Hi!
I'm a french girl who would like to live and work in Melbourne for one year. So, I'm searching a place to live, with nice people, open minded ; and , why not, who will make me discover Melbourne. I'm still in France for the moment, and would like to come in september or october 2008. If you have any advice... tell me

Thanks!

Welcome to the forum christouille and though I may not go so far as to describe Melbourne as the Paris of the south, it is often referred to as one the great liveable cities on our planet.

It in fact has some similarities to Paris in having a huge urban sprawl with a muddy looking river, the Yarra running through it (similar in colour to the Seine) and cafe and shopping scene is not too bad either, and a lot of other good features I will not go into at moment.

If you are after good locations, I would think a visitor is best to look for areas close into the city where cafes, clubs, pubs, markets and entertainment generally abound.
Google yourself up a map and you will see names like Parkville, Carlton, Fitzroy, Richmond South Yarra, Prahran, North, East and South Melbourne as immediate inner suburbs and they are all well serviced by tram routes parks and gardens and then as you move out there are quite a few more good areas to live in also serviced by trams and trains.

It should be easy enough to find share accomodation via sites like www.domain.com.au, Flatmates - Australia's biggest free site for flatmates, share house, share accommodation in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. or Sydney Classifieds - jobs in Sydney, flats to rent, Sydney dating - Though it says Sydney, just plug in Melbourne when the site comes up.

Hope you enjoy your time downunder and there is a lot more you can get around to in Victoria, Australia and beyond.
Welcome To Tiger Airways provide cheap budget flights to many interstate locations and Singapore, with Welcome to airasia.com...Now Everyone Can Fly... doing Gold Coast to Kuala Lumpur for about $170 and those airlines could offer you a cheap option of getting to Australia.

I thank you Wanderer for all these informations .
Well I hope people in Melbourne are not like parisians (in general : pretentious ; disrespectful of other people; individualist,...) Of course I generalize, but it's what I feel here in Paris.
I'm searching practical informations on websites for some weeks, but the most difficult is to leave your country and go in a foreign country, to the unknown...

Australians/Melburnians included are generally regarded as being an open and warm people though generalising is always a danger and here too in Australia you can have self centred people disrespectful of others.

I think it is safe to generalise that you can have good and bad people wherever you go, and even in country areas where people are usually even more easy going.

One thing for sure, Australia, Melbourne included is of a great multi-cultural mix and you will be able to experience foods of many nations and you will see people descendant from many different countries, and all getting along in reasonable harmony.

Melbournians are very keen on sport too and particularly the national football game of Australian Rules Football - Season 2008 - Official Website of the Australian Football League and it is very different from what the french would know as football.
If you get to Australia early enough in September you would have a chance of possibly seeing some seasons finals matches, a great spectacle at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also home to Football, and then there is the Spring Horse Racing Carnival with racing at various venues and generally a party atmosphere during later October and early November.

So yes, September/October is a good time to come with the colder weather having been shrugged off and people in a vibrant extroverted mood.

As for going to the unknown, many backpackers head to Australia each year from many different European and other countries and so you are certainly not going to be alone and if you want to travel about the country, you will find many doing that.
You could look at staying in a hostel initially and you would meet many people that way.
Have a look at BUG*- Backpackers Ultimate Guide to Australia and YHA Australia re hostels and travelling info.

I come from Melbourne, so perhaps I am a little biased but it is a nice place to live. The areas Wanderer mentioned are all great places to live. St Kilda which is down by the bay is also a good place. It is a little more "edgier" with some interesting characters, but some people like that kind of atmosphere. Melbourne has a great live music scene, with many famous bands coming from the city.

I spend a lot of time overseas but when I go back to Melbourne there are some things which I think make the city a great visit to travel to/live - parks/gardens, sports, restaurants and cafes, bike paths and the beaches.

Winter is a little chilly, but probably warmer than Paris. Might be a good chance to check out Australia's warmer climates to the north.

Bonjour Christouille,

I'm in Melbourne now, doing work. Hope to meet you here. There's an extra small room (more like study room) in the house where I'm staying right now. Just let me know. You might also need to submit papers of your information to the real estate manager as the renting rules of Victoria requires it.

We are staying around 10 kilometers outside melbourne inner city.

Hello,
Finding accommodation in Melbourne is quite easy.
There are a number of newspapers and boards offering accommodation.
You could always go to the areas you like and post an ad on a community board.
These can be found in bookshops, cafes. Also, try the local newspaper.
Often the backpackers or hostel where you are staying can assist.

You could also try student accommodation options. In the Melbourne CBD there are agencies that assist with these placements.

regards
AL

__________________
AL
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