Lots of advice needed!

[Guest 00alli00]

Hi, my husband has a potential job in Adelaide and its come out of the blue. We were not looking to move, particularly to the other side of the globe. We have two children aged 10 and 12 so will need to consider schools, where to live etc etc. Any advice would be much appreciated before we commit to this massive change. Thanks.

[Guest Guest75]

Hi, my husband has a potential job in Adelaide and its come out of the blue. We were not looking to move, particularly to the other side of the globe. We have two children aged 10 and 12 so will need to consider schools, where to live etc etc. Any advice would be much appreciated before we commit to this massive change. Thanks.

 

Welcome to the forum!!

 

My best advice in general is to read as much as you can in here , look for older posts and use the search engine .

Loads of stuff on here.

 

Everyone has nearly been through Everything on here now so you are NOT alone!!!!!

 

 

Have an open mind as well!!

 

 

Where you live will be dictated by where your husband will be working really, you don't want a massive commute.

If you tell us that you will have a lot more opinions I'm sure as Adelaide is very spaced out and has so many styles of suburbs.

 

 

Don't be shy.

[zealander]

Hi, my husband has a potential job in Adelaide and its come out of the blue. We were not looking to move, particularly to the other side of the globe. We have two children aged 10 and 12 so will need to consider schools, where to live etc etc. Any advice would be much appreciated before we commit to this massive change. Thanks.

See and enquire if there is potential for a job in Brisbane, much nicer place and more opportunity.

[Guest Guest75]

See and enquire if there is potential for a job in Brisbane, much nicer place and more opportunity.

 

 

Where do you live Zealander - here in Adelaide????:biglaugh:

 

 

The original poster (OP) is asking specifically about here and is a first time poster so I tend to respond in a much gentler manner .:cute:

[Guest 00alli00]

Thanks Tyke.

 

The job is in North Adelaide.

 

I'll search the forum as suggested.

[DougM]

Alli, no matter where you live in the UK, what town or city, you'll never be in a better place than Adelaide. Make sure the job is secure and go for it. Your imigration process should go through smoothly if the job is waiting for you to arrive.

 

IF you find that you don't like it here, you can always go home again, but I doubt that that would be the case. DON'T look a gift-horse in the mouth, as the saying goes. Looking forward to your up-dates as you send in your application papers.

[Diane]

See and enquire if there is potential for a job in Brisbane, much nicer place and more opportunity.

 

Don't listen to him/her! Plenty of people struggling to find work in Brisbane, and climate not nearly as nice as it is here! Give me dry heat rather than humidity any day

[Guest Claire-n-tel]

Also, part of the Australian lifestyle lots of poms look forward to is beaches, you won't find one of them in Brisbane!

[Blossom]

I also come from Cambridge. :-)

I must admit, I think Cambridge wins over Adelaide for most things. It is very different here. It does have better weather and more space. And of course the beaches if you are into that.

 

If I were you I'd be looking at how easy it would be to return if you don't like it. If it would be easy to get jobs again etc then I'd give it a go. If it wouldn't I'd probably stay put.

[likesshopping]

Hi Ali, I say 'go for it' ....Australia is a fabulous place for families - and whats the worst that could happen??.. (if you dont like it, you can go back to the UK)...but at least you would have given it a go. For me, Australia is the best place for me to bring my children up. Lots of lovely fresh air every day and a more relaxed lifestyle.

 

Sarahx

[Guest 00alli00]

Hi Sarah, thanks. I think my biggest concern at the moment is schools. They currently are at great schools in the UK and are very happy. It seems like an impossible task ahead to find a nice rental house in catchment for great schools. What are your thoughts on education in Adelaide?

[likesshopping]

Hi Ali, Ours girls were 7 & 10 when we arrived and they were both at a very good Catholic school in the UK - I have to say that education was my biggest concern about moving over here. I had heard the education system wasn't as good.

 

This is how we decided on where we wanted to live - firstly, do we want to live near the coast or in the hills? We wanted the coast. Secondly, where would my husband most likely be working? He would be working in the city. Next we decided what the most time he would want to commute? My husband was a big commuter in the Uk, so it didnt bother him - we decided that the maximum time would be an hour each way would the the very most he would want to commute. So, about 35km away from the city.

Next we looked on Realestate.com.au for houses which were within our budget and were near the coast, not further than 35km away. Most of the properties I looked at were in the Southern suburbs - Moana, Seaford Rise, Seaford, Port Noarlunga, Maslim Beach etc.

 

Once you decide on the sort of area (south, north, east etc) then you can look at schools. There are state and private schools within most areas and you can check out their NAPLAN results from this website here http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/in-depth/your-school/interactive#search

 

Ok, so my opinion on schools - I was really disappointed in the standard of schooling here, especially in the primary schools. We did end up sending them to a private school which we are happier with - however, what you do have to think about is that everyone here is in the Australian education system and unless your children are going to go back to the UK then they will be on an even keel here with other children. Its a bit of a hard pill to swallow - but I have relaxed into the schooling here. Both my daughters get very good grades here - and here is where they will be going to University and working...so the system is working for them here.

 

Hope this helps

 

Sarahx

[snifter]

I've been happy with my son's school here. At primary level things do seem more relaxed here and up till this year teachers had a lot more free rein in what they taught. Now they are all singing from the same song sheet a lot more due to the new curriculum changes brought in.

 

I think it's steps up a gear at senior school. We know plenty of kids in the state school system who are happy and doing well (or did well)

at their respective schools. All senior schools are zoned iirc. There are plenty of good ones to choose from IMO, once in the zone the school has to provide a place as I understand it but they may expect a year lease before granting a place.

Edited February 2, 2014 by snifter

[Guest Guest12727]

North Adelaide is a lovely place, great location and architecture and there are some very good suburbs in the surrounding areas and many good schools to choose from. I don't buy into this education standards are lower here than UK thing. Australia has it's fair share of leaders in many fields, competing on an international stage. In many professions, Aussies are highly regarded in the UK.

 

Our son went to a State primary school but now attends a Private secondary school. We were a bit concerned initially that he may be behind some of the other boys who had always been in the Private system, but our worries were unfounded. He was in the top few % in all subjects last year and has been put into LEAP (Learning extension and acceleration program) English this year which we weren't even aware was happening. The school are obviously on the ball. If your children are that far advanced, there are programs such as this available, so look for schools that offer LEAP for your 12 year old as she goes into secondary.

 

I guess you need to weigh up all the pros and cons for you, but given that your husband would have a job one major hurdle is overcome, Adelaide is a great place, even if you only want to experience it for a couple of years - as others have said, you can always go back. As you have mentioned that the girls education is your main concern, I will leave you with this thought...does school education (which is really very narrow in life terms) outweigh the education your family would gain from the experience?

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

[jim and adel]

Hi Ali

 

Always plenty of people to offer advice on here. My own: ignore the haters of this place, and those who think it's better than anywhere else in the world (both attitudes tell you more about those people than about this place). The truth is, Adelaide has lots to offer but it's not for everyone and isn't perfect. If you've got a good standard of living in the UK, enjoy where you live and find it hard to imagine life without the family and friends around you (and if your kids love where they are), then give it some very serious thought. It's a big, life-changing decision.

 

If, though, you're up for a challenge, ready to see a different part of the world and think that your kids will benefit from the experience of being brought up somewhere else, then do your research ...

 

I'm not sure if you mean the job is in the northern suburbs of Adelaide (this place stretches far more north to south than you'd expect with such a small population) or in the suburb named North Adelaide. If the former, there are plenty of areas to look at some I'd avoid; if the latter, it's a very nice place, within walking distance to the cbd (Adelaide city centre) and with a choice of schools close by.

 

Good luck!

 

Jim

[Guest 00alli00]

Thanks everyone for all the great advice. I have a girl and a boy and had assumed they would both go to the same school but there seems to be a lot of single sex schools.Is this the case? Still v undecided but we think we might fly out next week for a few days to get a feel for the place (and a dose of warm dry weather). Any ideas of places we must go to see would be appreciated.

[sally1968]

Hi Ali

 

We've been here nearly 10 years now and our kids were 7 and 10 when we arrived. Both went through the public school system for both primary and secondary schooling. My daughter is in her 3rd year of her Uni degree and looking at doing honors next year and my son is about to start Uni this year too. Both went to the same co-ed schools and we feel that there are definitely plenty of options to do well in the schooling system here if your children are that way inclined. But what we also really like about the education system here is there seems to be more options avaliable for the children who are more skilled on a practical level too and in my opinion the education system is more rounded as a result.

 

As for whether to make the move or not - you need to look at your current situation - Are you earning a good income, do you like where you live, are you very close to you family and do you spend much time with them? If I'm completely honest if we could have said yes to these questions we possibly wouldn't have come but for us, 10 years ago, the answer to most of these would have been no and I believe moving here was the very best decision for us. We love it here and our quality of life far outweighs what we had in England. Do lots of research, ask lots of questions before you decide.

