Carrianne

Being the realist I am I would appreciate any comments on the feelings and frustrations you felt on arriving and settling in Oz.

I understand things like missing Asda all under one roof mentality, but what other small things did you encounter that you can share with us to add again to the picture.

Thanks

Carrianne

PeteY

I've never lived there long term....but one thing i found frustrating when i was over there were the banks.

They are like uk banks from the 60's, in that they charge you for EVERYTHING! If you even think about walking to a clerke and getting cash out over the desk they slap 3 $ on top.

Its fine once you adapt....you don't use the atm as much, never use cheque, always keep a certain amount in the bank, get cashback by eftpos etc. There are no real problems, it just takes a bit of getting used to.

DagBoy

It took me about 6 months to get used to driving so slowly on the freeway - and getting used to the drivers being courteous and letting you out etc.
Thankfully, I got used to it before I got any speeding tickets

Hunnie

The transport system is frustrating at weekends (in Brisbane anyway) The boats are really efficient, but the buses and trains (esp on sundays) don't run so frequently or particularly late.

It is annoying having to pay for everything at the bank (65c for a ministatement from the ATM) and that they charge you to have an account, even although they're profiting fom you putting your money there!

The supermarkets aren't too bad, but not so big as the ones in the UK and not such a great variety of stuuf (cheeses, breads) you have to go to deli's for good variety of cheese and fresh meats. But in general, they have the things that you want. You generally find that small greengrocers have cheaper fruit and veg than supermarkets (zero economies of scale it seems!)

But to be honest, i don't think I've been really pissed off about any differences between here and the uk.

Things are just different, some better, some worse. Nothing you cant handle.

Kath

Have I read this right? I find Australian drivers are NOT courteous, I find the rules of the road in Perth is do not let people out of a junction, queue etc. No thank you or acknowlegement for letting people out, sometimes they're just plain confused - why has she done that? Just my experience.

PeteY

Yes Kath....thats exactly what i found. We even saw a few occasions where they would'nt let an ambulance out....

I did find the pace of driving better though, fewer people speeding.

DagBoy

Well - I am comparing laid back Brisbane with the congested and stressed south east of England. Definitely more courteous here.

gOD

I found that it seemed very old fashioned. They use a lot of wood when building, and the cars last longer, so there are a lot of much older cars on the road. Not saying it is old fashioned, but parts certainly looked like it!! Almost like a western movie

Sandra

Not knowing the name of things!

Still feel a big Wally when trying to buy things in shops and do not get the right name, yep there are the usual things like Doona/Duvet etc. But spent last Saturday trying to get extra bits and pieces for the house. The minute I asked for something I was looking for in certain shops and they went wha? (no t’s in Sydney) I started stammering (emotive tic) so along with the Belfast accent it made it all worse. Loads of Money to spend (been saving for a year to get the extra bits for our new house)…..Sunday I stayed home!!!

I wanted a fridge – just a fridge – ie no freezer part……hard to get
I wanted a fridge/freezer with the fridge on top, but I wanted an ice tray not just drawers in the freezer part….ah upside down one….Yes cost more and no ice tray
I wanted a pressure washer for the patio…gave up trying to find what I supposed to ask for.
When buying a new suite for the lounge, found out it is just called a lounge…no not the room the suite!
Of course this is all very very trivial but at times it does make some of the process harder trying to fit in and get on.
I can learn things quick in IT terms so why can't I learn to say EFTPOS instead of SWITCH and when asked is that Savings…why do I stammer saying Cheque.

I like things too – when I get over the crap I am talking, some people go out of their way to help me and explain what it is I am looking for.
I now have a local butcher here (brilliant South African place run by a guy from North of England – recognized my Reading Football Shirt!)
The people I work with think it is great fun talking the piss out of me but also laughed when I turned up on Monday in a NZ Rugby Shirt (for those that don’t know the Wallibies were stuffed on Sat).

