Anybody moved from Perth to Brisbane? Please convince me that Brisbane's okay

[ChareenB]

After living in Perth for a while we're moving to Brisbane for the following reasons 1) To be closer to family, 2) I'm feeling a bit isolated in Perth and can only visit Bali and Margaret River so often, 3) My husband has been offered a better job opportunity in Brisbane (Russel Street South Brisbane). I was very excited about the move to Brisbane as I had good memories from a trip that I did 13 years ago but I've just returned from Brisbane after spending a few days looking for houses and schools and I feel really sad that we're giving up beautiful Perth for what seems to be a really ugly and dirty city. One of my hubby's non negotiables is proximity to the city so places like North Lakes, Bridgeman Downs etc aren't an option. He works long hours so we have to be within a maximum travelling time of 30 minutes by public transport. I'd like some convincing ONLY from people that have lived in Perth and have made the move to Brisbane, that Brisbane is more than what I think it is. These are my observations and perhaps I wasn't looking in the right areas, I admit it was a pretty whirlwind trip so I probably didn't get to the good parts. Add to that the fact that it rained all day everyday which probably dampened my spirits a little.

1) Perth : We live in Mt Lawley which has great little coffee shops, beautiful character houses, proximity to city and the beautiful and clean surrounds of the river with great walking paths (I'm a runner so this is quite important to me)

Brisbane : Suburbs close to city that I've looked at : Indooroopilly and surrounds (can't remember the names), Morningside, Hawthorne, Coorparoo, Murarrie all seem very 'rundown' and don't seem to have great access to walking paths along the river. Your views?

2) Brisbane - traffic not bad but how's the public transport?

3) In Perth we have the NOR and SOR debate. I seem to prefer the areas South of the city in Brisbane. What are the the comparisons NOR and SOR in Brisbane?

4) I did like Carindale as it seems to tick most of the boxes, the suburb is attractive, houses aren't rundown Queenslanders and they have a really great shopping centre (big plus :-) ). It seems to be my suburb of choice so far. Any views on Carindale, especially wrt to access to South Brisbane, outdoor exercising, state secondary schools?

5) Beaches - Very, very spoilt with choice in Perth. Gold Coast isn't an option as I don't like the commercialised 'Durban/ Miami/ Las Vegas' feel. I visited Manly which is pretty but not really beachy. Which is the closest accessible beach from Brissie?

At this stage, any advice and info will be appreciated

[Eva]

Good luck with that... I can't imagine how hard it must be when you are not really unhappy in one place to move to another one when it doesn't tick all the boxes. If you do make the move I hope you are happy in Brisbane and find a suburb that works for you.

[Guest May]

The transport in Brisbane is very good I havent stayed in Perth. I stay in Indooroopilly in a small apartment and if you travel one block up from me there are lovely homes near St Peters so you really do need to travel around. South of Brisbane within 30 mins is very nice, everything is convenient from Kenmore and surrounding areas I should know as I clean homes in the area. North Lakes is lovely but a distance to travel.

That said ...I am moving Brisbane to Perth but its more because I cant find work here. Sydney where my husband IT skills are in demand as only handful of people in country have them is too fast for us. I think its really in the eye of the beholder because as my hubby has said having stayed in all they are all lovely, the Queenslanders are quaint I love the ones with balconies however they get really dusty but I love the wooden floors. Brisbane's weather is unpredictable however at there are no lack of water at the moment like WA. It has its charm and lovely fresh food markets.

[ChareenB]

Good luck with that... I can't imagine how hard it must be when you are not really unhappy in one place to move to another one when it doesn't tick all the boxes. If you do make the move I hope you are happy in Brisbane and find a suburb that works for you.

Hi Eva, thanks for that :-) I guess it's typical human nature : You don't realise what you've got until you lose it. However, I'm sure that we'll love Brisbane once we find our suburb.

[ChareenB]

The transport in Brisbane is very good I havent stayed in Perth. I stay in Indooroopilly in a small apartment and if you travel one block up from me there are lovely homes near St Peters so you really do need to travel around. South of Brisbane within 30 mins is very nice, everything is convenient from Kenmore and surrounding areas I should know as I clean homes in the area. North Lakes is lovely but a distance to travel.

That said ...I am moving Brisbane to Perth but its more because I cant find work here. Sydney where my husband IT skills are in demand as only handful of people in country have them is too fast for us. I think its really in the eye of the beholder because as my hubby has said having stayed in all they are all lovely, the Queenslanders are quaint I love the ones with balconies however they get really dusty but I love the wooden floors. Brisbane's weather is unpredictable however at there are no lack of water at the moment like WA. It has its charm and lovely fresh food markets.

Thanks May, I'll just need to do my homework a bit more Shout if you need any info about Perth : where to stay, good schools etc. If you live near the river it's really beautiful. Good luck with your move!

[AndreaL]

Fish is quite an expert on Brisbane, so hopefully he'll pop in and name some suburbs for you to think about. I do think that you will find somewhere that suits and having family, a good job offer for hubby, and feeling less isolated on the Eastern side will more than make up for things.

I really like living in Queensland ( we started in Perth) and you will be able to have weekends in Sydney, travel inland and do so much more on this side. I don't think you will regret it.

I live in a little tiny mining town, but the fact that hubby loves his job and is much better paid has made a world of difference to us, I sort of consider myself a Queenslander now

[HouseInOz]

The transport in Brisbane is very good I havent stayed in Perth. I stay in Indooroopilly in a small apartment and if you travel one block up from me there are lovely homes near St Peters so you really do need to travel around. South of Brisbane within 30 mins is very nice, everything is convenient from Kenmore and surrounding areas I should know as I clean homes in the area. North Lakes is lovely but a distance to travel.

That said ...I am moving Brisbane to Perth but its more because I cant find work here. Sydney where my husband IT skills are in demand as only handful of people in country have them is too fast for us. I think its really in the eye of the beholder because as my hubby has said having stayed in all they are all lovely, the Queenslanders are quaint I love the ones with balconies however they get really dusty but I love the wooden floors. Brisbane's weather is unpredictable however at there are no lack of water at the moment like WA. It has its charm and lovely fresh food markets.

Been in Brisbane for over 3 years and really looking forward to move to Perth too!

[ChrisinBris]

I have not lived in Perth, so can't compare but I quite love Brisbane. The run-down houses freaked me out when I first arrived too. The trick is to be far enough away from the city to escape the rundown zone, but close enough (and near enough to a public transport artery to make the commute OK).

If you can get easy access to a train station then figuring out your commute is easy - just go to Translink.com.au and use the journey planner. The trains have a really good on-time record (http://www.queenslandrail.com.au/RAILSERVICES/CITY/Pages/PeakOn-TimeResults.aspx). I have only been late for work or getting home maybe four times in 5 years due to train issues.

Try to live on the side of the river you work on. Not too much of an issue if you take a train, but if for some reason your need a ride in or a bus in, it will make a huge difference.

The thing I love about Brisbane is that it has a 'quaintness' about it. Perth CBD seems so ordered and well planned (not really a negative), while Brisbane is quirky and odd. Lots of nice places to get away to in driving distance - Sunshine Coast (Noosa is amazing), Gold Coast, the hinterlands, Northern NSW and quick flights to Melbourne and Sydney.

Any place is what you make of it though.

ps Too many trips to Bali is a nice problem to have

[SurferMan]

Well,

We have been living in Perth for 3 years now, and it is very nice. But the job market is super narrow here in IT (SAP) and the skill set is fairly "inbred" (I meant that in a nice way, there are few true growth options here)

We want to move to Brissy, but cant seem to come to a landing on either where, or if we will be worse off. I know happiness is a state of mind. Anyone lived in Perth and Brissy to give a balanced view? Could win you a beer!

[Mara]

SurferMan, I think you would possibly find more jobs available in either Sydney or Melbourne.

[Guest May]

For SAP jobs try BHP Billiton and Hatch Engineering Services. The chaps there are doing well. Seem to at least.

[MarcK]

Carina is a great suburb but we found it to be slightly far from the city. Having said that there are express buses which run from Carindale shopping centre and take around 20 minutes. We lived in Carina for 7 months before buying an apartment in Bulimba.

Bulimba - good area with decent transport links to the city. We catch the ferry across to Teneriffe and then the City Glider into the city. All in all about 15 minutes travel time. Lovely restaurants in Oxford Street and only 10 to 15 minutes from the city by car.

Brisbane has grown on me and I find it more and more beautiful with each passing day. The ugly Queenslanders now look more attractive and are a piece of history which needs to be protected. Brissy is also very laid back and offers a lot of attractions and entertainment throughout the year which keeps us busy.

Good luck with making a decision!!

[SurferMan]

SurferMan, I think you would possibly find more jobs available in either Sydney or Melbourne.

Hi Mara,

Yeah, but we don't want to live there. Want to live n work in Brissie. We will just keep praying, something will happen. We are both from the North coast of SA, so will love the Brissie climate and lifestyle. No sure what people mean by a dirty city, Hillbrow was pretty bad!

[Guest May]

Got to love it. Just like I dont want to live in Brisbane. Different strokes.

[Heymanse]

5) Beaches - Very, very spoilt with choice in Perth. Gold Coast isn't an option as I don't like the commercialised 'Durban/ Miami/ Las Vegas' feel. I visited Manly which is pretty but not really beachy. Which is the closest accessible beach from Brissie?

I have to agree with you here. When we explored Brisbane two months ago (we were thinking of moving from Sydney to Brisbane), I found it really hard to find a beach I loved. We stayed in North Lakes at a friend's house and the closest I could find to the beautiful Sydney beaches was a 50km drive to Woorim beach on Bribie Island. I really loved Brisbane CBD and loved the transport infrastructure (including road network) but the Brisbane river had nothing over beautiful Sydney Harbour. Have no liking to the Gold Coast for exactly the same reasons as you do. I am trying to get away from the hussle and bussle of Sydney - not put myself smack bang back into it again. We still want to move to Queensland but I think maybe that will only happen in a couple of years and it will probably be further north of Brisbane.

