Isolated from what? Great access to Singapore, KL, Hong Kong, Vietnam, NZ. Plus every type of landscape and climate on earth is available without needing a passport. If I really have to go back to Europe it's only 6 hrs to Singapore then 12 hours to London. To me, its isolation from Europe and NA is one of its redeeming features.

Yes, I actually rate Pacific coast as best part of Canada and Pac NW second best part of US.

Yes it's very beautiful, but one of the nice things I like about Aus is that I can go to somewhere that looks like Jamaica or somewhere that looks like Switzerland or somewhere that looks like that lake shot you posted without leaving the country.

Sounds pretty isolated to me....each to their own.....I'd hardly call flying to these locations that you have indicated as being part of day to day life. Nowhere is truly isolated if one jumps on a plane.....but where do you pop too for a quick trip....or a quick get-away?

This is a few hours drive



And this is a few hours flying



We get by.

pretty diverse here too in BC...other than a tropical location...although the usa's west coast and mexico are equally as accessible with little effort. Vancouver is much less isolated than anywhere in OZ.

The interior of BC is very oz like in the summer with less than 300 mm of rain and average summer high temps of mid 30 to 40:

other than a vast improvement in vancouver's winter climate (althoug skiing within 20 mins is a plus i suppose) i don't see any upside to OZ at all. hardly seems the effort to get 4-5 months of better weather. P

oh its nice no denying that. i lived in miami for 4 years. Once the weather becomes part of the background though, its all same old same old.

They're both fine places to live in my opinion. My argument is simply that I don't find the proximity of the US to Canada to be a plus point, that's all. It is a foreign country and it is gradually treating Canadians increasingly like any other foreign population. I am also saying that everything I want and that I would have to find in two countries in NA can be found all in one in Australia.

yep, i actually dont like crossing to the US these days, they always make you feel that they are doing you a favour. Nice options for inexpensive getaways though. Winter here is pretty crap so a popping down south for a quick fix is warranted.

I think i could live happily enough in oz (although i prefer our more moderate summers - even the interior is too hot for me) but not Perth.

Back to perth though....1300 miles from the next major centre is pretty isolated.

I have spent time in Vancouver (wife has family there) and we both love it, and of course Grouse Mountain etc and the island (Tofino). If I lived there I doubt I would spend much time in the US. I guess the occasional city break like you say. But their attitude that you describe is something I can live without. Aus summers... well... yes. Thing is Adelaide summers are glorious really, but around once a month the north wind blows in from the desert and things get ugly.

I quite agree about Perth's isolation. I have spent time in Perth and its distance from the rest of Aus is undeniable. They do have some great country over there though like Margaret River, etc. Bali is closer to Perth than Sydney is....

Yep - my sister lives in Perth and that's how she feels. Previously she lived in Sydney, Brisbane and Gold Coast and would regularly travel to visit friends in Sydney and Melbourne. Living in Perth has only added to the sense of isolation she already felt living in Australia and being far away from family and friends in UK/Ireland. In hindsight, moving to Perth was probably not a smart move for her as she doesn't have kids and enjoys socializing. On the other hand, my wife's cousin also lives in Perth and loves it - although she has kids.

What kind of washing powder does she use?

I suspect she uses liquid. Does anyone use powder these days?

Quoting the truth

It is the truth, but a quick trip to an English January refreshes.

Im booked for 4 weeks over xmas/new year for my dose of chill. Hoping for snow again

Aussie xmas doesn't cut it for me