12 Years on; more bad than good
Jul 7th 2015, 12:46 pm
#31
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 116
Re: 12 Years on; more bad than good
Hi to all out there, this is my first post since we came here over 11 years ago and is one of those things I kept meaning to do but, well... you know...
As others have said it's more a matter of actually getting the emotions down in writing than anything else but maybe it will help someone (not everyone) thinking of coming to Aus, but it IS just MY views.
We are in SE Queensland and so everything is based on living here.
I don't want to write a long essay so I will just do a list of what we have found to be good and bad. Unfortunately I know that the bad list will be much longer than the good but again, this is just my/our experiences.
I might as well say this now, in hindsight we would NOT have come to Aus.
Ok, 1st the good but it's a short list...
The beaches. They really are wonderful, whether you want a patrolled one with safe swimming or somewhere you can be on your own, if you are near the east coast you are never far away.
The weather. Hot and sunny, in SE Qld it's usually like this for 8 or 9 months of the year. On the downside you can get tired of it and wish for a nice autumn day.
The traffic. We don't live in a major city and the traffic is definitely much less than England.
Cleaner; In general it is cleaner here, less litter etc but then most of the areas are newer...
Outdoor activities; Lots of sports you can do outside because of the weather, in particular swimming which is taught from an early age.
Illness/flu; We would usually gets colds or flu every year in England but very rarely get them here.
Now the bad...
The 1st bad point is something we never considered before coming here and the one I will write most about; we are TRAPPED here. We are a middle aged couple with grown up children (late teens/early 20's) who have their own lives here and really have nothing to go back to in England. They have boyfriends/girlfriends, friends & jobs here and see this as their home for good or bad. So even though we may want to go back, how can we split up the family and leave them here? Someday we will have grandkids, son or daughter in laws etc. ITS a HUGE dilemma with no solution we can see. We have permanent visas so in theory can live here or in NZ and anywhere in Europe yet in reality we can't. When you don't want to be here it's a horrible feeling. Also the fact that families split up when they have to get work hundreds of klms away is a big problem.
Racism. Being white ordinary working people we never considered it but in fact we discovered that many Aussies don't want anyone else here. They reserve a particular dislike for the English and anyone with a suntan, from the middle eastern countries right through to the Aborigines. Most racism is below the surface but there are plenty who will call you Pommie to your face. It seems to be worse in the older men and women.
The other bad points I will just list only briefly otherwise we will be here forever...
Courtesy; In general, most Australians are rude, selfish and have no idea what courtesy is.
Education; The education standard here is terrible.
Driving; The driving standard here is the same as the education standard but throw in the courtesy aspect as well.
Dangerous vehicles; In Qld there is no annual M.O.T test or similar unless you sell your vehicle and even then its a basic thing. This means you can buy a car and run it for 20 or 30 years or more and never have it checked by a mechanic. There are 10's of thousands of dangerous vehicles on the roads.
Healthcare; Unless you are in a major city it is poor and very expensive, lots of poorly trained doctors from other countries and they constantly move about so you can never have a doctor who knows you personally for long. And unless you live in a major city many services are unavailable and you will have to travel (a long way).
Expensive; Everything here is expensive, from food to cars (new and especially used) through to houses.
Insects; Mosquitoes and Sandflies can be a big problem.
Pets; Dogs are considered to be only good for living outside and throwing on the back on the ute (pick up) and leaving there in the hot sun all day. Try and get a rental with a dog that lives inside.
Guns; 100's of thousands of guns here and gun crime is far more than England. There are many private people who own more than 100 guns EACH.
TV; Mostly terrible and what makes it worse is the CONSTANT adverts. There is no way you can watch a film properly because of the ads; they drive you nuts. They are mainly about beer and burgers and seem to be produced by people who think that the viewing public have an IQ the same as the burger.
Well there is a load more things I am sure but that's it for now.
Again this is just my views/findings, some people will agree with some of the points, some with none of them.
If anyone I knew was thinking of coming here I would tell them DON'T which is probably a case of better the devil you know...
Good luck whatever you choose...
As others have said it's more a matter of actually getting the emotions down in writing than anything else but maybe it will help someone (not everyone) thinking of coming to Aus, but it IS just MY views.
