Questions about Australia
Discussion
Hello All
I have plans to get myself an automotive job in Melbourne in the next 3 months. I am really looking forward to a change of scene.
Help me out here, I have a few questions!
Melbourne's cost of living doesn't seem any cheaper than semi-rural cheshire! Could this be? What's a good annual wage for an auto engineer with 10 years experience? I'm thinking about $100k?
Why are there few, if any diesel cars? Why are there so many fast variants (V8s etc.) of family cars when there is supposedly a speed checking robocop on every straight(and corner)? Is it actually like the UK where you can avoid attracting the attention of the law if you use a little brain power? There seems to be miles of stupidly fun looking sand tracks that go on forever not many miles north of Melbourne.
Can I carry my insurance no claims bonus over from the UK?
I have loads of other questions, but I can't think of them now!
I have plans to get myself an automotive job in Melbourne in the next 3 months. I am really looking forward to a change of scene.
Help me out here, I have a few questions!
Melbourne's cost of living doesn't seem any cheaper than semi-rural cheshire! Could this be? What's a good annual wage for an auto engineer with 10 years experience? I'm thinking about $100k?
Why are there few, if any diesel cars? Why are there so many fast variants (V8s etc.) of family cars when there is supposedly a speed checking robocop on every straight(and corner)? Is it actually like the UK where you can avoid attracting the attention of the law if you use a little brain power? There seems to be miles of stupidly fun looking sand tracks that go on forever not many miles north of Melbourne.
Can I carry my insurance no claims bonus over from the UK?
I have loads of other questions, but I can't think of them now!
Kawasicki said:
Hello All
I have plans to get myself an automotive job in Melbourne in the next 3 months. I am really looking forward to a change of scene.
Help me out here, I have a few questions!
Melbourne's cost of living doesn't seem any cheaper than semi-rural cheshire! Could this be? What's a good annual wage for an auto engineer with 10 years experience? I'm thinking about $100k?
Why are there few, if any diesel cars? Why are there so many fast variants (V8s etc.) of family cars when there is supposedly a speed checking robocop on every straight(and corner)? Is it actually like the UK where you can avoid attracting the attention of the law if you use a little brain power? There seems to be miles of stupidly fun looking sand tracks that go on forever not many miles north of Melbourne.
Can I carry my insurance no claims bonus over from the UK?
I have loads of other questions, but I can't think of them now!
Cost of living here is probably on par with England, especially when you factor in the lower wages.I have plans to get myself an automotive job in Melbourne in the next 3 months. I am really looking forward to a change of scene.
Help me out here, I have a few questions!
Melbourne's cost of living doesn't seem any cheaper than semi-rural cheshire! Could this be? What's a good annual wage for an auto engineer with 10 years experience? I'm thinking about $100k?
Why are there few, if any diesel cars? Why are there so many fast variants (V8s etc.) of family cars when there is supposedly a speed checking robocop on every straight(and corner)? Is it actually like the UK where you can avoid attracting the attention of the law if you use a little brain power? There seems to be miles of stupidly fun looking sand tracks that go on forever not many miles north of Melbourne.
Can I carry my insurance no claims bonus over from the UK?
I have loads of other questions, but I can't think of them now!
Diesels have never been popular here, it is relatively recent that our diesel has been high enough quality to allow more modern diesels to run it. Petrol is cheaper here than England and diesel prolly 20% dearer than petrol so it cancels out the savings.
Big cars with biggish engines have always been the norm here, probably slowly changing but it will take a generation or 2 I believe.
Speed enforcement is draconian here, mostly by mobile cameras. This is the ONLY thing that is done towards "road safety" here. Very cynical, totally about revenue raising, don't care at all about the real issues. Driving standards here are the worst I have ever encountered anywhere in the world.
Can't help you with specifics on salary, Auto engineering is going to be a very small pond in Australia. There will be a bunch of engineers out of work when Mitsubishi close down this month, I would check if there are going to be any vacancies in the next few years...
Oh and finally... why TF would you want to leave rural England to come here???
hmm bit of a non answer really... if I could afford to live in rural England I wouldn't consider anywhere else. As for the weather being better... that's a matter of opinion. The weather is different but that doesn't mean better. Better if you are on holiday, of course, but commuting, working and generally living in a sauna gets to be a chore real quick.
