Im probably going to move to the Gold Coast in Australia after school? Is it nice?

If you are over 18 and have $5000 and a ticket out, you can come to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa. See http://www.immi.gov.au/

Coming here as a permanent resident is very difficult and just about impossible for someone straight out of school. Irish people are fine and get along well in Australia provided they don't overstay their visas. We have a lot of illegal immigrants from Ireland.

The Gold Coast is a tourist area with theme parks. To me the best part of the Gold Coast is the road out of it. I live in northeastern NSW which has the same weather, similar beaches but no high rise and fewer tourists. Choosing the Gold Coast as representative of Australia is like choosing Blackpool as representative of the UK. Just about anywhere in Australia is better to live in than the Gold Coast.

Melbourne is far more cultured, more restaurants, more people, more art, they do have beaches around melbourne, really close, you can catch a tram to some of them, the Gold Coast is really tourist driven, many high rises, lots of young people go there to cause trouble and get drunk etc. I live less than an hour from the Gold Coast and I have lived in and travelled to Melbourne, if you are coming for a year, the gold coast may drive you crazy whereas Melbourne will leave a lasting impression. Good luck whichever you choose.

I live on the Gold Coast and although tentofield gave you some good info about coming to Australia I certainly don't agree with what he had to say about the Gold Coast. I have been to Blackpool and lived in England for 12 years and there is no comparison . The Gold Coast to me is the best place to live in the World. I have travelled to 27 Countries and lived in 3 of them and my choice is The Gold Coast. Amazing beaches, Great weather. good shopping . Australia is strict on people coming to live here on a permanent basis but you can certainly come on a tourist visa or a work visa before you are 30 which has restrictions and the longest you can stay would be 2 years on that.

You can't just up sticks and move to Australia. To have any hope of a work permit you need education to about Masters Degree level followed by a few years practical experience, and it has to be in a field that Australia requires. Most likely you will have to be at least 25 to have any hope of qualifying.

Had you bothered to check the Australian High Commission's website you would have known that.