We are in SE Queensland and so everything is based on living here.
I don't want to write a long essay so I will just do a list of what we have found to be good and bad. Unfortunately I know that the bad list will be much longer than the good but again, this is just my/our experiences.
I might as well say this now, in hindsight we would NOT have come to Aus.
Ok, 1st the good but it's a short list...
The beaches. They really are wonderful, whether you want a patrolled one with safe swimming or somewhere you can be on your own, if you are near the east coast you are never far away.
The weather. Hot and sunny, in SE Qld it's usually like this for 8 or 9 months of the year. On the downside you can get tired of it and wish for a nice autumn day.
The traffic. We don't live in a major city and the traffic is definitely much less than England.
Cleaner; In general it is cleaner here, less litter etc but then most of the areas are newer...
Outdoor activities; Lots of sports you can do outside because of the weather, in particular swimming which is taught from an early age.
Illness/flu; We would usually gets colds or flu every year in England but very rarely get them here.
Now the bad...
The 1st bad point is something we never considered before coming here and the one I will write most about; we are TRAPPED here. We are a middle aged couple with grown up children (late teens/early 20's) who have their own lives here and really have nothing to go back to in England. They have boyfriends/girlfriends, friends & jobs here and see this as their home for good or bad. So even though we may want to go back, how can we split up the family and leave them here? Someday we will have grandkids, son or daughter in laws etc. ITS a HUGE dilemma with no solution we can see. We have permanent visas so in theory can live here or in NZ and anywhere in Europe yet in reality we can't. When you don't want to be here it's a horrible feeling. Also the fact that families split up when they have to get work hundreds of klms away is a big problem.
Racism. Being white ordinary working people we never considered it but in fact we discovered that many Aussies don't want anyone else here. They reserve a particular dislike for the English and anyone with a suntan, from the middle eastern countries right through to the Aborigines. Most racism is below the surface but there are plenty who will call you Pommie to your face. It seems to be worse in the older men and women.
The other bad points I will just list only briefly otherwise we will be here forever...
Courtesy; In general, most Australians are rude, selfish and have no idea what courtesy is.
Education; The education standard here is terrible.
Driving; The driving standard here is the same as the education standard but throw in the courtesy aspect as well.
Dangerous vehicles; In Qld there is no annual M.O.T test or similar unless you sell your vehicle and even then its a basic thing. This means you can buy a car and run it for 20 or 30 years or more and never have it checked by a mechanic. There are 10's of thousands of dangerous vehicles on the roads.
Healthcare; Unless you are in a major city it is poor and very expensive, lots of poorly trained doctors from other countries and they constantly move about so you can never have a doctor who knows you personally for long. And unless you live in a major city many services are unavailable and you will have to travel (a long way).
Expensive; Everything here is expensive, from food to cars (new and especially used) through to houses.
Insects; Mosquitoes and Sandflies can be a big problem.
Pets; Dogs are considered to be only good for living outside and throwing on the back on the ute (pick up) and leaving there in the hot sun all day. Try and get a rental with a dog that lives inside.
Guns; 100's of thousands of guns here and gun crime is far more than England. There are many private people who own more than 100 guns EACH.
TV; Mostly terrible and what makes it worse is the CONSTANT adverts. There is no way you can watch a film properly because of the ads; they drive you nuts. They are mainly about beer and burgers and seem to be produced by people who think that the viewing public have an IQ the same as the burger.
Well there is a load more things I am sure but that's it for now.
Again this is just my views/findings, some people will agree with some of the points, some with none of them.
If anyone I knew was thinking of coming here I would tell them DON'T which is probably a case of better the devil you know...
Good luck whatever you choose...
It takes the local council 9 months to process most application - no matter how simple.
Aussie really believe big stores can knock 60% off whatever they are shifting... and never think if it was true.... they were overcharging before the discount! Shops need profit from EVERY sale to get enough turn to keep the place open!
I could add a lot more stuff but the gist is.. aussie has none of the consumer protection laws in lace in the UK.
How about buying a new house and getting 90 days to report any faults!
For a hot country.. most clothes are polyester and or nylon mixes and almost without exception made in China or "Asia" - but then again ...so is a lot of IKEA stuff!
