Making The Move from Melbourne to Brisbane

ozshuttler on 24/05/2018 - 22:57
Last edited 01/06/2018 - 13:19 by 1 other user

Hello Ozbargainers,

I am seeking some feedback on my thoughts to relocate from Melbourne to Brisbane. I am on my early 30s, married and have a new born. I work in the IT industry. I have been living in Melbourne for about 4 years now and almost everyday since I arrived in Australia, I have been complaining more about my life in Melbourne for three reasons - the city's size, its population and the weather. I always wanted to settle down in a less crowded city and with better weather conditions. I have been to all major cities in Australia except Perth and I liked Brisbane compared to any other city. However, in making a decision to relocate from Melbourne I have a problem. My wife absolutely loves Melbourne and she hasn't visited any other city. She also has her preference for Melbourne for some of the following reasons

1. Availability of jobs in Melbourne for her (She is into IT as well)
2. Easy public transport for her to commute to work and home
3. Better medical facilities (Bulk billed GP and her GP speaks her language)
4. Easy access to shops in each suburb and produce market. She is used to buying fresh from the market every two days and doesn't like to keep them in fridge for longer (We live in Dandenong)

I would like to know from people who have moved interstate from Melbourne to Brisbane and those who are planning a similar move, what are the major benefits and disadvantages you see in this decision? Also would like to hear from those living in Brisbane, what is it like to live there - the positives and negatives.

Any suggestions in the following topics would be great.

1. Medical facilities, Child Care, Safety
2. Property - Which suburbs are affordable to rent (in short term) & buy (in a year or so) and accessible and flood safe?
3. Are there any markets in any suburb like we have in Dandenong.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 24/05/2018 - 23:50

  +1

  I moved several cities and 2 countries until now. I've settled In Melbourne for the last 5 years and will probably be here for good. I've traveled extensively in Australia and visited all of the major cities except Perth and WA which is up next in 2019.

  Although there are differences, the biggest would be the weather. Everything else is subtle ozzie like. You are trading a city with another city in the same country, you are not moving countries. The culture shock will not be that big and if you don't like it, just move back.

  My take on it? If you don't do it now, there are less chances for doing later and you will get more and more frustrated with Melbourne, only because you already decided you don't like it. That's ok, but something clicked inside you already so you are with one step there already.

  It doesn't matter if the city you are in it's not the best, if you like/love it and you feel at home, that's all that it matters. Make Brisbane your city, embrace it and be happy in it. You and your family.

  Heads up though, the move might break your relationship apart. Talk to your partner, talk a lot. Have a plan B.

  At the end of the day, it's only a city you are moving, the move back or to another place it's easy. I've done it several times, trust me, it's not that hard. It's all in our minds. And just in case you were wondering, I've moved in Australia, from Europe, with an 11months old baby.

  I found that this applies pretty much as a rule (saw it on me, saw it on all of my non ozzie friends):

  The Stages of Immigration

  The stages of immigration have been extensively written about and the usual beginning point is to talk about the culture shock which occurs after immigration. This culture shock follows on directly as a result of changes which occur to one's value systems - to the new ideas in one's new country.
  The term "culture shock" was coined by Kalvero Oberg in a 1954 report published by Bobbs-Merrill, in which 5 distinct stages of culture shock were identified. All people experience the same feelings of strangeness when travelling to or living in another country and this process has a cause, symptoms and resolution.

  1. Honeymoon Phase.
     Most people begin with great expectations and a positive mind-set. There is excitement, new sights, new smells, new tastes and the early problems are experienced as quaint - as part of the newness - anything new is intriguing and exciting. And, anyway, there are more pressing problems to deal with, like opening bank accounts, getting drivers licences, finding schools, doctors, dentists, gynaecologists. These are usually handled with the accompanying euphoria of having overcome each of these first hurdles successfully.

  2. Rejection Phase.
     The honeymoon phase comes to an end as the newcomer has to deal with transportation problems (buses that don't come on time), shopping problems (can't buy their favourite foods or soaps or whatever) or communication problems (just what does 'Norny-norny-norn mean? (1999). What does "See ya' later"/'No worries mate' really mean?). Little things come up but it may start to seem like people somehow no longer care about your problems. They may help, but they don't seem to understand your concern over what they see as small problems. You might even start to think that the people in your new country don't like newcomers and often you may begin to feel aggressive and start to complain about the new culture/country - 'Australians are ' ', or 'The system is ''. It is important to recognize that these feelings are real and can become acute. This phase is a crisis phase in the 'disease' of culture shock and is called the "rejection" phase precisely because it is at this point that the newcomer starts to reject the host country, complaining about and noticing only the bad things that bother them. At this stage the newcomer either gets stronger and stays, or gets weaker and goes home (physically, mentally or both).

