Moving back to Brisbane, please tell me why you love it so much?

[mm22bys]

Hi,

After being away for 15 years, we're moving back to Brisbane by the end of March.

I have lived in London for 10 years, and it's become "home". I am very nervous about returning to Brisbane, but I know it will be best for my DS1 and 2.

I am trying really hard to think really positively about going back after so long, but can you please remind what is so great about it so I can psyche myself up about going back?

Thx

[Bubbaluv]

That salty feeling on your skin after a day at the beach, and even better, the feeling of washing it off under a shower (with extrordinary water pressure!) mmmm.
Am a Sydney girl, so can only offer generic Australian positives I'm afraid.

People say it takes a month for every year you've been away to settle back in.

[mm22bys]

Yep, I've heard that, it may be a long (nearly) first year!

C'mon Bris Vegans, your lack of response is worrying me!

[FleurDelacour]

Went to Brisbane/outback/Gold Coast/Sunshine Coast on hols last August. Loved the easily accessable wide open spaces and the clear night skies, loved the outback, loved the empty roads (compared with Singapore). First visit to Australia and was very impressed.

[Bubbaluv]

I think they're all asleep! Or drinking XXXX!

[superloopy]

Alrighty I am not in Brisbane but Melbourne. I too lived in London for 10yrs which had become home and moved back here when DD was 2.5 and preg with DS.

The colours here are so bright, the blue sky, green trees, blus ocean...

Open spaces, playgrounds for your DC to play in.

Beaches which aren't packed full of people.

Clean air.

BBQs.

Swimming at the beach.

Easy traffic. You can just pop out to the shops and park pretty close in decent size car park spaces. Actually driving anywhere is a breeze compared to London.

The feeling of warm sunshine. (Although with it being 45c here today I am not fond of the sun atm...)

Twisties, chocitos, burger rings, milo, paddlepops, weetbix, cheezels (yummy yellow cheezel fingers!!)...

Walking around barefeet.

Seeing lovely tanned men!! Especially lovely tanned muscley (sp?) arms...mmmmm!!

These are just a few things which I like and stand out about being back here. There is loads I still miss about London tho'!

[mm22bys]

Thanks Super. How long have you been back for?

[chloeb2002]

top ten brisvegas days i enjoy... not in any order.. howvere
1/ city time.. wnadering down queens street on a warm day with the kids bobbing in and out of shops.. seafood for lunch and a cheap train home....
2/ beach time... bribie island for us... woorim surf side.. kids outside enjoying fresh air and the sea.. the salty skin thing and surf time.. dolphins in the distance and the odd turtle..
3/ city time....the beach at south bank.... great fun and its free..
4/ free days out all over the place.. dont get that in the UK!
5/ kangaroos.... kids just love em..
6/ the gold coast... the holiday central on the door step..
7/ winter a relief from the humidity!
8/ north QLD on the door step to be able to get a sun boast on the winter..
9/ schools.. personally i love em here.. DD loves the holistic approach to education here...
10/ last but not least...sports, nippers and footie.. just cant beat in and its everywhere in brisvegas....

[superloopy]

I have been back here since May 2007. I must say it has taken some time to settle in and feel Australian again.

Having spent so many of my adult years in London when I got here I didn't feel English and didn't really feel Australian either...

I feel so happy here now. We have bought some land and are building our own house later this year. I have 2 DC, DD 4yo is starting kindy this week, DS is 13mo. We've got a dog. A big backyard. A vegetable garden. Swings and a trampoline. Yeah baby we are living the Aussie (suburban) Dream!! Well my dream life anyway!

[AussieLou]

I am moving back in September so here's my list:
The Mall
West End
The Valley
Botanic Gardens
Straddie
The Coast (either one)
Roma St parklands
The Storybridge Hotel
The Gabba
Brumbies
Bakers Delight
Woolies
Indooroopilly
(Can you tell im from the southside?)
Lunch in a cafe in Chelmer
Sing Sing near the PA
Southbank for fireworks
The River
Moreton Island
DJ's
Myer
Violet Crumbles, Nutri Grain, Paddlepops, Golden Gaytimes, Chicos, Ovaltinies, Minties, Red Rooster, Eagle Boys, Mangoes (proper ones)
I miss home

[needtochangeagain]

AussieLou, that is a great list....

I've been away since 1994, it's going to be tough.

Things I'm going to miss about London (not in any particular order):

1. It's so happening. If you're bored of London, you're bored of life, there are just so many possibilities.
   
   
2. Its cosmopolitanism - you have friends from so many different countries - before kids when I would go our all the time it was like a United Nations when you'd go out to dinner with only even a few friends...
   
   
3. You don't need a car here, we do have one now, but for 8 years we didn't have one
   
   
4. Public transport
   
   
5. Summer sports - Wimbledon, Henley-on-Thames, etc
   
   
6. The Thames
   
   
7. Greenwich
   
   
8. we have a herb garden :-)
   
   
9. The countryside - green fields, quaint villages
   
   
10. Closeness to Europe / America, to a lesser extent Asia
    
    
11. Community "villages" such as Blackheath, Hampstead Heath
    
    
12. Wines from all over the world, not just Australia, and with a push NZ
    
    
13. The history of the place - it just oozes out of everywhere, and it's so influential even in Australia
    
    
14. Sheffield Park Gardens
    
    
15. The West End, you can literally see any show you want, they run for months, not just 2 nights like some in Brisbane (thinking of Wicked, but will be corrected on that one...)
    
    
16. The London skyline - St Pauls, Westminster, Tower Bridge, the Gherkin,etc
    
    
17. Its beauty but at the same time "ugliness"
    
    
18. Quirky English things like the postboxes, phone boxes, red London buses, the Tube (mind the gap...) black cabs
    
    
19. Museums on anything and everything
    
    
20. Wandering around Central London, taking odd turns, finding tiny little historic streets that you've never noticed before in 10 years...
    
    
21. (At the moment at least...) no water restrictions)
    
    That's it for now and I'm sure I could come up with more...
    
    I am sure it will tough to get on the plane, but I am sure too that once I get back I will wonder why we stayed away so long....
    
    Thanks, you've all given me lots to think about and look forward too...

[mm22bys]

Doh!

[superloopy]

needtochangeagain Well now you've got me missing London!

[nogreymatter]

I love Twisties. Have discovered Tastees in the UK - they are exactly the same as Twisties and they are delicious. Posted this on one of the other Mumsnet forums I like them so much. Sorry for being evangelical about a snack!

[BrownSuga]

It's been awhile since I've lived there and I was an import, but:

The massive storms
The smell of the humidity
Bats flying at dusk
Strolls along the brisvegas river
Storey Bridge Hotel
Drinking in the beer garden on a workday lunctime at that place on Mary Street (can't remember the name)
Being able to sit outside all year round in cafes and beergardens
Guaranteed sunshine for the planned bbq on the weekend
Beaches
Friendliness of the locals
Casualness of the city
Outdoor lifestyle
Pool in the backgarden
Free gas bbqs at the beaches and parks
New Farm farmers market!!!! (every 2nd saturday, you MUST get the marinated olives)

If it weren't for the creepy crawlies I'd move back tomorrow.

[LouIsAHappyLittleVegemite]

nogrey - they are like twisties? I would kill for some. I think a trip to the shop is in order.
Now if I could find a substitute for kingston and monte carlo bickies I would be set.