+ outwards is cheaper than Melbourne equivalent...

Hi OP, I’m a very infrequent poster (last post in Jan 2008! ) but was just reading your thread and could give you some specific advice. I saw one of the your possible clinic locations (st Kilda superclinic), which I actually have personal experience of due to living in St Kilda for nearly 2 years (just moved to the northern suburbs).

The st kilda clinic is a 24 hour bulk-billing (ie purely govt medicare financed) GP surgery. St Kilda has plenty of nightlife so that’s why it’s 24-hour. First of all, St Kilda is a lovely place and I really enjoyed living there – by the beach, beautiful palm-tree lined streets, great cafes etc. We only moved out of the area to reduce our commuting time.

My girlfriend actually used the clinic a couple of times, and while it was not exactly terrible, she did not get the impression it was very high-quality. There always seemed to be a different doctor on call and some of them seemed slightly strange/idiosyncratic. I was also skeptical about some of the treatment/care they provided. If the other clinics run by the same group are also like this you may want to check them out more thoroughly before working there!

Oh and as for soccer – yes there are plenty of opportunities in Melbourne (and Brisbane I presume). I play regular futsal (indoor), and there are venues and organized leagues which are easy to join throughout the city (inner suburbs anyway).

I'd say Melbourne's weather is changeable rather than unpredictable. I'm actually impressed with how good the predictions are.

I mean that Melbourne CBD is a destination in its own right where Brisbane CBD is pleasant but not the major reason people like living in Brisbane. It is more about the ability to visit all the great surrounding area's that the often warm sunny weather permits. It's also the warm, green, lush feeling of Brisbane that some like. Being sub-tropical it is a shame Brisbane doesn't have the long summer nights....it doesn't bug me to the extent I would swap it for a cold winter and long summer nights but I can see why some would.

For me personally, as you know, I love living in inner west Brisbane with the hills, overgrown vegetation, Queenslander houses, sunshine, wildlife etc. But I can also see ultra urban, busy, interesting inner Melbourne being really attractive to others. I really think it depends on your age, things you like and the way a place makes you feel.

I like both but obviously you can't have it all so have to choose which we like the best (assuming you can move). The heavy brick homes of Melbourne remind me of winter and feel cold and dark to me where I love the light, bright, wooden Queenslander homes. For some people brought up in Melbourne the Queenslander's probably look like temporary shacks and brick probably feels solid and substantial.

The vegetation/tree's in Melbourne remind me of ordered British cold climate vegetation where Brisbane feels more overgrown, lush, hilly and wild to me. I remember over summer feeling more at home as I drove north from Victoria through NSW and the vegetation started to turn green and overgrow the gardens across the footpaths. All strange things but I guess that's what growing up somewhere can do to you and maybe why some British feel so out of place in Australia.....doesn't "feel" right.

Ive lived in melb and bris and would say melb and bris are both OK in a aussie city type way. Probably the top 2 choices for migrants IMO.

However this may now be a BIG factor for those deciding, Melbourne's property market has gone crazy, Brisbane would have to be much cheaper, in the Moving to OZ I want the bigger cheaper house/ land /pool /space stakes. That seems to be the main reason for many immigrants and even though we know melb well, house prices there are

I live in Brisbane but for someone coming from Cumbria I would look at Melbourne first. Melbourne is more of a football(soccer) made place compared to Brisbane. You will still get a tan in Melbourne Brisbane is just too hot and you will end up burnt. Melbourne backs onto Port Philip Bay which would be great in the summer months. I wouldn't classify Melbourne weather as appalling even though they had a nice big storm go through there last weekend.

I would still go and have a look; it could depend on the people or office where you are working.