  3. Regression Phase.
     If you have struggled with phase 2, you may find yourself moving into regression - moving backward - and in this phase of culture shock, you spend much of your time speaking your own language, watching videos from your home country, eating food from home. You may also notice that you are moving in social circles which are exclusively made up of people from your own background and you don't want to meet locals. You may spend most of this time complaining about the new country/culture and its strange and senseless ways. Also in the regression phase, you may only remember the good things about your home country which may suddenly seem marvellously wonderful; all the difficulties that you had there are forgotten and you may find yourself wondering why you ever left. You may now only remember your home country as a wonderful place in which nothing ever went wrong for you. Of course, this is not true, but an illusion created by your culture shock crisis.

  4. Recovery Phase or At-Ease-At-Last Phase:
     If you survive the third stage successfully, you will move into the fourth stage of culture shock. In this stage you become more comfortable with the language and you also feel more comfortable with the customs of your new country. You can now move around without a feeling of anxiety. You still have problems with some of the social cues and you may still not understand everything people say (especially idioms) or do. However, you are now much better adjusted to the new culture and you start to realize that no country is that much better than another - it is just different lifestyles and different ways to deal with the problems of life. With this new adjustment, you accept the food, drinks, habits and customs of the new country, and you may even find yourself preferring some things in the new country, to things at home. You have now understood that there are different ways to live your life and that no way is really better than another, just different. Finally, you have become comfortable in the new place - it's not so bad. Most importantly, your sense of humour will have returned and you find you are able to look at yourself and laugh.

  5. Reverse Culture Shock or Return Culture Shock
     This occurs when you return home after a long stay abroad and does not concern us here.
     Generally speaking, it is important to remember that not everyone experiences all the phases of culture shock. In addition, you can experience all of them at different times: you might experience the regression phase before the rejection phase, etc. You might even experience the regression phase on Monday, the at-ease phase on Tuesday, the honeymoon phase on Wednesday, and the rejection phase again on Thursday. What will Friday be like?
     Another interesting thing about culture shock is that there are routinely not one but two low points, and even more interestingly, they will accommodate themselves to the amount of time you intend to spend in the host country - are you a visitor or an immigrant? How long will culture shock last? That varies depending upon where you came from, how different the cultures are, your support systems and so on, but it also depends to some extent on you and your resiliency. You can expect a let-up after the first dip, but be prepared for the second downturn which may or may not occur.

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  JimmyF on 25/05/2018 - 00:29

  I have been to all major cities in Australia except Perth

  Perth is lovely….. Great weather, good beaches, but the job market is dead, the economy is on a slide, the housing market is in a tailspin!

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  [Deactivated] on 25/05/2018 - 00:36

  +5

  It's probably a Dandenong thing :(

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  altomic on 25/05/2018 - 06:59

  I moved to Brisbane (grew up in Melbourne) 10 years ago with a young family.
  I live about 25 Kms north on the coast (redcliffe peninsula)

  in answer to your questions-
  1) Medical facilities, Child Care, Safety - yes, all readily available.
  2) Property - Which suburbs are affordable to rent (in short term) & buy (in a year or so) and accessible and flood safe? - yes, by the coast so all safe. what do you define as "affordable rent"? i.e. price and type of accomodation.
  3) Are there any markets in any suburb like we have in Dandenong. - I lived in grew up in Melb until my mid 20's - I never went to Dandenong.

  • 

    ozshuttler on 25/05/2018 - 16:59

    what do you define as "affordable rent"? i.e. price and type of accomodation.

    My affordable rent is $350-400 a week.

    • 

      codinghelloworld on 04/09/2018 - 15:13

      Did you make the move yet, mate? I am considering too, but moving from Sydney. Just want to hear some opinions.

      Thanks

      • 

        ozshuttler on 11/01/2019 - 16:04

        sorry, just seeing your reply. :) I made the move to Brisbane in Sep 2018. Hope you make the move here too :) Good luck!

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  [Deactivated] on 25/05/2018 - 07:34

  +1

  Disclaimer: I live in Melbourne

  Brisbane has a distinct weather difference. But even though it’s a smaller city than Melbourne, it has poorer transport infrastructure, so you may not get an improvement in your commute and general ability to get around.

  Also, Brisbane is the most personality-less capital I have been to. I’d prefer Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart as a genuine downsizing option.

  • 

    dcep on 25/05/2018 - 14:42

    "personality-less capital"

    care to explain ?

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 25/05/2018 - 15:03

      +1

      Q: what makes Brisbane stand out to me? What makes it memorable? A: nothing really stands out. I don’t particularly associate Brisane with natural beauty, or good food, or shopping, or nightlife, or culture and the arts. I feel like Brisbane is overshadowed by Gold Coast to the south and Sunshine Coast to the north. I wouldn’t travel to Brisbane for the weekend for a mini getaway, but I would to the two coasts.

