4 months in Oz - what did we find?
Jul 24th 2003, 11:48 am
#1
Checkin' the world out.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 113
Oz - What we REALLY think
Hmmm. 4 months away and still we have the forum raiders, reigning down reality checks, whinges and jaded opinions. Ah well, 2 years ago I got all I needed from this board, so here goes one last posting for all you prospective migrants..
Oz. What more can be said ? Well, we made the expensive yet fruitful decision to actually spend time before going for good. 4 months, 15000k, and every state (apart from Taz). And what a time we had. Good, and LOTS of bad. Those rose tinted glasses fell straight off the moment we flew into a parched and bushfire ridden Perth in March, so hold the sarcy comebacks if you can.
And you know what ? After all the trepidation, speculation, excitement, reservations, the main conclusion we reached was simple...same shit, different continent. There you have it. Don't expect utopia, whatever your idea of it may be. But we knew that. What was far more intriguing was finding out about ourselves and people in general. And guess what we found out ? Yup, we are indeed a bunch of whinging poms. But so are the Aussie's, that's yet another sport they excel at. They're also hypercondriacs, but don't ever point that out. It doesn't matter - at least they're black and white instead of good old English grey. They're TV is abysmal. So what? Get out more. They're politics are as dire as ours. Big deal, that's the Western world for you. They have no concept of road signs. Buy a map. The country is full of hoons. No worse than much of the UK, that's the dumbed down society happening right before us. The media is obsessed with Oz's achievements, no other countries exist. Good, at least they've retained some national pride.
I could go on for many hours, but it's pointless. We live in an increasingly monotone world, americanised and sanitised. You can pick and choose at every country's idiosyncrasies, at the end of the day it's down to YOUR attitude. And by and large, we found an undercurrent of positivity down under, but it took some finding. There's (some) sense in the civic planning - wide open spaces and room for future projects. Aussie's themselves can be cold at first, they're far from open armed like much of mediterranean Europe, but scratch beneath the surface and you find some great people, just like anywhere. At the end of the day Oz still manages to get by without lots of the historical, hysterical and emotional baggage us poms drag around with us. Black and white suits us just fine, you just have to learn to deal with it.
Those bitching about all and sundry over there DO have good groundings for all they say, believe me, and I couldn't help but agree with much of it, but turn it on it's head and it's simple - that's where we're at if you want to live in western society, and there's thousands out there who are doing just fine thank you. Besides, it's the same crap we read in our papers day in day out...anyone coming in this direction's going to be equally dismayed.
So, if you're gonna go, just go. But you might want to check it out for yourselves first, or you'll get a shock or three. Whether or not it works for you is not so much to do with the country you find, but how you live in it. Think Australian, drink Australian.
We're off, for a while at least. If it works for us, great. If it doesn't, well we'll see if there's still space on this 'grubby little grey isle (expat quote from Queensland)' if and when we want to come back. But we're already missing that huge sky over there, and those predictably glorious sunsets. Society aside, Oz has got a hell of a lot of nature's finest to offer, if you can see beyond your own widescreen TV existence.
Live a little, outside your usual comfortable confines. Get out there, there's a planet worth experiencing.
Oz. What more can be said ? Well, we made the expensive yet fruitful decision to actually spend time before going for good. 4 months, 15000k, and every state (apart from Taz). And what a time we had. Good, and LOTS of bad. Those rose tinted glasses fell straight off the moment we flew into a parched and bushfire ridden Perth in March, so hold the sarcy comebacks if you can.
And you know what ? After all the trepidation, speculation, excitement, reservations, the main conclusion we reached was simple...same shit, different continent. There you have it. Don't expect utopia, whatever your idea of it may be. But we knew that. What was far more intriguing was finding out about ourselves and people in general. And guess what we found out ? Yup, we are indeed a bunch of whinging poms. But so are the Aussie's, that's yet another sport they excel at. They're also hypercondriacs, but don't ever point that out. It doesn't matter - at least they're black and white instead of good old English grey. They're TV is abysmal. So what? Get out more. They're politics are as dire as ours. Big deal, that's the Western world for you. They have no concept of road signs. Buy a map. The country is full of hoons. No worse than much of the UK, that's the dumbed down society happening right before us. The media is obsessed with Oz's achievements, no other countries exist. Good, at least they've retained some national pride.
I could go on for many hours, but it's pointless. We live in an increasingly monotone world, americanised and sanitised. You can pick and choose at every country's idiosyncrasies, at the end of the day it's down to YOUR attitude. And by and large, we found an undercurrent of positivity down under, but it took some finding. There's (some) sense in the civic planning - wide open spaces and room for future projects. Aussie's themselves can be cold at first, they're far from open armed like much of mediterranean Europe, but scratch beneath the surface and you find some great people, just like anywhere. At the end of the day Oz still manages to get by without lots of the historical, hysterical and emotional baggage us poms drag around with us. Black and white suits us just fine, you just have to learn to deal with it.