Over all it is a case of take your time – rant and rave when you get home and go out next time with a big smile on your face…..response is definitely better. Cause in the case of the earlier post about banks….my new bank manager at the bank for my mortgage did not like me telling her she was running a legalised crime industry with the fees she charged!

Much Fun

Badge

I found it fustrating finding Australia was better for me in so many respects and wondering how I'd managed to survive so long in the UK..

for those of us without families etc it will be bizarre learning how things work for the FIRST time in AUSTRALIA; then returning to the UK on visits and being confused and surprised to see what happens over "here"...

eg. childcare, schools, "big house" stuff - Ive only got a small flat over here

What you do don't know can't harm etc...

badgers

janeyray

I agree, flash your lights to let them go and they just sit there!??? I have waved my hands more than once to let people go at a junction and they look at you in a strange kind of daze?, next time I'll just ignore them!

Zebra4

Not getting any mail on a Saturday.
Not being able to walk along a pavement to the nearest post box, shop.
Shops & services closing early on a Saturday.
No late night opening during the week (apart from Thurs, or Fri in the city of Perth).
Odd licensing hours.
Having to drive incredibly slowly.
Bank charges for a cheque book, account keeping fees.
Low credit card limit.
How cold it gets at night in winter.
Neon signs that make you think you've landed in the US.

Pollyana

Strange isn't it how what frustrates some people is what attracts another? (thats appalling grammar but so what!)
I find it weird that supermarkets (generally) don't sell alcohol - but I like the idea of drive-in bottle shops; same with separate delis;
Shops etc closing early on a Saturday, and generally not opening on Sunday appeals to me - less commercial pressure, more like the UK 20 years ago, the same with late night shopping.
Driving slowly - Carl will have a real problem in the UK, being one of the slowest on the road; I think Aussie drivers are more courteous because of this. Brit drivers generally now are in such a hurry, and I hate it - one reason why I won't drive here, but am willing to learn when I get to Oz.
Bank account fees will annoy me, same with the business of "credit or savings"when you use a card in a shop.
One thing that I really get frustrated by - being a non-driver - is the use of paper carrier bags or silly little plastic ones - give me good strong Sainsburys anyday! When you have to carry stuff home over a distance the little plastic ones just are't strong enough, and paper ones dissolve if its raining or just tear and deposit the shopping on the floor! I use a rucksack to go shopping here - but the Aussie supermarkets can't cope with that as they love packing for you!
Still, I guess I'll get used to it all in time.......

Taniar

Hi there,
we found the price of and age of second hand cars to be a joke also the fact that it goes dark really early ( who am i kidding considering it is dark by 3.30 here in the Winter!?) , no long Summer evenings which was a surprise and not something we knew about.

The bottle shops are a brilliant invention which we should have here as are fly screens.

The fact that everyone hoses their property down all the time, well they did in Sunshine coast, perhaps its a rare quirk used only there!!?

Supermarkets- what choice, not and check out the price of cheese!

The fact that as a family we are named after a famous supermarket chain, you can all guess which one, as long as Best and less isnt a choice!

They clean the Gold coast beaches everyday.

They have huge brown flying cockroaches-yeuk.

They cant understand a word i said had to get the daughter to translate and pretty good she was too.

The enormous number of English people who emigrate and either stay or return!

And thats about it folks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ta ta Taniar

Rosy

Although a lot of things "niggled" a bit at first (e.g. the way everyone shortens words and adds an O to the end - Arvo, Salvos, etc.,) once we got used to most of these we just accepted them as being "Australian".

For us, the most frustrating thing has been the unreliability of people, particularly tradesmen. You ring them up, they promise to come round and then don`t bother to turn up. Apparently this is the norm here! Some of our Australian friends say they have built up a "bank" of English tradesmen who they call on in times of need, because that`s the only way they know the work will get done!!!

The banks thing is a big frustration with us too - but there are ways round it, as people have said here. We got caught out the first month when we realised how expensive transactions were, and the fact that even if you just make an enquiry at the counter they charge you(!), but now we just put everything on the credit card and pay one cheque at the end of the month.