I want to move to Queensland

[Queen Bee]

Hi guys

We are in the "thinking of" moving to Queensland stage at the moment. We have actually been thinking of it for a number of months. I'm really fed up with NZ at the moment, the rising prices of everything, the government, everybody arguing over nothing, the Inland Revenue Department (I may as well just give them all our cheques from our customers and they can give us the change at the end of the year, the "WEATHER" in Wellington, the "WIND" in Wellington, in fact everything. I'm really negative at the moment, I just want out.

I know alot of Kiwi's are doing it - but it's such a big move - to make the big move. All I know is I want to move somewhere warm - well anywhere warmer than here. I am thinking along the lines of maybe working for a wage initially and then starting up my business over there if it's viable.

I remember when I was there in March that all the ads in the paper had licence numbers for businesses. Is there a website that anybody knows of that I can find out how you go about getting a number, and what the process is. We also noticed that scaffolding positions had numbers as well, I suppose to show that you were experienced to work as a scaffolder. How do you get these?

Initially we would rent a place - I don't even know where to live there. I have a friend who's just made the big move and she's living in Ormiston but she's paying $350 a week for a 3 bedroom house with no airconditoining. I'm thinking of maybe the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast not Brisbane itself (I don't know why) but somewhere with good schools, good shopping, not too far off the track and somewhere where we can base a home-based business from (so probably quite central).

Also, if there are any ex-pats out there, what pro's and con's did you find in moving to Oz.

All your input would be much appreciated.

Cheers, QB

 

[MarkR]

QB - Been in Oz for 14 yrs & based in Melbourne, lived in Brisbane for ony 4 months for work so from a Qld viewpoint can't comment much. From a pure 'come over' point of view found the Oz experience so good I even married one ! (although my 3yr old wears on AB jersey, I keep telling the in-laws that the first Wallaby jersey he gets will go in the fire !)

Found Brisbane/Qld nice, but murder in summer, I remember breaking into a sweat because I was just stretching in 30+deg, 90%+ humidity so in summer air-con is a must. If you work inside it's not so bad over summer as most places are air-con'd, home should be air-con'd, & if you're in a beer garden at 10pm it's great !

The winter up north is great, my ideal would be summer in Nth Vic on the coast, winter in Nth Qld. You could avg 30+ degrees every day of the yr with warm water to swim in & great surf ! Got offered a transfer to Bisbane but chose not to take it, all the locals wanted to have me commited, they couldn't understand how anyone could prefer Melb

I'll put my OPINION of a few of your negatives

- 'rising prices of everything' - worked on a project where there were a number of kiwis seconded over, they were adamant it was more expensive in Melb although when I go back home every yr or two I don't notice a huge difference. The 70's & 80's days of Oz being soooo much cheaper are long gone. Also property in the major cities tends to be fairly pricey over here

- 'government' well lets avoid politics because I think you'll find the same problem in most countries in the world.

- 'everybody arguing over nothing' - I think you're having a rough day there (that's not a put down in any way shape or form, just perception is 90% personal reality). I find Kiwis get hung up on the small stuff as there's not so much of the big stuff. I remember working in a nightclub & seeing stuff that didn't even make it to the police that would've made front page news in the ChCh Press !

- 'the Inland Revenue Department' - I'd take the Kiwi one any day, it costs about $2k to setup a company or trust & approx $500 to do a return from it. The personal top tax rate over here is higher although not sure about company tax rates.

If you don't like Wgtn weather then stay out of Victoria, but I'm from Christchurch so anythings warmer (except the UK).

Everything depends upon why you're coming, there's a HEAP of opportunity in Australia, but a lot of it tends to be around the cities, although home based business solves that. Gold Coast is nice but not sure if I'd want to live there (when i stayed with a friend who lived there I found it a bit 'plasticy' & VERY touristy but that maybe because the guy wasn't a true local & didn't know the 'right' spots). As you may have guessed from this website there's a lot of people who've done very nicely from Qld RE

SO, in summary, Oz is just bigger than NZ in more ways than one, same problems exist just bigger, similar opportunities, just more of them. I've enjoyed my time & doubt I'll shift back (better get that citizenship one day). Made some great lifelong friends, found an AFL team to support, love the countryside, hate the snakes but never seen one in the wild (just about every snake & spider in Oz is poisonous but you tend not to see them unless you go seriously bush). I really miss the slow ChCh pace of life now, but when I go back I end up wondering how long b4 I'd get bored Although 10-20 acres just outside ChCh would be lovely. There's things about Wgtn you'll miss, especially after a few years, & there's things you'll still love about Oz for as long as you choose to stay.