Good luck with your planning - here's hoping that you find the ideal spot and that you'll be happy with your new home.

[pam abrey]

I absolutely love Brisbane, having moved here from Cape Town two years ago. It was a hard adjustment because let's face it, nowhere is as beautiful as Cape Town! However I've found a wonderful home right next to a patch of forest in St Lucia and it is quiet, very green and leafy and yet only 4kms from the city. I despise traffic and I'm never in it! I take the train most days but on weekends travel by City Cat which is fantastic and only 2 minutes from my house. Don't get put off by what you've seen until you've done a proper look around because I trawled some pretty grotty places until I found my gem. Brisbanites are really friendly and easy-going, and I've made lots of new friends. Brisbane City Council is outstanding and there are always wonderful free events happening. If you have kids they will love it here. I have found four great beaches so far....and the list keeps getting longer. I've heard people say that they can't find work in Brisbane but that is very much dependant on you and your skill set. Best of luck to you.

[Kurkprop]

Have you had a look at Wooloowin and Clayfield yet? There are some lovely parks and running tracks nearby, close to the city, and the old Qlder houses are beautiful. If I ever move to Bbne these two suburbs are where I would like to live. Aside from Auchenflower, that is. Which is totally not in my price bracket anyway

[Guest May]

Just to say that the originator of this thread is remaining Perth because of work secured there.

Yes I am right next to St Lucia and I walk 5 mins to train, 5 mins on express train and 5 mins to work. I finally found work for 5 weeks in the 5 week wait for my flight out. Poetic. I stay close to the Indooroopilly parks and its beautiful in the morning. So now we will see how Perth holds up. Sydney was too rushed .... Different strokes ....... I now work in an office earning $2 more per hour than my cleaning job/ a big perk is AIRCON.

[Andreventer]

Hi there. I lived in Perth for 8 yers SOR. Hate the place so fake. Been in Qld now for a year and loving it. Spend a fair bit of time in Brisbane and all is good. Depending on what ur looking for. Try areas like The Gap and surrounds. Beatifull and all have public transport only 10-15 min from central. Good luck:)

[SurferMan]

So many views, but I love andreVenters the most. Can't wait to give it a go.

[Guest May]

I have to review after being in Perth for 2 weeks. Brisbane is far prettier, its greener and more vibrant. Got to go where the work is

[SurferMan]

Hi may,

Yeah me too, but I work in IT, so hope to nail a job soon in Brissie. Enjoy Perth....we wanna go to Brissie...so excited. Come on PR!!!

[sbhennops]

The great suburbs for getting away from hustle and bustle are Samford, Dayboro, Highvale, Closeburn, Yugar, and many more within easy reach of railway station of Ferny Grove, and still has working cattle farms and horse studs around and 5 acre holdings if that is more to your liking. Closeburn is a 35min drive to the center of Brisbane city on a smooth run. Sunshine Coast has great beaches, Moreton Island and Strathbroke are great getaways. Frasier Island is a fishing dream, and one of the most stunning places. I go every winter to go Taylor fishing and live out of the ocean for 4 days. There are so many things that Queensland in general offers, including regular Saffa groups that go camping, hiking, monthly coffee meetups, dances and 4 wheel drive trips. So much that can be done if you really want to give it a go. I have been here for 7 years now and live in a cattle and horse property outside Samford, and really love the peace I enjoy here.

Good luck.

PS: you can join fishing forums, and do the big trek to 17/70 every year for a week of fishing if you are a keen fisher person

4x4 opportunities are in Jimna at the landcruiser mountain park which hosts mudbulls and music every year.

Woodford folk and country festival is another calander event.

The rodeo also comes thru Samford, and Dayboro as part of the main curcuit yearly.

School busses

Great shopping,

Stunning airport

Many sports clubs

Great all round community spirit in most suburbs in Brisbane which are still pretty much country towns.

[SurferMan]

sbhennops,

Man that is EXACTLY what I'm after. Will have to slave in the city due to my line of work, (SAP specialist) but want the rural lifestyle. Don't mind a bit of a commute, if it's under an hour that will be awesome, since I do around 1:20-2 hours each way a day now.

The remaining trick would be to find a Christian school that we like...

Thanks for posting a list of suburbs to look at, I will be checking them out!

Cant wait for beach driving, decent fishing (its poor here in the Perth CBD) and weekends in the bush.

[sbhennops]

Well mate, most of my neighbours kids are in Christian private schools, and there are plenty around. Primary and secondary institutions all normally have a school bus from most semi rural places like Dayboro, Cedar Creek Rd Closeburn, so you shouldn't have any problems finding christian schools in Brisbane to your liking. Just go online and search and you will find many, even a few close to areas like Samford, Ferny Hills, etc. Good availability of doctors, some focus on childrens medical needs. Also great surfing around, just hook up with the surfing guys, Byron Bay is a big one for a weekend trip and the Sunshine coast sports some awesome sets that would be to your liking. Plenty of good surfing spots, and great beaches around.