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I have just under 2 years left of a Australia permanent residency visa and I am constantly thinking about whether to go before it expires. When we went to check it out 3 years ago we loved the place, but did find it mighty expensive.
But given how food inflation in this country is rising I think the cost of living between Aus and here won't be all that different in a few years to come.
Anyone else taken the plunge and gone or come back to the UK for that matter?
When we went to check it out 3 years ago we loved the place, but did find it mighty expensive.
Were you spending £ or $?
the cost of living is not much more than when I was here in 09, apart from imported stuff which is a lot cheaper. The exchange rate makes things look very bad in terms of £ conversions but once the last of my £'s were gone I stopped converting mostly.
If you can get a good job then you will be fine, some of the cities can be expensive to live in but it's the same in the UK.
What sort of areas are you looking at?
What sort of work do you do?
For reference we live in Tassie which is cheaper and have gone from working full time and part time between us to both working part time. There are a few things we miss out on but we do a lot still.
Everyone tells you beer is expensive but forgets that fuel is much cheaper and we only pay 10% sales tax not the 20% in the UK.
I travel a lot with work an still manage to eat out cheaply in places and getting round is cheaper comparatively.
Been over here in Perth for nearly 2 years, it does look a lot more expensive but if you're earning good money then it's not much of an issue.
The key is really doing your homework on what you can get paid and look at the cost of things in a "how long does it take me to earn that meal/ticket etc." - when I compare my "time earing ratio" (TM) to the UK I'm happy. You can always buy pricier items over the net (important bike bits etc. - sometimes the price gap is too high to justify supporting the LBS - can of GT85 for $18!)
Eating out over here is expensive - very easy to blow $130-140 on a meal for 2 adults and 1 child. There is a lot of stuff over here that you can do for free that you'd end up paying to do in the UK. The parks and facilities are consistently great and weather gives you an opportunity to take advantage of them all year round.
Renting/buying a house is the worst expense, followed by purchasing a car if you bring your pounds over expecting UK style prices!
Like Mike says, fuel is cheap, water/gas/electric are laughably cheap after the UK (even though people over here are complaining about rising costs!)
Beer ain't too bad if you drink at home! But a $10 pint ensures that you don't drink that much when you do go out - so there's a health benefit again!
I lived in Sydney for a year about 7 years ago. Back then the exchange rate meant everything was cheap. Even so I found it an odd country and while I enjoyed my time there I wouldn't recommend it. I found it really backward. It seems about twenty years behind in attitude- it's a very racist country and the competitiveness can become tiring. However the wages are good and it's a nice lifestyle.
I went over to new Zealand for a month afterwards and loved it.
I found NZ like that too Luke. Nice places to visit, but having lived in those places for work I wouldn't move permanently.
Found both places souless.
I work in fixed income Finance IT in London and the money is good.
Based on resesrch I have done there is no wage gain to be had in that
Industry and is not far off $ to £
I keep telling myself that going to Aus is about lifestyle, but if you
are finding your wage is being consumed by rent and food then
your lifestyle will suffer.
Where are you looking at for jobs? How much of a London premium are you on? I came over from Manchester/Cumbria which is obviously much cheaper than London.
Have a look at Realestate.com.au for some idea of rents. The exchange rate is very strange right now which makes it look strange in terms of prices/costs.
The last thing that I'd be thinking about when moving half way around the world is whether I was a bit better off or not - 'cos if its a 5h1t place to live the money will be irrelevant (see post on Dubai).
Culture, weather, family situation and quality of life are the reasons to move.
If you have the choice there's no better place to live IMO.
Aussies tend to be more upfront with stuff like attitudes. Coming from 30+ years in Oz, I reckon there's more racism and unpleasant distinctions here, but it's expressed in a much politer and more subtle manner.
Casual racism, that's ok then 🙄
No
A work mate of mine came back from her job posting out there. We paid her wage here, plus an extra amount each month to make up the differences - that was about 15% I think.
Apart from the cost of life differences, she said it was like the UK in the 1970 - sexist, racist and quite unplesant for women.
She liked the weather, hated the attitudes.
Apart from the cost of life differences, she said it was like the UK in the 1970
Where was she? just to say it is a big place, bigger than Europe and is very different in different places.
If you like the place, go for it
personally I didn't care much for Australia, it was ok, but nothing special for me
If I felt like you do about the place though, I would not hesitate to move somewhere that I love
ChunkyMTB - Member
Casual racism, that's ok then
Not what I said or implied.
