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Is Canberra really that bad?????????
dear friends
i am about to apply for ACT sponsorship and will be possible heading towards canberra i v heard from my buddies in sydney and melbourne that it is a dead city... and more expensive in terms of rents and commuting to sydney and with lesser number of jobs.... please help me out..... |
Re: Is Canberra really that bad?????????
Listen, I haven't been there so this info is second hand.
Emigrants on this site who live there seem to love living there. Rascal is an example, she emigrated to many other places (not in oz) before Canberra and was very unhappy in some, she loves Canberra. So give it a try, and don't listen to your buddies who don't live there. Buzzy |
Re: Is Canberra really that bad?????????
The bad news about Canberra is a plot put about by Canberrans to keep the Sydneymelbournites out! We dont want no bogans in here:rofl:
Not too many people commute from Canberra to Sydney unless they do it on a weekly basis but it wouldnt be do-able on a daily basis unless you were nuts and fancied 7 hours driving every day or worked for Qantas. Commuting within Canberra is a breeze - the longest drive you would have in peak hour would be about 45 minutes but there wouldnt be too many doing that - in Canberra we think we are in a traffic jam if there are more than 5 cars banked up at the traffic lights. Actually it is one of the better places to live - it has the advantages of a big city without the overwhelming crowds and pollution along with the advantages of a big country town where you can get from one side to the other without having to stop for petrol. You can see the bush from anywhere in town and no matter where you live you will be able to walk into bush without too much effort. Yes the houses are expensive but pray tell me where in Melbourne you could get a house on 1/4 acre for 500K that didnt involve a serious commute into the CBD? Yes renting is tough at the moment too but from all reports unless you want to live in Boomanoomana renting is tough pretty much anywhere in the cities these days. By dead I suppose your mates think that there are no raves etc - obviously going to be fewer mad club opportunities because there are fewer people but that doesnt mean we all go to bed at 7.30 and go to sleep there is always something going on with some good gigs, nice restaurants, clubs, community participation activities like music, drama, environment, sport pretty much every day of the week. We are ideally placed with the beach about 90 minutes (on a good day) the snow about 2 hours, Sydney if you need a big city hit is 3 hours these days. We get better weather than either Sydney or Melbourne really - 4 defined seasons and rarely a day of rain (OK so that is a problem when you are in a drought but our water supply is considerably healthier than Melbourne!) Dont be put off by the politicians - we really dont see much of them because Parliament only sits about 5 days a year. Our local pollies are a load of numpties with grandiose ideas but they fade into insignificance against the idiots in charge of NSW and Victoria. Jobs are getting harder to find but I dont think that is a particularly Canberra phenomenon - we are in the middle of a recession for heavens sake and people all over are hurting. Canberra bashing is a national sport and I reckon 99% of those engaging in it have never actually been near the place! |
Re: Is Canberra really that bad?????????
I reckon these days finding a job in Canberra would be easier than elsewhere. The amount of business my company is doing in Canberra is going through the roof, as in a slower economy public spending goes up, and most of the business in Canberra is government.
Buzzy |
Re: Is Canberra really that bad?????????
If it was a choice between Sydney and Canberra then I would go for Canberra. I don't live in either of them, in fact I don't live in any of the capital cities, so I can only base this on occasional visits, but I thought Canberra looked a pretty good place to live.
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Re: Is Canberra really that bad?????????
We have lived in Canberra 11 months now - moved here from the Lake District so it was a massive shock on all levels. Yes we do find it very expensive here, we look at rental and properties all over the place and this does seem to be one of the most expensive - we had a look at some show homes this weekend - cheapest one $450,000 but then you had to buy a plot of land to build it on, so probably another $200,000 on top of that. There was a really nice one - $960,000 but they did say negotiable!!!!! Sorry but no I don't find it remotely pretty but once again I think I was spoilt by coming from somewhere so beautiful back at home. The people are fine but I do find a lot of them quite serious - Canberra hasn't got the laid back vibe tha we have found in other parts of Australia. I absolutely hated it when we got here but I have got used to it a bit more now. My opinion (as a relative new kid on the block) - it's ok - but it hasn't blown me away! Good luck with whatever you decide.
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Re: Is Canberra really that bad?????????
