Exile

So true. That really does sum up a large part of my life since I've been in Perth.

There is a connection. I'm not saying it will be like this for everyone. What I'm trying to do here (work hard, rely on telephone, internet, and other services, have a house built, work under pressure and meet tight deadlines) is not compatible with the location and the general attitude of many of the people providing services. I'd say it can't be done here unless you are very, very lucky. At least, you can't do it and maintain your sanity.

Hutch

Well. We'll be in a very similar situation to you soon (minus the house build bit). We both work from home and will be under the same pressure. It's not an eternity, but we carried on working for the two months (Dec/Jan) we were out in Oz and had no problems with phones, Internet, printing companies, banks etc. Maybe it's because we were (and will be) living in an area of Oz that's been 'settled' for that much longer and is more mature, but I sometimes wonder whether people are talking about the same Australia sometimes.

Exile

My problem is I have deadlines that are generally about one or two hours, during which time I have to concentrate like crazy or the work doesn't get done. The deadlines tend to overlap slightly throughout very long days, so I'm constantly under pressure. You can't do that kind of work and deal with all the constant screwups.

Your area will almost certainly be much better for being long-established. This is the wild frontier. It will also help if your business doesn't depend on you actually doing all the revenue-generating work very quickly and at very short notice. This is a recipe for insanity if you're in my area of Perth.

Twenty-twenty hindsight is a wonderful thing. I was pretty naive in thinking that things might just work like they're supposed to, or how the advertising tells you they will.

Exile

This is the key point, I think. It depends where you are, and what you are trying to do in that place where you are.

Hutch

Agreed. Though what with me being a scizo and all, I may well be back to disagree shortly.

Exile

I was waiting for the "Hey Sherlock" response

Seriously, it is so obvious but sometimes so hard to see.

NickyC

You'll be fine..

I've worked from home for nine years (started back in the dark ages of 1997), using the internet plus a dail-up connection to get to where I need to work. I'm on call 24 hours a day and I've never, ever had the slightest problem with any of it (with equipment or any provider of any service) day or night during the whole 9 years.

I too am frequently mystified about this 'bad service' that supposedly everyone experiences here. It must be in that 'other' Australia.

Exile

Not everyone. Some of us are just unlucky, or unwise in our choices of destination or occupation.

Centurion

I'd hate to live in the other Australia. Thank goodness I live in this one where I find things generally just fine and people cock up sometimes just about as much as they do in the UK, Germany, Japan or anywhere else.

If I were in a position that I was that busy that I simply couldnt cope with the local area facility wise, location of my house or my job pressures, I'd move or change jobs. In fact I've already done exactly that and can highly recommend jacking in a pressured existence

For every example of poor service that someone could tell me in Australia I'd match it with one from my experiences in business in the UK.

Exile

Of course it kind of makes sense to change your own situation, but sometimes it's not so easy to just move or change jobs. I have certain commitments. Also, nothing will ever improve if everyone just gives up. And some people have to live a pressured existence, or society will just grind to a halt.

As I've said before, where I live feels like a big retirement village, except I work like a dog and twice as hard as I should have to, as I'm constantly having to chase people who let me down. If they did what they claim they can do and what they're being paid to do, the job would be fine. Why should I have to change because of other people's incompetence?

Exile

In my experience and that of many people I know, the cock-up rate in Perth is about 10x that in Tokyo. The other massive difference is the attitude to cocking up. In Japan, they apologise (or commit seppuku). Here, all you seem to get is "not my fault", or "that's just the way it is".

arkon

I tried to sit idly by reading this thread and biting my tongue, I even agree with most of what’s been said. But there is a misconception and excuse used by the people here both Australian and immigrant alike to mitigate some of the bad things about the place namely the size of the country versus the small population. This is just so wrong. If the 20 million were spread evenly across the country then I’d say fair enough. But it’s not. Most of the population is clustered around a handful of cities and the relative population density is more than enough to meet the critical mass needed to meet better service, stock levels and decent supply. Australia’s GDP is about 640 Billion and the UK 1,800 Billion so pro rata to the size of the population it is almost the same. So there is no excuse at all. The small population argument long ago for me lost it’s reason to be valid excuse.

NKSK version 2

Great post Phoenix.

I like the balance. I've actually had a bit of an epiphany today. Driving through one of the wonderful parks in the Perth hills, walking along with my children in t-shirts - 22 degrees in mid winter, a clean, unspoilt, friendly environment and we were having a glorious time.

It is very difficult. I'm sure when people like Hutch and Vash read my posts, they think that I really think that the UK is fantastic compared with Australia and yét I don't think I'll ever live in the UK again - it's just not a place for me.

But equally, it really grates when I hear the "Australia is utopia" crowd - it just smacks of naivety. I just can't understand it - it really is myopia in my opinion and I don't know if their "Australia is utopia" opinion is being expressed because they are trying to justify their move to themselves or their family or that they are living in such a sheltered environment that the real Australia is yet to hit.

And that's why I have a lot of sympathy for Arkon and others. Australia is crap in so many areas - and if migrants can't see that, then in my view they are just conning themselves.

And yet Australia is a bloody nice place to be also. Go figure...

My wife loves it here - absolutely. (and to those of you who have sensitivies about racism in Australia then I can tell you that from first hand experience it has hardly been an issue for us here in Perth) But she doesn't have to do the jobs that I have to do - the types of jobs which really stress me out. Yes, I encountered crap in the UK but never the incompetence that I have encountered here. Sorry Centurion - my take on it all.

To prosepctive migrants - it you have an ounce of wanderlust in your veins then you should come over and give it a go. Australia really does have some fabulous upsides. But........(you can fill in the missing words)....

NKSK version 2

I'm with you.

It's a crock of sh*t used by many Aussies the world over to defend the indefensible.

Wol

Remind me again - where exactly are you?