Adelaide or Perth?

[Guest RobJ1978]

Hi all,

 

This is my first post....

 

Let me introduce you to my family. Were currently going through the immigration process - still early days but were looking at Adelaide or Perth as potential places to move to. My wife is a nurse and I am a journalist, we have two girls aged six and two. Ive been to Australia three times (I have family in NSW) and it was my pleasure to show my wife and young family this wonderful country this time last year. She loved it and we made the lifechanging decision late last year.

 

We want to make it on our own and from the research we have done so far (difficult being 10,000 miles away in the UK) we believe Perth and Adelaide offer our family the chance to fulfil that dream.

 

My wife has friends who live in Perth and they were saying that Perth is a much nicer place to settle than Adelaide. But they're bound to say that aren't they?

 

So firstly, what do you guys think. Perth or Adelaide? What are the job prospects/opportunities in Adelaide currently like? Is it a good place to bring a young family?

 

We can't wait to make the move but research is crucial. Can anyone suggest any decent websites, books or people to talk to who can help research Adelaide or indeed Perth?

 

Thanks

 

Rob

[thearmchairdetective]

welcome to pia, enjoy your stay.

Adelaides a lovely place.

But Iv'e never been to Perth.

[Guest guest3462]

Hi there, many people have the same dilemma of Perth and adeladie, in fact when we made our reccie trip in 2008 we actually went to Perth and stayed with our family. We love Perth and definately thought we could settle there especially having family there for support. Then we came to visit our best friends in Adelaide who had moved 6 months earlier. We only came here for A veryQuick 4 day stay and totally fell invloce with the place, so much that we actually secured work, bought a block of land and comissined a house build- all within that 4 day period!!!!

We have lived in Adelaide for just over 2 years now and we love it here. The city has so much to offer for young families ( people will argue my point here!!) and employment opportunities are readily available for your professions.

We live in the southern suburbs about an hours drive from the cbd, but to be honest it doesn't matter that we are so far out to us, we love where we are at and have a 5 year plan to get ourselves settled completely.

I am of the I love Adelaide club though so I am biased in my opinion. Others will give you their opinion which may help you to weigh the benefits of both states.

[Guest RobJ1978]

Thanks for your post churchj1. It sounds like you're living your dream! Im hoping that's going to be us in the next couple of years! The dream for us for me seems just that at the moment - a dream. But once the application is lodged then it will start to feel more real. What kinds of things are there for a young family to do? We would look to rent to start off - are rentals expensive?

 

So many questions!

 

Thanks again

[snifter]

I'm in the I <3 Adelaide camp.

 

As has been said, I think its a lovely place for families. Its on the gulf so the water is a bit warmer than on the ocean. I like its not overly big although it does sprawl out suburb wise (but them most Aussie towns/cities seem to do this). My hubby is from there and wants to go home (well we both want to go) so that's of course why we are heading there. I've made numerous trips now and always feel happy to fly in over the water and land at the airport. If you have a look at some of my posts (via my profile there) you'll see some of the stuff I've said about Adelaide in the past and why we are looking forward to being there next year.

 

I've never been to Perth but my one thing about it is its so far from anywhere else in Australia. I am told its a lovely city but for some it is too remote. Its like the arse end of nowhere is how it was described to me once And they themselves are from Perth Its not to say its not a good city to live in, but many prefer to be further over and nearer other places. From Adelaide its an hour flight to Melbourne and a few hours (or 4) to Sydney. Add on a few more from Perth to get to those places. I know if we live in SA in Adelaide we will be nearer to other cities and being able to take trips is more doable than from Perth perhaps. The sheer vastness of space between Perth and anywhere else across the country is boggling. OK, you have towns up and down the coast, but again, if you live in those, the only city anywhere near is going to be Perth.

[Guest RobJ1978]

Thank you for your post. For me, I think Adelaide seems to have a lot of things going for it in comparison to Perth. Good points about how close people in Adelaide are to the other major cities across Australia. Perth does seem to quite remote in comparison.

 

I'll have a look at your previous posts and see what else you have said about Adelaide. The whole process is daunting for the whole family - but we are all united and excited about the move. Were saving hard and trying to research as much as possible - the dream seems so long away but we have something to aim for - something tangible to focus on - that is what is getting me through the lengthy process.

 

I hope your dream to move to Adelaide comes true - we'll certainly be following your progress every single step of the way:)

 

I'm in the I <3 Adelaide camp.

 

As has been said, I think its a lovely place for families. Its on the gulf so the water is a bit warmer than on the ocean. I like its not overly big although it does sprawl out suburb wise (but them most Aussie towns/cities seem to do this). My hubby is from there and wants to go home (well we both want to go) so that's of course why we are heading there. I've made numerous trips now and always feel happy to fly in over the water and land at the airport. If you have a look at some of my posts (via my profile there) you'll see some of the stuff I've said about Adelaide in the past and why we are looking forward to being there next year.