Those bitching about all and sundry over there DO have good groundings for all they say, believe me, and I couldn't help but agree with much of it, but turn it on it's head and it's simple - that's where we're at if you want to live in western society, and there's thousands out there who are doing just fine thank you. Besides, it's the same crap we read in our papers day in day out...anyone coming in this direction's going to be equally dismayed.
So, if you're gonna go, just go. But you might want to check it out for yourselves first, or you'll get a shock or three. Whether or not it works for you is not so much to do with the country you find, but how you live in it. Think Australian, drink Australian.
We're off, for a while at least. If it works for us, great. If it doesn't, well we'll see if there's still space on this 'grubby little grey isle (expat quote from Queensland)' if and when we want to come back. But we're already missing that huge sky over there, and those predictably glorious sunsets. Society aside, Oz has got a hell of a lot of nature's finest to offer, if you can see beyond your own widescreen TV existence.
Live a little, outside your usual comfortable confines. Get out there, there's a planet worth experiencing.
Last edited by nixstuff; Jul 24th 2003 at 2:07 pm.
Jul 24th 2003, 12:17 pm
#2
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: Perth
Posts: 495
Top post, my sentiments exactly.
Nick
Nick
Jul 24th 2003, 3:45 pm
#3
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: currently Toronto CANADA enroute to BrisVegas
Posts: 346
Brilliant! Exactly what I was expecting. Very well put.
Jul 24th 2003, 3:56 pm
#4
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Sydney
Posts: 222
I'ts up to the individual to make the most of it, I have lived in Oz for a year and have an Ozzy fiance. I agree with a lot of what you say, but everybody is different. As the old saying goes:
Opinions are like arseholes, everybody has one:lecture: :lecture:
Opinions are like arseholes, everybody has one:lecture: :lecture:
Jul 24th 2003, 4:00 pm
#5
Just Joined
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: scotland
Posts: 11
same shit, different continent
I have to agree with you there.
Wherever I have lived I have read or had a conversation along these lines substituting whichever nation I was in at the time.
and as you so rightly say IT IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Wherever I have lived I have read or had a conversation along these lines substituting whichever nation I was in at the time.
and as you so rightly say IT IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Jul 24th 2003, 11:32 pm
#6
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,185
Re: Oz - What we REALLY think
Originally posted by nixstuff
Hmmm. 4 months away and still we have the forum raiders, reigning down reality checks, whinges and jaded opinions. Ah well, 2 years ago I got all I needed from this board, so here goes one last posting for all you prospective migrants..
Oz. What more can be said ? Well, we made the expensive yet fruitful decision to actually spend time before going for good. 4 months, 15000k, and every state (apart from Taz). And what a time we had. Good, and LOTS of bad. Those rose tinted glasses fell straight off the moment we flew into a parched and bushfire ridden Perth in March, so hold the sarcy comebacks if you can.
And you know what ? After all the trepidation, speculation, excitement, reservations, the main conclusion we reached was simple...same shit, different continent. There you have it. Don't expect utopia, whatever your idea of it may be. But we knew that. What was far more intriguing was finding out about ourselves and people in general. And guess what we found out ? Yup, we are indeed a bunch of whinging poms. But so are the Aussie's, that's yet another sport they excel at. They're also hypercondriacs, but don't ever point that out. It doesn't matter - at least they're black and white instead of good old English grey. They're TV is abysmal. So what? Get out more. They're politics are as dire as ours. Big deal, that's the Western world for you. They have no concept of road signs. Buy a map. The country is full of hoons. No worse than much of the UK, that's the dumbed down society happening right before us. The media is obsessed with Oz's achievements, no other countries exist. Good, at least they've retained some national pride.
I could go on for many hours, but it's pointless. We live in an increasingly monotone world, americanised and sanitised. You can pick and choose at every country's idiosyncrasies, at the end of the day it's down to YOUR attitude. And by and large, we found an undercurrent of positivity down under, but it took some finding. There's (some) sense in the civic planning - wide open spaces and room for future projects. Aussie's themselves can be cold at first, they're far from open armed like much of mediterranean Europe, but scratch beneath the surface and you find some great people, just like anywhere. At the end of the day Oz still manages to get by without lots of the historical, hysterical and emotional baggage us poms drag around with us. Black and white suits us just fine, you just have to learn to deal with it.
Those bitching about all and sundry over there DO have good groundings for all they say, believe me, and I couldn't help but agree with much of it, but turn it on it's head and it's simple - that's where we're at if you want to live in western society, and there's thousands out there who are doing just fine thank you. Besides, it's the same crap we read in our papers day in day out...anyone coming in this direction's going to be equally dismayed.
So, if you're gonna go, just go. But you might want to check it out for yourselves first, or you'll get a shock or three. Whether or not it works for you is not so much to do with the country you find, but how you live in it. Think Australian, drink Australian.
We're off, for a while at least. If it works for us, great. If it doesn't, well we'll see if there's still space on this 'grubby little grey isle (expat quote from Queensland)' if and when we want to come back. But we're already missing that huge sky over there, and those predictably glorious sunsets. Society aside, Oz has got a hell of a lot of nature's finest to offer, if you can see beyond your own widescreen TV existence.
Live a little, outside your usual comfortable confines. Get out there, there's a planet worth experiencing.
Hmmm. 4 months away and still we have the forum raiders, reigning down reality checks, whinges and jaded opinions. Ah well, 2 years ago I got all I needed from this board, so here goes one last posting for all you prospective migrants..
Oz. What more can be said ? Well, we made the expensive yet fruitful decision to actually spend time before going for good. 4 months, 15000k, and every state (apart from Taz). And what a time we had. Good, and LOTS of bad. Those rose tinted glasses fell straight off the moment we flew into a parched and bushfire ridden Perth in March, so hold the sarcy comebacks if you can.
And you know what ? After all the trepidation, speculation, excitement, reservations, the main conclusion we reached was simple...same shit, different continent. There you have it. Don't expect utopia, whatever your idea of it may be. But we knew that. What was far more intriguing was finding out about ourselves and people in general. And guess what we found out ? Yup, we are indeed a bunch of whinging poms. But so are the Aussie's, that's yet another sport they excel at. They're also hypercondriacs, but don't ever point that out. It doesn't matter - at least they're black and white instead of good old English grey. They're TV is abysmal. So what? Get out more. They're politics are as dire as ours. Big deal, that's the Western world for you. They have no concept of road signs. Buy a map. The country is full of hoons. No worse than much of the UK, that's the dumbed down society happening right before us. The media is obsessed with Oz's achievements, no other countries exist. Good, at least they've retained some national pride.
I could go on for many hours, but it's pointless. We live in an increasingly monotone world, americanised and sanitised. You can pick and choose at every country's idiosyncrasies, at the end of the day it's down to YOUR attitude. And by and large, we found an undercurrent of positivity down under, but it took some finding. There's (some) sense in the civic planning - wide open spaces and room for future projects. Aussie's themselves can be cold at first, they're far from open armed like much of mediterranean Europe, but scratch beneath the surface and you find some great people, just like anywhere. At the end of the day Oz still manages to get by without lots of the historical, hysterical and emotional baggage us poms drag around with us. Black and white suits us just fine, you just have to learn to deal with it.
Those bitching about all and sundry over there DO have good groundings for all they say, believe me, and I couldn't help but agree with much of it, but turn it on it's head and it's simple - that's where we're at if you want to live in western society, and there's thousands out there who are doing just fine thank you. Besides, it's the same crap we read in our papers day in day out...anyone coming in this direction's going to be equally dismayed.
So, if you're gonna go, just go. But you might want to check it out for yourselves first, or you'll get a shock or three. Whether or not it works for you is not so much to do with the country you find, but how you live in it. Think Australian, drink Australian.
We're off, for a while at least. If it works for us, great. If it doesn't, well we'll see if there's still space on this 'grubby little grey isle (expat quote from Queensland)' if and when we want to come back. But we're already missing that huge sky over there, and those predictably glorious sunsets. Society aside, Oz has got a hell of a lot of nature's finest to offer, if you can see beyond your own widescreen TV existence.
Live a little, outside your usual comfortable confines. Get out there, there's a planet worth experiencing.
Lots of sense here. Unfortunately, too many of the punters on this forum are coming to Oz to run away from the UK which they see as terrifying and a dump. Sad what will be discovered when they arrive - they have left a better country behind and their future is very bleak.
Jul 25th 2003, 1:49 am
#7
(It's not my real name)
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Ilukapool. WA
Posts: 12,467
Re: Oz - What we REALLY think
Good Post.
Wev'e been here about 5 months now & I didn't want to hear negative views about Australia before I came here. I thought a year's backpacking and a couple of subsequent holidays meant I knew it all. It is different living here, different to what you expect. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE it here but there are some things I hate that I wasn't expecting to....
...Like the shit food in the supermarkets, the schools are far worse than I imagined, even with Foxtel the telly is crap, the shopping malls in the 'burbs & the despite being at the equivalent latitude as Marakesh in Morocco (apparently) I've been freezing for 3 months.
Never mind - I saw dolphins in the Swan again this morning, that's 3 times this week and last week saw about 10 humpback whales in Albany, leaping out of the water and everything. Stuff like that is priceless to a nature lover like me. I've also managed to get the best job I've had in the last 10 years and am earning more than I was in the UK.
So all in all, this place still gets a big Thumbs Up.
Wev'e been here about 5 months now & I didn't want to hear negative views about Australia before I came here. I thought a year's backpacking and a couple of subsequent holidays meant I knew it all. It is different living here, different to what you expect. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE it here but there are some things I hate that I wasn't expecting to....
...Like the shit food in the supermarkets, the schools are far worse than I imagined, even with Foxtel the telly is crap, the shopping malls in the 'burbs & the despite being at the equivalent latitude as Marakesh in Morocco (apparently) I've been freezing for 3 months.
Never mind - I saw dolphins in the Swan again this morning, that's 3 times this week and last week saw about 10 humpback whales in Albany, leaping out of the water and everything. Stuff like that is priceless to a nature lover like me. I've also managed to get the best job I've had in the last 10 years and am earning more than I was in the UK.
So all in all, this place still gets a big Thumbs Up.
Jul 25th 2003, 2:04 am
#8
Banned
Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Perth Arse end of the planet
Posts: 7,037
Re: Oz - What we REALLY think
Originally posted by nixstuff
Hmmm. 4 months away and still we have the forum raiders, reigning down reality checks, whinges and jaded opinions. Ah well, 2 years ago I got all I needed from this board, so here goes one last posting for all you prospective migrants..
Oz. What more can be said ? Well, we made the expensive yet fruitful decision to actually spend time before going for good. 4 months, 15000k, and every state (apart from Taz). And what a time we had. Good, and LOTS of bad. Those rose tinted glasses fell straight off the moment we flew into a parched and bushfire ridden Perth in March, so hold the sarcy comebacks if you can.
And you know what ? After all the trepidation, speculation, excitement, reservations, the main conclusion we reached was simple...same shit, different continent.
Hmmm. 4 months away and still we have the forum raiders, reigning down reality checks, whinges and jaded opinions. Ah well, 2 years ago I got all I needed from this board, so here goes one last posting for all you prospective migrants..
Oz. What more can be said ? Well, we made the expensive yet fruitful decision to actually spend time before going for good. 4 months, 15000k, and every state (apart from Taz). And what a time we had. Good, and LOTS of bad. Those rose tinted glasses fell straight off the moment we flew into a parched and bushfire ridden Perth in March, so hold the sarcy comebacks if you can.
And you know what ? After all the trepidation, speculation, excitement, reservations, the main conclusion we reached was simple...same shit, different continent.
Good balanced post you did seem down to Earth before your trip and can be proud of this thead its far too real for most but one of the best I have read.
Perth is better in winter the smoke is cleaner from wood burners not.
Good luck in your new life.
PS Live a little, outside your usual comfortable confines. Get out there, there's a planet worth experiencing.
True the world is bigger than Australia and more interesting than a big barren Island .
Last edited by pommie bastard; Jul 25th 2003 at 2:12 am.
Jul 25th 2003, 2:25 am
#9
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,185
Re: Oz - What we REALLY think
Originally posted by pommie bastard
Good balanced post you did seem down to Earth before your trip and can be proud of this thead its far too real for most but one of the best I have read.
Perth is better in winter the smoke is cleaner from wood burners not.
Good luck in your new life.
PS Live a little, outside your usual comfortable confines. Get out there, there's a planet worth experiencing.
True the world is bigger than Australia and more interesting than a big barren Island .
Good balanced post you did seem down to Earth before your trip and can be proud of this thead its far too real for most but one of the best I have read.
Perth is better in winter the smoke is cleaner from wood burners not.
Good luck in your new life.
PS Live a little, outside your usual comfortable confines. Get out there, there's a planet worth experiencing.
True the world is bigger than Australia and more interesting than a big barren Island .
Jul 25th 2003, 4:35 am
#10
Banned
Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Perth Arse end of the planet
Posts: 7,037
Re: Oz - What we REALLY think
Originally posted by Wilf
This girl's comment is typical of many - they are emigrating for reasons that are best left for holidays. Oz is worth seeing on a long trip, even I will admit that, but to emigrate and make your life? No.
This girl's comment is typical of many - they are emigrating for reasons that are best left for holidays. Oz is worth seeing on a long trip, even I will admit that, but to emigrate and make your life? No.
This strikes a cord with me also , the main problem Pom refugees have is who wants them a good 99% have little to offer , the highly skilled stay in Europe or America.
Australia will corner the market in hairdessers , brickies and Welfare cases.
Jul 25th 2003, 5:00 am
#11
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Oz - What we REALLY think
Excellent! So on balance what state would your recommendation be for starters?
Originally posted by nixstuff
Hmmm. 4 months away and still we have the forum raiders, reigning down reality checks, whinges and jaded opinions. Ah well, 2 years ago I got all I needed from this board, so here goes one last posting for all you prospective migrants..
Oz. What more can be said ? Well, we made the expensive yet fruitful decision to actually spend time before going for good. 4 months, 15000k, and every state (apart from Taz). And what a time we had. Good, and LOTS of bad. Those rose tinted glasses fell straight off the moment we flew into a parched and bushfire ridden Perth in March, so hold the sarcy comebacks if you can.
And you know what ? After all the trepidation, speculation, excitement, reservations, the main conclusion we reached was simple...same shit, different continent. There you have it. Don't expect utopia, whatever your idea of it may be. But we knew that. What was far more intriguing was finding out about ourselves and people in general. And guess what we found out ? Yup, we are indeed a bunch of whinging poms. But so are the Aussie's, that's yet another sport they excel at. They're also hypercondriacs, but don't ever point that out. It doesn't matter - at least they're black and white instead of good old English grey. They're TV is abysmal. So what? Get out more. They're politics are as dire as ours. Big deal, that's the Western world for you. They have no concept of road signs. Buy a map. The country is full of hoons. No worse than much of the UK, that's the dumbed down society happening right before us. The media is obsessed with Oz's achievements, no other countries exist. Good, at least they've retained some national pride.
I could go on for many hours, but it's pointless. We live in an increasingly monotone world, americanised and sanitised. You can pick and choose at every country's idiosyncrasies, at the end of the day it's down to YOUR attitude. And by and large, we found an undercurrent of positivity down under, but it took some finding. There's (some) sense in the civic planning - wide open spaces and room for future projects. Aussie's themselves can be cold at first, they're far from open armed like much of mediterranean Europe, but scratch beneath the surface and you find some great people, just like anywhere. At the end of the day Oz still manages to get by without lots of the historical, hysterical and emotional baggage us poms drag around with us. Black and white suits us just fine, you just have to learn to deal with it.
Those bitching about all and sundry over there DO have good groundings for all they say, believe me, and I couldn't help but agree with much of it, but turn it on it's head and it's simple - that's where we're at if you want to live in western society, and there's thousands out there who are doing just fine thank you. Besides, it's the same crap we read in our papers day in day out...anyone coming in this direction's going to be equally dismayed.
So, if you're gonna go, just go. But you might want to check it out for yourselves first, or you'll get a shock or three. Whether or not it works for you is not so much to do with the country you find, but how you live in it. Think Australian, drink Australian.
We're off, for a while at least. If it works for us, great. If it doesn't, well we'll see if there's still space on this 'grubby little grey isle (expat quote from Queensland)' if and when we want to come back. But we're already missing that huge sky over there, and those predictably glorious sunsets. Society aside, Oz has got a hell of a lot of nature's finest to offer, if you can see beyond your own widescreen TV existence.
Live a little, outside your usual comfortable confines. Get out there, there's a planet worth experiencing.
Hmmm. 4 months away and still we have the forum raiders, reigning down reality checks, whinges and jaded opinions. Ah well, 2 years ago I got all I needed from this board, so here goes one last posting for all you prospective migrants..
Oz. What more can be said ? Well, we made the expensive yet fruitful decision to actually spend time before going for good. 4 months, 15000k, and every state (apart from Taz). And what a time we had. Good, and LOTS of bad. Those rose tinted glasses fell straight off the moment we flew into a parched and bushfire ridden Perth in March, so hold the sarcy comebacks if you can.
And you know what ? After all the trepidation, speculation, excitement, reservations, the main conclusion we reached was simple...same shit, different continent. There you have it. Don't expect utopia, whatever your idea of it may be. But we knew that. What was far more intriguing was finding out about ourselves and people in general. And guess what we found out ? Yup, we are indeed a bunch of whinging poms. But so are the Aussie's, that's yet another sport they excel at. They're also hypercondriacs, but don't ever point that out. It doesn't matter - at least they're black and white instead of good old English grey. They're TV is abysmal. So what? Get out more. They're politics are as dire as ours. Big deal, that's the Western world for you. They have no concept of road signs. Buy a map. The country is full of hoons. No worse than much of the UK, that's the dumbed down society happening right before us. The media is obsessed with Oz's achievements, no other countries exist. Good, at least they've retained some national pride.
I could go on for many hours, but it's pointless. We live in an increasingly monotone world, americanised and sanitised. You can pick and choose at every country's idiosyncrasies, at the end of the day it's down to YOUR attitude. And by and large, we found an undercurrent of positivity down under, but it took some finding. There's (some) sense in the civic planning - wide open spaces and room for future projects. Aussie's themselves can be cold at first, they're far from open armed like much of mediterranean Europe, but scratch beneath the surface and you find some great people, just like anywhere. At the end of the day Oz still manages to get by without lots of the historical, hysterical and emotional baggage us poms drag around with us. Black and white suits us just fine, you just have to learn to deal with it.
Those bitching about all and sundry over there DO have good groundings for all they say, believe me, and I couldn't help but agree with much of it, but turn it on it's head and it's simple - that's where we're at if you want to live in western society, and there's thousands out there who are doing just fine thank you. Besides, it's the same crap we read in our papers day in day out...anyone coming in this direction's going to be equally dismayed.
So, if you're gonna go, just go. But you might want to check it out for yourselves first, or you'll get a shock or three. Whether or not it works for you is not so much to do with the country you find, but how you live in it. Think Australian, drink Australian.
We're off, for a while at least. If it works for us, great. If it doesn't, well we'll see if there's still space on this 'grubby little grey isle (expat quote from Queensland)' if and when we want to come back. But we're already missing that huge sky over there, and those predictably glorious sunsets. Society aside, Oz has got a hell of a lot of nature's finest to offer, if you can see beyond your own widescreen TV existence.
Live a little, outside your usual comfortable confines. Get out there, there's a planet worth experiencing.
Jul 25th 2003, 5:06 am
#12
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,185
Re: Oz - What we REALLY think
Originally posted by Ken
Excellent! So on balance what state would your recommendation be for starters?
Excellent! So on balance what state would your recommendation be for starters?
Jul 25th 2003, 7:56 am
#13
Proudly Deplorable
Joined: May 2003
Location: Alloha snack bar
Posts: 24,246
Re: Oz - What we REALLY think
Originally posted by nixstuff
Hmmm. 4 months away and still we have the forum raiders, reigning down reality checks, whinges and jaded opinions. Ah well, 2 years ago I got all I needed from this board, so here goes one last posting for all you prospective migrants..
Oz. What more can be said ? Well, we made the expensive yet fruitful decision to actually spend time before going for good. 4 months, 15000k, and every state (apart from Taz). And what a time we had. Good, and LOTS of bad. Those rose tinted glasses fell straight off the moment we flew into a parched and bushfire ridden Perth in March, so hold the sarcy comebacks if you can.
And you know what ? After all the trepidation, speculation, excitement, reservations, the main conclusion we reached was simple...same shit, different continent. There you have it. Don't expect utopia, whatever your idea of it may be. But we knew that. What was far more intriguing was finding out about ourselves and people in general. And guess what we found out ? Yup, we are indeed a bunch of whinging poms. But so are the Aussie's, that's yet another sport they excel at. They're also hypercondriacs, but don't ever point that out. It doesn't matter - at least they're black and white instead of good old English grey. They're TV is abysmal. So what? Get out more. They're politics are as dire as ours. Big deal, that's the Western world for you. They have no concept of road signs. Buy a map. The country is full of hoons. No worse than much of the UK, that's the dumbed down society happening right before us. The media is obsessed with Oz's achievements, no other countries exist. Good, at least they've retained some national pride.
I could go on for many hours, but it's pointless. We live in an increasingly monotone world, americanised and sanitised. You can pick and choose at every country's idiosyncrasies, at the end of the day it's down to YOUR attitude. And by and large, we found an undercurrent of positivity down under, but it took some finding. There's (some) sense in the civic planning - wide open spaces and room for future projects. Aussie's themselves can be cold at first, they're far from open armed like much of mediterranean Europe, but scratch beneath the surface and you find some great people, just like anywhere. At the end of the day Oz still manages to get by without lots of the historical, hysterical and emotional baggage us poms drag around with us. Black and white suits us just fine, you just have to learn to deal with it.
Those bitching about all and sundry over there DO have good groundings for all they say, believe me, and I couldn't help but agree with much of it, but turn it on it's head and it's simple - that's where we're at if you want to live in western society, and there's thousands out there who are doing just fine thank you. Besides, it's the same crap we read in our papers day in day out...anyone coming in this direction's going to be equally dismayed.
So, if you're gonna go, just go. But you might want to check it out for yourselves first, or you'll get a shock or three. Whether or not it works for you is not so much to do with the country you find, but how you live in it. Think Australian, drink Australian.
We're off, for a while at least. If it works for us, great. If it doesn't, well we'll see if there's still space on this 'grubby little grey isle (expat quote from Queensland)' if and when we want to come back. But we're already missing that huge sky over there, and those predictably glorious sunsets. Society aside, Oz has got a hell of a lot of nature's finest to offer, if you can see beyond your own widescreen TV existence.
Live a little, outside your usual comfortable confines. Get out there, there's a planet worth experiencing.
Hmmm. 4 months away and still we have the forum raiders, reigning down reality checks, whinges and jaded opinions. Ah well, 2 years ago I got all I needed from this board, so here goes one last posting for all you prospective migrants..
Oz. What more can be said ? Well, we made the expensive yet fruitful decision to actually spend time before going for good. 4 months, 15000k, and every state (apart from Taz). And what a time we had. Good, and LOTS of bad. Those rose tinted glasses fell straight off the moment we flew into a parched and bushfire ridden Perth in March, so hold the sarcy comebacks if you can.
And you know what ? After all the trepidation, speculation, excitement, reservations, the main conclusion we reached was simple...same shit, different continent. There you have it. Don't expect utopia, whatever your idea of it may be. But we knew that. What was far more intriguing was finding out about ourselves and people in general. And guess what we found out ? Yup, we are indeed a bunch of whinging poms. But so are the Aussie's, that's yet another sport they excel at. They're also hypercondriacs, but don't ever point that out. It doesn't matter - at least they're black and white instead of good old English grey. They're TV is abysmal. So what? Get out more. They're politics are as dire as ours. Big deal, that's the Western world for you. They have no concept of road signs. Buy a map. The country is full of hoons. No worse than much of the UK, that's the dumbed down society happening right before us. The media is obsessed with Oz's achievements, no other countries exist. Good, at least they've retained some national pride.
I could go on for many hours, but it's pointless. We live in an increasingly monotone world, americanised and sanitised. You can pick and choose at every country's idiosyncrasies, at the end of the day it's down to YOUR attitude. And by and large, we found an undercurrent of positivity down under, but it took some finding. There's (some) sense in the civic planning - wide open spaces and room for future projects. Aussie's themselves can be cold at first, they're far from open armed like much of mediterranean Europe, but scratch beneath the surface and you find some great people, just like anywhere. At the end of the day Oz still manages to get by without lots of the historical, hysterical and emotional baggage us poms drag around with us. Black and white suits us just fine, you just have to learn to deal with it.
Those bitching about all and sundry over there DO have good groundings for all they say, believe me, and I couldn't help but agree with much of it, but turn it on it's head and it's simple - that's where we're at if you want to live in western society, and there's thousands out there who are doing just fine thank you. Besides, it's the same crap we read in our papers day in day out...anyone coming in this direction's going to be equally dismayed.
So, if you're gonna go, just go. But you might want to check it out for yourselves first, or you'll get a shock or three. Whether or not it works for you is not so much to do with the country you find, but how you live in it. Think Australian, drink Australian.
We're off, for a while at least. If it works for us, great. If it doesn't, well we'll see if there's still space on this 'grubby little grey isle (expat quote from Queensland)' if and when we want to come back. But we're already missing that huge sky over there, and those predictably glorious sunsets. Society aside, Oz has got a hell of a lot of nature's finest to offer, if you can see beyond your own widescreen TV existence.
Live a little, outside your usual comfortable confines. Get out there, there's a planet worth experiencing.
Jul 25th 2003, 9:00 am
#14
Guest
Posts: n/a
best post I have ever seen.
There are negatives about Australia.
The secret is to integrate in to aussie society - "eat and drink Australia" expect it to be bad like UK in some respects and you will be fine.
This integration thing is important otherwise you miss the whole point.
I think also if you have a team sport you enjoy that helps as you spend less time in front of TV and you get to socialise as well.
badgers
There are negatives about Australia.
The secret is to integrate in to aussie society - "eat and drink Australia" expect it to be bad like UK in some respects and you will be fine.
This integration thing is important otherwise you miss the whole point.
I think also if you have a team sport you enjoy that helps as you spend less time in front of TV and you get to socialise as well.
badgers
Jul 25th 2003, 9:16 am
#15
Checkin' the world out.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 113
Good comments
Some decent comeback from all there.
I'm with you as usual PB, the burbs of perth smell gorgeous with the wood burners, and winter is far more bearable than the other seasons.
Not saying for a moment we know much at all, and that's why we're moving over for a 'work and life' experience. A year as a backpacker ? Well we managed 4 months, and that's exactly why we want to do 2-3 years.
Best state ? Matter of preference. We were originally aiming at Perth, so saw all the other state capitals before returning. Brisbane is excellent - it's got an energy to it - skyscrapers shooting up all over, so someone's investing (I know, probably Asian bla bla bla whatever). Sydney is tremendous, but I'd live on the harbourfront as a millionaire only (ho ho), and yacht it to work/play...the burbs are dreadful, the road system heaving. Melbourne was a bad experience for us, didn't like it one bit - got stranded in way too many grotty areas, never seen so much vandalism and chaos. Canberra was clean and pretty but like living in a fishbowl or the Truman show. Adelaide was a nice surprise - clean and welcoming - like Canberra but with a bit more life. But it's one on it's own - the rest of SA is positively scary. Alice - yeah right. Pass. So it's Perth. Nothing special, spookily conservative and stick in the mud, small town thinking, a strange lack of pazzazz...but Freo, Subi, the ocean, the parks, the older areas like the uni, and it's relative proximity compared to Brissie (Emirates via dubai - superb) are enough, and do it for us. Put it this way - it's a pleasant if surprisingly average base to live and work in, the best compromise with regards to climate and city facilities, and one hell of a step up from Stoke-on-Trent. A good place to start as the wife's family are all there and doing quite well for themselves thank you very much, then if we like we can always move on to Brissie in the future. Or back to the Potteries.
Apart from the cities, PBs right once more - a big lot of nothing much more. Well, a big lot of hick, hoon, miserable cowboy nothing. If I got myself a Holden V8 racing baseball cap, a John Deere tatty vest, drainpipe wranglers and those goddamn pixie boots, plus removed all of the muscles from my face bar those to make a sneer, I might just fit in with some of the outback's finest. That's cruel and sweeping, but it's more US than twee English genteel or medieval French quaint. Friendly it ain't, beautiful and stark it is. But Queensland's coast and hinterland are just fabulous. Camping and Caravanning takes on a whole new meaning. Makes crawling down a twisty lane to a muddy field in a 2 mile tailback in cornwall seem pathetic.
Big point - Queenslanders are THE nicest people we met. Followed by WA's lot. Generalising horribly, NSW I have no interest in - folks were too busy, too abrupt or too miserable to bother with us, and Victorians, well, they must be landed gentry. Not the most welcoming. BUT. People are people everywhere, it's the circles you find. Each state has it's circles of people, you've just got to find them. And make up your own mind - each to his own.
Europe rocks for us. Not England. I'd live in France or Italy, but speaking business languages is one hurdle too far. A world to see ? Yes, Oz doesn't strand us - we've got friends off to NZ and we've never got to the far east, so it's a good start. And it makes European trips even more costly/special/appealing - good. And like I said, it's just a trip, no closed opinions, money in the bank to scurry home when it all goes wrong. That's for us to find out.
I'm with you as usual PB, the burbs of perth smell gorgeous with the wood burners, and winter is far more bearable than the other seasons.
Not saying for a moment we know much at all, and that's why we're moving over for a 'work and life' experience. A year as a backpacker ? Well we managed 4 months, and that's exactly why we want to do 2-3 years.
Best state ? Matter of preference. We were originally aiming at Perth, so saw all the other state capitals before returning. Brisbane is excellent - it's got an energy to it - skyscrapers shooting up all over, so someone's investing (I know, probably Asian bla bla bla whatever). Sydney is tremendous, but I'd live on the harbourfront as a millionaire only (ho ho), and yacht it to work/play...the burbs are dreadful, the road system heaving. Melbourne was a bad experience for us, didn't like it one bit - got stranded in way too many grotty areas, never seen so much vandalism and chaos. Canberra was clean and pretty but like living in a fishbowl or the Truman show. Adelaide was a nice surprise - clean and welcoming - like Canberra but with a bit more life. But it's one on it's own - the rest of SA is positively scary. Alice - yeah right. Pass. So it's Perth. Nothing special, spookily conservative and stick in the mud, small town thinking, a strange lack of pazzazz...but Freo, Subi, the ocean, the parks, the older areas like the uni, and it's relative proximity compared to Brissie (Emirates via dubai - superb) are enough, and do it for us. Put it this way - it's a pleasant if surprisingly average base to live and work in, the best compromise with regards to climate and city facilities, and one hell of a step up from Stoke-on-Trent. A good place to start as the wife's family are all there and doing quite well for themselves thank you very much, then if we like we can always move on to Brissie in the future. Or back to the Potteries.
Apart from the cities, PBs right once more - a big lot of nothing much more. Well, a big lot of hick, hoon, miserable cowboy nothing. If I got myself a Holden V8 racing baseball cap, a John Deere tatty vest, drainpipe wranglers and those goddamn pixie boots, plus removed all of the muscles from my face bar those to make a sneer, I might just fit in with some of the outback's finest. That's cruel and sweeping, but it's more US than twee English genteel or medieval French quaint. Friendly it ain't, beautiful and stark it is. But Queensland's coast and hinterland are just fabulous. Camping and Caravanning takes on a whole new meaning. Makes crawling down a twisty lane to a muddy field in a 2 mile tailback in cornwall seem pathetic.
Big point - Queenslanders are THE nicest people we met. Followed by WA's lot. Generalising horribly, NSW I have no interest in - folks were too busy, too abrupt or too miserable to bother with us, and Victorians, well, they must be landed gentry. Not the most welcoming. BUT. People are people everywhere, it's the circles you find. Each state has it's circles of people, you've just got to find them. And make up your own mind - each to his own.
Europe rocks for us. Not England. I'd live in France or Italy, but speaking business languages is one hurdle too far. A world to see ? Yes, Oz doesn't strand us - we've got friends off to NZ and we've never got to the far east, so it's a good start. And it makes European trips even more costly/special/appealing - good. And like I said, it's just a trip, no closed opinions, money in the bank to scurry home when it all goes wrong. That's for us to find out.