Can anyone tell me about life in Australia / Adelaide?

[pancakepatter]

We are considering a job opportunity for DH that would take us to Adelaide, and I feel completely clueless about what that might be like - can anyone give any insight? On one hand I feel really up for what seems like it could be a big adventure; on the other hand I'm apprehensive because it's such a big unknown.

We're in our 30s with two young kids. We home educate and I'm a SAHP. Currently we live in SW London and really value the community feel of the area - our group of friends can do a lot of dropping in and out of each others' homes etc which we love.

Is that part of Australia like bits of America where everyone drives everywhere; or would walking and cycling easily enough be part of our lives? How likely is it for us to encounter a dangerous spider or snake? (I have two Australian friends and they both have horrific stories of coming across deadly spiders; one in her car while she was driving; one appeared on the piano she was playing in the middle of a church service). What's the cost of living like?

Aagh, I dunno exactly what I'm asking, really. I'd just love to hear from any other British people who've lived in Australia about how it felt to them.

I've visited in-laws in Adelaide.

It's a very small, quiet city centre. You'd find it very "provincial" if you're used to London. The residential parts Id describe as "sprawling". Mile after mile of bungalows. I think you'd also miss ready access to cultural events after living close to London. Not my thing. It's also very flat, which I don't like.

Having said that, public transport was very good.

Personally, I wouldn't choose Adelaide if I decided to live in Australia. I'd go to Melbourne or Sydney, though we found Sydney v v expensive.

We were in Adelaide 3 years ago and there was no Amazon at the time, in the sense we know it in UK. They said Australia was to big for them to offer fast deliveries. Our relatives never used it. It may have changed now though.

I think Australia is probably ok if you like outdoor sports, but I couldn't live so far from anywhere else. It's an hour by place even just to get to the next city, let alone a different country.

Hi there OP. I'm a brit...from the NW. I've lived in Adelaide for 4 years now. DH is from here.

We first came over 15 years ago but I couldn't take it...for various reasons, the main one being DD 1 was only 2 months old when we moved here.

We came back before the year was out.

Then when DD1 was 10 and DD2 was 7 we returned....we'd had a holiday here the year before and I knew then I wanted to move.

It's an amazing place...it's VERY hot though...in summer I mean.

The shops are a bit shit...if like me, you love shopping for home accessories and clothes you'll take a bit of adjusting.

The cost of living...well you get more for your money in terms of rental houses.

They're bigger. The gardens are bigger too.

There are a lot of home educators in Adelaide...loads...so there's lots of groups to join.

The beaches are INCREDIBLE. I mean breathtaking. The city is lovely...some beautiful old buildings and nice places to eat.

Adelaide takes it's food seriously so there's amazing food to buy and to go out to eat.

Deadly spiders? You don't see them. There's white tips which can be nasty but they don't kill you. Brown snakes CAN kill you but they;re shy...when you walk in long grass or country areas in general, you walk heavily or bang a stick about to frighten them.

I live semi rurally and I've only ever seen one and that was in the snake catchers' net...he'd' been to my neighbour's house to catch it.

The pace of life here is much slower than in the UK. People move more slowly, nobody cares about what they wear here...people definitely don't put their kids in designer clothes. Well, SOME people do I suppose....but it's less showy in general.

People are friendly....nice. The air is very clean. Do you know anything about the various suburbs?

Lived there for years.
It's great for kids. Very very hot in summer- as in too hot to be outside with the kids.

You get alot for your money house wise but cost of food is higher and much less choice. Utility costs are high as it's either cold in winter but no central heating so Ac reversed or heaters or hot in sun so AC on constantly.

Beaches and countryside amazing.
Lots of Brits- especially Hallet Cove and Southern suburbs.

Lots of events o in city- parades, music festivals etc

We too have stories of 8 legged friends in the car etc (with our very young kids!) Snakes in the garden etc. Shark alarms, jelly fish. You just have to be careful and think before you let the kids go. I have to say for us that's something we love about UK that it's safe for the kids.

You will have to make a big effort friends wise- if kids are young enough you can make friends in playgroups. Adelaide is very child centred. But Oz friends will be hard to come by probably you'll get to know experts. Be prepared to not like people just because they're from same country

Everyone drives everywhere as so big and so hot.

Have a look at pomsinadelaide and pomsinoz sites.

Feel free to ask more.

We enjoyed our time there but once we had kids we just missed family to much, and we were too far away.

Pixie what do you mean by less choice in food? I do find it expensive but there's a lot to choose from....

Head for the hills. Stirling/mount barker area would be perfect. 4 seasons. Loads of home educators and groups. Great food and wine scene. Farmgate & farmers markets. Bike trails (& mountain biking), walking trails galore. 20 mins on freeway to cbd & brilliant clean beaches.

Bemused by previous posts re, less choice in food (righto... .) has similar shopping to most cities, lots of arts/music focused festivals. Rasicm and cliques exist everywhere don't let these comment put you off.

Adelaide is quite small but nice with lots of greenery and relatively low cost of living although you have to pay for things that you wouldn’t in the U.K.

You have to privately educate but there is a lot of variation in terms of cost of fees so you need to factor that into the cost of living, if you live in a very expensive suburb you can get away with state primary and private secondary. Post grad employement and university options are very poor so you need to consider the cost of sending children interstate for uni.

You also need private health insurance. There is a system of state funded healthcare in Australia and it’s perfectly fine (much better than the NHS) but it’s not a free for all. You have to pay for some things like ambulances so you need health insurance to avoid unexpected costs.

Most places you have to drive everywhere but some older suburbs do have a high street (North Adelaide, prospect, Norwood, Glenelg, Semaphore to name a few). You can also live in the city centre fairly cheaply. Do not move into a suburb further north than gepps cross road. There is also the option of moving to a town outside and communing in. Aldgate/Stirling in the hills is the most popular area but there’s an increased risk from wildlife and bushfires which would put some people off (really beautiful up there though and not too far).

You are very unlikely to come across deadly spiders or snakes (or any kind) indoors. You often get red backs in the garden but you just take anti venom. It’s not an issue really.

Also can’t relate what pp said about it being hard to make friends. Australians are very friendly towards migrants so long as they integrate. Maybe they made the mistake of continuing to act like they were in Britain which doesn’t go down well (it’s a very different culture here).

*should add I grew up there before moving to Britain rather than the other way around so my perspective is a bit different in that respect.

Thanks all - helpful perspectives! @CovidicusRex - RE: assimilating to the culture in order to be able to make friends with Australians? What would that look like in practice? Any examples?

I can give examples of making friends here and culture differences.

People are very casual...they might give you an off the cuff invitation to dinner on the back of a few chats at the school gate or in the garden.

I was taken aback by this because I'm very reserved.

People also enjoy family BBQs with other families and all the kids play together.

You don't have to know people really well before you invite them either.

You're usually expected to bring something to add to the BBQ....definitely alcohol but that's not different to England anyway.

Inviting other women for coffee is common...even if you don't know them very well....visiting a cafe is usual.

People do tend to just turn up at your house for a quick hello once you know them and they don't always let you know in advance.

Oh and people are very, very friendly and polite at the shops. You can't be in a rush...you have to wait while people chat.

The food is incredible here.

The Hills are very expensive...ok if DH gets paid loads but if not, there are tonnes of great suburbs.

I also grew up in Adelaide. Whilst I was privately educated I would STRONGLY disagree with the poster above that you need to. State education system is very good (with differences between schools). Julia Gillard - Australia's first female PM - went to a state school in Adelaide...

The University of Adelaide is also a world leader in a number of fields so the poor university thing is not true. But yes there are are limited job opportunities and graduates often move to the Eastern states.

It is a much more relaxed pace of life. Whilst the population is I think around one million it is VERY spread out so it can feel like a very big country town. It has a strong cultural history though so there are a number of cultural events and the Adelaide Festival is a big thing - although obviously it's nothing like London.

It is HOT in summer. VERY VERY VERY hot. Which I used to find too much - but I do miss being able to have dinner outside etc etc.

There are some lovely restaurants and it is quite foodie. The wine is divine.

It is quite isolated and insular. Which can be good and bad. I certainly would rather have been in Adelaide than London during the pandemic.

I don't live in Australia any more for personal (family related) issues). If I went back it would be to Melbourne not Adelaide. But I think that you can have a really lovely relaxing life in Adelaide.

If you're in your 30s with two young kids I'd jump at the chance - it would be an amazing experience.

Don't forget to Slip, Slop, Slap!

Oh a good comparison comes from when I moved to London.

I read out the front page of the Times to my friend - something about street stabbings and terrorist threats.

Front page of the Adelaide Advertiser was that someone had tired to rob a fish and chip shop but the owner had stopped them and they had ridden off on their bicycle....

Just seen it can reach 46 degrees!

I have an aunt there. It's so beautiful, she lives in a lovely old house in a street lined with fragrant flowering trees ❤️ and the neighbours and locals are so friendly. It's one of my favourite places in Oz. The temperature when I've been in October is perfect, but I can imagine it being unbearable a couple of months later. The only. time I've ever seen a spider in Oz is when I said to a friend that I'd never seen one and she showed me a funnel back in the garden, but we had to go looking for it. Never in any house have I seen one there.

Not discounting the extreme heat but it's not everyday in summer that it reaches 46c! It's a 'Mediterranean climate' ie. a dry heat, so it can be tolerable.i think summer average is 33c.

I also would strongly disagree with the comment re, private schooling being the only option...maybe if you were religious but otherwise state schools are collectively good. As a home schooler this would not be a issue for you.
I would suggest being a homeschooler puts you at a huge advantage with making social connections/friends. Many do daily park meet ups/excursions/ combined lessons. I would echo that Aus are very casual. Many of us have lived interstate/abroad so are sympathetic to the plight of making new friends in a new area. The worst thing you could do is play the comparison game and assume Aus is "Britain with sun".

In practice I can only comment on things I’ve seen British people do wrong. For example, you categorically cannot ask people who have an Australian accent ‘so where do you really come from?’ It’s extremely rude. You need to educate yourself about indigenous affairs and be appropriately sympathetic. You have to understand that Australia is very liberal so even though they do have a good welfare system it’s viewed as a safety net rather than an entitlement so you can’t say things like my taxes pay for xyz. That’s not how it works, you’re taxed because you can afford to be taxed to prevent others from falling by the wayside. Re schooling u did just remember that there is a selective school (might be more than one) but you can’t take the British ‘I’m doing it for social justice’ stand point if you’re kids get in because you’ll look stupid. You can’t go around telling other people what to do (the way mners have become obsessed with policing other people’s behaviour during lockdown for example). If you refuse to say pardon you’re going to have to learn.

Re the weather, it can get pretty hot during summer but it comes in waves and everything has air con/lots of shade anyway so it’s fine. I find British summer far far worse than Adelaide summer.

Re home education, I wasn’t home educated myself but I know lots of people who were in primary then went to the selective school/private schools on scholarships. There seem to be lots of them around and there are lots of options with regards to tutoring, extra curricular etc to support hone learning. You do have to decide sooner rather than later whether you’ll be putting them thought the SACE (two years of study in year 11 and 12) or IB (more rigorous and has the option of IGCSEs so better if your kids would go back to Britain, SACE is also quite dumbed down so if you’re children are bright that might make things difficult for them). There’s nothing wrong with the SACE per se but I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve had to explain to prospective employers that they didn’t have GCSE equivalents where I went to school. Part of the reason why I said you have to privately educated is that very few state schools offer IB (I can only think of one but there may be more). You also have to be careful if you do decide to privately educate. Some of the high flying schools essentially spoon feed students through their last two years to boost results but obviously this has an effect on the quality of the education they deliver and again makes bright children suffer. Others have a very very nasty culture and should be avoided for that reason.

For example, you categorically cannot ask people who have an Australian accent ‘so where do you really come from?’

That's ANYWHERE though...it's a rude question no matter which country you're in.