Oh yeah, found the locals friendly Got a lot of sheep jokes when I first came over, but they tend to die off slowly. There's an Ozzie trait of 'we like you cause we're giving you a hard time', but if you give it straight back it tends to die down fairly quickly Got a bit of anti-kiwi rubbish in Brisbane & got refused one job in Melb because I was a kiwi, but have seen plenty of Ozzies getting heaps in NZ (which I found equally ridiculous). So if you can see past the 'big brother little brother' rubbish that comes out occassionaly it's a wonderful place. Most people don't care where you're from, they're just interested in you as a person.

But hey if you just want warm weather, why not head Nth of Akl, great country up there too !

Good luck with your choices & have fun.
Cheers
Mark

 

[Jacque]

Hey QB,

But if you come over to Oz who's going to keep us updated about NZ property? Stay, for the sake of the forum.... !!!!

But, seriously, I feel qualified to give an opinion here, since I am a Sydneysider but have also resided in both Brisbane (four yrs) and Dunedin (1 yr) in recent times. I loved NZ but couldn't stand the cold!
As for cheaper prices, well you guys are pretty much on a par with us by now, I think. What with the introduction of GST (big mistake that was!) and the subsequent promise of some grocery items coming down in price (never materialized!) we too are paying $7 for a box of cereal. So don't hop over for the hope of cheaper cost of living.

As for Brissy, I love it and consider it a great city. But, take Mark's advice and buy an A/C or at least have a pool and several fans!! Summer is murder and can really lay you low on energy. Why not consider Sydney? Sure, I know RE is a little more exxy but we have the better more temperate climate. That's for sure. And, we had the Olympics

Anyway, can't help with your business questions, but keep us posted as to your decision- I know loads of Kiwis over here and they all love it!

 

[Queen Bee]

Hi Mark

Really enjoyed reading your post. It had me in fits of laughter. Yeh, suppose I'm having a bad day - no I'm having a bad year!

I realise there's going to be a alot of things that are similar in Oz - like the taxes, the IRD etc but I just feel at this stage we've explored and depleted all the opportunities that are availiable to us here (well maybe not, maybe we're just bored). I've heard that the standard of education is better in Oz than in NZ (I think NZ used to be one of the highest) and I think because the hourly rates of pay in Oz seem to be higher, you can get a higher standard of living. Instead of the one step forward two steps back that I feel like I'm in at the moment, especially with the business. Also the health system has gone to the pot, crime is rising (I'm sure it's high over there too) but I suppose the grass always seems greener. Hell, all those Kiwi's moving to Oz can't be wrong.

I compared prices when I was there, and yeh, you're right - they are pretty similar, but like in Queensland (or some parts I suppose) you seem to get more for your money. I mean in Wellington for $300k you practically get a tin-shack. You guys seem to get alot more than that - well from what I saw anyway.

Ozzies don't seem to have the big-hang ups that the Kiwi's have - Kiwi's are sooo macho. From the people we met, Ozzies seem to be alot more outgoing than us.

My partner is a Kiwi but was bought up in Sydney (he has five brothers there) and I've travelled alot so we are able to compare alot of places. We both really enjoyed being back here about 10 years ago, but we're tiring of it now, can see that we really need to go and do something else and out of all the places we've ever been to, the only places I would ever want to "live" in are Melbourne or Queensland and he feels the same way about Queensland.

We're at the stage now where everything we hear or see, we criticise and compare it to Australia. Maybe we need to try it - get it out of our system - and if we don't like it, we can always come back.

The heat thing worries me a bit too. I think we'd have to go over in winter when it wasn't so hot so that we could acclimatise slowly.

Thanks for the info.

Cheers, QB

 

[Queen Bee]

Hi all

Can't say that Sydney is "my cup of tea" - in fact I hated it (sorry). Could probably live in Melbourne (but doesn't it get cold there too).

I'm not going because I think the cost of living is lower, it's more of a lifestyle choice.

Negative about staying in NZ.

