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I used to do this as my sister lives in Australia.
I lived for 3 months in Australia in winter 2008,2009 and 2010. I've been to everywhere besides the Northern Territory.
Melbourne is the best for walkable, hip vibe, coffee shops, and neighborhoods with character.
Perth is ok but is boring after about a week.
I liked Hobart quite a bit.
A furnished apartment in Melbourne is going to run you around $2K a month.
Thanks for the excellent info. $2k/mo is in the ballpark. Sounds like Melbourne is more my cup of tea. It looks like you have to go a distance to hit some beaches from there though?
I could do AZ & FL of course but I don't really like either state very much, very boring, looking for something more interesting. And you would be surprised, peak season Dec-April AZ and FL are not that cheap on furnished short term rentals, probably would end up costing you at least $2k/mo for something decent.
You'll love Melbourne. There are beaches within a short drive of the city though if you want the full-on beach lifestyle, it's perhaps not the best choice in Australia as Melbourne has cooler weather than, say, the Gold Coast up in Queensland. But places like Mornington Peninsula and the Great Ocean Road are nothing to sneeze at in terms of their natural beauty. And, when you combine that with the cosmopolitan nature of the city, it's a great combination.
You'll love Melbourne. There are beaches within a short drive of the city though if you want the full-on beach lifestyle, it's perhaps not the best choice in Australia as Melbourne has cooler weather than, say, the Gold Coast up in Queensland. But places like Mornington Peninsula and the Great Ocean Road are nothing to sneeze at in terms of their natural beauty. And, when you combine that with the cosmopolitan nature of the city, it's a great combination.
Thanks for the excellent info. $2k/mo is in the ballpark. Sounds like Melbourne is more my cup of tea. It looks like you have to go a distance to hit some beaches from there though?
I could do AZ & FL of course but I don't really like either state very much, very boring, looking for something more interesting. And you would be surprised, peak season Dec-April AZ and FL are not that cheap on furnished short term rentals, probably would end up costing you at least $2k/mo for something decent.
The good beaches are quite a ways from Melbourne, and the water is very cold.
There are city beaches like St. Kilda. I would put that about on par with going to a beach in Chicago. Not bad, but true beach lovers would scoff at it.
Sydney is probably the best choice if you want great beaches AND a big city.
I used to live near Bondi beach circa 95' and it was awesome.... though it has changed a lot, according to the wife who travels back on business a few times a year.
QLD has a lot to offer. The Whitsundays, Gold and Sunshine coasts (where I grew up), great barrier reef, port douglas and all that rainforest. Brisbane is not 1/2 bad, but it's not on the coast and there aren't really any great Brisbane beaches, so I wouldn't recommend it.
If you can get over the high COL, Australia and Australians are truly wonderful.
I should also mention that there's no surf (waves) above the sunshine coast if that matters to you.
I'm considering places around the world to get away from the winter colder weather in the U.S. (Oct 15-May 15 - so Australia summer). I have not been to Australia yet. Probably looking at 3-6 months time frame staying there. I'm mid 40's age. I'm thinking of a relatively cosmopolitan city fairly close to the beach and outdoor activities, good Internet connection. Looking for a warm balmy climate but not uncomfortably hot. Would Melbourne be the best option for me? How difficult would it be to find a furnished rental property for 3-6 mos? Would it be prohibitively expensive? I'm guessing renting a car for that time period would be very expensive too, are there places I could get by without a car? Some benefits for me of Australia over other warm weather places in Asia and Latin America are that I already speak English and Australia is safe. What do you think of my plan overall? Thanks for your input.
Adelaide can be an option. Yes it can have a heat wave here and there but it wont last for a lengthy time.
You won't need a car if in the CBD. You can take the tram to the beach (Glenelg). If you like wine you are close by to lots of wineries (Barossa, Clare, McLaren Vale), waves on Gulf st Vincent fairly benign. Easy access to Kangaroo Island (google it). Good food and lots of festivals to check out during those months. Best part is COL will be lower than Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, etc.
Adelaide can be an option. Yes it can have a heat wave here and there but it wont last for a lengthy time.
You won't need a car if in the CBD. You can take the tram to the beach (Glenelg). If you like wine you are close by to lots of wineries (Barossa, Clare, McLaren Vale), waves on Gulf st Vincent fairly benign. Easy access to Kangaroo Island (google it). Good food and lots of festivals to check out during those months. Best part is COL will be lower than Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, etc.
I'll just talk about Sydney, as that's where I'm from.
For accommodation, loads of people rent out their granny flats around my area. Have a look at this website for an idea of cost. We get a lot of tourists through my area, Sydney Northern Beaches. Flats can rent out from around $450/week that's 1 bedroom, furnished, inclusive of bills (water/electricity/wifi etc). Free Local Classifieds Ads from all over Australia - Gumtree
Northern beaches of Sydney has a bus transport system that can get you to the city in about 40mins on a good day. That's from Dee Why. From Manly you can catch a ferry to town. Both areas are easy walking to shops and transport & both have gorgeous beaches & walks.
If you want warm & balmy I'd give Tassie a miss. Nice place to visit tho.
Melbourne is another great city but not the same beach lifestyle as here.
You can buy a second hand car for pretty cheap, then sell it before you go. Check Gumtree for this as well.
Sydney and Melbourne are your best bets for walkable cities. Brisbane and the Gold Coast have small areas that are walkable, but they're really quite small and only a few square miles.
As it has been said, Australia is expensive relative to most of America. A core Australian value is a fair go (essentially equality) and because of this our minimum wage is higher and this flows through to higher prices for almost every thing. You'll get sticker shock here.
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