pepto

Hi all,

I have been reading here for quite a while but this is my first post.

I will be moving to Australia at the end of the month on a 457 visa and have been planning everything based on a job offer in Perth with a $120k base salary with possible bonus of up to 4 months pay and super on top.

My fiance and I have been planning the move and she is particularly happy to be leaving London and heading to the beach as she is originally from a place with a beautiful ocean and sub tropical climate and can't wait to ditch the jumpers and jackets and get back to the bikini.

However, at the last minute I've been given the option of moving to the Adelaide office on the same salary.

From my research so far my opinions are-

Perth
1. More beautiful beaches closer to the city, clearer and warmer water.
2. Better all round weather (not as cold in winter)
3. Bigger city and more multi cultural
4. Close proximity to Asia and less time difference between the UK
5. Personally for me I would be part of a large office of people, giving me the opportunity to meet people right off the bat
6. Booming business centre with decent opportunities for my fiance to get a job speaking her native language. Not so much chance of this in Adelaide.
7. Bad traffic but quite good public transport
8. Extremely expensive, especially rent in a place like Subiaco where we would be looking to live. 120k will not go very far.


Adelaide
1. Much cheaper to live. The 120k would go a lot further.
2. Much closer to the east coast cities and in general more things to do in the area with the festivals, hills, wineries, Kangaroo Island (not sure if this is true because I have heard that both cities can be quiet and boring)
3. For my situation the Adelaide job would be less interesting and would be in a small office with only 3 people, but I would have the chance of becoming a branch manager in a few months which would theoretically give me a quicker career progression.
4. Not a big commercial centre for international companies and so my fiance would find it harder to get a job...although this may be a moot point as we intend to start a family in the next few years anyway.

Now I am having to make the choice in a very short time and any feedback you can give would be a big help, particularly if you agree or disagree with any of my comments above or have any others that you think are worth knowing about.

I'm particularly worried about cost of living in Perth and if Adelaide can be a good substitute for things to do in our free time (beaches and outdoor activities).

Thanks!

Molly Coddle

Hi there Pepto


I would choose Adelaide. For the simple reason you would be financially better off. Just my 10 cents worth.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

rasen78

We enjoy Adelaide. It doesn't really get THAT cold, although nights can be chilly. But during the day, in winter, it is rare that you wouldn't be able to go out and enjoy some time outside. The sea can be cold at that time of year, but nothing like the North Sea or the Atlantic in summer!! There are some stunning beaches here and a good variety as well. Most are sand, but there are a couple that are shingle, so good for exploring rock pools, some are better for snorkelling, others for the waves etc. I have seen volleyball, kayaking, surfing, kite surfing, cricket all played at the beach, oh and some hanggliding too. If you have any more questions about Adelaide, just shout up

pepto

Thanks Molly. That is probably the best way to go but I am still a little nervous because we have done so much research on Perth but don't know much about Adelaide at all.

Is it really that boring?
Are the beaches so much 'worse' than Perth?
Does Adelaide have somewhere like Subiaco or Leederville within 5km of both the CBD and the beaches whilst having cafe's/ shops/ markets in walking distance?

Ah, so many questions but so little time...just got an email telling me that they are expecting my decision today and they are going to call me shortly.

Decisions decisions!

pepto

Thanks for the comments, much appreciated.

It does seem like the weather difference really isn't so much.

About the benefits issue, we had originally planned to start a family immediately but once we found about this we thought it would be better to wait until permanent residency and have my fiance work for a few years. In Perth the second salary would be a big help.

If we go to Adelaide I think that it would be more difficult for her to get a job, but it wouldn't be so necessary because we could survive a lot more comfortably on one salary.

I'm not sure if you know Subiaco in Perth but it is a nice suburb around 5km to the CBD and the beach with lots of cafe's and a nice main shopping street. Do you know any suburb like this in Adelaide?

Thanks again for the help!

old.sparkles

I'd probably head for either Glenelg or Henley Beach. I like Henley, but then I live in Grange and can walk along the beach (and we have a café on the beach at Grange too but only a couple of shops )

pepto

Thanks, looks nice but can get expensive if you are close to the ocean!
Any idea what Thebarton, Underdale, Mile End areas are like? They all look reasonably close to the beach and the CBD.

old.sparkles

Haven't been here that long to say - not heard anything bad. Rent wise we pay $340 for 3 bed place - a friend in Henley pays $280 for 2 bed townhouse - so cheap enough when renting to have a nose. There are some smaller units at $300k mark when buying, but you'd get more for your money further out and if you're gonna drive to the beach does an extra 5 mins matter.

EvannTel

Perths not that much more expensive. You're talking as if it's many times more, it's not. Housing wise you can pick and choose. Yeah Subi is great and that's why is expensive. You've picked one of the most expensive suburbs in Perth, why not move out a little and commute in? Personally I'd pick Perth but I've never lived in Adelaide only visited on business and while Perth is quiet compared to the east coast big 3, Adelaide I found even more quiet.
Lots of people (families) manage on way less than you're on. Also you're guessing cost of living against quality of living.
While you've listed some good pros and cons, I sense this does only come down to money.

KJCherokee

Nowhere in Adelaide is really far from a beach unless you are up in the eastern hills. Beaches are very different to the Perth ones as they are on the Gulf of St Vincent with few waves (and no surfing), but if all you want to do is stroll on the sand and have a swim they are great.

In my opinion Adelaide has far more variety than Perth - not so much in the city itself as in the things available within an hour's drive.

pepto

Cheers for the feedback, good to get an opinion of someone in WA!

You are right that I am doing a lot of guessing, but I don't have much else to go on other than what I have read online and been told by a few people I know who have some experience (most of them Aussies actually).

I wouldn't say that money is really the number 1 priority directly...but our happiness in a country thousands of miles from either of our families is, and this is of course affected in some ways by disposable income and so they are related.

I had another chat with the guy recruiting me today and they have given me the option to move out to Perth in 2 years if we don't like Adelaide which seems like a nice option.


Thanks for the feedback, with the flexibility the company are now offering me regarding moving on to Perth a few years later if we want I'm now getting closer to making the decision on Adelaide.

paddyo

I live in Sydney and so have no knowledge of either to live, but, I absolutely LOVE Adelaide!! Great city, more like a big town, and some fabulous suburbs...my favourite being North Adelaide with its wide tree lined streets and great bars and restaurants. I would love to visit Perth, but, live there I am not sure. You are so far away from everyone else, I can drive to Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide all within a day....no breaks and kids screaming!!
Perth is expensive because of the mining boom and you have big houses, in nice areas but populated by bogan miners who have all cash and no class....generalisation I know but worth mentioning! Recent programme on TV here stated that Perth is the most expensive for leisure and dining out.

the troubadour

Subi in my view is over rated. Last time there noticed a number of business premises closed. I live close to Subi but more towards the city. Definitely prefer inner city living to the bland burbs, but it does come at a shocking over inflated price now days.

I rather like Adelaide. Especially The Hills, but also the Market in the centre, wish Perth had something to match that.

I do find Perth has a greater multi racial feel on the streets, especially so in the recent five years. Adelaide has but to a lesser extent, then it's three and a bit years since last year.

I agree with another poster Glenelg is a good place as well as Henley. If I was coming to Australia now, I wouldn't be tempted by Perth. It was cheap in 95, long passed. Adelaide not sure if would be my first choice, but between the two a more likely one. Being able to drive to Melbourne in several hours would also be a factor.

the troubadour

Dining out has certainly become an utter joke in Perth over time. People tend to be highly defensive of their city so little changes.

Lots of Bogans but the city workforce has also increased in recent years. In many cases both sides over paid while the rest of us bare the cost.

brits1

If we were going to come back to Aus then I would go to Adelaide, it is a slightly smaller City but seems to have much more culture than Perth did (we also loved visiting the large Market in the City) Handorf was always a nice trip out and we found the beaches to be very nice as well, its also much closer to the other States so much cheaper to visit, its that much more harder in Perth if you get bored and want to visit other States as its very expensive to do that so basically a lot of people never leave WA which is such a shame. If I am being honest and I do not like to offend people about where they live "each to their own" but in a nutshell.....we found Perth/WA to be boring after our first 4 years in Perth. Good luck