 

Good luck !

[Keith & Linda]

Don't listen to him/her! Plenty of people struggling to find work in Brisbane, and climate not nearly as nice as it is here! Give me dry heat rather than humidity any day

 

Like most places it sometimes can be a struggle to find work anywhere, so if you have a job offer then I personally would take it, otherwise the rest if your life could be an 'if only' one way or the other it will be one of life's experiences.

I live in Brisbane (14 years) and have worked in Adelaide during the winter months and in the 40 deg plus heatwaves of summer, and as I have said before, I still believe Brisbane has the best year-round climate. Also Claire, as in Adelaide (the 20min City), depending where you live in Brisbane the beaches can be 20min away, it even has a beach in the city centre, or you can live at a beach suburb, or a 40min drive to endless beaches.

 

Adelaide does run a very close 2nd for me as the most desirable place to live in Australia, so grab the opportunity and go for it.

[snifter]

Thanks everyone for all the great advice. I have a girl and a boy and had assumed they would both go to the same school but there seems to be a lot of single sex schools.Is this the case? Still v undecided but we think we might fly out next week for a few days to get a feel for the place (and a dose of warm dry weather). Any ideas of places we must go to see would be appreciated.

 

There are plenty of co ed schools. Don't worry about that.

 

A few days? I think you will barely be over jet lag and may struggle to even appreciate Adelaide whilst suffering that and trying to get your bearings. A couple of weeks at least for a decent reccie I think, to look around, check out the potential work area and suburbs to live in. Then schools within those (although you tend to look at those once actually living here), research them at least. This gives you time to get past jet lag and to really be able to look over things with a good eye.

 

In a few days I think you'll possibly find it jarring and very different to look at and take in. Plus the size of the suburban sprawl can be a bit overwhelming I found in my first visit (that was a month long trip). Not to says it's not good, just different and can take a while to feel get used to.

[Guest Guest12727]

Thanks everyone for all the great advice. I have a girl and a boy and had assumed they would both go to the same school but there seems to be a lot of single sex schools.Is this the case? Still v undecided but we think we might fly out next week for a few days to get a feel for the place (and a dose of warm dry weather). Any ideas of places we must go to see would be appreciated.

 

I think flying out is a great idea. As you only have a few days you are probably best to locate yourself centrally, perhaps an apartment hotel in the City. Hire a car and drive around some of the suburbs and if you have had time to get a list together, visit a few schools you think you would be interested in. You can obviously visit your husbands potential workplace and see the location and surrounding suburbs.

 

Some ideas to get a feel for the place in a few days.

Take a trip into Adelaide Hills to visit Cleland wildlife park, http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/clelandwildlife/Home, assuming you are bringing the children with you. If not, visit some Adelaide Hills wineries and try some local produce.

Take the tram down to Glenelg Beach or drive to Henley or Semaphore beach.

Stroll around Adelaide City, along Rundle mall and into Rundle St and the East end, then into Botanic gardens then back along North Tce past the unis, museum, art gallery, Governors residence.

Take a walk along the Torrens River (Lake!) from Elder Park, along the riverside walk - spot some black swans.

Visit the Central Market for breakfast.

 

If you have more time you can check out the Southern beaches and the wine regions in McLaren Vale or Barossa Valley.

[Guest 00alli00]

Thanks so much Howde - very helpful. Looking forward to our trip.

[Diane]

While you're up at Cleland, go up to Mount Lofty - a really good way to get an aerial view of the city and surrounds and get a feel for the layout of the place.

[Guest Ritu]

I am from Gold Coast (close to Brisbane) and I would never have moved there unless my life depended on it!! But this was a query for Adelaide and don't know why we are thrashing Brissy...

Adelaide is a wonderful place (2.5 mths here already!!), people are friendly and very convenient for shopping etc. As far as schools are concerned, my advice would be to have a shortlist prepared from research and decide once you get here. From experience I found that its very hard to decide public or private. once you are here you can decide after taking tours of the schools.

In the meantime, if you have any questions I reckon this is the best place to get good advice, been really helpful for me

[Guest Chelseadownunder]

Went to Brisbane in the Summer and the humity drove me mad. Whatever floats yer boat though as they say.

[Keith & Linda]

Went to Brisbane in the Summer and the humity drove me mad. Whatever floats yer boat though as they say.

 

You must almost be insane by now then, after two days of high humidity in Adelaide, but hey! bet you can float your boat now:biggrin: