Aibu to wonder about the perception of life in Australia?

[TheVoiceWithin]

im British living in Australia.
Everybody seems to think the Australian way of life is constant BBQ's/swimming with dolphins/working 10hrs a week and bringing home $300k a year. Everybody spends everyday at the beach. Nobody can't surf. Etc.
It's ridiculous. So, Aibu to wonder what gives people this idea?

Is it the TV shows? I've seen wanted down under (once) and I have to admit I was a bit at the whole thing, because the particular family hadn't seemed to have done a bit of research, figured out they'd be financially worse off AND she'd have to go back to work too. but they wanted to go anyway. But couldn't because neither would qualify for a visa anyway. if not that, then what?

Where down under do you live?

I blame it on Neighbours.

I'd expect sunshine, a pool in the back yard and weekends at the beach. To a large extent this is based on what I've seen on Home and Away

It's all just a stereotype isn't it. Like people think all English people have posh accents and live next door to the queen.

Out of interest, what is it like compared to the UK?

I blame the seemingly thousands of people from my home town who have gone for a year or permanently for filling my Facebook feed full of pictures of them all looking gorgeous and tanned and smiley whilst drinking on the beach or posing beside some sort of wildlife.

Maybe life in Australia is perceived as being like this because Australian people say that it is? I've met a few Aussies over the years and without exception,they have extolled the virtues of the 'Australian way of life'. i.e. constant sunshine,barbecues every evening,spending whole days on the beach swimming and surfing,fantastic money to be earned etc. I always wondered why,if life over there was so fantastic, they were living in the UK.

Is this from people who have never been there or people who have visited there on holiday? I think it's easy to go somewhere on holiday and see it as an idyllic life because you are on holiday and away from all your everyday work and stresses - but actually living there is very different.

It's either that or the Neighbours and Home and Away effect!

I might also add that I would have to be dragged screaming and kicking to just take a holiday in Australia,let alone live there permanently. Too many huge creepy crawlies and poisonous creatures for my liking.

I'm Australian and we had a pool and had a bbq every night, my dm would cook on the Webber even in winter!

I don't surf but holidays were always at the beach and I think we can all agree the weather is better there than here.

I'm on this side of the world because my Irish dh. But we are finally moving home to Aus soon and I can't bloody wait.

We will probably be financially worse off in Aus but I no longer care. This place with its never ending shitty weather and bullshit Brexit can do one.

I’m Australian and have lived in the UK for 15 years. No matter where you live, you still have the same issues. You have to have a job, bills have to be paid, no one works short weeks (I loved that one!). I’ll give you Australia has the weather, and that can make you happier; but in the UK, people enjoy the weather more! Australian houses tend to be bigger, and these give it an edge in terms of quality of life, but to me it’s balanced by living so close to such a variety of places to travel and the history of the UK and Europe.

But you still have to pay the mortgage (if your lucky to own a house), you still need a wage, bills to pay - real life doesn’t magically disappear!

Couldn't live in oz if you paid me $$$$$. Most heavily racist place I've ever visited.

That’s just an exaggerated version of life in Australia though isn’t it? It’s much easier to get rich (mostly because things like schooling are more affordable and luxuries like very expensive cars and boarding aren’t widely consumed). It’s much easier to spend time outside because it’s more pleasant outside. Every major city has reasonable access to a beach somewhere. It’s no different to British stereotype of either being landed gentry or feeling poor, over dependence on failing state services, eating really disgusting food, spending all your time inside yourvreally tiny house etc. Obviously it’s all bollocks but it captures the essence of the place despite not applying to the majority of the population.

I travelled for a year in Australia

It's just same shit, different scenery. And a fucking long way from family ( and very, very isolated)

From what my cousin tells me their aircon seems to cost more than our central heating, her tyres get ruined by melted tarmac and she’s had 2 melanomas removed.
Don’t get me started on the spiders!! Think I prefer my own backyard!

this place with its never ending shitty weather and bullshit Brexit can do one.

I reckon if you felt Brexit was a little partisan and jingoistic you may not be ideally suited to Aus :)

Everybody seems to think the Australian way of life is constant BBQ's/swimming with dolphins/working 10hrs a week and bringing home $300k a year. Everybody spends everyday at the beach. Nobody can't surf. Etc

Nobody thinks that. We're not nearly that stupid. Other than the people on "Wanted Down Under" obviously.

Well, ask an aboriginal person what their 'life down under' is like.

I know two Canadians (polite kind people, right?) who have lived in multiple countries over decades (have multiple passports) but didn't connect well to Australian people even after living there years. One guy is scathing, calls Aussies unbelievably stupid & the other person was just frustrated, mentions lots of casual racism. I'm intrigued, don't know any Aussies.

Having grown up in a sunny dry place I assume that Aussies spend most their time indoors watching telly just like I did and most my family still do.

What is life like for you, OP?

I blame Neighbours too, btw.

My mate in Oz portrays it as exactly like that OP. She literally lives on Ramsay Street.

But weirdly - the year round sun, the non- stop beach and BBQ days with their thousands of mates - are two of the reasons I'd never go. And the spiders.... Jesus the size of the fuckers.

I spent a year backpacking round Australia when I was younger. It was great - of course it was - because I was in effect on holiday for a year. I always found it a bit weird that my fellow backpackers (or those who simply holidayed there for a short period) wanted to go back for the way of life. It was like they didn’t understand that being somewhere on holiday is not the same as real life. They invariably returned to the uk when it didn’t live up to expectations. Australia is a lovely fantastic country but it’s not going to solve the frustrations ands tribulations of daily life. And if you’ve left all your family and friends to go, then that is going to be doubly hard.

I have a lot of ex colleagues who have seconded to Australia and not come back - Facebook feeds tell me that it does appear to be beaches, bbqs and sun all weekend. Not sure anyone is under the illusion that the cost of living is significantly different to here though, just that you’re not stuck inside for 5 months of the year. I have no desire to go there anyway.

My sister is married to an Australian and has lived there for 20 years.
They have long periods where they can't bbq in summer because of the fire risk. And then if they sit outside in the evening they get eaten alive by mozzies.
She would say that the lifestyle is broadly the same as the UK although she gets more highly paid there. She gets really pissed off with the casual racism. But I think we have some of that here in the UK as well, although not as overt.

I spent a couple of months there , which obviously isn’t comparable to living somewhere.
But my experience led me to think I could never live there, due to the shocking levels of racism, but of sexism, and also lack of culture. Loved the beaches and wildlife of course :)
I much prefer Europe

I have had some Aussie colleagues;

One moved here because she was from the Outback which was boring with huge spiders she said;
One moved here to see Europe;
And one moved here because she's mixed race & suffered too much racism.

One friend emigrated to Aus with her husband & is living the dream, she's having an amazing work & home life.

2 other friends left the English police to emigrate & join the Aussie police.
The crime rate in their new area is still high, one has married but the other is still single with the same issues meeting men as she had over here.

I think that wherever you live you take your issues with you.