teejaydee

There is an interesting article on the BBC website today, about Britons returning from Australia.

The comments at the end of the article are worth looking at also.

'Boomerang Poms' flee Australia's traffic and TV - BBC News

Still Game

Anyone who thinks Australia doesn't have rain or traffic jams needs to get real!

Amazulu

Bye

spouse of scouse

You forgot to say 'don't let the door hit your arse on the way out'

Still Game

One thing is true, there are always going to be people who love it, hate it, like it, loathe it. Move there and back and there and back and there and..... and that's for pretty much any country in the world. That's pretty much a guarantee.

Me? Sometimes I love it and sometimes I loathe it... both Australia and the UK. But I certainly wouldn't move anywhere because I saw 'life' on a TV show!!

Please please don't tell me people move to Australia in the belief there will be somehow 24/7 sunshine and no traffic?

edit unless you're moving to the dusty Back o Burke (Outback)... where it's pretty much always sunny (45 plus) all the time and no traffic (except for massive road trains now and again)... plus it's still 1974 and Crocodile Dundee will pour you a warm beer whilst wrestling with a croc and dancing with your sheila.

Sigh....

ozzieeagle

Gotta admit my biggest gripe about the UK was the Motorway traffic jams and getting stuck on them just about every time I went on one. It's not that far behind that here now these days though. I've personally changed to the degree that UK irritations annoy me more than Aus ones though.... as per the last paragraph in that article, Not sure when that happened though or it was in my character to feel like that right from the start....

Reason I say that is, when I landed after the last visit, I vividly recalled my feelings on my first visit which was a holiday back in 76 to visit my cousin, when I had the feeling of big skies, open horizons and a feeling of weight of my back. Almost a replica of the same feeling and that was just on the 13k journey from Tullamarine to Coburg.... Or Westmeadows back in 76 where I visited my cousin.

So maybe some people are just built for this place....not sure now.... I really did experience the same feeling which surprised the hell out of me.

I certainly can see now how some UK people wouldn't like it here.....That pub culture thing is a hard thing to say goodbye too.... Luckily for me I live in a area where there is at least a semblance of UK pub culture. Plenty of people come to Sydney road from around Melbourne to do pub crawls along the 20 or so pubs along it's length.... Almost a right of passage for youngsters around here actually.

Bermudashorts

Loads think that as far as I can tell, some think it has perpetual daylight too.

Beoz

The traffic in the UK has never bothered me that much. I guess being in an around the South East you can skip the traffic and hit the public transport of you need to.

I missing working in the UK (London). Working in Australia is full of narrow minded dicks protecting their insecure little management position. Work ethic is strong but its a bit like working with Indians. There's my aim, must hit aim without any general perception to what's going on around them.

I do not miss the weather in fhe UK. Yes Australia has rain and it has cold, but its just the prolonged periods of cold and overcast conditions that drove me nuts in the UK. 9 months of damn winter is just not on. Summer in the UK is awesome but its just too short. Blink and its gone.

jad n rich

Alongside no rain and traffic should be space. Majority of migrants move to Sydney or Melbourne or a housing estate in Brisbane.

the troubadour

A surprisingly rather accurate view of working culture in Australia. All up probably one of the things I loathe most, apart from far too many pedestrian views within the narrow range held by too many out of the work arena as well. The trivia rather dominant in social situations can be taxing at times as well. Not to put to fine a point on the too many that take themselves increasingly seriously.


The attempt to climb up the greasy pole to supposed success is somewhat up noxious in the use of people for own ends where contact with others is increasing net working for own ends.


For all the above reasons miss London work culture and European in general.

Amazulu

This article is a steaming pile 'o shite and I expect better from the BBC - which is still one of the world's premium quality media organisations

the troubadour

The sheer cost of living within the Australian context must surely nullify advantages perceived? Friends recently visiting from Switzerland, hardly a cheap country in itself, were amazed at the price increases and quality since their last visit some years back.


It would appear we are slugged worse in Perth than the bigger cities, outside of housing or ripped more a correct term.


The advantages of those long term here being rather obvious. With dramatic housing inflation any number are obviously rubbing their hands together with glee.
The advantages of more recent or those to be immigrants not as clear as in previous times in the past.
Surely more than the weather is required for a happy and successful life? Or indeed the bother to uproot one self and family and cost involved in the first place?
Especially if coming from another developed country.


Hard to fault the Australian marketing of the product though. Plenty more punters waiting behind in line to replace those disgruntled returnees and feed the government coffers and housing Ponzi.

the troubadour

Actually rather spot on in most narrative expressed. Obviously hit a sore point with some unable to reflect on the possibility of alternative views being held than their own.

spouse of scouse

I was a bit surprised at the cost of living in the UK (north west) I'd expected it to be cheaper to live overall, in comparison with Perth, but I reckon it's about even now. I realize that this is dependent to a certain extent on where you live in Oz or the UK, and I've excluded the cost of buying/renting.

Groceries are definitely cheaper in my part of the UK, I especially love the variety and price of fresh fish and shellfish. I prefer to cook from scratch and my weekly shopping bill is quite a bit less than when I lived in Perth.

Council tax is much higher in the UK (slightly more than double), I hate to think what it would be in the South. Again, if I'd lived in a really fancy area in Perth the difference wouldn't be so great.

Petrol/diesel is about double the price in the UK, I'd imagine that would stand wherever you lived.

I've found vet costs to be higher in the UK. Cruciate ligament surgery for our goldie was $5,000 in Perth. When he obligingly ruptured the CL in his other back leg 2 weeks after we moved to the UK, the surgery was 3,700 pounds. Pet food is also more expensive. On the plus side, an ordinary visit to the vet is cheaper.

Clothing of comparable quality is about the same.

Eating out used to be quite a bit cheaper in Liverpool, now it's about the same when you match the style of food and restaurant (ie cheap and cheerful, mid-range or max the credit card).

Alcohol and cigarettes are a bit cheaper in the UK.

Where we were really in front was in selling our Perth property and buying in the UK. We sold a 4x2 in a mid-range Perth suburb quite close to the city, and bought a 3 story Victorian semi in New Brighton, Wirral. New Brighton was a bit down at heel for some decades, but a lot of money has been spent there over the past years around the marina and promenade areas. We have both ocean and river views, can walk to most places, and the price difference between us selling and buying the two houses was $300,000 in our favour.

ozzieeagle

Oh I know where you are..... On a good day you can see Liverpool from where you are..... and on a bad day you can see Everton !

A bit too close to Rhyl for comfort aren't you