Melbourne -- questions on moving here

RamsHasasri SG

Friends

i am planning to shift to Australia a year after, either Sydney or Melbourne. Since i am now in Singapore, i am posting here so that if any singaporeans gone there or living there can clarify my doubts.

1) How about the transport facilities in Sydney or Melbournce? Can we expect the same facility what we have in Singapore and no need to rely on our own car always unlike USA. Pls clarify on this

2) How about the school education? I know ISingapore education is good..but atleast to some extent will it be good over there. Pls clarify this as well

ditzy SG

Yes, they have buses, trains, and taxis, but of course don't expect the kind of awesome standard we have here in singapore. Like for example, the buses run on a schedule, not like the 10 min frequency per bus we have here, maybe in suburban areas.

Taxis, fares are never cheap, whoever said taxi fares in Singapore are expensive ought to slap themselves. I think those meters jump every 2 seconds or something.

The reason why taxis are expensive there is because cars are cheap. Too cheap.

Again, must reinterate, because melbourne is way larger than singapore, a car is not an absolute must but really really good to have.

Education wise, when I attended university in Oz, I was appalled by the level of english the Oz have at uni level, since they learnt the queen's english, and grew up learning only that. To be honest, I expected alot more. Doing group work, I had to correct their grammar, and spelling.

No_10_Tomas SG

melbourne nice place

migrate there from here is like transition from hell to heaven

Ngenestephie1 SG

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storywolf SG

Friends

1) How about the transport facilities in Sydney or Melbournce? Can we expect the same facility what we have in Singapore and no need to rely on our own car always unlike USA. Pls clarify on this

2) How about the school education? I know ISingapore education is good..but atleast to some extent will it be good over there. Pls clarify this as well

I have based in Melbourne for a year, & also stayed Sydney . So in a very good position to advice you.

I love Melbourne - the life is slower pace and things are more organised and together - thus i seem to have all the time in the world. Where as Sydney is more expensive, things are all over the place - time is never enough

3 top things for you need to sort out first - 1) house 2) car 3) tax

Housing is a issue - i spend weeks with colleagues help there to find a proper house. You be surprise a lot of rental is not in good shape or in bad neighbourhood. My company got broken in 5 times within 3 weeks - that tell you how safe some neighbourhood can be. If you want to buy a house, yes people tell you correctly, house is cheaper here, but what they did not tell you is the interest rate is high also. In the end, most australian families are struggling with the interest payment.

Transport, unless you work in the city and stay in the city - then you ok without a car, but rental in city would be too expensive. Usually you need a car ! It is bloody cheap there - a 1.6l can new one cost 20k+ a 2nd hand one that can run 6-9k can get. Public transport is not good - very slow and long wait, at evening some train stations and trams stop at not safe !!! Taxi - unless you at city area - you need to book & also very expensive - get a car !!! .

Next come tax - get your company to provide you with tax consultant & tax equalization - filing tax there is too complex for you to fill up on your own & taxation is 40% - my tax consultant sort out mine - i just pay when i pay as if i am in sinagpore & my company fork out the rest !!!

Education is of very good standard

Hello Kitty SG

too many prc in melb.

one shithole to another.

Genie99b SG

too many prc in melb.

one shithole to another.

There are too many prcs everywhere. Even in newyork and london.

Patleongyk SG

Hi RamsHasasri,

are you planning to migrate there or going there to study?

I have lived in Melbourne for almost 4 years now. I love Melbourne. I have lived in other part of Australia as well, but still likes Melbourne more.

Patleongyk SG

too many prc in melb.

one shithole to another.

The prc in Australia is really different from prc in Singapore. Different in term of education background, family background etc etc. From my first guess, you have not even stayed anywhere outside Singapore. So, is really not fair to make that statement "one shithole to another." Is a world out there, Singapore is only a very small part of it.

In the world map, the dot is even bigger than the whole Singapore. So try to get out of Singapore and live for a few years (if you can), and see the real world Hello Kitty.

Demon Bane SG

I have friends living in Australia....some like it and some don't...those that loved it stayed, while those who don't, returned to SG...about education and details, why not you ask the embassy or your immigration lawyer?

You have to think carefully if you want the shift to be permanent....I will recommend that you go live there for a few months first before you decide... no amount of thinking can help...you'll have to live it to really know it...

Hello Kitty SG

In the world map, the dot is even bigger than the whole Singapore. So try to get out of Singapore and live for a few years (if you can), and see the real world Hello Kitty.

stfu.

i knw my geography.

the last thing i need is for u to tell me wat to do.

Jen Tan (Lawyer) SG

Hi everyone,

Not sure if this topic is still active but I am a Singaporean who grew up in Australia and have now lived in Australia for many years and am now working as a corporate lawyer.

One of the biggest factors to consider when moving over here is the standard and quality of living. Singapore can be a very high pressured and stressful environment depending on your job industry and the type of person you are. Australians are generally pretty laid back but can also be very ambitious and driven in their careers. The culture is certainly very different and there is a big emphasis on family life and work/life balance in Australia.

The size of property is generally bigger in Australia and there are more houses than flats/apartments but it is all funded from your pocket (aside from a number of government grants) unlike in Singapore where you can use your CPF.

I agree that transport certainly isn't as convenient as Singapore with the MRT and buses but it is manageable. If you don't live near a tramline, train line or bus line, you can pick up a car relatively cheaply (Australia doesn't have the same rules as Singapore and you can buy older cars for a lot less).

We are finding that a lot of people overseas (China, Singapore, Malaysia, etc) coming over to Australia to invest or start a business because Australia has not been hit as hard by the GFC (or has been able to recover a bit better).

In terms of liveability, South Australia is one of the most liveable cities around the world because its an affordable place to buy housing, has a good standard of living and is clean. Have a look at this article (http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/city-most-liveable-for-three-years-running/story-e6frea83-1226589494593).

There are a number of ways to migrate to Australia for example, as a skilled migrant (i.e. skilled professional or tradesperson), a business migrant (business professionals, investors and owners), employer sponsored migrant, working holiday maker or an international graduate.

If you ever need advice or assistance, I would be more than happy to assist so please feel free to contact me via private message :)