Considering moving to Australia

[Evening Glory]

Hello everyone,

I currently live in Norway. I love my country, but the winters are just too cold for me. Last week, we constantly had 15-25 C below zero. That is WAY to cold for me! I love sun and warmth, so I have started considering other countries. Australia came fast to my mind, as it is a hot country speaking english and with a culture I (at least on some aspects) admire.

I want to live somewhere away from the stress and nagging in the city, but still as close to civilization that I can get to any store I'd like. I have a big interest in cultivating and ingesting psychoactive plants, so a place the temperature does not drop so low in the winter will suit me the best. I love to be out in the forest just walking and listening to the life, I love to be out in the water snorkelling. A house close to a tropical rainforest and the sea would suit me the best.

After a bit of researching, Queensland came up as an option. To me it does, however, seem that Queensland has a lot of tourists. That is not necessarily something bad, but it often implies large cities all over... Is there somewhere in Queensland or any other place in Australia that you feel will suit me? All help is much appreciated!

Peace and love from the cold north.

Edited January 15, 2010 by Evening Glory

[bℓσωηG]

 

south west of west oz ..unbelieveable forests 400kms south of perth, rarely gets below 5c in winter , has most remote beaches on earth /people per square km

[Evening Glory]

south west of west oz ..unbelieveable forests 400kms south of perth, rarely gets below 5c in winter , has most remote beaches on earth /people per square km

 

Wow, that looks great! I see now that there is some large forests on the soutwest tip of Australia. It seems perfect for me. What would the advantages and disadvantages be of this area compared to north Queensland? It would be the best for me to move to a place with an alternative culture, where I can find like-minded people.

[bℓσωηG]

nimbin in new south wales might be better there are "hippies" here in south west but alot less these days due to increase price of land /rent etc... denmark and walpole you may like , you could easily disappear into the bush down there =)

[JDanger]

[edit] Nevermind. Very very slow.

Edited January 15, 2010 by JDanger

[Alice]

I have never been to Western Australia but I've heard it's a great place to live. My uncle went there for a holiday 25 years ago and liked it so much he never came back to NSW. And I here similar stories all the time.

We're near Newcastle in NSW and love it here. Still a big place but definitely not like Sydney. I can drive 10 mins and be in the bush, or 10 mins the other way and I'm at the beach. People are very relaxed here. And we are only 90 mins from Sydney should you need to go there. Unfortunately no tropical rainforests though, just bushland, though it can get quite dense. Excellent climate for growing plants here, not too hot, not too cold.

Sounds to me like you would be suited to the edges of a regional city (Newcastle, Woolongong, Cairns, Toowoomba, Townsville, Tamworth, Rockhampton, Geelong etc), where you are close to shops, hospitals, schools but are pretty much in the bush if you live on the fringes. Also much cheaper too.

What do you want to do for work? Certain areas are better for some occupations.

[hebrew]

when i can afford it i want to move back to WA, around that area blowng suggested my mum live sin walpole, i love the forests up near pemberton area. finding the right job around there would be a challenge for me and my occupation but its doable.

WA is such a beautiful place, i wish i could move back there one day

[Coquero]

south west of west oz ..unbelieveable forests 400kms south of perth, rarely gets below 5c in winter , has most remote beaches on earth /people per square km

 

Yes! I grew up in the south west, an awesome place... best beaches in australia i reckon... and the big timber country is great too around walpole / denmark. Gets a bit cold and wet for extended periods in winter but a good excuse to stay inside next to the fire...

Then I discovered QLD and I'll think I'll be staying here for a bit... property is much cheaper and the countryside is great... even though the population is huge compared to WA there is still plenty of quiet places if you go inland a bit...

Another place I like is the pilbara region of WA... its pretty much desert but there's loads of work and the climate is great (if you like hot/dry) surprisingly theres heaps of good camping spots / water holes to go out to on the weekends. Only downside is the remoteness between towns.

[ref1ect1ons]

queensland is the best, second best is WA, about equal although i was born in queensland. They're all good though vic and tassie are too cold.

There are some tourist but they keep out of the suburbs for the most part. And if you move into the suburbs every aussie will welcome you as a fellow aussie. Most ppl are really good ppl in line with the tradition of mateship. But there are some really bad ppl in some poorer and violent suburbs. We dont harass tourist or ppl who move here as we now have a rep for that.

