I am from Germany and would like to stay for 3-6 month in Australia mainly for training. So where is the best place to do so in Australia? Would be great if there is a triathlon club around the corner, a nice 50 m olympic pool, good options for cycling and a running track. Ok and the tricky part is that there should be some nice wave spots for my girl friend. She loves surfing!!
I am not too sure if I want to work there but I will definitely get a work & travel visa. So if anybody needs someone with a European Master in Sport Management for a part time job in marketing / product management it would be great option for me not just to train but also to earn a little bit of money. With some experience in Web 2.0 / Webdesign, event management (TDF), Marketing, Sales, Market research and some language skills (French, German and Spanish) I maybe could be a helping hand.
Would be great if anybody could give me some hints.
The Aussies are all tucked up in bed right now, but as an expat Brit who has lived there from time to time. The Gold Coast and Sunshine coasts in Queensland are the most popular places to train due to climate, and lots of good rides out in the hinterland, plus you are on the beach.
In terms of work Brisbane would be your best bet for work if you wnat to live in that area, but you could live Gold Coast and commute. I’m now jealous as that would be friggin awesome.
I will be moving to Canberra where it is still a great place to train for running trails and bike riding but the winters are a bit nasty and there is no beach.
Hey,
I’m also going out there this winter on a “work and holiday” visa, for an undetermined amount of time (somewhere between 1-4 months). I’ve been looking, and I’m fairly sure I’m going to the Gold Coast area, but there’s a small chance of rolling to Perth. I posted on an Australian triathlon message board (transitions.org.au), and there seemed to be a lot of people endorsing the Gold Coast region.
Check out Noosa, it’s a real triathlon hotbed, lots of Pros base themselves their, and for good reason!. There is also great surfing there!!
Sounds great, just saw some amazing pics of the spots around Noosa. Oh man it will be quite hard to train there with these amazing waves just around the corner. Probably I will have to ask myself more than once “Today 5 hours surfing or training…?”. Sometimes life is hard…
Before moving to the Gold Coast or the Sunshine Coast, ask how many there have been hit by a car (actually ask who hasn’t, that’ll be quicker).
Best swimming you can find, amazing runs (specially around Noosa), but man, you’re just a bloody target for all the dumbies driving utes.
Before moving to the Gold Coast or the Sunshine Coast, ask how many there have been hit by a car (actually ask who hasn’t, that’ll be quicker).
Best swimming you can find, amazing runs (specially around Noosa), but man, you’re just a bloody target for all the dumbies driving utes.
Is it worse than in NZ? Lived there for 8 month in Auckland and it was quite surprising how aggressive they drive over there.
Maybe I should change the thread into: Best place in the world for train during Oct-Mar.
Already thought of Fuerteventura or Gran Canaria (Canary Islands) but after I have lived there for 7 month I already know more or less every corner.
I thought it was. And I lived on the Gold Coast…
Have you thought about other options? South of France, Spain, Portugal?
(I know for you Germans, it’s hard to believe that Spain is more than the Baleares ;-))
How about the Southwest of the US? From West Texas, NM, AZ, to SoCal?
I thought it was. And I lived on the Gold Coast…
Have you thought about other options? South of France, Spain, Portugal?
(I know for you Germans, it’s hard to believe that Spain is more than the Baleares ;-))
How about the Southwest of the US? From West Texas, NM, AZ, to SoCal?
Well I have lived for about 18 years in the south of France where all the Aussies come to train when it is winter in down under. And believe me it can get really cold in the European winter. South of Spain or Portugal could be an option, but I would love to see something new so the US (San Diego) maybe an option. As I would like to do IM Busselton and then IM China I thought a training base in Australia would be a good option to get used to the heat.
New Zealand would also be great as I have still some friends there and as I know the location but you can’t get a work & travel visa twice!!
I lived 25yrs in France, so I have a pretty good idea how the winters are. The southeast of France never gets all that cold. Same with Spain and Portugal. I’ll take the option of dealing with heat and humidity rather than dealing with near hit every single ride, but that’s just me
OK you are maybe right, my home base was Toulouse and we had only 3 times snow in the last 20 years but still 8 degree and rain in ther winter bbrrrrrr. I definitely prefer 21 and some sun ;). But you are right with a broken leg it is not that easy to train
The day I get fired I’ll follow you guys. I take care of the missus while you train.
Never been to Noosa but if high mileage on the bike is a no.1 prio for you, I’d chose Southern France (Toulon area?) or - warmer - Southern-ish Italy over Oz.
Anzio, south of Rome, is popular with Italian pro teams. Little surf for the missus but enough gigolos to take care of her in nearby Rome (I assume she is blond).
This is the single biggest problem for the cyclist in Australia, no matter where you go although Queenslanders are very bad, people who drive cars have a pathological hate of cyclists.
If you are lucky this will be limited to cries of fag, poofter, get of the road you wanker. The unlucky get beer bottles and coke bottles filled with coke thrown at them, some clever bogans (very aussie word) reach out the windo and try to push the rider over and many settle for driving agressively until the rider ends up crashed or ridden of the side of the road. This does not account for the genuine accidents where people fail to give way with often tragic results.
On a serious note there are regular incidents which are not accidents the case of Luke Harrop and recently the driver in Sydney who sped in front of a group ride then promptly jammed on his brakes causing mass carnage. This type of incident happens all to regulalry and the attitude of Law enforcemen officals and the geenral public even to the death of a cyclist is appalling.
The day I decided to leave the Gold Coast is the day I was hit by a car in a roundabout…a police car at that! They looked at me on the ground, and took off. Went to the police station in Runaway Bay and was told to piss off…that did it for me. It’s a bummer, climbing Mt Tamborine, riding around Nerang, etc was pretty cool.
Before moving to the Gold Coast or the Sunshine Coast, ask how many there have been hit by a car (actually ask who hasn’t, that’ll be quicker).
Best swimming you can find, amazing runs (specially around Noosa), but man, you’re just a bloody target for all the dumbies driving utes.
I had no idea it was such a free for all over there. Hmmm…
Its appalling and I now get to look forward to at least five years of it, the Police are pathetic, they are now getting you to submit a report and they say they will keep a file on these dangerous drivers and investigate, but short of vide evidence and multiple eye wittnesses they say it is your word against the drivers.
I ride very defensivley in OZ, I try to ride primarily country roads, although country bogans can be worse, but from 6 am to midday they are generally still recovering from hangovers.
I’ve heard horror stories too…including Guy Andrews (or Jason Shortis…forgot…one big dude anyway) 10yrs ago or so who was attacked by a guy with a metal rod and used his bike as a shield to protect himself!
Not all of NZ. Auckland is a bit different. Down here in Hawkes Bay we do have some idiots, but as there are fewer cars and much quieter roads, you don’t see them too often. We can ride most of the day on good roads and see hardly any cars. Trail running in the Ruahines, Kawekas and Te Mata Peak, MTB in Eskdale. The only downside to this bit of paradise are the beaches. There are places to swim, but few and far between compared to other parts of NZ.
Did the Gold Coast thing last Euro Winter. Great for swimming and running. Would be perfect for cycling too, but as others mentioned the damned cars over there are so dangerous. I was lucky enough to never get hit, but had more close calls in 6 months than in the previous 5 years of cycling!
Add to that the glass on the roads and the number of punctures I had to deal with. Out in the hinter land some of the riding and climbing was fantastic.
Back in Oz again for some of the winter, this time west coast down in Busselton ready for the Ironman. Then off to stay with friends in Wellington, NZ. Experienced 3 weeks out in NZ last winter and in that time felt safer on the roads.
