Moving to Australia and need advice

Hi, I am from Toronto and am moving to Sydney, Australia in the new year. I have some questions that I hope you can help with:
1. What is the best, most economical way to ship my clothes, books etc to Sydney?
2. Where is a good location to live in Sydney?
3. How much is the cost of living? (coffee, gas, car insurance, rent).

Any advice on this big step would be great.

We moved a year ago (give or take).
My uncle's a mover so I asked him who was the best international company for moving (IHHO) he said United was one of the best. We went with them and found them to be great.
Where in Sydney.. Not auburn (high crime) and a few other nots. But most of Sydney is very cool. My wife loves the epping area, but as long as there is a train near by, I'm sure you'd be happy.

costs.
Coffee: 3.20 for a medium cup of coffee. (though they call it a large).
Coffee here is very costly. No more DOUBLE DOUBLE so get it while you can. "Large flat white" is about as close to a double double as you'll get here. Even starbucks don't make their "house brand" Coffee will piss you off no end. It takes for ever to make and it costs too gd much.
Gas: 1.20 is average, I don't think I've ever seen it under a buck.
Car insurance: Every year you have to get a mechanical (like an e test, but more) costs about 40$. once you get that, then you get your insurance. I found the cost about the same as Canada. Perhaps 10% more.
Rent: OMG this is really really a pain in the butt. Especially from a logical country like Canada. We came from ottawa and owned a house.. We pay more in rent then we did on our mortgage, and we moved from a luxury condo to a less than that apartment.
Why rent is illogical is because it's charged weekly. So 400 (a two bedroom in a not bad area) is how much it costs a week. Ah but you get paid once a month. So some months your rent is 400 * 4, most it's 400*5 and some months it's 400*6.. it all depends on what day of the week the month starts..
So rent is super expensive and not in line with payday.

Thanks so much for your response. It was very helpful.

I will be working in the Rose Bay area. Is that a nice place? I started looking for rental properties and I can't believe how expensive places are. I wanted to get it furnished as well, and the prices were approx. $850/wk plus, in Coogee Beach area. I can't afford that, so will have to find a location that is cheaper, but I need to make sure its safe. Any other locations close to Rose Bay that you can suggest?

Well, it sounds like I will need to get my fill of coffee for the next few months then! $3.20 for a med. cup of coffee is a bit expensive to the prices at at home, but it doesn't sound too crazy. Guess I will switch to tea when I arrive in Sydney in the New Year!

We moved a year ago (give or take).
My uncle's a mover so I asked him who was the best international company for moving (IHHO) he said United was one of the best. We went with them and found them to be great.
Where in Sydney.. Not auburn (high crime) and a few other nots. But most of Sydney is very cool. My wife loves the epping area, but as long as there is a train near by, I'm sure you'd be happy.

costs.
Coffee: 3.20 for a medium cup of coffee. (though they call it a large).
Coffee here is very costly. No more DOUBLE DOUBLE so get it while you can. "Large flat white" is about as close to a double double as you'll get here. Even starbucks don't make their "house brand" Coffee will piss you off no end. It takes for ever to make and it costs too gd much.
Gas: 1.20 is average, I don't think I've ever seen it under a buck.
Car insurance: Every year you have to get a mechanical (like an e test, but more) costs about 40$. once you get that, then you get your insurance. I found the cost about the same as Canada. Perhaps 10% more.
Rent: OMG this is really really a pain in the butt. Especially from a logical country like Canada. We came from ottawa and owned a house.. We pay more in rent then we did on our mortgage, and we moved from a luxury condo to a less than that apartment.
Why rent is illogical is because it's charged weekly. So 400 (a two bedroom in a not bad area) is how much it costs a week. Ah but you get paid once a month. So some months your rent is 400 * 4, most it's 400*5 and some months it's 400*6.. it all depends on what day of the week the month starts..
So rent is super expensive and not in line with payday.

