Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Positives about living in Australia

197 replies

Thedramasummer · 14/02/2021 00:07

So after seeing a glut of negativity regarding Australia I though I would try balance with a bit of positivity!

Please no shit throwing or nasty unfounded comments.

A beautiful country with the most interesting animals.
Egg laying mammals? ☑️
The most venomous snakes?☑️
Beautiful and noisy birds?☑️
I even enjoy the spiders here!

What do others love about Australia?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
Cocogreen · 14/02/2021 04:00

In Melbourne - vibrant arts scene.
Multicultural population, different cultural populations and hubs in different suburbs. Melbournian’s love of food and eating out. Masterchef Australia is filmed here for good reason.
I’ve lived here all my life and appreciate the incredible unique wildlife, trees and plants and bush and beaches more every year.
The First Nations people and what we can, and are learning from them.
Tasmania - extraordinarily beautiful and ancient. Felt like I would see a dinosaur in the distance when in the Tasmanian wilderness.

DifficultBloodyWoman · 14/02/2021 05:58

I’ve got another -
Curtains on a roll from Spotlight. I have never seen curtains sold that way anywhere else in the world. And, as someone who has moved a lot and sewn many, many curtain panels, it is inspired!

maddiemookins16mum · 14/02/2021 07:47

What’s a Bunnings sausage sizzle?

Original poster
Thedramasummer · 14/02/2021 08:04

Outside of Bunnings ( which is like a b&q) groups can fundraise by selling sausages in a piece of bread

Positives about living in Australia
OP posts:
Ozgirl75 · 14/02/2021 08:23

I’m a Brit in Sydney and agree with what everyone has said. The calm, friendly nature of people you meet, the lack of whinging is fab. The wildlife and abundance of outdoor things to do is great.
In Sydney there are loads of us from all over the world and it’s very inclusive and welcoming.

lavenderlou · 14/02/2021 08:29

Never lived there, only visited, but something that struck me was the availability of sports facilities and how many people seemed to participate in organised sport. It's not my thing, but I imagine combined with the favourable weather and space, it's easy to lead a healthy, active lifestyle.

Also, outside of the cities it's very easy to drive there.

Chickenkatsu · 14/02/2021 08:44

Any of you lot live in the Glebe?

Sounds idyllic:

Glebe is a central district with a laid-back, intellectual feel and atmospheric heritage buildings. Bookshops and galleries draw students from the nearby University of Sydney, while Saturday’s Glebe Markets attract deal-hunters seeking vintage finds. Ethnic eateries, eclectic cafes and pubs define bustling Glebe Point Road. Dog walkers and cyclists hit the paved Glebe Foreshore Walk for views of the Anzac Bridge.

DifficultBloodyWoman · 14/02/2021 09:02

As lovely as that sounds, there are many much nicer and cheaper places than Glebe in Sydney.

Are looking for house hunting help? There have been a few threads on that in the past with great advice.

FortunesFave · 14/02/2021 09:08

@DifficultBloodyWoman

As lovely as that sounds, there are many much nicer and cheaper places than Glebe in Sydney.

Are looking for house hunting help? There have been a few threads on that in the past with great advice.

Absolutely. There are some amazing smaller towns outside of Sydney and Melbourne....still coastal but quieter and within driving distance.
Alwaysready · 14/02/2021 09:13

Scenery is beautiful.

For part of the year the weather is beautiful.
Space.
Big sky.

Lived there for years, but horses for courses, if that's enough live there but lots of drawbacks and sexism is rife and people a few decades behind in views.

StevieNicksIsMySpiritAnimal · 14/02/2021 09:21

No need to denigrate the UK/Brits in order to praise Australia!

goodjoujou · 14/02/2021 09:23

I am a dual citizen back in UK now after over 10 years in Aus. Things I miss? Fantastic healthcare system, great restaurants, wineries, so many different landscapes-tropical, outback, mountain ranges, urban. Better money, more job opportunities.

Ginandplatonic · 14/02/2021 09:25

Ah well we got two pages of lovely positivity before someone brought up the standard MN “they’re all sexist and decades behind the cosmopolitan UK” complaint. Now we just need they’re racist, boast about money, and you can’t get good food and we’ll have MN Australian bingo.

Original poster
Thedramasummer · 14/02/2021 09:42

@Alwaysready

Scenery is beautiful. For part of the year the weather is beautiful. Space. Big sky.

Lived there for years, but horses for courses, if that's enough live there but lots of drawbacks and sexism is rife and people a few decades behind in views.

