I want to live in Australia!?

Question

Its always been a daydream, but now that I feel like I have the means to do something like this, I may actually just pick up and move.

I was brought up and live in a big US city and a little bored and tired of American attitude and ignorance. I have an advanced degree in technology, I am female in my late 20's and know little to nothing about Australia, except fo the Aussie tourists that visit my big city are the nicest most intelligent genuine people I've ever known. I'm also getting older and bit tired of my crowded big noisy city. I want to be in a diversere cultural city but close to natural spaces.

Care to fill me in? What should I be reading and where should I be visiting to get a better idea?

Answer 1

I thought about this a few years back but decided against it as I didn;t want to take my kids so far away from their Grandparents but....

This is the official Oz site for wannabe immigrants:
http://www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/choose-australia/index.htm

Sydney is the busiest city with a big mix of cultures.

Melbourne has a rather more 'planned' feeling to it and better restaurants, museums etc.

Perth is on the West coast and has it's own feel as it is much further away from the more densely populated East.

The North East, Cairns, Darwin etc. are more tropical and laid back. Lovely beaches and quite a hippy feel.

Don't forget 80% of the most lethal poisonous creatures are native to Oz.

Answer 2

I would live anywhere in Australia except the Gold Coast. I loathe the place. I live in northern NSW, about three hours from Brisbane. It is perfect there. I'm currently living in Darwin for a few months and it's good up here too. Anywhere in Queensland is better than the Gold Coast. In NSW try the Central Coast north of Sydney or south of the city towards Nowra. If you want surfing nearby then your choices are around Sydney or Perth. Melbourne, Adelaide and Hobart don't have surf, you have to go a long way to find it.

Answer 3

I definitely recommend Adelaide, "the city of churches!". It's a quiet medium-sized city but its population is a melting pot of people from all over the world. Rent an apartment downtown or a house in the suburb. I've lived in 5 countries so far and by far I can say that Adelaide has been the most pleasant place I've stayed at.

You may feel a strong "Englishness" in the Adelaide atmosphere, like the proper English and how they drink so much tea. But other than that, I find the people there very honest, friendly, and approachable. Also, the fact that there is a growing population of international minorities adds to the city's flavour. The lifestyle is productive but laid back--people always have something exciting on their agenda but they don't forget to relax and have fun.

Do a shopping spree at Rundle Mall or Marion. Hunt for bargains for Asian stuff at Chinatown, then sit down for a nice lunch in the food court with a pot of hot Chinese jasmine tea on the side. Spend a lazy afternoon sitting at one of the cafes in The Parade... must have gelati at an Italian cafe. Then go clubbing at night or enjoy some finer entertainment like classical music or jazz. When you have time to get out of there, go to Hahndorf (Germantown) and Barossa Valley (world famous winery). On warmer days, go to the beach for a barbecue, or enjoy nature and go camping in the bush.

If you wanna move there, find out if your company has a branch in Australia... if it doesn't, get a job at a company that has one! Also, keep your eyes open for job openings that will take you to Australia. While there is no logic to it, expectation is the key. What you expect is what you get--BASIC LIFE TRUTH. So do everything you can to affirm your expectation: look for work, show up sharp at job interviews, be friendly and helpful to people, and dream away. You'll get there!

Answer 4

I'm about to receive a Permanent Resident's Visa to live and work anywhere I want in Australia. It was a long process (1 year), but all they asked from me was proof that I was a Civil Engineer, a police record, a personal financial statement, an english test (I'm from Venezuela) and some medical examinations.
All the process was US$ 6.000 for me, my wife and my two kids, and that was because I chose to do it through an immigration agent. If I had done it myself, it would have taken longer, but the final cost would have been about US$ 3.000
There's no such 100.000 $ contribution.

Answer 5

Before becoming an Aussie resident, learn the countries history, our traditions and our lifestyle.....one thing Aussie's hate is someone from another country telling us we should do things the way they do it in their home country....we're proud people and love our peaceful, clean island.

www.nla.gov.au/oz/histsite.html
www.dfat.gov.au/aib/history.html

Then decide what kind of lifestyle you want. Oz provides Hot, cold, warm, windy, Outback, coastal, country, city, semi rural, busy, quiet and medium residential areas. understand that OZ is HUGE, but there's miles of nothing in between towns. The west coast is amazing and offers a lot of work and affordable housing, however it is isolated from the rest of Oz ( can take up to 7 days to drive to the East Coast) The majority of the population are on the East Coast. Oz towns are also small in population to be called a city in Oz the town only requires 40,000 people. Also having only 20 million people and only about 8 million employed, taxes are higher than the US and cost of living will be higher, (in saying that minimum wage in oz is almost double the US).

I'd definitely recommend that you visit OZ for a year or so, travel around it and see what lifestyle suits you best or if it suits you at all....

Answer 6

I lived in Perth for 2 years - very pretty!

The men in Oz are different than Americans, they are more... how shall I say... traditional minded. Think Crocodile Dundee and Steve Irwin as stereotypical, albeit exaggerated, versions! You have been warned! LOL

Also everyone is very sporty. It seems that people define their social circles a lot less through eating out together, and a lot more by playing various sports together. Older people go for lawn bowling, everyone else seems to be obsessed with either tennis or surfing.

So, go for it! You will love it, there's no place comparable.

Answer 7

Hey, I would suggest beautiful Brisbane in Queensland. It is the capital city of this state but if you are looking for something smaller there is gorgeous Hervey Bay on the coast or the Gold Coast. It is a really big commitment to move to another country but I did and I love it and Im sure you will. It is very laid-back, diverse and easy-going. We don't have alot of problems except we are facing a petrol crisis, as is most of the world, and we love our sport! II'd visit a travel agent to get more info but from my Aussie heart I say that it is beautiful, come and see our great land!
Peace

-Wallabies!

Answer 8

I am also in my 20's and wish we could swap! Whilst you may find your big US city hectic I now find Sydney and Australia in general quite boring and currently overly nationalistic and exclusionary.

As someone else said it's an "outdoorsy" lifestyle,sports and so on dominate the culture,its not bookish or arts orientated except for a minority class in the inner cities.

Australia is extremely americanised and I don't think you would find it much different from where you are now,same "malls" shoppping centres,same tv shows,starbucks,mcdonalds,et al,same brands,"lifestyles" celebrity worship etc that is peddled in the US.


Australia has strong working class roots and this is evident everywhere esp.in the language and in the australian character,airs and graces are not appreciated.

There is also a bluntness and directness you don't get in the us - it's one of the things I love about oz.People tell you exactly what they think.We don't fall for gimmicks or falseness or as my high school teacher once said "don't pull the wool over my eyes young lady" [!]


"I want to be in a diversere cultural city but close to natural spaces"

You will certainly get that here,and one thing I do love about oz is the abundance of nature,but there is still alot of ugly modern buildings everywhere you turn.
There is enormous diversity in Australia but the culture is still entirely anglo saxon and in general there is still a denial that any immigrants are actually living here.It may be called "multi" cultural but there is only one culture.

Turn on the tv or open the paper and you will not see any non anglo saxon representation etc etc.I can't tell you how many times I've watched 'Blue Heelers' and 'Mcleods Daughters' and been completely baffled and I was born here!

Australians in general are MUCH more nationalistic then when I was growing up,and are understandably in the face of immense immigration clinging to a colonial past and looking for their indentity. This nationalism is more rife in the poorer areas of penrith,the coast etc etc where there are actually few migrants.

The majority of that population are on the whole very reluctant to accept that 1 in 4 australians are foreign born and that Australia will inevitably alter.

If you are an "anglo" looking american you should have no problem,my father is and has never had any of the issues me and my mother experienced at all.Also if you live in the inner cities/eastern suburns where the people tend to be "high brow" and very cultured you are unlikely to experience that sort of "them" "us" attitude.


I reccomend domain.com.au
to get a feel for the housing

smh.com.au[high brow] and news.com.au[low brow highly nationalistic/racist paper] I think yesterday's headline was JAPANESE TAKING 'OUR' JOBS.

citysearch.com.au to get a feel for the different states and what they offer.

Avoid the tourist sites they give a glossed version of OZ.

Answer 9

I think that you'll find even though we Aussies think that Melbourne, Sydney etc are busy cities... it's porbably still relaxed and laid back in comparison to where you're from.
Also, if you live in the suburbs in a city, i.e. Melbourne suburbs, then you'll find it more laid back.
I think that the East coast would be perfect for you... maybe a place like the Gold Coast or Brisbane with beautiful weather, beatiful beaches, and great laid back aussie people.

Answer 10

Life in general is as good as, if not better than most western countries. Education and Health Care are underfunded as with most major countries, but they are up to a much better standard than countries such as the USA and much of Europe. Crime is also well under control, especially violent crime,

The minimum wage for most employees is at a reasonable level, and most people are eligible for some form of social security, provided they earn under approx $50K a year. Those living with income well in excess of this receive tax breaks, and those earning around the $50K - $100K mark often miss out on both and seem to struggle.

Public transport varies greatly in every major city, and air transportation plays a major role in interstate travel. This is due more to the extreme distances between the capital cities than any other factor. Roads throughout the country are generally in good condition. Most people have a car, and you should be able to have your licence transfered at any major testing center, but check first, and make sure you get an international drivers licence from AAA or you local sherifs department.

If you are immigrating to Australia, in my opinion the best city to head to would be Melbourne, as it has much more of an international feel to it with many international areas, such as the Italian styled Lygon street, China town near Swanson street and the Greek district. Many of the outer suburbs also have large immigrant populations, such as Preston which has a large Chinese population, and Broadmeadows which has a growing Turkish population. Niddrie has a number of US expats, but most are elderly. Also Melbourne is known as the garden state, and home to many natural tourist attractions.

As you want to escape busy city life I would strongly sugest you avoid Syney. Most people from everywhere in Australia outside of Sydney would agree that it is nice for a visit, but far too hectic and expensive to live there. If you are considering it try and head up the coast more towards Gosford.

You said you had a technology degree, which provided your references are up to scratch should mean you will have no trouble getting a job, especially if you have a MSCE or something like it. Most professionals have their Cisco certifications here, so it is not as big a drawcard as what it is overseas. Apply online at seek (link below).

If I was you I would visit Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, and then decide between them which city you would like to live in. They are the best cities suited to cater for your career and where you will get the biggest pay check.

I hope that helps. I live in Melbourne and have studied IT for 3 years, having traveled extensively throughout Australia, the USA and Japan, and in comparison to those countries. Any further questions please feel free to email me.