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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you rather stay in U.K. or aus

260 replies

whytesnow · 02/01/2023 23:40

And what's your reasons? Just had a crazy idea to move over as I don't have any commitments here and life is getting boring for me here

OP posts:
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5
Prescottdanni123 · 03/01/2023 08:47

Have you ever been to Australia? I'd recommend a visit first to get an idea of what living over there would be like. You might find that it is not as idyllic as it seems. Or it might be everything you are dreaming of, in which case, brilliant. Make the move.

Another thing to consider is whether your qualifications carry over or if you will have to do some training and get the Oz equivalent. Will you get the same wages for the job you do? Or more or less?
How will the cost of living over there compare to the wage you will get?

BedTaker · 03/01/2023 08:50

2 hours on a plane from the UK - completely different culture, different architecture, different food, different language, different things to see, different weather, endless possibilities really.

2 hours on a plane from Australia - a town/city exactly the same as the one you just left, desert with nothing for hundreds of miles around, or....the sea.

Also, I found the people there very racist, although it was a good while ago now and I would hope that is changing.

I can just about understand moving to the East/South East Coast. But why so many Brits move to Perth is absolutely beyond me!

BedTaker · 03/01/2023 08:54

cantley · 03/01/2023 07:06

The bashing of Australia on Mumsnet always intrigues me.
People referring to missing " culture" as if when they leave the UK there's no culture anywhere else.
The ones who would miss the quick pop over for a European break - there's such a disconnect between that and the people who are on here who can't afford heating or rent.
I understand people wanting to stay in their own country ( the UK ) but unhinged bashing of another country that many thousand of people emigrate to to for a better quality of life seems bizarre.
Stay there if you want to, don't feel threatened by the OP or other posters who've chosen to move away.

If you can't afford heating or rent, then you are unlikely to be able to afford to emigrate to and live in Australia.

All the people I know who have gone are already fairly well off.

psychomath · 03/01/2023 09:18

beejeez · 03/01/2023 06:09

But that's the same as London. You can still life somewhere classed as London but be a 30 minute train ride away!

Show quote history

I don't know - Milton Keynes is about half an hour from Euston but it's not in London? Although maybe I misunderstood and she meant half an hour by commuter train. Either way, my impression is that it would be harder to get around in Australia than it is here without learning to drive first, which is the main reason I haven't visited yet.

SD1978 · 03/01/2023 09:24

@cantley - on my income, that's not the case. However I know some people do have the chance to great opportunities! I'm Northside of Melbourne- pretty rubbish schools, low(ish) income area, however have some expat colleagues with the experience much more inline with yours. Personally I find it a struggle, with limited opportunities to improve that, and wish I could be closer to family in the UK. Fares are becoming so expensive!

MrsSkylerWhite · 03/01/2023 09:25

UK. Climate change.

OneWildNightWithJBJ · 03/01/2023 09:38

There was a similar thread a few weeks ago OP, maybe have a look for some further insight.

I don’t understand people saying not very nice things about the Aussies. I’ve always thought the Brits and Aussies get on really well, similar sense of humour etc. It certainly felt that way when I met lots in the ‘90s in London and when we visited Australia.

Anyway, having said that, I wouldn’t choose to live there simply because of family in the UK and preferring our seasons and weather.

maplewalnut · 03/01/2023 09:43

My spouse and I moved to Australia a few years ago and couldn't be happier. Our incomes have gone up, we have a gorgeous house with a pool, have bought a boat, hubby literally goes surfing before work, have made lovely friends, 20 mins to large city centre with lots going on. Yes, we do miss many things about Europe - not many things about the UK in its current state sadly. The biggest bonus for me is no longer working for the NHS. I love my job now.
Once retired we will prob spend half the year back in Europe (not necessarily UK) but we are very very pleased and grateful to be where we are just now. It's not perfect but for us the move Down Under has been overwhelmingly positive.

StartupRepair · 03/01/2023 09:44

If you are not wealthy in UK, going to Australia will not suddenly change that. If you are highly educated with good professional qualifications and experience you will enjoy a good standard of living in either country.

