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Migrating and living in Australia

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  1. #41

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mat:
    I give you the answer:

    - a job at a Big 4 slaving it for years in the hope of becoming managing partner. Raising their own kids the same way. Eating dim Sum on the weekend with the wife on the phone, the kid on the Ipad (or whatever it will be by then) and the Dad passing some oh so important calls and/or reading the paper.

    Yes I am portraying it, purposely. very bleak...not all of HK is like that but....
    Exactly. Not all of Hong Kong is like this, just the 'successful' people (You also forgot to mention the health issues that come along in your late 50s after a lifetime of high stress and being too busy to take care of your health.)

    I think I like my definition of success better.
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  2. #42

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    Quote Originally Posted by kimwy66:
    Yes to all those negatives, but anyone who comes here expecting the same quality of life hasn't done even basic research.

    I am similar to you, having left NZ when I was 34, although initially to UK. We tried to go back to NZ when our daughter was a baby, but after 10 months I was begging my British husband to leave. I haven't been back for 10 years, and I hardly give the place a thought these days. Expensive to live, low salaries, and the arse-end of the world. Each to his own, but HK is a means to an end, we already have our post-Asia paradise set up elsewhere.

    Australia is better in that the salaries are higher than NZ, but you need to live outside of Sydney/Melbourne to afford a decent lifestyle on a lower wage. If you don't mind humidity Brisbane is nice and reasonably vibrant.
    Thanks for some good advice
    However, I came here solely because my wife wanted to live in her motherland and It is/was my duty to keep her happy no matter where we are. I knew I would have trouble landing something reasonable but I still came. Personally, I would have been much better off in NZ in my field of work.

    People say there 100,000 per month salary keeps them in Hong Kong but I don't even earn half of that. I'm here for other reasons like Happy wife, happy kid, happy family. I just hope, really hope I stay sane for as long as i can in this city.

    And those who talk about me being paranoid about food etc in Hong Kong, I just got my water filter serviced today and the amount of dirt it had accumulated was enough to put that argument to rest. Anyways, the best part of HK is beer is cheap and is easily accessible cheers

  3. #43

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jaz Paul:
    Thanks for some good advice
    However, I came here solely because my wife wanted to live in her motherland and It is/was my duty to keep her happy no matter where we are. I knew I would have trouble landing something reasonable but I still came. Personally, I would have been much better off in NZ in my field of work.

    People say there 100,000 per month salary keeps them in Hong Kong but I don't even earn half of that. I'm here for other reasons like Happy wife, happy kid, happy family. I just hope, really hope I stay sane for as long as i can in this city.

    And those who talk about me being paranoid about food etc in Hong Kong, I just got my water filter serviced today and the amount of dirt it had accumulated was enough to put that argument to rest. Anyways, the best part of HK is beer is cheap and is easily accessible cheers
    You'd be surprised how close hiking trails are from the middle of the hustle and bustle. Usually if you walk 20 minutes into the mountains you'll be surrounded by nature. If you hike and spend time at the sea, either sailing or at the beach (preferably both), with some camping thrown in Hong Kong can be a pretty nice place. Just make sure you get out of the city regularly.
    Jaz Paul and arathi like this.

  4. #44

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff_:
    What's wrong with that? I wouldn't mind it at all, specially if I am young and don't have a family.
    Massive corruption, lack of sanitation, famous across the world for deadly factory conditions.

  5. #45

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    Quote Originally Posted by jgl:
    Massive corruption, lack of sanitation, famous across the world for deadly factory conditions.
    It depends a manager of what. Yes, manager of a garment factory wouldn't be my dream job. Manager of the Lawachara National Park on the other hand...

  6. #46

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    A friend just became a (salaried) tax partner in one of the big 4s and got a salary of hkd130k. Heard that they told her outright that if she doesn't meet the revenue target for two years, she will have to go...definitely not something I look forward to.


  7. #47

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    Quote Originally Posted by bigcrown:
    A friend just became a (salaried) tax partner in one of the big 4s and got a salary of hkd130k. Heard that they told her outright that if she doesn't meet the revenue target for two years, she will have to go...definitely not something I look forward to.
    Wouldn't you rather work here and get 2-3x the pay?





    Last edited by cendrillon; 09-10-2017 at 12:13 PM.
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  8. #48
    Quote Originally Posted by lighthse003:
    I have friends with degrees from HKU, CU, BU, LU and universities in the UK and Australia trying to climb the ladder by slaving at a Big 4 for years in HK. The pay of junior accountants is low compared to the UK, Canada and Australia. The hours are long and the job is boring. All of them have lots of choices in other industies too. Some people love challeges and don't mind working under pressure. Some people in HK don't mind being sent by companies to work as a manager in Bangladesh.
    Most people who join the Big 4 don't stay - only around 1% of graduate joiners make partner. They mostly work very hard for 3 years, get their CPA and then leave to join industry. I have a team of around 30 CPAs, mostly from the HK Big Four and having until only very recently hired similar people for my former team in London, New York, Melbourne and Singapore, I would say that the salary levels are very similar in all five places (actually, my team in Singapore were lower paid, but I'm not sure if that was an anomaly).

    Some stay specifically so they can have secondment opportunities to allow them to see more of Europe/Asia/US, particularly Aussies and Kiwis. I would say around half the Big Four managers I have met over the years in London and even here in HK, have come from overseas offices.

    If you really wanted to, there are opportunities to return to the Big 4 at a later date. I've been approached by two of them since moving to HK about whether I would be interested in joining as a partner, having left when I was a senior manager.

  9. #49

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff_:
    I am getting more and more fed up of my job and Hong Kong. I have two small children (6 and 2 years old) and I can't imagine them settling down in Hong Kong once they grow up and are independent.

    I am thinking of migrating to Australia. I have enough money for the Investor Stream visa (AUD 1.5 M). If I don't want to start a business, I think I read somewhere that I can use this money to buy government bonds. Does anybody know if I can also use this money to buy Australian listed shares and a house? (I guess I can also ask at the embassy, but it's easier here).

    My question here is: I don't have any particular skill and I am in my early 50s, so there are not many high-paying jobs I can apply for. In case I can only get a low-paid job, would that be sufficient for a decent life? I am thinking of something like store clerk, bus driver, etc.

    I have been reading this thread and find some of the answers given toward the latter part getting a little disjointed, inexperienced or just plain confused... Not sure why..

    As me and my family are in the process of moving to, a short drive from the pristine scenery of the Glass House Mountains, less than an hours drive from Brisbane, on a 5 acre natural Australian bush block, with a number of schools nearby ( 10 mins drive away ) and an inexhaustible range of accessible leisure options and inexpensive children's activities.

    Why here ?

    by my calculations we will be financially A LOT better off, so much healthier, happier, relaxed and as far as we are concerned, the best environment to raise children. No doubts whatsoever.

    Our outgoings will substantially reduce, just our food bill alone will drop to an insignificant amount while the quality of fresh food grown locally, sourced from abundant weekend farmers markets is just incredible.

    really looking forward to 2018 and beyond, kicking back by our pool, seeing lorikeets in the trees, hearing kookaburras, enjoying the unpolluted fresh air and in my experience quite pleasant year round weather...

    In short, if you own your own home, you can live extremely comfortably in Queensland, providing you are a practical independent type of person, like pretty much everybody else who lives there.


    enjoy life and live longer mate especially at your age, it's just not worth the geographic aggravation .

    PS: not everybody appreciates living on an acreage like we have chosen to do, but you could buy a lovely home in Burleigh Heads or nearby in Robina / Ashmore ( 10 minutes drive away ) and get yourself into an absolutely lovely ( spacious ) modern house in the suburbs on the Gold Coast for $3 million HKD and literally have your cake and eat it.

    Lots of Hipster cafes, large shopping (uncrowded) malls with abundant free parking, and little independent breweries, eateries with views and surroundings you could only dream about in HK, so much space makes so much difference which all sits along 85km of some of the best coast line on earth.


    Go and spend some time in Burleigh Heads mate, I would be surprised if you didnt feel much calmer and relaxed after a few days of interacting with people, who really are a relaxed helpful bunch.. I love the people there, just so chilled.

    live life, it will do you good
    Last edited by Skyhook; 11-10-2017 at 12:45 PM.
    TheBrit, shri, bdw and 8 others like this.

  10. #50

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    For those complaining about lack of nature in Hong Kong you need to get out more. What a glorious morning!

    civil_servant likes this.

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