Which city in Australia would suit me?

Question

I've recently started thinking of moving to Australia, at least for a while. I'm from Vancouver, Canada, if that means anything to anyone, and I've lived in London, UK and Toronto, CA.

I'd like a lively and beautiful city, but one that's affordable. Is there any rivalry between the main cities? What are the stereotypes about each city?

I mostly wanna hear what the cities are like so I can start thinking about which one would suit me best :)

Thanks!

Answer 1

Perth is a very beautiful place, you can go on weekends down south and see all the pristene beaches, coffs harbour in NSW has gorgeous beaches and is very cheap but for but if you after nightclubs too it wouldn't the palce to go,

Answer 2

After living in Vancouver you'd be disappointed with them all after a while. Sydney is probably the closest that you'll find to what you want, but avoid Melbourne like the plague. Its full of miserable people.

Answer 3

Hi ,

If it is any help .. I was a New South Welsh Woman by BIRTH ... and A victorian by choice....

(sydney is the capital of N.S.W and Melb. is the capital of Victoria) .....

I love Melbourne, not at all fond of Sydney .. but respect that Sydney-siders will favour Sydney over Melbourne.

What I would really suggest though .. is take the time to vist Sydney and Melbourne yourself ..... whatever answers you get here WILL be a tad biased ( with the exception of those like the lovely person from Adelaide , who was honest enough to say their city isn't as lively .. still beautiful though)

again ... I love Melbourne .. just something about the place :)

Answer 4

Well.... London ( Sydney), Toronto (Brisbane)  and Vancouver (Melbourne)

That kind of gives you the comparisons ....

weather changes in Melbourne with the wind just like Vancouver

Nicer weather wise in Brisbane then Toronto but I have heard Toronto is getting a bit nicer with global warming ;-)

Answer 5

SYDNEY IS THE WAY TO GO =)

Answer 6

There is a huge rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne. But I think they would be your best choices.

What do you do for a career? Any hobbies? Weather preference?

Check out these few websites:

http://www.visitmelbourne.com

http://www.sydney.com.au

http://www.visitnsw.com

Also look at regional cities such as Newcastle or Wollongong in NSW and Ballarat or Bendigo in Victoria. They're a bit less expensive but still populous cities.

If you want to live on the coast NSW would be your better pick, if public transport is important to you VIC would be better.

Feel free to email via the link on my profile if you have any questions.

Answer 7

melbourne is better than sydney less crime

Answer 8

I live in Brisbane which is In Queensland (the sunshine state =P) and i think it's pretty good unless you'd like to go out alot at night and stuff.

But it's really close to some really nice beaches on the sunshine coast and the Gold coast.

Which i think is pretty good, Not as Humoungous as Sydney but still good.

I'm originally am from Sydney and i think there is more to do there. And also Bondi in Sydney is really lovely.

I wouldn't move to Canberra, It is too confusing  and boring. And planned and structured.

Perth is too far away from the east coast so i wouldnt go there but I'm sure it's nice =P

I havn't been to Adelaide or Melbourne yet.

Answer 9

I live in Adelaide, South Australia and would probably not recomend living here if you want a lively city, but it is cheap.  Melbourne in Victoria is O.K. and Perth in Western Australia is really clean and beautiful with a great city centre area, also cheap but starting to rise.  Sydney is very bright and lively but it is gross and over rated, and expensive.  Darwin in the northern territory is not much but Brisbane in Queensland is lovely and bright, both states are also dearer than they should be.  I have never been to Tasmania but Hobart would be lovely but not very lively.  

But then this is just my view of Australia. Hope you get more answers before you decide.

Answer 10

Would have to recommend my hometown, Melbourne.

Great place to live- good shopping, entertainment, easy to navigate.

Melbourne was vited one of the world's most livable cities, only lost a mark or two for the weather (little bit cold in winter, but with so many distractions and things to do you won't even notice.)

Pretty affordable compared to other parts of the country. Its a beautiful city, very multicultural- (you'll love the vast array of foods avaliable to you!!)

I live in Perth now for employment reasons, but when I can I will be getting back to Melbourne. I'm very very biased but what can I say I love my city.

Hope this helps you.

