allisonwantstoemigrate

.....from NZ to Australia!

My previous posts saw me wondering where to go. So the next question is where's the best place - in you opinion- for a single; late 30s woman to head to?

My job seems to be a possibility in most places.....so Perth, Melbourne or Brisbane......which one!

I've lived abroad for four years before but that was Germany....Australia is a little further from home! I don't mind warm climates, just want a new adventure away from here! I'm not really an outdoor adventure type.....but I do like being outside and exploring new places.

Any ideas......thanks all!

Chortlepuss

Don't come to Brisbane if you're after romance. No men. Not sure where they've gone - London? but my single friends have long given up

Bermudashorts

Perth and Brisbane seem to be quite family orientated, especially Perth, I definitely would not move to Perth as a single person. I would pick Melbourne out of those three in your circumstances.

Chortlepuss

Plus Melbourne has shopping, cultural activities and restaurants that open after 9 p.m. Brisbane's great for young families but there is very little night life - I have teens and enjoy QLD but given a choice again, I'd have opted for Melbourne over Brisbane

Dorothy

Have you lived in either Perth or Melbourne though? There are tons of single people living quite happily here in Perth.

I think the first question the OP should be asking is if she qualifies for a visa.

fish.01

Hi Allison,

I am from Brisbane so take that into account in my answer.


I think it depends what size city you like, what weather you like etc.

Size of City

1. Melbourne
2. Brisbane
3. Perth

Indoor Excitement (# of shops, bars, cultural activities etc)

1. Melbourne (by a canter)
2. Brisbane
3. Perth

Outdoor Excitement (# of places to drive to, resorts, islands, ski fields, hinterlands, climbing, walking, swimming etc)

All have great places to go. Perth has great beaches etc but is limited in having no other large population centres to drive to on day trips. Melbourne has snow fields, lots of towns within striking distance etc but is limited by winter weather. IMO Brisbane pips them due to combination of good surrounding areas plus year round warm weather that lets you enjoy it. Very debatable though as they all have great stuff.

Dry Days (# of dry days per year >1mm from www.bom.gov.au)

1. Brisbane
2. Perth
3. Melbourne

Type of Weather (very approx; in no particular order)

Melbourne: long very cold rainy winter; short dry hot&cold summer
Brisbane: medium sunny warm dry winter; medium humid hot stormy summer
Perth: medium cold rainy winter; medium dry hot summer

Access to/usability of good beaches from within city/suburbs

1. Perth
2. Melbourne (weather limits use)
3. Brisbane

Access to/usability of good beaches outside city/suburbs

1. Perth/Brisbane
3. Melbourne

Biggest Urban Vibe

1. Melbourne
2. Brisbane
3. Perth

Cost of housing (most expensive)

1. Melbourne (very expensive for a long way out of the cbd like all big cities)
2. Perth (I think)
3. Brisbane

General feel of place (IMO):

Perth - windy, warm, clean, quiet, beachy, flies, suburban (best guess as never been)

Brisbane - wooden houses, sub-tropical warm and stormy, green, peeling paint, overgrown subtropical plants, suburban

Melbourne - dark brick cold looking houses (~uk), cold feel, temperate trees, not as clean, homeless, urbane, money, shopping, trams, fashion, built up inner city, more exciting

Bermudashorts

No I haven't. OP asked for opinions, this is mine. This is what I would do if I were faced with this decision. I did not mean to suggest that single people are unhappy in Perth or Brisbane.

fish.01

Melbourne has a lot more but am always surprised by the 9pm time specifically in regard to restaurants? Understand that outside the inner city restaurants are closed by 9pm but that isn't the case in inner Brisbane?

bcworld

Melbourne limited by winter weather?

To be honest this is nonsense. Each to their own of course but from my observations a great many Victorians seem to enjoy heading inland where it's even colder than the city in winter! The beach can be ruled out of course, for swimming at least.

Bear in mind, winter maximums are around 14 - 16C. For someone coming from northern Europe this is hardly an impediment to getting out!

There are very few days in Melbourne where we can't get out and about and do the things we plan due to the weather. Having lived in both Brisbane & Melbourne I'd say the rate of cancelling activities due to some combination of heat/cold, excessive humidity, rain is about the same in the two.

fish.01

Not limited in that you can do nothing. You can always find activities that suit the weather....it just limits the range of outdoor activities you can do. There are many outdoor activities that for the majority are more pleasant when it is not cold and/or raining. That still leaves other things of course.

DeadVim

The fact I am married makes the single women in Brisbane unhappy ... I bear this burden and verily it weighs heavy on my shoulders.

Centurion

Not Brisbane. And I live here. It is, frankly, dull and backward.

Melbourne most definitely. Life, culture, fashion and public transport. All of which is lacking in Queensland. We have a girth of redneck dinky-di's though. But nobody wants to seem to take the surplus.

It would be unfair of me to comment on Perth, having not been there, but I will. Remotest city on the planet. Enough said as far as I'm concerned and the testimony of posters over the years decrying it as slow and painful suburbian family death doesn't make me want to visit it anytime soon.

HelenTD

I have lived in all three of these cities as a single woman, albeit some time ago. I don't see a lot of changes in Perth since I first visited. Perhaps Brisbane hasn't changed that much either. Both these cities appear to be family-oriented and reluctant to change (daylight saving, anyone?). I'd pick Melbourne.

Weebie

For a single lady I would go Melbourne but Melbourne still retains its clickyness like the rest of the other cities do.

allisonwantstoemigrate

Hi all,

Thank you for the interesting replies!

I think I'll try and get over for a reccie.....Perth; Adelaide; Melbourne and Brisbane in the new year. I've been to Sydney before, albeit briefly, but it didn't grab me!

See I added Adelaide into the mix there.....lol!

Happy New Year to you all x