WeegieDave

For a virus with a 99.8% recovery rate we just need to get on with life. The fear mongering by mainstream media has been atrocious! It’s really a mild virus. What about all these hundreds of people who have tested positive in hotel quarantine on return back into Perth? How many have died or been hospitalised??...Zero!

The most terrifying thing about this virus is the way Governments are behaving!

From today and as below:

I don't think the criteria is unclear and the online application page is still active...

https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Citi/pathways-processes/Application-fees-forms-and-appeals/Citizenship-online-applications

I don't see anything happening in the WA economy to suggest the housing market is going to pick up anytime soon. The population is still shrinking and more skilled workers are leaving Perth than there are moving in. The Perth of just now is a sign of the next 5 years in my opinion. The boom created a false economy, banks were throwing out cash and people were blind sighted and getting carried away like the good times were never going to end. I bought a house in the peak but I am quite enjoying the more 'normal' Perth now.

3 minutes ago, Pura Vida said:

The last thing Perth requires is another 'boom'. We are still attempting the get over from the 'hangover' of the previous one. What Perth needs, is to get away from boom/bust cycles to something more sustainable.

Saying that we are a bit of a one trick pony though, with limited inspiration evident among our politicians and business elite into other avenues of endeavour.

All rather sad when so many possibilities could be considered.

The cost of living certainly needs to come down. Brisbane is welcome to higher house prices in my opinion. Perth could well do with a reality check and living within our reduced means.

 

I agree 100%. The boom created a false economy and a culture of greed and narcissism that it's still struggling to shake off!

I work in the mining industry but I am quite enjoying the more realistic and grounded WA now.

It's quite a quick process but just depends where you want to live and what type of property you want for your $350 per week.

It is a renters market at the moment though. Definitely opportunity for negotiation.

Dinned at the waterfront today, (Lucky Shag)only a slap up lunch, while doing business in the city. A place I often used to frequent, but my how the prices have risen and far too expensive for what it entailed.

 

The bill came to $73 for three pints of Heineken, the cheapest meal on the menu Nasi Goring along with a Burger Roll (very average) with small portion of fries served with.

 

The place was heaving. UK tourists out of towners and some locals, so the recession doesn't seem to be biting at that establishment yet.

 

Any one else find eating out in Perth absurd? Be leaving for Sydney on Wednesday and will be eating out there daily apart from a few meals with people I know in their homes. I wonder how I will find the comparison?

Since the opening of Elizabeth Quay the Lucky Shag prices have went up quite a bit. They are really cashing in on the location. I bought a pint of Asahi (which i think is brewed in Victoria) and was charged $15. Couldn't believe it!!

The food menu isn't as varied and as good as it used to be either. I tend to avoid the place now.

Even though I live in WA and get plenty of rays on my skin I still take a Vit-D supplement as when ever I am required on site we are forced to cover up with long sleeved shirt, long trousers, brimmed hat and sunscreen which basically blocks out the sun.

I take a 1000 ui vitamin D supplement along with a K-2 which apparently aids the digestion and absorption of the vitamin D supplement.

It's amazing how many people are deficient in vitamin D in Australia due to covering up and sunscreen etc.

A woman who was a friend of my family's spine basically crumbled away which was later discovered to be living most of her life deficient of Vitamin D. It can have terrible consequences in overall health.

Thanks guys, all good. No kids, no benefits, just us. My family is in the UK so we'll stay with them, still got my NI card. I do have Aussie citizenship so the voting thing is a good call.

As for going back/leaving the party, few reasons:

 

 

• Bit of a feeling that we’ve ‘done’ Perth & WA (we felt this way after about 2 or 3 years here).

• The job situation is (beyond) grim in Perth, economically WA has a few years of trouble ahead I think.

• By and large Aussies are gobshites.

• Family and friends getting older in the UK/missing out on stuff.

 

We didn’t move to Australia for a ‘better life’, we were happy in the UK. Moved here to be near wife’s family, kind of done that as well now.

Perth is a lovely place, very good to bring up little kids. Bit boring for teens and young adults I reckon. It’s not very contemporary and it’s very easy to become middle-aged and boring very quickly. It’s also very materialistic here or at least it seems to turn people that way. And we hate all that.

Just fancy the change back, might regret it, might not.

Pretty much agree with all of the above!

I have heard that the construction industry has collapsed and there is negative migration to the Eastern states, and that overseas migration has dropped significantly. Has this not had much of an effect? It's usually the young and the migrant that recessions affect. For most people everything gets a little cheaper, and the living may actually get easier.