      I would to Sydney (the harbour, the beaches, the opera etc)
      I would to Canberra (the museums and galleries)
      I would to Hobart (the food, the wine, the markets, MONA)
      I would to Adelaide (the food, the wine on the doorstep)
      I would to Perth (the beaches, Rottnest Island, the overpriced coffee)

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  Ryanek on 25/05/2018 - 08:14

  +2

  I say you both compromise and move to Mt Druitt.

  • 

    ozshuttler on 25/05/2018 - 17:05

    Sorry, where is it? Google tells me it is a suburb in Sydney. What's good about this place?

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  dasher86 on 25/05/2018 - 08:55

  +4

  Happy wife Happy life.

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  GG57 on 25/05/2018 - 09:09

  I would strongly suggest that you take a family holiday to Brisbane, rent a short-stay apartment for a couple of weeks, and "live" there.
  Get out, look at different areas (coastal, inland, inner / outer suburbs), travel around by public transport, shop for fresh food, eat out, eat in. Maybe even find a doctor and go for a checkup. Everything that you do now at home (if available), but also new experiences that might not exist in Melbourne.
  Openly discuss about what you each like, dislike, etc.

  Family and relationships are the most important, if that is cohesive and happy all the rest of life's problems can be handled, but if one or more of the family unit enter into the move with negatives it will be harder to make it succeed.

  Disclaimer: Currently living in Melbourne, but have lived in every Aust state at some stage, for varying durations, as well as 5 - 6 other countries for extended periods.

  • 

    ozshuttler on 25/05/2018 - 17:06

    Thanks for the idea. I will try and make a family trip sometime.

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  geek001 on 25/05/2018 - 09:51

  I live in Brisbane and work in IT. IT jobs are much harder to come by in Brisbane compared to Melbourne and Sydney, so be prepared for that. I have been to Melbourne a few times, the size and population didn't really bothered me. Perhaps you need to clarify what it is about the size and population that bothered you? The weather would be warmer here in Brisbane and because of that and Brisbane being wedged between 2 tourist coasts, I found that we probably do a lot more outdoorsy things compared to people down south.

  Perhaps do what GG57 suggested and holiday here for a bit to see if you live it here. The other thing that struck me when I moved here is how early the shops/restaurants close here.

  • 

    ozshuttler on 25/05/2018 - 17:12

    I personally had no trouble finding jobs in Brisbane. I had few offers in the last few months and rates were closely at par with Melbourne for me.

    Perhaps you need to clarify what it is about the size and population that bothered you?.

    it's the long commute hours between home and work, crowded trains, that too the latest train service changes for line upgrades is so frustrating.

    The other thing that struck me when I moved here is how early the shops/restaurants close here.

    I even found it weird how the restaurants close so early in a city like Brisbane but it is same with restaurants in Darwin and Adelaide too.

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  tissue on 25/05/2018 - 10:03

  +2

  As a Brisbanite that has inlaws in Dandenong and have visited there many, many times, the most suitable place I can suggest in Brisbane is somewhere like Salisbury or Coopers Plains. Very good access to the city by car, bus, bicycle and train, close access to Rocklea Markets which are probably the biggest. Also close to major shopping centres (Garden City), safer areas than Dandenong. Weather is better than most of western Brisbane & Ipswich which get more hot and humid than the rest of Brisbane.

  Difference is that Salisbury is much closer to the Brisbane CBD than Dandenong is to Melbourne CBD – which usually means more traffic, making it seem more crowded, etc. The only place I could suggest is similar to Dandenong is probably Morayfield/Caboolture – which also has weekend fresh produce markets and is a bit more laid-back being quite a distance from the city. This though is not good for transport/access to the city.

  • 

    ozshuttler on 25/05/2018 - 17:15

    Difference is that Salisbury is much closer to the Brisbane CBD than Dandenong is to Melbourne CBD – which usually means more traffic, making it seem more crowded, etc.

    Thanks for the suggestions on suburbs. I have found the traffic is comparatively less in suburbs close to city like Bowen Hills, Nundah, Aspley and Chermside

    Are these suburbs that you listed flood safe too?

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  elf888 on 25/05/2018 - 12:02

  +2

  As You have a new born, you may need to consider the education in the future and discuss with your partner about it.
  My personal judge, Melbourne has a better study environment.
  I do not want to force my kids to keep doing homework and study, however, the wife will have more time with the kids and she will dominate what she want on this, especially when she have more time with other mum in the school. The more they talk, the more the study for kids!

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  [Deactivated] on 12/01/2019 - 00:15

  We need a wall at the border. Damn Mexicans.