Thinking of emigrating to Australia.?

Question

My boyfriend and I are seriously thinking of emigrating to Australia for a better way of life. We are sick of the weather in UK and way our country is going downhill, especially with the NED culture. The problem is we do not know the best place to go. Australia is huge!
Can anyone advise me on this? I would like to be in the sun, near a beach, obviously. Being able to get work is essential, therefore we can't be too far out in the sticks. Roofing is my partners trade. Would want to be somewhere relaxing but still have lots of available things to do. Any ideas?

Answer 1

We have neds and chavs here too, we just call them by different names. They never got on to Burberry though .

A lot of people will say Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne/Adelaide etc but you should also consider some other places.

There are plenty of really good places along the east coast ranging from Bega in the south (NSW) to say Noosa in the north (Queensland) and that does not exhaust the possibilities. You can get good facilities in a larger country town, not too far from capital cities like Brisbane or Sydney. Schools, hospitals, universities, polytechnics, restaurants, supermarkets are all there. Clubs range from poker machine places with cheap beer and meals, country club style things through Rotary, Apex, Freemasons, Country Womens Association, sports clubs for golf, bowls, football (generally Rugby League or Union) , cricket, tennis, squash, swimming etc in most of the larger country towns. A bit of live theatre in some and of course movies.

The lifestyle is more relaxed because you don't have to scramble to get to work and then scratch around to find a parking space. All these places are being built up all the time and there is plenty of work in the domestic and commercial building trades. And you can be minutes from the beach.

Most Australian house roofs are tile or zinc plated steel, by the way, sometimes the steel is powder coated, sometimes it has a gravel chip coating.

Answer 2

In terms of available facilities and things to do, the only choice is between Sydney and Melbourne. That choice is hard...Sydney's culture is rapidly more work/status oriented, the pace is faster than average for Australia but its beaches and harbour are second to none. Melbourne has gorgeous cafes and gardens and a more relaxed, laid back atmosphere, but there is undeniably less to do.

Within Sydney, your next issue will be suburb, and the land prices very heavily reflect this. Basic searches on the internet (try www.ljhooker.com.au) will let you realise how much you can afford. Probably the best way to get access to the beach would be living in Bronte or Maroubra, but the southern shire may be another bet - be aware that racism is unfortunately more prevalent towards that region.

Judging from what you're saying I'd say considering Maroubra to be your best bet. Congratulations on having a roofer for a partner, Sydney's going through a massive tradesmen shortage and he will be able to charge pretty much whatever he likes. It will not be a problem to get work.

Answer 3

An alternative to Sydney, offering a bit less hectic lifestyle, and an alternative to Melbourne, where beach access is a bit less immediate is Adelaide. The city , like most Australian cities offers full employment to anyone with a trade. And the beach...ah, the beach, is white sand for about an hundred kilometres north and south... Housing costs in Adelaide are a bit less dear than in Sydney or Melbourne. Unless you like steam baths, avoid Darwin and Cairnes. They can be really tropically uncomfortable during the wet (late Nov to March) Perth is another option, but it is a long ways from everywhere else in Australia. I have been told that housing in Perth is more expensive than Sydney, but I have no first hand knowledge of this. Hopefully another person with more personal information about Perth might comment. (I have been to Perth on a vacation once, and would highly recommend it as a place to visit, but never felt as safe and secure there as I do in Adelaide.) Good Luck. Consider taking a month to holiday in Australia and visit Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide and take your pick!

Answer 4

I've never been to Sydney, but my husband (an Aussie from Melbourne) says it's far too "touristy and Americanized" for his liking. I could see that. It's the most popular Australian hot spot for foreigners. As for me, I LOVE Melbourne! It's got plenty for tourists, but the whole time I was there, I don't think I saw any. Plus, the area's got everything...city life, beaches, mountains...it's great:) And of course, there are tons of suburbs that need new roofs:) We're actually migrating to that area (from the US) within the year.

Answer 5

You will do very well as an electrician. Some places that you could do some research in for starting out include Bunbury, Geraldton and Karratha in WA, Darwin in the NT, Warrnambool in Vic, Gladstone and Mackay in QLD, maybe North of Launceston in Tas. It all depends on what state you have an interest in. Those places I named definitely may not all be the prettiest places to start out but they all have a fairly big shortage of electricians or many upcoming projects as well as being regional centres so it can be a good starting point for you to explore the rest of the state if you like it and then find your dream place. Im an electrician myself so i know the industry and work with many who have come over. My pick would probably be Bunbury. Nice area for families, cheaper houses and on construction you could expect to earn about $140,000+. Plus the weather is not as hot as the North but like i said, work out a state you are interested in and go from there.

Answer 6

Gold Coast has a great climate, anywhere you can swim in winter is fine by me, There also is plenty of houses getting built in the area around the Gold Coast and Northern NSW.
As it also is a big tourist area there are plenty of things to do.