LouiseR

I'm not going to do one of those "where should I live!!" threads but I do want to know a bit more - so for all those who are in Oz I'd find it really helpful to find out why you chose to live where you live.

Was it work? If so what do you do.
Family already live there?
Weather?
Been there before?
Or was it the only place in Australia you'd heard of!!

What made you decide on where to go and is it what you hoped it would be?

If you could say area's as well it would really help such as not just Perth but Rockingham.

Thanks very much in advance

Stitch

Hi,

Stay in Brisbane Bayside, previously Manly West now Wellington Point. Came to the area initially cause had holiday let in Birkdale. Like the feel of the place, shops, pubs etc and the miniture beach area and esplanade. Work opposite side of Brisbane and commute can get a bit boring sometimes. Probably can't afford to stay in the area if we want to buy so may think about moving to be closer to Work.

Cheers

Ginny

asher

Husband has a job in Sydney so that's why Sydney, then we drove around all the suburbs stopping to look around those we liked and we both loved Cronulla we spent a day there and it was great so that's where we ended up plus the train link to the cbd is good

DadAgain

As an IT worker I had a very short list of cities where I might be able to find work.

I didnt want to be in a HUGE city with long commutes, high cost of living higher crime etc etc, so avoided Melbourne and Sydney. Brisbane seemed to have a decent balance of work available and not too big (it has doubled in size since I arrived) - and still felt like a smallish town to me.

Looking around Brisbane it was clear that the affluent northwest was the area I wanted to be in, lots of leafy hills and easy access to national park bushland (without too many skanky bogans!)

Vanessa

Came to Melbourne because of OH's job - chose Bayside to live as wanted to be near the beach, reasonably near the City, near the shopping centres (not that I use them much now) and with a good mixture of ages and people.

rebnatoli

We originally were thinking of Perth and did a trip to WA followed by Sydney. We decided NSW was preferable for us but Sydney is quite expensive and a bit too big for us, we loved the Blue Mountains where I have family but we're both in IT so would have a long commute. So a few years later we went to Queensland and immediately knew it would be perfect for us.

We had to be within commuting distance of the City and we have both ended up working there - we wrote a list of things that were important to us - like being close to the sea, easy access to either Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast, sea breezes to help with humidity, nowhere near the flight path (having lived beneath Heathrow's for 12 years!) and came up with Bayside in particular Birkdale to Victoria Point. We also had identified Albany Creek/Petrie as another possible area but when we got here Southside just seemd to suit us better.

I think if you write down your own priorities you can begin to narrow things down - although its not easy and there are so many great places to live over here!

Hutch

Family in the area. Could afford to live right on the coast. Two hours from Sydney, three from Canberra. Main rail link to Sydney. Stunning countryside (I know everyone says that, but hey-ho), easy access to beach, river and mountains. Not a pom hotspot.

Centurion

Bayside Brisbane. Wellington Pt. Small town country feel where you know all the shop owners etc. Close to the water, good commuting times to the city should we ever need it. High resale value of homes, although now I think have risen to the point of not affordable for many now.

Its an older established area with little room for development and has excellent rainfall. Close proximity to Straddie, Gold Coast, Sunshine etc.

List goes on...

GinaUK

Husband's job meant we had to live in one of the major cities. Researched job opportunities, which narrowed it down to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth.

Then looked at climate, housing affordability, life style of the place. Perth won. Been here nearly 5 months and loving it .

Gina

bridie

Australind, just north of Bunbury in SW WA.

Chose it because we wanted somewhere smaller (not city people) and OH had been about 10 years before while he was backpacking and felt at home even in the small amount of time he was here (about two days and it rained the whole time!). Did some research and decided it looked like a good place.

Didnt know if we could settle here before we arrived though due to OH's work (metal machinist) and it was impossible to find any info via the web for potential employers, so Mandurah was also a possibility. When we came down to Bunbury we loved it straight away and our friend gave OH the phone and phone book and he rang a few places, got two interviews and two job offers within a couple of hours - so that was that.

Very happy here, Australind is a lovely spot.

ACE

I came to Perth on a contract in the late 1980's, I fell in love with the place but I was in my early 20's and was not ready to settle down. I spent the next decade travelling the world on various contracts but Perth remained my favourite place. By 2001 I was married with 1 child and plans for another so we decided the time was right for us to emigrate. We chose WA for the Mediterranean climate (can't cope with humid weather also eldest child has asthma) and the job opportunities. My hubby has over 20 years experience as an Optimisation Technician in oil refining and I have 15 years experience in show biz am now a high school IT/Maths teacher.

ACE

Possums

could only get a STNI visa so chose Tas, cheaper housing, friendly natives, great scenery, plenty of work for OH (Carpenter) Melbourne only accross the water best of both worlds most of the time.

it does rain though

Nu-Shooz

Chose Perth and live here because family lived here. But prefer Queensland.

ozzieeagle

Had family in Melbourne, and visited them so became aquainted with the place and my now Aussies wifes area of employment

Weather is my lowest priority
Availability of work is my highest.

The bonus of the Northern subs of Melb, compared to other Cities o'seas, it is laid back. Has plenty of different cultures, goes 24/7 and has the buzz that I need to feel comfortable.

I dont like quiet sleepy places. So anywhere rural or shuts at 11pm would make me feel unfulfilled.

saveme

All my initial plans involved going to Queensland - Townsville I think. Then I decided to go to Australia on a part air/part ship deal. Dan (D) Air (what happened to them anyway?) charter flight to Singapore then CTC Lines Turkemenia to Fremantle £370 I think.

I loved Perth from the moment I arrived (3 Nov 1978) but I could not get a job so, after a month, I got the Greyhound to Adelaide (for a week) and then on to Sydney. I was just about to give up when I got a job and that's where I stayed and my brothers followed me out one by one in 1979.

I spent my first week in Sydney in the old YMCA in Pitt St, Xmas at the UNSW, then the Royal (private) Hotel in Neutral Bay where I got my first job.

I've got a unit at Surry Hills but it's been let out for eleven years whilst I re-discover the joys of living in 'the old Dart' but I hope to return to Sydney. I love it but it also overwhelms me at times. I'd recommend anyone thinking of going to spend a few weeks in London first.