[Phassetus]

I've been trying to get out of this politically incorrect hole (UK) for a few years now but never been able to persuade the missus, we were looking at spain a few years ago but that fell at the last hurdle.

We've now decided as we've got family in Australia that we'd like to move there, the only real reason she didn't want to move is her parents but they've decided they'd like to come if we move to Australia.

So what do I need, I know it's not a case of jumping on a plane and moving there, I will do some research but thought I'd ask if anyone here has made the move and what was involved, as said there is family there so we'd stay there for a while and we do have money so bying a property would be no problem money wise.

any advice for an early start would be very welcomed, I do tend to jump in and worry about the consequences later but the missus doesn't so it would have to be researched to death before she agrees.

Cheers
Ace

[Aizutox]

This is something we are looking into as well.

immigration to OZ is based on a point system as long as your under 45, have a UK passport, have no criminal convictions and work in IT, you should get a visa with no problems.

We have about £80K equity in our house, so that should give us a good start.

We are thinking of Perth, does anybody here live in Perth? I would love first hand opinions, especially of land prices and a rough idea how much housing costs.

I don't for a minute think OZ is going to be some modern day utopia but I do believe the UK is going down hill quickly and I just cant live with the weather, government, taxes, traffic etc, ect.

I suppose having my first child made me pull my finger out and start planning, the last thing I want is my son growing up as a chav, getting drunk at 12

[rengerts]

We have about £80K equity in our house, so that should give us a good start.

Yes it will, just try not to spend it all to quickly or you will be totally screwed. I'd probably put that money into a savings account or something and just let it grow. I got two savings account and they are great. I would have a bit of money now if I didn't keep spending it on PC parts[rofl].

We are thinking of Perth, does anybody here live in Perth? I would love first hand opinions, especially of land prices and a rough idea how much housing costs.

Not to sure about Perth. Land value and property, you might have a problem. Here in Aus houses that are worth only $1 million are selling for $3-5 million, houses that are not even worth $180k are selling for $300k or more. They are ridiculously expensive with Sydney being one of the most expensive places to live. Even my dads house which I wouldn't buy for $150k or less is worth close to $300k if he wished to sell it.

I hear land and property down in Victoria is one of the cheapest in Aus. And its much cooler to (well at least than here) so it should suite you just fine.

Also remember thats we are headed for winter (Now Autumn) and I'm already freezing my pants off and its only 13C......[shocked]WOW, I had no idea it was that cold already, jesus mother of lord and its not even Winter.

OK somethings definitely wrong with our weathering system over here, but I'm pretty certain it won't kill you.....Yet[rofl].

I don't for a minute think OZ is going to be some modern day utopia but I do believe the UK is going down hill quickly and I just cant live with the weather, government, taxes, traffic etc, ect.

Taxes very but they are fairly high, traffic is good and I'm guessing peak hour over here is about normal time over there (probably wrong) depending if you want to live in the city or rural areas. We have a new Government and so far seems to be pretty cool. Its called the Rudd Government and Howard since been "removed".

And as stated about the weather, I'm am very shocked at how cold it is atm. I can't remember the last time its been this cold during Autumn, its usually around 20+C. Than again its very early in the morning so that could probably make a difference.


Why can't you just come over here for a holiday or something and tour Australia than decide for yourself? I love where I'm living atm and don't really want to leave, but may not have much choice later this year when I start my career, but everyones gotta make sacrifices[yes]

[Phassetus]

This is something we are looking into as well.

immigration to OZ is based on a point system as long as your under 45, have a UK passport, have no criminal convictions and work in IT, you should get a visa with no problems.

We have about £80K equity in our house, so that should give us a good start.

We are thinking of Perth, does anybody here live in Perth? I would love first hand opinions, especially of land prices and a rough idea how much housing costs.

I don't for a minute think OZ is going to be some modern day utopia but I do believe the UK is going down hill quickly and I just cant live with the weather, government, taxes, traffic etc, ect.

I suppose having my first child made me pull my finger out and start planning, the last thing I want is my son growing up as a chav, getting drunk at 12

Think this is the same with my daughter, I see some of the mingers hanging around the streets here barely in there teens shouting at anyone that walks past on an evening and I just want out, with the way this country is right now I can't stand being here.

So where do I start, I've had a look on the Australia migration website and took a test of somesort on another website that gave me 135 points, it said I need 100 to pass so I guess i should be ok, is it just a case of applying for a visa.

[Old-old-Ivy]

Isn't everything in Australia much more expensive than it is here? I remember there was some programme on the TV about some guy who emigrated from the UK to Australia and he was moaning about how ripped off he felt there. Grass is always greener and all that.....

