Is the grass actually sometimes greener?
Jun 4th 2009 | 7:57 pm
#17
Australia's Doorman
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,057
From: The Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia
Re: Is the grass actually sometimes greener?
The one constant in an emigration - is you. If you take the same attitudes and hang-ups, then it's highly likely that you'll simply recreate your old life with all its attendant emotional baggage. I think in emigrating we all get a chance to reinvent ourselves. We move somewhere where nobody knows us, we start new jobs, our kids go to new schools, we can join new groups frequented by new people. You can either grasp that opportunity and rectify those parts of your life that you feel are currently lacking or you can carry on exactly as you were, 12000 miles from the only people who give a shit.
Jun 4th 2009 | 8:17 pm
#18
Ping pong PoM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,537
From: Melbourne
Re: Is the grass actually sometimes greener?
We are seriously looking into moving out to Oz and have obviously found the various theads very helpful. 
However, without having to cover old ground (if that is possible), I would really appreciate some honest and as objective an input as possible from people with learned experience about whether a better life really can be found in Australia.
We are considering it for all the usual reasons, i.e general decline in standards and quality of life in UK, very poor and restrictive climate, extremely negative and exploitative media, incompetent government, ludicrous and ever growing layers of beaurocracy, yob culture, soaring crime etc etc. We are under no illusion that these aspects exist everywhere on the planet and are unavoidable but surely it is relative and certain nations such as Australia are on the whole safer, healthier, more positive, provide better future, better lifestyle etc.
A new country isn't necessarily a solution to the problem. Yes the sun does shine and there are more days that can be spent enjoying outdoor activities. Personally, I felt a little like a mushroom when I first arrived in relation to the media, (until I discovered ABC Radio National) beaurocracy exists here too.... and it will seem more confusing and multi layered when you arrive, simply because of the unfamiliarity of it. Yob culture is alive and well here too! (A friend was a victim of a aggravated burglary last weekend... he was lucky not to have been killed). Just because it's on the other side of the world doesn't mean that it's necessarily better, although it may be for you. The only guarantee is that it WILL be DIFFERENT.
I ask the question because some threads I have found to be very negative and almost offputting from the point of view that emigration will not necessarliy improve your life or that the same problems exist in Oz as in the UK. Why then would anyone emigrate or be attracted to emigrate in the first place?!
What we are keen to avoid is going through the massive emotional and physical upheaveal only to find ourselves having gone from a fire into a frying pan to a degree. We realise that utopia doesn't exist anywhere on this planet but surely a better life all round can be found through emigration and the many thousands of people who emigrate to Oz from the UK every year aren't merely misguided individuals who ultimately learn a difficult lesson the hard way, i.e the grass isn't always greener! 
For us, at least, the curiosity of living in another country was enough of a lure to make us take the plunge..... I have to admit it's been a lot harder than any of us anticipated. In some respects you are catapulted into being a teenager again, in as much as you don't know where to shop, claim for healthcare, Gas and Electric are a bit 'special'. (I ended up being cut off, for a day!
, but that's another story entirely!)
Ultimately we decided that we'd rather do something daring, rather than what we hadn't. As far as I know we've only got one, relatively short life!
Some honest and informative responses would be greatly appreciated.
However, without having to cover old ground (if that is possible), I would really appreciate some honest and as objective an input as possible from people with learned experience about whether a better life really can be found in Australia.
We are considering it for all the usual reasons, i.e general decline in standards and quality of life in UK, very poor and restrictive climate, extremely negative and exploitative media, incompetent government, ludicrous and ever growing layers of beaurocracy, yob culture, soaring crime etc etc. We are under no illusion that these aspects exist everywhere on the planet and are unavoidable but surely it is relative and certain nations such as Australia are on the whole safer, healthier, more positive, provide better future, better lifestyle etc.
A new country isn't necessarily a solution to the problem. Yes the sun does shine and there are more days that can be spent enjoying outdoor activities. Personally, I felt a little like a mushroom when I first arrived in relation to the media, (until I discovered ABC Radio National) beaurocracy exists here too.... and it will seem more confusing and multi layered when you arrive, simply because of the unfamiliarity of it. Yob culture is alive and well here too! (A friend was a victim of a aggravated burglary last weekend... he was lucky not to have been killed). Just because it's on the other side of the world doesn't mean that it's necessarily better, although it may be for you. The only guarantee is that it WILL be DIFFERENT.
I ask the question because some threads I have found to be very negative and almost offputting from the point of view that emigration will not necessarliy improve your life or that the same problems exist in Oz as in the UK. Why then would anyone emigrate or be attracted to emigrate in the first place?!
What we are keen to avoid is going through the massive emotional and physical upheaveal only to find ourselves having gone from a fire into a frying pan to a degree. We realise that utopia doesn't exist anywhere on this planet but surely a better life all round can be found through emigration and the many thousands of people who emigrate to Oz from the UK every year aren't merely misguided individuals who ultimately learn a difficult lesson the hard way, i.e the grass isn't always greener! For us, at least, the curiosity of living in another country was enough of a lure to make us take the plunge..... I have to admit it's been a lot harder than any of us anticipated. In some respects you are catapulted into being a teenager again, in as much as you don't know where to shop, claim for healthcare, Gas and Electric are a bit 'special'. (I ended up being cut off, for a day!
, but that's another story entirely!)Ultimately we decided that we'd rather do something daring, rather than what we hadn't. As far as I know we've only got one, relatively short life!
Some honest and informative responses would be greatly appreciated.
Jun 4th 2009 | 8:25 pm
#19
---
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,994
Re: Is the grass actually sometimes greener?
I think some things are better than the UK and some are worse. I think the education is more relaxed and enjoyable for the kids (but don't fret- on international rankings Oz does very well) and the pace of life is a little more chilled. You can live near the ocean and enjoy it most the year and the weather is warmer. Everyone will tell you it's cold in the winter, which I find confusing as I'm 2 hrs north of Sydney right on the coast and I've yet to feel properly cold- a bit nippy sometimes but my house is usually 18-20 in the evening (no heating but insulated and open plan, new build) and I sleep with the window open- so I can hear the ocean 
There are lots of things I think are worse than the UK, but you can find heaps of threads about those issues.
There are lots of things I think are worse than the UK, but you can find heaps of threads about those issues.
Jun 4th 2009 | 9:41 pm
#20
Thread Starter
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 21
Re: Is the grass actually sometimes greener?
Thanks so much everyone for the replies and it's amazing how varied the responses are, further confirming the fact that the experience of emigration like many things is in the eye of the beholder.
Although I focussed on things which annoy us about the UK, these are merely annoyances and we are definitely feeling a big pull factor as well as push if that makes sense. I also empathise with the thread re. embracing new beginning and new life, experience, friends etc and that would definitely be our attitude and approach.
Thank you all again!
Although I focussed on things which annoy us about the UK, these are merely annoyances and we are definitely feeling a big pull factor as well as push if that makes sense. I also empathise with the thread re. embracing new beginning and new life, experience, friends etc and that would definitely be our attitude and approach.
Thank you all again!
Jun 4th 2009 | 10:34 pm
#21
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Is the grass actually sometimes greener?
It actually can be for some people, maybe even for many people ?
A lot of British are very happy here.
I do think that a larger number of those arriving recently, in the last year or so, may have experienced more problems getting work etc. Consequently a larger number of people not overly happy with the outcome.
Not sure I would be wanting to move here just at the moment though, I would rather wait until economies pick up again, if possible.
For the original poster, remember, there are about 1,000,000 British born people in Australia, not many of them on here though
A lot of British are very happy here.
I do think that a larger number of those arriving recently, in the last year or so, may have experienced more problems getting work etc. Consequently a larger number of people not overly happy with the outcome.
Not sure I would be wanting to move here just at the moment though, I would rather wait until economies pick up again, if possible.
For the original poster, remember, there are about 1,000,000 British born people in Australia, not many of them on here though
Jun 4th 2009 | 10:41 pm
#22
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 691
Re: Is the grass actually sometimes greener?
Many of us have moved here because we are married to Aussies. I know I'm not alone in saying that staying in the UK would have been a preference, but with an Aussie partner there has to be give and take, as in any other relationship involving two nationalities. Life here for me is a case of same sh*t, different bucket. I don't think the weather is better, I don't think the lifestyle is better, and as for the old chestnuts of "extremely negative and exploitative media, incompetent government, ludicrous and ever growing layers of beaurocracy, yob culture, soaring crime, " after 6 years I don't see much difference from the uK - if anything Aus is worse.
Not negative, purely realistic.
Not negative, purely realistic.
Jun 4th 2009 | 10:54 pm
#23
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Is the grass actually sometimes greener?
Not when they complain that the Australian supermarket doesn't stock the same products as the British supermarket.
I can recall when the Australian supermarkets rarely stocked packaged frozen instant dinners, and the British complained about that... and they didn't have the same brand of Toilet Paper that they needed ! I recall it well, I was one of them
I can recall when the Australian supermarkets rarely stocked packaged frozen instant dinners, and the British complained about that... and they didn't have the same brand of Toilet Paper that they needed ! I recall it well, I was one of them
Jun 5th 2009 | 12:13 am
#26
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 174
Re: Is the grass actually sometimes greener?
Not when they complain that the Australian supermarket doesn't stock the same products as the British supermarket.
I can recall when the Australian supermarkets rarely stocked packaged frozen instant dinners, and the British complained about that... and they didn't have the same brand of Toilet Paper that they needed ! I recall it well, I was one of them
I can recall when the Australian supermarkets rarely stocked packaged frozen instant dinners, and the British complained about that... and they didn't have the same brand of Toilet Paper that they needed ! I recall it well, I was one of them
agree 100%, when we travelled here in 2004, my parents called at xmas time and was having the usual post xmas day huge buffet (we have a huge family that stay all xmas, national lampoon style!!lol) of all the usual tesco, M&S, waitrose picky bits etc (samosas, chicken nibbles, prawns, spring rolls, mini beef yorkshires etc) and they had nothing in coles, woolworths like that back then, i remember crying my eyes out on xmas day (after a fab day getting hammered on bondi beach) at having no picky bits to cook, now they have great stock...but now i am older and have a child i find i love using the fresh ingredients more..lol...sods law!!!
Jun 5th 2009 | 12:38 am
#27
Niamh,Paul + 4 :)
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,861
From: sunshine coast, now back home in Ireland :)
Re: Is the grass actually sometimes greener?
It actually can be for some people, maybe even for many people ?
A lot of British are very happy here.
I do think that a larger number of those arriving recently, in the last year or so, may have experienced more problems getting work etc. Consequently a larger number of people not overly happy with the outcome.
Not sure I would be wanting to move here just at the moment though, I would rather wait until economies pick up again, if possible.
For the original poster, remember, there are about 1,000,000 British born people in Australia, not many of them on here though
A lot of British are very happy here.
I do think that a larger number of those arriving recently, in the last year or so, may have experienced more problems getting work etc. Consequently a larger number of people not overly happy with the outcome.
Not sure I would be wanting to move here just at the moment though, I would rather wait until economies pick up again, if possible.
For the original poster, remember, there are about 1,000,000 British born people in Australia, not many of them on here though
should have said not for us any way. but you never know till you try and its worth trying. I think you could be right there on the job front but then I think its very sad for those that love it and want to stay but unfortunately the lack of jobs is sending people home. but then when it improves again and it will
they can return 
I think being aware that its not all milk and honey and little things will get you Toilet roll LOL
but then you'll be at the sea watching the kids having a ball and thinking this is great.
you never know till you go and I think its worth the go LOL
although I would probably wait for the jobs to improve first just in case
Jun 5th 2009 | 1:20 am
#28
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 16,623
From: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Re: Is the grass actually sometimes greener?
See if it brings out a sweat! The picky bits test... I like it.
a bit of adjustment for you!
Jun 5th 2009 | 1:57 am
#29
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 327
Re: Is the grass actually sometimes greener?
We are hopefully going to OZ just to see. I have lived here in the UK since birth and life is just too short not to experience everything you possibly can and want to. We are going to go with an open mind and take if rom there. I am a nurse and I have had many a conversation with elderly paients who say if only they were my age and things they wish they had done. I am not going to get to the that age and think like that. And my OH feels the same and I want my kids to have the experience too!
Jun 5th 2009 | 2:58 am
#30
Account Closed
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,693
Re: Is the grass actually sometimes greener?
QUOTE]
Stay where you are on the muddy grass, too big a mountain to climb here.
Stay where you are on the muddy grass, too big a mountain to climb here.
