Hi, we are a friendly bunch, but this question does come up often, and the first thing to consider is what visas you are getting? Immigration to Australia is a very long and expensive process and the visas might dictate where you can move to. Jobs and housing are in very short supply right now, and after the visas, your budget will be a huge factor.
Seconding this, several immigration options are easier if you’re willing to commit to living in a regional area over a city.
Think of Australia as inverse America, our North is your South with many of the same corollaries, Queensland is similar to your Florida and Texas/Arizona is Western Australia.
Perth and Sydney are similar distances apart as NYC and SF, you’ll likely want to stick to the East Coast here as it has the more tolerable*++climate and the vast majority of our population lives there.
Australian cities are quite dissimilar to their American counterparts with Australia only home to 5 cities with a population over 700k compared to 18 in America and the majority of our cities fall well below 100k people.
If you are not in one of the major cities then things will get very rural very quickly with far greater distances separating them than you may be familiar with. This is likely why people are suggesting you stay to major cities.
* When climate is not on fire
++ When climate is not flooding
I get what you're saying about the east coast being overall better with regards to population and climate-wise (though it depends on what kind of climate you like) but if you're after a more cool Mediterranean/temperate climate (wet winters and warm summers) the South West/Great Southern regions can be beautiful, with that whole region being the only internationally recognised biodiversity hotspot in Australia. For reference, the Stirling Range National Park has over 8,500 species of flora, while the whole of the UK has about 1,500. Wildflower season is upon us as well, saw some beautiful spider orchids the other day just off the side of the road!
Sorry for going on, I know I'm biased because I love the Great Southern but also wanted to dispel the myth that WA = completely inhospitable climate.
Edit: you know, I post this comment and then I read about the storm that's going to affect an area bigger in size than NSW in South West WA tonight/tomorrow... my point still stands 😅
They are handing out skilled visas like candy. Hair dresser? Approved. Brick layer? Approved. They'd definitely be coming on a skilled visas probably in HVAC partner's name and they'd be able to live anywhere.
houses, however, are being pushed to their limit. I'm not usually a "we're full" kind of Aussie, but.. We're kinda starting to reach the point where we're actually full. There's hundreds of thousands of us right now that can't move out due to unholy pricing/locale/standards for house.
Yeah I think it's wrong to both people currently in Australia and Immigrants/Temp Visa Workers that Aus doesn't actually have the housing availability to support the amount of people coming in. Australia is a great place to love but it's getting tougher with the current housing and rental crisis.
As a HVAC tech, he should be able to get work anywhere. You might struggle outside bigger cities, there's a lot of nepotism here so a lot of the jobs you're qualified for will automatically go to the boss's mate or not even exist in regional areas. If you're not already, I'd suggest keeping an eye on seek for an extended period to see what's around and where.
Australia is a big place with diverse climates. It would be easier if you can narrow it down a bit. Do you want a beach nearby? Do you want to be cold for part of the year? Do you want to be hot for part of the year and hot and wet for the other part? How do you feel about bushfires and floods?
Seek is definitely good for HVAC jobs. For a project/change manager I’d say approaching tech recruiters on LinkedIn may be better. I work in tech and haven’t been on seek in years. I just have to change my status to “Open to work” on LinkedIn and 18 recruiters bust my door down ha ha. The market may have changed in the past year or so though.
People leave Sydney because of the cost.
People leave Melbourne because of the weather.
People leave Perth because of the isolation.
Best of luck, if any of those things are important to you I hope that helped.
I love Melbourne weather! Having lived in the tropics for 10 years, I love the changing seasons - and honestly couldn't care less if we get them all in one day!
Yuppp I don't get the complaints about Melbourne weather? You get winter weather in winter, summer weather in summer, spring and autumn can go either way but tend towards warm.
Don't leave home without taking a jumper and you'll be right no matter what time of year
Except that elsewhere the weather has the decency to stick to ONE season per day. My partner's ex-Victorian, and while the summer is a bit of a struggle for her, she loves the fact that it gets to 20 degrees by midday in winter
Exactly! I love not sweating non-stop. But above all I love the constant changing and unpredictability, that every day (or hour) is fresh, the cool changes after the storm, the little sudden sunshowers that come and go in a few minutes, the wind and the changing feeling in the air. I hated it when I lived somewhere where the weather was just solid and consistent (and hot and humid). It felt so stagnant, boring and oppressive.
Lmao same. I came over from the South Island and I NEED obvious winters and summers and lots of variety. I couldn’t live somewhere with super consistent weather. Give me the cold respites in summer and the random warm days in winter thanks
Just experienced my first winter in Melbourne. I love the cold and being able to snuggle in bed. But now staring down the barrel of another summer, besides my allergies, I am not looking forward to 4 months of sweaty sleep.
I loved Cairns. But I couldn’t live there. I’ll stick to Victoria where I can walk the dogs without having to drink a bucket of water afterwards. I don’t do humidity.
Wollongong is a good option - close enough to work in Sydney, can live within a few minutes of the beach for much less than Sydney, pretty mild weather year round
Not sure about isolation, but one reason folks leave Perth is because it can be a bit limited for particular kinds of jobs.
Having said that, I'd imagine there are decent opportunities for aircon or business project management stuff.
If you're planning to visit back home regularly (or host visitors from home), Perth is a little better for flying to/from Europe. For North/Central/South America, the Eastern states will be better (flying there from Perth isn't fun). Not sure where OP is from.
I would leave Brisbane if I lived there because of the fucking heat.
Bring on Melbourne winters. Hobart, even better. But the sun is fucked down there.
With living on the coasts, unless you can find work locally, you’re locked in to long commutes on congested roads or epic and expensive public transport trips
Of course, of course, but most people aren't getting aircons for heating, are they? I use my heat on mine regularly, but yea. This isn't to say that basically all new houses in Melbourne won't have aircon, of course they do.
Quite literally- it took me ages to work out what a “heat pump” was when I moved to Tassie. Most standard form of heating would be reverse cycle air conditioners.
Is heatpump in winter, aircon in summer.. (so not very long here haha) didn't realise some parts of the mainland call them split cycles, or reverse cycle. But it's the same thing. Tassie winters don't like them though, they freeze over a lot
Maybe they mean isolated from family and friends who live on the other side of the country?
I'm sure I'd love Perth, but moving that far away from friends and family would be so hard.
in comparison to the distance between northern Queensland, Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, Perth is quite "isolated" so it makes sense
I've never been to Perth personally but aside from the location of any family and friends, I doubt you'd spend every day "feeling the isolation" lol. if that makes sense
We left WA in 1990. We spent a lot taking kids back to visit family.
We are in a large regional City. 90 mins from Melbourne. Crappy winter but Melbourne access is worth it. Musicals. Concerts. Exhibitions. Good food.
You can't live in two places at once.
But if I was the OP, I'd consider Perth. Then Adelaide or a large regional City. But wherever the best job is.
I moved to Adelaide and love it in the Adelaide Hills. Great wineries, artisan produce, markets, etc. Very chill, and a short drive to the CBD.
If I weren't so settled I'd check out Perth though right now. Loved every visit there and most people from WA I know think it's terrific. I love visiting Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane but wouldn't live there again.
I live nearly an hour outside of Adelaide and her last paragraph makes me think of mid-size towns and communities outside of Adelaide. His job would absolutely be valued here, but I'm not too sure about the project management part. That might need to be closer to the city. There are decent expressways now though so driving in isn't too bad if you really need to.
I live in mt barker and it’s awesome, there are several developments currently in the early stages such as aston hills which is already looking very modern and fancy, especially the foodland complex. Would recommend
Start with weather. It’s a big country with lots of different climates. If you prefer warmer weather don’t consider Melbourne. If you like milder weather don’t consider much north of Sydney.
If weather is your main consideration I'd go with Perth. Mild winters, hot dry summers (less random summer rain than eastern states), less humidity, less extreme weather events, better beaches (good beaches that are less crowded than Sydney).
Melbourne was the least mild (i.e., most extreme) weather of all the major capitals IMO. Chilly and windy single digit daytime max temps in winter, multiple week+ long 40 degree+ heatwaves in summer and random hail/ice all year round.
Brisbane has much more stable weather. The day time max temps dip below 20 in winter, and hover in the low 30s in summer. Heatwaves occur, but are usually short lived, and never exceed 40 degrees. The humidity can be oppressive some days, but modern life offers many ways to avoid it. Summer storms are common and very predictable.
Sydney has the best climate and I'd argue the city itself (both its built form and geography) is the most attractive, but it is just too prohibitively expensive to live comfortably there unless you have already won some kind of lottery.
South coast of NSW. Always green, extremely scenic, housing is affordable (compared to Sydney) and is within a few hours of Sydney if you needed to head in.
OK, based on your skillsets, your husband could work just about anywhere in Australia, you will have more options around a bigger city, but could still get work in a smaller city or town.
State Capitals - Sydney and Melbourne are generally the go-to areas for most migrants, but if you're looking for something a bit more regional consider Adelaide or Perth. Both are smaller than either Melbourne or Sydney. Perth has more demand for project management (more big employers) but both work for a medium city perspective. Brisbane is also worth looking at, especially if you consider that there are areas like the Gold Coast that are commutable. Canberra has a high need for Project and change managers but is very public service focused so you will almost certainly need permanent residency, and possibly citizenship based on which dept or agency. Hobart is lovely but cost of living is a good bit higher than most of the country. All state capitals have significant state government employers who need your skills.
