Moving to Perth next week
Discussion
Hi chaps,
I'm provisionally moving to Perth next week to be with my girlfriend, going for a year initially on a working holiday, then if I decide to stay we'll be applying for the partner visa.
I'll be living in Dianella.
Have been reading up on a lot of threads on here, and there seems to be a positive vibe to living in Perth, and I've been to Perth and Geraldton for a month over Christmas.
The OH keeps me informed of the shocking cost of rent and utility bills
Is there anything I should really be prepared for? different culture clashes?
Any tips or do's and dont's for driving?
Thanks!
I'm provisionally moving to Perth next week to be with my girlfriend, going for a year initially on a working holiday, then if I decide to stay we'll be applying for the partner visa.
I'll be living in Dianella.
Have been reading up on a lot of threads on here, and there seems to be a positive vibe to living in Perth, and I've been to Perth and Geraldton for a month over Christmas.
The OH keeps me informed of the shocking cost of rent and utility bills
Is there anything I should really be prepared for? different culture clashes?
Any tips or do's and dont's for driving?
Thanks!
StefanVXR8 said:
I'm off to Perth next week, just for a recce though for a week, I'm flying out of Heathrow on Thursday.
We're looking at a move there but yet to decide on which visa, probably permanent residence or sponsored.
Stef
All the best with it. Even better if you can bring the R8 We're looking at a move there but yet to decide on which visa, probably permanent residence or sponsored.
Stef
Hasbeen said:
What did you expect?
With so many poms living in the place, Perth's driving standards were bound to fall.
With so many poms living in the place, Perth's driving standards were bound to fall.
I've witnessed Perth driving first hand, no-one seems to know how to merge. And fines for 3km/h over the limit? Amazing.Colonial said:
Everything costs more. Average wages are also higher.
Have heard this. $20 per hour minimum wage or something, which is what I'll inevitably be on when i first move.I've heard you cannot park the opposite way to the flow of traffic? Can someone confirm this?
Utility bills really are no different here to the UK - We had our 2 AC units running pretty much 24/7 during the hottest part of the summer and the electricity bill still only came to $100 a month. Gas bill just arrived and that's just under $100 a month (hot water and gas hob).
The only regret I have is not bringing a car from the UK. The reason for not doing so was that I had an Audi A2 before we left and that was never sold here so parts would have been tricky. I kick myself because when I bought it I knew I'd be making the move and could have easily bought something suitable for a couple of years before moving - A 3 Series BMW would have been perfect and the cost of shipping would have been insignificant compared to buying the same car here.
People told us that Perth drivers were really bad and the traffic is a nightmare. In reality the standard of driving is about the same as most large towns around England. I grew up on the outskirts of London and I'd much rather drive around Perth than go and visit my parents house back home! I'm lucky enough to commute to work from the coast inland, cutting across most of the commuter traffic. In doing so I go over the freeway where I see it almost stationary on the way towards the city before 6AM.... this is about half way down the northern freeway (Mitchell Freeway)
You're going to find the weather a bit s
t next week - Forecast is for rain and thunderstorms.
The only regret I have is not bringing a car from the UK. The reason for not doing so was that I had an Audi A2 before we left and that was never sold here so parts would have been tricky. I kick myself because when I bought it I knew I'd be making the move and could have easily bought something suitable for a couple of years before moving - A 3 Series BMW would have been perfect and the cost of shipping would have been insignificant compared to buying the same car here.
People told us that Perth drivers were really bad and the traffic is a nightmare. In reality the standard of driving is about the same as most large towns around England. I grew up on the outskirts of London and I'd much rather drive around Perth than go and visit my parents house back home! I'm lucky enough to commute to work from the coast inland, cutting across most of the commuter traffic. In doing so I go over the freeway where I see it almost stationary on the way towards the city before 6AM.... this is about half way down the northern freeway (Mitchell Freeway)
You're going to find the weather a bit s
t next week - Forecast is for rain and thunderstorms.200bhp said:
You're going to find the weather a bit st next week - Forecast is for rain and thunderstorms.
