What's great about Oz v what's not so great about Oz
Nov 20th 2007, 12:53 am
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Mountain Creek, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Posts: 68
What's great about Oz v what's not so great about Oz
Well, we've been living on the Sunshine Coast for around 6 months now and I thought I'd share our likes and don't likes with you so far.
The weather is sooo much better than UK BUT when it rains it REALLY rains
Public BBQ's are free and there are lots of them BUT people don't always clean them when they've finished cooking, YUK!
We've seen wild kangaroos, possums, parrots and cockatoos and we have geckos living in our garage BUT we have seen HUGE cockroaches, a very big huntsman spider, blue bottle jellyfish and our geckos are really noisy at night.
There are lots of beautiful houses for sale here BUT the prices seem to be going up monthly
I can cycle safely to school with my son (who is 6) along the very wide cycle paths and through the beautiful parkland BUT it's starting to get a bit hot for cycling in the morning and we often get "swooped" by angry magpies when we go under their tree.
My husband and I have found great jobs with family friendly flexibility and we are both home by 3pm and no weekends BUT our pay isn't that good compared to cost of living.
There is so much stuff to do, especially as we live so close to the sea and the river BUT my son still loves playing playstation.
There are a huge number of clubs for the kids to join (my son does Little Athletics and Scouts) BUT the fees can be expensive and there are extras like kit and uniform.
We can get broadband where we live and the connection is excellent BUT it took weeks to get connected and is way more expensive than the UK. (We couldn't live without it though)
Fresh food is fantastic quality, like fish, meat, fruit and veg BUT to get a good price you need to go to the markets or specialist shops as the supermarkets charge quite a bit more and it's not as fresh.
You can get some really good deals on brand new cars BUT secondhand cars seem overpriced AND you have to pay TAX on used cars as well as new ones.
Sunshine coast is really clean and well looked after BUT we still have a big graffiti problem.
The beaches are fantastic and well patrolled and rarely crowded BUT the sea is quite scary unless you've grown up with it and understand it. Thank God for the life guards.
There are some great places to fish and it's a lovely way to spend an afternoon BUT we don't know much about it and have had some humorous comments about our bait and casting technique from the locals. My son caught a Puffa fish a couple of weeks ago.
The local clubs are family orientated and have great food at low prices and many have kids clubs where children can have fun in a supervised environment while you have a couple of drinks at the bar! They also have free buses that come to your house and pick you up and take you home so no arguments about driving. BUT the clubs have alot of adult only gaming machine areas in them and the entertainment can be a bit cheesy.
It's fantastic that you can e-mail, Skype, get an OzCall card, text, use Facebook etc to stay in touch with friends and family BUT it's not a substitute for hugs and kisses and we now realize that not everyone has the time or money to visit us
In a nutshell, there's so much we love about Australia and we won't be going back to the UK anytime soon. We love our life here and feel really lucky to have the opportunity to live here permanently.
The weather is sooo much better than UK BUT when it rains it REALLY rains
Public BBQ's are free and there are lots of them BUT people don't always clean them when they've finished cooking, YUK!
We've seen wild kangaroos, possums, parrots and cockatoos and we have geckos living in our garage BUT we have seen HUGE cockroaches, a very big huntsman spider, blue bottle jellyfish and our geckos are really noisy at night.
There are lots of beautiful houses for sale here BUT the prices seem to be going up monthly
I can cycle safely to school with my son (who is 6) along the very wide cycle paths and through the beautiful parkland BUT it's starting to get a bit hot for cycling in the morning and we often get "swooped" by angry magpies when we go under their tree.
My husband and I have found great jobs with family friendly flexibility and we are both home by 3pm and no weekends BUT our pay isn't that good compared to cost of living.
There is so much stuff to do, especially as we live so close to the sea and the river BUT my son still loves playing playstation.
There are a huge number of clubs for the kids to join (my son does Little Athletics and Scouts) BUT the fees can be expensive and there are extras like kit and uniform.
We can get broadband where we live and the connection is excellent BUT it took weeks to get connected and is way more expensive than the UK. (We couldn't live without it though)
Fresh food is fantastic quality, like fish, meat, fruit and veg BUT to get a good price you need to go to the markets or specialist shops as the supermarkets charge quite a bit more and it's not as fresh.
You can get some really good deals on brand new cars BUT secondhand cars seem overpriced AND you have to pay TAX on used cars as well as new ones.
Sunshine coast is really clean and well looked after BUT we still have a big graffiti problem.
The beaches are fantastic and well patrolled and rarely crowded BUT the sea is quite scary unless you've grown up with it and understand it. Thank God for the life guards.
There are some great places to fish and it's a lovely way to spend an afternoon BUT we don't know much about it and have had some humorous comments about our bait and casting technique from the locals. My son caught a Puffa fish a couple of weeks ago.
The local clubs are family orientated and have great food at low prices and many have kids clubs where children can have fun in a supervised environment while you have a couple of drinks at the bar! They also have free buses that come to your house and pick you up and take you home so no arguments about driving. BUT the clubs have alot of adult only gaming machine areas in them and the entertainment can be a bit cheesy.
It's fantastic that you can e-mail, Skype, get an OzCall card, text, use Facebook etc to stay in touch with friends and family BUT it's not a substitute for hugs and kisses and we now realize that not everyone has the time or money to visit us
In a nutshell, there's so much we love about Australia and we won't be going back to the UK anytime soon. We love our life here and feel really lucky to have the opportunity to live here permanently.
Nov 20th 2007, 2:33 am
#2
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2006
Location: In the tree across the road, watching you with binoculars.
Posts: 1,556
Re: What's great about Oz v what's not so great about Oz
Great post ! 
Nov 20th 2007, 9:12 am
#3
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Warner, brisbane
Posts: 519
Re: What's great about Oz v what's not so great about Oz
Very informative post
Good luck in your new life.
Good luck in your new life.
Nov 20th 2007, 6:02 pm
#4
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Tropical North QLD
Posts: 21,434
Re: What's great about Oz v what's not so great about Oz
That was a great post, very balanced
Nov 21st 2007, 8:17 am
#5
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 99
Re: What's great about Oz v what's not so great about Oz
Well, we've been living on the Sunshine Coast for around 6 months now and I thought I'd share our likes and don't likes with you so far.
The weather is sooo much better than UK BUT when it rains it REALLY rains
Public BBQ's are free and there are lots of them BUT people don't always clean them when they've finished cooking, YUK!
We've seen wild kangaroos, possums, parrots and cockatoos and we have geckos living in our garage BUT we have seen HUGE cockroaches, a very big huntsman spider, blue bottle jellyfish and our geckos are really noisy at night.
There are lots of beautiful houses for sale here BUT the prices seem to be going up monthly
I can cycle safely to school with my son (who is 6) along the very wide cycle paths and through the beautiful parkland BUT it's starting to get a bit hot for cycling in the morning and we often get "swooped" by angry magpies when we go under their tree.
My husband and I have found great jobs with family friendly flexibility and we are both home by 3pm and no weekends BUT our pay isn't that good compared to cost of living.
There is so much stuff to do, especially as we live so close to the sea and the river BUT my son still loves playing playstation.
There are a huge number of clubs for the kids to join (my son does Little Athletics and Scouts) BUT the fees can be expensive and there are extras like kit and uniform.
We can get broadband where we live and the connection is excellent BUT it took weeks to get connected and is way more expensive than the UK. (We couldn't live without it though)
Fresh food is fantastic quality, like fish, meat, fruit and veg BUT to get a good price you need to go to the markets or specialist shops as the supermarkets charge quite a bit more and it's not as fresh.
You can get some really good deals on brand new cars BUT secondhand cars seem overpriced AND you have to pay TAX on used cars as well as new ones.
Sunshine coast is really clean and well looked after BUT we still have a big graffiti problem.
The beaches are fantastic and well patrolled and rarely crowded BUT the sea is quite scary unless you've grown up with it and understand it. Thank God for the life guards.
There are some great places to fish and it's a lovely way to spend an afternoon BUT we don't know much about it and have had some humorous comments about our bait and casting technique from the locals. My son caught a Puffa fish a couple of weeks ago.
The local clubs are family orientated and have great food at low prices and many have kids clubs where children can have fun in a supervised environment while you have a couple of drinks at the bar! They also have free buses that come to your house and pick you up and take you home so no arguments about driving. BUT the clubs have alot of adult only gaming machine areas in them and the entertainment can be a bit cheesy.
It's fantastic that you can e-mail, Skype, get an OzCall card, text, use Facebook etc to stay in touch with friends and family BUT it's not a substitute for hugs and kisses and we now realize that not everyone has the time or money to visit us
In a nutshell, there's so much we love about Australia and we won't be going back to the UK anytime soon. We love our life here and feel really lucky to have the opportunity to live here permanently.
The weather is sooo much better than UK BUT when it rains it REALLY rains
Public BBQ's are free and there are lots of them BUT people don't always clean them when they've finished cooking, YUK!
We've seen wild kangaroos, possums, parrots and cockatoos and we have geckos living in our garage BUT we have seen HUGE cockroaches, a very big huntsman spider, blue bottle jellyfish and our geckos are really noisy at night.
There are lots of beautiful houses for sale here BUT the prices seem to be going up monthly
I can cycle safely to school with my son (who is 6) along the very wide cycle paths and through the beautiful parkland BUT it's starting to get a bit hot for cycling in the morning and we often get "swooped" by angry magpies when we go under their tree.
My husband and I have found great jobs with family friendly flexibility and we are both home by 3pm and no weekends BUT our pay isn't that good compared to cost of living.
There is so much stuff to do, especially as we live so close to the sea and the river BUT my son still loves playing playstation.
There are a huge number of clubs for the kids to join (my son does Little Athletics and Scouts) BUT the fees can be expensive and there are extras like kit and uniform.
We can get broadband where we live and the connection is excellent BUT it took weeks to get connected and is way more expensive than the UK. (We couldn't live without it though)
Fresh food is fantastic quality, like fish, meat, fruit and veg BUT to get a good price you need to go to the markets or specialist shops as the supermarkets charge quite a bit more and it's not as fresh.
You can get some really good deals on brand new cars BUT secondhand cars seem overpriced AND you have to pay TAX on used cars as well as new ones.
Sunshine coast is really clean and well looked after BUT we still have a big graffiti problem.
The beaches are fantastic and well patrolled and rarely crowded BUT the sea is quite scary unless you've grown up with it and understand it. Thank God for the life guards.
There are some great places to fish and it's a lovely way to spend an afternoon BUT we don't know much about it and have had some humorous comments about our bait and casting technique from the locals. My son caught a Puffa fish a couple of weeks ago.
The local clubs are family orientated and have great food at low prices and many have kids clubs where children can have fun in a supervised environment while you have a couple of drinks at the bar! They also have free buses that come to your house and pick you up and take you home so no arguments about driving. BUT the clubs have alot of adult only gaming machine areas in them and the entertainment can be a bit cheesy.
It's fantastic that you can e-mail, Skype, get an OzCall card, text, use Facebook etc to stay in touch with friends and family BUT it's not a substitute for hugs and kisses and we now realize that not everyone has the time or money to visit us
In a nutshell, there's so much we love about Australia and we won't be going back to the UK anytime soon. We love our life here and feel really lucky to have the opportunity to live here permanently.
Nov 24th 2007, 8:56 pm
#6
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2007
Location: Ferny Hills, Brisbane
Posts: 102
Re: What's great about Oz v what's not so great about Oz
Well, we've been living on the Sunshine Coast for around 6 months now and I thought I'd share our likes and don't likes with you so far.
The weather is sooo much better than UK BUT when it rains it REALLY rains
Public BBQ's are free and there are lots of them BUT people don't always clean them when they've finished cooking, YUK!
We've seen wild kangaroos, possums, parrots and cockatoos and we have geckos living in our garage BUT we have seen HUGE cockroaches, a very big huntsman spider, blue bottle jellyfish and our geckos are really noisy at night.
There are lots of beautiful houses for sale here BUT the prices seem to be going up monthly
I can cycle safely to school with my son (who is 6) along the very wide cycle paths and through the beautiful parkland BUT it's starting to get a bit hot for cycling in the morning and we often get "swooped" by angry magpies when we go under their tree.
My husband and I have found great jobs with family friendly flexibility and we are both home by 3pm and no weekends BUT our pay isn't that good compared to cost of living.
There is so much stuff to do, especially as we live so close to the sea and the river BUT my son still loves playing playstation.
There are a huge number of clubs for the kids to join (my son does Little Athletics and Scouts) BUT the fees can be expensive and there are extras like kit and uniform.
We can get broadband where we live and the connection is excellent BUT it took weeks to get connected and is way more expensive than the UK. (We couldn't live without it though)
Fresh food is fantastic quality, like fish, meat, fruit and veg BUT to get a good price you need to go to the markets or specialist shops as the supermarkets charge quite a bit more and it's not as fresh.
You can get some really good deals on brand new cars BUT secondhand cars seem overpriced AND you have to pay TAX on used cars as well as new ones.
Sunshine coast is really clean and well looked after BUT we still have a big graffiti problem.
The beaches are fantastic and well patrolled and rarely crowded BUT the sea is quite scary unless you've grown up with it and understand it. Thank God for the life guards.
There are some great places to fish and it's a lovely way to spend an afternoon BUT we don't know much about it and have had some humorous comments about our bait and casting technique from the locals. My son caught a Puffa fish a couple of weeks ago.
The local clubs are family orientated and have great food at low prices and many have kids clubs where children can have fun in a supervised environment while you have a couple of drinks at the bar! They also have free buses that come to your house and pick you up and take you home so no arguments about driving. BUT the clubs have alot of adult only gaming machine areas in them and the entertainment can be a bit cheesy.
It's fantastic that you can e-mail, Skype, get an OzCall card, text, use Facebook etc to stay in touch with friends and family BUT it's not a substitute for hugs and kisses and we now realize that not everyone has the time or money to visit us
In a nutshell, there's so much we love about Australia and we won't be going back to the UK anytime soon. We love our life here and feel really lucky to have the opportunity to live here permanently.
The weather is sooo much better than UK BUT when it rains it REALLY rains
Public BBQ's are free and there are lots of them BUT people don't always clean them when they've finished cooking, YUK!
We've seen wild kangaroos, possums, parrots and cockatoos and we have geckos living in our garage BUT we have seen HUGE cockroaches, a very big huntsman spider, blue bottle jellyfish and our geckos are really noisy at night.
There are lots of beautiful houses for sale here BUT the prices seem to be going up monthly
I can cycle safely to school with my son (who is 6) along the very wide cycle paths and through the beautiful parkland BUT it's starting to get a bit hot for cycling in the morning and we often get "swooped" by angry magpies when we go under their tree.
My husband and I have found great jobs with family friendly flexibility and we are both home by 3pm and no weekends BUT our pay isn't that good compared to cost of living.
There is so much stuff to do, especially as we live so close to the sea and the river BUT my son still loves playing playstation.
There are a huge number of clubs for the kids to join (my son does Little Athletics and Scouts) BUT the fees can be expensive and there are extras like kit and uniform.
We can get broadband where we live and the connection is excellent BUT it took weeks to get connected and is way more expensive than the UK. (We couldn't live without it though)
Fresh food is fantastic quality, like fish, meat, fruit and veg BUT to get a good price you need to go to the markets or specialist shops as the supermarkets charge quite a bit more and it's not as fresh.
You can get some really good deals on brand new cars BUT secondhand cars seem overpriced AND you have to pay TAX on used cars as well as new ones.
Sunshine coast is really clean and well looked after BUT we still have a big graffiti problem.
The beaches are fantastic and well patrolled and rarely crowded BUT the sea is quite scary unless you've grown up with it and understand it. Thank God for the life guards.
There are some great places to fish and it's a lovely way to spend an afternoon BUT we don't know much about it and have had some humorous comments about our bait and casting technique from the locals. My son caught a Puffa fish a couple of weeks ago.
The local clubs are family orientated and have great food at low prices and many have kids clubs where children can have fun in a supervised environment while you have a couple of drinks at the bar! They also have free buses that come to your house and pick you up and take you home so no arguments about driving. BUT the clubs have alot of adult only gaming machine areas in them and the entertainment can be a bit cheesy.
It's fantastic that you can e-mail, Skype, get an OzCall card, text, use Facebook etc to stay in touch with friends and family BUT it's not a substitute for hugs and kisses and we now realize that not everyone has the time or money to visit us
In a nutshell, there's so much we love about Australia and we won't be going back to the UK anytime soon. We love our life here and feel really lucky to have the opportunity to live here permanently.
Nov 26th 2007, 11:16 am
#7
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Carshalton, Surrey
Posts: 18
Re: What's great about Oz v what's not so great about Oz
What a great post, thank you for sharing. That has really put things into perspective. Nowhere is perfect, but it sounds that this is about as close as it gets.
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
Nov 26th 2007, 6:56 pm
#8
egghead4+becky
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: was newport now sunny Bundy
Posts: 797
Re: What's great about Oz v what's not so great about Oz
brilliant post, really intersting to read.
you sound very happy.
all the best
bec
you sound very happy.
all the best
bec
Nov 27th 2007, 6:18 am
#9
Banned
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: I refuse to answer on the grounds it may incriminate me
Posts: 4,513
Re: What's great about Oz v what's not so great about Oz
whats great is that oz isnt the uk. whats not so great is there are too many bladdy pommies here
Nov 27th 2007, 9:03 am
#10
is hoping for the best
Joined: Oct 2007
Location: dont know when now, but birmingham to perth soon :-(
Posts: 101
Re: What's great about Oz v what's not so great about Oz
well, after that post i feel very emotional.
i have spent years dreaming of taking my family to oz, and finally over the past couple of months, ,my husband has agreed to go, got a good job out there and we are waiting for our passports then our visas.
that post is everything i hope for our future, you sound very happy.
i think i will be able to cope with magpies and a few nasties.
there are far more nasties on the streets of birmingham in the uk!!!!!
cant wait to join you out there.
good luck for the future.
rosie xxx
i have spent years dreaming of taking my family to oz, and finally over the past couple of months, ,my husband has agreed to go, got a good job out there and we are waiting for our passports then our visas.
that post is everything i hope for our future, you sound very happy.
i think i will be able to cope with magpies and a few nasties.
there are far more nasties on the streets of birmingham in the uk!!!!!
cant wait to join you out there.
good luck for the future.
rosie xxx
Nov 28th 2007, 3:16 am
#11
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Mountain Creek, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Posts: 68
Re: What's great about Oz v what's not so great about Oz
well, after that post i feel very emotional.
i have spent years dreaming of taking my family to oz, and finally over the past couple of months, ,my husband has agreed to go, got a good job out there and we are waiting for our passports then our visas.
that post is everything i hope for our future, you sound very happy.
i think i will be able to cope with magpies and a few nasties.
there are far more nasties on the streets of birmingham in the uk!!!!!
cant wait to join you out there.
good luck for the future.
rosie xxx
i have spent years dreaming of taking my family to oz, and finally over the past couple of months, ,my husband has agreed to go, got a good job out there and we are waiting for our passports then our visas.
that post is everything i hope for our future, you sound very happy.
i think i will be able to cope with magpies and a few nasties.
there are far more nasties on the streets of birmingham in the uk!!!!!
cant wait to join you out there.
good luck for the future.
rosie xxx
There is so much to love about Australia and Australians in general are very upbeat and positive about everything and that's definately rubbed off on us too. Aussies are always saying "no worries" and mostly that's true! I know you'll love Australia. Good luck with everything.
Nov 28th 2007, 3:22 am
#12
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Mountain Creek, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Posts: 68
Re: What's great about Oz v what's not so great about Oz
You're right about the pommies! But hey, as long as we all embrace the Aussie lifestyle and don't keep saying "but in England we ...........whatever!" then I think it's fine. Alot of people who live here have English relatives or English/Scottish/Irish blood in them.
