Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

Chaps

Has anyone ever actioned one post that lists the key differences between Aus and the UK for newcomers to the site and those who are looking to move and investigating possibilities. I know there are many options but it might be good to have one post, made as a sticky, that keeps one continuous list. It probably needs some parameters assigned to it to keep it fairly consistent, but I would think this would be good.

Coming from someone who has lived in both countries recently, and indeed is looking to move back to Aus again, I think it gives a netter impression from these people to post than someone who moved out to Aus 10 years ago and has little knowledge of current prices in the UK. Thus those recent movers are actually in the best position.

Items I was thinking of, without necessarily meaning to get it started, were...

Choice - far more choice in the majority of items in the UK than Aus, including supermarket foods, cars, utilities etc

Tax - Higher rate of tax payable in Aus is 47% compared to 40% in the UK, but VAT/GST is 10% compared to 17.5% in the UK

Superannuation (Aus version of pension) - this should be on top of your salary rather than included and is a government requirement

PAYE - you need to complete a tax return every year in Aus, again something most in the UK do not worry about

Sport (mainly football) - for those, like me, who will miss their doe of televised football, you get a far greater choice of matches because of your location (outside of the UK) BUT you need to be ready to watch live matches in the early hours of the morning - and that can hurt!

These are the type of things I was thinking about...

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

not a bad idea, however it will degenerate into an oz /uk bashathon. why can't people accept they are different countries offering different things?

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

Oh let me start . . . please sir!

One heap big; one heap small.

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

But where's the fun in that?

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

ok:D on top of my salary, ute and leave loading, we get $ 1000 a month paid into a social fund for all the guys to go fishing, indy, cricket or whatever. we have a christmas all expenses paid bowling night for all staff and us office lot are being taken to cirque de soleil and dinner. the boss lays beers on for the boys the last friday of the month.
in the uk i got a frozen chicken for an xmas bonus:)

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

. . . and you were lucky . . .

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

i had to queue for it. tightfisted barstewards

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

Ok - now I see why one has not worked in the past...

The two places are very different although many seem to think their light at the end of the tunnel gets turned on when they step off the plane in an Australian airport. It might have been good to provide some realities - well, that was my thinking but...

I'll get my coat!

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

. . . and you tell the young uns today and they won't believe ya!

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

i had to get up 2 hours before i woke, cup of poison for breakfast.......:)

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

no, hang in there, some sense will prevail above the rhetoric and hyperbole that will ensue:ohmy:

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

Why thank you... we shall see!

Just an idea, that's all...

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

one very basic difference is that there is no "red amber" phase on the traffic lights before they change to green - it took me a while to notice, I kept thinking I must have been day-dreaming and missed it!! :D or is this just a QLD thing?

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

yeah! took me a while. i never get tooted here, whereas in the uk, within a millisecond of the light change, some deadhead would be doing the masterblaster :mad:

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

Oh that is so funny! Here in NSW we stop on green and go on red! We won't go into the roundabouts! :rofl:

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

i drove all over france, on the wrong side of the road, and upon arriving back in dover was all over the shop, including the wrong way round a roundabout. my wife still goes on about it:o

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

think yourself lucky, i had to do a week down t'pit before i got mine!

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

explains why only two or three cars get through a green light before it goes red then. :frown:

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

To be serious - briefly - the traffic light thing is nation-wide.

As someone who grew up in Australia, I was quite surprised by the British light changing system!!

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

Nice idea Slipshot but the problem I see is that everything is relative to each person. I personally don't consider that there is necessarily a lack of choice. There are less products in the supermarket, for example but for me that's a positive. I don't need or want to see twenty different brands of multigrain bread and from what I read on here, that appears to be the type of 'choice' that most people mutter about when mentioning the hell hole that is Tescos.

Utilities? I have choice, have recently changed electricity supplier. Do I need to choose between 10 providers?

My life and the things I buy, need, etc etc is no different here from the UK except the weather and general lifestyle which cannot be listed as a difference. My life is different from yours.

It's an impossible list to create. I'm sure people will try though :lol:

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

my point. tesco to me is a corporate juggernaut aiming to obliterate any comers. any other view is naive frankly. support you local provider and boycott these parasites on humanity

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

ah but they don't sell spotted dick do they? :confused::lol:

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

Fully agree but calling it a hellhole works just as well for me :D Bloody awful shop, used to have panic attacks if I needed to do a big shop and go there. And what moron decided that it was a good idea to put a piggin cafe in the middle of a supermarket? I don't want to be there, let alone sit down and have a crap cup of coffee there. Bizarre.

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

if i wanted spotted dick i would..... anyway, no they don't :p

bread and butter pudding is more my style, mmmmmh:D

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

they pretend to be your friend but just want to own you. just like my pimp:(

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

and your drug dealer.

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

in my case dan murphys:)

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

I think I'll leave it. Too many people who missed the point. Which was what I was originally afraid of, thus there's little point in trying.

