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The Real Australia
Having just browsed through the Forum, I am totally amazed by the number of people who come over to Oz for a holiday and immediately decide its Utopia.
Have any of you stopped to consider the implications of this view? Yes, a holiday in Australia IS a WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. Yes, Australia is a GREAT place to spend a holiday. However, I can assure you, that is about ALL it is. A great holiday experience. Try living in it... How many of you can honestly say you relish the thought of being taxed at 48% once you achieve a realistically livable income? How many of you would want your children educated in a third rate educational system? How many of you can justify paying £2,000 for a course of dental treatment? (and that's not including root canal work, and the more expensive stuff). How will you feel when you are sitting inside your home and a "hoon" decides to do donuts on your front lawn??? Schools here come in 2 types - state and private. With private, you get to pay for the education + materials + extra-curricular activities + school building fund. With state, you get to pay for everything as above excluding the education, which, if you're one of the lucky ones, is a pretty poor average compared to European standards. Try running a business here - if you can remember what it was like in the 70's in the UK, then you'll be OK. You may be able to accept the petty-minded, bureaucratically-stifled approaches, but many cannot and will not. Yep, Australia is a wonderful place to spend a few months - just not what some may crack it up to be for a lifetime... |
Rosy,
At last a breath of fresh air into the forum. I was starting to think there was 2 Australias and I was in the wrong one. Must be 2 gates at immigration, Utopia and Reality :D |
Re: The Real Australia
Originally posted by Rosy Having just browsed through the Forum, I am totally amazed by the number of people who come over to Oz for a holiday and immediately decide its Utopia How will you feel when you are sitting inside your home and a "hoon" decides to do donuts on your front lawn??? As for the third rate education system, i have 2 cousins and an ozzie friend all with degrees and excellent jobs, i think that the generalisation of the education system is unfair and must, like this country, have better areas than others. Again i think most of us educated people are aware of this and will strive to do the best for our children whichever continent we live on. |
Rosy, maybe Australia wasn't what you were looking for, and you will be happier back in the UK, but what makes this world so great is the fact that we all want different things from it. So just because it didn't suit you, doesn't mean it won't suit someone else. Unless each of us tries it for ourselves, we will never know, because we all take pleasure in such different things.
I've met many people who have been to Oz and come back, for various reasons. Some regret returning, some don't, but I've not yet spoken personally to anyone who regrets going in the first place. They all say, if you don't try it, you'll never know if you like it. If you read a post from me in a few months time saying I wish I'd never gone, you can say "I told you so", but for now, let me give it a go. Pollyana |
I tried living in it and I still enjoyed it.
I came back to the Uk - and 9 months on - still want to move back. |
Rosy
Thanks for the post I always enjoy reading posts like your's - but I am still going!! I like to form my own opinions and have my own experiences so I will let you know how I get on when I get there. Maybe you had bad experiences - that does not mean everyone's experience will be the same. I do not live in the UK so I am under no illusions about the hot weather (it gets to 45 here) and the creepy crawlies. Whereabouts in Australia did you try to settle? Debs |
Originally posted by badgersmount I tried living in it and I still enjoyed it. I came back to the Uk - and 9 months on - still want to move back. Its not for everyone. Rosy, it obviously was'nt for you. Everyone else will go and find out for themselves. |
Re: The Real Australia
Originally posted by Rosy Having just browsed through the Forum, I am totally amazed by the number of people who come over to Oz for a holiday and immediately decide its Utopia. Have any of you stopped to consider the implications of this view? Yes, a holiday in Australia IS a WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. Yes, Australia is a GREAT place to spend a holiday. However, I can assure you, that is about ALL it is. A great holiday experience. Try living in it... How many of you can honestly say you relish the thought of being taxed at 48% once you achieve a realistically livable income? How many of you would want your children educated in a third rate educational system? How many of you can justify paying £2,000 for a course of dental treatment? (and that's not including root canal work, and the more expensive stuff). How will you feel when you are sitting inside your home and a "hoon" decides to do donuts on your front lawn??? Schools here come in 2 types - state and private. With private, you get to pay for the education + materials + extra-curricular activities + school building fund. With state, you get to pay for everything as above excluding the education, which, if you're one of the lucky ones, is a pretty poor average compared to European standards. Try running a business here - if you can remember what it was like in the 70's in the UK, then you'll be OK. You may be able to accept the petty-minded, bureaucratically-stifled approaches, but many cannot and will not. Yep, Australia is a wonderful place to spend a few months - just not what some may crack it up to be for a lifetime... Everyones entitled to their opinion, rosy! ellen1 the ultimate "dreamer" (and proud of it!) :) :beer: :) |
Thank you all for such incisive posts.........
I've now decided not to come to Australia to be with my father in law in his last days ( he has a terminal brain tumour) I am sure that both he and my extended family living there will also thank you for convincing me not to come, the wife is not too pleased but hey what the heck, I daren't risk losing my well paid job of £13k for a 44 hour week, council tax of £1300/yr I suppose what I am really trying to say is that everybodies situation is different both here and Australia and I am afraid no amount of negative posting is going to change any one else's perception. I have looked on the returning to the uk page and I cannot find evidence of people slagging off the uk to try and stop you returning, if you really do not like it there why not return to the uk? This is not meant to be an aggressive post but it is difficult to put emotional emphasis in writing :) |
Thanks for your post Rosie - it is good to read about those who are not so happy in Aus. It is good to be brought back to earth and realise that everywhere has problems - 2 months reading posts on this site has taught be that!!
What I would like to say though is that life is what you make it. I could come up with examples of some pretty poor schools here in the UK (one not so far away with a GCSE grade A-C of just 9%!!). Also would like to share my last council tax bill with you - £1200, and due to rise by a further 16% next year. My private dental bill (if anyone thinks they can get an NHS dentist here forget it!) for just one filling £250 - not including examination or X-rays. Price for a decent 3 bed house in a reasonable catchment area £280,000 and an average joint income of £40,000. There are pros and cons to both countries and as posts have said before everyone is after something different. Even if my family go over there and end up coming back - what an experience. There is more to life than money, earning money and paying money out. :) |
Originally posted by Amanda&Paul what an experience. There is more to life than money, earning money and paying money out. :) Though hoons doing donuts on my lawn that really has got me reconsidering my position (Currently slightly skewed ) :D |
I have a neighbour in my road who takes his elderly dog for a walk every morning and evening. As this dog can bearly walk he walks ahead and never seems to notice his dog relieving itself in various peoples gardens (mine included). GRRRRRRRRRR One day I am going to scoop these messages up and post them through his porch door - probably on the morning the removal men come (I am a chicken!).
:mad: |
same sh*t different country
some people I guess aren't just made for Australia.. |
'Rosy', has offered a very honest account of her experience of 17 months of real life in OZ. Nowhere does she say dont come here, she does say she is somewhat amazed at the Utopia image some have tho.
Frankly what she has written has more truth in her one post than the pages of idealistic nonsense often written here by people who have never set foot in the country. So what exactly is the problem with her posting this stuff. Too much truth perhaps? As for people slagging off the UK, its on here everyday, amusingly tho about big UK problems that are here anyway. As for a 13k job thats a good wage for many here and your council tax is very similar to mine here in OZ. Why people get their knickers knotted because somebody posts a few home truths is beyond me, She lived here did she not, that is what she found, if you find different then post your version. Thats what a forum is for different opinions. I find the reactions of people who dont like what they hear very childish, for heavens sake we are all supposed to be adults yet there is a "Stamp your feet and scream mentatlity" if somebody dares suggest OZ is not the precious bloody image pushed on TV. Frankly I have never read so much drivel written about OZ as on this forum, some of it is sheer fantasy, I even feel sorry for the poor country, half of the stuff on here written about OZ is by people who have never set foot in the bloody place. Do Rosy a favour please, at least her post was written after 17 months of living here! |
Dotty
Can't believe you are getting so over excited over a web site!! I think most of the people that have posted on this thread have merely pointed out that all countries have their own problems. When someone is pointing our problems with anything - country, car, job whatever - it is basic human nature to respond with similar problems felt in their life. Amanda |
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