Good luck. If u move to qld u can tell me where bouts and i can help ya out if ya want. just pm.

I have lived in nsw, and have been to victoria also.

[hebrew]

They're all good though vic and tassie are too cold.

in victoria' defence it isnt always cold just recently had some hell hot days, yes it can be cold in winter but compared to norway its nothing i would think. hehehe

and lets not forget the sub season in vic.

[mutant]

I found this thread a very cool introduction to what australia is like especially the tropical VS dry/hot/desert thing. Keep the opinions coming - I don't intend to come there anytime soon, but that doesn't make it any less interesting!!

[Rabelais]

Ah yes, Tassie can be too cold in winter...such a pity...but such a unique and beautiful place. Also the history and colonial architecture throughout the city is amazing. Drive an hour in any direction and you can be in ancient rain forests, isolated beaches or in the central highlands. The place has changed so much in the last decade also...does not seem to be the economic basket case of the country like it once was.

I heard Tassie is moving toward Hawaii at a rate of a couple of centimeters every year.

Some math: I would like to live permanently in Tas, so long as it would be on a similar latitude to NSW. So...lets say I want Tas to move 1500km north-east ~150000000cm...so divide that by 2cm a year...that would mean I will only have to wait 75 million years.

Tas for the win!

EDIT: While I have not been to South Aus or West Aus, I would declare that Tas has the prettiest women per-capita of any Australian state...must be the air and the seafood. The girls there are stunning.

Edited January 15, 2010 by Dale Cooper

[nabraxas]

if you want tropical rainforest then it has to be northern new south wales or queensland, & if you can handle the real heavy tropics (oppressive humidity, monsoon rains, typhoons) then far north queensland is beautiful ( Cape Tribulation)

northern new south wales is probably more comfortable than queensland.

[Evening Glory]

I am overwhelmed by the number of wonderful posts, thank you! I didn't know about Nimbin, and I must say that area really speaks to me... I find it absolutely wonderful that people can live together in a so alternative setting. I think Nimbin and the other areas in northern NSW, QLD or south-west in WA is the best options so far.

There is still at least 6 months before I might be able to move, but I will definitely let you wonderful people know when or if I do move! Thank you again.

Edited January 15, 2010 by Evening Glory

[hutch]

If I was considering relocation I would have to have New Zealand on my list of places to look at. Sally can grow free over there but she is kept locked up over here. But If you had your heart set on Aus I would have to say that my piece of paradise in QLD is just about perfect. The wide bay region is renowned for it's perfect weather. It would have to be a huge decision to pack up and change country. Hope you find the place that is just right for you.

Hutch

[~shameless~]

Hey man ,yeah as a few have mentioned ,QLD would probably suit you best - Jobs ,Rain ,parks ,plants ,fishing and lack of traffic are all standard features of most regional coastal QLD towns.

I wouldnt suggest Inner or Suburban Melbourne, like wise Sydney either - Way too big now!

[incognito]

Canowindra nsw, dirt cheap rent and real estate, amazing people, booming art scene and alternative community, lots of healing practitioners (reiki, yoga etc etc) growing employment, river to swim in,1/2 hr drive to big towns, 3 hrs from sydney.

I love the place. It really reminds me of Bellingen, cept 1 zillion times cheaper.

Ill be buying a small property there in the very near future.

[Evil Genius]

Hi Evening Glory, i consider the same! The german winter sucks ass big time and i wanna grow plants in my garden the whole year round! This thread has some very good info in it!

Guys, could you please give some more general info about moving to another country and to Australia in particular? Any informations about things to avoid, things that should be planned in Advance, Cars not to buy, what to look for when buying Houses(termites, Areas with fire, neigborhood trees that cause fires, material of the house), areas with toxic animals, places where foreigners arent that welcome as in others, minimum capital, organic food supply or anything else i might have forgotten here. No matter what comes in your mind, please let me know. I seriously consider leaving germany on the long run. bye Eg

Edited January 16, 2010 by Evil Genius

[nabraxas]

what to look for when buying Houses(termites, Areas with fire, neigborhood trees that cause fires, material of the house),

If you are not a permanent resident of Australia,

and want to buy a home here, you must get prio

approval from the Australian Government.

