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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
HeadsOrHearts · 21/02/2021 11:41

I hadn't seen a recent glut of negativity towards Australia (was it on here and if so, can you link threads?). I would be interested to read.

I am half Australian half British and have lived nearly twenty years in the UK and Australia so feel I have a pretty good grasp of the positives and challenges. I know you've asked for positives, and there are many, but in interest of balance thought I'd write my thoughts in full.

Doctors
I really agree with other posts about the ease in booking to see a GP. It's great to choose your own GP practice, you can have more than one place and most places allow you to log on to a dedicated site and book an appointment within a day. Many times you can do so up to 8pm and on the weekend (depending on the practice). What I would say however, is that depending on where you live, seeing a doctor, even with a medicare rebate, can be minimum $40 each visit. More if you slip into a 'double appointment'. We live in a semi-rural location and there are only private GPs here so we think pretty hard if we do actually need to see a doctor. Although I did find it sometimes challenging to make an appointment to see a doctor in the UK, I never had to worry about if I had the money to do so. Operations in hospital can come with a bill attached. Doctors are good in both places.

Weather
The weather is 'better' in Australia, if you enjoy sun and heat for most the year (place dependent). It's usually easier to plan outdoor activities, BBQ, park play-dates, kids parties etc. However on balance, I prefer the UK weather. I know friends in their early 30's who have had skin cancer surgeries, it's not just an 'older person' disease. The UV here is fierce and not to be played with. I used to walk and explore almost every weekend, in almost any weather in the UK. Here, I either go out before 730am or after 440pm to escape the high UV which is extreme here every day for months. I slather on 30 plus suncream every day, even in winter and working in an office all day. We have beautiful beaches, but personally I don't swim anymore. The UV bothers me too much and my mind turns to thoughts of shark attacks over the past few years. Yes they are still rare, but they're there. I love the seasons you experience in the UK - the blossoms, autumnal leaves. I adore the snow. I even like rain, given I've experienced droughts before where you have to save shower (etc) water if you don't want brown dead veggie patches and flower beds. "Better" weather is definitely an individual opinion.

People
I find Australia people to be very friendly. If they like you, they like you. I've seen many occasions where strangers put themselves in danger to help others in need. Like a basic instinct. I've also seen this in the UK but I see it more here. Maybe there are more incidences, I don't know! I really dislike how Americanized Australia has become (intended). What's with all the bleached blonde heavily made up news reporters and why do we need to have adverts telling us all about their families and how much of a family person this reporter happens to be? Just read the news please and don't forget to touch on global information! (ABC/SBS an exception).

I also find financial competitiveness fierce and "keeping up with Jones's" an epidemic. This does exist in the UK, of course, but to my own personal experience, not on the same level. Australians can be direct, which can be a good thing however, the conversations asking about salary, house costs, savings and superannuation can be tiresome. I find it an unattractive trait, and uncomfortable chat. Why do you need to know? No-one raises an eyebrow, it's peppered in normal small talk. I didn't find this kind of directness about money in the UK. Perhaps the questions were more subtle or maybe many don't care. Most people I came across in the UK were friendly too, but more aloof at the start. Take more time to warm up to you. All depends on where you are in the UK. I find I had more deeper conversations and friendships with people living in Britain. Kids seem to be kids longer here in Australia. I can't explain it and don't know the reason behind it, but it's really apparent.

Money/workplace
We definitely, without a shadow of a doubt earn much more in Australia. Approximately 2.5x. I have not found most items to be 2.5x more expensive here. It is not like for like. Clothing, cars and food can be expensive but we have savings here that we never achieved in the UK. I know the 2.5x is not the same for many. I've see many occurrences in different workplaces here where colleagues make it look like they're really busy and can be quick to make a song and a dance about their workload, but somehow find ways to pass off their work to someone else or not complete things on time, in full. Of course this exists in the UK, but I have just seen more occurrences in Australia. I have the opinion that it almost doesn't matter what school you went to in Australia or how little money you had growing up - if you're good at what you do and have ambition and dedication you have good chances of rising to the top (if that is your wish). I'm sure there will be cases in the UK where really poor lower class end up leading companies, but I don't know of any (perhaps my ignorance and I'm sure I'll be told pretty quickly there are examples!)

Food
Oh, this is a big difference. You're hard pressed to find bad food here where it can be more hit and miss in the UK, especially when you travel to more rural locations. We have found fantastic restaurants here, even four hours drive away from capital cities. Fresh local ingredients, inventive menus and mostly, on balance, excellent customer service. You pay A LOT more for food in Australia, especially when eating out. I don't think the prices you pay are justified to be honest but then again, I have never run a restaurant and I'm sure the staffing and overheads are extortionate. Love the Asian influence here, but enjoyed the curries more in the UK.

There's loads more but this post was longer than originally intended!

All the above are personal experiences. I haven't met everyone in the UK, nor in Australia so undoubtedly there are examples of the 'opposite' of what I have written above.

