Don't Come to Australia

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Mar 23rd 2010, 6:21 am

#31

littlejimmy

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Re: Don't Come to Australia

I'll swap you. Libya is lovely.

Mar 23rd 2010, 6:47 am

#32

MartinLuther

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Re: Don't Come to Australia

Quote:

Originally Posted by spart

Ballox!! I have never met (or heard of) a public servant in Australia asking for backsheesh.
Fees for services perhaps - every permit, licence, registration or other costs money. Is the OP seriously suggesting that you would get a drivers licence issued for free in England?

Local councils of unpaid members on the other hand have been shown as open to influence, especially of the property developer type in western and southern Sydney.

It seems to be business as usual in NSW.

Mar 23rd 2010, 6:52 am

#33

tartankoala

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Re: Don't Come to Australia

2 months!?

Don't let the door hit your arse on the way out.

Mar 23rd 2010, 7:55 am

#34

cresta57

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Re: Don't Come to Australia

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newbie_and_Leaving

I've been in Melbourne two months, my experiences:

1. Customs & Excise charge the earth for inspection and do not do their job. They are trying to charge me $850 for destroying a plastic bucket that they say contains "traces of chemicals" - it's detergent you morons!!

It's not Customs & Excise it's AQIS & yep they are a bit hit & miss regarding the stupid things they pick on sometimes, fair point.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newbie_and_Leaving

2. Job agents are the worst I have ever encountered, bad manners is just one of their traits.

I've met damn rude ones & very nice ones, you must have had a couple of bad ones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newbie_and_Leaving

3. Tram inspectors behave like The Gestapo and are racist, they bully old people and are afraid of youths who DO evade paying.

Can't comment, to young to remember trams in the U.K & never been on one in Melbourne.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newbie_and_Leaving

4. The train operators cannot even gets their clocks in synch let alone run a service!

Same problem worldwide with probably one or two notable exceptions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newbie_and_Leaving

5. An internet connection is the most expensive of any of the 6 countries I have lived in.

Fair point, it's the same for me. Internet costs are outrageous

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newbie_and_Leaving

6. The Govt allow a duopoly for the supermarkets, therefore any item is twice the price it should be.

Yep, again no argument from me, very expensive & quick to rip off the consumer. i.e $20.00 per kilo for bananas because a small proportion of the growing region was affected by a cyclone

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newbie_and_Leaving

7. Every public official I have had to deal with wants money to do their job.

A little backhander to smooth the way, everyone needs a little extra cash now & then, they may have a banana fetish

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newbie_and_Leaving

And I haven't even started on the cost to live here....

Well it's certainly not the cheap place it was 8 years ago, it's not that different to similar economies.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newbie_and_Leaving

Australia - great place to holiday a nightmare to live, I'm off and so is my taxable income.

It's not for everyone, I love it though despite it's problems, they outweigh the ones elsewhere that I've considered.

Mar 23rd 2010, 7:57 am

#35

DeadVim

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Re: Don't Come to Australia

Quote:

Originally Posted by tartankoala

2 months!?

Don't let the door hit your arse on the way out.

I've seen backpackers with more commitment to becoming citizens

Mar 23rd 2010, 8:03 am

#36

MartinLuther

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Re: Don't Come to Australia

I was impressed with the peeps who gave up after a week and a half in Mornington.

Mar 23rd 2010, 8:15 am

#37

paulry

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Re: Don't Come to Australia

Quote:

Originally Posted by MartinLuther

I was impressed with the peeps who gave up after a week and a half in Mornington.

And also that poor family where the hubby got arrested on their validation trip

Mar 23rd 2010, 8:16 am

#38

MartinLuther

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Re: Don't Come to Australia

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulry

And also that poor family where the hubby got arrested on their validation trip

Was that the one in Qld where he was fighting with the locals?

Mar 23rd 2010, 8:19 am

#39

DeadVim

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Re: Don't Come to Australia

Quote:

Originally Posted by MartinLuther

Was that the one in Qld where he was fighting with the locals?

I thought that was a pre-requisite for a Visa?

Mar 23rd 2010, 8:21 am

#40

cresta57

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Re: Don't Come to Australia

Quote:

Originally Posted by MartinLuther

I was impressed with the peeps who gave up after a week and a half in Mornington.

After 7+ years in Queensland my trip to the Mornington Peninsular last August was the coldest that I can ever remember being in my life. I even had to sip beer at Hevs house as it was to cold to gulp

I swear there was icicles on the rails down at Fort Nepean

Mar 23rd 2010, 8:22 am

#41

cresta57

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Re: Don't Come to Australia

Quote:

Originally Posted by MartinLuther

Was that the one in Qld where he was fighting with the locals?

Do tell us more ML

Mar 23rd 2010, 8:24 am

#42

paulry

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Re: Don't Come to Australia

Quote:

Originally Posted by MartinLuther

Was that the one in Qld where he was fighting with the locals?

That's the one. He was breaking up a fight and the cops arrested him.

Mar 23rd 2010, 8:27 am

#43

iamthecreaturefromuranus

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Re: Don't Come to Australia

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulry

That's the one. He was breaking up a fight and the cops arrested him.

In my defence, your Honour, one of them Queenslander fellows claimed to be the Prime Minister of Australia, so I was attempting to detain him for impersonating an elected official.