Newb...from United States

[TwistedEL]

Big thumbs up for Perth, except of course for being 2nd most expensive property wise

[Boss 290]

hey shawn welcome to the site....have you checked out the cars down under? have you heard of the ford and holden rivalry?....anyway i have to go now theres a kangaroo eating my vegetable patch...you have to get used to that sort of stuff...me and the mrs found a 7 foot crock having a sun bake in the middle of the street just last week, first time in 6 weeks...cheers

[ShawnN20]

Originally Posted by Boss 290

hey shawn welcome to the site....have you checked out the cars down under? have you heard of the ford and holden rivalry?....anyway i have to go now theres a kangaroo eating my vegetable patch...you have to get used to that sort of stuff...me and the mrs found a 7 foot crock having a sun bake in the middle of the street just last week, first time in 6 weeks...cheers

thanks everyone for the warm welcome! i hadn't heard of the ford vs holden rivalry, but i assume its much like the ford vs chevy rivalry here in the states.

You would be far better to save up and then do a tour around the country before deciding on moving here... Have a look at each major city and work out if it is a place you could truly live.

where would be the best place to tour and look around? i plan on visiting in the springtime.....well, march is springtime up here....

welcome to our forum mate. should post up some info on you mustang

its a 1979 "foxbody" mustang. it has a 1993 front clip on it. dart block, forged 331, supercharged, blow through set-up. completly gutted interior. gt ground effects, saleen spoiler, and a flatblack rattle can paint job. its not the best looking car out there but she is just a racecar project. it pulls the tires on the street..... i need to buy a real camera and take some pics of it. i will take some pics from my cell phone when i get a minute.

[Boss 290]

yeh the ford and holden rivalry is abit stronger i think then the ford and chevy one....holden get their v8 engines from chevy so they are all linked together

the best place to tour would deffinantly be nsw....its the best state in australia because it has everything..the whether isnt always over hot or rainy...its got good variety and some of the best beaches in the world. besides the most majour part of australia is deffinantly sydney. it has the best buildings, hotels and casino's....anyone whos anyone comes to sydney first.
the only negative i can say is the roads are pretty lousy.
by the way...i was joking about the kangaroo and crocodile.

[FRDXR6]

Originally Posted by ShawnN20

where would be the best place to tour and look around? i plan on visiting in the springtime.....well, march is springtime up here....

March is Autumn here but basically still hot generally around 28 degrees/84 farenhiet in the southern parts and hotter as you go up the coast and inland.

You will notice all our major cities are along the coast line (mainy east coast). So it might be a good place to start at Melbourne then work your way up the coast and visit Sydney, Brisbane, Great Barrier Reef etc.

Each place has its different pro's and con's but you of course you have to factor in other stuff than car laws when you choose a place _2:

Melbourne and Sydney are the big bustling places i guess Australia's equivilant of New York or London. Melbourne also hosts the F1 Grand Prix and Moto GP events every year.

Perth is meant to be nice but its along way from anything (only major city on west coast).

Adelaide is well i dont what goes on there, probably not much :evil_laug

Brisbane is ok nice weather, beaches and access to tropical destinations, but it seems a bit boring to me when you compare it to what Sydney & Melbourne have to offer. Just down from Brisbane they also have the Indy Cars every year around the Surfers Paradise street circuit.

Best to come see them all or research them for yourself.

[MoreHPformyXR6]

Originally Posted by FRDXR6

Adelaide is well i dont what goes on there, probably not much :evil_laug

Adelaide has Clipsal 500 V8 Supercars (biggest attended crowd wise of all V8 supercar events). Bathurst & Clipsal are my favorite V8 supercar events each year.

Great street cicuit through Adelaides east end & big party carnival atmosphere

Tour down under (biggest cycling race in Southern hemisphere).

Adelaide Fringe (arts event) some great performers to see.

I not sure if this rumour is true but we may get a F1GP back that was pinched. (bloody victorians) lol

nb. please note my comment about the vic's is meant to be taken in lighthearted manner & no to upset or offen anyone.

[Jayden]

Perth is good, but less population and mega isolation from everywhere means that its shorter on the motorsports etc. than the east. But we have the best beaches and more land than you could ever be bothered driving across

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by mowog

If you come to Oz settle in Queensland. Our states car mod laws are pretty good and best of all no yearly inspections. Aside from all that its the best place in Australia to live. It is one of the fastest growing areas in the western world and the fastest growing in Australia.

Pity that you aren't allowed to wash your car or water your gardens though

[mowog]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Pity that you aren't allowed to wash your car or water your gardens though

I dont have any problems with it I have water tanks just for that... Nice clean cars and healthy plants... :

[mowog]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Pity that you aren't allowed to wash your car or water your gardens though

Oh I see your from Wagga... I sent spent a year there getting drunk and bedding every willing women I could find... (not to hard to do in Wagga) But I was really happy to leave there and get back to Queensland...

[ShawnN20]

Originally Posted by FRDXR6

March is Autumn here but basically still hot generally around 28 degrees/84 farenhiet in the southern parts and hotter as you go up the coast and inland.

