Hmmm ... yes you make some good points about australia and there are certainly downsides however I have to wonder whether a long rant about how crap it can be is all that helpful to other members looking to move? Clearly you have had a bad time of it and are relieved to be back in england - nothing wrong with that.
As we all know england has more than its fair share of bad points but it surely comes down completely to the type of person you are, how you like to live and what you hold dear in life as to whether you can endure the worst parts of australian life and not let them ruin the whole experience of living there?
Although you are entitled to your own opinion, i do think its a bit of a shame to 'rain on people's parade' too much before they've had a chance to experience it themselves.
PS. One member commented it would be good to hear from people who have been resident in australia for a while - I lived in melbourne for 3 years, then came back to england for 5 years as i fell in love with an english lad and we are now moving back to melbourne permanently in november so am happy to try and answer any questions people may have.
Just an observation for everyone who joined in this thread ...
We all responded to a long message originally from 'Gags' and reading through some of the subsequent replies I find it interesting that the only other post from Gags in this whole 11 page thread was calling someone 'a daily mail reading redneck racist'!
Isn't it amazing that someone can start something designed to incite reaction, anger and negativity in others and then back out completely dodging any responsibility for their own actions?
I feel a bit ashamed that I gave Gags the satisfaction. Oh well, you live and learn ...
Peace to all and long live Australia with all her faults and wonderful qualities!!!
I agree with a lot of what you say Gags - it's important to come to Australia with your eyes open and without any illusions that this is some kind of sunny paradise. On my last trip back to Leeds I met a lot of people who got kind of starry eyed and wistful when I mentioned I was living down under. They complained about everything being terrible in Britain (when I saw so much that I admired) - I'm sure they'd complain just as much in Australia.
You're also right about life here being potentially just as mundane as in the UK. But I certainly prefer my daily 40 minute commute on a Cityrail train to the same journey on an overcrowded, expensive and unreliable Leeds bus!
I don't agree with what you said about the standard of living. I can do a lot more here than I could ever do in Leeds. I can afford to go out and eat in decent restaurants, I can take my kids out to Luna Park or the movies without getting a second mortgage etc etc. How much does a [bad] coffee cost in Cafe Nero or the Corn Exchange? About the same in pounds as it does in dollars for the wonderful coffee at Bar Italia here in Leichardt.
You are right about there being more happening in British cities - the one thing I did notice being back in Leeds was that everyone seemed to be in a hurry and had no time to sit back and enjoy life. And a lot of older people seemed to have a slightly nervous look in their eyes, as if some chavs were about to grab their bag. The other two main things I noticed about Leeds were the litter and the parochial attitudes. When I got back to Australia and they asked me what the UK was like I told my workmates that I never realised that Little Britain was a documentary as well as a comedy programme.
It all boils down to what you want out of life and what kind of lifestyle you want. Australia can be a bit isolated for some people - that's why so many young Aussies head overseas for extended periods. But you notice that so many Australians, even the mega rich like Rupert Murdoch's kids, come back here when they want to raise a family. I may well be rubbing shoulders with them this long weekend when I take my kids down to Bronte beach - that's the other good thing about Australia - it's still a relatively egalitarian society and "Jack is as good as his master".
My advice to anyone else would be to come out here and try working here for a year - if the pluses outweigh the minuses then you'll know if you want to stay or not.
Well-balanced and thoughtful post, well done. 'Nuff said.
Mrs Tyke x
__________________ "You can lead a fool to wisdom, but you can't make him think"- TRA posted 29/08/07 -TRA passed 26/09/07 IELTS test taken 01/12/07 - IELTS results back 15/12/07 - score 9.0. 175 Visa application lodged 22/01/08 - Case Officer 31.07.08
Good post. Nice to hear that things are actually better over there. Hearing that things are worse over there does make me start wondering if I am doing the right thing, but posts like yours make me realise that I am!!!
Cheers
Just been reading this thread, we are off to Melbourne in November and are thinking of heading to Seaford/ mornington way I am a Plumber Mostley solar work and my OH is a primary school teacher, If you have any advise as to where to head we would love to hear from you guys, Im sure there are areas that are not so great but hey we have those here in most towns and cities in the UK
Just been reading this thread, we are off to Melbourne in November and are thinking of heading to Seaford/ mornington way I am a Plumber Mostley solar work and my OH is a primary school teacher, If you have any advise as to where to head we would love to hear from you guys, Im sure there are areas that are not so great but hey we have those here in most towns and cities in the UK
Sean & Caz
It sounds like you'd prefer to be a bit out of the centre of melbourne, Mornington is roughly an hour drive out of the city and is a stunning area and popular in summer with young families - not sure about Seaford because I haven't been there ...
I have seen on this forum that Frankston/Dandenong might be a little rough round the edges but again can't comment personally.
I know the inner suburbs much better so if you need any thoughts on that let me know and best of luck with the move!
We are not sure where to head for but would not be a problem being near to central Melbourne just thought it would be more exspensive to be more central? we dont have kids yet but think OH has other plans so maybe further out would be better, we have checked out a lot of threads on this site and it has been very helpful, but people like your self who have been to other suburbs is always handy to be able to ask for your opinion. thanks for the reply
No problem, I think you can't ask enough questions when it comes to a big move, i know i did!
Hi,
We are not sure where to head for but would not be a problem being near to central Melbourne just thought it would be more exspensive to be more central? we dont have kids yet but think OH has other plans so maybe further out would be better, we have checked out a lot of threads on this site and it has been very helpful, but people like your self who have been to other suburbs is always handy to be able to ask for your opinion. thanks for the reply
Sean & Caz
You are right that the more central you go, the more expensive it is. A really good site to look at/compare house prices in melbourne is realestate.com.au - they also do rentals.
Again it comes down to what you are looking for ideally. Its generally considered that the western suburbs of melbourne are cheaper but also a bit more dog-earred: Footscray used to be pretty rough years ago but has undergone some regeneration however its still not as nice as the eastern suburbs but it is very central. If you have a look at a map of melbourne - try maps.google.co.uk and then zoom out that gives you a good idea of where the suburbs are and which are east and west.
As for kids, there's lots of inner suburbs that are great - Elwood and Brighton are both by the sea but are considered quite posh and fairly expensive with St. Kilda probably the priciest. Coburg north of the city is a really nice residential area, as is Northcote. Slightly further out are places like Pascoe Vale or Heidelberg and if you look on the train line you can guage how far they are from the city (or CBD as they sometimes call it: the central business district) - go to metlinkmelbourne.com.au, then look under Maps Stations Stops for a map of train, tram and bus routes.
Places like Nunawading to the east and Caroline Springs to the west are really far out and to be honest not the greatest areas - more like large estates with very little recreational facilities or links to public transport. The comedy show Kath & Kim do a good parody of this type of living although i don't know if the residents would agree!!!
You're on the right lines if you want to be further out but not too far with Mornington, although as its beautiful it will be pricier than other areas of the same distance.
Once you get arrive go into lots of estate agents armed with plenty of evidence of renting/mortgage from UK, plus bills and ID, that will get you round the problem of not having a job yet or having rented/bought previously in melbourne.
Try not to worry too much - there's only so much can be done from the uk and you can have a good explore when you arrive. We are having our first baby in march and we're not worried about being further out for the kids because melbourne is so accessible and mornington's only an hour from the centre anyway!
