Young Irish expat is forced to leave Australia after a rude wakeup call: ‘It’s impossible’
An Irish expat has had to say goodbye to Sydney after just three weeks after finding it ‘impossible’ to find long-term work and a place to live.
Northern Ireland’s Jordan Morris fled the port city for Bali after less than a month after admitting he underestimated how difficult the move would be.
He posted a video on social media titled ‘Goodbye Sydney’ in which he revealed that two weeks in Indonesia would be cheaper than staying in a hostel.
“I think we underestimated how difficult it is to get established here in Sydney and after just three weeks we are leaving the country,” Morris said.
His mission to find a three-bedroom house is complicated by the fact that one of his friends has not yet arrived in Australia from Ireland.
“We’re trying to get a three-bed flat with just two people and to be honest it’s just proving impossible,” the expat said.
Despite scoring a few days of temporary ‘donkey work’, Mr Morris explained that this was only to pay for the coming weeks.
‘It will actually be cheaper for us to go to Bali for two weeks than to stay in Sydney. Which honestly just baffles me,” he said.
But the group hasn’t given up on Sydney yet.
“When we get back from Bali the idea is to get temporary work until Christmas,” Mr Morris said.
“Enjoy Christmas here, and then try to get a long-term job and a place to live in the new year.”
Dozens of Australians couldn’t believe the expat had given up after just three weeks.
“Real question (not hate): Did you do any research before moving here?” said one.
“Great planning,” a second user wrote.
‘Three weeks! Come on, that’s nothing!’ a third agreed.
“Seems like a lot of people idealize Australia before coming here, without really understanding the reality,” a fourth commented.
Jordan Morris (pictured) from Northern Ireland admits he and his friends ‘underestimated’ how difficult it would be to find accommodation and work in Sydney
The expat says a two-week stay in Bali will be cheaper than staying in a hostel in Sydney (pictured, renters in Sydney line up to inspect a property in February)
Other expats suggested Mr Morris try his luck elsewhere in Australia.
‘Come to Queensland! Beaches are just as beautiful and heaps of accommodation. Trying to live in Bondi is insane,” one person wrote.
A third added: ‘Perth is better than Sydney for employment and weather too!’
“If you’re willing to go a little further afield, there’s plenty of work,” says a third.
Sydney, Australia’s most expensive city, had a low rental vacancy rate of 1.5 percent in October SQM Research latest data.
And this is unlikely to improve in the short term as more people move back to the city as organizations call their employees back into the office.
According to figures, the average rental price in Sydney is a whopping $775 for a house and $720 for an apartment. Domain latest data and is currently described as a ‘landlord’s market’.
In the latest October figures of the Australian Bureau of StatisticsThe unemployment rate is unchanged at 4.1 percent across the country, while recruitment rates are also slowing.