Originally Posted by flair002
(Post 7375036)
dear friends
i am about to apply for ACT sponsorship and will be possible heading towards canberra i v heard from my buddies in sydney and melbourne that it is a dead city... and more expensive in terms of rents and commuting to sydney and with lesser number of jobs.... please help me out..... Good Luck! Regards, Paul |
Re: Is Canberra really that bad?????????
I thought it was boring the couple of times I have been there but working with lots of ex-canberra people, they all seem to love it and all aim to go back. There are lots of IT jobs there - not sure about right now but compared to other cities, the government usually has quite a few contracts going.
I would move there for a period of time. give it a try. I have got drunk there quite a lot and have always had a good night out. Its not too far from the snow and you can go up the coast. I think maybe its ok Vivienne |
Re: Is Canberra really that bad?????????
I wouldn't like to live in a city where I couldn't take public transport easily and from what I remember (it was definitely a while since I was last there, and even then only briefly) it was pretty much a driver's city.
You could probably ask the same questions about other spread out planned cities - "is washington really that bad? is milton keynes really that bad?". Plenty of people love it there...but I am just not one of them. :) |
Re: Is Canberra really that bad?????????
Originally Posted by quoll
(Post 7376756)
The bad news about Canberra is a plot put about by Canberrans to keep the Sydneymelbournites out! We dont want no bogans in here:rofl:
Not too many people commute from Canberra to Sydney unless they do it on a weekly basis but it wouldnt be do-able on a daily basis unless you were nuts and fancied 7 hours driving every day or worked for Qantas. Commuting within Canberra is a breeze - the longest drive you would have in peak hour would be about 45 minutes but there wouldnt be too many doing that - in Canberra we think we are in a traffic jam if there are more than 5 cars banked up at the traffic lights. Actually it is one of the better places to live - it has the advantages of a big city without the overwhelming crowds and pollution along with the advantages of a big country town where you can get from one side to the other without having to stop for petrol. You can see the bush from anywhere in town and no matter where you live you will be able to walk into bush without too much effort. Yes the houses are expensive but pray tell me where in Melbourne you could get a house on 1/4 acre for 500K that didnt involve a serious commute into the CBD? Yes renting is tough at the moment too but from all reports unless you want to live in Boomanoomana renting is tough pretty much anywhere in the cities these days. By dead I suppose your mates think that there are no raves etc - obviously going to be fewer mad club opportunities because there are fewer people but that doesnt mean we all go to bed at 7.30 and go to sleep there is always something going on with some good gigs, nice restaurants, clubs, community participation activities like music, drama, environment, sport pretty much every day of the week. We are ideally placed with the beach about 90 minutes (on a good day) the snow about 2 hours, Sydney if you need a big city hit is 3 hours these days. We get better weather than either Sydney or Melbourne really - 4 defined seasons and rarely a day of rain (OK so that is a problem when you are in a drought but our water supply is considerably healthier than Melbourne!) Dont be put off by the politicians - we really dont see much of them because Parliament only sits about 5 days a year. Our local pollies are a load of numpties with grandiose ideas but they fade into insignificance against the idiots in charge of NSW and Victoria. Jobs are getting harder to find but I dont think that is a particularly Canberra phenomenon - we are in the middle of a recession for heavens sake and people all over are hurting. Canberra bashing is a national sport and I reckon 99% of those engaging in it have never actually been near the place! Closest I've ever been is Melbourne. Don’t plan on getting any closer! I can't bash it though, as I have no idea what it is like!! Very funny Quoll, your desciption doesn't fill me with any desire to visit soon, Perth is bad enough!! :D |
Re: Is Canberra really that bad?????????
