sula

Visit the Gold Coast Hinterland, it is really fab and not too far from Brisbane. We are treating ourselves to a few days at Crystal Creek Rainforest Retreat in April.

http://www.ccrr.com.au/

Good luck with your visit.

Make sure you have some time to relax and enjoy yourselves.

Sula

RAG62

Hi Lynn
I think I understand. When you move to Aus it is academic whether something is more expensive or cheaper than it would be in the UK. You will be paid in AUD and therefore spend in AUD - the price you pay is relative to your income as to whether you regard it as value for money. After all you do not compare UK prices to those in, say, China to see if you are being ripped off.

You just need to get a feel for the cost of living relative to the income you will be earning. From what I can gather from others, some things you pay more for compared to the Uk, and some you pay less. Overall it's about the same but incomes are perhaps lower than UK. I am working on the principle that overall there is not much difference.
Richard

lynnlovessun

Thanks, I get what you mean. I still think it will be hard to stop converting - I did it the whole time I was on holiday! i.e petrol is so cheap in Brisbane, but now you have got me thinking is it!!!?

Lynn

jayr

Petrol is cheap in Brisbane relative to the UK. However, if petrol gets to $1/litre I thik that is expensive. Brisbane petrol is subsidised by 8c/litre. When I crossed into NSW (where it isn't) I thought the petrol was expensive there.

Sophie Louise

Hi Lynn

I'm off to Brisbane soon too. A couple of my friends have just come back from there whilst their visas are in the final stages, so they're working in the UK for a couple of months before moving back over to Brisbane (hope that makes sense!) They've both said that while they're earning reasonable money here for temps (about £40k between them) they have much less disposable income than they did while working part time doing tele marketing in Brisbane.

While they were there they earned a lot less money, and worked fewer hours (about 4 hours a day each), but they could still afford to rent a flat in Brisbane city, eat out every night (they didn't cook once) and travel around Oz in between jobs. In the UK they are staying with one set of parents (so not much in the way of cost there ) and not living particularly lavishly or eating out, but have somehow managed to end up in debt. And they're both working full time weeks.

My boyfriend (from Brisbane and now living in UK - temporarily...) has also noticed the difference in disposable income from living here and earning quite a good wage, but yet watching it disappear, and living in Oz, earning less, but seeing it go further. I know this is different for everyone depending on job/ lifestyle etc., and it's hard to calculate, but it's looking attractive to me!

We're doing our own reccy trip in March/ April too - guess there'll be a few of us scouting the place out.....

Sophie

lynnlovessun

Thanks for that info sophie - thats really good to know! I have been getting worried as nurses seem to earn LESS (yes Less!) than in UK. And then there have been other threads from people living in Brisbane talking about how things are expensive - from the holiday I didn't find this, but I guess you won't really get a feel for disposable income until you are living there. For now I will keep wearing the rose tinted specs (well we can dream can't we!!?) I just keep saying that it can't be any worse than the UK!!!

Lynn

RAG62

Hi Lynn,
Not wishing to be a killjoy but I am trying to look at things objectively. I think some things will be better and not others. I don't know your personal circs, but for me the UK is good and I would recommend it to others. I am hoping the Aus will be better But if I think it is not going to be right for us as a family then I will have to bite the bullet and stay here. It's easy to get carried away with the visa app process and lose sight of reality. Big decisons - give it careful thought. That's why I'm doing a reccy trip.

Richard

RAG62

Hi Sophie,
Would be interested to hear what your friends think of Brisbane (not having been there before) .....it was not always our first choice for moving to Aus.
I'm flying out 28/3/05.... it may be good to meet up when over there to get tips on things to see/do. When are you hoping to move out to Brissie for good?

Richard

Sophie Louise

Ah, well boyfriend's mum is a neonatal nurse, and his dad is a police officer. Apparently she earns more than him working part time (he is full time) because of the shift allowances nurses get. They both live very comfortably in a nice big house (I've seen pictures!), and can still afford to eat out, come over to the UK, etc.

Rose tinted glasses are good - I'm holding on to those too....!!!

Sophie

Sophie Louise

Well my friends are keen, as they're emigrating there permanently! They went out for a year, and then their temp visas ran out, so they're back in the UK until the permanent ones come through - which should be soon.

My boyfriend grew up in Brisbane (he came over here in 2003) so I'd always assumed he was a bit biased - so it was nice to hear that they were keen too and backed up a lot of the things he'd told me. We fly out on Good Friday, so it would definitely be good to meet up! We're out there for 3 weeks, and hopefully my boyfriend will be giving me the completely unbiased insider tour!!! We're looking at moving out pretty much asap after that - probably May/ June...

Sophie

lynnlovessun

Hi Richard - I know what you mean, but I have already been through 2 years of 'making my mind up'. My husband was always more keen than me until we took our 4 week holiday there last year. I guess you could call it a reccie trip too as I was not going to decide to emigrate to a country I had never visited. While we were there we stayed with rellies - so did not just get a feel for staying in hotels, but a feel for 'real life' in the suburbs on the Sunshine Coast. We visited show houses and even health centres for me. We went food shopping to help Marcs Aunt out. We visited in the most hot/humid time of year (it rained a lot) so I know that I can cope with the humidity and rain!!!. I agree Richard its not a light decision to make, and I know i'm giving up a lot in the UK. I will miss my mum, brother and grandparents the most - I know that life will never be the same again as I know it, but hope we will have a better quality of life than in dull and cold UK. My husbands job prospects get worse by the minute here (he is in the manufacturing engineering industry!). I still think we all have to have 'dreams' even if they are just that (and even if your future is in the UK, its what keeps you going).

Sorry to hijack your thread - it has been very interesting to read - make sure you give us plenty of feedback when you get back.

Lynn
ps Remember to keep those dreams in sight but never lose touch with reality

RAG62

Don't worry I will get my own back and scupper one of your threads

Will give my feedback. Really looking forward to the trip, though being tall, not looking forward to the flight and being cramped up on a Jumbo.
Richard

ali south

we are going to Brisbane too (in March) so lets all feed back, we get home on 11th April, this is our plan

Brisbane to Manly for our first night
basically Cleveland up the coast road to Noosa
Noosa inland to Kilcoy
Kilcoy to Harlin??
south to Ipswich
east to Logan
South to Byron to meet my sister for a day or so of rest
what do you think?
We have 9 days, no kids, we are on a mission to find the place we want to settle in August this year

see this thread for replies
Tara
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=280624

mlbonner

That is about right. My partner has a well paid IT job, flexible, but long hours. His EX is (nurse) ward manager and works 3 shifts a week, but by doing them at night/weekends, she earns basically what he does p.a.

RAG62

Ali South
Thanks for your notes and the thread link. I hadn't got so far as to plan a route map but think I will.
Yes we must compare notes on return.
Richard