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Living overseas

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Original poster

Aussie's.... whats BAD about living in Aus???

31 replies

CharlotteACavatica · 27/10/2006 12:59

We are hoping to move to Aus next year (from UK) and i have been told lots of good things about it, but whats bad about living in Aus???? (i need to prepare my head for these things too!)

OP posts:
RTKangaMummy · 27/10/2006 13:26

FLIES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where abouts will you be living????

Mumpbump · 27/10/2006 13:48

Okay, I will probably get shouted at, but I found that the Aussies I met whilst living in Sydney were only superficially friendly. Only one girl at work became a good friend in the two years I was there. I guess it's fair enough as the expectation is probably that you will leave one day to return to England so why invest a lot of energy in a friendship that is unlikely to be more than temporary. But it made it a bit lonely although I ostensibly had a pretty good circle of friends...

eidsvold · 27/10/2006 13:49

nothing - but am an aussie and think this is the best place to live and bring up kids. Am in Brisbane btw. Have also lived in Florida and the UK.

RTKangaMummy · 27/10/2006 13:54

Sorry should have said the flies are mostly in the centre - but unlikely you will be going to live there

We loved all of our time there apart from the flies bugged me in the centre

HauntedsandCastle · 27/10/2006 14:09

have to 2nd eidsvold....born & bred UK, been here for 4 months & LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Even when it was 36 degrees last week!

HauntedsandCastle · 27/10/2006 14:11

Mumpbump, I'm sorry that you feel like that! I have joined a couple of playgroups for dd and find all the people who attend genuine and friendly and welcoming.

Even the staff at woolies treat me like an old friend

cori · 27/10/2006 19:44

It has to be the isolation, the pure time it takes to travel anywhere. I think that is its biggest drawback.
That said we are considering going back because we think it is on balance safer and friendlier.

teabags · 27/10/2006 23:49

I made loads of good friends when I was in Oz (Melbourne) 8 years ago and I am still friends with them now. Currently in UK but returning to Melb in a couple of weeks.

For me the downside is superficial and I'm sure I'll adapt but I'll miss the UK shops, both the high street retail shops and supermarkets.

suzywong · 28/10/2006 00:06

the 28 degree spring days with azure blue skies are pretty galling I have to admit

Actually I agree to an extent with mumpbump

Terrestrail tv and mass graphic design is aesthetically harrowing but that's just because we are sensitive to that kind of thing.

And the shops and the Sunday papers, but it's only if you get your hands on an issue of The Observer and then realise what you're missing.

And Wolfmother - pitifully embarrassing IMO.

SittingBull · 28/10/2006 04:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

bloss · 28/10/2006 06:04

Message withdrawn

threebob · 28/10/2006 06:27

TV and price of bananas

israel · 28/10/2006 08:03

We are in Perth....and in the winter the winds can be very frightening...the windows feel like they are about to pop.
...also the flies...they go up your nose and in your mouth...
the tv...crap
missing family and lifelong friends....msn...just not the same..
....but I wouldn't live anywhere else...there are too many pluses to move back to the uk....
This is truly a magnificent country to bring up children and to live....truly LIVE.

mymama · 28/10/2006 09:26

RTKangaMummy I think a few of the flies came east. Was at an outdoor picnic this afternoon and the flies drove me insane. Not normally like that though.

I am born and bred Aussie and have only traveled on hols to America. Hoping to go to UK next year for a year.

A major thing for me about Australia is the water issue. We are currently in one of the biggest droughts and water is a big issue for most cities.

arfishymeau · 28/10/2006 11:08

I miss being able to get on a plane to Europe, the shops, being able to do everything online (I miss this a lot more than I would have thought). Buying quirky European things - eg ELC is 4 x more expensive here, and 'Euro' stuff like Haba needs a mortgage to buy.

That's the only downside. Australia is fantastic - you just have to leave your UK side behind. Don't let yourself pick up UK brands when you are shopping - they cost a fortune here, even cheapy nasty ones from home - here they are 'exotic imports'.

I can't post a negative without saying all of the plus points that make us stay here. In its defence, lovely people, wonderful climate, outdoor-lifestyle (no smog/cold forcing the children inside), lots of sport in schools, community focus in education, lots of recycling and global awareness. I'm really happy that I have the opportunity to bring my daughter up here. She will be a much better person growing up here than in London.

cori · 28/10/2006 11:56

Also Christmas is just not the same in Australia. Its so much more festive here.

Arfishy, what part of Australia are you in?>

Original poster
CharlotteACavatica · 28/10/2006 14:26

Ok well me dp and our 3 small children (6, 3.8, and just 1) have lived here in the UK for ALL of our lives and we have never ever been to Australia, not even briefly, my sister and i are VERY alike and she has been and assures me i would love it and the better way of life appeals to me greatly and yes im aware how ridiculous it is to base a move of this magnitude on my sisters opinions but we are pretty damn fed-up with the UK and we want to provide our kids with a better life, so as we know a few people in Aus and we have heard nothing but great stuff about it, we are just going to take the plunge and go for it and see how it goes! we may love it we may hate it, but we'll never know unless we go and try!

OP posts:
HauntedsandCastle · 28/10/2006 15:56

'but we'll never know unless we go and try'

spot on!

cori · 28/10/2006 16:39

Charlotte that is very true, you would probably regret it if you dont give it a go. But out of interest what is'the better way of life' you think Australia will give you.?

arfishymeau · 28/10/2006 23:32

Hi Cori. I'm in Sydney. I live 100m from a beach and just wake up every morning thinking how lucky I am.

Original poster
CharlotteACavatica · 29/10/2006 10:25

Well ok since ive never been to aus i obviously have no idea as to what life would be like over there i may not have the "better way of life" which i dream of, but at the moment i live in a toen that has the highest teenage pregnancy rate, one of the highest unemployment rates, and as is the problem with most places in this country i guess, there is NOTHING for kids/young people to do at all - they are all so bored with so few prospects and opportunities, they all have nothing better to do than to form gangs, get into fights, steal cars do drugs etc etc..... and no im not so deluded that i think aus will have none of these problems, nowhere is perfect, but from what i can gather it has alot more in the way of oppourtunities, there is alot more for young people to do, things to take an interest in, and if they so choose to make somthing of themselves they will have more chance to do so - unlike the UK, if Aus can offer even slightly more in the way of opportunities for my kids than i am prepared to try and give it all i have!

OP posts:
Original poster
CharlotteACavatica · 29/10/2006 10:56

Oh and whats Medicare like? how much does it cost to be covered, or is it more complex than that? - i really am pretty clueless atm....

OP posts:
HauntedsandCastle · 29/10/2006 11:06

medicare doesn't cost anything to join. We signed up and receieved a paper print out of our numbers then a few weeks later recieved our cards.

I have seen the doctor once, paid $45, took my reciept to medicare and got $33 back. DD is bulk billed, which mean the doctors bill the government direct for her until (I think it's) 5.

I think they are looking at bringing in some kind of system that cuts down the to-ing and fro-ing to claim your money back, but you have a while to get to medicare to get you money back, so it's not really a problem

SueW · 29/10/2006 11:21

I agree with arfishymeau about not being able to jump on a plane and be somewhere ocmpletely different in a less than an hour. I really missed that when we were over in Oz

Also the lovely suburb we lived in had its bouts of yob culture - youths who would vandalise shops when they had had too much to drink

And when we looked at living around one particular area - just off Chapel St in Melbourne - someonw warned us off because of the results of late night drinking e.g. getting up and finding piles of vomit outside your apartment block/house.

But I still loved it. Good outweighed bad manyfold. Just a shame I can't go back without DH and he won't entertain the idea.

pointyfangedWeredog · 29/10/2006 11:24

"there is NOTHING for kids/young people to do at all"

What do you m ean charlotteAC? What do you want them to be able to do?