Jul 9th 2015, 5:10 am
#32
has lost The Game
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Chippendale, Sydney
Posts: 8,735
Re: 12 Years on; more bad than good
Some are, some aren't. It seems particularly vexing to get a licence for an air rifle, whereas a licence for a 9mm pistol seems much easier. I'm not really sure I understand why this is.
S
Jul 20th 2015, 1:11 am
#33
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: Sydney, NSW
Posts: 7,580
Re: 12 Years on; more bad than good
Just doing the tax forms. OH calculates that we spent over $15k in medical bills- and that isn't including medicines themselves.
Jul 27th 2015, 9:38 am
#34
Beautiful Brisbane
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 14
Re: 12 Years on; more bad than good
Originally Posted by Hindsighttoo
Hi to all out there, this is my first post since we came here over 11 years ago and is one of those things I kept meaning to do but, well... you know...
As others have said it's more a matter of actually getting the emotions down in writing than anything else but maybe it will help someone (not everyone) thinking of coming to Aus, but it IS just MY views.
We are in SE Queensland and so everything is based on living here.
I don't want to write a long essay so I will just do a list of what we have found to be good and bad. Unfortunately I know that the bad list will be much longer than the good but again, this is just my/our experiences.
I might as well say this now, in hindsight we would NOT have come to Aus.
Ok, 1st the good but it's a short list...
The beaches. They really are wonderful, whether you want a patrolled one with safe swimming or somewhere you can be on your own, if you are near the east coast you are never far away.
The weather. Hot and sunny, in SE Qld it's usually like this for 8 or 9 months of the year. On the downside you can get tired of it and wish for a nice autumn day.
The traffic. We don't live in a major city and the traffic is definitely much less than England.
Cleaner; In general it is cleaner here, less litter etc but then most of the areas are newer...
Outdoor activities; Lots of sports you can do outside because of the weather, in particular swimming which is taught from an early age.
Illness/flu; We would usually gets colds or flu every year in England but very rarely get them here.
Now the bad...
The 1st bad point is something we never considered before coming here and the one I will write most about; we are TRAPPED here. We are a middle aged couple with grown up children (late teens/early 20's) who have their own lives here and really have nothing to go back to in England. They have boyfriends/girlfriends, friends & jobs here and see this as their home for good or bad. So even though we may want to go back, how can we split up the family and leave them here? Someday we will have grandkids, son or daughter in laws etc. ITS a HUGE dilemma with no solution we can see. We have permanent visas so in theory can live here or in NZ and anywhere in Europe yet in reality we can't. When you don't want to be here it's a horrible feeling. Also the fact that families split up when they have to get work hundreds of klms away is a big problem.
Racism. Being white ordinary working people we never considered it but in fact we discovered that many Aussies don't want anyone else here. They reserve a particular dislike for the English and anyone with a suntan, from the middle eastern countries right through to the Aborigines. Most racism is below the surface but there are plenty who will call you Pommie to your face. It seems to be worse in the older men and women.
The other bad points I will just list only briefly otherwise we will be here forever...
Courtesy; In general, most Australians are rude, selfish and have no idea what courtesy is.
Education; The education standard here is terrible.
Driving; The driving standard here is the same as the education standard but throw in the courtesy aspect as well.
Dangerous vehicles; In Qld there is no annual M.O.T test or similar unless you sell your vehicle and even then its a basic thing. This means you can buy a car and run it for 20 or 30 years or more and never have it checked by a mechanic. There are 10's of thousands of dangerous vehicles on the roads.
Healthcare; Unless you are in a major city it is poor and very expensive, lots of poorly trained doctors from other countries and they constantly move about so you can never have a doctor who knows you personally for long. And unless you live in a major city many services are unavailable and you will have to travel (a long way).
Expensive; Everything here is expensive, from food to cars (new and especially used) through to houses.
Insects; Mosquitoes and Sandflies can be a big problem.
Pets; Dogs are considered to be only good for living outside and throwing on the back on the ute (pick up) and leaving there in the hot sun all day. Try and get a rental with a dog that lives inside.
Guns; 100's of thousands of guns here and gun crime is far more than England. There are many private people who own more than 100 guns EACH.
TV; Mostly terrible and what makes it worse is the CONSTANT adverts. There is no way you can watch a film properly because of the ads; they drive you nuts. They are mainly about beer and burgers and seem to be produced by people who think that the viewing public have an IQ the same as the burger.
Well there is a load more things I am sure but that's it for now.
Again this is just my views/findings, some people will agree with some of the points, some with none of them.
If anyone I knew was thinking of coming here I would tell them DON'T which is probably a case of better the devil you know...
Good luck whatever you choose...
Hi to all out there, this is my first post since we came here over 11 years ago and is one of those things I kept meaning to do but, well... you know...
As others have said it's more a matter of actually getting the emotions down in writing than anything else but maybe it will help someone (not everyone) thinking of coming to Aus, but it IS just MY views.
We are in SE Queensland and so everything is based on living here.
I don't want to write a long essay so I will just do a list of what we have found to be good and bad. Unfortunately I know that the bad list will be much longer than the good but again, this is just my/our experiences.
I might as well say this now, in hindsight we would NOT have come to Aus.
Ok, 1st the good but it's a short list...
The beaches. They really are wonderful, whether you want a patrolled one with safe swimming or somewhere you can be on your own, if you are near the east coast you are never far away.
The weather. Hot and sunny, in SE Qld it's usually like this for 8 or 9 months of the year. On the downside you can get tired of it and wish for a nice autumn day.
The traffic. We don't live in a major city and the traffic is definitely much less than England.
Cleaner; In general it is cleaner here, less litter etc but then most of the areas are newer...
Outdoor activities; Lots of sports you can do outside because of the weather, in particular swimming which is taught from an early age.
Illness/flu; We would usually gets colds or flu every year in England but very rarely get them here.
Now the bad...
The 1st bad point is something we never considered before coming here and the one I will write most about; we are TRAPPED here. We are a middle aged couple with grown up children (late teens/early 20's) who have their own lives here and really have nothing to go back to in England. They have boyfriends/girlfriends, friends & jobs here and see this as their home for good or bad. So even though we may want to go back, how can we split up the family and leave them here? Someday we will have grandkids, son or daughter in laws etc. ITS a HUGE dilemma with no solution we can see. We have permanent visas so in theory can live here or in NZ and anywhere in Europe yet in reality we can't. When you don't want to be here it's a horrible feeling. Also the fact that families split up when they have to get work hundreds of klms away is a big problem.
Racism. Being white ordinary working people we never considered it but in fact we discovered that many Aussies don't want anyone else here. They reserve a particular dislike for the English and anyone with a suntan, from the middle eastern countries right through to the Aborigines. Most racism is below the surface but there are plenty who will call you Pommie to your face. It seems to be worse in the older men and women.
The other bad points I will just list only briefly otherwise we will be here forever...
Courtesy; In general, most Australians are rude, selfish and have no idea what courtesy is.
Education; The education standard here is terrible.
Driving; The driving standard here is the same as the education standard but throw in the courtesy aspect as well.
Dangerous vehicles; In Qld there is no annual M.O.T test or similar unless you sell your vehicle and even then its a basic thing. This means you can buy a car and run it for 20 or 30 years or more and never have it checked by a mechanic. There are 10's of thousands of dangerous vehicles on the roads.
Healthcare; Unless you are in a major city it is poor and very expensive, lots of poorly trained doctors from other countries and they constantly move about so you can never have a doctor who knows you personally for long. And unless you live in a major city many services are unavailable and you will have to travel (a long way).
Expensive; Everything here is expensive, from food to cars (new and especially used) through to houses.
Insects; Mosquitoes and Sandflies can be a big problem.
Pets; Dogs are considered to be only good for living outside and throwing on the back on the ute (pick up) and leaving there in the hot sun all day. Try and get a rental with a dog that lives inside.
Guns; 100's of thousands of guns here and gun crime is far more than England. There are many private people who own more than 100 guns EACH.
TV; Mostly terrible and what makes it worse is the CONSTANT adverts. There is no way you can watch a film properly because of the ads; they drive you nuts. They are mainly about beer and burgers and seem to be produced by people who think that the viewing public have an IQ the same as the burger.
