Has anyone been to Port Pirie?

[Guest The Wise Family]

Hi guys.

 

Just wondering if anyone has been to Port Pirie? OH has been offered a really good job there. Does anyone know what it is like? We set our hearts on Adelaide so a little disappointed. Suppose it will be easier to get a job in Adelaide after we arrive than from the other side of the world.

 

Gina x

[Anne B]

Hi

I noticed nobody had replied. My last visit to Port Pirie was over 10 years ago but I can't imagine it's changed too much in that time. I don't know if you've ever been to Australia but Port Pirie is a typical country town, small by British standards. It used to be be quite prosperous in it's heyday when I think it had some smelters - probably still has them, so it's not the prettiest of towns, it's a bit industrial. On the plus side it has some history and nice old buildings and houses are cheap and there's probably a good community spirit. On the minus side some might consider it a bit unsophisticated, stuck in the middle of nowhere hot and dusty with no decent shops and quite a long drive to Adelaide (I'd guess about 2 hours). If you like small towns then it might be OK but I don't reckon it offers the kind of lifestyle that most Brits want (nice beaches, cafe lifestyle, wineries, restaurants etc). It has a certain charm and is an interesting place to visit but I personally (IMO) would definately not like to live there (at least not long-term). I'd go mad. I think it would feel (culturally) too far removed from Adelaide to make it very easy to get a job in Adelaide from there. They are world's apart. Some others may have a different opinion though. Try going on Google Earth and getting the photos up - that will give you an idea what it's like.

[Guest cazzie]

Hello Wise family,

Port Pirie is a small country town within driving distance of lots of lovely seaside places, but it is not so lovely itself. It is fairly industrial, but to be fair, this analysis is based on my OH spending one day there! It does seem perfectly pleasant, but unlike a lot of places on that coast, the initial impressions are that it is not beautiful. But if you can live with that, it is within striking distance of many beautiful areas. Here is a story from today's 'Adelaide Now' about Port Pirie which may interest you http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,,24205134-2682,00.html.

Hope you find this information useful.

Bill via Cazzie's post!

[Guest The Wise Family]

Thanks guys for your replys. They have been very helpful. I think my OH will have to take this job but we will use it as a stepping stone. They are offering us three months free accommodation, a car which wasn't part of the job and all the training to convert his qualifications to australian ones. They are also going to meet us at the airport saturday 13th september at 8 o/c in the morning! Ok it might be that they are struggling to fill the position cause no one wants to go there but when you are stuck in rainy old miserable blighty and desperate to get to australia somehow it does seem to be a good start. Anything has got to be better than here right now! And we were turned down for OAA this morning which has kind of made our decision for us.

 

Thanks again

 

Gina x

[Guest rockpool crab]

Thanks guys for your replys. They have been very helpful. I think my OH will have to take this job but we will use it as a stepping stone. They are offering us three months free accommodation, a car which wasn't part of the job and all the training to convert his qualifications to australian ones. They are also going to meet us at the airport saturday 13th september at 8 o/c in the morning! Ok it might be that they are struggling to fill the position cause no one wants to go there but when you are stuck in rainy old miserable blighty and desperate to get to australia somehow it does seem to be a good start. Anything has got to be better than here right now! And we were turned down for OAA this morning which has kind of made our decision for us.

 

Thanks again

 

Gina x

 

wow..sounds like a plan to me. I'd love that opportunity. Free accom. a car and converting qualifications etc. Go for it! you can sit back and "view" where you want to go..if indeed anywhere, sometimes it's fate and you'll quite possibly never be happier anywhere other than there.

 

I wish you great happiness. Best of luck and "enjoy"!

 

Carol Ann

[suziewozie]

My Hubby was up there yesterday working and he said it was nice, although a bit too far out for us to live there. Good luck, sounds as if you have been given a good start to life here in Oz.

[Guest Mezza]

I've been up and down to PP a few times since I've been here. It's about a 2½-3hr drive from Adelaide, pretty straight forward. It sits at the foothills of the Flinder Ranges. As you approach PP, the first thing you'll see is the 200m (yes, m not ft) chimney at the smelter! As others have said, it's a small town and I love the way that one of the main highstreets turns into the main road into the smelter.

There were doomsayer reports yesterday that Nystar might be scaling back operations in PP due to the drop in Zinc price. If it's any use to you, my company's about to undertake a 4month feasiblity study into upgrading the smelter - it is an old plant. In terms of the future, if the plant does scale down or close, the property prices that have just "boomed" to some extent in the area will plummet as the smelter is the heart of the town in many ways. It's not all doom and gloom, as Pt Augusta and indeed Whyalla are on the up and are close by.

PP produces lead, and that has (obviously) had some health/environmental issues in the past. They are spending mucho $'s cleaning this up at the moment...

When I came over, I was offered another $10k to relocate to PP instead of Adelaide. We stuck with Adelaide, and having seen both, I think that was the right decision. Some people will of course love it up there.

[Guest Bodie]

I grew up in Booleroo Centre which is about 25 minute drive from Port Pirie through a lovely gorge. We were always very excited to go to PP as kids as it meant we got to have cake in the cafe at Kmart, KFC lunch and, if we were really good, an icecream from the roadhouse. It is a small town but there are some beautiful places in the general area that hold special memories for me and, unlike those mentioned, don't all revolve around food. It is near the Flinders Ranges which holds some beautiful towns and scenery. Port Germein was always a favourite of ours (next to Pt Pirie) and they held the Festival of the Crab and watermelon eating competitions. Okay, sorry, yet another memory about food. Better go and get my dinner.

 

Tracey

[Guest The Wise Family]

Thanks for the kind wishes. I suppose it is better going with a job than with out. We leave 3 weeks tomorrow so I will let you know what we think and how we get on.

 

Gina x

[sue2oz]

would just like to say 'good luck' the wise family, let us know how you's get on.

 

tracy you are sooo funny:biglaugh::biglaugh: the food thing made me laugh

 

suexxx

[bill]

Let's see now - rainy, cold blighty versus Port Pirie, a car, free training, being met at the airport etc etc. No contest. Enjoy Australia, folks! PS Hot up there in summer, make sure you get an air-conditioned house and car!

[Guest aussiewannabee]

Hi Congrats on the job, what company is it for, I ask this because I too have a job in port pirie and we are hoping to go this year, I am classed as a boilermaker (fabricator/welder in UK). we are in contact with another british family already there and they say its lovely, we got a information pack sent to us from port pirie council and its looks good, ok poeple say its nothing like adelaide, so what I say its a job at the end of the day and hey if after 6- 12 months you dont like it, you can look in adelaide. The main thing is you got a job, so you are earning money straight away, that cant be a bad thing can it.

Let me know who the company is and I will let you know about my job too.

If you want to get in touch just send me a private message on here.

Cheers

[Guest Aussie pat]

Hi Gina,

 

As you know I've already PM'd you about Port Pirie. I think it's great that your husband has landed a well paying job. As you've probably seen elsewhere on PIA lack of money and employment causes lots of stress. At least you'll avoid all that. Port Pirie may not be exactly what you envisaged when you began planning your move but who knows what new oportunities it may bring. Hopefully you'll make lots of new friends and have a busy social life. I wish you all the best and please keep us all posted as it would be great to hear how you get on.

[Guest Emu]

HI, why don't you check it in Google maps - Streetview, like that you can see what the town looks like ... quite a few streets are on it.