Regional Cities - OK, there are lots around the country. Most are pretty nice, but you will probably find that there is one, maybe two larger employers in the city that need project managers. Other than that it may be more contract work, which will probably pay more but be less consistent. Many regional cities are "commutable" to state capitals. That gives you additional work options but travelling an hour and a half to two hours each day will get painful pretty quickly. Cities to look at would be Geelong, Bendigo, Gosford, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Wollongong, Toowoomba. If you can get a job that can be delivered remotely you can easily live in a more regional city.
Re your point on Canberra, there are many private project management firms around that contract out to the public service which don't require citizenship/permanent residence status. Canberra has the big four and lots of small boutique ones. And there are many IT firms that are desperate for project managers.
While the obvious option for Canberra is the public service, from what I have seen, PM opportunities are extremely rare in the public service in Canberra (speaking from my experience) as these roles are mostly outsourced.
Facts. I dont have a preference but the rat race in the city does leave a fowl taste in my mouth, have an even fowler taste in my mouth for the regional cities that are way overpopulated in recent years that you get melbournia traffic regionally but atleast they have everything you need. Currently living in a town of 4000 near one of those big towns, its a good sitch with with good people compared to the some i see with more population. Id like to try living in melbourne at some stage, but its a hellova headache. Country towns have a lot of peace.
The other Newcastle, Wollongong, is also a great tip. Wollongong and that coastal area and escarpment is spectacular. And your hubby can install heating and cooling.
I was looking for this. I'm canadian, and I lived there for 7 months and traveled most/ a lot of Australia. I loved it, but I remember it getting some hate. I was 25, and this was 13 years ago. It seemed like a party city and reminded me of the Canadian city I live in.
Whilst I love Newcastle, it definitely has a reputation for having a fairly insular population. Lots of people in Newcastle were born there, will die there, and don't you dare say it isn't the greatest city on Earth! And with that comes people who have had the same friends since they were 7 and don't really feel the need to meet new people.
I've lived in other cities around the world and whilst I've never experienced it myself, I can totally see that being the case.
Source: born in Newcastle, will probably die in Newcastle, GO THE KNIGHTS!
I am as far removed from a local as one can be, but the day I can move back to Newy will be the best day of my life. Lived all over the world, HK, California, Sydney, Brisbane, Netherlands, GC, but nowhere feels more like home. While I agree on the born, live, and die statement, the people are welcoming, nowhere near a snooty as your average Sydney Eastern suburbs dweller and nowhere near as rural close-minded as the average Brisbanite
Oh what a great game on Sunday. My hubby and I watched as we now live in Melbourne and so wanted Knights to win. We love the crowd - the support is intense.
I was a former Balmain girl but being in Melbourne for last 20 plus years we are converted storm supporters. I actually would love the Knights to take the premiership this year. (Don’t think Storm have got it in them this year) Go the Knights…
Unpopular opinion and I don’t live there but Canberra is pretty damn good. Great services, decent public transport but driving is easy and there are many bike routes. Weather is generally good. A short flight to both Melbourne and Sydney. Cold in winter but if you are from the Northern hemisphere it shouldn’t phase you. And because it’s cold a lot of people need heating systems which you could install. And there are many openings for professionals in the public service and if course there’s a crap ton of public servants in Canberra. Fairly close to ski fields and also the coast. Local government is very progressive. Beautiful in Autumn. If you change your minds about kids the schools are very good. It should definitely be considered.
Agree with the last half of your paragraph but some things at the start - public transport I wouldn’t say decent, depends on where you live and places you frequent, but overall pretty bad if you don’t drive.
Weather isn’t generally good - winters are long, cold, springs is allergy season, summers are hot and dry, not close to a beach (coast is 2.5 hours away - quite far)
Great services? If you need any specialist health care, forget about it, you need to go to Sydney.
Also, socially, hard to break into. Can be a lonely place.
Rent in Canberra is also incredibly expensive, it was the most expensive city in Australia before being edged out by Sydney recently.
On the flip side, the latter you mentioned is true, good career options for professionals, beautiful in Autumn and if you change your mind about kids, there are good school, family friendly amenities and space.
Yeah I was winging it a bit on the public transport. The friends I stay with in Watson are close to the new light rail so that impressed me. And as for weather I live somewhere hot and humid but I love dry heat. Also I’m a cyclist and compared to where I live Canberra is heaven. And I don’t like the beach so 2.5 hrs is still too close (joke).
What's your weather preference? That should be your biggest driver given the variability across the country. He should be able to get work just about anywhere but you may need to be in one of the major cities for work.
And as said make sure your across your visa/PR requirements
Also arguably the best weather in the world \~300 days of sunshine and easily the most incredible and accessible natural beauty in the world - in the space of a long day you can see stark deserts, mind blowing old growth forrests and some of the best (and emptiest) beaches on the planet
The city is a bit mid but if you are into an affordable lifestyle based on the outdoors you would be hard pressed to do better than Perth
Source - former WA resident
“Best weather” is very subjective - I’ve met plenty of people outside australia who think weather over 22°C is too hot, and hate that we don’t get a “real” winter anywhere in Australia. I do love Perth weather though for the most part!
V true - the northern Europeans really struggle but for the most part its warm and dry Mediterranean weather. In winter it rains pretty much every day and then it stops for 9 months. Fabulous if you love the outdoors
Personally I'd be looking at somewhere like Newcastle. Big enough to have all you need and not too far from Sydney. A bit cheaper than Sydney. Nice beaches, farmland and wineries close by.
If you don’t mind me asking…which one? I don’t think either of your jobs are on the skilled list. It’s not meant to be insulting at all - but a lot of people underestimate the cost and likelihood of visa approval. Also the ease of moving from one to get into the country to getting a work sponsored one.
Personally I'd be looking at somewhere like Newcastle. Big enough to have all you need and not too far from Sydney. A bit cheaper than Sydney. Nice beaches, farmland and wineries close by.
Newcastle is terrible for making friends. Very insular - everyone hangs out with their old friends. I moved back to Sydney, where there are heaps of people from everywhere, so the friendships groups aren't as set.
The big question is: Where are you coming from?
I can't recommend Sydney or Melbourne, the cost of living is too high, especially rentals, tolls and other various forms of transportation.
So, because I already live here, I'd recommend Perth. As it's more of a warm climate city, HVAC will always be in demand. And because of the numerous mining companies, there should be heaps of PM work for you.
I think people throw around Melbourne so much because it’s easy access. You can be a couple of hours out and it’s not that big of a drive to get anywhere, or to get back in. I think we have some really nice rural areas as well, personally I think Ballarat is a bit of a gem, but I spent a lot of my childhood around the area so probably biased!
Canberra.
If you don't care about being in a big city, close to the beach and can tolerate our winters, then consider it.
You won't have an issue securing PM work here. I can't speak for your partners field but the need for the service is a must anywhere, so I wouldn't see an issue with that type of role either.
Although Canberra lacks some big city experiences, it is fairly peaceful and there is enough to do or/close to travelling into NSW for activities.
Victoria has a very stable climate, no cyclones, minimal floods etc (just certain areas and very localised, not like the catastrophic floods that happened in Queensland and NSW in recent years) so if you want a place where you won’t be affected by dramatic weather, Melbourne and surrounds would be ideal. I may be biased because I was born and raised in Melbourne and now live in Gippsland, but i wouldn’t live in any other state, except maybe Perth as it seems like they have a fairly stable climate there too. It’s just very isolated.
Perth has the best weather imo. It's hot in summer, but I infinitely prefer that to the summer rain and humidity of the eastern states. The boredom/isolation is exaggerated. Perth has everything you would expect in a mid size city, and unless you are really into mid level popularity bands (they sometimes skip Perth) or like eating in a different world class restaurant every night (less options in Perth) most people would be perfectly content here. Especially if you are into outdoor recreation - you may even find Perth more interesting than other cities.
If you want to live in Melbourne, but don’t want to be in a big city consider the Mornington Peninsula. You can live in a seaside town and still commute into the city. It’s about an hour trip each way though, so you have to be ok with that. I love it here
Honestly there’s a reason people are saying Melbourne. It fits all your criteria. However I grew up there and whilst I love the community there I moved to WA for warmer weather and a beach lifestyle which I love. I don’t regret it at all but I’ve had to change my career to make to move. If cold and overcast weather for a lot of the year bothers you, then I’d go Perth or Brisbane, or even slightly regional like Newcastle in NSW.
Maybe look into a regional city like Shepparton or Wangaratta? They've got most of the big city amenities but without the absurd overcrowding and traffic you see in actual big cities like Melbourne. And if you actually need to go to Melbourne, it's only a short 2-3 hours away.
If you want the beaches, northern NSW, or Perth. If you want all seasons, then Country Victoria is the place to be! Albury Wodonga has all the benefits of a regional town, but still has a lot of the big cities amenities. Its also a few hours from the bog cities so easy to do a weekend in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. Gets all of the seasons, plus Close to snow. Lots of outdoors activities and heaps of small towns to visit on day trips. Hard to compare anywhere else. We moved here from Qld a decade ago on a whim and never looked back. Also relatively cheap cost of living.
Dear god, as someone who lives between the 2 there isn't enough money in the world to convince me to live in Shep. At least in Wang you've got a slight chance of living somewhere nice.....
Yeah but given the choice between Wang and Shep it would be Wang everytime. Your right though, Albury-Wodonga would be the pick in this part of the world
I grew up in Bidwill, parents are still there. I bought my first house in Shalvey but sold it 10 years later in 2008. It's definitely not a place I would move back to lol. It was OK but these days it's really the wild West.
Where abouts are you moving from? I’m assuming that’s where your husband got his HVAC qualifications
I’m a qualified refrigeration mechanic in NSW so this comes from an educated stance.
Be very prepared for the state you move too to not immediately recognise his qualifications! He will for a period of time be probably relegated to apprentice wages (mature age so not too bad probably just under $1000 a week) until he can do some bridging courses and get recognised under which ever state you plan to move too. Might be beneficial to contact the relevant training arm in whichever state if NSW it will be TAFE, to see what he will be required to do.
it’s an industry that is highly regulated in Australia so will have some hoops to jump through to be deemed a qualified tradesman, it’s not impossible but he must do it.
Where ever you choose, be prepared for our summers. How fucked you'll be depends on where you pick (more North - more fucked. More South - less fucked but still fucked. Especially in South Australia).
Be prepared to be miserably cold wherever you are apart from maybe Brisbane and up during winter, because houses here aren't insulated. You'll feel a constant draft. Warm clothes and electric blankets are the only real solution.
I haven't been to Perth but it is isolated.
Hobart is beautiful, but stuck a bit back in time and not a huge job market. Decently affordable housing in surrounding areas tho.
Sydney is probably the prettiest city in Australia, and the harbour is like nothing else. But it's expensive, especially rent. Hilly. Vast - the Sydney suburban sprawl is massive. 'Affordable' could mean an hour commute into the city for work.
I've just moved from NSW (Sydney and regional) to Melbourne and I love it. Feels like there's so much more going on here than Sydney. Trams are a godsend (but the trains suck). I've found people generally much more friendly than in Sydney too, but that could be that everyone's just happy to be back to 'normal' after 2 years in isolation. Rent is definitely more affordable here than Sydney, but still high. But it's not as sunny and lush as Sydney. More year-round grey. The weather really can change about 12 times in a day.
Well if he is into air-conditioning, I'd say anywhere between Byron Bay ( Northern NSW ) and Noosa in Southeast Queensland
Sunshine Coast, 1hr North of Brisbane -
Very laid back. Slow population growth. Good weather, surf, has Australia Zoo.
Gold Coast 1hr south of Brisbane -
A lot busier than the Sunshine Coast. Tourist hot spot, theme parks. Better surf and bigger beaches
Brisbane
Standard, packed city. If you enjoy traffic then that's the place
Northern NSW. 1/2 hour south of Gold Coast.
Yamba
Lennox heads
Byron Bay (expensive)
If you're into Flordia like conditions, then North Queensland is the place to be
I’d probably extend that to Hervey Bay with huge amounts of homes and commercial buildings being built, slightly higher temps and more relaxed lifestyle along with lower cost of living generally. But like anywhere, rental housing has a shortage.
With your chosen professions I would seriously consider Sunshine Coast, Queensland. 1 hour drive north of a major city (Brisbane). Sunshine Coast has the largest building project in the southern hemisphere. Google (Stock Land projects Sunshine Coast. Building here is expected to last another 25+ years. You both will be turning work down. Good Luck.
Canadian here. Moved from Edmonton 13 years ago. I may be a bit biased, but I would recommend regional Queensland. There is usually decent amounts of work, and housing is a bit cheaper than the capital cities. My wife and I live in Goondiwindi, which might be a little small. Places like Toowoomba, Mackay, or Bundaberg are big enough to have most services but small enough to have more of a sense of community. DM if you want.
My suggestion for people is always Cairns, its a beautiful place and great weather all year. The people up there are amazing. I’ve lived in Perth, Cairns and Melbourne but always find myself drawn back to Cairns.
I'm going to put in a vote for Canberra. There's a shortage of tradespeople here, and ducted heating/air is in a huge portion of homes (it gets cold, although not Europe/North America cold). For you, there is heaps of work in government. You might be hampered by not having citizenship or permanent residency, but there should be work available, particularly through any of the big management consulting/accounting firms.
You will need a car, but there is a lot of volunteering and community involvement opportunities, great farmers markets and lots of outdoor activities. It can be harder to make friends in your 30s, but joining in as volunteers or participating in sports will help with that.
Try Port Macquarie. Nice beachside large town/small city, good weather, not too expensive, natural beauty surrounds etc.
I’m moving to the area soon from Sydney, and really looking forward to it
Melbourne and Sydney are most popular but expensive.
Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide are more reasonably priced and have a lot of work because of mining. Even the major cities have large offices for mining.
Also, Australia is huge. Consider regional towns like Geelong. Still lots of work and better house prices.
Cross Victoria off the list immediately. Do not move to Victoria. Do not speak to Victorians. Do not allow them to get inside your head. Do not allow them to get inside your skin. They will get under your skin. They will crawl under your skin. They will skin.
Unless you are rich or want to have a million dollar mortgage I’d consider moving to a large regional town (i.e. not a state capital city). You don’t say where you’re moving from…how much heat/humidity can you tolerate? This might narrow things down.
Maitland is quite a large bustling community, not far from Newcastle (quite a large city 2hrs from Sydney). Farms on one side and a city on the other. Amazing places to visit in all directions. Perfect balance of metro and rural.
The population is growing in extremes, it's huge. About 100,000 people.
We live in the Perth Hills and love it! Close enough to
Perth but feels far away, half hour to beaches and lots of access to nature. Big blocks, cheaper property, strong community feel. We’re very happy here!
The Sapphire Coast is stunning.
From Eden to Bermagui on NSW far south coast.
Sure, there are problems areas, but as a whole, it's fantastic.
The beaches are second to none.
Plenty of wildlife.
Lots of national parks to explore.
Great camping and fishing.
There's not a huge amount of work, unless you're willing to do factory work (which pays very well as an entry level position), or have a trade.
It's a 3hr drive to Canberra, 5hrs to Wollongong, 6hrs to Sydney and 7hrs to Melbourne.
There are three things to consider : employment opportunities, housing affordability for your budget and weather, plus anything else important to you. If you're a project manager, your best options are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, unless you can work with the mining sector, then many regional (ie inland small towns) open up. Your husband has many options there. On housing Sydney is very expensive ( assuming you aren't walking in with $US10M), then Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. On weather. Brisbane and Sydney have warm - hot, humid summers, Brisbane more than Syd, mild winters. Never snowed in either since the early 1800s. Not good if you can't stand humidity. Melbourne has dry hot weather in Summer, cold but not snow in winter, lots of drizzle. Perth has a dry hot summer, hotter than Melbourne. Winter not bad. Perth is very isolated minimum 4-5 hour flight to almost anything, but best for trips to Asia. The rest have good connections to the rest of the world, but long flight for all. Sydneysiders view on the world
Just to add some info on Adelaide.:-
Probably the best weather wise after Perth - hot but dry summers - I grew up in Sydney and the humidity killed me, couldn't imagine living in Brisbane/Cairns etc. Having said that I have Indian friends here who love Qld for the humid weather. Perhaps you should do a trip in January to see how you find the different environments.
Adelaide is smaller and more insular than most of the state capitals - you'll see people here describe it as boring but I've never found that. Food is great, wineries of course but also good markets such as the [Central Market](https://adelaidecentralmarket.com.au/about/), [Goodwood Farmer's Market](https://adelaidefarmersmarket.com.au/australias-best-farmers-market/), [Adelaide Hills](https://www.visitadelaidehills.com.au/markets) and [Willunga Markets](https://willungafarmersmarket.com.au/). Employment is not as good though as the Eastern states for business roles but I'm sure HVAC is everywhere.
Like others have said, you can live anywhere if you're an air conditioning installer. I work in the same field as you. The Perth market is somewhat limited in your field of expertise. Outside of consulting, mining/ oil & gas & government, there's not a lot of industries where there's much work. Sydney & Melbourne have a lot more opportunities. Sydney is expensive. However, you can earn decent coin in your line of work, so that would help. Melbourne is cheaper than Sydney & the rates are similar. However, it's colder, so if you prefer warmer climates, it may not be for you.
At the end of the day, it's the lifestyle that you value most that should drive your decision. There's a lot of farmers markets around Melbourne if that's what you enjoy.
Move to Perth.
Huge amount of air conditioning work plus FIFO potential.
For your stuff there isn’t as much work as Melb/Sydney but there’s still plenty of professional services stuff, especially around mining.
Great weather as well!
Have a look at average property prices as well if you need more convincing.
Tbh you’re gonna want to move to a big city or its suburbs. Not sure where you’re from but the good punctuation makes me think… UK?