Please can be stick to positives only. We don’t need another thread that defends into an argument.
OP posts:
eatalotofstrawberries · 14/02/2021 10:17

@Alwaysready

Scenery is beautiful. For part of the year the weather is beautiful. Space. Big sky.

Lived there for years, but horses for courses, if that's enough live there but lots of drawbacks and sexism is rife and people a few decades behind in views.

Well that didn't take long did it. Lovely to see you, whinging pom.
murbblurb · 14/02/2021 10:30

I've had several trips. Great place with drawbacks, like anywhere. Cities were just cities, fine if you like city stuff and spectator sport. I don't.

Different wildlife in the UK of course. Best place for wildlife was Tasmania but that has quite a UK climate due to latitude.

I get pretty much all the things listed here in the uk, because I don't live in London. If I lived by the coast I could have the beach lifestyle too, and light much later in the summer.

TheSandgroper · 14/02/2021 10:34

@Alwaysready. I asked my dad his first impression when he first came out from Ireland via London and he said “The sky. The sky”. It was so big.

Original poster
Thedramasummer · 14/02/2021 11:05

@murbblurb

I've had several trips. Great place with drawbacks, like anywhere. Cities were just cities, fine if you like city stuff and spectator sport. I don't.

Different wildlife in the UK of course. Best place for wildlife was Tasmania but that has quite a UK climate due to latitude.

I get pretty much all the things listed here in the uk, because I don't live in London. If I lived by the coast I could have the beach lifestyle too, and light much later in the summer.

But you don’t get parrots, salties, snags or AFL!
OP posts:
NightCzar · 14/02/2021 11:20

Or drive through bottlos

StevieNicksIsMySpiritAnimal · 14/02/2021 12:14

I'm usually disappointed in the houses the producers find for families in Wanted Down Under. They're IMHO ugly with little outside space but suspect they're not the norm?

There were a couple of houses in the mini series The Cry which were absolutely lovely. Where was it filmed? Melbourne?

FortunesFave · 14/02/2021 12:21

@StevieNicksIsMySpiritAnimal

I'm usually disappointed in the houses the producers find for families in Wanted Down Under. They're IMHO ugly with little outside space but suspect they're not the norm?

There were a couple of houses in the mini series The Cry which were absolutely lovely. Where was it filmed? Melbourne?

There are certainly a lot of ugly houses in the suburbs....it always makes me wonder why people buy them. Badly built too.

But you can find much nicer characterful houses...usually older ones of course. Small gardens are normal in the burbs too...but those houses tend to be popular because they're in areas people want.

Letsskidaddle · 14/02/2021 12:45

Great thread! I spent a year travelling around Australia when I was 20/21 and it was the BEST year ever.....nearly 50 now and one of my only regrets it's that I didn't follow my heart and emigrate. Some of the world's most amazing nature, scenery, sea, beaches and people were so welcoming to a young stranger.

In my imagination I live a parallel life where I've married an Australian and live in the great outdoors year round, almost constant sunshine, amazing beaches, loveliest people, long deserted road trips, fabulous cities, diverse cultures. It's my dream destination.

You have the best country in the world, everywhere will have its problems but I for one would LOVE to live there!

Anyone got an older brother desperate for an English wife?!? I live in hope Wink

HoppingPavlova · 14/02/2021 12:59

The landscape. I love the Reef and the Daintree, Kakadu/Litchfield/Katherine and Tasmania. In my youth I travelled the globe but post kids and from middle age onwards I have concentrated on Australia instead and these are my favourites. I try and not let more than 2 years go by without a visit of decent length to the Reef/Daintree and Kakadu. Tasmania I love but am happy with a big chunk every 5 years for that one. In addition there are many other places to go for one-off holidays in-between that are nice like Monkey Mia and Kangaroo Island.

I live in Sydney in a location that provides easy access to the Harbour and the trip is not that long to the Blue Mountains so we make good use of harbour in summer and do frequent day trips or weekend overnighters to Blue Mountains in winter.

I did spend nearly a decade working in the UK and if I had of stayed no doubt would have been equally happy doing different things in different places. They both have their positives, attractions and negatives.

itwillbehormones · 14/02/2021 13:24

Stoppppp I want to move!!

We are planning when my youngest is 18 at uni to travel and live for a year. Not sure on area yet, we may city hop and just take a year out of UK life, I can't wait.

murbblurb · 14/02/2021 14:33

But you don’t get parrots, salties, snags or AFL!

all that works for me...actually there are parrots in the southern UK, invasive parakeets that are a bloody menace.

wombats and pademelons would be good. They were a definite bonus. Not too common in urban Sydney, I guess..