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We are thinking of bringing our family across the Tasman and we're not sure whether to head for Brisbane or Sydney. There's my wife and three kids aged 9, 11 and 15. We have been to both cities, but it's just hard to tell what it's really like to live there when you just visit for a few days or a week.
Sydney is all very nice in the city with the harbor and the Opera House, but that's not real life, it just for the tourists. On the other hand you hear about how backward Brisbane is and we don't want to find we can't live the way we want when we get there.
Has anybody had experience of both cities that can help with some insider knowledge?

Hi Seb

As you may know Heidi is from Sydney and I lived there for many years before coming back here. In some respects the two cities are similar in other ways they are so different. I don't think you should worry about Brisbane being backward... at least not if you are coming from NZ (sorry I couldn't resist that).
Brisbane people are really friendly and I don't think you would find it hard moving here. That backward thing is old news now, the city has really changed and we're not all like Pauline Hanson if that's what you mean.
Some of the big country town attitude still exists, with some people I guess, but for the most part Brisbane is a go ahead cosmopolitan city. Maybe not quite as London, New York, Tokyo as Sydney is but it depends on what sort of lifestyle you plan to live.
There's a really comfortable middle class here if you know what I mean. Suburban Brisbane is not so different to Suburban Sydney. There's just less traffic to get to it.

Hope that helps,

Adam

Sydney and Melbourne are too cold, that is why I must move to Brisbane
i need sun!