Western Australia advice

[liamm]

I'm very tentatively looking at the idea of working in Western Australia - they are doing a big recruitment campaign for uk teachers.

Do any of the aussie yders have much to say about WA? I've a few concerns that the rep is going to get back to me about, in particular i'd have no say in where i was placed - which i guess means the back of beyond and problems for my wife getting work. Cost of living wise is 60 - 70K AUS$ decent money?

I know this is a random place to ask this but i'm hungover and trying to entertain the idea of living somewhere warmer

cheers
Liam

[triplefin]

WA is a fantastic place with super diving and amazing national parks. However if diving is a really large part of your life I wouldnt go unless you knew where you were going to be placed. WA is a huge territory and stretches very far towards the centre which would make you a good days drive to the coast. Everyone seems to think that Australia is hot all the time all year - only up north. Which is why a lot of people (particularly pensioners) migrate north in the winter. You find the campsites like those at Exmouth stuffed full of pensioners caravans where they sit out the winter in the warm. My tent got a good covering of ice each night when I was camping near Perth during July. That said the days are very bright and sunny bit like some of our autumn days. If you can get some guarentee about roughly where you will end up tho I'd go for it! Fantastic country to explore.

[Richard Mason]

Originally Posted by liamm

I'm very tentatively looking at the idea of working in Western Australia - they are doing a big recruitment campaign for uk teachers.

Do any of the aussie yders have much to say about WA? I've a few concerns that the rep is going to get back to me about, in particular i'd have no say in where i was placed - which i guess means the back of beyond and problems for my wife getting work. Cost of living wise is 60 - 70K AUS$ decent money?

I know this is a random place to ask this but i'm hungover and trying to entertain the idea of living somewhere warmer

cheers
Liam

$60-70,000 is about the average income. What does your wife do?

There is a huge labour shortage in WA, in fact everywhere ATM; unemployment is at it's lowest since the mid-70s. WA is going off because of the mining boom, so the house prices have gone the same way, particularly in Perth. If you are selling a decent place in the UK, you shouldn't have too much trouble getting into the housing market here - rentals are difficult everywhere, there's a big rental shortage in many places.

Living in Tassie though, I'm not necessarily up to speed with WA - in fact I'm not - Keith Whittaker is the man to ask.

[Keith Whittaker]

Well, I'm not exactly up to speed on the conditions for teachers but I do know that 'outback' positions pay above average rates and there are currently more jobs in WA than people so your wife would have no problem getting A job. If she has a particular position in mind however....
I've been here just short of 2 years and, quite honestly, wouldn't live anywhere else. WA is the size of Western Europe yet has the population of Birmingham.
Perth is lowrise, mainly suburbs and has some fantastic beaches. It is also the sunniest 'capital' city in the world. Even in winter, temperatures average 18-20C during the day. Ok nightime can go down to 1-2C but the average is about 6-7C, again in winter.
Outside of the city and it is predominently the GAFA ,(Great Australian F**k All), although areas of the South West are very redolent of Dorset but with sunshine.
My take on it is, even if you end up in deepest, dryest Wupwup for a couple of years, those years enable you to apply for a permanent visa and then you can live and work where you want!
If there is anything specific that I can help you with or more info that you need, send me a PM, I'd be more than happy to help.

[big_si]

I have rellies in Perth and visited WA a couple of Christmasses ago. Really lovely place. Chilled out and friendly. Great beaches, diving was good (didn't really do much so can't comment too much on it) and it was nice and toasty at that time of year.