Hels Bells

The godzone must me most of Australia then I have lived in every State apart from Tassie....

iamthecreaturefromuranus

So you're not a Brit, or an expat and you have spent nearly all your life in Oz.

Just what is it you get from the British Expats forum then?

Hels Bells

Perhaps its not about what I get from it, as opposed to what I can offer??

I have an Expat Husband. I lived in London for 4 years and travelled a little around the UK.

I first registered with BE when we were moving back to Australia to get information about shipping, and transfering money across.

I made alot of friends and I believe I have something to offer in way of advice and information that might help some people moving over, having had experience in both places.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Okey dokey

St.Georges Girl

I don't find that in the least bit funny, lucky maybe, but not funny. Right at this moment we have friends in Victoria who are staying in a hotel because their home is being threatened by fires, which I hasten to add have been raging for over a month now. As I said earlier, my OH has been evacuated at least 3 times in less than a year from WA's north. My aussie mates sister and her friend died in fires down south of here 2 years ago, so I'd say count your blessings. The only reason I got into this is was because another poster told someone to 'stop whining because they obviously preferred battered Britain'. That statement to me was ridiculous.

Hels Bells

I guess I was just offering another perspective for those that arent here yet. One that was a little less 'scare monger-ish'

BadgeIsBack

Have to be really honest, a few days of constant rain and you get sick of that as well. What I would like is 23-25 all year round. Few days of rain. Melbourne does that quite well in Spring/Autumn(!)

I don't think there is anywhere were you get perfect weather.

St.Georges Girl

...and that is fine by me, but I wasn't trying to scare anyone, just answering a post which in my mind was ridiculous and, like you, I was offering another side.

Pollyana

Theres room for both perspectives though - I got hammered by people on here a couple of years back for warning about high fire danger - but for a lot of people in Aus (not all!) its something they do need to bear in mind- even in semi-urban areas. How many people in the suburbs of Canberra expected to lose their homes a few years back? Cycoles? far more affect the north coast of WA than ever get reported nationwide, and the most recent one, Isabel, came all the way down through WA to affect towns on the south coast. I think theres a couple of people that post on here who moved to Cairns without expecting that they would be hit by Cyclone Larry last year.

I remember IPom posting about how she couldn't sleep for the smell of the fires, theres at least one poster out in rural Victoria in an area that was seriously under threat not so long back, I have friends in Tassie that were threaened by fire fairly recently, and if anyone needs a reminder to treat the Australian weather with respect, its there in St.Georges Girl's post - "My aussie mates sister and her friend died in fires down south of here 2 years ago,".

As for the drought - Brisbane is currently working on a plan to cut water pressure as it will help (allegedly) prevent leaks. Fixing the pipes might help, but there you go! result is that those of us on hilltops will have less pressure coming through the taps, and according to the council, anyone with taps more than 3 metres above ground level, on top of a hill, will need a pump to get any pressure at all.

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Parts of the UK get affected by severe weather more than others, no-one is arguing with that, and parts of Australia are the same. Lets just discuss it not argue about it.

St.Georges Girl

That is perfectly true and the most sensible thing I've heard today. What is perfect for one is not for another. I lived in Spain and France for a year and almost everyone where I lived complained about the weather. Too hot, too windy, too much rain, not enough rain and so it goes on, the world over.

Hels Bells

I dont see I was arguing....

I was offering another experience.

The last thing I need to be told is what Australia is like, thanks Polly...

St.Georges Girl

Good post Pollyana.

Pollyana

Then don't be quite so nasty - and this applies to other posters as well, ot just you. I wouldn't dream of telling you what your own country is like, and I respect your opinions because you know a lot more about Australia in general than I ever will, however other people do have a different experience of it from that which you have, and their experience is just as valuable.

Hels Bells

I dont believe I was being nasty....I guess thats subjective

BadgeIsBack

I thought Hels wasn't being nasty to anyone. And I don't want to be nasty to anyone or address this at anyone personally. You'll know if I am! I believe success anywhere depends on a sense of perspective. I live in an old once burned-out village and I'm not worried at all.

(shut up Badge - keep out of it!!!!!!!)