BadgeIsBack

All depends.

My life is alot more the way I'd always anticipated it should be in the UK.

Big block of land, lifestyle to go with it, relatively small mortgage. My daghter loves the deck and the garden in the light evenings the way she would in the UK - only she would not have a deck or a garden!

Weather not so hot all year round it becomes a misery. Melbourne's best kept secret.

Don't really notice any flies - if they get bad, swat the buggers.

movetoperth

we come originally from the same neck of the woods as you and you wouldn't catch me going back....ever. Living with the heat and the sun isn't a problem for us. My husband has a commute much the same as in the UK, weekends you still have to fix whatever needs fixing or decorate or whatever like you did in the UK, but we certainly do more....more socialising, more entertaining, more with the kids oh and on the subject of the kids if i so much as mentioned going back they'd disown me.

Lynn

Vash the Stampede

I think it all depends on what people mean by a "better way of life".

Example...

For some people, London offers a better way of life because it's cosmopolitan, lively, fast-paced, brimming with culture and history, offering a higher than average salary. For me, it would be claustrophobia hell with filthy streets and unaffordable housing (and I speak as soneone who's lived in London).

For me, Adelaide offers a better way of life because it's slower, less populated, easygoing with a thriving coffee culture, family-friendly, not far from a major capital (Melbourne), nice and green (lots of tree-lined avenues and leafy suburbs), offering affordable housing and clean, modern suburbs with a bit of history and multiculturalism thrown in for good measure. For others, it would be "Zombietown, Nowhereseville".

It all depends on what you're looking for in life.

northernbird

Vash is absolutely right. Its all about expectations.

ozzieeagle

Spot on... I love London


Only part of Melbourne feels like it.

busterboy

...for me, that's a good thing!

Horses for courses etc.

ozzieeagle

Exactly except there is open space in abundance in Aussie, there is only a very small part of Aussie that really feels cosmoplitan, and I thank the lord for that little bit I live as close to it as I can afford to.

busterboy

...and I will be glad to dip into every so often!

The Crow

Yes, I agree. Expectations, research and a little bit of luck thrown in!

We hoped for a bigger house, with a much smaller mortgage, OH working less hours - similar sort of salary to UK, me not having to work, access to wonderful countryside and city, girls being outdoor more, lots to do, friends to make.... etc

Well, I think we've been very lucky (OK I did a fair bit of research), but we have achieved all the above - and are actually in a lovelier house and more beautiful area than we imagined. OH is working less hours, in a job he enjoys, and on day shift - so we see much more of him (in useful time) and he earns the same as he did in the UK (but without the ridiculous amount of overtime). I don't have to work - though plan to do something part-time in a year or so (just to use my brain and have some extra cash).

2hrs away:

skiing in winter (well if there's more snow next season!)

Within a 45 min drive we have:

- numerous shopping Malls (including Chadstone - for your designer wear!!)
- the CBD - fantastic city - arts, culture, architecture, shopping, eating....
- the beautiful Bay beaches

Within a 20 min drive:

- Lysterfield Lake beach (the girls love it)
- too many parks to mention

Around the corner:

- the Dandenong Ranges National Park (5 mins)
- Olinda and Sassafras mountain villages with their excellent cafes and restaurants and antique shops (Pig & Whistle pub with Old Speckled Hen and live music).
- still many parks with great children's facilities
- Knox shopping Mall and entertainment centre
- My gym with indoor and outdoor pools
- train link to CBD
- Oak Tree Pub with Old Speckled Hen, live music and a dart board (walking)

That's just the tip of the iceberg - got so much more to explore.

We are very happy

And the negatives - family and friends of course. I used to get very jealous when hearing about my friends' European holidays - but that's wearing off for now.
Hoons - the odd one of course!
Graffitti - not directly by us, but most everywhere else!
Dogs off lead and poo not picked up - yes, your dogs may not hurt a fly, but my 3 & 4 year old don't know that (try having them leap on you in unison - the kids that is!).
Trying to be encourgaged to start scrapbooking with some kinder Mums - NOOOO

DagBoy

I am definitely one of the "not better, not worse, just different" school.

As someone said - it all comes down to expectations. I would say that I have a much better way of life here than I did, but I did not come out here looking for that - it just happened that way and many of the things that now make my life better are not Aus specific - I could have got them anywhere.

I work fewer hours than I did in the UK (in the same job for the same company) - that's just because Brisbane seems a little bit more laid back that London and the South East of England. When I came out the salary was on a par, though I would guess that my UK salary would have gone up more in the last 5 years. Then again, I would have had to work much harder.

My commute to work is shorter and more consistent and stress free - that is because there is far less traffic around Brisbane and I can be flexible about when I travel, so I can still live in a nice house in a nice area but be within sensible commuting distance of a major city.

I now work a four day week so I can have more time with family. That was my choice and is more to do with working for an understanding company rather than being in Aus. One of my colleagues in the UK does the same.

I have learnt to live without the shopping - there are shops here I just no longer go into town on the weekend and end up traipsing round them. Mainly because when I was in the UK I lived alone and the weekends were the only time I could get stuff. Now I am married and my beautiful wife can do the dull shopping during the week - leaving the weekends free for the important stuff like Bunnings or BCF.

I spend more time doing maintenance around the house and yard, but that is due to a couple of reasons - first, I now have a much larger house and yard, second, the weather is seldom not suitable so the main excuse I had in the UK for putting such things off has gone. Also - I enjoy it. If I did not enjoy it, I would not do it - for proof, look at the painting that needs doing around the house - I hate painting!

I spend about as much time outside as I did in the UK, just doing different stuff. In the UK it was a lot of gardening, running, cycling, walks in the country. Here it is fishing, boating, gardening, out with the family, swimming, stuff with the dogs.

I now own more (and bigger) TVs and have satellite channels (back there I just had the 4 terrestial channels). I watch a bit more TV here, but poorer quality Some of that has to do with the children setting up Foxtel to auto tune and turn on for Dragonball Z - 30 seconds of that while I find the remote control brings the average quality rating down a fair way.

Anyway - did I expect a better way of life in Aus - no. Did I get one? yes
Did i expect a better way of life marrying the beautiful MrsDagBoy - yes. Was I right - definitely

Could I be happier? It would be hard.

Cheers,

DagBoy

Stitch

It gives you a different way of life....not neccessarily better.

Cheers

Ginny

wavy_davy

Interesting post this one, I as going to start a thread more specifically based around teenagers. Our little girl is 3 and we came here under the notion she may well have a more active and outdoor life etc..........which she does.

However, since I've been working with so many young (17-23) yr olds over the last 8 months, they all talk about "dying" to get away from Perth, how it's such a dead place to be and there's nothing here for them and they're ready to travel etc. My staff are a healthy mix of academics and apprentices and they all seem to have the same opinion, they're interestingly incredibly ignorant of anything else that happens in the world and where everything else is!! The most shocking fact is that so many of them know a friend who topped themselves, a friend in the WA police force once confirmed to me that WA has an unusually high suicide rate due to depression etc.

Now.........I certainly don't mind my daughter travelling the world when she's old enough to do so but what I don't want, is for her to grow up with no understanding and view of life outside Australia at all. Also for her not to be "desperate" to leave the family home as she's bored stupid.

Ok, the question is.........................does anyone have first hand experience of bringing a child from childhood to young adulthood in Perth and how was it? And also does anyone else feel the same or do I worry too much?!

Also, there is a the underlying fact that my views of Oz are becoming increasingly polarised so that may well have a lot to do with it!

Thanks

Dave

Exile

Good question, and something I think about quite a bit too.

Vash the Stampede

Some examples would help. In what way are they "incredibly ignorant of anything that happens in the world and where everything is"? What does that mean, exactly? Are they just plain stupid, or do they pay no attention to the media? I mean, you really would have to be pretty damn thick not to know that if you switch on the TV at a certain time of night, you will see half an hour of news (both local and international).

You list two groups: academics and apprentices. Well, at the risk of painting a stereoytype (but perhaps you already have and I'm just filling in the colours) I have to say "there's your answer".

Academics are notorious for knowing very little about the outside world (even within their own country) because they live in a rareified atmosphere (such as a university or college) and rarely venture beyond the ivory tower.

For their part, apprentices aren't exactly renowned for their intimate knowledge of other cultures, nor are they in a position to travel (as uni students are) and broaden their minds. Once they're qualified, it's all different; but until then, they're more or less land-locked.

BTW, 17-23 year olds are almost always "desperate to get out of here", regardless of where they live. It's characteristic of the age group; burgeoning independence + private income = wanderlust and a touch of "grass is always greener".

I'd be interested to see the statistics. The majority of suicides amongst West Australians tend to be in rural distrincts, amongst white rural populations and Aboriginal communities. As is so often the case, males outnumber females.

If we assume that depression is the most common cause, we must then ask "What causes the depression?"

I hardly think it is bordedom - do you?

That's surely up to yourself and her, isn't it? I mean, Perth doesn't have some sort of magical effect that prevents people from knowing anything about the outside world.

If people want to learn more, they'll get off their backsides and learn more. If they don't, they won't.

Either way, it's down to the individual.

If she's bored stupid, how will leaving the family home change anything? (Unless she's merely bored with the family home). See my comments about 17-23 year olds. They do grow out of it.

I don't, but I was born and raised in Perth - and loved it.

I think you worry too much.

You don't say.

wavy_davy

"I don't, but I was born and raised in Perth - and loved it."- that would've done nicely...............but thankyou for your critique Vash