Gordon Barlow

Re Brisbane... It's worth mentioning a little piece of doggerel from I-don't-know-where about the state capitals of Australia.
The people of Melbourne
Are frightfully well-born.
Of much the same kidney
Is the beau monde of Sydney.
Adelaide's forte is culture,
While in Brisbane the people insult yer
And don't hardly know they've been rude,
They're that ignorant, common and crude.
It's hardly worth
Mentioning Perth.

Or Hobart, apparently.

BadgeIsBack

Effing hell Brisbane!

Someone mentioned Croydon : I was going to say that plenty of places in the world have nice parts and good parts. Head south of Croydon and you get to pristine Surrey commuter belt and find yourself with spitting distance of the North Downs..

There's a dirty old town centre in South London which meets a nice sleepy little Surrey town and commuter station in 5mins flat...2 worlds colliding..

In Melbourne, people often deride Frankston but that is based on a demographic around the centre -the back blocks, as Buzzy has said, are fine and there are some very nice areas in the hinterland.

If you live in a nice part of the world where people consider themselves lucky to live there - be pleased. The UK has all these Grade1 listed houses and National Trust estates but average places abound in their hundreds. You can go to any part of the UK and be inspired - or dejected..

Alfresco

I've changed all that since I've been here. Very welcoming place now.

Pollyana

There are still some pockets you haven't converted, trust me!!

As for Hobart.....well worth mentioning and highly memorable

paulry

Yep, I can vouch for that

Molly Coddle

Well I think since things are getting a little personal, I'll throw this little clipping in about North v South of England.

According to a recent YouGov poll, 28% of the British public have a “less positive view” of people from London than people from elsewhere and only 14% have a positive view of Londoners.

Northerners, with their jolly, happy-go-lucky attitudes, proper water and brass bands are stereotypically more approachable and better at making mashed potato than their southern peers. Londoners are angry and impatient, although I put this down to the city’s extortionate rent and expensive beer.

Molly Coddle

I find it strange when you get a really affluent village or town in England, directly next to a run down dive of a town. Literally within minutes you are driving through somewhere picture perfect and then the next glance you're driving through a complete shithole with boarded up shops, litter everywhere etc...How does that work

Pollyana

Not that different here really, suburbs in Queensland for instance - I live in Windsor ( probably in the cheapest block of units going!) and its known as an affluent suburb. 10 minutes walk towards the supermarket and I'm in Lutwyche - cheap, rundown, not the worst suburb around by any means but the difference between the two is very clear.

chris955

Exactly the same in Australia and we found it the same in American as well.
Where we lived in Brisbane was really nice but 5 minutes drive was somewhere you wouldnt want your worst enemies to live.

Tim65

One of the most memorable places is the menin gate at Ypres very moving

Molly Coddle

I bet. I'm hoping to go there this year with my mum, her Grandad and Uncle are both buried there, I told her I'd take her before I moved to Australia, I just hope I can fit it in.

Amazulu

Yes. Incredibly moving

A place that will be forever linked to Australia too

Alfresco

The Crown is awesome. Nice and friendly there.

Bix

About 100km North of Weipa on the Cape York Peninsula. The wild countryside from upstream on the Namaleta Creek to the Skardon River.

One of the remotest places on Earth and like no place I've witnessed before. Miles and miles of unspoilt jungle......lush, wet, beautiful.

I will never forget the eerie sound of complete silence; yet with every step was a feeling that a dingo, boar or croc had its eye on you.

A real standout memory was of the many butterflies flapping their wings in hush. Perhaps chaos theory was born in such a place.

paulry

Sounds great!