mohogony

All your relatives from OZ are probably back becasue they went to Perth, which is basically a small mining city in the middle of nowhere, If they moved to one the eastern states where most of the population of OZ is it might have been different, Crime is in fact lower in OZ then the UK, regarding insects and poisoness stuff your 1,000 times more likely to be killed in a car accident.

engineer80

For us it's always been Canada, mainly because it is closer to the UK for visiting family and Italy since my hubbie also has family there too. Having said that the vast majority of my friends have either visited or lived/worked in Australia and they loved it. It really does come down to personal preference or like the others have said, which one is easier for you to be able to obtain a visa for?

moneypenny20

Because they are totally different countries on opposite sides of the world Each country has it's own migration policy and they don't want just anyone moving in.

ABCDiamond

Ottawa in Canada and Redlands in QLD, Australia have something in common...

• Ottawa, record highest summer temp of 37.8°C
• Redlands QLD, record highest summer temp of 38.2°C

Not much difference between the two, until you get to winter

http://www.brisbanebayside.com/maxim...-redland-city/

Budgie1

I'm an Australian Living in Canada - if you are interested in my view, track down my November 19 2009 post I made in a recent thread on this same topic.

Most of that thread quickly degenerated into nonsense but I did my best to give an honest, level-headed "compare and contrast" type answer comparing the two countries.

scottandsel

i always thought i would never go to australia cos i dont do tiny spids that can kill (yes that is the only reason i am a major arachnophobic daft i know) now ive jus found out that canada has black widows!!!!!!!!! didnt know that!!!!!

scottandsel

plus both your occupations are on the new SOL list from Australia;
http://www.skillsaustralia.gov.au/PD...F_strategy.pdf

G77

Indeed it has - like this one, found in Pinery Provincial Park :-

Seabird

I hope this helps.

I applied for a job in Medicine Hat around 6 years ago - didn't go ahead because it was in defence and I was not Canadian. Cut a long story short, I was offered an job in Adelaide and arrived here in December 2005. Adelaide has been very kind to us. I love the people, the open space and the fact that I can go out at night alone in the city and not worry that I will get mugged! Adelaide is easy to get around in, and it is just sooo easy to access concerts, beaches and the city. In part it is due to the size of Adelaide, which means that I can commute to work in my car from one side of the city to the other in 30 minutes.

As for spiders - I kill an average of 6 redbacks a year, but provided you use common sense they NEVER surprise you. They are shy and hide under bricks, and only in very predictable places where they can get a bit of shelter. They don't come chasing you round the house and I have only ever seen one indoors. Huntsmen are quite sweet, though I do usually put them out with a small bin (don't fit in a glass). Amazingly they just aren't scary - can't explain why thought I would die when I saw one. In fact when we saw our first huntsman we turned to each other and said " is that it??"".

What REALLY gets to you is the flaming mozzies. I hate mosquitoes now, they carry Ross River virus and whilst rare, people do catch it. Did you know that mozzies kill more people than any other animal? So unless you are happy to spend a year or two getting used to living with perpetual bites, Oz isn't for you. This wouldn't make me want to move, but is one of the only downsides of life here.

You don't have to check the loo seat, your shoes your bed or anything else for that matter. They just are not an issue in everyday life. Snakes - had one in my garage when I moved into my house. Poor thing took one look at me and ran a mile. I called in the local snake guy and $135 later he was safely on his way back to somewhere more appropriate. Again, they do more than occasionally bite dogs and cats that try to play with them, but it is easy to avoid them by not leaving things around they can live under.

Would rather take my chance with a redback (antidote within 24 hours and you'll be 'right) than a bear or cougar.

Nevertheless we are thinking of trying Canada in a few years time!! Why???? Because as everyone told us when we moved Oz is a Bl**dy long way from England. I have kids and grandkids in the UK who I thought would move out here. But it is just too expensive to visit each other. Further I work in the Environmental field and Oz is just not on the same plane as Canada in the field. Further my daughter is going into the music industry and the proximity of Europe and the States make Canada a much better proposition for her intended career.

In terms of climate, winter here is the hardest part of the year, not summer. You need heating in Adelaide for 4 months a year, but most houses do not have heating throughout and several Canadians I have spoken to have suffered with winter here because we are just not geared up for it. Don't have to dig your car out of the snow, break your neck on ice etc..

So it's horses for courses I guess... And you won't know til you try. If it doesn't work in one place you can always spend some time in the other!

Good luck

Seabird