[snotsicle]

I spent a month working in Canberra. I really liked it there. Climate is dry and sunny, hot at times but not too hot. It's pretty laid back and easy to get around. There's some good mtn biking around town. The ocean, "mountains" and big cities with their airports and amenities are all within reasonable driving distance. Yes Canberra is a bit sterile, being a planned designer city full of govt workers. Still, I liked it.

You may want to look at towns a little outside of the big cities, if you get to pick and choose where you live. I liked Wollongong when I visited it.

Brisbane would be way too hot for me.

I've never been to Tas but that would certainly be worth looking into. Remote, though.

[tele-whippet]

Manly or Dee Why, very nice. Go surfing every day. Housing may be a tad expensive though.

[Jclyde]

[satanas]

Manly (especially) and Dee Why are trendy beachside suburbs and tourist traps. [shudder] Expect to pay through the nose for the privilege of living there, or indeed anywhere else near the beach. I had to collect an eBay purchase near Manly a few weeks ago and was surprised how upmarket the area has become in parts; it's always been touristy.

As my skin tends to fall off when exposed to sunlight and my lack of body fat means I get hypothermia and sink in unheated water, beaches have zero appeal for me. I intend to move closer to the mountains permanently in due course.

Re Canberra: Has many plus points (i.e., National Folk Festival over Easter), excellent mountatin biking in the northern suburbs and Mt Stromlo, many cycleways (also good for roller skiing), decent road surfaces, ~200km to the snow so daytrips are feasible, excellent walking close by, two Universities, National Library and Art Gallery, many museums, etc. OTOH, it also contains the federal government and much of the federal public service, plus the army's officer training centre and many embassies.

Some claim it has less culture than other cities but IMHO this is over-emphasised; a number of friends have moved there over the years and none has returned to Sydney. If you really have to go the opera or such then you can do as many Canberrans do and come to Sydney for the weekend. Still, if "cultural stuff" is your number one priority then Melbourne, then perhaps Adelaide, should head the list.
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Nashti zhas vorta po drom o bango

[stinkyclimber]

It has been 10 years since I lived there, but I lived in Dee Why, worked at UTS (looong and shitty bike commute) and surfed all the northern beaches. The surfing is better in Dee Why - less crowded than Manly (or it was), and both a beachy and a point break. But the whole area from Manly north is similar - just depends on real estate and commuting preferences. I'd go with northern beaches over further south.

[satanas]

^ Note that traffic density and driver behaviour have only worsened during the last 10 years. Motorists here have no tolerance or consideration for anyone else, and that includes other cars, not just cyclists. They also generally have little skill, and I believe riding in London, Paris or LA during peak hour is considerably safer.

Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra are much more relaxed, as is Hobart. I haven't spent enough time in Brisbane to comment, and know nothing about Perth or Darwin, except that the former is allegedly full of rednecks according to a friend's former manager who came from there.
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Nashti zhas vorta po drom o bango

[Ziggy]

If the option of a local PhD is a deal-maker, you should understand that there are significant differences btwn the trad. NA and Australian models.

In short, locally, esp. at Uni Melb. or Syd. the trad. version is all research/thesis. So getting the right topic that matches with a good supervisor is critical to success.

PM me for more detail if you wish.

[satanas]

^ So what's the NA model??? I'd thought research/thesis was the norm, and the need for the right person/environment was why I suggested that it is crucial to go to the right faculty at the right uni for whatever specialisation it is.

I'd highly recommend doing some research online and then emailing the relevant teaching staff - they will want your money and so should be very responsive to enquiries from potential postgrads! (The unis spend plenty on marketing and PR to get people in so if you approach them it'll be like manna falling from heaven and they should go out of their way to be helpful.)
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Nashti zhas vorta po drom o bango

[Ziggy]

There's a deal of variation but the trad. NA model will have a bunch of coursework in it and the old style Aus. model, following the Brits, will have none.

Much more could be said but the OPer would need to research the way that the uni of interest does things in the field concerned. The PhD has flourished into a variety of forms. In one big Uni here, you could get one via a successful performance of a musical composition alone. Elsewhere, via a work of fiction with an exegesis. In other places, via a collection of prior scholarly publications plus exegesis.

[satanas]

Thanks Ziggy. (I'd never heard of exegesis and had to look it up, and so learned something new today!) I presume the musical composition and fiction pieces would need to be reasonably long forms, not pop songs or haikus...
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Nashti zhas vorta po drom o bango

[Bruce H]

I have a PhD in biology, and my SO has a PhD in English (both from major NA research universities). In both areas, original research and a dissertation based on it are the key features of most programs. Classwork is often part of the program, but essentially is optional. In North America, you choose your graduate program and advisor based on their research and reputation. From what I saw of the Australian system, it doesn't differ greatly from the NA system, more in degree than in kind. Considering the British systems in comparison, English universities have a different system and expectationsthan do Scottish universities - the Scottish system takes longer and can involve more coursework.

Some of the Australian universities and researchers have world-wide respect, others do not (same as most countries). It is your advisor's network that will get you jobs after you finish, so be prepared to do some extra legwork if you return to the US afterwards.

[oldmanwinter]

Jclyde, we need you to keep up the good work with UOL! Stay!

j/k, sounds to cool to pass up...

[Jclyde]

I'm a lawyer by trade and specialize in water rights and natural resources law. My lean right now is looking at the UN's Human Right to Water and how it will apply with the traditional water rights systems in the US and AUS.

I'm pretty comfortable with the water right piece, but will need some help on the International Human Rights piece of the research. Looks like Sydney has some good specialists in that field.

I'm looking forward to it and it should be interesting. It looks like it is wise to line up a supervisor before applying. Accordingly, I'm fleshing out my area of research and looking to line up with some professors. I'll start sending out emails soon.

Thanks for all of the input!
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"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anais Nin

[Jclyde]

[twopass]