Originally Posted by Mercedes

That you are starting on the friendship ladder again and you will be conscious of making friends rather than people who seem to have always been there.

If people have their own circle of friends sometimes it is harder to break in because they may not want any more to join their circle. Making friends with other migrants is often much easier and they will often have more sympathy towards you and try and make the transition easier for you.

To keep away from any moaning Brits or others it will only drag you down. Making friends with others from different cultures etc, will also broaden your outlook or life and may even change some of your views on life.

That if you pre-date a cheque, in the view of helping your cash flow, you may find if you have the funds the bank will cash it. It happened to me.

That if you drive 40km over the speed limit it may result in an instant ban for a month.....again happened to me. The copper didn't take my excuse that my aircon wasn't working and I was trying to get more air into the car.

That each State and its people do vary, you may in one State find the natives not very friendly but in other states they may be more so.

How complete strangers will offer their hospitality to you, and will make an effort to introduce you to people, especially if you are single.

How much easier it is for a single woman to go out without people staring and how many women do run their own successful businessess.

That not all Australians are unclutured yobs, like not all Brits aren't either. Look and you will find nice, friendly, intelligent people etc. If you don't then you're not looking in the right places.

That the size of spiders ie the Huntsman can cure you from any phobias, especially if you think of them as a small animal who is probably terrified of you. The size helps in thinking they are a small animal, rather than a big insect.

That they often do travel in pairs so if you find one, there is usually another. Also in the car they do come in through the airvent, again in pairs . So don't park under trees, especially with the windows open as when you come out of wherever, ie restaurant, pub, you will have an extra passenger. It isn't very pleasant to have one crawl over your shoulder when you are driving to see where you are going to, especially when you don't know he has hitched a ride.

That most snakes will try and avoid you if you do happen to come across them.

Crocodiles will travel across land, so if you are a woman menustrating, at a water hole or camping in croc country, they will scent and possibly hunt you. Told to me why an aborginal woman as a warning. Same with sharks, they can sniff you out miles away and can swim in very shallow water.

That the seafood is addictive and if you leave you will have cravings, and it is so cheap.

If you want to get on and make friends don't compare it to UK especially publically.

The chocolate isn't that great but the swiss chocolate is a good subsitute, but anything else tastes pretty yuk. If you have a craving for it and at a friends house, you will probably find it in the fridge along with the choccy biscuits, so save yourself some time in checking all the cupboards..

That some Australians may feel very comfortable in your home and don't have a problem in helping themselves to tea/coffee/beer etc.

That if you go to a BBQ you are expected to take something like a salad, dessert, plus your drink. Also if you have a bbq, and you are used to providing expect them to turn up with meat, salad, drink etc. I found it hard to ask people to bring things initially to a bbq.

It can be lonely intitially but your friends can also become subsitute family and be very close if you want them to.

Each State does vary on climate and some British summer things can be too hot for Australia, likewise winter stuff, unless you are in some parts of Victoria.

That in some states people do walk around barefooted and it is the norm. You may even find yourself doing it after a while.

That many people are more interested in you as a person and not material wealth you have or what you do for a job, when meeting you. They either will like you or not, based on your personality. If they think you are a dickhead they generally will tell you. That can be a bit of a shock if you are used to saying someone is a dickhead behind their back to 40 people. The Aussies tend to tell you straight rather than waste their breath in moaning to 40 people. You then have the choice to take note or ignore and have more tell you that you are a dickhead in the future.

You may hate a place initially but you may change your mind. Places are the people you meet at the end of the day.

Real Estate Agents can rip you off, instead of filling in the form on damages, scratches on a place you rent, take photos of everything, in that way you may get all your bond back. Many Landlords or Real Estate Agents often won't give you your whole bond back, as they will dispute damages etc....a photo says a thousand words and if you take it to the tribunal you may have more of a case of winning.


Remember that some things are said that can be taken the wrong way but actually are innocent remarks, its all about how each communicate. It took me a while to realise that often what may be viewed as rude in fact wasn't meant to be.

And finally you have decided to emigrate it is upto you to fit into your new country, not the other way around. You may experience a culture shock and if anyone calls you a bitch or a bastard it probably is said in endearment rather than actually insulting you.


