miss_morph

Always thought we'd go to NSW (north of sydney area) if we emmigrated - we have family there so it seemed like the 'safe choice'! now we are torn between WA too since my partner and my brother in law (mass emigration of our 4 families planned) were both offered state sponsorships there.
Example questions:
what is there is WA - it's such a vast state, is Perth the only big city there?! which parts of WA has the best beaches and family life?
affordable housing?
lots of jobs?

To give you an idea of jobs sought - I will be a teacher by the time we emigrate, my partner is an electrician, my B.i.L is a plumber, my mom is a hairdresser, dad = web designer/programmer.

Thanks for your input!
Sarah
(p.s. i'm aware state sponsorship eligibility could change this summer when the SOL list is updated.)
P.P.S - does anyone know how regularly they update the SOL, is it yearly?

mulben

If your comparing Central Coast/ North Coast NSW to any area outside Perth (coastal ) your going to find far more options in NSW
this is because there are only 4 l(Busselton /Bunbury /Albany Esperance ) south of Perth and Geraldton to the north.

Housing is what you can afford (its bl***y ridiculous everywhere )

oz miller man

i have lived in NSW for over 4 years but only ever spent 3 months in WA.
so i can give you the pros about this NSW

having family in the area should be a big plus
north of sydney (known as the central coast) up to the gold coast in my opinion is the most beautiful part of australia with mountains, beaches, rain forests and national parks all the way up.
property is cheaper than perth or sydney.
towns like newcastle, port macquarie, coffs, graffton and lismore are a lot bigger than the regional towns of WA so work is less off a problem out of the city.
the sea is warmer, and not as many sharks.
you dont get the flys like in WA
plumbers and sparks will have to retrain over here so you will need to be near a TAFE (i know coffs and lismore do the plumbing licence course)
you get more entertainment on the east coast- gigs, festivals, sport events.
you can get to the snow easy-fly to NZ or drive down south.
cheap internal flights, so trips to cairns, goldy or melbourne are not out of the question.

but then there are advantages to living in Perth......i just couldnt find them the 3 months i spent there

Gems

If your a teacher Id try getting your qualifications assessed by the NSW and WA first before deciding.

We recently had a few teachers who have experienced problems getting registration with NSW. These teachers have a degree and a PGCE.
NSW registration body, wants them to go back to Uni and do a few units as they think their degree does not cover enough! Have a look on the teachers forum.
Crazy as some of these people have perfectly good qualifications and experience that are acceptable in other states.

Gems

mohogony

NSW is a more intersting place to live, much bigger population and the countryside is nicer and more varied.

Kingseat

From what has been on the news recently and discussed here there are very few, if not no teaching jobs available in WA.

Gems

Have to agree the teaching job situation has changed dramatically in the last 12months. However if your Science or Maths teacher you could find work.

I would seriously check out the NSW registration board before I moved. As you could land and be unable to get registration.

Gems

Howard Jenings

My school in Geraldton employed 22 new teachers at the start of this year, over half of them are from overseas, they now also need 2 new teachers to start next term and some others are definately leaving at the end of the year. Some don't seem to stay long at all, the staff are always changing. The school struggled to find all of the staff!!

verystormy

We have lived in Sydney and now south of Perth (Near Mandurah). Both have pluses and cons. A lot is personal - i love Sydney but my OH loves WA. I am not such a fan of Perth as to me it feels a bit boring, isolated and "conservative".
However, i do LOVE where we live. It is affordable (rent $300 for large house next to ocean with pool). I love watching the dolphins and kangeroos bouncing about and a country feel with Mandurah close by for shops and Perth a easy train ride away.
I do miss Sydney but could never afford what i have now in Sydney.
Perth is more expensive for shopping and can feel a little isolated at times, but WA does have a lot to offer. The Margaret River area is amazing for short break and there is a huge amount to see and do.
The Kimberly is world famous as a place to go and see.
It you want somewhere that feels more like London, then Sydney is the place.

daunted

HI i am living in Australind which is 14kms north of Bunbury. We love it here and settled really quick BUT I am considering moving to the Central Coast area mentioned above once the kids have finished school. As I said its a beautiful part of the world here but I understand what people say when they say we are isolated over here. In the two years we have been here we have been up as far as Shark Bay and down to Augusta and inland as far as Hyden and a holiday to Sydney and Melbourne. All of it is lovely but i do find myself wondering where to go visit next and the East coast does seem to have greater access. Perth is a beautiful city but Im not really a city girl and love the road out at the end of the day! Maybe its just the gypsy in me

Lord_Farquar

I don't think Sydney is that similar to London. Sydney is more like an American city IMO.

Melbourne is the city to live in if you want a more cosmopolitan, European type city.