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The truth about Adelaide

What is it really like to live in Adelaide? We ask Brit Milton Westcarr to reflect on his years of living in South Australia’s capital

December 2007 marked my eight-year anniversary of living in Adelaide, during which time I have been working in the same job, as a service engineer. This has been a wonderful achievement and has definitely justified my decision to emigrate from Britain to start a new life in Australia. There are so many opportunities for anyone here, and Adelaide has something to offer anyone who is determined to work hard and succeed.

At the moment there are a substantial amount of job vacancies right across the board. These vacancies are being driven by a multi-billion dollar defence contract to build ships, and also the substantial resources and mining boom that is taking place in the north of the state. As a result, I have noticed that more and more people are arriving in Adelaide all the time, from the UK and other countries.

The main reason that I decided to settle in Adelaide all those years ago was due to the warm, dry summers and the fact that the South Australian government had advertised three months free accommodation for skilled migrants to come and settle in the city, and offered an excellent 'Meet and greet' service. This sounded very appealing to me back then and made a huge difference to my choice of city. Since I didn't really know where I wanted to live in Australia, having a place to stay on arrival was a major stabilising factor and certainly helped me to settle in immediately. Prior to choosing to definitely settle in South Australia, though, I made sure that I researched a lot about the city. This was essential, because it revealed the important things, such as the cost of housing, the types of jobs available and the various climatic conditions.

Adelaide has a variety of natural attractions, such as beautiful, clean beaches on the west coast of the city, stunning rural hills and countryside to the east and south, and the famous Barossa Valley with its numerous wineries to the north. There is also a dedicated 30-kilometre cycle path leading from the base of the hills through the town centre to the beach, and this certainly appealed to me as I am a keen cyclist. Another major draw card for me was the low cost of housing here, and this is still very much the case – although it may not be for much longer. It was broadcast last month that Adelaide is the cheapest mainland state capital city to purchase a house in – but so many people from other parts of Australia are just catching on to this fact and are rapidly buying up investment properties here. This is having the effect of forcing house and rental prices up. I myself have three friends who have left expensive Sydney due to the very high house prices there and moved to Adelaide, so that they can buy their own homes. In fact, my fiancé has recently moved from Sydney and together we have just bought a very large two-storey, four-bedroom house with three toilets and two bathrooms, located on top of a hill overlooking Adelaide and the sea! It has spectacular views all around and is ideal for entertaining family and friends.

It actually feels as if we are on holiday when we eat our meals out on the verandah. To make life even better, my son Marcus has recently arrived from the UK to live with us. He has completed a vocational building course at the local college here and has just applied to both Adelaide University and the University of South Australia to study a Bachelor degree course in Building Design and Architecture. If he is accepted, he will then be able to obtain a student visa for three years until the course is complete, and then be eligible to apply for a permanent visa after two years. Overall, living in Adelaide has definitely surpassed my wildest dreams. There are so many events happening simultaneously, some of which we attend regularly, such as national basketball – both male and female – competitions, and all forms of motor racing. Then there are all kinds of festivals which take place in the city and attract huge crowds from across the globe. For example, WOMADELAIDE is a vast world music festival which takes place in the parklands annually. On top of this there are many night clubs to suit all music tastes and ages, numerous theatres across the city and in the suburbs which offer various live plays. In fact, even as I write this a very large event is taking place: The Tour Down Under cycling race.

Another thing that Adelaide is famous for is the large amount of restaurants and cafés, catering for all cuisines. Eating out is one of my many popular pastimes, especially at a different place every time with friends and family. In all, Adelaide has been an excellent, affordable lifestyle choice. South Australians are well known for their friendliness and laid-back attitude, and this is certainly a fair reputation.
Emigrating was still the best decision of my life, without a doubt, and has helped me to reduce my stress levels by relaxing at the beach and enjoying my natural surroundings.

Around South Australia
While Adelaide may be home to approximately 72 per cent of South Australia's total population, it is not the only location in the state you may wish to consider settling in. Here is a brief guide to some of South Australia's other towns and cities.

Mount Gambier
Located in the south-eastern corner of South Australia, roughly midway between Adelaide and Melbourne, Mount Gambier is the state's second-most populous city. It was home to 24,535 residents as of the 2006 census. As a result of its location on the slopes of the Mount Gambier volcano, the city has long proved to be a popular tourism destination, with the region particularly popular with cave divers from around the world due to its many water-filled caves and sinkholes.

Port Lincoln
Despite only being home to only 5,606 people, the coastal city of Port Lincoln is the largest city in the West Coast region of South Australia. The city was named by British explorer Matthew Flinders in 1802 after his home town of Lincoln in the UK. It was originally considered as a potential capital of SA before Adelaide was chosen.

Whyalla
South Australia's third-largest city, Whyalla, located on the east coast of the Eyre Peninsula, is home to just under 20,000 people. Boasting over 300 days of sunshine a year, Whyalla is surrounded by spectacular outback landscapes, benefits from a vast coastline and is rich in culture and heritage. It is also the location of some of the best fishing spots in the whole of South Australia.

Murray Bridge
Located in the heart of the the Murraylands around 80 kilometres south-east of Adelaide, Murray Bridge is the major centre located on the Murray River north of Lake Alexandrina, and is home to 17,000 people. The city has previously been known by the names Mobilong and Edwards Crossing.

Victor Harbour
Primarily a tourist town on the Fleurieu Peninsula, Victor Harbour is situated 80 kilometres south of Adelaide and is the largest centre on the peninsula. Although the city's fixed population is roughly 12,500, this more than triples during the summer holidays.

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13 May 2008

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