1. I went to watch my son play rugby in the weekend and I had long sleeve tops on and three jackets - and I was still freezing.

2. I want to be able to comb my hair - and not look like I've had an electric shock as soon as I walk out into the Wellington wind.

3. I want to be able to sit on a deck and not have a jacket on and the portable outdoor heater.

4. I would like to get a tan - at least once. Yeh, yeh, I know it's bad for you but it makes you look better.

5. I would like to be able to open the car door and not have to worry about it flying away.

6. I would like to be able to walk outside and not have to worry about me flying away.

7. I would like to be able to not worry about my house flying away.

8. I'm sick of mud. It used to be called grass - but it's now mud.

9. I would like to be able to walk around standing up straight - instead of having to stoop into the wind.

10. I would like to be able to put an umbrella up (not to stop me getting wet) but to protect me from all that sun.

11. I would like to be able to walk around town and know that I'm not the only one with a job - there's so many dole bludgers

12. I would like to be able to turn the TV on and not listen to people tell us that people on the benefit are on the poverty line. Poor them. In their Nike shoes, their big screen TV's and their Holdens. Oh yes, I know plenty of them.

13. I would like to be able to read the newspaper and not have to daily read about how the government is patting themselves on the back because we have the one of the lowest unemployment figures in the OECD. That's because everyone is now on a "course". Being on a "course" is the new dole.

14. And I would like the opportunity to sit in a beer garden at 10pm - without my ski jacket on!


QB

 

[David E-Noosa]

We moved from south of Sydney to the Sunshine Coast Qld back in 1989 and love it. We looked at land and homes from Gympie to the north and Maroochydore to the south and settled on Cooroy which is alongside the main Nth/Sth highway and 20mins drive to Noosa beaches (there is no place named Noosa by the way) Its a year round good climate and as I ride road bikes its perfect for outdoor living and riding. Its a 110 speed limit from here most of the way to Brisbane and takes 1 1/4hrs approx and 2 1/4 to Gold Coast.

1. I never wear coats
2. We live outdoors most of the year
3. I own a heater and think we used it twice this winter (if you can really call it winter)
4. I walk upright
5. Its the best place on earth to live and everyone is friendly

 

[Lplate]

I can empathise with the sentiments of your post QueenBee, having lived in southern cities. Once the feeling sets in, it doesn't get any better.

When you move to Brisbane (as you must) do it in winter. Buy/rent a house with airconditioning in the master bedroom and in the living area.

 

[layer181]

Queen Bee
We have exchange views in the past on sanding matters.I am a very slow typist hence my reluctance at submitting or replying to post.
But after reading yours,I must tell you since my last reply(mind you I am always on the forum lurking in the background) I have moved from sydney to the Gold Coast,my wife and children did not want to move there at all.Seven months later you cannot believe the change in them.They are having a ball and I am absolutely loving it.Sure the first two months was a bit hot but I am wearing Tshirt and shorts tonight ,Call that winter?
As far as work is concern the building game is a hive of continuos activity.
Seems every where there are new suburbs springing up.So many cranes are up there working on high rises.My young bloke who use to work for me in sydney move up here and two ads later he is flat out sanding week ends and all.He is bringing his brother in law

 

[layer181]

QB told you I was abad typist,don't know why my reply was submitted before I was finished.Anyway I should have made this move a long time ago.
PS they told me the money was not as good up here.Don't know what they are talking about . I am charging the same per M2 as in Sydney.My older son who does pool fencing and glass balustrades moved here two weeks ago took on this local job on his first week,he quit today becuse hev was offered a better job where he did not have to travel much.Thats my opinion of the gold coast.Like the french would say C'EST LA VIE.

 

[geoffw]

QB

Don't forget that many disilluisioned Ozzies are investing in NZ- Cashflow, cap growth, and lower taxes.

Also- warmth is great. Humidity is not.

I measure summer comfort by the MWWI*

0-7 is comfortable
7-15 is getting uncomfortable
16-25 is verging on uncomfortable
25-40 is very uncomfortable
any more is unbearable

I'd rate Canberra about a 5- Sydney is perhaps 30- Brisbane is probably much higher.



*MWWI- "Mrs Whitfield's Whinge Index"- add 1 for every day she complains that the heat is unbearable

 

[agent 86]

Queen Bee,

David E-Noosa gave you a good starting point.

