Bazza,

Spot on mate and well said. I've been in Melbourne for 8 weeks now and love the place. Sure I miss watching MOTD, Soccer AM and reading the Daily Telegraph on Monday morning. Sure I miss certain foods and drinks but this is Australia, not little britain. I do wish certain folks were slightly more realistic in their expectations and if you are going to miss Jaffa Cakes that badly then don't come or go home ! This is a truly amazing place, the people are wonderful and I don't feel unsafe or worried. For someone with a family this is a fabulous place to be. It has many frustrations, as every place has but it sure as hell beats the UK. Incidentally if you do go home for your Jaffa Cakes I'm sure you'll miss the fresh fruit, the fresh fish and the fabulous range of cakes and sweets !

My wife had lunch with another Mum from the UK who spent a full 2 hours whinging about Australia. It's no wonder the poms have a reputation. Drives me mad.

Spot on! I'm fed up too hearing everything blamed on the paltry small pouplation of 20 million. This is a third of the UK's population and mostly concentrated in a relatively small geographic locations clustered around the main cities. It's got absolutly nothing to do with population size and all down to the Australian's 'Child' personality. A child might not like being told what to do etc. But it is a child so moans about it and gets on with it and definately does not rock the boat. Quoting a few times over 200 years where Australians have supposidly rocked the boat is just plain daft. As for first to give woman the vote, what a laugh!! maybe true but what happed with it? Hardly any woman in the boys club of politics and all up one end at a BBQ talking about quilting & scrapbooking. Try being a woman with your own mind out here and try and get in on the boys conversation at a BBQ and see where that gets you.

Aha, it is about biscuits

It's not true

LOL, We have become the Milo family and only been here 2 weeks.
Milo Cereal
Milo Choc Bars
Milo Drink
Milo Dairy snacks

Shame you are in Melbourne. Sounds like I may have enjoyed lunch with your wife and your wife with me. I just cant get my rose tinted glasses off

Have lunch with my wife when we come to Brissie in january....she's in England at the mo for 2 weeks, and it's reminded her of what a dump we left

Good for you Shazza. We came with an open mind and a desire to enjoy life. We had a very good standard of living in the UK and whilst I've taken a considerable pay cut we still have an excellent quality of life, the kids are very happy and my wife is very settled and feels more welcomed here than she ever did at home. I travel to work with a colleague who came over from the UK and our 25 min drive along Beach Road sure as hell beats the 4 hour round trip from Hampshire to London. If we ever get too concerned about life here I look up Sky News UK and read about the dreadful state of things in the UK - 72 year old Grannies being stabbed to death in Supermarkets etc. It's not perfect here but without doubt it's better than the UK. And that genuinely makes me sad, but that's the reality. Come see us if you are ever in Melbourne ! We're the pasty faced 4 sat in a coffee shop staring at a Melway working out where to go to next !

Col

Good to hear your settling in well Colin.
If your anything like us then Melbourne just gets better & better.
6 years here now & the rose tints are stronger than ever.

Maybe see you at Mornington meet in a few weeks.

Yep, all very well so far Bordy, life is pretty good.

Will certainly see you at the Mornington meet.

Found Irn Bru in glass bottles & Tunnocks Tea Cakes last week up in the Dandenongs - what a pleasant surprise.

You know the really sad thing Colin... I think I know excactly who you mean (I'll PM you) and the sad thing is she's not making it any easier for herself because people are avoiding her because she 'drains' you. She won't fit in unless she gives the place a chance... It's quite good advice to not air all your feelings at anybody and everybody for anyone who is feeling homesick. It must be really, really hard and not everybody is going to find the change suits them like we did. Get upset and let your close friends and family be your shoulder to cry on but people won't want to be around someone who is miserable all the time (plus we all may get labelled with the whinging Pom brush!!).

Another good tip I have heard is don't say "Oh we are only here for 2 years" as people may not want to waste their energy if they are going to loose a friendship. A good one is "well we are here initially for 2 years but we just love it and we'd like to stay for good" Possitive reinforcement on their home works wonders. I would be offended if someone was constantly complaining that a place wasn't good enough for them ... how does that make my standards??

Did Kimberly go to Malt this mornig to meet the 'new Mum's from school?

Told you it was a 'everybody knows everybody' place in Beaumaris. I am sure we will bump into each other very soon through mutual friends, listen out for the Oldham accent normally getting my 12 bottles of clearskins for $48 from Prospect wines.

Louise

Hi Bazza

I appreciate you are a new poster but this is a well worn topic. People whinging about other people whinging. There is a whole row, people threaten not to post any more. Too much already LOL. :scared:

Same old sh*t, different thread.

Paul.

And to add to that. This forum would be so dull without whinging. I love the trolls and the arguments about biscuits.

Paul.

There does seem to be an unhealthy obsession for biscuits on here doesn't there - have any threads escaped without descending into a biscuit war?
Now I'm going to rock the boat - I don't really like biscuits :scared: