The good thing about floods, as opposed to some other natural disasters, is that the government produces house by house maps showing you where they go (in Brisbane). If you make sure you are well away from those low lying areas there is virtually no risk at all.

Scroll down to the bottom of this (temporary) page to see them: http://lexiphanic.com/floodmaps/

thanks mate

The ACT is often hotter than Melbourne, with similar summer averages but more consistent temperatures, and average winter temperatures are only a degree or two colder. We also have mostly sunny winter days - so even if it's 15 degrees it's a sunny fifteen and you'll find the outdoor cafes are full.
Canberra's summers are hotter than Sydney's on average by a number of degrees, and you never hear anybody calling rainy old Sydney cold!

The whole anti-Canberra thing is largely perpetuated by the childish Sydney/Melbourne rivalry and the whole 'Why did Canberra get to be the capital city?!' thing.

I have always chosen Canberra over Melbourne or any of the other bigger cities. On top of having ALL of the national attractions - Gallery, Museum, War Memorial, Library, Science and Technology Centre, Portrait Gallery, Institute of Sport - we have more cafes, restaurants, cinemas, bowling alleys(!!) etcetera per capita than any other city in the country.

The best thing, though is that no matter where you live, you're close to everything. Though some Canberrans might complain about traffic, that's because they have no idea what big city traffic is like. Every suburb in Canberra is a short drive to the city centre.

Absolutely spot on. Nothing wrong with Canberra.

Go where you get the job I reckon, that's going to be your first challenge!