As usual my opinion is biased by living in Perth, there is a lot more to see & do in Melbourne. Just don't be conned into thinking it's a paradise. Most of the things you don't like about England will be just as bad here.
And most importantly, ensure that there is a guarantee of getting a job in your field.
As usual my opinion is biased by living in Perth, there is a lot more to see & do in Melbourne. Just don't be conned into thinking it's a paradise. Most of the things you don't like about England will be just as bad here.
And most importantly, ensure that there is a guarantee of getting a job in your field.
tim the pool man said:
Kawasicki said:
Driving standards here are the worst I have ever encountered anywhere in the world.Not so good in UK either, though I admit it is better than Oz. Does anyone ever use an indicator in the UK?
Finally - "worst in the world". Have you travelled much?
Take a trip to SE Asia or even better, the Middle East. Now those guys know how to drive badly...My advice is go for it. I did. After 10 years at Honda in Swindon I moved to Australia in July. My wife is from Queensland so I'm in on a spouse visa for 2 years, and then hopefully as a proper resident.
After visiting the in-laws we moved to Melbourne on the 1st of August - be warned, finding a house is a nightmare - estate agents only do scheduled viewings and there are lots of people chasing rentals, especially as interest rates are going through the roof. We chose Melbourne because Ford, Toyota and Holden are all here.
I was prepared for a couple of months without work, but was lucky enough to have my first application come up trumps and by the end of August I'd been offered a job.
Now, $100k may be too high. Be prepared to take a step back in terms of position - I went from a new model program managers role to a buyers role BUT it is worth it to get a foot in the door. At least once you have a job you can look for something better if you want.
Be prepared to travel to/from work though. Both Toyota and Holden are in Port Melbourne and housing round about that area is silly money. Currently I'm half an hour by car from where I rent to Port Melbourne, but I reckon I'll end up 45 mins each way when I actually buy somewhere (most of the inner city suburbs are silly money now, or not someplace you'd want to live). Ford is in Campbellfield on the nothern edge of the city, and there are plenty of new suburbs being built up that way.
Yes, you can carry over your NCD, just get a letter form your UK insurance company stating how much you have.
To get an idea of job availability check out seek.com.au, or one of the other website (yahoo.com.au's job section is pretty good too - it pulls from the papers an other websites).
As long as you plan ahead, and are prepared for some time without work, you'll do okay.
After visiting the in-laws we moved to Melbourne on the 1st of August - be warned, finding a house is a nightmare - estate agents only do scheduled viewings and there are lots of people chasing rentals, especially as interest rates are going through the roof. We chose Melbourne because Ford, Toyota and Holden are all here.
I was prepared for a couple of months without work, but was lucky enough to have my first application come up trumps and by the end of August I'd been offered a job.
Now, $100k may be too high. Be prepared to take a step back in terms of position - I went from a new model program managers role to a buyers role BUT it is worth it to get a foot in the door. At least once you have a job you can look for something better if you want.
Be prepared to travel to/from work though. Both Toyota and Holden are in Port Melbourne and housing round about that area is silly money. Currently I'm half an hour by car from where I rent to Port Melbourne, but I reckon I'll end up 45 mins each way when I actually buy somewhere (most of the inner city suburbs are silly money now, or not someplace you'd want to live). Ford is in Campbellfield on the nothern edge of the city, and there are plenty of new suburbs being built up that way.
Yes, you can carry over your NCD, just get a letter form your UK insurance company stating how much you have.
To get an idea of job availability check out seek.com.au, or one of the other website (yahoo.com.au's job section is pretty good too - it pulls from the papers an other websites).
As long as you plan ahead, and are prepared for some time without work, you'll do okay.
Edited by Jader1973 on Sunday 9th March 07:06
Edited by Jader1973 on Sunday 9th March 07:06
aussiebeano said:
...Finally - "worst in the world". Have you travelled much? Take a trip to SE Asia or even better, the Middle East. Now those guys know how to drive badly...
