I can see why you would think it odd, but when you spent 3 years getting here, gave up a massive business and have spent over $200k so far here I see it as an investment. Might be a fools investment but I've now invested too much just to turn tail and run. If Canberra doesn't work out then it's probably time to chalk it up as one of my dafter investments and call it quits. I still intend to go home, just not yet as I can't due to circumstance so in the mean while I may as well make the most of it and try somewhere else.

I didn't like where I lived when I lived in Cardiff, But that didn't make me dislike the UK or stop me from trying somewhere else. Here I dislkike Australia and where I live now. I'm prepared to give it one more go. Simple.

Well seems to me that Arkon has reinforced what I had come around to thinking based on a spate of recent posts about Canberra.

What annoys me is when a poster is pigeonholed. I think its possible to like a poster, agree with him and take argument with him at the same time over key points. I know where Arkon is coming from probably 70pc of the time, but I deal with it differently. I reckon a lot of posters on this site who have the 'nerve' to articulate their thoughts are often taken the wrong way, I'm convinced if we met Arkon he'd be surrounded by people wanting to hear his story and get to know the real Arkon the one you can't get from an internet site.

Some people really cop it because they really ask for it - these are the people who ostracise themselves, whereas Arkon often reminds us that he is quite genuine, almost a 'trust me on this' and I for one take him on his word!

But I don't think there are any chavs here, just hoons....

I like the way you are prepared to give it one more go, because I thought you were about to head back for good. You might be surprised - well you are already!

[QUOTE=JaneandJim]Have to disagree with you there. You have been irritated by Arkon for a very very long time.

This thread didn't start off with a rant. It just became one after everybody jumped in to criticise. Arkon is a red rag to a bull to a lot of posters. His past rants are always going to be held against him, even when he posts something positive.

Here here - well said

I would say it's not too different to the outpourings on UK radio. Especially those radio stations further away from london. Where I sit here in inner Urban Melbourne. Particuarly here in 51pct plus ethnic Moreland, I can honestly say I dont witness any racism. So what have you actually really witnessed in Real Life ?

Please don't equate those with the loudest and most cynical voices that you hear on radio and assign those views to the whole of Australia. Thats a dead thick thing to do.

BTW....I've been looking at Real Estate on the net.... In Canberra, Can't say I'm very impressed at around the 400,000 level. Median price in Melbourne now is 407,000. Maybe I've been looking in the wrong Locations.

If I may ask, which area of Cardiff did you live in and when?

OK, thanks! You've come to far not to make it work then in simple terms. I can appreciate that. It is a huge investment for most people who come here, whether in money or in emotional investment... I admire anyone who can recognise it's not for them and head back to the UK.

I wonder if you'd have started out in Canberra area for example, you'd have different views on Aus?

I am trying to get something made in Australia, and found a company who 'could' in theory do it for me. They were based in Echuca, which if you ever go, you'd love. It's a fabulous historical town in rural Aus. I rang this company and the guy who answered was a) drunk at 9.30am b) Thick as two short planks and yet, his company supply KMart, and Target etc with their produce. We've decided sadly that we have to import from China instead, which is a bummer because you can get grants for stuff made in Aus.
I understand where you're coming from Arkon... because if I landed in Echuca and tried to do business with dumb and dumber, I'd have gone insane by now... but I landed here in the BM's with some good company so my view of what Australia is about is coloured much differently to yours.

You're absolutely right. Meeting people in the flesh is much different than a MB view.

I have witnessed hideous racism against aboriginals whilst I worked in Alice years back. The area is so shut off from the 'real world' that it gets away with it. I would like to think places like Alice have changed and grown but I seriously doubt it. I'd be interested to see though.

It's rarely possible to say anything bordering on 'constructive' in relation to your posts, because in themselves, those posts are usually little more than anti-Australian rhetoric, hinged around some inane little daily drama that the vast majority of people would shrug off here *or* in the UK.

If you need a reality check head towards Batemans Bay. Just out of Queanbeyan there is a right hand turn to Captain's Flat. Take it and head to bogan country...

WW

problem is, its the very rural problem areas (parts of the NT springs to mind) where you get all the racism - well - better named - problems - resentment on both sides. If a 'black fella' causes trouble he gets into trouble. Circular story - circular problem.

It's then very easy to blame a whole country. I haven't looked in to exactly what the govt has done but I know some of their policies have deemed to be racist. I don't think anyone can win.

I sit on the train everyday, the only white bloke on the train and I think, 'Christ I'm in a minority'. Don't feel any emotions about it though, I just know there are hundreds of migrants, myself included all getting on with their lives. At work, 80pc on my floor, all the most highly paid technicians are Asian, my offsider is from Vietnam and he's the best technician I've met in 10 years. He's become like a brother. I'm as thick as pigsh*t compared to him but he seems to like me, must be, either I'd be left behind in the gutter.