The Noosa Shire area is a great spot.
No traffic lights, only roundabouts.
No Highrise buildings.
No large advertising billboards (visual pollution).
No parking meters.

Probably a bit like country NZ.

Forgot, .....weather is near perfect year round, unlike country NZ.

and no, I don't have anything to sell in Cooroy.

A86

 

[asy]

Gosh I love Brisbane...

Moved here from MEL 2.5 years ago (yes it IS that long ago!!)...

Haven't looked back. It's bloody fantastic.

I must say, in all seriousness, I totally agree with LPlate... I moved here in April, and found that perfect.

It's just cooling off, and you get to have all winter to acclimatise before the summer heat. DO NOT... repeat... DO NOT move to queensland in summer if you are coming from a cold climate... BAD things will happen. (Unless you have really good aircon.. even then, think twice).

The first winter here I thought it was fantastic. Couldn't figure out why everyone was complaining it was cold. My blood has thinned now. I complain if it gets under 20...

Lookn forward to seeing you here.. then you can be Queen BRISBee!

hehe

asy

 

[geoffw]

No, move to Canberra.

Or even better, to Queen Bee Anne.

 

[lissie]

I've lived in outback NSW as well as NZ . A couple of things no-one else has mentioned : the general Ozzie attitude to woman is Neanderthal (sp?). I worked in the mining industry - and it was like what are you doing here? Most got over it - but I was forever explaining myself - never struck the same attitude in Canada or NZ. Equally I found Ozzie underbelievably casually racist - "coons" was the normal way of describing Aboringines (sp) - this was in the 80's but compared to NZ at the time it was dark age stuff. I personally find some of the current foreshore debate stuff OTT - but I would rather that than the still official Ozzie policy of Oz being emply when the convicts arrived !

Some practical points : When comparing pay rates - compare after tax take home pay - the Oz rates are way higher than ours. Compare spending power too - check prices on petrol, rent/rates, grocieries

You will be liable for CGT on your properties in NZ - even if you dont sell them - you just return to NZ at some future point !!!!! (this from my NZ accountant) .

Think about doing a trip over to check stuff out before committing. There was a really good article in North & South recently interviewing couples who have moved to Oz - not the current edition - but you could probably get it from a library.

On the other hand its bloody tempting with the current weather !

 

[Jacque]

Hey QB,

I have a really lovely house near Brissy city that just happens to be vacant (walk to CBD and river) - let me know if you can afford $395 a week and are moving in the next seven days or so. We can work something out
Happy decision making!

 

[MarkR]

Tall popy vs What Poppy ??? Oz vs NZ

QB, had a good giggle at your response about wind factor, you're really making me think about moving Nth next winter now (it's 22 today in Melb so I can handle another few weeks of winter)

"Ozzies don't seem to have the big-hang ups that the Kiwi's have - Kiwi's are sooo macho. From the people we met, Ozzies seem to be alot more outgoing than us"
When Ozzies complain about tall poppy syndrome in Oz, I refer them to NZ where they don't cut down tall poppies, they just cut them ALL down before they're tall

As for climate, you get used to it, I used to think Melb winter was a breeze i.e. it didn't really have one, now I find it rather cold ! I used to melt above 30 degrees, now 30 degrees is time for the beach or pool, & sitting outside, once it gets above 35 i struggle but it doesn't tend to do that for more than a few days at a time in Melb most summers.

Work depends upon what you're doing, I knew a plasterer who sifted from Melb & only lasted 12 months as most of the Brisbane stuff was cement block at the time. I prefer Melb as there's heaps of IT work, but nowhere near as much in Qld (although there is some & it's not as bad as somewhere like ChCh where I'd struggle to get any IT job at all ). When I think about going back home I remember the attitude of 'if you've got a good job keep it, you don't know where the next one is', over her the attitude is more 'there's plenty of good jobs, so if you don't like it change !'. Very refreshing So it depends upon what industry.

