Australia - What a Beautiful Place to Cruise

[As Time Goes By]

Jm21

Well I wouldn't call Australia cheap. Some complain that it's expensive!

You can live aboard on a limited budget, but sounds like you want to spend a lot of time tied up in a marina so you can get work, so that can be expensive.

Yes, boats are generally more expensive than the US, but there are some good buys around.

Work? Probably available if you are willing to do anything. Lots of young people doing this everywhere you go.

But overall, if you are on a very tight budget, I'd think again.

Bob
Casablanca
Lagoon 420

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by jm21

Hi All,

So my wife and I are tentatively planning to move to AUS within the next 2 years. She's a PR and wants to get her citizenship before the PR expires. I was looking at it as an opportunity to dramatically downsize our lifestyle, live cheaply for a few years, try out some different jobs and probably try some internet business ideas I have. We would love to get to the point where I am making $1,500 US a month or so and just live very cheaply travelling around the world.

We were looking at starting out in someplace in rural AUS and living off our savings for a few months or a half year while I tried to get some internet business ramped up (already making maybe $500-600 per month).

But then I started thinking maybe a boat? I've always wanted to cruise...owned a boat for a few years, lived on a boat, decided it was too difficult to do a professional job and live on a small boat (not enough hanging storage for suits/shirts/etc., difficult to do laundry and shower all the time).

Is cruising in AUS financially feasible on an extremely low budget? If we weren't able to do work over the internet is it possible to dock at a marina and find work? Is it cheaper or more expensive than living on land, and if so by how much? The rental prices in the cities are insane but don't know about how feasible it is to liveaboard in a city either.

My wife doesn't like the idea of living on a sailboat too much, but would do it if it saved a significant amount of money....she thinks the trawlers and such are OK but our budget is too low for that. Seems like boats are quite a bit more in AUS right now compared to the USA. She also really likes the idea of being able to cruise to SE Asia, especially Indonesia, but I'm kind of thinking it's probably about the same price to cruise in Indonesia as renting a cheap hotel room for a month (she found some for $200US per month).

Anyways, any information would be appreciated. Especially on the economics of it. Might be my only shot at living aboard in the foreseeable future and the only way I can do it is convince the wife it's a really good move financially as compared to living in a cheap rural location.

Is it hard to catch seafood (crustaceans, clams, more-so than fish) due to over-fishing or government regulation?

Sorry for all the questions...

Even years ago living in Aus was expensive compared to the USA. And that was when our dollar was worth about 60c. Now it's worth around 1.05....

But if you can earn ozbucks it's doable.

Get away from the major centres and seafood is pretty easy to catch.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by savoir

You can't anchor just anywhere in Sydney Harbour. Blackwattle Bay is it or the cops will be stopping by for a chat. Both of these places have moorings for around $450 pm and a good bus service close by.
Gladesville Bridge Marina
The Spit Marina | Sydney Harbour Marina | Moorings & Berths - The Spit - Sydney

Just came out of Sydney after around a month there, and had no problems at all. Anchored at Manly, quarantine bay, Store beach, Rose bay, picked up a mooring near the zoo, anchored in Farm cove - right next to the opera house, Blackwattle bay, Five dock bay, Exile bay.... all I can think of just now... never got bothered once.

[jm21]

Expecting AUS to be more expensive, but wondering more about the feasibility of living aboard I guess. Pretty easy here in the PNW but I'm getting the impression that we're the exception not the norm.

I just want the option of docking at a marina in a populated area in case the internet business ideas don't work out and we have to seek out normal jobs. Ideally we would be at anchor, doing business over the internet, and taking the dinghy in for runs now and then. I think we could make $1,000 USD/month over the internet but not sure how much more than that we could make...so if you could live mostly at anchor in AUS for $1k/month it would work pretty well for us.

[44'cruisingcat]

Fair enough. Technically, living aboard in NSW is illegal. Although lots of people do it. (I believe you're only allowed 2 weeks in 6 months!!!) In Qld it's fine, and in some places you can live for long periods on the anchor or a mooring.

We live aboard, and are currently in NSW, making our way north to Brisbane, and from there Vanuatu and New caledonia.

In most places in Aus a couple could get by on $1k per month, but you'd need to be teetotal!

In a lot of places work isn't hard to find - for instance in Bundaberg you'd get farm work (seasonal). maybe try some of the backpacker websites to see what work is abailable and when?

[Wotname]

Pretty hard to live aboard in Perth, just getting a berth (non live aboard) is very difficult.

[sctpc]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Pretty hard to live aboard in Perth, just getting a berth (non live aboard) is very difficult.

Same problem in Melbourne

[savoir]

Having a trade certificate is a huge help. Nursing is the best. Getting sick is a world wide thing.

[justwaiting]

Age care is allways looking for staff, many facilities are on or near the coast.
Wages are cr$p only about $18 an about plus penalties,(Sat 1.5, Sun 2.0, Public holidays 2.5, Afternoon shifts 20% loading ... Most are run by not for profit organisation so you can salary sacrifice $16, 000, plus some extra (i think about $5000 holiday and travel expences) But if you like looking after people there are other rewards.

[jm21]

Yes, I was reading some other threads about difficulties living aboard in Perth or Melbourne. Seemed like it might also be difficult to find moorage in Brisbane or Cairns? What about the smaller coastal towns stretched out between the larger cities? I think I read that Wollongong had difficult anchorages or something like that? Maybe there's some smaller towns where it's more acceptable?

I seem to recall reading that Tasmania was more accepting? Anyone know about Darwin?

Anyways, thanks for all the info.

Originally Posted by justwaiting

Age care is allways looking for staff, many facilities are on or near the coast.
Wages are cr$p only about $18 an about plus penalties,(Sat 1.5, Sun 2.0, Public holidays 2.5, Afternoon shifts 20% loading ... Most are run by not for profit organisation so you can salary sacrifice $16, 000, plus some extra (i think about $5000 holiday and travel expences) But if you like looking after people there are other rewards.

This is why we are so seriously thinking about moving to AUS....my brother is a CNA here and works his ass off for $12/hour taking care of some fairly dangerous mentally retarded folks. He and his co-workers often come home with black eyes or other bruises from the clients. My wife and I would be very happy to make $18/hour doing something we enjoyed (not necessarily nursing).

[sctpc]

Originally Posted by jm21

Y
I seem to recall reading that Tasmania was more accepting? Anyone know about Darwin?

My wife and I would be very happy to make $18/hour doing something we enjoyed (not necessarily nursing).

Tassy is COLD Darwin is 99% humid and very hot normal people dont live there.
18ph in Au is like 10 in the US its a lot more expensive to just live here.

[ausaviator]

Minimum wage for over 18 is around $20+ per hour in Australia in for example retail.

In the US that would be more like $10 for the same thing.

Depends on where you live in Australia.

In the City where things are expensive, then it will be hard, but out country or in the coastal areas costs are less for rent, although food might be slightly higher.

Don't expect to pull into Melbourne or Sydney and score a high paying job that will pay the bills if you are parked there.

[justwaiting]

One of the places i like Tin Can Bay Marina - Contact Us

[jm21]

Originally Posted by sctpc

Tassy is COLD Darwin is 99% humid and very hot normal people dont live there.
18ph in Au is like 10 in the US its a lot more expensive to just live here.

From looking at it, the weather in TAS seemed very similar to the Pacific Northwest (PNW) where I'm from. Maybe even a little bit warmer if anything. Maybe I'm wrong there.

[nautical62]

I did a sea kayak trip from Airlie Beach to Cooktown years ago. (Actually used a sailing rig most of the time). Best trip ever. I'd love to spend time cruising the same area.