Currently live in Adelaide which is significantly nicer than Preston. The city has everything I could ask for and is much cheaper than many of the other major cities in Aus.
$10 a pint in Perth, more like $5.50 in Adelaide. The wine regions (many of these in SA) are a great way to spend the day. Also the beaches are clean and not covered in dog eggs etc. Nothing better than riding home from work then down the beach for a walk watching the sunset. The local hills are full of great trails that are dry for 9 months of the year!
Cost of living is ok. Yes both food and rent are more but the trade off for me is that I get paid two an half times more than I could get in the UK. My cost of living is nowhere near twice as much.
As previously mentioned you need to way up what you want from it. I saw no real future for me in the UK, I'd be working hard for very little reward and when we had an oppertunity to move to Aus (perminant residancy via the wifes job) it was a no brainer. We are now saving to buy a house and still have plenty of disposable cash left of to enjoy life, which we do.
As for Aus being backwards in regard to rasism I don't think it is any worse than the UK. In fact I think the Aussies are far more tolerent than in the UK well the ones I work with are. If I hear it I'll challenge it. 99% of people here are migrants of some sort so people get along. I've yet to hear the very common UK phrase "I'm not racist but".... maybe the Aussies are just more open about opinion, rightly or wrongly" it's no different. Yet a big thing that many seem to forget... It's not the UK so stop expecting it to be. Things are different some you will like some you won't.
I've yet to really miss anything from the UK. Family is an obvious one as are friends but skype and email do a good job in bridging the gap left. You'll make new friends and adapt to life here. I'm much happier overall as I can see a genuine future for myself and not simply going through the motions of life. I say take the chance whilst you can. I know if I didn't a few years down the line I'd be kicking myself.
Also spiders aren't everywhere. You can swim in the sea and not get eaten (most of the time) Snakes are about too, makes bike riding that bit more "rad" snakes sunning themselves look just like sticks!
Just my 2p worth! but good luck either way.
Pretty much what 2hottie said.
Just because everyone speaks (a variant of) English and many are descended from the English doesn't make it just like England. For a start, they can't play cricket, rugby, tennis, or run/swim/cycle as well 😆
Many like it and stay, [url= http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/goodfellows-went-from-beautiful-sa-to-hull-on-earth/story-e6frea83-1226668323035 ]a few decide it's not for them and head home[/url].
Melbourne is one of the nicest places I have ever lived/worked in.
& the surrounding countryside offers everything you could want & all in very easy reach.
- great surf
- great walking, biking & camping in the parks & mountains
- fab food.
Not Oz but here is my story. I have been in NZ for coming up13.5 years. I've loved it mostly, right up until our daughter was born 6 months ago. Since then the pull of family has been massive, and that is with no pressure from them this is all me. I want my daughter to have a relationship with her grannies and grandpas etc aunties and uncles etc. I've really enjoyed my time here and this is where my life is but as my wife is from the UK we have made the call to go home. Possilbly we are mad but to be able to drop my girl off to hang out with her granny is priceless. Priorities change that's all I am saying. Quality of life here is great (excluding earthquakes) and I have had some great success in business but for me it's not enough. It's a funk long way from anywhere, attitudes are what they are. I dunno, I am sad and that has fully taken me by surprise. Do I regret what I have done ? Hell no, it's been amazing and I have friends whom I love and always will, we will see each other again. Life moves on. Do it.
Friend of mine emigrated a few years ago. Describes it as a cultural Essex on a continental scale.
Now theres a first
Culture
and
Essex
in the same sentence 🙂
Friend of mine emigrated a few years ago. Describes it as a cultural Essex on a continental scale.
Clearly he moved to the bit that's like Essex
It's a bit unfair to say that it's all the same. I know what he means about it being Essexy, and certainly in parts of Sydney it can feel like this (although I must say I loved where I lived in Sydney). Meanwhile, in Surfer's Paradise it's like Tenerife. Melbourne is much more cosmopolitan in feel, albeit (IMO) in a naff impersonation of Europe cosmopolitanism kind of way.
While I may not have enjoyed it there is enough variation for a lot of people to find something.
Friend of mine emigrated a few years ago. Describes it as a cultural Essex on a continental scale.
Brisabne then...
There are bits of Brisbane that are all fixies and remixed haircuts, and bits of Brisbane that are all Sebastians and Catherines going to piano lessons, and bits of Brisbane that are all stolen hubcaps and poor graffiti.
Friend of mine emigrated a few years ago. Describes it as a cultural Essex on a continental scale.
Where did s/he move from and where did s/he move to?
