BristolBeary

Well that was a quick year, can't believe its come round so quickly!

I thought I'd just share my observations from my year in Perth. Please note these are just my observations, as my posts always seem to upset somebody who take them out of context or read more into what I'm really saying.

In no particular order of good or bad....

* The climate is truly amazing. Although air con in summer is mandatory, I repeat mandatory!
* The beaches are stunning and so close to the city and the suburbs.
* The driving standards are appalling and there is a complete dependence on motor vehicles (it does my head in cycling past so many cars on the way to work with single drivers)
* The flies in November and December - ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh:curse:
* Shops not opening on a Sunday is just a joke and embarrassing.
* Everyone complaining about daylight saving - again joke and embarrassing.
* Peoples small mindness and opposition to any form of change whatsoever
* Public transport is fantastic - on time, cheap, clean. If somewhat over crowed in rush hours
* The amount of parks and open spaces are truly mind blowing - and with bbq's and play equipment for the kids
* Although everyone seems friendly why does it feel so clicky?
* (This could upset a few..) I find Australians from other states and people from overseas to be so much more friendly then born and bred West Aussies
* WA teams are exceptional crap at any sport you care to name*
* Can someone please reprogram the awful traffic lights!!!
* There are so many lovely holiday destinations within WA (although its time consuming and expensive to go to them)
* Health and safety from UK would have a field day here - Gloucester Tree anyone?
* TV is awful
* Internet speeds and capping/prices are awful.
* Couldn't believe how little income tax I paid - sweet!
* Couldn't believe how much I had to pay doctors/hospital fees!
* Wildlife = amazing
* Wife won't like this - but aussie woman are so much fitter than UK woman
* Its a long way from anywhere but oddly I don't feel isolated
* I don't feel homesick at all - I feel people sick
* Second hand cars are a rip off (4 * price of UK), new cars are a bargain
* Utility bills are ridiculously cheap - especially water bill
* People here work hard and very long hours (40 hour week minimum) but 3-4 hours overtime is expected on top
* From a software development view IT systems and working practices are 5+ years behind europe/US. Not good for your career.
* Air fares are comically high
* Heat in summer can act just like rain in winter in UK - you wont leave the house!
* There should be lots to outdoors but for some reason its sometimes hard to actually find anything to do (Maybe that dullsville tag is deserved)
* I don't think Australians really feel connected to the world and as such define themselves by sport
* I don't like the way Aboriginal people are treated on the whole and all the people complaining when Kevin Rudd said sorry are just pathetic


That's enough for now, there's loads more stuff but the post is getting to long!

Now please I don't want to offend anyway these are just my feelings (I'm not saying the above is fact - Its just the impression I've got)

In all though its been a brilliant experience, made some great friends (Aussie, Brits, Italian, Romanian, Kiwis, Swiss, Polish) - but I can't wait to get back to UK and Bristol now.

Glw88

[QUOTE=BristolBeary;6815518]


'...there is a complete dependence on motor vehicles (it does my head in cycling past so many cars on the way to work with single drivers)'
- Surprises me how all the car parks on the Mandurah Train Line are overflowing because of this

'Public transport is fantastic - on time, cheap, clean. If somewhat over crowed in rush hours'
- The way Public Transport should always be- Nationalised

'Internet speeds and capping/prices are awful.'
- Can't understand why it's possible to get a reasonably fast connection in the UK for about £10-15 a month with no download cap, yet here we pay about 3 times the price and have our usaged capped.

'...aussie woman are so much fitter than UK woman '
Too right mate!

' Second hand cars are a rip off (4 * price of UK), new cars are a bargain'
- Looking into getting my first car, and is just a joke that you pay about $3000 for a car that's 20 years old.

bluekipper

So you had enough and heading bk the UK for good then? Does`nt Perth have daylight saving?

Bluekipper

BristolBeary

It's not that I've had enough - because I do really love living in Perth, just right at this part of my life I love living in the UK more. If we could just move one set of grandparents here!

I won't ever say I won't come back because probably this time next year I'll be posting I'm coming back If there is a next time maybe I'll try somewhere in the east?

Perth does have Daylight saving - what makes me laugh is the people complaining trying to get rid of it after the trial this summer.

tomy2tums

WTF??? it's one of the best things about WA!

moneypenny20

I fully understand that it's your opinion etc etc. What I don't get on this point is why it's embarrassing Annoying or brilliant depending on someone's pov but embarrassing?

If you're going back to the UK - hope it goes well. If you're staying - hope it goes well

renth

Good post.

Keep Sunday special I say.

Also we can kiss daylight savings goodbye now the Nationals hold the balance of power.

bridie

[QUOTE=BristolBeary;6815518]

* The flies in November and December - ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh:curse: agree
* Shops not opening on a Sunday is just a joke and embarrassing. thank god, more to life than shops
* Everyone complaining about daylight saving i dont understand it either!!
* The amount of parks and open spaces are truly mind blowing - and with bbq's and play equipment for the kids yep, great stuff
* Although everyone seems friendly why does it feel so clicky? agree, find it hard to get "in" with the locals, perserverance is the key
* (This could upset a few..) I find Australians from other states and people from overseas to be so much more friendly then born and bred West Aussies dont agree, although we find that people who have moved to bunbury from elsewhere, even in WA, easier to make friends with
* WA teams are exceptional crap at any sport you care to name* Um... Western Force dont do too badly!!!! and the Eagles won the AFL a couple of years ago...
* There are so many lovely holiday destinations within WA (although its time consuming and expensive to go to them) given the size of the state of course it's time consuming... dont agree it's expensive, probably depends if you drive a gas guzzler or not
* Health and safety from UK would have a field day here - Gloucester Tree anyone? yes, you see some sights!!!
* TV is awful but there is more to life, esp in summer
* Internet speeds and capping/prices are awful. yes, it's a pain, probably down to population sizes or something
* Couldn't believe how little income tax I paid - sweet! agree
* Wildlife = amazing yep
* Wife won't like this - but aussie woman are so much fitter than UK woman same goes for the younger blokes
* Its a long way from anywhere but oddly I don't feel isolated me neither
* I don't feel homesick at all - I feel people sick dont think you ever get over missing people
* People here work hard and very long hours (40 hour week minimum) but 3-4 hours overtime is expected on top prob depends what area you work in, certainly not the case for my OH - but then he worked a 60 hour week in the UK for less money
* Air fares are comically high i dont understand this either, so you fly to the UK next to a Brit who's paid half the price for their seat - WHY?
* There should be lots to outdoors but for some reason its sometimes hard to actually find anything to do (Maybe that dullsville tag is deserved) depends i guess, quite happy to just be at home in the garden!!

Nu-Shooz

Good post, your opinion so that's all that matters

I agree with most of it, especially the challenge of finding something to do on a Sunday

Pouring it down today in WA, just like the UK, reminds me of home lol.

BristolBeary

I don't mean its embarrassing that there not open - its the arguments it sets of that are. I see the merit in not opening Sunday the main reason being it should be family time. But Saturday is family time as well yet pretty much everyone is forced to go shopping due to the restrictive hours during the week.

Did I say the climate was good? - sorry everyone its my fault its tipping it down

bridie

strange weather isnt it? lovely, warm and sunny yesterday, blue skies and then thundered down in the night.....

Nu-Shooz

Are we living in Melbourne

BristolBeary

I'm so tired as well! The rain and the wind completely freaked my 3 old daughter out so I ended up with 1 inch of bed to sleep on

Cheetah7

For me and for now, I can't imagine living anywhere else.

mindblower

:[/QUOTE]

Can relate to most of that, but I ain't going back to UK unless forced.