MARYROSE02

I've said this before to other people and I'll say it again. Don't even think of coming to Australia if you are making Mount Everest out of the molehill of comments of the miniscule numbers of disgruntled Pommie migrants, who, quite frankly, should never have left the UK in the first place. 'Beaches and gum trees?' As if there is only one kind of beach and one kind of eucalypt in Australia? I love looking at gum trees and whenever I saw one in the UK it made me feel very nostalgic. Sydney alone has a string of beaches, north and south of the harbour and very few of them, if any, look the same. 'Fed up with being called a Pom?' Fed up because they are completely lacking in a sense of humour or, more likely, they spend so much time whingeing, the Aussies got sick of hearing it and, deservedly said something like '**** off back to England if you don't like it here you whingeing Pommie ****! Just yesterday i got talking to a young geezer from Manchester in a fruit and veg shop in Crown St. 'Why do you like it here so much?' I asked him and he reeled off a list of all the things he loves about Sydney, the lifestyle, the opportunities, the weather, etc. etc. We had a lovely bit of banter with an Aussie girl just behind me in the queue. She was wearing a hat and I told her it looked cute and she swapped hats with me and took a photo of me. On the across Ward Park, past the skate board a young Aussie guy said to me 'I like your shirt' so I stopped and had a good chat to him about Newcastle (NSW), where he came from, skate boarding, hip hop music, which he loved, shared magic mushroom experiences. The reason I went up to Crown St in the first place was because I had heard the sad news that 'Dasher' the community dog had been killed. He was a Surry Hills institution and everybody used to stop and pat him. His death was in both the Sydney daily newspapers - Telegraph and Herald - and the pavement outside his house has become a shrine of chalked messages, letters, cards, flowers. I wrote a letter myself to his owner and put it in their letter box. Afterwards I went for coffee in one of the plethora of cafes that dot Crown St, dot all of Surry Hills in fact, all of Sydney. In the arvo I had another coffee in Danks Street, Waterloo, another trendy up and coming area in Sydney then I went to Malabar for a swim on a lovely autumn arvo. This is a truly wonderful place and most Pommie migrants appreciate it, but unfortunately there are a few ne'er do wells with no taste.

'Poms in Paradise?' I've not heard of that one? Is it a new series? I embarrassed my niece by being in the same bar as her last night in the city - Martin Place Bar I think it's called - I'd never been in there before. She told me to go home and go to bed!

Not your kids - the people who thought you looked 48 or whatever age they said you looked.

I had a good day at Penrith yesterday apart from arriving ten mins late because I drove and only allowed an hour to get there - 55 kilometres, 50 of them on freeway but the other five have a thousand sets of lights always on red on Parramatta Road! But I still did my tests for the job and sailed through them for once not mucking up the typing tests - did 13,000 speed too and there was a checking test where you get three sets of numbers or addresses and some are right and some have one letter or number wrong - 33189 33189 33198. I liked Penrith too, will never make jokes about 'Westies' in flanno shirts and Ugg boots! The shopping centre is huge and packed - all seem to be white people too - strange how certain suburbs have different demographics. Bankstown is a cross between Vietnam and The Middle East. I could not find my car in the HUGE car park under the shopping centre - it's bigger than Scotland! I was thinking I would have to leave my car there until everybody else went home! Also got two designer shirts for $9 each in one of the charity shops - Smith Family, one of them had not been worn even - 3 Wise Men - had to Google that brand on my mobile phone - it's from NZ too. The other was 'Marcs' which I rather like. Tried on a Tommy Hifigger pair of jeans but could not squeeze into them But I was dumb! DUMB AND DUMBER! I stopped off in Lilyfield to see my friend Marita and we had a glass of wine together then walked up to Rozelle for a Thai meal and I had a bottle of Magniers Pear Cider with my red chicken curry and coconut rice. I went home and then I went down to the pub - Strawberry Hills Hotel - I can blame my friends for buying me more drinks and blame the barstaff for giving me schooners instead of middies and talk about how nice it is to know people and to sit at the bar like I'm on the set of Cheers BUT.............

Try to find yourself a local pub/cafe/restaurant, preferably all three. Start going regularly, introduce yourself to the staff, get to know their names, and them, yours. Find yourself an AFL club to follow! The season has just started. Be like me in reverse, living in Sydney, and go for the Melbourne Storm in the NRL and Sydney Swans in the AFL! Read the local newspapers, watch the local news, listen to a radio station - and get Foxtel so you can watch Sky New UK through the night when you suffer from insomnia (like me!)

Have you got a chance of going to Canada then? Bit cold in winter in most parts but I think it's rather pleasant in Vancouver. Once you are established in Canada, you can set about moving down to southern California, which reminds me a lot of NSW. I'm up to job application number 109 since my last job with Australia Post at Xmas. I almost wish I had no assets then I would qualify for 'dole!' My credit card deficit is creeping up to -$5,000 now, with bills for my car's rego and insurance looming. This is just like last year when I had to sell shares to raise $10,000 to pay off both my VISA debt and my tax debt to the ATO. I don't actually mind not working though. Yesterday I spent the whole afternoon with my friend Alex. We had coffee first then I went to the doctors with her as she was feeling stressed about a medical issue. Whilst she was waiting I went into the optometrist next door and he did my eye test on the spot. Thank God, my present glasses are OK for another year as new ones would cost me around $1,000. That's not for 'ordinary' glasses by the way as I have various specifications and 'add-ons.' Then we went for another coffee then back to her place and she made me dinner. Still later, and foolishly, I went to the pub - Royal Exhibition Hotel near Central, (one of) my locals.

The temperature ranges in winter still perplex me. My brother's house (in Sydney) is an icebox in winter and it's often warmer outside the house and by lunchtime is often warm enough to wear shorts. I can wear shorts all year round as long as I wrap up above the waist. I swam all year round for the first time last year too.

What's up in your personal and professional life now, Stacey? Have you found a way out here yet? Iv'e got an interview today with the ATO (Australian Tax Office) for a casual clerical position. Going out to Penrith feels like I'm going to The Outback! I'm not sure if I will get the train as I only live five minutes from Central station and the place I'm going is close to Penrith station, or, shall I surrender to my 'petrol feet' and take my car. I might have a look around the area if I take the car. Maybe even head up into the Blue Mountain Hills of Dakota!

If you have been given the chance to move out to OZ, why not take it anyway, although if you find it difficult just going to the south of England, I doubt if you'd last very long ten thousand miles further south.

Are they still alive? Is that a warning not to have kids, not to live in Melbourne ('dig the hole here,' as Sydneysiders say) or having kids AND living in Melbourne?

Of course it's OK in the UK! I went back for twelve years and I had a great time BUT Australia is now my home and I am happy here. I don't know if I will ever go back, even for a visit and letting my UK passport expire is a symbolic measure of how much I feel an Aussie. If you can't settle in Australia, go back and see how you feel, but it's safer if you wait until you have permanent residence or, preferably, Aussie citizenship.

I like my football on a Saturday, roast beef on Sunday, that's nice.....

Not ffrom me. I am in an Arsenal-induced depression at the moment. Just want to go down the beach and forget I ever heard about Tottenham Hotspur.

I think they are both OK areas - I'd be happy to live there, probably prefer Padstow to Riverwood but no particular reason. My brother lives about half an hour's walk to stations like East Hills/Panania/Revesby and the Padstow and Riverwood are the next stations going back to the city. He's got a reasonable bus service from Picnic Pt to Revesby and on to Bankstown but they mostly drive. The only drawback to living close to the stations is that commuters clog up the streets during the day with their cars. I have not done any research on things like real estate and schools in the area, I'm sorry but both my brother's kids went to school in Picnic Point and they seem to have done OK. Padstow has a nice compact shopping area with plenty of shops, a pub, restaurants, same with Riverwood. There's a big Woolies supermarket at Revesby and more extensive shopping at Bankstown Centro. Trains to the city take about 30-40 mins I think on the East Hills line via the airport. You might be working in Campbelltown area of course and the trains continue on to there and MacArthur where there is another big shopping centre. There are still plenty of bungalows, fibro and brick but many are steadily being redeveloped - changed into two storey homes or sometimes 'duplex' - semi-detached. I'm guessing that the basic homes are around $500,000 but I'm not sure about that. Perhaps if your husband is going to be working in the Shire you could consider the area over the Georges River - Menai, Alfords Point? There's no railway over that way but it's on the way to Sutherland and Cronulla if you are driving that way. There are some nice homes over there too. I've got a feeling that people who live there often drive to Padstow to park then get the train to the City. I guess you have to do some research - www.domain.com.au for real estate, www.seek.com.au for jobs, can't remember the exact web sites for City Rail and City Bus but Google and you will get them.

I suppose your perspective and what seem important can change over time. In the 80's and 90's I worked mega hours, and studied for a degree at the same time, putting work before everything else, including my health! Was it worth it? I don't think so but then again I did pay off my mortgage in double-quick time.

See which part of the city you are going to be working first, then decide whether you want to live close to your work or not, depending upon what you can afford too. Then start doing some searches on sites like www.domain.com.au for homes within your budget. Sydney is a huge city and commuting is not always a pleasant experience so I would prefer to be as close to work as I could be but then again, you might want to be close to the beach, or the CBD for that aspect of the lifestyle. My brother has brought his family up in Picnic Point, about 26 kilometres south west of the city and I like the area too but someone else will tell you The Hills, or The Shire, or The Inner City in my own case, where you will sacrifice a garden to be walking distance to most places. You know, if I was raising a family, I think I'd like to do it in Leichhardt which has the best of both worlds, not far from the city but you can also have a decent sized family home.

When I came out here in 1978, the original plan was for my best mate Steve to come out with me but then he met a girl and he changed his mind. He's had a long and happy marriage (as far as I know!) but I sometimes wonder why he did not just come out for a holiday. We were on WHV anyway and had he said, 'let's just go out for a few weeks, then come back,' I'd have agreed. I was very scared about coming out to OZ on my own! As one is USELESS at making decisions, tell yourself there is no right and wrong decision, just two right ones. You could settle down with your partner, separate, and be really bitter about not coming here. On the other hand, you could come out here, and regret forever not settling down with him?!! I made the decision, three years ago, not to go back to England and carry on in my good job for another few years until retirement. Financially, that has been a poor decision. Socially, mentally, it has been a good one because i am living closer to my family in Sydney and I've made some great new friends. Perhaps the compromise is to come out here for a year, either on your own or together?

That's the sort of thing that you notice when,as somebody else above said, you are nitpicking! In my experience, most Aussies are more loyal to their state, than the country as a whole (except when Australia is playing England!) Come to think of it, most people here in NSW would rather beat QLD in the next State of Origin series than win The Ashes back anyway. Ironically enough, that unites Poms and Aussies alike, and every other race who live in NSW! I have waited five years, and counting, for NSW win a Origin again BUT I had to wait fifteen years for us to regain the Ashes, so I guess I can hang out a bit longer for another Origin.

If you like it here, why not stay on till you get your citizenship. After 22 years here, your parents might change their minds about staying in Scotland anyway.

I was only there for six weeks before my parents moved to Hants as my dad got a job at Fawley Refinery.

On the other hand, I was born in South Shields, and my mother was a Geordie, so perhaps some of that northern grit rubbed off on me.

I'm not a northerner! I'm a 'Mexican!' The only place further south than me was the Isle of Wight.

I did not realize that 'patriotism' was a bad word? 'To love or defend one's country sound like noble sentiments to me. Real estate agents have always been more than enthusiastic in promoting the buying and selling of property but then again Aussies LOVE their homes. Judging by the numbers of estate agents in the UK, it seems equally as popular there. The only differences I noticed in Britain was that selling by auction did not seem as popular and neither are 'open homes.' Perhaps if more Britons HAD done more 'stopping and questioning' whether Britain was good, the GFC might not have hit so hard there. How many of the big four Aussie banks had to be propped up by the Aussie Government?

You should be OK then as March is often nicer, not so humid. I intend to swim throughout the year again.

I came back to Sydney in 2008 after twelve years in the UK. I woke up from my Sunday siesta thinking 'Dave, you idiot, you should have stayed with Royal Mail for a few more years.' It's been hard for me to get work since I came back, just the odd casual contract. I had no problems settling back in though as I'd never severed my links, - Medicare cards, bank accounts, etc. Just had to evict my tenant and move back into my old home in Surry Hills. It would be the same if I did go back to the UK again too, evict my tenant, move back into my home. It's like emigrating all over again in some ways though, doesn't matter which country you are going to, so you might have some problems adjusting. Most people seem to cope after a few months but a few can't put down new roots. It might be worth renting your house out rather than selling and you'll get an income from it too. I don't have any problems getting on with Aussies or Pommies. Most Aussies like drinking beer and watching footie, so that's not too onerous a chore to 'convert' other than learning the rules of a new code! Just try not to patronise them! They are not very courteous on the roads though. In the UK it's almost unheard of for a driver not to give you a wave if you give way to them. It's just the problem with getting a job that has got me down a bit, although I also enjoy being a beach bludger - which is where I'm going now at 6.30pm. Stuff that Pommie snow and ice! It was fun when I was a kid but as an adult it terrified me!