suzyambrose

I was talking to a man the other day who's moving to Surfer's Paradise and I mentioned that we were going to be going to Melbourne and Brisbane to validate when he said "Oh I don't like Melbourne it's like Manchester if you're gonna move to the other side of the world you want a change, Queensland's got Warner Bros and theme parks its great - like being on holiday" hmm I thought, theme parks are alright if you're on your hols but to want to live near them? nah.

So it got me thinking, do people want to move to the other side of the world and live somewhere that they can relate to? maybe it helps people settle if it wasn't the opposite of where they're living now, or do people like a total change - a whole new lifestyle?

You're thought and comments please - just for my own curiosity!

ozzieeagle

That is a seriously good question. When I first arrived here, as a genuine migrant with my Aussie wife (whom I'd met here on holiday two years previous) We ended up at her Parents place in Bendigo, which after South London was a serious culture shock. I didn't like it one bit. We had a belated honeymoon travelling up the East Coast as far as Cooktown. The only place I would have considered along the way would have been Townsville or Brisbane. (we didnt travel through Sydney) I started to develop a strong dislike for smaller places.

To cut a long story short, the only place I felt comfortable was back in very Urban Inner Melbourne, which is where we settled. Very different to London but urban enough to make me feel like I'm in familar surroundings. Although I guess I'm not a migrant in the same sense as most, as I came here more for reasons to do with marriage rather than a compelling desire to move across the world. I've been here 30 years, I couldnt imagine living in any other part of Aus now, save for maybe Inner Sydney.

Footnote: One country area reminds me of the UK. and for that reason I would like to spend more time there, and thats Southern NSW. I doubt I could live for long in a country area in the UK, and Southern NSW is even further from most main cities than most country areas in the UK so I probably wouldnt cope living in a country area here, Still it's beautiful countryside.

Btw as for theme parks, I enjoyed them the first few times, now you wouldnt get me in one if you paid me.... who wants to spend a holiday in queues ?







Could be an interesting thread this one.

Petals

I do not think any of Australia is like the Uk its completely different in my eyes and always has been and we have lived here over thirty five years now. I actually love country Victoria and the peace of it and the lack of the traffic, city smells, love the clean country air.

Both of my children did post grad university courses in Bendigo and both of them loved it had a great time but then they are single and fancy free and uni students.

I do not like anywhere that is humid so QLD is definitely not for me.

Tasmania is lovely and if it were not an island I could live there but then it would not be Tasmania. Just a pain every time you want to come to the mainland.

Perth is way to isolated for me, too far from the Eastern States and also a little too warm.

Adelaide I like although its a lot smaller than Melbourne. Sydney have lived there and it was ok but then I did live around the harbour at the time, do not like the outer suburbs there.

Northern Victoria is lovely and has lots going for it, very pretty, the mountains and all the towns are fairly close so easy to travel about.

Victoria is the nicest State in my view.

spartacus

I too think Melbourne is a bit like Manchester.

busterboy

Is it the packs of hooded chavs with spray cans Spartacus Dear?

kporte

Chucked off my bed on a hot night?

moneypenny20

The area I live in bears little relation to where I lived before. Not sure anywhere is similar to the UK. Also there's more to life than themeparks and I'd say 95% of Queensland is absolutely nowhere near them anyway. Your mate is talking out of his rear end. No offence.

busterboy

Interesting thread. I am from Edinburgh and have lived all over the UK mostly in small to meduim sized towns and cities.

I love Edinburgh but dislike some of aspects of living in big city UK. If I were choose to live in big city UK it would still win over from Glasgow, London, Leeds, Manchester and Bormingham.

The place I was happiest was Lincoln.

I moved to Melbourne and was totally uninterested in inner city living although I do see the appeal of cafe bars and community shopping strips etc. I did not want to live in a faceless mid suburb either, could have stayed at home to live in Wimpy thanks. Ended up in Outer East in Eltham close to the Yarra Valley. In fact I feel that I live and belong to the Yarra Valley more than Melbourne.

My choice was probably influenced by my love of the countryside and the long drives that I loved about East Coast Scotland and the East Midlands but also in equal measure my big city heart.... in fact as time goes on I feel a pull to either more city living or really embracing the countryside.

When I look at where I ended up, I am not surprised at my choice.

spartacus

More the dark satanic mills . . .

busterboy

mmmh... I see where you are coming from.

suzyambrose

We're not necesarily looking to live in the hustle and bustle when we move over, I like the centre of Manchester for a night out or for an occasional shopping trip but that's rare. We actually prefer a bit of countryside - places like York we love!
I really want to see Melbourne, weather wise it suits me I like seasons, I don't like it it in the UK when it's humid so Brisbane probably wouldn't be for me but the most jobs seem to be there for my OH so we probably better check it out. Perth was really nice but I felt so cut off from everything and was sick of having to do 30min drives to get to places, at home I drive 10 mins either way and I'm in a different place. Maybe I'm wanting too much!

spartacus

The ten minute drive thing may been an issue in most oz cities.

suzyambrose

Probably, maybe the 10 min drive is one of the perks of living in a smaller country.



Alot of people move without even going, so I wonder how they choose where to go? maybe knowing people who have already moved over is a big influence cos they just follow them to the same place - I've heard of alot of people do that when moving to Perth!

The Crow

I am in two very different places in 10 mins - either the mountain villages in the Dandenongs or the outer suburbs & shopping malls etc. It is possible.

In 20 mins I could be at a lake beach, the edge of the Yarra Valley wine trails or in a mini chinatown.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

...but most of us don't have access to our own Harrier jump jet.