11 months in Oz and we are out of here (thank god!)
#31
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 397
Re: 11 months in Oz and we are out of here (thank god!)
9 years in Australia, back in the UK as of June this year, but came back every year for Christmas and Europe in summers.
Loved Australia but had enough after 6 years, was too boring and one dimensional for me, I prefer the choas and madness of Europe, but thats just me.
I reckon, if you go over as a family it can be tough if you dont feel you fit in. I was young free and single, sang in bands, worked for seek.com.au in sales had a great network of friends and had a few decent and not so decent relationship.
Moved back to UK, love Europe on doorstep, met a hugarian girl in london, UK hasnt changed much at all in ten years, just the ups and downs of modern life.
I totally get why some people have enough of the UK (6 months of grey skies and miserable moaning people) and i totally get why some people have enough of australia (oppressive weather, feeling isolated and AFL) but its horses for courses.
We all post our reports on here, I know just as many Brits who are smug and happy in Australia, because they came with an open mind, and I know plenty who said, 'not for me'. you got to find out for yourself.
Having been in all cities, I found Melbourne most interesting...
Loved Australia but had enough after 6 years, was too boring and one dimensional for me, I prefer the choas and madness of Europe, but thats just me.
I reckon, if you go over as a family it can be tough if you dont feel you fit in. I was young free and single, sang in bands, worked for seek.com.au in sales had a great network of friends and had a few decent and not so decent relationship.
Moved back to UK, love Europe on doorstep, met a hugarian girl in london, UK hasnt changed much at all in ten years, just the ups and downs of modern life.
I totally get why some people have enough of the UK (6 months of grey skies and miserable moaning people) and i totally get why some people have enough of australia (oppressive weather, feeling isolated and AFL) but its horses for courses.
We all post our reports on here, I know just as many Brits who are smug and happy in Australia, because they came with an open mind, and I know plenty who said, 'not for me'. you got to find out for yourself.
Having been in all cities, I found Melbourne most interesting...
#32
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 300
Re: 11 months in Oz and we are out of here (thank god!)
Well, I can speak from personal experience in saying he IS nice man.
And in the twelve months he's been in the position, he has righted so many of John Howard's wrongs that it feels like an entirely different country.
#33
Re: 11 months in Oz and we are out of here (thank god!)
Martin well done for giving Aus a go it wasn't right for you but at leas you had the gumption to try it.
Good luck with your future life in Germany it's a beautiful country that I loved living in.
Good luck with your future life in Germany it's a beautiful country that I loved living in.
#34
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 839
Re: 11 months in Oz and we are out of here (thank god!)
I never felt that way about the uk great place to live.
Ï love Australia and find plenty "sophistication." I find most people that run down the Uk before leaving, find emigration a let down. more to do with them than the place I would venture. not so much glass half empty, as "some other ****** knocked my drink over!"
Ï love Australia and find plenty "sophistication." I find most people that run down the Uk before leaving, find emigration a let down. more to do with them than the place I would venture. not so much glass half empty, as "some other ****** knocked my drink over!"
Now I can compare, some things better in Oz ,some not.
On balance I prefer the UK by a mile
#35
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Joined: Mar 2007
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 835
Re: 11 months in Oz and we are out of here (thank god!)
Fair points.
I just hope when you get here you find the time to enjoy yourself.The aussies spend a lot of time at work and getting to work.
I live in Australia ,have a house 25 minutes to Glasgow on the train and despite its numourous problems I'd rather have Glasgow than Melbourne.So I'm going home
I just hope when you get here you find the time to enjoy yourself.The aussies spend a lot of time at work and getting to work.
I live in Australia ,have a house 25 minutes to Glasgow on the train and despite its numourous problems I'd rather have Glasgow than Melbourne.So I'm going home
Hope everything works out for you in Germany OP, still waiting to experience the bad driving in OZ that people keep talking about though
#36
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 10,784
Re: 11 months in Oz and we are out of here (thank god!)
You played your cards well by having options, not everybody does, or can do that.
At least when you get back you will appreciate it all the more I would imagine
#37
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 839
Re: 11 months in Oz and we are out of here (thank god!)
It was one of my ambitions since I was a kid to live here and I've achieved it.It would be worse had I never tried it and I do realise that many are trapped or too unwilling to have the upheavel of going back.
Also I know people who prefer it here.
Where in Scotland are you from?
#38
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 10,784
Re: 11 months in Oz and we are out of here (thank god!)
True, In spite of all the things I don't like and have a rant about there are things and people who I'll really miss.I'm having a good time here because I know I'm leaving
It was one of my ambitions since I was a kid to live here and I've achieved it.It would be worse had I never tried it and I do realise that many are trapped or too unwilling to have the upheavel of going back.
Also I know people who prefer it here.
Where in Scotland are you from?
It was one of my ambitions since I was a kid to live here and I've achieved it.It would be worse had I never tried it and I do realise that many are trapped or too unwilling to have the upheavel of going back.
Also I know people who prefer it here.
Where in Scotland are you from?
#39
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 839
Re: 11 months in Oz and we are out of here (thank god!)
#40
Re: 11 months in Oz and we are out of here (thank god!)
I never felt that way about the uk great place to live.
Ï love Australia and find plenty "sophistication." I find most people that run down the Uk before leaving, find emigration a let down. more to do with them than the place I would venture. not so much glass half empty, as "some other ****** knocked my drink over!"
Ï love Australia and find plenty "sophistication." I find most people that run down the Uk before leaving, find emigration a let down. more to do with them than the place I would venture. not so much glass half empty, as "some other ****** knocked my drink over!"
#41
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Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: 11 months in Oz and we are out of here (thank god!)
Interesting post - well written and very insightful thoughts on deciding whether to make the move.
The criticisms are well known and many would agree, me included.
For other migrants, how you deal with some of these is personal and highly variable. For example, I love Australian sports but do not like the football played in the Uk.
Agree that a lot of suburban Australia is tat but that can be mitigated if you look very carefully and choose your location to fit in with how you want to live which I think a lot of migrants don't really consider. They move to some very ordinary suburban location or place that is not that great a fit for *them* and that colours everything.
The criticisms are well known and many would agree, me included.
For other migrants, how you deal with some of these is personal and highly variable. For example, I love Australian sports but do not like the football played in the Uk.
Agree that a lot of suburban Australia is tat but that can be mitigated if you look very carefully and choose your location to fit in with how you want to live which I think a lot of migrants don't really consider. They move to some very ordinary suburban location or place that is not that great a fit for *them* and that colours everything.
#42
Re: 11 months in Oz and we are out of here (thank god!)
True, In spite of all the things I don't like and have a rant about there are things and people who I'll really miss.I'm having a good time here because I know I'm leaving
It was one of my ambitions since I was a kid to live here and I've achieved it.It would be worse had I never tried it and I do realise that many are trapped or too unwilling to have the upheavel of going back.
Also I know people who prefer it here.
It was one of my ambitions since I was a kid to live here and I've achieved it.It would be worse had I never tried it and I do realise that many are trapped or too unwilling to have the upheavel of going back.
Also I know people who prefer it here.
Good on yer for calling it.
#43
Re: 11 months in Oz and we are out of here (thank god!)
For us despite all my comments above it was ALL about that feeling of belonging - and we just didn't - but we didn't know that until we left the place where we were (if that makes sense)! We have arrived back in Germany in the middle of winter and feel completely at home again!
The only thing I would say about your dilemma is that you can't live your life for your children. They can make their own choices later on - you have to make your choices now for you.
The only thing I would say about your dilemma is that you can't live your life for your children. They can make their own choices later on - you have to make your choices now for you.
#44
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Essex, UK
Posts: 119
Re: 11 months in Oz and we are out of here (thank god!)
