What are the best cities to live in in Australia?

I might be moving to Australia in the near future and would like to know what are the best cities to live in? I have 2 kids so that is a huge factor. I'm not necessarily talking about cities, but towns also. Thanks!

Public Comments

1. Brisbane is the best. Winters are mild-warm and summers are also mild. The weather barely goes over 35 in Summer, and in winter it barely goes under 20. Not only that, it's also much cheaper than Sydney. It has some beautiful recreational areas, too.
2. IMO Melbourne's the best. Sydney and Perth very pretty nice too. Good luck.
3. My sister over a 12 -13 year period,has lived in Brisbane,Sydney,Perth and just outside Adelaide. She too much prefers Brisbane, to quote her .... "I love this place." Which is high praise from Elaine - believe me!!
4. Brisbane is a great place to raise kids
5. How about the regional city of Wollongong NSW. Wollongong is the second biggest city in NSW. Also in the Illawarra area is Shellharbour and Kiama. I love the entire Illawarra area, spanning from south of Sydney to Gerringong and Gerroa. The city centre of the Illawarra is Wollongong, approx 1.5 hours south of Sydney. Shellharbour is another 20mins south and is growing rapidly and is now more popular then Wollongong's CBD (for shopping anyway). We are located between the Great Dividing Range and the beautiful beaches (best in Australia, if not the world). Being a short distance from the city you are away from the hustle and bustle but still close enough for if you need to go to the city of wish to commute for work. I love it here, I was born and bred in Wollongong and wouldnt consider leaving. We're close enough to the city yet far enough away at the same time. Prices are slightly cheaper then the city. People arent as stress or fast paced and the lifestyle is relaxed and casual. Shellharbour is a seaside town that is absolutly gorgeous to live in. Views of the ocean and gentle ocean breezes. Property prices aren’t cheap as a lot of people that work in Sydney reside in the Illawarra. The northern suburbs are more expensive then the southern and most are older. For a nice house your looking at $300,000 for a basic in a decent lower middle class suburb up to $2mill for the poshiest house in the poshest part of town in the northern burbs. $400,000 - $600,000 should make most people happy. Right now you're freaking out over the prices I'm sure, but be aware the average income in Australia is $60,000 per year. As with everywhere in the world, there are bad areas full of crime and drugs and good areas safe for families and fun. I have never witnessed or known anyone harmed from violence or abuse, I'm sure it happens but I have been lucky. The weather is most stable in NSW, its comfortable all year round, no tropical weather or extremes. Winter is usually in the teens and summer 20Cs - early 30Cs. Heat waves and bush fires arent common in this area though there is an occasional cold shift from the ocean. There is substantial employment in the Illawarra which was originally based around the steelworks, so plenty of labouring work for the guys. There too is lots of business, specialist, hospitality and retail work as you find in any decent sized city. Plenty of weekend leisure activites, sports, fishing, walking, entertainment, you name it, we got it. We have all the amenities you would expect from a city including 4 hospitals and 2 private hospitals, child care centres, shopping centres, loads of schools both public and private, sports clubs, emergency services, etc. I love living on the beach and would never dream of living anywhere else. We have a big population but it's not overcrowded. We have areas to suit everyone and anyone, from students, to young families, to senior citizens. I could go on forever. If you have any questions feel free to email me
6. Since you have kids, i;d reccommend The Upper north shore in Sydney (which is basically the suburbs Roseville, Killara, lindfield, Pymble, Gordon, Turramurra, Chatwood, ST Ives, artarmon). Its a good community, and not too far from public transport and the CBD, The schools there are really good, and its near some of the top private schools (like Ravenswood, Roseville, PLC, abbostleigh and Sydney Grammer) As well as some really good public schools (north sydney girl, North Sydney boys, Sydney Girls, and Sydney Boys)these schools (public and private) were ranked very high in the HSC results for the past few years The weather is good, and its not too hot. Its close to major shopping centres (chatwood chase and Westfield) and there are lots of facilities there. There are heaps of great parks and fields, and lots of sporting facilities and clubs, its a really great place to live, i know from experience. Another good suburb is The epping area (also surrounding suburbs like Maquarie and Ryde), again, its near to some really good schools and the new Epping-chatwood transport line came out, so the transport is really easy. Its got great facilities like parks and librarys aswell. Hope you find the right place!
7. I am also considering this, and have so far gained the impression that Perth, Melbourne, and Adelaide are very desirable places to be. Perth and Adelaide because of their climates, and Melbourne because of its sophistication. A friend of mine, who is from Australia, believes Hobart to be the best, Australian city, because of its cooler climate. I, too would prefer Hobart.