I really just want to let people know that Canberra is nothing like their preconceived ideas. I know people have the exact same preconceived ideas about the place as I did, we all read the same books, live in places other that Canberra and all speak to Australians on the subject who don’t live in Canberra, have either never been there or maybe visited it 3,5 or 10 years ago and so have a completely distorted and wrong view on the place. I’ve not met an Australian yet that actually had a good word to say about another state let alone Canberra. So in summary:-

The roads are the best in the country with no silly 2 into 1 lane nonsense. If you can plan you route to only ever need to turn left then you never get stopped at lights. (Need to turn right and that’s another story as the stay red for ages). The City has excellent routes to get from North to South and a semi ring road system to make getting anywhere very easy and fast. Parking was very easy but most car parks did charge but not very much. Westfields parking was free but only 2 hours and then was very expensive if you went over. 2 Hours IMO was not enough. The other Westfield was 3 hours I think.

The Drivers if you actually saw another one were much more courteous than here in NSW and much less frantic and rude than those in Melbourne. The also seemed to know how to work roundabouts. The density of traffic was ridiculously small even rush hour barely registered as much. Yes it was busier but didn’t add any time to a journey because of it.

The feel of the place was like being in a big park with a lake at it’s centre. Most roads had parks either side or a park in the middle for the length of the road. In fact there was so much parkland that it made it difficult to see where everyone lived when you were driving and I can imagine this adds to the view that the place is empty. Most roundabouts were so big and covered in park that you didn’t even realise it was a roundabout, one of them you could even go around anti clockwise!

The lake has bicycle routes around either all or most of it, apart from the undulations the city seemed very bike friendly.

Shops were plentiful and easy to reach, the goods they sold were of a much wider and more quality range than I get here, with quality European stuff easy to find. Plenty of shops stayed open late and were not in a hurry to chuck you out near closing time. I never got my bags checked once nor did I hear that condescending warning about bag checking in the shops or supermarkets.

Restaurants were plentiful easy to reach, park at and of a very high standard. A huge diverse offering of styles and tastes.

Wildlife was plentiful even in the city, we saw hundreds of cockatiels, parots, galahs, herds of kangaroos and wallabies and even a couple of wombats. In fact a lot more ‘Australian’ wildlife than we have here on the MNC.

Jobs were plenty, in fact there were 37000 job vacancies of a high calibre and some for the common folk too! Schools seemed good and talking to the locals there were no complaints and plenty of compliments about the standard of teaching in them. Colleges and universities seemed very good too. Plenty of science and space type stuff there and very forward thinking (It seemed)

Housing was cheap and plentiful and for about $290 to $350 you could get a nice house or flat very close in to the city and probably wouldn’t need a car as the busses seemed very good. There were not many ridiculously priced properties like seem so common in Sydney, Mel or Brisbane.

What not to like about it? Well if you like your beaches you won’t like it as its at least a 2 hour drive to one, but on the plus side Sydney and Melbourne are relatively close so I actually found it to be the least remote city here, shame about the non international airport. All air plane holidays you ‘ll need to add $300 to per couple for the mini flight to Sydney first before you can go anywhere more exotic.

Well there you have it, roll over Bill Bryson your game is up and your book woefully out of date.

sorry need to add something...Police or lack of them, Never did I feel the need to chekc my speed or feel like a naughty school boy when driving. I only saw one police car all week and then he was parked up to get something to eat. Within an hour of re-entering NSW you start to get hit by all the tut tut road signs and plenty of police cars sat hiding waiting to get someone for going a little too fast. I just didn't get the feeling in Canberra that the police were out to get you like I get here.

That depends on who you are? If your someone I sacked in a previous life then I cant say.

Sadly I think that you're quite right... It's a mess all right and an 'unwinnable' situation. Whatever seems to happen, it gets spoiled or ruined by one 'side' or the other.
I personally haven't seen any racist views whilst here that apart from the slight redneck zenophobics (such as my FIL) who talks about the country being 'flooded' with asians etc.... yet he himself comes from immigrant stock and his views are mainly based on fear rather than any educated view.

I agree with all of that except the bit about the driving - I found them as bad as or worse than the ones from NSW who are definitely worse than Vic drivers.

It's interesting that the road to Melbourne becomes a single carriageway as soon as it gets over the border into NSW whereas the road to Sydney remains a dual carriageway. Do you think the Sydneysiders are still miffed that the provisional Capital went to Melbourne before Canberra was built?