Thank you, this is all helpful! You are definitely selling it to me!

seriously @pancakepatter - I think it's a no brainer. Presumably you can always come back if you don't like it for long term and it would be so unlikely to be unenjoyable short term even if you decided it wasn't for you permanently.

Here's an insight into Adelaide life - when I moved here I didn't understand what people meant when they talked about "detached" houses. ALL houses in Adelaide are detached!

And the driving is hilarious. People politely wave you in front of them. When the traffic light turns to green there's always a bit of a pause before people gently press on the accelerator.

Please update when you start looking at potential suburbs to live in!

I was born in Sydney & moved to the UK 17yrs ago. I return to Aus on a regular basis including time in Adelaide, but have also travelled around Aus. Adelaide is like a large country town, rather than a huge high rise, high paced city. I too live in London, and even Sydney now feels much slower when I return. Adelaide, is even slower than that, but it only takes a few days/weeks to slow down.

I agree with others that Adelaide is great for food & friendly family life. Not the place I'd go if single or was trying to find work in say a larger international company. Once settled, I'd recommend trying to see other places, but remember, that Aus us as large as Europe and takes 5hrs to FLY across the continent! Western Aus is also very laid back and very spread out with many hidden treasures not so well known abroad. The East coast is very touristy, more built up and far more expensive, but better know touristy things to see.

There is a thing called 'Tall Poppy Syndrome'. Australians will generally downplay their job, title, pay rate etc and discredit those than boast about their own credentials. There isn't the same class system as in the UK.

Unlike the UK where you might have a different accent from only living a few miles away, this isn't the case in Aus. I might be able to say that someone lived in a more rural area than a city, but I'd never say, 'Oh, that's a Perth accent or a Cairns accent'. South Australian have a few words that are pronounced slightly different, but the distinction between the whole country is very small. The terms for certain things, such as the size of beers differs from each state though.

Brits make up the largest immigrants, so there are multiple British groups/ex-pat groups you could join to meet new people. The lifestyle is more laid back than I find in London. Due to the heat and being laid back, people don't get as dressed up as one might in the UK for a similar event. Due to the proximity to Sth East Asian, there tends to be more Thai/Chinese and Vietnamese influence in food in some cases. I'd never tried a great Indian meal till in London, but can't comment about Adelaide specifically for this.

Watch youtube videos of 'Wanted Down under'. Obviously the Adelaide episodes. Like any place, there can be a vast difference between living in the city centre, rural, beachside or in the hills. This will obviously depend on where your DH needs to work and how long the commute might be.

Where possible, rent out your home back in the UK. It will give you the option to move back after the job finishes, OR, sell up and buy in Aus if that ends up being the plan. Best of luck, but think of it as a fantastic opportunity. I lived abroad in the middle east ages 8-11. I'm sure my parents were sceptical, but for me, it was amazing. I still remember our travels and experience and it opened my eyes to different cultures and experiences I would never have had otherwise. Enjoy

My brother is married to a very lovely Aussie girl and they live in Adelaide. It is beautiful. The beaches, the hills, the wine. Gorgeous. They have a baby now and I'm quite jealous of their lifestyle . It is a really lovely place to raise a family. They live in Glenelg. Beautiful beach front and lots of wonderful places to eat. Honestly, go on an adventure, you can always come back.

Adelaide is great. Nice city, great foodie culture, lots of outdoor options. Bloody hot in Summer, get a pool.

If you want to make friends you have to make a bit of an effort; invite people over to your place for BBQ or to the beach for a picnic.

have you been to any parts of Australia before? I went out for work intending it to be a long term move, but changed my mind after a year and came home. I think I thought it would feel more like britain, but actually it didn't at all. The culture is quite different and I felt uncomfortable with some aspects of it (which won't be really relevant in your situation so I won't go into).

The main thing was I hadn't realised how far away I would feel, how disconnected from home. My dad had some health issues and knowing that if I needed/wanted to go home in an emergency I couldnt get there quickly was a deal breaker for me in the end. That very much depends on your extended family circumstances though.