Beoz

Easier to talk at home than go out.

the troubadour

Again a failure to contribute to any meaningful discussion. What is it with you and a general inability to add anything of consequence, beyond the personal attack, to which you are not even very apt in that.


Boez..... What you need to realise is none of us are indispensable. I've met so many 'big shot' stags, with the full ticket on themselves, often poorly educated, but overdo the presentation and all too often are scared little dudes with a over inflated sense of personal entitlement, with a meagre thin personality to match.


They tend not to last, in fact a bit of a revolving door with such bod's in fact. Sadly there own sense of insecurity can indeed lead to a considerable amount of damage being done.

the troubadour

Well if the plumber gives you advise on personal issues/psychological disturbances, while your stock cock (is that the name?) may be functioning but mind even more out of sequence....

Stuck in Auckland

There is always BE

Beoz

Is this type of person the source of the resentment? Ok not fun to work with such people but really, its your problem to solve. No one else will do it for you.

the troubadour

Actually their problem to solve. I deal with them rather adequately.

Kapri

Back to the original question

I don’t dislike the UK, I have very fond memories and lots of my loved one still live there.

We didn’t move to Australia in boom time. We got the worst exchange rate imaginable _ I think it was about $1.56 to the pound. We started again from scratch in our 40s

Australia has been really good to us. I earn significantly more for doing the same job and OH is on roughly the same money.

We have built a lovely home and we have a great social life. We love the weather and just sitting out the back in our al fresco area gives us a lot of pleasure.

We moved from a big city in the UK to Dorset to try and improve our lives but, if anything, it was a disastrous move.

Each to their own but we don’t regret our move 4 years ago

pomerz

Yes

Haven’t been here for a while but wanted to say this was the best thing our family did on Boxing Day 2010....

Love life love Australia 🇦🇺

the troubadour

I guess the jury is out on this one. I think most would agree it is harder for more recent migrants, than those of a generation ago and more.


If one has family already here or good friends to offer a leg up, rest is luck and hard work, probably in equal measure.


I think the cost of the process today is somewhat inhibiting. Well compared to last century arrivals.


But whatever the product continues to sell ....

rabble_rouser

Its maybe still worth it. But certainly not so clear cut, it could go either way. Its not the 90s any longer and that era seems to be the glory days from what folks tell me.

Having been back a couple weeks from a business trip in London I was reminded of all the reasons I chose to leave. The overcrowded manic crush. The affectations. The grim estates. The multiculturalism. etc etc.

Australia doesn't have all those problems...yet. And it certainly has plenty of its own. But the world is ever contracting it seems and the stench of globalisation has spread at an alarming rate. Its only a matter of ten or so years before the whole east coast of Australia is an overdeveloped, overcrowded estate.

Moses2013

While London wouldn't be my thing either, you can still escape to other parts. It's getting extremely difficult everywhere and only a small percentage of people can really move from Europe to Australia and live that cheap life in luxury, like it used to be. If you're lucky enough to be considered middle class in Northern Europe, the majority probably have cheaper and better options of living and saving for retirement in Europe. Of course there are still people where a move to OZ will make sense, but I would say it's getting harder and harder.

the troubadour

You are right with regards Northern Europeans, they are better to remain in that part of the world in the knowledge of a decent and liveable pension and the likelihood of a more enjoyable life in the age.


A quick cost comparison with a city I lived in Europe, in a great location, showed the expense of Perth in comparison. 25% more here in Perth on groceries, 36% lower rent, 58% less bottle of wine, and so on.
While net wages (after tax) where 12% less than Perth, one needs to keep in mind all provisions for pension and good health care come out of less.


At least the pension is transportable so one can indeed move to a cheaper country at will on retirement. Australia though would most likely not be considered among those.


I would say for UK citizens a mixed bag. Probably remaining attractive to certain working class Brit's not so much for others, but for all the costs are rather large.

rabble_rouser

Well that's it, in my opinion there is currently no hands down winner. It really depends on the situation, occupation, class, and so on.

In hindsight do wonder if somewhere like crete or portugal would have been a better option for me. But theres only so much money and time I had to make a decision.

the troubadour

A bit confusing what I wrote as may be thought of as Perth being cheaper, after rereading. This is far from the case. Perth does not have lower rent or lower price for a bottle of wine. In fact tomatoes was one of the few things outside of petrol that I recall as being cheaper in Perth....
It just wouldn't stack up for a North European in the economic sense..

the troubadour

Possibly depends on working factors if able to earn an income in places mentioned. If so then I'd have gone with Portugal, even though costs have risen there from first visits in the early nineties.


But Australia was still cheap when I decided to settle here for awhile and very doable. In more recent times, think I'd look into a means to generate an income with a business in Portugal, if indeed still wanted to move South.