MattDamon · 03/01/2023 09:44

There are pluses and minuses to every country, OP. I've lived and worked all over and I would say go for the experience and adventure of it all. I have friends all over the world now which I consider absolutely priceless.

This made me laugh:

What an Aussie would never do is fake an accent like I knew a few British people do so their true accent wasn't judged

I worked and socialised with a ton of Aussies in my twenties and they all modified their accents to sound more 'London'. After work, when the alcohol came out, so did their real accents. 😆

marvellousmaple · 03/01/2023 09:47

KnickerlessParsons · 03/01/2023 00:12

U.K. all the way. Aus is too far from anywhere else - even NZ is a four hour plane ride - and everywhere in Aus is too far from everywhere else in Aus, yet everywhere looks exactly the same.
The TV is crap. There are sharks in the sea. The food isn't good. Amazon service is poor. It's v hot in the summer. They aren't very nice to the indigenous people.

I think you might find ( if you have a wee think about it) that is was you English that "weren't very nice to the indigenous people". Bloody hell being told off by someone from England about treating indigenous people badly! Bahahaha fecking ha.
( Also , just quietly , yes sharks do live in the sea - not sure where you thought they lived but you don't sound very bright , so please stay in the UK with your excellent TV).
Also our food is amazing and if you choose to live somewhere based on Amazon delivery times well , umm, the UK is welcome to you.

MarshaBradyo · 03/01/2023 09:49

MattDamon · 03/01/2023 09:44

There are pluses and minuses to every country, OP. I've lived and worked all over and I would say go for the experience and adventure of it all. I have friends all over the world now which I consider absolutely priceless.

This made me laugh:

What an Aussie would never do is fake an accent like I knew a few British people do so their true accent wasn't judged

I worked and socialised with a ton of Aussies in my twenties and they all modified their accents to sound more 'London'. After work, when the alcohol came out, so did their real accents. 😆

Ha very true. Plus there is a slight difference in Aussie accents which means you’ll get some emulating in a social circle

psychomath · 03/01/2023 09:56

The ones who would miss the quick pop over for a European break - there's such a disconnect between that and the people who are on here who can't afford heating or rent.

That's kind of the point though - you don't have to be rich to go on a European break. Looking on Skyscanner now I can find flights to Portugal for less than £20. Even Sydney to New Zealand or Bali costs a few hundred pounds, and the flight is long enough that you'd probably want to spend more than just a long weekend there, which then brings up considerations of how easy it is to take time off work and so on.

I'm always amazed by the fact that people think it's fine to come onto these threads and be so openly rude about another country, especially when it's done from ignorance, e.g. the comments assuming Australia is a land of racists with no culture that consists of nothing but empty desert and spiders. (As for people saying they prefer the UK because Australia treats indigenous people badly... no words.) But it's not bashing to say it's more difficult to holiday abroad from Australia than the UK because of its size and relative isolation, that's just a fact.

ChigedyJigHeeHawHeeHawItsDominicTheDonkey · 03/01/2023 10:12

RambamThankyouMam · 03/01/2023 05:21

UK.

Australia is full of racists and poisonous insects/arachnids.

I think you'll find the UK has more than its fair share of racist people too!!

ChigedyJigHeeHawHeeHawItsDominicTheDonkey · 03/01/2023 10:15

Aussiegirl123456 · 03/01/2023 05:35

Couldn’t make it up!
I post bragging I’ve barely ever seen any snakes or spiders since I’ve lived here. Went to go outside to lay in the sun and this little fella is by my back door!
I have just relocated it into the bush land behind our house, he/she was friendly. I almost didn’t move to Aus because I was scared of snakes. Look at me now!
Non venomous carpet python.

🥰🥰

PatientlyWaiting21 · 03/01/2023 10:24

I’d love to AUS in a heartbeat, I loved it there. Unfortunately work visas don’t go in our favour so that’s that.

emptythelitterbox · 03/01/2023 10:29

Been here many many years and have come to loathe it here.
I started out loving it but that changed as time went on and saw how it really was here.

That said, I wouldn't pick the UK either.

ChristAlmighty · 03/01/2023 10:29

KnickerlessParsons · 03/01/2023 00:12

U.K. all the way. Aus is too far from anywhere else - even NZ is a four hour plane ride - and everywhere in Aus is too far from everywhere else in Aus, yet everywhere looks exactly the same.
The TV is crap. There are sharks in the sea. The food isn't good. Amazon service is poor. It's v hot in the summer. They aren't very nice to the indigenous people.

Imagine being schooled by the Brits about the treatment of indigenous people.

Oh imperialism...

Talaforniababe · 03/01/2023 10:43

Lol at a British poster complaining that Australians aren't nice to indigenous people. I take it world history isn't your forte?

bumblenbean · 03/01/2023 10:45

Interesting thread - it does amuse me that people berate Aus as racist / uncultured etc. yes it’s not perfect but the UK is hardly a bastion of tolerance and class.

In your place OP I would definitely try a holiday (perhaps a working holiday) first before committing to a move. If you’ve never been, upping sticks and moving there ‘blind’ may be a bit of a culture shock.

I have dual nationality and have spent a lot of time in Australia. I love the way of living out there. I’m really keen to live there for a few years in the future but baulk at doing it permanently because of family and friends (DH is also hesitant for this reason). But with two young kids, I’m not sure we could make the logistics of a temporary move work (they would lose their school places, we’d have to try to rent out our house, would have to give up secure/ well paid jobs and try to find jobs there etc).

Has anyone managed to navigate a move there for a year or a few years with young kids?! Not sure what the best time would be to take the plunge if we did …

Oakbeam · 03/01/2023 10:47

Lol at a British poster complaining that Australians aren't nice to indigenous people. I take it world history isn't your forte?

Although, if Brits had been nice to indigenous people, there wouldn’t be any Australians to complain about Brits complaining about Australians.

Oakbeam · 03/01/2023 10:51

Has anyone managed to navigate a move there for a year or a few years with young kids?! Not sure what the best time would be to take the plunge if we did …

Not me but a close relative. They returned to the UK just before DC got to university age.

Thepeopleversuswork · 03/01/2023 10:56

I would move pretty much anywhere to get a functional healthcare system. Frightened of getting old in the UK.

Australia wouldn’t be my first choice but it’s a big and interesting country with a good standard of life and friendly people. I would probably do it if I could.

JoanOfAllTrades · 03/01/2023 11:07

Blackheath95 · 03/01/2023 06:56

And bingo we have the complete Aussie bashing card thanks to @StartupRepair well done! 🙄🙄. Australia is full of culture 60,000 years worth. Plus theatre, opera, art. But hey we all know that only white culture matters on mn. So clearly the uk is very racist as well.

Thank you for this, so many people seem to forget that indigenous history goes back at least 60,000 years and yes, whilst the govt do have a “close the gap” policy, it’s not really enough.

There is a huge disconnect between what indigenous people actually need versus what is actually given. Finally, in some states and territories, there is a big push for indigenous languages to passed down, but not enough elders remember the languages because of the the stolen generations.

Australia is lovely for white people, or even people of colour from other countries. It’s not so lovely for indigenous people. It can also be hard for indigenous people to leave unless they are fortunate enough to have a parent or grandparents from another country that they can then get dual nationality for and thus move around/seek out other places that may be open to them via a different passport.

ChipsAreLife · 03/01/2023 11:10

I'm currently on holiday in Aus to see family. Toying with moving back with DH and three kids.

Plus and minuses and both good places to live but we had to get my 6 year seen by a GP on NYE morning, which was also a Saturday. We had an app within an hour, antibiotics ten mins later. I was shocked. As were my friends and family at our reaction that it was something to marvel. I love the UK but it's starting to really grate on me how basic things like healthcare are so terrible.

I'm in Sydney currently but we actually quite liked Perth, less busy, money goes further on property. It's a great place to live but yes there are some issues but for heavens sake you don't see snakes and spiders and racists around every corner!

OP id go for it! Nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that!