If you like history, European culture etc, you may find Oz a bit bland, the cities are at least 9 hours drive away from each other in the Southern hemisphere and then go into days as you go further north. Even New Zealand is a 5ish hour flight from Melbourne to Auckland. It looked a lot closer on the map...

.

Originally Posted by Mercedes

That you are starting on the friendship ladder again and you will be conscious of making friends rather than people who seem to have always been there.

If people have their own circle of friends sometimes it is harder to break in because they may not want any more to join their circle. Making friends with other migrants is often much easier and they will often have more sympathy towards you and try and make the transition easier for you.

To keep away from any moaning Brits or others it will only drag you down. Making friends with others from different cultures etc, will also broaden your outlook or life and may even change some of your views on life.

That if you pre-date a cheque, in the view of helping your cash flow, you may find if you have the funds the bank will cash it. It happened to me.



That if you drive 40km over the speed limit it may result in an instant ban for a month.....again happened to me. The copper didn't take my excuse that my aircon wasn't working and I was trying to get more air into the car.

That each State and its people do vary, you may in one State find the natives not very friendly but in other states they may be more so.

How complete strangers will offer their hospitality to you, and will make an effort to introduce you to people, especially if you are single.

How much easier it is for a single woman to go out without people staring and how many women do run their own successful businessess.

That not all Australians are unclutured yobs, like not all Brits aren't either. Look and you will find nice, friendly, intelligent people etc. If you don't then you're not looking in the right places.

That the size of spiders ie the Huntsman can cure you from any phobias, especially if you think of them as a small animal who is probably terrified of you. The size helps in thinking they are a small animal, rather than a big insect.

That they often do travel in pairs so if you find one, there is usually another. Also in the car they do come in through the airvent, again in pairs . So don't park under trees, especially with the windows open as when you come out of wherever, ie restaurant, pub, you will have an extra passenger. It isn't very pleasant to have one crawl over your shoulder when you are driving to see where you are going to, especially when you don't know he has hitched a ride.

That most snakes will try and avoid you if you do happen to come across them.

Crocodiles will travel across land, so if you are a woman menustrating, at a water hole or camping in croc country, they will scent and possibly hunt you. Told to me why an aborginal woman as a warning. Same with sharks, they can sniff you out miles away and can swim in very shallow water.

That the seafood is addictive and if you leave you will have cravings, and it is so cheap.

If you want to get on and make friends don't compare it to UK especially publically.

The chocolate isn't that great but the swiss chocolate is a good subsitute, but anything else tastes pretty yuk. If you have a craving for it and at a friends house, you will probably find it in the fridge along with the choccy biscuits, so save yourself some time in checking all the cupboards..

That some Australians may feel very comfortable in your home and don't have a problem in helping themselves to tea/coffee/beer etc.

That if you go to a BBQ you are expected to take something like a salad, dessert, plus your drink. Also if you have a bbq, and you are used to providing expect them to turn up with meat, salad, drink etc. I found it hard to ask people to bring things initially to a bbq.

It can be lonely intitially but your friends can also become subsitute family and be very close if you want them to.

Each State does vary on climate and some British summer things can be too hot for Australia, likewise winter stuff, unless you are in some parts of Victoria.

That in some states people do walk around barefooted and it is the norm. You may even find yourself doing it after a while.

That many people are more interested in you as a person and not material wealth you have or what you do for a job, when meeting you. They either will like you or not, based on your personality. If they think you are a dickhead they generally will tell you. That can be a bit of a shock if you are used to saying someone is a dickhead behind their back to 40 people. The Aussies tend to tell you straight rather than waste their breath in moaning to 40 people. You then have the choice to take note or ignore and have more tell you that you are a dickhead in the future.

You may hate a place initially but you may change your mind. Places are the people you meet at the end of the day.

Real Estate Agents can rip you off, instead of filling in the form on damages, scratches on a place you rent, take photos of everything, in that way you may get all your bond back. Many Landlords or Real Estate Agents often won't give you your whole bond back, as they will dispute damages etc....a photo says a thousand words and if you take it to the tribunal you may have more of a case of winning.


Remember that some things are said that can be taken the wrong way but actually are innocent remarks, its all about how each communicate. It took me a while to realise that often what may be viewed as rude in fact wasn't meant to be.

And finally you have decided to emigrate it is upto you to fit into your new country, not the other way around. You may experience a culture shock and if anyone calls you a bitch or a bastard it probably is said in endearment rather than actually insulting you.


If you like history, European culture etc, you may find Oz a bit bland, the cities are at least 9 hours drive away from each other in the Southern hemisphere and then go into days as you go further north. Even New Zealand is a 5ish hour flight from Melbourne to Auckland. It looked a lot closer on the map...

.

Originally Posted by ELLJAY

Really good post.

Only wanna add one thing - which came up this week when i met someone new.

** Make sure you have your mobile phone "UNLOCKED" before you come. Then you can just buy an Oz sim card when you get here. **

Originally Posted by jad n rich

I hope I have not upset the posters who are asking for people not to 'inflict' as it was put, our daily trials and tribulations on those coming out, but I think in the majority this sort of stuff is exactly what people want to read.

Originally Posted by Hutch

Tip for this thread - if you want to keep it to the real posts and cut down on the arsehole quota:

1. Click on 'My Profile' in the pinkish menu bar at the top of this window.
2. Click on 'Buddy / Ignore Lists' at the bottom of the list of options on the left in the 'Miscellaneous' section.
3. In the top window of the Ignore list enter 'iamthecreaturefromuranus' and in the second selection window enter 'emu72'.
4. Click on the 'Update Ignore List' button.

Originally Posted by jad n rich

Knew pretty well what to expect partners an aussie, But from what rels in the UK think about OZ, I would say knowing the following are very important.

Australia is not cheap, it used to be even in 2000 I would say it was significantly cheaper than the Uk, that is no one reason we came out, now its a very different story. Cheap reputation was founded on fact but is now very out of date and needs to be forgotten.

Weather, its not wall to wall sunshine, often its too hot, too wet, too windy, or in some places it might even be too cold. Its just as possible to be too hot to do some things, as it is to be too drizzly in the UK. Dayliight hours may be very odd in summer light at 5 dark at 7 type thing.

What it costs to uphold the my family are only going to be a flight away theory. Aifares here are very expensive, for a family like us 5, going over even in term time costs around $11,000 with taxes, thats cheap time not the christmas/summer period, if your planning trips back understand the cost and that its an enormous amount of money in aussie wages. Also aussie dollars usually buy a few pennies overseas, once you get there it will take a lot of money to keep you going.

Check whats required to work in your profession, will it require licences or postings outback/remote to further or even start your career.

Things educational and medical for children are not free, things like dental, prescriptions etc and even as someone said state school, if you have children you will notice the difference these things add to your annual budget.

Some crime/drug rates are higher here, dont come expecting some great improvement on the faults human nature dishes out, there are scumbags here too.

Mix with aussies, most say this is difficult and stick with poms, catch 22 that aussies will be your leads and contacts into things.

Your family, relationship, weight, vices wont change, if your husband got on your nerves there he probably will get on them twice as much with the stress of it all. Your new boss will probably be just as much of a wanker as he was in the Uk, sorry but thats so true

Prepare for your family to be divided on what they think of OZ and who wants to stay and who wants to go back, mum and dad may think its lovely, your 14 year old may think you have just dragged them to a living hell, just be prepared for divided and ever changing opinions, I think thats been the most draining part of it all for us.

I hope I have not upset the posters who are asking for people not to 'inflict' as it was put, our daily trials and tribulations on those coming out, but I think in the majority this sort of stuff is exactly what people want to read. Its a great experience, just be very aware at the end of the day its just another country and most days will be pretty much the same sort of routine you get anywhere really.

Originally Posted by steandleigh

Was that directed at me?, as you posted it directly after my M-I-L comment?

Originally Posted by ELLJAY

Also -

Wish i'd known how much it costs to send your kids to public (that is state)
schools.

Voluntary contribution (which in our case is "expected")
school uniforms (to be bought from the school uniform shop)1) summer 2)winter 3) sport
need to buy all your own exercise books
stationary (including - scissors, gluesticks, pencils, textas (felt-tips) (and they HAVE to be the connector type!)
if you want them to do scripture - pay extra for that
any clubs at lunchtime - pay for that
trips
fundraising
etc etc

not a pommie whinge - just wish i had known- so could have budgetted for it on arrival.
hope this is useful to someone

Originally Posted by Hutch

lol - no mate - read step 3 ... "3. In the top window of the Ignore list enter 'iamthecreaturefromuranus' and in the second selection window enter 'emu72'."