Should we move to Oz?

martin363

martin363

martin363

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Joined
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Peloponnese, Greece
The wife has been offered a good job in Oz (Head hunted). We have a choice of Melbourne or Brisbane, 5 year contract, fully sponsored, which is a good thing as we are otherwise ruled out by age.

What are peoples thoughts? anyone lived or worked there before? We only returned to Europe in 2021 after 10 years in Vietnam, so not really settled yet, but hadn't anticipated another move. This one will be different too, we will be leaving our 19yo daughter in the UK, though she is very easy about that. I won't plan to work, so will be looking to meet people, get into other activities etc.

Melbourne or Brisbane? any advice? would really appreciate knowledge and experiences.

I guess we will probably go, though I don't think the Oz economy is as good as it once was, just a long way.
 
Give it a go, you can always come back.

I would do as I have a lot of friends out there but I can't be doing with the heat in summer, I've only been in winter.

Melbourne is very European, not been to Brisbane. Oddly enough I always thought Melbourne would be my favourite place but I preferred Sydney. To live though, it may be the other way around.

Aus is a friendly as anything place though, fully sponsored offer - I think you'd be daft not to go.
 
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Blackjack Davy said:
The economy can't be any worse than it is here! For goodness sake go get the hell out of Dodge.
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From what I remember, Australia are in a mild economic war with China as they export/import a lot of goods with them. Not sure if it is any better now.

Regarding the OP. Go for it. Enjoy the 5 years then come back, if you wish. Make sure you shake your shoes upside down to get rid of any spiders.
 
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martin363 said:
The wife has been offered a good job in Oz (Head hunted). We have a choice of Melbourne or Brisbane, 5 year contract, fully sponsored, which is a good thing as we are otherwise ruled out by age.

What are peoples thoughts? anyone lived or worked there before? We only returned to Europe in 2021 after 10 years in Vietnam, so not really settled yet, but hadn't anticipated another move. This one will be different too, we will be leaving our 19yo daughter in the UK, though she is very easy about that. I won't plan to work, so will be looking to meet people, get into other activities etc.

Melbourne or Brisbane? any advice? would really appreciate knowledge and experiences.

I guess we will probably go, though I don't think the Oz economy is as good as it once was, just a long way.
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Go. 100% providing your daughter is ok with it, like properly ok, sit her down etc.
 
I spend a lot of time working in Aus. It's a stunning place. Brisbane vs Melbourne is interesting - Melbourne every single time tbh. It took me a LONG time to understand Melbourne. It doesn't have the instant eye-gratification that Sydney has, but it is a beautiful city. Takes a while to get to know it.

A lot of the interesting bits aren't obvious, so you stumble across them. Sydney, well, the downtown area is fairly small and it's quite well known. Sydney is probably my favourite and most liveable City, but Melbourne isn't that far behind.

Weather isn't that different to the UK apart from I've never experienced snow in Melb. It gets cold - in the same 'feel' as NYC if that makes sense - and summers can be a lot hotter for short bursts. Some high 40s for example. Rare but harsh when they happen.

I'd definitely choose Melb over Brisbane. In fact I'd go as far to say if I had to move to AUS, and the only choice I had was Brisbane? I'd simply not go. Brisbane is soulless, like any modern city anywhere. It doesn't feel very Australian to me. Very liveable, very 'nice', it's just utterly dull.

Food I found ridiculously expensive in Sydney, less so in Melbourne. Same with accommodation. If you're an outside sort of person - and Vietnam suggests you perhaps are - then Melbourne is fab. It's got the Otway Rain-forest not too far away (as in weekend travel distance), not to mention the Great Ocean Road. I've done that so many times and yet every time I really look forward to it.

Sydney you've got the Blue Mountains a couple of hours to the west. Beautiful area, but not so many options as Melbourne. The coast from Sydney around to Melb is cool but it's not anything like as interesting as the area Melb to Adelaide.

Different work experiences too. Sydney is superficially more professional and yet I found they don't work as hard or do as much. Melb the other way around. Felt laid back but I actually found the work environment more demanding. I sometimes wondered if that was because regional head offices now like to have 'Sydney' in their title, so there was some competition there...? In reality most of the big corps I've worked for there, well, we felt mostly secondary to Asia and London in terms of direction. I.e., they decide what to do, we had to follow.

I could not spend 5 years in Brisbane. I doubt I'd last a month.

Melbourne? I'd bite their sponsoring hands off.
 
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BUDFORCE said:
I've got a mate who really loves Wrexham Lager

I've bought a few cases in recent years, I mean....there is nothing wrong with it as such, but just tastes like fizzy water to me
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Hopefully not the stuff I still shudder to think of from the 90's. I remember them closing down, but looking on wikipedia it seems like someone revived the name.
 
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