Poorlykitten · 21/02/2021 16:39

Totally agree with you on most of those, and especially the curry! The curry is bloody good over here, almost as good as some I’ve had in India but you have to know where to go.
In truth I found Australia very Americanised, which is a huge shame but the U.K. is going that way too sadly.

NarelleP77 · 21/02/2021 17:57

@gadday wow is that the best you could come up with? So very brave.

I'm also wondering where the glut was

AmberWavesOfGreen · 21/02/2021 19:57

@NarelleP77 why are you being a bitch?

PeggyHill · 22/02/2021 02:41

@GADDay

I have lived here for 13 years. I do not even know what a huntsman looks like.
I hear this a lot... what am I doing wrong?! I've lived here for only 5 years and I've seen so bloody many of them! Loads in my house... and no, I'm not brave, I'm a fraidy pom and fall to pieces when I see them.

I absolutely love this country and have no intention of ever going back to the UK, but the huntsman do make me question my life choices for a few hours after each encounter...

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 22/02/2021 03:14

It would be really helpful if people would mention which area of Australia they're from when they answer these threads - not all states are the same, and not all areas within the states are the same either!

I love the birds - colourful and amazing! - although I miss blackbirds and robins (semi-rural NSW). And you can keep coels - shouting through the night!

The scenery and countryside is astonishing - love the nature here. And the wildlife is fascinating! (luckily I am neither arachnophobic nor ophidiophobic Wink)

Driving an hour to go shopping is part of normal life - in a country this big, distance is sm

Traffic is generally less - even though we live along the M1 in NSW, it's still rare for it to be at a standstill, unless there's an accident, or it's public holiday weekend!

You have more choice in your health service here. Public can still entail long waits, but it's easier to go private if needed. GP services in our area can be sketchy, and many have closed their books near us - but in general one can see one's preferred GP within a week.

The schools thing - when I moved here I was THRILLED that local schools had to take your child if they were in area - it's still a good thing, the school has to expand to accommodate in-area children - but now, it's MUCH harder to move to an out-of-area school if your local one is a bit shit. Which can be annoying.
But private schools are HUGELY less expensive than the UK, massively so, so are a viable option for many more people. They are nearly all religious-based schools though.

Currently in NSW the govt are helping to fund kids' activities (up to the age of 15) by offering $100 vouchers towards them (so long as the activity has signed up to the scheme). Active Kids = 2 x $100 per year, Creative kids = 1 x $100 per year. Brilliant if you're on a low income but still want to give your child opportunities for extra curricular activities.

And of course our low rate of covid can't go un-mentioned, even though lots of other posters have mentioned it. We have our covidiots here too but they seem to be fewer and because our rates are already much lower, they're not having much effect, thank goodness!

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 22/02/2021 03:25

@Gremlinsateit

I usually couldn’t agree more about the states *@tentative3* but the Scummo govt couldn’t organise a decent drop bear baiting and desexing program to save itself. So thank goodness the states are at least doing something. Feeling a bit jealous of Vic - Dan Andrews really knows what he’s doing with his “stay home, stay safe from drop bears” program 🐻 - countless Victorians saved from decapitation last year alone.
Yeah, those drop bears, hey? To say nothing of the bunyips! I hope Danno has got those sorted too.
starrynight21 · 22/02/2021 03:33

I Live in Brisbane so pretty tropical for most of the time. Regarding huntsmen spiders, I've lived here for 40-odd years and I could count on one hand the number of times I've encountered one. I do get my house sprayed for insects every year, and I've never had a problem. The Aussie life suits me fine.

chatw00 · 22/02/2021 03:49

I have seen two Huntsmen (in my bedroom) in five years. I now don't open the window that they seem to use Grin. I am in Sydney - North Shore - nowhere near bush etc.

Other than that, only see small house spiders and the occasional cockroach incursion.

GADDay · 22/02/2021 04:02

[quote NarelleP77]@gadday wow is that the best you could come up with? So very brave.

I'm also wondering where the glut was[/quote]
🤣🤣🤣

@NarelleP77

You are funny. Obviously very angry too (irrationally so when it comes to the antipodes). Your response made me laugh out loud.

Nowt so strange as folk 🥴

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 22/02/2021 04:50

We back onto bushland in NSW, and frequently have a huntsman in the house. Comes in through the old air con vents, judging by the fluff it's covered in! I'm happy to leave them alone so long as they stay above the picture rail (they usually do). Have had them in the car too, and one memorable time, one came for a ride on my shoulder into a shop. I had 3yo DS1 with me at the time, and the shopkeeper was following me - I was getting irate because I was holding onto DS and he wasn't touching anything, then he stopped me and knocked the huntsman off onto the floor. I was a little gobsmacked!

Cocogreen · 22/02/2021 05:11

Narelle upthread has a stick up her arse doesn’t she 😂? Bags of fun at a party!
Currently on holiday in Victoria after a year where we didn’t go more than 30km from home. Gorgeous day, went to a national park and saw emus, a kangaroo, a wallaby, a snake ( on rocks at a good distance!) and wonderful birds. Importance of First Nations people and their ownership and care of the land before white settlement was front and centre. It was great.

