wewantoz

I have recently met an old friend who lived in Australia for 3 years both in Perth and Brisbane,he was a diving instructor in the great barrier reef,and he said when he heard all the ozzie kids on the plane flight back to pom land they all shouted wow were actually here in the uk, he said that reinforced to him its home, and he ping ponged a while then stayed in the uk with his visa running out.He was a permanent resident but he didnt care to loose it through coming home.

Yesterday he was very negative about our prospected move to oz, he was saying it has no culture, they people have no intelligence the weather will get on our nerves being hot all the time, despite us loving warm weather, he went on to moan that the Australians think their shit don't stink and they are racist to us brits and hate us all....I said how the hell can you generalize and say all , he seems to think he has met many pom bashers.

My wife and I are so excited about the move she has been there before and loved it, but this old friend said yes she loved it because she didnt have the same old life there paying bills and working, holidays are different to real life, which I know Is true, however it has put a real dampener on everything, I told him how much money we have spent in this process and he said just push it aside and make life happy here , life can be what you make it where ever, however we want a better life a new start in a warmer climate different place same shit if you get my drift.

there are lots of reasons for us to move we have written all the pros and cons , why do people try and control others lives ,he kept saying he does not want to put me off just give me a reality check but all he pointed out was the negatives !! .

what are your views ??

paul30

Sounds like sour grapes that it didn't work out for him.
These are gonna sound like corny cliche's but whats right for one isn't for another He hated it but if you go with open eyes it could work for you. My personal beleif is wether or not it works is down to us we have to fit in with the Aussies not the other way round.
but the only way you'll find out is to give it a go

Timber Floor Au

There was a program on few yrs ago, they got the soon tobe expats, to write a list, of pros n cons, what they expect, and what they think they will be doing in a years time.

They had to seal it, and put in an envelope, and open it up 1 yr later.

I suspect your mate lost the envelope

Pollyana

Some Aussies dislike Brits, some get on fine with us. In some bits of Aus the weather is hot, in some its cooler for part of the year.
If you read the threads on here you will read all the pros and cons, thus of us that love it, those that hate it and those that see it as just another place to live, same cr*p, different bucket.
It didn't work for him so he's given you his view - don't let it colour your decision, juts take his opinion on board and then make up your own minds

Wendy

Seriously, he said that but he couldn't make his life what he wanted here and went back The word hypocrite springs to mind.

quoll

There is an element of truth in what he said - it is different being here on holiday and actually living here. There is much which is the same - you still have to pay the mortgage, buy petrol, go to work, commute, put the rubbish out. Life here is what you make it - if you go around boasting about being a Pom and comparing what is here with what you had back home then sure, you will get slapped down (and rightly so!). I dont think this place is paradise, it is just another place to live but with better weather. Bear in mind you wont have a support network like you do in UK, it will be harder to get back if you need to be there in an emergency, your holidays are likely to be local - very local if you live in WA. If those sort of things dont bother you then you will be fine.

wewantoz

Thankyou guys for your help in this. I felt so peed off today because of it, funny how people can affect you isn't it .Or should I say I let it affect me.

He did not make too much sence because the start of his conversation he said his wife is half sri lankan and she wants them to move there because they will get treated like gods.And can work for the embassy earning the $ so would have a nice life. and their 3 year old son could go to private school !!.And in the same breath said when he got here and it was winter he rubbed ice all over his arms he was so happy to be home and not in ozzie heat !! and yet sri lanka is hot .where is the sence I ask my self, I think it is a failed journey in life he had, and he is so british he could never adapt to anywhere but here, he said his favorite place is the purbecks and durdle door he said no where is like it on earth,he is typically british but isnt all that happy with anywhere but home, so his idea of srilanka is hypocritical.

I can see on this forum so many people it works for and others come home, when you got a mate tell you how it is and he has worn the t-shirt if you get my drift....... it got my goat a bit !!

Wendy

Doesn't sound like he's happy there either!.

It sounds like he's chasing some fantasy life, which he won't find unless he makes it happen himself.

At the end of the day, wherever you are you have to live with 'you'. If you're not happy with you then nowhere is going to be good enough - sounds like that's where his problem lies.

Wendy

Well I live here too, and I haven't met one Aussie like that yet. There will be some, but they are few and far between.

wewantoz

Thanks wendy for your advise and help, My wife on her travels there said how helpful everyone came across and here they turn their nose up at you. There are good and bad people in all walks of life, but my friend made out that all ozzies are pom haters and that to me just made me think what about everything, will I be able to work with them or even get work.............what an ass he is hey !!

datamile

Life's what you make it. Sure some people won't like you , especially if you moan about things not being as good as home.. i.e. supermarkets, and yes ,

Australians do think its the greatest country is world, and are still proud of their country and allowed to be.

Jobs can be tough to get when you not being recommended by mates, or have known Aussie company's on your CV, but it'll come.

You might have that nice cash injection to get on the housing ladder, but once you're earning dollars, things won't seem so cheap... but don't moan about it.

MaggieM

What? He's your "friend" and he shot your life plan down in flames? He doesn't sound like much of a friend to me.

So he came out here and it didn't work out. Sadly this is the case with some people, but the majority go "home" still glad that they at least tried it.

So he stayed in Perth and Brisbane, what about the rest of Australia?

I take it that now he is back "home" that everyone he meets loves him?

There are as many different natured Australians as there are different natured people in all nationalities or races. Sure, I've come across (not many) bad tempered or downright nasty people here, but I couldn't say that they were all Australian born.

The majority of my friends here are Australian, and I cringe at some of the comments I read on here about both the Australians and the New Zealanders.

I've never met more generous people anywhere else I've lived.

Maybe if you're letting yourself be swayed by what one person is saying you have some doubts yourself as to whether this is right for you.

All the best, I hope you make the decision that's right for you and your family.

Maggie

asprilla

My view is that your friend doesn't know what he's talking about...so don't listen to him.

why

it amazes me how people over generalise this all the time...i know lots of australians and they are VERY tolerant of a continual influx of people from the UK....
i put a post on here a long time ago saying that...

what do you want to get away from in the UK? if your life isn't too bad why leave?

also that life is one big adventure and your experience isn't going to be like anyone else's....

life is for living...it's what you make it on a daily basis

there will be things you can't do in Australia and there are things that you can't do in UK

don't let people get yo down...

racism
it's open in Australia and blatant in the UK it is whispered about but very real and much more nasty

Phoenix

I do think that one mans racism is different to anothers and depends a lot of your own perspective.
I haven't found any racism towards being british at all and neither have any of the family, quite the reverse if i'm honest.
But then I don't mind being called a pom.
Of course there will always be one has a thing about the <insert race/gender/sexuality here> but they are not indicative of the country at all.

The Aussies are proud of their country - and rightly so, and thats quite refreshing in many ways.

Your man sounds a tad bitter.