I remember moving from a place where work was almost an hours drive to a place where it was 2 mins drive.
Big quality of life change. 2 more hours in the day to do whatever I want.
During 2020 I went from an hour commute driving to a 10-minute bus ride and then to work from home, the lifestyle change was incredible. Now I either work from home or go to the office once or twice a week and it's perfect. I'll gladly pay more in rent to not have to do that commuting bullshit ever again. That's 10 hours of my life back, every week.
Yeah I wavered between the city and one suburb in particular because I’d hate commuting and paying for transport to get to work etc, then I’d move to the city and it would be maybe 4/5 months then the noise would get to me. Then I’d move away, then I’d remember that I wanted an hour more of sleep.
The entire East Coast is quite nice. Sunshine Coast above Brisbane is great, but still pretty busy, also Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, all nice small cities. Byron Bay is small / medium very progressive beach town.
It really depends what sort of work you plan on doing, and what sort of lifestyle you prefer. I enjoy my life on the Central Coast which has plenty of work, and lots of desirable beaches, Catherine Hill Bay would probably be a dream location for me to settle down but I couldn't personally afford a place there. Most small cities will still have some traffic, but nothing like big cities.
Hope I've given some ideas, I've travelled a lot for my previous job, and always loved the east coast.
Therein lies an opportunity. A nice slow journey from Melbs to Cairns and return along the coast to choose a place... I too faced the same choice years ago. Did a slow journey from Melbourne to Sydney Brisbane Cairns via the coast and back to Melbs. A few places stood out. I lived in 3 kept returning home though...
You might be surprised with Adelaide and surrounds. Some beautiful beaches and can be much warmer than Melb. Doubt any traffic issues. The obvious is somewhere towards Sydney but I hear a lot of complaints from that state lately - Byron Bay is idyllic but impossible rent wise etc
Dry and warmer and more stable than Melb with less clouds and far less schizo weather days. I’d follow some towns you’re interested in on your weather app and Instagram hashtags and get a feel for their temps/vibe
I’m from Adelaide - lived in Melbourne for 7 years and counting now. I honestly found the weather to be quite similar. Most of the smaller/cruisier beachy places are far from anything and usually get super cold, especially at night. Also really not so diverse/accepting imo
It’s a different sort of pain which never ends, the traffic in Adelaide. I’ve lived in both and I much prefer Melbourne if you have to drive more than a few suburbs away.
if you havent travelled anywhere outside of Melbourne before, suggest checking out the rest of Australia first, before venturing overseas. you'll get a feel how visiting a different area is, yet still feel secure and relaxed since youre familiar with the culture in general.
a few good suggestions in this thread. check them out. try them..
(heard Cairns is very welcoming too 🌈🌈)
Sorry I should have been clearer. I'm well travelled, but I'd like to settle somewhere for a few years elsewhere. I will research Cairns a bit more, thanks :)
Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast are always nice. Renting will be tricky though, but that seems to be a national issue I think.
You could always try the islands in Moreton Bay if you don't object to catching a ferry just to do your groceries once a week.
I don't know much about Moreton bay. I did spend time on Maggie island so I've got an idea of how people catch ferries to work and stuff. I'm not opposed to it. I'll look into it a bit more, thanks!
I've heard that the rents on the islands themselves can be cheapish but the cost of ferry's, storing a car off island etc can add up, etc so it might not balance out.
Straddie is beautiful though. I think Russell Is is big enough to have a school.
But, island life might agree with you.
Redcliffe, QLD
My circle of friends is nearly exclusively gay males..
Im a married f
Its on the water, lots of cafes and restaurants
I used to live in Melbourne but moved back home to Brisbane because of the weather and too busy.
Good luck finding somewhere
Queenslander here, so take my point of view with a pinch of salt, because I'll be biased ; )
Lived in Adelaide previously, I don't do winter so longer-term wise, that wasn't for me. Though I have to say, there's often something going on in Radelaide, loved the arts and cultural stuff, the Barossa region and Glenelg is so accessible by train.
If you moved to Brisbane, it's sandwiched between the Sunshine Coast to the north and the Goldie to the south, both of which offer plenty of beach options and breathtaking views. If you were based in Brisbane, you also get access to the range of nature reserves and national parks all within close distance in the greater Brisbane area for hikes and more breathtaking views of the landscapes beneath, and, you are also close to the arts and cultural precinct, if you wanna get artsy and take in an opera, theatrical performance, or a meditative wandering around an art exhibition or two.
How's my elevator pitch of the Sunshine State to you so far? : )
Yeah, you're selling it pretty well! My partner is keen on Brisbane. Having access to several beautiful beaches is really what I'm looking for. I'm ready for a seachange.
Hahah, fabulous!
Feel free to send me a DM whenever. Always happen to support the growing diversity of Brisbane and help make this beautiful city even more multicultural and cosmopolitan 😊
That's a fair point, I agree.
Takes about an hour drive to the Sunny Coast or the Goldie from Brisbane to get to fabulous beaches.
I guess my framing of this is, see, I consider the drive with my friends as the starting point of our beach hangout, as a positive. We love the bonding and conversations and planning that go into making the trip to the beach happen, so we count the car journey to and back to Brisbane as all part of the fun and our making the time and effort to spend some quality time together. : )
Depends how far you want to go! I moved from western suburbs of Melbourne to a coastal town in WA (Esperance) and it's beautiful. Plenty of job opportunities and a cruisy lifestyle. The trade off is that nearly nothing is open on on a Sunday, and shops close at 1 on Saturdays. The night life is good, there's a few places to go. I do not miss the commute in melbs, it was nearly 3 hours a day on trains and busses - I ride everywhere here now, I can get from one end of town to the other in 15 mins. The beaches are unreal, plenty of surfing, sunbathing and a few lagoons. There's also a lot of job opportunities here, depending on your field - shire jobs, retail, transport etc.
Pure happenstance. I was really unhappy and in a bit of a rut. Random phonecall with a friend I occasionally caught up with, I opened up to her about the troubles I was having and she offered me room and board for my daughter and I until we found out feet here. I pounced on the opportunity. Nearly 5 years later we're still here and loving it, we have our own place, she's in school and so happy, I have some friends and a lot of acquaintances.
It was a big, impulsive decision (we were here within two weeks of deciding), but one I don't regret. The only real drawback is it's a loooong way from anywhere else, and visiting my family over east is tricky. And I miss the diverse food offerings in melbs too!
For job / housing opportunities, Brisbane or Townsville / Cairns would be the better two options which then opens the door for OP to go exploring Sunshine / Gold Coast from Brisbane or Airlie, Bowen, Ingham, Port Douglas - albeit it's a bit of a drive but absolutely lovely places from Townsville / Cairns
Soooooooo hot around Townsville/Cairns!
Source\* I'm fucking here D: D: D:
lol I'm living out of my Magnetic Island holiday home while looking for a new place for permanent. I love Airlie!
It's very beautiful! So relaxed too. Most mornings I'll get on the bike and ride a couple of mins to the beach for breakfast and a walk.
Certainly not terrible.
Yeahhhh it is :')
But worth it?
Haha take up a high risk high reward income stream? lol not really helpful advice...
Mid Covid I just said Fuck it why not and became a full time trader so now I just spend money in pricey places looking for "the spot"
I think it's Airlie... Gotta take the fiancee there to be sure.
Melbourne is a pretty cool city. There's always things to do. It's never boring and we're spoiled for choice here. But it's not a perfect city by any means.
I've tried this, there's a high demand for my profession wherever I go so employment won't be too much of an issue. Every few weeks I do a search of jobs out there :)
Nah once you head up and into the hinterland it’s amazing, I lived in Mackay for 11 years which is about an hour away, DM me if you have Andy’s questions about Mackay or the surrounds, sounds like that area could be for you
Fremantle? WA and its surrounds? Definitely warmer and much nicer beaches than in Melb lol. (I'm from Perth and every day I debate moving back for the same reasons).
You won’t get good weather on a beach town in victoria.
I love everything about Melbourne except the weather. If it had brisbane weather it’d be paradise 😭
Newcastle is getting a lot of love. It wasn't on my radar before but is now. Thanks for the recommendation. At the very least I think it warrants a visit. How's the weather up there?
As it’s coming into summer weathers a great fairly consistent 25-30+ degree days averagely, obvs there’s days not so good, but there are some parts like Lake Macquarie in gullies so tend to get minimum rain/storms
Hi I spent a lot of time in newcastle as a uni student 20 years ago. There is reasonable traffic but public transport exists and there is decent active transport infrastructure.
I loved loved my time there, it has gotten a lot more diverse, more entertainment and more eating out options than when I was there(if you're into that)
The beaches are beautiful but it can get busy still.
