Need some advice

Hi everyone, Hubby and I will be moving to Aus in October. I am in payroll, he's a systems technician instrumentation/electrical)in power generation, so he prob need to apply in the same line again? Or mines? We are both mid forties - ok slight over mid, haha ...
Anyone out there with advice on where we should start first? Perth/Melbourne/Adelaide/Brisbane, etc?
  I have a very very passionate fisherman here - so need to be close to sea if possible. Currently in NZ - wont need permits for work. Is the heat realy bad in Aus? We lived in Cape Town surrounds for 15 years.
  Also what the general living costs may be? Rental, electricity/water/petrol/food per week/medical insurance/pension fund?
WOuld be so greatful for some advice:)

Hi Annapatat!

Welcome to Expat.com.

I hope that other members will soon advise you.

Regards,
Harmonie.

Thanks Harmonie!

Hello Anna

well I can tell you if you lived in Cape Town for 15 yrs you must be used to some heat? I come from Perth and have lived in England and now Holland for the past 9 and 1 yrs and I can recommend it to you completely. For the beauty, the fishing, the work ( currently there is massive amounts of mining being done, they are actually raping the land - hey but thats another story!) - so plenty for you and hubby to consider. A plane ride away and he can be in Kununurra in far northern West Australia by the Ord river where the Kimberleys are and catch Barra till he is sick of it! Watch out for the crocs though! Seriously!!

Perth has a Mediterranean climate so its hot and dry in summer and cold and wet in winter. Down south there are the wine fields and further on there is a pocket of rain forest near Pemberton - its GORGEOUS! Up north the men are men and sometimes you could be mistaken for thinking the chicks are too! Hey but its all about whats on the inside of you that matters in the bush. The city is completely different, very cosmopolitan, clean, funky, you can get everything there of course. Wonderful, but then you live in the most isolated city in the world and everything is very far away including SA I guess. On the other hand Bali is right there for you, and Thailand etc etc etc!

I went to uni in Brissy and lived in Cairns, as well in Queensland. Now its HOT in Queensland! And it does something funny to your head at times! Everyone lives in airconditioning which is wicked to the environment,. all drive big cars, drink alot etc. It is however the most beautiful place (mainly Cairns) I have ever lived in. You must at least get there on hols one time. The sunny coast near brisvegas is cooler and lots of retirees there - bit sedate but lovely. Also you have the Gold Coast on the other side of Brissy (think North? Can't remember now!). That is very racy, flashy, trashy etc but the beach is gorgeous and if you like showing off thats the place to be! I used to like it when I was younger but that was about 10 or more years ago now. I still enjoy showing off occaisionally!

Well I hope that helps - Melbourne is where I would choose to go back to live myself, or Perth I think would still be good too but you must choose your suberb carefully. Let me know if there is anything else you want to know.

Good luck! Claire :)

Hi Claire

Thanks for the info! Laughed at your humor and your description of things .. you are very perceptive and love life it seems. My home language is Afrikaans so you might understand most of it should I speak.

I heard Perth is HOT!
Hubby would love to go to Cairns, but I am scared of that type of heat, like Durban in Sa I suppose? Nie lekker nie! Funny you should mention Melbourne as a guy just told us yesterday thats what he would suggest. But we are realistic and will go where we can get work and then maybe change when the time is right. I heard about people standing in trains/busses on the way to work if they are in the wrong suburbs though?

Will pass on the fishing to my 'better half' - he will appreciate the feedback.

As my kids (24 & 27)are still in SA:( we dont have the added pressures of deciding on schools, etc. and can choose smaller accommodation if necessary.

We are now a bit scared, a bit excited ... moving is such a big life changing event ... but still - nothing that a cup of hot coffee/tea and a chat with a girl friend can't fix hey?

So have a cup on me today (with a 'stroopie' wafer, or amandel kano'tjie)and thanks again for your answer!! Tell me more about the markets in Melbourne if you have the info?

Bye
Annelien

Annelien,

Perth is like Cape Town. Cold and wet in the winter months.
Look up on facebook for a group named "Aussiekaners" with LOTS of info.

Hope this helps.

Paul

previous post translated to English. apologies for this.

Hi Paul,

Can you please post in English in this anglophone forum so that members can understand and participate.

Thank you very much.

Hi Paul,

Dankie(thank you!)will look into this.

Just got back from a 10 day holiday in Aitutaki and man the cold weather in NZ hit us at Auckland Airport with a vengeance. :(

We met about 5 Auzzie couples over there and they all were fantastic to get along with (maybe because they were so happy to be on holiday too??) and they gave us some good advice. 

In the mean time, I am doing an online Auzzie payroll regulation course - so all systems go so far.

Regards
Annelien