Does it make sence to move to Australia from US

[Guest]

OK, in DP's trip report thread I raised a question on how he got all the time off to go to BKK. Then his answer did not, but rather some of you "continental" guys just drove me over the edge ... I want those time off too!!!!
And when I look at all aspects in my life, I start to think, hell, wouldn't it be a cool idea to move to Australia or New Zealand. I have NO knowledge on this, but just thinking of the following possibilities:
1. obviousely they are getting more time off than us in US??
2. it's closer to LOS so airfare is lower.
3. it's english speaking so we can survive there.
4. I assume we can make quivalent salary so still can be treated like king in LOS.
5. I am a software guy they say we supposed to be able to get job anywhere easily ...
6. I really have no strings here except for some annoying relatives I can't wait to cut ....

I think this is probably even more practical than trying to live in LOS, finding jobs there would be big issue. Can you visit Nana every month on teaching English? plus I am Asian faced, I don't sell well doing that ....

[dummy_plug]

I've actually been offered a 2-year transfer to Melbourne. To which I consequently said to my superiors 'I move for what?' (that's Thai bargirl rubbing off on me). The answer I got was to help build our AUS practices in Sydney and Melbourne to which I said 'How much you give me?'. The AUS firms are cheap charlies, so I said, 'Kiss my '.

[dummy_plug]

Interesting thoughts Goingtosugarland, but here are some things to consider:

1. There are plenty of jobs in the US that offer generous amounts of paid time off. Any job with Uncle Sam being one of them. Additionally, there are jobs that offer great travel perks - such as any airline or major hotel chain. They usually give decent PTO but also give you such benefits as greatly reduced airfare and/or hotel stays.

2. I've heard from US-expats living in Sydney that the city (one of the handful of places where you could probably find a job, and the best bet) is actually very expensive to live in and that local wages do not compare to those of equivalent jobs in the US.

3. Teaching English in LOS pays crap, but if you stick with it long enough you might be able to start private tutoring, which I've heard can be quite lucarative if you have a large and wealthy client base. This however takes time to build.

4. Upside to living in LOS is that you could find that special someone to .

[Mai-Kee]

(dummy_plug @ May 18 2006,06:46) Interesting thoughts Goingtosugarland, but here are some things to consider:

1. There are plenty of jobs in the US that offer generous amounts of paid time off. Any job with Uncle Sam being one of them. Additionally, there are jobs that offer great travel perks - such as any airline or major hotel chain. They usually give decent PTO but also give you such benefits as greatly reduced airfare and/or hotel stays.

2. I've heard from US-expats living in Sydney that the city (one of the handful of places where you could probably find a job, and the best bet) is actually very expensive to live in and that local wages do not compare to those of equivalent jobs in the US.

3. Teaching English in LOS pays crap, but if you stick with it long enough you might be able to start private tutoring, which I've heard can be quite lucarative if you have a large and wealthy client base. This however takes time to build.

4. Upside to living in LOS is that you could find that special someone to   .

ad 2) Absolutely true!
ad 3) Even more true!

I'd rather recommend Singapore or Hong Kong as a base. That's really close (what Sydney actually isn't) and biz is in English (and Chinese of course) and sometimes easier to get a working permit than Oz.

MK

[Guest]

OK with all due respect to the reponses so far. I work in IT and actually live in Melbourne.

The AUS firms are cheap charlies, so I said, 'Kiss my

What makes you say this. Sound like maybe your company was not willing to part with the cash but that is a US company right just operating in Aus?

Like most places the amount you get paid depends on both your experience and your area of expertise.

It is all about relative costs of living. Most cities in the US where IT is prevalent are much more expensive to live in than is either Sydney or Melbourne.

For someone with a decent amount of experience in the right area of IT you could easily live comfortably in Australia.

I know I do

[dummy_plug]

(ozzie @ May 18 2006,13:49) OK with all due respect to the reponses so far. I work in IT and actually live in Melbourne.

The AUS firms are cheap charlies, so I said, 'Kiss my  

What makes you say this. Sound like maybe your company was not willing to part with the cash but that is a US company right just operating in Aus?

Like most places the amount you get paid depends on both your experience and your area of expertise.

It is all about relative costs of living. Most cities in the US where IT is prevalent are much more expensive to live in than is either Sydney or Melbourne.

For someone with a decent amount of experience in the right area of IT you could easily live comfortably in Australia.

I know I do  

Sorry Ozzie, allow me to clarify.

My company, let's call it Acme Inc. for simplicity's sake, is actually organized as seperate corporations or firms for each country it operates in (which is 120+), with the parent company kind of overseeing it all. So Acme Inc. USA is for all intents and purposes, different than Acme Inc. Australia or Acme Inc. Germany. So when I was referring to the AUS firms (for some reason internally we always use plural) I was really referring to Acme Inc. Australia. The AUS arm of my company had requested me but wasn't willing to offer me any incentives other than 'why don't you come over here, the weather is nice'.

I do not mean to imply Australian firms are cheap! Thank you for pointing that confusing part out Ozzie!

[BAM]

(dummy_plug @ May 18 2006,11:40) I've actually been offered a 2-year transfer to Melbourne.

Dude, Melbourne Rocks!

