Aussie, Aussie, Aussie?

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So were there any aussies on-board? Because if there are, I have decided to break my long-last vow of not posting topics just this once to ask one thing: how is Australia? I have been snooping around the immi.gov.au site and, for those that do not know, this site is for people interested of immigrating to Australia. Unfortunately, they do not answer to queries and, knowing governments, their descriptions can be "slighly" rosy.

To be more specific: how are the weathers? Is it warm all around the year or do the hails whip you during the winter (like around here)? How are the unemployment rates -is it easy to get a job even as a native? And how are the prices: how high are the living costs when compared to scandinavia or, for example; Britain?

I'm mainly interested of these two countries because of their language, relatively good economy, and (hopefully) warmer weathers. There are others, of course, but which ones could you recommend? Thus far I have been able to count US, Ireland, Britain, Canada, Australia, and... What else? I'll be getting my masters papers in a few years and since I don't fancy of staying in Finland, I'm considering these options. All input/links would be very much appreciated.

 

Ehh, Canada is okay... just stand away from Quebec. Alberta would be a good choice... taxes are pretty low there, I've heard.

 

New Zealand of course.

But to answer your question, the weather in most parts of Australia is generally hot to warm. It's tough to generalise given that Australia is an enormous land mass but you're looking at 40 degrees in the summer and plenty of humidity to boot.

Flipside is that it does not get too cold in the winter, especially compared to Finland, but it might get a bit frosty down south in Canberra and Melbourne.

Overall, the weather in Australia is a bit too extreme for my liking and I much prefer the milder climate of New Zealand.

Employment rates and standard of living are generally good, but like the rest of the western world, the future of the economy is on a bit of knife edge given the rapidly increasing foreign debt levels.

On balance, Australia is a pretty nice place (especially Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth). It's almost as nice as New Zealand. The biggest shock for you going to Australia would be having to get used to a bunch of 'weird' sports like Australian Rules Football and cricket.

 

Yeah, how could he forget New Zealand?!

Australian weather does vary a LOT from place to place, atleast as far as my knowledge streches it does. If you go up north Queensland you've got very tropical weathers, whereas down in Hobart and other southern cities the weather can get colder a lot colder. Although I wouldn't be expecting any snow there, unless you live up in the mountains.

[Edit]
Here you go - a link with information about utopia!

 

Thanks of the link, and I didn't forget New Zealand; I simply left something for you to grab to.

Canada is eeh-okay, yes, but what's the point in leaving from a cold country to a colder one? I want to live in a tropical paradise that has 30+ C around the year.

By what I have read, Australia and New Zealand seem to be very strict with their immigration policies and do not have a similar program as Britain (where you simply count points to see if you can make it). They seem to require either a spouse, a lot of money, or a permanent business in the country. Are ye aussies a little suspicious of all foreigners...?

 

It's weird that people complain about the strict immigration policies of Australia and New Zealand when it seems to be that we are flooded with new immigrants each year. Every second person I meet seems to be an immigrant from either South Africa, the UK, India, China, or Malaysia.

 

I'd love to emigrate to New Zealand later in life. Everything pver there seems to be much more chilled out and relaxed than here in England. Everyones always in a rush here!!

 

Well IMHO I prefer Canberra as it is actually warm in Spring and cold in Winter. Plus it's even snowed a couple of times there. There's this great place called 'Corin Forest' (dunno if I spelt it right) which has snow all year round). The weather in Sydney can be really unpredictable. For instance right now it's supposed to be late Spring...no hang on...Summer has just started today, and yet it's still raining and there's all this lightning and thunder. And most of the time Sydney is pretty humid. Heh, I just hosted this Japanese girl last week and she asked me if the weather was always like this (rain rain rain). I said it wasn't. Oops.

 

Scratch Canberra then, but Sydney sounds rite, if there is warm around the year. Also, I bet I could get a job from there relatively easily, it being "a significant global and domestic tourist destination and is regularly declared to be one of the most beautiful and liveable cities in the world", according of Wikipedia. Sounds a bit like a government brochure, but since it is such a big city, it can't be that far from the truth. I guess.

