Hi mac pom pom here,
we are the McKnight family from Mount Vernon in Glasgow. We visited the Gold Coast and Brisbane last July and we were blown away.
Whilst in Oz we tried many times to arrange meetings with employers for my husband just to scope out the local job market and had no success. We even tried employment agencies who all seemed impressed with my husbands CV but still no hint of work! Where are these jobs a plenty that all the migration agents readily promise????
I thought that the cost of living was just as high as the UK but wages didn't seem to match the UK. Is it just me not being able to add or have I missed something? How can I maintain my lifestyle if everything costs the same or more but I earn less?
I'm sure anyone reading this will be groaning at the negative overtones of this thread, but can anyone throw me a ray of hope? Did I miss the point or have I perhaps misunderstood?
To compound things, we arrived home and the credit crunch came calling, although not quite in negative equity I doubt that we'd make any money if we sold our house. We have put our Aussie dreams on ice at the moment but I'd be interested to hear from anyone else in a similar situation with any advice

grateful thanks

Mac pom pom x

 

Hiya
It is difficult to get employer to take you seriously until you are living here, this is quite a common problem that plenty of migrants experience. What trade do you both work in? as with anywhere at the moment some jobs are still out there, others harder to come by.

Cost of living i think is a tad cheaper, my insurance premiums are cheaper then they were in the UK (car and house)as is my rates bill. I have no gas bills , just electric and i find heating bills in winter work out cheaper than my central heating costs did in the UK.

Food varies greatly in price, it took me a year to find the right shops/stores to shop in ,i now know butchers only for meat (much cheaper than supermarkets) and fruit shops for fruit and veg again cheaper and fresher. Some items like bedding etc are more expensive than the UK.

A good day out with the family can cost very little here, i even find the tourist attractions dont rip you off like they did in the UK.Obviously a day out in the middle of surfers paradise is going to cost slightly more than a day further down the coast at a less popular beach, take away food prices can vary from suburb to suburb on the cost.
Petrol is also cheaper than the uk, i average a tank a week in my car and to fill it up it costs me about $38.
Hope this gives you an idea of what its like to live here, no-one will jump on you for taking all factors into consideration, its a smart move.
If you have any more questions feel free to post away, we will try and help
Cal x