AndyR

We arrived in Brisbane just over a week ago now as we plan on spending the year traveling while we wait for our 175 to be processed. We spent 3 weeks in New Zealand before we arrived and had the most amazing time, the people there were so friendly that it totally blew us away, so we arrived in Oz really excited.

However, its not exactly been the best time so far We had done a lot of research before coming so had our exceptions set and a lot of these (food prices, costs of items, bugs etc) are all as we expected so thats fine, however one this we didn't expect to encounter is the appalling attitude of the people here!!! Things we have experienced so far:-

• People are NOT friendly round here. Tried talking to lots of people in shops/out and about and they are just rude as hell. Say hi when you get to a checkout and they ignore you for example.
• How many people stare at you with an expression like they have just crapped there pants?
• People walk round completely oblivious to anyone else
• Constantly getting bumped into where-ever you go, and no one ever says sorry
• The way blokes in shops/restaurants ignore women is plain rude
• People spitting on the street all the time
• Never seen so many people smoking!!
• Does anyone ever wash there hands in this country? No wonder swine flu is spreading so quick in Oz! Also seen lots of parents telling there little kids not to wash there hands after using the loo as its only a wee/poo ?!?!?!?
• Total lack of manners from people
• Racism - WOW! Its so blatant around here. Even had to get off a train early because a group of lads were harassing people on the train who were Kiwi or British, plus saw some very proud Ozzies families on the City Cat acting like complete idiots just to cause a scene.
• Never had so many people let doors go in my face
• People always squeeze through in front of you and look at you like you were at fault
• Been bumped into so many times and they then look at you completely gormlessly!
• General gormless attitude of people when you walk round, its like being in Land of the Dead.
• The pace of life seems SOOOOO fast. Feel like your getting your heels chomped on the high street people walk so fast and everyone always seems to be in a rush wherever you go.

Hate to moan as we had been looking forward to this place for so long, but its just draining now. Like I say, before we came here we spent 3 weeks in New Zealand and they people there were met, every single one was superb. Never once felt uncomfortable, people were always friendly, if someone ever bumped you in the street they apologized etc.

All it feels like at the moment in Brisbane is London with much better weather and thats a serious shock. Everyone makes such a thing about how nice the Ozzies are but so far the only people which have been polite/civil are the Chinese/Koreans we've seen. Not seen many brits yet but every single Ozzie we have come across has been a total nightmare, and the amount of racism/crude attitude of people is a real eyeopener.

Sorry to rant, just had to vent a bit thats all. Hopefully it'll all change when we get out of Brisbane and into some less populated areas.

Catch

Welcome to Australia mate

moneypenny20

I don't go to Brissie that often and the only other place I've visited is Sydney but I can say with hand on heart I've not experienced any of those things anywhere. Sorry you have and hope your experience gets better.

The Crow

Nor have I. I do hope things get better for you

Darren-Debbie

Just wondered, do you look like your avatar?

irishbloo

AndyR

Hehe cheers

Probably just not having much luck at the moment. Had a nightmare with our first apartments (another thread) which paritialy ruining some of our time here.

Don't get me wrong, Brisbane itself is amazing and for the area/layout/weather/everything else etc then I would be so happy to settle here as everything we have researched has been proven true. But the way people are that we have seen since getting here puts us off totally so I just hope other areas of Oz are not like the people here as we're not tied to any one area so can move where we like.

HAHAHA!!! Luckily not, but the avatar does actually show pretty much the expression on most of the people walking round Brisbane that we have come across since getting here

man_called_Horse

Do you mean to say that you applied for a Visa before you had actually visited Australia?? How did you know you would like it.

I agree....I think NZ is a fantastic country probably the best I have ever visited But to be honest its good for a holiday, to live there different story.

You are probably just another Pommy Tourist, don't take it perosnal Brisbane is a bit like that, its part of its attractiveness for some people........ if you go to the more rural areas people are far friendlier.

Give it a chance or you will be accused of being a whinging Pom...

Vash the Stampede

So they're constantly staring at you whilst simultaneously oblivious to you?

AndyR

Yep, we had planned to come and travel anyway, plus were not tied down with a house to sell and the company I worked for were making my area redundant anyway so ended up with no ties to the UK. Wanted to live somewhere else so applied for a 175 so could live in Oz and if that fell through we could always transfer over to New Zealand anyway. Cheaper to do it this way than fork out for a holiday/traveling first.

Agreed, we didn't think we would like NZ that much but thought we might as well travel through anyway. Ended up totally loving the place so just added to the shock we have now.

None taken, we thought exactly the same actually. A few people we have talked to have asked if we are on holiday (they seem happy at this point) but once we say no we're moving there they clam up and seem to go in a mood. Probably just another bloody immigrant then

I know, but so far I've seen far more moody/rude/ignorant/crude/racist Ozzies to outway the whinging pom tag, and I think they only call us whinging poms to make themselves feel bigger and better. Seems very school boy banter the way a lot of the ozzy blokes act over here.

Will give it time though

AndyR

Yep, what I meant was they stare right through as they are totally oblvious to you.

Case in point, walking back to the apartment today we got so sick of having to dodge the zombies in the street that we decided to see if we other people would move for a change and 5 seconds later my got shoulder barged by a bloke and I got clouted by a woman with her bag who then huffed at me!

Trying not to let it bother me as the same thing used to happen back in the UK, I just thought/hoped/was told it was better here but so far its not the case for us.

Vash the Stampede

Oh, so just like London, then.

dave99

Reading this my experiences have been totally different, I went to new zealand auckland for a couple of weeks to validate visa and hated it. It was a lot like what you describe aus.

Now being in perth for a few years the worst I can say about it is that its a bit backward, things are a little old fashioned but the people are completely diffferent to what you describe. At first I was suprised by how friendly people were, I wasnt used to people randomly talking to you at traffic crossings or in elevators places like that, but here they do. My advice to you would be to get out of the city, maybe ome over to perth, its a totally different experience. I lived in adelaide for a year, and can definetly say that perth is everything you expected and wanted when you first thought of comming to australia.

Darren-Debbie

i have always found that when the street is really busy, walk along the path and keep shouting at yourself, no one ever bumps into me and i feel as though everyone can see me

sm79

Sorry to hear you're having a hard time of it.

Our experience of Brisbane was the complete opposite of what you've described - in particular we found the people to be very friendly and we still comment on how much/often staff in shops/restaurants spoke to us. From our perspective it seemed like our Scottish accent was a catalyst for coversation as opposed to a hindrance, with 'locals' showing what seemed like very genuine interest in where we were from and what our plans were.

We also felt the pace of life was very relaxed, streets were spotless and the groups of youths our paths crossed were boystrous but respectful. Maybe we were just lucky, or maybe travelling from Melbourne to Brisbane influenced our experiences (bigger, faster etc), either way we loved it.

Maybe your own experiences prior to arrival have tainted your opinion of the place in the opposite way ours did. Maybe getting yourself up or down the coast to get away from the city for a bit will help you find what you're looking for