Come to think of it, how do you search for jobs around there? Visit the office? Make calls? Contact some central? Oh, and does anyone here actually live there? Spending a few hundred euros to a tourist trip there might be a wise investment, especially so if I had a local guide.

 

The same place as anywhere else as a guess... ask and sell yourself. Ask around companies, or try local employment agencies.
I've been meaning to go to Australia and New Zealand for a long while, don't know why I haven't yet! At one time I will and that's for sure .

I think you're looking at more tha na couple of hundred Euro as well mate...!

 

Compared with most countries I know of New Zealand has very light immigration policies (although I don't know a whole load about other countries ones... just what I've heard). And yes, we do have a point system program thing

Just out of curiousity, what's your Masters in?


Just a few more links:

• Skilled Persons Point Calculator thingy
• New Zealand Job Search

To apply under a Skilled Person catagory you need atleast 100 points, I believe. Having a Masters degree instantly gives you 60 or so, and then if you are able to get a job offer using the qualifications that gives you another 50ish, pushing you over the 100 mark.


[Edit]Just saw this - might be of interest to you. Good way to get a taste of the country, without tying yourself down

[ December 01, 2005, 01:19: Message edited by: Rotku ]

 

I live in Sydney!

 

What a good reason to stay away

 

No-one told you to come!

 

@ Rotku

Ironically, they ask if I have been working there for "more than 12 months" when I'm still looking for a way in. To get in, you must have a job. To have a job, you must be in.

Guess the point is that I must first find a job and live there for something like 4 years, much like with Britain and such. Ah, well; might as well start my Ph.D's there and get a job-license on the way -should be easier that way. The problem is just that ATM I'm not 100% sure which "type" of jobs they prefer the most. When it comes to the points, I'm pretty sure that pretty much every country gives me about 50 points of my papers, 5 points of my age, and 5 points of other et cetra, so it just a matter of getting enough work experience...

MA in economics, IT, and communication. Program of technical communication and multimedia systems. Includes a title of 'industrial economist.'

Yea; 2369 € to be exact, on British Airways. Ridicilous. I'm not paying that much of a simple trip to any country when the alternative is to manage the matter yourself (for a price that is half of that).

Goody! Now tell us: are there really kangaroos roaming in the streets and koalas on the roofs?

[ December 01, 2005, 16:23: Message edited by: Wirhe ]

 

@Wirhe
Err...not that I know of...But there'd defintely be some kangaroos in the more remote outback towns And seeing as koalas sleep for 22 hours a day, I don't think I've ever heard of them on roofs (although there are possums who live in people's roofs and scurry across them at night). You can defintely see wild kangaroos and emus in the A.C.T reserves though.
Where did you hear all this stuff from?

 

Well, they say that there are polar bears roaming in our streets, so guess it is as true as kangaroos in yours.

Anyway, can you mention any local newspapers that ship to Europe? I'm pretty sure I could get answers to most of my doubts from a regular newspaper, if I just can get around to ordering one for a few months. Got sites or the like?

 

Really? I've never heard the polar bear thing!
Gehhh...newspapers? *scratches head* Hmmm...Nope sorry, I don't know much about newspapers regarding that...Sorry. I only know of the *really* local papers, don't know about shipping to Europe.

 

Wirhe,

Australia is pretty much as HB described it. I'm from Melbourne, which is a great city to live in, although not as warm as Sydney (it is infamous for its weather). It's not as frantic or glamorous as Sydney, and it's more interesting than Canberra (although for some strange reason, Canberra's the only place you can legally purchase fireworks in Australia). Then again, I'll freely admit to bias on this one.

EDIT: Oh, and don't worry about the wildlife - there are plenty of things that can kill you, sure, but most of them are in the tropics or the Outback. Drop-bears can be a nuisance, sure, but are not really dangerous.

Re: news - Here's the main one I read - just about everything's available online, and it's a more balanced paper than most of the others, IMO.

The Age: www.theage.com.au (also has links to the Sydney Morning Herald)

There's also...

The Herald-Sun: www.heraldsun.news.com.au
The Australian: www.theaustralian.news.com.au

I will also recommend the ABC news site as well, which is at www.abc.com.au and covers radio, television and some print media as well.

[ December 07, 2005, 01:21: Message edited by: NonSequitur ]