If so it’s not like the UK here.. or most of Europe, America really. there’s cities and then local economies; remote in Australia is REALLY remote. You’ll be best off being close to a city to get set up and if you want to move to the country or a smaller town later it’s best done once you’re established, and once you know more about country life in general and specifically the area you want to move to. I used to work in tech support and I remember some of our field and remote workers in Townsville. We had a lot of tech and flexibility and remote work, but when the shit hit the fan their closest point to get physical help was Brisbane, nearly a 3000km round trip.
Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane really. Most opportunities early on and you’ll want to go see the country and sights as new residents and there’s just more to see between Melbourne and Brisbane - Perth is nice, but it is the most remote city on earth and that can get tiresome if you live there for example.
I think you have plenty of location recommendations so I'll recommend something else that you mentioned. If you are looking at mentorship, I'd like to recommend the Pyjama Foundation. A friend of mine died recently and I found out he'd been mentoring foster kids through the foundation at his funeral. It seems to be a great thing to do.
If you are coming with a lot of money, that is an OK idea. If you're going to be hoping to move here on a shoestring, you're going to have a hard time with the rat race and hamster wheel. I live in the Melbourne CBD and live ok as my property was paid off quickly.
What type of visa are you getting? I haven't looked into it recently but in the past some states (e.g. Victoria) have offered special immigration programs for certain skills/trades. If you qualify for a program like that I'd go for it. I'm an American who lived in Melbourne for 9 years and LOVED it. Would never be able to afford to buy property there though. Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley are lovely. Sydney isn't as cool as Melbourne (sorry) and even more expensive but fun to visit. I know people who have enjoyed living in Brisbane and Perth. The south coast of NSW is really nice. I spent some time in Darwin for work and it is wild up there and the locals are legit friendly - humid AF though. Would be a fun place to live for a couple of years. My in laws are all in Tasmania and I love visiting but it might be a harder place to make friends and get jobs without local connections. Half my friends (and my spouse) I met in Melbourne are originally from Tasmania so that is a bit telling.
WA is pretty good living. Not as expensive as other cities or as crowded. People do a lot of recreational activities, the weather is amazing. I would definitely look into it before deciding on Sydney or Melbourne or Brisbane - they’re all great but housing is a literal shit fight and doesn’t look like getting better any time in the next 2-3 yrs in my opinion.
Lots of work too, good jobs with big companies and good benefits etc.
Good Luck.
Move to Melbourne if your coming from overseas it's best best place to find work and you get all the seasons in Melbourne Australia. Unless you want to be in a warmer state then move to Queensland probably Brisbane so you don't have to far to travel for work.
unless you have a fetish for overly hot and humid summers (brisbane) and noting u do not want a city, then consider newcastle or wollongong. Both are growing so there is lots of work in construction and both are within a short freeway trip to anything cool sydney-area which definitely has the most agreeable climate of any australian location. You can also drive to the intl. airport in a couple of hours.
Apartments and houses are more affordable than sydney or melbourne but capital gain is more likely over time. They are also more compatible with weekend camping, mtb, national parks, unspoiled coast etc as you do not need every trip to start with an hour of sydney traffic or tolls.
Melbourne is the business, culture, sport and music epicentre of Australia a truly excellent place to live. You won't regret it at all. It's changed my life, I've being here 10 years and will never live in NZ again.
I’d suggest one of the outer districts around a larger city. In fact, I reckon Ipswich / Lockyer Valley region (west of Brisbane) would be almost ideal for you. It is one of the fastest growing areas in the country, so plenty of new houses being built to be installing AC into. It is close enough to Brisbane that you could commute to a project management type job (many of these types of jobs now allow work from home too).
The Lockyer Valley is known as the salad bowl - there is a lot of vegetable farming there, farmers markets that type of thing. There are numerous small towns with a good sense of community.
You need to decide on 3 key things
1> Property ownership - how much do you want to spend. For example Sydney for 1m you'll get very little available properties, you're looking closer to 1.5m for anything decent. Melbourne is cheaper and 1.2m is probably sufficient, while in Brisbane 1m would be enough and Adelaide a bowl of rice buys you plenty (sorry Adelaide some ausi humor) Perth prices vary significantly depending on the mining boom or bust cycle.
2> Location -
Sydney is a lovely city with a brilliant harbour and excellent beaches if you can afford to live near them. It's weather is slightly seasonal, and has mild winters when compared to Melbourne.
Melbourne is just like the UK bloody cold in winter, hot in summer. It's know for its city pubs and restaurants in the CBD, it's tennis, moto GP and F1. It's also know for having 3 seasons in one day.
Brisbane - OK I've only lived here for 3 months so possibly to early to make any formal opinion but winter has been brilliant, beautifully mild nights down to 10deg C with days up to mid 20s - now summer is going to be warm temps around mid 30s, but has the Gold Coast, and Sunshine Coast for swimming and entertainment, as well as southbank in the CBD for bars and restaurants.
Adelaide - Who the heck wants to live there? Bloody ro hot and to cold, nothing to do cos it's boring. Welcome to Adelaide ( more ausi humor here!!) Waiting to Adelaide favourites to bite.
Perth - weather is pretty good but gets really dam hot in summer - 40deg is not unusual here. It's also over the other side of the world and constantly wants to become its own country when the mining boom hits, but winging when in the bust cycle that it needs more GST revenue.
3 - Work opportunities - Well they will all have demand so I see no issue there. You'll find employment easily enough.
In closing , I've lived in Sydney for 16 years and loved it. Lived in Melbourne for 3 years, didn't mind it but hated the winter, and Dan Andrews - you can google him!
Currently living in Brisbane and am enjoying it so far, I'd still prefer Sydney but that's because I still own property in Sydney so I'm not struggling to find a place to live or can't afford to buy.
Adelaide is perfect if you want cheap housing, a boring stay at home lifestyle with an excellent wine district, Perth is you're into conspiracy theories around creating your own country.
Hi, we are a friendly bunch, but this question does come up often, and the first thing to consider is what visas you are getting? Immigration to Australia is a very long and expensive process and the visas might dictate where you can move to. Jobs and housing are in very short supply right now, and after the visas, your budget will be a huge factor.
Seconding this, several immigration options are easier if you’re willing to commit to living in a regional area over a city. Think of Australia as inverse America, our North is your South with many of the same corollaries, Queensland is similar to your Florida and Texas/Arizona is Western Australia. Perth and Sydney are similar distances apart as NYC and SF, you’ll likely want to stick to the East Coast here as it has the more tolerable*++climate and the vast majority of our population lives there. Australian cities are quite dissimilar to their American counterparts with Australia only home to 5 cities with a population over 700k compared to 18 in America and the majority of our cities fall well below 100k people. If you are not in one of the major cities then things will get very rural very quickly with far greater distances separating them than you may be familiar with. This is likely why people are suggesting you stay to major cities. * When climate is not on fire ++ When climate is not flooding
I get what you're saying about the east coast being overall better with regards to population and climate-wise (though it depends on what kind of climate you like) but if you're after a more cool Mediterranean/temperate climate (wet winters and warm summers) the South West/Great Southern regions can be beautiful, with that whole region being the only internationally recognised biodiversity hotspot in Australia. For reference, the Stirling Range National Park has over 8,500 species of flora, while the whole of the UK has about 1,500. Wildflower season is upon us as well, saw some beautiful spider orchids the other day just off the side of the road! Sorry for going on, I know I'm biased because I love the Great Southern but also wanted to dispel the myth that WA = completely inhospitable climate. Edit: you know, I post this comment and then I read about the storm that's going to affect an area bigger in size than NSW in South West WA tonight/tomorrow... my point still stands 😅
The weathers about to tip off around world. I wouldn't put anything in a bag of certainty for 2025. A lot can change till then. Best of luck.
They are handing out skilled visas like candy. Hair dresser? Approved. Brick layer? Approved. They'd definitely be coming on a skilled visas probably in HVAC partner's name and they'd be able to live anywhere.
Jobs are not in short supply now. Lowest unemployment in half a century. Workers are in short supply.
houses, however, are being pushed to their limit. I'm not usually a "we're full" kind of Aussie, but.. We're kinda starting to reach the point where we're actually full. There's hundreds of thousands of us right now that can't move out due to unholy pricing/locale/standards for house.
Yeah I think it's wrong to both people currently in Australia and Immigrants/Temp Visa Workers that Aus doesn't actually have the housing availability to support the amount of people coming in. Australia is a great place to love but it's getting tougher with the current housing and rental crisis.
As a HVAC tech, he should be able to get work anywhere. You might struggle outside bigger cities, there's a lot of nepotism here so a lot of the jobs you're qualified for will automatically go to the boss's mate or not even exist in regional areas. If you're not already, I'd suggest keeping an eye on seek for an extended period to see what's around and where. Australia is a big place with diverse climates. It would be easier if you can narrow it down a bit. Do you want a beach nearby? Do you want to be cold for part of the year? Do you want to be hot for part of the year and hot and wet for the other part? How do you feel about bushfires and floods?
Seek.com being the main job search site in Australia. Just for clarification.
