Expats in Oz - So what is it that you really miss about England

[pickupthismess]

We are really very seriously considering a move to Melbourne. I read a thread on the city with interest but I wondered what it is (other than family) that Australia really can't deliver that the UK can? I am trying to weigh our options up before we get too embedded in the visa process.

[ninedragons]

I wonder if Boursin would go through the post with a freezer block in the parcel?

You are north coast? Should be next day delivery from Sydney, do you think?

[thumbwitch]

Lake Macquarie is where we are, not even as far as North Coast, so should be next day. I don't thinkk you would even need the freezer block; I brought a pack home from the UK on the plane (in my hold luggage, not cabin)and it was fine.

If you really don't mind doing it for me at some point (no urgency) then please email me: thumbwitch at live dot co dot uk and we can sort out delivery and payment - thank you so much!

[AllThreeWays]

You can buy booze in the big supermarkets here....
But maybe that's a Canberra thing?

[tortoiseonthehalfshell]

Yep - because the ACT isn't a State it gets to make its own rules. See also: porn, fireworks.

[AllThreeWays]

Unfortunately fireworks no longer

[ninedragons]

You're allowed to buy booze in ACT supermarkets because a level of functional alcoholism is necessary to cope with living in Canberra.

Let me double-check on the Boursin next weekend and get back to you, thumb. I said terribly confidently I've seen it in Coles but my peripheral vision may not be quite as good as it once was.

[esselle]

I am an Aussie but lived in the Uk for 10 yrs.

I've been back in Melb for 2 yrs and still cannot find good sausages!!! I so miss good pork sausages...

I agree with what others have said about not doing all your shopping at the supermarkets. I generally buy my fruit, veg and meat at the Queen Victoria markets. Bread from the bakery. Costco has recently opened here too so I have been stocking up on all sorts there too. Everything else comes from Coles.

TV here is rubbish! I was shocked to return after 10 yrs away to find bloody Burt Newton still on TV - he is a horrid old fossil!!! There is a lot of recycling of tv presenters on tv here. Same old faces - different programs! We had Foxtel connected before we had the phone connected when we first moved here! DH is devoted to Liverpool FC and couldn't cope with missing a single match. He actually sees more games here than he did in the UK - we do have the equivilent of Sky+ to record the games though. I have kept up my Eastenders habit.

Newspapers are shite too! I read newspapers online.

Books are crazy expensive here too which is frustrating. Dh can buy books on UK Amazon and have them shipped here for less than they are to buy here.

Get yourself into Bonds underwear - they are good simple cotton basic pants and bras. Very comfy and not too expensive.

A new website has just opened called My School which despite many denials has info much like league tables. My daughter attends a state school and I am very happy with it - though she only started at the begining of Feb so I don't have much experience yet.

You can get all your designer clothes/ cosmetics here too but it is more expensive.

[thumbwitch]

oh yes, esselle - I'd forgotten about the books, which is mad because I've just ordered 2 on amazon.co.uk?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 to be delivered to my Dad who will then post them on to me - costs about half what it would to buy them here

I was talking to DH today about the comparative cost of living between here and the UK - and we came to the conclusion that the only things that are cheaper here are fuel and possibly houses, depending on where you want to live. (We're not into school fees yet but I'm sure they're cheaper here than the UK!) Everything else is more expensive here - are we right, though? Bearing in mind we've only been here 6m so have a limited view on it.

ninedragons - thanks again.

[brightongirldownunder]

Ninedragons - youhoo! I'm going to text you...

I bought Boursin from the Balmain Woolies, not that long ago....or at least I think I did

[esselle]

School fees for my DD are $250/year which includes books/pencils etc.

Plus we spent about $250 on uniform, school bag and other bits.

The government then gave us a $300 grant towards the costs as she was starting in prep. Everyone gets this.

[TheYearOfTheCat]

I am putting this thread on watch. I visited Melbourne for about 4 months, 10 years ago. I adored it (although I found the heat, mossies and crap TV hard to cope with).

My best memories:
Cycling for miles and miles through connected green spaces.
Buying ridiculously cheap fruit at Victoria market.
Going to the outdoor cinema at the botanic gardens
Drinking (far too much) sparkling red wine. Yum
Going to see really off the wall comedy acts at the local pub
No-one once asking what I do for a living - everyone was focussed on enjoying their time off.
Really friendly people.

I'd love to go back, and would seriously consider moving there.

My DH says that the 2 economies which are going to do well over the next 10 years are Australia & Canada (and he really knows what he's talking about)

[pickupthismess]

Can't believe how little some thing shave improved since 1984 when I lived in Oz (Perth though )

DH is just as against Sydney as he would be to London - doesn't like cities and crowds. He has never even stepped foot in Australia. He will be pleased to hear you can watch the Premiership though.

I am surprised to hear it is expensive in Oz, I thought it was cheap so that has opened my eyes especially in the light of low(er) wages.

Is it really true that the culture is not work work work like it is in business here or is that a stereotype?

[newtouk]

My husband thinks the work culture in Banking and Finance is about the same in Europe/UK/Australia. If you work work work hard put in the long stupid hours you might get promoted, have a great wage and enjoy your weekends.

In Australia most professionals in the Business/Banking world who I know (35-45) who earn a good wage do work very long hours and rarely work 9-5, In Sydney its a very competitive workforce (Influenced by Asian culture) and a real dog-eat-dog attitiude.

You can work 9-5 but you will be overlooked for new roles and if your happy just doing the hours, getting an OK wage then no one will complain.

I think the sterotype of an Australian who surfs before work and leaves the office at 3pm is only a fantasy, unless they want to earn 45k a year !!!.

When we went to Sydney at Christmas we were very surprised at the cost of everything, although we live in Wimbledon so this is not exactly cheap here too.

[thumbwitch]

Rhubarb I have looked at your website now and take issue with some of the points on the Sydney page:
1)It is not the capital of Australia, it is the capital of NSW. Canberra is the capital of Australia
2) peak temperature of 25.8 deg? are you having a larf? More like 35.8. DH says it gets colder than 8 deg in winter as well but maybe it just feels it. Winter here can still be pretty cold in NSW - we do even occasionally get frost, although admittedly not in Sydney itself.

Overall the main pages that I read seem to read to me like rehashed tourist brochures. Has a lot of in-depth research gone into it? Because it doesn't appear that way to me, it just seems to be trotting out the same old stuff on the top pages, some of which isn't really true (e.g. cost of living being lower in Australia)

Sorry if that sounds harsh but you did ask for feedback!

[Gmarksthespot]

I find this thread depressing.

You didn't really move halfway around the world to find "little Britain" did you?

I assume the move to Australia was for an improved life for yourself and your dc which would be a lower population/crime rates/better school choices and the weather.

I can understand missing aspects of "home" like favourite supermarkets and television programs etc but the general consensus on this thread seems to be that you want everything UK brought over here. I don't get it???

I live in a suburb of Brisbane where a majority of UK immigrants choose to settle. I have some lovely friends who miss aspects of the UK but love their new life here. The one who didn't moved back after two years and is happier than ever in the UK.

As soon as you stop comparing Australia to the UK you might not feel so disappointed. You have chosen to live in a new country. It means change.

I do agree with you about M&S. Only the food though as I thought the clothes were expensive and crap.

The quality of most food in the Uk was superior to Australia. Except fruit.

I don't agree with alcohol in supermarkets. Access does not need to be made easier for people to consume even more of the stuff.

The huge distance to Australia and within the country is a contributing factor to the expense of items such as books.

fwiw I am desperate to move to the UK but dh refuses.

[ClaudiaSchiffer]

FFS G, the thread is asking what we miss about the UK.

Now I could go on ad nauseam about what I like about being here, but that doesn't seem to be what the op was asking.

I like it here actually but it's not 100% great, and it's worth coming out here knowing that some things are fabulous and other things aren't.

[thumbwitch]

What Claudia said. There's no point painting the roseate picture - that's what everyone in the UK seems to have anyway - the OP was asking about the "downsides", if you like, which is why we've stated them.

[ben5]

Perth is a fab city. we live about 50km south near Rockingham. living in Western Australia is very laid back and very family freindly. we are also alot closer to places like Bali and Singapore. the beaches are great and generally very clean. We like the fact that the car parks are generally free and theres lots of spaces!!!
It's also full of people from the UK here. haven't meet many people who have parents who were born in Oz!! Perth is very much cut of from the rest of Australia and people who live on the East coast don't even know theres a west coast. find this very much like the UK though, when we were living in Plymouth. The west country for most people was Bristol!!!!
Coles and Woolworths aren't to bad you just have to look for offers and buy meat from the delhi. We have a Spud Shed here which is great and fruit,veg and meat is alot cheaper than Coles or Woolies. Clothes are more expensive so thats what i miss about UK.
I also miss UK news. BBC world service and Sky news are ok but nothing like the BBC in the morning to have your breakfast with.( Also being on West coast everything is recorded from east coast so it's 3 hours behind!!! evening news is however from perth!)
Skype is great and we can keep in touch with family.
Weather is very hot at the moment and we've not had much rain(whats rain??!) all summer. we have just headed for pools $12 for the family for all day at the outdoor pool. very safe for young kids.
would i go back to the uk. NO. far to busy. i love the laid back way of life and spending time with family and friends

[Gmarksthespot]

they might have some stuff you miss

[ninedragons]

Book Depository is cheaper than Amazon, delivery is free and books generally arrive within a week.

Distance actually has nothing to do with the obscene price of books - the publishers act as a cartel, and the government has considered intervening but has decided against it. The publishers all say that the high prices enable them to nurture new Australian talent. This seems to me absolute bollocks, so I buy the same books online and have them flown from the UK, often for less than half Australian RRP.

I haven't set foot inside Dymock's since I found Book Depository - it's FANTASTIC.

I've been wondering where you were, brighty!

[sunnydelight]

Oh yes, book depositry is fab!

Whereabouts are you Rhubarb? I don't mean to be rude, but I'm totally puzzled by some of the info on Sydney - must be a different city to the one I'm living in! You might be better off doing links to domain or realestate to give a more accurate idea of property prices. I was also ROFL at hearing that Sydney has mild Winters - I really wish someone had told me just how cold I would be here in Winter before I left my Winter woolies behind. So many houses here have no insulation and very little heating the reality is that most expats I know here freeze their bums off in July and August.

[savoycabbage]

We have got rid of our Foxtel and have bought an apple tv now. We can download programmes from America and from the UK - and no adverts! You pay for each programme or series that you download from the apple store but for us it is working out cheaper than foxtel.

[bloss]

Message withdrawn

[newtouk]

Most Aussies are aware of "food miles" ie how far food had travelled from the country of orgin and most supermarkets and all fruit/veges shops only sell produce in the correct season. So unlike the UK you cannot get strawberries year round.

I was quite shocked to find strawberries year round and from all over the world. Ausssies are very loyal and always try to buy Australian produced.

Anyway life is not all about shopping for clothes and food. If you are an expat (which I am in the UK) I always think once you have moved to another country you can always return home, at least you know then what you love about your country.

[brightongirldownunder]

Childrens books are ridiculously priced over here. I'm working with an australian publisher at the moment. Even though some amazing books are being produced over here they are way more expensive than in the UK. I buy nearly all DD's books on amazon, or get them from charity shops. I'd love to support local shops, but the markup is crazy. Sad for the industry as Aussie childrens book publishers are up there with the UK and US now in my opinion....



I miss Topshop and H & M. The clothes over here are either far too expensive or badly made, though Rozelle markets have some excellent second hand stalls.