The construction industry has definitely not crashed. Still building going on in Perth and a few big projects about to start. What has happened is that the construction infrastructure boom on mine and LNG sites up north has ended which of course will have a knock on effect on employment but I like to think of things levelling out to normality rather than the crazy few years of the past. Might stop cashed up bogans from buying high powered cars and driving through people's houses every week! But if your coming to Perth nowadays looking to walk into a job and earn big dollars then you may be disappointed.

They tried that in Perth and built the monstrosity that is Joondalup. Supposed to be the second City here in WA but its more like a large housing estate with a shopping centre stuck in the middle!

I don't think the Aussies quite get what a city should be! Certainly not in WA anyway!

Anyone from Perth who got the test date recently?

 

I applied last week and my test date is first week of November. Called to check if I can reschedule and they say they don't have any openings before then? 3.5+ months for the test, this is insane.

I applied 10th May and test date isn't until 21st September so there seems to be around a 4 month wait in Perth. All good though

Oh god dave, i didnt realise.. silly me :tongue:

 

One of the girls in my dorm room was sleeping with a massive big heavy jacket on and fluffy bed socks lol

Yeah, it certainly cools down at night!

Have you seen the dinosaur foot print yet?

Im in broome. Its not as hot as i expected, not at night anyway

You do know its winter?! :wink:

Karratha. A very pleasant 26 degrees at the moment.

Now the UK left the EU the UK can trade with Australia (and NZ, India, the rest of the world) without having to impose duties. Under the umbrella of the EU the UK had to impose duties since there is no trade agreement with Australia (NZ and India) because several member states like France and Italy veto-ed these agreements time and again to protect their ailing industries...

Pro EU people claim EU is good for trade yet countries like Switzerland, Norway entered into far more (favourable) trade agreements than the EU over the same period due to the fact that there always is a member state veto-ing an agreement to protect their own interests.

But according to many on here, everyone who voted out is a far right, racist knuckle dragger. Away and bury your patronising head somewhere!

Up where I am it's - wearing shorts all the time, driving a Ute, drinking most nights and thinking it's okay to say whatever you want..

I see your learning fast!!

I've missed your posts @WeegieDave, but I thought you were quite happily settled in Perth. Is this a blip, or something that might impact on future plans? I hope things work out as you would wish. T x

I am am happy in Perth. Just don't feel it offers me any more happiness than scotland did. I think the pull of family and friends is always there!

It's Pros & Cons but overall, for me, I'd have to say no.

Perth is overpriced.. No getting away from that fact! The boom created a money hungry greed culture which businesses are reluctant to let go.

Agree - we live in an area with a lot of huge McMansions. But, I often run into people that live in them while out shopping and they cant afford to buy things - too mortgaged to the hilt to have anything left, just because they want to show off the big house.

 

What is going to come home to roost though is all those that have mortgaged themselves to the hilt with investment properties that are now one of the 17,000 in Perth standing empty and it is looking like the government will get rid of the tax breaks

I had a very similar conversation with someone last night about this.

The Government were no doubt part of the big advertising campaign for everyone to buy an investment property as they were raking it in on stamp duty etc.

Rent prices will need to drop as the rental market is getting competitive and the rent prices won't cover the high mortgages people have on the properties as well as some of the ridiculous strata fees that many inner city apartment blocks are charging.

How I dislike the "living the dream" thing :dull: Does anybody really care about that anymore. Always makes me cringe when I hear it.

Depends on what your definition of 'dream' is but it's all a bit false to me although who am I to sh!t on anyones parade?!

Thats exactly it Weegie! How many people forget they have just come from a 3 bed semi and been driving a 6 year old Ford Focus, to wanting everything right away! A lot of it is to show people "how well we are doing in Australia" but dont mention they are ticked up to the eyeballs to do it! I have been here 7 years and only now have changed our 2nd hand golf that we bought when we arrived to a new car. But never been a show end off!

Yeah, without doubt, there is an element of that going on. I have personally witnessed it and know people who love nothing more than to post than to post endless photos on Facebook of themselves lying out in their pool at their 4 x 2 in some far away isolated suburb showing how they are living the dream.

Fair play to them if they really have made it but many have ridiculously high mortgages and debts.

Although, I do know some expats who came hereat the start of the boom and are laughing, mortgage free now.

When I think back to my life in the UK I was happy with my 2 bedroom flat and my Ford Focus and I must admit, for a time, during the boom here in WA, I nearly got carried away and found myself nearly buying a new Jeep Grand Cherokee, drive away at $60,000. I think the sensible grounded side of me kicked in as I grew up in near poverty in a single parent family with my Mum at times, only being able to afford a box of sausages to feed me and my 2 brothers and always remind myself not to get too carried away but I can see how easily people lose the sensible thinking to chase materialistic gain and to perhaps show people 'back home' how well they are doing.