Someone that moved from Toorak to Basildon might spout stuff about the UK being like a million Sunnyvales parked on one small island...but it would still be bollocks.
The last thing that I'd be thinking about when moving half way around the world is whether I was a bit better off or not - 'cos if its a 5h1t place to live the money will be irrelevant (see post on Dubai).Culture, weather, family situation and quality of life are the reasons to move.
This.
TBH, if you've had the opportunity to go for a few years and haven't, then its clear your heart isn't really in it. To move half way round the world to a new country and a new life you've really gotta want to make it work. If you can't decide one way or 'tother, then it probably won't work, so I wouldn't bother....
We've got a month in Melbs followed by 2 months in NZ coming up start of the year. Can't wait.
Going to help fuel the decision to maybe move somewhere... :p
nice one plyphon enjoy it
Oz is a great place for people who get off their arses and do things.
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You've got the great outdoors, boozing, gambling and Sheilas on the plus side. In my case, this isn't enough to counter-balance the spider issue. Not everyone's an arachnophobic fanny like me, though, so overall I can see the attraction. Timeliness is everything - Depends on what you're up to in the UK.
My mate moved over to Adelaide a few years back, loves it - and is now getting paid an obscene amount of money by one of the BIG wine makers to do "stuff".
I am not entirely convinced myself, but see the attractions and am keeping it as a possible fall back option if everything goes to poo here. I have enjoyed my two visits thus far, and since I work in an industry which is in massive demand over there the option is always available.
Just not sure about the family issue (and we have two young boys that I would hate to take away from their grandparents)
My ex lives there.
It's a big place, but I wouldn't risk it if I were you.
I know lots of people who loved it.
Also know lots of people who came back - hated it.
Know lots of Aussies who hate living there as well as some Aussies who hate the U.K.
I moved here 13 years a go.
It's not unlike NZ, just bigger & I get paid more.
Less mountains though.
Epicyclo - are those top two pictures of Cairns Northern Beaches?
Less mountains though.
I have to admit, this is my chief grumble also. That said, bits of it are far from flat.
I'd move to Oz at the drop of a hat. I commute here every four weeks from North Yorkshire to work in Oz and PNG, where I am at the moment. The only thing stopping me is the missus won't leave the UK. I love the place, its simply perfect if you like being outdoors.....IF you can bear the heat. Oh yeah, its ridiculously expensive.
Oh yeah, its ridiculously expensive.
Again what are you spending? I'm earning about half what I was in the UK and find it fine earning $. If I converted everything to £ I would think it was pricy.
Nimbin.
Not really 😉
If I converted everything to £ I would think it was pricy.
This. If you earn $A and live in a place where $A is currency, you spend $A. What things cost on the other side of the planet has little bearing on your current financial situation. It took us about six weeks to get our heads round this, and three years later we're far from bankrupt, so I guess it works!
" I love the place, its simply perfect if you like being outdoors.....IF you can bear the heat."
Live in Tasmania, the grampians, the snowies, Blue Mountains... You can be digging yourself out of snow in winter if you want.
PS commuting here monthly sounds like hell
For some balance why would you move to the UK?
I went once petrol was like $2.50/l hell thats nearly double the price and the roads were so clogged we couldn't actually drive anywhere.
You have to pay way more tax too it's madness!!
Some bloke in the office went once and they said it rained every day, and nothing worked when it rained or snowed. It got to 30c and they all started falling over due to the heat.
Houses are really expensive anywhere you would want to live, and there is nothing detached in any of the cities, it's all crammed in there with nowhere for the pool or anywhere to keep my surfboard.
Not saying it's perfect here, but it's not bad. Some Kiwi friends who moved over here reckoned it took 2 years to get fully settled in and 17 months in I would have to agree. It's hard work you need the right attitude to change things round and make a go of it.
The couple who lasted a few days in Zokes link got heaps of support (more than normal) from someone we know, looking back he realises he wasted his time. This is not the UK with better weather, it's different, that's one of the things that makes it good to do, it may make you appreciate some of the things that make the UK a good place and give some perspective on others. I think more people should travel and try different things.
Nzcol
Sorry to hear that mate - but as you rightly point out life is full of chapters and this is the next one for you and your family.
Where are you heading to in the UK?
no culture? I live in Melbourne, the Jazz and comedy festivals are world class, we Just had a Monet doo-daa at the gallery and Phillip Glass is doing his opera here soon.
unsurprisingly, the cities and country are different.
I love the city nonsense, and I love being in the middle of nowhere with a huge sky full of stars with no bugger around two hours from my house.
I'm constantly confused as to why anyone would live in London?
I'm constantly confused as to why anyone would live in London?
This is a question that puzzled me for many years before moving to Oz
also, direct flights from Tullamarine to Queenstown. Lovely stuff.
Would do, and have done. Twice. Came on a 457 visa in 2009 and stayed until 2011 then went back to UK. Realised nursing is way better here in Oz and paid accordingly so came back last August (there were other reasons).
LOVE most things about Oz. Little things rile me though - cost of certain things ie bike parts. Attitude of some Aussies to foreigners / immigration / boat people.
Weather is ace (although we have a storm front coming in now with 110km/h winds and rain).
In the process of doing my PR, employer sponsored me. Yay.
Mike makes a good point - come on over if you want to see something different, don't if you're expecting the UK but warmer.
Also, as said above, go where you're going to be better off. IMO wherever you can be free of a mortgage earlier is the place to be, then you get some real flexibility with your lifestyle choices...
TBH, there's plenty of British enclaves where people live the UK but warmer lifestyle*. I know several people who have nothing to do with Australians.
*greece/italy/spain with better economy
*Sudan/iran/afghanistan with less conflict
yet most people integrate, meaning the cities are a real melting pot. This means the food options are awesome.
and if you want to visit the 1950's head out to the country.
and if you want to visit the 1950's head out to the country.
Or Perth 😉
brack - Edinburgh to begin with, that's where family is and to be fair its no too bad a place to end up !
Moved to Perth just over 2 years ago for work on a 457 visa. Id like to apply for PR but my employer has lost the ability to sponsor further visas dammit. I would agree with the comments about how long it takes to really settle in, i'm only just getting to that stage now. Also 'its not a sunnier version of the UK' like a 1000 fold. I came here thinking that and have been proved so wrong.
Cost wise, once you stop thinking it pounds it doesnt seem so bad, my standard of living has increased dramatically from the UK, though as various posters have said bike bits can be extortionate and eating out can be scarily expensive sometimes.
I still do miss home regularly and i'm still not convinced i could spend the rest of my life here, its a very very long way from friends and family which despite skype etc can be hard. Australians do have some funny attitudes, can be very macho and competetive sometimes and racism is if not more prevalent, definatly more outspoken. Iv also seen more fights and random violence in 2 years here than I ever saw back home.
God thats an essay! All in all though if you get the chance come over, if only for a few years its a brilliant place to live and work.
Moved here in 2005. Just killing time until the house sells and we can go home. As said ,its not for everyone.
moved to Melbourne 11months ago - mrs antigee offered a job here and thought would regret if turned opportunity down though think she would prefer Perth where she'd previously lived - not sure if will stay after contract finishes in 4years still feels like early days - youngest daughter loves sport and does loads at school and loves it here - great place to raise kids
Some things seem expensive compared to UK but then again salaries in general are higher tax is lower, healthcare costs - depends on what you spend money on - childrens activities cost a lot more but are better quality - and again depends some pretty exclusive small shops charge like they would anywhere in the world and if you want to buy food that is out of season its going to cost
big city so lots of culture - small town very different so what new
same wouldn't generalise about Australians - other than being sport mad, competitive, don't stand for fools (other than politicians), dogs are well behaved, driving is at the speed limit irrespective of what is going on, no more racist than people I've worked with in UK, US, Netherlands - I can ride 30/40km on trails and out to the hills, have to remember to check bush fire warnings as well as weather forecast in summer - a bit less variety than the Peak - on the roads uteman drives like whitevan man - will be eating out this evening - nice smart Thai good value - and like eating out in any city prices are high in prime locations and pretty suburbs, less litter, good sport facilities, fantastic and beautiful beaches and all the pies you can eat
Nzcol
Good luck with your move mate.... Nope Edinburgh sounds a lovely relocation,
I love the UK fella... And that's through the misted goggles of being a Paramedic which I can assure you sees the very worst of these islands.
My father , brother and his family all live in NZ and I've toyed with the idea lots over the years, we spend a month over there each year.
But
For me ...at the moment, here is home.
haha had to laugh at Nimbin..... like bits of Amsterdam with palm trees.
My sister emigrated to Perth 20 odd years ago, they have a nice life and have now moved from the burbs out to the country where it is uber quiet but if that's what you want then it's perfect... they ride Harleys and the beach is not far away and the roads are perfect for motorbikes... My parents miss them , we all do and we went for the big trip out there a couple of Xmas ago my better halves first trip , my 4th.... we are too settled over here now and feel as though we have missed the big move window... Great country , lovely lifestyle and weather but they have some issues over there too it ain't perfect.
It seems to me that people are prepared to leave family and friends thousands of miles away just because you dont need a coat a lot of the time ?
It seems to me that people are prepared to leave family and friends thousands of miles away just because you dont need a coat a lot of the time ?
It seems you are mistaken
[quote=Edric 64 ]It seems to me that people are prepared to leave family and friends thousands of miles away just because you dont need a coat a lot of the time ?
not really I need a coat here in tassie.
Half of the family are here as the missus is from this half of the world.
I speak to my parents more now I am here than I did at home, so thats a difference. Real friends and real family connections work over time and distance, the world is a lot smaller these days - each morning I can see what people have been up to and catch up and they can with me.
I can see it works for you if you have in(out)laws there .I think I would miss Somerset too much to emigrate.
[quote=Edric 64 ]I can see it works for you if you have in(out)laws there .I think I would miss Somerset too much to emigrate.
I guess I have moved a lot in the UK too, I know where home is but that is a fixed place where as I live all over. I miss what I used to have but also enjoy what I have, it's very easy and possible to do both. Just come back up from Friday night beers with the guys in the LBS, good mates after not that long (though the first chat with the lbs guy was explaining at 2am uk time why there needed to be presta valve collars under the bolts on the brake mount of my missus HT he was putting back together) we rip the **** out of each other and enjoy beers now! The missus has a sister near us and the rest are flights + drive away, I avoid the sis as a bit bonkers really so it works. You will always find like minded people to have a beer with.
It's hard to explain but you have to appreciate what you have in the moment and enjoy it, if you dwell on what you had then you will be stuck.
I would love to (I think). I have worked a few times in Melbourne recently and really enjoyed it - a far, far better quality of life in virtually every respect from what I could see. Would never get a work visa though. 🙁
The biggest downside that I could see in my brief time there was a lack of public transport. Australia is not an easy country in which to get from A to B.
The biggest downside that I could see in my brief time there was a lack of public transport. Australia is not an easy country in which to get from A to B.
I don't know where you were going from and to but Melbourne and Sydney have good public transport systems. I don't know the other cities well enough to comment, and I'm sure there are disparate A and B points which aren't convenient, but I don't think it's any worse than London, and it's better than Edinburgh.
It seems to me that people are prepared to leave family and friends thousands of miles away just because you dont need a coat a lot of the time ?
I can see it works for you if you have in(out)laws there .I think I would miss Somerset too much to emigrate.
I don't think I've ever been to Somerset, and I'm sure it's a nice place, but I don't feel any need to criticise it just because other people want to live there.
kona - I was going a little way (about 30 or so miles) out of Melbourne and also out of Hobart in Tasmania and asking about buses, trauins etc met incomprehension. Their concept of public transport is extremely limited out of the main cities (agree with you in them).
About the only downside though.
Yep true we have no public transport in Tassie, about the same as rural UK though 🙂 interstate it's amazig flights everywhere for not that much.
Just came across this thread!
NZCol, I was in the same boat as you 6 years ago after loving living in Oz for many years, after we had our second daughter the pull of home and grandparents was too strong and we came back to the UK.
Never really settled down and after several years of soul searching we are going back to Oz.
Family are great but as the kids get older they need grandparents less and we see a much better future for our kids and ourselves. Always felt stifled here in the UK, really miss the quality of life we had in Oz
So just saying if your moving back I wouldn't completely sell up in NZ, rent your house out and come back for a couple of years before deciding on a permanent move. It could save you alot of money!
Been twice,nice to escape winter but something is missing needs about 20m open minded people living there to make it s better country.
Whereas in the UK we need 20m fewer morons and your return isn't helping.
Spiders.
That is all.
benjbish - Member
Epicyclo - are those top two pictures of Cairns Northern Beaches?
Yes, 2 and 3 are. 1 is close to Innisfail. Still got a house in Cairns.
I visited Melbourne and Taz. Melbourne was "Meh" just another urban/sub-urbun place. But Taz was fantastic, like amore rugged Wales with added Wallabies. And the folks I talked with there seem much more my kind of people. I'd consider living there.
[quote=buzz-lightyear ]I visited Melbourne and Taz. Melbourne was "Meh" just another urban/sub-urbun place. But Taz was fantastic, like amore rugged Wales with added Wallabies. And the folks I talked with there seem much more my kind of people. I'd consider living there.
related to everyone and having 2 heads?
related to everyone and having 2 heads?
😆