Re: I cannot believe Oz is as bad as this.
 

Thankyou wendy and gruffbrowm pmsl:D

Re: I cannot believe Oz is as bad as this.
 

In an attempt to keep this thread open - can you please watch your language guys, I don't want to spend all day inserting ***, and can you please watch the racist comments that are creeping into a lot of posts. This is not tolerated on BE and if there are any more I will start deleting the relevant posts.

Thanks :)

Re: I cannot believe Oz is as bad as this.
 

nope. no work down there apart from farming and life saving :D Plus the weather still crap.

Re: I cannot believe Oz is as bad as this.
 

But the existence of places like Devon and smaller towns down there which don't have the problems of London does suggest that it isn''t a problem with the UK but certain areas of the UK.

Re: I cannot believe Oz is as bad as this.
 

Where's PB hiding?? :confused: :rolleyes:

"The boy stood on the burning deck................." perfectly describes anybody who still believes in the sociopolitics of Britain.................

Re: I cannot believe Oz is as bad as this.
 

oh, you can find places to live, but it is getting the balance of life, that I have become acustom to, living in London and small village life in England does not get near it.

Anyway, it's only a matter of time before places like Devon start to feel the heat of mass immigration as well

Basically, Britian is a very small peace of land, and at the moment is one of the most dense populated places in Europe. We just don't have the space to keep building houses and taking more people in.

Makes me laught when I read on this site of a poll that says that reasons for leaving UK was "not because of what it has become" was quite low in the catorgory's. I have spoken to a few Poms over the last year, and every "recent" IE these that have left in the last 2 years, did put the state of the country as a major reason for leaving, and there fear for what it will become in another tens years or so.

Maybe it is just a case of your surrounding and where you live back in the UK as to the perception that the state of the country has become.

Re: I cannot believe Oz is as bad as this.
 

We had a very good life in the Uk well paid jobs, lovely house, lovely area, private health care, private schools. We both loved the UK for all the things it had and still has to offer and we enjoyed our childhoods and part of our adult lives there. The problem was that we both worked fulltime (hubby always doing overtime) the children were in fulltime childcare and after school clubs and we just did not spend much time with them at all. My husband being in a very specialised job was very limited as to where he could work so we didn't have the option of moving to another part of England we could have moved to Scotland which we both love but we just could not cope with the weather. We seemed to spend a lot of time in traffic which was something that nobody particularly likes but the school run alone took 1/2 to 45 minutes to do a journey that should have taken 10.

We now live (in my opinion) in a beautiful part of WA. We are living in a beautiful, brand new house with balconies and a large garden we are at the top of a hill with stunning views of the ocean and estuary, our boy walks to school (5 mins walk), we walk to the beach, park and deli on the canals (10 mins), we go cycling, kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, crabbing etc We are all much healthier here as we exercise a lot more than we did in the UK partly because we have more free time but also because of the weather and the variety of accessible activities available. The lack of good quality ready made meals and the abundance of interesting fruit and veg (and of course having time) means that I cook fresh meals most days and have discovered some great new recipes. We have made lots of friends very easily (both British and Australian) and have not had one day of home sickness. We have my husbands cousin with us for 6 months at the moment, he has stopped here to earn some money before he continues on his round the world trip. We have 5 different groups of friends and family booked up to come out this year.

I don't have to work (I will when my 4 year old starts school full time). We have a very good shopping centre 5 mins drive away with a large supermarket, a bank, doctor, dentist, bottle shop, tavern, gym, chemist everything we need really. My hubby has a very well paid, permanent job with a multinational co, he starts at the end of the month. It is a 45 minute drive from here and he will be working 2 days on, 2 nights on with 6 days off so we will still have loads of time to do all the family things we have been doing since we arrived in September. Our children have blossomed, they go to loads of clubs and classes. The eldest does swimming, hip hop dance classes, surfing classes and he will be starting a martial arts discipline and weaponry class next month. He loves his school and has loads of friends. The youngest goes to art, drama, dance and gymnastics classes. A noticeable difference here is that they didn't have to go on any waiting lists for their classes they were both able to start straight away. They both love it here especially our 10 year old (who didn't want to come) he is like a different child full of confidence and fun. My hubby and I have always had a very close and loving relationship and coming here has given us time to really enjoy each others company.

Now I admit we have been very lucky in so many ways but we also planned for 5 years before we came out. We came over for several holidays and researched and stayed all along the coast from Scarborough in the north to Bunbury in the south and we found the perfect place for us. Hubby visited the place he now works everytime we came over, offered his advice and expertise and made friends there. As far as crime is concerned it is everywhere in the world but when you come here or before you come if poss, you have to choose where you live very carefully. Go online and read the local papers for the areas you are interested in, look at the demographics to get an idea if it is the right place for you. When you come over rent and talk to the locals, we have found them to be very honest about good and bad ares and listen to people on the forum who are already here or who have been around for a while. As people have said before it is not paradise and there are problems just like the UK there are bad areas and good areas so this post is not meant to challenge those who say it is not that great here I agree some parts are not but for those of you that might be put off I just wanted to illustrate that there are some lovely places and it is possible to have a wonderful life here.

Re: I cannot believe Oz is as bad as this.
 

You are absolutely right, Arkon but you just have to get over it!

The two universal reasons for coming to Oz are the weather and the space - and those are as valid as they ever have been.

As for the crime, the vandalism, the litter, the stabbings and the gang warfare, they are probably just like they were in the UK. The difference is that in Oz, with the "classless society", such things are IMO not confined to certain blackspot areas, but are spread out over the country as a whole so are more "in your face" than in the UK generally.

The abject reluctance of anyone in positions of power to apprehend and *really* crack down hard on the minority of antisocial thugs is depressing and seems to be accepted as the natural way of life. As is the increasingly nannying legislation which hits everyone, as the alternative: it's the Aussie way and it's something which neither you or I will change. So move somewhere a little more civilised (The Southern Highlands, perhaps <g>) and enjoy the weather and the space! ;)

Re: I cannot believe Oz is as bad as this.
 

Sounds to me like too many people are attending the Victor Meldrew school of life. Always looking for the worst in everything. Yes OZ does have crime just like the UK and other countries. If you want clean streets, no drugs,no crime and be told what to think then maybe North Korea is the place your looking for.

Life really is what you make it. Dont do drugs and the dealers have no reason to come looking for you . Dont bash people up or rob folk and the cops dont have a reason to lock you up.
Just look after your own family and stop looking for problems and deal with them if and when they happen.
We lived in the Uk for 30 odd years and moved to Oz 4 years ago.Life for us is great here and have never looked back.

If you keep looking back youll never move forward.
If your constantly worried about being attacked or the victim of crime, then in your own mind you are already a victim.
:)

Re: I cannot believe Oz is as bad as this.
 

Exactly the reasons we moved for and have achieved, and you certainly live in one of the most beautiful areas!

Re: I cannot believe Oz is as bad as this.
 

10 outta 10 for cheese!

I prefer to use.."the grass is not greener on 2 birds in the bush".

Re: I cannot believe Oz is as bad as this.
 

I've said this before -you are privileged, in the sameway I am privileged.
Thing is, not everyone can afford the best parts of the UK (eg where you are) whereas they may be able to afford the better bit of Australia. It is all very well for both of us to look out on our good areas. I know though there are crap parts of Australia- as these other people know their are crap parts of the UK-they live in them.

Re: I cannot believe Oz is as bad as this.
 

Do you think I asked for some thief to come to my home with bolt cutters in the middle of the night? Did I want him stealing from my 10 year old child only a few feet from me while I slept? Better question...Have you been the victim of a crime lately? If not, then I invite you to be. For at least 3 nights after every time I heard so much as a leaf rattle outside my window I was awake scared silly that this time they are coming in to see what we have inside the house the house. I now sleep with a cricket bat beside the bed and one eye open. I never asked to be a victim of crime and I don't think it's all in my mind, either.

Re: I cannot believe Oz is as bad as this.
 

Thats very true. I never asked to be a victim of crime either, but it happened - and the fear was real, not in my mind. I never worried about crime until I was burgled. Shakes you up, even if you aren't home when it happens. It was a few years back now and I don't think about it much, but thef ear still surfaces sometimes.
I was also on the receiving end once of a complete fruit-loop of a boyfriend pointing a gun in my face. I certainly never asked for that, and that one does still freak me. I hate the fact the police carry guns, and I hate the fact that many people here - esp in the country - just have guns lying around. I don't dwell on it, and I don't constanly expect it to happen again. But the fear is there.

Crime is everywhere, and it pervades people's lives without them asking for it - and often when they are innocent of any sort of provocation.

Re: I cannot believe Oz is as bad as this.
 

I was never afraid of crime.

Then I lived in Nottingham. Got my flat broken into a couple of times. Then I bought my first house and had that broken into (whilst in the shower one morning). Then somebody crashed into me whilst high on drugs (they were also uninsured). Then my car got broken into twice.

After a bit I began to start fearing crime.

I still don't believe that this is a UK specific problem. I lived in inner city Nottingham. I loved the city but it did seem to be a bit of a crime hot spot!