Why do you want to move to Australia?

[siscar]

thehawk said:

I can say with confidence that Melbourne and Sydney have better swimming, shopping, casinos and tennis.

I own a company in Australia and one in the UK and we regularly have people from Sydney and Brisbane coming over here. One thing that gets them all is the quality and variety of food in our supermarkets, a trip round Sainsbury's amazes then, not least because they don't expect it.

[thehawk]

siscar said:

thehawk said:

I can say with confidence that Melbourne and Sydney have better swimming, shopping, casinos and tennis.

I own a company in Australia and one in the UK and we regularly have people from Sydney and Brisbane coming over here. One thing that gets them all is the quality and variety of food in our supermarkets, a trip round Sainsbury's amazes then, not least because they don't expect it.

Yes, but the quality is nowhere near as good as Aus or NZ.

The difference really is stunning, you can actually taste the flavours in food once again.

And as for variety that means nothing - go to your average supermarket in Germany, France or Italy and they have even less variety - yet their food is delicious.

Edited by thehawk on Saturday 27th September 15:52

[thehawk]

Fiddlemesticks said:

Melbourne and Sydney have better Shopping, than what? London, Manchester, Leeds? Are you mental. I've been to all the cities shopping and you're having a laugh. Holy st thats very funny. I suppose if you like shopping at Target and David Jones, then you're right. Paul Smith, Ted Baker, Saville Row, Harrods... hmm. not sure about that.

Yes, far better than Manchester and Leeds - totally different level. Melbourne had a least 4 shopping centres as big, if not bigger than Bluewater or the Trafford Centre, then the CBD plus all the other high streets like Richmond and Chapel St.

London for high-end brand names yes, but then most people hardly use them anyway. And then what is left? Oxford St with it's high street shops found in every town in the UK, along with assorted crappy shops selling tourist crap. Selfridges is about the only good thing.

[Fiddlemesticks]

So we are talking about the number of shops under one roof, not the variety. I can get David Jones, Target, Myers etc in an city/town in the whole of oz (if you get my drift) but you cant get boutique or spciality stores like in other places.

Oz just doesnt have the variety.

And lets not start talking about shopping online shall we. Oz online is like the UK was in 1996.

[SleeperCell]

thehawk said:

siscar said:

thehawk said:

I can say with confidence that Melbourne and Sydney have better swimming, shopping, casinos and tennis.

I own a company in Australia and one in the UK and we regularly have people from Sydney and Brisbane coming over here. One thing that gets them all is the quality and variety of food in our supermarkets, a trip round Sainsbury's amazes then, not least because they don't expect it.

Yes, but the quality is nowhere near as good as Aus or NZ.

The difference really is stunning, you can actually taste the flavours in food once again.

Actually yes, I noticed this last time I was back in Australia after not having been back for a couple of years and it was suprising how noticeable the difference actually is. Also when my mum was over in the UK last month she commented on how British supermarkets have a good range, and it looks nice but stuff actually has little flavour. I think this is just because British supermarkets are better at manipulating the consumer, making stuff looks correct and homogenous and so on.

[thehawk]

Fiddlemesticks said:

So we are talking about the number of shops under one roof, not the variety. I can get David Jones, Target, Myers etc in an city/town in the whole of oz (if you get my drift) but you cant get boutique or spciality stores like in other places.

Oz just doesnt have the variety.

And lets not start talking about shopping online shall we. Oz online is like the UK was in 1996.

No, I genuinely think Melbourne has more variety, plenty of one-off shops selling independent stuff, rather than chain stores. Especially shoes for some reason.

Agree with the online bit, it truely is dire, I'm not even sure it will improve either.

Edited by thehawk on Saturday 27th September 17:08

[thehawk]

SleeperCell said:

thehawk said:

siscar said:

thehawk said:

I can say with confidence that Melbourne and Sydney have better swimming, shopping, casinos and tennis.

I own a company in Australia and one in the UK and we regularly have people from Sydney and Brisbane coming over here. One thing that gets them all is the quality and variety of food in our supermarkets, a trip round Sainsbury's amazes then, not least because they don't expect it.

Yes, but the quality is nowhere near as good as Aus or NZ.

The difference really is stunning, you can actually taste the flavours in food once again.

Actually yes, I noticed this last time I was back in Australia after not having been back for a couple of years and it was suprising how noticeable the difference actually is. Also when my mum was over in the UK last month she commented on how British supermarkets have a good range, and it looks nice but stuff actually has little flavour. I think this is just because British supermarkets are better at manipulating the consumer, making stuff looks correct and homogenous and so on.

I'm a big fan of Asian food, usually 3-4 times a week - Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Thai etc absolutely rely on fresh ingredients and there is virtually nothing in the UK, or Europe that comes close to the quality of Asian food in Australia.

[Fiddlemesticks]

Totally agree with you there. The Asian food in Oz is fantastic. Katsu Curry has become the all time favourite. Bit fattening though....

[Rach*]

Have you seen the lifeguards on Bondi Beach? They dont make 'em like that in Scarbrough, I rest my case

[XB70]

thehawk said:

XB70 said:

I lived in Sydney for 18 years and been here for 4.5 years.

For those who don't know, those suburbs are (almost completely) tips that any sane person would want to leave immediately. I am not going to go into the specifics but anyone from Sydney will know what I am talking about.

Try somewhere average and decent, as in where you would actually like to live and not aspirational Lotto wins, and you are looking at Parramatta, North Rocks, Carlingford...ie, heading northwest - definitely not South West unless you want to live in fear. "Fully sik bruv" and "my cuzzes are gonna come round" - insider reference to Sydney living!

I love living here in the UK - the people are great, I don't feel anywhere near as 'cautious' as I did back in Sydney, there is so much to do, the ability to live a decent life (comparing salaries on what the actual same job provides in both countries, not doing a £ = $ conversion) here is far above back 'home'. Most things are far more affordable than back in Oz.

When I am back visiting family, I look around and think "WTF" when I look at the prices of thing, what you can do and so forth - aside from the (few) major attractions, there is actually not a lot to do. Yes, you can have a 'weekend bbq' out the backyard with your mates over and talk about footy, cricket.....here, I can drive to Bruges for lunch (which I have done).

In Oz, you may want to drive up the coast for the weekend...you have two highways up there, on being a two lane backroad, the other being a 4 lane (2 each way) motorway designed for 150kph travel and which is policed to 110kph by the most draconian police force you will ever find, to get to Nelson's Bay, sit around at the bbq and then back home again. Do that a few times and you ask "is this it?". UK - where would I even begin. There is just so much and, if that is not enough, all of Europe on the doorstep and the United States 7 hours and £299 quid away!

Just on the police, I will say that there is no way the abuse that is handed out to police here would be tolerated back home. It would be a very very stupid individual who thought he could sqaure up to a cop, spit and abuse them and think that he would be getting off easy. I digress.

Overall, having lived in both countries, I don't want to ever go back - my wife gets homesick but I dread the thought of ever going back.

It is great for a holiday but that is about it.

• wanders off to look at £10,000 ($AU23,0000) Maserati 3200GT's for a blast to Germany* yep, it sux here ;-)

I was a bit like you but then I grew up and realised what the important things in life are - i.e friends and family. I've pissed money away with the flash cars and driving all over Europe, and it was very enjoyable but if you really prefer that to being with genuine, decent friends or family, in whatever country, then it's perhaps you that has the problem. And to say that there is nothing to do in Australia is ridiculous, again that's saying more about you than the country. You can do pretty much any hobby or activity here that you can do in the UK.

Edited by thehawk on Saturday 27th September 05:31

I've read a few more of your posts and, with respect, you have not got the faintest idea what you are talking about. I used the above as examples, noting that this is, by and large, a car forum but let's go into details.

House prices - as unaffordable as here
Shopping - more expensive, more limited range
Cars - addressed above - go have a look at www.carsales.com.au and have a browse
Things to do - virtually any country will have fishing, sports, cinemas (citing some of the examples) but I really think you need to pull out a map of Australia - there are a handful of major coastal cities, some inland cities and that is it

It is not a case of 'growing up' which actually a juvenile comment to make, since I would be as happy with my family here, Oz, a mansion in Long Beach or a dump in the desert since my family are the most important thing to me. But as this discussion is more why about someone would want to move from A to B, you are missing the point.

You can do everything back in Oz that you can do in the UK....the thing is that, from the UK perspective, you can do everything you can do in Oz and a mind boggling range more.

So at the end of the working week, having had a shocking time, you decide to get away for a few days, you can pile the kids into car and head off to Gosford or pile them into the car, go under the ocean in 25 mins and be in France en route to Disneyland. For kids in Oz, Disneyland is for the most part, within reach to them as a Veyron is to us.

As for kids/family (since you appear to think I am a car obsessed person who needs to grow up), my children here would most likely be able to learn another language that they can actually use (perhaps at a young age when we bring them to France or Germany or Spain), able to see so many more places, countries, culture, historical monuments etc than back in Oz and, when older, spend an exchange year on the Continent.

Yes, all of this can happen in kids/people in Oz but here is the massive difference....there are far far fewer people who would have access to the funds to be able to do that.

Here in the UK, the end rewards of what you get from a week's work are far beyond what you can get back home.

Don't get me wrong, I spent 18 years of my life in Oz, my parents and siblings are there and will remain so, and it offered me so much......but the UK and Europe just offer so much more.

Edited by XB70 on Saturday 27th September 20:06

[JRM]

Fiddlemesticks said:

thehawk said:

Fiddlemesticks said:

Swimming
Shopping
Site seeing
Casinos
Pubs
Clubs
Tennis


And Australia only does Casino better than the UK for any of these. So if the weather is either st or too hot in Oz you are pretty much stuffed.

I can say with confidence that Melbourne and Sydney have better swimming, shopping, casinos and tennis.

As for pubs and clubs it's personal taste and the area you live in, although a traditional English pub is something special in itself, but the vast majority of modern day pubs in the UK are characterless stholes with horrible food, which makes them on a par with the average Aussie pub.

Melbourne and Sydney have better Shopping, than what? London, Manchester, Leeds? Are you mental. I've been to all the cities shopping and you're having a laugh. Holy st thats very funny. I suppose if you like shopping at Target and David Jones, then you're right. Paul Smith, Ted Baker, Saville Row, Harrods... hmm. not sure about that.

At least they have tennis and swimming. Get me a plane ticket immediately.....

It's OK no one is actually trying to convince you to go, they just have different priorities to you - why even bother debating it so hard, you either like the idea of you don't - simple.

[tim the pool man]

JRM said:

Fiddlemesticks said:

thehawk said:

Fiddlemesticks said:

Swimming
Shopping
Site seeing
Casinos
Pubs
Clubs
Tennis


And Australia only does Casino better than the UK for any of these. So if the weather is either st or too hot in Oz you are pretty much stuffed.

I can say with confidence that Melbourne and Sydney have better swimming, shopping, casinos and tennis.

As for pubs and clubs it's personal taste and the area you live in, although a traditional English pub is something special in itself, but the vast majority of modern day pubs in the UK are characterless stholes with horrible food, which makes them on a par with the average Aussie pub.

Melbourne and Sydney have better Shopping, than what? London, Manchester, Leeds? Are you mental. I've been to all the cities shopping and you're having a laugh. Holy st thats very funny. I suppose if you like shopping at Target and David Jones, then you're right. Paul Smith, Ted Baker, Saville Row, Harrods... hmm. not sure about that.

At least they have tennis and swimming. Get me a plane ticket immediately.....

It's OK no one is actually trying to convince you to go, they just have different priorities to you - why even bother debating it so hard, you either like the idea of you don't - simple.

FMS is already here. He's simply trying to counter some of the BS on here from people who have clearly never lived here.

[SkinnyBoy]

I had to laugh at teh shopping comments, Melbourne has some great shopping if your into that, but as a male, i prefer to do my shopping online, which I am more than catered for. I don't need that instant buzz release of purchasing so can wait a couple of weeks for my clothing etc to arrive.

As for what else to do in Oz, if you think that theres nothing to do here then quite frankly you need to check yourself. Theres so much to do here, you want history, drive for a bit and go to Ballarat and the Goldfields, want further back than that, then get in a 4WD and go out bush and seriously you will have a moment of clarity when you look up and actually see the universe as intended all the while surrounded by million year old rock formations that will make you realise how insignificant you really are.

Growing up as a kid in England I used to dream of the stars, here I can actually see them!

History? over rated.

[welshbikerduck]

Rebuker said:

Highway Star said:

Eric Mc said:

DaveL485 said:

Cabada for us.

Because it's not a wrecked country run by muppets that rob every penny they can out of our pockets.

Really?

What to Canadians say?

I know someone who lived there for over 40 years and un-emigrated back to her native Scotland.

Having just spent two weeks in British Columbia, the general public opinion certainly seemed to be that their government, and their politicians of all parties in general, were pretty useless.

Vancouver and the Gulf Islands were lovely though.

There is a far lesser rate of return from people emigrating to Canada than to any other country.

The govt is useless but not malignant.
The weather sucks sometimes but you know where you stand: it WILL be hot when it is meant to be hot, or cold when ought to, and you can back on that. (ontario and quebec at least).

Immigration: There is much less of a sense of being resisted or having to adjust to the locals.
Unfortunately most Australians are under the illusion that they are in Europe, when in fact they are surrounded, and unnaturally settled in, an area full of brown people. Itb is not surprising they panic and get all uppety about immigration.

How fortunate that the Aboriginals were not able to be quite so militant or able to be as intolerant when the white settlers first arrived, who, until the 1970s went out shooting them for sport.

What's the percentage of Asians/Blacks over there. Do they have areas like South London and Bradford, or did their white only policy prevent that?

[siscar]

These threads are always good for a laugh, but the reality is that most first world countries have their pluses and minuses. What makes it even better is that the pluses and minuses are different for different people.

Take climate - I am one of the silent many that actually quite likes the English climate. It rarely gets too hot, rarely gets really cold, a fair amount of rain but that gives us a lot of greenery. So for me climate is a reason to live here and not Australia, but if you like it hot then you will prefer Australia.

So all of this one country is better than another stuff is just rubbish. Everywhere is different, everyone will have somewhere that suits them better than others but it fortunately it isn't the same place for everyone.

[thehawk]

siscar said:

These threads are always good for a laugh, but the reality is that most first world countries have their pluses and minuses. What makes it even better is that the pluses and minuses are different for different people.

Take climate - I am one of the silent many that actually quite likes the English climate. It rarely gets too hot, rarely gets really cold, a fair amount of rain but that gives us a lot of greenery. So for me climate is a reason to live here and not Australia, but if you like it hot then you will prefer Australia.

So all of this one country is better than another stuff is just rubbish. Everywhere is different, everyone will have somewhere that suits them better than others but it fortunately it isn't the same place for everyone.

Yes, I could easily live in the UK, Aus or NZ - they all have their disadvantages and advantages, just annoys me when some people are so negative about a place.

[GilbertGrape]

XB70 said:

thehawk said:

XB70 said:

I lived in Sydney for 18 years and been here for 4.5 years.

For those who don't know, those suburbs are (almost completely) tips that any sane person would want to leave immediately. I am not going to go into the specifics but anyone from Sydney will know what I am talking about.

Try somewhere average and decent, as in where you would actually like to live and not aspirational Lotto wins, and you are looking at Parramatta, North Rocks, Carlingford...ie, heading northwest - definitely not South West unless you want to live in fear. "Fully sik bruv" and "my cuzzes are gonna come round" - insider reference to Sydney living!

I love living here in the UK - the people are great, I don't feel anywhere near as 'cautious' as I did back in Sydney, there is so much to do, the ability to live a decent life (comparing salaries on what the actual same job provides in both countries, not doing a £ = $ conversion) here is far above back 'home'. Most things are far more affordable than back in Oz.

When I am back visiting family, I look around and think "WTF" when I look at the prices of thing, what you can do and so forth - aside from the (few) major attractions, there is actually not a lot to do. Yes, you can have a 'weekend bbq' out the backyard with your mates over and talk about footy, cricket.....here, I can drive to Bruges for lunch (which I have done).

In Oz, you may want to drive up the coast for the weekend...you have two highways up there, on being a two lane backroad, the other being a 4 lane (2 each way) motorway designed for 150kph travel and which is policed to 110kph by the most draconian police force you will ever find, to get to Nelson's Bay, sit around at the bbq and then back home again. Do that a few times and you ask "is this it?". UK - where would I even begin. There is just so much and, if that is not enough, all of Europe on the doorstep and the United States 7 hours and £299 quid away!

Just on the police, I will say that there is no way the abuse that is handed out to police here would be tolerated back home. It would be a very very stupid individual who thought he could sqaure up to a cop, spit and abuse them and think that he would be getting off easy. I digress.

Overall, having lived in both countries, I don't want to ever go back - my wife gets homesick but I dread the thought of ever going back.

It is great for a holiday but that is about it.

• wanders off to look at £10,000 ($AU23,0000) Maserati 3200GT's for a blast to Germany* yep, it sux here ;-)

I was a bit like you but then I grew up and realised what the important things in life are - i.e friends and family. I've pissed money away with the flash cars and driving all over Europe, and it was very enjoyable but if you really prefer that to being with genuine, decent friends or family, in whatever country, then it's perhaps you that has the problem. And to say that there is nothing to do in Australia is ridiculous, again that's saying more about you than the country. You can do pretty much any hobby or activity here that you can do in the UK.

Edited by thehawk on Saturday 27th September 05:31

I've read a few more of your posts and, with respect, you have not got the faintest idea what you are talking about. I used the above as examples, noting that this is, by and large, a car forum but let's go into details.

House prices - as unaffordable as here
Shopping - more expensive, more limited range
Cars - addressed above - go have a look at www.carsales.com.au and have a browse
Things to do - virtually any country will have fishing, sports, cinemas (citing some of the examples) but I really think you need to pull out a map of Australia - there are a handful of major coastal cities, some inland cities and that is it

It is not a case of 'growing up' which actually a juvenile comment to make, since I would be as happy with my family here, Oz, a mansion in Long Beach or a dump in the desert since my family are the most important thing to me. But as this discussion is more why about someone would want to move from A to B, you are missing the point.

You can do everything back in Oz that you can do in the UK....the thing is that, from the UK perspective, you can do everything you can do in Oz and a mind boggling range more.

So at the end of the working week, having had a shocking time, you decide to get away for a few days, you can pile the kids into car and head off to Gosford or pile them into the car, go under the ocean in 25 mins and be in France en route to Disneyland. For kids in Oz, Disneyland is for the most part, within reach to them as a Veyron is to us.

As for kids/family (since you appear to think I am a car obsessed person who needs to grow up), my children here would most likely be able to learn another language that they can actually use (perhaps at a young age when we bring them to France or Germany or Spain), able to see so many more places, countries, culture, historical monuments etc than back in Oz and, when older, spend an exchange year on the Continent.

Yes, all of this can happen in kids/people in Oz but here is the massive difference....there are far far fewer people who would have access to the funds to be able to do that.

Here in the UK, the end rewards of what you get from a week's work are far beyond what you can get back home.

Don't get me wrong, I spent 18 years of my life in Oz, my parents and siblings are there and will remain so, and it offered me so much......but the UK and Europe just offer so much more.

Edited by XB70 on Saturday 27th September 20:06

Everything in Europe is closer to the UK, we get it. Everything that is better though?

I've been to Disneyland....The REAL Disneyland in California, not the McDisneyland in Europe.

And I flew from NZ. Everything is within reach of Aus and NZ.

It's comforting being a long distance from the rest of the world actually. It's almost like living in a big sheltered, secluded bay(So to speak).

Edited by GilbertGrape on Sunday 28th September 09:18

[Hullfan]

People move for lots of reasons, sometimes its just to start a fresh somewhere else. A new place a new them, but in reality, you are still the same you, and you have to make new friends and start again. I think that the Uk suits me, its familar and the climate is just right, I hate it when its really really hot and when its really really cold. I miss my beloved Hull City too much even when I go on holiday. My old mam said that 'Home is where you heart is' I think many people forget that.

[GilbertGrape]

siscar said:

These threads are always good for a laugh, but the reality is that most first world countries have their pluses and minuses. What makes it even better is that the pluses and minuses are different for different people.

Take climate - I am one of the silent many that actually quite likes the English climate. It rarely gets too hot, rarely gets really cold, a fair amount of rain but that gives us a lot of greenery. So for me climate is a reason to live here and not Australia, but if you like it hot then you will prefer Australia.

So all of this one country is better than another stuff is just rubbish. Everywhere is different, everyone will have somewhere that suits them better than others but it fortunately it isn't the same place for everyone.

Australians have all the greenery they could ever want, and just a short, inexpensive, 3.5 hours flight away.

Edited by GilbertGrape on Sunday 28th September 09:22

[XB70]

I used that as one example but you have hit the nail on the head with regards the being secluded. Some people love it, and move to Oz/NZ for that very reason. Others hate it and leave - which is the common theme I have experienced with Australians and New Zealanders that I have run into in the Middle East, Asia, North America, Russia, Iceland (!) - they are everywhere!

At the end of the day, to each their own I suppose.