LaraandBryn

Sorry, meant to say IT - problems with the old computer tonight!!

Actually loving it here as we near our third month and move into our new house in Redland Bay. Don't want to go back to UK at all and not missing anything (apart from friends).

No matter how much research and studying you do it WILL be a culture shock for most and it isn't nearly as cheap as people seem to think. But waking up to the sun every morning is just brilliant (yes!, I know it rains etc in the Summer!).

One thing that has taken getting used to is the appalling quality and content of Oz TV and radio. Just don't be tempted by the big plasma TVs when you arrive - there's b*gger all worth watching.

Be positive and have fun!

togooff&things

Is cable crap too?

JackTheLad

Nope, Cable or Satellite is similar to UK. You get paramount comedy channel, UK gold, History channel, 5 sports channels (including LIVE premiership matches on Saturday 3pm UK time, midnight Oz time), in fact most of the guff you get on SKY UK in fact.

So yeah, terrestrial tv is crap here, you've gotta get Optus cable, Fox cable or Foxtel satellite. Costs are similar too. I was paying 27 quid per month for Sky in the UK (inlcuding the sports channels). and the cost here is $68 per month for the same package.


Cheers,
JTL

togooff&things

Hmm - good to know, actually. I was kind of hopeing that evenings would liven up a bit outside the T.V realm anyway when we migrate! The tv scenario may mean that I'm forced to switch TV off more - which can't be a bad thing! But I'll be so upset if I can't get "NipTuck" out there! Nice to hear some possitives about your expereinces. Hope it contuinues to be as good when you settle more. I can't wait to try it myself. (I always figured that my blood type held the key to the right attitude in life! B+) Good on ya - have a ball!

togooff&things

Actually, thinking about it....I'll really miss the good old Brittish Documentaries...some of them are so interesting! Hubby wants to know if you get The Time Team! (haha - to dig up relics from a couple of years ago!) Not quite the same I guess - any Robot Wars or Scrapheap Challenge? He'd settle for them!

JackTheLad

Don't know! You were right about one thing, TV becomes just background noise for the first few months anyway. I only know so much about the packages available because I'm checking out what to subscribe to in our new house.

If you get foxtel you get all the documentary channels, national geographic and all that. I'm sure you can get repeats of the Channel 4 stuff eventually. But by the time you get it, I don't think you'll care We are too busy enjoying ourselves or planning things to watch the box much, and once we start working ....

Check out Foxtel

and Optus

Of course you'll need to check if you are in an optus cabled are. Foxtel can do cable or satellite.

Cheers,
JTL

lucyb

Do you have Discovery Wings out there?!

diddy

Good onya guys. It's great reading posts like your's ahead of our move.

A tip for anyone re the crap TV in Oz, prepare over here by watching Channel Five.

Paul.

karenvirginia

Comments about the tv. we subscribe to austar btw inc sports but not films.
timetables not reliable, programmes often start and finish around 5 mins later so if setting video be aware. DON'T rely on the austar mag, i set the tape for mick jagger on the biography channel and when i put it on i got john wayne! even sent an email to austar about it but they said as mags produced 8 weeks in advance, use the onscreen guide....... so i did as i noticed it was on again about 5am another day. again..... taped some american bit part actor i'd never heard of !!!! so.... you take pot luck really. (we DID actually catch it last week, Being Mick - seen it before in england but still enjoyed it) i like to see parkinson, its on every sat and sun, some old ones but the newer ones are about last november. the animal planet channel always good, alan enjoys the how to channel so he can still get his norm abrams fix (master carpenter - don't ask!)
the terrestrial tv has soooo many ad breaks, about every 6-7 mins it seems, abc not quite so bad. they don't have continuity announcers and the programmes go to breaks almost in mid sentence and can finish abruptly too!
like most of you say, tv is not everything but we came from that culture and expect high standards so yes, it may be a shock!
also, the olympics coverage, if the aussies were'nt in it you virtually did'nt see it! someone asked me why the uk were'nt there this year!!
(sky news uk is on every day so we manage to keep up to date with main headlines) but obviously you can read uk papers online or whatever i suppose.
don't mean to sound like a whinging pom because it really does'nt bother me but i have a husband who gets very uptight about it all!!!!
a big up to deal or no deal!!!
karen

jad n rich

Cable is total crap after 6 months when you realise every show has been repeated at least 3 times and yet is being shown again. 1978 shows are not uncommon and most series are 2/3/4 years behind.

Problem is with giving it up as we did, is the lack of international news, Without Cable the best you can hope for is a glimmer of international stuff on ABC. our SBS reception is poor. Were constantly hitting UK/USA websites to find out whats happening in the world

chocaholic

Yes I agree. We are starting to realize that we don't watch the cable hardly at all these days. When we first got here, we watched the Seinfeld marathon, only going out to the gym in a section we'd definitely seen - and this is something we won't be doing again But you're right, I'd hate to miss the extra news channels. I hadn't considered that yet.

ABCDiamond

If you live in Brisbane and want International/European news, try channel 31.

They use a German based news service called DW, but it's in English.

JackTheLad

Its what a student TV station would look like, if they were ever stupid enough to let students run a tv station.

I was wondering what the heck that channel was, really amateurish links, home made ads, videos, and then all of a sudden, quality European news

Is it Brisbanes 'own' channel or something? The ads have to be seen to be believed.

Not that I have time to watch tv or anything,

JTL

ABCDiamond

Yes, its called "Briz31" http://www.briz31.tv/ a Brisbane community TV station.

togooff&things

Cheers for that - we were looking for links to TV stations ect as hubby is a cameraman and will be looking for work in that field when we arrive.
Cheere!