How to arrive and

The property market in brisbane and its suburbs

Average House Price December 2007	A$426,000
Average Unit (flat/apartment) Price December 2007	A$322,000

Queensland houses are large by anybody's standards, usually with a generous verandah. They are also usually sited on spacious parcels of land, ideal for gardens and other facilities such as a swimming pool or tennis court. The majority of Brisbanites live in detached houses with gardens. Consequently the city sprawls over a large area.

However, the houses themselves are characterised by their distinctive, unsightly corrugated steel roofs. Many house are also set high on poles or stumps. These are referred to as “Queenslanders”. There are several practical reasons for such arrangements, largely climate-related. Queensland is occasionally hit by adverse weather and tiled roofs become dangerous in high winds, hence the sheet metals roofs. An elevated building is also better ventilated in the height of Summer.
What follows is a brief description of the most notable of Brisbane's suburbs.
The Valley is 1 kilometre from the CBD and runs north-east of the CBD. It is the suburb of choice for young professionals. Its full title is “Fortitude Valley”, but is generally known as “The Valley”. It was once the red-light district of Brisbane. It is now home to Brisbane's Chinatown and hippest night spots. More than 90% of dwellings are “units” with two thirds housing couples with children. It is a lively place, but some would say “noisy”.
Paddington lies less than 2 kilometres to the north-west of the CBD. It is characterised by well-maintained gardens and leafy streets. About two thirds of the housing stock is standalone dwellings. It is a sought-after cosmopolitan suburb that comes to life on weekends when friends and family come to visit its residents.
West End lies in a bend in the river across from the CBD. It was once a poor suburb, but this has changed for the better. Despite being less than 3 kilometres from the CBD, this suburb retains a distinctive laid-back atmosphere.
New Farm lies just 2 kilometres to the west of the CBD and is popular with childless immigrant communities. It is a successful urban renewal project that is about 75% units (flats/apartments).
Kangaroo Point is a cliff-side suburb on a peninsula across the river about a kilometre from the CBD. It retains a distinctive atmosphere despite being so close to the city centre. It is characterised by expensive townhouses and apartments. About 75% of the housing stock is “units”.
Hamilton is a cosmopolitan riverside suburb located 5 kilometres from the CBD. It is historic, prestigious and expensive. Very few immigrants can afford to live here.
You can get a more detailed description of every Brisbane suburb at: www.ourbrisbane.com/living/suburbs
You can see a demographic and lifestyle breakdown of Brisbane by suburb at:
http://www.id.com.au/profile/Default.aspx?id=327
On the top left of the menu system you need to click on 'Area Selection' to find a suburb.
It provides a detailed description of matters such as: birthplace, age, language, religion, qualifications, internet connection, income, occupation, housing type and tenure, etc.
Working in brisbane – what's in demand
The CBD in Brisbane is dominated by large public sector and private sector employers. The Royal Brisbane hospital is a major employer in town. There is also the usual demand for salespeople, I.T. professionals, clerks, educationists, legal workers and financial specialists.
Being the state capital, there are many jobs in government in Brisbane. However, not all government jobs are open to non-Australians.
Tourism accounts for 10% of Queensland economy. Consequently there are many jobs in the hospitality and entertainment industry in Queensland. The Australian love of gambling is very strong in the Sunshine State – as Queensland is called – and there is no shortage of gambling venues. Casinos employ a variety of skilled people, as do hotels.
Low skilled work in the hospitality industry is plentiful, but is lowly paid.

Regional queensland state
An hour's drive from Brisbane is the famous Gold Cost of Australia. It is a series of seaside towns that spread southward for about 70 kilometres towards New South Wales. At its heart is the famous Surfers' Paradise.
The further north you go from Brisbane the more humid it becomes. Most of Queensland enjoys a tropical climate. The major settlement north of Brisbane is Cairns, which by anybody's reckoning is more of a big town than a city. Cairns is largely a transport hub for tourist activities in the region. It has an international airport which can handle big planes, some even coming in from afar as Japan.
Hundreds of tour operations run daily operations out of Cairns, such as trips to the Daintree Rainforest, the Outback, the Kuranda railway and, of course, to the Great Barrier Reef. Surprisingly Cairns itself has no proper beach to speak of. Most people base themselves in Cairns to have an affordable hotel, to enjoy the night-life and to make use of the transport options.
Just to the north of Cairns is Port Douglas, which is home to some of the best (and priciest) hotels in the region. Nearby is the historic and scenic Cape Tribulation.
Along the 2000 kilometres that is Queensland's coast you will find hundreds of islands. Some of these have been developed into luxury holiday resorts. You might have heard of the Hayman Island and the Hamilton Island resorts?
Unsurprisingly then, tourism is a major employer in the region. Tour guides, boat workers and hotel workers have year-round demand for their skills. However, wages are not as good as most people would like. Many people work in tourism and feel compensated by the good lifestyle and good weather.
The sugar cane and mining industries are also major employers in regional Queensland.
There are opportunities in regional Queensland for most people seeking to take advantage of the Skilled Independent Regional Visa. Employers in regional Queensland have difficulty in attracting and retaining suitable staff. The bright lights of the big cities offering higher pay is too much to resist for most of their workers.
You can see a demographic and lifestyle breakdown of Queensland at: http://www.id.com.au/home/Default.aspx?pg=4200&gid=3#ur


4. perth and western Australia (WA)
Perth's population: 1.2 million

Total WA population: 1.9 million

Timezone: GMT +8

State size: 2,500,000 square kilometre (about 33% of Australia's land mass)

perth – what's it like?
Calm, safe and quiet – that is Perth. It is a modern city that offers its residents a good standard and quality of life. It is regarded by many as Australia's cheapest and safest city. Perth also gets more sunlight than any other Australian city.
Most people lead an active outdoor lifestyle. Perth is better suited to families looking for a good environment to raise their kids than a young person wanting an exciting night-life.
Perth is on the far west coast of Australia and is the most isolated city in the world. It is physically closer to Singapore than Sydney. The next nearest Australian city is Adelaide which is about 2000 kilometres away to the east. There is even a 2 hour time zone difference between Perth and the Australian cities on the east coast.
Perth is not actually on the coast, but is set 12 kilometres inland along the banks of the Swan River. It has a somewhat Mediterranean climate which means warm/hot Summers and cool, wet Winters. The hottest month is February. An afternoon sea breeze called the “Fremantle Doctor” cools the city in the height of Summer. Fremantle is the nearby seaside town that serves as the port to Perth.
Much like the rest of Australia, Perth and Western Australia (WA) offers a friendly and relaxed lifestyle. The majority of the state's population lives along the coast in and around Perth and Fremantle. Perth is the state capital of Western Australia.
WA attracts about 10% of the total number of immigrants to Australia. The single biggest discernible source is from the United Kingdom which contributes about a quarter of the total immigrant population. About a third of Perth's population was born outside Australia.
In their leisure time, most inhabitants of Perth take to the Swan River to enjoy water sports which range from sailing, jet boating, fishing, wind surfing to parasailing and river cruises.
The Kings Park and Gardens offers people 400 hectares of parkland and greenery to relax in. Barbecue facilities are free and this is very popular with families on weekends. It hosts festivals throughout the year and the occasional wedding ceremony.
Going to the beach is an obvious popular pastime in Perth. Being on the west coast of Australia, all the white sandy beaches offer scenic sunsets. The warm Indian Ocean has pleasant temperatures most of the year. Surfing is popular across the generations.
There are two other sports of note in Perth: golf and Australian Rules Football. There are several golf courses in Perth which are busy every day of the week. “Aussie Rules” is so popular in Perth that this small city even has two teams that compete nationally.
Now for some of the downsides to life in Perth. The hottest days of Summer (+35C) in February can be too much for some. Perth has the highest burglary rate in Australia. Occasionally there are swarms of flies in the Summer when the winds come in from the desert to the east. Bush fires are an annual menace to homes and settlements away from the city at its outskirts.
perth's transport infrastructure
You can travel for free on public transport in central Perth. Can you think of another city that offers that to its residents?
In the Free Transit Zone (FTZ) you can make use of buses and trains without paying anything. Weekday services are more frequent than on weekends. In the city centre there is a free bus service called the “CAT” (Central Area Transit) which offer three routes and makes getting around the city centre with shopping bags very easy.
During business hours public transport in Perth is considered highly efficient and cheap. During the rush hours they are prone to traffic jams like most other cities. Luckily congestion in Perth is very short in duration.
The local train service has four lines which serve the suburbs. These suburban trains are called Fast Track and are clean and efficient. Between City West and McIver use of these trains is free because it is within the FTZ. The trains are spacious, modern, clean and rarely overcrowded. They are usually on time and delays or breakdowns are rare. They are also safe any time of day, except late at night on the extremes of the routes.
Long distance trains run along the famous Indian Pacific Route which runs across Australia to Sydney. The first major city en route is Adelaide. The total distance to Sydney is over 4,000 kilometres. The “Ghan” train runs along this route.
The local bus and train network even extends as far as to serve the nearby beaches, but tickets are required because they are outside the FTZ. “Transperth” tickets are priced on the basis of city zones and can be used buses and trains. Transperth tickets can be bought in most newsagents. To learn more about this you can visit: www.transperth.wa.gov.au
A ferry service operates to carry people across the Swan River. It runs thrice hourly and the main terminus is at Barrack Jetty. It is a cheap and reliable service.
Perth also has a small tram service, but is only really good for seeing tourist attractions. You can learn more about this at: www.tramswest.com.au

Most people in Perth drive themselves to work rather than use public transport. The public transport network is great for routes involving the city centre, but travelling around the periphery of the city compels people to have their own transport. The road network is well planned and the roads are in good condition. The freeways are almost always free-flowing with rush hours being the exception.

Speeding is taken very seriously in Perth. There are many speed cameras in the city and its suburbs. Random breath tests to catch drunk drivers are also commonplace throughout the week.
Many people choose to take advantage of Perth's excellent climate and cycle trails to get about. It's a great way to keep fit and save money. Cyclists are required by law to wear a helmet.
The property market in perth and its suburbs

Average House Price December 2007	A$509,000
Average Unit (flat/apartment) Price December 2007	A$348,000

Almost three-quarters of Perth's houses are detached with varying sizes of garden. Suburban developments close to the coast tend to have properties more densely packed than elsewhere in Perth. The further inland you go, the more house and land you get for your money.

Most immigrants settle in the eastern suburbs of Perth. The chief reason for doing so is affordability. Residents here come from around the planet. Some of the south eastern suburbs, such as Maddington, Gosnells, Lynwood, and Thornlie are less well thought of compared to other areas in Perth. The average property prices in the eastern suburbs ranged between A$300,000 and A$350,000 in late 2008.
Broadly speaking, the north and west of the city are the most highly desired areas in which to live. These suburbs are where people with the highest salaries tend to live. Many British migrants have chosen to settle in the northern suburbs which are around half an hour north of the city centre.
Dalkeith is the most prestigious suburb in Perth. Properties here exchange owners for millions of Aussie Dollars. It is situated 7 kilometres from the CBD. On its boundaries it has the river, Kings Park and White Beach. The latter is the widest sandy beach north of the river. Few immigrants are to be found in this suburb.

South Perth offers its residents the best views of the city from across the Swan River. It has the Royal Perth Golf Course as well as the city's zoo. It is becoming a sought after residential area, despite once being on the cheap side a few years ago.

Subiaco is a pleasant suburb that is about 10 minutes by car from the CBD. It is about 20 minutes by car to Fremantle. “Freo” retains its own character and offers good shopping, dining and nightlife options. It is home to the Australian Rules Football stadium, the Subiaco Oval, which comes to life at weekends when the 40,000 spectators arrive.
The beach suburbs of Trigg, Swanbourne and Cottesloe are very popular and not just for the obvious reasons. Less obvious reasons for living near the sea in Perth include less extreme summer heat and fewer flies because of the prevailing sea breezes and winds. Which brings us on to the disadvantages of living next to the sea. High winds can be a problem. When strong winds blow, garden furniture and other objects are moved around, causing damage. Winds can also bring damaging sea sand in to gardens and houses.
A great website to see what properties (and their prices) are available in Perth can be found at:

www.thewest.com.au
You can find a very detailed breakdown of Perth that is derived from the 2006 census at the following website:
http://www.id.com.au/home/Default.aspx?pg=4200&gid=57080
It provides a detailed description of matters such as: birthplace, age, language, religion, qualifications, internet connection, income, occupation, housing type and tenure, etc.
Working in perth – what's in demand
From the turn of the century Perth has enjoyed a boom driven by exports of minerals to booming Asian economies, particularly China. Toward the end of 2008, this boom started to falter along with the world economy. At the end of 2010 several mining companies committed to developing vast projects in the years to come. This is causing good job growth, but price levels are starting to rise. The boom has returned.
Mining is carried on outside Perth but the city is home mining and minerals companies headquarters. Consequently the city is the base for associated support industries which employ engineers, scientists and other related mining specialists.
With less than 10% of Australia' population, WA produces 25% of Australia's exports. Aside from minerals, beef and wheat are major foreign exchange earners.
All of the types of jobs associated with a big city are available in Perth. However, there is a lower turnover of jobs in Perth because people don't change employers as often as elsewhere in Australia. Thus jobs can be slightly harder to secure in Perth than in other Australian cities. This doesn't mean there aren't suitable jobs waiting for you, it just means they take longer to appear. Mining related jobs are becoming plentiful.
Seen on a percentage basis, there are many administrative and I.T. jobs in Perth. Other major fields of employment are in finance, healthcare, law, teaching and accounting. Agriculture and tourism are also major employers in the WA economy.
There is an oil refinery at Kwinana which is about 20 kilometres south of Fremantle. This refinery is a large employer and it drives the need for associated engineering and chemicals jobs.
Real estate and property development were booming industries riding on the back of the affluence brought about by the juggernaut WA economy before 2009. Renovating and selling neglected dwellings and commercial buildings was a profitable undertaking for many people in the early years of this century.
Regional western Australia state
Western Australia has a coastline 12,500 kilometres. It has an abundance of raw materials such as gold, diamonds, gas, iron ore and other minerals. Consequently anybody with skills related to these industries will find Perth and WA a consideration for employment opportunities.
Fremantle is 20 minutes drive from Perth and is the major port for this side of Australia. It is approaching city status in its own right and has a character all of its own. Many people live in “Freo” and commute to work in Perth by means of the ferry service that travels up the Swan River.
Within half an hour's drive away in the Swan Valley lies WA's wine country. It surprises people to learn that there are so many wineries in what is such a dry state. Further afield, three hours drive to the south of Perth lies the Margaret River. Some of Australia's best food and wine is produced here. It is also very scenic here, with rugged coastlines, limestone caves and pleasant country scenery.
Much further away from Perth is Broome which is known as “The Pearl of the North”. It lies on the north coast of WA and if driving, you can take days to get there. Darwin and Indonesian islands are closer to it than Perth. It used to be the capital of the world's pearl industry. It is still the biggest employer in town, but is past its heyday. It still has a Chinatown and has a fantastic white sandy beach. You can learn more about WA at: www.westernaustralia.com

5. adelaide and south Australia
Adelaide's population: 1.2 million

Total SA population: 1.6 million

Timezone: GMT +9.5

State size: 984,000 square kilometres (almost 13% of Australia's total area)

adelaide – what's it like?
Elegant, historic and understated – that is Adelaide.
Adelaide is the capital of the state of South Australia and has a population of 1.1 million people. South Australia (SA) is located on the southern side of Australia in a central position. It is the driest of all the states in Australia. There are lush grasslands in the south, but the further north you go the more dry and arid it becomes. The north is essentially harsh, barren desert.
Adelaide attracts immigrants because of its Mediterranean climate, great beaches and the lowest property prices of any major Australian city.
Summers are warm and dry, with the average daytime high being 29C. Humidity is less of a factor compared to most other Australian cities. Winters are mild, occasionally wet with daytime highs of 15C. Rainfall occurs almost exclusively in Winter. Warm, sunny days prevail for most of the year.
Adelaide has a great deal of open spaces and parks, with each park having a distinct character. The city is laid out in planned, rectangular blocks with straight, wide roads and plentiful green spaces.
Adelaide used to be known as “the city of churches” because of the number of spectacular colonial-era churches that were built. It is also famous for the number of food, wine, dance, drama and musical festivals held throughout the year. SA is called “The Festival State”.
In the 1970's the then South Australian state government initiated a restaurant policy that resulted in

increased standards of quality of service and food. Today Adelaide has more restaurants per capita than any other Australian city. You generally pay 25% less for a restaurant meal in Adelaide compared to Sydney and Melbourne. Al fresco dining is also very much part and parcel of life in Adelaide.

About 25% of Adelaide's residents were born overseas, with about 100 identifiable ethnic communities present. People from the UK are Adelaide's biggest immigrant group, making up about 10% of the population. The next biggest groups are: Italians (2%), Greeks (1%), Vietnamese (1%) and Germans (1%). Aboriginal Australians make up about 1% of Adelaide's population.
Adelaide has the highest percentage of retired people of all Australia's cities. It is not a trendy city in the way that Sydney or Melbourne are. If you like to shop for designer-label clothing or the latest gadget, understated Adelaide will not have what you want. An universal casual dress code rules supreme in this warm climate and most shops reflect this.
SA has an incredible 4800 kilometres of coastline. There are thus many wonderful beaches within an hour's drive from Adelaide. The population of SA is dependent on the Murray River for its water supply. More than 75% of SA's population lives in Adelaide.
SA produces some of the best wines in the world – that is no idle boast. The Barossa Valley is the heart of the Australian wine industry and being just 60 kilometres away is an easy drive away from Adelaide.
Now for some of the downsides to life in Adelaide. Sea water temperatures are cooler than other Australian cities with the exception of Melbourne. The height of Summer is just too hot for some people – occasionally temperatures hit 40C. Almost all of the city's water comes from the Murray River and is recycled many times. The water is safe to drink, but it's heavily treated with chemicals and has a slightly bad taste. So you will want to buy a water filter for your tap which is not expensive and will give you fresher-tasting water. The SA economy is not as dynamic as other parts of Australia and this has several consequences for employment prospects in the region. Adelaide has higher unemployment than elsewhere in Australia. Wages are lower than in other Australian cities. Jobs are harder to find and take longer to secure.