Originally Posted by quoll
(Post 7376756)
The bad news about Canberra is a plot put about by Canberrans to keep the Sydneymelbournites out! We dont want no bogans in here:rofl:
Not too many people commute from Canberra to Sydney unless they do it on a weekly basis but it wouldnt be do-able on a daily basis unless you were nuts and fancied 7 hours driving every day or worked for Qantas. Commuting within Canberra is a breeze - the longest drive you would have in peak hour would be about 45 minutes but there wouldnt be too many doing that - in Canberra we think we are in a traffic jam if there are more than 5 cars banked up at the traffic lights. Actually it is one of the better places to live - it has the advantages of a big city without the overwhelming crowds and pollution along with the advantages of a big country town where you can get from one side to the other without having to stop for petrol. You can see the bush from anywhere in town and no matter where you live you will be able to walk into bush without too much effort. Yes the houses are expensive but pray tell me where in Melbourne you could get a house on 1/4 acre for 500K that didnt involve a serious commute into the CBD? Yes renting is tough at the moment too but from all reports unless you want to live in Boomanoomana renting is tough pretty much anywhere in the cities these days. By dead I suppose your mates think that there are no raves etc - obviously going to be fewer mad club opportunities because there are fewer people but that doesnt mean we all go to bed at 7.30 and go to sleep there is always something going on with some good gigs, nice restaurants, clubs, community participation activities like music, drama, environment, sport pretty much every day of the week. We are ideally placed with the beach about 90 minutes (on a good day) the snow about 2 hours, Sydney if you need a big city hit is 3 hours these days. We get better weather than either Sydney or Melbourne really - 4 defined seasons and rarely a day of rain (OK so that is a problem when you are in a drought but our water supply is considerably healthier than Melbourne!) Dont be put off by the politicians - we really dont see much of them because Parliament only sits about 5 days a year. Our local pollies are a load of numpties with grandiose ideas but they fade into insignificance against the idiots in charge of NSW and Victoria. Jobs are getting harder to find but I dont think that is a particularly Canberra phenomenon - we are in the middle of a recession for heavens sake and people all over are hurting. Canberra bashing is a national sport and I reckon 99% of those engaging in it have never actually been near the place! OK Canberra is terrible, boring, terrible, horid ect ect ect..... HONEST!:rofl: |
Re: Is Canberra really that bad?????????
Originally Posted by flair002
(Post 7375036)
dear friends
i am about to apply for ACT sponsorship and will be possible heading towards canberra i v heard from my buddies in sydney and melbourne that it is a dead city... and more expensive in terms of rents and commuting to sydney and with lesser number of jobs.... please help me out..... |
Re: Is Canberra really that bad?????????
What I said elsewhere.
Okay, before the lot who have never been to Canberra but who listen to all the Sydneysiders and their rubbish jump in, I’ll give you my bit. I was born in Canberra. I have lived in Canberra on and off over the years. In total I would say I have lived in Canberra for about twenty-two years. Canberra has more cafes, restaurants, cinemas, well everything per person than any other city in Australia. And the advantage is everything is within easy reach. Traffic jams to not exist. You can drive into the city centre from anywhere in the suburbs in around twenty minutes. The city centre has been completely changed over the last few years, extending the restaurant, cafe, and high-end shopping for extra blocks. People who have not visited recently wouldn't even recognise the place (when I last moved back to Australia I needed someone to show me around!!). But Canberra is also a city of satellite cities. There are ‘town centres’ throughout the city that have their own pubs, cafes, shopping malls and sporting institutions. Canberra has all the national institutions – The Australian War Memorial (which consistently sweeps the tourism prizes for Australia’s best museum), Old and New Parliament Houses, the National Gallery (complete with everything from Claude Monet to Jackson Pollock), the National Museum, the National Science and Technology Centre, The Australian Institute of Sport, The National Film and Sound Archive…. Canberra has two major universities – the Australian National University and the University of Canberra - as well as the Australian Catholic University and the Defence Forces. The ANU is ranked in the top ten of the world’s universities (most specifically for scientific research). Canberra also has more sunshine than just about anywhere else in the country. Summer averages are around 28-30 degrees (with many days well over thirty and sometimes into the forties – but it is not humid like elsewhere). Winters reach the mid-teens during the day but are almost always sunny. I have seen VERY light snow (that does not even settle on the ground) twice in all my time in Canberra. The bushland is a feature of the city. It is not just about a few parks like most cities. In Canberra the bush literally threads its way through the suburbs, through the city. There are often kangaroos spotted grazing on the lawns of Parliament House. Something like 70% of the ACT is bushland and national park. Of course, this was a problem in 2002 – and 2003 especially – when bushfires swept through the city and took four lives and destroyed over five hundred homes and some major national institutions. Canberra has four distinct seasons, due to the fact it is an inland city, and the fact it is surrounded by the Brindabella Ranges (mountains). Also, it rarely rains. The drought in Canberra is more severe than most of the country. Canberrans tend to holiday at the NSW South Coast, which is within easy driving distance. The beaches are quiet and laidback – no Gold Coast style development. It’s a family kind of place to holiday, but the beaches are pretty amazing (Hyam’s Beach is said to have the world’s whitest sand.) In the other direction, Canberra is a stopover for people from other cities on the way to the snowfields – in winter it is not far to go to the snow. The thing is that it is the national pastime to run Canberra down. The extremely childish Sydney-Melbourne rivalry turned to Canberra hatred because Canberra was chosen to be the capital city. As such there are plenty of Australians – who have never even been to Canberra – who say awful things about the place just because it’s what they always do. Canberrans say they don’t care because they don’t want people like that in their city anyway! And anyway, Canberrans have the highest average IQ, the highest level of education and highest average salary of people anywhere in Australia! |
Re: Is Canberra really that bad?????????
