And she's probably 3,000 klms away from where I am?

I'd agree with the cold thing, it often seems colder INSIDE than it is OUTSIDE!? WTF?!

I thought I'd be surrounded by skinny minnies here, but OMG that misconception was soon thrown out the window! The people here in TW are MAHOOSIVE! When we go closer to the coast tho, we find that they generally, get thinner, weird?! lol

I'm here, You'll have to come and get me though before the scissors go into retirement

The more bogan the place....

I'd be there in a flash....but tis a bit of a long way. By the time I got back, it would need doing again, Oh well, baldness awaits!

It definitely is Colder inside than Outside especially around 10am through till Midday.

My husband has just set out to find somewhere to get his hair cut. I hope he gets on OK, he starts new job tomorrow and is very particular about his hair being just so (although it always looks the same to me).

It's wild, they are built like brick sh*thouses! In all honesty, it's an absolute disgrace! I'm a few kilos overweight @ the moment and am thoroughly ashamed about it, so much so my friend and I signed up to the gym yesterday. This lot obviously aren't lol

Nice spot!

I am still learning the right time to 'open the house up' and then insulate it ... it works quite well here in winter and summer but you need the power of Zen sometimes.

I can't believe the previous owners had:

1) No blinds on the west-facing side, these were our first improvement
2) No insulation, at all ... improvement 2
3) A pokey little excuse for a patio ... bloody hard work but worth it.

I kind of thought Brisbane and it's surrounds may be flat (going soley on my little research on the net), was pleasantly suprised to find hills AND a variable climate.

Eat less lard, do more walking ... now ask for the gym refund ... horrible places I imagine ... THERE IS A PLANET OUT THERE YOU DO NOT NEED THE GYM!

You soon get used to putting your coat on when you go INDOORS.

As for the size thing its not just Toowoomba, its anywhere in that area of Qld.

GYM

True. I wouldn't be seen dead in a gym. Unless you want all that equipment there really isn't any point, I just walk a lot (though not enough if you listen to my personakl trainer )
One of the things that surprised me here though is that all those people you see walking aren't actually going anywhere. They walk round the streets for hours, but if you suggest they actually walk to the shops most look horrified.
Whats wrong with combining the two? I walk to the shops, I walk to work, but I cannot see the point of walking round the streets for the sake of it Combine it with something useful like carrying shopping home




And in answer to the original question -
What was your biggest misconception about Australia?

That having visited many times, and loved the place, I would be happy living here. I discovered that holidays are not the same as reality, because you can no longer just "go home".

I always thought that it was the height of rudness in the UK not to take someones coat when they came to visit, as it was assumed that it would be warmer indoors.

I've just been outside, the sun is shining and out of the wind it's lovely but the shade temp is only 10 degrees. However, it is 23 in here..coat off now!


Yes Polly, but only because you daren't drive the car!!

Very true. My dad always said that you can't judge a place until you have lived there for a least a year and had to pay bills and taxes! Just lucky it worked out for me I know - but I still have bad hair!

I don't drive - for good reason

The odd thing with me was I spent a lot of time (months) with a guy who lived in Tassie, while he was at work I used to do the supermarket shopping, pay the bills, all the "normal" stuff .....yet living here was still

Well, I think the key for me was the fact that I had no misconceptions about Australia. I came over here following my fiancee with the understanding that we would see how it went and then decide from there whether we wanted to stay here. I came over here expecting nothing at all and I think that has been the key to me loving it here.

I've been on here long enough now to realise that too many people coming over seem to assume that it is the last heaven on earth in the modern age. They are ALWAYS going to be let down with those types of expectations.

But, overall, is my life better here than it was in the UK? Most certainly!

Nah we joined cos we want to do Zumba and a few of the other classes, tis only $19 a week! I eat very well...but am just a little unmotivated @ the moment, I also prefer to do proper excercise indoors where it's airconditioned, outside is for exploring etc, not for huffing and puffing and sweating like a pig lol