Also have a look at
immigration boards.com. There are alot of knowledgeable people on there. There is a subsection dedicated to Australia and New Zealand.
As the token Sydneysider over here in IT, here is a heads up of the environment there:
- As in the UK, IT is fiercely competitive. Depending on your skillset, it may be worth contracting initially to get your Australian market experience up and then looking at perm opportunities. The contract market is pretty strong at the moment with good rates being paid. If you want an expat recruiter who might be able to help, drop me a PM.
- Have a look at careerone.com.au, mycareer.com.au, and jobserve.com.au for jobs. Major employers include AMP, Westpac, Microsoft, AXA, Royal Sun Alliance, Optus, Telstra, St George, etc.
- It's best not to compare your UK salary with the ones on offer in Australia. The cost of living in Australia is slightly cheaper and therefore salaries are paid accordingly.
- The lifestyle isn't as relaxed as portraited on Home and Away. Aussies tend to work hard and play hard. Not everyone is able to live close to the beach but most of Sydney is within driving distance of a beach, national park, or a shopping centre.
- Sydney is the most expensive city in Australia. I would encourage you to have a look at Brisbane (which has a lot of expats) or the Gold and Sunshine Coasts. Not only is the cost of living and house prices a lot cheaper there but the Queensland government also did a drive a few years back to make Brisbane an IT centre of excellence for Australia so there was a lot of investment in IT. If you do want to live in Sydney, have a look around North Sydney, Balmain, Drummoyne, Glebe, Leichhardt, and Enmore. All are within a 15 minute bus/train ride into the central business district and have good eating options
- For your other half, recruitment is just as competive as it is in the UK. A lot of the larger recruitment firms are in Sydney and Melbourne such as Robert Walters, Michael Page, Greythorn, etc, so it may be worth knocking on those doors before you leave the UK.
- As with any country, immigration is expensive and Australia is no different. It can cost up to £1800 to get the visas, do the health checks, etc.
- If you can, go and live in the suburbs of Sydney for 3-4 weeks to get a feel for it before committing to the visa process.
Hope that helps. If you have any questions about life in Sydney, feel free to ask