Originally Posted by Bluerobot

But Hevs, your'ne dorgs gorr a prerrrry mouff.

Originally Posted by Bluerobot

But Hevs, your'ne dorgs gorr a prerrrry mouff.

Originally Posted by roorooney

Thank you so much for your info. My husband and I have just started the ball rolling to go to Oz on the skills programme and have been told we can go to Adelaide or Melbourne. I think Adelaide would suit us better. He is a spark - has anyone any idea what the work situation and salary is like in Adelaide for electricians?

Originally Posted by roorooney

Thank you so much for your info. My husband and I have just started the ball rolling to go to Oz on the skills programme and have been told we can go to Adelaide or Melbourne. I think Adelaide would suit us better. He is a spark - has anyone any idea what the work situation and salary is like in Adelaide for electricians?

Originally Posted by pazza

Hi everyone,

I,ve spent the last few weeks reading everyones threads, hoping to learn all the do,s and don'ts of applying for different visa's.
Yesterday, I got in touch with a well known agent (i think). I processed all my details; spouse, occupation, dependents and, .....age!!
As i'm a time served bricklayer by trade, he told me i'd have no problems getting a visa, but the visa would be a STNI visa, as they're crying out for brickies in Victoria and in South Australia.
The problem is, we (as a family), were really looking forward to maybe's working/living on the east coast ; Brisbane, Gold Coast. It seems that dream's been took away, by the fact that i'm 36 years old. Is it true, you can't state where you want to live, after a certain age. Surely 36's not classed as old. ?????????

So, if it's got to be Victoria or South Australia where would you recommend. Taking into account we've got two son's aged 10 & 6..

cheers
paz.

Originally Posted by Joanne

We were the same as you, except we wanted to go to Perth, then the points changed and we didnt have enough There was no way we were giving up, so we opted for STNI Victoria. Last October we visited Oz for the first time and spent the whole time around Geelong (about an hour from Melbourne) and loved it. Our kids are 10 and 5 and they didnt want to come home. I would say definately visit where you think you may like to live. It was the best decision we ever made, and we are now completely in love with Torquay, nr Geelong and no-where else will do.

At the end of the day, we've said that if we really havent settled after two years, we can try Perth, where we wanted to originally go!! Wots two years!!

Got TRA and STNI nominations, visa application sent off 2nd March, so keeping fingers crossed, Torquay here we come!!

Jo

Originally Posted by pazza

Hi Jo,

Great to hear you've found somewhere you've fell in love with, considering it wasn't your chosen place initially.
Hope everything turns out well for you's.
We are going to Aussie in July/August for the first time. We were going to go down the east coast, but i think it'll benefit us better if we go to places (Adelaide, Melbourne), where we'll probably be living/working in.
Are you doing everything yourselves, or using an agent ?

Good Luck

Steve.

Originally Posted by roorooney

I am so depressed - I've just been told by our agent that the process will take between 12-15 months - I can't wait that long! Have your been given an estimate of how long it will all take?

Originally Posted by Joanne

Been told this last bit (applying for visa) takes about 3-4 months. Application been gone about 5 weeks now. Started this whole thing last September and that now seems ages ago, alot longer than 7 months, seem years and years. Or is it me thats just aged that much with all the stress!

Originally Posted by pazza

It'll all be worth the stress when you're there, and you can look back and think it's well worth it.

Good Luck

paz

Originally Posted by Flying Banana

I spent a year living in Adelaide in 97 and have now had four months here in Melbourne and would happily live in either.

Both have pros and cons and I'd definitely say if you are just at the application stage try and make a holiday trip over here to decide.

As far as the two places go ozzieeagle has summed up Melbourne pretty well. It's a lot bigger than Adelaide but I've found it much friendlier, more relaxed and pleasant than Sydney (that's just a personal view for those who are in Sydney, it's a lovely city but I wouldn't be able to afford to live there).

First off climate, I'd say Adelaide is a bit warmer and sunnier, very Mediterranean, up to +40 in the summer (dry heat not humid) and gets a bit cold (by Aussie standards) and windy in the winter. In the year I was there the temperature never dropped below 4 degrees on the coldest winter nights.

Melbourne is a few degrees cooler generally and there are more days when it's a bit overcast and windy but there haven't been many days that there hasn't been some blue sky about yet.

Melbourne, being bigger probably has more shops, restaurants, pubs etc and it's still not expensive by UK standards. Adelaide has a fair bit less nightlife, it's there but you have to look for it. There are some fine restaurants in North Adelaide and down Rundle Street, probably much less in the way of ethnic foods as Melbourne has very large populations from all over the place.

There are less huge new shopping malls in the suburbs in Adelaide, Melbourne seems to have one for every suburb lol, but don't get me wrong there are plenty of shops in Adelaide.

Obviously being smaller Adelaide has less traffic congestion although most Aussies will tell you the South Australians are the worst drivers on the planet but I beg to differ (I'm saying no more on that or I'll get lynched lol). Public transport in Melbourne is a lot better, more train, bus and tram lines, but again compared to the medieval system once you get out of London it is better anywhere here.

Property prices are lower in Adelaide, I looked last year when I made my final decision where I was going and as a guide a nice 4 bed place in the outer Adelaide suburbs was going for about A$250k whereas similar place in Melbourne's outer suburbs was A$350 and where I am in SE 'burbs about 20km from the CBD you're looking at starting prices around $450-500k for the same.

As for things to do/see in the areas, Adelaide has a great beach at Glenelg, McLaren Vale vineyards to the south, the Barossa to the North and the views up in the Adelaide hills are truly stunning. There are plenty of golf courses, there is always a decent game or three of cricket at the Adleaide oval, there is the festival theatre, walking, riding, cycling along the river is great with a family and plenty of parks etc around.

Melbourne has the Yarra Valley vineyards nearby, the Dandenongs are spectacular, Philip Island is only an hour's drive, in the winter it's only an hour or two to the ski resorts (looking forward to trying them out soon). The city beaches aren't the nicest in the world but go out of Melbourne in either direction and there are some gorgeous unspoilt beaches. Of course there is the Great Ocean road heading West which is awesome.

In short I wouldn't like to say to someone one is better than the other, I suppose the quickest way of summing it up is that if you want to live in a proper city by European definition, with the hustle and bustle that goes with it then Melbourne, if you prefer somewhere smaller say Brighton size with a warmer climate (just) then Adelaide. Whichever you pick you won't go short of work both cities are growing rapidly and as a brickie you will be in demand.

I was amazed how far Melbourne had grown even in the year between visiting here for a recce and moving here. If you look on a map the true end of the Southern suburbs is now spreading out to Packenham and south to Cranbourne. THe western side of the bay is developing at a rapid rate too.

Hope this info has been helpful, if you want to know anything else or want a chat about any of what I've put then feel free to drop me PM.

Good luck with the visa application. By the way if you are dead set on the Gold Coast, have you looked at how long you need to stay in either VIctoria or South Australia before you can move? THere may be a difference and if you really want to end up in QLD then it would make sense to head for the one with the shortest qualifying period.