Why do you want to move to Australia?

[GilbertGrape]

What's the main attraction for you?

[GilbertGrape]

I think you'll find that alot of Aussies and Kiwis go to the UK because that's where most of our ancestry is.

At a guess, i'd wager that most of them come back.


It's all about the castles

[GilbertGrape]

Not much to do in Australia?

Riiiite.

[GilbertGrape]

Fiddlemesticks said:

GilbertGrape said:

Not much to do in Australia?

Riiiite.

I dont really disagree with you, but please feel free to name say 5 things to do within 1 hours drive of any of the major cities.

Fishing
Swimming
Road Cycling
Mountain biking
Tramping
Boating
Canoeing
Surfing
Sailing
Windsurfing
Kitesurfing
Picnicing
Trail riding
Shopping
Site seeing
Golfing
Shooting/Hunting
Rollerblading/unicycling/skateboarding
Skiing
Zoos
Wildlife parks
Theme parks
Casinos
Pubs
Clubs
Tennis

I don't know why I even bothered with your ridiculous question/challenge but, should I go on?


The UK has alot of historical sites...and rain..


And....NZ is just a short flight away for some

bungy jumping
Skiing
Skydiving
Nature walks
Hunting
Mountain climbing
Vineyards
Lake Taupo
Queenstown etc..etc..etc..

Edited by GilbertGrape on Saturday 27th September 11:29

[GilbertGrape]

siscar said:

GilbertGrape said:

Not much to do in Australia?

Riiiite.

Obviously there are things to do, but it does depend on what you like. If you want to do/watch sports then you are OK, it's the world outside sport that's a little lacking. Obviously there is a lack of anything historic and everything is a long way apart. This is the country of 'Big Things' where a building in the shape of a banana is a tourist attraction.
Perth is the most extreme example of the problem, being 1,700 miles from the nearest other city (which, being Adelaide, is perhaps not far enough), you are reliant entirely on what Perth itself has to offer. Which isn't that great unless, of course, you like the beach, the bbq and sport.
I spent a lot of time in Australia and I like the place, but a couple of months a year is enough for me, others love it though - each to their own.

It's all about the ruins then? The past?



Right, gotcha.

Edited by GilbertGrape on Saturday 27th September 11:31

[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

[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

[GilbertGrape]

siscar said:

GilbertGrape said:

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.

again

You do realise that Los Angeles is over a thousand miles closer to London than it is to Auckland don't you?

Of course everything is in reach if you count sitting on planes for 8 hours or more as being in reach.

BTW I've been to Disneyland in California, it's the oldest and worst of them all.

Interesting humour you have there.

That flight isn't as bad as you might think. No where near as long as the flight that so many Brits are taking as they move down here.

So, California has the oldest Disneyland huh...that would be a bonus for many Brits so passionate about old stuff.