[rengerts]

Think this is the same with my daughter, I see some of the mingers hanging around the streets here barely in there teens shouting at anyone that walks past on an evening and I just want out, with the way this country is right now I can't stand being here.

OK, I was about to say you get that here too until I read that a second time. Well you still get that here. Theres a couple kids that live round here somewhere that skate on the road and purposely ride in front of you whilst you are driving. Sometimes I feel like stopping the car and beating the crap out of them and telling them that thats just a scratch compared to what my car can do to them.

It only just started happening when school started. But other than that, people are fairly nice and where I live most people will help you out any chance they get.

So any particular place you plan on living. One of you wants to see Perth? what about you and the other go above?

[rengerts]

Isn't everything in Australia much more expensive than it is here? I remember there was some programme on the TV about some guy who emigrated from the UK to Australia and he was moaning about how ripped off he felt there. Grass is always greener and all that.....

It's definitely not cheap here. And where you got the grass is greener from I don't know. Because ever since the drought all the grass has died. Though ever since the rains have come back all the grass is green again[rofl].

But I was surprised to see that Smokes (cigarettes) and petrol is cheaper here than their[shocked]. Not that I smoke, but now I got a car petrol is a vital thing to me now, and I get so p*ssed of seeing myself back in the old days where I see my dad spending $10 on 30L or more on fuel now I spent about $60 on 40L, it completely sucks.

[Phassetus]

So any particular place you plan on living. One of you wants to see Perth? what about you and the other go above?

Well my missus has a sister in Adelaide so thats where were looking, me, her and her mum and dad

[rengerts]

Well my missus has a sister in Adelaide so thats where were looking, me, her and her mum and dad

Adelaide hmm. I haven't heard anything bad about that place. But than again I haven't heard much about that place altogether lol.

Well seeing as I'm not going to tafe today I will be glad to do a little research. I always pictured Adelaide on top of a cliff or something cause its right next to the Great Australian Bite, but I know its not . If I remember correctly they have nice beaches their, but I'm gonna have to do my research to confirm this.

[Anatolii]

There are a few Adelaide based onions around these parts, and i grew up there so i'd be glad to give some advice. Scoobs lives there i think.

Its a great place if you have kids that are growing up, a wonderful life style, its a nice size (not too big or small). It is probably the place in Australia that i would recommend the most if you have a young family. I can give you some advice on suburbs/areas of Adelaide that are really nice if you are interested.

Affordability is much better in Adelaide compared to say Melbourne and Sydney, cost of living compared to wages is more in balance. The one down side i see in Adelaide is the job market. The market is much larger in Melb and Syd and it's easier to find work, but i guess it all depends on what you are trained in and looking for.

I live in Sydney now, it has its ups and downsides, but i would definitely recommend Adelaide over Sydney if you have kids who are still in school or going to school. There is a large choice of private and public schools.

I am originally from the UK (born) and i've lived in Bristol, Just outside Birmingham and London. Trust me when i say this, move to Australia as quick as you can, you will never look back! The laws were pretty different when i moved so i don't know all the visa requirements etc... but if you are a skilled worker you will be fine, we have a professional skills shortage in quite a few industries over here at the moment.

[EasyLOAD]

I live in Sydney, and it's a killer in terms or housing prices. We just had another interest rate rise and the prices are rediculous.

However, there are quite a few UK folks where I work who are extremely happy with the move, and often refer to Australia as a paradise (one which us Aussies take for granted).

Try an organise a tranfer with work or something and see if you can still get paid in pounds! ...you cant go wrong. Sydney is great for the single dude, or perhaps the dude with a girlfriend still conscious of career progression, but if you want to settle down and raise that family of yours, try for maybe Adelaide or Perth... not Canberra, which is (no offense) dead boring! The Gold Coast is okay in theory, but it's like living in a 24/7 tourist spot (which it is).

Either way, I am almost certain you will enjoy it here, but my advice is don't attempt to buy stright into inner Sydney, as you will get phucked in the ass by the rediculous prices and interest rates we have at the moment.

[rengerts]

Damn Cubase, you must be missing Australia already[rofl]. You are the one who's moving to some Asian country right?.

Theres only one place I really liked about Sydney and boy did it have the most magnificent views of the ocean that I have ever seen till about a year later when my uncle got a hotel room for free (his insurance paid for it cause his house got flooded) which managed to beat it by a small margin. But boy was it awesome watching the Tasmin Ferry smashing against the huge swells on a raining night. You could actually see the front of the ship nose dive UNDER the swells. It was freaky and awesome at the same time.

Damn traitor Cubase Australia FTW[thumbup]

[EasyLOAD]

[rofl]

Haha, dude I never said it sucks to live here... it's just annoyingly expensive in Sydney.

[CorpoRasion]

Well I have been pretty much all over Australia apart from Tasmania and I have to say that there are good and bad points of all the cities around the country. If you are concerned about housing prices then I'd say that Adelaide would be your best bet followed by Perth but prices are going up all around the country. And if you have a family then Adelaide is a great choice as well, not too big and ok public transport. Adelaide also has great beaches but the water is a little cold during the winter. The thing that annoys me about Perth is that everything is really spread out so you really need a car to get around. Just on the temp, it is currently 34c and it's going to hit 37c this week so if you don't like the heat you might be better off in Canberra or Hobart. Like others have said there is more work in other cities like Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane but having said that I am getting job offers left right and centre at the moment in the IT field. On the cost of living think of it like this, if you go to London and have a look in pretty much any store just replace the pound sign with a dollar sign and you have the cost of stuff (well at least that's what I found when I went to London in 2006, of course I am talking about the cost of stuff in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne are more expensive). If you have any questions feel free to ask.

[Phassetus]

It'll definately be Adelaide as there is family there and this is the main reason my partner will go as it's her sister. Good to hear Adelaide is good for kids as it's also the main reason were moving away from UK, I can't look at a news paper or watch the news without wanting to batter some MP's to death and scream at the rest to have a little pride in the country and stop raping the general public.

Definately need some advice, where do I start, I gotta get this moving before she changes her mind, I did check the Australian website and we more than pass the points system, I heard there are moving to Australia expos where you can go and see officials and talk to potential employers, the next one it said was in London arund 16th march but gave no address details so I'll contact them to find out where.

I don't know if there is much of an aviatiojn industry in Adelaide as this is what my partner does but I've been in IT for many years so hopefu;;y there'll be work for me, I'd like to arrange something before the move so this expo this sounds like a good start.

[Unhappu]

i moved over around 18months ago and gotta say it was the best decision i've ever made. my situation was slightly different from yours but i did look into migrating and got loads of really good info regarding costs and timescales from http://www.visabureau.com. i'm sure there are other places that do the same thing but the info from here was good, it pays to do your research before you decide about moving. make sure you plan well ahead because it could take anything up to 9months (each case is different and timescales change) and you'll need about 1000pounds and also around $2000 AUD for the application. you can also do it all by yourself but at least if you go through an advisor they will let you know about the information you need to provide and give more piece of mind that your application is spot on before it's sent. because i had an australian girlfriend and we'd lived together for a while we were able to go for a de-facto relationship visa, which was certainly alot easier and quicker. as mentioned before the immigration works on a points system with your profession assigned a certain amount of points depending on how much of a shortage there is. one 'thing to remember is that the immigration department cannot deny a genuine application if it fits all the criteria. in other words your chances are pretty good.

as for Australia itself, it's a fantastic place to live. there are pro's and cons of course, i'll try and list the most important ones.

compared to the UK in some aspects it's expensive but in others it's dirt cheap. as mentioned before house prices are pretty expensive. a good site to check out house prices is www.domain.com.au. it's one of the best real estate websites over here for both buying and renting, another which is not quite as good is www.realestate.com.au.

buying groceries, i've found the cost to be slightly cheaper, whereas i was spending around 70 pounds a week in the UK over here i'm around $130 (thats for 2 people). electricity, gas etc is dirt cheap compared to the UK. also fuel, wow! over here it's around $1.40/litre just now, what's it in the UK 99p/litre? (latest exchange rate thats over $2.00) public transport is very cheap as well. i'm around $28 for a rail pass that basically gets me round Sydney, and it's better than the UK train service, although most Australians still think it's terrible (honestly it's not).

eating out is amazingly cheap over here. we can go out for a great meal and spend about $70. [thumbup] most electronic items are about the same price, maybe a little more expensive, but there doesn't seem to be as much competition with the big retailers over here to drive the prices down.

as far as earning potential is concerned, if your lucky enough to be in an industry where there is a shortage you will get paid pretty well. i am currently earning around 10% more than i was earning in the UK.

a couple of other quick things. the beer ain't as good (you can find some good ones but it takes a bit of searching) but the wine is fantastic and very cheap. you don't get so many bands touring over here because it's so far away, but there is loads of really good Australian bands that are definitely worth checking out. the beaches are amazing!!!! the climate is fantastic (brrrr!!! it was a chilly autumn day today at 22 degrees, lol!) and all in all the standard of living is pretty damn good. i miss jumping on a plane and being in Rome or Paris in 3hrs, but Asia is so close it's a pretty good substitute.

one thing i will mention, and i must make apologies to all the Australian onions out there (i don't mean offence), but IMO, as multicultural as this place is (which is extremely cool), Australia (at least the parts i've been to, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and travelling for 9months up the North East coast) is the most racist country i have ever been to, sorry but there have been times i have been astounded by level of disrespect given to people because of where they come from. /end rant

i hope this all helps, sorry for the extra long post. if you do move over you will love it, it is a fantastic place to live. i was over in the UK to catch up with my family over Christmas and i couldn't wait to get back, god it was a depressing place.

good luck, and if you have any questions feel free to ask.

[Kilsimpaile]

I don't know if there is much of an aviatiojn industry in Adelaide as this is what my partner does but I've been in IT for many years so hopefu;;y there'll be work for me, I'd like to arrange something before the move so this expo this sounds like a good start.

I'm not sure about what part of Aviation your spouse works in. You could try and work at BAE Systems (aka British Aerospace).

Well I just moved from Adelaide to Melbourne. So I can still help if Adelaide is your chosen destination.

In recent times things have much improved in Adelaide and are still on the improve.

I just need to point out something that scoobs said earlier about having a good public transport network. The public transport system is rubbish. It's mostly buses, and a couple of trains that go to destinations that no one cares about too much. The trains are old and have broken down several times the last 12 months. If you want an example of an A-class public transport system then have a look at Melbourne I use it every day (the train) to get into work and most of the time it's been flawless. If you choose to live in Adelaide, just make sure you can drive.


Adelaide has a bit of an identity crysis IMO. In the 80's and 90's Adelaide had not changed and it had copped a lot of bad press as the backwater city of Australia. However I'm pleased to note that this is all changing, and in the last 8 years there have been some nice small progressions. There are some big plans for the city, the only problem is no one can agree which direction Adelaide should go. If you read the local papers and Adelaide development forums, there is lots of argument and in the end plans are either cancelled or put on the back burner.

What type of area do you want to live in? Inner suburban or sea side? Then we could make some suggestions on what suburbs you should look at. Lots of delvelopment happening along Adelaide foreshores.

Also if you have no looked yet... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide

[rengerts]

one thing i will mention, and i must make apologies to all the Australian onions out there (i don't mean offence), but IMO, as multicultural as this place is (which is extremely cool), Australia (at least the parts i've been to, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and travelling for 9months up the North East coast) is the most racist country i have ever been to, sorry but there have been times i have been astounded by level of disrespect given to people because of where they come from. /end rant

[rofl][rofl]

Yea, I have to agree with you. But we don't take it seriously here like they do over there. The racist talk we have here (and racist jokes) are very common amongst ALL cultures, so its basically considered normal talking/chatting/joking here where it may be very offensive over there.

For example, My mum (and Nan) where born in New Zealand, which means I have part New Zealand in me (I'm Australian born) yet I rip of New Zealand all the time. I have Asian friends who I rip of all the time, same thing with dark coloured people, and they do the same to me, yet we are all mates, its just common language here.

Well at least where I live. Not sure if its a serious matter any where else.

[HotboTgameR]

well i guess if its not taken seriously

[Unhappu]

[rofl][rofl]

Yea, I have to agree with you. But we don't take it seriously here like they do over there. The racist talk we have here (and racist jokes) are very common amongst ALL cultures, so its basically considered normal talking/chatting/joking here where it may be very offensive over there.

For example, My mum (and Nan) where born in New Zealand, which means I have part New Zealand in me (I'm Australian born) yet I rip of New Zealand all the time. I have Asian friends who I rip of all the time, same thing with dark coloured people, and they do the same to me, yet we are all mates, its just common language here.

Well at least where I live. Not sure if its a serious matter any where else.

you see thats the thing, i can't imagine it not being a serious matter. calling an italian friend a wog or calling your aboriginal mate abo, doesn't really sit right. i'm not just saying it's the white Australians either, it's across the board.

and yamahonkawazuki, [thumbup], the unfortunate thing is that there are still alot of people that think what you have so well said with the right amount of sarcasm

it's a pretty big deal but it doesn't take away from what a brilliant place to live it is. there are lot's of like minded ozzies out there that don't accept it as the norm, added to that the climate, standard of living, food, multi-cultarism and the fact that you get more premiership games than the UK make it all worthwhile.