Thread: Hypothetically speaking... Moving to Sydney???

I have not lived there for fifty years, but visit there quite often.

It is cheaper than London, and much smaller. Relative costs though depend on the exchange rate, and this keeps changing - lately the $A has tended up, although in the last week or two has eased a bit. It is a very different place compared to London, but whether you would prefer it depends entirely on your tastes.

Public transport is not as good as London, and it depends on which bit of the city you live in how good it is.

And there is a lot of real Australia within convenient driving range!
Hope this helps,

John

It's warmer - and we win the cricket

Originally Posted by Yorkshire_Jon

OK, Ive just had a very interesting conversation with a recruitment company - Seems there's a job going in Sydney for someone just like me - Civil Engineer with senior project management skills in the power and rail industries.


Question is - whats Sydney like for a Pom who doesnt live in a major city?

Whats the price of living like compared to say London? Crime rates?? Public Transport etc?

I know a colleague of mine has recently moved to Manly, Sydney but I havent spoken to him since he flew out (last Tuesday!)

Is there a large UK contingent in Sydney?

I told the mrs that if we do go the 110 has to go too - to which she replied OK, but the dog has to go too!!


Any advice or things I should add to the "things to consider list"???


Thanks
Jon

Where abouts in Sydney are we talking, because like London there are good and bad parts, cheap and expensive parts and yes heaps of poms in Sydney.

Public transport not bad, the eastern part Sydney has the best rail, bus and Ferry service.

As for size, Sydney has 5 million people, compared to London with 19 million, i'd say it's a tad smaller and a bit less crowded

After living in Sydney and then visiting London for nearly 2 weeks on my European jaunt, i couldn't wait to get out of the place, too bloody crowed for me.

Baz.

Originally Posted by Redback

Where abouts in Sydney are we talking, because like London there are good and bad parts, cheap and expensive parts and yes heaps of poms in Sydney. ...

.... Baz.

Baz you live in Helensburg - that' the blo*** bush mate! More trees than people

Jon

As Baz says there are good parts and bad parts, the Sydney metropolitan area is roughly a fifty mile arc centred on Bondi beach with the central business district (CBD) about 7 mile from Bondi. There are lots of areas that you could call beautiful around 4 river valleys, Sydney Harbour the most well known. Then there are lots of suburban areas with rows of houses, the older ones built in the mid 20th century on 1/4 acre blocks. Many of the new suburbs have far smaller house blocks with much larger houses (or what we call McMansions or Villa Costa Lottas).

You need to know where you would be based for work and then decide where you want to live after you get here. Unless you are working in the CBD, the "car is king".

If you bring the 110, you will probably end up making it a very different car and ideal for the long trecks off into the bush and Central Australia or the "top End"

I work in hospitals and there are lots of Brits, mainly nurses who come out on working holidays and end up staying. Even if they do return to the UK, they then turn around and come back for good.

The down side is the cost and inconvenience of visiting relatives and friends back in the UK.

By the way, we don't always win the rugby and in that it's the Kiwis we love to hate.

Diana

Well, by Australian standards, the housing cost is exceptionally high. Cost of living other than housing is good as there is lots of competition in business for the consumer dollar. Traffic is apalling and getting worse. Unless you really like driving longish distances in heavy peak hour traffic, where you live may be decided by where you work. I left Sydney long ago, but am a frequent visitor and every time I visit I notice the worsening of traffic. Myself, I would only live in the areas of the North Shore, Manly to Northern Beaches, or the Eastern Suburbs. I would need to be coerced to live west of Burwood. By Queensland standards but not by London's, Sydney has a cold wet winter.

Originally Posted by Yorkshire_Jon

I told the mrs .............. to which she replied OK, but the dog has to go too!!

Unfortunately, your pooch will be held in isolation for about 6 months. Unless they've changed the rules, which I doubt.

Cheers

Originally Posted by Yorkshire_Jon

senior project management skills in the power and rail industries.

If the job is with RailCorp, travel on govt. public transport (buses, trains, and ferries) will be free for you (and free for your wife and family when you are on holiday - with 50% discounts to most overseas rail companies, too). If you are prepared to sit up, you can travel across Australia on The Indian Pacific or The Ghan for free, too. If you want a sleeper, you have to pay a portion oif the fare. Rail travel is much cheaper than the UK.

Originally Posted by Yorkshire_Jon

Crime rates??

The State Govt. cooks the book on crime figures to make it look good for them. However, after watching UK real life cop shows, it doesn't seem nearly as bad here as it is over there. We have very few police. I can go for weeks and not see a copper - I live in outer Sydney. I only see them when they get called to attend where I work.

UK contingent?

Mate, they are bloody everywhere. Some even speak English. Except Yorkshiremen. Parkinson and Monty Python turned us off Yorkshiremen so they are now a prohibited import!

Other things to consider is distances when you travel, in the UK if you go 200 miles(320ks) you'll pass through 15 different accents and 50 cities, in Australia, the only thing that changes is the fuel prices

Baz.