Foreigners can normally get approval to buy

vacant land — as long as they start continuous

construction within 12 months.

Foreigners can normally get approval to buy

existing residences for redevelopment — as

long as this will increase the supply of housing.

As well, the house must remain unoccupied during

redevelopment.

Foreigners can normally get approval to buy units,

townhouses, and house/land packages in a

new development.

They can buy these properties before

construction, during construction, or when the

dwelling is newly constructed — as long as:

Z the dwelling has never been occupied or

sold

Z no more than 50 per cent of the dwellings

in any one development are sold to

foreign investors.

Can I buy a pre-owned home?

Because Australia’s foreign investment policy is

designed to increase the supply of new housing,

foreigners cannot normally get approval to buy

houses, fl ats or units which have been occupied.

http://www.firb.gov.au/content/Publications/Buying_a_Home.pdf

Having said that, i guess the first thing to look at is price. They vary quite widely from city to country to beach-side. Distance from a capital city also affects price.

Our house is 30 minutes drive from the coast & roughly $100,000 cheaper because ov that.

if you buy a house in the tropics you don't have to worry so much about fire danger, which is mainly a problem in Victoria, WA & SA...if you buy a house in the middle ov the bush in any ov those states you have to be aware ov the danger.

When you find a house you like you can get a report done by a building inspector. They will tell you everything about your house that needs attention, you can then use the information in the report to negotiate the price... we saved $4000 by doing this.

If you live in an area prone to termite damage & you're buying a wooden house you can get a report done by a pest inspector.

Edited January 16, 2010 by nabraxas

[~shameless~]

EG you should come over here for a holiday!!

One place that i think is totally remarkable ( others will say its as boring as dog shit) i'v never been there ,but its my next holiday destination - Port Augusta in Sth Aus

Any members in this place?? Is most of the work mainly in larger organisations like "Bluescope" and "Linfox" sites

or is there a bit of small stuff going on over there like domestic building ,road construction or agriculture?

[hebrew]

be wary of building inspectors, i am only speaking from my experience here and we got ripped of by the fucking arsehole, i have my suspicions that the real estate agent paid him off, when we confronted him about his report which missed a great deal fo things he said he would come over and see what we are talking about, and then i had to go and help my kids out of a situation and when i had left for only a minute, he verbally abused my wife. saying some horrible things to her, and by the time i got back he had left and my wife was in tears. so we got done over by that bloke but still i am happy to own my house, even with all the problems we could of negotiated down the price, but anyway, still got the house cheap compared to what is around.

i guess this goes for anyone buying a house. the funny thing is the person we got was recommended by the builders association.

an example of one of the problems he let go, was not logn after we moved in the house, a friend who is a sparky came over to look at something for us and i mentioned about some loose wire in the bungalow, my mate said they were live and exposed to the natural elements, so if rain got all over them the whole bungalow and surrounds would be live. and i got children. my mate said he should of at least put it into his report. also found out not long after moving in that one of the toilets was illegally plumbed which meant it is prone to clogging up and is against the law. he should of put that into the report. anyway we learnt our lesson, sometimes you gotta learn the hard way but take my faith i had in professional people as a warning that you should be there whenever you get the inspection report. we couldnt be there as my children were little and had noone to look after them and i was at work.

sorry off topic but still if you are thinking of buying a house i hope it helps in someway

[Chiral]

Pastures always appear greener over the fence, but humans are notoriously unsatisfiable, Mick Jagger once sung about this exact human quality...or lack thereof.

There probably is a place for each of us on earth that makes us pretty happy, fulfills our needs enough to tolerate staying for an extended period. I've yet to find that place and I've damn well tried so many places, what happens is you become complacent after fully settling and begin to want to travel or move again.

from experience it can take up to 2 yrs when trying to settle into a new country when trying to work and live...there is some sort of rite of passage or subconscious ritual one must go through to prove themselves worthy of staying and being relatively successful and happy.

Someone once asked a bunch of us when I was working as a social worker to put a pin on a world map where we thought we belonged in life...I put mine in the ocean in between the UK and Australia...when asked why I did that, I said...because I have lived in both and haven't been able to find satisfactory balance or harmony in either so I feel I belong somewhere in between.