Yeah I probably should have said "in the civilised world" Take a trip to SE Asia or even better, the Middle East. Now those guys know how to drive badly...
Have driven extensively in England, some in Europe including quite a bit in Switzerland.
Lane discipline is atrocious here. Yesterday I was returning from a job in the hills, travelling at maybe 5kph over the limit in the LH lane. All the way down the hill there was a car in front of me and another at my RH rear corner in the RH lane. After about 3km of this I need to turn right so I indicate, the car at my RHR pulls into LH lane and as I turn right he pulls immediately back into RH lane!
Later yesterday on my way to the racetrack again on a "highway" dual carriageway. Speed limit varies randomly every few km between 70, 80 and 100kph. Not a huge amount of traffic but what there was, as usual in groups travelling side by side at 10kph below the limit. At one point we had an empty road, I was doing 100 in LH lane, and passed a car doing maybe 70 or 80 in RH lane. I commented to my Dad that I was glad Vonhosen didn't see me, as in his world that would be my fault
Jader1973 said:
My advice is go for it. I did. After 10 years at Honda in Swindon I moved to Australia in July. My wife is from Queensland so I'm in on a spouse visa for 2 years, and then hopefully as a proper resident.
After visiting the in-laws we moved to Melbourne on the 1st of August - be warned, finding a house is a nightmare - estate agents only do scheduled viewings and there are lots of people chasing rentals, especially as interest rates are going through the roof. We chose Melbourne because Ford, Toyota and Holden are all here.
I was prepared for a couple of months without work, but was lucky enough to have my first application come up trumps and by the end of August I'd been offered a job.
Now, $100k may be too high. Be prepared to take a step back in terms of position - I went from a new model program managers role to a buyers role BUT it is worth it to get a foot in the door. At least once you have a job you can look for something better if you want.
Be prepared to travel to/from work though. Both Toyota and Holden are in Port Melbourne and housing round about that area is silly money. Currently I'm half an hour by car from where I rent to Port Melbourne, but I reckon I'll end up 45 mins each way when I actually buy somewhere (most of the inner city suburbs are silly money now, or not someplace you'd want to live). Ford is in Campbellfield on the nothern edge of the city, and there are plenty of new suburbs being built up that way.
Yes, you can carry over your NCD, just get a letter form your UK insurance company stating how much you have.
To get an idea of job availability check out seek.com.au, or one of the other website (yahoo.com.au's job section is pretty good too - it pulls from the papers an other websites).
As long as you plan ahead, and are prepared for some time without work, you'll do okay.
Thanks a lot for the feedback, very good of you. I like your "go for it" advice. That's the style!After visiting the in-laws we moved to Melbourne on the 1st of August - be warned, finding a house is a nightmare - estate agents only do scheduled viewings and there are lots of people chasing rentals, especially as interest rates are going through the roof. We chose Melbourne because Ford, Toyota and Holden are all here.
I was prepared for a couple of months without work, but was lucky enough to have my first application come up trumps and by the end of August I'd been offered a job.
Now, $100k may be too high. Be prepared to take a step back in terms of position - I went from a new model program managers role to a buyers role BUT it is worth it to get a foot in the door. At least once you have a job you can look for something better if you want.
Be prepared to travel to/from work though. Both Toyota and Holden are in Port Melbourne and housing round about that area is silly money. Currently I'm half an hour by car from where I rent to Port Melbourne, but I reckon I'll end up 45 mins each way when I actually buy somewhere (most of the inner city suburbs are silly money now, or not someplace you'd want to live). Ford is in Campbellfield on the nothern edge of the city, and there are plenty of new suburbs being built up that way.
Yes, you can carry over your NCD, just get a letter form your UK insurance company stating how much you have.
To get an idea of job availability check out seek.com.au, or one of the other website (yahoo.com.au's job section is pretty good too - it pulls from the papers an other websites).
As long as you plan ahead, and are prepared for some time without work, you'll do okay.
Edited by Jader1973 on Sunday 9th March 07:06
Edited by Jader1973 on Sunday 9th March 07:06
I should hear in the next month whether I am accepted for a job position with an automotive company in south east Melbourne. They will pay relocation expenses including the visa application process. I'm hoping they will also sort out a rental property, though there are lots of points to be confirmed! I'm trying to get an idea of what to expect in Oz. I was hoping to better my current wage as my current cost of living must be lower.
Maybe you could help with a few more answers to a few more questions!
Is there a national health service, or is private healthcare recommended?
What is the most popular supermarket chain in Melbourne? I will go on line and check prices.
Thanks again.
I always used Coles, it did seem to be better than Safeway.
In Melbourne though there are some pretty good markets and epicurean food stores that sell all sorts of great stuff.
If you are in the SE then Prahran market is pretty good
http://www.prahranmarket.com.au/www/html/7-home-pa...
In Melbourne though there are some pretty good markets and epicurean food stores that sell all sorts of great stuff.
If you are in the SE then Prahran market is pretty good
http://www.prahranmarket.com.au/www/html/7-home-pa...
Frankly i wouldnt worry too much about your NCD here in oz. When we moved from the UK last year we had proof but was told they wont ask for it, they just accept it on face value. I think they figure all their insurance systems are linked up so they can see if you dont have what you say you have in Australia. However they cant check with the UK.
We just changed insurance companies after our first renewal. The new company didnt ask for it either, but the old company has us down for full ncd on our renewal statement so covered either way.
Regards supermarkets, online prices etc forget it. Australia used to be miles ahead on email usage and internet sites than the uk, but they seem like a dark age now. Companies dont put their prices online very much. They tend to have paper based catalogues (junk mail) that get sent in the free newspapers to your house, and a lot of places just put a pdf copy of those online for you to see. I'll try and get a receipt from our weekly shop, scan it and post it on here for you to see.
Regards housing it is very expensive here, and your real mortgage costs wont differ too much here than in the uk (depending on deposits of course) but to give you an idea our mortgage in the uk was at c6% if i remember rightly. Its 8.46% here. So our 150k gbp mortgage here costs the same as our 190k gbp mortgage in the uk. Houses are cheaper though but not by much.
Renting is horrible in that trying to get one is a nightmare. In the uk you see an ad, make an appt, turn up, if you like it make an application and generally its yours. Here the ad is on the net, but you cant view it until they do a home open, which is generally 3 or 4 seconds before the house is actually available and you might have to fight with 3-10 other people for it. All i can say is that if you get a rental, get the nicest one you can find immediately as you wont want to have to leave and try again after 6 months, not least because you generally only have a week or 2 between having to leave and find somewhere else to go.
Driving here is s
te. Its a horrible place if you like cars because there is no chance to get your foot down, most roads are unexciting and the police are all nazis. There is no leeway, no 'let me off officer' after a nice chat. You get done you're done. No get out.
You can use both lanes and there is very little lane discipline, people will make stupid decisions or take forever to make a decision and most people are ignorant to other users.
Oh, and all those 'land of the v8' quotes you here - its irrelevant. You rarely see a nice, quick car being used as it can. Imaagine a 300bhp V8 never having gone faster than 90mph. Thats what its like here.
Fuel is cheap in comparison to the UK but in relation to wages it isnt really. You may not have MOT's here or Road Tax but you have Rego - An annual requirement basically like road tax. Its about 200 quid odd ($550 i think) which is equivalent to... 1 years road tax and an Mot in the UK funnily enough!
If you have a nice car in the UK and have had it more than 12 months - ship it. Dont believe all this crap about its only worth it if its a classic or a ferrari sort of thing. Basically 2nd hand cars are expensive here and there isnt a huge choice (not in Perth anyway). And when you buy one you will pay stamp duty on it. Here in WA its pricey. We paid 500 quid (i think) on a 9k gbp car (sorry i dont have a pound sign on my aussie keyboard). So if its nice, prestige, or basically worth bugger all in the uk theres a chance you can ship it and still save on what it would cost to get something nice here. look at www.carsales.com.au to see what i mean.
Oh and TV is rubbish. But you're not here for that are you!
The NHS in the UK gets run right down, but i disagree and really miss it. Here if you want to see a doctor - $50. You may get some back but you still have to pay out in the first place. The standard is good but limited by the number of available doctors etc. They're not all great. As for world class health care, well if you paid for it in the UK it would also be world class. The difference is mind set in that people are used to going private, whereas in the UK they are not. Free healthcare here, is, in my experience a lot worse than the UK. We pay $190 per month for private health care. I would say that contact lenses are a lot cheaper here though (small point i agree). If the place is world class you may wonder why some people go oversea's for that major treatment. In fact some get sent back to the UK for it as there are more specialists there.
The good bits: Weather is lovely 2/3rds of the year. You will look healthier with that nice tan, you will feel happier because every one else has a sunnier disposition than in the uk and you will tend to feel more positive.
You will like the 'we love Australia' thing to start with as you have been in a country where its the norm to run the UK down rather than praise it. It makes a refreshing change.
Its easy to be an immigrant here if you're a good bloke and prepared to work and get stuck in. People welcome good people and theres plenty of space.
Its nice to go out and not have to pay to park at the beaches however.
The food is nice, good meat and fish is cheap and exists. However somethings are more expensive. Ice is not a luxury here.
The chicks are smoking hot and look great. Much better than pasty UK women.
The government may be disliked generally but they make fast decisions and implement them quickly. Also political correctness is 1000% less an issue than in the UK and i dont think anything will get in the way of Australianism.
Personally, if you dont like the uk, your commute, where you live, i'm not sure that moving to oz will solve that. Change your job and/or move to a nicer part of the uk. We lived in the New Forest and realise now how nice that place was. It wasnt the UK that was a problem -it was us and our lifestyle. Its bloody expensive to emigrate. Just imagine what you could do if you saved that money and changed your job, went back to education, bought a nice car, moved house, whatever. Its just a matter of perception.
We just changed insurance companies after our first renewal. The new company didnt ask for it either, but the old company has us down for full ncd on our renewal statement so covered either way.
Regards supermarkets, online prices etc forget it. Australia used to be miles ahead on email usage and internet sites than the uk, but they seem like a dark age now. Companies dont put their prices online very much. They tend to have paper based catalogues (junk mail) that get sent in the free newspapers to your house, and a lot of places just put a pdf copy of those online for you to see. I'll try and get a receipt from our weekly shop, scan it and post it on here for you to see.
Regards housing it is very expensive here, and your real mortgage costs wont differ too much here than in the uk (depending on deposits of course) but to give you an idea our mortgage in the uk was at c6% if i remember rightly. Its 8.46% here. So our 150k gbp mortgage here costs the same as our 190k gbp mortgage in the uk. Houses are cheaper though but not by much.
Renting is horrible in that trying to get one is a nightmare. In the uk you see an ad, make an appt, turn up, if you like it make an application and generally its yours. Here the ad is on the net, but you cant view it until they do a home open, which is generally 3 or 4 seconds before the house is actually available and you might have to fight with 3-10 other people for it. All i can say is that if you get a rental, get the nicest one you can find immediately as you wont want to have to leave and try again after 6 months, not least because you generally only have a week or 2 between having to leave and find somewhere else to go.
Driving here is s
te. Its a horrible place if you like cars because there is no chance to get your foot down, most roads are unexciting and the police are all nazis. There is no leeway, no 'let me off officer' after a nice chat. You get done you're done. No get out.You can use both lanes and there is very little lane discipline, people will make stupid decisions or take forever to make a decision and most people are ignorant to other users.
Oh, and all those 'land of the v8' quotes you here - its irrelevant. You rarely see a nice, quick car being used as it can. Imaagine a 300bhp V8 never having gone faster than 90mph. Thats what its like here.
Fuel is cheap in comparison to the UK but in relation to wages it isnt really. You may not have MOT's here or Road Tax but you have Rego - An annual requirement basically like road tax. Its about 200 quid odd ($550 i think) which is equivalent to... 1 years road tax and an Mot in the UK funnily enough!
If you have a nice car in the UK and have had it more than 12 months - ship it. Dont believe all this crap about its only worth it if its a classic or a ferrari sort of thing. Basically 2nd hand cars are expensive here and there isnt a huge choice (not in Perth anyway). And when you buy one you will pay stamp duty on it. Here in WA its pricey. We paid 500 quid (i think) on a 9k gbp car (sorry i dont have a pound sign on my aussie keyboard). So if its nice, prestige, or basically worth bugger all in the uk theres a chance you can ship it and still save on what it would cost to get something nice here. look at www.carsales.com.au to see what i mean.
Oh and TV is rubbish. But you're not here for that are you!
The NHS in the UK gets run right down, but i disagree and really miss it. Here if you want to see a doctor - $50. You may get some back but you still have to pay out in the first place. The standard is good but limited by the number of available doctors etc. They're not all great. As for world class health care, well if you paid for it in the UK it would also be world class. The difference is mind set in that people are used to going private, whereas in the UK they are not. Free healthcare here, is, in my experience a lot worse than the UK. We pay $190 per month for private health care. I would say that contact lenses are a lot cheaper here though (small point i agree). If the place is world class you may wonder why some people go oversea's for that major treatment. In fact some get sent back to the UK for it as there are more specialists there.
The good bits: Weather is lovely 2/3rds of the year. You will look healthier with that nice tan, you will feel happier because every one else has a sunnier disposition than in the uk and you will tend to feel more positive.
You will like the 'we love Australia' thing to start with as you have been in a country where its the norm to run the UK down rather than praise it. It makes a refreshing change.
Its easy to be an immigrant here if you're a good bloke and prepared to work and get stuck in. People welcome good people and theres plenty of space.
Its nice to go out and not have to pay to park at the beaches however.
The food is nice, good meat and fish is cheap and exists. However somethings are more expensive. Ice is not a luxury here.
The chicks are smoking hot and look great. Much better than pasty UK women.
The government may be disliked generally but they make fast decisions and implement them quickly. Also political correctness is 1000% less an issue than in the UK and i dont think anything will get in the way of Australianism.
Personally, if you dont like the uk, your commute, where you live, i'm not sure that moving to oz will solve that. Change your job and/or move to a nicer part of the uk. We lived in the New Forest and realise now how nice that place was. It wasnt the UK that was a problem -it was us and our lifestyle. Its bloody expensive to emigrate. Just imagine what you could do if you saved that money and changed your job, went back to education, bought a nice car, moved house, whatever. Its just a matter of perception.
Been reading all this with quite a bit of interest since we moved out to Melbourne just over a year ago now and i can quite honestly say it was the best decision of our lives. It seems slightly like grass is greaner syndrome with people who have lived here all their lives perhaps being a bit less enthusiastic about it than those who have emigrated.
Having been living in London for 5 years before we moved and originally having come from Glasgow, the difference in lifestyle is night and day. We now live 5 mins from the beach, have a 3 very nice parks within 2 mins walk from the house, the weather even in the depths of winter is not really all that bad despite what the locals say and the selection of great eateries/pubs/bars has ensured that any plans of weight loss and a healthy lifestyle have gone out the window. I love it.
As we run our own business here like we did in the UK i see a slightly different side from a standard salaried employee i think. In the UK everything was set to restrict business, make it awkward for you to do anything profitable and then tax the lifeblood out of you when you do. Over here yes the tax rates i pay on my own income are a bit higher but the incentives to give small businesses a "fair go" are definately much more apparent. Yes, comparing my income as a direct conversion back into GBP makes it look like a fair bit less - in terms of what i actually get for it out here I personally feel is much much more however. Made it a different story when traveling though, the thought of paying the same for a sandwich and can of drink in London being roughly what you would pay for a nice meal with a glass of decent wine in Melbourne just about was distinctly unpleasant.
Yes house prices are no longer much cheaper than the UK to buy/mortage but one of the reasons the rental market is so nuts is that rents are so unrealistically low. We currently pay ~$2800 per month renting a 2 bed flat worth about $800,000, to have a 90% mortgage on that over 25 years would be around $6000 a month in repayments, so it is a huge amount cheaper renting than buying at the moment. We were very lucky and found a great place a couple of days after we arrived in the country, and had no issues securing it/moving in about a week later. I always find myself comparing to London prices rather than the rest of the UK though to make myself feel a bit better about what things are going for in Melbourne nowadays..
Supermarkets here are dreadful, imagine a UK branch of Spar in the 1970s and you won't be too far off. We only really use them for the basic non perishables and then buy everything fresh from the many markets (Prahran, South Melbourne, etc), bread from the dedicated bakers which are everywhere and anything else from the smaller supermarkets that stock a better range of organic produce etc (there's a really nice one in Hawthorn).
Driving is a joke here, Melbourne drivers really are in a league of their own when it comes to uselessness. Absolutly no observation/anticipation skills what so ever. My own personal favorite trait is the number of people who seem to be driving very very small HGVs and feel the need to pull out to the right into your lane before turning left, oh and the ones who think the white lines on the road are only painted there to make it look pretty.
Police here are at least completely honest that their speed enforcement is a good proportion money making excersise so i can have a little bit more sympathy than the UK putting speed cameras on long, straight sections with great visibility and trying to brand them accident blackspots. But yeah, i've ended up with 6 points on my license over the course of a year so don't plan on being able to get away with the same sort of stuff people do in the UK - speed limits are stuck to, especially on the freeways where it gives people that great bit of extra time to do their makeup, read the newspaper, talk on the mobile at the wheel with complete impunity so long as they are doing under the speed limit.
For health cover i would think private is pretty essential, especially since you get hit for more tax if you don't have it. The bonus is it's generally pretty comprehencive here - mine pays for new sunglasses every year etc for example.
Net access is much worse than the UK, unlimited plans are unheard of so get used to having ~12Gb per month to play with on most standard domestic plans.
Fuel is in line with the UK in terms of cost/earnings and is climbing steadily - again i don't mind it so much out here though as the percentage of the cost that is government tax is so much lower so at least it's just the nature of the commodity price that makes it what it is. You also don't get made to feel like such a social pariah for driving a large engined car here like you do in the UK, even if you aren't able to use it to much effect on the public roads.
Anyway, i would definately say go for it, for me the good bits well and truly outweigh the bad.
Having been living in London for 5 years before we moved and originally having come from Glasgow, the difference in lifestyle is night and day. We now live 5 mins from the beach, have a 3 very nice parks within 2 mins walk from the house, the weather even in the depths of winter is not really all that bad despite what the locals say and the selection of great eateries/pubs/bars has ensured that any plans of weight loss and a healthy lifestyle have gone out the window. I love it.
As we run our own business here like we did in the UK i see a slightly different side from a standard salaried employee i think. In the UK everything was set to restrict business, make it awkward for you to do anything profitable and then tax the lifeblood out of you when you do. Over here yes the tax rates i pay on my own income are a bit higher but the incentives to give small businesses a "fair go" are definately much more apparent. Yes, comparing my income as a direct conversion back into GBP makes it look like a fair bit less - in terms of what i actually get for it out here I personally feel is much much more however. Made it a different story when traveling though, the thought of paying the same for a sandwich and can of drink in London being roughly what you would pay for a nice meal with a glass of decent wine in Melbourne just about was distinctly unpleasant.
Yes house prices are no longer much cheaper than the UK to buy/mortage but one of the reasons the rental market is so nuts is that rents are so unrealistically low. We currently pay ~$2800 per month renting a 2 bed flat worth about $800,000, to have a 90% mortgage on that over 25 years would be around $6000 a month in repayments, so it is a huge amount cheaper renting than buying at the moment. We were very lucky and found a great place a couple of days after we arrived in the country, and had no issues securing it/moving in about a week later. I always find myself comparing to London prices rather than the rest of the UK though to make myself feel a bit better about what things are going for in Melbourne nowadays..
Supermarkets here are dreadful, imagine a UK branch of Spar in the 1970s and you won't be too far off. We only really use them for the basic non perishables and then buy everything fresh from the many markets (Prahran, South Melbourne, etc), bread from the dedicated bakers which are everywhere and anything else from the smaller supermarkets that stock a better range of organic produce etc (there's a really nice one in Hawthorn).
Driving is a joke here, Melbourne drivers really are in a league of their own when it comes to uselessness. Absolutly no observation/anticipation skills what so ever. My own personal favorite trait is the number of people who seem to be driving very very small HGVs and feel the need to pull out to the right into your lane before turning left, oh and the ones who think the white lines on the road are only painted there to make it look pretty.
Police here are at least completely honest that their speed enforcement is a good proportion money making excersise so i can have a little bit more sympathy than the UK putting speed cameras on long, straight sections with great visibility and trying to brand them accident blackspots. But yeah, i've ended up with 6 points on my license over the course of a year so don't plan on being able to get away with the same sort of stuff people do in the UK - speed limits are stuck to, especially on the freeways where it gives people that great bit of extra time to do their makeup, read the newspaper, talk on the mobile at the wheel with complete impunity so long as they are doing under the speed limit.
For health cover i would think private is pretty essential, especially since you get hit for more tax if you don't have it. The bonus is it's generally pretty comprehencive here - mine pays for new sunglasses every year etc for example.
Net access is much worse than the UK, unlimited plans are unheard of so get used to having ~12Gb per month to play with on most standard domestic plans.
Fuel is in line with the UK in terms of cost/earnings and is climbing steadily - again i don't mind it so much out here though as the percentage of the cost that is government tax is so much lower so at least it's just the nature of the commodity price that makes it what it is. You also don't get made to feel like such a social pariah for driving a large engined car here like you do in the UK, even if you aren't able to use it to much effect on the public roads.
Anyway, i would definately say go for it, for me the good bits well and truly outweigh the bad.
Edited by ariddell on Monday 10th March 01:23
that was helpful!Coles have definitely got inline shopping to check prices.
http://upcolaph5.colesonline.com.au/
I did a check over 10 or so weeks to see how prices compared between the UK, Aus and NZ. They are pretty much the same apart from a few things. You really save money in the UK on their multibuy specials which are online.
http://upcolaph5.colesonline.com.au/
I did a check over 10 or so weeks to see how prices compared between the UK, Aus and NZ. They are pretty much the same apart from a few things. You really save money in the UK on their multibuy specials which are online.
Fiddlemesticks said:
You will like the 'we love Australia' thing to start with as you have been in a country where its the norm to run the UK down rather than praise it. It makes a refreshing change.
The chicks are smoking hot and look great. Much better than pasty UK women.
I would like to emphasize the "to start with" above. After 9 yrs I'm afraid it now has the opposite effect.The chicks are smoking hot and look great. Much better than pasty UK women.
Also would have to add on the end of the chick statement - until they open their mouths, to talk.
chunder said:
Fiddlemesticks said:
You will like the 'we love Australia' thing to start with as you have been in a country where its the norm to run the UK down rather than praise it. It makes a refreshing change.
The chicks are smoking hot and look great. Much better than pasty UK women.
I would like to emphasize the "to start with" above. After 9 yrs I'm afraid it now has the opposite effect.The chicks are smoking hot and look great. Much better than pasty UK women.
Also would have to add on the end of the chick statement - until they open their mouths, to talk.
I really get pissed off now with the 'Australia is the worlds best at f
king everything' talk and is a place full of world class philosophers, artists, sportsmen, thinkers etc. Its bullst. Some good some not, just like anywhere else.Sometimes people will state that its great here for the lifestyle and kids are far better off but i'm yet to have a few concrete reasons. why? Some say its for the outdoor lifestyle, but it seems that being able to surf in december is more important to some than basic levels of education and healthcare.
Also, you try going for a walk at 2pm when its 36 degrees outside. Outdoor lifestyle is not on the agenda then. Its too bloody hot, so you end up maybe staying in. Also i genuinely worry for my sons standard of intelligence given that my first name is Andrew and i've been asked to spell it 5 times since i've been here. I hope he does retain an element of britishness.
In respect of chicks being nice till they open their gobs well i figure they cant speak with their mouthful....
Anyway, it is a great place for many aspects so dont let a few keyboard warrior experiences put you off as you will experience some great things. However do not come over thinking that you will avoid all the issues that you dislike about the uk. You will have them here, and a few new ones you never thought of before.
Edited by Fiddlemesticks on Saturday 15th March 15:22
Gassing Station | Australia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff