Is it really that bad?
 

Just curious to know how many people are liking their new lives in Australia.

We currently live in Italy with our 2 young kids, and my husband is in the process of dicussing a new contract (IT) job opportunity in Sydney.

We've lived in Australia before (7 years ago, in Melbourne), liked life there and thought after travelling more it would be a great place to live in, or even settle down in, with kids.

However, I'm half Italian and have also always toyed with Italy. It's fabulous for kids, even though there aren't many things to do with them, and they are accepted everywhere!

On the other hand, though, the dreamy, olive-picking, wine-drinking, 24/7 relaxing in the sun days don't really exist. We're all a bit depressed as my OH never sees the kids anymore, work-wise and ambition-wise the future's not that shiny, and wages are amongst the lowest in Europe.

However on the Italy forum most people don't moan as much as on the Australia forum even though the financial problems are huge here (and we haven't even started a recession yet...), people are incredibly broke, and the government under Berlusconi is as corrupt as ever!

In Australia, are a lot of people suffering from whinging-pom-itis or is it really as bad as most of you make out?!!

I know that some people should have probably bought clear, long-sighted lenses instead of rose-tinted specs before landing down-under (as we probably should have done before fulfilling our Italian dream!), and that some have trouble coming to grip with the fact that the recession, rising prices of oil, working hours etc do also affect the Southern Hemisphere, but after realising all those things is Oz really that pants?!

Just an observation... don't want to get hugely slated but would love to hear from some people that actually like, even love, life in Oz!!!! It won't change our mind as we're only going if the money's good (oh, so greedy!!) as we know Sydney is more expensive than New York!

Anyway, before everyone screams at me, I don't mean to offend, and am just curious... :o

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

Now if ever there was a how long is a piece of string question - yours is it!

You will probably get a lot of answers most of them polarised between "yes, we love it, sitting outside sipping wine all the time" and those that hate it "long way from home, miss my friends etc."

My suggestion (and perhaps a way to get a better answer) is to make a list of the top five things that are important to you and the top five things that irritate the hell out of you. That will give people a bit of context against which to comment.

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

This is about demographics, not Australia or Italy. Specifically in terms of the British, a lot of tradesmen, etc., go to Australia, while Italy would generally attract professionals. I think this explains the difference. And the less educated and/or travelled you are, the more likely you are to find problems with your new location.

Also, I add in edit that many of the tradesmen get to Australia and realise that they can't charge the outrageous sums they have been getting away with in the UK, yet housing costs are the same, so they are often much poorer. This doesn't help.

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

Ha Ha!! At least you made me laugh!!

...So, how long is it?!

Cheers for the reply anyway!

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

I love my life here. Don't live in Sydney though :lol:

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

I will add that my previous post is a generalisation, which contrary to popular opinion can be a good thing to get a basic understanding. Not every last carpenter and gas fitter in Australia is unhappy. In fact, my reading of these forums over the years has shown me it is more often than not the wives of these people who are the unhappiest.

You have already lived in Australia, so you already have a good idea of what to expect.

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

Life's what YOU make it :)

Do I like Australia? find out here: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=556569 :)

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

I love some aspects of my life here and dislike others. We had a good life before moving to Australia and have an equally good one here. I think so long as people keep in perspective that Australia is no utopian society and that they will probably have to work just as hard as they did before they will probably adapt just fine. It's the ones who think that emigrating will solve all of life's prolems that tend to run into trouble.

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

I have a suggestion for the difference.

Most Brit migrants go to Italy expecting it to be different. They tolerate the difference (especially the bureaucracy).

A lot of Brit migrants come to Aus expecting it to be similar. They find it hard to tolerate the differences (especially the bureaucracy).

I love it here. Have no (extra) problems here. Life's good.

PS: I liked the short time that I lived in France but I couldn't get used to the minor corruption that the French seem to accept as normal (and a gallic shrug).

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

Where in Italy are you? My husband (Italian) and myself (Canadian) are moving to Australia in 10 days. I love it here in Italy and he hates it, go figure, so we have decided to try out Australia for a little bit. We live in Padova.

As for the moaning, I think it happens in every country. I was a moaner when I was living in Canada but not so much a moaner her in Italy:)

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

Hi Roxy,

I just noticed that you're moving to Brisbane and are Canadian. Have you figured out where you're settling yet? I'm on the East side in the Bayside suburbs.

I see your husband is Italian so I guess there's not much point in mentioned that there are hockey rinks here!

Good luck with the move.

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

Well........its quite long actually :p

It would take me a VERY long time to explain all the things that I personally don't like about Australia. But it is a personal thing. Happy to PM you if you want more details.

Good things? Well the sun shines more often. :o

Although I am originally from the UK, I haven't lived there for almost 10 years and before we came here we had lived in continental Europe.

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

Buongiorno!

Can I recommend that you come back to Melbourne & settle somewhere in Carlton? Then you'll get the best of Australia with a strong Italian influence as well - best of both worlds?! ;)

Having lived in Milano, Sydney & Melbourne, my personal opinion is that Melbourne has a more 'European' feel to it, whereas Sydney seemed a bit more 'US-influenced'.

It all depends on what you like doing. There's heaps for kids to do in both Melb & Syd. Also, I can relate to your stress from living in Italy; I found the bureaucracy there totally mindblowing!

Good luck with your move.

Ciao!
G.

PS: to answer your question, I've been very happy living in Italy & Australia. Both places have lots of different good things to offer (and their share of disadvantages too). I marginally preferred Melb over Syd because it felt more 'European'.

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

Alternatively, in Sydney Leichhardt is the Italian capital.

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

Don't forget that most of us happy people don't tend to post much once we are settled here so you don't get an accurate view from BE - and I guess more people come here than Italy which is why you get more whingers on the Australian forum, also it's a bit more difficult to go back from here than from Italy.


We are very happy here, but it has been a shock to see how the cost of living has gone up over the last 5 years and Sydney is very expensive so make sure the money is good!

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

Also, I add in edit that many of the tradesmen get to Australia and realise that they can't charge the outrageous sums they have been getting away with in the UK, yet housing costs are the same, so they are often much poorer. This doesn't help.[/QUOTE]



Australian immigration is based on a skills shortage of skilled labour.
Carpenters, Bricklayers ;Plumbers etc, to fill gaps for Australian Companies
who need them skills.
Not all tradesmen are self employed

And as for (outrageous prices getting away with) this is a legal matter
for your local trading standards to take up to overprice extortionately
is an offence

Try and use a tradesman who is a personnel recommended
get a minimum of three quotes
Ask to see work done, and references.

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

aswell as alot of us that are more readers than posters;)

I have found the saying 'same sh*t, shinier bucket' to be very true, there are lots of things that would have worked out the same way whether we were in the UK or Oz and some that wouldn't but thats life really. I am not saying its been plain sailing but on the whole we are all very happy we have moved here.

Good luck with whatever you decide

little bear x

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

If its any help there is a lot of IT work in Sydney and the work environment is almost identical to the UK. However my view is that financially you are worse off certainly dont agree with people that say its all relative i.e. lower wages but things cost less. However you have beaches on your doorstep and the Sydney weather is perfect (not too hot or too cold and mainly dry and clear blue skies). If your OH has work lined up you are laughing.

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

We lived almost 3 years in Italy before we came here. I like Australia so much better for its quality of life and its variety. The average italian meal in Melbourne or Sydney is better than the average meal in Milano, excluding pizza that is. And there is plenty of italian influences if you look.

At least my experience of Italy is that it really forces a lifestyle on you, i.e. long hours during the week, stuck in traffic over the weekend, arguing about lost mail and other daily dramas.

In Australia you can have the "classic italian" dream lifestyle, grow olives and drink wine, drive classic alfa's etc if you please. Or you can live a more american style life, or whatever you please really. I've got a guy at work who proudly took today off work to go drinking and shooting at his brother in laws farm!

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

Yes it's awful, don't go.

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

I thought so.....

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

Yeah, we've got the impression that salaries are a lot lower which is why we're waiting to see if the figure my OH is asking for is matched.

We do actually really want to go... only problem is if we do go I will be left to live a lonely life as a surf widow as OH was born with neoprene feet and wants to be the next Mark Occhilupo...

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

I agree with other posts which suggest that people probably have different expectations from real foreign countries in Europe and Australia. Australia is often just expected to be a sunny little Britain, and of course when people eventually find out that it is in fact a different country with different ways of doing things then they spit their dummies out.

I also wouldn't use this forum as a benchmark for judging people's happiness in Oz. When people are complaining they generally have a lot to say. When they're happy and content they might do the odd post to the forum stating so, but they're hardly likely going to post a "I've just had another happy day in Oz :heart:" thread each day.

P.S.
It really isn't that bad at all. Nowhere near.

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

THIS IS

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

Fair point... and thank you! :o

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

Lovely measured, balanced response. What do you really think?

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

There is an assumption that working in Australia necessarily means less salary. Both my OH and I earn more than we did in the UK. I also do not think that things cost less here.

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

In general, I love my life here. The grumbles I have are no different to what the average aussie has ie. petrol prices, uncompetitive supermakets, feel like you're being ripped off, blah blah blah...

I live near Wollongong and the local council has been dismissed because of corruption, happened to a place in Sydney a couple of years ago and I would hazard a guess that most government agencies are corrupt in some way or another, but, my bins are collected, street lights work and the area is being re-devolped and modernised in lots of ways, so my landlords council tax isnt being wasted. :D

I think deciding on wether you are happy here depends on your expectations before you arrive. Its not utopia, its not perfect, but there is something about it that makes me happy.

Sydney is great, and if you are after a bit of the Italian vibrancy then you will be well catered for. The whole place is great, can be a bit pricey though, so make sure the hubbys job is a good one, oh, and live somewhere near his work otherwise he will spend hours in traffic, and that would solve the "not seeing the family" problem.

Good luck :thumbsup:

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

I heard a similar remark not long ago,

by a three year old:D:D

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

Thanks. You've given Vash and myself something to aspire to.

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

hi we lived in uk then spain & now aus, uk was great for making money but the 'weather', couldnt take it no more & moved to spain, we lived in mazzaron & loved it but there was always a language barrier, then one day we got offered the chance to come to aus, we thought it was perfect could talk without thinking how to say something, good climate ect. We moved over in 2006 its the best of all worlds, but i do miss spain i think its the history i must sounds daft, there is something about the med that you dont feel in aus, i dont think we would of come to aus if the language wasnt a problem in spain GARY

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

Australian immigration is based on a skills shortage of skilled labour.
Carpenters, Bricklayers ;Plumbers etc, to fill gaps for Australian Companies
who need them skills.
Not all tradesmen are self employed

And as for (outrageous prices getting away with) this is a legal matter
for your local trading standards to take up to overprice extortionately
is an offence

Try and use a tradesman who is a personnel recommended
get a minimum of three quotes
Ask to see work done, and references.[/QUOTE]



bull sh**t

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

bull sh**t[/QUOTE]


dick h**d :D

Re: Is it really that bad?
 

I don't think you sound "daft" at all!!

When we moved over to Oz 7 years ago I thought I would really miss Europe's history, but I eventually got into the (if somewhat shorter!) history that Oz has to offer!!

I think if we do move out I know I will miss Italy and Europe, as I do love the culture and history here, but personal circumstances can make even paradise feel bad.
Australia is only an answer if my OH's work and earnings are worthwhile. Also our mindset is different as we're not emigrating.... yet!

At the end of the day, wherever you are, you still want to eat, drink and be merry with your OH and kids (well, I do!).

Scenery obviously helps too but, having lived in Florence as a lonely 21 year old, I can honestly say that you can be in the most beautiful place in the world, and be more miserable than if you were with your best friends/loved ones in the rainiest, bleakest, ugliest place ever.

The postings and answers here are fab and very helpful, btw.

Particularly loving the expletive attributes....

;)