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Australia is a country of huge proportions. The sovereign country comprises mainland Australia, the island of Tasmania, Fraser Island, amongst a number of distinct smaller islands, so it is no surprise that expatriates are often stuck for choice of which Australian city to live in when moving to Australia from Canada.
Although mainland Australia is so vast, approximately 89% of Australia’s population live in coastal towns and cities stretching from east to west of the country. This has resulted in the formation of many developed and flourishing communities along the Australian coastline, each with their own identity, flair and vibe.
From west coast’s Perth and Bunbury to Adelaide in the South or Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast in the east, each Australian city is unique and brings its own strengths – weaknesses, too - to the country.
If you are moving from Canada to Australia and you are looking for a helping hand on where to live in Australia, based on crucial life essentials, this might be the article for you! Bare in mind, personal preferences and opinions vary greatly from person to person, we have compiled a list of what we believe to be the best places to live in Australia based on factors such as education, healthcare, climate and so on.
Without further ado, here is the best place to live in Australia for…
…Solo Travellers
Australia is a country that was made for solo travel, or so it seems. The city is so vast, so diverse and so STUNNING that if you are moving to Australia from Canada for a year only, it makes sense to traverse the country, visiting as many National Parks, breath-taking beaches, soaking up the sun and experiencing as much Australian nature as possible.
However, if you need to settle in one location for a while to build up some travelling funds or complete your three months designated work to obtain a second-year visa, you will want a city with likeminded solos with the same thing in common, the love of travel.
The Gold Coast is an Australian city that is awash with hostels, hostels that we guarantee will be the place of introduction to your new lifelong friends, the beaches are some of the most exquisite in the country and, much like “Spring Break” in of your neighbouring US States, residents of the Gold Coast know how to party.
Not only this, the Gold Coast is the gateway to many mountain ridges, National Parks, valleys and rainforest, so whether you are a party-loving Canadian living in Australia, or more of a nature-enthusiast, the Gold Coast offers it all.
…Families
Canadian citizens moving to Australia as a family unit, the important factors of what makes a suitable home city is drastically different to those if you were moving as a young individual or a retiree, for example.
The ability to purchase a home, good schools and educational facilities, activities for children, health care access and quality and happiness levels are what parents look for in a potential home city when moving to Australia from Canada.
Sydney is not only Australia’s most family-friendly city, but it is also one of the most family-focused cities in the world based on an index carried out by German property company, Homeday. Sydney was actually one of three Australian cities to appear in the ranking’s Top 20.
The methodology behind the ranking was to first ask hundreds of parents what the make-up behind an excellent family friendly city was, Homeday then established five primary categories by which to further analyse cities around the world and determine which cities are the best to raise a family. These categories were: Happiness, Travel and Activities, City, Maternity Law and Health and Expert Perception. To get a better understanding, these categories were then broken down further to more niche sub-categories.
Sydney was placed in position 13, ranking extremely highly in safety, happiness, activities for children, green spaces, and for parents and professionals under the ‘Expert Perception’ category.
Sydney’s overall score was 7.75, Melbourne was in position 15 with also with an overall score of 7.75 and Brisbane was in position 18 at 7.68.
Although we agree that Sydney is the best place to live in Australia with families, we would also hasten to say that most Australian cities welcome families with open arms and strive to accommodate family life in every which way. If Sydney doesn’t take your fancy, definitely research Melbourne and Brisbane, too.
…Retirees
When you are on a quest to find the best place to retire in Australia, there are a number of crucial points that should be taken into consideration. These include the cost of living; can you afford to rent or buy a home with your savings, pay the bills and still live comfortably on your pensions?
Does the city have an unlimited amount of attractions and activities on offer? You will have a LOT of spare time when you retire, and you want to be sure that you can fill this time doing things that you enjoy and keeping yourself active?
Is there a big retiree community in the city? Are the amenities up to scratch? Does the city have world-class health care, are there airports for your family to visit easily, and is there enough public transport to get around? These are just some of the questions you need to ask yourself when you are migrating to Australia from Canada to retire.
Ranking highly on all of these key points, and then some are South Australia’s capital – Adelaide.
The cosmopolitan city has very affordable rents, especially when compared with other Australian cities. A comparison that we found somewhat amusing, Adelaide’s average rental costs for a three-bedroom apartment outside of the city centre is AU$1,532 per month, a whopping 106 per cent cheaper than an equivalent property in Sydney, which weighs in at AU$3,164 per month!
More than a quarter of Adelaide’s 1.2 million population is aged 55 or over and it is honourably noted as Australia’s wine capital; Adelaide Hills, Limestone Coast and Rieslings are all excellent wine tasting regions, but make lovely hometowns, too.
The city has a plethora of exceptional beaches all within close proximity to the city centre, and parks, green spaces and nature in abundance. There is no lack of amenities, health services and easy access to excellent transport links, due to the fact that Adelaide is, after all, one of the country’s major cities. Adelaide airport has countless domestic and international flights taking off every single day, so if you are a Canadian living in Australia for your retirement years or otherwise, your family can easily escape the chilly Canadian winter and come to visit you Down Under.
…Party Goers
No Australian city has a nightlife scene quite as diverse as… you guessed it… Sydney!
The atmospheric and boisterous Sydney nightlife leaves you spoilt for choice, whatever it is that you’re into! The city is jam-packed with everything from mellow beach bars and classy, upmarket cocktail bars, live bands and rock concerts, all the way to R & B nightclubs, secret warehouse techno raves and EDM events.
…Sun Worshippers
The reason why many are initially magnetised to life in Australia is the reputation that the country holds across the world as being consistently hot, sunny and dry. Now, anybody who has lived or travelled to Australia knows this isn’t strictly true. Although Australia is one of the warmest and driest continents in the world, many coastal cities in Australia do experience some rain and chilly winter temperatures, too.
Due to its location in the country, proximity to the equator and the fact it is an arid zone, the Australian Outback generally has the HOTTEST and driest temperatures in the summer and winter months, with winters still commonly hitting the high 30°C.
However, if we look at the warmest inhabited cities in Australia to move to; there are a few towns and cities that come up trumps for sun worshippers!
The city with the warmest yearly average temperatures is… Darwin!
…Beach Lovers
Admittedly, one thing Canada lacks if you live inbound of the Country is beaches. Our National Parks, mountain ranges and lakes make up for the beach deficiency, but if you’re looking to live life with your toes firmly in the sand, relocating to Australia from Canada is certainly a wise move.
Over 85% of Australia’s population lives within 30 miles of the country’s coastline and The University of Sydney has identified 10,685 beaches in Australia, so you’re certainly not lacking options.
To crown a winner fairly, we’re basing our best beach base on Australian State, rather than a city. But, which state is the home of the country’s quintessential beaches? This is hard to call as most of Australia’s beaches are serene with silver sands and glassy waters. HOWEVER, Queensland might just edge the lead and undercut its fellow Aussie states to the top spot.
Australia’s Top 101 Beaches is a researched and ranked listing by Brad Farmer, a conservationist of over 30 years, and his colleague, Professor Andy Short; a coastal geomorphologist. Farmer and Short awarded the title to Nudey Beach in Fitzroy Island, Queensland – with good reason.
The compact beach has pristine white sands, crystal-clear waters that have to be seen to be believed, it is swamped with psychedelic marine life, vibrant corals and bordered by tropical rainforest that is listed as a National Park. Queensland proceeds to appear in the top 20 of ‘Australia’s Top 101 Beaches’ a further four times in the Top 20 ranking, making it the most featured State in the list’s Top 20.
Other Queensland champions include Burleigh Heads in the Gold Coast, Agnes Water in Central Queensland, Horseshoe Bay in Magnetic Island and Cylinder Beach on North Stradbroke Island.
…Foodies
There was no second thought when picking Australia’s gastronomy capital. No other cities come close to Melbourne’s remarkable food scene, it’s multi-cultured, it’s vibrant, it’s distinctive and there are a plethora of dishes to tantalise even the trickiest of taste buds.
Living in Melbourne Australia exposes you to an exciting assortment of authentic worldly cuisines, first introduced to the city by its many immigrants. Approximately 40 per cent of Melbourne’s population was born overseas and we owe these people many thanks for bringing a tantalising infusion of flavours, spices and colours to the city’s foodie scene.
From Ethiopian and Italian, Greek and Indian, Japanese and Mexican to the world’s biggest China Town outside of Asia and beyond, Melbourne can satisfy any cuisine cravings that you experience, regardless of your budget.
Melbourne is a notoriously chilled and artsy city and it seems independent food and drinking hotspots go hand-in-hand with this easy-going image. There are hipster cafes, independent eateries and quirky delicatessens in abundance. But if you are all about the high-life, there is certainly no shortage of gourmet restaurants and haute cuisine in the city.
