Re: Perth a personal view
 

Not at all - just stating the facts how I see them (as an ex-northerner myself) :) .

Re: Perth a personal view
 

[QUOTE=sponge bob]

Well, i know before i start that this will upset people but its the facts has i see them.
QUOTE]

Oh Yes, It's bound to :)

I didn't want to make Perth my permanent home either and 16 months later still felt the same way.

We hadn't got another city in Oz to compare with apart from Sydney and there was no way we could afford to go/live there. We did visit Adelaide on our return to the UK and I liked it, but I'm not sure any city in Australia would have had enough appeal for me to stay.

It is hard to settle where ever you choose to live, be it the west or the east. It's natural to compare your old lifestyle with your new one, especially if like mine your life in the UK before you left to go to OZ was good.

I'm from Nottingham, neither north nor south ( :) ) but did find IN MY OPINION ONLY that most of the people that tended to stay long term and raved about Perth were the people who weren't that happy with their lives in the UK, didn't have close family or perhaps had no children (of an opinionated age), not sure about the north/south divide though?

I'm sure the East coast of Oz is far more 'happening' than Perth will ever be, I thought Adelaide was great and I know what the rest of the East of Australia think about Adelaide!!!!!! :D :D

Re: Perth a personal view
 

We've lived away from the UK for 5 of the last 6 years.

In summary I reckon that you should stay in the UK if:

1. Your income is good enough to let you do all the things you would normally want to do.
2. The UK weather is not an issue for you.
3. You have no real desire to see the world.

If this is you then I would really stay in the UK. Why would you consider moving?

Re: Perth a personal view
 

You haven't walked from The Spit to Manly.

Re: Perth a personal view
 

As a southerner, schooled in the North (Teesside) and went to Uni in the South and as one who has lived in most continents (as well as 3 Aussie states) I can understand the comments from both sides.

While I don't agree with SBS I do believe that the core of the matter is all in an individuals attitude. And whether we recognise it or not, recent stats suggest more Northerners than Southerners do seem to adopt that positive can do attitude that makes them better at adapting, overcoming obstacles, dealing with adverse situations, focussing on their end game and becoming successful at multiple disciplines within their lives.

I do agree wholeheartedly with Loopy's and Cadbury's Fingers comments on housing, schools, food etc etc, and as an academic I would have to add that many schools in Australia (not just WA) are not very successful at delivering primary and high school education. But, as has been pointed out, there are also a lot who are very good and you really need to research which ones fit your level of expectation. Also from the Uni point of view Australia has some of the best unis in the world, MOST Australian Unis having a far greater reputation for research and academic excellence than MOST Brit Unis.

There are also a few comments suggesting that all that Australia has to offer 'is not enough' and that some thing intangible is missing. What is really missing is that most of us are always slightly outsiders and we never reach that comfort zone we have with our life long friends and family that we have in the UK.

I have been in Australia for a couple of years now and I am very lucky that I work for a great company which sees itself as a big family and I have moved into that comfort zone with some of my colleagues and would not leave Australia now for anything, and the beaches, lovely weather, fantastic country, high standard/low cost of living, are all just bonuses.

My advice to all new migrants and any disallusioned Perm Res' is to step back and decide what is really important to you, make a plan, and methodically work at your plan but remember it is often friends and family relationships that really make life worth living and to be truly happy you may also need to work at building strong longterm relations here.

Whatever SBS decides I wish HER good luck

Re: Perth a personal view
 

I think the contents of this post should seen by every potential migrant, and should be printed as a header on the top of every application form.

Well done for posting the 3 most pertinant points for people thinking of coming here.


No 3 is relevant because it's damn expensive even on good wages, to travel to America and Europe from here.

Re: Perth a personal view
 

Thanks Ozzie.

Point 3 is really saying that when you move to another country, part of the fun is essentially that you are an ex-pat, that the country is not the UK and this should be celebrated. If that's not an inherent part of your philosophy on life then I think you're really onto a hiding to nothing and you're going to have a tough and expensive time.

Essentially we've written off trying to travel to other parts of the world from here, but Australia and the occasional trip to SE Asia will do us just fine for a few years. And after that, if we've had enough we'll upsticks again, move to Asia and join the SE Asia forum!!

I've never counted a 2 week beach trip to the Med as 'seeing the world'!

Re: Perth a personal view
 

I agree point's 1 & 2 are very relevant, but im slighly confused about no.3

Surely you are likely to be able to afford to travel a great deal more if your based in the UK rather than OZ, higher wages in the UK closer to Europe/US etc. Cheaper travel costs from the UK than OZ.
I would say that you should stay in the UK if you have a desire to travel/visit other parts of the world. I know from my experience I have travelled a lot more when I lived in the UK compared to OZ. A number of factors, (stage of life, finance, local attraction etc)

I would add to the list, dont leave the UK if you have an expectation that day to day life is going to be dramatically different to that you have in the UK, for most you still have to sleep,eat and work in a very similar social/cultural environment.
Steve :)

Re: Perth a personal view
 

I went to Cabramatta (Sydney suburb) yesterday on CityRail. Apart from the Commonwealth Bank branch, I could have been in the heart of Asia.

Without the risky bag searching.

Re: Perth a personal view
 

I probably didn’t explain myself well with (3) – although I had an attempt later with a reply to Ozzie.

My idea of seeing the world is all about living in a different country and culture – I never really think that you see the world when you go on holiday for a few weeks – my definition of seeing the world is actually living there. Two weeks in Florida or in the Med isn’t my idea of seeing the world.
If you couldn’t envisage living in France or Germany then you might find it hard to live in Australia – not because there’s any similarity between those countries but because living abroad in any country takes a certain mindset and philosophy.

Re: Perth a personal view
 

With regards to travel, When I made my recent trip to the UK, I had a week time out in Spain, now basically that just time out, almost Q'land with A spanish accent.

However going to Paris, for me and my family I guess, was like giving air to a suffocating man. Just breathing in the atmosphere and the culture was fulfulling a need that I had realised I had to have. For me at least, not having Europe within easy reach, is a very high cost to pay, At this stage of my life.

I think Europe, and to a lesser extent proxmity to America, and even Africa and the Middle east (if one is brave enough to venture to those places) is one thing where the need grows, the longer one is away.


Put another way, I'm sure at this stage of my life, given similar circumstance in the UK, I would be visiting Europe every year, even every 18 months. There is no way I can afford that from here. I'd be lucky to do Bali/Thailand (complete with wife and 2 kids) once every 30 months.

Might not sound like a lot to give up, after a while it really nags at you though.


Apolgies to the OP, for This diversion.

Re: Perth a personal view
 

Yeah I see what you mean, although I would think for many the fact that Australian's speak the same language and culturally things are pretty similar to the UK, would make it a less daunting choice to make than compared to deciding to go to France, Germany etc.
I wouldnt of thought having the opportunity to live in a multitude of different countries is something many have the ability (or bravery maybe!) to do.
So is Australia the last stop for you then? Eutopia at last :rolleyes: :)

Re: Perth a personal view
 

I agree with you Ozzie, whilst I love Perth to bits and feel very lucky to live here it does gradually eat into you more and more that its a long way (and $$$) from Europe. We often read articles, see Travel programmes and think I wish we'd gone there.. we would probably go into Europe 3 or 4 times a year to different places, a weekend trip to Bruge or Paris or Honfleur etc were relatively viable. Not anymore.
Im not complaining its just something you probably dont realise you'll miss until its something you cant do.
I guess you have to weigh up everything in your life and almost rank them in imortance to you, for us we came to the conclusion that our overall "everyday life" would be better in Perth than it was in the UK (and it is), there would be "specific" things we'd have to give up but they would be cancelled out by new "specific" things we gain.
You cant have everything I guess, and at least I can say ive done some of the things I know miss, many wont ever be able to do them so I feel fortunate in that respect.
Steve :)

Re: Perth a personal view
 

Well here's the strange thing. I'm useless at languages and yet the more different from the UK the better for me. Otherwise I feel a bit conned. Living in SE Asia felt really exotic. Scarborough Beach isn't quite the same!

No I doubt this the last stop for us. Perth is great - really enjoying it. But to me the world is a big place. From this point in time I'd see us doing 3 or 4 years here then heading back to Asia. Having said that, it really depends on 1) how my views of the education system here change and 2) how successful we are at making money. We're not doing too well at the latter currently!

Re: Perth a personal view
 

Good on ya!
I didnt realise you were in Perth too. It's not too bad a place is it :D