I was going to mention that yesterday!t next week - Forecast is for rain and thunderstorms.http://www.bom.gov.au/wa/forecasts/perth.shtml
motomk said:
I was going to mention that yesterday!
http://www.bom.gov.au/wa/forecasts/perth.shtml
It will beat the 40 degree heat I experienced in Geraldton over Christmas http://www.bom.gov.au/wa/forecasts/perth.shtml
200BHP - I've been following your threads, are you still glad you made the move?
Talk2Dave said:
It will beat the 40 degree heat I experienced in Geraldton over Christmas
200BHP - I've been following your threads, are you still glad you made the move?
Very much so! Here's a post I made on another forum recently:200BHP - I've been following your threads, are you still glad you made the move?
My post on another forum said:
Having used this forum regularly during the visa application process, I've not been here for a very long time. However, we've now been in Perth for 6 months so I thought it would be worth posting our thoughts for anyone else who may be thinking of making the move.
This follows on from my one-month report which can be found here: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/reccie-arrival-repor...
Housing
It is well documented on here that the rental process is different to the UK. However you should try not to worry too much about it because if you get a good place, its quite simple to stay put. I have colleagues who have been in their rental for 3-6 years and in that time their rent has hardly gone up.
The new housing estates have no character and are just like glorified apartment blocks. They're piled on top of each other so you can hear everything your neighbours are doing, smell their smoke and get no privacy at all. If you can afford it, move to a more established surburb where you'll get a lot more space. Having said that, some of the new $1m+ estates are just as bad with big houses built right up to the boundary, all over-looking each other.
The windows here are all single glazed. The aussies dont seem to realise how much they keep the noise out or how much they'd save in air-con bills during the summer by keeping the cold air in the house (They think its just to keep the house warm in winter).
Generally, if you want a house, you'll have to choose between a new house on a generic new estate, designed with the copy and paste button, or an older place with a bathroom and kitchen from the early 90s.
Household Bills
We find we spend a lot on general household goods and food etc. We dont have any children and still manage to spend about $250 a week in the supermarkets here. Back in the UK we were only spending about 70-100 pounds. We dont have expensive ready meals or take outs, and we buy as much as we can from places like Spud Shed. Aldi is coming to WA very soon and it'll be interesting to see what effect they have.
Clothing here is very expensive, as are things like bedding and towels. Yes, you can go into BigW and buy a set of cheap bath towels but they're really poor quality. We found it was actually cheaper to buy a set from John Lewis and have them shipped over than it was to by the same quality over here.
The locals complain about energy bills and we were expecting the worse. However ours are less than we were paying per month in the UK 5 years ago at about $100 per month for gas and the same for electricity. This includes our heavy air-con usage during the summer.
General Cost of Living.
I'm very lucky. As an engineering manager, I was previously working in a profession that is thought by many to be under-paid in the UK. Here in Australia, thanks to the mining boom, I'm on good money and that has helped mask the differences in living costs. I imagine that if you were a nurse or teacher etc. it would seem expensive here. As I say, I've benefited from a massive uplift in salary simply because of my particular qualifications and experience.
Driving
People told us that Perth drivers were really bad and the traffic is a nightmare. In reality the standard of driving is about the same as most large towns around England. I grew up on the outskirts of London and I'd much rather drive around Perth than go and visit my parents house back home! I'm lucky enough to commute to work from the coast inland, cutting across most of the commuter traffic. In doing so I go over the freeway where I see it almost stationary on the way towards the city before 6AM.... this is about half way down the northern freeway (Mitchell Freeway)
Petrol here is rising in cost all the time. I have a large estate car and it costs me about $70 per tank which I get through in about 2 weeks. I'm glad I resisted the temptation to buy an Aussie car with a 6ltr V8 engine!
Car insurance is reasonable and slightly less than I paid in England. Be wary when buying a car that you have to pay stamp duty on it - I get a $600 bill a few months after buying mine.
I got a car from John Hughes in Perth. They have a good reputation but very cheesy TV ads! I got my car partly on finance in order to preserve some of our savings. During the process they said that if I wanted they could do 0% deposit finance easily for permanent visa holders.
If personal number plates take your fancy, you'll love it here in WA. You can write pretty much anything on your plate and it doesnt have to be in a certain order of numbers and letters like the UK. They're not my thing but I used to see loads in the UK so thought it was worth mentioning!
Second hand cars here are very, very expensive. Anything thats going to last a few months will cost $2000+ Anything that is modern and sensible for a family will be $10,000. If you have a car in the UK, seriously consider bringing it with you. Back in the UK I have a Lexus that I bought for 1000. It had 196000 miles on the clock and was an L reg. I could have sold it here for $10,000. If you have an Audi, BMW or Volkswagen, you'll find they're worth a fortune over here as long as that model was originally sold here too (So dont bring an odler VW Polo, Audi A1 or A2)
Dont buy a 2 seater Ute - They're rubbish.
Roads here are very very slippery when it rains.
There are traffic lights everywhere and they're stupid, stupid, stupid things! Reach the junction just after they've gone red and you can be there for 3-4 minutes. Whilst that doesnt sound like much, these junctions can be every few miles. My journey to work is just over 12km and has 8 sets of traffic lights. If a few of them are red it can double my journey time. Pretty much all of these could be replaced with a European style roundabout.
Where there is a decent roundabout (outside Hillarys harbour) the locals complain about it and say its so confusing because they dont know which lane to go in!
Speed cameras here are small, portable and hidden in the bushes. The operator will park up in the adjoining road and run the cables through the bushes to the cameras so you cant see them if you're going to fast or if it's dark. Fines start for 3km/h over the limit.
Business
I've worked for small and medium sized companies in the UK for over 10 years and in that time I've found most UK business people to be keen and professional. Sadly the same cant always be said for Aussies in the workplace. Many of them seem to be lazy and have no real drive to get things done. They take ages to make decisions and sit about in meetings that take 3 times too long. They're unaware of simple things that we were doing in Europe 5 years ago. However, there is good money to be made and if you come here with a European work ethic you will do well.
Things To Do
There is very little to do here in terms of tourist attractions. Whilst you could easily spend a couple of weeks in Devon or Cornwall doing something different everyday, you'd struggle to do the same here, partly because things are so far apart. However, if you like going to good restaurants, sitting by the sea relaxing etc. you have plenty of opportunities.
Politics
Australian Politics is full of back stabbing false people who do nothing more than slag off the opposition. Yes, I know thats pretty much the same in the UK but over here, their election adverts are on every 2 minutes and they make no real effort to tell you what they're going to do for people - They'd rather have a go at the other guy, telling you how bad he is.
TV
We dont have Foxtel. However we had it in our rental when we first arrived and concluded that it is a waste of money.
Terrestrial digital TV has about 10 channels and they tend to put the big shows on during the week. For example, something like X Factor is on a Tuesday night at 7:30. Friday and Saturday night TV is poor. The selection of channels and programs reminds us of the UK pre-digital when there were only 5 channels. Here the only ones worth watching are SBS one, 7, nines and Ten. Most of the shows are either British or American.
Internet
The internet here is very very slow. A friend of mine back in England just sent me an email saying he now has 70mb broadband on Virgin media. When we left we had 10mb on our standard BT phone line. Here you're doing well to get much more than 3mb. Sadly this removes the internet as an option for alternative TV, its just too slow to watch things online, particularly after you've gone through a proxy to access the iPlayer etc.
My X-Box live account still works here fine but when playing mutli-player it does have issues. Despite changing every available location option to Australia, it still tries to match me up with UK players. This means that games like COD can suffer with lag and occasionally it cant find any games for me to join. Once my current Live membership has expired I'll probably sign up for a new account here in Oz.
Weather
The summer was hot but no where near as bad as we were expecting. Apparently it was a lot hotter this summer than it is usually so things can only get better from here I guess! Currently it's pouring with rain and 12 degrees My colleagues are complaining that they're cold. We actually quite enjoyed walking the dog in light rain yesterday, it makes a pleasant change from constant sunshine and blue skies.
When it rains here it is very heavy. We dont get any of those days when it rains lightly all day long - Its been and gone in a few hours.
The English
The English people we meet tend to fall into two categories. Firstly, there are those who have moved here to escape the changing face of the UK. Despite not realising the irony of complaining about "bloody immigrants" they're generally a positive bunch who have been here a while and have adjusted to the Aussie ways, you wont hear from many of these people on internet forums because they're too busy enjoying life.
