Whether to do the move or not- oz the good bad and ugly needed!
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 12
Whether to do the move or not- oz the good bad and ugly needed!
Really undecided as to whether to go for the job I have been offered in OZ.
I read on here about ping pongers, people who dont settle there and wish they could come home, people who have the curse of the ex pat and dont settle when they come home and obviously people who love it!
Just so undecided! I dont go along with the whole sun thing and want real answers!
- Spiders - whats the reality of life down under with them, even with a house sprayed.
- crime - standard of living - what is it really like? Better than the uk? (in south australia)
- kids - we dont have them yet but is it really 'better to bring them up here'
- lifestyle - lots of people moaning that oz is boring which is worrying!
I know its how long is a peice of string but real/honest answers would be great.
I am unsure whether to simply go and live in the countryside instead of the city and stay in the uk.
Thanks!
I read on here about ping pongers, people who dont settle there and wish they could come home, people who have the curse of the ex pat and dont settle when they come home and obviously people who love it!
Just so undecided! I dont go along with the whole sun thing and want real answers!
- Spiders - whats the reality of life down under with them, even with a house sprayed.
- crime - standard of living - what is it really like? Better than the uk? (in south australia)
- kids - we dont have them yet but is it really 'better to bring them up here'
- lifestyle - lots of people moaning that oz is boring which is worrying!
I know its how long is a peice of string but real/honest answers would be great.
I am unsure whether to simply go and live in the countryside instead of the city and stay in the uk.
Thanks!
#2
Re: Whether to do the move or not- oz the good bad and ugly needed!
Really undecided as to whether to go for the job I have been offered in OZ.
I read on here about ping pongers, people who dont settle there and wish they could come home, people who have the curse of the ex pat and dont settle when they come home and obviously people who love it!
Just so undecided! I dont go along with the whole sun thing and want real answers!
- Spiders - whats the reality of life down under with them, even with a house sprayed.
- crime - standard of living - what is it really like? Better than the uk? (in south australia)
- kids - we dont have them yet but is it really 'better to bring them up here'
- lifestyle - lots of people moaning that oz is boring which is worrying!
I know its how long is a peice of string but real/honest answers would be great.
I am unsure whether to simply go and live in the countryside instead of the city and stay in the uk.
Thanks!
I read on here about ping pongers, people who dont settle there and wish they could come home, people who have the curse of the ex pat and dont settle when they come home and obviously people who love it!
Just so undecided! I dont go along with the whole sun thing and want real answers!
- Spiders - whats the reality of life down under with them, even with a house sprayed.
- crime - standard of living - what is it really like? Better than the uk? (in south australia)
- kids - we dont have them yet but is it really 'better to bring them up here'
- lifestyle - lots of people moaning that oz is boring which is worrying!
I know its how long is a peice of string but real/honest answers would be great.
I am unsure whether to simply go and live in the countryside instead of the city and stay in the uk.
Thanks!
Life's what you make it, wherever you are.
All your questions are really subjective, so are pretty hard to answer. Everyone has a different view, and any answers you get will be views and not reality for everyone.
But hey, I'll play along and answer the questions based on my experiences/thoughts.
Spiders - Haven't had any in my rental this year. I do have a Raid Automatic spray in the kitchen though I have had a lot of centipede type things! (don't know what they are but there's 100's of them!!)
- crime - standard of living - what is it really like? Better than the uk? (in south australia) - I'm in South Australia. There's crime here. You do get some pretty bad stuff happening. Drugs and gun crime can be pretty bad. Mostly amongst the bikers. There's been quite a few robberies at petrol stations lately. But after saying that, I feel a lot safer here than I ever did in the UK - but then I do come from Bradford
kids - we dont have them yet but is it really 'better to bring them up here'. Mine like it here and wouldn't go back to the UK. Whether it's better or not I don't know, have been here 5 years and the UK has changed a lot. I do know that most of my cousins kids can't get work. My eldest two have good jobs here. I do think they stay kids here longer though. Based on comparing my 12 year old daughter to my cousins 11 year old (who acts 14!)
- lifestyle lots of people moaning that oz is boring which is worrying! Only boring people are bored Plenty to do here if you look for it. Really depends what you like though!?
#3
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 225
Re: Whether to do the move or not- oz the good bad and ugly needed!
Really undecided as to whether to go for the job I have been offered in OZ.
I read on here about ping pongers, people who dont settle there and wish they could come home, people who have the curse of the ex pat and dont settle when they come home and obviously people who love it!
Just so undecided! I dont go along with the whole sun thing and want real answers!
- Spiders - whats the reality of life down under with them, even with a house sprayed.
We found there was more in the country in NSW than when we got into a large town, didn't come across 1 spider in the house the whole time we were there, tho there were a couple of dead cockroaches and some lizard type things
- crime - standard of living - what is it really like? Better than the uk? (in south australia)
There is going to be crime where ever you go! There is always a chance of crime - take the poor girl in the bomb scare at Mosman prob would've taken bets that she'd be ok in posh suburb Mosman? I think if you're careful research the suburbs you want to live in, go for a suburb with low crime rates and be sensible then you'd be no worse of than anywhere else - I live in a sleepy Norfolk village - vast majority of people have their head up others arses but in the last 3 years crime has gone up here a lot, every day I hear sirens close by.
- kids - we dont have them yet but is it really 'better to bring them up here'
Our kids LOVE the outdoors, good weather helps kids want to be outside and playing, and from a young age kids learn through play, I believe kids have more opportunities in Australia but that is solely my opinion on how WE view our life here and back in Oz.
- lifestyle - lots of people moaning that oz is boring which is worrying!
Who said Australia is boring? There's plenty to do - you might have to look about but generally I don't think you have to look too far, what we like are large parklands like we have in the UK are normally free to park at in Oz and I honestly believe they have some of the best kids playground equipment thats well maintained and doesn't seem to be vandalised like it is near where we live
I know its how long is a peice of string but real/honest answers would be great.
I am unsure whether to simply go and live in the countryside instead of the city and stay in the uk.
Thats a decision only you can make but ask yourself a question would you regret it if you had the opportunity for a change in your life and you didn't take it?
Thanks!
I read on here about ping pongers, people who dont settle there and wish they could come home, people who have the curse of the ex pat and dont settle when they come home and obviously people who love it!
Just so undecided! I dont go along with the whole sun thing and want real answers!
- Spiders - whats the reality of life down under with them, even with a house sprayed.
We found there was more in the country in NSW than when we got into a large town, didn't come across 1 spider in the house the whole time we were there, tho there were a couple of dead cockroaches and some lizard type things
- crime - standard of living - what is it really like? Better than the uk? (in south australia)
There is going to be crime where ever you go! There is always a chance of crime - take the poor girl in the bomb scare at Mosman prob would've taken bets that she'd be ok in posh suburb Mosman? I think if you're careful research the suburbs you want to live in, go for a suburb with low crime rates and be sensible then you'd be no worse of than anywhere else - I live in a sleepy Norfolk village - vast majority of people have their head up others arses but in the last 3 years crime has gone up here a lot, every day I hear sirens close by.
- kids - we dont have them yet but is it really 'better to bring them up here'
Our kids LOVE the outdoors, good weather helps kids want to be outside and playing, and from a young age kids learn through play, I believe kids have more opportunities in Australia but that is solely my opinion on how WE view our life here and back in Oz.
- lifestyle - lots of people moaning that oz is boring which is worrying!
Who said Australia is boring? There's plenty to do - you might have to look about but generally I don't think you have to look too far, what we like are large parklands like we have in the UK are normally free to park at in Oz and I honestly believe they have some of the best kids playground equipment thats well maintained and doesn't seem to be vandalised like it is near where we live
I know its how long is a peice of string but real/honest answers would be great.
I am unsure whether to simply go and live in the countryside instead of the city and stay in the uk.
Thats a decision only you can make but ask yourself a question would you regret it if you had the opportunity for a change in your life and you didn't take it?
Thanks!
#4
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 484
Re: Whether to do the move or not- oz the good bad and ugly needed!
Really undecided as to whether to go for the job I have been offered in OZ.
I read on here about ping pongers, people who dont settle there and wish they could come home, people who have the curse of the ex pat and dont settle when they come home and obviously people who love it!
Just so undecided! I dont go along with the whole sun thing and want real answers!
Come first on holiday. This is obvious no?
- Spiders - whats the reality of life down under with them, even with a house sprayed.
Don't worry. There are some but no big deal
- crime - standard of living - what is it really like? Better than the uk? (in south australia)
Safer. Old lady getting mugged of $10 makes paper. In UK she'd have to be killed
- kids - we dont have them yet but is it really 'better to bring them up here'
Yes - weather means can go outdoors
- lifestyle - lots of people moaning that oz is boring which is worrying!
Fine with kids. Don't have a life anyway with them ;-)
Money - income x 3. If less you'll be worse off financially. So 20k pounds = 60k dollars
I know its how long is a peice of string but real/honest answers would be great.
I am unsure whether to simply go and live in the countryside instead of the city and stay in the uk.
Thanks!
I read on here about ping pongers, people who dont settle there and wish they could come home, people who have the curse of the ex pat and dont settle when they come home and obviously people who love it!
Just so undecided! I dont go along with the whole sun thing and want real answers!
Come first on holiday. This is obvious no?
- Spiders - whats the reality of life down under with them, even with a house sprayed.
Don't worry. There are some but no big deal
- crime - standard of living - what is it really like? Better than the uk? (in south australia)
Safer. Old lady getting mugged of $10 makes paper. In UK she'd have to be killed
- kids - we dont have them yet but is it really 'better to bring them up here'
Yes - weather means can go outdoors
- lifestyle - lots of people moaning that oz is boring which is worrying!
Fine with kids. Don't have a life anyway with them ;-)
Money - income x 3. If less you'll be worse off financially. So 20k pounds = 60k dollars
I know its how long is a peice of string but real/honest answers would be great.
I am unsure whether to simply go and live in the countryside instead of the city and stay in the uk.
Thanks!
Have answered above
#5
221b Baker Street
Joined: Jun 2010
Location: Miles from anywhere, Victoria, Australia.
Posts: 14,125
Re: Whether to do the move or not- oz the good bad and ugly needed!
Here's a copy of a post I made in another thread. I'll place the thread link at the end. You'll see a great deal of debate (and other stuff ) in there:
In all these discussions of income, cost of living, what the weather is like etc. etc. etc., of course there are those who say this or that income will be fine (or not) the weather is fantastic (or not) quality of things is fine (or not). Open debate is useful of course but the one thing that will make or break a move from the UK to Oz is: Will you be mentally better off?
Since I moved here the weather has been fantastic and terrible.
My income went up - and down
The cost of living has gone up - we have made adjustments.
But am I HAPPY? Yes.
Why am I happy? Because I find that here nobody judges you.
If you are happy somewhere you will manage. If you aren't happy it can be a nightmare.
The Australian way of life has plenty of quirks. There are several annoyances of which most posters on B.E. will be aware. There are plenty of plus points too.
On any income, either Australia will suit you or it won't. The snag is, you don't find out until you get here.
Taken from: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=725301
In all these discussions of income, cost of living, what the weather is like etc. etc. etc., of course there are those who say this or that income will be fine (or not) the weather is fantastic (or not) quality of things is fine (or not). Open debate is useful of course but the one thing that will make or break a move from the UK to Oz is: Will you be mentally better off?
Since I moved here the weather has been fantastic and terrible.
My income went up - and down
The cost of living has gone up - we have made adjustments.
But am I HAPPY? Yes.
Why am I happy? Because I find that here nobody judges you.
If you are happy somewhere you will manage. If you aren't happy it can be a nightmare.
The Australian way of life has plenty of quirks. There are several annoyances of which most posters on B.E. will be aware. There are plenty of plus points too.
On any income, either Australia will suit you or it won't. The snag is, you don't find out until you get here.
Taken from: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=725301
#6
Re: Whether to do the move or not- oz the good bad and ugly needed!
I think if you can afford to make the move, won't be worse off financially and can handle being away from family and friends, then go for it.
Do your sums and your research carefully. Look at the positives and if they outweigh the negatives what have you go to lose. If it doesn't work out, then at least you gave it a shot.
Last edited by Still Game; Aug 9th 2011 at 6:05 pm.
#7
Re: Whether to do the move or not- oz the good bad and ugly needed!
It is indeed one of those piece of string type questions.
Spiders - yes, there are spiders in Australia and some of them will love to share your house. Usually the big harmless huntsmen like to come inside and occasionally you will find white tails (nasty bites but not killers) - redbacks like the woodpiles so be careful if you have a wood heater. You can get your house sprayed but whether you like living in an environment that kills things is another matter. The chances of getting killed by a spider bite are really rare but some of them can hurt a bit and make you feel a bit woozy. I find cockroaches more of a menace and they can be very hard to eradicate and if you get ants in the kitchen then they can be hard to get rid of as well.
Crime - yes, we have it here too. No riots at the moment but it probably wont be long. Fair bit of drug warfare, some postcode gangs and quite a bit more gun crime I suspect (we are veering towards the US gangsta more than the Midsomer murderer)
Kids - not an inherently better place to bring up kids, just different. What they make up for in beaches they miss out in other ways - history, culture (blah blah, yes I know Aus has both but it really isnt the same!), isolation because of lack of connection with extended family etc. You may even find that they head off themselves once they get old enough (one of mine went on a gap year almost a decade ago and hasnt bothered to come back - better opportunities in UK!). Youth suicide rates here, whilst on the decline, are at the top of the world rankings and youth mental health is big business. We have youth unemployment here too and many young people will never get a foot on the property ladder just like UK
Lifestyle - mine is distinctly less fulfilled here but, then, I dont much like sitting on beaches getting burned to a crisp every day of the year. Sadly, I now find that most of my life is spent on the computer as I pursue my hobbies or otherwise inside trying to keep warm/escape from the heat/avoid the flies. The older I get the more difficult it becomes to cope with the heat
Every one is different though - if you have an itch for adventure then by all means go ahead and scratch it. We took the opportunities that came our way, but then we failed to continue to make judgments about where we wanted our lives to go when we were heads down working to survive, raising kids, preparing for retirement etc We neglected to move on to the next adventure and just got stuck in some sort of comfort zone (limbo really) and then there are all sorts of other things that come into play - the kids education not being at the right stage, financially strapped with the dollar/pound exchange, the arrival of grandkids, etc.
Good luck with your decision, only you can make it!
Spiders - yes, there are spiders in Australia and some of them will love to share your house. Usually the big harmless huntsmen like to come inside and occasionally you will find white tails (nasty bites but not killers) - redbacks like the woodpiles so be careful if you have a wood heater. You can get your house sprayed but whether you like living in an environment that kills things is another matter. The chances of getting killed by a spider bite are really rare but some of them can hurt a bit and make you feel a bit woozy. I find cockroaches more of a menace and they can be very hard to eradicate and if you get ants in the kitchen then they can be hard to get rid of as well.
Crime - yes, we have it here too. No riots at the moment but it probably wont be long. Fair bit of drug warfare, some postcode gangs and quite a bit more gun crime I suspect (we are veering towards the US gangsta more than the Midsomer murderer)
Kids - not an inherently better place to bring up kids, just different. What they make up for in beaches they miss out in other ways - history, culture (blah blah, yes I know Aus has both but it really isnt the same!), isolation because of lack of connection with extended family etc. You may even find that they head off themselves once they get old enough (one of mine went on a gap year almost a decade ago and hasnt bothered to come back - better opportunities in UK!). Youth suicide rates here, whilst on the decline, are at the top of the world rankings and youth mental health is big business. We have youth unemployment here too and many young people will never get a foot on the property ladder just like UK
Lifestyle - mine is distinctly less fulfilled here but, then, I dont much like sitting on beaches getting burned to a crisp every day of the year. Sadly, I now find that most of my life is spent on the computer as I pursue my hobbies or otherwise inside trying to keep warm/escape from the heat/avoid the flies. The older I get the more difficult it becomes to cope with the heat
Every one is different though - if you have an itch for adventure then by all means go ahead and scratch it. We took the opportunities that came our way, but then we failed to continue to make judgments about where we wanted our lives to go when we were heads down working to survive, raising kids, preparing for retirement etc We neglected to move on to the next adventure and just got stuck in some sort of comfort zone (limbo really) and then there are all sorts of other things that come into play - the kids education not being at the right stage, financially strapped with the dollar/pound exchange, the arrival of grandkids, etc.
Good luck with your decision, only you can make it!
#8
Re: Whether to do the move or not- oz the good bad and ugly needed!
My tuppence:
Spiders - seen no more spiders here than I ever did at home. We have just had one huntsman in the house but it minded its own business on the ceiling (we have very high ceilings) and a couple of days later when it came down the cat got it.
Crime - I have never been personally impacted by crime in 40 years in the UK and I have not been impacted by crime in my 1 year in Australia. I feel no more and no less at risk here than I did there.
Standard of living - again I enjoy a very similar standard of living
Children - we don't have them either, but they do seem very nice here. Very well mannered, well behaved and even groups of teenagers are courteous and not at all intimidating like Uk counterparts can be. I don't agree that one first world country is better for children than another but we are both very impressed with the quality of children here.
Lifestyle - we are not at all bored here, we are a bus ride from Sydney centre though, I suppose there are places that could get boring.
Overall we are very happy.
Spiders - seen no more spiders here than I ever did at home. We have just had one huntsman in the house but it minded its own business on the ceiling (we have very high ceilings) and a couple of days later when it came down the cat got it.
Crime - I have never been personally impacted by crime in 40 years in the UK and I have not been impacted by crime in my 1 year in Australia. I feel no more and no less at risk here than I did there.
Standard of living - again I enjoy a very similar standard of living
Children - we don't have them either, but they do seem very nice here. Very well mannered, well behaved and even groups of teenagers are courteous and not at all intimidating like Uk counterparts can be. I don't agree that one first world country is better for children than another but we are both very impressed with the quality of children here.
Lifestyle - we are not at all bored here, we are a bus ride from Sydney centre though, I suppose there are places that could get boring.
Overall we are very happy.
#9
Re: Whether to do the move or not- oz the good bad and ugly needed!
Standard of living? Depends on what you want and how much income you have, just like anywhere else.
As previous posters have said, make a list of the reasons you might want to emigrate and the reasons for staying in the UK and decide which has the greatest appeal - and if you decide to come here do so with a positive attitude of looking for the best Australia has to offer. Australia isn't England, and if you are continually looking for English things when you are here and whinging when you don't find them you will never be happy. If you come here you need to look for the things that make Australia a great place to live, not the things that (in your mind) are better in the UK.
#10
Re: Whether to do the move or not- oz the good bad and ugly needed!
My wife is Australian and she recalls spending entire days down at the beach as a kid in the 80s. It was only at the end of the day that she would get that 'toasty and time to go inside' feeling. She reckons she gets that in about 20 minutes now.
Just because the sun shines doesnt mean everything is automatically well and good.
I also find there are less places to take them for things to do, and at the end of the day it seems to gravitate around meeting up with other parents in a park or the beach or at someones house while the kids play.
Its obviously subjective but I'd much prefer to take my kids to things like castles, ruins, historical sites and at least have a point to going somewhere.
Remember that people, yourself included, have grown up in the UK, and have turned out fine (I'm making an assumption there!). The country is equipped to deal with the climate. Same as here. Just dont believe that Australia is some kind of holy grail for parenting. Its really not. If people whinge about the UK climate being bad, how do you think the Canadians feel. I personally dont hear that much complaining from the ones I know.
Anyway, at the end of the day its you bringing them up not the country.
Personally I find I do get more bored here than I did in the UK though, and I put that down to geographical isolation. I live in central syndey and I've done most day trip journeys multiple times (hunter valley, kangaroo valley, blue mountains, inner city distractions, etc). Its hard to just 'escape' for the day.
Have you ever been here before? That may be a starting point you know.
#11
Re: Whether to do the move or not- oz the good bad and ugly needed!
Just because the sun shines in australia you think people arent sat at home watching crap on the TV! Wide open spaces available in both places, fresh air available in both places.
Going to nightclubs: Maybe get with the times a little, that happens all over the world. Or have you not experienced any major global city on Thursday Friday and Satrudays? Thats related to demographics not geographical location thing.
You should also probably mention the "football hooligans" and the "beer louts" in the UK too, just to drive your point home.
#12
Re: Whether to do the move or not- oz the good bad and ugly needed!
I loathe the phrase 'only boring people get bored' - it's trite and untrue.
Australia for me represents wildlife, flora and fauna and the ocean. That's the reason we are here. The outdoorsy life is definitely somewhat agreeable.
No where's perfect but the downsides I find are - it's a bit culturally backward (where I am obviously), its a youthful country so doesn't have a long history so can feel quite one dimensional, the people are generally very friendly but I don't find many people interested in depthy conversations/banter and debate. For these things I always feel a bit alienated and homesick. If you're anything like me you will find it a little bland from time to time.
If the finance side isn't an imperative I'd view it as an adventure and come over for a few years. You don't have to stay.
Australia for me represents wildlife, flora and fauna and the ocean. That's the reason we are here. The outdoorsy life is definitely somewhat agreeable.
No where's perfect but the downsides I find are - it's a bit culturally backward (where I am obviously), its a youthful country so doesn't have a long history so can feel quite one dimensional, the people are generally very friendly but I don't find many people interested in depthy conversations/banter and debate. For these things I always feel a bit alienated and homesick. If you're anything like me you will find it a little bland from time to time.
If the finance side isn't an imperative I'd view it as an adventure and come over for a few years. You don't have to stay.
#14
Banned
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,157
Re: Whether to do the move or not- oz the good bad and ugly needed!
Here's a copy of a post I made in another thread. I'll place the thread link at the end. You'll see a great deal of debate (and other stuff ) in there:
In all these discussions of income, cost of living, what the weather is like etc. etc. etc., of course there are those who say this or that income will be fine (or not) the weather is fantastic (or not) quality of things is fine (or not). Open debate is useful of course but the one thing that will make or break a move from the UK to Oz is: Will you be mentally better off?
Since I moved here the weather has been fantastic and terrible.
My income went up - and down
The cost of living has gone up - we have made adjustments.
But am I HAPPY? Yes.
Why am I happy? Because I find that here nobody judges you.
If you are happy somewhere you will manage. If you aren't happy it can be a nightmare.
The Australian way of life has plenty of quirks. There are several annoyances of which most posters on B.E. will be aware. There are plenty of plus points too.
On any income, either Australia will suit you or it won't. The snag is, you don't find out until you get here.
Taken from: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=725301
In all these discussions of income, cost of living, what the weather is like etc. etc. etc., of course there are those who say this or that income will be fine (or not) the weather is fantastic (or not) quality of things is fine (or not). Open debate is useful of course but the one thing that will make or break a move from the UK to Oz is: Will you be mentally better off?
Since I moved here the weather has been fantastic and terrible.
My income went up - and down
The cost of living has gone up - we have made adjustments.
But am I HAPPY? Yes.
Why am I happy? Because I find that here nobody judges you.
If you are happy somewhere you will manage. If you aren't happy it can be a nightmare.
The Australian way of life has plenty of quirks. There are several annoyances of which most posters on B.E. will be aware. There are plenty of plus points too.
On any income, either Australia will suit you or it won't. The snag is, you don't find out until you get here.
Taken from: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=725301