Is the commute to work as mad and congested as the UK? I live approx 15 min drive from where I work, a few years ago this changed to 30 mins but over the last year it now takes between 60-100 mins!! Crazy and soooo irritating. Is it as bad in Aus?

Sx

Sydney is at least as bad for sure. Melbourne seemed about as bad and Perth is a lot better than Brum (but getting worse by the week). Not sure about Brissy.

My commute (car share) into Brisbane is about the same as from North Kent to London or Tonbridge ... but I can honestly say it's a lot nicer.

Christ, even the trains are bearable ... and on time ... and reasonably priced.

If I lived within 15 minutes of the CBD then I'd want to be on a train line ... Graceville, Sherwood, Indooroopilly are pretty posh (expensive) but nice choices in my book.

Cheers,
Matt

Totally disagree. Nothing, but nothing I've seen in many commutes into and around Sydney in both peak and off-peak traffic comes close to the myriad nightmare journeys I had to make in the UK.

If you're 15 minutes from work by car that's about a half hour/40 minute cycle - get a bike instead! :P

Can't speak for other states but Perth has some great cycle routes.

I'd agree with that.

I lived in Sydney for 9 months on a WHV - first stint I lived in Leichhardt and worked either in Alexandria or the CBD, and the commute by bus was easy and very painless. I always had a seat and was and very rarely held up in much traffic.

Second stint I lived in Newtown/Enmore and worked in Artarmon on the north shore, so that involved getting a bus to Town Hall and then train - took me an hour door to door, leaving at 7am to be at work for 8am. Again, I never had any major problems (a bit slow through Newtown), despite the return journey putting me in the CBD at about 5.30pm.

I have to say I found the public transport network to be first class in Sydney, and great value on a $30-per-week red travel pass too.

Canberra is great! Occasionally there are hold ups if you are coming in from the outer suburbs but otherwise it's generally a straight run. I walk to work nowadays - 3km, just right!

I am thinking more as a train commuter than car (although the two taxi rides we had in Sydney were horrendous) and I am comparing to Brum rather than London.

When we stayed there we used to visit a supermarket / bottlo under ground by Town Hall usually during the evening rush hour. The workers we saw down there were as far from the stereotype laid back Aussie as you could imagine. They were running for trains even though the next one was only 5 minutes later, knocking people out of their way etc.

That one aspect alone was enough to put me entirely off moving to Sydney. Now I have to admit I moved to Perth (and love it) because it is more laid back. Others might not mind the hustle and bustle.

There was an horrendous traffic jam on my way into work this morning, then the lights changed and the 2 cars in front moved off

Cheers

Steve

I don't commute and am fortunate to be living on a major bus route, otherwise I'd be screwed.

Although going from my friends who do drive, Mitchell Freeway can sometimes be pretty bad and one major crash and the whole network is blocked up!

I don't drive often but it is amazing how a few drops of rain can turn a 30 minute trip into a 90 minute one, never mind a crash. We had someone throw a double six in front of a train before xmas and some people took 3 or 4 hours to get home - I was lucky that it was the one day my wife was working late and could pick me up from Stirling station. Whatever the system, there is never enough slack to cope with anything major going wrong.

I totally agree. I commute 75kms each way and this takes me about 45 - 50 minutes to get to work. I do go into the city to drop my wife off and then head back out to Weston. Then on the way home I go back into the city to pick here up and head out of town.


Wouldnt have it any other way as we have a small property out of town and it is so peaceful. Couldnt live in the suburbs again.

The roads are bad in rush hour, like everywhere i guess.

Well, going off topic for a minute (since the OP asked specifically about car commutes) it is the most populous and busiest city in Oz, so sure, you're going to get the usual suits rushing for their train. But the trains are fairly clean and I've never had a problem getting a seat on what is a *very* busy commuter route.

As to the staff, never had a problem with 'em. In fact when my son dropped his cuddly toy Otter underneath a train, they held up our mainline connecting express whilst, five rail staff tried and failed to get it. They got the toy later, when the train had moved out of the station and kept it safe until my parents could pick it up.

My only real complaint about what is supposed to be a very poorly run train service, is that the seats are bloody uncomfortable. They're reasonably priced (it cost me 105 quid to travel from Stroud to London peak - now I pay $31 peak for a similar distance journey) and run on time. I used to commute into Kings Cross and later on Paddington and the chance of me getting a seat on either trip was remote at best, despite the insanse cost of the ticket - most of the time I'd end up sitting between carriages next to the shit-house.

Agreed, the service is completely different what I experienced in the UK (Kent to London, generally).

There can be a problem getting a seat down on the Beenleigh line but on the whole it's fine. Never been in a 'dirty' carriage or sat near vomit/sick ... and I can't say that about Network Southeast (or whoever it is now...).

It'll be better when the smart cards come in (cards that can be used on Buses, Ferries and Trains) and I don't have to fight for a ticket or fiddle for change.

I also like the fact that you get free travel to some events, a great idea.