My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Mar 12th 2006, 2:50 pm
#46
Worongary
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: GC hinterland
Posts: 10,288
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by ElshaUK
There is a joke told in Australia...
Q How do you know when a plane load of POMS has landed????
A The whining continues after the engines have stopped!
Q How do you know when a plane load of POMS has landed????
A The whining continues after the engines have stopped!
Mar 12th 2006, 3:25 pm
#47
Fighting my corner
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 11,948
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by lostpom.com
I actually read somewhere that they only launched ADSL services around 18 moths ago. Can you believe it!
Australia has enjoyed broadband since 1999, IIRC.
As for the rest of your list - consisting largely of asinine comments about trivial issues - I suggest you tell someone who cares.
Do you really want to get me started on my top 10 gripes about Britain...?
Last edited by Vash the Stampede; Mar 12th 2006 at 3:30 pm.
Mar 12th 2006, 5:56 pm
#48
Australia's Doorman
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 11,056
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by Grayling
Mar 12th 2006, 6:45 pm
#49
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2006
Location: Pelican Waters
Posts: 374
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by Grayling
One good thing we have here in QLD is the law against drinking alcohol in public. Thats not to say the Police will break up any BBQ gatherings where family and friends are having a few beers or a glass of wine but when the dick heads get over the top or walking along with a bottle of beer the Police will react and either make them pour it away or if the dick head wants to argue he can be given a ticket.So you will not see crowds outside the pubs and clubs with bottles in hand.
Mar 12th 2006, 6:54 pm
#50
Bitter and twisted
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Upmarket
Posts: 17,503
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by Hutch
lol - I knew you wouldn't disappoint.
G
Mar 12th 2006, 7:24 pm
#51
Home.
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 831
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by lostpom.com
9. “You’ll Love It”. Aaaaggghhhh ! WHY am I constantly confronted by people telling me I’m going love something? How do they know what my tastes or standards are? In fact, in most cases, the things I have been promised I’m going to love have turned out to be very mediocre places or events indeed. Personally I think it’s all wrapped up in the slightly annoying habit of Australians of harping on about ‘How good it is here’ or the such. Personally, I’m slightly suspicious of anyone who blahs on about how good they have it constantly. It’s like if you keep on saying it enough times, it might become true. If it IS so good in Australia, then how come they flock to London in their thousands to live every year? Maybe it’s the lack of self depreciating humour that we Brits are so good at and the ability to joke about yourself that I miss.
I'm dreading all this crap.
Mar 12th 2006, 7:30 pm
#52
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by lostpom.com
Some great posts on the Is It Worth It ? post in this forum prompted me to get a few things off my chest here. We (me=British, girlfriend=Aussie) moved here last June, and have had a very unsettling time of it so far, and in fact are considering moving back to the UK in the near future.
What follows is meant to be (fairly) lighthearted, so I hope I don't offend...well...too many people ! For your information, we are living in Gympie, QLD, but have spent most of the rest of our time around the Sunshine Coast. Feel free to correct, or have a good old Aussie pop at me as you like.
My Top 10 Aussie Gripes!
1. TV quality. Never, NEVER again will I complain and bitch about paying the TV (BBC!) license in the UK. The quality of programs here is really quite poor, with mostly American imports, and to be honest not even the good ones. How Desperate Housewives won whatever award it was for best something Australian category says a lot about the general Aussie viewing public. THEN there’s the TV ads. My God! Is ANYONE allowed to make their own TV ad in this country? It seems all you need is Phyllis from the sales desk to "act" a nice little scene (obviously thought up in....ooohhh....all of 5 minutes), and then Bob the delivery van driver to film it all on his $200 camcorder. I laughed heartily at these gems at first, but after a short while this turned to dismay. Do these people really think doing this will make the public want to buy their product? Oh (I'm not finished yet) and WHY do they think it’s clever to stick their child on at the end of the ad trying to say something about buying brand X??? Yes, I'm just about to spend $30,000 on a new pool, and my buying decision is going to be influenced by a 2 year old who may be cute, but can barely speak and knows nothing about deep excavations and pool construction?
2. Internet. Yes, that Internet Thingy is finally getting popular down here in Australia, though your choice of Aussie web sites and e-retailers is way, WAY behind what you will be used to back home. I actually read somewhere that they only launched ADSL services around 18 moths ago. Can you believe it! Whilst the rest of the western world has been happily embracing the new technology age for the last 6 years or so, Australia is just beginning the journey. I have been greatly disappointed at the breadth of stores and information to be found on the web in Aus. The very first thing I did in the UK when I want to buy something (regardless if it’s going to be an internet transaction or not), is I go online to check out reviews and typical product prices. Erm…not really is Australia. You will find web sites and stores at least 2-3 years behind the UK in terms of functionality and data. Some of them, I’m sure, are being designed by young children in technology sweatshops in India. And on the subject of shopping, what IS it with this idea that if you want to buy something in a shop, you have to go into a store and haggle them down to a reasonable price? Once the internet finally gets to be a popular purchasing medium here, and people get used to fixed, low, transparent online pricing, this tedious sales model will finally go out the window.
3. Cost of Living. Compared to the UK, the cost of living is really quite high here. With average salaries being only 40-60% higher than the UK (directly in $-for-£ comparison, so if you earn £30k in the UK, you might earn $42k-$48k for the same position here), yet property prices being certainly in the region of $300k-$600k for anything half decent in a nice suburb with any sort of amenities, you’ll find your pennies going a lot less further here. Oh, and did I mention the whopping 47% tax band that comes in at only $70kpa? Then there are the other costs of living. It seems our fortnightly grocery bill (for 2) is unlikely to come in under $250 each time we go. Products and produce seemed to be priced way over what we would pay for things in the UK. This situation isn’t really helped by what appears to be the blocking (or high levys) on imported products to Australia. Whilst the ‘Australian Made, Australian Owned’ stamp and campaign (for consumers to only buy Aussie made goods), is rather patriotic, it unfortunately doesn’t give consumers the choice to buy cheaper, as-good quality foreign goods if they want to, or maybe if even can’t afford the home grown product. The UK is a massive open market for all sorts of products, and you will notice a big difference here.
4. Australian Red Tape and Regulations. I really thought Australia was going to be a land of opportunity, but sadly it really is more of a land of regulations and obligatory training and qualification for the most basic of skills (like painter/decorator!!! – there’s probably a 2 year apprentiship to become a ‘Grass Cutter’ too). Such over regulation dumbs down the population, so they think they’re not allowed to do something themselves with a little common sense, so its “Oh…..better get a tradie in to do the work”, and there’s another $500 gone. I happen to be a very practical person, and like to be able to do whatever I want to, and just about every time do a really good job of whatever. I actually got interrogated in a trade electrical suppliers about my qualifications to do electrical installation work. Despite being qualified in the UK (oh, and having the small matter of a degree in Electronics), oh no! Of course that was not good enough for them. I seem to have heard “oh, you can’t do that” so many more times than “yeah, go right ahead, no worries” in this country.
5. Lack of cultural diversity and restaurants. If you enjoy an occasional good quality Chinese meal, or maybe Thai or Italian (and I mean proper Italian), then get ready for a shock. Despite Australia apparently having a large Asian population, you will find that these people seem to choose mostly to live in certain areas of the big cities. Unless you’re in one of the capitols, you’re unlikely to find any sort of authentic cuisine. We went to a Thai restaurant on the Sunshine Coast, and the meal cost a fortune and was only distantly related to Thai cuisine, probably not helped by the fact there was not a single Thai person working there. You like a curry? Don’t even ask about Indian restaurants. I have seen hardly any. My local Italian Ristorante is Dominoes with their disgusting looking current ‘Triple Cheese’ offer. Ugh!
6. Lack of History. Now heres something that maybe I took for granted living in the UK, but I tell you, when it’s taken away from you, you certainly miss it! Whether its sitting in a nice country pub with old walls and old….errr.…odd things hanging on the walls, or reading something about a town or buildings history, you’ll get little of this is Aus. In fact, go to any ‘pub’, and you’ll find yourself sitting in a stark room with TAB (betting) machines everywhere and the weekly meat tray raffle results still chalked up on the board from last week. Its hardly inspiring.
7. Where is everybody??? The lack of people out socialising is quite astounding. Where are they all, and what are they doing? For example, the town of Gympie has a reasonable population of 32,500. In the town there are probably 10 pubs, also of reasonable size. Now explain to me, why if we go out on a Friday or Saturday night, there are maybe 3 people in one pub, maybe 10 in another and maybe a small handful spread over the rest of them (and these are big pubs, capacity 40-80 people). Where are all the young people? What on earth are they doing?? Take New Years Eve. Despite my girlfriend’s unwillingness to go out and have a boring night (again), I persuaded her otherwise. “Come on! It’s New Years Eve!!! There will be loads of people out and about”. Well the first pub we walked to had closed early (9:30pm), the next pub had some old wrinkly and guitar strumming out some music from some sort of genre I know nothing about, and want to know nothing about, along with about 10 people in the place, max. Then we headed off to the local RSL club (for the uninitiated, this is a sort of Nationwide ex-Army working mans club), and this as always was at least full of people. But oh what people!!! The entertainment of a Country and Western band really put us in the mood for a cool night out! Then it was off to the local one and only club in town. At least they had the sense to change their name to ‘The Shaft’ from ‘Phantomz’. Yes, what a cracking name, total quality with a K. Actually with a KW on second thoughts.
8. Style and Class. They say Australia is a classless society. I actually think that’s a typo, they meant to say it’s a styleless society. Blokes in stubbies (baggy nylon shorts) and singlet vests or even shorts with their white socks pulled right up to their knees. Girls in masculine men’s board shorts that do nothing for the figure. Shudder! Don’t even get me started on the current ‘fashion trend’ of graffiti T-shirts that everyone seems to be wearing here. What IS the point on these, can someone enlighten me? Now I know the UK is not blameless in this category (does anyone remember shell suits?), but come on Australia!! You can do better than that!
9. “You’ll Love It”. Aaaaggghhhh ! WHY am I constantly confronted by people telling me I’m going love something? How do they know what my tastes or standards are? In fact, in most cases, the things I have been promised I’m going to love have turned out to be very mediocre places or events indeed. Personally I think it’s all wrapped up in the slightly annoying habit of Australians of harping on about ‘How good it is here’ or the such. Personally, I’m slightly suspicious of anyone who blahs on about how good they have it constantly. It’s like if you keep on saying it enough times, it might become true. If it IS so good in Australia, then how come they flock to London in their thousands to live every year? Maybe it’s the lack of self depreciating humour that we Brits are so good at and the ability to joke about yourself that I miss.
10. Cost of Travel. Yes, OK, Australia is a tad further away from it neighbours than you might be used to in the UK – with Europe (or should I say the rest of Europe!) on your doorstep, but the cost of flights originating from Australia is disproportionately higher than the same flight inbound. Due to the lack of airline competition in the region, it seems we are expected to pay up to 30%-40% over the equivalent flight costs. I recently planned to go back to the UK for a break, and it was actually cheaper for me to go back early on a spare return leg I had, and book another return flight from the UK than to book a one way ticket from here! If you like to travel, then you really should research if this is going to be financially possible, particularly on the value of the Aussie dollar, and typical salaries here.
Good lord, I do sound like a whingeing Pom, don’t I? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret on my whingeing Pom theory. Whingeing Poms ARE a reality, and they exist in the majority of cases because UK people come over to Australia, and expect to have the same standard of living that they got used to back home. It’s too hot! – we moan, Its too expensive ! – we moan, I can’t find Lurpak in Wooly’s – we moan. We are, by nature a complaining nation, but you know what – I’d much sooner people complained about things to try and change or better them, rather than sitting back and saying ‘Its great here, isn’t it?’.
lostpom.com
I think I better go and lie down now
What follows is meant to be (fairly) lighthearted, so I hope I don't offend...well...too many people ! For your information, we are living in Gympie, QLD, but have spent most of the rest of our time around the Sunshine Coast. Feel free to correct, or have a good old Aussie pop at me as you like.
My Top 10 Aussie Gripes!
1. TV quality. Never, NEVER again will I complain and bitch about paying the TV (BBC!) license in the UK. The quality of programs here is really quite poor, with mostly American imports, and to be honest not even the good ones. How Desperate Housewives won whatever award it was for best something Australian category says a lot about the general Aussie viewing public. THEN there’s the TV ads. My God! Is ANYONE allowed to make their own TV ad in this country? It seems all you need is Phyllis from the sales desk to "act" a nice little scene (obviously thought up in....ooohhh....all of 5 minutes), and then Bob the delivery van driver to film it all on his $200 camcorder. I laughed heartily at these gems at first, but after a short while this turned to dismay. Do these people really think doing this will make the public want to buy their product? Oh (I'm not finished yet) and WHY do they think it’s clever to stick their child on at the end of the ad trying to say something about buying brand X??? Yes, I'm just about to spend $30,000 on a new pool, and my buying decision is going to be influenced by a 2 year old who may be cute, but can barely speak and knows nothing about deep excavations and pool construction?
2. Internet. Yes, that Internet Thingy is finally getting popular down here in Australia, though your choice of Aussie web sites and e-retailers is way, WAY behind what you will be used to back home. I actually read somewhere that they only launched ADSL services around 18 moths ago. Can you believe it! Whilst the rest of the western world has been happily embracing the new technology age for the last 6 years or so, Australia is just beginning the journey. I have been greatly disappointed at the breadth of stores and information to be found on the web in Aus. The very first thing I did in the UK when I want to buy something (regardless if it’s going to be an internet transaction or not), is I go online to check out reviews and typical product prices. Erm…not really is Australia. You will find web sites and stores at least 2-3 years behind the UK in terms of functionality and data. Some of them, I’m sure, are being designed by young children in technology sweatshops in India. And on the subject of shopping, what IS it with this idea that if you want to buy something in a shop, you have to go into a store and haggle them down to a reasonable price? Once the internet finally gets to be a popular purchasing medium here, and people get used to fixed, low, transparent online pricing, this tedious sales model will finally go out the window.
3. Cost of Living. Compared to the UK, the cost of living is really quite high here. With average salaries being only 40-60% higher than the UK (directly in $-for-£ comparison, so if you earn £30k in the UK, you might earn $42k-$48k for the same position here), yet property prices being certainly in the region of $300k-$600k for anything half decent in a nice suburb with any sort of amenities, you’ll find your pennies going a lot less further here. Oh, and did I mention the whopping 47% tax band that comes in at only $70kpa? Then there are the other costs of living. It seems our fortnightly grocery bill (for 2) is unlikely to come in under $250 each time we go. Products and produce seemed to be priced way over what we would pay for things in the UK. This situation isn’t really helped by what appears to be the blocking (or high levys) on imported products to Australia. Whilst the ‘Australian Made, Australian Owned’ stamp and campaign (for consumers to only buy Aussie made goods), is rather patriotic, it unfortunately doesn’t give consumers the choice to buy cheaper, as-good quality foreign goods if they want to, or maybe if even can’t afford the home grown product. The UK is a massive open market for all sorts of products, and you will notice a big difference here.
4. Australian Red Tape and Regulations. I really thought Australia was going to be a land of opportunity, but sadly it really is more of a land of regulations and obligatory training and qualification for the most basic of skills (like painter/decorator!!! – there’s probably a 2 year apprentiship to become a ‘Grass Cutter’ too). Such over regulation dumbs down the population, so they think they’re not allowed to do something themselves with a little common sense, so its “Oh…..better get a tradie in to do the work”, and there’s another $500 gone. I happen to be a very practical person, and like to be able to do whatever I want to, and just about every time do a really good job of whatever. I actually got interrogated in a trade electrical suppliers about my qualifications to do electrical installation work. Despite being qualified in the UK (oh, and having the small matter of a degree in Electronics), oh no! Of course that was not good enough for them. I seem to have heard “oh, you can’t do that” so many more times than “yeah, go right ahead, no worries” in this country.
5. Lack of cultural diversity and restaurants. If you enjoy an occasional good quality Chinese meal, or maybe Thai or Italian (and I mean proper Italian), then get ready for a shock. Despite Australia apparently having a large Asian population, you will find that these people seem to choose mostly to live in certain areas of the big cities. Unless you’re in one of the capitols, you’re unlikely to find any sort of authentic cuisine. We went to a Thai restaurant on the Sunshine Coast, and the meal cost a fortune and was only distantly related to Thai cuisine, probably not helped by the fact there was not a single Thai person working there. You like a curry? Don’t even ask about Indian restaurants. I have seen hardly any. My local Italian Ristorante is Dominoes with their disgusting looking current ‘Triple Cheese’ offer. Ugh!
6. Lack of History. Now heres something that maybe I took for granted living in the UK, but I tell you, when it’s taken away from you, you certainly miss it! Whether its sitting in a nice country pub with old walls and old….errr.…odd things hanging on the walls, or reading something about a town or buildings history, you’ll get little of this is Aus. In fact, go to any ‘pub’, and you’ll find yourself sitting in a stark room with TAB (betting) machines everywhere and the weekly meat tray raffle results still chalked up on the board from last week. Its hardly inspiring.
7. Where is everybody??? The lack of people out socialising is quite astounding. Where are they all, and what are they doing? For example, the town of Gympie has a reasonable population of 32,500. In the town there are probably 10 pubs, also of reasonable size. Now explain to me, why if we go out on a Friday or Saturday night, there are maybe 3 people in one pub, maybe 10 in another and maybe a small handful spread over the rest of them (and these are big pubs, capacity 40-80 people). Where are all the young people? What on earth are they doing?? Take New Years Eve. Despite my girlfriend’s unwillingness to go out and have a boring night (again), I persuaded her otherwise. “Come on! It’s New Years Eve!!! There will be loads of people out and about”. Well the first pub we walked to had closed early (9:30pm), the next pub had some old wrinkly and guitar strumming out some music from some sort of genre I know nothing about, and want to know nothing about, along with about 10 people in the place, max. Then we headed off to the local RSL club (for the uninitiated, this is a sort of Nationwide ex-Army working mans club), and this as always was at least full of people. But oh what people!!! The entertainment of a Country and Western band really put us in the mood for a cool night out! Then it was off to the local one and only club in town. At least they had the sense to change their name to ‘The Shaft’ from ‘Phantomz’. Yes, what a cracking name, total quality with a K. Actually with a KW on second thoughts.
8. Style and Class. They say Australia is a classless society. I actually think that’s a typo, they meant to say it’s a styleless society. Blokes in stubbies (baggy nylon shorts) and singlet vests or even shorts with their white socks pulled right up to their knees. Girls in masculine men’s board shorts that do nothing for the figure. Shudder! Don’t even get me started on the current ‘fashion trend’ of graffiti T-shirts that everyone seems to be wearing here. What IS the point on these, can someone enlighten me? Now I know the UK is not blameless in this category (does anyone remember shell suits?), but come on Australia!! You can do better than that!
9. “You’ll Love It”. Aaaaggghhhh ! WHY am I constantly confronted by people telling me I’m going love something? How do they know what my tastes or standards are? In fact, in most cases, the things I have been promised I’m going to love have turned out to be very mediocre places or events indeed. Personally I think it’s all wrapped up in the slightly annoying habit of Australians of harping on about ‘How good it is here’ or the such. Personally, I’m slightly suspicious of anyone who blahs on about how good they have it constantly. It’s like if you keep on saying it enough times, it might become true. If it IS so good in Australia, then how come they flock to London in their thousands to live every year? Maybe it’s the lack of self depreciating humour that we Brits are so good at and the ability to joke about yourself that I miss.
10. Cost of Travel. Yes, OK, Australia is a tad further away from it neighbours than you might be used to in the UK – with Europe (or should I say the rest of Europe!) on your doorstep, but the cost of flights originating from Australia is disproportionately higher than the same flight inbound. Due to the lack of airline competition in the region, it seems we are expected to pay up to 30%-40% over the equivalent flight costs. I recently planned to go back to the UK for a break, and it was actually cheaper for me to go back early on a spare return leg I had, and book another return flight from the UK than to book a one way ticket from here! If you like to travel, then you really should research if this is going to be financially possible, particularly on the value of the Aussie dollar, and typical salaries here.
Good lord, I do sound like a whingeing Pom, don’t I? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret on my whingeing Pom theory. Whingeing Poms ARE a reality, and they exist in the majority of cases because UK people come over to Australia, and expect to have the same standard of living that they got used to back home. It’s too hot! – we moan, Its too expensive ! – we moan, I can’t find Lurpak in Wooly’s – we moan. We are, by nature a complaining nation, but you know what – I’d much sooner people complained about things to try and change or better them, rather than sitting back and saying ‘Its great here, isn’t it?’.
lostpom.com
I think I better go and lie down now
Cant wait for the " I feed a family of 13 on $76 a week and the only crime is rampant garden knomes crew " to get hold of this post
If you need authentic food near gympie, you can get loads around the sunshine coast, try indian food prepared by indians at Maroochydores Hathi mains $12 or the thai cooks at Buderims Thai frenzy mains again $12. Theres even a pommy owned chip shop :scared:
Apart from that youve summed australia up pretty fairly, expensive, over regulated and a bit backward in many areas, as for the airfares etc yes we are being totally ripped off.
Last edited by jad n rich; Mar 12th 2006 at 7:51 pm.
Mar 12th 2006, 8:22 pm
#53
Australia's Doorman
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 11,056
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
1. You moved 12,000 miles round the planet to continue staring at the idiot box? You're not in Kansas anymore Toto - you can step away from the cathode ray tube and discover the world outside your front door! But if you must watch the TV, buy a PVR and skip the ads - or join everyone else and get downloading (it's a little known fact that Australian's are the world's number one TV downloaders). Personally I favour 'getting a life' over complaining that you can't watch Emmerdale.
2. ADSL has been around nearly as long as the UK and they are currently updating the exchanges in larger towns and cities for an ADSL2 roll-out (which offers the same upstream and downstream). Plus there are two national Wi-Max systems currently being provisioned, which will make wires-based Internet access seem as archaic as a bakealite telephone.
3. This of course comes down to the job you do, the place you choose to do it and the quality of your accountant. You can't say "you earn £30k in the uk therefore you'll get $42k in Oz". House-prices are over-priced in many areas but have fallen back by about 20% in the area I'm moving to, and continue to fall. I see no such price realignment happening in the UK where homes are similarly over-valued. Have you seen what 250K buys you in a 'nice' area of the UK lately?
4. Not a tradie so have no experience of red-tape, but God forbid they just let any arsehole fresh off the boat, walk in off the street and declare themselves a builder like they can in the UK.
5. I find it interesting that you lump cultural diversity together with restaurants. You somehow think because there was a chinese takeaway and an indian restaurant on your high street in the UK that it was some amazing racial melting pot? In my little town here in the UK we have an Indian, a Balti, a Chinese, two chip-shops and various sit-down cafes and restaurants. Where I'm moving to in Oz (similar sized town) they have two chinese (and yes, real chinese people running them), one indian, one thai, one ice creamery, two pie shops, a sensational deli and myriad sit-down cafes and restaurants - so I guess both towns are culturaly diverse by your restaurant metric. Incidentally, if that sort of thing was important to you, why didn't you research it before you left?
6. History - I never do buy this one when it pops up as a complaint, but I really don't get in your case, since you make no reference to the stately homes, castles or standing stones people usually claim to miss, but instead beoman the fact that pubs aren't crammed full of fake horse brass! Classic! Anyway, this really is down to the area you're in - there are some bloody excellent pubs down where we're moving to. In fact my brother-in-law took me to one in a town outside Robertson in the Southern Highlands which, complete with comfy leather sofas and roaring log fire, could have been in the middle of Dartmoor instead of the middle of New South Wales.
7. Again - not a problem down our neck of the woods. Pubs are always busy, lots of people socialising. On New Years Eve, myself, my wife, my sister and my brother-in-law went to the Berry Hotel and joined some 500-odd people enjoying good food, good drink and a DJ playing great music. Maybe people tend to socialise in family/friend groups up your way. As to nightclubs - no, they're not a big fixture round that way either, although there are plenty in the larger nearby towns. Again, not that different to here.
8. Perhaps you'd prefer everyone wore black-tie when they popped down to the IGA to get a loaf of bread.
9. Never encountered this one. And what's 'self depreciating humour' - laughing at yourself because you've lost weight? If you mean self 'deprecating' humour - then I take it you're referring to the ability the British have to come up with a viral email joke five minutes after another British serial killer is sent down, or an English paedophile gets into trouble in Thailand.
10. Travel to Europe's over-rated. Why would you deliberately place yourself in the company of the French for instance?
I know your list was light-hearted, but you and the rest of the whinge-bags on this forum just sound silly - at best naive, at worst plain stupid. I swear, if yourself, Arkon, Mackinnon, Jad 'n' Rich and latterly Fraser moved to the Sahara you'd complain about the sand and the fact that there weren't any Tesco Metros to buy your Vanilla and Bean Curd smoothies in.
2. ADSL has been around nearly as long as the UK and they are currently updating the exchanges in larger towns and cities for an ADSL2 roll-out (which offers the same upstream and downstream). Plus there are two national Wi-Max systems currently being provisioned, which will make wires-based Internet access seem as archaic as a bakealite telephone.
3. This of course comes down to the job you do, the place you choose to do it and the quality of your accountant. You can't say "you earn £30k in the uk therefore you'll get $42k in Oz". House-prices are over-priced in many areas but have fallen back by about 20% in the area I'm moving to, and continue to fall. I see no such price realignment happening in the UK where homes are similarly over-valued. Have you seen what 250K buys you in a 'nice' area of the UK lately?
4. Not a tradie so have no experience of red-tape, but God forbid they just let any arsehole fresh off the boat, walk in off the street and declare themselves a builder like they can in the UK.
5. I find it interesting that you lump cultural diversity together with restaurants. You somehow think because there was a chinese takeaway and an indian restaurant on your high street in the UK that it was some amazing racial melting pot? In my little town here in the UK we have an Indian, a Balti, a Chinese, two chip-shops and various sit-down cafes and restaurants. Where I'm moving to in Oz (similar sized town) they have two chinese (and yes, real chinese people running them), one indian, one thai, one ice creamery, two pie shops, a sensational deli and myriad sit-down cafes and restaurants - so I guess both towns are culturaly diverse by your restaurant metric. Incidentally, if that sort of thing was important to you, why didn't you research it before you left?
6. History - I never do buy this one when it pops up as a complaint, but I really don't get in your case, since you make no reference to the stately homes, castles or standing stones people usually claim to miss, but instead beoman the fact that pubs aren't crammed full of fake horse brass! Classic! Anyway, this really is down to the area you're in - there are some bloody excellent pubs down where we're moving to. In fact my brother-in-law took me to one in a town outside Robertson in the Southern Highlands which, complete with comfy leather sofas and roaring log fire, could have been in the middle of Dartmoor instead of the middle of New South Wales.
7. Again - not a problem down our neck of the woods. Pubs are always busy, lots of people socialising. On New Years Eve, myself, my wife, my sister and my brother-in-law went to the Berry Hotel and joined some 500-odd people enjoying good food, good drink and a DJ playing great music. Maybe people tend to socialise in family/friend groups up your way. As to nightclubs - no, they're not a big fixture round that way either, although there are plenty in the larger nearby towns. Again, not that different to here.
8. Perhaps you'd prefer everyone wore black-tie when they popped down to the IGA to get a loaf of bread.
9. Never encountered this one. And what's 'self depreciating humour' - laughing at yourself because you've lost weight? If you mean self 'deprecating' humour - then I take it you're referring to the ability the British have to come up with a viral email joke five minutes after another British serial killer is sent down, or an English paedophile gets into trouble in Thailand.
10. Travel to Europe's over-rated. Why would you deliberately place yourself in the company of the French for instance?
I know your list was light-hearted, but you and the rest of the whinge-bags on this forum just sound silly - at best naive, at worst plain stupid. I swear, if yourself, Arkon, Mackinnon, Jad 'n' Rich and latterly Fraser moved to the Sahara you'd complain about the sand and the fact that there weren't any Tesco Metros to buy your Vanilla and Bean Curd smoothies in.
Mar 12th 2006, 8:43 pm
#54
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 23,400
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
I wonder if they should put on the 47sk form a few extra questions.
1. How much do you like Marmite, M&S underwear, decent chocolate and Tesco? Because our stuff just aint the same.
2. Have you researched Australia and done a historical comparison to the UK? Because our history isnt the same as yours.
3. Do you like flies? Because we have millions of them.
4. How does working in 40degree heat suit you?
5. Do you think you will miss the green fields of England?
6. Our pubs are different to yours, what do you think about that?
7. We truly believe, like yourselves, that our country is the best in the world. We are not afraid to say it.
8. Australia is not England, don't move here for the weather as it can be unpredictable and unless you have sweated your nuts off working in our heat, you wont really know if the weather suits you.