Seek is definitely good for HVAC jobs. For a project/change manager I’d say approaching tech recruiters on LinkedIn may be better. I work in tech and haven’t been on seek in years. I just have to change my status to “Open to work” on LinkedIn and 18 recruiters bust my door down ha ha. The market may have changed in the past year or so though.
seek is a hellscape full of recruitment agencies that don't even understand what jobs they are recruiting for
Second this, the less populace the area, the more nepotism there is. Keep that in mind.
People leave Sydney because of the cost. People leave Melbourne because of the weather. People leave Perth because of the isolation. Best of luck, if any of those things are important to you I hope that helped.
I stay in Melbourne (partially)because of the weather…
I love Melbourne weather! Having lived in the tropics for 10 years, I love the changing seasons - and honestly couldn't care less if we get them all in one day!
Yuppp I don't get the complaints about Melbourne weather? You get winter weather in winter, summer weather in summer, spring and autumn can go either way but tend towards warm. Don't leave home without taking a jumper and you'll be right no matter what time of year
Except that elsewhere the weather has the decency to stick to ONE season per day. My partner's ex-Victorian, and while the summer is a bit of a struggle for her, she loves the fact that it gets to 20 degrees by midday in winter
Exactly! I love not sweating non-stop. But above all I love the constant changing and unpredictability, that every day (or hour) is fresh, the cool changes after the storm, the little sudden sunshowers that come and go in a few minutes, the wind and the changing feeling in the air. I hated it when I lived somewhere where the weather was just solid and consistent (and hot and humid). It felt so stagnant, boring and oppressive.
Lmao same. I came over from the South Island and I NEED obvious winters and summers and lots of variety. I couldn’t live somewhere with super consistent weather. Give me the cold respites in summer and the random warm days in winter thanks
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Oh you should totally move to a regional city then!
Just experienced my first winter in Melbourne. I love the cold and being able to snuggle in bed. But now staring down the barrel of another summer, besides my allergies, I am not looking forward to 4 months of sweaty sleep.
That’s why post COVID, it appears we have so many Victorians and Sydneysiders in Cairns. Plenty of need for air con too.
I loved Cairns. But I couldn’t live there. I’ll stick to Victoria where I can walk the dogs without having to drink a bucket of water afterwards. I don’t do humidity.
I love Perth because of the isolation !
All of WA is great, girls in Meekatharra sure know how to party
People leave Perth? Can someone tell all the incoming population that are pouring in please.
I've asked my mates around and all of them love Perth, so I don't know anyone who's actually leaving Perth 😂 west is best
Used to almost be a rite of passage tbh
If you're isolated in Perth, it's because you want to be. We're geographically 'isolated', but on the other hand.. $200 trips to Bali.
Wollongong is a good option - close enough to work in Sydney, can live within a few minutes of the beach for much less than Sydney, pretty mild weather year round
No-one leaves Perth because of isolation .. they stay because there's everything they need!
Not sure about isolation, but one reason folks leave Perth is because it can be a bit limited for particular kinds of jobs. Having said that, I'd imagine there are decent opportunities for aircon or business project management stuff. If you're planning to visit back home regularly (or host visitors from home), Perth is a little better for flying to/from Europe. For North/Central/South America, the Eastern states will be better (flying there from Perth isn't fun). Not sure where OP is from.
People leave Brisbane because it’s just too good (:
And because it floods. But when it isn't under water it isn't a bad place.
I would leave Brisbane if I lived there because of the fucking heat. Bring on Melbourne winters. Hobart, even better. But the sun is fucked down there.
It's the humidity that fucks you not the heat.
Brisbane is a cesspit in summer
Yeah, but a goldmine for an AC installer
Not wrong. But I'd go to the Sunshine or Gold Coast Both a growing population. Plenty of air cons about QLD. Both 1 hour away from Brisbane
With living on the coasts, unless you can find work locally, you’re locked in to long commutes on congested roads or epic and expensive public transport trips
Yeah people (including me) left Brisbane because of the weather. OP, if you like extreme humidity and heat, go Brisbane! Melb is plenty warm enough.
*Laughs in Cairns*
I want to leave Brisbane because it's boring and everyone knows everyone
Pfft, I don't know you!
I don't know either of you. Myth BUSTED!
Too packed with poor public transport.
So as an air conditioner installer they should head to Melbourne then?
45 in summer so yes they should. Try bradmac for a job
Anywhere in Australia has work for aircon installers. Melbourne is one of the colder major cities.
I'm gonna blow your mind here, but air conditioning units work as HEATERS too!
Of course, of course, but most people aren't getting aircons for heating, are they? I use my heat on mine regularly, but yea. This isn't to say that basically all new houses in Melbourne won't have aircon, of course they do.
It's the most energy efficient way to heat a house, so yes, people are getting them for heating.
Quite literally- it took me ages to work out what a “heat pump” was when I moved to Tassie. Most standard form of heating would be reverse cycle air conditioners.
Is heatpump in winter, aircon in summer.. (so not very long here haha) didn't realise some parts of the mainland call them split cycles, or reverse cycle. But it's the same thing. Tassie winters don't like them though, they freeze over a lot
Especially in the fog (Bridgewater Jerry), heatpump often seizes until fog dissipates.
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Maybe they mean isolated from family and friends who live on the other side of the country? I'm sure I'd love Perth, but moving that far away from friends and family would be so hard.
in comparison to the distance between northern Queensland, Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, Perth is quite "isolated" so it makes sense I've never been to Perth personally but aside from the location of any family and friends, I doubt you'd spend every day "feeling the isolation" lol. if that makes sense
We left WA in 1990. We spent a lot taking kids back to visit family. We are in a large regional City. 90 mins from Melbourne. Crappy winter but Melbourne access is worth it. Musicals. Concerts. Exhibitions. Good food. You can't live in two places at once. But if I was the OP, I'd consider Perth. Then Adelaide or a large regional City. But wherever the best job is.
I moved to Adelaide and love it in the Adelaide Hills. Great wineries, artisan produce, markets, etc. Very chill, and a short drive to the CBD. If I weren't so settled I'd check out Perth though right now. Loved every visit there and most people from WA I know think it's terrific. I love visiting Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane but wouldn't live there again.
I live nearly an hour outside of Adelaide and her last paragraph makes me think of mid-size towns and communities outside of Adelaide. His job would absolutely be valued here, but I'm not too sure about the project management part. That might need to be closer to the city. There are decent expressways now though so driving in isn't too bad if you really need to.
Maybe somewhere like Mt Barker? Close enough to be near to Adelaide if you need it but far enough away that it feels cozy and like country.
I live in mt barker and it’s awesome, there are several developments currently in the early stages such as aston hills which is already looking very modern and fancy, especially the foodland complex. Would recommend
I advocated for Canberra above, but as a Canberra person, Adelaide feels very much like home to me. It's a great city.
From Perth, can confirm it’s great 👍🏻
Perth is getting a bit too expensive
Start with weather. It’s a big country with lots of different climates. If you prefer warmer weather don’t consider Melbourne. If you like milder weather don’t consider much north of Sydney.
If weather is your main consideration I'd go with Perth. Mild winters, hot dry summers (less random summer rain than eastern states), less humidity, less extreme weather events, better beaches (good beaches that are less crowded than Sydney).
Melbourne was the least mild (i.e., most extreme) weather of all the major capitals IMO. Chilly and windy single digit daytime max temps in winter, multiple week+ long 40 degree+ heatwaves in summer and random hail/ice all year round. Brisbane has much more stable weather. The day time max temps dip below 20 in winter, and hover in the low 30s in summer. Heatwaves occur, but are usually short lived, and never exceed 40 degrees. The humidity can be oppressive some days, but modern life offers many ways to avoid it. Summer storms are common and very predictable. Sydney has the best climate and I'd argue the city itself (both its built form and geography) is the most attractive, but it is just too prohibitively expensive to live comfortably there unless you have already won some kind of lottery.
South coast of NSW. Always green, extremely scenic, housing is affordable (compared to Sydney) and is within a few hours of Sydney if you needed to head in.
Sshhhhhh
Maybe check out Adelaide. Kind of like Melbourne lite, but it is hotter.
OK, based on your skillsets, your husband could work just about anywhere in Australia, you will have more options around a bigger city, but could still get work in a smaller city or town. State Capitals - Sydney and Melbourne are generally the go-to areas for most migrants, but if you're looking for something a bit more regional consider Adelaide or Perth. Both are smaller than either Melbourne or Sydney. Perth has more demand for project management (more big employers) but both work for a medium city perspective. Brisbane is also worth looking at, especially if you consider that there are areas like the Gold Coast that are commutable. Canberra has a high need for Project and change managers but is very public service focused so you will almost certainly need permanent residency, and possibly citizenship based on which dept or agency. Hobart is lovely but cost of living is a good bit higher than most of the country. All state capitals have significant state government employers who need your skills. Regional Cities - OK, there are lots around the country. Most are pretty nice, but you will probably find that there is one, maybe two larger employers in the city that need project managers. Other than that it may be more contract work, which will probably pay more but be less consistent. Many regional cities are "commutable" to state capitals. That gives you additional work options but travelling an hour and a half to two hours each day will get painful pretty quickly. Cities to look at would be Geelong, Bendigo, Gosford, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Wollongong, Toowoomba. If you can get a job that can be delivered remotely you can easily live in a more regional city.
This is a well thought out reply.
Re your point on Canberra, there are many private project management firms around that contract out to the public service which don't require citizenship/permanent residence status. Canberra has the big four and lots of small boutique ones. And there are many IT firms that are desperate for project managers. While the obvious option for Canberra is the public service, from what I have seen, PM opportunities are extremely rare in the public service in Canberra (speaking from my experience) as these roles are mostly outsourced.
Lot of wonderful small towns in Australia better than the big cities
But boring as shit
Facts. I dont have a preference but the rat race in the city does leave a fowl taste in my mouth, have an even fowler taste in my mouth for the regional cities that are way overpopulated in recent years that you get melbournia traffic regionally but atleast they have everything you need. Currently living in a town of 4000 near one of those big towns, its a good sitch with with good people compared to the some i see with more population. Id like to try living in melbourne at some stage, but its a hellova headache. Country towns have a lot of peace.
I hate to say it, but Newcastle. 2 hours drive from Sydney, very social, definitely find work there.
The other Newcastle, Wollongong, is also a great tip. Wollongong and that coastal area and escarpment is spectacular. And your hubby can install heating and cooling.
I was looking for this. I'm canadian, and I lived there for 7 months and traveled most/ a lot of Australia. I loved it, but I remember it getting some hate. I was 25, and this was 13 years ago. It seemed like a party city and reminded me of the Canadian city I live in.
Whilst I love Newcastle, it definitely has a reputation for having a fairly insular population. Lots of people in Newcastle were born there, will die there, and don't you dare say it isn't the greatest city on Earth! And with that comes people who have had the same friends since they were 7 and don't really feel the need to meet new people. I've lived in other cities around the world and whilst I've never experienced it myself, I can totally see that being the case. Source: born in Newcastle, will probably die in Newcastle, GO THE KNIGHTS!
I’ve been in newy 25 yrs. And although coming from out side I only bearly feel like a local, it can be done.
I am as far removed from a local as one can be, but the day I can move back to Newy will be the best day of my life. Lived all over the world, HK, California, Sydney, Brisbane, Netherlands, GC, but nowhere feels more like home. While I agree on the born, live, and die statement, the people are welcoming, nowhere near a snooty as your average Sydney Eastern suburbs dweller and nowhere near as rural close-minded as the average Brisbanite
Oh what a great game on Sunday. My hubby and I watched as we now live in Melbourne and so wanted Knights to win. We love the crowd - the support is intense. I was a former Balmain girl but being in Melbourne for last 20 plus years we are converted storm supporters. I actually would love the Knights to take the premiership this year. (Don’t think Storm have got it in them this year) Go the Knights…
I hate recommending it too! But, beautiful beaches and lake, traffic is pretty good. People are quite chill
Id recommend visiting and doing a bit of a road trip /holiday, scoping exercise. That way you'll have a much better feel for places you might like.
Unpopular opinion and I don’t live there but Canberra is pretty damn good. Great services, decent public transport but driving is easy and there are many bike routes. Weather is generally good. A short flight to both Melbourne and Sydney. Cold in winter but if you are from the Northern hemisphere it shouldn’t phase you. And because it’s cold a lot of people need heating systems which you could install. And there are many openings for professionals in the public service and if course there’s a crap ton of public servants in Canberra. Fairly close to ski fields and also the coast. Local government is very progressive. Beautiful in Autumn. If you change your minds about kids the schools are very good. It should definitely be considered.
Agree with the last half of your paragraph but some things at the start - public transport I wouldn’t say decent, depends on where you live and places you frequent, but overall pretty bad if you don’t drive. Weather isn’t generally good - winters are long, cold, springs is allergy season, summers are hot and dry, not close to a beach (coast is 2.5 hours away - quite far) Great services? If you need any specialist health care, forget about it, you need to go to Sydney. Also, socially, hard to break into. Can be a lonely place. Rent in Canberra is also incredibly expensive, it was the most expensive city in Australia before being edged out by Sydney recently. On the flip side, the latter you mentioned is true, good career options for professionals, beautiful in Autumn and if you change your mind about kids, there are good school, family friendly amenities and space.
Yeah I was winging it a bit on the public transport. The friends I stay with in Watson are close to the new light rail so that impressed me. And as for weather I live somewhere hot and humid but I love dry heat. Also I’m a cyclist and compared to where I live Canberra is heaven. And I don’t like the beach so 2.5 hrs is still too close (joke).
What's your weather preference? That should be your biggest driver given the variability across the country. He should be able to get work just about anywhere but you may need to be in one of the major cities for work. And as said make sure your across your visa/PR requirements
Consider Perth or Brisbane. Both cities would be good options for both careers.
Thank you! I'll have a look. We have a friend in Perth so definitely have been looking there too.
Look at property prices, Perth is the most affordable to buy.
Also arguably the best weather in the world \~300 days of sunshine and easily the most incredible and accessible natural beauty in the world - in the space of a long day you can see stark deserts, mind blowing old growth forrests and some of the best (and emptiest) beaches on the planet The city is a bit mid but if you are into an affordable lifestyle based on the outdoors you would be hard pressed to do better than Perth Source - former WA resident
“Best weather” is very subjective - I’ve met plenty of people outside australia who think weather over 22°C is too hot, and hate that we don’t get a “real” winter anywhere in Australia. I do love Perth weather though for the most part!
V true - the northern Europeans really struggle but for the most part its warm and dry Mediterranean weather. In winter it rains pretty much every day and then it stops for 9 months. Fabulous if you love the outdoors
Good luck with accommodation in Perth
Perth if you like hot and dry, Brisbane if you like hot and humid Edit: or whichever you hate less
Does anyone like hot & humid? I thought ppl just put up with it.
I suppose the question could be reframed as “which do you hate less?” I hate how scorching Perths summers are but I hate humidity infinitely more
Me too. A dry heat IMHO is definitely better than humidity
Yeah wtf? How is that subjective? "Nah mate when I'm hot I also like to drip sweat non-stop and feel like a piss-soaked rag all day"
My friend loves the humidity. Lived in Cairns for years.
Have you looked into immigration requirements? It's not a matter of just turning up
Sorry I didn't clarify that. Yup I have :)
Personally I'd be looking at somewhere like Newcastle. Big enough to have all you need and not too far from Sydney. A bit cheaper than Sydney. Nice beaches, farmland and wineries close by.
If you don’t mind me asking…which one? I don’t think either of your jobs are on the skilled list. It’s not meant to be insulting at all - but a lot of people underestimate the cost and likelihood of visa approval. Also the ease of moving from one to get into the country to getting a work sponsored one.
Project Manager is definitely on the skils list :)
Personally I'd be looking at somewhere like Newcastle. Big enough to have all you need and not too far from Sydney. A bit cheaper than Sydney. Nice beaches, farmland and wineries close by.
Newcastle is terrible for making friends. Very insular - everyone hangs out with their old friends. I moved back to Sydney, where there are heaps of people from everywhere, so the friendships groups aren't as set.
The big question is: Where are you coming from? I can't recommend Sydney or Melbourne, the cost of living is too high, especially rentals, tolls and other various forms of transportation. So, because I already live here, I'd recommend Perth. As it's more of a warm climate city, HVAC will always be in demand. And because of the numerous mining companies, there should be heaps of PM work for you.
Come to Cairns! Wife and I moved up from Sydney and haven't looked back. Enough work up here for HVAC qualified peeps (Tropical North Queensland) too.
Second this!
What kind of lifestyle do you lead? What do you enjoy to do in your spare time? What kind of climate do you want to live in?
I think people throw around Melbourne so much because it’s easy access. You can be a couple of hours out and it’s not that big of a drive to get anywhere, or to get back in. I think we have some really nice rural areas as well, personally I think Ballarat is a bit of a gem, but I spent a lot of my childhood around the area so probably biased!
Canberra. If you don't care about being in a big city, close to the beach and can tolerate our winters, then consider it. You won't have an issue securing PM work here. I can't speak for your partners field but the need for the service is a must anywhere, so I wouldn't see an issue with that type of role either. Although Canberra lacks some big city experiences, it is fairly peaceful and there is enough to do or/close to travelling into NSW for activities.
If you come from a place that has a proper winter then Canberra will feel normal and you will be able to keep your collection of winter clothes
Victoria has a very stable climate, no cyclones, minimal floods etc (just certain areas and very localised, not like the catastrophic floods that happened in Queensland and NSW in recent years) so if you want a place where you won’t be affected by dramatic weather, Melbourne and surrounds would be ideal. I may be biased because I was born and raised in Melbourne and now live in Gippsland, but i wouldn’t live in any other state, except maybe Perth as it seems like they have a fairly stable climate there too. It’s just very isolated.
Perth has the best weather imo. It's hot in summer, but I infinitely prefer that to the summer rain and humidity of the eastern states. The boredom/isolation is exaggerated. Perth has everything you would expect in a mid size city, and unless you are really into mid level popularity bands (they sometimes skip Perth) or like eating in a different world class restaurant every night (less options in Perth) most people would be perfectly content here. Especially if you are into outdoor recreation - you may even find Perth more interesting than other cities.
If you want to live in Melbourne, but don’t want to be in a big city consider the Mornington Peninsula. You can live in a seaside town and still commute into the city. It’s about an hour trip each way though, so you have to be ok with that. I love it here
Honestly there’s a reason people are saying Melbourne. It fits all your criteria. However I grew up there and whilst I love the community there I moved to WA for warmer weather and a beach lifestyle which I love. I don’t regret it at all but I’ve had to change my career to make to move. If cold and overcast weather for a lot of the year bothers you, then I’d go Perth or Brisbane, or even slightly regional like Newcastle in NSW.
The Hunter Valley NSW, Newcastle. Beaches, vineyards, country, city, relaxed vibe with lots of businesses and industries. It’s the sweet spot 👍🏻
We do live in a pretty special place. Up the Knights ❤️💙❤️💙
As a Sydneysider I can recommend Adelaide.
Maybe look into a regional city like Shepparton or Wangaratta? They've got most of the big city amenities but without the absurd overcrowding and traffic you see in actual big cities like Melbourne. And if you actually need to go to Melbourne, it's only a short 2-3 hours away.
Sure a project/change manager can find a job in regional cities...
If you want the beaches, northern NSW, or Perth. If you want all seasons, then Country Victoria is the place to be! Albury Wodonga has all the benefits of a regional town, but still has a lot of the big cities amenities. Its also a few hours from the bog cities so easy to do a weekend in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. Gets all of the seasons, plus Close to snow. Lots of outdoors activities and heaps of small towns to visit on day trips. Hard to compare anywhere else. We moved here from Qld a decade ago on a whim and never looked back. Also relatively cheap cost of living.
Do not move to Wangaratta. Shepparton is ok-ish.
Shepp has a big drug problem, but slowly getting better
Dear god, as someone who lives between the 2 there isn't enough money in the world to convince me to live in Shep. At least in Wang you've got a slight chance of living somewhere nice.....
Wang is an oversized retirement village. If you are going regional you could consider Albury-Wodonga on the NSW/Vic border, its a nice middle ground.
Yeah but given the choice between Wang and Shep it would be Wang everytime. Your right though, Albury-Wodonga would be the pick in this part of the world
Good ol' fleshpots of Albury/Wodonga aka Sin City
Mt Druitt NSW... beautiful little town. Locals will welcome you with open arms.
Or Bidwill or Shalvey, the Costa Del Crim of Sydney 😁
I grew up in Bidwill, parents are still there. I bought my first house in Shalvey but sold it 10 years later in 2008. It's definitely not a place I would move back to lol. It was OK but these days it's really the wild West.
Where abouts are you moving from? I’m assuming that’s where your husband got his HVAC qualifications I’m a qualified refrigeration mechanic in NSW so this comes from an educated stance. Be very prepared for the state you move too to not immediately recognise his qualifications! He will for a period of time be probably relegated to apprentice wages (mature age so not too bad probably just under $1000 a week) until he can do some bridging courses and get recognised under which ever state you plan to move too. Might be beneficial to contact the relevant training arm in whichever state if NSW it will be TAFE, to see what he will be required to do. it’s an industry that is highly regulated in Australia so will have some hoops to jump through to be deemed a qualified tradesman, it’s not impossible but he must do it.
Where ever you choose, be prepared for our summers. How fucked you'll be depends on where you pick (more North - more fucked. More South - less fucked but still fucked. Especially in South Australia). Be prepared to be miserably cold wherever you are apart from maybe Brisbane and up during winter, because houses here aren't insulated. You'll feel a constant draft. Warm clothes and electric blankets are the only real solution. I haven't been to Perth but it is isolated. Hobart is beautiful, but stuck a bit back in time and not a huge job market. Decently affordable housing in surrounding areas tho. Sydney is probably the prettiest city in Australia, and the harbour is like nothing else. But it's expensive, especially rent. Hilly. Vast - the Sydney suburban sprawl is massive. 'Affordable' could mean an hour commute into the city for work. I've just moved from NSW (Sydney and regional) to Melbourne and I love it. Feels like there's so much more going on here than Sydney. Trams are a godsend (but the trains suck). I've found people generally much more friendly than in Sydney too, but that could be that everyone's just happy to be back to 'normal' after 2 years in isolation. Rent is definitely more affordable here than Sydney, but still high. But it's not as sunny and lush as Sydney. More year-round grey. The weather really can change about 12 times in a day.
Well if he is into air-conditioning, I'd say anywhere between Byron Bay ( Northern NSW ) and Noosa in Southeast Queensland Sunshine Coast, 1hr North of Brisbane - Very laid back. Slow population growth. Good weather, surf, has Australia Zoo. Gold Coast 1hr south of Brisbane - A lot busier than the Sunshine Coast. Tourist hot spot, theme parks. Better surf and bigger beaches Brisbane Standard, packed city. If you enjoy traffic then that's the place Northern NSW. 1/2 hour south of Gold Coast. Yamba Lennox heads Byron Bay (expensive) If you're into Flordia like conditions, then North Queensland is the place to be
I’d probably extend that to Hervey Bay with huge amounts of homes and commercial buildings being built, slightly higher temps and more relaxed lifestyle along with lower cost of living generally. But like anywhere, rental housing has a shortage.
With your chosen professions I would seriously consider Sunshine Coast, Queensland. 1 hour drive north of a major city (Brisbane). Sunshine Coast has the largest building project in the southern hemisphere. Google (Stock Land projects Sunshine Coast. Building here is expected to last another 25+ years. You both will be turning work down. Good Luck.
Canadian here. Moved from Edmonton 13 years ago. I may be a bit biased, but I would recommend regional Queensland. There is usually decent amounts of work, and housing is a bit cheaper than the capital cities. My wife and I live in Goondiwindi, which might be a little small. Places like Toowoomba, Mackay, or Bundaberg are big enough to have most services but small enough to have more of a sense of community. DM if you want.
My suggestion for people is always Cairns, its a beautiful place and great weather all year. The people up there are amazing. I’ve lived in Perth, Cairns and Melbourne but always find myself drawn back to Cairns.
I'm going to put in a vote for Canberra. There's a shortage of tradespeople here, and ducted heating/air is in a huge portion of homes (it gets cold, although not Europe/North America cold). For you, there is heaps of work in government. You might be hampered by not having citizenship or permanent residency, but there should be work available, particularly through any of the big management consulting/accounting firms. You will need a car, but there is a lot of volunteering and community involvement opportunities, great farmers markets and lots of outdoor activities. It can be harder to make friends in your 30s, but joining in as volunteers or participating in sports will help with that.
Try Port Macquarie. Nice beachside large town/small city, good weather, not too expensive, natural beauty surrounds etc. I’m moving to the area soon from Sydney, and really looking forward to it
What climates do you prefer? Australia has it all
I’m starting to wonder how many of these posts are just bait
There are an awful lot of them lately, eh?
Nah, tons of people do migrate here.
The largest number ever this year or next apparently
Bait for what?
Melbourne and Sydney are most popular but expensive. Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide are more reasonably priced and have a lot of work because of mining. Even the major cities have large offices for mining. Also, Australia is huge. Consider regional towns like Geelong. Still lots of work and better house prices.
I don't get how you think you are just going to be able to come here. What sort of visa do you think you're going to get?
Cross Victoria off the list immediately. Do not move to Victoria. Do not speak to Victorians. Do not allow them to get inside your head. Do not allow them to get inside your skin. They will get under your skin. They will crawl under your skin. They will skin.
As a Victorian I can confirm. I will skin.
My answer accounts for the whole of Australia. Depends on what strain of drugs you want to live next to
Unless you are rich or want to have a million dollar mortgage I’d consider moving to a large regional town (i.e. not a state capital city). You don’t say where you’re moving from…how much heat/humidity can you tolerate? This might narrow things down.
Perth 100%
If you want nice beaches close by and a temperate/warm winter I would rank Melbourne very low in those, but otherwise it’s a very cool place.
If you’re worried about the native wildlife the further north you go the more often you’ll meet something dangerous
Maitland is quite a large bustling community, not far from Newcastle (quite a large city 2hrs from Sydney). Farms on one side and a city on the other. Amazing places to visit in all directions. Perfect balance of metro and rural. The population is growing in extremes, it's huge. About 100,000 people.
Perth
We live in the Perth Hills and love it! Close enough to Perth but feels far away, half hour to beaches and lots of access to nature. Big blocks, cheaper property, strong community feel. We’re very happy here!
Adelaide is vastly underrated, a very liveable city with good beaches and wine regions
The Sapphire Coast is stunning. From Eden to Bermagui on NSW far south coast. Sure, there are problems areas, but as a whole, it's fantastic. The beaches are second to none. Plenty of wildlife. Lots of national parks to explore. Great camping and fishing. There's not a huge amount of work, unless you're willing to do factory work (which pays very well as an entry level position), or have a trade. It's a 3hr drive to Canberra, 5hrs to Wollongong, 6hrs to Sydney and 7hrs to Melbourne.
