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Who has emigrated to Melbourne ?

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Who has emigrated to Melbourne ?

Old Apr 20th 2003, 4:07 pm
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Default Who has emigrated to Melbourne ?

Dear Melbournians !!!

For those of you that have already emigrated to Melbourne can you share with us would-be migrants what’s good and what’s bad in Melbourne and surrounding areas.

What do you like and what don’t you like and what would you have changed about your plans/decisions if you were given another chance?

Are there any migration tips you can offer us on banking/removals/pensions/tax advice/short term rental accommodation/schools/what not to bring, etc, etc

Thank you VERY much in advance for all your help and hope to see some of you soon.

All the best

Terry
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Off to Melbourne in 2003


Last edited by terryg; Apr 20th 2003 at 4:09 pm.
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Old Apr 21st 2003, 10:39 am
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Hi terry and all!

Weve been living in Melbourne nearly 3 months and are loving every minute of it! when people ask general questions about life out here in oz and Mel. its so hard to answer, unless direct questions are asked. ie: whats the weather like?, whats the beaches/accomodation/rent/schools/health service etc. etc. like?

If you need answers to anything specific. we'll help you as much as we can, but we have settled really well. We sorted our accomodation before we arrived,along with a lot of other stuff like bank accounts, and found the initial settling in period very easy!!

We were helped by having family and friends here which played a small part in all this. Having now realised how difficult it can possibly be for prospective migrants that dont have friends or family here, we are in the process of starting a business of helping migrants get settled, and for prospective migrants to find the place to settle that will meet their requirements, ie. good schools, nice areas, by the beach, good nightlife etc. whatever the requirements are!! we can find the best area for them! the website will be up and running in the next few days, and I will keep you and all on bxp's informed!! until then, 'watch this space'
the company will be called 'New life, No worries!'
My husband has been a 'Tour manager in the music business for about 30 odd years so this sort of thing is what he knows best, and im sure it will be a huge success!.

Anyway, keep up your good work on bxp's and i'll gladly help with anything you need to know about life in Melbourne!

Best wishes!
Kathy xx
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Old Apr 22nd 2003, 10:05 am
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Default Re: Who has emigrated to Melbourne ?

Hi Terry,
We arrived in oz last october , settled in a place called Geelong which is about 50mins-1 hr from Melbourne.
We are right on the coast and love it here. The Great Ocean road and all the surf coast is about 15 mins drive from us.
The area itself like anywhere has good and bad , but we have met some graet aussie folk through our kida going to school .
Everyone has setled well and would not dream of heading back to sunny scotland . Of course this is only our opinion.
Dont know much about the areas closer to Melbourne, but have met a few people who live there and love it.
Food is a lot cheaper than the U.K . Cars also . But once you start work the wages are compatable to the above.
The best thing i feel helped us was to get the kids in to school and meet freinds to help them settle. which we were lucky enough happened.
Dislikes Aussie rules, People who come here and expect to live like they did in the U.K. Go and meet some aussies most we have found to be very helpfull, and if you are willing to give it a go they will respect you for that. To many whinging poms as they call them around. which we have found to be true. I.E Comparing everything to back home . It's just not feasible, different life , different culture, different people.I
If i acn help you with anything else send me a mail.
Regards
Jamie.

Originally posted by terryg
Dear Melbournians !!!

For those of you that have already emigrated to Melbourne can you share with us would-be migrants what’s good and what’s bad in Melbourne and surrounding areas.

What do you like and what don’t you like and what would you have changed about your plans/decisions if you were given another chance?

Are there any migration tips you can offer us on banking/removals/pensions/tax advice/short term rental accommodation/schools/what not to bring, etc, etc

Thank you VERY much in advance for all your help and hope to see some of you soon.

All the best

Terry
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Off to Melbourne in 2003

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Old Jul 5th 2003, 5:28 pm
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Default Re: Who has emigrated to Melbourne ?

Any more ?
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Old Jul 5th 2003, 5:42 pm
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Default Re: Who has emigrated to Melbourne ?

Originally posted by terryg
Any more ?
Well Uncle T, as you know we still are not 100% on where we are going!! It has to be either Melbourne or Queensland (Gold/Sunshine Coast). We are thinking about going on a trip to investigate!!
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Old Jul 6th 2003, 6:47 am
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A few things to get straight...

1. Food is only cheaper if you eat out
2. House prices have rocketed and if you compare prices with Sydney then it is cheaper BUT unemployment is higher.
3. Graffiti, litter, hoons are everywhere in Melbourne
4. Public train system is disgusting
5. People are as rude in the city as they are in any other city
6. Estate agents, car salesmen will rip you off
7. Tradesman don't want to work for a living, if it's too difficult then they give up
8. The cost of living is higher than the UK except perhaps London
9. A cost of decent 4 bed house 30 miles out of CBD is about the same as the UK only you are earning half as much.
10. You only gain you make is when you arrive, every day you leave investing/buying is costing you.
11. Tax is higher than UK.
12. Health system costs more than National Insurance.
13. Weather in winter is the same as Autumn in UK. Miserable, wet and windy.


Apart from that welcome to Australia! ;-)
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Old Jul 6th 2003, 9:07 am
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So I take it you don't like it ?

Have you got anything positive to say about it or is it just sheer crap ?



Originally posted by smiths2
A few things to get straight...

1. Food is only cheaper if you eat out
2. House prices have rocketed and if you compare prices with Sydney then it is cheaper BUT unemployment is higher.
3. Graffiti, litter, hoons are everywhere in Melbourne
4. Public train system is disgusting
5. People are as rude in the city as they are in any other city
6. Estate agents, car salesmen will rip you off
7. Tradesman don't want to work for a living, if it's too difficult then they give up
8. The cost of living is higher than the UK except perhaps London
9. A cost of decent 4 bed house 30 miles out of CBD is about the same as the UK only you are earning half as much.
10. You only gain you make is when you arrive, every day you leave investing/buying is costing you.
11. Tax is higher than UK.
12. Health system costs more than National Insurance.
13. Weather in winter is the same as Autumn in UK. Miserable, wet and windy.


Apart from that welcome to Australia! ;-)
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Old Jul 10th 2003, 2:03 am
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Originally posted by terryg
So I take it you don't like it ?

Have you got anything positive to say about it or is it just sheer crap ?

It's not what everyone thinks it is before they get here.

Tip: Don't come over here unless you are a nurse, plumber or an electrician.

One thing I like about it is $448 per fortnight from the government for doing nothing.
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Old Jul 10th 2003, 2:23 am
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Originally posted by terryg
So I take it you don't like it ?

Have you got anything positive to say about it or is it just sheer crap ?

Oh and Brisbane is much nicer until the summer...
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Old Jul 10th 2003, 7:38 am
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Originally posted by smiths2
It's not what everyone thinks it is before they get here.

Tip: Don't come over here unless you are a nurse, plumber or an electrician.

One thing I like about it is $448 per fortnight from the government for doing nothing.
Hi

What about accountants ?

Cheers

Terry

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Old Jul 10th 2003, 9:10 am
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Default I"m sure you can sswap

Originally posted by terryg
Hi

What about accountants ?

Cheers

Terry

Hi Terry,
I'm also heading to Melbourne with my bloke and he's going to be looking at accounting jobs. He's just finshing some exams now, so will be very bottom of the pile in terms of experience, but is prepared to start there and work up. Have been looking on the internet and there seems to be a lot of jobs available, although I'm sure I've read somewhere on here that internet job sites post phantom jobs. Anyway, we're going to just see how it goes when we get there!
I'm sure you'll have no problems, but if we meet at the Melbourne get-together I'm sure you can swap stories!
Best of Luck,
Parrot
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Old Jul 12th 2003, 1:11 pm
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Hi Terry,

Me and mine have been here for three months now.

We have a great house in a great area, the boys are in schools that I am SO impressed with, hubby has had loads of job offers, and, although is working longer hours, is being paid well for it.

Yes there's hoons, yes, the tele is crap, but there is alot to make you feel - yes, I've done the right thing.

Our ONLY complaint so far, is missing our friends. We have become closer as a family, but miss the socialising with friends.

Keep saying we'll have to make an effort to get out more and make friends.

Planned the perfect BBQ over dinner tonight, and, if we invited everyone that we have met along the way, we could scare up a reasonable crowd. Now just have to get the BBQ......

It's good Terry - don't doubt what you're doing.

Jeannie
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Old Jul 13th 2003, 12:37 am
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Default Re: I"m sure you can sswap

Originally posted by parrot
Hi Terry,
I'm also heading to Melbourne with my bloke and he's going to be looking at accounting jobs. He's just finshing some exams now, so will be very bottom of the pile in terms of experience, but is prepared to start there and work up. Have been looking on the internet and there seems to be a lot of jobs available, although I'm sure I've read somewhere on here that internet job sites post phantom jobs. Anyway, we're going to just see how it goes when we get there!
I'm sure you'll have no problems, but if we meet at the Melbourne get-together I'm sure you can swap stories!
Best of Luck,
Parrot
Statistically less than 2% of jobs are offered to successful candidates after being posted on the internet. Yes, there are loads of phantom jobs from recruiters who just want your details on their database. Some recruiters even interview you and then tell you there is no job. Take it from me, phone them, turn up at the place of work and speak to someone. It leaves a better impression and you can sell more in 2 minutes face to face than you can on a resume that someone will scan for less than a minute.

You also touched on the best way to find a job, networking. There is a theory that you are only 6 people away from a job. If you speak to 6 people and they in turn speak to 6 people (different people!) and so then it's amazing what may turn up!

Keep on going and don't worry, it doesn't help but be realistic and deal with the realism in a practical way. Try to meet 5 new people every week and ask them if they know of any positions going. Get a good resume prepared and give the resume to them (if they are willing to help).

Another realism is that pay is poor here so don't expect too much. The average pay in Oz is $50000 before tax! My average outgoings are $75000 per annum for a family of four. So I need to earn $140K before I break even. That's difficult but not impossible. Even so, it's not about money but you need to be able live, food is not an optional extra but Foxtel and mobile phones maybe.

I hope this all helps and is a bit more constructive than my first posting.
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Old Jul 13th 2003, 8:16 am
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would you explain the fact that you need to be earning $150,000a year.I find this alittle over the top.where do you get this figure from?
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Old Jul 13th 2003, 11:04 pm
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Jeannie - where in Melbourne are you living? Glad to hear it's going well for you all and hope to meet you (we arrive in Sept).

Terryg - not long to go now!
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