Brent Carey Christopher Shields
And live the good life in Melbourne.
Chris and I also love the culture (no shortage of festivals, galleries or events), the gourmet food — arguably one of the best food cities of the world (we are both looking forward to Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck calling Melbourne home in 2015). Combine this with world-class sport offerings at the MCG, hidden laneways, street art, a coffee culture and an integrated tram/train/bus public transport system — and what’s not to like? How does the cost of living compare with New Zealand? On the whole, it is pretty comparable. The New Zealand dollar is a lot stronger nowadays. We no longer call it the NZ peso or rupee. The things we notice include the cost of a publictransport pass, milk and highspeed internet — all cheaper here. Property, rent and the movies are more expensive.
Overall, you are also earning on average A$1500 (about $1670) more a month in salary just by leaving New Zealand for Melbourne and there is the bonus of compulsory superannuation savings of 12 per cent. What do you do on weekends? We start the weekend off with brunch with friends in one of Melbourne’s many cafes. We are munching our way through The Urban List website’s ‘‘50 meals you should have eaten if you live in Melbourne’’. We’ll usually then pay a visit to Queen Victoria Market or Richmond’s outdoor fruit and vege market on Gleadell Street (also in Richmond) to do the weekly shop. We also try and get a few walks in with our pet spoodle Max at either Edinburgh Gardens in North Fitzroy or Princess Park in Carlton. What’s your favourite thing to eat there? We are very spoilt for food choices in multicultural Melbourne, with everything from Chinese, Italian and African to Sri Lankan, French and Spanish. And then there is the fleet of food trucks — our pick is Banh Mi Boys for their take on the Vietnamese baguette. But our favourite, favourite dish is ‘‘snow crab’’ at Ben Shewry’s Attica restaurant in Ripponlea. What’s the best way to get around the city? Uber (the ride-sharing service). It seems to have taken over the world. Failing that, a trip to Melbourne has to involve a ride on one of our iconic tram routes such as the free city-circle tram or the 96 tram route from East Brunswick to St Kilda beach. What’s the shopping like? Melbourne often gets the gong for Australia’s fashion capital and plays host to the annual spring fashion shows in August and September. It is the top pick for flagship international brands. The $1.2 billion Emporium was officially opened on August 20. You can shop downtown now and avoid the malls. What’s the nightlife like? Melbourne comes alive after dark. There is a thriving live music scene in bars like Cherry Bar, the Corner Hotel, burlesque shows at FortyFiveDownstairs or jazz at the famous Bennetts Lane Jazz Club. Many of Melbourne’s popular drinking holes are hidden down lanes, so it pays to be adventurous. Go looking for Section 8, Berlin, Gin Palace and Von Haus. What is your favourite part of the city? Melbourne has a thing about whether you’re a ‘‘north’’ or ‘‘south’’ of the river type of person. If you like the beaches, leafy suburbs, big backyards and uniformity then suburbs like Brighton or Albert Park are made for you. If you like a bit of street art, hipsters, an industrial edge and a lively arts scene then Brunswick and Fitzory will be right up your alley. If you know an expat who wants to share inside knowledge about their home away from home, email escape@star-times.co.nz with Expat in the subject line.