Things you should know before moving down under...
Sep 25th 2009, 5:21 am
#16
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Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Canberra
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Re: Things you should know before moving down under...
Oh oh, another one to add to the list:
* The work life balance people, you know the ones that come out here thinking they will get more time at home with family because apparently in Australia we don’t have traffic or long commute times, lol
Ok, I’ll admit in Canberra it’s not that bad, but other cities in Australia I have lived in the traffic is just as bad as the UK... sometimes worse, and the public transport can be a lot worse depending on which city you are in.
But the people that think that traffic and long commutes don’t exist here just make me laugh
* The work life balance people, you know the ones that come out here thinking they will get more time at home with family because apparently in Australia we don’t have traffic or long commute times, lol
Ok, I’ll admit in Canberra it’s not that bad, but other cities in Australia I have lived in the traffic is just as bad as the UK... sometimes worse, and the public transport can be a lot worse depending on which city you are in.
But the people that think that traffic and long commutes don’t exist here just make me laugh
Sep 25th 2009, 5:22 am
#17
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Tropical North QLD
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Re: Things you should know before moving down under...
Just as in the UK, it varies considerably!
Sep 25th 2009, 5:26 am
#18
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Asia Pacific
Posts: 4,922
Re: Things you should know before moving down under...
Interesting post. However, it should be said that migrating to Australia, which is the size of the USA offers the chance for the immigrant to settle in places they want to settle, whereas they may have been financially trapped in the UK into one region by property or job.
For many it can be a "do over" or clean slate to start again.
If I wanted to live in a place which could be cold rainy then perhaps I would consider Melbourne, Tasmania etc. If I wanted 300+ days of sunshine and heat then I would move to where I live now
People also have different views. For example, having a partner who has an existing circle of family and friends isn't a bad thing. Some may be thankful that they can automatically get a head start on making some new ones and an existing support network.
Whilst a list of cautionary tales is a good thing, people should be mindful that there are a great many positives also and it would greatly depend on your own personal point of view and attitudes.
For many it can be a "do over" or clean slate to start again.
If I wanted to live in a place which could be cold rainy then perhaps I would consider Melbourne, Tasmania etc. If I wanted 300+ days of sunshine and heat then I would move to where I live now
People also have different views. For example, having a partner who has an existing circle of family and friends isn't a bad thing. Some may be thankful that they can automatically get a head start on making some new ones and an existing support network.
Whilst a list of cautionary tales is a good thing, people should be mindful that there are a great many positives also and it would greatly depend on your own personal point of view and attitudes.
Sep 25th 2009, 5:30 am
#19
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 23,400
Re: Things you should know before moving down under...
The lessons I have learned are don't underestimate the strength of the friendships you may have forged in Australia. People can rally round when you least expect it and you dont necessarily have to have been here for yonks to have good friends - support I might add which can (in my case), equal that of family and I have made friends that I am proud to know.
Don't underestimate how isolating and desperate you can feel if you get 'that phone call' from the UK. You push those thoughts to the back of your head when you plan your migration, almost as though you cant envisage it happening.
But when it does, it's horrible and you are not 'only 24 hours away' - you can be several thousand dollars away, you are relying on there being a flight available, you are relying on having the funds in the first place. 'only 24 hours' can be a lifetime if you are making 'that trip' home.
The world is a small place when it comes to Facebook, British Expats, MSN, webcams and telephones.
It is also bloody enormous and hostile when you need to be with your loved ones in a crisis.
Basically, you won't know how you feel until you get here.
Don't underestimate how isolating and desperate you can feel if you get 'that phone call' from the UK. You push those thoughts to the back of your head when you plan your migration, almost as though you cant envisage it happening.
But when it does, it's horrible and you are not 'only 24 hours away' - you can be several thousand dollars away, you are relying on there being a flight available, you are relying on having the funds in the first place. 'only 24 hours' can be a lifetime if you are making 'that trip' home.
The world is a small place when it comes to Facebook, British Expats, MSN, webcams and telephones.
It is also bloody enormous and hostile when you need to be with your loved ones in a crisis.
Basically, you won't know how you feel until you get here.
Sep 25th 2009, 5:32 am
#20
Banned
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2009
Location: Somewhere dull. That'll be Australia then.
Posts: 648
Re: Things you should know before moving down under...
Oh oh, another one to add to the list:
* The work life balance people, you know the ones that come out here thinking they will get more time at home with family because apparently in Australia we don’t have traffic or long commute times, lol
Ok, I’ll admit in Canberra it’s not that bad, but other cities in Australia I have lived in the traffic is just as bad as the UK... sometimes worse, and the public transport can be a lot worse depending on which city you are in.
But the people that think that traffic and long commutes don’t exist here just make me laugh
* The work life balance people, you know the ones that come out here thinking they will get more time at home with family because apparently in Australia we don’t have traffic or long commute times, lol
Ok, I’ll admit in Canberra it’s not that bad, but other cities in Australia I have lived in the traffic is just as bad as the UK... sometimes worse, and the public transport can be a lot worse depending on which city you are in.
But the people that think that traffic and long commutes don’t exist here just make me laugh
* Traffic in and around Melbourne is VERY heavy. Drove my wife's cousin's wife to the airport recently (she's English, lives in UAE and has family in NZ so she's familiar with a fair few places) and she could not believe how congested the road to the airport was. People have this bizarre notion that only the UK has busy roads.
And here's another:
* Working hours. People seem to have this wacky idea that living in Australia means having a 3 or 4 day weekend and only working until about 2 in the afternoon most days and then off to the beach. Get real!
Sep 25th 2009, 6:09 am
#21
Crazy Cat Lady
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 65,493
Re: Things you should know before moving down under...
Sep 25th 2009, 6:14 am
#22
Frequent Flyer Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 10,994
Re: Things you should know before moving down under...
Really? Who thinks that? No one I know in the UK assumes that, I've certainly never heard it mentioned. Everyone I know (a minor blip in the 61 million granted) assume that people work in Aus in much the same way as the UK ie 9-5 Monday - Friday (roughly). They assume we go to the beach a fair bit but that's because we do
Probably the only episode I've ever seen.This wifie was using her husbands working hours as the reason they had to move to Aus. The whole premise of the show was that Aus working hours were shorter and the family would have so much more time to spend together.
Then when they got to Sydney and saw the house prices she expected him to work even longer hours than he did in the UK to pay for it!
Sep 25th 2009, 6:32 am
#23
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: Things you should know before moving down under...
Dont move because by grabbing the atlas and calculator you have decided that each aussie has 28,000 acres of space each compared to one person per inch in the UK.
Especially not if your going to move to Northlakes/fields/meadows/forest
where you will be 1metre from your screaming neighbours who love to live outside ( your bedroom window ) 
Especially not if your going to move to Northlakes/fields/meadows/forest
where you will be 1metre from your screaming neighbours who love to live outside ( your bedroom window )
Sep 25th 2009, 6:34 am
#24
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Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Things you should know before moving down under...
These are a few things (cautionary tales) I think Brits should be aware of before embarking on life down under. Please add to them if you can think of more things and/or modifications:
* Moving country does not fix all issues in your life. This should be obvious but I get the impression from reading some stuff on here that a lot of people actually believe it will.
* Australia is NOT devoid of a large, large number of the UK's problems. If you believe that Australia is a crime-free zone, for example, you may be disappointed. Stuff happens here all the time (Quoll recently reported some fairly random shootings/stabbings near where she is in Canberra on another thread) and the idea that these things are unique to Manchester or London is silly. Where I am there was a mugging at knife-point not three minutes from where I live recently and there is a MAJOR vandalism and 'tagging' problem. It's supposed to be a nice area though, so would hate to be in a dodgy area like Broadmeadows, parts of Frankston, Dandenong or Footscray.
* The weather is different in Australia, but not NECESSARILY better. In Melbourne, the climate is surprisingly similar to the UK (unpredictable and often cold and windy) and whilst the summer is longer and warmer than in the UK, the really hot days (40 plus) are very uncomfortable and you cannot really enjoy them as being outside in that heat is unbearable. You have the risk of bush fires at one end of the country and serious flooding at the other. Tasmania can get both. If you are moving for the weather (this seems to be a major life priority for a lot of people, which is quite foreign to me personally) be careful where you go to.
* It is impossible to predict prior to leaving what and who you will miss - and how much. You may find yourself missing things more than you think. It is easy to be in Britain, amidst all the British moaning and complaining, and think that there is nothing you will miss. It is very easy to misjudge this and only see the light, so to speak, once you are 10,000 miles away.
* If you are in a mixed nationality relationship (which may well be the very reason for the move) you can find yourself feeling quite trapped/stifled by being surrounded by your partner's family/friends constantly, especially when you do not have any of your own around.
* Moving country does not fix all issues in your life. This should be obvious but I get the impression from reading some stuff on here that a lot of people actually believe it will.
* Australia is NOT devoid of a large, large number of the UK's problems. If you believe that Australia is a crime-free zone, for example, you may be disappointed. Stuff happens here all the time (Quoll recently reported some fairly random shootings/stabbings near where she is in Canberra on another thread) and the idea that these things are unique to Manchester or London is silly. Where I am there was a mugging at knife-point not three minutes from where I live recently and there is a MAJOR vandalism and 'tagging' problem. It's supposed to be a nice area though, so would hate to be in a dodgy area like Broadmeadows, parts of Frankston, Dandenong or Footscray.
* The weather is different in Australia, but not NECESSARILY better. In Melbourne, the climate is surprisingly similar to the UK (unpredictable and often cold and windy) and whilst the summer is longer and warmer than in the UK, the really hot days (40 plus) are very uncomfortable and you cannot really enjoy them as being outside in that heat is unbearable. You have the risk of bush fires at one end of the country and serious flooding at the other. Tasmania can get both. If you are moving for the weather (this seems to be a major life priority for a lot of people, which is quite foreign to me personally) be careful where you go to.
* It is impossible to predict prior to leaving what and who you will miss - and how much. You may find yourself missing things more than you think. It is easy to be in Britain, amidst all the British moaning and complaining, and think that there is nothing you will miss. It is very easy to misjudge this and only see the light, so to speak, once you are 10,000 miles away.
* If you are in a mixed nationality relationship (which may well be the very reason for the move) you can find yourself feeling quite trapped/stifled by being surrounded by your partner's family/friends constantly, especially when you do not have any of your own around.
Last edited by BadgeIsBack; Sep 25th 2009 at 6:36 am.
Sep 25th 2009, 6:37 am
#25
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Things you should know before moving down under...
Dont move because by grabbing the atlas and calculator you have decided that each aussie has 28,000 acres of space each compared to one person per inch in the UK.
Especially not if your going to move to Northlakes/fields/meadows/forest where you will be 1metre from your screaming neighbours who love to live outside ( your bedroom window )
Especially not if your going to move to Northlakes/fields/meadows/forest
where you will be 1metre from your screaming neighbours who love to live outside ( your bedroom window )
Sep 25th 2009, 6:38 am
#26
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: Things you should know before moving down under...
Dont move to aus because its only a days flight away - try that freaking flight a few times then say it
Dont move to aus cause you can always just go back.... ummm , kids, family, spouse loves it you hate it, education, house prices, exchange rate, jobs, economic turmoil, kids wont come with you, spouse wont come with you, divorce, financial ruin......
Dont move to aus cause you can always just go back.... ummm , kids, family, spouse loves it you hate it, education, house prices, exchange rate, jobs, economic turmoil, kids wont come with you, spouse wont come with you, divorce, financial ruin......
Sep 25th 2009, 6:45 am
#27
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: Things you should know before moving down under...
Dont move to aus because you watched WDU
Dont move to aus because its your spouses 'dream' but the idiot has never actually been there.
Dont move to aus because its your spouses 'dream' but the idiot has never actually been there.
Sep 25th 2009, 6:49 am
#28
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 823
Re: Things you should know before moving down under...
But that's Melbourne, the weather is renowned for being shite, the place is either really cold or on fire, everyone knows that before they move. Re: bushfires, yes they happen, but they don't affect 95% of Aussies as they don't live in the bush, most people live in cities
Sep 25th 2009, 6:57 am
#29
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 9,397
Re: Things you should know before moving down under...
I've always been puzzled though by the oft stated cliche that Australia has better weather than the UK.
How can folk say this when people can lose everything in bush fires burning uncontrollably and/or major floods sweeping across whole regions? Doesn't make complete sense to me.
And why do we as human beings think that really, really hot weather is okay but really cold weather is bad? Again, I don't follow the 'logic' of that.
How can folk say this when people can lose everything in bush fires burning uncontrollably and/or major floods sweeping across whole regions? Doesn't make complete sense to me.
And why do we as human beings think that really, really hot weather is okay but really cold weather is bad? Again, I don't follow the 'logic' of that.
Move here for the weather and the space. Period.
Sep 25th 2009, 7:12 am
#30
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Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 1,497
Re: Things you should know before moving down under...
But that's Melbourne, the weather is renowned for being shite, the place is either really cold or on fire, everyone knows that before they move. Re: bushfires, yes they happen, but they don't affect 95% of Aussies as they don't live in the bush, most people live in cities
I think that is a bit of a generalisation there. Not everybody 'knows' that before they move. It is simply an opinion of some people.
And surely the second part of your statement contradicts the first anyway? The whole of Melbourne is not cold or on fire - as you have pointed out the bushfires don't affect ~95% of us because they do not happen in the city.
And(at the risk of getting jumped on by the anti-melbourne brigade ) IMO some of the time it is warm and not on fire. For some people some of the time it is just perfect. Trust me.