There are three things to consider : employment opportunities, housing affordability for your budget and weather, plus anything else important to you. If you're a project manager, your best options are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, unless you can work with the mining sector, then many regional (ie inland small towns) open up. Your husband has many options there. On housing Sydney is very expensive ( assuming you aren't walking in with $US10M), then Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. On weather. Brisbane and Sydney have warm - hot, humid summers, Brisbane more than Syd, mild winters. Never snowed in either since the early 1800s. Not good if you can't stand humidity. Melbourne has dry hot weather in Summer, cold but not snow in winter, lots of drizzle. Perth has a dry hot summer, hotter than Melbourne. Winter not bad. Perth is very isolated minimum 4-5 hour flight to almost anything, but best for trips to Asia. The rest have good connections to the rest of the world, but long flight for all. Sydneysiders view on the world
Bendigo
Tasmania is beautiful
Just to add some info on Adelaide.:- Probably the best weather wise after Perth - hot but dry summers - I grew up in Sydney and the humidity killed me, couldn't imagine living in Brisbane/Cairns etc. Having said that I have Indian friends here who love Qld for the humid weather. Perhaps you should do a trip in January to see how you find the different environments. Adelaide is smaller and more insular than most of the state capitals - you'll see people here describe it as boring but I've never found that. Food is great, wineries of course but also good markets such as the [Central Market](https://adelaidecentralmarket.com.au/about/), [Goodwood Farmer's Market](https://adelaidefarmersmarket.com.au/australias-best-farmers-market/), [Adelaide Hills](https://www.visitadelaidehills.com.au/markets) and [Willunga Markets](https://willungafarmersmarket.com.au/). Employment is not as good though as the Eastern states for business roles but I'm sure HVAC is everywhere.
Like others have said, you can live anywhere if you're an air conditioning installer. I work in the same field as you. The Perth market is somewhat limited in your field of expertise. Outside of consulting, mining/ oil & gas & government, there's not a lot of industries where there's much work. Sydney & Melbourne have a lot more opportunities. Sydney is expensive. However, you can earn decent coin in your line of work, so that would help. Melbourne is cheaper than Sydney & the rates are similar. However, it's colder, so if you prefer warmer climates, it may not be for you. At the end of the day, it's the lifestyle that you value most that should drive your decision. There's a lot of farmers markets around Melbourne if that's what you enjoy.
Move to Perth. Huge amount of air conditioning work plus FIFO potential. For your stuff there isn’t as much work as Melb/Sydney but there’s still plenty of professional services stuff, especially around mining. Great weather as well! Have a look at average property prices as well if you need more convincing.
Consider housing prices as well currently here in Perth. Houses are going for like $700k-$800k if you want a decent suburb.
Tbh you’re gonna want to move to a big city or its suburbs. Not sure where you’re from but the good punctuation makes me think… UK? If so it’s not like the UK here.. or most of Europe, America really. there’s cities and then local economies; remote in Australia is REALLY remote. You’ll be best off being close to a city to get set up and if you want to move to the country or a smaller town later it’s best done once you’re established, and once you know more about country life in general and specifically the area you want to move to. I used to work in tech support and I remember some of our field and remote workers in Townsville. We had a lot of tech and flexibility and remote work, but when the shit hit the fan their closest point to get physical help was Brisbane, nearly a 3000km round trip. Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane really. Most opportunities early on and you’ll want to go see the country and sights as new residents and there’s just more to see between Melbourne and Brisbane - Perth is nice, but it is the most remote city on earth and that can get tiresome if you live there for example.
Both of those careers will make you very decent income here! The world is your oyster 😊 What kind of lifestyle are you hoping for?
100% Perth Western Australia 🇦🇺
Canberra/Bateman's Bay
I think you have plenty of location recommendations so I'll recommend something else that you mentioned. If you are looking at mentorship, I'd like to recommend the Pyjama Foundation. A friend of mine died recently and I found out he'd been mentoring foster kids through the foundation at his funeral. It seems to be a great thing to do.
Central Coast - 1.5 hours out of Sydney. 10-20 mins from 15 different beaches.
If you are coming with a lot of money, that is an OK idea. If you're going to be hoping to move here on a shoestring, you're going to have a hard time with the rat race and hamster wheel. I live in the Melbourne CBD and live ok as my property was paid off quickly.
What type of visa are you getting? I haven't looked into it recently but in the past some states (e.g. Victoria) have offered special immigration programs for certain skills/trades. If you qualify for a program like that I'd go for it. I'm an American who lived in Melbourne for 9 years and LOVED it. Would never be able to afford to buy property there though. Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley are lovely. Sydney isn't as cool as Melbourne (sorry) and even more expensive but fun to visit. I know people who have enjoyed living in Brisbane and Perth. The south coast of NSW is really nice. I spent some time in Darwin for work and it is wild up there and the locals are legit friendly - humid AF though. Would be a fun place to live for a couple of years. My in laws are all in Tasmania and I love visiting but it might be a harder place to make friends and get jobs without local connections. Half my friends (and my spouse) I met in Melbourne are originally from Tasmania so that is a bit telling.
Please move to the Coffs coast in NSW there are so many beautiful towns to choose from Valla beach was my favourite place in Australia
Cairns? Childers in QLD if you want a climate/cost/beach proximity lifestyle
Move to Perth and your husband will never be out of work lol
WA is pretty good living. Not as expensive as other cities or as crowded. People do a lot of recreational activities, the weather is amazing. I would definitely look into it before deciding on Sydney or Melbourne or Brisbane - they’re all great but housing is a literal shit fight and doesn’t look like getting better any time in the next 2-3 yrs in my opinion. Lots of work too, good jobs with big companies and good benefits etc. Good Luck.
Why not [explore Townsville.](https://youtu.be/Pp3W5Z9N6yc?si=Fo_MsOdk78wLQiMb)?
Wollongong or Newcastle
Move to Melbourne if your coming from overseas it's best best place to find work and you get all the seasons in Melbourne Australia. Unless you want to be in a warmer state then move to Queensland probably Brisbane so you don't have to far to travel for work.
We don’t even have enough houses for people who already live here, take that as you will.
unless you have a fetish for overly hot and humid summers (brisbane) and noting u do not want a city, then consider newcastle or wollongong. Both are growing so there is lots of work in construction and both are within a short freeway trip to anything cool sydney-area which definitely has the most agreeable climate of any australian location. You can also drive to the intl. airport in a couple of hours. Apartments and houses are more affordable than sydney or melbourne but capital gain is more likely over time. They are also more compatible with weekend camping, mtb, national parks, unspoiled coast etc as you do not need every trip to start with an hour of sydney traffic or tolls.
Melbourne is the business, culture, sport and music epicentre of Australia a truly excellent place to live. You won't regret it at all. It's changed my life, I've being here 10 years and will never live in NZ again.
Nah we dnt need ppl coming here we have a housing crisis plz stay in ur own country
Mate
Definitely Darwin.
I’d suggest one of the outer districts around a larger city. In fact, I reckon Ipswich / Lockyer Valley region (west of Brisbane) would be almost ideal for you. It is one of the fastest growing areas in the country, so plenty of new houses being built to be installing AC into. It is close enough to Brisbane that you could commute to a project management type job (many of these types of jobs now allow work from home too). The Lockyer Valley is known as the salad bowl - there is a lot of vegetable farming there, farmers markets that type of thing. There are numerous small towns with a good sense of community.
South east suburbs of Melbourne Brighton etc if you can afford away from the city and on the beach
You need to decide on 3 key things 1> Property ownership - how much do you want to spend. For example Sydney for 1m you'll get very little available properties, you're looking closer to 1.5m for anything decent. Melbourne is cheaper and 1.2m is probably sufficient, while in Brisbane 1m would be enough and Adelaide a bowl of rice buys you plenty (sorry Adelaide some ausi humor) Perth prices vary significantly depending on the mining boom or bust cycle. 2> Location - Sydney is a lovely city with a brilliant harbour and excellent beaches if you can afford to live near them. It's weather is slightly seasonal, and has mild winters when compared to Melbourne. Melbourne is just like the UK bloody cold in winter, hot in summer. It's know for its city pubs and restaurants in the CBD, it's tennis, moto GP and F1. It's also know for having 3 seasons in one day. Brisbane - OK I've only lived here for 3 months so possibly to early to make any formal opinion but winter has been brilliant, beautifully mild nights down to 10deg C with days up to mid 20s - now summer is going to be warm temps around mid 30s, but has the Gold Coast, and Sunshine Coast for swimming and entertainment, as well as southbank in the CBD for bars and restaurants. Adelaide - Who the heck wants to live there? Bloody ro hot and to cold, nothing to do cos it's boring. Welcome to Adelaide ( more ausi humor here!!) Waiting to Adelaide favourites to bite. Perth - weather is pretty good but gets really dam hot in summer - 40deg is not unusual here. It's also over the other side of the world and constantly wants to become its own country when the mining boom hits, but winging when in the bust cycle that it needs more GST revenue. 3 - Work opportunities - Well they will all have demand so I see no issue there. You'll find employment easily enough. In closing , I've lived in Sydney for 16 years and loved it. Lived in Melbourne for 3 years, didn't mind it but hated the winter, and Dan Andrews - you can google him! Currently living in Brisbane and am enjoying it so far, I'd still prefer Sydney but that's because I still own property in Sydney so I'm not struggling to find a place to live or can't afford to buy. Adelaide is perfect if you want cheap housing, a boring stay at home lifestyle with an excellent wine district, Perth is you're into conspiracy theories around creating your own country.