jo_west

Has anyone ever consider other areas to live in the world, why did you choose australia?

I think that Canada was 2nd on my list, but it would be nice to hear your thoughts.

Jo

wildmark

Done Canada, done UK to death, USA too hard and the visa is crap, why not give Oz a try!

karenjc

They play silly sports in Canada and the beer is rubbish.

wildmark

Have you ever been to a live hockey game, I dont think you would say it was silly, and the beer is cold, what more does it have to be

jo_west

All sports are great, and I would love to watch a hockey game, Do you have to speak French to get into Canada?

Amazulu

No either English or French. You get more points if you can speak both though.

karenjc

The beer may be cold but it's still way to gassy. Will admit hockey's not to bad ( only when they start fighting mind you )

BLC

Married an Ozzie . . next time I will try a Italian

lawlaw

because i was born in aus and lived there til i was nearly 10 which makes things alot easier but mostly because its beautiful and the lifestyle is so relaxed and the sun shines

Paul2004

Can vouch for 'because its beautiful and the lifestyle is so relaxed and the sun shines '

Wish I was born there tho!

margoo

Well ... done the UK (and counting the days when I can leave). Gave ZA a thought - but I think I couldn't get used to a life behind electric fences. Canada is certainly on my list... perhaps later - when I've developed skincancer
So why Australia? I don't know... apart from the space, the eucalyptus smell, the sun, the outback, the people, the climate, the beaches and the lifestyle there isn't really very much I can think about...

Margoo - heading off to SA in a few short months!!!

coxfamuk

Actually, we weren't considering Australia at all. In fact, 18 months ago I would have put it as last on my list of places I wanted to live in. Then my SIL moved their and all she could talk about was how wonderful it was and she made us promise to go and see it. We did, in December, and loved it, especially Melbourne, came back and decided to make the move.

We also considered Canada, but a friend of ours spent some time there and said the winters are very harsh and the thought of shovelling snow for five months of the year and having to change tyres each winter to snow tyres didn't appeal. I have to admit that I don;t know if that is the case for all of canada.

The one thing that worries us is the remoteness of Australia - it really is the arse-end of the world. No really, look at the atlas - arse-end, I tell you. But we are trying hard not to think of that and are thinking of all that Australia is going to offer us to help us overcome our feeling of isolation.

Storini

One of the few alternative areas which held my attention for a while was Southern France. At Sofia Antipolis just outside Nice, there are a lot of multinational technology firms in a high-tech cluster, e.g. Amadeus flight reservations http://www.amadeus.com/index.jsp . Working language is almost invariably (international!) English so no problem there. I like the Frogs, and the Med climate is excellent. Main problems were housing costs, and traffic is bad in summer. Definitely worth a look if it could be you...

bridiej

Never fancied living anywhere other than Oz.

lawlaw

I know lucky me eh, been reading your reccie post and loved it, im so excited.