what is Australia Like
 

My wife and young family are thinking of emmigrating to Oz (not sure which part yet) and we would like some information from both people who have already emmigrated and the local community as to what they think of Oz. The sort of information we would like is............................
What is life like in general out there, is it fast like London or more relaxed? What are the schools like? What is the Health service like and how does that work there? What are house prices like? Do you have a lot of illegal immigrants? (we have so many now trying to take over, and seem to be suceeding). What is travelling to work like each day? And anything that you think would be of interest to someone who is thinking of living there. We are intending to come over for a holiday first to see what is like for ourselves but any info would be much appreciated.

Thank you all

Re: what is Australia Like
 

It's a big place, and each bit is different...so your question is difficult to answer...

Get a few guide books, identify why you are going, what you want to be doing when you get there and that will help identify where you should head. Opportunities differ in different areas, climate is different, costs are different, pace is different. What do you want...

Good luck though..
Mash..

PS Where are you on the process of getting a visa (minor point, I know)

Re: what is Australia Like
 

I can speak only of Brisbane, Queensland. The climate is fantastic from April-November, a little hot for some the rest of the time. Humidity can be very draining.

London it ain't. Things happen very, very slowly here (except on the roads) if at all. It is nigh on impossible to get people to shift up a gear - they're all so laid back, it becomes very irritating after a while, especially if you're trying to run a business.

Traffic problems - haven't come across too many, although hubbie says driving in "rush hour" here is pretty bad. Depends how far away you live from work I suppose...

Education-wise, if you compare like for like (i.e. a good state school in england with a good state school in Oz) the standards are lower - the attitude is again so laid back - "if the kids are happy, that's Ok - don't stretch them" etc. (My kids love it... unfortunately I do fear that they are falling behind their English peers). University here is a very much more "closed" affair than in the UK and a great deal more expensive.

Where we live there is always somewhere to go as a family at weekends (and the weather to do it), which for us has been a big bonus.
The scenery is fantastic - coast, countryside, there is such diversity within an hour or two's drive of home.

The health service seems Ok - I have only used it twice, both for non-emergency reasons, and both times I was satisfied with the service from the GP. It is more expensive though, you only get a % of the fees back from Medicare, and many surgeries are now refusing to "bulk bill".

A friend of mine went to the local A&E dept. last Sunday at 5.00 p.m and wasn't seen until 11.00 p.m. - although in fairness to the hospital, it wasn't life-threatening.

Wages are very, very poor here - the thing we have been most surprised about is the economic situation in Queensland - everyone is out to save a cent if they can, it's a total "Car Boot Sale" mentality!!!

Standard of living-wise, we are certainly worse off than in the Uk, but that's not why we came. Life-style wise, we are better off. It's great to see the children swimming in the pool when they come home from school instead of being stuck inside watching the TV, and as I mentioned earlier, it's great to be able to enjoy the weekends as a family.

However, it's all a matter of personal taste and personal priorities - I do miss friends and family in the UK, and the British people - their depth of character (not something I've discovered in the average Aussie), their sense of humour, etc. It's a hell of a long way from the UK - not just in terms of miles...

Re: what is Australia Like
 

Health service is poor... I've had a bad experience with them. I was rushed into hospital after seeing 3 different Gp's who would not take a blind bit of notice of me. My partner had to carry me into the fourth one, I could not walk, in that much pain. He took one look at me, basically told me off for not coming to him sooner (I had to explain to him that he was the 4th doctor I'd been to), he then told me that I should have screamed and shouted to get myself heard, he himself couldn't believe the other doctors inadequacy... He sent me straight to hospital, not even letting me go home to pick up some belongings!.. 2 operations ,one skin graft and four weeks in hospital - nearly losing my leg.. just because of 3 bad doctors!

The public health care here is rubbish! If you come out here, make sure you get private health insurance straight away, just in case of emergencies.. I made the mistake of not doing this... and paid for it by nearly losing my leg.... I'm still very angry at this, the way I was treated. perhaps not all doctors are like this.. but I sure found three of them in a row! And the Hospital I stayed in Brisbane(The Mater) .. very poor - run down, under staffed.. it was awful.

