bobby12 0 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 I'm considering emigrating to Oz and have a few Qs. I'm considering leaving Japan at the end of next year. The main reason to leave is that I have two kids and they will be starting school around that time, and my wife is adamant, and I generally agree, that they study English as their first language. (International school is not an option because I'm not willing to pay for it and dont like the idea of it anyway.) At first I was thinking about returning to UK for convenience, however is very boring to me. London would be cool for me but having grown up there I dont want to subject my kids to that experience. also cost of living is crazy, and theres no decent beaches or ski resorts. So now we are looking at Oz, and we fond that I'm eligible for a visa even without sponsorship. Oz is attractive because there seems to be a big shortage of skilled workers, therefore good opportunity for myself. The manager of my companies Oz office says its extremely difficult to find skilled young people over there in most industries. Additionally, cost of living seems good, and quality of life looks great. Finally it has a better connection to Japan than UK - seems like its easy to find a school that offers Japanese and there seems to be many saturday schools and JP communities. Im considering Adelaide as first choice, because of cost of living and it just sounds great. Problem is there seems to be very few Web jobs going there so I would have to take what I can get. However I may get lucky and then itd be perfect. Safer bet may be to go to Melbourne and be able to pick a job that will provide the kind of environment and career potential I need, however I wont have the quality of life as Adelaide (because house prices higher). Some burning Qs: - Is there a smoking ban in Australia? - Melbourne or Adelaide? - Is it cheap to get to SE Asia? - What is the typical work environment like? Similar to UK? More relaxed? A lot of the jobs talk more about benefits (4 day week, redbull on tap etc) than responsibilities which sounds v.nice. - Can you get premiership football live on sky tv? - Compared to Japan, what is expensive/cheap? Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Smoking ban - yes (even pubs and restaurants now) Melbourne if you want more music, sporting events, entertainment in general. Adelaide if you want beautiful country just out of the city. Cheap to SE Asia? I think generally flights from Aus are more expensive than from JApan. You can get premier league football. Aus cost of living is actually very high now. Food, etc. is generally more than Japan (might be different for someone living in central Tokyo). And as you said, housing is just ridiculous! Link to post Share on other sites
warhawk 0 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 I'm from Adelaide, and I've lived in Melbourne. Both have their merits, but many of my OS friends who have lived in Aus would say Adelaide is a lot easier to navigate and get your head around (being smaller ) Both are pretty cosmopolitan. If your lifestyle is more aimed at outdoors activities, Vic has way more to offer IMO than South Australia. Wilson's Promontory is one of the best/most beautiful national parks anywhere! Link to post Share on other sites
Domokun_72dpi 0 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Hey matey, Look for jobs on seek or careerone What is your web experience? there's a lot of call in all industries, from trained web monkeys to project Management. Technical skills (ie programmers) can command a VERY good salary @ the moment. if you know sharepoint, then definitely come over.. Aus prices suck now, (especially here in Perth) however, Adelaide may be quite reasonable. Plus being east coast, yeah, quick to Japan, plus you get snow over there each winter. Sounds like a big move mate... Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 East coast isn't any quicker to Japan. Perth is almost directly south of Japan. Flights direct to NArita, or via Singapore/Thailand/Malaysia are just as quick, if not quicker than from the east. Link to post Share on other sites
spook 0 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Cost of living wise I find Australia quite resonable because rents (while rising) are generally alot cheaper than other countries. Obviously rent/property prices varies significantly from area to area, but this is what I generally feel. My rent is a third of what I paid in the UK, so even though I am earnining slightly less money I have much more disposable income and a better standard of living. Adelaide is the next property boom and will rocket in the next 12 months. So far they have been reasonably sheltered from property price rises that have hit elsewhere in Oz, but people have been buying up. Perhaps all the US recession and sub-prime jitters will flatten the market. If you want great beaches I don't think Melbourne is really up to scratch. Great beaches an hour away, but not within spitting distance of the city. I can't comment about Adelaide as I haven't been there. I really enjoy Melbourne as it has a hip cosmopolitan and progressive feel and tons of interesting art and music. From my limited knowledge I would say it is a more interesting place to live than Adelaide. Or come over to the wild west and ride the resources boom! And now for the big question - what AFL team are you going to pledge allegiance to? Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 One thing to note about Adelaide is that it is damn hot. From Nov through Mar it is not unusual to top 40 degrees. Climate is an important factor in where I choose to live (I love snow and cold so I live in Hokkaido). Adelaide is also is much smaller than Melbourne and if you ever want to go skiing a lot further from the ski fields. Melbourne will have many more job opportunities (higher paid) but cost of living will be more. Persoanlly if I ever moved back to Aus (very unlikely) I would probably want to live in Tasmania. Much cooler than the mainland, it has beautiful mountains and beaches and is nice and compact. Not so many job opportunites down there though I guess. Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Adelaide isn't all that far from the ski fields though (relatively speaking ) Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Bobby.. I'm from Adelaide and have lived in Melbourne for a few years too. Both are great places and it will just depend on what you want out of the place. As you might know, I'm moving the family back in April this year. We will be going to Adelaide at first because that's where I can get rent assistance while we settle in! I'm looking at the east coast as I want to live closer to the ocean that has waves.. Adelaide has great beaches but locally the waves suck (even more than Perth!). Both are pretty arty places and have a great cafe & rest scene. Melb's traffic and public transport is maxed to the full and it's way easier to get around in adelaide. I'd choose Adelaide though if I had to choose one or the other. And you must go for the Crows! Veggies are heaps cheap but other food is exy.. Link to post Share on other sites
warhawk 0 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Adelaide has some ok beaches for surfing, well, south of Adelaide in Middleton, and some great ones (though shark infested) a lot further away on Yorke Peninsula. There are also some good festivals to be had like the Fringe festival, Arts festival etc that are always good fun. Womadelaide too, and of course the Clipsal 500 V8 race. (We needed something after Melbourne nicked the F1 GP from us!) Both Melbourne and Adelaide get flipping hot in summer, but Adelaide is usually hotter for longer. Melbourne is damn cold in winter, and if you like four seasons in one day then its the place to go! Don't go for an Adelaide footy team, please! They're just thugs! (or fugs, to use the correct pronunciation ) Link to post Share on other sites
Domokun_72dpi 0 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Actually, why not consider Syney, Indo's best mate could hook you up with some sweet parties! Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 a Port fan then warhwak?? Domokun, where do your loyalties lie? Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted January 17, 2008 Author Share Posted January 17, 2008 domokun - I'd be looking more for an e-marketing project manager/leader position. Melbourne had lots of interesting sounding stuff but I could find nothing (not even 'php programmer' etc) in Adelaide online. What is commuting like in Melbourne? Sounds like traffic is bad, but how far do you have to live in order to get a reasonable place? Hope its nothing like Tokyo where even on a good salary you got a 90 min commute... Link to post Share on other sites
warhawk 0 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Originally Posted By: Bushpig a Port fan then warhwak?? No mate they are the biggest fugs of the lot I'm a Carlton supporter. I lived in Melbourne for 9 years when I was a little tacka. Got major ribbings when I moved back to Adelaide, until they won in 95! Up, the Blues! Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 My 2 cents worth: I wouldn't choose to live in Adelaide (sorry Indo, Warhawk no offence). Its like a big village. There really isn't much going on there. Its a very beautiful, well laid out city though. The parklands that surround the CBD make it a nice place to visit. If I were moving to Aus, I'd rather move to Sydney (but its expensive), Queensland would also be nice, the climate is good all year. Perth is a nice city but very isolated, in saying that I liked WA best simply because of the countryside. Its a massive state however and as a result the landscape varies incredibly. I'd stay away from the North as there are far too many Croc's to worry about and in a country that has so many dangerous animals, not needing to think of 1 of them is a weight from my mind!!! Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Domokun and I are in Perth or more acurately Western Australia. It is a complete hike from any kind of snow - unless they actually build this artifical snowpark! But it is not so hard to fly to Canberra and hire-drive up to Thredbo or Perisher. Jobs are EASY to get in Perth - we have a major workforce crisis due to the mining boom stealing all the decent workers. Big boom in population too, as people come to meet the demand. The only thing not keeping pace is housing...government red tape is slowing the building process hence a housing shortage - hence EXPENSIVE housing in Perth. 10 years ago Perth was cheap - not anymore! But the lifestyle here is brilliant. We just nick off a couple of times a year to get our snow fix! Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I really couldn't live in Perth, the summers are just so long and hot and I'm really more a cold climate person. Plus it is just so god damned isolated from well just about anything and anywhere. I like Japan, everything is so close compared to back in Aus. Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 When you are there it doesn't really feel all that isolated though. Long summers yes, but I like that Link to post Share on other sites
spook 0 Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 perth is very isolated and has developed in it's own weird way. it is also gettin expensive. eating out here is prohibitvely expensive, and i have no idea why. restaurants and cafes in melbourne and sydney are about 25-30% cheaper than perth having grown up here, moving away for 3 years and then coming back, i thought i'd only stick around for a month or two then go live in melbourne or sydney for a stint. but the lifestyle here is amazing and i found it hard to leave. after 18 months here i'm getting itchy and can't wait to leave again. the slower pace of life and relative isolation kept me here, but ironically it is what making me claustropobic and wanting to leave again. if you're an outdoorsy type, it's a great place to raise a family. fantastic beaches and incredible countryside in all directions for whatever takes your fancy (except skiing of course) Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Well I guess it's what you make of it. The isolation doesn't bother me at all. I just don't even notice it. I'm ready to get back there after a long haul here, and it should be great. But anyway, back on topic, If not for the cold, I might choose Melbourne over Adelaide. Although I do love SA. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Perth may be isolated to the rest of OZ but it's only a 2.5-3hrs flight to Indo. I think more to Qld? and they have the little creatures brewery which I'd be spending most my time at! If you live in Oz you don't want to be wasting your time skiing there anyway, better off having regular trips back here. Perth have the jobs too, like Mama said and I will probably find it easier to get work there than in any other city in OZ.. I've solod myself but the wife needs convincing! (she doesn't like the cold southerlies) Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted January 18, 2008 Author Share Posted January 18, 2008 I think I may go for Melbourne as it will be simpler. Rent a place for a year, take my time to find a place and job in Adelaide maybe. Do people smoke in the restaurants and cafes? Link to post Share on other sites
spook 0 Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 no smoking in restaurants or pubs it's good smoking is becoming extinct in oz. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 No smoking in cars with kids in under 16 in SA too. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 The smoking ban is a really good thing. You can smoke at home, you can smoke on the street (just not right outside your place of work in many cases) - there are many places you can still light up if it takes your fancy. But in enclosed spaces it is brilliant to not have to worry about your asthmatic kids having to leave dinner to go to hospital!! I did find it hard in Tokyo when the only separation between smoking and non-smoking in MacDonalds was a table or two and maybe a glass screen partially separating the room. We went through more Ventolin than usual for that week. I am an ex-smoker, gave up because I had a kid with severe asthma, so I appreciate the desire/rights of smokers...but I am also aware of the impact thier smoking has on people around them. There are plenty of cafes and resturants that have Al Fresco sections - sidewalk tables, or open air back gardens - and many of these permit(or tolerate) smoking. But you will not find one INSIDE establishment that will allow it. Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts