Some realities of Perth.
Apr 16th 2007, 8:01 am
#46
Pasta Fari
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Northants
Posts: 454
Re: Some realities of Perth.
Omigod!!! We got our meds and PCCs requested this morning. After reading this I think we won't bother 
Otherwise, it sounds a fair-ish gripe list for Perth. You take the rough with the smooth, and we like the smooth a lot. The only serious thing which puts us off is house prices.
Shops shut on Sunday - heaven.
Cheers
Karl
Otherwise, it sounds a fair-ish gripe list for Perth. You take the rough with the smooth, and we like the smooth a lot. The only serious thing which puts us off is house prices.
Shops shut on Sunday - heaven.
Cheers
Karl
Apr 16th 2007, 9:44 am
#47
Life is more than a dream
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Kings Moss, UK - it's a bit like Emmerdale
Posts: 1,389
Re: Some realities of Perth.
I don't usually post on this forum because anything negative about Australia is usually met with abuse 
However..... I can totally see where the OP is coming from here. Nothing can prepare you for the culture shock of emigrating. Many people sell up their homes, give up jobs and move their families across the world without even visiting the place - I did it myself
Even a long reccie visit in my opinion cannot prepare you properly for actually living in another country. Many of us tend to believe that because Australia is an English speaking country and many of it's inhabitants are descended from British, that it will be like the UK but with sunshine
I don't mind admiting that I was completely stupid and naive, if it will help someone else to prepare and research a little bit more before taking this giant step. Australia is not Britain. It's nothing like Britiain, it is so different in culture so please don't assume that it is. I researched on the web, spoke to people who lived in Oz, read Aussie papers, went to expos etc., but this still was nowhere near enough.
When your dreams turn to a nightmare and you realise that you made a big mistake, all the small things seem big and annoying.
We went with the intention of exploring the country but in reality it's very difficult to see places that are miles away when you are earning Aussie dollars (unless you have a great job). We are used to several holidays each year, hopping over to Europe on cheap flights etc., but unless you are in a very well paid job or have taken a fair wedge of cash over to set you up, you just can't do that in Oz. Internal flights that seem cheap when you are doing Internet research are also expensive when earning dollars. We found that food, housing and general cost of living was also much more expensive than we'd previously thought.
We have lost out so much financially - we are back in the UK now starting from scratch again. I'm not telling people this for any other reason but to warn people to do as much research as they can before selling up and moving across the world. For many people it's the best thing they've ever done and they love the Aussie lifestyle - to me it seems a nice place if you have little ones and if you love beaches and barbies. But remember, it isn't anything like the UK which for some is a blessing but for others it's just too difficult to adapt to. Ask yourself what kind of a life do you want, what are the things that you enjoy doing. Oz is a great country, it has amazing scenery and lovely laid back people, but not everyone can ajust to living there.
Good luck to anyone going out there - I truly hope that it works out for you
However..... I can totally see where the OP is coming from here. Nothing can prepare you for the culture shock of emigrating. Many people sell up their homes, give up jobs and move their families across the world without even visiting the place - I did it myself
Even a long reccie visit in my opinion cannot prepare you properly for actually living in another country. Many of us tend to believe that because Australia is an English speaking country and many of it's inhabitants are descended from British, that it will be like the UK but with sunshine I don't mind admiting that I was completely stupid and naive, if it will help someone else to prepare and research a little bit more before taking this giant step. Australia is not Britain. It's nothing like Britiain, it is so different in culture so please don't assume that it is. I researched on the web, spoke to people who lived in Oz, read Aussie papers, went to expos etc., but this still was nowhere near enough.
When your dreams turn to a nightmare and you realise that you made a big mistake, all the small things seem big and annoying.
We went with the intention of exploring the country but in reality it's very difficult to see places that are miles away when you are earning Aussie dollars (unless you have a great job). We are used to several holidays each year, hopping over to Europe on cheap flights etc., but unless you are in a very well paid job or have taken a fair wedge of cash over to set you up, you just can't do that in Oz. Internal flights that seem cheap when you are doing Internet research are also expensive when earning dollars. We found that food, housing and general cost of living was also much more expensive than we'd previously thought.
We have lost out so much financially - we are back in the UK now starting from scratch again. I'm not telling people this for any other reason but to warn people to do as much research as they can before selling up and moving across the world. For many people it's the best thing they've ever done and they love the Aussie lifestyle - to me it seems a nice place if you have little ones and if you love beaches and barbies. But remember, it isn't anything like the UK which for some is a blessing but for others it's just too difficult to adapt to. Ask yourself what kind of a life do you want, what are the things that you enjoy doing. Oz is a great country, it has amazing scenery and lovely laid back people, but not everyone can ajust to living there.
Good luck to anyone going out there - I truly hope that it works out for you
Apr 16th 2007, 10:38 am
#48
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2006
Location: Ocean reef
Posts: 545
Re: Some realities of Perth.
Horses for courses, personally i cannot believe anyone would wake up one morning and decide to move to a country or place they have never been to without at least trying it first. We spent 6 months in perth on a work visa and spent time in all the major cities in oz. They are all completly different and if you have travelled accross the world to try one you dont like, instead why not have a go at another city or area instaed of giving up and going home. I cant believe some people wouldnt take the smallest risks in life but to move to oz with your eyes shut and then complain about it is unreal!
I also feel people think that moving country they will change as people and suddenly become happy, but i dont think you can change countries you have to let the country change you.
If your miserable in england with your life and job it dosnt mean your outlook on life will change coming to oz. I think for a lot of people if they have a go and find it isnt for them they give themselves a pat on the back for trying and trudge back to england , but then they complain they have to go back and start fom scratch if they had looked into the move properly in the first place maybe they would have never come in first place and they could have got on with their lives merrily in england.
(ps this is no way directed at anyone particulary)
I also feel people think that moving country they will change as people and suddenly become happy, but i dont think you can change countries you have to let the country change you.
If your miserable in england with your life and job it dosnt mean your outlook on life will change coming to oz. I think for a lot of people if they have a go and find it isnt for them they give themselves a pat on the back for trying and trudge back to england , but then they complain they have to go back and start fom scratch if they had looked into the move properly in the first place maybe they would have never come in first place and they could have got on with their lives merrily in england.
(ps this is no way directed at anyone particulary)
Apr 16th 2007, 10:50 am
#49
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 757
Re: Some realities of Perth.
My wife and i have now been in Perth for 6 months and all we can think about is when we can get out of it. Unfortunately we are in the process of building a house so we will be here for another year at least !!!! ( jumped into the market to quick ).
I am not writing this to scare people off from Perth however if you are in the UK and are dreaming of coming here then you may like to know of some of the harsh realities of life here.
First of all i would like to point out that most of the shops are closed on Sundays. There are many big shopping centres here and none are doing business on Sundays !!! Yes the city is open but the stores there are crap compared to the UK and it is so small. It may sound trivial but when you have come from a place where Sunday shopping is quite normal it is bloody hard to get your head around. Apparently WA is the only state in OZ where this happens ?
Lots of people walk about in their bare feet !!!! Let me tell you that this is weird to see when you are working in a University (like i am) and you see people walking to classes with no shoes ! Am i the only one who finds this disgusting ????
The freeways are just as busy as the roads were in Glasgow, so don't think that driving here is a pleasure, in fact it is one of the most frustrating things about Perth.
The people here just don't know how to drive. Drivers will sit at 90 ks in the outside lane and they don't move over for anyone so they overtake down the inside lane. It is real life wacky races.
They also love doing burnouts in their V8s. We live in Greenwood and it is a decent suburb however it seems to be the burnout capital of Perth.
Drivers here have no curtesy either. You will sit at a junction for ever and no one will let you out, they don't flash their lights here (to let you in /out at junctions) and a friendly wave of thanks is non existent.
The nearest pub is always miles away and the drink is expensive. $8 a pint in the Greenwood is considered good and $10 is normal in other bars.I have paid $15 for drink in Subiaco ! Getting a taxi from the city or Northbridge is almost impossible. There are no private taxi companies here so they are sparse to say the least. Never mind, you could always have a few pints then drive home. Drink driving here is rife, worse than Scotland.
The cost of living (for us) is roughly the same as it was in Scotland. House rental prices are high as are house prices, fruit and veg is pretty expensive, bills etc are similar to what we were used to. We got a bill from the water board for $84 for 2 months water at our plot of land !!!!!!!!!! It is just a big plot of dirt and have never seen any water in my time there ????
The one big difference though is the cost of petrol, much cheaper than UK prices, although it is going up all the time. It was $1.06 in December and it is now hitting $1.32 in some garages.
Banks are worse here than in the UK. You get charged for having an account with the banks ($5 a month) and if you use atm's make sure it is your own banks that you use, you get charged for using other atm's.
They don't hold any large amounts of cash either which made life difficult for us when we tried to buy a car. We went to the local branch to withdraw $7000 and were told that we would not be able to get this amount from the one branch, so we had to go to 2 banks to get this money out !!!
Internet connection is as slow as a week in the jail. Broadband is miles behind the UK and is such a problem that it features highly in the political stakes.
The topic is Perth and its isolation hits home when you get here too. I thought about a weekend in Sydney recently and it is $300 one way. Instead we chose to drive to Margaret River, one of WA's premier holiday destinations. We walked the length of the town in 10 minutes and had a drink in one of the 2 bars there. Not much happening there, except for wineries.
There are also a shortage of building materials which causes delays in house building.
The good things about Perth are it's beaches and weather, although it is raining heavy as i write this.
I know everyone will not agree with this thread , but these are only our thoughts and experiences of Perth.
Oh and if any of you guys are joiners / carpenters then be warned, they use gyproc over 5 metres long here !!!!!!!
I am not writing this to scare people off from Perth however if you are in the UK and are dreaming of coming here then you may like to know of some of the harsh realities of life here.
First of all i would like to point out that most of the shops are closed on Sundays. There are many big shopping centres here and none are doing business on Sundays !!! Yes the city is open but the stores there are crap compared to the UK and it is so small. It may sound trivial but when you have come from a place where Sunday shopping is quite normal it is bloody hard to get your head around. Apparently WA is the only state in OZ where this happens ?
Lots of people walk about in their bare feet !!!! Let me tell you that this is weird to see when you are working in a University (like i am) and you see people walking to classes with no shoes ! Am i the only one who finds this disgusting ????
The freeways are just as busy as the roads were in Glasgow, so don't think that driving here is a pleasure, in fact it is one of the most frustrating things about Perth.
The people here just don't know how to drive. Drivers will sit at 90 ks in the outside lane and they don't move over for anyone so they overtake down the inside lane. It is real life wacky races.
They also love doing burnouts in their V8s. We live in Greenwood and it is a decent suburb however it seems to be the burnout capital of Perth.
Drivers here have no curtesy either. You will sit at a junction for ever and no one will let you out, they don't flash their lights here (to let you in /out at junctions) and a friendly wave of thanks is non existent.
The nearest pub is always miles away and the drink is expensive. $8 a pint in the Greenwood is considered good and $10 is normal in other bars.I have paid $15 for drink in Subiaco ! Getting a taxi from the city or Northbridge is almost impossible. There are no private taxi companies here so they are sparse to say the least. Never mind, you could always have a few pints then drive home. Drink driving here is rife, worse than Scotland.
The cost of living (for us) is roughly the same as it was in Scotland. House rental prices are high as are house prices, fruit and veg is pretty expensive, bills etc are similar to what we were used to. We got a bill from the water board for $84 for 2 months water at our plot of land !!!!!!!!!! It is just a big plot of dirt and have never seen any water in my time there ????
The one big difference though is the cost of petrol, much cheaper than UK prices, although it is going up all the time. It was $1.06 in December and it is now hitting $1.32 in some garages.
Banks are worse here than in the UK. You get charged for having an account with the banks ($5 a month) and if you use atm's make sure it is your own banks that you use, you get charged for using other atm's.
They don't hold any large amounts of cash either which made life difficult for us when we tried to buy a car. We went to the local branch to withdraw $7000 and were told that we would not be able to get this amount from the one branch, so we had to go to 2 banks to get this money out !!!
Internet connection is as slow as a week in the jail. Broadband is miles behind the UK and is such a problem that it features highly in the political stakes.
The topic is Perth and its isolation hits home when you get here too. I thought about a weekend in Sydney recently and it is $300 one way. Instead we chose to drive to Margaret River, one of WA's premier holiday destinations. We walked the length of the town in 10 minutes and had a drink in one of the 2 bars there. Not much happening there, except for wineries.
There are also a shortage of building materials which causes delays in house building.
The good things about Perth are it's beaches and weather, although it is raining heavy as i write this.
I know everyone will not agree with this thread , but these are only our thoughts and experiences of Perth.
Oh and if any of you guys are joiners / carpenters then be warned, they use gyproc over 5 metres long here !!!!!!!
Apr 16th 2007, 11:41 am
#50
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Back in Glasgow
Posts: 117
Re: Some realities of Perth.
It's been good to read so many replies to my post.
Like i said, it is only our thoughts and i knew that loads of people would not agree with them. Still it feels good now that i have got them off my chest.
Interesting to hear that some people are having similar thoughts.
As former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett said a few weeks ago-
Perth is antiseptic, devoid of life and lacks culture.
The Western Australian capital does not offer visitors enough incentive to make the extensive trip across the country.
The city has no heartbeat due to its lack of identity, culture or sporting prowess.
He goes into much more detail but i think you should get the picture.
Like i said, it is only our thoughts and i knew that loads of people would not agree with them. Still it feels good now that i have got them off my chest.
Interesting to hear that some people are having similar thoughts.
As former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett said a few weeks ago-
Perth is antiseptic, devoid of life and lacks culture.
The Western Australian capital does not offer visitors enough incentive to make the extensive trip across the country.
The city has no heartbeat due to its lack of identity, culture or sporting prowess.
He goes into much more detail but i think you should get the picture.
Apr 16th 2007, 11:54 am
#51
Éireann go Brách
Joined: Mar 2006
Location: White Man in Hammersmith Palais
Posts: 2,932
Re: Some realities of Perth.
Here here. Good to see the other side. People get slaughtered on these boards for negative view of places. Different strokes and all that.
Apr 16th 2007, 11:57 am
#52
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2006
Location: Ocean reef
Posts: 545
Re: Some realities of Perth.
I would say that when i get to Oz personally i wouldnt be sat in the forums talking negatively about how bad life is, and the doom and gloom id be out there doing somthing about it. You only live once i can now fully understand why the aussies call us whinging poms!
Apr 16th 2007, 12:00 pm
#53
A former regular of BE
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Carramar, Perth
Posts: 6,241
Re: Some realities of Perth.
As former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett said a few weeks ago-
Perth is antiseptic, devoid of life and lacks culture.
The Western Australian capital does not offer visitors enough incentive to make the extensive trip across the country.
The city has no heartbeat due to its lack of identity, culture or sporting prowess.
He goes into much more detail but i think you should get the picture.
Perth is antiseptic, devoid of life and lacks culture.
The Western Australian capital does not offer visitors enough incentive to make the extensive trip across the country.
The city has no heartbeat due to its lack of identity, culture or sporting prowess.
He goes into much more detail but i think you should get the picture.
That frightened the life out of me when I read it. Please don't let them make Perth like Melbourne. Vive la difference.
Apr 16th 2007, 12:07 pm
#54
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Some realities of Perth.
I'd say, come for a change of life that is viable, not to swap one suburban existence for another.
Apr 16th 2007, 12:10 pm
#55
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Some realities of Perth.
Bear in mind not all people get shot down in flames. I think noone minds negativity, it's only met with ''abuse'' if its lopsided or if the poster doesn't have any credibility.(!)
Apr 16th 2007, 12:24 pm
#56
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Back in Glasgow
Posts: 117
Re: Some realities of Perth.
Louise D - thanks for your reply. i can relate to all that you have wrote.
Good wishes for your future in Great Britain.
Good wishes for your future in Great Britain.
Apr 16th 2007, 1:05 pm
#57
Life is more than a dream
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Kings Moss, UK - it's a bit like Emmerdale
Posts: 1,389
Re: Some realities of Perth.
Horses for courses, personally i cannot believe anyone would wake up one morning and decide to move to a country or place they have never been to without at least trying it first. We spent 6 months in perth on a work visa and spent time in all the major cities in oz. They are all completly different and if you have travelled accross the world to try one you dont like, instead why not have a go at another city or area instaed of giving up and going home. I cant believe some people wouldnt take the smallest risks in life but to move to oz with your eyes shut and then complain about it is unreal!
I also feel people think that moving country they will change as people and suddenly become happy, but i dont think you can change countries you have to let the country change you.
If your miserable in england with your life and job it dosnt mean your outlook on life will change coming to oz. I think for a lot of people if they have a go and find it isnt for them they give themselves a pat on the back for trying and trudge back to england , but then they complain they have to go back and start fom scratch if they had looked into the move properly in the first place maybe they would have never come in first place and they could have got on with their lives merrily in england.
(ps this is no way directed at anyone particulary)
I also feel people think that moving country they will change as people and suddenly become happy, but i dont think you can change countries you have to let the country change you.
If your miserable in england with your life and job it dosnt mean your outlook on life will change coming to oz. I think for a lot of people if they have a go and find it isnt for them they give themselves a pat on the back for trying and trudge back to england , but then they complain they have to go back and start fom scratch if they had looked into the move properly in the first place maybe they would have never come in first place and they could have got on with their lives merrily in england.
(ps this is no way directed at anyone particulary)
Many people though haven't got the resources to visit for long periods before they move and certainly not the time or money to travel to all the major cities. Also, some visas do not allow you to move freely around Australia (as in our case).
Why when you choose to tell people of your experiences are you branded as complaining
Who is complaining? Just because something hasn't worked out for someone or they don't like something does not mean they are complaining. They are simply stating what has happened or what they don't like. There are bound to be unhappy immigrants just as surely as there are bound to be happy ones. This forum is to give people a balanced view of both sides isn't it? The OP was simply pointing out things that they had found they didn't like. I was pointing out that emigrating isn't always a success story. I'm sure that people would rather hear both good and bad things about Oz rather than a picture of paradise with no crime, no traffic jams, 24 hour shopping malls, low taxes and free everthing as was the picture painted for me by certain people I know (didn't believe the 24 hour shopping bit though 
) I know I would have preferred a more realistic view.Ive never been happier than I am now and I've certainly no time for complaining or whinging. My experience has taught me to appreciate what I have, not what I haven't got. It's taught me what is important in my life and that isn't a big house, swimming pool or nice beaches
Apr 16th 2007, 1:15 pm
#58
Life is more than a dream
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Kings Moss, UK - it's a bit like Emmerdale
Posts: 1,389
Re: Some realities of Perth.
There are some real scary folk on here
Apr 16th 2007, 1:56 pm
#59
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2006
Location: Ocean reef
Posts: 545
Re: Some realities of Perth.
Your completly right people do have a right to point out the good and bad about places. I do think that we (english) do tend to whinge and moan about the smallest things and thats what annoys me. I also agree that people dont always have choice, freddom or time to check oz out but i do think some people give up all too easy and if they did go the extra mile in the first place to check things out it would have saved een more heartbreak money and time in the first place.
I firmly believe you make of life what it throws at you, well i certainly do anyway, i never dwell/regret any decisions i make even if they were wrong. My philosophy you only live once!!!!!
ps we have a westie called archiebald whos coming with us!
I firmly believe you make of life what it throws at you, well i certainly do anyway, i never dwell/regret any decisions i make even if they were wrong. My philosophy you only live once!!!!!
ps we have a westie called archiebald whos coming with us!
Apr 16th 2007, 3:00 pm
#60
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2007
Location: Now living in Western Australia, Secret Harbour
Posts: 636
Re: Some realities of Perth.
Wow this has been an interesting issue to read, we have just decided to move to Perth, our heart was set on Brisbaine as we just adore that city but were short of points and decided to move to Perth instead, my cousin is moving to Perth in a few months time, her hubby's family all live out there and she has only ever said good things about Perth, it's been very interesting reading both sides good and bad.