ApplePearsAndCrumble · 22/02/2021 07:23

I was brought upin Victoria at the foot of the Dandenongs. Loads of huntsman's there! I think I refused to open up our letterbox for 10 years! (Mum had to do it).

Then moved to Melbourne for Uni, then rural Victoria near the NSW border.

Now live in the UK.

I loved the lifestyle growing up. i had a horse which i could keep at agistment (livery) using just the money from my afterschool job working at the supermarket. Did pony club. Summer holidays were spent swimming in the local creeks and dams, yabbyng, going camping in Gippsland, going to the Gold Coast.

I have 2 DCs and one is severely disabled and I do wish sometimes we were in Australia as I think there are more options there. My whole family are still in Oz and my father is a HT at a special school so that is not just wishful thinking but based on some information.

But i agree with everyone who says Australians are really friendly and relaxed. We tend to just take people as they are (this is a generalisation of course!).

I am not particularly 'outdoorsy' but DH can never quite understand why in all weathers in the UK i like to sit and eat outside on our patio. I hardly think we spent any time inside growing up. We ate outside played outside all of that. i feel restricted here!

DetMcNulty · 23/02/2021 00:21

I'm in Perth, in the northern suburbs and I just love the beaches, the ocean is so clean and clear, they are never overly busy, there's just so much space. Although nothing beats the beaches down south for me, they're just a bit more wild, and now I've learned to surf I could happily live down there and just do that every day (that and the wineries!).

I also love the food here, breakfast is now my favourite meal out. Coffee too is just fantastic, there's no big chains either, pretty much all little independent coffee houses, so need to serve good coffee to survive.

AFL is the world's greatest sport, and Optus stadium is amazing to go to. I get goosebumps going there, the setting by the river is out this world. Even got into going there for the Big Bash cricket, which being Scottish I never expected.

Free (and plentiful) parking does make life so much easier. I can drop kids off at school and still get a free parking space at the station. Normally $2 for all day parking, but they're not even charging that at the moment with covid. Trains from my station run every 5 mins up when I'm coming into office, and they're so reliable.

I've a National park 5 mins from my house, I can run there every morning on a different trail, with only kangaroos and emus for company.

People are generally friendly, I think kids get to be kids for longer, mine are both teens and it feels like there's less bad behaviour in their group compared to when I was at school, and they're at a state school that didn't have the greatest reputation, but we're more than happy with it.

spottygymbag · 23/02/2021 02:42

I'm in north Sydney, very built up but heaps of great parks around. We had two smallish huntsman in our top floor apartment. Now we have moved to a town house and I've lost count. That spider stop spray does nothing! I had to empty out the fruit bowl and use it to catch and release one last week because it was too big to fit under a glass or small bowl. They do keep on top of the other creepy crawlies though and I'm glad we haven't had any snakes or funnel webs.
Views like this have helped me fall in love with all Sydney has to offer...

Positives about living in Australia
Positives about living in Australia
Positives about living in Australia
AmberWavesOfGreen · 23/02/2021 11:24

Near Gold Coast, northerm nsw. I was reading the huntsman experiences and feeling vaguely smug because I hadn’t seen one inside the house for ages. Then of course, earlier tonight, the biggest one I’d seen in my life appeared inside the pantry on the wall. The weetbix got nuked in the chaos and the bloody thing still didn’t die. DP “rescued “ it and put it outside but eugh yuk giant spiders.

CoffeeBerry · 23/02/2021 11:30

Picnic at Hanging Rock. Brilliant book, 70s film and recent TV series. Love it so much
Loved watching neighbours and home and away as a teenager. Was huge here in the 80s.
Ash Road was the first book we did in English at Secondary school.

CoffeeBerry · 23/02/2021 11:30

None of those are about living in Australia just Aus thing i like

BobbitWormNightmares · 23/02/2021 11:39

The people - friendly, funny, loyal
The culture- where I lived it was super outdoorsy, camping at the weekend, etc
The beaches
The experiences, white water rafting, fossicking for sapphires, taking a boat to an island, picking avocados with a special net, I could go on and on

And... Lamingtons!!!

Welikebeingcosy · 23/02/2021 11:47

I wonder if any Brits can tell me how easy it is to relocate to Australia in terms of visas etc? I'm too old to do the working gap year visa for under 30s but wondered if there are any other routes? Could I save up and stay there for a year?

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 23/02/2021 12:58

@Welikebeingcosy

I wonder if any Brits can tell me how easy it is to relocate to Australia in terms of visas etc? I'm too old to do the working gap year visa for under 30s but wondered if there are any other routes? Could I save up and stay there for a year?
Best option is to be in a "wanted profession" and not have any medical needs. immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-finder will help you as well.
Welikebeingcosy · 23/02/2021 13:30

@ThumbWitchesAbroad thanks I've had a look and have been considering training to be an agronomist for a whilst so I think this will be a good path for me and hopefully it will lead me there.

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