Pollyana

AndyR

Thanks for your input guys, really helpful

Pollyana, thanks for doing the mod work, but feel free to close the thread now.

Its become totally apart to me now that its not worth voicing any opinions on here where they may in any possible way say something negative about Oz or Aussies. I was only putting my experiences of my first time in Oz for people to read as when I was researching my move, I found these sorts of post the most useful.

Also, some people on here need to give other users some credit and stop pigeon holing them all as rosetinted whinging poms as soon as they say something negative about Oz. I know I for one researched the move to Oz a lot before committing and wasn't one of the people who were suckered in by the "Wanted Down Under" effect of a new life down under, everything's easy etc. Lots of people on here spend a lot of time doing there visa app themselves, working out everything that is involved with that, severing all the links back home and all thats entailed with that. Its not something you do on a whim without considering the effects, so everytime someone who is already living in Oz decides to take a pot shot at someone in our position who has a bad experience, it just makes you look bad and not us. To use the Ozzy attitude which a lot of posters seem to refer to, "toughen the **** up", well do that in reverse and stop getting so upset as soon as someone says they have had a bad experience. The UK is far from perfect too, everywhere has its good and bad points but this forum is for people to put across there experiences. Does it make you feel big and strongs to shoot people down who are using the forum as a means of help and support when they need it the most?

I can see now though that the reason there are so few of them on here is because it too quickly turns into how this post went with 2 out of 10 useful replies and the other 8 out of 10 calling the poster a whinging pom, rose tinted glasses, or just to go home. Funny how the post started as my experience of how rude I was finding Oz, yet a lot of the posters on here fall into the same category so I can't have been too wide of the mark.

For the record, since we left Brisbane, apart from the crappy weather on the Gold Coast at the moment where we are, we are finding Australia much much better and more like we had researched before coming, but for all the personal insults I've been getting from this thread, both publicly and via private message, I can't be bothered to put any more effort into British Expats. Its been good while it lasted but feel free to close the thread now.

All the posters who gave the positive / useful / understanding comments, Thanks, your the reason I joined BE in the first place and the reason I decided to move here.

And everyone else, enjoy your forum when you've forced all the new migrants who actually wanted to use the forum for help and support outta here!

WillBlack

THE MAN FROM IRONBARK by A.B. "Banjo" Paterson

It was the man from Ironbark who struck the Sydney town,
He wandered over street and park, he wandered up and down.
He loitered here, he loitered there, till he was like to drop,
Until at last in sheer despair he sought a barber's shop.
"'Ere! shave my beard and whiskers off, I'll be a man of mark,
I'll go and do the Sydney toff up home in Ironbark."

The barber man was small and flash, as barbers mostly are,
He wore a strike-your-fancy sash, he smoked a huge cigar;
He was a humorist of note and keen at repartee,
He laid the odds and kept a "tote", whatever that may be,
And when he saw our friend arrive, he whispered, "Here's a lark!
Just watch me catch him all alive, this man from Ironbark."

There were some gilded youths that sat along the barber's wall.
Their eyes were dull, their heads were flat, they had no brains at all;
To them the barber passed the wink, his dexter eyelid shut,
"I'll make this bloomin' yokel think his bloomin' throat is cut."
And as he soaped and rubbed it in he made a rude remark:
"I s'pose the flats is pretty green up there in Ironbark."

A grunt was all reply he got; he shaved the bushman's chin,
Then made the water boiling hot and dipped the razor in.
He raised his hand, his brow grew black, he paused awhile to gloat,
Then slashed the red-hot razor-back across his victim's throat:
Upon the newly-shaven skin it made a livid mark -
No doubt it fairly took him in - the man from Ironbark.

He fetched a wild up-country yell might wake the dead to hear,
And though his throat, he knew full well, was cut from ear to ear,
He struggled gamely to his feet, and faced the murd'rous foe:
"You've done for me! you dog, I'm beat! one hit before I go!
I only wish I had a knife, you blessed murdering shark!
But you'll remember all your life the man from Ironbark."

He lifted up his hairy paw, with one tremendous clout
He landed on the barber's jaw, and knocked the barber out.
He set to work with nail and tooth, he made the place a wreck;
He grabbed the nearest gilded youth, and tried to break his neck.
And all the while his throat he held to save his vital spark,
And "Murder! Bloody murder!" yelled the man from Ironbark.

A peeler man who heard the din came in to see the show;
He tried to run the bushman in, but he refused to go.
And when at last the barber spoke, and said "'Twas all in fun—
'Twas just a little harmless joke, a trifle overdone."
"A joke!" he cried, "By George, that's fine; a lively sort of lark;
I'd like to catch that murdering swine some night in Ironbark."

And now while round the shearing floor the list'ning shearers gape,
He tells the story o'er and o'er, and brags of his escape.
"Them barber chaps what keeps a tote, By George, I've had enough,
One tried to cut my bloomin' throat, but thank the Lord it's tough."
And whether he's believed or no, there's one thing to remark,
That flowing beards are all the go way up in Ironbark.

The Bulletin, 17 December 1892.

Walkabout

Hmmm......a very balanced post.

Walkabout

...I meant to say Andy, you mirror my experience and I live in Melbourne. There couldn't have been a bigger Aussie patriot than me, (formative years here), but I have had it kicked out of me in only 9 months. After planning this return to Aussie for the past 37 years, I am SO tempted to book the next flight back to civilization but I have two kids and my move was for them and I believe it will be a better life for them. It is easy to get this out of balance in the beginning and it seems that the far greater percentage does. I anticipated this and said that we would give it two years, come what may.

Hang in there mate and "she'll be right" one way or another.

GBTOUSA

The Aussies can be brash but I never found them unfriendly

My first impressions were from Perth (which reminded me of Croydon with suntans ) - I wasn't too taken with it but loved everywhere else I visited.

I think you just need to chill out a little and you'll soon start to adjust to things.

AndyR

Oh its OK, we are adjusting fine since we left Brisbane, its must better now and everything is panning out as we expected (parking ticket excluded ).

Only reason I made the last post as I'm sick in the bashing I am taking because of the thread. Been getting private messages from people telling me suck it up, bugger off home yada yada, stop being a whinging pom and I just can't be arsed with it all anymore.

We're in Oz to stay (as long as the visa turns up) and we'll make it work now matter what as we are already fitting in now. From now on though I'll stay off the forum, only reading the posts I want to but not contributing anymore, its just not worth the hassle.

Ransi

How would you know about this???

moneypenny20

If you're getting snotty unwarranted PMs forward them to me, Poll or Dorothy. If someone is being abusive but too cowardly to make it public, we need to know about it.

I think with a thread like this, you (general) you are always going to get negative and positive responses and for the main part that's what you've had. Just went off on a tangent slightly but I don't think that was related to you, just on your thread.

Don't let the idiots put you off posting. You've as much right as anyone else and as with all countries there is good and bad and it doesn't hurt anyone to hear that you had a few bad experiences after landing. I think there are probably still a few out there that believe Aus is utopia and nothing bad or negative ever happens. Just realise that the people giving abuse will never know you and you will likely never meet them or have to worry about them in real life. Pleased things have picked up for you.

the troubadour

It will be a real shame Andy R if you do stay off the forum and the forum will be weaker for it.
My advice would be not to allow yourself to be bullied and continue to voice and vent your feelings as you see fit. Please do not give in to such behaviour.Hope to read more from you soon ...Good Luck.

the troubadour

It is hard to say if it is Pommies wanting to be Aussies who cannot hear any negatives with regards to Australia for their own somewhat warped personal reasons or Ocker-Aussies who have never been remotely tolerant to anyone from another land who does'nt admit to Oz being the greatest country in the world..this attitude has been around for ever although i thought is was dissipating with Aussie opening up a little more than in the past...to whats beyond the surburban garden picket fence.
I personally would'nt allow either group to dictate what i want to express on BE....Stay with us Andy R.

the troubadour

Smarten up your shooten skills and yar be alright.

ColdAsIce

My experience of Australia to date

The bad!-EXPENSIVE! EXPENSIVE! EXPENSIVE!
-Lots of people very rude!
-Australian $ is worth nothing, always will be
-The country is too isolated, your days of travelling, experiencing other cultures and cuisines are literally over!
-Café’s / Good restaurants seem to be always over crowded, lack of choice and lack of variety.
-Lots of houses are made of wood – very cheap, I have seen 3rd world developments better then that of Australia
-It can get very cold here too! Lots of houses are made out of wood and have no central heating. I am talking about Brisbane and Sydney in were I have been living.
-When it rains then it really rains here
-Australian infrastructure is probably the worst, the trains are easily older then I am.
-Sydney – All people are interested in is living by the sea, beach on door step etc…people forget that the average person cannot afford such property and instead you have based yourself 30-45 minutes outside Sydney city, in a ugly suburb.
-A nation of immigrants, Lots of Australians complain about immigrants but what is an Australian? Who is an Australian? They all came from everywhere but Australia
-SUN! you burn too quickly and easily nothing like what any European is used to, and I am used to going to hot places but the sun here is like being put in a microwave.
-Police seem too bored and set up speed traps everywhere! Police blocks etc.
-Some of the cities here only have 1-2 roads going in and out of them like Sydney
-Technology! Way behind in terms of everything eg TV, internet/broadband,wifi etc just basic essentials.
-Lack of opportuntys in terms of work. You only got 4-5 main cities and that is it!
-They dont sell FOSTERS beer, not that i like this beer anyway
-Takes forever to get anywhere, for a bank holiday weekend away you got to book well in advance to do anything
-Lack of airlines = At times flight prices can be expensice, sometimes cheap too when only desperate


The good!-Weather is very nice most of the time but there are plenty of days when it is too hot! And you cant sleep, but lots of times it is nice
-Beaches!
-Very clean here, in particular the cities if you compare it to London, Dublin etc.
-Ute’s I like the look of them and don’t seem to be sold anywhere else but Australia.
-Some good beers out this way

Weather and beaches is the best part of Australia, apart from that.

SO YES VERY OVER RATED! But still good.

the troubadour

Usually could'nt wait to return to Central London after a spell in the country although nice enough for a few days to me the options always appeared so much more limited along with the prevalent world view of the locals.
Small town Oz i find hard work all round at least in the sense of developing friendship.

Deancm

don't want to state the obvious here but this is Australia.

That's the Police's mission statement. Make money by issuing loads of traffic fines.

Thank Christ for that!