It's one of the nicest cities I€™m ever been to. It€™s not a very large city (thats nice) and its very clean. Everyone there is so friendly. The air is clean as can be too and they got great restaurants, sea food, good clubs and night life, and legalized brothels everywhere!  It's only an 8 hour flight to Bangkok! I would not have any second thoughts of living in Melbourne.

Overall it's a class act and a 5 star city.

[Guest]

(Bam @ May 19 2006,14:16)

(dummy_plug @ May 18 2006,11:40) I've actually been offered a 2-year transfer to Melbourne.

Dude, Melbourne Rocks!

It's one of the nicest cities I€™m ever been to. It€™s not a very large city (thats nice) and its very clean. Everyone there is so friendly. The air is clean as can be too and they got great restaurants, sea food, good clubs and night life, and legalized brothels everywhere!  It's only an 8 hour flight to Bangkok! I would not have any second thoughts of living in Melbourne.




Overall it's a class act and a 5 star city.

Thanks for the nice words about Melbourne Bam. I like Melbourne more than Sydney as for a start it is about 10-20% cheaper to live in and it really is the food, arts and sport capital of the country. Yes of course this is open to debate but nobody could disagree those things are top notch in this city.

I have done a lot of work in Sydney which required my temporary residence and I found it a great place to visit but I would not want to live there.

Melbourne was a planned city whereas Sydney just grew out like and urban sprawl. So the city is very easy to find your around.

The weather is not bad either although our Northern cousins complain it rains a lot which is does from time to time it actually rains more it terms of total downfall in Sydney. Summer and Spring in Melbourne are fantastic with loads of festivals and concerts many of which are free.

City of Melbourne

Melbourne

[Guest]

fellas,
This is not about whether Melborn or Sydney is a great city. I heard it was absolutely beatiful. One woman in my ex-ex employer back in NY moved from there, her complain was "no winter". Everybody thought she was nuts.
But this is about finding a good spot as a base to freaquent LOS. From a holiday standpoint, money stand point, distance standpoint ...
I moved from SD to Dallas, for a better pay job and much affordable housing (like 5 times less) and plus to fit in my strategy of real estate investing. I work for an airline as a software contractor now (I can't really say ACME airline , there are only two, one is the largest in the world, one is the only profitable in US. I worked for the profitable one ....) My original plan did not include LOS, I was only aiming at flying around north america hitting the very small TS pools scattering around. I could stick to NYC, but sometime I saw talents in California, and then Miami. I spent too much on traveling on my own expenses. So this works out great for that purpose.
But this plan has not been realized yet, even. As a contractor, I don't get the benefit of flying around for free. But I get all the holidays I want. There is no rule. I can do whatever I want - I just don't get it with pay which is bogus anyway, they just calculated it to lower salary. So when the manager asked me if I want to turn permenant, I fall into real deep thinking.
Well my contract will not end for another 6 months and I have started the research. Asking around their holiday situation, the strange thing is, all my coworkers are having days off all the time - but when you ask them they just tell you it's the standard stinking 2 weeks deal. ....

[BAM]

The first time I came down to Melbourne I met up with this chick named Cheznel that I knew online for about a year before. It was kool to actually meet someone that you knew only online.... who lived on the other side of the planet!. Now I've met so many people through the net but she was the first.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.c....=910226

So she came and picked me up and took me to her place in Footscray. She lived there with some other Filipina girls. I had a blast hanging with her. We hit the Crown casino later that night and I won $200

[Guest]

Wowowo, stick to the topic, man ... This is nice, I am happy for you but how does this relate to the original topic??

[Guest]

(goingtosugarland @ May 20 2006,13:51) Wowowo, stick to the topic, man ...    This is nice, I am happy for you but how does this relate to the original topic??

Relax. You keep telling us we are off topic even when we talk about finding employment or relocation to Australia. Maybe you need to be a bit more specific with your questions, what exactly is it you are after

[BAM]

(goingtosugarland @ May 20 2006,10:51) Wowowo, stick to the topic, man ...    This is nice, I am happy for you but how does this relate to the original topic??

Let me get this right.... Your question is "Does it make sence to move to Australia"

Why? because you want to be close to Thailand so you can go there and fuck lots of Asian chicks and ladyboys. And you say I'm off topic because I tell you about one ASIAN chick I met in Australia?

Great thing about Australia is there are so many hot looking Asian chicks living there... . Life is good in Oz!

[katoeylover]

Hoddeson,

How do you intend getting a Visa to live there?

[Guest]

(Bam @ May 20 2006,12:48)

(goingtosugarland @ May 20 2006,10:51) Wowowo, stick to the topic, man ...    This is nice, I am happy for you but how does this relate to the original topic??

Let me get this right.... Your question is "Does it make sence to move to Australia"

Why? because you want to be close to Thailand so you can go there and fuck lots of Asian chicks and ladyboys. And you say I'm off topic because I tell you about one ASIAN chick I met in Australia?

Great thing about Australia is there are so many hot looking Asian chicks living there... . Life is good in Oz!

Didn't get it the first time ....
What do you think the suggestions on going to HK or singapore though? as another post suggested - even more asian chicks there (I have no interest in GG though, whatever race she is.) I also speak Amndarine and am Asian myself. Only scare is they work me to death with no holidays....