How to return to Australia??

[Samuel,J]

Originally Posted by ilovekotatsu

Thanks - are there any particulary nice affordable areas of the sunshine coast I should look at that are family friendly and not full of deros?

You also mentioned family friendly, this site has got lots of information and links to playgroups, parks etc. What's on, Activities & Things to do for kids on the Sunshine Coast let me know if there's anything else you need to know, you can message me if you want .

[Battleneter]

On the up side, the high unemployment rate on the Sunshine Coast especially youth unemployment that often brings crime has been recognised.

Coast's economy must diversify to solve youth unemployment - ABC Sunshine & Cooloola Coasts Qld - Australian Broadcasting Corporation


Not sure If i would recommend this area to anyone internationally, horrific commute and one of the most struggling areas in Aus.

I suppose If I owned property up that way I might suggest it as a good area .

Logan now that's a fantastic area, the best in Australia! (that's sarcasm btw :P). If you work in a Corporate job and must work in Brisbane think about the commute and what quality of life actually is.

[susankate]

If you are only able to find work in Sydney, you don't have to live in Sydney - many people commute from the Central Coast or Wollongong. It is a bit of a trip though. If you are prepared to settle for a unit on the Central Coast rather than a house, they are reasonably priced. Also with your husband now being a wage earner, perhaps you will be able to get a higher mortgage.

The thing about the CC is that their "main" town, Gosford, is not the "social centre" of the CC. The CC is very naturally beautiful but very architecturally uninspiring. However, from a commuter's point of view, one could buy a 2 bedroom apartment with a gorgeous view for under $400,000. It looks like a lot of new places are being built - they are being aimed at commuters.

Real Estate & Property For Sale*in Gosford, NSW 2250 (Page 1) - realestate.com.au

I lived in Gosford for 5 years and I quite liked it.

I note you also said you would like to live in Coff's Harbour but are worried about work. I do agree that in towns like Coff's Harbour and Port Macquarie, you definitely do need to have your work lined up before moving there. I live in PM and was lucky enough to be able to just transfer my "desk" up there (doing exactly the same as I did on the CC) and it is the best move I made. I love it up here and the weather is great - there is a lovely seabreeze all year round. I suspect that those living in CH love it there too. Everyone I know up here seems to love living here - however, a couple of people have had to move to bigger areas because their spouses couldn't find work.

[elarbee]

We moved back to Melbourne from Seattle a few years ago and I work in the Tech space (the commercial/business side) My observations for what it's worth...

Our standard of living is higher as are our salaries and job prospects. House prices are high at 10x salary so getting the deposit amount can be hard, but getting the loan and servicing it is not. And renting is actually good value.

Coming from such beautiful landscape, you'll want to pick somewhere that compensates you. A beach, a forrest, inner-city, just anything that's different and enjoyable. I've known English that migrate, end up in suburbia where house buying is affordable, long commutes, nothing to walk to and then it's sad face all around when they ask themselves 'is this what better looks like?'

IT is a broad field so more info would help. The guys I know in QLD are mostly work from home types, often with lots of travel involved. Natural environments, good salary with lower cost of living. The guys I know in Melbourne and Sydney are making the most money and have best prospects of promotion in a big company.

Australia's a small market, complicated by big distances. Our business' growth is in ASEAN and so for both Travel and IT work, consider how you might tap into that. Inbound tourism from China? State tourism boards that value your US experience? An IT company that wants to expand in this region? A tech specialisation hard to find in Australia?

Both are first world countries and we could probably be content/happy in either one.