9. Homesickness is equal to that of something that will creep up on you and take over you. Expect to miss your family and have your action plan on riding through the bad times and getting help when needed. Home wasnt built in a day, friends are not made overnight and it takes ages to settle in a job.
10. We dont work in pounds, we work in dollars and dont give a shit how much things cost in England. But we would advise you to do your research on this when you have filled in this form.
Saying that, if they added this extra info on the 47sk form, it would make another page and if it were any longer, I reckon I would cry.
1. How much do you like Marmite, M&S underwear, decent chocolate and Tesco? Because our stuff just aint the same.
2. Have you researched Australia and done a historical comparison to the UK? Because our history isnt the same as yours.
3. Do you like flies? Because we have millions of them.
4. How does working in 40degree heat suit you?
5. Do you think you will miss the green fields of England?
6. Our pubs are different to yours, what do you think about that?
7. We truly believe, like yourselves, that our country is the best in the world. We are not afraid to say it.
8. Australia is not England, don't move here for the weather as it can be unpredictable and unless you have sweated your nuts off working in our heat, you wont really know if the weather suits you.
9. Homesickness is equal to that of something that will creep up on you and take over you. Expect to miss your family and have your action plan on riding through the bad times and getting help when needed. Home wasnt built in a day, friends are not made overnight and it takes ages to settle in a job.
10. We dont work in pounds, we work in dollars and dont give a shit how much things cost in England. But we would advise you to do your research on this when you have filled in this form.
Saying that, if they added this extra info on the 47sk form, it would make another page and if it were any longer, I reckon I would cry.
Mar 12th 2006, 8:45 pm
#55
Just Joined
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by Hutch
One thing I have noticed is that most of the whinging poms I meet are very middle class and usually degree educated (and always finding a way to mention it).
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ee#post3196461
Mar 12th 2006, 8:51 pm
#56
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2005
Location: at the bottom of a wine glass
Posts: 28,176
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by up my street 2
here's another degree-educated incessant whinger
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ee#post3196461
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ee#post3196461
Only one word for you........TROLL :scared:
Mar 12th 2006, 8:56 pm
#57
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 1,927
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Wow are you talking about Australia or the Isle of Man? Now which one am I leaving behind? 
Mar 12th 2006, 8:57 pm
#58
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 23,400
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by manxfamily
Wow are you talking about Australia or the Isle of Man? Now which one am I leaving behind?
I dont know but I have terrible trapped wind.
Who would like a cup of tea?
Mar 12th 2006, 8:58 pm
#59
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 10,158
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by Hutch
1. You moved 12,000 miles round the planet to continue staring at the idiot box? You're not in Kansas anymore Toto - you can step away from the cathode ray tube and discover the world outside your front door! But if you must watch the TV, buy a PVR and skip the ads - or join everyone else and get downloading (it's a little known fact that Australian's are the world's number one TV downloaders). Personally I favour 'getting a life' over complaining that you can't watch Emmerdale.
Given that Aus is only second to the USA in obesity, for god's sake, don't join in... Get off your arse and get outside to see one of the most beautiful and gob smackingly awe inspiring environments in the world. What's TV compared to that?
So it's crap..Then DON'T WATCH IT. If everyone did that, they'd get the message soon enough.
Mar 12th 2006, 8:59 pm
#60
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2005
Location: at the bottom of a wine glass
Posts: 28,176
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by iPom
LOL ... I am amazed about the amount of people who complain about Aussie TV. I won't be watching the bloody box and nor will my kids if we can be outside after school instead of sitting inside watching the sleet and snow pass the window.
Given that Aus is only second to the USA in obesity, for god's sake, don't join in... Get off your arse and get outside to see one of the most beautiful and gob smackingly awe inspiring environments in the world. What's TV compared to that?
So it's crap..Then DON'T WATCH IT. If everyone did that, they'd get the message soon enough.
Given that Aus is only second to the USA in obesity, for god's sake, don't join in... Get off your arse and get outside to see one of the most beautiful and gob smackingly awe inspiring environments in the world. What's TV compared to that?
So it's crap..Then DON'T WATCH IT. If everyone did that, they'd get the message soon enough.
My hubby said we are not having a TV :scared: