where to live

[sfoc711uk]

Ok guys i need some honest thoughts on where the best areas would be to live in australia.Taking into account schools,work,houses,what the areas are like as in crime rate.And of course some good roads.;)

[Peka]

What kind of climate do you prefer?

[BillyWhizz888]

What do you do for a living?
do you want to work local or FIFO?
do you want schools that lead to collage or Uni?
are you bringing lots of dosh with you, or starting into the housing market?

crime rate.... if you are coming from Liverpool you dont need to worry
(where are you coming from)

cheers big ears

Yeah fill in the above details sfoc, and then we can advise where. Australia has a pretty wide temperature variations, from sahara to snow covered mountains, so really need a good idea of what you would prefer (Scotsman quite like where I am, Canberra, because it's as cold as Scotalnd in winter. Victoria and Tassie are probably closest to Southern England, NSW is quite warm, Queensland is hot, Northern Territory is just fuggin ridiculously hot, and Western Australia is out in the middle of nowhere.
Plenty of work in Trades and IT in Aus.

[Matt]

if you are coming from the UK Melbourne would probably suit you best although Brisbane is cheaper to live (but bloody hot in summer)

Perhaps people can put up a description (honest) of each of their areas. We've had this question a couple of times now from O/S members.

Canberra +39 in Summer, -8 in Winter, low rainfall, 95%+ sunny days.
Located in alpine region of Australia
2.5 hrs South of Sydney, 2.5 hrs from the coast, 2.5 hrs tp the snow.
Pop. = approx 330,000.
Best education system in the country, from pre-school through to Uni.
Amongst the highest average wages in the country.
Lowest crime rates.
Lowest unemployment rates.
Highest average standard of living.
National High Court, N. Gallery, N. Museum, Institute of Sport, seat of Federal Govt all here.
50% of workers employed in Public Service.

IMPORTANT BITS -
Best roads in Aus, by far. And virtually empty after 7 pm.
Rarely get wet when riding (I haven't owned wet weather gear for 20 years).
5 minutes from anywhere in town to good country roads.
Sydney's close enough for a good weekend bash, and far enough to keep all the Sydney Lebs away.

BAD BITS
No local race or drag strip (apart from the roads after 7 pm).
My ex lives here
The one and only local Kawasaki dealer is a 2nd rate fuckwit.
No real pubs to speak of, have to cross border into Queanbeyan for a real pub.
A govt run by lycra clad cycle-fags.
Fuck it gets cold in winter though.

[clairebear]

Hunter Valley.
1.5 hours from Sydney, reasonable housing prices (but not dirt cheap)
option for a few acres or just a place in town
great beaches
reasonable work opportunities, especially in blue collar / minig / shipping / logistics / teaching / military / some public service / call centre etc.
hot in summer, cool in winter, still some excellent bike riding that other twats have yet to discover. (except for us twats that is, but we are a minority)
plus I live here, so its gotta be good. help me out rexie!
oh, and fuck Canberra, that bloody Chalken lives there. spiritless place.

[clairebear]

quote:Originally posted by chalk10


Located in alpine region of Australia
2.5 hrs South of Sydney, 2.5 hrs from the coast, 2.5 hrs tp the snow.


Located in a Toilet:D
Chalkie, if it takes you 2.5 to get to the coast, you goin too slow![^]

By car normally Claire. You really think Me-Li is gonna let me go to the coast without her? (And no I DO NOT PILLION, especially people I care about, I'm not that much of an asshole (on this topic anyway))

Speaking of accidents, how long now Claire? And have you decided on names yet? Zed for a Boy? and Zee for a girl?

[Gix11]

I'll just let the local tourist board tell you about where I am:

http://www.goldcoasttourism.com.au/

Believe it or not, in amongst all this tourist shit there is a lot of good places to have a laugh and the roads out the back of the Hinterland are always good for a spin. Ask some of the lads. Brisbane is only 40mins away, but the Pacific Highway will make you wanna kill someone after 30 minutes. Unlike England, there's no lane rules as such, so you have thousands of fuckwits swerving all over 4 lanes and always some cunt in a fuckin' white Telstar doing 80kph in the outside lane. See, I'm even getting wound up talking about it!

[ozkat]

You could move to Nerang QLD and become a Nerangatang like me :D

[suxukifreak]

Brizvegas rocks!! [8D] ;)

http://www.brisbaneinfolink.com/about_brisbane.html

[papa smurf]

quote:Originally posted by ozkat

You could move to Nerang QLD and become a Nerangatang like me :D

AAAAAHHHH, so THAT"S what those scrape marks on your nuckles are:D:D:D

[papa smurf]

Seriously tho' SEQ (south east Queensland) is dead set GOD'S country.
Rick

[Booster]

My personal favorite would be north coast NSW .

Anyone have a copy of the "letter from an Englishman " joke that starts with him saying how great it is here? (in winter) :D

[Tone]

quote:Originally posted by BillyWhizz888


crime rate.... if you are coming from Liverpool you dont need to worry
(where are you coming from)

cheers big ears

...unless of course,you are moving to Liverpool,NSW;)

[Rocket]

I'm taking the easy way out too mate. Check out http://www.perth.world-guides.com/

Perth, West Australia, besides being the new centre of the AFL universe is the most isolated city in the world. Nice clean city, lots of parks, not so much tight riding country as the other places though. More open stuff.
The South West is a magic place for touring and also contains the best wine and surf in the world.
The W.A. mining Industry is going off like a frog in a sock (WTF does that mean anyway?) so if you want to fly in and fly out of Perth, there's work. Plenty of tradesmans work in Perth as well.

Housing prices are up though. F knows about education but I'm pretty sure we got schools and stuff.
Crime rate is no biggie.
If some bloke gets beat up by a yob on the train, it's front page news so it aint THAT bad.
Weather gets hot in summer but only for a month or two, doesn't get cold in winter.
The biggest thing against perth is it's isolation from major sporting and music events etc.

But the drag strip is only 25 minutes from the city centre [:p]

I guess everyone is going to think their particular place is the best. You probably can't go wrong.

[sfoc711uk]

Thanks alot for all that info it will give me something to think about.I know a guy who has just moved to perth thats why i thought of it.But i think it will be the otherside now.
I am a fully skilled bike tech with city & guilds qualifications so i would like to carry on with the bikes.plus also a welder fabricator.one kid will have finished school when we get there and the other will be just starting,as long as its a good school.
we will rent at first then sell our house here then hopefully have around 350.000 dollars to buy.We are coming from otley in west yorkshire which is a small market town.
As for climate dont really want it stinking hot in summer but a nice warm winter would be nice.There you go see what you can come up with out of that lot.Thans guys ;).

[sfoc711uk]

Oh yes our lass is a hairdresser and has quallys in childcare aswell.Gonna be bringing the bikes with me aswell.

[Tony Nitrous]

Have you looked into Migration yet ?

Several different Visa's.

I came over as a skilled Migrant / Permanent Resident,
Still took over a Year and Half to get Visa,
Mountain of paperwork or you pay agency.
(I used a very good one in Manchester
Free assesment and VERY high pass rate)
*Full Police Check,
*Full Medical tests, Aids-TB-ect etc,
*Funds to support yourself,
*Proven Skills and Trade History,

I came out 4 times in 4 years before I did the one way trip,
so I knew where I wanted to be and what to expect.

If your serious and want a chat about it PM/Email me a phone
number. Its Dirt cheap to call UK from here. $20 / 8-UKpounds
buys about 10 hours with a prepaid card.

I love it here. Take no notice of the wingeing pom jokes.
I work outdoors everyday, Locals are the first to moan when it gets
a bit warm around Xmas ;) I just remember the ice and snow and
think "This is f*ckin' great!"

Tony.J.
(Was in Kidderminster, Worcs.

[Matt]

Tony we would never say any whinging Pom jokes...........would we?
:D:D

[sluglie]

quote:Originally posted by sfoc711uk

Oh yes our lass is a hairdresser and has quallys in childcare aswell.Gonna be bringing the bikes with me aswell.


and you know what the sad thing about this is, she will get more points (on the immigration chart) for her skills than you will for yours. one thing though mate, having made the move 5 years ago to melbourne (where i would advise you to move too - more later) sell the bikes dont bother trying to import them, you have more chance of george w. pulling out of the middle east than getting your bikes approved for the road.

as to living, victoria is the only place, coming from west yourkshire anywhere north of the great dividing range will be far to bloody hot (unless you are part lizzard)

victoria has warmth in summer (without the humidity of northern nsw or queensland) and it doesnt get stupidly cold in winter (i live in melbourn and i have never even seen frost in the last 5 years)

there are some wonderfull roads around here (but there are in most states) and it has one of the best metropolitain transport systems in australia (it still aint that good, but anything is better than the uks pathetic effort) at least here busses, trains and trams have an intergrated ticket system

anything else you wanna know send me an email.

simon

(now for the flaming for daring to suggest vic)

[sfoc711uk]

Thanks again guys,Are the laws strict on moddded bikes then,do they have an mot like ours,and can you run the bike without lights like here.

[BillyWhizz888]

Mate I am an X-Pat much to the demise of the Aussie population, [8D]
and I have travelled and worked all over the world and this fine country extensively I reckon Perth is one of the best cities I have ever lived in.... but it is isolated, saying that it comes down to what you, and what you are aiming for
Weather is awesome, beaches second to none but you do miss out on the ability to wander off to the next city....
the papers in WA are gagging with jobs, especially for wifey the hairdresser, does she have a sister :D and with your talents you would easily slot in, parts of Perth really are little England if thats also what you want......
Then again.... isnt that why we left the green fields behind [:p]

[sluglie]

quote:Originally posted by sfoc711uk

Thanks again guys,Are the laws strict on moddded bikes then,do they have an mot like ours,and can you run the bike without lights like here.


australian design rules (or adr for short) are some of the most restrictive laws on the planet, if your bike has any of the following then forget it.

mini indicators or standard indicators less than 12 inches apart
any non adr approved lights
any aftermarket frame modifications/replacements
aftermarket brakelines (didnt buy em in aus so they wont be approved)
afetmarket exhaust/airbox/carby/efi mods
aftermarket engine mods
daytime registration only
and the list goes on and on and on.......

one thing i will say about aus, if you have never been here before then get ready for a shock, it is the biggest damn place, victoria (which is the smallest state, not teritory) is 3 times the size of the uk, WA could swallow most of northern europe and it wouldnt even touch the sides, there is a cattle station (ie farm) in WA that is bigger then brussels and thats just the half of it

if you did decide on perth (wonderfull place by the way) and you wanted to travel by road east to civilisation it would take 3-5 days across the nullabor which is one of the lonlyest and most desolate highways on the planet, infact perth is the most remote capital city on the planet.

it is an amazing place full of amazing sites and amazing people. but if you truly want to know what australia is like from a personal perspective read the travel journal Down Under by Bill Bryson, one of the most witty and informative books about aus i have ever read, it might give you some incites into the country.

as a close australia is one of the most amazing countrys on the planet, it is a superb, ridiculous, infuriating and woderful by turns, after all they dont call it 'the lucky country' for nothing

[Rocket]

Makes me want to move here.

[BillyWhizz888]

Just a note on size.....
Texas in America
Population 22,800,000
land area 695.622Km2

Western Australia
Population 2,003,800
land area 2,529,875

Total Australian population 20,597,022, we like space :D
an overall total population increase of one person every 2 minutes and 12 seconds at current rates.

and Slugie is correct on farm sizes.... but the one which I cant find GRRrrrr is reportedly bigger than Texas.... the yanks like it when we tell them that one :)

all the info you want
http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/home/home
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia

And you know all those get togethers that you enjoy in England.... the ones you have to plan on the day because the weathers always fked!
well here, you just plan a year ahead [8D] because its always awesome

[BOHEMION]

BRISBANE ROCKS!

[sluglie]

quote:Originally posted by BOHEMION

BRISBANE ROCKS!


yeah man it does, but the heat and humidity would kill the poor bugger, need to aclimatise to something a little less extreme first i am thinking (especially coming from yorkshire) i have friends who live up on the yorkshire dales and they have been know to be snowed in for 2-3 months

[cjburns esq]

Bill Brysons book is great!
Sydney full of arseholes and very expensive houses, Old Road, Putty Road, nasho.
Brisb Hot/humid and lowest pay in the country, Mount Glorious, Mount Mee and some pub in the hills I can't remeber.
Adelaide Quiet and lots of gays and churches, Adelaide Hills roads.
Canberra, As bear said soulless but it was good to me and lots of great roads in the city, Coppins Crossing, Black Mountain, Road to the dam and Clyde Mountain.
Melbourne, sport central and a lot of arty types, Reefton Spur, Great Ocean Road.
North NSW, great but no work as all the tradesmen moved up there and untold great roads, Oxley Hway etc.
And leave your bikes at home unless you want to keep the spares engine etc, ship them over, get a donor frame and rebuild it here, sorry but as quoted, "the ADR's are the toughest etc"

[Gix11]

I'm on the Gold Coast. Been here 10 years. Originally from Gloucestershire. The summer does get hot - real hot. Away from the actual coast in the hinterland where I live it has hit 50 degrees c with 90% humidity and although that was a one off, it's doesn't drop down much below 35 for the whole of summer. Believe it or not, summer (December/January) is regarded as Winter was in England, You have to grin and bare it for 2 months (as opposed to 6 months of English winter like it felt!) but the rest of the year is spot on. Stange thing is I share a house with a guy from Manchester and he never complains, whenever we think of the heat he reminds me of the cold up North in England. There's no moaning after that.

[Tony Nitrous]

Whilst most of what has been posted is true,
take some of it with a pinch of salt.

Yes, Huuuuge country / small population,
but thats 'cos most of the centre is a deserted bum-hole of a place
and the population clings to the coast where civilisation is.
House on 650m block in a nice area in Brissy is about $400,000.
Same price as a few hundred acres out the back of Dingo-Ville.

Yeah, they have a few "not-nice" laws for Streetfighters,
Doesn't the UK ?? Since when were Race pipes, Lack of mirrors,
Turbo dump pipes, Mini non-EU spec indicators, lack of rear guards and
chain guards, etc etc bla bla legal in the UK either.

Sure UK has daytime rego's and AU some mods its best to get a
"mod-plate" signed off and fitted for, but take a look at some of the bikes on this site!
Most things you can either get around or keep you head down and risk.
Who's bike is 100% legal then ?

