Another "moving to Australia alone" thread.

mhoch

Hi,

I have a permanent residents visa for Australia and I am thinking of moving to Sydney this year. The problem is I know absolutely no-one over there. Has anyone else gone there under these circumstances and if they did how did they go about moving there? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

P.S. I don't like hostels!!

BarryCreed

for what it's worth. i moved to Italy years back on my own. I didn;t even have the language. I knew some people in Rome, but the fact it's a big city, i was living far away from them, so didn't see them much. The fact there are loads of Irish in Sydney should soften the blow. Having to go for pints on your own isn't very nice though..
Go on any work do out, or move into a mixed apartment (M & F), that way you get to meet people. Try and move into an apartment with Aussies rather than Irish, as you'll get to meet the locals etc etc.
Sign up for something like 5 a side soccer, or whatever you're into. Big cities can be lonely places....

mhoch

Thanks for the reply.

No problem meeting people etc. My main problem with emigrating is I have no where to stay when I get there as I know no one in Sydney. Hotels cost too much and hostels don't appeal to me. I have seen estate agent sites with places to let, but I would need a place to stay when I get there. I thought some one on here might have had the same problem when they emigrated.



mhoch.

Faith

Get over your dislike of hostels, is my advice. They're actually very fun places and you meet loads of people. They're cheap as chips and great value for what you get.

Otherwise, you could look into a B&B. You're probably not going to be looking for more than a week if you're sensible about it.

Norinoco

Faith wrote: »

Get over your dislike of hostels, is my advice. They're actually very fun places and you meet loads of people. They're cheap as chips and great value for what you get.

+1

Start out in a hostel, start looking for a place to move in to straight away and you should have somewhere within a week or so, a lot of people in share property will not let someone move in with them without meeting them first...and you'll make a few friends in the hostel. Win win!

BarryCreed

When I went to Rome, I lived in a hostel for more or less the first month. There were 2 other people in the room with me in the same boat (looking for work and accommodation). So, stress that you would prefer to be put in a room with people who are staying put for a bit, then you won't have chopping and changing every night. Suppose you may have more luggage than the average backpacker. I will admit it was tough living in a hostel, but it was cheap, and I did get a few contacts at least out of it initially. There were one or 2 dodgy characters in our room for a night or 2. Just watch your valuables...;)

Diamondmaker

see gumtree for short term accom sharing.

I arrived in Brisbnae with a mate who was flying home from here. |Did the hostel thing for a while and got drunk.

Within 24 hrs of looking on gumtree I had a double room with own bathroom sharing a great house with 1 other. I stayed here for 2 weeks while I got my own place. It was a great way to settle in and can be CHEAPER than a hostel.

Dorms here are 20-30 bucks a night. Top level accom sharing for a dbl room ensuite = 200-250 in a great place. Obviousy slightly adjust for Sydney etc but this worked a treat for me as no way did I want to be in a hostel while job hunting and stating work.

I got real lucky with my "temp landlord" who is now a good mate of mine and it was a great start at meeting locals etc. I met and continue now to socialise with him and his mates.

I also joined a mixed tag rugby team which also has introduced me to heaps of people and is a very important social for me and everyone else involved.

good luck. I found settling here very easy, just be riendly and open as the ozzies are very welcoming and great people! I aint going home !

BraziliaNZ

yeah, get over the hostels thing, you may not have a choice when you arrive here. Try and go for one where people live/work as opposed to a party one full of 18 year old English/Swedish backpackers getting drunk on goon. You should be fine then. You may even end up staying longer as it's so much fun. Lots of people do.

Xavi6

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

yeah, get over the hostels thing, you may not have a choice when you arrive here. Try and go for one where people live/work as opposed to a party one full of 18 year old English/Swedish backpackers getting drunk on goon. You should be fine then. You may even end up staying longer as it's so much fun. Lots of people do.

B-b-b-but that's the best craic!

Hot Swedish birds + the goon = good times!

BraziliaNZ

but they're always so young and retarded, I wish I had the temper and patience to hang out with them till they were drunk enough for me to take advantage, but I just can't handle their nonsense anymore and have to leave...

Xavi6

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

but they're always so young and retarded, I wish I had the temper and patience to hang out with them till they were drunk enough for me to take advantage, but I just can't handle their nonsense anymore and have to leave...

Roofie Caladas FTW!

BraziliaNZ

don't be giving me ideas!!!

ibh

An alternative to staying in hostels would be to go for a short term 'no bills, no bond' rental. This could be a private apartment where they just need to fill a room short term or there are also apartment like this with a shared Kitchen and living room for every 4 bedrooms. There is a place like this out in Newtown but i cant remember the name of it. Friends stayed there and loved it.
My brother went out last August alone and within 4 days had moved into an apartment. He moved in on a temp basis and that way he could decide if he liked the place and people. Then after the initial 2 months he asked to stay on.

BTW there is no reason to avoid Sydney hostels. Even rent a single room in a hostel rather than a dorm. Not as nice as the hostels in NZ though...

datk

mhoch wrote: »

Hi,


P.S. I don't like hostels!!

Hostels are in a different league over there - you could always go for a single ensuite room in the YHA at Central Station - it is dearer but probably much cheaper than a hotel. Once you're working your work mates can advise you on where's best to rent etc.

I was in Australia for a year - and I'm not great at mixing etc but it was all just so easy over there.

Enjoy

kittex

To slightly hijaack the thread, I too am moving to Oz alone next year.
I'm going on a sponsored visa to Western Australia, for 2 years. Not sure what exact location I'll be in yet.

A little apprehensive but mainly rather excited!

ibh

kittex wrote: »

To slightly hijaack the thread, I too am moving to Oz alone next year.
I'm going on a sponsored visa to Western Australia, for 2 years. Not sure what exact location I'll be in yet.

A little apprehensive but mainly rather excited!

Lucky b@stard. I get jealous everytime i hear of someone moving there while i'm stuck here 4 another year at least.

Noneed to worry bout going it alone.. You'll end up with a sh!tload of friends. My advice is to join clubs, sports are ideal. Really good way of meeting people with similar hobbies.

kittex

Thanks ibh. Your comments are reassuring!
I'm lucky I'm in an in-demand profession (Secondary teaching) and so am being sponsored to move there. Only clause is I need to spend a year or two in a rural school. I'm friendly enough and hope I can make friends even in a smaller town.
I'm in the UK at the moment and really fed up with it. After a while of trying to get home and finding there is no work, I've decided to have me an adventure.

ibh

kittex wrote: »

Thanks ibh. Your comments are reassuring!
I'm lucky I'm in an in-demand profession (Secondary teaching) and so am being sponsored to move there. Only clause is I need to spend a year or two in a rural school. I'm friendly enough and hope I can make friends even in a smaller town.
I'm in the UK at the moment and really fed up with it. After a while of trying to get home and finding there is no work, I've decided to have me an adventure.

Ya sounds good. The regional visa is a really good way of seeing a different side to Australia than just the big cities. I didn't spend much time in Western Australia so i don't know much about it other than Perth. Xavi is out there so i'm sure he'll answer any questions you have.
Another really nice place available on that visa is to go to Adelaide. It's really nice, got really good weather in the summer and the winter is quite cool and close to the sea. Its a small city but it feels like a town when you're out and about.
No prospects here tbh. I'm only hanging around to gain more work experience then off to Canada.
Gd Luck..

Xavi6

kittex wrote: »

To slightly hijaack the thread, I too am moving to Oz alone next year.
I'm going on a sponsored visa to Western Australia, for 2 years. Not sure what exact location I'll be in yet.

A little apprehensive but mainly rather excited!

Alright mate. If you need any advice on WA or have any questions etc feel free to drop me a PM and that.

kittex

Thanks guys, appreciate the advice and offer of further advice.

I am sure I will have LOADS of questions over the next few months. So far the plan is to leave in the first week of January as the job starts at the end of Jan.
I have cousins in Brisbane so I'll be heading out there on one of my school hols too.

slipss

I'm in the same boat myself. It's a petty the three of us are flying out at different times to different places. I'm going to Perth in September, same deal, don't know a soul.

Here Xavi if your still checking in on this thread, I've a couple of questions bud.

Whats it like for getting work in construction in Perth? Would there many jobs going as far as labouring/tiling/painting and decorating go? Any idea what the avaerage wages are for the three above things?

How expensive is it over there, I mean how much would you spend in a week on the essentials: Rent, food, bills, weekend of drinking, that kind of thing?

Also there was a thread in after hours "have you ever been mugged" or something like that and the bloke that started it said he had been mugged 3 times in the few months he's been in Perth so I was just wondering is his post making it sound worse than it is or is it really a bit of a sh1thole for crime and scumbaggery? Thanks.