Cheers:)

Re: what is Australia Like
 

Look the only thing Australia has in some parts is better weather, the things that make the news in the UK are just the same here .
Health here is more expensive , schools less than average unless you pay and wage levels are very poor.
Housing is cheaper depending on where you want to live , its a case of if you are not doing too well in UK the grass is no greener here and you will work longer for less.

:D :cool: :beer:

Re: what is Australia Like
 

Remember this forum is a minuscule, self-selected sample and not at all truly representative. There are those, like PB, who clearly are aggrieved at actual and/or perceived Oz problems. Others, think Oz is Nirvana (PB's "dreamers") and yet others, myself included (I hope), who whilst knowing that Oz may not be perfect, think it is the place where we are most likely to fulfil our needs and aspirations.

DPR

Re: what is Australia Like
 

Well said Sir no idea what you saying but it does look good on paper ,all what you have pointed to can be done anywhere?
:D :cool: :beer:

Hi Roger,

First a bit of quick advice...

Under no circumstances read any reports by OECD, UNESCO, UNICEF or WHO or other agencies when trying to compare the UK lifestyle to an Oz. They are just full of rubbish. It's much better to read the posts from the true *experts* of Oz of this forum. Already, I've learned the following:

a) The weather is not better - it either rains so hard your car will get washed away, or the 'mercury' will rise to 40 or 50 C, and the humity will top 150% and that's just in winter. So bring your sou'westers and factor 20000+ sun-cream.

b) There is virtually no work in Oz whatsoever - most people that claim that they have a job in Oz are lying - they are all on the dole and they're trying to hide their embarrasment of living is such a terrible country. So make sure you bring enough money to live on till you die.

c) No-one ever speaks to POMS politely - they just laugh at you and ask you the latest cricket score. Make sure you learn how to punch someones lights out cos that's the only way to get an Aussie to stop and listen to you.

d) If you do land a job (by some miracle) - the wages are so low you won't be able to afford the bus fare to and from work.

e) All kids sit around all day at school doing no work - they discuss f)

f) All kids become 'hoons' at night - drag racing their Nissan Micras four-breast down small residential streets. If they stop it will be to break into a house to steal all the drugs.

g) Secretly everyone (including the Oz prime minister) wants to be British.

If I discover any more facts I will be first to let you know...

Hoorah!

Roger asked a simple question and you have hijacked the whole thread with negativity. Yes you shouldn't all brainwash him with the rose tinted view but give the guy a chance to make his own mind up.

Mash...

[QUOTE][SIZE=1]Originally posted by madmancunian
Hi Roger,

First a bit of quick advice...

Hi Roger,

Bill Bryson the Travel Writer wrote a book called 'Down Under', he talks in some depth about different areas of Australia, it's a funny book and informative.
Good Luck
Santa

ROFLMAO!

Madman please don't stop!

Try working on the conspiracy theory that the whingers are part of an anti-immigration group set up by natives who do not want any more immigrants. Got to be worth a troll or two!

madmancunian
Where did you get your "facts" from, retrieve them from the sewer did you???

I have nothing against Brits, but have no desire to be one.
What you have stated is utter cr@p.

Re: what is Australia Like
 

Roger, it all depends on where you move to, so can't really generalise. All states have different climates and different paces. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are more expensive to live in than Perth, Adelaide and Darwin. Not really sure of Tassie and Canberra.
Travelling to work depends on where you are working and where you are living. Public transportation is pretty good.

Everyone has different opinions on what Australia is like, some love it some don't. It is up to the individual. Come with an open mind and find out how you fell about it yourself :)

Most importantly IGNORE posts by some tossers that say that Aussies hate Brits, it is total rubbish. If people are posting messages like that, it is them that have the problem not the Aussies. They should take a long hard look as to why they are being ignored or whatever.......

To be fair to madmancunian, I am sure he was attempting an ironic post in response to some of the negative posts occasionally found on this site...it seems it didn't translate too well for a couple of people!

Agree with suebo...Australia is what you make it. Choose your destination to fit in with the lifestyle you want. All capital cities are very different wrt climate, pace of life, cost of living and then you have the regional centres too for a much slower pace of life.

Example of disparity within one state: median house price in 27 of Sydney's 43 municipalities is $500K whereas median house price in Broken Hill, NSW is just $39K.

madmancunian

Clearly your irony/sarcasm has resulted in a serious 'lack of humour failure' for some - nice effort.

The same guy who wrote Notes from a Small Island (the UK), the one he chooses to live on.
:cool: :beer: :D

Wrong again PB - he is/has move back to the US.

Once more it's a case of fiction before fact.

My apologies to Suebo and other *balanced* people writing to this forum - my 'all guns blazing' sacarsm - was an attempt at humour to ridicule some of the rubbish written by self-professed experts.

Hint - my 'handle' is a nom-de-plume' only!

Bill Bryson moved back to US
 

Indeed he has. He now lives in Hanover, New Hampshire. Irrespective of where he lives, it's fair to say his book on Australia is a good read (although you will not get a real understanding of what living in Australia is like from it - you'll only get that by living here)

Yes he did and then moved back to the UK this year where he had spent 20 years and enjoyed it, you Sir are wrong again.:D :cool: :beer:

Hi Roger

In an effort to placate the *balanced* people on this forum I will try to be a little sincere now. I have lived in England, Wales, Australia, and others (not telling though!), so in my experence:

1) Australia is great country especially for a young family - though you will miss your family more than you first imagine.
2) The scenery is spectacular if a little harsh at times
3) The people are friendly but also a little reserved - find something in common with them (eg children's activities) and the will let you into their lives.
4) The pace of life: Sydney is about the same - Melbourne a bit slower - Brisbane a lot slower - others??
5) Schools are good - but they won't pressure your kids as hard academicaly as English ones do
6) Health service is good - public health service not as good as NHS, but private health service is better. If you can, pay a yearly subscription - this covers mainly hospital work. Also get ambulance cover as this is not free.
6) No, not a lot of illegal immigrants - the numbers are tiny - but the Oz government feels it has to take a hard approach to deter future, potential immigrants.
7) The house prices are astronomical in Sydney - not so bad in other places. When you get here, don't rent - buy ASAP. The rental market is reaching saturation point - so investing in a second investment home is probably not a good idea right now.
7) Traffic is much less in all places (except Sydney), but the driving abilities of your average Aussie will open your eyes - it's entertaining at its best, intensly irritating at its worst.
8) There is so much natural beauty (that's free) - so it's up to you to get up, get out and enjoy the best things rather than sitting indoors moaning about the lack of english humour, lack of M&S, kids on the playstation, etc, etc.
9) If you can afford a holiday first - this is a must.
10) Don't forget - the cities might look similar-ish, but Australia is a different country where some (expats) just don't seem to get that through their skull. Adapt as soon as you can to the slower, more relaxed lifestyle and you'll have a great time.

All this seriousness is giving me a headache - time to put my mad-hatter cap on and go and annoy the luntaics in this asylum.

Ta ta for now
Mad, then Sad, and now Glad Mancunian.

I apologise if I am wrong, PB, but he must have moved back very recently, as he was living in New Hampshire on October 7, 2002 when he was interviewed by the BBC. Can't say I blame him if he has returned to the Yorkshire Dales...beautiful part of the world.

My apologies too....I was in two minds if you were being sarcastic or not, thought you were another PB:confused: (no offence PB - I still want my drink:D :p

I am glad you did the second post though, as newbies would probably take the first one seriously:eek:

Something similar for me - Africa (South and central), England, Scotland and Australia (now). My observations are primarily based on living in Perth and visiting elsewhere in Oz.
Friends too - but with the right attitude and a bit of effort it is easy to make like-minded friends here.
But be prepared to drive/travel long distances at times. The weather can also be harsh. I love the sun but would not live in one of the hotter/humid places e.g. Brisbane - but each to their own vive la difference!I feel many are, perhaps, conservative (with a small c) rather than reserved. I totally agree with the way to go - find something in common e.g. sport, clubs, kids etc and have a positive attituden general, for Perth at least, the pace of life is definitely slower but that's great. Wrt to work it is variable and can be made hectic if you choose. Definitely (although like UK there is a lot of variability) - also there's more emphasis on physical activity. Private schools are excellent and relatively speaking some are pretty cheap.
Yeah, if you used to the NHS paradigm you will have to get used to paying. But then the service is excellent (If you own and earn 'nothing' you are probably better off in the UK)
?? seems like it
I would go with that, other than that Perth (median) has had a more modest rise and not the ridiculous trends seen in some of the Eastern states. Experience elsewhere tends to make me believe that you should get your own place (to live in) asap. also wouldn't put too much extra investment in the rental market at the moment - depends on your investment strategies and risk profile
Standard definitely dodgy here vs UK (not vs Africa) - they tend to have difficulty merging 2 lanes. That said, the volume of traffic and speed limits are so much lower than it is far easier to drive here.
Totally agree with the rest

DPR

No offence at all Sue still on for the drink , I thought the second one was a send up still laughing now.
:D :cool: :beer:

Very good ever thought about writting Non Fiction?


:D :cool: :beer:

This old stuff he has again moved back to UK London I was told why not Yorkshire god only knows,but it reads well.

Little peice from his book about Australia too.

Australia was slightly more important to Americans in 1997 than bananas, but not nearly as important as ice cream.
Australians can't bear it that the outside world pays so little attention to them, and I don't blame them.




Although Bryson has just moved his wife and children all the way from the Yorkshire Dales to Hanover, New Hampshire, his Anglophilia, which I share, is clearly never going to run out of steam. He adores Brits, even while he makes fun of them. In Notes From A Small Island, he describes them as the happiest people on earth.
"The British are so easy to please. It is the most extraordinary thing. They like their pleasures small. That is why so many of their treats - teacakes, scones, crumpets, rock cakes - are so cautiously flavorful. Offer them something genuinely tempting - a slice of gateau or a choice of chocolates from a box - and they will nearly always worry that it's unwarranted and excessive and unseemly."

PB you are quoting an expat American, and using this as part of your 'ammunition' in an attempt to correct those brits who find some fault with the UK.

Surely brits who have lived all of their lives in the UK have greater experience of UK living than an *successful* american writer who is well off and has a better standard of living than most?

FYO, I like his books - but his writing prose, style and content has received critism in the US. Perhaps this is part of his reason to moving back to the UK - to sell more books?

He lived there 20 years hes more British than some on this forum and more down to earth and I also love his books , although the Yankies will never understand British humour which what he uses.

Come on look at the time are you in UK , I think not ?


:D :cool: :beer:

Well my night-foreman job at the city cemetary is a bit boring you know!

Thank goodness they have given internet access to keep myself awake.

Maybe you should a write a book - 'My travels around the world and all the things I've found to moan about'.

I've started a book - it's got 3 chapters so far:

1) Hot and heavy
2) Spicy and saucy
3) Wet and Wild

Wot that's you're thinking? No, no it's a cookbook of course.

No way are you in the UK , but your wit is improving.Who with half a brain would admit to being a mancunian:D :cool: :beer:

Why thank you Sir.

Yep you guessed it - one half of my brain is mancunian, the second half is mad, and the last half is plain crazy!

Ever seen "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"? If I stay in this forum long enough all three halves of my brain will turn into a pavlova.

Give us a clue are you a Pom or not , and you are not in UK so where are you?
:D :cool: :beer:

:eek: pb was right (at least to some extent) Arrrghhh!

Looks like they have already. Is it the forum or have you been sniffing too much ozone? Get fixed and come back - I need your (un)subtle banter for my daily fix!!

DPR

Fo*kin hell r u madmancoonins mate

Right about what:confused: He's not allowed to be right about anything:D

Well pointed out Sue , I demand not to be right even when I am its so easy to upset a few on here is it me or is it them?

:D :cool: :beer:

It must be them PB, coz It can't be you..lol:rolleyes:

I wish I still was a dreamer it would be great to believe as these good people do , never mind been there done that best thing to do is what you are doing Sue, earn a crust outside of Australia and return when your pockets are full.
:D :cool: :beer: