List of Pros and Cons
 

there are threads that say how good things are and threads that say how bad things are in Australia. Can we get a definative list from people who have actually moved out there of the pros and cons of life in australia. and if possible comparisons with the UK.

I do realise that peoples opinion are based on circumstance for example, we have an above average wage and I work 7 minutes from home so commuting and traffic is not a problem. I also live in the ex-mining villages of east durham so we are not exactly over-supplied with culture and things to see and do. we live in an ex-council house in an area where not all house are owner-occupied (one neighbour is a council tenant). My point is our expectations are very different. so it would be good to qualify some of the points.

i suspect this is easier said than done but i would appreciate it.

Re: List of Pros and Cons
 

A definitive list of pros and cons? Part of the problem is that what a person defines as a pro or a con is often personal.

For example, take the climate. In Sydney, it is much warmer than the UK. But, it is also more humid in summer and the sun is literally a killer. Some visitors have liked it, some have thought it too hot and some didn't like the lack of obviously different seasons.

However, here's my 2 cents worth:

General pros (I'm comparing Sydney with London) would include: clean, people look less miserable, less crowded. more informal, more pragmatic, generally less traffic, outdoor lifestyle, more child friendly, great beaches are free and are relatively easy to access (unlike Europe, where you have to travel considerable distance), good value restaurants, sports


General cons: media (TV, radio, newspapers) unexciting, geographic isolation - it takes ~8 hours to fly from Oz to any other country except NZ, parochial, obsessed with sports, don't like criticism, towns lack variety

Re: List of Pros and Cons
 

I also forgot that you would probably have no other relatives close by.

Depending how you get on with them it's a pro or a con :)

Re: List of Pros and Cons
 

Pros of living in Vic from Northampton.
Much lower crime no longer worry about my kids going to town,car still on the drive and tools still in my van in the morning
burglary very low,etc.
Much more space very low trafic you can plan to do 100klm in an hour.Build your own house no big deal here.
Fantastic beaches much warmer but still get 4 seasons so your not in the sun every day.
Easy access to Melbourne,Gt Ocean road ,rain forest,Water ski,fishing,surfing,beaches.
Lots to see and do.No T.V. License Req.
Good schools,not many speed cameras.

Cons.
No friends or family we did not know anyone at first ,see if you can get on your kids nerves more than they get on yours.
Crap T.V
You need a License for everything else.
Shools charge for everything books,reports,cutting the grass(lawn),uniform Exsp.
You have to work hard for all the pros as above.
Starting to install speed cameras,trafic lights well take some refreshments for when you get a red light.
People shopping in the supermarket with no bloody shoes on.
Getting lost for the first month when you go out.
Starting out no matter how well you were thought of in the UK here your nothing untill you prove yourself.
Must be lots more of both have a think.

Re: List of Pros and Cons
 

I'd not be so sure about the absence of speed cameras in VIC (says he about to head home to Geelong along the Princes Freeway ...!).

Best regards.

This is a really good thread although everyones opinions are different it will be really interesting reading.I hope more people reply and give there pros and cons on various areas in Australia I shall definatley be watching this space.:p

It all depends on what you are leaving behind and what you are going to. I left a lovely Cheshire village and moved to a city of 3m people. I struggled with pollution, 24-hour traffic, lack of countryside, and not being able to hop on my bike and be in the country within half a mile. I would imagine someone coming from London would perhaps be more adjusted to this kind of environment. Geographical isolation and lack of choice for affordable days/weekends away were another thing.

On the other hand, Melbourne has so much to offer in the way of sport, restaurants, bars, shopping, entertainment, etc.

Being child-free, schools, and school zones weren't important to me....but many others will cite the quality of education as their reasons for staying/leaving. Unlike previous post (Mike) access to beaches isn't important - but access to countryside was (and we didn't have it as readily as the UK).

You have to remeber that Australia is as diverse as Britain is, and you can find most of what Britain has to offer (good and bad) in Australia too - it just depends where you go in each country.

What are you looking to gain from a move to Australia?

Married or single?
Now I have a child (in UK) I see the 4 walls at home, a packed tube to and from work and an office.
The weather prevents us going outside most of the time and even when we do the cost of going anywhere is prohibitive, and the public transport is enough to make me want to stay in bed. Our local rag has been running a 'hot' topic on whether prams should be allowed on the bus or whether parents with small children should be allowed a seat!

