moving to australia

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Discussion

JRM

2,043 posts

231 months

Monday 14th April 2014
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I think Siscar's comments are a fair reflection, I've just done 3 years there and decided to return to the UK - primarily because of the job market in Sydney. It’s a fraction of the size of London.

The cost of living massively depends on where you live, Sydney is very expensive compared to Melbourne and Brisbane when it comes to housing and that has a big impact on the day to day.

Energy bills are through the roof – it gets cold in winter in Melbourne and Sydney, but they rarely have insulation or double glazing and central heating is unheard of. You can kid yourself that it’s always warm, but it just isn’t. I had $2000 electricity bill due to heating our house for 2.5months!!
Of course in the Summer it can be impossibly hot, so you get a massive bill for air conditioning as well.

Someone once said to me that Sydney is one of the best places in the world to visit, and I’d entirely agree. But living there is a whole different kettle of fish.

Other examples I can think of – if you have private health care and you pay into their equivalent of the NHS (Medicare) and you need an operation – you’ll have to fund a large part of it out of your own pocket. Private health care covers the hospital bed, Medicare covers the standard charge for the operation, but the surgeon can charge what he likes, and you have to pick up the gap. Oh and Medicare never cover the costs of an anaesthetist, so that’s extra if you don’t want to feel them cutting you open!! Medcial stuff certainly isn’t cheap.

In terms of distance, it’s very easy to say you’ll jump on a plane and be back if you need to be, but try doing that once a year with a family – that’s at least AUS$10’000, so most people can’t do that very often

My rule of thumb is to take your UK salary and multiply it by 2.1 if you want the equivalent lifestyle comparing London to Sydney. In my field that’s almost impossible to achieve.

If you share some more details of what you are considering, more people can probably help, but it's not all it's cracked up to be, that's for sure.

ghamer

602 posts

154 months

Monday 14th April 2014
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Blimey,I was looking at this move but reading this thread has got me thinking that the UK is a bloody good place to live apart from the weather.I wish the OP luck its a difficult decision but I,ve made mine.

GlenMH

5,203 posts

242 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
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I have returned from over 3 years in Tokyo and people do underestimate just how good it is in the UK in terms of travel opportunities, cultural opportunities, job opportunities and the beauty of the scenery (I now hate cities....).

I would strongly suggest anyone considering moving abroad to go and stay for a couple of weeks in an unserviced apartment to see what it is really like living there.

AJS-

15,366 posts

235 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
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ghamer said:
UK is a bloody good place to live apart from the weather.
3 weeks ago I was dashing between taxi, office and house in Bangkok trying not to be out of air con for more than absolutely necessary and hoping the torrential rain would hold off.

Now I'm in Northumberland, outside in a T shirt at 8pm and it's broad daylight. I'll take this weather any day!

Must admit Sydney is about the perfect climate from the time I spent there but you wouldn't want to spend much time in the sun.

Jader1973

3,942 posts

199 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
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Yeah, it is st here. Don't come. smile

I've been in Aus for 7 years and hate it so much I became a citizen yesterday. So, I am now fully authorised to say the last thing we need is more poms biggrin

It is like everywhere else - it has its good and its bad. The worst bit for me is the drive to/from work - an hour each way.

The compensation for that though is that I live in a very nice part of the country, in a 4 bed detached house on a half acre block - something I could never, ever have had in the UK. I earn about 1.5x what I did in the UK, wife earns about 1.5x too.

As for the cost of living, it is higher than the UK. Electricity in particular is a complete rip off - in 2013 I spent $2k on gas and the same on electricity.

I spend $100 a week on petrol, however it is used to propel a 6 litre V8 Commodore Sportwagon, so it is a completely necessary expense smile

People are generally friendlier than the UK, the yoof aren't all drug addicted halfwits intent on vandalising everything they can see. Believe it or not if you walk past a group of high school kids where I live they will actually move out the way to let you past!! Some even say hello!!

So yeah, totally st. Don't come because it gets a bit too hot for about 2 weeks each summer...although it is possible to cope - I'm Scottish and I've managed so far biggrin

(Christmas in the middle of summer is a complete mindfk though - still not used to that).

Otispunkmeyer

12,553 posts

154 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
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Are the gash energy bills due to their ridiculous green taxes? I thought the new guy in charge was tearing all that up?

Mobile Chicane

20,735 posts

211 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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It depends what skills you have, and what area you're prepared to move to.

HVAC engineers (I hear) are in such demand in South Australia that the points requirements are halved.

South Australia though... scratchchin

Jader1973

3,942 posts

199 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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Otispunkmeyer said:
Are the gash energy bills due to their ridiculous green taxes? I thought the new guy in charge was tearing all that up?
Trying to. Labor won't let it pass though.

In reality it is because, like a lot of things here, they are using fairly ancient technology that isn't really up to standard. For example, they've figured out that having HT lines running through the middle of a bone dry forest in summer is not a great idea, especially if they aren't maintained properly.

Result is the electricity companies are upgrading the power lines to make them less likely to break and torch the forest (and associated inhabitants), and they pass on the cost to the consumer.

Same for Power stations - mainly ancient coal fired relics, so to become "green" costs a lot of money.


There was huge fanfare here when Citylink (Melbourne's toll road) installed overhead signs. The kind the M8 in Glasgow has had since the 80s! (although Citylinks aren't quite as good).

Pommygranite

14,229 posts

215 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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I love living in Oz but I didn't like my electricity bill received last month for 2 months usage - $886. Running Aircon for 2 months solid is expensive laugh


Juanco20

3,212 posts

192 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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Jader1973 said:
Yeah, it is st here. Don't come. smile

I've been in Aus for 7 years and hate it so much I became a citizen yesterday. So, I am now fully authorised to say the last thing we need is more poms biggrin

It is like everywhere else - it has its good and its bad. The worst bit for me is the drive to/from work - an hour each way.

The compensation for that though is that I live in a very nice part of the country, in a 4 bed detached house on a half acre block - something I could never, ever have had in the UK. I earn about 1.5x what I did in the UK, wife earns about 1.5x too.

As for the cost of living, it is higher than the UK. Electricity in particular is a complete rip off - in 2013 I spent $2k on gas and the same on electricity.

I spend $100 a week on petrol, however it is used to propel a 6 litre V8 Commodore Sportwagon, so it is a completely necessary expense smile

People are generally friendlier than the UK, the yoof aren't all drug addicted halfwits intent on vandalising everything they can see. Believe it or not if you walk past a group of high school kids where I live they will actually move out the way to let you past!! Some even say hello!!

So yeah, totally st. Don't come because it gets a bit too hot for about 2 weeks each summer...although it is possible to cope - I'm Scottish and I've managed so far biggrin

(Christmas in the middle of summer is a complete mindfk though - still not used to that).
The kids might be nice but what about the homeless drunk Aborigines? Came across a few on the South Coast between Adelaide and Perth and they weren't particularly pleasant

I live in Perth for 4 months and really didn't like it. It was during the summer so I found the heat pretty unbearable. A 10 minute walk to work and I was dripping wet. We're all different though so I don't think you can base it around what people on the internet say, you need to get out there for a few weeks and see for yourself

That said, I thought Coffs Harbour was a lovely little place

Jader1973

3,942 posts

199 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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Juanco20 said:
The kids might be nice but what about the homeless drunk Aborigines?
To be fair, drunk immigrants can be unpleasant too. Usually worse.

I don't think I've ever heard of a drunk aborigine king hitting an innocent bystander and killing them.