Wages... I started on the same wage here being re-trained in
construction as i was on after 21 years in a Printers where i'd
worked my way up the company, but the standard of living here is
MUCH higher than in the UK (second only to USA) Its quite normal
to have detached house, double garage, pool etc. Not what Mr Joe
Average has in the UK.

After working outdoors for the last 26 months im still wondering
what all the fuss is about? Yeah, bit of Factor 30 and a hat comes
in handy about Xmas time but whats the problem. I think too many folk
run between their air-con House to their air-con car to drive to
their air-con office. Give me an Aussie Summer over a long Dark,
Damp English winter anyday.

Thats it.....
Thats my RANT and Stress relief for the day :D:D:D....;)

None of the above should be taken as disrespectful to Australia,
I love it here, but I was told so much of this before I came too.

Goodnight all.[:X]

Tony.J.

[Bobster]

Yeah it sounds great, been all round Australia twice, flew round it and then drove the length of the east coast, Cooktown to Melbourne. Uncle is there with his family 36 years in Melbourne on the £10 ticket, he's naturalised aussie now but doesnt have the passport. Still kept his Irish one, as Im sure you know australia allows dual nationality for the Irish.
Anyway all i hear is the place has went to shit. Aussie Immigration rules shipped in loads of scumbags from fuck knows where. Albanian knife gangs and fuking triads, cant even speak english. End result is Australia doesnt know what it is now. Howard has mucked up the health system and education, and screwed the working man.

[sfoc711uk]

quote:Originally posted by sluglie


quote:Originally posted by sfoc711uk

Thanks again guys,Are the laws strict on moddded bikes then,do they have an mot like ours,and can you run the bike without lights like here.


australian design rules (or adr for short) are some of the most restrictive laws on the planet, if your bike has any of the following then forget it.

mini indicators or standard indicators less than 12 inches apart
any non adr approved lights
any aftermarket frame modifications/replacements
aftermarket brakelines (didnt buy em in aus so they wont be approved)
afetmarket exhaust/airbox/carby/efi mods
aftermarket engine mods
daytime registration only
and the list goes on and on and on.......

one thing i will say about aus, if you have never been here before then get ready for a shock, it is the biggest damn place, victoria (which is the smallest state, not teritory) is 3 times the size of the uk, WA could swallow most of northern europe and it wouldnt even touch the sides, there is a cattle station (ie farm) in WA that is bigger then brussels and thats just the half of it

if you did decide on perth (wonderfull place by the way) and you wanted to travel by road east to civilisation it would take 3-5 days across the nullabor which is one of the lonlyest and most desolate highways on the planet, infact perth is the most remote capital city on the planet.

it is an amazing place full of amazing sites and amazing people. but if you truly want to know what australia is like from a personal perspective read the travel journal Down Under by Bill Bryson, one of the most witty and informative books about aus i have ever read, it might give you some incites into the country.

as a close australia is one of the most amazing countrys on the planet, it is a superb, ridiculous, infuriating and woderful by turns, after all they dont call it 'the lucky country' for nothing


Fucks sake can you lot fart over there without been banged up,How can you ever build a real fighter,(not just putting a different set of lights on)and ride it like it should be ridden.They better watch out cos i aint been told how to fucking build my bike by no fucking wanker.[}:)][}:)]

[sluglie]

oh you can build em, you just cant import em

I'm actually, originally, a 'South Pacific Pom' ie New Zealander, which is where the whinging Pom thing comes from, rarely heard it in Aus tbh. I'd be back in Melbourne in a flash if I could, one of the great cities of the world, and has a great bike scene, one of the main streets in the city centre is just chocka's with bike shops. Weathers quite temperate, and it rains enough to actually be quite pleasant. And it's a real city of 3-3.5 million people. Plenty of work down there these days, enough to pick and choose.

[clairebear]

[))

Speaking of accidents, how long now Claire? And have you decided on names yet? Zed for a Boy? and Zee for a girl?
[/quote]
bloody another 3 2/3 weeks, but who's counting. i'm a beast!:(
mind you i've always been bestial.
Well it was gunna be Mason for a boy and Jessica for a girl, however there is now some conundrum over the boy's middle name. I await the filling out of the form, and will do the big dewy eyes thing then![:o)] duly noted re the four wheel impediment. the road to the coast does not lend itself to that kind of sillyness[^]
also sfoc, i stand by my Hunter Valley post:D

[Gix11]

Try these as well mate:

QLD: http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=915

NSW: http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=915

Considering some of the shit you see on the roads up here in Queensland you have a much better chance with your fighter project. Also once it's registered it's registered. None of this yearly check up shit. Get it done once and then go nuts.

[sharky]

For what its worth the wife had no problems with importing her CBR400.
Any bike that can pass a uk MOT should have no worries getting a compliance test here, according to the tester (In Vic at least).
All I had to do was fit the stubby holder on the the frame rails and it passed.....
We have decided to head up to Bribane as we came here to get away from iced up windscreens and pouring rain....Victoria is a great start for us english bods...the weather is just like home.......

[sfoc711uk]

How much did it cost to get the cbr over there mate.

[sfoc711uk]

Hi tony,Sorry mate i missed your call earlier,i would appreciate it if you could give me another call,Tried to ring you back but there was no number on the phone.Cheers Dave.

[sharky]

I'll get her to check the paperwork and let ya know mate

[geesexar]

sfok...nobody has mentioned south australia. adelaide capital..smaller capital city,great beaches,3/4 of an hour all ways outta town..the best roads in the country..adelaide hills...renowned for parks and gargens...house prices are good with your money you could own a very tidy house in good location...jobs are plentiful....very lax registration laws...best in country...world renowned wine region,,,gets to 40c+ in summer..have you heard of air conditioning...lowest9c in winter but still great days to get on the bike, check out S.A tourism

[alfiestorm]

I am on my way to S.A soon. I cant bloody wait to get away from the short dark damp summers and long dark fuggin freezing and wet winters of the uk the place is total shit the only thing i will miss is my favourite beer HSB.
This weekend it will be warmer in Adelaide area than it will be in England and we are supposed to be at the hieght of our summer enough of that going on about the weather again.

Whats the best beer in south Auss and where in terms of distance is the nearest dragstrip(s) and or race circuit(s) from Adelaide and in what direction.Also bike rallies weekend camps bikes,beer,music and biker partying where does it all happen.

I have all the more serious life stuff pretty much sorted for when we arrive in south Auss. I just need more info on the fun things not just biker related but for the family aswell.

All I can say to all you Aussies and ex-pats at the moment is you lucky bastards

[qickdraw]

Dave - I've been out here since '90 (was in Germany, Doncaster & Chester before that). I've lived in Melbourne:(, Sydney[xx(], Newcastle:), Brisbane:D and Townsville[8D] since I've been here (currently back in Sydney FUCK IT!) and I would say without a second of doubt the best spot is northern NSW/south east QLD (Brisbane/Gold Coast). I'll be moving back up to Brisbane/Gold Coast as soon as I can possibly do it - hopefully in the next 12 months. The place is just so farkin' cool it's just not funny! The registration laws are far more relaxed than other states (if you're concerned about that then for fucks sake don't move to Sydney or Melbourne:(!), there's heaps to do for the family, loads of decent roads (Mt Glorious...[:p]) and the locals always seem to be a lot more friendly than anywhere else I've been (I've heard similar things about Perth, too, although I haven't been there yet..).
Don't listen to the whingers about the temps - every bloody place is air-conditioned anyway, so when the temp's right up there the only time you feel hot is when you either A. walk from the car to the house, or B. get out of the pool and walk into the house...! On those stinkin' hot days it's awesome to go for a ride nice and early in the morning[}:)] and then (if it's not a work day!) crash out in the pool all day[8D].
As for crime rates - it doesn't matter where you live, if you've got a nice bike do yourself a favour & get a big fuckin dog! That's my number 1 security device & she's never failed to deter any 'would-be' criminals (and the mail-man, and the J.W's, and the next-door neighbors, and the door-to-door salesmen...:D)

[sfoc711uk]

Bloody hell what did you do wrong to live in doncaster:D.Im a bit further north in otley,north leeds.And yes its been thunder storms this afternoon.On the way home from work got piss wet through,no lights on bike then a couple of hours cleaning it.Bet ya miss it really.:D:D Think we have ruled out melbourne, perth is an option but brisbane sounds good.Our lass is just worried about the 2 year old coping with the heat.Stupid question but i guess all the schools have air conditoning.

[BOHEMION]

Alot of the child care places have Airconditioning now, She be fine mate.

[qickdraw]

Yeah, Donnie was (is?) a real shithole (apologies to any sick fuckers who like it...!).
The 2yr old will be fine, mate - our old next-door neighbor summed it pretty well when we moved up there with a young 'un - 'people have been having kids in Queensland for over a hundred years & they're all fine...'
You'll probably find the 2yr old will cope better than the rest of you - they're resiliant little bastards at that age & don't seem to be affected by much short of half a bottle of vodka...
All of the child care joints have really strict rules about sun care up there. They can't go outside without a hat & at the beginning of the year every parent provides a bottle of sunscreen which gets slapped on before they go outside also. QLD'ers are very sun-smart if nothing else...
And remember - it's your choice where the kids go to school. If one doesn't have air con then tell 'em to fuck off and find one that does...!
Cheers.

[geesexar]

alfie..the best bloody beer is at my place. I brew my own and have...if I may say...some pretty nice ales..other than that coopers pale or sparkling ale are good commercial beers,or there are some nice boutique breweries in the barrossa valley...which is a nice ride to get to them too. Theres a few pubs brewing their own beers as well. As for race curcuits, we have mallala raceway about 3/4 of an hour outta town and dragstrip at Adelaide international raceway about 20 mins away. There is always bands playing in local pubs with just about any type of music...have a great little club in semaphore, next to the beach...great in summer...plays some great blues..friendly people. Whereabouts will you be staying when you get here? As for the family, theres always the beach..womeadelaide which is a world music festival..good family stuff. the zoo..lottsa free bbq arears with parks. So enjoy yourself when you get here.

[alfiestorm]

geesexar... I will be staying at my brothers place in ridgehaven for a few weeks while we get sorted and our brains into gear once thats sorted and i have got my own place to live which maybe in ridgehaven or somewhere completely different i will be knocking on your door for some of that bloody good home brew, bit of a master brewer myself that was until i flooded the electric board and meter with beer.

[geesexar]

alfie...you'll be welcome and the beer will be on tap. Ridgehaven aint too far from where i am. Are you bringing the bike? when will you be coming out? i think you will enjoy it out here in gods country. i went for a spin up to mannun the other day..thru some tight twisties to birdwood then some higher speeds to mannum..great ride..beautiful day..and the 7/11 woz great

[alfiestorm]

geesexar... was going to be out there around October but due to unexpected delays with the visa processing it wont be until very early next year. It pissed me off loads. Yeah the bike is coming out with me but probably will not arrive until about a month or two after i get there as it is coming with the rest of my houshold effects by sea.
While i am waiting for my bike to arrive is there anywhere to hire a bike or is it too expensive to hire one.
Looking on the map i see there is a road going east from Adelaide, mannum road i think it is called and it looks full of twisty's I just cant wait to go and have some fun on them roads slow'ish at first and then a bit faster as i get to know them. I take it that was the road you were on then.

[sfoc711uk]

Who are you shipping your gear with mate and how much are they charging you.I need to look into this next as i didnt know you could send the bike with everything else.

[geesexar]

Yeah alfie thats the one...theres heap of roads out that way that are great. dont know about hiring bikes but i would imagine it to be rather expensive. January...febuary can get pretty warm but good morning rides. still by the time you get sorted out , your bike will be here in no time. yeah alfie went out on adelaide-mannum road and forgot to bring the camera...dohh!!!

[alfiestorm]

quote:Originally posted by sfoc711uk

Who are you shipping your gear with mate and how much are they charging you.I need to look into this next as i didnt know you could send the bike with everything else.

The company i am going to use are called D Bonner and the initial quote is £2500 all in minus marine insurance. email contact below they have a webb site aswell. So far they have been very helpfull even though i have not parted with any money yet oh and they crate and pack the bike into the container along wirth all your other items
nikki.fice@dbonner.co.uk

And below is an email i recieved from Aussie customs.

Thank you for your email.
Motorcycles are free from import duty however they are subject to 10% GST which is payable on the value + import duty + transport + insurance.

To gain clearance of your motor vehicle you will need to:

1) obtain a Vehicle Import Approval from the Department of Transport and Regional Services. You can email them on Vimports@dotars.gov.au <mailto:Vimports@dotars.gov.au>

2) obtain a quarantine clearance from the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service. Their email is pr@aqis.gov.au <mailto:pr@aqis.gov.au>

3) pay GST and obtain customs clearance at the port of entry.

I will include the Australian Customs Guide to the Importation of Privately Owned Motor Vehicles for your information. Also, with registration and compliance of the vehicle you will need to contact the Department of Transport and Regional Services.





Best Regards
Chastine Del Rosario
Senior Customs Officer
Customs Information Centre and Support Centre
Phone: 1300 363263
Fax: 02 8339 6714
For more information on Customs refer to: www.customs.gov.au

"The above information is provided as a guide only and should be clarified by either lodging a formal advice request with the appropriate section of Customs or employing the services of a licenced customs broker, if appropriate."

Please respond to email address information@customs.gov.au to ensure your communication with us is answered.

Hope this helps :D
Have you decided where you are going to settle yet ?

[alfiestorm]

quote:Originally posted by geesexar

Yeah alfie thats the one...theres heap of roads out that way that are great. dont know about hiring bikes but i would imagine it to be rather expensive. January...febuary can get pretty warm but good morning rides. still by the time you get sorted out , your bike will be here in no time. yeah alfie went out on adelaide-mannum road and forgot to bring the camera...dohh!!!


dohh dohh dohh dohh maybe next time your out there snap some shots with the camara. I am now going to drink some beer no hold the beer the bike is calling then beer

[sfoc711uk]

Thanks alot alfie some good info there to look into.Dont know where we are settling yet,going on holiday next year i think its between melbourne and brisbane area.When i apply for the visa ill be putting my name on the skill matching database so it could be where i get offered a job.Hopefully ill get one before i go.

[alfiestorm]

sfoc...... The visa I have applied for is a state independant regional or S.I.R with the south Australian government they are also sponsoring me which means i do not have to put up any money but it does restrict me to living and working in S.A for the first two or three years but i am free to travel anywhere in Australia, After two years i can then apply for permanent residency/citizenship provided i can prove that i have settled into life in South Australia i.e payed my taxes,rent/mortgage,work and of course been a good boy. I think i can manage that plus i have family in S.A
I am using a migration agency called Global Visas based in London who have been a great help with all the red tape and pre-approving my skills assessment and the actual visa application before thay are submitted and they deal with the Aussie authorities every step of the way but they dont come cheap £2136.00p for an unmarried couple (defacto) but it is less if you are actually married.
There are cheaper migration agencies but i found most are web based with no real address and offer a set amount of help over the phone and if you need more help over the phone which you will the call is charged at a very high premium rate and it is up to you to send all the paper work to the correct Australian authorities. Just one mistake could end up costing you a few hundred quid.
The visa application cost is $1990au which is about £860 make a mistake on that and you have lost £860 so it kinda makes sense to use a recognised emigration agent I am using them because my brother recommended them as he used them when he moved to S.A.

Sometimes i wondered what the fuck am i doing this for because of all the paper work and costs and not to mention stress of wondering when you are going to hear something about the application the Aussie government do like to take there time processing applications ,but then i thought if it is this hard to get in to Australia it must be good. Just look at the uk any body can walk in and look at the state of the place total shit and no future for your kids.

Good luck with your application.
I am just waiting now for the call to go and have my medicals done and get the police reports and then it's off i go.

[sfoc711uk]

Was that price you paid to include medicals,police checks etc.We are not married but have 2 kids 14 and a 2 year old and were told by the people i took the points test with it would be around 3 grand.They are a registered agency and that included the medicals etc.

We thought the same aswell that they dont let just anyone in so its gotta be good.Yes this place is shit and i know a few people who have gone and never looked back.

[sluglie]

quote:Originally posted by sfoc711uk

Was that price you paid to include medicals,police checks etc.We are not married but have 2 kids 14 and a 2 year old and were told by the people i took the points test with it would be around 3 grand.They are a registered agency and that included the medicals etc.

We thought the same aswell that they dont let just anyone in so its gotta be good.Yes this place is shit and i know a few people who have gone and never looked back.


hey man, what is your trade?

the company i work for is a subsidiary of one of the largest recruting firms in the southern hemisphere and they sponsor a hell of a lot of people on 457 business visas (same as i am on) they might be able to help, send me a cv and i will get it to the right people

p.s. they hire all over aus, in every state and territory so you might have a choice of destinations

it also means that if they sponsor you that you wont have to put money up front to emmigrate and also it is a hell of a lot esier to get your perm residency when you have been here for 3 years working and paying taxes (the government dont like having to pay back gst if you leave)

[sfoc711uk]

Cheeers mate i am a motorcycle technician with full uk city & gulids qualifacations.I also have experience in welding fabricating and fencing but no papers.Did a bit of security fencing and grills working for myself for a while.I am also a fully skilled craftsman in making organ pipes for church organs which i did when i left school,but you cant get paper work for that job just probably a reference.Also some double glazing experience.

Tried to try out a few trades over the years,but yes i will get a cv to you asap. Thanks again.

[alfiestorm]

quote:Originally posted by sfoc711uk

Was that price you paid to include medicals,police checks etc.We are not married but have 2 kids 14 and a 2 year old and were told by the people i took the points test with it would be around 3 grand.They are a registered agency and that included the medicals etc.

We thought the same aswell that they dont let just anyone in so its gotta be good.Yes this place is shit and i know a few people who have gone and never looked back.

No my medicals are not included and they are going to be £120 each and £10 each for the police reports and an extra £52 for my solicitor to certify photo copies of original documentation.
My total cost for getting my visas only is £3438.00p

It looks like you will probably be paying around the same by the time you have finished :D

[alfiestorm]

I am over the fuckin moon was told today that i will have my Australian residency visas by the second week in November yeeeeeehhhhaaaaaaaaaaa.
Now all i need to do is win the lotto

[pt]

good news mate! get ready for some sunshine!

[BillyWhizz888]

Good on ya matey

I can remember the day mine dropped through the letter box... strange feeling, lots of emotions all rolled up together...

Never look back, just look for the next corner :)

[geesexar]

onya alfie catch up when ya get here...first bike ...then beer:D

[sfoc711uk]

Well done mate where are you going again,Should be over for a holiday next year.

[alfiestorm]

Going to south Australia around the Ridgehaven area thats about 20km's north of Adelaide

[sfoc711uk]

Right then it looks like we will more than likely be in oz about april for a holiday.We will be going to melbourne and looking for houses,jobs and schools.

What i need to know so i can start looking at houses on the net is where the decent areas are dont want to be near a load of scumbags.Ideally a quiet area (not in the middle of nowhere)with decent schools.

I also need to know of some bike shops so i can go looking for a job,last year i was told by raceway suzuki to call in for a chat when i land,anybody know what they are like.Thanks.

[sfoc711uk]

Right then all change its now gonna be october, i will be in melbourne and adelaide for a total of 3 weeks.Anybody know of any decent bike dealers i could visit to try get a job.

So we can hopefully move out there.

[Jockney Rebel]

sfoc ..m8 i came here 15 months ago 1500 quid to my name with a wife and 1yr old
[im a fitter by trade ] applied for 45 jobs got 2 replies[dont take this personnaly it happens a lot!]after youve made some contacts it gets easier[they like u to prove yourself cos there s a lot of chancers been fukin it up for everybody]my wifes a hairdresser and finding work was easy for her
your bringing dough with you ..good youll need it itll make settlin in much easier
schools are split into public schools[state funded schools] and private schools [you pay schools]


i live on the Central Coast 90kms north of Sydney[ bout the same distance as london to brighton] its like gods waiting room up here its quiet [bit like the south coast of england but warmer]untill summer then it gets busy
i think its ideal .close enough to sydney to make commuting a possibility but far enough away to make it countryfied.
public transport here is cheap train to sydney is only 12 bucks off peak .
anything imported is dear especially european cars
petrols $1.10 a litre,
average food shop will cost u about $150-200 a week
average house price $350000 for a 3 bed bungalow,
average wages for a trade in engineering between 45000 and 65000per annum more if u work in Sydney
local strip is eastern creek bout 90 kms away
cops are very keen on nickin bikers so watch it ive got 9 pts already


mostly the ppl are great.. the place is beautiful... the food is to die for and the twisty stuff is amogst the best in the world
like the other guys said its BIG very big it would take 5 days or more to get to Perth from here by road and the population is only 20 odd million
good luck mate u wont regret it i didnt

[sfoc711uk]

Thanks for that franken,We are going to melbourne then on to adelaide.Im a fully skilled bike tech with city & guilds.
Ive got a dealer in melbourne and one in adelaide so far who wanna see me when i land So its between the two where i can get a job and a house.Yes we are coming with enough cash to buy a house outright so as you say that should ease things.

[Scrapyard]

Bringing this thread back from the dead. I've been considering the idea of taking a long holiday to Aussie. Seems I can get a tourist visa for 1 year. Question is, would I be able to find work and a place and own a bike while I'm there with little hassle?

For those of you that have transplanted What kind of hassles did you have to overcome to get down there? Thanks

[appo]

you shouldnt have any trouble getting all those mate!!

[Gix11]

It's a big place mate. Where were you thinking of going and settling and what kind of work are you chasing?

[Jockney Rebel]

thers always work for mechanics /etc in and around sydney but dont think it pays well tho but if its just beer money /working holiday type stuff it should be ok

[Scrapyard]

I'm a fatory certified Yamaha and Suzuki tech. And obviously I can fuck about on anything else. So, turning a wrench and not making any money is nothing new to me, lol. I've done just about every job in a bike shop there is, so I'm open to anything motorcycle related. Although, I'm not limited to just that. I wouldn't mind taking some general job to support myself for a bit.

I'm considering either Sydney or Brisbane. Preferably some place that keeps resonably warm. I've spent half my life in the southern US and have grown rather fond of 70 degree winters. Although, It seems it doesn't get terribly cold there for more then a couple months. That I can handle. Pretty similar to where I live now.

Idealy, I'd like to go down for a while and see what it's all about. If I wind up making a life down there, not coming back to the states would not be a terrible thing to me.

[appo]

I know you probably dont want to live in darwin, but...
anyone who is a bike mechanic can make a killing up here...
all the good mechanics in the top end are out making a fortune in the mines
and offshore.. its left no mechanics in town to fix bikes.. a good bike mechanic
could name his price here!!

[sfoc711uk]

Hiya scrapyard,I was in Australia this year and was offered a job as a bike tech in every bike shop i walked into.
I visited Sydney,Melbourne and Adelaide and all were wanting techs.

I took an offer of a job in Sydney and should be there very soon,The visas are been dealt with and hopefuly should be granted in no time at all cos ive got a job to go.
If all goes well they will be done in around 8-9 weeks yeeha.:D:D

[Jockney Rebel]

ru actually here then dave ..i mean in sydney

[Scrapyard]

Well that's inspiring news there Dave. Appreciate the update. Good luck with your move bud. Let me know how business is once you get settled.

[KATO ZX7]

Youve forgotten that Phillip Island is in Melbourne. Home of motorbike racing. Goodluck with your choosing of a new place to live sfoc711UK.

[sfoc711uk]

quote:Originally posted by Jockney Rebel

ru actually here then dave ..i mean in sydney


No mate i was in oz in october and back home now applying for visas:D