 

I've never been to Perth but my one thing about it is its so far from anywhere else in Australia. I am told its a lovely city but for some it is too remote. Its like the arse end of nowhere is how it was described to me once And they themselves are from Perth Its not to say its not a good city to live in, but many prefer to be further over and nearer other places. From Adelaide its an hour flight to Melbourne and a few hours (or 4) to Sydney. Add on a few more from Perth to get to those places. I know if we live in SA in Adelaide we will be nearer to other cities and being able to take trips is more doable than from Perth perhaps. The sheer vastness of space between Perth and anywhere else across the country is boggling. OK, you have towns up and down the coast, but again, if you live in those, the only city anywhere near is going to be Perth.

[Guest BigSmiles]

House prices in Adelaide are also a lot cheaper that Perth, it seems you get a lot more for your money; Real Estate, Property, Land and Homes for Sale, lease and rent - realestate.com.au is a good site to sit and have a browse if you have five minutes.

I have friends in Perth, it can get very hot and windy, where as Adelaide supposedly has a more Mediterranean climate. My friends in Perth love it, but for us it's just too far away from everywhere else. We want to be able to hop in the camper and drive to Victoria and NSW it just a few hours.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Guest Amanda12]

I'll have a look at your previous posts and see what else you have said about Adelaide.

 

Hi robj1978

 

We were thinking of Brissie or near there but snifter has talked me into Adelaide too. Must be on commission or something lol.

 

Have a good look through the PIA threads, seems to have a lot going for it. There is a lot of info on suburbs, schools, lifestyle. It also seems really friendly and all the migrant posters are really helpful - hope that says something about the culture there.

 

Think with 3 little ones qld may be too hot for us. Also we ruled Perth out due to it's geographical isolation. OH wants to have the other cities more at hand to travel. That said those that like it seem to love it. It also seems to have a lot going for it and is rapidly growing. Also Oz is so vast is anywhere really that accessible? What's an extra couple of hours on a flight and does that matter to you?

 

I personally think Adelaide is winning for us though.

 

Good Luck deciding

 

A

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

Hi Rob,

we had the same decision to make when we moved here 4 years ago. We were originally going to move to Perth but the property price increase killed it for us.

 

I have just had a weeks holiday in Perth and it's a very livable city. I lived in Cape Town for many years and it's very similar....very scenic, lots of trees and vegetation....very nice place to live.

Having said that...I live in a stunning location in Adelaide (Port Noalunga) and my move here was the right one. It's difficult as everything is relative.....

 

Tamara

[Guest Zoot]

Doesnt matter - go where the work is and where you get paid a decent wage. Geographical location doesnt mean much if you pay out a horrendous amount in airfare. As an example I was looking to visit Melbourne one weekend for a friend's birthday (not a holiday weekend) fares for that weekend were more expensive than flying to Perth. So although geographically you may be close if you are financially cash strapped you are not going to enjoy it anywhere.

 

One problem with Adelaide being so close to the other major centres is that many companies dont need to have a specific Adelaide branch and can run the Adelaide office with skeleton staff whilst running their main operation from Sydney or Melbourne. Whilst that might not be a problem for you with your choice of careers, the small size of Adelaide means opportunities are often limited.

 

Perth has enjoyed a big boom with the money flooding in from the mining which has pushed propety prices up but that said Adelaide prices are none too cheap either so you wouldnt be gaining a great deal by chosing one city over another.

 

Adelaide is hot and dry in Summer, Perth is slightly more humid. Both have flies.

 

Shopping is the same - the major supermarket chains are represented in both states and sell the same stuff.

 

Adelaide is more of a country town than a city and that brings with it its own set of problems, reluctance to embrace change etc. Not sure how Perth compares in this regard.

 

Schooling will be much of a muchness wherever you go - some good, some not so good.

 

Find the job first and let the rest sort itself out. If you hate it, you move simple as that.

[Dawn]

Wonder what Poms in Perth would say on this question ???

[Guest Steph&Lee]

Hi Rob,

 

Welcome to PIA!

 

We too have never been to Adelaide! We have been to NSW as we too have family there (would have been number one choice....but far too expensive!!) What type of nurse is your wife???? Are you going state sponsored??? Perth now requires 7 years experience as a nurse, whereas Adelaide only requires 2yrs!

 

We too are trying to research Adelaide as much as possible and everyone on here seems to have good things to say about living there. We have 2 daughters aged 18ys and 13ys so we need to live closer to a bit of nightlife but far enough to afford a nice house. I suppose it depends how old your children are to where you live. We are looking at Hallet Cove, Morphett Vale and round that area. Rentals seem alot cheaper the further south you go.

Good luck with your application!

Steph

[jim and adel]

One problem with Adelaide being so close to the other major centres is that many companies dont need to have a specific Adelaide branch and can run the Adelaide office with skeleton staff whilst running their main operation from Sydney or Melbourne. Whilst that might not be a problem for you with your choice of careers, the small size of Adelaide means opportunities are often limited.

 

Perth has enjoyed a big boom with the money flooding in from the mining which has pushed propety prices up but that said Adelaide prices are none too cheap either so you wouldnt be gaining a great deal by chosing one city over another.

 

Seconded.

 

Jim

[mottie]

Hi there

 

When we originally moved to australia, we moved to Perth, we stayed there 18 months, in which time I couldnt find work (admin) but we were 70-80kms south of Perth living in Mandurah so slightly rural, my OH did find work as a plumber but the working conditions werent the best. We decided it wasnt for us over there and rather than go back to the Uk decided to come to Adelaide. We didnt ever think that we would feel isolated when we moved to Perth but after time you do begin to feel it.........although it is a very beautiful part of the world to live in. The people in Adelaide are so much more friendlier, and for us the whole experience of living here has been so much better...........having said this we have friends who live in Perth who love it and wouldnt ever consider moving. The people over in WA seem so much more aggressive than over here and they seem to think that they are their own seperate country.....which I suppose you can understand being so far away from everyone else......this is just a little bit of our experience for you......but as always its an individual choice, its whatever suits your family.....you could move to Perth and love it!

 

Hope all goes well for you wherever you decide to live!

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

We talk about Perth quite alot since we have been here in Adelaide.....never say never i say.

 

But for now we love it here Adelaide more than ticks all of our boxes in what we were looking for from moving here nearly 3 years ago.

 

There seems to be so much to do, go see..be it V8 racecars @ Clipsal, Long list of DJs @ Future Music, Sample some of the best wineries in the world @ McLaren Vale/Barossa, World class cricket at the Oval, some of the beaches i have ever seen, Catamran cruises for $20 per person and a group booking....there seems to be everything for everybody to suit many differing tastes.

 

The city is very easy to get around excpet when the Clipsal rolls into town as there are raods closed all over the place.

 

We were talking to a guy at a bbq the other and he says that Perth is the most isolated in the world not sure if this is true but its a plane from anywhere, but i am sure that Perth has heaps to offer too....were going to do a road trip either to Perth and fly back or fly there and drive back...in a campervan of course....

 

Good luck in whichever you decide....

 

HG

[kildorragh]

I lived for three months in Scarborough beach in Perth - to be honest, I found it too picture perfect - great place to go on holiday but it would be difficult to knuckle down to work - too much time lookng out of the window, taking in the views.

 

As previously stated on many occasion, Adelaide is a country town that thinks it's a city. Some say it's quite a boring place but that's why I live here - the perfect place to bring the kids up.

 

It is a really friendly place which tends to take a bit of getting used to. I was used to London pace when I first arrived and used to get wound up waiting in a bank queue whilst the teller chatted to the customer in front of me about her trip to Victor Harbour. Now I embrace it - guess I'm now a local.

 

Good luck with your decision.

[Guest SA Great]

I have been to Perth twice and think it is a far better city than Adelaide. I love Adelaide but Perth is warmer, has heaps more money to spend on infrastructure, has amazing beaches but is a lot dearer to buy a house.

[snifter]

We were talking to a guy at a bbq the other and he says that Perth is the most isolated in the world not sure if this is true but its a plane from anywhere, but i am sure that Perth has heaps to offer too....were going to do a road trip either to Perth and fly back or fly there and drive back...in a campervan of course....

 

Good luck in whichever you decide....

 

HG

 

Its sort of true. If you take it in terms of having another city within reach then it is. Perth's closest is Adelaide. If you just take the actual farthest, then its Auckland. But Wellington is much closer to get to than Perth is to Adelaide.

 

The most remote city with a population in excess of one million is Auckland, New Zealand. The nearest city of comparable size or greater is Sydney in Australia, 2,153 kilometres (1,338 mi.) away.[citation needed]. Coming in a close second at 2,139 kilometres (air travel distance) is Perth, Australia. Its nearest large city is Adelaide, Australia.

[jim and adel]

Think with 3 little ones qld may be too hot for us.

 

Rather different heat with one being humid and the other (usually) dry heat, so the temps can be deceptive. Just be aware, though, that 'subtropical' or 'tropical' doesn't necessarily mean hotter, just more consistent across the seasons. Few (any?) Qld places reach the temps that Adelaide can get in mid summer, but it is obviously cooler here than Qld in winter.

 

Jim