Where to live in OZ and why.

martinr5232

Was wondering what is in your opinion the best place to live in Austrailia seeing as there seems to be a good few posters either living there at the moment or lived there in the past.

Im like a lot of other people just starting the process of applying for a skilled visa but havent a clue where to even think about moving to so any help would be appreciated.

ibh

most people go for Sydney, Perth, melb, etc. But dont rule out some of the less talked about places like Adelaide, Wollongong, Cairns etc.
Gotta decide what you are looking for. Depends on work, family etc.
The smaller cities often feel like large towns. Big difference compared to Sydney or Melbourne.

hussey

Personally I'd kill to live in Byron, but there is not much skilled IT work there :-)

But yes as the above poster mentioned, most people hit the cities. This may or may not be your up of tea.

If you would like to live by the beach in peace and quiet try the East (or west coast) (away from the party towns)

A friend of mine worked as a pretty much bag-boy on one of the Island of Whitsundays, his wages + tips = beer + food money.
So he got to live on a paradise Island for 2 months and made no dent in his travel money

Xavi6

Perth is your only man if you want a chilled out relaxed lifestyle in the sun where you can pretty much take your pick of jobs if you're skilled.

One Cold Hand

Xavi6 wrote: »

Perth Melbourne is your only man if you want a chilled out relaxed lifestyle in the sun where you can pretty much take your pick of jobs if you're skilled.

Fixed that, you seem to have made a mistake!

OP, Perth is nowhere near ANYWHERE (Fremantle doesn't count Xavi!). Don't got there. It'd be like coming to Ireland and going to Achill island.

Seriously though, Alice Spring imo. It's right at the centre of everything!

Xavi6

One Cold Hand wrote: »

Fixed that, you seem to have made a mistake!

OP, Perth is nowhere near ANYWHERE (Fremantle doesn't count Xavi!). Don't got there. It'd be like coming to Ireland and going to Achill island.

Seriously though, Alice Spring imo. It's right at the centre of everything!

Would you get out of it, you'd swear we didn't have electricity or running water over here!

Perth and its surrounding area is huge and sure it's only a flight to get over east, same as it would be from Melbourne to Sydney or Brisbane.

One Cold Hand

Xavi6 wrote: »

Would you get out of it, you'd swear we didn't have electricity or running water over here!

According to the Lonely planet you don't! Dunno why anyone would CHOOSE to live there!

Xavi6

Must be all the hot babes and great beaches that swings it!

One Cold Hand

Well it's certainly not the footie team!

hussey

No you didn't!!!!

Personally I think the main disadvantage of Perth is in fact the isolation. 4-5 hr flight away from the other cities.

but I think you should visit them all
Even Alice springs

Xavi6

One Cold Hand wrote: »

Well it's certainly not the footie team!

Yeah the Dockers are pretty woeful

hussey wrote: »

No you didn't!!!!

Personally I think the main disadvantage of Perth is in fact the isolation. 4-5 hr flight away from the other cities.

but I think you should visit them all
Even Alice springs

I really don't get this at all. You'd swear Sydney was a half hour drive from Melbourne! If you were to make that trip you'd still have to fly to get there, it's only a couple of hours less as well so not much of a difference at all.

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

hussey

Xavi6 wrote: »

I really don't get this at all. You'd swear Sydney was a half hour drive from Melbourne! If you were to make that trip you'd still have to fly to get there, it's only a couple of hours less as well so not much of a difference at all.

Perth is one of the most isolated metropolitan areas on Earth.
Perth is geographically closer to East Timor, Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia, than it is to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Link

Yes one would have to fly to get to those cities, but to me it's a 1 hr flight rather than a 4-5hr flight .. which makes a big difference to me.

I'm am not knocking perth, I am saying the main disadvantage is the distance.

SquirrelOnCrack

hussey wrote: »

Perth is THE most isolated metropolitan area on Earth.

Perth is 3000Km from any other city.

Xavi6

The Scientist wrote: »

Xavi, what do you mean if you're skilled? as in a trade or professional qualifications (IT, Sales, marketing etc)?

My industry is spiralling downhill the last 2/3 months so i could have no choice but to emmigrate soon.

Yep pretty much any trade or other qualification. There's a list of professions on the immigration website I think and it's very very easy to fall into one of the categories.

I don't think people in Ireland realise just how much work there actually is here. Employers are terrified of losing staff so you pretty much can give a list of demands (within reason obviously) when going for a job and a lot of them will be met due to desperation. Salaries are well negotiable.

Mahatma coat

I see no one has mentioned Brisbane yet

I take it ye've all been so

Xavi6

I have actually and it pissed rain for the three weeks over Christmas last year! Got one feckin day of sunshine up in Maroochydore and that was it. Fraser Island was a washout (though I still had a dip in the lake!).

One Cold Hand

Xavi6 wrote: »

I don't think people in Ireland realise just how much work there actually is here. Employers are terrified of losing staff so you pretty much can give a list of demands (within reason obviously) when going for a job and a lot of them will be met due to desperation. Salaries are well negotiable.

It may be just me, or it may be just Melbourne, or it may be just the construction industry, but I think that things may be slowing down slightly, very slightly here. Just noticed it in the last month. There's still lots of jobs about, but it seems to me like employers aren't quite as eager to take on staff. 2 months ago they were scrambling for any staff they could get.

As I say there's still lots of jobs about, but I just reckon that you can't waltz in and demand cocaine and hookers with your job, so to speak!

Xavi6

You're right, it is decreasing slightly but not enough to worry job seekers.

Here's a story on the situation I wrote the other day -

http://www.constructionindustrynews.net/storyview.asp?storyid=267546&sectionsource=s0

Construction activity down again

Neil Sherwin
Thursday, 7 August 2008

AUSTRALIA’S economic slowdown continues to make headlines with news today that activity in the construction sector contracted for a fifth straight month in July.

The Australian Industry Group–Housing Industry Association Performance of Construction Index (PCI) decreased to 41.6 points in July, up slightly from June’s 30-month low of 40.3 points but still well below the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction.

“New home building starts will fall in 2008, marking an unprecedented fifth consecutive year of weakness,” said HIA chief economist Harley Dale.

“An aggravation of the chronic shortage of housing stock will place further pressure on already exceedingly tight rental markets.”

The 120 companies surveyed said high interest rates and tight credit conditions, which have led to heightened risk aversion and low consumer and investor confidence, were to blame for the continued weakness in activity.

Ai Group chief economist Tony Pensabene said activity in the sector remained weak.

“Building activity, construction activity has been hit quite hard by interest rates and the slowdown in demand in the community,” he said.

“Housing apartment activity is really at very low levels and similarly in the commercial construction sector, they are down on previous months.”

The construction index has been languishing below 50 points since March, the same month the Reserve Bank increased rates to a 12-year high of 7.25%.

The apartment building sub-index fell by 8.7 index points to 28.5 points, the most subdued level of housing activity in the past 20 months, while employment in the construction sector dropped by 1.7 points to 43.2, the fourth straight month of contraction.

I think the main point over here though is if you want to work at a decent level you can, and you can afford to be slightly picky about it.

layke

I'm currently residing in Brisbane. It's hot, plenty of work and the rent aint too bad, the problem is Sydney and Melbourne are over crowded so they all move to Brizzy meaning rents and finding a place is getting harder.The good side though is If you are in construction there is a load of work going on over here at the moment with a major road network overhaul which will probably be ongoing for a few years. I do a lot of field services so I travel over the state of Queensland and they are building everywhere. This also goes for the housing market as they are in desparate need atm like Ireland land prices are going up.

I earn more cash here in IT as there seems to be a lack of skilled professionals about. For my last job interview I had a total of 2 others going for the position but managed to beat them down hard with the weight of my CV.

The downside, they seem to be still living in the 70's over here. Shops shut really early and some don't open on weekends at all which I find odd.

So Briz-Vegas is the way forward imo I'll be back in Dublin come Feb while enjoying coming from 30-40 degree summer to minus ****ing 4... I'd go back no questions asked.

TheDriver

Must say Brisbane is indeed dead enough in evenings and weekends. WHat about Tennant Creek for a quiet life..............................
Seriously though, Alice Springs is a lovely place and mad hatters there.
Don't live in Darwin though, bit too relaxed and more for the party hard week rather than long term stay.

Spud83

Towards the one year backpackers I would say live in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney. But travel and see as much as possible. Australia is huge so you will never see it all, but you should be traveling around for at least half the year.

As for people moving over there well I have no idea, I suppose it would depend on what type of lifestyle you are looking for and things like job prospects.

Mahatma coat

Tennant Creek eh,

any further comments from me about TC will be in Lolocaust

irelandsown

I'm moving to Sydney in December and will be looking for IT work. Has anyone got any advice on recruitment agencies etc? I have over 10yrs exp in development and project management. I'm goin on a WHV, does that limit me to contract work only?

Spud83

irelandsown wrote: »

I'm moving to Sydney in December and will be looking for IT work. Has anyone got any advice on recruitment agencies etc? I have over 10yrs exp in development and project management. I'm goin on a WHV, does that limit me to contract work only?

Probably as you can only work for one employer for six months. I can't see an employer willing to hire you for a permanent position on a WHV unless you are trying to seek sponsorship and stay for longer and they are willing to help you with that.

I got a 3 month contract as a network engineer using PRA, and my friend got a development role through them as well. I would definitely look at getting hooked up with them. They were an excellent agency to deal with.

I will also say that I was offered a contract extension from nearly the minute I walked in the door. The agency were going to help me extend my visa. I turned it down because I was going home. Still think about that decision nearly every day.

BarryCreed

any tech writers on here in oz?

irelandsown

alanmurphy83 wrote: »

Probably as you can only work for one employer for six months. I can't see an employer willing to hire you for a permanent position on a WHV unless you are trying to seek sponsorship and stay for longer and they are willing to help you with that.

I got a 3 month contract as a network engineer using PRA, and my friend got a development role through them as well. I would definitely look at getting hooked up with them. They were an excellent agency to deal with.

I will also say that I was offered a contract extension from nearly the minute I walked in the door. The agency were going to help me extend my visa. I turned it down because I was going home. Still think about that decision nearly every day.

Thanks for the reply. I'm not too bothered about a permanent position straight away anyway. Whats the money like over there for contractors and what level of tax do you pay?

Spud83

irelandsown wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. I'm not too bothered about a permanent position straight away anyway. Whats the money like over there for contractors and what level of tax do you pay?

Just had a look at my one of my pay slips i was getting 195.58 per day.

Tax is weird the have two different rates, and then superannuation as well. I am 90% sure I was on the lower rate.

But 20 days gave me 2738.12 (gross) - 485(tax) and 246 (Superannuation) leaving em with 2253 (NET).

You can claim back a portion of your tax when you return.

My mate was on a good bit more than me, nearly double if I remember correctly.

Regarding my situation you should remember that was a shed load of money for me at the time. What I mean by this is that I was broke after arriving in Sydney and got the first job offered to me in a call centre. I was happy to stay there, until this job got landed on my lap. I didn't go searching for the best role, or the best pay, this just landed at me and I jumped at it as it was more than enough for me.

The Sweeper

Backpackers want to be in the cities, where the action is.

If you're looking to settle long-term, I recommend renting for a while and spending a LOT of time in the car and on the property websites to find yourself a location. We looked at the inner suburbs of Melbourne, then the outer suburbs, then Craigieburn and Sunbury, and ended up out where we are now. I work locally out here, which is a Godsend, and himself has to move from place to place with his work a lot anyway, but we're still in a good position. The roads and infrastructure tend to be better in Australia, because they're not 1,000 year old donkey tracks that have been converted. Subsequently, you can do the 60k trip from us into the CBD in one hour, as opposed to what a similar distance journey might take in Dublin or London.

The advantage of going out a little further is what you can get for your money in terms of accommodation. We're currently building a four bedroom house with 2.5 baths, double garage, study, lounge, kitchen and open plan meals/family area. House is around 2,500 sq feet. Block that the house is on is just over a quarter acre. House comes with plenty of extras - stone work benches in the kitchen, a range cooker and range hood, dishwasher, and this price includes carpets, wooden floorboards, ducted vaccuuming etc. - at today's exchange rate, it's €180,000, and we're 55 minutes drive from the city centre.

Honestly, that's the main reason we're in Australia. We missed the boat in both Ireland and England on property, and just wanted a home without feeling like paying it off would be the biggest stress in our lives.

WhiteWashMan

and the sunshine.

its nice having more than 3 days in a row of plus 20 degree weather

cmon the pies!

hussey

Sydney is the main city for IT work, there seems to be plenty around - but as a experienced IT developer (J2EE .net etc) you can easily make $600-$800 per day contracting.

Recruitment companies are the same as home - b@stards who just want to look out for themselves. Ask them what they are charging for you etc, and what conditions they offer (super paid weekly/monthly etc)

and when talking about money make sure you clarify that you get paid base or with super (super is 9% of salary)

when I started to work I was offered a job for $40 an hour, after 2 years in IT I was happy with that, but then I foudn out the recruitment company were charging $65 .. yes $25 an hour, I complained and they changed it to a more reasonable rate.

Here is the tax rate of Australia

if you plan to work in a city for more than 3 months then you are a 'resident for tax purposes' and with that you are given a tax-free-allowance of 6k. Resident in this sense does not mean Australian resident.