To want to move to Australia ? Need advice

[maxbradbury]

Cannot find suitable forum so posting here because of high traffic.

DH is a qualified gas engineer and we are considering a move to Australia. I dont know anybody who has done this and would like to know if anybody has done this or knows someone who has so i can get a insite of life there such as cost of living, lifestyle, education and how easy it is to get a job. Any helpful comment appreciated.

For example, I think the south east Asian community has integrated very easily into the upper north shore of Sydney (where I grew up), because they are so similar in their aspirations, values and educational background. When I look around the schools here etc there is really no distinction made between those groups and the waspy 'first settlers'. But I think the naice mums might look a bit askance at someone they thought was rough, whatever ther background, if that makes sense.

And in Canberra, I becamea bit déclassé, when I stayed home with dcs because it simply wasn't done among academic women. My values shifted and I became friends with women who I wouldn't have come across otherwise, because we were living a similar lifestyle.

I think there is more opportunity to make money and move up. There's so much more history in the UK, and from feudal system at that and big differences in accent make it a harder slog.

Hard to do in Sydney too of course as it is crazily expensive but if can get the right work it's there for anyone.

I must admit I am very much from the academic/creative type of Melbournites. And went to the big university there. And really these are the type of people who wouldn't dream of being racist.

In fact over half my lectures were filled with SE Asians.

No, you would be absolutely disqualified from that group if you said something racist.

It certainly wasn't things in joke or jest Fizzy. I will repeat one that stuck with me because it was so offensive. 'Fing Abos. Fing alki bastards. They f*ing stink too.''

It was utterly disgusting and I told them so. I heard lots of things like that.

I couldn't see from the thread if you've visited op.If you haven't I wouldn't even consider it tbh.

I loved the scenery but after visiting knew I could never live there.I would if I had to and there are far worst places,would also do a 2 year stint in Sydney if there were £££££ in it(not likely anymore) but anywhere else I'd feel massively cut off and couldn't live with the casual racism we encountered a lot long term.

Wow. Where was this ilovesunflowers? Sounds dreadful and I have never come across it.

We heard exactly what Ilove has quoted continuously and I'm sad to say gave up correcting it it was so prevalent.We also encountered a lot of pommy bashing-got very tedious after a while.

Dps bfriend married an Australian but I've heard from others who went with zero Australian connections that Australians can be very unfriendly to foreigners(ie they keep to their own friendship circles) and it's hard to break barriers.I know 2 families who came back.

It was in Perth Frizzy but I heard similar things in Alice Springs, Sydney, Cairns and a few smaller places in the outback too.

We travelled a lot like Ilove too so it wasn't something we encountered in one place.We were soooo disappointed,I had no idea before going that we would come across this.

That's sad to hear. I have always found the opposite where I am.

Am reading this thread with interest.

I am Australian but have lived in London for 14 years now and still love it here.

My DH is Sth African.

We are considering moving to Aus, mainly for the children [3 & 1].
Close to family, easier access to schooling [not quite the bunfight for a school place as it is here in London], outdoor lifestyle, weather, etc.

However I am concerned that DH will perhaps struggle for work and visa? He is a civil engineer and I know they are in demand out there. But will his SA qualification be accepted [he does not really want to do any further study/conversion course], especially as he has 8 years London experience?

I am also concerned at all the talk re cost of living... We are not rolling in it here and finding it a struggle to upgrade to a house. But would we really struggle financially there?

And the distance between UK/Europe and Aus bothers me. We will be leaving behind very good friends and London which has become our much loved home.

So hard to make a decision and we feel quite paralysed at the moment.

That is awful.

I was shocked by the sexism far north when I left the safety of my little bubble.

Women in bikinis in pubs serving, language that type of thing.

I know Prairie. It is incredibly sad.

There is a subtle class sytem in Australia but it does not operate to exclude as fiercely as the UK system has in the past.
(Sigh). All Australian are not racist. I mix in a range of professional and academic and school based circles and I do not know people who make racist remarks. I am sure I could find them if I looked just as I could find them in the UK or any other culture.
Austalia has a vast range of climates, career opportunites and different cultures between the states. You need to decide what you are looking for and what part of Australia (or the rest of the world) you might find it in. You also need to get in to a mental space where you do not compare everything negatively to the UK from day 1. Come with a sense of adventure rather than entitlement and expect things to be different and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Some people I know who relocated to Australia with the intention of making it a permanent thing ended up returning as they found life there too 'suburban'.

It's an expensive and time consuming business to make such a huge life change. You really want to be sure it's what you want and I wouldn't recommend moving anywhere without visiting first and getting a true feel for the place.

The other thing op I found suprising was how big a part alcohol plays in the culture.Now I like a drink as much as the next person and lets face it GB can't lecture on this subject but alcohol consumption seemed to play a big part in socialising ie you'd seem quite weak if you didn't have a glass or two of wine.Not in a binging way but it would get commented on if you didn't partake.

This may well have been the circles we moved in as we were younger then(30s) but we did come across it a lot as we travelled.

I am really sorry to read of poster's experiences of racism in Aus.

I think you will come across it there, perhaps particularly [dare I say it] in the more 'country town' sort of places.

Not to say it isn't present in Sydney, Melbourne, etc but that it might be more hidden there, less obvious?

However please don't tar all Australians with the same brush. There are some of us who have travelled the world and have a great respect and appreciation for other cultures and beliefs.

I would also say that quite a lot of Australians feel a sense of sadness and shame at how the aboriginals were treated in the past and want to make things right.

Saffron I agree all Australians are most definitely not racist. So many are well-educated (although it's sometimes the rest of the world who don't hold this view). I remember doing so much theory on language and meaning that many are more aware of the subtleties of prejudice. Also studied in Boston / London and Australians can definitely meet that standard (and it was much easier in Boston).

There is a gap between towns and cities and it is probably getting bigger? But America is the same. It's a vast country and pockets will build their own values and attitudes.

I am surprised you say that about alcohol Prarieflower.

I found the opposite.

I moved to London in my early 20s [so full blown drinking binging days]

I thought that Australia was a hard drinking country but was shocked at how prevalent alcohol was to UK lifestyle.

For example when I started work in London I had to get used to the after work drinks culture. everyone piling into the pub at 5pm and leaving at 11pm, completely trollied. Back to work for 8am in the morning.

And when I was dating a Scottish lad just how much he and his mates put away, seemed completely natural and normal to them. But I was shocked!

In Aus people do have drinks on a Fri and Sat night but there is not so much of a pub culture and imo alcohol does not play such a big part of day to day life.

I certainly don't think all Australians are racist but I think racism is more prevalent and there are more casual attitudes towards it.

Have also travelled in the US and don't think attitudes are so relaxed re racism.Have never encountered it once in the US however I haven't visited the Deep South or areas you'd expect it,having said that in Australia we encountered it in places I didn't expect to encounter it-Sydney,Melbourne,Cairns etc(jokes at parties,casual references in conversations etc.

I get a bit when you here Australians say there is no racism in Australia-really!!!!!!!

sorry 'hear'

I would not say that there isn't any. But if you don't grow up around it you just don't see it. No one I know would speak like that.

But I'm sure people do.

It was the lack of cats bum faces/correcting after racist comments/jokes at the very least that shocked me and the use of the word Abbo which I heard continuously and never in a positive way.Seriously nobody was bothered in the slightest-that shocked me more than the comments.I just don't think you get that over here or in the US.

Op I'd live in the US any day.I know it's not perfect but there is a lot I love about it and very little I don't.Health system not good though and it's bloody hard to get in.