I found a bit of 'anti-kiwi' left in Qld but I think that was a hangover form the 70's & 80's when heaps of kiwis came over just to go on the dole, etc. Now once every yr os so an article in the Sydney Morning herald points out that statisctically the avg kiwi in Oz is better educated, higher paid, lower rate of unemployment than the avg Ozzie. Where did I go wrong

Inshort, give it a go, like everywhere there's good & bad, nice people & d-heads, & after sitting through another Melb winter with my wife whining about the cold (she's Sri-Lankan so I reckon her bilirubin levels are lower than mine, but then again i wasn't stuck inside with a 3yr old most of the winter) I'm thinking about asking for a transfer next winter ! & 10pm beer in the beer garden in shorts & t-shirt is how life was supposed to be.

Good luck & I've got to learn how to keep these posts shorter, sorry all.

 

[MarkR]

Remind me to spellcheckwjhn I right aboot Kiwis being bettter edducatedd nuxt tume

 

[Queen Bee]

Lissie

I saw that North & South a couple of weeks ago in the supermarket but I never got it. I went to the shops this morning but September's issue is already out - I am really keen to read it. I will go to the library.

Layer

Are you a vinyl layer or a floorsander. We met a floorsander when we were over there in March he lives at the Turtle Beach Resort. He had just moved up from Sydney and he too said he couldn't believe how much work he had been getting - working every day ever since he got there. It was a bit bizzare when we first saw him - his van said "Painting & Floorsanding". What a funny combination. He said he was charging $25 per square metre but in Sydney they were only getting $8. Don't know if I believed that one - he said it was because there was an oversupply there. What kind of rates are they charging in Queensland for floorsanding? Because I'd be really keen to bring our gear over. Everyone we told that we had a floorsanding business here said wow you should come here you'll get heaps of work, because it's really hard to even get someone to come and give you a quote let alone do the job. What do you think? Is there room for one more. I suppose you'd have to pick a certain area though, because it's so big over there. We do all of Wellington but then you're only 30 minutes drive from anywhere.

MarkR

We were told by both Kiwi's and Aussies over there that employers are hiring Kiwi's over Aussies. Don't know how true it is.

22 degrees in Melbourne - and it's WINTER! Please.

Jacque

Jeez! Don't think I'd wanna pay that much. Has it got a gold plated toilet. By the way, what kind of rent would I be paying over there. For say a three bedroom house, air-conditioning, double garage.

But I could do "mates-rates" for your floorsanding!

lissie

I'd say they probably would be pretty stone-age in the mining industry. My partner's brother works in one, I can just imagine. I'm sure I can handle it though - I've got a pretty sharp tongue when needed. haha

I know people say Aussie's are alot more racist than Kiwi's - maybe though they are just more blatant with it - Kiwi's just talk behind your back about it. Everyone is so damn "correct" here about everything - so false. haha. My partner is a Maori and I slag Maori's off all the time, but then he's just as bad as me sometimes, he's always slagging them off too. Once I was at a customers house and I said to him "why do Indian woman have a dot in the middle of their face" he goes I don't know. I said "so their husbands can scratch it off and see if they've won a dairy". He laughed so much thought it was really funny and then said "I must tell my wife" she'll love that, she's Indian. Mmmm.

What is the personal tax rate in Aussie? And why will I be liable for Capital Gains tax even if I don't sell my properties - which I won't? That doesn't make sense.


Cheers, Queen BRISBee to be

 

[MarkR]

QB - it was 20 something yesterday as well, but about 14 & bucketing down on Sunday, week b4 had very low teens & a couple of times this winter I've had to scrape ice off the windscreen (a rarity unless you're about 20ks out of Melb). Normally it does this in Melb, gives you a cold wet winter, then throws in a few gorgeous days, then goes cold for another week, then a few more gorgeous days, I think it's to stop everyone shifting to Qld

As for the racism, won't comment on Qld, but an old school friend worked in Melb for a # of yrs, didn't get much racism as a maori (although he's 5'11" & about 16 stone of ex-power lifter & used to bounce at a Samoan club in ChCh , he'd frighten me if I stopped laughing long enough), but refuses to live in ChCh after going to boarding school & getting beaten up every day by some of the Canterbury farm boys just because he was the only maori there !

Sounds like you're going to do it, good on you. What was it piggy used to say about Kiwi to Oz migration & the impact on the relative IQ of both countries hehehehe.

For all you Ozzies, piggy was Rob Muldoon, ex NZ prime minister with an acid tounge.

 

[geoffw]

Racism is much more prevalent in country areas than in the cities, but it still does exist to a small extent. It's probably worst in the mining areas.