So for a young family I think Oz might have something to offer, bearing in mind you might not have any close friends or relatives to help you out.

It is a slower pace, but that can be lovely. We had people voluntering their seats in Melbourne 'rush hour'. We always had a park to go to, there was always the option of a healthy bbq or picnic instead of having to eat in a fast food restaurant, there seemed to be more public toilets, but yes theres a definite buzz missing that only places like London and NY can offer.

good info here
back to the top
:D :D :D

kicked to the top - interesting reading!!!

pockygoes

this is a list I did when living in Brisbane and had saved on my pc.

i would like to point out it is now say 18 months out of date. its highly personal and looking at it now trivial in some aspects. each point is only a summary but thought it may be interesting for some even if they totally disagree.


Bad
bueaucracy
ozzie attitude to being wrong
ozzie banks
poor ozzie customer service
ozzie bullshit and making up facts and stories
lack of choice
limited to ozzie food products & nearly completely wine and beer
pommie bashing
f1 coverage crap
small mindeded & pedantic people
hostility to foreigners
no football only local nrl and afl
weak dollar and cyclical economy
high unemployment
less choice of products and goods and services
expensive to travel
lower pay and higher taxes
isolation and generally cut off from the world
poor value chinese and asian food
terrible indian restaurants
few parks
having to wear a bike helmet
don’t start school until 6 years of age
horrible pubs full of pokies
gambling everywhere
long working hours
less holidays
accrued leave and sick leave
lack of humour
poor quality press
adverts on the tv and loud adverts
useless cable tv
useless broadband internet coverage
supermarkets small and less choice
short daylight hours no twilight
no daylight savings
very limited range of international type sport coverage
poor treatment of refugees and oboriginals
too conservative
priority for local knowledge and not skills and experience
dog walking restricted to leads unless in a small zoned area
too few drink driving testers
Friday afternoon compulsory ozzie drinks
expensive second hand cars
power cuts
floods & mad weather conditions droughts and hurricanes
loads of old bangers on the road constantly breaking down
poor road access into brisbane no alternative but story bridge
poor bus & train service in outer suburbs
people don’t listen
snobbery based on money and position
old school network thriving
duopoly and monopoly companies in adundance
diabolical media coverage

Good
cheap petrol
brisbane climate - not much cop down south
cheaper houses in brisbane
nice beaches
lots of wilderness
wildlife - koalas kangaroos parrots and whales
citizenship process
young evolving country
friendly service
good steaks
some nice restaurants
less police speed cameras
locally grown strawberries when in season
cheaper cost of living but lower wages
electric garage opening fairly standard
country developing strong identity
sport facilities although somewhat elitist attitude to their use
canberra parliament very accessible when visiting

I know your list is very personal to you but do you really think this is just happening in Australia? The first two thing I experienced personally since I am a foreigner. And the snobbery, please it still happens in the UK, where an accent makes or brakes you. Yeah and for old school network thrieving have a look here too.

Actually looking at your list that could be a list by any foreigner in any country.

Fair enough maybe so. Does that make my experience any less valid. I was trying to share honest experiences and I have already received two criticisms one from an aussie who complained that I put the cons list first. well sorry mate but on the excel spreadsheet they were side by side but i do not know how to post it like that on here without the pagination going up the wall.

i hoped this thread would be a collecction of peoples own experiences. i understand the need to challange ideas but i did not intend this thread to develope into a debate as such. i understand that once i put my question out into the public domain that i have no control but i would appreciate it if this thread would be a collection remarks concerning what it is like living in australia.

i dont know about everyone else but we just want to start again and australia was the only country we could agree on. sure the weather and the beaches are good for perhaps the first 6 month but then what. are the things that make the uk appear second best going to creep in, possibly with more cons. and what pros make it worth while or habitable. i know its all about what you want.

it needs to personal otherwise it is someone elses opinions and not your own and that is what i was after. ideas coming from different people in different circumstances and from different backgrounds.

No they are not less valid! I just comented that most of them are not specific to Australia, even though they were specific to you. I also found it amusing the comments by expats concerning the rugby world cup. Try living in England as a German when they play football. Enough said I think.

I understand but sometimes I can't help myself. In the end it all about perception and what you are use to and how you can adapt.

