O/T Melbourne or Sydney??

[ZuluFoot]

Honest answers only of course...

12 months 'ish before we land on the mouldy biscuit (counting the days) so it's decision time.

Weather is better in Sydney, people are friendlier in Melbourne and our tendancy is for Melbourne, but if you were unbiased and had the choice like us, what would it be?

Can you ride most of the year round in Melbourne without getting wet and freezing yer bollocks or do you park em up for a few months?

[Muzzard]

I'm originally from Melbourne so I lean that way, and have always ridden motorcycles so its all the same to me weather wise, Rain is only an atmospheric condition anyway!
Some of the 'girls park their bikes', others are 'men with missions. :twisted:
I would still look into rural areas if it was feasible...
'

[Wobbly]

I'm a relatively new person to Melbourne so I'll give you my humble opinion :D

I moved here 5 years ago ... prior to that I was living in Adelaide, where I was born and raised, and had been living o/s in the US for about 3 years toward the end of that tenure. I had the option of moving to either Melbourne or Sydney with the new job I took up, and the salary was the same. So Melbourne was basically a no-brainer, as the cost of living here is quite a bit lower than in Sydney, esp wrt property prices.

Since then I've spent a bit of time working in Sydney and (of course) quite a lot of time living in Melbourne. I've found Melbourne to be a really neat town and have ended up buying a place here recently (about 18 months ago). The weather doesn't really give you all year round riding if you don't like the wet, but you can still ride OK if you have the appropriate wet weather gear. I have basic wets and ride year-round to work, and only had about 3 days that it was bad enough to penetrate that.

The quality of roads in Vic is generally better than NSW, and by a fair degree in a lot of cases. If you like road racing as well, Phillip Island is just down the road also which provides for quite a bit of entertainment come the GP or Superbikes. Broadford is just up the road (about an hour to an hour 1/2 out of the city) which also stages quite a bit of club racing.

I quite like Sydney as well, but my time is mainly spent there in a 4 star hotel with everything at my finger tips. I did work out a bit west of paramatta (where basic homes still sell for quite a bit) and found it to a complete pain in the arse. Getting around Sydney by car I find to be one of the most annoying and slow experiences you can have, and that's compared to east coast US cities as well. Lovel place for a visit though.

So that's about it. I didn't come to Melbourne expecting to like the place as much as I have, and thought it would just be a transient move that has ended up basically being a permanent one....

[Flash]

I'm with Muzz. Only bitches park their bike in winter, while men just put another layer on.On a serious note though, I went to Sydney for work 3 months ago and decided I couldn't live there.
Reason 1 - I ride push bikes often and after seeing the roads there I decided that if I lived there I would stop riding. The roads are too narrow to mix with traffic which also means that there would be no lane splitting.
Reason 2 - Too many of them drive like fuckwits.
Reason 3 - Cost of housing is through the roof
Reason 4 - The people in Melbourne are far cooler.
Reason 5 - VSMR are based in Melbourne..

It's really an easy decision now isn't it!!!

[dicky]

You probably won't get an unbiased opinion from us as most of us live in Melbourne, but I'll try to be honest.
Sydney is a generally few degrees warmer than Melbourne, except on hot summer days, then Melbourne bakes in mid 40 degree, dry heat, and Sydney tops out in the high 30's but quite humid.
Sydney is right on the coast, so it doesn't get as hot but it certainly much more humid.
Contrary to popular belief it rains more in Sydney that it does in Melbourne, probably something to do with being on the coast.
Winter in Melbourne can be a bit miserable sometimes, days of drizzle as opposed to one day of heavy rain in Syd, but it's never freezing.
Sydney has the harbour, rivers, ocean beaches and fscked roads.
Melbourne has space and easy roads
Both have some good riding close by.
Take your pick.

dicky.
<almost forgot, Sydney is full of wankers>

[ZuluFoot]

Hehe, now PM me your real views...