(P.S Perth is my second favourite city- if I can't live in Melbourne then this is a good alternative, just very laid back over here- but good weather)

I live in

Answer 11

I'm an Aussie who is living in Brisbane at the moment. Brisbane is okkies for a big city that isn't too expensive to live in but it's a little lacking if you like the night life. If you like the beach and bars it's pretty good though. If you love the night life sydney and melbourne are great. Sydney is the most expensive to live in then melbourne followed by Brisbane. Sydney is a little warmer than melbourne and is a little bigger than melbourne but both are pretty funky citys. The rest of the Aussie cities are completly lacking in night life and livlyness. They are great cities but probably not what your looking for. So i'd just say if you like the beach and living in a city brisbane or the gold coast is the way to go, if not sydney or melbourne. Just do some extra research and GOOD LUCK!

Answer 12

Sydney - 4.2 million - tourist magnet, largest city, very lively, good nightlife i suppose, what would you expect from a city that size. very beautiful!

Melbourne - 3.8 million - Second largest city - They say Melbourne has very good night life, lots of culture. also beautful.

Brisbane - 1.9 million - very fast growing, pretty lively, not much for nightlife.

Adelaide - around one million - I don't reccomend this place, not much to do.

Perth - around one million - never been here sorry

Gold coast - half a million - not really a city, more like a beach paradise, lots of highrise appartments, great if you want to spend a weekend or a day there or for a holiday. ONLY ONE HOUR DRIVE FROM BRISBANE.

I hope you like your stay!

Answer 13

Brisbane - A very fastly growing city. Lot's of young people there.

Melbourne - Multicultural city. Second biggest, people are usually  friendlier than people from Sydney.

Sydney - The biggest city. Has the famous Harbour & beaches.

Adelaide - A VERY (!!) boring city. Not much happening there.

Perth -  Never being there. Sorry.

Answer 14

I've only ever been to Sydney but it was amazingly Vancouver-like, that was the main thought I had about it.  Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing for you...but I loved it!

Answer 15

Hi Jenny!  I'm a Melbournite, very fond of the place.

I think you'll find all parts of Australia amazingly hot compared to Canada and the UK.  Most places are also extremely dry and getting more so all the time: water shortages are a painful reality all over Oz, in spite of recent flooding in Queensland.

Overcrowding in the transport sector is a major problem in Sydney, the Brisbane area, and Melbourne, also getting worse due to very rapid population growth.  This is also sharply driving up housing costs (rent or buy) in all cities, and there is no relief in sight.

There is increasing competition for jobs in the cities, and a high level of education is increasingly demanded.  

You may say, why not live in a pleasant country town - well we would, if there were enough jobs and accommodation. Access to health care, education, and telecommunications is also limited in rural areas, even fairly close to the cities.

So most of us end up battling it out in big cities, where our children have a vast array of opportunities.

What kind of opportunities are you looking for?  Melbourne is known as the capital of the arts, Sydney as the business capital, and yes, there's a  lot of rivalry. Perth in the far west is booming, growing rapidly, and very very hot in summer. Sub-tropical Brisbane is also growing at warp speed, starting to lose its "sleepy country town" image, but still less sophisticated than the southern capitals.

Melbourne is also famous for its devotion to Australian Rules football, but soccer is gaining in popularity due its large southern European contingent.  Sydney is wonderful if you're rich and can live on the Harbour, but not so great for the less well off.

All our cities and big towns have their own charm.  Talk to as many Aussies as you can to get an idea of the distinctive character of each.

Answer 16

victoria or auckland

Answer 17

these are my opinions on the major cities:

Sydney - Beautiful harbour, but the city its overrated, most expensive, and the suburbs arent that flash. However, there is a good nightlife. Great climate, warm/hot summers and mild winters.

Melbourne - My favourite city, great CBD and affordable. Great pubs/clubs/restaurants. Most multicultural city in australia. Some nice suburbs. Also has four distinctive seasons, warm/hot summer and chilly/mild winter, great if you want to wear layers in the winter.

Brisbane - Warm climate, doesnt really get below 20 often in winter. reasonable good nightlife, some great restaurants.

Adelaide - Boring, dont go there

Perth - never been but i heards its great

Im from a town called Geelong and i would recommend Melbourne, and consider Sydney as well.