Here is the first piece of advice I will give anyone moving to Australia. Make a list. In fact make two lists:
List One: Things that are good about my life at the moment (and things I will REALLY miss when I no longer have them).
List Two: Things I expect Australia will give me (don’t be vague by listing things such as “a better life for my children”) try and be specific as possible.
Next step is simple.
Put the list side by side and if list two is not significantly longer than list one, don’t commit to a move.
There is one exception to the rule. If you have more money than sense then make the move anyway because it’s easy to go back if things don’t work out.
List One: Things that are good about my life at the moment (and things I will REALLY miss when I no longer have them).
List Two: Things I expect Australia will give me (don’t be vague by listing things such as “a better life for my children”) try and be specific as possible.
Next step is simple.
Put the list side by side and if list two is not significantly longer than list one, don’t commit to a move.
There is one exception to the rule. If you have more money than sense then make the move anyway because it’s easy to go back if things don’t work out.
#45
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Joined: May 2005
Location: Rochdale, then Toronto, then Preston now Tampa, Florida.
Posts: 903
Re: 11 months in Oz and we are out of here (thank god!)
I am a little confused - Jan 07 to Nov 08 as written? Or Jan 08 to Nov 08 as per 11 months? If the former, you have a big wake up call waiting for you when you get back to the UK.
Unfortunately, we have had a bit of housing boom and many of the properties created are also of cheap and poor quality. Needless to say, you are moving back at a good time to buy one of these new homes - if you are able to find the 40% deposit needed to get a good mortgage.
Crime has got worse - only now you cannot do anything about it because you will either get attacked or banged up. We don't have insects running around killing people; we have groups of kids instead. And who knows where crime will go over the next few months as unemployment explodes out of control.
British roads are brilliant. I can park my car for free on any of the motorways at any time. And as 50mph is the new 70 on all major routes, I can enjoy an extra 30 minutes on top of my 180 minute daily commute to admire the grey and miserable skyline and all the glum faces around me.
Food prices have also gone up, and fuel prices will surge further now we have nearly exhausted all our natural resources. We have lost a huge portion of our farming because our non-monopolised supermarkets have driven the price down so far, the farmers cannot survive. We now eat gristle instead of beef and have to import milk from other countries!
Oh yeh, and its full of Brits. And Aussies and Kiwis and representatives of pretty much every other country on earth. That is the world we live in today. Thankfully, we do live in a multicultural society - otherwise I would have to deal with the bad manners and laziness of many of the Brits all the time.
Welcome Home
At least you had the opportunity to give the grass on the other side a chance - it just wasn't to your taste. It's good to have another whinging pom amongst us to put the world to rights.
Unfortunately, we have had a bit of housing boom and many of the properties created are also of cheap and poor quality. Needless to say, you are moving back at a good time to buy one of these new homes - if you are able to find the 40% deposit needed to get a good mortgage.
Crime has got worse - only now you cannot do anything about it because you will either get attacked or banged up. We don't have insects running around killing people; we have groups of kids instead. And who knows where crime will go over the next few months as unemployment explodes out of control.
British roads are brilliant. I can park my car for free on any of the motorways at any time. And as 50mph is the new 70 on all major routes, I can enjoy an extra 30 minutes on top of my 180 minute daily commute to admire the grey and miserable skyline and all the glum faces around me.
Food prices have also gone up, and fuel prices will surge further now we have nearly exhausted all our natural resources. We have lost a huge portion of our farming because our non-monopolised supermarkets have driven the price down so far, the farmers cannot survive. We now eat gristle instead of beef and have to import milk from other countries!
Oh yeh, and its full of Brits. And Aussies and Kiwis and representatives of pretty much every other country on earth. That is the world we live in today. Thankfully, we do live in a multicultural society - otherwise I would have to deal with the bad manners and laziness of many of the Brits all the time.
Welcome Home
At least you had the opportunity to give the grass on the other side a chance - it just wasn't to your taste. It's good to have another whinging pom amongst us to put the world to rights.
LOL !!!!!!