Originally Posted by SNH
(Post 7383139)
What I said elsewhere.
Okay, before the lot who have never been to Canberra but who listen to all the Sydneysiders and their rubbish jump in, I’ll give you my bit. I was born in Canberra. I have lived in Canberra on and off over the years. In total I would say I have lived in Canberra for about twenty-two years. Canberra has more cafes, restaurants, cinemas, well everything per person than any other city in Australia. And the advantage is everything is within easy reach. Traffic jams to not exist. You can drive into the city centre from anywhere in the suburbs in around twenty minutes. The city centre has been completely changed over the last few years, extending the restaurant, cafe, and high-end shopping for extra blocks. People who have not visited recently wouldn't even recognise the place (when I last moved back to Australia I needed someone to show me around!!). But Canberra is also a city of satellite cities. There are ‘town centres’ throughout the city that have their own pubs, cafes, shopping malls and sporting institutions. Canberra has all the national institutions – The Australian War Memorial (which consistently sweeps the tourism prizes for Australia’s best museum), Old and New Parliament Houses, the National Gallery (complete with everything from Claude Monet to Jackson Pollock), the National Museum, the National Science and Technology Centre, The Australian Institute of Sport, The National Film and Sound Archive…. Canberra has two major universities – the Australian National University and the University of Canberra - as well as the Australian Catholic University and the Defence Forces. The ANU is ranked in the top ten of the world’s universities (most specifically for scientific research). Canberra also has more sunshine than just about anywhere else in the country. Summer averages are around 28-30 degrees (with many days well over thirty and sometimes into the forties – but it is not humid like elsewhere). Winters reach the mid-teens during the day but are almost always sunny. I have seen VERY light snow (that does not even settle on the ground) twice in all my time in Canberra. The bushland is a feature of the city. It is not just about a few parks like most cities. In Canberra the bush literally threads its way through the suburbs, through the city. There are often kangaroos spotted grazing on the lawns of Parliament House. Something like 70% of the ACT is bushland and national park. Of course, this was a problem in 2002 – and 2003 especially – when bushfires swept through the city and took four lives and destroyed over five hundred homes and some major national institutions. Canberra has four distinct seasons, due to the fact it is an inland city, and the fact it is surrounded by the Brindabella Ranges (mountains). Also, it rarely rains. The drought in Canberra is more severe than most of the country. Canberrans tend to holiday at the NSW South Coast, which is within easy driving distance. The beaches are quiet and laidback – no Gold Coast style development. It’s a family kind of place to holiday, but the beaches are pretty amazing (Hyam’s Beach is said to have the world’s whitest sand.) In the other direction, Canberra is a stopover for people from other cities on the way to the snowfields – in winter it is not far to go to the snow. The thing is that it is the national pastime to run Canberra down. The extremely childish Sydney-Melbourne rivalry turned to Canberra hatred because Canberra was chosen to be the capital city. As such there are plenty of Australians – who have never even been to Canberra – who say awful things about the place just because it’s what they always do. Canberrans say they don’t care because they don’t want people like that in their city anyway! And anyway, Canberrans have the highest average IQ, the highest level of education and highest average salary of people anywhere in Australia! Bloody well said:thumbsup: |
Re: Is Canberra really that bad?????????
Originally Posted by spartacus
(Post 7382794)
Billy Connolly didn't rate it . . . and if its not good enough for Billy, its not good enough for me.
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