Don

We got beaches, history, nice people, cheap as well :scared:

jib

It's the thought, that counts





jib

Pants

Hi Don

Nice thought but still no family !!!possibly something to think about in the future...

wombat42

Europe has a few nice beaches, the only problem is you have to share them with thousands of other people, Australia has thousands of miles of unspoilt coast line with a small population,
Even In summer, outside a capital city you can have an entire spectacular beach all to yourself. Australia is cheaper, nice
people are boring, and who gives a stuff about history.

kong

Also in oz when you have that beach to yourself, you can enjoy being pulled out by a rip. What rose tinted crap, any sane person in Oz swims between the flags, where you can rely on the ever helpful lifeguard service. These beaches tend be be as crowded as any med beach, mid-summer, as they are located in tourist areas. How many famillies swim in unpatrolled surf, outside of these areas?

kong

Oh sorry just had to add, how can you seriously sat that oz is cheaper than Spain, Greece etc??? Bullshit, accomadation, eating out, beer, wine all far far cheaper and a lot bloody cheaper to travel to and from Blighty. You an Aussie by any chance???

bondipom

So very true. The rips can be phenominal and have witnessed many a person get into trouble .

wombat42

It tends to be mostly foreign tourists who are crap swimmers or can't swim at all that get caught in rips. Also the occasional
drunken Pom on Bondi beach. ( No offence to Bondipom )

Ceri

between 92 and 98 there were 348 drowning in Qld (60 were tourists)

674 in NSW (30 were tourists)

Of course one could argue that there are more non tourists in the water than tourists. Another point to consider are tourists are not all foreign tourists .. a tourist can be a NSW visitor to QLD and vice versa (interstate holiday makers etc are also classed as tourists).

As for there are no beaches in Europe that are not overcrowded .. what cr*p! .. here's one of many in the UK.. let alone Europe. I hate generalisations .. as you see there are no people on the beach except us.(pic below)

I grew up by the sea in the UK.. and "I tells youse " that you don't half see some dull buggers of tourists getting into trouble .. my own hubby had to rescue a family with a young child many years ago on one of our beaches back home .. some people do not realise the dangers of underground tunnels. Just recently on a trip back to the UK, mum-in-law was telling me that her and her daughter had to warn some man and his kid about a well known dangerous spot ( where over the years a few people have lost their lives).. it's between two small islands where it's safe to swim when tide is coming in.. but going out there is one hell of a funnel and rips .. every year people lose their lives there.. anyway sister-in-law told the wife of the man on the beach about the dangerous ( He was an English tourist).. wife calls her husband back in.. husband being stupid ( suppose he thought he was macho) goes back out .. oh well, there's no telling some dull people.

so to say most tourists are crap swimming are another generalisation.. I don't half see some stupid aussies here too. Swimming alone at dusk, you don't half some sights.

Anyway, you are generalising. Not all Europeans, or Brit's grow up in cities, not all tourists, or foreigners are crap swimmers.. and to say being a crap swimming is the reason they drown is not so.. the reason they drown is through many factors, one being they don't see the dangers. You can be the strongest swimmer in the world and still drown in a rip.

Cheers

bondipom

Thanks for saving me looking for the figures. All sorts of people get into trouble at the beach, including experienced surfers. Just remember there is no shame in being rescued and wave your arms in the air to call over the lifeguards. That is what they are there for.

I remember being in the lineup and some drunk Aussies came up and started speaking to me. They had been out all night and you could smell the alcohol on their breath. I asked if they knew they were alongside a rip but then a wave came and I was in. A few mins later they were being pulled in by lifeguards.

There are drunk poms who get into trouble at Bondi but I witness more idiotic behaviour by Aussies who live away from the beach. Silly tourist stories just seem to be more newsworthy.

paddythepilot

It seems the majority of Brits looking to emmigrate prefer to head for 'English Speaking' Nations, mainly because they are younger, have kids and need to carry on working.

Obviously Australia is 'attractive' because they speak English, (although some would dispute this), and the perception that the weather is 'better' than elsewhere, Canada for example.

Europe has pleanty to offer, as you mentioned, good beaches, decent weather, culture etc, etc. However, unless you speak a European language your work options are limited.

Europe is probably a better bet when you are older and have sufficient funds to not worry about working.......I've obviously got a few years to go!

Many people also dismiss Asia, certain countries offer just as much as Europe and you can speak English in many places and still work! As for being 'cheap'........nothing beats Malaysia, Thailand etc.

Cheers.

bondipom

I chose oz for the whv and see asia on the way. Then met a nice Aussie girl. Linguistically and culturallly Europe seems too challenging for most Brits.

Ceri

trouble with Thailand .. well it was when I was there, you can't own property being a foreigner.. you need a Thai partner

I agree though. I loved Thailand ( and I don't mean the tourist spots) .. I used to go there quite often with business. Where In sing ( where I lived) .. I always felt restricted.. take for instance, locals would look at you being a white woman if you decided to stop in a hawker centre for a cool beer by yourself .. not so in Thailand.. for a so-called modern country Sing is actually behind in it's respect to woman. The other thing I hated about Sing was the fact they would stare at you.. men stared at you because of who you were ( a trinket they wanted to go with their Mercedes), woman hated you!.. Thailand was just child like curiosity with most people ( should explain I have blonde hair , you'll know what I mean if you lived, or live in Asia)..

I'm generalising a bit , and I do have some very good Sing chinese friends, who to this day we keep in contact.

I do not agree that Asia is cheap.. property and cars are more expensive than in the West... especially in Sing.

Malaysia property is also more expensive than Aus ( besides the restrictions of owning)

anyway I do agree and find it odd that most people only want to go to western countries.. thinking they will fit in ...I suppose. A lot of people are too lazy to learn another language, or take in another culture... human nature.

Personally speaking I'd rather live in many Asian countries than Aus... but yet I didn't know that until I left Asia and came to Aus ( Aus was more a culture shock to me than Asia.. I don't know what I was expecting,, but certainly not the ignorance or inward looking of this country)

Cheers

debsy

Don, we have tried the Europe bit. I have lived in Italy, Greek Islands and Cyprus.

I am on the edge of Europe now I am lucky because I have learnt to speak the local language so I have no trouble in communicating. I live 5 minutes from an ancient roman town and the whole area is steeped in history.

The food is great and I have fantastic views of the med from my bedroom window- why are we off to Aus? Cos hubby has decided he wants a challenge If we dont like it we will be coming straight back here.

I will miss my friends and the lovely fruit and veg that is in an abundance here.

Have a nice day.

madscientist

Don't have an EU passport. I can't get UK citizenship because of the loyalty oath to the Queen that has been introduced; it would jeopardize my US citizenship. Plus, my husband doesn't speak any European language very well (I speak French and Spanish) so it wouldn't be very fun for him!