You will notice all our major cities are along the coast line (mainy east coast). So it might be a good place to start at Melbourne then work your way up the coast and visit Sydney, Brisbane, Great Barrier Reef etc.

Each place has its different pro's and con's but you of course you have to factor in other stuff than car laws when you choose a place _2:

Melbourne and Sydney are the big bustling places i guess Australia's equivilant of New York or London. Melbourne also hosts the F1 Grand Prix and Moto GP events every year.

Perth is meant to be nice but its along way from anything (only major city on west coast).

Adelaide is well i dont what goes on there, probably not much :evil_laug

Brisbane is ok nice weather, beaches and access to tropical destinations, but it seems a bit boring to me when you compare it to what Sydney & Melbourne have to offer. Just down from Brisbane they also have the Indy Cars every year around the Surfers Paradise street circuit.

Best to come see them all or research them for yourself.

great post man. i would love to just pack up my stuff and move down there. everthing i see on tv makes it look so nice and inviting. plus it would be a nice change.

i like america, but i dont like how crowded it is. plus there are alot of stupid people up here, alot are a-holes.

[Mutley]

Originally Posted by ShawnN20

id love to. but i don't have enough savings to move down there and find a job/appartment.....yet.


i could get there no problem.....its the job part.


how strict are the car laws down there? up here i have to have my exhuast tested, and safety inspections once a year......all kinds of legal stuff.

The only criteria to getting a job in Western Australia at the moment is that you have a heart beat. Speaking English would be considered a real bonus!

[ShawnN20]

well, thats a plus...

[XR Martin]

He speaks American though, not English :P

[ShawnN20]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

He speaks American though, not English :P

and you guys speak australian, not english..... lol


i have learned that "root" means something completly different down there.
up here we "root" for our favorite sports team lol

[VelocityXR6TUte]

I work with a guy from the US, he's been here about 12 months and still has trouble with the local lingo, but he's getting the hang of it lol.
You will also have to practice talking through your nose that will help you blend in

[Sapper]

Probably one thing that you'l need to learn is how the rest of the english derived languages spell. For instance: "harbor" is spelt "harbour", "a**" is spelt "ar*e" (damn automatic language censor) etc. My thermodynamics lecturer uses american spellings and it frustrates me no end.

Note: The greatest joy from maving to australia comes in the form of driving a falcon, the best car made by Ford, worldwide.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

He speaks American though, not English :P

I wish I'd said that

Remember what John Cleese said when asked the 3 main differences between England and the States
1# We speak English
2# When we have a World Championship we invite other countries.
3# When we greet a head of state we only go down on one knee. (The questions were asked during the Clinton era)

[TwistedEL]

Originally Posted by ShawnN20

and you guys speak australian, not english..... lol


i have learned that "root" means something completly different down there.
up here we "root" for our favorite sports team lol

Down here your favourite sports team "roots" you

[AnthonyQLD]

Originally Posted by ShawnN20

plus there are alot of stupid people up here, alot are a-holes.

We have a few of them to lol

[red_hotxr6]

Hi and welcome to the site.

[monkey_boy1990]

Originally Posted by ShawnN20

is housing expensive down there? i would only need a small apartment or a 2 bedroom house.

dude if you come down you picked the wrong time realestate just skyrocketed, but if you want cheap go to the country they are screaming for employment.

[GTP 320]

Originally Posted by Boss 290

. it has the best buildings, hotels and casino's....anyone whos anyone comes to sydney first.
the only negative i can say is the roads are pretty lousy.
by the way...i was joking about the kangaroo and crocodile.

Don't know about these statements,as Melbourne is known for it's fine food and Restaurants and for it's Art and sport reputation, Melbourne is a classy and conservative city with a population of 3.6 million and has the best and biggest Casino and the tallest building in Australia compared to Sydney the biggest city with 4.2 million people living in a rat race , but it does have a wonderful harbour ,Bridge and the Opera house.
This should fire up a few Sydney folks , lol the battle between Melbourne and Sydney continous......it's a bit like Ford v's Holden
Cheers John

[Hawk]

Welcome to the forums Shawn. It is good to have another Shawn who spells his name the right way!!!!!

As for the city rivalry, Melbourne is great fun. Sport, food, art....lots of class.

[Boss 290]

nsw is the best it has everything the rest of the states offer and more....excluding airs rock...although we have big rocks here too lol..besides we had the olympics

[Hawk]

Originally Posted by Boss 290

...besides we had the olympics

That is a ridiculous argument! Melbourne had them first!

[ScoopED]

Mate, head on down the the Gold Coast (Queensland, 80km - 50miles south of Brisbane).

If you are in to cars, and a fairly relaxed lifestyle, this is the place to be!!!

We have 57 of kilometers of pristine sand beaches.
A beautiful climate (sub tropical)
Very close to Australian bush and rainforest
Low crime rates
It is a growing city with a population of approx 450,000 residents

Temperatures: (approx)

Mid Summer: daytime

average - 34 degrees celcius (93 F)
maximum - 42 degrees celcius (107 F)
minimum - 28 degrees celcius (82 F)


Mid Winter: daytime

average - 18 degrees celcius (64 F)
maximum - 26 degrees celcius (79 F)
minimum - 13 degrees celcius (55 F)

Once a year the Gold Coast hosts now the largest 4 day event in Australia, the Lexmark Indy 300. This event now attracts up to 320,000 spectators over the 4 days!!! It includes the US Champ Cars, Australian V8 supercars, V8 ute racing, Porsche Carrera cup racing and other minor catagories, as well as a whole pile of on track and off track entertainment.

We also host an offshore powerboat event each year!!!

Housing is not terribly expensive.....

In my area (1 km from the beach) a 2 bedroom rental can be had for between $200 - $250 per week (US $151 - $189) (Even less is possible!!!)

A 2 bedroom unit can set you back as little as $190,000 to buy (US $144,000)

If you are looking to buy, interest rates are at around 7.82% (approx).

As for work. There are ALWAYS good job opportunitys in this country. As somebody already said, we have a VERY low rate of unemployment, somewhere around 4.8%.

As a benchmark, for an unskilled job (supermarket worker), a casual worker will earn $19.33/hour (Coles supermarkets). Part time and full time are a little less than that.

You are in the aviation industry...... I have been informed that a qualified aircraft maintenance engineer (mechanical), working for an airline will earn up to $55,000 per year. With a lisenced engineer earning upwards of $80,000.

Brisbane is DEFINATLY the place to be for aviation. As I said, it is very close to the Gold Coast (approx 55min drive).

The Gold Coast also has an airport. Upgrades have begun on this facility. It will never be a major maintenance hub, though it will provide many more jobs, as it begins catering for more international flights. It is already a very bust domestic hub.

The Gold Coast has includes many beautiful waterways. This is great if you are interested in fishing/watersports. These are both VERY popular passtimes throughout our beautiful country.

We have a great car culture here on the Gold Coast also.

Mate, if you come over here, are open to our culture, friendly to our people and and accept this land as your home. We will welcome you with open arms.

We are a friendly lot over here, and provided you follow the above advice, you wont have a problem making new mates.

Get on a plane and enjoy this place as much as we do!!!

Mike

South Stradbroke island, Wallaby (small kangaroo type animal) (2km from my house)


V8 supercar starting grid at Indy 300 (last week)


Champ car at Indy 300 (last week)


Broadwater with views of the famous Surfers Paradise (kind of like a small Hawaii)


Broadwater



WHERE THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU??? he he he :hihi:

[Van D]

Melbourne's the place to be for music, fo sho. The city is pretty amazing, and I love going in there. I could NOT live there though, too hectic for me. I live about an hour out of the CBD (central business district..ie, city) in a great area.

If it wasn't for Melbourne's music scene, and my family/friends being here, i'd maybe be either up the coast a bit (probably gold coast area), Perth side of things.. Or even still in Vic, but more country area. I can't see myself moving anytime soon though, love it here.

These are some random pics of my area (yarra valley) to give you an idea. The airs clean out this way, yet we're not too far from the city, and have built up towns close by. Going out past us, you're not considered in Melbourne anymore, and it's more regional/country.












I live right on top of a nice hill. On one side I see all this sort of stuff above to one side (looking over the valley) ^^

One the other, I can see things like this below (well, I have a far view of the city)..



Those photos are from top of a nearby mountain which I usually go up for a drive (nice twists and turns), or to take the lady friend ;). We also have lots of other nice twisty roads around the area =P

PS. Sorry about pic sizes, i'm lazy.

PPS. If you wanna see any more pics of the area, just search google for yarra valley, or mt dandenong or something similar.

[ShawnN20]

wow. looks beautiful down there. i would really want to buy a house/unit if possible, but i will probably have to rent to start out. i will have to save alot of money so i could pay rent for a month or two to give me time to get on my feet. but i will take a week vacation down there to get a feel first to even see if i will like it. (i am sure i will)


i have been looking into converting my camaro to RHD while i am still up here, and having it shipped down there. is there a special standards to converting over to RHD? anything else i should know? up here you can legally drive RHD cars on the street. i have ridden in a skyline a few times, and it takes some getting used to.

[henry 351]

Originally Posted by ShawnN20

i have been looking into converting my camaro to RHD while i am still up here, and having it shipped down there. is there a special standards to converting over to RHD? anything else i should know? up here you can legally drive RHD cars on the street. i have ridden in a skyline a few times, and it takes some getting used to.

Welcome matey.

Well you can blame the great Henry Ford for the silly LHD caper. He was a mad Alfa Romeo fan ("every time I see an Alfa Romeo, I tip my hat". Henry Ford) and copied their LHD driver layout. What a shame he couldn't have idolised a RHD manufacturer! All that yummy Yankee iron in factory RHD! What a different Australian motoring scene it would have been...'71 Super Duty TransAm being my favorite.