I agree, Rent is too expensive. Well, I suggest here! Just try to own a house or a condo, it does really gives a good feedback...

Im an Aussie soon to marry a Canadian and do the reverse situation!! Rose bay is pretty flash for an area..and hell yeah any properties to rent within 50km to the city is big dollars...if you go out west more (but not MT DRUITT or its surrounds,ghetto big time)...Penrith is nice..close to the river..but about 40 mins drive to the city of Sydney, but has EVERYTHING you could ever need...and still has a nice reputation..rent in Penrith is about $300 to $400 a week which is now the average...good schools, good atmosphere all the services you need with the biggest shopping centre in the southern hemisphere, biggest club (casino) and best hospital...then if you really wanted tranquility..drive up the mountains (Penrith is at the foot) good trainline...houses are bigger..communities are more chilled out..cafe culture...if you want to know anything feel free to ask

LOL I loved the comments on the coffee. Unfortunately, you won't switch to tea because guess what? Tea will still set you back $3 and its just a tea bag chucked in a cup of water! At least the coffee takes some level of skill. Agree it is expensive but it is made by baristas (cafe style), not simply poured out of a pot. No drive through options either! $3.50 might not sound like a lot but if you have two a day at work it adds up to $35 a week!

Sydney is gorgeous and the weather is awesome but it is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in (you can Google this!). Beats NYC, London and Paris by miles. I am Australian, living in Sydney now but lived in Toronto for 3 years with my Canadian husband.

Public transport is generally a mess. The TTC in Toronto is flawless compared to CityRail. Trains & buses also more expensive - it goes by the distance traveled not by single trip. (From memory, the TTC uses one ticket for once trip using either tram, train or bus (?). Here you'll have to purchase everything separately or get a pricey "multi-pass" ticket. Painful). Make sure you check out your transport options carefully when you decide where to live and work. If you live in the outer suburbs of the city (ie NOT downtown) it will generally take an 1hr to get into the city whether driving or train.

If you are working in Rose Bay, the closest train stations are Edgecliff and Bondi Junction. Depends on exactly where you are but you might need to walk or bus it in anyway (its a hilly area).

Looking around Rose Bay, personally, I would look at the suburbs within this area: Surry Hills, Paddington, Double Bay, Rose Bay, Bondi, Coogee, Maroubra (not further south), Randwick, Moore Park. It’ll probably be bus(es) to work.

I've always been paid weekly (SMEs). Others might be paid fortnightly (unusual) or monthly (common for larger companies). Your rent doesn't cover any utilities so budget for that as well. Water, gas & electricity is billed quarterly - prices vary with the size of your property.

I'm not sure if its worth getting a furnished apt ($850/wk is massive!). Not knowing your taste or how long you're staying (care factor), but you can get package deals for furniture here (eg. Fantastic Furniture delivers) or there's always Ikea (you'll need a car though)!

Hi,

I would suggest Edgecliff for accommodation. You can reach Rose Bay by bus (it's only a short trip). The advantage of Edgecliff is that it has train, great shopping, it's basically within walking distance from CBD, etc. The prices are more reasonable there, while it's a great area to live in. Edgecliff places may be listed under Darling Point too. In Sydney the names change really often and within a few blocks you can be in 2-3 suburbs.. so different names.

Don't listen to the others... the coffee is great!

Good luck! Sydney is really beautiful and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Best,
Irina

-- Sat Dec 18, 2010 1:08 am --

Hi again,

I forgot to answer the moving question. I guess it depends on how much you have to send. It is worth contacting several companies for quotes, they are usually willing to come home, have a look at what you need to move, and give you a quote.

I used the MI Group, when I moved from Montreal. They were great. I am pretty sure they're in Toronto too.

Don't worry about safety. You'll be fine in any suburb, but you probably need to make sure you're well connected to the work place. Coogee to Rose Bay is not that obvious by public transport. It's really not far, but I don't believe well connected.

Goodluck!