My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Mar 12th 2006, 11:19 am
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2006
Location: Sunny Brighton (the UK one)
Posts: 152
My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Some great posts on the Is It Worth It ? post in this forum prompted me to get a few things off my chest here. We (me=British, girlfriend=Aussie) moved here last June, and have had a very unsettling time of it so far, and in fact are considering moving back to the UK in the near future.
What follows is meant to be (fairly) lighthearted, so I hope I don't offend...well...too many people ! For your information, we are living in Gympie, QLD, but have spent most of the rest of our time around the Sunshine Coast. Feel free to correct, or have a good old Aussie pop at me as you like.
My Top 10 Aussie Gripes!
1. TV quality. Never, NEVER again will I complain and bitch about paying the TV (BBC!) license in the UK. The quality of programs here is really quite poor, with mostly American imports, and to be honest not even the good ones. How Desperate Housewives won whatever award it was for best something Australian category says a lot about the general Aussie viewing public. THEN there’s the TV ads. My God! Is ANYONE allowed to make their own TV ad in this country? It seems all you need is Phyllis from the sales desk to "act" a nice little scene (obviously thought up in....ooohhh....all of 5 minutes), and then Bob the delivery van driver to film it all on his $200 camcorder. I laughed heartily at these gems at first, but after a short while this turned to dismay. Do these people really think doing this will make the public want to buy their product? Oh (I'm not finished yet) and WHY do they think it’s clever to stick their child on at the end of the ad trying to say something about buying brand X??? Yes, I'm just about to spend $30,000 on a new pool, and my buying decision is going to be influenced by a 2 year old who may be cute, but can barely speak and knows nothing about deep excavations and pool construction?
2. Internet. Yes, that Internet Thingy is finally getting popular down here in Australia, though your choice of Aussie web sites and e-retailers is way, WAY behind what you will be used to back home. I actually read somewhere that they only launched ADSL services around 18 moths ago. Can you believe it! Whilst the rest of the western world has been happily embracing the new technology age for the last 6 years or so, Australia is just beginning the journey. I have been greatly disappointed at the breadth of stores and information to be found on the web in Aus. The very first thing I did in the UK when I want to buy something (regardless if it’s going to be an internet transaction or not), is I go online to check out reviews and typical product prices. Erm…not really is Australia. You will find web sites and stores at least 2-3 years behind the UK in terms of functionality and data. Some of them, I’m sure, are being designed by young children in technology sweatshops in India. And on the subject of shopping, what IS it with this idea that if you want to buy something in a shop, you have to go into a store and haggle them down to a reasonable price? Once the internet finally gets to be a popular purchasing medium here, and people get used to fixed, low, transparent online pricing, this tedious sales model will finally go out the window.
3. Cost of Living. Compared to the UK, the cost of living is really quite high here. With average salaries being only 40-60% higher than the UK (directly in $-for-£ comparison, so if you earn £30k in the UK, you might earn $42k-$48k for the same position here), yet property prices being certainly in the region of $300k-$600k for anything half decent in a nice suburb with any sort of amenities, you’ll find your pennies going a lot less further here. Oh, and did I mention the whopping 47% tax band that comes in at only $70kpa? Then there are the other costs of living. It seems our fortnightly grocery bill (for 2) is unlikely to come in under $250 each time we go. Products and produce seemed to be priced way over what we would pay for things in the UK. This situation isn’t really helped by what appears to be the blocking (or high levys) on imported products to Australia. Whilst the ‘Australian Made, Australian Owned’ stamp and campaign (for consumers to only buy Aussie made goods), is rather patriotic, it unfortunately doesn’t give consumers the choice to buy cheaper, as-good quality foreign goods if they want to, or maybe if even can’t afford the home grown product. The UK is a massive open market for all sorts of products, and you will notice a big difference here.
4. Australian Red Tape and Regulations. I really thought Australia was going to be a land of opportunity, but sadly it really is more of a land of regulations and obligatory training and qualification for the most basic of skills (like painter/decorator!!! – there’s probably a 2 year apprentiship to become a ‘Grass Cutter’ too). Such over regulation dumbs down the population, so they think they’re not allowed to do something themselves with a little common sense, so its “Oh…..better get a tradie in to do the work”, and there’s another $500 gone. I happen to be a very practical person, and like to be able to do whatever I want to, and just about every time do a really good job of whatever. I actually got interrogated in a trade electrical suppliers about my qualifications to do electrical installation work. Despite being qualified in the UK (oh, and having the small matter of a degree in Electronics), oh no! Of course that was not good enough for them. I seem to have heard “oh, you can’t do that” so many more times than “yeah, go right ahead, no worries” in this country.
5. Lack of cultural diversity and restaurants. If you enjoy an occasional good quality Chinese meal, or maybe Thai or Italian (and I mean proper Italian), then get ready for a shock. Despite Australia apparently having a large Asian population, you will find that these people seem to choose mostly to live in certain areas of the big cities. Unless you’re in one of the capitols, you’re unlikely to find any sort of authentic cuisine. We went to a Thai restaurant on the Sunshine Coast, and the meal cost a fortune and was only distantly related to Thai cuisine, probably not helped by the fact there was not a single Thai person working there. You like a curry? Don’t even ask about Indian restaurants. I have seen hardly any. My local Italian Ristorante is Dominoes with their disgusting looking current ‘Triple Cheese’ offer. Ugh!
6. Lack of History. Now heres something that maybe I took for granted living in the UK, but I tell you, when it’s taken away from you, you certainly miss it! Whether its sitting in a nice country pub with old walls and old….errr.…odd things hanging on the walls, or reading something about a town or buildings history, you’ll get little of this is Aus. In fact, go to any ‘pub’, and you’ll find yourself sitting in a stark room with TAB (betting) machines everywhere and the weekly meat tray raffle results still chalked up on the board from last week. Its hardly inspiring.
7. Where is everybody??? The lack of people out socialising is quite astounding. Where are they all, and what are they doing? For example, the town of Gympie has a reasonable population of 32,500. In the town there are probably 10 pubs, also of reasonable size. Now explain to me, why if we go out on a Friday or Saturday night, there are maybe 3 people in one pub, maybe 10 in another and maybe a small handful spread over the rest of them (and these are big pubs, capacity 40-80 people). Where are all the young people? What on earth are they doing?? Take New Years Eve. Despite my girlfriend’s unwillingness to go out and have a boring night (again), I persuaded her otherwise. “Come on! It’s New Years Eve!!! There will be loads of people out and about”. Well the first pub we walked to had closed early (9:30pm), the next pub had some old wrinkly and guitar strumming out some music from some sort of genre I know nothing about, and want to know nothing about, along with about 10 people in the place, max. Then we headed off to the local RSL club (for the uninitiated, this is a sort of Nationwide ex-Army working mans club), and this as always was at least full of people. But oh what people!!! The entertainment of a Country and Western band really put us in the mood for a cool night out! Then it was off to the local one and only club in town. At least they had the sense to change their name to ‘The Shaft’ from ‘Phantomz’. Yes, what a cracking name, total quality with a K. Actually with a KW on second thoughts.
8. Style and Class. They say Australia is a classless society. I actually think that’s a typo, they meant to say it’s a styleless society. Blokes in stubbies (baggy nylon shorts) and singlet vests or even shorts with their white socks pulled right up to their knees. Girls in masculine men’s board shorts that do nothing for the figure. Shudder! Don’t even get me started on the current ‘fashion trend’ of graffiti T-shirts that everyone seems to be wearing here. What IS the point on these, can someone enlighten me? Now I know the UK is not blameless in this category (does anyone remember shell suits?), but come on Australia!! You can do better than that!
9. “You’ll Love It”. Aaaaggghhhh ! WHY am I constantly confronted by people telling me I’m going love something? How do they know what my tastes or standards are? In fact, in most cases, the things I have been promised I’m going to love have turned out to be very mediocre places or events indeed. Personally I think it’s all wrapped up in the slightly annoying habit of Australians of harping on about ‘How good it is here’ or the such. Personally, I’m slightly suspicious of anyone who blahs on about how good they have it constantly. It’s like if you keep on saying it enough times, it might become true. If it IS so good in Australia, then how come they flock to London in their thousands to live every year? Maybe it’s the lack of self depreciating humour that we Brits are so good at and the ability to joke about yourself that I miss.
10. Cost of Travel. Yes, OK, Australia is a tad further away from it neighbours than you might be used to in the UK – with Europe (or should I say the rest of Europe!) on your doorstep, but the cost of flights originating from Australia is disproportionately higher than the same flight inbound. Due to the lack of airline competition in the region, it seems we are expected to pay up to 30%-40% over the equivalent flight costs. I recently planned to go back to the UK for a break, and it was actually cheaper for me to go back early on a spare return leg I had, and book another return flight from the UK than to book a one way ticket from here! If you like to travel, then you really should research if this is going to be financially possible, particularly on the value of the Aussie dollar, and typical salaries here.
Good lord, I do sound like a whingeing Pom, don’t I? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret on my whingeing Pom theory. Whingeing Poms ARE a reality, and they exist in the majority of cases because UK people come over to Australia, and expect to have the same standard of living that they got used to back home. It’s too hot! – we moan, Its too expensive ! – we moan, I can’t find Lurpak in Wooly’s – we moan. We are, by nature a complaining nation, but you know what – I’d much sooner people complained about things to try and change or better them, rather than sitting back and saying ‘Its great here, isn’t it?’.
lostpom.com
I think I better go and lie down now
What follows is meant to be (fairly) lighthearted, so I hope I don't offend...well...too many people ! For your information, we are living in Gympie, QLD, but have spent most of the rest of our time around the Sunshine Coast. Feel free to correct, or have a good old Aussie pop at me as you like.
My Top 10 Aussie Gripes!
1. TV quality. Never, NEVER again will I complain and bitch about paying the TV (BBC!) license in the UK. The quality of programs here is really quite poor, with mostly American imports, and to be honest not even the good ones. How Desperate Housewives won whatever award it was for best something Australian category says a lot about the general Aussie viewing public. THEN there’s the TV ads. My God! Is ANYONE allowed to make their own TV ad in this country? It seems all you need is Phyllis from the sales desk to "act" a nice little scene (obviously thought up in....ooohhh....all of 5 minutes), and then Bob the delivery van driver to film it all on his $200 camcorder. I laughed heartily at these gems at first, but after a short while this turned to dismay. Do these people really think doing this will make the public want to buy their product? Oh (I'm not finished yet) and WHY do they think it’s clever to stick their child on at the end of the ad trying to say something about buying brand X??? Yes, I'm just about to spend $30,000 on a new pool, and my buying decision is going to be influenced by a 2 year old who may be cute, but can barely speak and knows nothing about deep excavations and pool construction?
2. Internet. Yes, that Internet Thingy is finally getting popular down here in Australia, though your choice of Aussie web sites and e-retailers is way, WAY behind what you will be used to back home. I actually read somewhere that they only launched ADSL services around 18 moths ago. Can you believe it! Whilst the rest of the western world has been happily embracing the new technology age for the last 6 years or so, Australia is just beginning the journey. I have been greatly disappointed at the breadth of stores and information to be found on the web in Aus. The very first thing I did in the UK when I want to buy something (regardless if it’s going to be an internet transaction or not), is I go online to check out reviews and typical product prices. Erm…not really is Australia. You will find web sites and stores at least 2-3 years behind the UK in terms of functionality and data. Some of them, I’m sure, are being designed by young children in technology sweatshops in India. And on the subject of shopping, what IS it with this idea that if you want to buy something in a shop, you have to go into a store and haggle them down to a reasonable price? Once the internet finally gets to be a popular purchasing medium here, and people get used to fixed, low, transparent online pricing, this tedious sales model will finally go out the window.
3. Cost of Living. Compared to the UK, the cost of living is really quite high here. With average salaries being only 40-60% higher than the UK (directly in $-for-£ comparison, so if you earn £30k in the UK, you might earn $42k-$48k for the same position here), yet property prices being certainly in the region of $300k-$600k for anything half decent in a nice suburb with any sort of amenities, you’ll find your pennies going a lot less further here. Oh, and did I mention the whopping 47% tax band that comes in at only $70kpa? Then there are the other costs of living. It seems our fortnightly grocery bill (for 2) is unlikely to come in under $250 each time we go. Products and produce seemed to be priced way over what we would pay for things in the UK. This situation isn’t really helped by what appears to be the blocking (or high levys) on imported products to Australia. Whilst the ‘Australian Made, Australian Owned’ stamp and campaign (for consumers to only buy Aussie made goods), is rather patriotic, it unfortunately doesn’t give consumers the choice to buy cheaper, as-good quality foreign goods if they want to, or maybe if even can’t afford the home grown product. The UK is a massive open market for all sorts of products, and you will notice a big difference here.
4. Australian Red Tape and Regulations. I really thought Australia was going to be a land of opportunity, but sadly it really is more of a land of regulations and obligatory training and qualification for the most basic of skills (like painter/decorator!!! – there’s probably a 2 year apprentiship to become a ‘Grass Cutter’ too). Such over regulation dumbs down the population, so they think they’re not allowed to do something themselves with a little common sense, so its “Oh…..better get a tradie in to do the work”, and there’s another $500 gone. I happen to be a very practical person, and like to be able to do whatever I want to, and just about every time do a really good job of whatever. I actually got interrogated in a trade electrical suppliers about my qualifications to do electrical installation work. Despite being qualified in the UK (oh, and having the small matter of a degree in Electronics), oh no! Of course that was not good enough for them. I seem to have heard “oh, you can’t do that” so many more times than “yeah, go right ahead, no worries” in this country.
5. Lack of cultural diversity and restaurants. If you enjoy an occasional good quality Chinese meal, or maybe Thai or Italian (and I mean proper Italian), then get ready for a shock. Despite Australia apparently having a large Asian population, you will find that these people seem to choose mostly to live in certain areas of the big cities. Unless you’re in one of the capitols, you’re unlikely to find any sort of authentic cuisine. We went to a Thai restaurant on the Sunshine Coast, and the meal cost a fortune and was only distantly related to Thai cuisine, probably not helped by the fact there was not a single Thai person working there. You like a curry? Don’t even ask about Indian restaurants. I have seen hardly any. My local Italian Ristorante is Dominoes with their disgusting looking current ‘Triple Cheese’ offer. Ugh!
6. Lack of History. Now heres something that maybe I took for granted living in the UK, but I tell you, when it’s taken away from you, you certainly miss it! Whether its sitting in a nice country pub with old walls and old….errr.…odd things hanging on the walls, or reading something about a town or buildings history, you’ll get little of this is Aus. In fact, go to any ‘pub’, and you’ll find yourself sitting in a stark room with TAB (betting) machines everywhere and the weekly meat tray raffle results still chalked up on the board from last week. Its hardly inspiring.
7. Where is everybody??? The lack of people out socialising is quite astounding. Where are they all, and what are they doing? For example, the town of Gympie has a reasonable population of 32,500. In the town there are probably 10 pubs, also of reasonable size. Now explain to me, why if we go out on a Friday or Saturday night, there are maybe 3 people in one pub, maybe 10 in another and maybe a small handful spread over the rest of them (and these are big pubs, capacity 40-80 people). Where are all the young people? What on earth are they doing?? Take New Years Eve. Despite my girlfriend’s unwillingness to go out and have a boring night (again), I persuaded her otherwise. “Come on! It’s New Years Eve!!! There will be loads of people out and about”. Well the first pub we walked to had closed early (9:30pm), the next pub had some old wrinkly and guitar strumming out some music from some sort of genre I know nothing about, and want to know nothing about, along with about 10 people in the place, max. Then we headed off to the local RSL club (for the uninitiated, this is a sort of Nationwide ex-Army working mans club), and this as always was at least full of people. But oh what people!!! The entertainment of a Country and Western band really put us in the mood for a cool night out! Then it was off to the local one and only club in town. At least they had the sense to change their name to ‘The Shaft’ from ‘Phantomz’. Yes, what a cracking name, total quality with a K. Actually with a KW on second thoughts.
8. Style and Class. They say Australia is a classless society. I actually think that’s a typo, they meant to say it’s a styleless society. Blokes in stubbies (baggy nylon shorts) and singlet vests or even shorts with their white socks pulled right up to their knees. Girls in masculine men’s board shorts that do nothing for the figure. Shudder! Don’t even get me started on the current ‘fashion trend’ of graffiti T-shirts that everyone seems to be wearing here. What IS the point on these, can someone enlighten me? Now I know the UK is not blameless in this category (does anyone remember shell suits?), but come on Australia!! You can do better than that!
9. “You’ll Love It”. Aaaaggghhhh ! WHY am I constantly confronted by people telling me I’m going love something? How do they know what my tastes or standards are? In fact, in most cases, the things I have been promised I’m going to love have turned out to be very mediocre places or events indeed. Personally I think it’s all wrapped up in the slightly annoying habit of Australians of harping on about ‘How good it is here’ or the such. Personally, I’m slightly suspicious of anyone who blahs on about how good they have it constantly. It’s like if you keep on saying it enough times, it might become true. If it IS so good in Australia, then how come they flock to London in their thousands to live every year? Maybe it’s the lack of self depreciating humour that we Brits are so good at and the ability to joke about yourself that I miss.
10. Cost of Travel. Yes, OK, Australia is a tad further away from it neighbours than you might be used to in the UK – with Europe (or should I say the rest of Europe!) on your doorstep, but the cost of flights originating from Australia is disproportionately higher than the same flight inbound. Due to the lack of airline competition in the region, it seems we are expected to pay up to 30%-40% over the equivalent flight costs. I recently planned to go back to the UK for a break, and it was actually cheaper for me to go back early on a spare return leg I had, and book another return flight from the UK than to book a one way ticket from here! If you like to travel, then you really should research if this is going to be financially possible, particularly on the value of the Aussie dollar, and typical salaries here.
Good lord, I do sound like a whingeing Pom, don’t I? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret on my whingeing Pom theory. Whingeing Poms ARE a reality, and they exist in the majority of cases because UK people come over to Australia, and expect to have the same standard of living that they got used to back home. It’s too hot! – we moan, Its too expensive ! – we moan, I can’t find Lurpak in Wooly’s – we moan. We are, by nature a complaining nation, but you know what – I’d much sooner people complained about things to try and change or better them, rather than sitting back and saying ‘Its great here, isn’t it?’.
lostpom.com
I think I better go and lie down now
Mar 12th 2006, 11:33 am
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2005
Location: Here - There - Everywhere! (Solihull at mo tho :))
Posts: 257
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
You seem very angry!
Breath deeply, breath slowly, lifes what you make it, not what it makes of you. enjoy it while it lasts you won't be here forever.
Breath deeply, breath slowly, lifes what you make it, not what it makes of you. enjoy it while it lasts you won't be here forever.
Mar 12th 2006, 11:35 am
#3
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 145
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
well, the way i see it is this, i am in the same boat, my girlfriend is Australian, and i am Scottish, but then again i think the rest of the UK slaves >cough< >choke< i mean citizens see the English race as being very wierd and bizzare anyway. let me elaborate
English people go on Holiday and demand English pubs, beer and breakfast, and to me its just staggering, i mean, when in Rome? its different to the UK, i havent been, but to be honest, i would be pretty annoyed if it wasnt different! My girlfriend commented on how the Brits are preoccupied with thier social life revolving around pubs and drink, so maybe that answers your question of where are all the young people? proabably away doing something more constructive than getting hammered!! i am from Glasgow, Govan in fact, and let me tell you, we certainly know how to have a good new year, in fact where i come from its a religious event! but if i was to see some guy trying to entertain me in a pub, i would embrace it for what its worth.
Dont get me wrong, i have only have a taste of a few things Aussie, Tim Tams, Milo, Cath & Kim, VB, and the immortal Russell Coight.
I am sorry to hear you dont like it too much, but to be honest, and dont take this personally, thats proabably a failing in you and your situation rather than Australia, what i mean is ... try to find the extraordinary in the ordinary, and enjoy the things you DO like ... and it might work out better for you.
sorry if this come accross as personal, its not meant to.
English people go on Holiday and demand English pubs, beer and breakfast, and to me its just staggering, i mean, when in Rome? its different to the UK, i havent been, but to be honest, i would be pretty annoyed if it wasnt different! My girlfriend commented on how the Brits are preoccupied with thier social life revolving around pubs and drink, so maybe that answers your question of where are all the young people? proabably away doing something more constructive than getting hammered!! i am from Glasgow, Govan in fact, and let me tell you, we certainly know how to have a good new year, in fact where i come from its a religious event! but if i was to see some guy trying to entertain me in a pub, i would embrace it for what its worth.
Dont get me wrong, i have only have a taste of a few things Aussie, Tim Tams, Milo, Cath & Kim, VB, and the immortal Russell Coight.
I am sorry to hear you dont like it too much, but to be honest, and dont take this personally, thats proabably a failing in you and your situation rather than Australia, what i mean is ... try to find the extraordinary in the ordinary, and enjoy the things you DO like ... and it might work out better for you.
sorry if this come accross as personal, its not meant to.
Mar 12th 2006, 11:38 am
#4
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2006
Location: Sunny Brighton (the UK one)
Posts: 152
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
[QUOTE=chris96]You seem very angry!QUOTE]
I know !...I know. But unless you're prepred for a few shocks in emigrating to Australia, it won't work. I'm just trying to give a bit on an insight...allbeit a slightly whingeing one !