Sounds like a really nice place chaps, none of those nasty arachnids either!

We plan our firs visit in December, we have some OZ telly on Sky here like Location Location and Hot Auctions, its given us an idea of what properties go for and hey, you guys build proper houses too.

Thanks for the advice, Melbourne sounds like the place unless anyone can convince us otherwise...

Watch this space.

[dicky]

Don't be misled by the crap they show on TV.
If you want an idea of property prices we can post you the listings from the weekend papers, or you can look most of them up on the 'net.
Try http://www.domain.com.au or http://www.realestate.com.au
These cover the two largest newspaper groups in Oz, if it's for sale it will probably be listed in one or both of these sites.
You can also get the auction results for a lot of properties.
We might even give advice on what area you might be interested in moving to.
Honest, unbiased advice ;)

dicky

[Muzzard]

Its got to be Melbourne 'cause'
1. N.S.W police have bigger truncheons.
2. They also have no motorcycling knowledge what so ever.
3. The Sydney area is a litter extravaganza.
4. Its legal in some areas of Sydney to kiss your mates.
5. Would you want to live in South Wales?
6. You need to beat your neighbours off your garbage bin
each week.
7. In Sydney cats taste like chicken. :shock:

[Flash]

4. Its legal in some areas of Sydney to kiss your mates.


Not that there is anything wrong with that!

[ZuluFoot]

4. Its legal in some areas of Sydney to kiss your mates.


Not that there is anything wrong with that!

Well not that it worries me in the slightest either of course ;) but all of a sudden, Sydney seems less of a drawcard :D

[Lee1170]

Hi, Ive moved from N. Ireland to Melbourne a few months ago.

Compared to the U.K...

1. Weather is perfect. It was 37' the other day but with no humidity. (not like that heat in Spain if u have been on holiday. U aren't sweating all the time.) You cant live in that heat all the time so when you get the cool change its quite nice. It rains, but at least its not freezing cold...

2. People are fantastic. I find them very similar to us (Irish) just as laid back and they have a great sense of humour. It's strange when the boys in work try and tell me jokes that i've heard before, half way across the world.

3. Hobbies and interests. What ever you are into, you can take your passion to the max. Since Sept. i've been to the v8 supercars, supercross, Moto GP, Super Moto's, Melbourne Cup Horse race, last week I went to watch the Oz Open Tennis, Trail riding in the bush, trying to surf, been to concerts, drag racing, jez man the list goes on...

4. Jobs and $$. Basically, you multiply the pound by 2.5 to get AUD $. If i done this to my wages from back home i would get wat im getting now, the conversion is very similar.
Im a Fitter by trade and i am on my second job. I've turned down another two offers, Its a good to have a trade here.
House prices are similar to wat they are in N. Ireland but I know that houses in England are alot more expensive. There is no VAT on the meat/milk etc so I have found the weekly shop cheaper. (they have all the same brand names in the supermarkets) We shop in Safeway, same as my corner shop back home.
New cars are alot cheaper. Second hand cars are alot more expensive, mostly because they dont rust away like ours! The insurance is alot cheaper. Even the teenagers are driving Skylines and 4 litre muscle cars. Petrol is about 35p compared to 100p.
Bikes are a little cheaper new. the second hand prices are the same, I have viewed quite a few and found that they to are alot cleaner. The salt on the U.K roads eats everything.

Generally i feel alot fitter and more healthy since we got here. I put this down to living a more active life, (I've been staying out of the pub and quit the smokes, there is more ways of wasting money here! Its the only passtime in Ireland.) !ts true also that the sunshine cheers you up.

I have not lived through the winter but bring it on. I know it wont be half as bad as what im used to.

Mail me for pics and the price of our house if you like?
Get your self over here, my mate paid 598 pound for a return ticket in may!

felloship@hotmail.com

[Trubritbiker]

I agree totally with Lee1170, i moved from Yorkshire in June 1999. It does get cold and wet in the middle of winter but you don't have to ride in the snow anymore :lol:

[Trubritbiker]

I'm a relatively new person to Melbourne so I'll give you my humble opinion :D

I moved here 5 years ago ... prior to that I was living in Adelaide, where I was born and raised,

That explains everything :lol:

[dicky]

hmm...
a quick count of who posts, and where they're from, seems to indicate that us true blue Aussies are about to become an endagered species :shock:
Zulu, I've heard that Perth is quite nice ;)

dicky.

[Trubritbiker]

why do you want to go over there, it's full of poms :lol:

[ZuluFoot]

hmm...
a quick count of who posts, and where they're from, seems to indicate that us true blue Aussies are about to become an endagered species :shock:
Zulu, I've heard that Perth is quite nice ;)

dicky.

Nah, Perth has got too many Seth Efricans already, besides, I'm a fan of fine beer and hear that VB is almost as good as Castle Lager? cant see it meself but figured if I live close to the source it may be fresh and palletable :drinkers: worth a try really.

[Trubritbiker]

If VB was sold in UK it would be sold at Nettos :lol:

[Wobbly]

Urgh, VB, the one drawback of victoria

:puke:

Try sinking a Coopers or two, that'll get you moving in the right direction! :up:

[Trubritbiker]

You can't go far wrong with a Guinness or 2. I am currently sampling some homebrew ginger beer, it's very nice you know :shock:

[Wobbly]

Hope ya got the stomache pump on standby! :rofl:

[Flash]

Holy shit fellas if you want to poisen yourself get the draino from under the sink!
But if you want a good drink it's bourbon all the way :drinking:

[Trubritbiker]

I've just blended a brew last night, it is a dry Mead and some sweet wine (forgot what it is, i think it is peach wine?). It has to be drunk in small quantities :roll: o yes and there is 2 gallon of it :D

[dicky]

TruBrit, thanks for the evidence.
I've put your name on the list, right up near the top.

Zulu, forget everything we told you.
Yesterday at 5PM it was 36 degrees.
Since then it has rained for 24 hours, nearly 2 inches at my place.
Sydney is worse off, massive thunderstorms every couple of hours.

dicky.

[Trubritbiker]

Just like a summers day in Yorkshire :lol:

[ZuluFoot]

Zulu, forget everything we told you.
Yesterday at 5PM it was 36 degrees.
Since then it has rained for 24 hours, nearly 2 inches at my place.
Sydney is worse off, massive thunderstorms every couple of hours.

dicky.

Hehe, cant scare me that easily dicky me old mucker, at least your'e guaranteed the rain will stop. I've been waterlogged for 4 years now and vaguelly remember a big ball of fire in the sky that is obscured by a permanent blanked of grey here in the hole they call London, eeuarhg, cant be dealing withit much longer :cry:

[dicky]

Part of the joy of living in Melbourne is dealing with the weather.
In Sydney you know it's going to rain, and rain a lot.
I Melbourne it really can be four seasons in one day.
But we love it, well, maybe not love, just deal with it.
It evens out in the long run 8)

Yesterday was an anomoly.
It rained for over 36 hours in most places, and dumped over 4 inches of rain.
Lots of roads are closed around my area because the rivers are all flooded.
We got more rain in one day that we usually get in three months.

But it doesn't snow here, no nasty salted roads to corrode away your pride and joy.
We get the occassional cloud drift over from Mururoa Atoll when the French let off another bomb, but that doesn't seem to do us any harm ;)
The sun might come as a bit of a shock to you.
Most northeners get burnt to a crisp when they come out here.
Most Aussies do to, the sun here is a nasty thing.
I guess that Seth Efrika might be similar.

dicky.

[Muzzard]

Yeah, its been pretty constant here also with several inches in the old scale added. Buffalo Dam is filling quickly and if history is going to repeat itself, we in Wangaratta may be in for a bit more water even after the rain has stopped! :?