PommiePaul

Depends entirely on you really. If you have a lot of shit in your life, that is not going to magically disappear just 'cos you move to a different country.

I prefer the lifestyle here. The people are easy going and friendly on the whole. There are arseholes everywhere and you'll get your fair share no matter where you live but I would say that there are fewer here than anywhere else I've lived.

The weather is fantastic. It can get a bit much for a month or two over summer but as long as you have aircon in your home and car where you can get relief you'll be fine. Winter is my favourite, 25 degrees and beautiful sunshine for months. Summer tends to bring a lot of storms and the humidity can get tiresome

If you like your outdoor stuff, beaches, camping, 4WDing, bushwalking that kind of thing then South East QLD will be like paradise to you. There are so many amazing places practically on your doorstep here you can never be bored.

The downside? Well the traffic is getting worse because of the influx of interstate and international migrants. House prices are double what they were three years ago (although still a lot cheaper than the UK). You can't buy booze in the supermarkets and the bottle shops (off licenses) close too early. The pubs are crap. Er, that's about all I can think of and I am trying hard.

I don't regret moving for a second.

Kiwipaul

We cannot tell wether you will love it or hate it, it's a personnel decision, some people love it (me included) some hate it and cannot wait to get back to UK.
If you come to Brissy you've GOT to like hot weather, also if your an armchair Pom you won't like it here as TV is crap, and non a/c rooms unbearable in summer. Def helps if your an outdoors type person and into sports as this place has incomparable sporting facilities(me I'm not into sports).
Don't understand how some of the people who gripe about the place yet still stay, so that proves it cannot be that bad.
Don't expect this place to be a copy of UK with a better climate, it's a lot different, and only YOU can decide wether it's for you or not.

PommiePaul

Oh yeah, he's right about the telly. Unless they have bought the programme from the BBC it is usually shit.

Having said that I hardly watch telly any more. A combination of it being crap and having a pool in the back yard and so many things to do outdoors.

I have acclimatised fairly well to the hot weather but we are still having aircon installed in the bedroom this week.

Ceri

some people have responsibilities - I would have been off like a shot if it wasn't for this, and if I was staying in Australia - Brisbane would be the last on my list along with Sydney for places to live

As for there's loads to do , with outdoors - Brisbane has more crowds and less natural places than Newcastle and surrounds..

I spend nearly every weekend either boating, fishing , walking or four wheel driving here - so I'm outdoors - but still I can not stand the place. Weather wise - heat has never been a prob for me, In fact I find the winters cold here.

wasn't expecting a copy of the UK, I came with an open mind - I didn't come here directly from the UK

everyone is different - you can't put people into boxes. I'm a very outdoors type - I like heat, but I can't stand Brisbane, so figure that one out.
I'll say it again, and I've said it in the past - I think most of Brisbane is very ugly among many things that I dislike about Brisbane . Now Noosa way is a different story if you want beauty.


cheers

MrsDagboy

Yes.

Hoons are those who drive around noisily in cars.

Football - how many thugs do you see at a football game in Brisbane compared to a soccer game in England?

Politicians - pollies are awful everywhere!!!

High house prices - it depends on what you compare it to I guess, not cheap now compared to 3 years ago.

Long work hours - depends on your job, but not having a 3 hr commute sure helps!

Everything overpriced & paying $3.48 for a lettuce - you shop in the wrong place jayr.

rouse, as someone else pointed out, jayr & BP hate it so much here that they stay

Rouse, how much money do you have to spend on either buying a house or renting?? I can name a dozen suburbs which are excellent, but unless you can pay for them it means nothing .

Agree with a couple of the other posters, it gets hot here, most of the time I dont mind & tend to gloss over it, but at this time of year (Feb) the humidity is shocking. Many social problems that exist in the UK also exist here, but some are less. It sometimes very much depends on where you live & how much money you have. Yes, in some ways you can "buy" your way out of a crappy life if you have enough money. It very much depends on your circumstances.

Its easy to say you want the "truth" but reality can be different for different people.

Ceri

Woolworth's - lettuce over the weekend was $3.48 .

I called into Woolworth's to pick up a few things on Saturday just gone - had a shock of my life when I saw the price , so I left the lettuce and stopped off at a fruit barn - in there - it wasn't much better , it was $2.99 , still very expensive. I don't understand why lettuce's have shot up in recent months - they used to be $145 a few months back. It can't be the recent drought that is all over now , as lettuce is fast growing. Why oh why is lettuce gone up? I don't understand this at all - it's one big rip off.


Hoons - did anyone see the news (Friday night I think) - where MCDonald's in Caboolture have come up with a way to clear the hoons away from it's carpark....and it's working . They blast easy listening music out at them - like cliff Richard ..lol . It's working too apparently.


cheers

jayr

My point, to make it a little clearer, is that those who see emigration as a route to fixing problems with weather, crime, house prices, cost of goods etc. may be sorely disappointed at the similarities in these things between the UK and Oz. Not quite sure how this can be interpreted as hating Oz however.

bondipom

Ditto without the rolleyes.

MrsDagboy

Ceri, yeah, coles was the same, I went to our local fruit barn & got one for $1.99, still expensive but gotta be better than coles prices. They are so expensive because of the heat & humidity, they either shoot to seed or end up a gluggy mess of rotten leaves in a matter of hours before the farmers can even get them to market!

jayr & BP, why not actually contribute something constructive then instead of implying that you cant buy a lettuce in oz for under $3.50 (why thats important I have no clue, but anyway) or asking what freaking paper she reads? . Im not saying that some of your points arent valid jayr, especially depending on where you live, but you always infer that no matter where you come from in the UK or what you do, your life will be no different in Oz. And sorry, but I dont think thats true. Some things are universal, like pollies being crap, health systems degrading etc, but alot of things can be better depending on where you live. That applies to the UK as well! So no, emigrating just to "get away" from stuff is not always the right incentive, but it also doesnt always mean its the absolute wrong one either!

I guess its the same "glass half full of half empty" scenario again.

jayr

New improved version for Mrs D's benefit:




Weather

The UK's weather is very average - not too hot not too cold. Brisbane has what many consider near perfect weather in that it is subtropical, this does however mean days like today where its 36C in the CBD and feels very humid - you'll even find most Aussies complaining about that. I rarely use the air con, probably only when it is still over 30C indoors after 7pm - others use it all the time - don't worry your blood will thin and you can always go down your local Westfield and use their a/c for free

Thugs

Never come across any myself, though this may be due to my nice middle class suburb.

-Football (sorry I know Oz is sport mad but hopefully no thugs)

No football here, never heard of any sport related thuggery

Politicians

Seriously if you think they are bad in the UK you should see the ones here - the potential next Prime Minister (who is the current on I hear you ask) is well known for breaking a taxi driver's arm.

High house prices

You will get more for your money here, though not in Sydney - have a look at www.realestate.com.au.

Long hours (work) -

From much of what I hear and know this is also the norm in Australia, not sure how to avoid that one. My job is flexible enough such that I can leave early when not busy but may work til 11pm if I am busy, my job may not be typical

Busy Roads-

Not compared to some in UK due to population density differences, however, you will find driving quite different

Beaurocrasy (cant spell that)

I really think Australia must have invented red tape.

'Rip Off' Britain - everything overpriced

Oz is not as cheap as you might think, vry much depends on your typical purchases - if you like high excise duty goods (wine, fags, petrol) you will do well. I would say lamb and beef are probably cheaper and better - electricla goods probably relatively expensive though you can get a DVD player from $80. Not a bad start to assume your expenditure will be around 75-80% on a like for like basis to UK costs. Note lettuces can vary greatly annd be anywhere between $1.30 and $3.50 depending on seasonal effects. I recommend using fruit and veg outlets which are numerous and geenrally cheaper than Coles or Woolies.

MrsDagboy

ROFL Jay, at least you make me laugh, even if you can be a cynical b***ard

jayr

Why thank you Mrs D, I'd much rather be noted for being cynical and sarcastic, these are qualities that I like to think I bring to this forum!

Pollyana

Hmm, so is this the answer to a happy life in Brisbane.......
DON'T BUY LETTUCE??!!!!

bondipom

LOL

There was a snippet in the Herald this weekend saying that the more variable weather this year has made it hard for the farmer to grow his vegies. The farmer can water and let the plants boil or not water and watch them shrivel.

I am not sure what region the article was referring to.

Beef prices are going up partly because Asia is switching away from poultry and US Beef.

It is one of those years.

MrsDagboy

Yep! "MrsDagboys Cookery & Housekeeping Tips" for the month of February, out now with a bonus issue "How to Keep your Tupperware Clean"