Mark & Ali

We're hoping to emigrate at the end of the year and have found the BE forum a godsend for helping us with our queries, however over the last few weeks I've noticed more and more negative posts about Oz.

I have never been to Oz, so can't speak from experience, but I for one can't wait to experience the Oz culture, both good and bad. Is it just me or is anyone else fed up of reading one sided whinges?

I can appreciate that people have good and bad days, but surely in amongst all the negative there are a few positives?

I have plenty of crappy days in the UK but I don't waste my time slating the country, people or culture and telling people not to move here!

I'm a great believer that life is what you make it - life's too short and we should make the most of the time we have - preferrably in Oz

Ali x

elmtree

We spent three weeks ( I know, I know - only three weeks ) in Perth this year. We rented a normal house in a normal suburb and went all over Perth, suburbs n' all. We LOVED it.

It was so much cleaner, so much more friendly, seemed much safer than the UK. It was also such much more spacious and bright.

I know we didn't experience the day-to-day problems of actually living there, but it was so beautiful that we knew we could handle any problems if we had our weekends free to enjoy all that Australia has to offer.

Let's face it, if you've had a sh!t day, wouldn't you rather unwind in the sun, whether it be in your garden, in a clean park, on a clean, or at an outside bar/cafe ?

lee/jane

hi

Your are right life is what you make it. Oz is not for everyone, but on the whole we love it out here. We have met a lot of English out here, and I have found that if they come from some lovely little village miles from any big dirty, busy city, and they have lived in one place all there lives, they find it hard. This is because they miss things like village pubs, old buildings, friends and family who have live in the same area and have grown up with. Now if you come from an area like we did its a different matter. Most big city's are overcrowded, dirty and the people don't give a shit about each other, there is not a lot to miss about that.

We do miss some friends and family and silly things like Argos, and bisto, but they are small compared to what we have here.

This forum is great for info, but it can be a bit of a downer. Try to remember that if people are happy here they don't sit on a computer, they are out have a great time. I go on here just sometimes, like now because its 4.50 in the morning and I can't sleep, I have a bit of a cold. I do try to go on here once a month or so, cause I feel a bit guilty, not helping people like yourself, knowing how much the forum helped us.

We go to met ups out here, and most people are happy and think life is better out in sunny oz, and I don't care what people say the sun is a big big plus, and not days and days and days of grey skies like the UK.

Jane

Australia_bound?

Tell ya what I'm fed up with all the replies to anyone who dares say anything negative about Aus!
This site is to educate and enlighten and the good and the bad should have it's place.
Can say I loved Aus when I was there and will give it a damn good good when/if we move out there. But it's good to be aware of any pitfalls

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Only mad insomniacs, like me, up at this time of the morning so not too many replies yet. I have to say that for the first few months of being here, if your experience turns out to be anything like ours, then you are going to hate it.... I had never been before moving here and I guess I had the feeling that it was going to be England with sunshine... well guess what?. It isnt. Apart from the fact that is doesn't seem to have stopped raining since we got here (drought !!) its just not 'home'. Yet.. and that's the thing. Its taken time to get settled, but I think its starting to become 'home'. I still think people who rave about the place have lost the plot and this whole Lucky Country stuff is just bull, but its not a bad place to be... Just remember, those first few months could be Hell.

Mark & Ali

Hi, I agree, however there's constructive criticism/education (which I find interesting and informative) and then there's the incoherent rubbish that some people have been posting recently.

When you've lived with cancer, death of loved ones and real tragedies then these put things into perspective! Find it hard to complain about lack of M&S, decent knickers, spiders, lack of culture!!

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Wait until you get here and you may be surprised just how much the lack of 'things' impacts on you... Its called homesickness, and even if you hate where you are now it will still grab you.

Mark & Ali

You're probably right. It's probably easier for me as most of my family now live in Oz. We only stayed here for my mum and she died a couple of months ago. I'm being made redundant in September so feel this is the time to make the move. I'm fortunate that I don't become attached to property/areas so hopefully will adapt OK, but I have no doubt that for the first few months I'll be unsettled. I'm just determined to make a go of it.

I'm not criticising people for having 'bad days' its the posts where someone will criticise the whole of Australia saying "it's all crap but for the sun" that really annoys me. I'll just have to avoid those posts in future!!!

HiddenPaw

Doesn't matter how trivial it is, it's still part of daily life, and it may not be important to YOU but doesn't mean no-one else want to talk about it. Be tolerant. I should think the people in Oz are sick of the people in the UK telling them to stop moaning when really they have no idea or experience of emigrating. Read what is relevant to you - and if it's not relevant, don't read - but don't deny others the opportunity to talk about what they want to talk about.

When I was homesick in Oz I was glad to have the 'oh-so-trivial' conversations with people in the same boat. It help keeps you sane!

Good luck,

iamthecreaturefromuranus

If your family is here then that will make a massive difference to how you cope. Just having somebody around who can point you in the right directions will help a lot.

Manc

why on earth would ANYONE sell up and go live in a place they've never been before?

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Why not?. Its called a challenge.. what's the worst that can happen?. You hate it... you go home.

Mark & Ali

Because I'm a risk taker!!

Manc

granted....you do live in Darlo.

Mark & Ali

True. Also I'd hate to get to 65 and sit there and say "If only .....". Only get one life so want to give it a try!