Re: The Melbourne thread
 

Good luck with everything, and hope your dream works out this year.

You will love the Dandenongs. It can get a bit wet & cold for Australian standards, but its a beautiful place to live. Plenty of space, fantastic scenery & very affordable as well.

I dont think hubby will have too much trouble finding work around here at the moment.

Re: The Melbourne thread
 

Hi, me again, lol

Can anyone tell me what the job situation is like in Melbourne for an electrician these days?

When we were going through the visas process I had read that you have to jump through hoops getting licences etc to work as a sparks once you arrive and it was causing lots of problems for people as it was taking so long to get on courses; is this still the case or has it become easier/worse??

Kari

Re: The Melbourne thread
 

Dont know the exact ins & outs for sparkies, but you need to get all your qualifications re-assesed and you will probably need to take a few courses as well.

Another recent new arrival who is a plumber also has had to go through the same process, even though British qualifications are probably better than the Australian ones. He doesnt seem to have had any problems getting tests/courses organized.

Re: The Melbourne thread
 

Once you get your qualifications recognised, from my experience, a good electrician in Melbourne will currently never be out of work and will be able to charge $70 per hour+.

Buzzy

Re: The Melbourne thread
 

The craziness continues....

http://www.theage.com.au/national/me...ml?autostart=1

Re: The Melbourne thread
 

The Top 10 Riskiest Suburbs for 2009....report by RACV
Some interesting outer suburb new additions in the top 10 list for 2009.

http://www.racv.com.au/wps/wcm/conne...skiest+Suburbs

You can look up the burglary rate for any suburb from the link on that page...

Re: The Melbourne thread
 

Could have told you about Narre Warren and knew it would feature. It was a dump 6 years ago and now it has taken a dive. I feel sorry for the people who moved there when it was farmland and have seen the land developed around them. It's a sh*t hole.

EDIT - apologies, they are not talking about Narre Warren Boganville - they are talking about North and East which are far nicer.

The bogans get into the acreage of the North and East, raid, and escape down the ease of Heatherton Rd and the M1/back to Narren Warren.

Re: The Melbourne thread
 

The vikings of Melbourne they are then !

Re: The Melbourne thread
 

Melbourne gets squeezier !
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/pe...0330-rbhv.html

"MELBOURNE is squeezing up. A record 93,500 more people poured into the city in 2008-09, the biggest population growth any Australian city has seen.

Bureau of Statistics figures have raised dramatically estimates of population growth in Melbourne and regional Victoria, with the city now estimated to have topped 4 million people by July."

Re: The Melbourne thread
 

hey folks;

am so happy to find such a thread , but it seems too long to go through all of it at the moment .. :)
anyhow , i ve just got my VISA few days ago and i was considering my move soon , but actually im still very confused where to go and what to do ...!!!

i was thinking seriously about moving to Melbourne as i heard alot about its upsides , but im still not sure if im gona choose it over sydney ... i think it will depend on job opportunities available , so , i have some questions and appreciate your answers/comments...

1- what about Job Opportuniteis for a Network Engineer [Cisco/Juniper background ]there ? (might be odd to some people but u can neglect it if you dont know much about my technical job specifics ;) )

2- if i am considering a holiday for 2 weeks to validate my VISA during the next 9 months , what the best time to do it (thinking about september)? and what is the cheapest place to stay in ?

3- can i arrange with some employment agencies remotely so i can find a job before moving ? may be arranging some interviews during this holiday time ? is that practically possible ? [if yes , do u know any suggested agencies to contact ?]

4 - what about salaries and cost of living compared to sydney ?

5- if you know any links that compare sydney to melbourne , pls share .

thanks guys .. ;)

Re: The Melbourne thread
 

Which bit of Narre is a shit hole Badge? Serious question....you seem to hate the place and I have no idea why?

Re: The Melbourne thread
 

We are heading off there this Friday for GOOD!!!! - and can't wait!! Have spent time there already and as someone else has said - love the place!! Bring it on - Melbourne here we come!! Am really excited even though I'm up to my armpits in final stages of packing and saying our goodbyes!!!! We started the process 2 and a half years ago and leave the UK with very happy hearts!!!
I and M
PS - Good Luck with your fact finding - stay in touch and we'll let you know how it all goes - the ups, the downs, the pitfalls, and the pleasures - it's always good to have inside info.

Re: The Melbourne thread
 

Couple of pictures of Carlton for you :) + 1 Baby Elephant, Mali, which you'll possibly end up seeing.. from yesterday folks.

BTW thats the Original La Porchettas in the Picture of the shopping strip. Owner died in a Bike Accident last week (Rocky) , plus the Restaurant features highly in Underbelly... Still we love the place. Youngest goes to School at the top of Rathdown St, which is where La Porchettas is.

Re: The Melbourne thread
 

The bit around Fountain Gate. Not all of it.

I just feel there are other parts close by that are a lot better and that a recce is worth doing.

Re: The Melbourne thread
 

Very good. Especially Juniper.

Buzzy