kochie

Hi Leah,

I live in Cairns Queensland so maybe I am a bit bias and think it is the place to be. I used to live in WA so know Perth fairly well. The real estate prices have certainly increased here in recent times, although I think the Perth market is much hotter as a result of the mining resources boom. Prices in Cairns are still reasonable though. In our hosted accommodation business we have helped people from all over the world relocate to this area. If there is anything we can help with please let me know. You can check my website.

Cheers and all the best with your decisions.

Tim.

worzel

I feel exactly the same way about Sydney and Melbourne. Tis all about horses for courses.

Amazulu

For me:
Sydney - Great place to visit, shit place to live. London with Sunshine.
Melbourne - Not a bad city. Shit weather. Lots of pretentious people. Good to visit. Not very friendly.
Brisbane - A craphole. Can't stand the place.
Adelaide - Never been so can't comment. Low salaries though.
Canberra - No work for me there although not a bad city.
Tasmania - Never been but little work for me and low salaries.
Darwin - Too hot.

That leaves:
Perth - Booming. High salaries. Great weather, environment and quality of life. Great place to raise a family. Does it for me.

northernbird

Have you been to Houston? I wouldn't bring a pet dog up in Houston let alone my daughters. Humidity, crime like you wouldn't believe but I will give you the fact it is close to a lot of places. Salaries there at the moment would be great for us but nothing would persuade me to go there.

rabsody

Not trying to stir (as I want to leave myself anyway) but just wondering, from an outsider's perspective why you think Brissy is a craphole and can't stand it.

kez81

Yeh, its not the nicest of places but just the easy travelling to lovely desinations would appeal to me we are not in the position to go there so it will never happen but if my hubby was ever offered work there i would go short term for the experience like i said i know quite a few people living there but they are only there for 2 year contracts not long term they enjoy it but have said they wouldn't live there forever.

kezx

kez81

I visited Brissy but just for a day we hired a car when we were surfers and drove up, what it like to live there?? Do you want to leave just brissie or australia, are you planning on trying another state?? sorry im nosy!!

kezx

Amazulu

We just did not get a feel for the place. It's not as clean as Perth, there are no beaches (apart from Southbank which is quite nice), traffic is much worse than Perth too. Most people know what they want in a place to live. Brisbane did not have 'it' for me. Saying that, we did find some nice places nearby where I would like to live but not many.

rabsody

hi kez,

no probs, i'm nosey too!!! i would like to leave australia after seven years here but bit difficult from a legal perspective with two children to australian ex (both born in uk tho). if my circumstances were different, i probably wouldn't mind a stint in melbourne just because it seems a bit more cultured, forward thinking, nicer architecture, more cosmopolitan etc.

brissy has some great plus points - weather being the main one - but the suburb i live in is very much four wheel driving, bible bashing, blue rinse so, to some degree, that flavours my overall impression.

i think overall i've just had enough australia and need me a UK/family fix!

rab x

rabsody

I'm happy with the cleanliness (tho admittedly haven't been to perth, but in comparison to uk) but I 100% agree with you on the traffic. Whoever designed the road system in this place needs a belting!

Also we are seeing big and quick changes here with the surges of interstate migratation here. Everywhere seems a lot more crowded, both people wise and traffic wise than it was even a few years back but I'm happy 'cos the Sydneysiders and Melbournians are bringing a demand for decent restaurants, bars, shops, buildings with them so a bit of sophistication is rubbing off on the Backward, whoops, I mean "Smart State"

melaniee

which suburb do you live in-just so we can avoid ?!

rabsody

hehehe, PMSL!! Kenmore (western suburbs of brisvegas). oops, did I come across a bit harsh?!!!

pommie_sheila

Not as bad as the place I was brought up!! Not saying where in case I cause offence - but let's just say not many people bothered with shoes LOL.
My parents were original 10 pound Poms back in '63, but I was born here in the UK.
My last trip to Oz was in 2002 and stayed for just short of 3 years - reasons for coming back here? long story but really wish I was back in Oz. Am planning to be back by end of 2008

cranni

Leah its something that you have to decide, its a personal thing, and you are going to get all the negatives on here.
Really you do have to make up your own mind, just remember lots of people love it here, they just dont all come on here.
i would not want to live in Perth, but that is because I prefer Bunbury.
Denise

cranni

I don't get the persistent comments about "nice beaches but nothing else to do". We have done more here in 2 years than we did in 10 in the UK. Northbridge nightlife is good, gigs a plenty, loads of events staged for the kids, loads of places to go, lots of things outdoorsy to do....[/QUOTE]

I agree there, we do lots more here than we did in UK, my older kids love Perth, and always seem to be busy, they have a great life.
Denise
ps maybe we are just easy pleased, and with all the troubles in the world , we appreciate what we have, and not what we dont have.