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Brisbane or Perth?


stevie_za

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Hi All

We can't decide where to stay once we actually move to Aus. Brisbane or Perth?

We are a family of 4. My husband and I, a 4-year old son and 7 month old daughter.

We went to Brisbane for a week last Oct. to validate our visas. We'll hopefully relocate to Aus. before the end of the year.

We weren't too excited and impressed by Brisbane and thought the whole time that we were maybe missing something.....because everyone says how beautiful it is over there.

Is there a big difference between Brisbane and Perth?

I realise that people's views will differ, but we don't know how to decide..

What are your views/tips/experiences with schools etc. on Brisbane and/or Perth?

Thanks!

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I have never lived in Brisbane, so I have to punt Perth.

I found Brisbane to be "dirty"by comparison to Perth.

Hopefully you can get a more unbiased view from someone who has lived in both cities.

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I can only speak about Brisbane, having never been to Perth. What I am finding, having been here about 2 months now, is that Brisbane as an area is really big! I have been concentrating my time more to the West, in the Kenmore area, and very busy Indooroopilly, and have driven North. I haven't seen much of the South, besides having driven to Ikea, nor East. Brisbane seems to me to be put together piece by piece - it doesn't really flow, for examples highways will fizzle out and then start again. I really like the Western side, as it is very green, and took a ride all the way to the Samford Valley recently, which is very pretty. Beaches are not close by where we stay. What I am saying is that Brisbane as a city has so many different parts, it's difficult to choose where to stay within the Brisbane metropole too. You will have seen your own side to Brisbane when you came here on your LSD.

I would suggest listing the things you are looking for in a lifestyle: weather, beaches, commuting etc., ranking them, and then deciding. It is a really difficult decision! And a personal one. We decided to go where the job was, and in a way I regret doing that, as I am not sure if we will move to the state where I initially wanted to be. I saw a statistic saying most migrants settle within 5 kilometres of where they first stayed.

Good luck! :)

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My suggestion is : Go where the work is- most things will then fall into place.

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I've lived in Brisbane for almost 6 years now. I've visited Perth on a few occations.

To my mind these are the things that you need to consider.

1 Employment. This will override almost everything when making a decision, but assuming you have the ability to be employed as easily in both cities.

Then

Brisbane is on the Eastern seaboard, the same seaboard as Sydney and effectively Melbourne. Most of Australia's commerce is conducted on the Eastern seaboard. To put it in perspective it is qicker to fly from Brisbane to Auckland NZ than to fly to Perth. It's easier and cheaper to go to Sydney, Melbourne et al from Brisbane than from Perth. I visit Sydney and Melbourne on "off the cuff" trips about three times a year. I suspect I couldn't afford it, or invest the time if I lived in Perth.

Brisbane to my mind is a bit of a staging point for the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, and becomes a destination because of that status. Depending on your lifestyle both the Sunshine and Gold Coast have big attractions. Perth is a destination in its own right. One visitor from Perth to Brisbane did note that it would take a trip of 400km to see some of the things that were within an hours drive of Brisbane.

Both Brisbane and Perth are river cities, but to my mind Perth has a better river.

I suspect that there is a bigger South African community in Perth. I have certainly heard more Afrikaans in Perth than in Brisbane.

Perth is closer to South Africa, so if you intent to, for want of a better word, commute on a regular basis Perth is a better bet.

To my mind Brisbane has a better climate. Not as hot as Perth in summer and very mild winters.

Brisbane has almost no beaches, wheras Perth has some very close to the city. The Gold and Sunshine Coast are within an hours drive though.

Perth has King's (or is it Queen's) park, Brisbane is not as lucky and it's botanical gardens do not compete.

While I don't know I suspect any cultural events visiting Australia, are more likely to go to Brisbane than Perth. If they don't Melbourne and Sydney are a lot closer.

NZ is a wonderfull place and it's easier to get there from Brisbane than Perth. I go approx every 3 years.

Western Australia has a Liberal Sate Government. Queensland is a Labor government.

When the South African teams tour Australia it is almost given they will play in Perth, it's almost a home game for them in Perth.

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I can help you with this one! We lived in Brisbane and now live in Perth! :)

Perth is winning by far! Seeing that you are from Pretoria, this is the way to go. Reason for that - I felt 'at home', as soon as we arrived. You can't really describe is, its just another vibe than Brisbane.

Look, I loved staying in Brissie, same weather as Durban (where we came from). Very humid in the summer - which for some people, very hard to adapt to.

Perth to me, is Pretoria weather! I could be wrong, but the hardest thing for us, was to get used to a REAL winter again. But I am sure by next year this time we will be okay!

Lots of schools here. Lovely beaches. Lots of South Africans. Great public transport.

You can't go wrong with Perth!

Oh yes, since we arrived in Perth I have heard of two other families who also relocated from Brisbane. (They are on the forum as well!)

Edited by Feetjie
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It all depends what you're looking for I guess. I believe that any city can be good to live in - it depends on the people you meet, how happy your kids are, whether you have a goob job etc. There are some good arguments in favour of both cities but in the end it comes down to what best suits your own need/expectations.

To me Brisbane was hard to get used to initially, especially the wooden Queenslander houses, but now I am quite happy here. I've visited Perth on two occasions and enjoyed it there too and I am sure that if I decided to live there it would have been good as well.

I recently went to Melbourne and really loved it there - you should seriously consider Melbourne too, it is an amazing city.

Good luck with your decision.

Edited by Willem Kruse
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I haven't had the opportunity to go to Brisbane, but I must say we're considering moving there next year from Perth. However, we don't have any children. I have heard from friends and family who live in Perth that it's a great place to raise kids. Even Aussies at work from different parts of Aus have told us that. Have to admit, there are parks with undercover play areas in almost all neighbourhoods, and the beaches here are stunning and relatively safe to swim at.

I guess it all depends on what your requirements are. We're lucky in that we can relatively easy pack up and go if we're unhappy somewhere. It's a bit more difficult if you've got kids. I wish you all the best and hope where ever you decide to settle, that you're happy there.

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I visited Brisbane a couple of years back and really enjoyed it.

I have never been to Perth, but since I just got a WA State Sponsored visa, I guess Perth is the best of the two :magic:

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Thanks to everyone who replied - it's much appreciated!

It's always good getting other people's views!

Thanks

Illanah & Stephen

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  • 5 months later...

Hi Stevie_za

We weren't too excited and impressed by Brisbane and thought the whole time that we were maybe missing something

This is how we felt when we went to Perth on holiday to activate our PR visa. Its quite strange.. but at the time we were in Perth, this is how we felt but when I think back to our time in Perth and if I could see myself living there, i do get a warm and happy feeling inside.

That said.. I'm actually choosing Sydney as the city I will be moving to. Although I have never been there, I have soooo much excitement building up inside ;) I arrive Sydney on the 21st March, maybe soon if some jobs come through.

Best of luck on your decision.

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  • 1 year later...

Hi,

I had the same thing to decide. On the end I chose Perth. Two of my work colleges chose Brisbane and we all immigrated this year. I just spend two weeks in Brisbane and we met up. They are not as happy as Me. There is a much bigger SA community in Perth and a lot of places to feel "at home". They don't feel at home in Brisbane. It's easy to get around in the city whereas Brisbane CBD is gridlocked. Brisbane is Humid. If you like the ocean Perth is better. The rail and bus network in Perth is so effiecent that you don't even need a car! I would say to work and live Perth to have a nice holiday Brisbane.

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  • 2 months later...

Brisbane vs Perth - Each city has its own beauty but WA has a sunset and sea to die for.

Personally i found the community in Brisbane more friendly and welcoming as we made friends there within 2 months of arriving - the kids just intigrated so well into school. The community in Perth seems less welcoming - we lived both North and South of Swan river. Nearing the end of our 2nd yr here and the kids still have not really made friends and i have only gotten to know 2 mothers in the community.

The work pace of Brisbane is a lot more hectic than Perth, after all WA stands for 'wait awhile'. Also remember that each state has their own laws and regulations which are very different.

It is not so much where we settle but how we embrace the different states of Aus and work at making it home.

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Personally I would go with where you find the best employment prospects. Both Cities are fantastic family-cities.

I have been to Brisbane on holiday and I live in Perth.

For us, although Brisbane is a wonderful city, there were a few things that I found unfavorable:

- the humidity (I cannot handle even slight humidity)

- the proximity to the beach was too far

- the wooden houses (I like brick)

But, having said that, these points are extremely subjective. The next person would not be bothered by these points in the least.

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I haven't been to Perth but we have lived in Brisbane now for almost 18mnths and we LOVE it here :ilikeit: :ilikeit: :ilikeit: We are about 20km's north of the cbd, our closest beach is about 45 mins away. The people are friendly and relaxed. There are HEAPS of parks and greenbelts. We have found it to be extremely family/child orientated, there is always something to do.

There are nice brick houses here too, but the majority is the Queenslander houses. I was scared of our first summer here as many people warned me it would be unbearable, but it was not too bad 9except for one memorable evening when it was 32 degrees at midnight!!). I can not imagine living anywhere else...

But - everybody's opinions differ, it is not an weasy choice. All I can say is that we love it here :ilikeit: :ilikeit: :ilikeit:

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Both are great places, so if you feel you have to make a choice, then whatever you make will be a good decision.

Both have good employment opportunities and a great lifestyle.

Once you are in a job, have a house, I think you'll find that it's the people that you make as friends that really make you feel welcome and at home in the years to come.

Perth ? . . . or Brisbane ?

You're lucky to have the choice of such great places.

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Go live in Sydney :whome::P;)

Good luck with your decision

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I freaking LOVE Brisbane. It took us 4 years (in Adelaide) to get here but it was worth the wait.

I've only been to Perth twice & I missed most of it due to jetlag. I just think it's a bit too small for my taste.

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I freaking LOVE Brisbane. It took us 4 years (in Adelaide) to get here but it was worth the wait.

I've only been to Perth twice & I missed most of it due to jetlag. I just think it's a bit too small for my taste.

Although Brisbane is "bigger" than Perth, its not that much of a difference - 1.7 million to 2 million population.

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Although Brisbane is "bigger" than Perth, its not that much of a difference - 1.7 million to 2 million population.

Brisbane's 2.15 million now...I think in reality the difference is more than those figures suggest given the population of the two "coasts" adjacent to Brisbane bring the area's population to 3 million. Brisbane also supports many large populations centres throughout Queensland where Perth is almost standalone.

Here's one crude measure sometimes used for city size in Australia, number of skyscrapers over 100 metres:

Adelaide: 3

Perth: 15

Brisbane: 54

Gold Coast: 22 (mostly apartments though)

Melbourne: 68

Sydney: 71

(Source: http://www.skyscrape...r.com/index.php)

Edited by Fish
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Wow interesting stuff Fish. I remember those 3 building in Adelaide well, as I worked on the top floor of one of them (in Waymouth Street). :-)'

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Brisbane's 2.15 million now...I think in reality the difference is more than those figures suggest given the population of the two "coasts" adjacent to Brisbane bring the area's population to 3 million. Brisbane also supports many large populations centres throughout Queensland where Perth is almost standalone.

Here's one crude measure sometimes used for city size in Australia, number of skyscrapers over 100 metres:

Adelaide: 3

Perth: 15

Brisbane: 54

Gold Coast: 22 (mostly apartments though)

Melbourne: 68

Sydney: 71

(Source: http://www.skyscrape...r.com/index.php)

If you compare on that basis - it is an urban legend that Perth is "stand alone" - there are some pretty big centres to the north and South - take those into account and Perths population goes up to well over 2 million.

Out of all the cities in Aus, Perth is the 4th largest.

Comparing cities in terms of skyskrapers is nonsensical. Perth has two good reasons for not having an abundance of skyscrapers. Firstly, it is the largest state in terms of land - there just aren't the space limitations that other States have, so, building skyscrapers just for he sake of doing so would not make any economic sense! The second reason is ground conditions - Perth is on limestone and aquifer's, which is not the best founding material, making tall buildings much more expensive to build.

Anyhow, to me, Perth feels very similar size-wise to Cape Town. It is the most laid-back and cleanest City. The beaches are beautiful white sand and the water is warm. The river is much bigger than I had anticipated - although there are plenty of river beaches for swimming, I am a bit dubious about the water quality.

Perth is a fabulous place for families with a huge range of family, outdoor and sports facilities. I think it has the best climate - just a bit warmer than Cape Town and not as windy.

If I had to pick on negative aspects, I would say that the City is disappointing in terms of nightlife. Restaurants as well are expensive and disappointing compared to pretty much everywhere on the East coast.

I would highly recommend Perth for families, but if you are a young couple/single, I think that you would do much better in Brissie, Melbourne or Sydney - the young social scene is undoubtedly better there.

Edited by Gizmo
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If you compare on that basis - it is an urban legend that Perth is "stand alone" - there are some pretty big centres to the north and South - take those into account and Perths population goes up to well over 2 million.

Fair enough, at the risk of turning this into a my cities bigger than yours, after all who really cares, I'm just trying to give a feel for the true difference as each city in Australia is on a different timeline in it's development path and my simple point was that I don't think the difference in numbers between Perth and Brisbane gives a true reflection of the actual place they are on that development path :blush-anim-cl:

To me "almost standalone" accurately reflects the figures but is open to interpretation. Perth's population count's include Mandurah up to Two Rocks and is a huge proportion of the state's population. Brisbane's population is less than half of Queensland's 4.6 million so has to provide head office support to many large population centres. I believe this is one of the factors that drives the larger office sector in Brisbane.

It also has to cater for the commuters/day trippers etc from the almost extra 1 million people on the gold and sunshine coasts.

Comparing cities in terms of skyskrapers is nonsensical. Perth has two good reasons for not having an abundance of skyscrapers. Firstly, it is the largest state in terms of land - there just aren't the space limitations that other States have, so, building skyscrapers just for he sake of doing so would not make any economic sense! The second reason is ground conditions - Perth is on limestone and aquifer's, which is not the best founding material, making tall buildings much more expensive to build.

I can understand your second point but I don't understand how the size of qld vs wa dictates what is done in the capital city but anyway it doesn't really matter. As mentioned, the skyscraper count is just one crude measure that isn't intended for numerically accurate comparisons but just to give a feel for the relative size of the cities development.

Maybe these aerials of Brisbane and Perth will demonstrate what I mean about Brisbane being quite a bit further along the infrastructure road than Perth in terms of buildings, bridges, tunnels, industrial - but still miles behind places like Sydney. It works out well for Australia as each city can learn from the next bigger one's triumphs and mistakes.

Brisbane:

bris2.jpg

Perth:

perth2.jpg

(Source: hayds from Perth SSC)

Edited by Fish
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