I'll leave it for people to learn, smile and be shocked when living in Aus.

Slip

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

Ah but that's it you see. You're assuming everyone will be shocked [and maybe dissapointed] with the differences in Aus.

That's not the case for everyone who comes here:)

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

It's impossible to get any single differences that everyone will agree on.

I've learnt, smiled, been shocked, but am now happy :thumbsup:


However, you should keep trying... don't give up on the idea..

Cars for example.
New cars are more often cheaper in Australia, but don't lose their value as fast as they do in the UK, meaning that used cars are often more expensive in Australia than they are in the UK.

The problem here is that a person with a Negative attitude to Australia will complain that used car prices are more expensive, whereas a person with a positive attitude will be happy that new cars are cheaper.

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

I don't think its about putting a positive or negative on it just to highlight what is different. The migrant themselves can decide if its good or bad for them.

Good on you slipshot for trying to create a really useful and informative thread. Banter is fun and I am more than happy to participate but when someone is trying to be serious - and has tried several times - please take the banter to another thread and give them a fair go .....

Ok rant over.

3rd party car insurance is included with rego (road tax) and cover any driver in emergencies

Broadband speeds, allowances and prices are where the uk was a few years ago

Drink drive limit is lower

Phone calls have a flagfall (connection fee) as well as per 30 seconds charge

Shops do Layby (reserve it now pay it off monthly get it later)

Shops do rainchecks (if not in stock they'll order/restock and give it to you for todays prices)

Shops fell a rainforest or two weekly to junk mail you with this weeks bargains

Theres loads more adverts on tv, every few minutes sometimes. eg The Bill takes 90 mins not 60......

They call sweets lollies

They call crisps chips (and chips are hot chips)

You get pots and schooners not pints

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

Phone calls cost up to about 30 cents flat fee for unlimited time (local calls are untimed), but are more often charged at 17.5 cents, flat fee, and some providers include them free with the monthly charge.

My connection gives me Free calls all over Australia, and to UK and America.

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

Basics differences for me have been..

The weather in OZ is great, absolutely no comparison with the UK weather.
Food..lack of choice in OZ, better choice in UK, but meat is better quality in OZ.
Cars, too many 4x4's on the road in OZ.
Houses better built in UK.
TV better in UK.
Schooling better in UK.
Bills, about the same.
That's it. Basic differences. For me anyway.

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

yeees ... some include calls in monthly fee - or can do depending on which plan/provider but many don't. Ok local calls are fixed prices but std/international calls are normally billed per 30 secs.

My point was about flagfall which doesn't happen in the uk

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

Just my opinions too

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

Is that the case?

I thought it was third party medical insurance; for the medical bills of the people you've damaged rather than the mechanical bills of the cars you've damaged.

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

Ladies underwear and bed linen cheaper in the uk.
White goods cheaper in the uk.
Barbecues so much better than in the uk, but get stainless steel or they rust.
Very different sausages and chocolate to the uk, but meat quality better.
Fantastic fish- unless you only like fish chips and mushypeas/curry sauce.(no real equivalent here)
there is a shop that sells deep fried mars bars in Bondi for those that get the craving....:p
New cars cheaper especially now dealers are desperate to get rid of over ordered stock, but 2nd hand more expensive than the uk.
Petrol cheaper than uk.
Rental prices expensive, and hard to find, but similar to London prices, and it is a major city.
Weather generally warmer than UK.
Things grow faster- harvest your own veggies after only 4-6 weeks. (perhaps not in Tassie tho)
If you are female prepare not to be taken seriously-people will talk to the husband first when dealing with money, services etc.
If you are a telly addict prepare to sign up to Foxtel, or you will not know what to do of an evening!
Wine is similar price, but spirits much more expensive and less choice.
Coffee is much easier to get a decent cup and no problem with getting soy milk- in Sydney anyway.
It's easy to get fat eating all the delicious cakes when you go out for coffee.
It is easier to get slim as almost everyone power walks, jogs, swims or goes to the gym.
Round here people wax their armpits!!:eek:(and presumably anything else they fancy) They might have done it in the uk too, but they didn't talk about it.
If you do the school run, don't have the radio on, as there is some shocking language and crude conversations.
According to OH
Swearing in the office is compulsory.
The office coffee area fridge contains beer, wine, champagne and one tiny carton of milk.
People talk to you on trains
People are more prepared to help you, especially if you tell them you are going to make Australia you home.

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

Err ....I thought it meant any driver could legally drive your car and 3rd party cover would obviously cover people as you say but have to go check my docs now to find out about the property :o

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

No MOT so you get cars that literally have not had any mechanical attention for years and years legally driving on the road.

Re: Basic differences between Aus and the UK
 

It's impossible to get diet tonic in bars so you can't get a gin and slim (though you can get it in the supermarkets).