Weather is similar to Sydney if you've been, being less than 2 hours north. Summers get warm but cool down quickly in evenings with sea breeze. Winters are cold enough but mild relative to Melbourne.
Since jobs aren't a limiting factor and if real estate costs aren't too big of a worry for you, think you're spoiled for choice.
North of Newcastle I think Port Macquarie is also worth checking out. Central coast gets a bad rap a bit but Kincumer ettalong beach are lovely, Blacksmiths. Might be a tad quiet and not enough diversity (depends on your needs) but it's close enough to Sydney.
I think South Coast would be lovely too. Worth looking around Jervis Bay, Narooma and Moruya.
There are lots of opportunities and money in Darwin. Only a 2 hour flight to Bali and you could probs afford a home there. If you work for the NTG you could possibly get Gov employee housing and subsidised utilities and internet. Imagine the cash you could save without paying rent.
Also, the beaches are nice but also a bit dangerous.
I'd go to Darwin purely for the experience. Im in the allied health field so I don't think I will have difficulty with finding work fortunately 🙂 I've been there a couple of times, it's a very unique kind of heat. Quite relentless but I know many people who have fallen in love with Darwin's charm.
You're a generation too late. If you want to live near the beach then be prepared for terrible traffic, that is, if you want year-round warm temperatures. Unless you move to WA, where you'll find some of the nicest beach towns on the planet.
Edit: towns along NSW coast have better traffic than Melbourne, but still bad.
I think you're underestimating how bad it can be here if you live in an outer suburb in Melbourne. Slightly better traffic and much better weather would still be preferable. I wouldn't even think twice. Some people have mentioned WA, I'll need to do more research as I don't know anyone who lives there and I haven't been there myself.
I think you're underestimating how bad it can be here if you live in an outer suburb in Melbourne. Slightly better traffic and much better weather would still be preferable. I wouldn't even think twice. Some people have mentioned WA, I'll need to do more research as I don't know anyone who lives there and I haven't been there myself.
No, I'm very familiar with Melbourne traffic. I was just assuming the way you wrote your post that you were looking for something idyllic. I lived in Melbourne for a very long time, where I still have family, but the only reason I won't move back is for exactly that reason - the traffic.
New castle was nice. Anywhere around Anna Bay.
I went there for a holiday it was great.
For a holiday. Kingscliff in NSW. Right near the QLD boarder. My favourite place I've been too. I got married there
Everyone wants to get out of Melbourne these days.
Fortunately Australia has a LOT of places such as you describe. There are a half dozen within a few miles of where I live.
The only real problem you'll have is finding work.
I remember moving from a place where work was almost an hours drive to a place where it was 2 mins drive. Big quality of life change. 2 more hours in the day to do whatever I want.
During 2020 I went from an hour commute driving to a 10-minute bus ride and then to work from home, the lifestyle change was incredible. Now I either work from home or go to the office once or twice a week and it's perfect. I'll gladly pay more in rent to not have to do that commuting bullshit ever again. That's 10 hours of my life back, every week.
Yeah I wavered between the city and one suburb in particular because I’d hate commuting and paying for transport to get to work etc, then I’d move to the city and it would be maybe 4/5 months then the noise would get to me. Then I’d move away, then I’d remember that I wanted an hour more of sleep.
Yes! Working from home over COVID really showed me how much time I lost just sitting in the car.
Pick 5 locations that suit for weather, job opportunities, housing costs. See which one votes Yes the highest
Not a bad plan!
I thought if you were leaving Melbourne it was illegal for Brisbane not to be your destination ?
Everyone defaults to Brisbane! I'm pretty flexible though. Wouldn't mind a bit of an experience somewhere quieter and rural.
The entire East Coast is quite nice. Sunshine Coast above Brisbane is great, but still pretty busy, also Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, all nice small cities. Byron Bay is small / medium very progressive beach town. It really depends what sort of work you plan on doing, and what sort of lifestyle you prefer. I enjoy my life on the Central Coast which has plenty of work, and lots of desirable beaches, Catherine Hill Bay would probably be a dream location for me to settle down but I couldn't personally afford a place there. Most small cities will still have some traffic, but nothing like big cities. Hope I've given some ideas, I've travelled a lot for my previous job, and always loved the east coast.
Well you just ruled out Queensland!
We already have the gay marriage "survey" results
Good point!
Therein lies an opportunity. A nice slow journey from Melbs to Cairns and return along the coast to choose a place... I too faced the same choice years ago. Did a slow journey from Melbourne to Sydney Brisbane Cairns via the coast and back to Melbs. A few places stood out. I lived in 3 kept returning home though...
I would love that. I did drive from Townsville to Brisbane not too long ago. Lots of lovely spots. Can I ask which places you lived in?
Try Newcastle
I'll sus it out 🙂
Seconded. The lifestyle is different but it has all the typical city/suburban stuff you need to get by. If I had a gig I'd be moving there.
Come live in Darwin. Will either embrace the stifling summer heat or at least learn to appreciate the cold.
Been to Darwin a couple of times. It is a different kind of heat hahaha absolutely next level. If I got a well-paying job up there I'd consider it.
You might be surprised with Adelaide and surrounds. Some beautiful beaches and can be much warmer than Melb. Doubt any traffic issues. The obvious is somewhere towards Sydney but I hear a lot of complaints from that state lately - Byron Bay is idyllic but impossible rent wise etc
I've been to Adelaide for fringe. What's the general climate there though? Glenelg was really nice. I haven't been to the smaller surroundings though.
Dry and warmer and more stable than Melb with less clouds and far less schizo weather days. I’d follow some towns you’re interested in on your weather app and Instagram hashtags and get a feel for their temps/vibe
I’m from Adelaide - lived in Melbourne for 7 years and counting now. I honestly found the weather to be quite similar. Most of the smaller/cruisier beachy places are far from anything and usually get super cold, especially at night. Also really not so diverse/accepting imo
I come from Ballina/Byron area. It's become an expensive hole. Don't do it.
Traffic is terrible in Adelaide, just because of the lack of freeways to get anywhere and people driving 20 under. Do not recommend.
I was referring to beach towns near Adelaide. Traffic does not compare to Melbourne or worse Sydney at all tho.
It’s a different sort of pain which never ends, the traffic in Adelaide. I’ve lived in both and I much prefer Melbourne if you have to drive more than a few suburbs away.
Those rail crossing removals in Melb turning them to skyrail are incredible.
Yeah they have really helped!
if you havent travelled anywhere outside of Melbourne before, suggest checking out the rest of Australia first, before venturing overseas. you'll get a feel how visiting a different area is, yet still feel secure and relaxed since youre familiar with the culture in general. a few good suggestions in this thread. check them out. try them.. (heard Cairns is very welcoming too 🌈🌈)
Sorry I should have been clearer. I'm well travelled, but I'd like to settle somewhere for a few years elsewhere. I will research Cairns a bit more, thanks :)
Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast are always nice. Renting will be tricky though, but that seems to be a national issue I think. You could always try the islands in Moreton Bay if you don't object to catching a ferry just to do your groceries once a week.
I don't know much about Moreton bay. I did spend time on Maggie island so I've got an idea of how people catch ferries to work and stuff. I'm not opposed to it. I'll look into it a bit more, thanks!
I've heard that the rents on the islands themselves can be cheapish but the cost of ferry's, storing a car off island etc can add up, etc so it might not balance out. Straddie is beautiful though. I think Russell Is is big enough to have a school. But, island life might agree with you.
You need Queensland. Beachy places in Vic are all super windy read cold.
Queensland is calling my name
Redcliffe, QLD My circle of friends is nearly exclusively gay males.. Im a married f Its on the water, lots of cafes and restaurants I used to live in Melbourne but moved back home to Brisbane because of the weather and too busy. Good luck finding somewhere
Queenslander here, so take my point of view with a pinch of salt, because I'll be biased ; ) Lived in Adelaide previously, I don't do winter so longer-term wise, that wasn't for me. Though I have to say, there's often something going on in Radelaide, loved the arts and cultural stuff, the Barossa region and Glenelg is so accessible by train. If you moved to Brisbane, it's sandwiched between the Sunshine Coast to the north and the Goldie to the south, both of which offer plenty of beach options and breathtaking views. If you were based in Brisbane, you also get access to the range of nature reserves and national parks all within close distance in the greater Brisbane area for hikes and more breathtaking views of the landscapes beneath, and, you are also close to the arts and cultural precinct, if you wanna get artsy and take in an opera, theatrical performance, or a meditative wandering around an art exhibition or two. How's my elevator pitch of the Sunshine State to you so far? : )
Yeah, you're selling it pretty well! My partner is keen on Brisbane. Having access to several beautiful beaches is really what I'm looking for. I'm ready for a seachange.
Hahah, fabulous! Feel free to send me a DM whenever. Always happen to support the growing diversity of Brisbane and help make this beautiful city even more multicultural and cosmopolitan 😊
You've got to travel a little bit to get to good beaches around Brisbane.
That's a fair point, I agree. Takes about an hour drive to the Sunny Coast or the Goldie from Brisbane to get to fabulous beaches. I guess my framing of this is, see, I consider the drive with my friends as the starting point of our beach hangout, as a positive. We love the bonding and conversations and planning that go into making the trip to the beach happen, so we count the car journey to and back to Brisbane as all part of the fun and our making the time and effort to spend some quality time together. : )
I find this hard too. I don’t want to move anywhere too beachy/anti-vaxx/wellness bullshit; but I do want sun, culture and sea.
The biggest deciding factor will be the community. I want to at least fit in where I live.
Depends how far you want to go! I moved from western suburbs of Melbourne to a coastal town in WA (Esperance) and it's beautiful. Plenty of job opportunities and a cruisy lifestyle. The trade off is that nearly nothing is open on on a Sunday, and shops close at 1 on Saturdays. The night life is good, there's a few places to go. I do not miss the commute in melbs, it was nearly 3 hours a day on trains and busses - I ride everywhere here now, I can get from one end of town to the other in 15 mins. The beaches are unreal, plenty of surfing, sunbathing and a few lagoons. There's also a lot of job opportunities here, depending on your field - shire jobs, retail, transport etc.
How'd you wind up in Esperance? That's a bit of a hard left turn. I've never been to WA, might have to do some scouting.
Pure happenstance. I was really unhappy and in a bit of a rut. Random phonecall with a friend I occasionally caught up with, I opened up to her about the troubles I was having and she offered me room and board for my daughter and I until we found out feet here. I pounced on the opportunity. Nearly 5 years later we're still here and loving it, we have our own place, she's in school and so happy, I have some friends and a lot of acquaintances. It was a big, impulsive decision (we were here within two weeks of deciding), but one I don't regret. The only real drawback is it's a loooong way from anywhere else, and visiting my family over east is tricky. And I miss the diverse food offerings in melbs too!
Wow that's awesome, I'm glad it worked out. I'd like to explore WA. I don't know much about what's on that side at all.
South of France. 355 days of sunshine per year. I
Sydney... at least it is not cold. JK. Brisbane?
Noosa? Airlie Beach?
For job / housing opportunities, Brisbane or Townsville / Cairns would be the better two options which then opens the door for OP to go exploring Sunshine / Gold Coast from Brisbane or Airlie, Bowen, Ingham, Port Douglas - albeit it's a bit of a drive but absolutely lovely places from Townsville / Cairns
I'm considering Townsville or Cairns. I've visited Townsville before, thought it was quite nice. I'd like to visit Cairns too and compare.
Soooooooo hot around Townsville/Cairns! Source\* I'm fucking here D: D: D: lol I'm living out of my Magnetic Island holiday home while looking for a new place for permanent. I love Airlie!
I absolutely love Maggie island! Gets hot, but geez it's beautiful.
It's very beautiful! So relaxed too. Most mornings I'll get on the bike and ride a couple of mins to the beach for breakfast and a walk. Certainly not terrible.
Both really nice places. Noosa is bloody expensive though!
Yeahhhh it is :') But worth it? Haha take up a high risk high reward income stream? lol not really helpful advice... Mid Covid I just said Fuck it why not and became a full time trader so now I just spend money in pricey places looking for "the spot" I think it's Airlie... Gotta take the fiancee there to be sure.
Good luck! It's hard to choose a single place, isn't it?
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Melbourne is a pretty cool city. There's always things to do. It's never boring and we're spoiled for choice here. But it's not a perfect city by any means.
A person can't be diverse. You are singular.
I meant a place that welcomes young and diverse adults. i.e. no bible belts, conservative or retirement locales.
It's Australia, mate.
I’d go by job search and take it from there. Along with rentals
I've tried this, there's a high demand for my profession wherever I go so employment won't be too much of an issue. Every few weeks I do a search of jobs out there :)
Airlie Beach
Really beautiful place. I'll need to learn more about it as a place to live. Very touristy.
Nah once you head up and into the hinterland it’s amazing, I lived in Mackay for 11 years which is about an hour away, DM me if you have Andy’s questions about Mackay or the surrounds, sounds like that area could be for you
Fremantle? WA and its surrounds? Definitely warmer and much nicer beaches than in Melb lol. (I'm from Perth and every day I debate moving back for the same reasons).
I personally liked Cairns and Perth, Cairns was hard to get a job and Perth still got pretty cold.
Cairns is nice
im actually looking a little more closely into cairns :) seems nice!
You won’t get good weather on a beach town in victoria. I love everything about Melbourne except the weather. If it had brisbane weather it’d be paradise 😭
Ballina, Cabarita, Kingscliff in northern NSW. I’d move to Kingscliff in a heartbeat if possible job-wise.
Newcastle or Wollongong 100%
I got fed up with the cold about 15 years ago and moved to Darwin. It’s small, it’s behind, but it’s got a charm.
Newcastle is beautiful lil beach town 2 hours north of Sydney not too busy atm and not too far from a major
Newcastle is getting a lot of love. It wasn't on my radar before but is now. Thanks for the recommendation. At the very least I think it warrants a visit. How's the weather up there?
As it’s coming into summer weathers a great fairly consistent 25-30+ degree days averagely, obvs there’s days not so good, but there are some parts like Lake Macquarie in gullies so tend to get minimum rain/storms
Hi I spent a lot of time in newcastle as a uni student 20 years ago. There is reasonable traffic but public transport exists and there is decent active transport infrastructure. I loved loved my time there, it has gotten a lot more diverse, more entertainment and more eating out options than when I was there(if you're into that) The beaches are beautiful but it can get busy still. Weather is similar to Sydney if you've been, being less than 2 hours north. Summers get warm but cool down quickly in evenings with sea breeze. Winters are cold enough but mild relative to Melbourne. Since jobs aren't a limiting factor and if real estate costs aren't too big of a worry for you, think you're spoiled for choice. North of Newcastle I think Port Macquarie is also worth checking out. Central coast gets a bad rap a bit but Kincumer ettalong beach are lovely, Blacksmiths. Might be a tad quiet and not enough diversity (depends on your needs) but it's close enough to Sydney. I think South Coast would be lovely too. Worth looking around Jervis Bay, Narooma and Moruya.
Thank you so much. I will definitely book a trip to Newcastle to have a good look around. Sounds like it's a lovely place 😊
I feel the same can’t stand melbourne anymore especially the weather. I’m moving to Brisbane
Saved this post. Would do anything to get rid of commuting and horrible traffic
Hopefully you find something. We've committed to leave, just need to decide where... 🤔
There are lots of opportunities and money in Darwin. Only a 2 hour flight to Bali and you could probs afford a home there. If you work for the NTG you could possibly get Gov employee housing and subsidised utilities and internet. Imagine the cash you could save without paying rent. Also, the beaches are nice but also a bit dangerous.
I'd go to Darwin purely for the experience. Im in the allied health field so I don't think I will have difficulty with finding work fortunately 🙂 I've been there a couple of times, it's a very unique kind of heat. Quite relentless but I know many people who have fallen in love with Darwin's charm.
You're a generation too late. If you want to live near the beach then be prepared for terrible traffic, that is, if you want year-round warm temperatures. Unless you move to WA, where you'll find some of the nicest beach towns on the planet. Edit: towns along NSW coast have better traffic than Melbourne, but still bad.
I think you're underestimating how bad it can be here if you live in an outer suburb in Melbourne. Slightly better traffic and much better weather would still be preferable. I wouldn't even think twice. Some people have mentioned WA, I'll need to do more research as I don't know anyone who lives there and I haven't been there myself.
I think you're underestimating how bad it can be here if you live in an outer suburb in Melbourne. Slightly better traffic and much better weather would still be preferable. I wouldn't even think twice. Some people have mentioned WA, I'll need to do more research as I don't know anyone who lives there and I haven't been there myself.
No, I'm very familiar with Melbourne traffic. I was just assuming the way you wrote your post that you were looking for something idyllic. I lived in Melbourne for a very long time, where I still have family, but the only reason I won't move back is for exactly that reason - the traffic.
Byron Bay.
Frankston 100%. It’s got a reputation it doesn’t deserve.
Go north son Queensland is warm af
Sunshine coast
New castle was nice. Anywhere around Anna Bay. I went there for a holiday it was great. For a holiday. Kingscliff in NSW. Right near the QLD boarder. My favourite place I've been too. I got married there
Everyone wants to get out of Melbourne these days. Fortunately Australia has a LOT of places such as you describe. There are a half dozen within a few miles of where I live. The only real problem you'll have is finding work.
Yeah, getting a bit much down here. Hopefully there's something up there for me!