fish.01

Cost of living similar.

Housing - on average prefer the houses in oz because of the design freedom and size the weather and population density often allows. Obviously nice houses in both.

Schools - according to international independent ranking they finish about equal - like the cheaper access to private schools in oz - like the "everything free" aspect of govt schools in uk.

Shopping - prefer the clothes in uk - but I live in Brisbane where emphasis isn't on heavy, well cut, winter clothes so comparison with melbourne shopping might be more equal. Like high streets in uk. Like individual nature of many shops in oz and the markets.

Friendliness - Find Australians more up for a chat behind the shop counter, on the streets etc. and less formality when visiting. British are friendly in the pubs and more fun at sporting events.

Medical Care - I think australia has better outcomes in some international measures and the uk in others so similar, maybe medicare slightly ahead due to rankings in cancer treatment, life expectancy etc - I would plump for medicare if had to make a choice, others would choose nhs - uk slightly cheaper at point of service - medicare has more potential to take your money if you don't understand the system. Medicare more hit and miss in regional areas - maybe caused by large size of country. Lucky to have either.

Quality of life - Totally depends on how well you choose your location within a city and city within a country. Both countries support most lifestyles if you match your interests to your location. Australia edges ahead for some due to ability to do free stuff outdoors in good weather and natural history. Australia falls behind for people who wish to travel regularly to the continent or have a heavy interest in man made history. Think australia hides/clusters chavs better in far flung suburbs whereas in uk due to smaller geographic size of city often chavs travel all over

Caveat: This is obviously full of guesses and personal opinion and not a lot of thought has gone into it.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

It used to irritate the Hell out of me when people would say "you need to give it a couple of years", but I'm sad to say that there is an element of truth to it. You do get used to Australia and the differences do fade into the background, which doesn't help you much at the moment though.

Try and let go of the idea that it's anybodies 'fault'. It's not, it's just how it is. You are struggling to find any positives at the moment and plenty of people would agree with you, but pushing your viewpoint at people who are happy here will always get you a negative response. I know that from personal experience and I used to be a lot more forceful about it than you are being.

Best advice I can give may not please this sites owners but its to not post here on a regular basis... you will spend all your time fighting a war with people who have diametrically opposed views to your own and that won't help you in any way. All it does is reinforce your position and increase your anger at Australia..... and try to remember Australia is just so much red dirt... it doesn't give a shit about how you feel.

willamos

Very wise words.

fish.01

Good post.

From my perspective if I ever think "you need to give it a couple of years" it wouldn't mean that I thought that time was "always" the problem. Obviously for some there could never be enough time to make them like it But it is "sometimes" the problem and it is hard to decide who fits into which category.

When I read all the boredom or don't like people/place posts I "do" often think a lot of people have made a bad location choice and that a lot of Australians wouldn't want to live in the suburb/town or city where they live either - and would feel the same way if they did. Not singling out anywhere because everyone likes different places. But sometimes it might be cultural differences that they have grown up and can't replicate here that makes it more boring. Obviously same happens to Australians going to the UK - we are all often trained to live a certain way.

But again, moving somewhere else in oz is not always the answer, or practical, and sometimes only the uk would suffice to match their interests. Obviously some people just miss the uk and wouldn't like Australia even if it was utopia - understandable, though it would be nice if they could acknowledge their home sickness without needing to run down Australia in an unbalanced way (balanced way is fine) - but I guess some people can't help it, or don't recognise it, when they are unhappy.

Here's hoping everyone eventually gets where they want to be - I'm moving next week one step closer to my perfect place.

rinkerdink

Williamos, all the above is fine but when I am unlucky enough to have things not go my way I just deal with it! We all have a moan now and again and have low moments but you do seem to be very thin skinned to be posting on an open forum.

I have been bored by some of your multi syllable wordy responses yes I do understand all your long words but can't help thinking you are using them to kind of show you are bit cleverer and can articulate your points better. As a famous Judge once said 'hiring a brief doesn't manufacture a case if you haven't already got one' like wise using long words doesn't create a point if you don't have one.

take a chill pill you seem to be only one that actually care's

The_Wookie

Really? What about those of us who have replied in this thread that share the same opinion? Or do you have selective reading?

rinkerdink

BOOOOOOring

The_Wookie

er - sorry?

Centurion

Equally it makes interesting reading for those of us, for example me, who share the entirely opposite view.

nephilim

well Willomas if you dont want the lift to the airport can I have it as I am going back to the uk soon and I agree with everything you have said,nice to see a more balanced thread for a changez

willamos

Well, er, if I can articulate my points better than a lot of people do, why wouldn't I?! Why would I deliberately NOT articulate my points well? Why would I think of a good way of expressing something and then not employ it?

What a thoroughly pointless observation.

willamos

It seems to me that no one gets bored of threads chatting aimlessly about how lovely Australia is but as soon as a thread starts to go down the path of saying how dull (etc) Australia is everyone starts going ''boring, move on!''

Then they have the nerve to tell you to be balanced.

NELBHOY

No, I do not.


This was a decent thread up 'til your 27th post. It started to go downhill from there. Post 32, where you start to compare you're situation to that of someone living in abject poverty, was ridiculous.

And, no, I'm not an all things Aussie lover.
If you post on a forum like this, be prepared for people to ask for justification of your views.
If you are not willing to justify your views, be prepared for people to criticise those same views.

If you can't handle that, take up knitting!!

BadgeIsBack

Agree with the sentiment, but not necessarily the detail, (which using your examples, is hardly surprising). There are a lot of musicians here that take music very seriously, and a scene of a sort if you are into all that.

Interesting though - I like history, physics, maths, economics, agriculture, literature, the 'outdoors' - (hate that word). I love to read - infact, if money was no object, I would like to open a second hand book shop/cafe. I've sailed yachts, skied, played rugby at a reasonable level, hiked, climbed mountains, abseiled, parachuted, dived, been on the telly, and in some movies...all the rest of it. I've worked on horseback, on bikes on farms with sheep and cattle - and as a driller in the Goldfields. I've flown light aircraft. But I am not into any of those 'scenes' how you might describe them in the UK - in truth I got bored with the life of a urban UKer who popped out to the country once in a while.

I like to read, I have a degree, (not that I did a great deal of work and so am undeserving), I am an ex soldier who had specialist skill(s), a physical trainer, an instructor, mentor, leader and planner. I like working outdoors, on my own block, I am a volunteer firefighter, I like to train fairly hard and stay fit. I also like to sit and chat with my friends - I'm not all action and no thought, that's for sure. My professional life is structured, abstract and taxing on the old brain cells - I haven't got many left - it is highly technical and there is management involved..**** me.

I tihnk one of the reasons I like Australia is because Melbourne gives me the best of both worlds without some of what I consider 'noise'. To me, using your example, I like the fact I might have to consider maintaining a large block, rather than what is No. 1 in the charts. In fact, there are curious facets of popular life in the UK that bore me to tears. That's just me.

I sometimes see why people don't like Australia and others do, even when they are of similar, say intellects, backgrounds or even went to the same school - it is not black and white..so I like your post!

NELBHOY

Centurion, is that you in my avatar?