Hi all, we are just new to this site, we are from Northern Ireland and would love to emigrate, well I am a 32 y/o male, Ambulance Tech, My wife is 30 is an Staff Nurse, we have 3 kids 5, 3 and 6 months. I would like any help, tips or suggestion please. We have recently done the eligability test and would be eligable to get a visa with my wifes job. We really like Brisbane, could anyone suggest a nice suburb.

1 Are house prices expensive
2 What is the cost of living like in comparison to other cities
3 what is schooling like in the local areas
4 what are the prospects of a job with QAS/ or in nursing currently

I would be greatful for any help especial Ambulance staff. Thanks

Tyrone & Sinéad Smyth :biggrin:

 

Don't be scared, no one bites :biggrin:

1. Just from looking on the net and our trip over, houses aren't as cheap as they used to be. The £ is in the toilet just now so your money won't go as far as even a year ago but you still get more for your money than the UK shoebox houses.

2 - 4 would be better answered by someone living there.

We'll be out Aug/Sept hopefully

 

Hi Guys
Queensland ambulance always seem to be recruiting, i was chatting to a guy the other week who is coming to work for them. I think newbies tend to 'float' around certain areas/stations for a while.

Suburbs is a toughie, there are too many nice suburbs in and around Brisbane ,it all depends what you as a family want. An Irish couple i helped move here a few years ago love Beaudesert as they said its green and open, not built up like inner city. For some Beaudesert is too far from the city (if you need city access). What are you looking for? Do you want acerage or more compact living? Do you want to be near a beach or prefer fields and greenery? The more info you can give us ,the more possible areas we can chuck at you,lol

Because of the recent change in exchange rates ,comparing things dollar to pound is working out more expensive. However once your here you earn dollars and have to try to stop converting (took me 2 years,lol)
I personally think you can get a lot of house for your money.

My cost of living is similar to the UK, definately not more expensive but it did take a good few months to work out where to buy what and to buy in bulk when things are on offer.At first you feel like an ATM machine constantly handing out cash,lol

Hope this helps abit for now
Cal x

 

Hi,

Looks like most of your questions have been answered, so I will see if I can help with your question about QAS. It seems to be split into A&E service and outpatient’s service, they do not appear to have a grade equivalent to the UK Technician, they have different grade Paramedics, and you could find that a UK Tech is similar to their first Para grade. Not sure but that is the impression I get. The service itself is run on similar lines to the UK. You also get the same complaints turning up in the news. Ambulance lost, delay responding, patients sitting on Ambulance until room in A&E for them, so that should make you feel at home.:laugh:

Take a look at this thread by "shunzi", a Para who is planning to move over here, if you send them a PM or email they may be able to offer more details about how to apply and what is involved.

http://www.britsinbrisbane.com/forum/renting-real-estate/1316-paramedic-where-live.html

Hope this helps. Shout up if you need anymore info.

 

I'm only new here so bear with me.

Houses are pretty expensive here certainly compared to say 10 years ago. We apparently head the world for house affordability but not in a good way.

Cost of living is about the same as the UK, some things are cheaper some more expensive. From what I understand food and clothing are cheaper in the UK.

Schools very much depend on where you choose to live, as elsewhere they vary considerably.

 

Hi Tyrone and Sinead

Welcome to the forum.

I will try and help with some of your questions.

1. I guess the cost of a house is all relative. For us, they seemed cheap, but we had lived near London and then in Sydney. We live in the Bayside area which is just south east of the city by the water and around here you can get a nice 4 bedroomed home, with a pool for around the $450k mark in a nice area.

2. Cost of living - not really sure - we have been out of the UK for a long time. It's always seemed very expensive when we have visited the UK, but with the exchange rate so poor at the moment, I think it will probably seem quite expensive here. Petrol is much cheaper though!

3. Schooling around where I live is pretty good and there's plenty of state, church and private schools.

4. Sorry - no idea.

Have a look at suburbs like Cleveland, Thornlands, Ormiston, Victoria Point and Redland Bay. All lovely!!!

Love

Rudi
x

 

Hi

Hi Cal,

Thanks for your reply, well in answer to your question, we would love to live somewhere that has a nice garden and a pool, not to fussy about the beach will travel to it, we would like to be fairly close to the schools and to the shops we currently live about 2 miles from the town. I take it that we would be much better off buy renting, I know it is quite hard to guage but we would like something which is at least 4 bedroom with pool and large garden and nice airy open plan living not bothered if its a bunglow or a house, what sort of price would we be talking for rental.

Once again thank you for all your help and i hope i am not giving you to much trouble.

Tyrone & Sinead

 

Thanks to everyone for all ur help any other tips and suggestions would be great

tyrone & sinead

 

I have to add that when i first came here 5 years ago we thought how cheap it was here. But having visited the Uk for the first time since emmigrating i now realise that the price of things have gone up here and gone down there, i was very suprised to see how cheap houshold things were there, such as bedding paint, curtains for example i think are hugely expensive here compared to the uk, we are renovating our house, which we have done many times in the Uk, but its very expensive to do it here in comparison to the uk, and its hard to get hold of alot of the things you might need, i think its encouraged more to use tradies rather that do DIY here, but then the tradies cost such alot od money and the few that we have used dont seem to have any pride in their work and dont care about customer satisfaction like they do in the Uk, just my findings and something to take into consideration, haveing said that, the liefstyle he is far better and there is alot to do here that doesnt cost money so one far outways the other.
Tracey.