Well there is a load more things I am sure but that's it for now.
Again this is just my views/findings, some people will agree with some of the points, some with none of them.
If anyone I knew was thinking of coming here I would tell them DON'T which is probably a case of better the devil you know...
Good luck whatever you choose...
I am laughing at the post, just reading all that you've said and some of it I agree with but what made me laugh more was that your still here. I have to say I think its awesome we live by the bay and we have the beautiful islands right on our doorstep and the beautiful bay breezes. <snip>
I feel truly lucky to live in this amazing place.
Last edited by BEVS; Jul 29th 2015 at 3:51 am. Reason: Hopefully sort the quote out and make a wee snippety snip. Thanks
Jul 27th 2015, 9:45 am
#35
Bitter and twisted
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Upmarket
Posts: 17,503
Re: 12 Years on; more bad than good
I also lived next to the bay overlooking the islands and the best thing I ever did was leave there and return to England
....But then I didn't have a business to run which relied on promoting a positive image of the place
....But then I didn't have a business to run which relied on promoting a positive image of the place
Jul 27th 2015, 9:53 am
#36
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: 12 Years on; more bad than good
Qld cops it again.
I don't ever get the impression that locals in Vic don't like foreigners.
As always the complaints are always the same. Can't people ever
come up with original complaints...!
Mi5agent - hmmm....curious!
I don't ever get the impression that locals in Vic don't like foreigners.
As always the complaints are always the same. Can't people ever
come up with original complaints...!
Mi5agent - hmmm....curious!
Jul 27th 2015, 9:54 am
#37
Beautiful Brisbane
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 14
Re: 12 Years on; more bad than good
All I can say is for you to leave here to go back to UK you must live in an amazing part of the UK, I wouldn't live anywhere else, but good luck to you glad your happy.
Last edited by BEVS; Jul 29th 2015 at 3:52 am. Reason: as above
Jul 27th 2015, 10:07 am
#38
Bitter and twisted
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Upmarket
Posts: 17,503
Re: 12 Years on; more bad than good
I do....Brisbane bayside must be one of the most boring places on the planet.
Last edited by BEVS; Jul 29th 2015 at 3:52 am. Reason: as above - snip to quote
Jul 27th 2015, 10:20 am
#39
Concierge
Joined: Jan 2013
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 21,138
Re: 12 Years on; more bad than good
My Dad's bigger than your Dad
Jul 27th 2015, 10:34 am
#41
Concierge
Joined: Jan 2013
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 21,138
Re: 12 Years on; more bad than good
Thank you 
Jul 29th 2015, 12:12 am
#43
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2008
Location: Lost in Australia
Posts: 134
Re: 12 Years on; more bad than good
Why would you put on an open forum that you are actually laughing at someone? The original poster has named the good and bad in their experience and you have said, you are laughing at them. Not everybody has to like Australia, just as you appear to not like the UK. Maybe you should think before you write, for example laughing at somebody else's misfortune. You should have posted an add for your B&B so that the people who don't love Australia can avoid it in fear of upsetting you and your utopia.
Jul 29th 2015, 12:31 am
#44
Beautiful Brisbane
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 14
Re: 12 Years on; more bad than good
No I think its been misconstrued I wasn't laughing at the person writing the post I was laughing at the points they didn't like, and if you read it i said I agreed with some of them, just made me laugh, and the fact that they feel they have to live here is sad for them because I see their dilemma. I actually think the UK has some beautiful spots (i lived their for 30yrs) I just prefer it here, I think living here by the bay overlooking the islands is stunning but appreciate that it isn't for everyone and if someone prefers the UK then fantastic good on them. <snip> Anyway I hope I have cleared that up, have a lovely day. I certainly wasn't being malicious or unkind Im just a happy person that enjoys laughing, but I do feel for that original poster
Last edited by BEVS; Jul 29th 2015 at 3:53 am. Reason: Wee snip to new users post. cheers
Jul 29th 2015, 12:42 am
#45
`
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 38,611
Re: 12 Years on; more bad than good
I'm glad to read that as , after all, you do not walk in the OPs shoes do you.
