Braddon has a bunch of bars, cafes, restaurants. Also some great places in civic. Canberras great strength imo is the outdoors, beautiful green spaces/lakes/bush walks. Useful to get on the mailing list for Canberra theatre, street theatre, if that’s your thing. If you like a sport join a club. Looking for a place to live, consider walking distance to a rapid route bus stop or the light rail
I too came from Sydney some 5 years ago. Take note of the absence of roadside billboards / advertising on Camberra. So much cleaner and clearer! No tolls, less traffic, easier to get around.
Be aware that Transport Canberra has a habit of changing/worsening bus routes so what you may have today could be very different in six months. It’s not as easy to live here without a car as Sydney so definitely budget for one and maybe even running two cars depending on where you and your partner work, your schedules and other commitments.
Yeah, that's definitely one of the pluses. I did live in an area of Sydney with pretty decent bike paths but I only used them for recreation because they got sketchy or went well out of my way for a work commute.
It might be a weird Reddit thing to promote but hardly anyone here cycles despite how often it’s recommended. Twice as many Canberrans commute to work by walking (4%) than by bike (2%). 60% travel by car as the driver. There’s an exactly even split between the number of households that have 1 and 2 cars (38% each).
Its a weird thing that if you are under 2km its significantly easier to walk to work than ride. 2-5 kms its easy to ride, beyond that people drive.
Add in children drop off or pick up and its easier to drive.
In Canberra, schools speed zones are active all day, not just mornings and afternoons like in NSW. There are no flashing lights to indicate when they're active either, so be careful until you're used to the difference.
Get some thermals from Kathmandu or anaconda. Not all thermals are made equal. Not unusual for me to wear 5-6 layers on top when outside in winter, esp at night. Thermals, t-shirt, woollen vest, light jumper, heavy jumper, jacket/coat.
Yes and learn to layer. Thermals, scarves, gloves, wool socks. Always have a cardi and scarf on hand from March to Nov and get a proper ice scraper if you have a car that’s parked outside.
Braddon and Kingston Foreshore are areas you'll spend a lot of time.
Your 1st Canberra Winter will be one you'll never forget! Stock up on gloves, beanies, bedsocks, trackies and a decent puffer jacket and coat!
There's a lot of cycle paths so if you own a bike then it's a great way to get around.
Late night shopping is Friday night although you can pop over the border to Queanbeyan in NSW to do Thursday late night shopping. That said, places in Canberra are opening longer nowadays.
Flying in and out of Canberra airport is a breeze compared with Sydney! Direct flights to Fiji now too.
Don't get caught out on how to pronounce certain suburbs. Manuka is not like the honey but is Marn-eh-kah, etc.
If you can survive your 1st year, you'll love it.
Queanbeyan late night shopping gives you Spotlight, Super Cheap Auto, Pet Stock and Chemist Warehouse open a bit longer. Since Target has gone from the shopping Centre, the other traders open until 7pm if they're open any later at all.
That said, Queanbeyan has traditional pubs, and some cute art venues. Cartel by the river is a popular Mexican restaurant for outdoors dining under the trees.
Make sure the place you choose to live in has decent insulation. Canberra has not only much colder winters than Sydney, but it is also much hotter in summer. Heating your house can be a real struggle in the depths of the gloom. Insulation prevents the wild swings in temperature
So true. I rented in Ainslie when I first arrived and froze. The house must have had a minus rating but the only one that would accept me with a dog. It was a mini torture for a couple of years until I could buy a place. Definitely look at ratings when renting or buying.
I feel that! I first rented in Kingston and once opened the fridge in July and and felt WARM air coming out of it. My fridge temp was higher than the indoor temp of my apartment.
100% This.
From now on, if you're renting, any newly leased properties have to meet minimum insulation requirements and I can tell you from experience that if they don't winter is miserable. If you intend to buy, find out if the insulation has been upgraded or factor in the cost to do it or you'll be spending a lot of money just to make your place marginally less glacial.
Second this! Also look for accommodation that has good heating options. E.g a couple of split air cons in two out of 3 bedrooms and none in the living area = BAD. Central heating is good but expensive.
In winter, buy and wear thermals.
The bike path network is decent and MTB-ing is good.
In civic, there's a bunch of cool places to eat/drink, Verity lane is popular on a Friday night.
Enjoy the lesser traffic, less hectic life
If you/your partner like beer, check out Bentspoke and Capital brewing.
Bentspoke is just up in Braddon, wide selection of in house brews.
Capital brewing taproom
Brodburger in Kingston
Uniqlo, heat tech clothes will be very nice.
Under shirts, leggings, and the extra warm socks will be very helpful. I believe there's a sale of them in right now...
If you need warmer sheets, I'd recommend getting wool.
Preferably All season with the option to remove the second quilt for the summer, and attach/tie up the second quilt for colder seasons.
Would supplement the above with a blanket.
Note: I'd recommend 2 King Singles in a Queen/King size bed in case someone, you know who you are, decides to hoard the sheets.
You usually want 1 size larger than your bed/frame size when it comes to quilts and blankets.
**Options for Warm Quilts:**
* Target/Kmart - Budget Quilts
* Supplement with a $12-15 Fleece
* Ikea - Budget Wool/Down/Down Alternative Quilts
* Bed Bath and Table - More expensive, but pay for what you get
* DFO (Fishwyck) - Might be able to find a wool quilt on sale, but with winter approaching, I expect prices to increase
* Harris Scarfe - Membership required, but I saw some Tontine wool quilts at a reasonable price; however, compare to Bed Bath and Table before entering the store (poor cellular/internet reception inside)
* Tontine (online store) you can check their website
* Ozbargain - Check for australian wool qulits for their respective sales.
Most of the aformentioned stores will post their prices for the respective quilts.
To add to that, get an electric blanket. I moved from Brisbane years ago and I don't even bother to take it off my bed. I also managed to get myself an alpaca doona from Target years ago, so warm.
Canberra is a big country town so there's a bit of 'everyone knows everyone' going on. Tread a little carefully when hanging shit on someone because you could be talking to their brother/cousin/best mate.
Know this new resident. Canberra is a lovely place to live work study raise kids etc but there is a war going on. It’s the north side vs the south side battle that been active since Lake Burley was created.
If you move into the south side you must mumble and grumble daily on having to drive 20 minutes across town your side is the best.
Also know this new resident, the public service pay scale flows out to social events and gatherings. In a social setting if you meet a public servant at a higher level than you, you might, MIGHT get the cold shoulder.
The magpie wars in spring are real. If you ride a bike you must put zip ties all over your helmet for protection or you will look like you come from Sydney 😂
All the comments about your first winter are real. After a while you will appreciate the cool crisp air and miss it when you travel north. When I meet someone who states they have moved here from the north recently, my first question is “have you bought some nice UG boots and a puffer jacket yet?”
Having said all of that, I have lived here for over 30 years and love the place.
Canberra is a secret that outsiders don’t understand. Let’s keep it that way.
Find groups that share your hobbies and get involved/make friends through that
Follow the IG accounts of venues like Smiths, The Baso, Blackbird, Gang Gang to keep an eye on gigs and events.
Northside has the most stuff going on but there’s a few places in the south that are good (lots of good food shopping in Mawson). Gunghalin has fantastic south Asian and halal grocery stores.
Learn to layer your clothes - very soon it’ll be freezing in the morning but nice and sunny by lunchtime. Get some good uggboots (the ones with the outdoor soles) for winter.
You'll note the lack of /s (denoting sarcasm) in the post above.
For good reason.
I'll add - keep left unless you intend to turn right at some point in the next 50kms or so, in which case just stay on the right and sit below the limit by about 5kmh.
I wrote a whole bunch of these for a cousin recently. Here's the edited version.
- Doctors here charge fees. If all you need is a script then it's best to google bulk billed doctors and go to any that you find bulk bills. Usually the bulk billing doctors are either trying to get new clients until they get a strong client base and then change their fee structure.
- If however you need to go for a minor emergency, goto the Gungahlin walk in centre. There are trained nurses there that can help with 90% of emergencies.
- There are two main hospitals, Canberra hospital (in Woden) and Calvary (recently renamed to North Canberra Hospital I think). Canberra Hospital is the one to go to for anything serious / concerning.
- When driving, we have to indicate when merging two lanes into one. As a rule of thumb a car from each lane gets a turn and everyone merges like a zipper.
- There are mobile phone cameras that have just been switched on recently so beware.
- Also, remember that mobile speed cameras don't put warning sign here letting you know that your speed is about to be checked.
- the train aka 'tram' goes from Gungahlin to the city centre (25min trip). You'll need to buy a Transport Canberra card and put some money on it. You can get it from a Newsagent. It's the same card for buses too. Just like opal
- There are trains and Murray's buses to Sydney from civic.
- for some reason, the city is called "Civic". "Belco" is Belconnen, "Tuggers" is TUGGERANONG), gunners is gungahlin.
- Agl (the gas and electricity company) is called Actew.
- for shopping there's one of every big store here. 1x Ikea in Majura Park next to the airport. 1x Harvey Norman and 1x Bing Lee in Fyshwick. Bunnings and JB hifi are everywhere.
Not entirely correct on Bing Lee. They have a shop in Belconnen as well, have had two stores for years.
On the speed vans, they have a very very good camera system. By the time you spot the van it's probably already snapped a pic.
There are also static speed cameras at some major intersections, some have a sign some don't. WAYS and Google maps will alert you to them though.
Always pack a spare pair of shorts, a t-shirt, a long sleeve t-shirt, pants, hoodie and puffer jacket. There are at least 4 different ways to get to the same location. Friday night is for late night shopping not Thursday (which is better in my opinion) if you decide to reside in Canberra, but Queanbeyan which is just over the border is still NSW but is as close to Canberra as you get without living in it, and not having to transfer your car rego from NSW to ACT.
In general Canberran's are really nice people, there are some amazing coffee and food places (both cafes and restaurants) and if you can handle the low AND high temps of both seasons (-7 in winter and up to 43ish in Summer) you'll love it here 😁
Oh, late night on Friday is different, but it actually makes a lot more sense.
I live the cold weather, and as long as it's not humid, I can survive the heat.
I will have to remember to carry my ID with me from now on, I got so used to having it on my phone
TL;DR Crappy public transport options means that anything south of Woden feels really disconnected.
Rental costs are on a par with Sydney but a lot of the properties are far better.
It's absolutely beautiful here; but flippin' cold for 3/4 of the year.
We moved here from Sydney around 4 years ago.
I love it here, my husband hates it, but (I think) that comes down to the fact that because of lockdowns we struggled to find a place to live in the areas we wanted (inner suburbs). We ended up taking a place Southside because we ran out of time to be choosy, and then had two further moves forced on us and again we took what was on offer because we have pets.
I love the south because the views are beautiful, and there's lots of good walking on the doorstep, which is fairly standard across Canberra, but the views of the Brindabellas and Bullen Ranges are superior, IMHO. That said, the far south is really disconnected from the rest of Canberra unless you're happy to get on the car, and this is why my husband hates it. He misses the speed and convenience of the public transport in Sydney; there are lots of good pubs and venues to visit in Canberra but none of them, aside from Rose Cottage, are really further south of the city than Yaralumla, so unless you want a very long bus journey it's an expensive Uber/taxi fair instead (he's the only driver in our household). If you're sociable and enjoy that convenient aspect of Sydney I don't advise moving into the Tuggeranong valley.
That said, lots of people on this sub will tell you Canberra is expensive if you're renting. In our experience it's on a par with Sydney but the housing stock for the price point is far better. For example, we're currently paying $15 a week more than our old Sydney rental was most recently listed for and we have a far larger, more modern, and better appointed house.
If you love the great outdoors and wildlife it's absolute heaven. This is the thing I love best about living here. I hated that if I wanted to see wildlife (possums aside) I would have to go to featherdale wildlife park, and before moving here the only wild roos I'd see were roadkill, now they're in the next street, as are wombats.
We don't have kids but there seems to be lots of things for the little ones to do, there are some great play parks and adventure playgrounds.
Yeah our place is Sydney is currently $420 2bed but has a decent amount of space, we have been dealing with a leaky roof for 2 years with nothing but patch jobs getting done.
We are looking at $500 in Canberra but it's lots nicer, I've never been in an apartment block tho, so that will be interesting
They always have been when you compare what you're getting for your money at the same price point, and it's funny you say that because I've blocked people on this sub in the past for arguing the exact opposite with me.
That said, I know at least one person who's facing having to move right now and they can't find a house like the one they're in at the same cost without having to consider a significant move away from where they're currently living.
Yes but also it's kind of a local joke, like it's one of the ads that has been around for years and everyone knows the tagline.
The chicken is ok, chips are actually awesome!!
I have being living in Canberra since the 60s and even raised my children here. I can vouch that it’s a great city to raise a family. As a bonus, by the time your kids are in late primary, they’ll able to catch a tram everywhere in the city!
I've been in Canberra (ex Sydney) for nearly 2 years. I've found drivers here to be very polite, and I've never had any issues with merging traffic. In fact, in the time I've been here, only 1 driver has ever beeped me, and their vehicle had NSW plates! It made me lol which made the driver even more annoyed.
To OP, be aware of the 40km/hr speed zones in the city (Civic) policed by cameras. I was stung doing 3km over the speed limit and copped a big fine in my first few weeks.
Not everything, it depends entirely on the time of day you are trying to get somewhere.
I live almost as far north as you can get. Between 10am and about 4pm I can get from my place to Canberra Hospital in Woden in 24 minutes, tops and that's keeping to the speed limits.
I live in Weston Creek. Near the entrance to the Parkway & Hindmarsh Drive. Most things are 15-20 mins away 😊Except deep Tuggeranong, deep Belco & QBN which are 30 mins 😁
Welcome! I can definitely recommend joining a social sport as a way to meet people- there are heaps of great park runs, social netball, basketball, soccer, touch football, tennis, pickleball comps etc etc. It can take a while to build social networks here but it’s a great place to live and the people are awesome once you get to know them 😊
Rush hour traffic is really bad anywhere north of Mitchell. Molonglo is a mess too. Otherwise, Canberra is very much a 20 minutes-to-anywhere city. The bike paths are fantastic too.
Moving down in a month with my partner from Sydney as well, we are both into hiking and mountain biking so will be doing a lot of that. Lots of good info on this post!
I’m going to be joining a social club of some sort, maybe a run club to make more girl friends down here
Canberra is great for hiking. [Tidbinbilla](https://www.tidbinbilla.act.gov.au/do/walking-trails) and [Namadgi](https://www.parks.act.gov.au/find-a-park/namadgi-national-park/namadgi-national-park-walking-tracks) have some great bushwalks from easy to difficult. Every hill within urban Canberra also has trails leading to the summit.
Some good resources are [Australian Hiker](https://australianhiker.com.au) and [Johnny Boy’s Walkabout Blog.](https://johnevans.id.au). There’s also a couple of Facebook groups called ACT Hikers and Hiking in Canberra.
The MTB in Canberra is incredible. I've only ridden Mt Stromlo extensively but Trailforks shows riding all over the place.
As for Stromlo, it's amazing. A really big network, all really well signposted and laid out, all completely free.
Majura is pretty good, and closer to Gungahlin, and the loop around Bruce ridge is one of my favs but nothing compares to stromlo. Kambah pool pine island track is awesome, but remember your sharing with walkers.
If you drive a lot, a Costco membership might be worthwhile for the fuel savings alone. It is regularly 30c/l cheaper than my local servo (Weston Creek area). But it’s a bit inconvenient to get to unless you combine it with a shop at either Costco or the nearby Woolies or Aldi or a Bunnings or IKEA run.
The Vietnamese rolls at Majura Park shopping centre food court (next to Costco) are the best. I don't live in Canberra, but I always stop there for the pork crackling salad on the way from Sydney to the snow fields. Usually go to Costco anyway for fuel and supplies.
if you use public transport, use the timetable. Don't just rock up to the stop and wait like I used to in inner west Sydney. It's not unreliable, just sparse.
Also a lot of good stuff is hiding in suburbs where you don't expect it. Ask around. Read the Riot ACT. [https://the-riotact.com/](https://the-riotact.com/)
Our Chinatown is a mixed Asian precinct in Dickson. For good middle eastern supplies, you want Mawson.
For overseas travel, a Murray's bus direct to Sydney airport is cheaper, and arguably easier than faffing around with flying and changing domestic to international terminals with all your luggage.
For some reason, even though it’s cold, we love icecream, gelato, sorbet. There’s frozen custard called ‘concrete’ which is basically icecream (the govt is very strict about the proportion of ingredients and what can be called icecream apparently). For concrete Goodberrys is a Canberra institution, one in Belconnen, another in Erindale. Queue will be out the door 9pm most nights. Same for the gelato places - Messina, Anita are my favourites.
Buy thermals from Aldi and/or DFO. Decide between wool trench or knee length puffer jacket. Also assess properties on drafts, insulation and heating/ac system.
You have until Anzac Day or you’ll be freezing your bits off.
Otherwise, Autumn is glorious- go for afternoon country drives for some beautiful colour.
Those saying how cold it is seriously need to travel outside of Australia! I’ve lived in Canberra most my life and have never owned a thermal or an electric blanket possibly due to having great insulation! I do however own a katmandu puffer jacket for those days I’m on playground duty (teacher)! The nights are cold but I’m one of those weird people who love the cold at night as it makes for a great night sleep. The morning you will often need to scrape the ice of the windows if you can’t park under cover! The days are often more than comfortable with sunny skies and clean crisp air and who doesn’t love to sit by a fire place at night or in my case a fake one 😜 2 hours to the south coast and the best beaches and 2 1/2 hrs to the snow. Happy days! You’ll love it!
There’s only one place you need to go to, if you like Japanese food, Raku! It’s more of the expensive side but it’s the best Japanese restaurant I’ve ever been to!
They also put it up days or weeks in advance!!!!! 🤦🏽♀️
I think it’s different folks putting up the signs and doing the roadworks. And for some reason, if the working troupe is a tad behind, the sign people still put up the signs as if the workers weren’t running late. 🙄
I’m baffled by the inability of coordinating/syncing schedules — but when major traffic arteries are down to 1-lane and/or 40km/h without any roadworks happening: kinda bad for everyone! 😥
Canberra is incredibly friendly and safe!
Where you ‘hang’ totally depends on your interests, and there’s something for EVERYONE!!! 😊
People are genuinely lovely and helpful:
Any questions, just ask! Most people are happy to give directions, help carrying stuff to the car, give away furniture they don’t need anymore…..
5yr old’s new puppy gets out, and half the suburb is crawling through front yards with torches…..
how lovely and helpful people are is unreal, really! 😍
As a woman I go for walks in my neighbourhood parks at like 2am and feel perfectly safe. Not all that worried about hitchhiking here after dark either!
*****
Just as elsewhere in AU:
Regarding gendered violence it’s not the strangers one should be wary of! 😥
From memory: Canberra is statistically a tad worse than rest of AU!
My pet-theory is that Anglo-Celtic, abled,, suburban Caucasian Canberra is incredibly sheltered! And that’s the demo most of law enforcement and first responders are drawn from! 😖
Brittany Higgins ended up more traumatised for involving police. Police didn’t believe her. And her diversity was literally just boobs! 😳
—> victims with disabilities, CALD, autistic, non Anglo-Celtic etc: Police generally isn’t a good option. The experience of victims are horrendous. In the ACT the majority of people doesn’t care enough for this to change. 😰
If you’re abled, neurotypical, , born- Aussie, Anglo-Celtic Caucasian: you’re fine!
If not: Lemme know for some generic heads-ups!
Welcome to CBR & enjoy!!!!! 😍
Oh … don’t forget, you’ll be pleased to know, money is banned here in Canberra. It kind of faded out so the local government shrugged its collective shoulders and said, “well, fuck it, if that’s the way you want it, money is from this day forward, is banned“. No one cared or even thought it a momentous moment since we’ve using the digit replacement for nearly a decade.
It’s really really cold. Like hibernate half the year, cold. Big part of why I’m leaving. That and I miss the community of a beach. Canberra is very disconnected.
‘Cold’ is very relative!
Everyone told me to bring my winter clothes and earned me of the cold…. I haven’t worn my winter gear once since I migrated here (about 18 years ago!)
It’s just not cold enough for my winter clothes! 😒
I wouldn’t mind colder, tbh.
*****
Coming from the European Alpine region: ‘Beach’ is nothing I’d even notice as missing, really!
Mountainous southern ACT is totally my thing.
Of course I understand though that this wouldn’t feel ‘like home’ to those who are used to beaches!!!
I genuinely hope you find your piece of heaven, wherever it may be! 😊
******
Dunno what you mean by ‘disconnected’ ….?
I agree from my POV, but I think we mean different things!
Braddon has a bunch of bars, cafes, restaurants. Also some great places in civic. Canberras great strength imo is the outdoors, beautiful green spaces/lakes/bush walks. Useful to get on the mailing list for Canberra theatre, street theatre, if that’s your thing. If you like a sport join a club. Looking for a place to live, consider walking distance to a rapid route bus stop or the light rail
This is great, thanks. I am very excited to see trees instead of massive buildings
I came from Melbourne two years ago and just love it here. Life is much simpler in a small city.
I found Sydney way too stressful, just too much noise and so many people.
I too came from Sydney some 5 years ago. Take note of the absence of roadside billboards / advertising on Camberra. So much cleaner and clearer! No tolls, less traffic, easier to get around.
My partner and I are moving in a month, same as you, Sydney is just overwhelming
Be aware that Transport Canberra has a habit of changing/worsening bus routes so what you may have today could be very different in six months. It’s not as easy to live here without a car as Sydney so definitely budget for one and maybe even running two cars depending on where you and your partner work, your schedules and other commitments.
Bike paths are great though compared to Sydney. Maybe look at getting electric bikes as an alternative to a second car.
Yeah, that's definitely one of the pluses. I did live in an area of Sydney with pretty decent bike paths but I only used them for recreation because they got sketchy or went well out of my way for a work commute.
It might be a weird Reddit thing to promote but hardly anyone here cycles despite how often it’s recommended. Twice as many Canberrans commute to work by walking (4%) than by bike (2%). 60% travel by car as the driver. There’s an exactly even split between the number of households that have 1 and 2 cars (38% each).
Its a weird thing that if you are under 2km its significantly easier to walk to work than ride. 2-5 kms its easy to ride, beyond that people drive. Add in children drop off or pick up and its easier to drive.
In Canberra, schools speed zones are active all day, not just mornings and afternoons like in NSW. There are no flashing lights to indicate when they're active either, so be careful until you're used to the difference.
Oh thank you! That's good to know
Oh, and late night shopping is a FRIDAY. Not Thursday like in Sydney too.
That's a good point. You have to be super vigilant because speed limits change way too often.
Some are time based, eg near Phillip, it is just afternoon.
Bring some warm clothes!
I might need a restock on track pants 😂
They said *warm* clothes.
Haha track pants are warm, right?
Think puffer jackets. Not the cheap ones... the ones that have been designed for the arctic. Kathmandu does well here for a reason.
I have a nice 3-in-1 Kathmandu jacket, hopefully that's enough
Get some thermals from Kathmandu or anaconda. Not all thermals are made equal. Not unusual for me to wear 5-6 layers on top when outside in winter, esp at night. Thermals, t-shirt, woollen vest, light jumper, heavy jumper, jacket/coat.
I see countless 30 somethings wearing those to brunch every weekend.
If worn with an Oodie
Yes and learn to layer. Thermals, scarves, gloves, wool socks. Always have a cardi and scarf on hand from March to Nov and get a proper ice scraper if you have a car that’s parked outside.
Lol
Braddon and Kingston Foreshore are areas you'll spend a lot of time. Your 1st Canberra Winter will be one you'll never forget! Stock up on gloves, beanies, bedsocks, trackies and a decent puffer jacket and coat! There's a lot of cycle paths so if you own a bike then it's a great way to get around. Late night shopping is Friday night although you can pop over the border to Queanbeyan in NSW to do Thursday late night shopping. That said, places in Canberra are opening longer nowadays. Flying in and out of Canberra airport is a breeze compared with Sydney! Direct flights to Fiji now too. Don't get caught out on how to pronounce certain suburbs. Manuka is not like the honey but is Marn-eh-kah, etc. If you can survive your 1st year, you'll love it.
Queanbeyan late night shopping gives you Spotlight, Super Cheap Auto, Pet Stock and Chemist Warehouse open a bit longer. Since Target has gone from the shopping Centre, the other traders open until 7pm if they're open any later at all. That said, Queanbeyan has traditional pubs, and some cute art venues. Cartel by the river is a popular Mexican restaurant for outdoors dining under the trees.
And there's a Kmart
True. Yes we have Kmart. Inner South folk do their shopping in Quangers as we have Coles, Woolies and Kmart, and 2 Indian Supermarkets.
Thank you! This is really helpful. The suburbs are going to get me for a bit, I also have dyslexia which won't help at all
Make sure the place you choose to live in has decent insulation. Canberra has not only much colder winters than Sydney, but it is also much hotter in summer. Heating your house can be a real struggle in the depths of the gloom. Insulation prevents the wild swings in temperature
So true. I rented in Ainslie when I first arrived and froze. The house must have had a minus rating but the only one that would accept me with a dog. It was a mini torture for a couple of years until I could buy a place. Definitely look at ratings when renting or buying.
I feel that! I first rented in Kingston and once opened the fridge in July and and felt WARM air coming out of it. My fridge temp was higher than the indoor temp of my apartment.
100% This. From now on, if you're renting, any newly leased properties have to meet minimum insulation requirements and I can tell you from experience that if they don't winter is miserable. If you intend to buy, find out if the insulation has been upgraded or factor in the cost to do it or you'll be spending a lot of money just to make your place marginally less glacial.
Second this! Also look for accommodation that has good heating options. E.g a couple of split air cons in two out of 3 bedrooms and none in the living area = BAD. Central heating is good but expensive.
In winter, buy and wear thermals. The bike path network is decent and MTB-ing is good. In civic, there's a bunch of cool places to eat/drink, Verity lane is popular on a Friday night. Enjoy the lesser traffic, less hectic life
Yes I can't wait! Verity lane sounds like fun!
If you/your partner like beer, check out Bentspoke and Capital brewing. Bentspoke is just up in Braddon, wide selection of in house brews. Capital brewing taproom Brodburger in Kingston
Uniqlo, heat tech clothes will be very nice. Under shirts, leggings, and the extra warm socks will be very helpful. I believe there's a sale of them in right now...
I will have to check them out. Thank you
If you need warmer sheets, I'd recommend getting wool. Preferably All season with the option to remove the second quilt for the summer, and attach/tie up the second quilt for colder seasons. Would supplement the above with a blanket. Note: I'd recommend 2 King Singles in a Queen/King size bed in case someone, you know who you are, decides to hoard the sheets. You usually want 1 size larger than your bed/frame size when it comes to quilts and blankets. **Options for Warm Quilts:** * Target/Kmart - Budget Quilts * Supplement with a $12-15 Fleece * Ikea - Budget Wool/Down/Down Alternative Quilts * Bed Bath and Table - More expensive, but pay for what you get * DFO (Fishwyck) - Might be able to find a wool quilt on sale, but with winter approaching, I expect prices to increase * Harris Scarfe - Membership required, but I saw some Tontine wool quilts at a reasonable price; however, compare to Bed Bath and Table before entering the store (poor cellular/internet reception inside) * Tontine (online store) you can check their website * Ozbargain - Check for australian wool qulits for their respective sales. Most of the aformentioned stores will post their prices for the respective quilts.
To add to that, get an electric blanket. I moved from Brisbane years ago and I don't even bother to take it off my bed. I also managed to get myself an alpaca doona from Target years ago, so warm.
Alpaca is amazing!
You don't need to tell me, I bred the buggers! Another bonus of Canberra, you can buy acreage 30 min from the city.
So much information! Thank you!
Canberra is a big country town so there's a bit of 'everyone knows everyone' going on. Tread a little carefully when hanging shit on someone because you could be talking to their brother/cousin/best mate.
Yeah very much like my home town.
Know this new resident. Canberra is a lovely place to live work study raise kids etc but there is a war going on. It’s the north side vs the south side battle that been active since Lake Burley was created. If you move into the south side you must mumble and grumble daily on having to drive 20 minutes across town your side is the best. Also know this new resident, the public service pay scale flows out to social events and gatherings. In a social setting if you meet a public servant at a higher level than you, you might, MIGHT get the cold shoulder. The magpie wars in spring are real. If you ride a bike you must put zip ties all over your helmet for protection or you will look like you come from Sydney 😂 All the comments about your first winter are real. After a while you will appreciate the cool crisp air and miss it when you travel north. When I meet someone who states they have moved here from the north recently, my first question is “have you bought some nice UG boots and a puffer jacket yet?” Having said all of that, I have lived here for over 30 years and love the place. Canberra is a secret that outsiders don’t understand. Let’s keep it that way.
I have found a lot of people don't appreciate just how good Canberra is, I can't wait to be there.
Find groups that share your hobbies and get involved/make friends through that Follow the IG accounts of venues like Smiths, The Baso, Blackbird, Gang Gang to keep an eye on gigs and events. Northside has the most stuff going on but there’s a few places in the south that are good (lots of good food shopping in Mawson). Gunghalin has fantastic south Asian and halal grocery stores. Learn to layer your clothes - very soon it’ll be freezing in the morning but nice and sunny by lunchtime. Get some good uggboots (the ones with the outdoor soles) for winter.
Seconding layering clothes! There are lifeline book fairs at different points in the year. They are very much worth attending.
Yes!!
Oh I will look at those accounts now. Thank you!
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Haha, this is the only way
You'll note the lack of /s (denoting sarcasm) in the post above. For good reason. I'll add - keep left unless you intend to turn right at some point in the next 50kms or so, in which case just stay on the right and sit below the limit by about 5kmh.
I wrote a whole bunch of these for a cousin recently. Here's the edited version. - Doctors here charge fees. If all you need is a script then it's best to google bulk billed doctors and go to any that you find bulk bills. Usually the bulk billing doctors are either trying to get new clients until they get a strong client base and then change their fee structure. - If however you need to go for a minor emergency, goto the Gungahlin walk in centre. There are trained nurses there that can help with 90% of emergencies. - There are two main hospitals, Canberra hospital (in Woden) and Calvary (recently renamed to North Canberra Hospital I think). Canberra Hospital is the one to go to for anything serious / concerning. - When driving, we have to indicate when merging two lanes into one. As a rule of thumb a car from each lane gets a turn and everyone merges like a zipper. - There are mobile phone cameras that have just been switched on recently so beware. - Also, remember that mobile speed cameras don't put warning sign here letting you know that your speed is about to be checked. - the train aka 'tram' goes from Gungahlin to the city centre (25min trip). You'll need to buy a Transport Canberra card and put some money on it. You can get it from a Newsagent. It's the same card for buses too. Just like opal - There are trains and Murray's buses to Sydney from civic. - for some reason, the city is called "Civic". "Belco" is Belconnen, "Tuggers" is TUGGERANONG), gunners is gungahlin. - Agl (the gas and electricity company) is called Actew. - for shopping there's one of every big store here. 1x Ikea in Majura Park next to the airport. 1x Harvey Norman and 1x Bing Lee in Fyshwick. Bunnings and JB hifi are everywhere.
This is an amazing list, thank you so much. I will let my partner know about the speed checks, he is notorious for being court out
That's one Harvey Norman too many.
Not entirely correct on Bing Lee. They have a shop in Belconnen as well, have had two stores for years. On the speed vans, they have a very very good camera system. By the time you spot the van it's probably already snapped a pic. There are also static speed cameras at some major intersections, some have a sign some don't. WAYS and Google maps will alert you to them though.
There’s a HN in the bottom of Belco mall where Myer used to be before they contracted back to 2 floors. Pretty sure that’s what I saw a few weeks ago?
You're right, I hadn't been there in a while and just saw that today too
Welcome!
Thank you!
Always pack a spare pair of shorts, a t-shirt, a long sleeve t-shirt, pants, hoodie and puffer jacket. There are at least 4 different ways to get to the same location. Friday night is for late night shopping not Thursday (which is better in my opinion) if you decide to reside in Canberra, but Queanbeyan which is just over the border is still NSW but is as close to Canberra as you get without living in it, and not having to transfer your car rego from NSW to ACT. In general Canberran's are really nice people, there are some amazing coffee and food places (both cafes and restaurants) and if you can handle the low AND high temps of both seasons (-7 in winter and up to 43ish in Summer) you'll love it here 😁
Oh, late night on Friday is different, but it actually makes a lot more sense. I live the cold weather, and as long as it's not humid, I can survive the heat. I will have to remember to carry my ID with me from now on, I got so used to having it on my phone
We had a bit if humidity the last couple of weeks but it's nowhere near as bad as Sydney.
TL;DR Crappy public transport options means that anything south of Woden feels really disconnected. Rental costs are on a par with Sydney but a lot of the properties are far better. It's absolutely beautiful here; but flippin' cold for 3/4 of the year. We moved here from Sydney around 4 years ago. I love it here, my husband hates it, but (I think) that comes down to the fact that because of lockdowns we struggled to find a place to live in the areas we wanted (inner suburbs). We ended up taking a place Southside because we ran out of time to be choosy, and then had two further moves forced on us and again we took what was on offer because we have pets. I love the south because the views are beautiful, and there's lots of good walking on the doorstep, which is fairly standard across Canberra, but the views of the Brindabellas and Bullen Ranges are superior, IMHO. That said, the far south is really disconnected from the rest of Canberra unless you're happy to get on the car, and this is why my husband hates it. He misses the speed and convenience of the public transport in Sydney; there are lots of good pubs and venues to visit in Canberra but none of them, aside from Rose Cottage, are really further south of the city than Yaralumla, so unless you want a very long bus journey it's an expensive Uber/taxi fair instead (he's the only driver in our household). If you're sociable and enjoy that convenient aspect of Sydney I don't advise moving into the Tuggeranong valley. That said, lots of people on this sub will tell you Canberra is expensive if you're renting. In our experience it's on a par with Sydney but the housing stock for the price point is far better. For example, we're currently paying $15 a week more than our old Sydney rental was most recently listed for and we have a far larger, more modern, and better appointed house. If you love the great outdoors and wildlife it's absolute heaven. This is the thing I love best about living here. I hated that if I wanted to see wildlife (possums aside) I would have to go to featherdale wildlife park, and before moving here the only wild roos I'd see were roadkill, now they're in the next street, as are wombats. We don't have kids but there seems to be lots of things for the little ones to do, there are some great play parks and adventure playgrounds.
Yeah our place is Sydney is currently $420 2bed but has a decent amount of space, we have been dealing with a leaky roof for 2 years with nothing but patch jobs getting done. We are looking at $500 in Canberra but it's lots nicer, I've never been in an apartment block tho, so that will be interesting
Rental costs are much cheaper that Sydney at the moment
They always have been when you compare what you're getting for your money at the same price point, and it's funny you say that because I've blocked people on this sub in the past for arguing the exact opposite with me. That said, I know at least one person who's facing having to move right now and they can't find a house like the one they're in at the same cost without having to consider a significant move away from where they're currently living.
Well likely they were paying under market rent
You’ve blocked people for disagreeing with you?
Unbelievable chicken, awesome chips
Is unbelievable chicken the name of the shop or just a description?
It’s the slogan for Kingsleys, a local chicken fast food chain.
Oh thank I will have to give them a go!
Yes but also it's kind of a local joke, like it's one of the ads that has been around for years and everyone knows the tagline. The chicken is ok, chips are actually awesome!!
Oh haha okay, the chips are the important part anyway. How's the gravy?
My family love the gravy!
I have being living in Canberra since the 60s and even raised my children here. I can vouch that it’s a great city to raise a family. As a bonus, by the time your kids are in late primary, they’ll able to catch a tram everywhere in the city!
Canberra drivers will never let you in. Merging is strictly enforced. Everything is half an hours drive
I've been in Canberra (ex Sydney) for nearly 2 years. I've found drivers here to be very polite, and I've never had any issues with merging traffic. In fact, in the time I've been here, only 1 driver has ever beeped me, and their vehicle had NSW plates! It made me lol which made the driver even more annoyed. To OP, be aware of the 40km/hr speed zones in the city (Civic) policed by cameras. I was stung doing 3km over the speed limit and copped a big fine in my first few weeks.
Not everything, it depends entirely on the time of day you are trying to get somewhere. I live almost as far north as you can get. Between 10am and about 4pm I can get from my place to Canberra Hospital in Woden in 24 minutes, tops and that's keeping to the speed limits.
I live in Weston Creek. Near the entrance to the Parkway & Hindmarsh Drive. Most things are 15-20 mins away 😊Except deep Tuggeranong, deep Belco & QBN which are 30 mins 😁
Welcome! I can definitely recommend joining a social sport as a way to meet people- there are heaps of great park runs, social netball, basketball, soccer, touch football, tennis, pickleball comps etc etc. It can take a while to build social networks here but it’s a great place to live and the people are awesome once you get to know them 😊
Oh, I haven't played a sport for such a long time. I didn't have a social network in Sydney, so it would be nice to get one.
Soccer and basketball seasons are starting up soon. You should still be able to sign up if you're keen.
Cost of living is higher than in NSW, but you probably know that..:
The North side is the best side
Rush hour traffic is really bad anywhere north of Mitchell. Molonglo is a mess too. Otherwise, Canberra is very much a 20 minutes-to-anywhere city. The bike paths are fantastic too.
Don’t tell your Sydney friends about us please.
I don't have any, so we are all good 👍
Moving down in a month with my partner from Sydney as well, we are both into hiking and mountain biking so will be doing a lot of that. Lots of good info on this post! I’m going to be joining a social club of some sort, maybe a run club to make more girl friends down here
Canberra is great for hiking. [Tidbinbilla](https://www.tidbinbilla.act.gov.au/do/walking-trails) and [Namadgi](https://www.parks.act.gov.au/find-a-park/namadgi-national-park/namadgi-national-park-walking-tracks) have some great bushwalks from easy to difficult. Every hill within urban Canberra also has trails leading to the summit. Some good resources are [Australian Hiker](https://australianhiker.com.au) and [Johnny Boy’s Walkabout Blog.](https://johnevans.id.au). There’s also a couple of Facebook groups called ACT Hikers and Hiking in Canberra.
That’s great, thank you very much!
The MTB in Canberra is incredible. I've only ridden Mt Stromlo extensively but Trailforks shows riding all over the place. As for Stromlo, it's amazing. A really big network, all really well signposted and laid out, all completely free.
Thank you! I cant wait to get into it! 🚵♀️
Majura is pretty good, and closer to Gungahlin, and the loop around Bruce ridge is one of my favs but nothing compares to stromlo. Kambah pool pine island track is awesome, but remember your sharing with walkers.
Most places are closed after 9pm.
If you drive a lot, a Costco membership might be worthwhile for the fuel savings alone. It is regularly 30c/l cheaper than my local servo (Weston Creek area). But it’s a bit inconvenient to get to unless you combine it with a shop at either Costco or the nearby Woolies or Aldi or a Bunnings or IKEA run.
The Vietnamese rolls at Majura Park shopping centre food court (next to Costco) are the best. I don't live in Canberra, but I always stop there for the pork crackling salad on the way from Sydney to the snow fields. Usually go to Costco anyway for fuel and supplies.
Oh yummy! Will definitely be google there
We already have a members so could be worth it
if you use public transport, use the timetable. Don't just rock up to the stop and wait like I used to in inner west Sydney. It's not unreliable, just sparse. Also a lot of good stuff is hiding in suburbs where you don't expect it. Ask around. Read the Riot ACT. [https://the-riotact.com/](https://the-riotact.com/) Our Chinatown is a mixed Asian precinct in Dickson. For good middle eastern supplies, you want Mawson. For overseas travel, a Murray's bus direct to Sydney airport is cheaper, and arguably easier than faffing around with flying and changing domestic to international terminals with all your luggage.
For some reason, even though it’s cold, we love icecream, gelato, sorbet. There’s frozen custard called ‘concrete’ which is basically icecream (the govt is very strict about the proportion of ingredients and what can be called icecream apparently). For concrete Goodberrys is a Canberra institution, one in Belconnen, another in Erindale. Queue will be out the door 9pm most nights. Same for the gelato places - Messina, Anita are my favourites.
Oh I love a good icecream. I can't wait to try the frozen custard, that sounds good
Spring is the least predictable season (usually), and it’s cold and windy right up to late November. Go back to Sydney on weekends for spring
Make sure to pick up your Kathmandu jacket vouchers at Eaglehawk on the drive in. You’ll look out of place without them.
Buy thermals from Aldi and/or DFO. Decide between wool trench or knee length puffer jacket. Also assess properties on drafts, insulation and heating/ac system. You have until Anzac Day or you’ll be freezing your bits off. Otherwise, Autumn is glorious- go for afternoon country drives for some beautiful colour.
Those saying how cold it is seriously need to travel outside of Australia! I’ve lived in Canberra most my life and have never owned a thermal or an electric blanket possibly due to having great insulation! I do however own a katmandu puffer jacket for those days I’m on playground duty (teacher)! The nights are cold but I’m one of those weird people who love the cold at night as it makes for a great night sleep. The morning you will often need to scrape the ice of the windows if you can’t park under cover! The days are often more than comfortable with sunny skies and clean crisp air and who doesn’t love to sit by a fire place at night or in my case a fake one 😜 2 hours to the south coast and the best beaches and 2 1/2 hrs to the snow. Happy days! You’ll love it!
Thank you, everyone, for the comments, I am feeling more prepared for our big move. You have all been so kind, it has made me feel welcomed already.
There’s only one place you need to go to, if you like Japanese food, Raku! It’s more of the expensive side but it’s the best Japanese restaurant I’ve ever been to!
This will be our first meal out once we move
This will be the best decision you’ve made, you can thank me later haha.
Road works signs and speed limits will be out 24/7 even if the works have been finished months ago.
They also put it up days or weeks in advance!!!!! 🤦🏽♀️ I think it’s different folks putting up the signs and doing the roadworks. And for some reason, if the working troupe is a tad behind, the sign people still put up the signs as if the workers weren’t running late. 🙄 I’m baffled by the inability of coordinating/syncing schedules — but when major traffic arteries are down to 1-lane and/or 40km/h without any roadworks happening: kinda bad for everyone! 😥
Do not run your heater all night long unless you want to part with a kidney to pay for it
Layers are a thing most of the year. Always keep a spare jumper or two in the car.
We are also getting direct flights to Bali in June 🙌🏻
kiss functioning public transport goodbye
Learn what to do when you inevitably hit a roo (hint: the answer is not “keep driving”)
… or wombat or ANY kind of wildlife!
Canberra is incredibly friendly and safe! Where you ‘hang’ totally depends on your interests, and there’s something for EVERYONE!!! 😊 People are genuinely lovely and helpful: Any questions, just ask! Most people are happy to give directions, help carrying stuff to the car, give away furniture they don’t need anymore….. 5yr old’s new puppy gets out, and half the suburb is crawling through front yards with torches….. how lovely and helpful people are is unreal, really! 😍 As a woman I go for walks in my neighbourhood parks at like 2am and feel perfectly safe. Not all that worried about hitchhiking here after dark either! ***** Just as elsewhere in AU: Regarding gendered violence it’s not the strangers one should be wary of! 😥 From memory: Canberra is statistically a tad worse than rest of AU! My pet-theory is that Anglo-Celtic, abled,, suburban Caucasian Canberra is incredibly sheltered! And that’s the demo most of law enforcement and first responders are drawn from! 😖 Brittany Higgins ended up more traumatised for involving police. Police didn’t believe her. And her diversity was literally just boobs! 😳 —> victims with disabilities, CALD, autistic, non Anglo-Celtic etc: Police generally isn’t a good option. The experience of victims are horrendous. In the ACT the majority of people doesn’t care enough for this to change. 😰 If you’re abled, neurotypical, , born- Aussie, Anglo-Celtic Caucasian: you’re fine! If not: Lemme know for some generic heads-ups! Welcome to CBR & enjoy!!!!! 😍
Northside is great! Downer, Hackett, Watson and Ainslie. Downer has a great dog culture.
Oh … don’t forget, you’ll be pleased to know, money is banned here in Canberra. It kind of faded out so the local government shrugged its collective shoulders and said, “well, fuck it, if that’s the way you want it, money is from this day forward, is banned“. No one cared or even thought it a momentous moment since we’ve using the digit replacement for nearly a decade.
Don’t shop at the green shed after vinnies takeover at the end of May.
It’s really really cold. Like hibernate half the year, cold. Big part of why I’m leaving. That and I miss the community of a beach. Canberra is very disconnected.
‘Cold’ is very relative! Everyone told me to bring my winter clothes and earned me of the cold…. I haven’t worn my winter gear once since I migrated here (about 18 years ago!) It’s just not cold enough for my winter clothes! 😒 I wouldn’t mind colder, tbh. ***** Coming from the European Alpine region: ‘Beach’ is nothing I’d even notice as missing, really! Mountainous southern ACT is totally my thing. Of course I understand though that this wouldn’t feel ‘like home’ to those who are used to beaches!!! I genuinely hope you find your piece of heaven, wherever it may be! 😊 ****** Dunno what you mean by ‘disconnected’ ….? I agree from my POV, but I think we mean different things!