British Expats - 2 yrs in Melboure experiment

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2 yrs in Melboure experiment - Update!

Hello People!

2 yr for us in Melbourne - so heres our little story:

Background
Youngish couple, no kids, im in IT, wife in Retail. I'm British, wife is Canadian, family mostly settled in UK, Canada, India and Australia.

Reasons for coming:
1. Been to Oz a few times before to see family and really liked it.
2. Thought we would try it for 2 yrs now before more commitments come along, kids, mortgages, season tickets to UTD.
3. Strained family relations - perhaps a break will also be good
4. Tired of the weather, constant pub life, nusiance chavs, medival muslim chavs.
5. My PR visa gained back in 2003 was running out

So of we trotted to Oz on our 2yrs(no visits home) experiment.

Good things in OZ(in my experience)
1. Jobs have been easy to come by, wages have been better than I thought, though still much less than
I was getting paid in the UK, but i was expecting this.
2. Less rain more days to go out and about
3. I feel overall safer in Melbourne going out, when I compare it to Brum, i dont have any stats to point too, its just how i feel.
4. Its good not to have to relocate constantly for work as I had to do in UK
5. Getting to know my Oz family more has been great
6. Making friends slowly has helped us to feel more settled
7. Point Cook though at times souless is becoming more pleasant as is grows
8. Theres great spots to visit on the weekend all with an hour or two.
9. Lots of great different cuisines and pretty cheap
10. All the usual things i require are here, Foxtel, Broadband, Temples, pubs, casino, beach, golf.

Bad things in OZ(in my experience)
1. Driving efficiency, quality and standards are terrible
2. Houses though nice layout i've been hugely disappointed in the quality of the build, woodsticks
with a lick of paint.
3. Having worked for several Banks and other major firms - I've found the work here of a very low standard, some people
just are simply not good enough, non-existence/poor working practices, which has caused several project failures, delayed projects,
expensive projects.
4. The isolation of being here hits home when I want to go on Holiday and so be far from everything
5. It does get freezing here too and so windy though i guess bay living as something to do with that :o)
6. Pokie machines

Conclusion:
All in all its better in some ways to our life in the UK, worser in others. Neither places are a rosy paradise - but in there own individual ways they are great places to live - I've found the experience a great one though,
i'm now in the process of applying for citizenship. i know I could appreciate Oz more, and living back in the UK for a few more years hopefully will make it more clearer to us, which place we will be content with the most.

I think you could attribute alot of the good and bad things to both places, but in the short time i've been here im just listing down my own perceptions based on my experience, and I hope i havent offended any of you good folk.

I was asked once whether Oz is worth immigrating too, and I gave him the same answer I would give to anyone.
" I dont have a clue, we are all different, we all have different expectations, different levels of contentment, we come from different walks of life"

Anyway I have to get some rest as im working this weekend, so thankyou for reading my ramblings, I've have enjoyed read all your experiences, I hope all of you are enjoying life be it here or over there.

All the best
G