Possible move to OZ

[Marcman]

Hey all,

Happy new gears and father driveshafts
What a manic year last year, glad it’s all over and looking forward to 2008.

With this year comes looking for a new start,
I am thinking of leaving UK and making the move permanently to OZ,
Want to give back quality of life to my family and hopefully get me in the water more often.

I'm thinking Brisbane would be best but still need to decide.
I've done the usual looking at property in Brisbane and surrounding areas, and I have no clue what’s ideal/safe.

Ideally I want to buy something, 3 beds plus, close enough to the surf, I will be buying a car to clock the miles.
What Area's are recommended? Affordable, I would think around $450000, but that depends on what work I get.

Hopefully be looking for a IT/Support/Manager role, if not i can bend my back doing some labour.

What type of IT work is there? I've starting looking at jobserve and seek.
Does anyone know the sponsorship process?

Any advice would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks.
Cheers,
Marc.

[albert]

Hey Marc,

Brisbane could be an option, but Australia is a huge freakin place and there are more cities than Brisbane to find work at. We all know there are no waves in wollongong though, so dont come here!

After the worlds in '02 I spent about 10 months driving around and surfing my brains out, I got a pretty good perspective on all the areas around Brisbane, personally I thought it was a bit too city-like for me. But please feel free to PM me if you have any more specific questions. I have some friends that live in Brisbane and I can ask them about suburbs and all that if you like.

Thanks
Albert

[Steeno]

Brisbane, its too far from the crowded surf.

Have a good look mark, lotsa IT option jobs that are on the coast close to the cities, $450,00 will put you in outside suburbs of the city (not much beach lifetsyle), $450 can also put you 2-4 blocks from the ocean....Very noice family lifestyle.

PM if ya wanna

Customs have been cracking down on bitters....

All the best to you and your family bro

[Marcman]

Thanks fellas, ill PM soon.

I was thinking Brisbane because i got some friends there and have been there before and digged it.
Yeah its crowded in the water, but at least ill be in the water.
Its been almost a year since my last real surf, depressing!

Early days so i need to see what work i get then i can prolly fine tune whats what.

Cheers for the gaf

MC

[red]

Marc

IT's picking up again, so there's jobs around.
Check out the immigration preference list (But I think that's mostly chefs and hairdressers) - you could get a fast-tracked permanent visa.

Seek is probably the most comprehensive jobsite. I think the newspapers use them, too.
Saturday is the day for Job ads in The Age newspaper - the other days are a waste of time.
There are a number of agencies who handle the migrant job thing. Since most IT jobs are advertised through agencies, that's a well worn route.

BUT it's super competitive. Think a huge number of IT people from India, Asia, Africa and Europe trying to move down here, so get out the 'What colour is your parachute" and start setting up appoinmtments with targetted companies - don't rely on the job ad/agency route to get you emplioyed.

Drop me a line if you need more about Victoria (it's wet and cold for 7 months of the year, stinking hot for much of the other 5 months and the swell never stops pumping) (OK - it does go flat about 3 days a year!).

Red

[Shelfbreak]

Hi Marc

Spent 3 years in Brisbane, I found it frustrating to travel for a surf having come from Sydney's northern beaches. Unless you live on the outer northern or southern edges of Brisbane's sprawl it's an hour to get to the Sunshine Coast or the Gold Coast . I suspect that once kids are involved in soccer, rugby or cricket etc in Brisbane then zipping off to either coast becomes a bit harder.

It's hot and sticky on the Sunny Coast today and it's great to be able to pop down for a quick surf early or mid morning with the kids and then come home out of the sun. The Sunshine Coast is growing rapidly, a lot of people from the UK and South Africa have moved here recently.

[Kev]

... a lot of people from the UK and South Africa have moved here recently.

didn't we meet a fellow Kneelo just moved from the UK ... at Ann St a couple of days ago
name of Mal ??

The Sunshine Coast has lovely warm water and a share of sandy beach shories with the odd reef break
so, so convenient for those that live and work here

Shelfbreak lives 5 mins by foot to a local beach
this evening I spent a couple of hours at that beach in some fun surf (to great but enough reason to get wet)
I shared the break with another stand-up local and his very young son that he is coaching to surf

earlier that day, that same stand-up, was on the beach keeping an eye on his daughters and their friends ... each with a board

it's a good family life
the sunshine coast has much to offer


but I still like the Mornington Peninsula and Phillip Island back in Victoria

[SFKneelo]

Marc,

I have a contact in Perth where I can make the introductions. He's a good man, despite being a footboarder. We worked on an IT project together last year...

Let me know if the West side is of interest, and I'll make the introductions.

Cheers,
SFK

[Marcman]

Thanks, Ill Discuss this with the primeminister and get back to you.
She is keen on the east but me see what she says.
Thanks again speak soon MC