moving to OZ

Has anyone ever thought about moving to Australia?? Hubby and I are currently thinking about it.. I have lived there be4 and loved it.. Not sure what part of Oz yet .. It would really depend on where hubby can get a good paying job..

Seems like alot of people are doing the same thing because of the way the costs of living etc are going.. Although The same thing is happening in Australia but at least the wages are higher..

 

 

 

 

My parents moved back there after 24 years of living in NZ.

Yes wages are higher over there but things are also the same price or more expensive. I told my dad that petrol had hit $2 here last week, he said if you convert the dollar then they are paying $1.68 a litre on the Sunshine Coast. Most of NSW is paying $2.02 and WA is paying $2.20 a litre.

I would def research it before you do look at it and also look at the cost of moving over there too as that isn't cheap.

Nuttymama is moving over there soon, i'm sure she would give you some details.

After spending nearly two weeks in Surfers two years ago, we seriously considered it.  Still dream about doing it.  I do know that we wouldn't move to Sydney, DH didn't like it there, he said it was ok for tourist but he couldn't live there.

I think we've missed the opportunity now, as Conor starts high school next year.

Yup we are considering it seriously right now, DH is a diesel mechanic and they are literally crying out for them and he can earn $100k + a year where as we are on $37k here, better opportunities as well, we are just looking into it further but looking at moving before the end of the year

Ahh, home!

One day we will move back. We both would be massively better off financially. Just cant be bothered right now...

We expect to move in about 3-5 years.

My FIL has recently been over there trucking, while the incomes are a lot higher so too is the cost of living: accommodation, food, etc.

I can see us going in a few years time.
The only place to get interesting and decent paying jobs in NZ is Auckland and we don't want to live in Akl.
DH likes it here, I'm not fussed love Queensland and would move there in a heartbeat. My brother is there and doing really well.

Just from our own personal experience here in Brisbane, its not that much better than NZ!

We moved here 2 years ago and the cost of living is far more than in NZ. Yes, sure you can get better incomes (only in the right occupations that are in the labour shortage areas) BUT your living costs are far more expensive. Cost of food is a rip off. When we first moved here we were spending $80 a week on food, now 2 years later, were spending $150 average for just me and DH.

Child care is an absolute rip off and there are long waiting periods!!
Schooling is not streamline from school to school and state to state like NZ.
Medication and Dr bills are expensive, unless you see a Dr that can be bulk billed (100% funded by the govt and not income tested) which are few and far between. And health insurance is confusing and expensive with excesses and gap payments paid by you.

Most states have water restrictions, here in QLD at the moment were on level 6. Which means we are not supposed to use more than 140 litres of water per person per day. The dam levels are sitting at about 32%.

The cost to run a car is expensive depending on the engine size. To register our small 4 cylinder Huyndai Gets it cost us $520 for 1 year and insurance and servicing is expensive.

Having said all that, Aus is a great country. But personally IMO unless your in a skilled labour shortage occupation, your not any better off than what you are in NZ.

My advice is to research before you make a decision so you can make an informed decision. All the best.

We are moving over to the Gold Coast on September the 4th this year. And I can't wait.

We are not sure what area we will settle in yet as some of it is Dependant on schools. Thankfully it looks as if DH can transfer with his company. I have researched until my butt was numb from sitting at the computer and we still believe we have made the right decision.

For us the care we can get for Micheal being legally blind is supreme compared to here, plus DH is worth a whole heap more over there than here. Rents we found were about the same as here only the places we were looking at were much nicer than here. We are lucky in the fact that I have two BIL over there in the Isle of Capri and they are taking us around the "Good" areas when we get there.

As far as the cost of living hell it's dear here to and only going to get worse from what we can see.

Coomera is a nice area. DH brother and wife were there and we stayed with them there when we first moved over here. Its about 50 minutes from Brisbane City and about 20 minutes from the Gold Coast (right on the beach I mean)..

Sorry to sound all doom and gloom but the more you earn the more you pay in taxes and with the new govt that happened here last year, the less you will be entitled to come July 1 this year, especially with child care assistance. Commission can be good, but KPI's and targets are set quite high.

The experience we have gained here is irreplaceable, not only from a working perspective but also life in general. Really makes you appreciate the smaller things in life and has made me realise how good a country NZ really is.

All the best with whatever you decide. The only real way to know if it will suit you is by trying it.