Tell me the bad things about living in Australia.

[ilovepixie]

Following on from the USA thread what's the worst thing about living in Australia.

@anti what is the culture of mateship?

Lived there for 3 years (WA).

• more socially acceptable to drive after drinking than to not like sport
• women are second class citizens - male / female split at BBQs/events etc
• driving is crazy - I feared for my DCs lives every time they went for a drive with friends
• bring a plate!! someone invites you round and you basically take your own meal
• cockroaches (spiders in WA generally not deadly)
• lack of decent fruit and veg - they ship all the good stuff overseas
• flies flies flies flies flies flies flies flies flies flies flies flies
• dark really early, even in summer
• did I mention the flies?
• aboriginals - don't flame me - I felt the same until I lived there and was abused simply for being white on the train every day

there's also some great things too I might add

I was in WA too and yes flies, bastard flies who want to crawl up your nose, or stand on your eyeballs, or get in your mouth.
WTAF?
Kalgoorlie, which should probably be a thread all of its own.
I lived there, but seriously, what is that place?
I was trying to explain it to Dd recently and she was stuck between absolute horror, and hysterical laughter.

Very interesting, informative thread. I've never been to Australia and these comments for the most part make it sound a lot less appealing than those on the US thread. This still this hasn't diminished my desire to go. I've had a fascination with Aboriginal culture ever since reading Sally Morgan's moving story 'My Place', an autobiography in which she details being raised to believe she was Indian to avoid falling victim to the 'lost generation' scandal. I like Australian cinema too - it's a lot more interesting than most of the formulaic crap being pumped out of Hollywood.

To this day I have a burning desire to visit the red centre and experience that vast, empty space - the sort to which I have no frame of reference having been brought up in a crowded country like the UK - first hand. But I won't be doing any wild swimming, in or out of the sea, or humouring any machismo men calling me Sheila!

By the way, what has happened to the drawbacks of living in Britain thread? I wanted to watch it but can no longer find it.

@MarieIVanArkleStinks
The uk thread is still there, sorry can't link. I think everybody has agreed everything is great there including the weather .

The racism (I was a migrant there - I spoke English - god knows what it's like if you don't)

The men - think about why some of the world's strongest feminists come from Australia

It's too hot

The politics of the country are further to the right than ours in the UK

'Bring a plate' is common to both NZ and Australia. It's a common form of dining socially, where everyone brings a contribution, and it's all pooled together, to make up a (sometimes very interesting!) buffet, where no-one has had to do all the work, and bear all the expense. Particularly common with the less snobby parts of society. I imagine it can come as a shock to some not from them there parts.

Defo racisisim and fuck all to do

Ah it’s my favourite place in the world, I think it’s wonderful, you should go!

Do people really think the racism in Australia is worse than America? Friends and family in both and I would really disagree!

My lot are from the Sydney and Melbourne areas though so maybe that's why.

Worst things:
Distance. It's honestly so far that even Asia is massive trip. So you can feel a bit isolated.
If you're not born there and even if you are, there's often a point where you feel 'done'
Culture in Melbourne nothing compared to London.
Small worlds - brilliant or terrible career wise.

I'd do it for a few years though! Definitely more aligned with the UK for working and general culture.

Oh. And they are the best country in the world. 🙄 That gets old.

@mbosnz like a safari supper in U.K.?

Hmmm,,,, I have disagree with some of these comments living in Perth...

I prefer the high street shops, cotton on, sports girl, ally, all great! And can shop m&s, next , asos online!

Dairy products are superior.

Schooling does cost (state) but it's not a high cost. Government rebate of 50% for daycare.

We only had a few 40 degree days last summer and were not heavily effected by fires.

I have never seen a snake.

Agree with the no heating part though, I could do with some now!

I think some of these observations don't really reflect the diversity within Australia and the differences between inner city urban life and remote/rural/regional.

The lack of heating in a Sydney winter was a real surprise to me. Our shoes turned green with mould in the wardrobe (eastern suburbs).

We went on a trip up to QLD and when we opened the case in a different (drier) environment, it became clear that our clothes were damp. I used the hairdryer on the bedsheets before I got into bed on winter nights.

Many years ago, 13 maybe? I was laughed at on here for saying I found Australian winter harder than Scottish winter.
I stand by it.

Brillo I'm laughing too! It's definitely NOT harder.
The hard thing about winters in Oz is that the houses aren't equipped for the cold...so many have no radiators.

It's bastard cold but it's not the sort of face-freezing icy cold that you get in Scotland or the North of England.

I’m with Brillo! I’m from the north of England, I found the Sydney winter hard. 3 degrees at night, no heating, shonky windows!

It has the highest number of deadly poisonous fauna of any country in the world.

When making a case about the prevalence of racism in Australia, can I suggest that you all look up the correct terminology first? Aboriginies and Aboriginals is incorrect, it should be Aboriginal peoples or Indigenous peoples. Capital A also.

🙄