sullivanfamily

Hi all,

I found this site yesterday and found it very useful. We are applying for skilled migration and have planned a trip over to Perth and Melbourne in August. Could anyone answer the following questions for me:

1. Does one city offer stronger IT opp's?
2. Is there cultural differance between them?
3. Does one stand out from the other for children?

Also has anyone use 'Concept Australia' to mirgrate, or do you reccommend ant other angencies.

Sorry for the amount of questions, but I would be really pleased to get some guidence.

Thanks
Fiona

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE PASSED ON INFO REGARDING CONCEPT AUSTRALIA....WE HAVE CANCELLED OUR APPIONTMENT AND ARE CHECKING OUT 'GO MATILDA' . THANKS AGAIN

Gibson

Hi, we are using Concept Australia - the Manchester office. They are worth every penny, we can e-mail/phone them as often as we like and they're always happy to help. The London office though has had a bit of bad press on this site though, they're known for not being very helpful from what I've read! Can't help with the other questions as haven't been to either but out of the two Melbourne would be the city with the most culture....

sullivanfamily

Thanks for your reply. I see Perth is your city if choice, what takes you there? Have you been to Auss before?

I know lots of people who have family/friends in Perth and they all love it. However two Australians have advise me to choose Melbourne. Their reasons were, you've got the beach and it 1hr 30mins to skiing and the city much more diverse. Help...This is a difficult decision as we have two girls, 5yrs and 6months. But I have to say that the prospect of larger homes and a proper garden ( one to swing several cats in ) is enough to take us there. Will you be taking family?

It would be good to keep in touch as our applications go through.

B regards
Fiona

breadman

Cant help you on the migration agent bit as you know,but in the last year myself and family have been too Perth twice , never been to Melbourne though but having been around the world a bit in the RN Perth has got to be one of the best places I have ever been to.I ts very layed back and just how it is described in all the brochures ,my wife and myself both have family there and they assure me that job prospects are very good,having read the local papers ITjobs especially so.

bread

wombat

hello fiona,
we are using 'concept australia' the manchester office , and we are very pleased with there service and good value aswell compared to other angencies that i have heard about.
wombat

MichelleW

when in August are you going? Were going to Melbourne then aswell - research trip!!

sullivanfamily

Hi Michelle,

Hopefully we wil be departing around the 4th Aug. We have two girls 5yrs and 6 mths, So fingers crossed for the flight. There is a part of me that thinks "is it worth spending £5-6000 on this trip or should we save it for when we move out there". But then I'm not sure if I could move so far away without first having a taster. I know that I wouldn't move to Scotland without going to have a look or two. I know that people do it all the time...........but.......I really fancy a good holiday.

Have already applied? When do you plan to move out there? And finally have you been anywhere else in Auss?

Look forward to your reply.
Fiona

brox

We have been to WA twice. Never been to t'other side. Perth is the most fantastic major city we've ever seen. To go up to King's Park and look across the Swan is awsome. You've got the CBD on your left. the Swan river in front of you the zoo off to the right. The view is spectacular. Get to Perth and come to Gibson's surprise party later on this year . Ps dont tell her, it's a surprise!(even though she's organising it herself!!) We are moving about 2 hrs below Perth, Bunbury. WA is VVVV big with not a lot in it. But we love it

MichelleW

Our first choice too was Sydney but weve settled on Melbourne. We go on 16 August, like you weve got children - ages 12, 9 and 8 and am dreading the flight.....We have only just started out, only just applied for stni victoria, but feel, like yourself, we need to go and visit first.

Scoops

We have 3 children, 2,12 and 14 and are looking to got to Melbourne.

How did you go about STNI and what are your professions?

Have you been to Melbourne before?

Scoops

Mandy Bale

We used Concept Australia agents in London back in 2001. Worth every penny and they were very helpful. Everything they predicted happened and they were honest with us. We have now been living near Sydney for almost a year and are loving every minute of it!!

Mandy

Inked

Don’t want to P on your BBQ, but why August?, - Its got to be the worst month of the year we get in Melbourne.

Still suppose seeing it at its worst will make you think just how good it can be. Personally I love Melbourne, I fist worked in Melbourne 10 years ago and now a resident.

sullivanfamily

Hello,

we are getting married on 31st July and thought it was a good a time as any to go over and see the places we might want to move to. Not quite the honeymoon as we will be taking the two little ones. But we can't complain it will be a fab holiday!!

Have you ever been to Perth? And is Melbourne a good city for young kids?

cheers
Fiona

Inked

I’m biased, never been to Perth but I spent a lot of time in Melbourne before deciding to migrate here. All of my opinions of Perth are based on second hand opinions from Aussies I know in the UK that left Perth, so probably not the most balanced opinions. Basically came across as the place for older UK and South African ex-pats. With the consequential racist attitudes, bundled up in an insular community remote from everything. As I said not first hand experience, but it was enough for me to not even consider the area.

IT work, well the whole of Australia, like the UK is suffering from a drop in demand for IT workers, but Sydney and Melbourne are the key areas in Australia for IT work. Another advantage of Melbourne if an IT consultant – as I am, is that its an easy flight to Adelaide, Canberra and Sydney should I get consulting work in those cities.

As for Kids, well what do they need? Melbourne is close to the sea, so anything sea oriented is available. Great hill ranges for horse riding and skiing also surround Melbourne so lots of opportunities for riding lessons and ski holidays during school breaks. Melbourne is also very cultured, so the arts are on the doorstep. I liken Melbourne to London for things to do, but far fewer folk and all much more accessible.

Oh forgot to mention, we used Concept Australia – the London office. They need to learn customer relation skills desperately. Graham in particular seems completely devoid of personality and reminded me a lot of someone that just could not relate to the person he was having to pass information to. Bit like some old school doctors, they give you a fact and nothing more. You are left to interpret what that fact means, and if it bothers you there is no show of concern or support. Cold is the word I am looking for.

MichelleW

we applied for stni via vic gov by email. Husband is a brickie and I qualify as a nurse in 1 week and 6 days (not really counting!). We have applied through my husband as I need a years experience (apparently???). Were going in August to, as it was put, see it at the worst time of year!!