I know !...I know. But unless you're prepred for a few shocks in emigrating to Australia, it won't work. I'm just trying to give a bit on an insight...allbeit a slightly whingeing one !
Mar 12th 2006, 11:45 am
#5
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 145
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
[QUOTE=lostpom.com]
you get it off your chest fella
Originally Posted by chris96
You seem very angry!QUOTE]
I know !...I know. But unless you're prepred for a few shocks in emigrating to Australia, it won't work. I'm just trying to give a bit on an insight...allbeit a slightly whingeing one !
I know !...I know. But unless you're prepred for a few shocks in emigrating to Australia, it won't work. I'm just trying to give a bit on an insight...allbeit a slightly whingeing one !
Mar 12th 2006, 11:56 am
#6
Ex BE ***** Addict
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,770
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by lostpom.com
Some great posts on the Is It Worth It ? post in this forum prompted me to get a few things off my chest here. We (me=British, girlfriend=Aussie) moved here last June, and have had a very unsettling time of it so far, and in fact are considering moving back to the UK in the near future.
What follows is meant to be (fairly) lighthearted, so I hope I don't offend...well...too many people ! For your information, we are living in Gympie, QLD, but have spent most of the rest of our time around the Sunshine Coast. Feel free to correct, or have a good old Aussie pop at me as you like.
My Top 10 Aussie Gripes!
1. TV quality. Never, NEVER again will I complain and bitch about paying the TV (BBC!) license in the UK. The quality of programs here is really quite poor, with mostly American imports, and to be honest not even the good ones. How Desperate Housewives won whatever award it was for best something Australian category says a lot about the general Aussie viewing public. THEN there’s the TV ads. My God! Is ANYONE allowed to make their own TV ad in this country? It seems all you need is Phyllis from the sales desk to "act" a nice little scene (obviously thought up in....ooohhh....all of 5 minutes), and then Bob the delivery van driver to film it all on his $200 camcorder. I laughed heartily at these gems at first, but after a short while this turned to dismay. Do these people really think doing this will make the public want to buy their product? Oh (I'm not finished yet) and WHY do they think it’s clever to stick their child on at the end of the ad trying to say something about buying brand X??? Yes, I'm just about to spend $30,000 on a new pool, and my buying decision is going to be influenced by a 2 year old who may be cute, but can barely speak and knows nothing about deep excavations and pool construction?
2. Internet. Yes, that Internet Thingy is finally getting popular down here in Australia, though your choice of Aussie web sites and e-retailers is way, WAY behind what you will be used to back home. I actually read somewhere that they only launched ADSL services around 18 moths ago. Can you believe it! Whilst the rest of the western world has been happily embracing the new technology age for the last 6 years or so, Australia is just beginning the journey. I have been greatly disappointed at the breadth of stores and information to be found on the web in Aus. The very first thing I did in the UK when I want to buy something (regardless if it’s going to be an internet transaction or not), is I go online to check out reviews and typical product prices. Erm…not really is Australia. You will find web sites and stores at least 2-3 years behind the UK in terms of functionality and data. Some of them, I’m sure, are being designed by young children in technology sweatshops in India. And on the subject of shopping, what IS it with this idea that if you want to buy something in a shop, you have to go into a store and haggle them down to a reasonable price? Once the internet finally gets to be a popular purchasing medium here, and people get used to fixed, low, transparent online pricing, this tedious sales model will finally go out the window.
3. Cost of Living. Compared to the UK, the cost of living is really quite high here. With average salaries being only 40-60% higher than the UK (directly in $-for-£ comparison, so if you earn £30k in the UK, you might earn $42k-$48k for the same position here), yet property prices being certainly in the region of $300k-$600k for anything half decent in a nice suburb with any sort of amenities, you’ll find your pennies going a lot less further here. Oh, and did I mention the whopping 47% tax band that comes in at only $70kpa? Then there are the other costs of living. It seems our fortnightly grocery bill (for 2) is unlikely to come in under $250 each time we go. Products and produce seemed to be priced way over what we would pay for things in the UK. This situation isn’t really helped by what appears to be the blocking (or high levys) on imported products to Australia. Whilst the ‘Australian Made, Australian Owned’ stamp and campaign (for consumers to only buy Aussie made goods), is rather patriotic, it unfortunately doesn’t give consumers the choice to buy cheaper, as-good quality foreign goods if they want to, or maybe if even can’t afford the home grown product. The UK is a massive open market for all sorts of products, and you will notice a big difference here.
4. Australian Red Tape and Regulations. I really thought Australia was going to be a land of opportunity, but sadly it really is more of a land of regulations and obligatory training and qualification for the most basic of skills (like painter/decorator!!! – there’s probably a 2 year apprentiship to become a ‘Grass Cutter’ too). Such over regulation dumbs down the population, so they think they’re not allowed to do something themselves with a little common sense, so its “Oh…..better get a tradie in to do the work”, and there’s another $500 gone. I happen to be a very practical person, and like to be able to do whatever I want to, and just about every time do a really good job of whatever. I actually got interrogated in a trade electrical suppliers about my qualifications to do electrical installation work. Despite being qualified in the UK (oh, and having the small matter of a degree in Electronics), oh no! Of course that was not good enough for them. I seem to have heard “oh, you can’t do that” so many more times than “yeah, go right ahead, no worries” in this country.
5. Lack of cultural diversity and restaurants. If you enjoy an occasional good quality Chinese meal, or maybe Thai or Italian (and I mean proper Italian), then get ready for a shock. Despite Australia apparently having a large Asian population, you will find that these people seem to choose mostly to live in certain areas of the big cities. Unless you’re in one of the capitols, you’re unlikely to find any sort of authentic cuisine. We went to a Thai restaurant on the Sunshine Coast, and the meal cost a fortune and was only distantly related to Thai cuisine, probably not helped by the fact there was not a single Thai person working there. You like a curry? Don’t even ask about Indian restaurants. I have seen hardly any. My local Italian Ristorante is Dominoes with their disgusting looking current ‘Triple Cheese’ offer. Ugh!
6. Lack of History. Now heres something that maybe I took for granted living in the UK, but I tell you, when it’s taken away from you, you certainly miss it! Whether its sitting in a nice country pub with old walls and old….errr.…odd things hanging on the walls, or reading something about a town or buildings history, you’ll get little of this is Aus. In fact, go to any ‘pub’, and you’ll find yourself sitting in a stark room with TAB (betting) machines everywhere and the weekly meat tray raffle results still chalked up on the board from last week. Its hardly inspiring.
7. Where is everybody??? The lack of people out socialising is quite astounding. Where are they all, and what are they doing? For example, the town of Gympie has a reasonable population of 32,500. In the town there are probably 10 pubs, also of reasonable size. Now explain to me, why if we go out on a Friday or Saturday night, there are maybe 3 people in one pub, maybe 10 in another and maybe a small handful spread over the rest of them (and these are big pubs, capacity 40-80 people). Where are all the young people? What on earth are they doing?? Take New Years Eve. Despite my girlfriend’s unwillingness to go out and have a boring night (again), I persuaded her otherwise. “Come on! It’s New Years Eve!!! There will be loads of people out and about”. Well the first pub we walked to had closed early (9:30pm), the next pub had some old wrinkly and guitar strumming out some music from some sort of genre I know nothing about, and want to know nothing about, along with about 10 people in the place, max. Then we headed off to the local RSL club (for the uninitiated, this is a sort of Nationwide ex-Army working mans club), and this as always was at least full of people. But oh what people!!! The entertainment of a Country and Western band really put us in the mood for a cool night out! Then it was off to the local one and only club in town. At least they had the sense to change their name to ‘The Shaft’ from ‘Phantomz’. Yes, what a cracking name, total quality with a K. Actually with a KW on second thoughts.
8. Style and Class. They say Australia is a classless society. I actually think that’s a typo, they meant to say it’s a styleless society. Blokes in stubbies (baggy nylon shorts) and singlet vests or even shorts with their white socks pulled right up to their knees. Girls in masculine men’s board shorts that do nothing for the figure. Shudder! Don’t even get me started on the current ‘fashion trend’ of graffiti T-shirts that everyone seems to be wearing here. What IS the point on these, can someone enlighten me? Now I know the UK is not blameless in this category (does anyone remember shell suits?), but come on Australia!! You can do better than that!
9. “You’ll Love It”. Aaaaggghhhh ! WHY am I constantly confronted by people telling me I’m going love something? How do they know what my tastes or standards are? In fact, in most cases, the things I have been promised I’m going to love have turned out to be very mediocre places or events indeed. Personally I think it’s all wrapped up in the slightly annoying habit of Australians of harping on about ‘How good it is here’ or the such. Personally, I’m slightly suspicious of anyone who blahs on about how good they have it constantly. It’s like if you keep on saying it enough times, it might become true. If it IS so good in Australia, then how come they flock to London in their thousands to live every year? Maybe it’s the lack of self depreciating humour that we Brits are so good at and the ability to joke about yourself that I miss.
10. Cost of Travel. Yes, OK, Australia is a tad further away from it neighbours than you might be used to in the UK – with Europe (or should I say the rest of Europe!) on your doorstep, but the cost of flights originating from Australia is disproportionately higher than the same flight inbound. Due to the lack of airline competition in the region, it seems we are expected to pay up to 30%-40% over the equivalent flight costs. I recently planned to go back to the UK for a break, and it was actually cheaper for me to go back early on a spare return leg I had, and book another return flight from the UK than to book a one way ticket from here! If you like to travel, then you really should research if this is going to be financially possible, particularly on the value of the Aussie dollar, and typical salaries here.
Good lord, I do sound like a whingeing Pom, don’t I? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret on my whingeing Pom theory. Whingeing Poms ARE a reality, and they exist in the majority of cases because UK people come over to Australia, and expect to have the same standard of living that they got used to back home. It’s too hot! – we moan, Its too expensive ! – we moan, I can’t find Lurpak in Wooly’s – we moan. We are, by nature a complaining nation, but you know what – I’d much sooner people complained about things to try and change or better them, rather than sitting back and saying ‘Its great here, isn’t it?’.
lostpom.com
I think I better go and lie down now
What follows is meant to be (fairly) lighthearted, so I hope I don't offend...well...too many people ! For your information, we are living in Gympie, QLD, but have spent most of the rest of our time around the Sunshine Coast. Feel free to correct, or have a good old Aussie pop at me as you like.
My Top 10 Aussie Gripes!
1. TV quality. Never, NEVER again will I complain and bitch about paying the TV (BBC!) license in the UK. The quality of programs here is really quite poor, with mostly American imports, and to be honest not even the good ones. How Desperate Housewives won whatever award it was for best something Australian category says a lot about the general Aussie viewing public. THEN there’s the TV ads. My God! Is ANYONE allowed to make their own TV ad in this country? It seems all you need is Phyllis from the sales desk to "act" a nice little scene (obviously thought up in....ooohhh....all of 5 minutes), and then Bob the delivery van driver to film it all on his $200 camcorder. I laughed heartily at these gems at first, but after a short while this turned to dismay. Do these people really think doing this will make the public want to buy their product? Oh (I'm not finished yet) and WHY do they think it’s clever to stick their child on at the end of the ad trying to say something about buying brand X??? Yes, I'm just about to spend $30,000 on a new pool, and my buying decision is going to be influenced by a 2 year old who may be cute, but can barely speak and knows nothing about deep excavations and pool construction?
2. Internet. Yes, that Internet Thingy is finally getting popular down here in Australia, though your choice of Aussie web sites and e-retailers is way, WAY behind what you will be used to back home. I actually read somewhere that they only launched ADSL services around 18 moths ago. Can you believe it! Whilst the rest of the western world has been happily embracing the new technology age for the last 6 years or so, Australia is just beginning the journey. I have been greatly disappointed at the breadth of stores and information to be found on the web in Aus. The very first thing I did in the UK when I want to buy something (regardless if it’s going to be an internet transaction or not), is I go online to check out reviews and typical product prices. Erm…not really is Australia. You will find web sites and stores at least 2-3 years behind the UK in terms of functionality and data. Some of them, I’m sure, are being designed by young children in technology sweatshops in India. And on the subject of shopping, what IS it with this idea that if you want to buy something in a shop, you have to go into a store and haggle them down to a reasonable price? Once the internet finally gets to be a popular purchasing medium here, and people get used to fixed, low, transparent online pricing, this tedious sales model will finally go out the window.
3. Cost of Living. Compared to the UK, the cost of living is really quite high here. With average salaries being only 40-60% higher than the UK (directly in $-for-£ comparison, so if you earn £30k in the UK, you might earn $42k-$48k for the same position here), yet property prices being certainly in the region of $300k-$600k for anything half decent in a nice suburb with any sort of amenities, you’ll find your pennies going a lot less further here. Oh, and did I mention the whopping 47% tax band that comes in at only $70kpa? Then there are the other costs of living. It seems our fortnightly grocery bill (for 2) is unlikely to come in under $250 each time we go. Products and produce seemed to be priced way over what we would pay for things in the UK. This situation isn’t really helped by what appears to be the blocking (or high levys) on imported products to Australia. Whilst the ‘Australian Made, Australian Owned’ stamp and campaign (for consumers to only buy Aussie made goods), is rather patriotic, it unfortunately doesn’t give consumers the choice to buy cheaper, as-good quality foreign goods if they want to, or maybe if even can’t afford the home grown product. The UK is a massive open market for all sorts of products, and you will notice a big difference here.
4. Australian Red Tape and Regulations. I really thought Australia was going to be a land of opportunity, but sadly it really is more of a land of regulations and obligatory training and qualification for the most basic of skills (like painter/decorator!!! – there’s probably a 2 year apprentiship to become a ‘Grass Cutter’ too). Such over regulation dumbs down the population, so they think they’re not allowed to do something themselves with a little common sense, so its “Oh…..better get a tradie in to do the work”, and there’s another $500 gone. I happen to be a very practical person, and like to be able to do whatever I want to, and just about every time do a really good job of whatever. I actually got interrogated in a trade electrical suppliers about my qualifications to do electrical installation work. Despite being qualified in the UK (oh, and having the small matter of a degree in Electronics), oh no! Of course that was not good enough for them. I seem to have heard “oh, you can’t do that” so many more times than “yeah, go right ahead, no worries” in this country.
5. Lack of cultural diversity and restaurants. If you enjoy an occasional good quality Chinese meal, or maybe Thai or Italian (and I mean proper Italian), then get ready for a shock. Despite Australia apparently having a large Asian population, you will find that these people seem to choose mostly to live in certain areas of the big cities. Unless you’re in one of the capitols, you’re unlikely to find any sort of authentic cuisine. We went to a Thai restaurant on the Sunshine Coast, and the meal cost a fortune and was only distantly related to Thai cuisine, probably not helped by the fact there was not a single Thai person working there. You like a curry? Don’t even ask about Indian restaurants. I have seen hardly any. My local Italian Ristorante is Dominoes with their disgusting looking current ‘Triple Cheese’ offer. Ugh!
6. Lack of History. Now heres something that maybe I took for granted living in the UK, but I tell you, when it’s taken away from you, you certainly miss it! Whether its sitting in a nice country pub with old walls and old….errr.…odd things hanging on the walls, or reading something about a town or buildings history, you’ll get little of this is Aus. In fact, go to any ‘pub’, and you’ll find yourself sitting in a stark room with TAB (betting) machines everywhere and the weekly meat tray raffle results still chalked up on the board from last week. Its hardly inspiring.
7. Where is everybody??? The lack of people out socialising is quite astounding. Where are they all, and what are they doing? For example, the town of Gympie has a reasonable population of 32,500. In the town there are probably 10 pubs, also of reasonable size. Now explain to me, why if we go out on a Friday or Saturday night, there are maybe 3 people in one pub, maybe 10 in another and maybe a small handful spread over the rest of them (and these are big pubs, capacity 40-80 people). Where are all the young people? What on earth are they doing?? Take New Years Eve. Despite my girlfriend’s unwillingness to go out and have a boring night (again), I persuaded her otherwise. “Come on! It’s New Years Eve!!! There will be loads of people out and about”. Well the first pub we walked to had closed early (9:30pm), the next pub had some old wrinkly and guitar strumming out some music from some sort of genre I know nothing about, and want to know nothing about, along with about 10 people in the place, max. Then we headed off to the local RSL club (for the uninitiated, this is a sort of Nationwide ex-Army working mans club), and this as always was at least full of people. But oh what people!!! The entertainment of a Country and Western band really put us in the mood for a cool night out! Then it was off to the local one and only club in town. At least they had the sense to change their name to ‘The Shaft’ from ‘Phantomz’. Yes, what a cracking name, total quality with a K. Actually with a KW on second thoughts.
8. Style and Class. They say Australia is a classless society. I actually think that’s a typo, they meant to say it’s a styleless society. Blokes in stubbies (baggy nylon shorts) and singlet vests or even shorts with their white socks pulled right up to their knees. Girls in masculine men’s board shorts that do nothing for the figure. Shudder! Don’t even get me started on the current ‘fashion trend’ of graffiti T-shirts that everyone seems to be wearing here. What IS the point on these, can someone enlighten me? Now I know the UK is not blameless in this category (does anyone remember shell suits?), but come on Australia!! You can do better than that!
9. “You’ll Love It”. Aaaaggghhhh ! WHY am I constantly confronted by people telling me I’m going love something? How do they know what my tastes or standards are? In fact, in most cases, the things I have been promised I’m going to love have turned out to be very mediocre places or events indeed. Personally I think it’s all wrapped up in the slightly annoying habit of Australians of harping on about ‘How good it is here’ or the such. Personally, I’m slightly suspicious of anyone who blahs on about how good they have it constantly. It’s like if you keep on saying it enough times, it might become true. If it IS so good in Australia, then how come they flock to London in their thousands to live every year? Maybe it’s the lack of self depreciating humour that we Brits are so good at and the ability to joke about yourself that I miss.
10. Cost of Travel. Yes, OK, Australia is a tad further away from it neighbours than you might be used to in the UK – with Europe (or should I say the rest of Europe!) on your doorstep, but the cost of flights originating from Australia is disproportionately higher than the same flight inbound. Due to the lack of airline competition in the region, it seems we are expected to pay up to 30%-40% over the equivalent flight costs. I recently planned to go back to the UK for a break, and it was actually cheaper for me to go back early on a spare return leg I had, and book another return flight from the UK than to book a one way ticket from here! If you like to travel, then you really should research if this is going to be financially possible, particularly on the value of the Aussie dollar, and typical salaries here.
Good lord, I do sound like a whingeing Pom, don’t I? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret on my whingeing Pom theory. Whingeing Poms ARE a reality, and they exist in the majority of cases because UK people come over to Australia, and expect to have the same standard of living that they got used to back home. It’s too hot! – we moan, Its too expensive ! – we moan, I can’t find Lurpak in Wooly’s – we moan. We are, by nature a complaining nation, but you know what – I’d much sooner people complained about things to try and change or better them, rather than sitting back and saying ‘Its great here, isn’t it?’.
lostpom.com
I think I better go and lie down now
The amazing thing is I was thinking about trying Gympie before we got here, Looks like I would have made the wrong decision either way.
I find my 11th most anoying thing the peoples total lack of standards, not standards as in regulations because they have these in bucket loads, I mean standards as in the people think things are great when they are so ungreat it makes you start do doubt you own set of standards and maybe they were unrealistically too high.
Anyway great post and I agree with the lot, i could probably come up with another 10 but my asbestos knickers are in the wash!
Mar 12th 2006, 12:02 pm
#7
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 145
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
[QUOTE=arkon] I find my 11th most anoying thing the peoples total lack of standards, not standards as in regulations because they have these in bucket loads, I mean standards as in the people think things are great when they are so ungreat it makes you start do doubt you own set of standards and maybe they were unrealistically too high.
[QUOTE]
yeah, but isnt the whole thing quite subjective? things probably arent any less great or worse, just different to what you know. its what people are used to, Aussies would probably say the same thing over here!!
[QUOTE]
yeah, but isnt the whole thing quite subjective? things probably arent any less great or worse, just different to what you know. its what people are used to, Aussies would probably say the same thing over here!!
Mar 12th 2006, 12:07 pm
#8
Ex BE ***** Addict
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,770
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
[QUOTE=Toryglen-Boy][QUOTE=arkon] I find my 11th most anoying thing the peoples total lack of standards, not standards as in regulations because they have these in bucket loads, I mean standards as in the people think things are great when they are so ungreat it makes you start do doubt you own set of standards and maybe they were unrealistically too high.
yeah, but isnt the whole thing quite subjective? things probably arent any less great or worse, just different to what you know. its what people are used to, Aussies would probably say the same thing over here!!
I totally agree it is subjective, so it does start to grate on you after a while when people keep telling you how great x,y and z are when you know they are poor. But just because I have higher standards doesn't mean I can't moan about it. Moaning and complaining is one of the things that has made great britian better over the years, as I've said before the first thing you need to do before you can fix or make better a problem is to identify that it exists. Denial never fixes anything, as the catholic priests are finding out....
yeah, but isnt the whole thing quite subjective? things probably arent any less great or worse, just different to what you know. its what people are used to, Aussies would probably say the same thing over here!!
Mar 12th 2006, 12:07 pm
#9
Blah Blah Blah
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: Maroochydore, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Posts: 885
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by arkon
Excellent post, and I am you! or you are me! This post just about totally sums up my thoughts on the place, well done for having the hairys to say it.
Mar 12th 2006, 12:11 pm
#10
Ex BE ***** Addict
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,770
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by Buttockup
Beat me to it.... I was just about to say Arkon's trousers are going to be down by his ankles quick sharp on reading this post!
Mar 12th 2006, 12:17 pm
#11
Enjoy it while you can
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 88
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by lostpom.com
Some great posts on the Is It Worth It ? post in this forum prompted me to get a few things off my chest here. We (me=British, girlfriend=Aussie) moved here last June, and have had a very unsettling time of it so far, and in fact are considering moving back to the UK in the near future.
What follows is meant to be (fairly) lighthearted, so I hope I don't offend...well...too many people ! For your information, we are living in Gympie, QLD, but have spent most of the rest of our time around the Sunshine Coast. Feel free to correct, or have a good old Aussie pop at me as you like.
My Top 10 Aussie Gripes!
1. TV quality. Never, NEVER again will I complain and bitch about paying the TV (BBC!) license in the UK. The quality of programs here is really quite poor, with mostly American imports, and to be honest not even the good ones. How Desperate Housewives won whatever award it was for best something Australian category says a lot about the general Aussie viewing public. THEN there’s the TV ads. My God! Is ANYONE allowed to make their own TV ad in this country? It seems all you need is Phyllis from the sales desk to "act" a nice little scene (obviously thought up in....ooohhh....all of 5 minutes), and then Bob the delivery van driver to film it all on his $200 camcorder. I laughed heartily at these gems at first, but after a short while this turned to dismay. Do these people really think doing this will make the public want to buy their product? Oh (I'm not finished yet) and WHY do they think it’s clever to stick their child on at the end of the ad trying to say something about buying brand X??? Yes, I'm just about to spend $30,000 on a new pool, and my buying decision is going to be influenced by a 2 year old who may be cute, but can barely speak and knows nothing about deep excavations and pool construction?
2. Internet. Yes, that Internet Thingy is finally getting popular down here in Australia, though your choice of Aussie web sites and e-retailers is way, WAY behind what you will be used to back home. I actually read somewhere that they only launched ADSL services around 18 moths ago. Can you believe it! Whilst the rest of the western world has been happily embracing the new technology age for the last 6 years or so, Australia is just beginning the journey. I have been greatly disappointed at the breadth of stores and information to be found on the web in Aus. The very first thing I did in the UK when I want to buy something (regardless if it’s going to be an internet transaction or not), is I go online to check out reviews and typical product prices. Erm…not really is Australia. You will find web sites and stores at least 2-3 years behind the UK in terms of functionality and data. Some of them, I’m sure, are being designed by young children in technology sweatshops in India. And on the subject of shopping, what IS it with this idea that if you want to buy something in a shop, you have to go into a store and haggle them down to a reasonable price? Once the internet finally gets to be a popular purchasing medium here, and people get used to fixed, low, transparent online pricing, this tedious sales model will finally go out the window.
3. Cost of Living. Compared to the UK, the cost of living is really quite high here. With average salaries being only 40-60% higher than the UK (directly in $-for-£ comparison, so if you earn £30k in the UK, you might earn $42k-$48k for the same position here), yet property prices being certainly in the region of $300k-$600k for anything half decent in a nice suburb with any sort of amenities, you’ll find your pennies going a lot less further here. Oh, and did I mention the whopping 47% tax band that comes in at only $70kpa? Then there are the other costs of living. It seems our fortnightly grocery bill (for 2) is unlikely to come in under $250 each time we go. Products and produce seemed to be priced way over what we would pay for things in the UK. This situation isn’t really helped by what appears to be the blocking (or high levys) on imported products to Australia. Whilst the ‘Australian Made, Australian Owned’ stamp and campaign (for consumers to only buy Aussie made goods), is rather patriotic, it unfortunately doesn’t give consumers the choice to buy cheaper, as-good quality foreign goods if they want to, or maybe if even can’t afford the home grown product. The UK is a massive open market for all sorts of products, and you will notice a big difference here.
4. Australian Red Tape and Regulations. I really thought Australia was going to be a land of opportunity, but sadly it really is more of a land of regulations and obligatory training and qualification for the most basic of skills (like painter/decorator!!! – there’s probably a 2 year apprentiship to become a ‘Grass Cutter’ too). Such over regulation dumbs down the population, so they think they’re not allowed to do something themselves with a little common sense, so its “Oh…..better get a tradie in to do the work”, and there’s another $500 gone. I happen to be a very practical person, and like to be able to do whatever I want to, and just about every time do a really good job of whatever. I actually got interrogated in a trade electrical suppliers about my qualifications to do electrical installation work. Despite being qualified in the UK (oh, and having the small matter of a degree in Electronics), oh no! Of course that was not good enough for them. I seem to have heard “oh, you can’t do that” so many more times than “yeah, go right ahead, no worries” in this country.
5. Lack of cultural diversity and restaurants. If you enjoy an occasional good quality Chinese meal, or maybe Thai or Italian (and I mean proper Italian), then get ready for a shock. Despite Australia apparently having a large Asian population, you will find that these people seem to choose mostly to live in certain areas of the big cities. Unless you’re in one of the capitols, you’re unlikely to find any sort of authentic cuisine. We went to a Thai restaurant on the Sunshine Coast, and the meal cost a fortune and was only distantly related to Thai cuisine, probably not helped by the fact there was not a single Thai person working there. You like a curry? Don’t even ask about Indian restaurants. I have seen hardly any. My local Italian Ristorante is Dominoes with their disgusting looking current ‘Triple Cheese’ offer. Ugh!
6. Lack of History. Now heres something that maybe I took for granted living in the UK, but I tell you, when it’s taken away from you, you certainly miss it! Whether its sitting in a nice country pub with old walls and old….errr.…odd things hanging on the walls, or reading something about a town or buildings history, you’ll get little of this is Aus. In fact, go to any ‘pub’, and you’ll find yourself sitting in a stark room with TAB (betting) machines everywhere and the weekly meat tray raffle results still chalked up on the board from last week. Its hardly inspiring.
7. Where is everybody??? The lack of people out socialising is quite astounding. Where are they all, and what are they doing? For example, the town of Gympie has a reasonable population of 32,500. In the town there are probably 10 pubs, also of reasonable size. Now explain to me, why if we go out on a Friday or Saturday night, there are maybe 3 people in one pub, maybe 10 in another and maybe a small handful spread over the rest of them (and these are big pubs, capacity 40-80 people). Where are all the young people? What on earth are they doing?? Take New Years Eve. Despite my girlfriend’s unwillingness to go out and have a boring night (again), I persuaded her otherwise. “Come on! It’s New Years Eve!!! There will be loads of people out and about”. Well the first pub we walked to had closed early (9:30pm), the next pub had some old wrinkly and guitar strumming out some music from some sort of genre I know nothing about, and want to know nothing about, along with about 10 people in the place, max. Then we headed off to the local RSL club (for the uninitiated, this is a sort of Nationwide ex-Army working mans club), and this as always was at least full of people. But oh what people!!! The entertainment of a Country and Western band really put us in the mood for a cool night out! Then it was off to the local one and only club in town. At least they had the sense to change their name to ‘The Shaft’ from ‘Phantomz’. Yes, what a cracking name, total quality with a K. Actually with a KW on second thoughts.
8. Style and Class. They say Australia is a classless society. I actually think that’s a typo, they meant to say it’s a styleless society. Blokes in stubbies (baggy nylon shorts) and singlet vests or even shorts with their white socks pulled right up to their knees. Girls in masculine men’s board shorts that do nothing for the figure. Shudder! Don’t even get me started on the current ‘fashion trend’ of graffiti T-shirts that everyone seems to be wearing here. What IS the point on these, can someone enlighten me? Now I know the UK is not blameless in this category (does anyone remember shell suits?), but come on Australia!! You can do better than that!
9. “You’ll Love It”. Aaaaggghhhh ! WHY am I constantly confronted by people telling me I’m going love something? How do they know what my tastes or standards are? In fact, in most cases, the things I have been promised I’m going to love have turned out to be very mediocre places or events indeed. Personally I think it’s all wrapped up in the slightly annoying habit of Australians of harping on about ‘How good it is here’ or the such. Personally, I’m slightly suspicious of anyone who blahs on about how good they have it constantly. It’s like if you keep on saying it enough times, it might become true. If it IS so good in Australia, then how come they flock to London in their thousands to live every year? Maybe it’s the lack of self depreciating humour that we Brits are so good at and the ability to joke about yourself that I miss.
10. Cost of Travel. Yes, OK, Australia is a tad further away from it neighbours than you might be used to in the UK – with Europe (or should I say the rest of Europe!) on your doorstep, but the cost of flights originating from Australia is disproportionately higher than the same flight inbound. Due to the lack of airline competition in the region, it seems we are expected to pay up to 30%-40% over the equivalent flight costs. I recently planned to go back to the UK for a break, and it was actually cheaper for me to go back early on a spare return leg I had, and book another return flight from the UK than to book a one way ticket from here! If you like to travel, then you really should research if this is going to be financially possible, particularly on the value of the Aussie dollar, and typical salaries here.
Good lord, I do sound like a whingeing Pom, don’t I? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret on my whingeing Pom theory. Whingeing Poms ARE a reality, and they exist in the majority of cases because UK people come over to Australia, and expect to have the same standard of living that they got used to back home. It’s too hot! – we moan, Its too expensive ! – we moan, I can’t find Lurpak in Wooly’s – we moan. We are, by nature a complaining nation, but you know what – I’d much sooner people complained about things to try and change or better them, rather than sitting back and saying ‘Its great here, isn’t it?’.
lostpom.com
I think I better go and lie down now
What follows is meant to be (fairly) lighthearted, so I hope I don't offend...well...too many people ! For your information, we are living in Gympie, QLD, but have spent most of the rest of our time around the Sunshine Coast. Feel free to correct, or have a good old Aussie pop at me as you like.
My Top 10 Aussie Gripes!
1. TV quality. Never, NEVER again will I complain and bitch about paying the TV (BBC!) license in the UK. The quality of programs here is really quite poor, with mostly American imports, and to be honest not even the good ones. How Desperate Housewives won whatever award it was for best something Australian category says a lot about the general Aussie viewing public. THEN there’s the TV ads. My God! Is ANYONE allowed to make their own TV ad in this country? It seems all you need is Phyllis from the sales desk to "act" a nice little scene (obviously thought up in....ooohhh....all of 5 minutes), and then Bob the delivery van driver to film it all on his $200 camcorder. I laughed heartily at these gems at first, but after a short while this turned to dismay. Do these people really think doing this will make the public want to buy their product? Oh (I'm not finished yet) and WHY do they think it’s clever to stick their child on at the end of the ad trying to say something about buying brand X??? Yes, I'm just about to spend $30,000 on a new pool, and my buying decision is going to be influenced by a 2 year old who may be cute, but can barely speak and knows nothing about deep excavations and pool construction?
2. Internet. Yes, that Internet Thingy is finally getting popular down here in Australia, though your choice of Aussie web sites and e-retailers is way, WAY behind what you will be used to back home. I actually read somewhere that they only launched ADSL services around 18 moths ago. Can you believe it! Whilst the rest of the western world has been happily embracing the new technology age for the last 6 years or so, Australia is just beginning the journey. I have been greatly disappointed at the breadth of stores and information to be found on the web in Aus. The very first thing I did in the UK when I want to buy something (regardless if it’s going to be an internet transaction or not), is I go online to check out reviews and typical product prices. Erm…not really is Australia. You will find web sites and stores at least 2-3 years behind the UK in terms of functionality and data. Some of them, I’m sure, are being designed by young children in technology sweatshops in India. And on the subject of shopping, what IS it with this idea that if you want to buy something in a shop, you have to go into a store and haggle them down to a reasonable price? Once the internet finally gets to be a popular purchasing medium here, and people get used to fixed, low, transparent online pricing, this tedious sales model will finally go out the window.
3. Cost of Living. Compared to the UK, the cost of living is really quite high here. With average salaries being only 40-60% higher than the UK (directly in $-for-£ comparison, so if you earn £30k in the UK, you might earn $42k-$48k for the same position here), yet property prices being certainly in the region of $300k-$600k for anything half decent in a nice suburb with any sort of amenities, you’ll find your pennies going a lot less further here. Oh, and did I mention the whopping 47% tax band that comes in at only $70kpa? Then there are the other costs of living. It seems our fortnightly grocery bill (for 2) is unlikely to come in under $250 each time we go. Products and produce seemed to be priced way over what we would pay for things in the UK. This situation isn’t really helped by what appears to be the blocking (or high levys) on imported products to Australia. Whilst the ‘Australian Made, Australian Owned’ stamp and campaign (for consumers to only buy Aussie made goods), is rather patriotic, it unfortunately doesn’t give consumers the choice to buy cheaper, as-good quality foreign goods if they want to, or maybe if even can’t afford the home grown product. The UK is a massive open market for all sorts of products, and you will notice a big difference here.
4. Australian Red Tape and Regulations. I really thought Australia was going to be a land of opportunity, but sadly it really is more of a land of regulations and obligatory training and qualification for the most basic of skills (like painter/decorator!!! – there’s probably a 2 year apprentiship to become a ‘Grass Cutter’ too). Such over regulation dumbs down the population, so they think they’re not allowed to do something themselves with a little common sense, so its “Oh…..better get a tradie in to do the work”, and there’s another $500 gone. I happen to be a very practical person, and like to be able to do whatever I want to, and just about every time do a really good job of whatever. I actually got interrogated in a trade electrical suppliers about my qualifications to do electrical installation work. Despite being qualified in the UK (oh, and having the small matter of a degree in Electronics), oh no! Of course that was not good enough for them. I seem to have heard “oh, you can’t do that” so many more times than “yeah, go right ahead, no worries” in this country.
5. Lack of cultural diversity and restaurants. If you enjoy an occasional good quality Chinese meal, or maybe Thai or Italian (and I mean proper Italian), then get ready for a shock. Despite Australia apparently having a large Asian population, you will find that these people seem to choose mostly to live in certain areas of the big cities. Unless you’re in one of the capitols, you’re unlikely to find any sort of authentic cuisine. We went to a Thai restaurant on the Sunshine Coast, and the meal cost a fortune and was only distantly related to Thai cuisine, probably not helped by the fact there was not a single Thai person working there. You like a curry? Don’t even ask about Indian restaurants. I have seen hardly any. My local Italian Ristorante is Dominoes with their disgusting looking current ‘Triple Cheese’ offer. Ugh!
6. Lack of History. Now heres something that maybe I took for granted living in the UK, but I tell you, when it’s taken away from you, you certainly miss it! Whether its sitting in a nice country pub with old walls and old….errr.…odd things hanging on the walls, or reading something about a town or buildings history, you’ll get little of this is Aus. In fact, go to any ‘pub’, and you’ll find yourself sitting in a stark room with TAB (betting) machines everywhere and the weekly meat tray raffle results still chalked up on the board from last week. Its hardly inspiring.
7. Where is everybody??? The lack of people out socialising is quite astounding. Where are they all, and what are they doing? For example, the town of Gympie has a reasonable population of 32,500. In the town there are probably 10 pubs, also of reasonable size. Now explain to me, why if we go out on a Friday or Saturday night, there are maybe 3 people in one pub, maybe 10 in another and maybe a small handful spread over the rest of them (and these are big pubs, capacity 40-80 people). Where are all the young people? What on earth are they doing?? Take New Years Eve. Despite my girlfriend’s unwillingness to go out and have a boring night (again), I persuaded her otherwise. “Come on! It’s New Years Eve!!! There will be loads of people out and about”. Well the first pub we walked to had closed early (9:30pm), the next pub had some old wrinkly and guitar strumming out some music from some sort of genre I know nothing about, and want to know nothing about, along with about 10 people in the place, max. Then we headed off to the local RSL club (for the uninitiated, this is a sort of Nationwide ex-Army working mans club), and this as always was at least full of people. But oh what people!!! The entertainment of a Country and Western band really put us in the mood for a cool night out! Then it was off to the local one and only club in town. At least they had the sense to change their name to ‘The Shaft’ from ‘Phantomz’. Yes, what a cracking name, total quality with a K. Actually with a KW on second thoughts.
8. Style and Class. They say Australia is a classless society. I actually think that’s a typo, they meant to say it’s a styleless society. Blokes in stubbies (baggy nylon shorts) and singlet vests or even shorts with their white socks pulled right up to their knees. Girls in masculine men’s board shorts that do nothing for the figure. Shudder! Don’t even get me started on the current ‘fashion trend’ of graffiti T-shirts that everyone seems to be wearing here. What IS the point on these, can someone enlighten me? Now I know the UK is not blameless in this category (does anyone remember shell suits?), but come on Australia!! You can do better than that!
9. “You’ll Love It”. Aaaaggghhhh ! WHY am I constantly confronted by people telling me I’m going love something? How do they know what my tastes or standards are? In fact, in most cases, the things I have been promised I’m going to love have turned out to be very mediocre places or events indeed. Personally I think it’s all wrapped up in the slightly annoying habit of Australians of harping on about ‘How good it is here’ or the such. Personally, I’m slightly suspicious of anyone who blahs on about how good they have it constantly. It’s like if you keep on saying it enough times, it might become true. If it IS so good in Australia, then how come they flock to London in their thousands to live every year? Maybe it’s the lack of self depreciating humour that we Brits are so good at and the ability to joke about yourself that I miss.
10. Cost of Travel. Yes, OK, Australia is a tad further away from it neighbours than you might be used to in the UK – with Europe (or should I say the rest of Europe!) on your doorstep, but the cost of flights originating from Australia is disproportionately higher than the same flight inbound. Due to the lack of airline competition in the region, it seems we are expected to pay up to 30%-40% over the equivalent flight costs. I recently planned to go back to the UK for a break, and it was actually cheaper for me to go back early on a spare return leg I had, and book another return flight from the UK than to book a one way ticket from here! If you like to travel, then you really should research if this is going to be financially possible, particularly on the value of the Aussie dollar, and typical salaries here.
Good lord, I do sound like a whingeing Pom, don’t I? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret on my whingeing Pom theory. Whingeing Poms ARE a reality, and they exist in the majority of cases because UK people come over to Australia, and expect to have the same standard of living that they got used to back home. It’s too hot! – we moan, Its too expensive ! – we moan, I can’t find Lurpak in Wooly’s – we moan. We are, by nature a complaining nation, but you know what – I’d much sooner people complained about things to try and change or better them, rather than sitting back and saying ‘Its great here, isn’t it?’.
lostpom.com
I think I better go and lie down now
BRING IT ALL ON. I can't wait to get over there it sounds wonderful. An Aussie New Years eve sounds like heaven in an empty pub with 3 people and some bloke willing to entertain us. I just hope the three other people weren't smoking because I would have to move tables and that would piss me off. I haven't gone out for years in england on New Years eve because all the pubs where I live charge you to get in and they are packed full of people, it takes an hour to get served thats if you can squeeze your way to the bar avoiding getting burnt with cigarettes and beer being spilt all over you, there is never any toilet paper after 8pm. Every dick head and its dog wants to kiss you and be your friend after 12pm and then there's the punch ups, people being sick and the toilet floor covered in piss, so don't wear expensive shoes or trousers that touch the floor. Yes all in all you must be missing this. Oh and believe me I live in a very nice area, but between 20th of December and 1st Jan I wouldn't go in a pub to be entertained.
Mar 12th 2006, 12:20 pm
#12
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,347
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by lostpom.com
My Top 10 Aussie Gripes!
6. Lack of History. Now heres something that maybe I took for granted living in the UK, but I tell you, when it’s taken away from you, you certainly miss it! Whether its sitting in a nice country pub with old walls and old….errr.…odd things hanging on the walls, or reading something about a town or buildings history, you’ll get little of this is Aus. In fact, go to any ‘pub’, and you’ll find yourself sitting in a stark room with TAB (betting) machines everywhere and the weekly meat tray raffle results still chalked up on the board from last week. Its hardly inspiring.
6. Lack of History. Now heres something that maybe I took for granted living in the UK, but I tell you, when it’s taken away from you, you certainly miss it! Whether its sitting in a nice country pub with old walls and old….errr.…odd things hanging on the walls, or reading something about a town or buildings history, you’ll get little of this is Aus. In fact, go to any ‘pub’, and you’ll find yourself sitting in a stark room with TAB (betting) machines everywhere and the weekly meat tray raffle results still chalked up on the board from last week. Its hardly inspiring.
On your comment above, I have to agree that the lack of history is something that I have noticed. Makes the country seem somewhat soulless to me. We came from a small Somerset village with a couple of cozy, rustic pubs and a lovely Norman church, and I've rather missed the sound of church bells on a Sunday morning. We aren't churchgoers, and it's a good thing because I've only seen two churches in this area and they could be mistaken for ordinary buildings - nothing remotely inspiring about them. But it's things like this that you take for granted and don't appreciate until they aren't there any more.
That said, I'd rather have the warmth and friendliness of the Australian people, the clean air, the space and the sunshine any day. I cannot imagine living in England again...although I do rather envy you all your snow right now.
Sue
Mar 12th 2006, 12:23 pm
#13
Home at last
Joined: May 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 263
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by lostpom.com
Some great posts on the Is It Worth It ? post in this forum prompted me to get a few things off my chest here. We (me=British, girlfriend=Aussie) moved here last June, and have had a very unsettling time of it so far, and in fact are considering moving back to the UK in the near future.
What follows is meant to be (fairly) lighthearted, so I hope I don't offend...well...too many people ! For your information, we are living in Gympie, QLD, but have spent most of the rest of our time around the Sunshine Coast. Feel free to correct, or have a good old Aussie pop at me as you like.
My Top 10 Aussie Gripes!
1. TV quality. Never, NEVER again will I complain and bitch about paying the TV (BBC!) license in the UK. The quality of programs here is really quite poor, with mostly American imports, and to be honest not even the good ones. How Desperate Housewives won whatever award it was for best something Australian category says a lot about the general Aussie viewing public. THEN there’s the TV ads. My God! Is ANYONE allowed to make their own TV ad in this country? It seems all you need is Phyllis from the sales desk to "act" a nice little scene (obviously thought up in....ooohhh....all of 5 minutes), and then Bob the delivery van driver to film it all on his $200 camcorder. I laughed heartily at these gems at first, but after a short while this turned to dismay. Do these people really think doing this will make the public want to buy their product? Oh (I'm not finished yet) and WHY do they think it’s clever to stick their child on at the end of the ad trying to say something about buying brand X??? Yes, I'm just about to spend $30,000 on a new pool, and my buying decision is going to be influenced by a 2 year old who may be cute, but can barely speak and knows nothing about deep excavations and pool construction?
2. Internet. Yes, that Internet Thingy is finally getting popular down here in Australia, though your choice of Aussie web sites and e-retailers is way, WAY behind what you will be used to back home. I actually read somewhere that they only launched ADSL services around 18 moths ago. Can you believe it! Whilst the rest of the western world has been happily embracing the new technology age for the last 6 years or so, Australia is just beginning the journey. I have been greatly disappointed at the breadth of stores and information to be found on the web in Aus. The very first thing I did in the UK when I want to buy something (regardless if it’s going to be an internet transaction or not), is I go online to check out reviews and typical product prices. Erm…not really is Australia. You will find web sites and stores at least 2-3 years behind the UK in terms of functionality and data. Some of them, I’m sure, are being designed by young children in technology sweatshops in India. And on the subject of shopping, what IS it with this idea that if you want to buy something in a shop, you have to go into a store and haggle them down to a reasonable price? Once the internet finally gets to be a popular purchasing medium here, and people get used to fixed, low, transparent online pricing, this tedious sales model will finally go out the window.
3. Cost of Living. Compared to the UK, the cost of living is really quite high here. With average salaries being only 40-60% higher than the UK (directly in $-for-£ comparison, so if you earn £30k in the UK, you might earn $42k-$48k for the same position here), yet property prices being certainly in the region of $300k-$600k for anything half decent in a nice suburb with any sort of amenities, you’ll find your pennies going a lot less further here. Oh, and did I mention the whopping 47% tax band that comes in at only $70kpa? Then there are the other costs of living. It seems our fortnightly grocery bill (for 2) is unlikely to come in under $250 each time we go. Products and produce seemed to be priced way over what we would pay for things in the UK. This situation isn’t really helped by what appears to be the blocking (or high levys) on imported products to Australia. Whilst the ‘Australian Made, Australian Owned’ stamp and campaign (for consumers to only buy Aussie made goods), is rather patriotic, it unfortunately doesn’t give consumers the choice to buy cheaper, as-good quality foreign goods if they want to, or maybe if even can’t afford the home grown product. The UK is a massive open market for all sorts of products, and you will notice a big difference here.
4. Australian Red Tape and Regulations. I really thought Australia was going to be a land of opportunity, but sadly it really is more of a land of regulations and obligatory training and qualification for the most basic of skills (like painter/decorator!!! – there’s probably a 2 year apprentiship to become a ‘Grass Cutter’ too). Such over regulation dumbs down the population, so they think they’re not allowed to do something themselves with a little common sense, so its “Oh…..better get a tradie in to do the work”, and there’s another $500 gone. I happen to be a very practical person, and like to be able to do whatever I want to, and just about every time do a really good job of whatever. I actually got interrogated in a trade electrical suppliers about my qualifications to do electrical installation work. Despite being qualified in the UK (oh, and having the small matter of a degree in Electronics), oh no! Of course that was not good enough for them. I seem to have heard “oh, you can’t do that” so many more times than “yeah, go right ahead, no worries” in this country.
5. Lack of cultural diversity and restaurants. If you enjoy an occasional good quality Chinese meal, or maybe Thai or Italian (and I mean proper Italian), then get ready for a shock. Despite Australia apparently having a large Asian population, you will find that these people seem to choose mostly to live in certain areas of the big cities. Unless you’re in one of the capitols, you’re unlikely to find any sort of authentic cuisine. We went to a Thai restaurant on the Sunshine Coast, and the meal cost a fortune and was only distantly related to Thai cuisine, probably not helped by the fact there was not a single Thai person working there. You like a curry? Don’t even ask about Indian restaurants. I have seen hardly any. My local Italian Ristorante is Dominoes with their disgusting looking current ‘Triple Cheese’ offer. Ugh!
6. Lack of History. Now heres something that maybe I took for granted living in the UK, but I tell you, when it’s taken away from you, you certainly miss it! Whether its sitting in a nice country pub with old walls and old….errr.…odd things hanging on the walls, or reading something about a town or buildings history, you’ll get little of this is Aus. In fact, go to any ‘pub’, and you’ll find yourself sitting in a stark room with TAB (betting) machines everywhere and the weekly meat tray raffle results still chalked up on the board from last week. Its hardly inspiring.
7. Where is everybody??? The lack of people out socialising is quite astounding. Where are they all, and what are they doing? For example, the town of Gympie has a reasonable population of 32,500. In the town there are probably 10 pubs, also of reasonable size. Now explain to me, why if we go out on a Friday or Saturday night, there are maybe 3 people in one pub, maybe 10 in another and maybe a small handful spread over the rest of them (and these are big pubs, capacity 40-80 people). Where are all the young people? What on earth are they doing?? Take New Years Eve. Despite my girlfriend’s unwillingness to go out and have a boring night (again), I persuaded her otherwise. “Come on! It’s New Years Eve!!! There will be loads of people out and about”. Well the first pub we walked to had closed early (9:30pm), the next pub had some old wrinkly and guitar strumming out some music from some sort of genre I know nothing about, and want to know nothing about, along with about 10 people in the place, max. Then we headed off to the local RSL club (for the uninitiated, this is a sort of Nationwide ex-Army working mans club), and this as always was at least full of people. But oh what people!!! The entertainment of a Country and Western band really put us in the mood for a cool night out! Then it was off to the local one and only club in town. At least they had the sense to change their name to ‘The Shaft’ from ‘Phantomz’. Yes, what a cracking name, total quality with a K. Actually with a KW on second thoughts.
8. Style and Class. They say Australia is a classless society. I actually think that’s a typo, they meant to say it’s a styleless society. Blokes in stubbies (baggy nylon shorts) and singlet vests or even shorts with their white socks pulled right up to their knees. Girls in masculine men’s board shorts that do nothing for the figure. Shudder! Don’t even get me started on the current ‘fashion trend’ of graffiti T-shirts that everyone seems to be wearing here. What IS the point on these, can someone enlighten me? Now I know the UK is not blameless in this category (does anyone remember shell suits?), but come on Australia!! You can do better than that!
9. “You’ll Love It”. Aaaaggghhhh ! WHY am I constantly confronted by people telling me I’m going love something? How do they know what my tastes or standards are? In fact, in most cases, the things I have been promised I’m going to love have turned out to be very mediocre places or events indeed. Personally I think it’s all wrapped up in the slightly annoying habit of Australians of harping on about ‘How good it is here’ or the such. Personally, I’m slightly suspicious of anyone who blahs on about how good they have it constantly. It’s like if you keep on saying it enough times, it might become true. If it IS so good in Australia, then how come they flock to London in their thousands to live every year? Maybe it’s the lack of self depreciating humour that we Brits are so good at and the ability to joke about yourself that I miss.
10. Cost of Travel. Yes, OK, Australia is a tad further away from it neighbours than you might be used to in the UK – with Europe (or should I say the rest of Europe!) on your doorstep, but the cost of flights originating from Australia is disproportionately higher than the same flight inbound. Due to the lack of airline competition in the region, it seems we are expected to pay up to 30%-40% over the equivalent flight costs. I recently planned to go back to the UK for a break, and it was actually cheaper for me to go back early on a spare return leg I had, and book another return flight from the UK than to book a one way ticket from here! If you like to travel, then you really should research if this is going to be financially possible, particularly on the value of the Aussie dollar, and typical salaries here.
Good lord, I do sound like a whingeing Pom, don’t I? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret on my whingeing Pom theory. Whingeing Poms ARE a reality, and they exist in the majority of cases because UK people come over to Australia, and expect to have the same standard of living that they got used to back home. It’s too hot! – we moan, Its too expensive ! – we moan, I can’t find Lurpak in Wooly’s – we moan. We are, by nature a complaining nation, but you know what – I’d much sooner people complained about things to try and change or better them, rather than sitting back and saying ‘Its great here, isn’t it?’.
lostpom.com
I think I better go and lie down now
What follows is meant to be (fairly) lighthearted, so I hope I don't offend...well...too many people ! For your information, we are living in Gympie, QLD, but have spent most of the rest of our time around the Sunshine Coast. Feel free to correct, or have a good old Aussie pop at me as you like.
My Top 10 Aussie Gripes!
1. TV quality. Never, NEVER again will I complain and bitch about paying the TV (BBC!) license in the UK. The quality of programs here is really quite poor, with mostly American imports, and to be honest not even the good ones. How Desperate Housewives won whatever award it was for best something Australian category says a lot about the general Aussie viewing public. THEN there’s the TV ads. My God! Is ANYONE allowed to make their own TV ad in this country? It seems all you need is Phyllis from the sales desk to "act" a nice little scene (obviously thought up in....ooohhh....all of 5 minutes), and then Bob the delivery van driver to film it all on his $200 camcorder. I laughed heartily at these gems at first, but after a short while this turned to dismay. Do these people really think doing this will make the public want to buy their product? Oh (I'm not finished yet) and WHY do they think it’s clever to stick their child on at the end of the ad trying to say something about buying brand X??? Yes, I'm just about to spend $30,000 on a new pool, and my buying decision is going to be influenced by a 2 year old who may be cute, but can barely speak and knows nothing about deep excavations and pool construction?
2. Internet. Yes, that Internet Thingy is finally getting popular down here in Australia, though your choice of Aussie web sites and e-retailers is way, WAY behind what you will be used to back home. I actually read somewhere that they only launched ADSL services around 18 moths ago. Can you believe it! Whilst the rest of the western world has been happily embracing the new technology age for the last 6 years or so, Australia is just beginning the journey. I have been greatly disappointed at the breadth of stores and information to be found on the web in Aus. The very first thing I did in the UK when I want to buy something (regardless if it’s going to be an internet transaction or not), is I go online to check out reviews and typical product prices. Erm…not really is Australia. You will find web sites and stores at least 2-3 years behind the UK in terms of functionality and data. Some of them, I’m sure, are being designed by young children in technology sweatshops in India. And on the subject of shopping, what IS it with this idea that if you want to buy something in a shop, you have to go into a store and haggle them down to a reasonable price? Once the internet finally gets to be a popular purchasing medium here, and people get used to fixed, low, transparent online pricing, this tedious sales model will finally go out the window.
3. Cost of Living. Compared to the UK, the cost of living is really quite high here. With average salaries being only 40-60% higher than the UK (directly in $-for-£ comparison, so if you earn £30k in the UK, you might earn $42k-$48k for the same position here), yet property prices being certainly in the region of $300k-$600k for anything half decent in a nice suburb with any sort of amenities, you’ll find your pennies going a lot less further here. Oh, and did I mention the whopping 47% tax band that comes in at only $70kpa? Then there are the other costs of living. It seems our fortnightly grocery bill (for 2) is unlikely to come in under $250 each time we go. Products and produce seemed to be priced way over what we would pay for things in the UK. This situation isn’t really helped by what appears to be the blocking (or high levys) on imported products to Australia. Whilst the ‘Australian Made, Australian Owned’ stamp and campaign (for consumers to only buy Aussie made goods), is rather patriotic, it unfortunately doesn’t give consumers the choice to buy cheaper, as-good quality foreign goods if they want to, or maybe if even can’t afford the home grown product. The UK is a massive open market for all sorts of products, and you will notice a big difference here.
4. Australian Red Tape and Regulations. I really thought Australia was going to be a land of opportunity, but sadly it really is more of a land of regulations and obligatory training and qualification for the most basic of skills (like painter/decorator!!! – there’s probably a 2 year apprentiship to become a ‘Grass Cutter’ too). Such over regulation dumbs down the population, so they think they’re not allowed to do something themselves with a little common sense, so its “Oh…..better get a tradie in to do the work”, and there’s another $500 gone. I happen to be a very practical person, and like to be able to do whatever I want to, and just about every time do a really good job of whatever. I actually got interrogated in a trade electrical suppliers about my qualifications to do electrical installation work. Despite being qualified in the UK (oh, and having the small matter of a degree in Electronics), oh no! Of course that was not good enough for them. I seem to have heard “oh, you can’t do that” so many more times than “yeah, go right ahead, no worries” in this country.
5. Lack of cultural diversity and restaurants. If you enjoy an occasional good quality Chinese meal, or maybe Thai or Italian (and I mean proper Italian), then get ready for a shock. Despite Australia apparently having a large Asian population, you will find that these people seem to choose mostly to live in certain areas of the big cities. Unless you’re in one of the capitols, you’re unlikely to find any sort of authentic cuisine. We went to a Thai restaurant on the Sunshine Coast, and the meal cost a fortune and was only distantly related to Thai cuisine, probably not helped by the fact there was not a single Thai person working there. You like a curry? Don’t even ask about Indian restaurants. I have seen hardly any. My local Italian Ristorante is Dominoes with their disgusting looking current ‘Triple Cheese’ offer. Ugh!
6. Lack of History. Now heres something that maybe I took for granted living in the UK, but I tell you, when it’s taken away from you, you certainly miss it! Whether its sitting in a nice country pub with old walls and old….errr.…odd things hanging on the walls, or reading something about a town or buildings history, you’ll get little of this is Aus. In fact, go to any ‘pub’, and you’ll find yourself sitting in a stark room with TAB (betting) machines everywhere and the weekly meat tray raffle results still chalked up on the board from last week. Its hardly inspiring.
7. Where is everybody??? The lack of people out socialising is quite astounding. Where are they all, and what are they doing? For example, the town of Gympie has a reasonable population of 32,500. In the town there are probably 10 pubs, also of reasonable size. Now explain to me, why if we go out on a Friday or Saturday night, there are maybe 3 people in one pub, maybe 10 in another and maybe a small handful spread over the rest of them (and these are big pubs, capacity 40-80 people). Where are all the young people? What on earth are they doing?? Take New Years Eve. Despite my girlfriend’s unwillingness to go out and have a boring night (again), I persuaded her otherwise. “Come on! It’s New Years Eve!!! There will be loads of people out and about”. Well the first pub we walked to had closed early (9:30pm), the next pub had some old wrinkly and guitar strumming out some music from some sort of genre I know nothing about, and want to know nothing about, along with about 10 people in the place, max. Then we headed off to the local RSL club (for the uninitiated, this is a sort of Nationwide ex-Army working mans club), and this as always was at least full of people. But oh what people!!! The entertainment of a Country and Western band really put us in the mood for a cool night out! Then it was off to the local one and only club in town. At least they had the sense to change their name to ‘The Shaft’ from ‘Phantomz’. Yes, what a cracking name, total quality with a K. Actually with a KW on second thoughts.
8. Style and Class. They say Australia is a classless society. I actually think that’s a typo, they meant to say it’s a styleless society. Blokes in stubbies (baggy nylon shorts) and singlet vests or even shorts with their white socks pulled right up to their knees. Girls in masculine men’s board shorts that do nothing for the figure. Shudder! Don’t even get me started on the current ‘fashion trend’ of graffiti T-shirts that everyone seems to be wearing here. What IS the point on these, can someone enlighten me? Now I know the UK is not blameless in this category (does anyone remember shell suits?), but come on Australia!! You can do better than that!
9. “You’ll Love It”. Aaaaggghhhh ! WHY am I constantly confronted by people telling me I’m going love something? How do they know what my tastes or standards are? In fact, in most cases, the things I have been promised I’m going to love have turned out to be very mediocre places or events indeed. Personally I think it’s all wrapped up in the slightly annoying habit of Australians of harping on about ‘How good it is here’ or the such. Personally, I’m slightly suspicious of anyone who blahs on about how good they have it constantly. It’s like if you keep on saying it enough times, it might become true. If it IS so good in Australia, then how come they flock to London in their thousands to live every year? Maybe it’s the lack of self depreciating humour that we Brits are so good at and the ability to joke about yourself that I miss.
10. Cost of Travel. Yes, OK, Australia is a tad further away from it neighbours than you might be used to in the UK – with Europe (or should I say the rest of Europe!) on your doorstep, but the cost of flights originating from Australia is disproportionately higher than the same flight inbound. Due to the lack of airline competition in the region, it seems we are expected to pay up to 30%-40% over the equivalent flight costs. I recently planned to go back to the UK for a break, and it was actually cheaper for me to go back early on a spare return leg I had, and book another return flight from the UK than to book a one way ticket from here! If you like to travel, then you really should research if this is going to be financially possible, particularly on the value of the Aussie dollar, and typical salaries here.
Good lord, I do sound like a whingeing Pom, don’t I? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret on my whingeing Pom theory. Whingeing Poms ARE a reality, and they exist in the majority of cases because UK people come over to Australia, and expect to have the same standard of living that they got used to back home. It’s too hot! – we moan, Its too expensive ! – we moan, I can’t find Lurpak in Wooly’s – we moan. We are, by nature a complaining nation, but you know what – I’d much sooner people complained about things to try and change or better them, rather than sitting back and saying ‘Its great here, isn’t it?’.
lostpom.com
I think I better go and lie down now
.Some of the things - like cost of travel - are obvious and understandable, some depend on where you are - most of Manchester and Glasgow, to name but two cities are about the same age as Melbourne and Perth - so there is history if you look for it, so I don't really mind. But some things are riduculous - like the lack of intenet shopping - I've been trying to cost up buying new furniture and electrical goods and it's basically impossible because none of the retailers have websites with any of their actual products on them
. Oh,and those annoying Australians who are too bloody earnest, no sense of humour think that Australia is the be all and end all depite their sum total of overseas travel being a trip to Rotto and a fortnight in Bali 
.mind you, you get these types in UK as well, they read the Daily Express I believe? Thing is, history aside which I do have a real interest in (and when did I last really actually visit a stately home or castle - it's something I only do when our Aussie friends and rellies come to see us!) none of the other things are a priority in life. I see some of the red tape as an annoying hinderance, but in other ways I think it's really sensible and understandable that there are rules and safety regs for things like building homes.
Your observations on country towns pretty much sum up country towns anywhere. On more than one occasion I have recalled the scene (Don't stray from the path") from 'An American Werewolf in London' whilst stepping into a country pub
. There is a definite lack of style in pretty much 95% of the inhabitants of Taunton (where I currently live!).My top gripes are -
(and this in Perth)
1) Perth drivers - rubbish and inconsiderate (think nothing of driving 10kms below the speed limit on the outside lane of the Freeway and snarling up traffic - it makes me VERY mad!)
2) Red Tape and officious jobsworths seem to be everywhere. I once travelled to Australia whilst 6 months pregant and at the end of a long journey had an immigration officer question me for ages because I was Australian but travelling on a british passport (with a visa) and why wasn't I travelling on a Australian one? WTF?! Aside from it being perfectly legal and none of his bloody business, my Aussie one had exprired and I didn;t fancy a 4 hour return journey to London when I had a perfectly fine British one sitting in my drawer.
3) Banks and their charges - nuff said
What I will miss about UK - long summer evenings, cold Christmases, country pubs (obviously no the same ones I mentioned before LOL!), cheap clothes, my friends and my husband's family.
Michelle
Mar 12th 2006, 12:26 pm
#14
Blah Blah Blah
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: Maroochydore, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Posts: 885
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Originally Posted by arkon
I don't wish bad experiences on anyone but reading things like this do indeed make me feel better because I know I'm not alone. I just wish more people had the guts to post what they don't like about the place. I know there is a mafia on here that will try and intimidate anyone that says negative things about the place in the hope it will stop new users from posting their bad experiences but you just need to take a deep breath and do it.
Mar 12th 2006, 12:26 pm
#15
Australia's Doorman
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 11,056
Re: My Top 10 Aussie Gripes
Interesting post, hope you feel better for unloading. One thing I have noticed is that most of the whinging poms I meet are very middle class and usually degree educated (and always finding a way to mention it). It's no different where I live in the UK. There's a little newsapaper called the Nailsworth News that is run by a load of semi-retired middle class busy bodies, whose sole reason for living seems to be to try and change this otherwise honest little working town into some bourgeois enclave with lovely little cafes, lovely little clothes shops and a lovely little farmers market. Their paper's full of all these snipey little columns about what they perceive as being wrong with a town they only moved to five years ago. It's utterly despised by the people who were born and raised here and there's a genuine battle line between the real locals and the former home-counties civil servants who aren't happy unless they're spitting piss and bile about something or other. So what do you think? Whinging a middle-class disease, or is everyone at it?
