Saturday, August 05, 2006 - 02:32 pm, by: Richard Johnson(92soarertt)
The wife and I are getting plain sick of the USA with Bush's politics trying to run the world. We've both considered Australia in the past and it looks like your car scene is booming out of control! Plus it would be an excuse to own a real soarer instead of having to make them out of SC300s.
If you dont mind me asking, im just kinda curious what things cost there, every day items.
Like gasoline at a good octane (91-93?) per gallon or how ever its measured.
The typical fast food joint meal. Typical dinner resturant. Cost of food like milk, steak, soda, a haircut, bread.
Typical trendy type clothes everyone wears. Pair of jeans, tshirt, button shirt.
Apartment rental. Something decent 1000 square feet, in a good area, single bedroom with a garage. Taxes, utilities, cable bill, cell phone bill, etc...
Also job market wise? I'm a real estate agent. Shes very good at sales positions.
We are both in our early/mid 20s. Anything else day to day there that we should know to even start considering this?
Richard Johnson Tinkerer Florida, USA 92 SC300 1JZ-GTE, 93 SC300 1JZ-GTE
1 gallon = 3.785L 1L 91 oct. petrol ~A$1.35-1.45 2L milk A$1.99 1 Big mac (I think is A$4.75) 1 course dinner at restaurant from A$10- Rent a unit depends on were you would like to live. It's hard to pick an good area, there are quit many off them. I get A$400/week for a two bedroom unit in Brisbane, I think it's just under 1000square feet. Trendy clothing, someone else has to fill you in there. A beer at the PUB A$2.75- clubs a bit cheaper Registration for my Soarer: Safety Inspection A$28, Compulsory third party insurance A$290, Registration A$362 I buy eye-fillets for A$19/kilo = 2.2lb A steak Around A$10/kilo.
Saturday, August 05, 2006 - 04:03 pm, by: David Vaughan(Davidv)
Richard
I do not know specific answers to all of your questions but I can answer some in a general way. My personal experiences are: - Gasoline, usually called petrol here, costs more in Aus. We pay over US$4 per (US) gallon at the moment. It is sold in litres for around A$1.45 each. - At a basic level, food is similarly priced, but up a little from that you will eat well in Australia for less money than in the US and in a wide variety of interesting food styles including "fusion" cuisines. - Not too sure about clothes because I have only visited the US a few times, not lived there. From bits of shopping I did, do not expect clothes to be any cheaper here. They may cost more. - 1000 sq ft? That would be around 90-95 square metres. I have no idea but the web may help you there. It will vary quite a bit depending on the city you choose and how far up or down market you expect to live. - Taxes are differently structured compared with the US so you may feel yourself better or worse off depending on how they happen to hit you. Here, virtually all tax is Federal where you have a larger proportion of State taxes. - Telecommunications here cost far too much, both voice and data, land line and mobile (as we call cell) - The job market is currently strong. We can always use another real estate agent (Sorry but I could hardly resist that straight line )
- Beer in a bar? Umm, dunno, but I can bet someone else will. Plenty of very good wine at good prices though.
Basically, food, sunshine and sea are plentiful and cheap, and property should also be cheaper. In other respects you will be similarly or slightly worse off. It is a bit of a generalisation but from travel experience I maintain the view that the place really is pretty relaxed, less formal, compared with Europe and the US.
That is my 2c. I will be interested in what other people say on this thread, especially those who have come here (and I can think of a few) rather than visiting out as I have done. Hope this helps. Good luck with your decision and I am sure you will be welcomed.
I suggest that you should take a long holiday and visit Australia before you make any decisions. Especially if it's only politics which piss you off, you have that here too. I did that, 1987 I had three months holiday (December-Marsh 1988), I liked it (the weather and the life style) and that was enough for me to make a move. When I come back, I applied for emigration, got approved in November 1988, we moved April 1989.
Saturday, August 05, 2006 - 05:17 pm, by: Mike Bradberry(Halflife)
Richard, depending on where you choose to be in this country things will vary as they do in USA. For example on the Gold Coast (near Brisbane) you could rent a whole house for as little as A$250.00 per week. There are plenty above that of course. An apartment, say one bedroom you could get for as little as A$175.00. The real estate job market on and near the Gold Coast I feel sure would welcome someone with experience.
Saturday, August 05, 2006 - 06:19 pm, by: Phil Gibson(Sciflyer)
Seconding the holiday advice, if you can get out here for a bit and try to avoid the more touristy side of things you will get a good feel for what it's like and be able to compare things for yourself rather than try to go on what others say.
Each part of Aus, each city is different as well so you might want to travel around a bit to see what suits you.
I get the feeling there is a bit more opposition to the Bush-style of politics here than in the US, despite what our own govt. might say....
Im sure you'll get to see some nice Soarers while youre here
Saturday, August 05, 2006 - 06:58 pm, by: Lew Radbourn(Marlew)
Richard have a look on this site; www.realestate.com.au you can pick any state of Australia and see the prices are in relation to what state. up the top of eastern side and also the far western side on australia are the warmest areas not much work up the top end of western australia un less you like mining any way my dinner has just arrived cheers mate Lew
Saturday, August 05, 2006 - 07:13 pm, by: Kev LeLeu(Kev)
Mate just do it. Adelaide is the best place to live. But you gotta watch out for those Koala bears they may look cute and friendly but in the wild there carnivors and hunt from the trees in packs.
Saturday, August 05, 2006 - 08:50 pm, by: Graham Dollisson(Alloyvee)
And those dam kangaroo's bouncing down the street. They are 8 foot tall and have huge teeth. They keep eating my rose bushes....even after I put up a 10 foot high fence.....and just don't start me on those pesky drop bears!!!
Saturday, August 05, 2006 - 09:31 pm, by: Craig Webber(Soarr)
Hi Richard Have you looked at the stars on your flag latley,it has an extra star on it. That extra star is Australia.Did you not now That the prime minster of Australia is George Bush.
Sunday, August 06, 2006 - 08:01 am, by: Lawrence Ostle(Lawrence)
Richard, lived in England, South Africa and Canada, and have been in Sydney now for 8 years. Consider that PRICES ARE RELATIVE. It does not matter if steak is $100 per pound if you are earning millions....!
Best I can recommend is get on a flight and look for yourself - flights are cheap as chips nowadays, and accomodation, food etc should be reasonable if you're paying in US$. Worst case, you will have a good holiday.
Aus is a great place, I'm a citizen, have not 'gone home' since setting foot 8 years ago. Sydney is a vibrant, multi-cultural world class city, with all of the benefits and drawbacks that you might imagine....
Sunday, August 06, 2006 - 10:17 am, by: David Vaughan(Davidv)
I think Canberra is more like Washington D.C., in feel as well as function.
Adelaide is Salt Lake City, Utah
Neil neglected to mention that Melbourne is pretty flat. Other than that it is OK.
Perth? I have been there a few times on work and holiday but not to anywhere in the USA with which I could match it. I like it, although I still prefer to live on the East coast anyway.
Sunday, August 06, 2006 - 02:10 pm, by: Adam Peterson(President)
Perth is like San francisco.
Richard, I was in Georgia 2 years ago visiting mates and the NOPI Nationals in ATL. We stayed in Columbus. After spending a week in SanFran, 2 weeks in NY and a week down south, Australia is not much different to US but it is a much better quality of life here. Cost of food and drinks is all relative to everything else.
Sunday, August 06, 2006 - 07:39 pm, by: Ian Johnston(Ted)
$100 US dollars will get you about $133 Aussie dollars at the moment, so avery thing is going to be different. As everyone suggests, come out for a look. You will like it.,
Sunday, August 06, 2006 - 08:37 pm, by: Ben Daniel(Lexustt)
If your a real estate agent your best move would be either Sydney or Perth, Sydney for its size but perth is having a huge housing and real estate boom so you would be able to shine
Monday, August 07, 2006 - 06:48 am, by: Kate Green(Mischief)
Tassie is beautiful, real estate relatively cheap, best beer (boags)..so diverse....I would live there in an instant if I could get work there..that's why Canberra/Queanbeyan is the spot for us. After being in Augusta, GA for the past 5 months, I am looking forward to coming home to real decent coffee and bread! Apart from that, both Stu and I could live here if we had work, if only for a couple of years or so.
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but I could hardly resist that straight line 
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