I pretty much agree with your pro's and cons. Some of the problem is that in Australia you are a foreigner where as in England you are not. That makes alot of difference in how you are treated.

As for the whinging Aussie - bugger him. Why is he using a British Expat site set up for BRITISH people?

Pros

Beaches are good and warm enough for 4-6 months
Having a Pool when its 37C
Most Aussies polite and well mannered
Less pretension
Eating outdoors
Laid back attitude
Going to the shops barefoot
Cocaktoos on the lawn
Lizards in the house
6 month summer
Watching the storms in summer

Cons

Humidity can be a bit of a downer (but its not that bad)
Bureaucracy
Taking credit card tot he doctor
Laid back attitude (she won't always be right)
Inspecting bags when you leave stores
Customer service
Lack of choice/quality in supermarkets/shops
Lack of heating/insulation in houses
Remoteness from rest of world
TV and news coverage

I live in Mornington, Vic and come from South wales,
Heres my list..........
pros
space
less traffic (not in city tho)
excellent local shops
wildlife
loads of things to do with kids
lots of parks and reserves
great fresh fruit and veg in shops
local beaches
Weather, anything is better than endless rain all winter!
cheap petrol

cons
miss family and friends
duaghters school - she's much further ahead than her classmates and worry that she may feel isolated.
flies
red tape - licences for everything
crap tele, radio
cant get broadband here
difficult being a vege here, gets easier as time goes on but lack of labelling means hours spent examining ingredients on everything!

Thats all I can think of at the moment. We've been here 3 months so are very much in the adjustment phase still. I get terribly homesick at times and wonder if we've done the right thing. Obviously we, like everyone else doing this, thought long and hard before we moved. We wanted a change of lifestyle, my other half used to commute 3 hours per day in nightmare traffic for work and desperately wanted a break. There's no opportunities in his line of work in Wales so unless we moved it would always be this way. There was nowhere close to work we felt we could live in the UK, so we decided to go for a complete change instead. I have second thoughts at times because I feel the kids are really missing out on living close to their family. I didn't really appreciate them till we moved! But then again the kids are v happy for their dad to be home more and actually see him everyday instead of every few days. And hubby has been totally relaxed since we moved. So it seems we cant have everything wherever we live. We're going to give ourselves 2 years and then reassess our situation, and either move back or elsewhere who knows. Wouldn't it be great if we could just bring all the good things about our old and new lives together, then life would be just perfect!

Em

Re: List of Pros and Cons
 

Firstly I must say that this is a really good thread. Secondly, of course it is going to come down to personaly opinions, the type of person posting a response & how happy or unhappy they are with their own life & situation. I've read some posts on people that are unhappy in Oz, but sometimes their reasons were 'cos they hated their job or the area they were living in. Now, if you have these 2 situations anywhere in the world, doesn't it seem obvious that you will be unhappy no matter where you are?! Plus it aslo depends what you let bother you, an earlier post mentioned as a con, your bags been checked when leaving shops, well I personally didnt see this as anything except thats just the way things are done there. I believe alot of it comes down to acceptance, as lets face it, we are all doing reasearch on the subject of moving, so we all have a fairly good idea what to expect. Although I will admit living & experencing it, is very different from reading some very helpful threads. People complain about the humidity, the spiders, the isolation, the lack of family & friends, I know these are all bummers, but I knew all this before I went there & I am bearing it all in mind this time round too, but you either accept that this is part of Oz or you will always be battling against it. Just like we have to accept our lack of summers & the very high cost of living, ( me in Ireland). I know I'm going to miss my family like mad, miss my friends, the local pub etc. but I also know that there is alot more out there. And finally a lesson I learnt the hard way, is that if you decide to stay or go you are always going to have to sacrifice something, be it your family, lifestyle etc. its just up to you what that sacrifice is & is it worth it. Must say do not understand all the fuss about Oz t.v., I can honestly say it was not one of the deciding factors to do we stay or do we go!!Lol! Look forward to hearing more.... Deirdre

Re: List of Pros and Cons
 

I couldn't agree with you more.:)

Re: List of Pros and Cons
 

A very very good post have enjoyed reading all replies some I agree with seems like we all feel the same way.

We moved from South Tyneside to Sydney 5 months ago now so we are are still going through the settling in process, going from small country town to Sydney although in the southern suberbs which is kind of country too with the same geography as we were used to in the North of England, beaches close by, river ect. However, here the view is absolutely spectacular, I work as a community nurse, the difference is absolutely astounding, weather fantastic most days sun all the way, fantastic scenery my husband is a bricklayer and pleased he isn't in the UK at the moment.

Pros, well here goes:
Outdoor lifestyle suits us and the kids better.
Loads to do whatever you are interested in it's there (not like this in the North East of England).
Kids, we never see them always out doing something, drama, tennis, friends, ect, they just sat watching telly in UK.
No TV licence.
No waiting to see a doctor, can see any doctor you want.
Chemists open 7 days a week.
Weather
New year celebrations in Sydney fantastic
Australia day celebrations fantastic. They sure know how to celebrate these Australians.
Cost of living cheaper.

Cons:

Television crap.
Constantly checking for bugs around the house (3 daughters in the house, big nightmare!)
School fees, you pay for everything here, public or private schools.
Tax, self employed status so have to sort that out with tax accountant.
GST and Tax on everything.
Roads are absolutely a nightmare, very confusing when you first come here, gets better as time goes on, but the condition of the roads are appauling.
Poor infrastructure.
Geordie accent sounds Irish to most Australians, having to explain that we don't come from Ireland (no disrespect to anyone Irish).
Christmas not so good, no family to celebrate it with. This could also be a pro whichever way you look at it.

I don't know where you plan to settle, but I generally feel that it depends on why you are relocating and what is going to be important to you, if you have a family then it will probably centre around them for a while until you do settle, there are many days we wouldn't want to be anywhere else, then some days all we want to do is go back to our old lives, then we talk about it and know that we have done the right thing, we wouldn't have it any other way.

Good luck whatever you do.

:beer: :beer: :beer:

Pros (in no particular order)

Vast number of parks to visit
Beaches
Easy free parking at shopping centres (most of the time)
Wildlife
Weather
Having a pool
Kids having a great childhood
Slower pace of life
Still plenty of things to dream about (no, we aren't living the dream)
Friendly people
Actually going somewhere every weekend
Going to the beach with kids after work


Cons
Employment situation can be hard (wages/working hours/getting job)
worry about kids future as an adult
retirement - how will we afford it!!!
cold houses in winter
taxes on everything
TV
Missing family & friends

Re: List of Pros and Cons
 

pros

parks
beaches
weather (although in melbourne that can be very changeable!)
variety of restaurants
lots of different cultures
cost of petrol

cons

banks
supermarkets are pretty crap compared to sainsburys tescos etc
interest rates on visa cards
cost of toiletries
cost of makeup
cost of books
maniac drivers and too much road rage

Couldn't agree more with you Lany about Melbourne drivers. Even though the roads system is very well laid out and traffic isn't that heavy for a city Melbourne's size, the drivers seem possessed! Especially those driving around in Holden Commodores. No offence to Holden drivers.

One thing I like about driving in England is that most drivers are very polite. Then again, most drivers are compared to Melburne drivers!

As for the whinging Aussie - bugger him. Why is he using a British Expat site set up for BRITISH people? [/QUOTE]

I am not sticking up for the whinging Aussie (what order the list was printed in hardly matters), but I feel that I must explain. I am an Australian living in England wanting to go back to Australia with my English husband. So in effect, I am an Australian utilising this site just the same as you. Sometimes it becomes a little difficult to stomach the really personal criticisms (a lot I agree with) and it is only natural to want to defend your people and country at times.

I am not sticking up for the whinging Aussie (what order the list was printed in hardly matters), but I feel that I must explain. I am an Australian living in England wanting to go back to Australia with my English husband. So in effect, I am an Australian utilising this site just the same as you. Sometimes it becomes a little difficult to stomach the really personal criticisms (a lot I agree with) and it is only natural to want to defend your people and country at times. [/QUOTE]

I am just revisiting this thread after giving up on it when first posted - it all got very personal! I too am an Australian living in England, wanting to move back with my Irish husband. I came to the UK convinced it was the place for me to live in for the rest of my life - definitely wearing rose-tinted specs! Now after 4 years, getting married and having a child I can finally appreciate Australia, pros and cons.

Some people cop a lot of flak on this site for talking up their perceived positives of moving to Australia - there's always someone to point out the negatives. I'm not denying there's a downside but if you move to another country (or down the road) with the negatives in the front of your mind, I'd say chances are it won't work out for you. For example, look at all the families on New Life Down Under - before they even left the first family was saying "I don't really want to go, too far away from family etc etc" and surprise surprise it didn't work out for them! Contrast them to the single dad in Perth who just went with an open mind and loved it!

I am sorry to get carried away here but these thoughts have been brewing in my head for a couple of days - I was losing sleep!

A shortened list for me would be:

Pros
better weather
more relaxed attitude
broader curriculum at school
more sports in school
beautiful countryside (so does UK too)
Malt Milo
Manly Beach
Won't be living in Tottenham!

Cons
No Eurostar
Isolated
TV is crap but that's not the end of the world
Media's bad
John Howard

both those lists have the potential to go on and on...

:D

starting the process of emigrating
 

my wife, the children and i are wanting to move to oz (Perth):scared: my wife and i are both nurses and we are a bit scared of the whole thing. i think its' the 'not knowing' and as i am a bit of a control freak :scared: please will someone help me and give guidance to understanding? (in very simple language), what Australia has got to offer !
by the way I am a bit concrete in my thinking also, so keep it simple.
:o :confused:

Re: starting the process of emigrating
 

if you don't mind me asking, why do you want to move there if you don't know what it has to offer! :confused:

I mean, what made you choose Australia over Austria, Argentina or Azerbhaijan??

Them and the falcon drivers are just the same. I think it is a Aussie wide thing.

I am just revisiting this thread after giving up on it when first posted - it all got very personal! I too am an Australian living in England, wanting to move back with my Irish husband. I came to the UK convinced it was the place for me to live in for the rest of my life - definitely wearing rose-tinted specs! Now after 4 years, getting married and having a child I can finally appreciate Australia, pros and cons.

Some people cop a lot of flak on this site for talking up their perceived positives of moving to Australia - there's always someone to point out the negatives. I'm not denying there's a downside but if you move to another country (or down the road) with the negatives in the front of your mind, I'd say chances are it won't work out for you. For example, look at all the families on New Life Down Under - before they even left the first family was saying "I don't really want to go, too far away from family etc etc" and surprise surprise it didn't work out for them! Contrast them to the single dad in Perth who just went with an open mind and loved it!

I am sorry to get carried away here but these thoughts have been brewing in my head for a couple of days - I was losing sleep!

A shortened list for me would be:

Pros
better weather
more relaxed attitude
broader curriculum at school
more sports in school
beautiful countryside (so does UK too)
Malt Milo
Manly Beach
Won't be living in Tottenham!

Cons
No Eurostar
Isolated
TV is crap but that's not the end of the world
Media's bad
John Howard

both those lists have the potential to go on and on...

:D [/QUOTE]



Australia and Britain are of course free countries and you can use the British Expat site if you want (as far as I know). However here is a dramatic idea - why not set up an Australian Expat site (and an Irish one while your at it) and take all the Ozzies and Irish with you?


:)

Australia and Britain are of course free countries and you can use the British Expat site if you want (as far as I know). However here is a dramatic idea - why not set up an Australian Expat site (and an Irish one while your at it) and take all the Ozzies and Irish with you?


:) [/QUOTE]


Get off your high horse. Why don't you go set up a grumpy bastards forum?? :)

Get off your high horse. Why don't you go set up a grumpy bastards forum?? :) [/QUOTE]


I don't ride horses - I leave that to randy women who can't get a man.
:D

I don't ride horses - I leave that to randy women who can't get a man.
:D [/QUOTE]
Stumpy bastard?

Stumpy bastard? [/QUOTE]


I didn't like to ask :D

Pros

Great weather
very friendly people
less stressful life
far less anally rententive folks live here
beaches to die for
far better transport system
Adelaides roads are a dream (best laid out city i have ever been to)

cons

bank charges
doctors charges
higher taxes

Pure meaningless Psychobabble:rolleyes:

G

Probably but how long since you farted?

Just now :D

G

LOL, try catching a bus from glenelg to the city, on the weekends.

As for the city, it's the size of a bloody postage stamp, so how could it not be well laid out:rolleyes:



scottm