Mogwai

I moved over last may to work in Newcastle NSW on a sponsored visa (457). I came with a good job to start with and so I had none of the work problems encountered by others on this site.
The first 6 months were fine, I had a new circle of friends an australian g/f and work was going well but little things were niggling me and they soon grew into larger things that bothered me. I'll list the main ones:

Poor music and music scene. I'm a musician and a music fanatic so the lack of a decent music scene and tours was a big thing.

I'm not a TV fanatic but the TV has to rank among the worst I've ever seen. Barring a few exceptions the Ozzies struggle to make any good homegrown comedy/drama etc etc. The radio is awful too. I have to listen to the commercial stations at work all day and all I can say is: Australia there are other bands than The Chilli Peppers, Nickleback and Coldplay. Also I've heard the "new" Pink song 1 million times in the last 6 months therefore it's no longer new Mr Brainless DJ.

There are about 3 or 4 nice buildings in the whole of Newcastle and the rest is forgettable blandsville. Yes it's a new country and I'm not taking a pop at them on this one, I'm just saying what bothered me about the place.

Fashion? Boardies and T shirts and maybe chuck a pair of jeans on if you're going out. The clothes shopping is poor and Sydney is nothing to shout about either shopping wise considering it's supposed to be one of the worlds great cities.

Beer: There's a few good brews to be had (Coopers, James Squire, Little Creatures) but the majority of the rest (VB, Crown, Tooheys, XXXX, Carlton Draught etc etc) are bland, characterless toss. I had to laugh at a Bogan trying to chat up a German girl in a bar the other day: He was drinking VB and claimed that Oz had better beers than her home country .

Weather: Yes I like warm weather and heat doesn't bother me too much but I found myself hankering for a palpable change in seasons rather than just sun everyday and maybe a torrent of rain everynow and again. Sounds crazy but I like the strange winter light you get on clear days in Europe and the feeling you get when you go into a warm house from the cold.

Anti english press: Yes we get the idea: We: old colonial overlords, You: Aussie battlers who manage to beat us at most sports simply because we give less of a shit about them than you who use them as a substitute for lack of culture. Some papers are worse than others. The editor of The Daily Telegraph deserves a good kicking for all the aniti english bile he's printed during this ashes series.

Australia is the best country in the world. This is apparently true according to a workmate of mine. Once I'd finished listing the myriad faults of his beloved homeland he obviously labeled me a pommy whinger but my point was simple: Australia has faults and that most Aussies are so caught in their "True blue battler" crap that they deny all the minus points.

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I move back in 20 days and yes I'm looking forward to it but I don't view England with rose tinted specs. There are as many problems if not more than Oz there, but I'll return with a much greater awareness of what I appreciated about it in the first place.

seasprite

Good post and interesting perspective...those days seem so long ago now I am 37 and brain diminished with 2 small boys! However I agree wholeheartedly.Oddly enough my husband and I were discussing who Aus is best for (emigree wise). We both thought young, starting out in life, but actually it is so barren here and wages so poor that it is probably one of the least enjoyable places to emigrate to whilst still in the bloom of youth. Will you be going back to your "old" life? Happy landings.

Mogwai

Yeah I'll be returning back to my family and friends who I grew up with.

I didn't list my main reason for returning:

The feeling of complete isolation I feel over here. I always feel like Australia is isolated from the rest of the world as I know it be it by distance or just time zone. The TV is very parochial (apart from SBS) and so I never feel like I'm up on events that are happening in europe etc.

I also like the feeling of being able to zoom off to different country for a weekend break whenever I can. I though not being able to wouldn't bother when i cam over but it does.

Nomore

Totally agree with you there seasprite..to the OP..good luck,

denver

Yes Australia has faults but why do english people take it so personally when Australian or people from elsewhere say how much they love Australia and that it is the best country in the world? Australians should not rub their viewpoint in people's faces, but some English people just love pointing out the faults in Australia which are often minor as a kind of "wanting to bring those up themselves Aussies down a peg or two" This "Australia has no culture" line is completely untrue, very vague and not backed up by evidence. Whinging Australia is sport obsessed just because Australia happens to thrash England in the Ashes doesn't cut it. England was 100 percent sport obsessed when it came to the World Cup - everyone thought England was going to win, and I hoped they would simply because it would make everyone in England deliriously happy!

beer: lots of varieties available, just because you are in Australia does not mean you have to drink Aussie beer.

Clothes: some communites like the casual look agreed, I prefer to dress nicely, and you can if you wish. Shopping is great, the ease and convenience re: public transport and parking, and lots of independent type boutiques rather than just endless high street chain stores.

Newcastle: has a history of blue collar workers inhabiting the place due to the steel manufacturing plants, not a lot of money floating around. I agree with you on this point: Australia does not have a lot of praise-worthy buildings, unless they are old.

I am young and love Oz, plenty of pubs/clubs (if thats your thing) cafe culture, plus an outdoor lifestyle if thats your thing too.

Aussie battler thing: do not think this true of Australia these days, maybe in the past during the 1950's and 1960's. The truth is Australia is now one of the most prosperous countries in the world (GDP per capita higher than the UK) there is a rivalry with the UK, sure, because you are the mother country but there is a lot of affection from Australia towards England as our "cultures" are so similar, and the great institutions we have (ie democracy, parliament) was brought there and est. so strongly in Oz because we were settled by Britain.

Sorry you didn't enjoy it.

Danny B

Music, TV, fashion, beer, weather, taking the piss out of the Brits and Australian patrisim are you reasons for leaving!?

No wonder we are branded as whinging poms

BigDavyG

He's hardly going to leave if he has no complaints about the place you muppet.
Of course, living in Surrey you'd know all about day to day life in Australia

Danny B

I find the reasons he gave for disliking Australia highly amusing that's all.

I don't like country music so I switch to another radio station,
I don't like Coronation St so I turn to another channel,
I don't like Guiness so I drink Bitter,
I get the piss taken out of me by my South African workmate so I take the piss back,

Do you get the idea? It's the same all over the world not just in Australia.
But what do I know, I'm from Surrey

Lord Pom Percy

The beer, T.V ,music and buildings aren't as good as the Uk and his sick of great weather everyday, sounds like OZ is a real hell hole.
Most OZ bottle shops sell European and foreign beer if you don't like OZ beer

fishfinger

Why do people come on here aggravating? I just don't get it? This is the moving back to the UK forum and the OP is doing just that.

Why is it then that people who have nothing to do with moving BACK to the UK come on here just to pick holes in their reasons - what is the point?

BigDavyG

The last two - fine but what if there are no other radio stations or no other tv channels that are suitable.

BigDavyG

Are you moving back to the UK ???

Well goodbye then. Now toddle of to the beech like a good boy.

Jerseygirl

I totally agree with you. In his first post he said he is going back to live in Canada...will only return to the UK for weddings and funerals. So if he's so sure life is going to be idyllic there compared to the UK why is he asking our opinions? Seems to me he's not really certain Canada is better after all.

Danny B

There's this thing called the internet...

My one and only new topic in this forum was asking why so many of you move back to the UK, this thread and the replies I received has answered my question. I will make sure I bring a large supply of dry roasted peanuts with me to Canada

Seriously though, I do not mean to offend anyone and my question was innocent enough.
I do not know that Canada is better for me until I get there, never say never..

Jerseygirl

That's better.

Well I hope you and your family make a go of it in Canada. My daughter is at uni. in Toronto and loves it. All the best.