Then there are those who seem to have moved here for some other reason. Maybe they've got issues in their relationship or they have another problem back in the UK. They come here expecting it to all go away overnight - When the problems resurface a few months later they become the classic whinging Pomme. These are the people who also keep converting everything to pounds in their head and complaining about how expensive everything is.
Australians
There are just as many rude, ignorant people here as there are in the UK. There are a lot of different nationalities around the place - Something that slightly confused me to start with is that they use the word "asians" to describe people from China, Japan, Malaysia. Back home that term normally applies to people from India and Pakistan etc. I remember wondering what I was supposed to say when a colleague asked "Do you fancy going out for an Asian tonight?"
Many Aussies like to keep fit. They'll be out and about jogging and power walking from 6AM.
Most of them are obsessed with cutting their lawn. They have about 4 different petrol powered machines for cutting, clipping and trimming the lawn and it's edges - Normally at 7:05 on a Saturday morning.
Most Aussie's go to bed early and get up early. You will find it hard to start with but before long you'll also be getting up at 5:30 and going to bed at 10.
For the guys (females skip to the next section)
In the summer, lots of good looking, physically fit women will be wandering the streets wearing very little. They go to the shops in tiny denim shorts and skimpy tops. If you happen to drive up the west coast highway from the city north, you will see many many good looking women in bikinis all over the place. I think I may have found the reason that there seem to be a lot of road accidents here - Its guys getting distracted by hot girls on the pavement. Luckily sunglasses are almost mandatory during hot weather so you can look all over the place without upsetting your other half
Crime etc.
When we last went to Hillarys dog beach there was a woman in tears because her car had just been broken in to.
As with anywhere, criminals are not THAT stupid and they know rich pickings can be had from good areas.
Violent crime here makes the headlines. However, when you look at the statistics, it is a lot less than most big towns in the UK. If someone gets beaten up on a Friday night its on the news, back in the UK, people got murdered on a Friday night and it barely made the middle of the newspapers.
Public Transport
We always use the train to get into the city at the weekend, despite living just 15-20 minutes drive away. Parking is free, trains run every 15 minutes and they're clean and modern. Apparently its very busy during the week-day rush hour though.
Staying in touch.
Family - Skype makes it easy to see our families but thanks to the poor quality internet speeds it's not always great. I think they miss us more than we miss them but for now we're all happy.
Friends - Dont believe all your UK friends when they say they'll keep in touch. We're not of the Facebook generation so we only keep in touch by phone and email. Of the many friends we had back home, my wife is in touch with two and I'm in touch with one.
Meeting New People.
Many migrants seem to struggle to meet new people. I work with a Frenchman and a Columbian who speak fluent English and are married in the early 30s. However, they really struggle to meet new people. Yesterday I saw an advert for a lady seeking friends who had been here with her family for 4 years.
We're lucky to have neighbours that by coincidence used to live just a few miles from where I grew up in England, the couple over the road are very friendly and we've even invited the postman and his english wife round for a BBQ. You have to make the effort to find people, accept that you wont get on with everyone and eventually you'll make new friends. If you sit around complaining that you dont know anyone, you wont help yourself. Be bold and reach out to people - Invite anyone and everyone round for a BBQ!
I genuinely believe its no more difficult to make friends here than it is in the UK. If you moved from Bournemouth to Dundee you's have exactly the same "problem", its not unique to Australia.
What do we miss?
The English countryside. I sit and watch Top Gear, my wife watches Downton Abbey and we look and think how lovely it all looks. Here its pretty much sandy soil, scrubland, dried up bushes and gum trees wherever you look. We'd love to go for a nice walk on the Malvern hills, through the Chilterns or through the Yorkshire Moors.
The History. Obviously there is very little really old history here. Before we came we visited York and are very glad we did. Here there is nothing like the rambling old streets filled with old shops and that christmas shopping atmosphere.
Are we glad we made the move?
Yes. It is the best thing we've ever done and we really wish we'd done it 6 years ago when we first thought about it (I cry when I look at historical exchange rates!). For us, Australia really has been the land of opportunity, we've had more good luck, more good times and more money than ever before.
I dont tend to use this forum much these days but as it was such a good source of information when we made the move, I thought I'd share our views on the place. Maybe I'll be back in another 6 months!
This follows on from my one-month report which can be found here: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/reccie-arrival-repor...
Housing
It is well documented on here that the rental process is different to the UK. However you should try not to worry too much about it because if you get a good place, its quite simple to stay put. I have colleagues who have been in their rental for 3-6 years and in that time their rent has hardly gone up.
The new housing estates have no character and are just like glorified apartment blocks. They're piled on top of each other so you can hear everything your neighbours are doing, smell their smoke and get no privacy at all. If you can afford it, move to a more established surburb where you'll get a lot more space. Having said that, some of the new $1m+ estates are just as bad with big houses built right up to the boundary, all over-looking each other.
The windows here are all single glazed. The aussies dont seem to realise how much they keep the noise out or how much they'd save in air-con bills during the summer by keeping the cold air in the house (They think its just to keep the house warm in winter).
Generally, if you want a house, you'll have to choose between a new house on a generic new estate, designed with the copy and paste button, or an older place with a bathroom and kitchen from the early 90s.
Household Bills
We find we spend a lot on general household goods and food etc. We dont have any children and still manage to spend about $250 a week in the supermarkets here. Back in the UK we were only spending about 70-100 pounds. We dont have expensive ready meals or take outs, and we buy as much as we can from places like Spud Shed. Aldi is coming to WA very soon and it'll be interesting to see what effect they have.
Clothing here is very expensive, as are things like bedding and towels. Yes, you can go into BigW and buy a set of cheap bath towels but they're really poor quality. We found it was actually cheaper to buy a set from John Lewis and have them shipped over than it was to by the same quality over here.
The locals complain about energy bills and we were expecting the worse. However ours are less than we were paying per month in the UK 5 years ago at about $100 per month for gas and the same for electricity. This includes our heavy air-con usage during the summer.
General Cost of Living.
I'm very lucky. As an engineering manager, I was previously working in a profession that is thought by many to be under-paid in the UK. Here in Australia, thanks to the mining boom, I'm on good money and that has helped mask the differences in living costs. I imagine that if you were a nurse or teacher etc. it would seem expensive here. As I say, I've benefited from a massive uplift in salary simply because of my particular qualifications and experience.
Driving
People told us that Perth drivers were really bad and the traffic is a nightmare. In reality the standard of driving is about the same as most large towns around England. I grew up on the outskirts of London and I'd much rather drive around Perth than go and visit my parents house back home! I'm lucky enough to commute to work from the coast inland, cutting across most of the commuter traffic. In doing so I go over the freeway where I see it almost stationary on the way towards the city before 6AM.... this is about half way down the northern freeway (Mitchell Freeway)
Petrol here is rising in cost all the time. I have a large estate car and it costs me about $70 per tank which I get through in about 2 weeks. I'm glad I resisted the temptation to buy an Aussie car with a 6ltr V8 engine!
Car insurance is reasonable and slightly less than I paid in England. Be wary when buying a car that you have to pay stamp duty on it - I get a $600 bill a few months after buying mine.
I got a car from John Hughes in Perth. They have a good reputation but very cheesy TV ads! I got my car partly on finance in order to preserve some of our savings. During the process they said that if I wanted they could do 0% deposit finance easily for permanent visa holders.
If personal number plates take your fancy, you'll love it here in WA. You can write pretty much anything on your plate and it doesnt have to be in a certain order of numbers and letters like the UK. They're not my thing but I used to see loads in the UK so thought it was worth mentioning!
Second hand cars here are very, very expensive. Anything thats going to last a few months will cost $2000+ Anything that is modern and sensible for a family will be $10,000. If you have a car in the UK, seriously consider bringing it with you. Back in the UK I have a Lexus that I bought for 1000. It had 196000 miles on the clock and was an L reg. I could have sold it here for $10,000. If you have an Audi, BMW or Volkswagen, you'll find they're worth a fortune over here as long as that model was originally sold here too (So dont bring an odler VW Polo, Audi A1 or A2)
Dont buy a 2 seater Ute - They're rubbish.
Roads here are very very slippery when it rains.
There are traffic lights everywhere and they're stupid, stupid, stupid things! Reach the junction just after they've gone red and you can be there for 3-4 minutes. Whilst that doesnt sound like much, these junctions can be every few miles. My journey to work is just over 12km and has 8 sets of traffic lights. If a few of them are red it can double my journey time. Pretty much all of these could be replaced with a European style roundabout.
Where there is a decent roundabout (outside Hillarys harbour) the locals complain about it and say its so confusing because they dont know which lane to go in!
Speed cameras here are small, portable and hidden in the bushes. The operator will park up in the adjoining road and run the cables through the bushes to the cameras so you cant see them if you're going to fast or if it's dark. Fines start for 3km/h over the limit.
Business
I've worked for small and medium sized companies in the UK for over 10 years and in that time I've found most UK business people to be keen and professional. Sadly the same cant always be said for Aussies in the workplace. Many of them seem to be lazy and have no real drive to get things done. They take ages to make decisions and sit about in meetings that take 3 times too long. They're unaware of simple things that we were doing in Europe 5 years ago. However, there is good money to be made and if you come here with a European work ethic you will do well.
Things To Do
There is very little to do here in terms of tourist attractions. Whilst you could easily spend a couple of weeks in Devon or Cornwall doing something different everyday, you'd struggle to do the same here, partly because things are so far apart. However, if you like going to good restaurants, sitting by the sea relaxing etc. you have plenty of opportunities.
Politics
Australian Politics is full of back stabbing false people who do nothing more than slag off the opposition. Yes, I know thats pretty much the same in the UK but over here, their election adverts are on every 2 minutes and they make no real effort to tell you what they're going to do for people - They'd rather have a go at the other guy, telling you how bad he is.
TV
We dont have Foxtel. However we had it in our rental when we first arrived and concluded that it is a waste of money.
Terrestrial digital TV has about 10 channels and they tend to put the big shows on during the week. For example, something like X Factor is on a Tuesday night at 7:30. Friday and Saturday night TV is poor. The selection of channels and programs reminds us of the UK pre-digital when there were only 5 channels. Here the only ones worth watching are SBS one, 7, nines and Ten. Most of the shows are either British or American.
Internet
The internet here is very very slow. A friend of mine back in England just sent me an email saying he now has 70mb broadband on Virgin media. When we left we had 10mb on our standard BT phone line. Here you're doing well to get much more than 3mb. Sadly this removes the internet as an option for alternative TV, its just too slow to watch things online, particularly after you've gone through a proxy to access the iPlayer etc.
My X-Box live account still works here fine but when playing mutli-player it does have issues. Despite changing every available location option to Australia, it still tries to match me up with UK players. This means that games like COD can suffer with lag and occasionally it cant find any games for me to join. Once my current Live membership has expired I'll probably sign up for a new account here in Oz.
Weather
The summer was hot but no where near as bad as we were expecting. Apparently it was a lot hotter this summer than it is usually so things can only get better from here I guess! Currently it's pouring with rain and 12 degrees My colleagues are complaining that they're cold. We actually quite enjoyed walking the dog in light rain yesterday, it makes a pleasant change from constant sunshine and blue skies.
When it rains here it is very heavy. We dont get any of those days when it rains lightly all day long - Its been and gone in a few hours.
The English
The English people we meet tend to fall into two categories. Firstly, there are those who have moved here to escape the changing face of the UK. Despite not realising the irony of complaining about "bloody immigrants" they're generally a positive bunch who have been here a while and have adjusted to the Aussie ways, you wont hear from many of these people on internet forums because they're too busy enjoying life.
Then there are those who seem to have moved here for some other reason. Maybe they've got issues in their relationship or they have another problem back in the UK. They come here expecting it to all go away overnight - When the problems resurface a few months later they become the classic whinging Pomme. These are the people who also keep converting everything to pounds in their head and complaining about how expensive everything is.
Australians
There are just as many rude, ignorant people here as there are in the UK. There are a lot of different nationalities around the place - Something that slightly confused me to start with is that they use the word "asians" to describe people from China, Japan, Malaysia. Back home that term normally applies to people from India and Pakistan etc. I remember wondering what I was supposed to say when a colleague asked "Do you fancy going out for an Asian tonight?"
Many Aussies like to keep fit. They'll be out and about jogging and power walking from 6AM.
Most of them are obsessed with cutting their lawn. They have about 4 different petrol powered machines for cutting, clipping and trimming the lawn and it's edges - Normally at 7:05 on a Saturday morning.
Most Aussie's go to bed early and get up early. You will find it hard to start with but before long you'll also be getting up at 5:30 and going to bed at 10.
For the guys (females skip to the next section)
In the summer, lots of good looking, physically fit women will be wandering the streets wearing very little. They go to the shops in tiny denim shorts and skimpy tops. If you happen to drive up the west coast highway from the city north, you will see many many good looking women in bikinis all over the place. I think I may have found the reason that there seem to be a lot of road accidents here - Its guys getting distracted by hot girls on the pavement. Luckily sunglasses are almost mandatory during hot weather so you can look all over the place without upsetting your other half
Crime etc.
When we last went to Hillarys dog beach there was a woman in tears because her car had just been broken in to.
As with anywhere, criminals are not THAT stupid and they know rich pickings can be had from good areas.
Violent crime here makes the headlines. However, when you look at the statistics, it is a lot less than most big towns in the UK. If someone gets beaten up on a Friday night its on the news, back in the UK, people got murdered on a Friday night and it barely made the middle of the newspapers.
Public Transport
We always use the train to get into the city at the weekend, despite living just 15-20 minutes drive away. Parking is free, trains run every 15 minutes and they're clean and modern. Apparently its very busy during the week-day rush hour though.
Staying in touch.
Family - Skype makes it easy to see our families but thanks to the poor quality internet speeds it's not always great. I think they miss us more than we miss them but for now we're all happy.
Friends - Dont believe all your UK friends when they say they'll keep in touch. We're not of the Facebook generation so we only keep in touch by phone and email. Of the many friends we had back home, my wife is in touch with two and I'm in touch with one.
Meeting New People.
Many migrants seem to struggle to meet new people. I work with a Frenchman and a Columbian who speak fluent English and are married in the early 30s. However, they really struggle to meet new people. Yesterday I saw an advert for a lady seeking friends who had been here with her family for 4 years.
We're lucky to have neighbours that by coincidence used to live just a few miles from where I grew up in England, the couple over the road are very friendly and we've even invited the postman and his english wife round for a BBQ. You have to make the effort to find people, accept that you wont get on with everyone and eventually you'll make new friends. If you sit around complaining that you dont know anyone, you wont help yourself. Be bold and reach out to people - Invite anyone and everyone round for a BBQ!
I genuinely believe its no more difficult to make friends here than it is in the UK. If you moved from Bournemouth to Dundee you's have exactly the same "problem", its not unique to Australia.
What do we miss?
The English countryside. I sit and watch Top Gear, my wife watches Downton Abbey and we look and think how lovely it all looks. Here its pretty much sandy soil, scrubland, dried up bushes and gum trees wherever you look. We'd love to go for a nice walk on the Malvern hills, through the Chilterns or through the Yorkshire Moors.
The History. Obviously there is very little really old history here. Before we came we visited York and are very glad we did. Here there is nothing like the rambling old streets filled with old shops and that christmas shopping atmosphere.
Are we glad we made the move?
Yes. It is the best thing we've ever done and we really wish we'd done it 6 years ago when we first thought about it (I cry when I look at historical exchange rates!). For us, Australia really has been the land of opportunity, we've had more good luck, more good times and more money than ever before.
I dont tend to use this forum much these days but as it was such a good source of information when we made the move, I thought I'd share our views on the place. Maybe I'll be back in another 6 months!
Totally agree with the costs comment - I was lucky in that I work in a profession that is widely thought to be under-paid in the UK to one which is well paid in Australia. So for us it meant we could afford to live in a nice area and my wife no longer has to work. Our standard of living has improved despite the increase in living costs compared to the UK.
Our weekly spend is about the same as yours for food etc.
I saw a thread on another forum recently where a woman was asking if they'd get by on a household income of less than $50k in Perth - The husband was going to be working to support the family including two children.
For some reason a few people on that forum thought it was possible to do it, even in Perth - But I just dont see how even a couple could survive on anything less than $80-90k and that leave no room for unexpected bills or saving.
Our weekly spend is about the same as yours for food etc.
I saw a thread on another forum recently where a woman was asking if they'd get by on a household income of less than $50k in Perth - The husband was going to be working to support the family including two children.
For some reason a few people on that forum thought it was possible to do it, even in Perth - But I just dont see how even a couple could survive on anything less than $80-90k and that leave no room for unexpected bills or saving.
200BHP - thank you for that, very insightful.
$50 for a 'carton' is a bit strong.
Nev, what did the job entail just out of interest?
WeirdNeville said:
I'm struggling a bit because we're on a 457 visa. The kind of work I'm best suited to (government jobs, public sector) all specify you must have permanent residency ot be a citizen, and this has dented my prospects a bit. Have your eyes open as to what kind of work you will be able to do out here. There are lots of jobs in specific sectors, mainly construction and mining. Mining is full of doom and gloom at the minute because of the fall in gold and iron prices, but I honestly believe it will blow through in time. They're so used to boom times that any slowdown is met with doom and gloom.
I'm in the same position, the OH and I have agreed I be on a working holiday for a year, before we apply for a partner visa, which is no doubt going to hold me back.WeirdNeville said:
Drink here is outrageous, it's worth cutting back if you want to save a bit.
Cars here are a big cost. Budget $10k for anything you'd actually want to own and just accept that you're not going to get a UK's £6k worth of car.
I'm lucky in that department, the OH's family have given me an Audi A4, though I suspect parts will be hard to come by/expensive.Cars here are a big cost. Budget $10k for anything you'd actually want to own and just accept that you're not going to get a UK's £6k worth of car.
$50 for a 'carton' is a bit strong.
200bhp said:
Totally agree with the costs comment - I was lucky in that I work in a profession that is widely thought to be under-paid in the UK to one which is well paid in Australia.
I have got a university diploma in automotive engineering and management, perhaps if I show I have transferable skills I will be onto a winner. Nev, what did the job entail just out of interest?
Dave, your working holiday Visa will limit the time that you can work for one employer - I think its something like 3 months per employer.
What are your actual qualifications? I may have an opportunity for someone with similar skills to what you describe but it wont be until the very end of this year.
What are your actual qualifications? I may have an opportunity for someone with similar skills to what you describe but it wont be until the very end of this year.
WeirdNeville said:
The one I nearly got? It was a junior role with a small Geophysics services provider - gravity surveys, large scale surveys of mineral prospects, that kind of thing. They were willing to train someone up in the Geophysics side of things, but wanted management skills and work experience ready to go.
It was exactly the kind of job I was after - Ideally I want to make a career change now, and use my increasingly dusty Geology degree on top of ten years experience as a copper/detective.
Basically, I had a few options:
What are you looking to do?
I have a family friend recently relocated from the east coast to Perth who works in Geology(no idea what he actually does), I will speak to him and see if there is anything I can do It was exactly the kind of job I was after - Ideally I want to make a career change now, and use my increasingly dusty Geology degree on top of ten years experience as a copper/detective.
Basically, I had a few options:
- Earn at my current skill level, in my current field - these were largely $100k ish jobs in government departments as an investigator/manager, but these are shut to me because of my visa status. I've had application feedback that were it not for the 457, I would have been interviewed.
- Use my admin skills to do government jobs for around $60k a year. Don't really want to, but these roles tend not to be visa dependent and I NEED to work for my sanity. So I've been applying to a few in departments I'd at least find interesting, or are linked to Geology.
- Make the career change and go into Junior Geology roles. This is fraught with danger as I can't do fly in fly out (my wife works away on occasion and I have to look after the child). Can't relocate (twice in a year?), and many "graduate schemes" are only open to those recently graduated. I'm slowly building contacts in this area and intend on doing internships etc, but it's hard going. There are loads of geology jobs, but mostly seeking 3-5 years experience. Recruitment agents don't want to know me.
What are you looking to do?
200bhp said:
Dave, your working holiday Visa will limit the time that you can work for one employer - I think its something like 3 months per employer.
What are your actual qualifications? I may have an opportunity for someone with similar skills to what you describe but it wont be until the very end of this year.
As said previously it's 6 months per employer. It seems that the partner visa (which will open up my employ-ability)takes while, perhaps I will get the application done straight away.What are your actual qualifications? I may have an opportunity for someone with similar skills to what you describe but it wont be until the very end of this year.
I have a University exit award diploma in Automotive technology and engineering with management. I was going to do a PRINCE2 and go through the management route, but since I'm relocating I'm very much open to anything.
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