Robert Dyson

Agree, I always said my next car would be electric because there will be no combustible engines left when i need one. Although currently 1 yr old cars are selling for more than the brand new retail price due to lack of supply, so a very good time to sell a used car if you can wait for a new one.

I think there is definitely going to be a change in perspective over what retirement means in future, due to the vast and growing differences in health care and living expenses in various countries. I know the Chalong harbour in South Phuket is full of Aussies living on boats because it's cheaper than staying in Australia, a great place to see out a pandemic. I know Malaysia were on a push for the last 15 years pre-covid to offer 10 year golden visas with residency and property purchase rights. I'm not sure if they've now been overloaded with Chinese applicants, but it was popular in the UK and Australia. As you say...if you're between 55-65 then SE Asia can be a brilliant option for long term rentals when you're in good physical health and need minimal assistance. Leave more super in the pot at home and try and retain a property to rent out if you can afford to. Then when you get older and less active, return to 1st world health care systems, collect the super for the higher living costs and live near a major hospital !

You'd be looking to fit an Australian King Size set (6' x 6'.8") which is a little bigger than a UK Super King. Australian Super King is massive. https://www.sheridan.com.au/bedroom/bed-linen/sheet-sets.html?product_type=Sheet Set&size=King Or catch.com.au have an enormous amount of choices.

It's quite an eye-opener to see how telling people that they cannot do something will make them want to do it, even if they would have had no intention of doing it without that challenge being laid down. It's how 10 years of gaslighting politicians and newspapers have changed the UK pysche to something very insecure, divisive and reactionary. If only somebody would tell them that they cannot drive trucks, cannot harvest their produce, or cannot make good trade deals...maybe they can get food back on supermarket shelves and beer back in the taps so they can start sorting themselves out.

The conversation was about food availability and poor socio-economic management, but I don't think Australia has ever really been ahead of the UK, they have profited from watching the UK very closely and avoiding making the same mistakes, taking what's good and avoiding what's bad...usually. They are very strong financially, people have high wages, their quality of living indicators outstrip the UK on nearly every count, yet they are a unionised nation. That is impossible to believe if you live in the UK, because 30 years of rabble rousing and gaslighting has preached the opposite, and the results are now plain to see. Large parts of the UK are a cesspool and they will not improve with current attitudes and no plan that makes sense. It's ok to talk about saving lives when the UK has allowed over a hundred thousand to die througn complete managerial ineptitude, then tried to wipe that from memory by banking on a vaccination drive to deflect the public's attention onto saving lives instead of ending them. Australia's vaccine response has been horrendously miscalculated but deaths have been minimal and they are not under the same financial stress as the UK. Australia will pay a high fiscal price for prolonged lockdowns, but nothing too damaging in comparison. When this is all over however and you're counting numbers, only one country willingly sacrificed the lives of it's own population and will try and whitewash that history. And it will probably work within the UK, but outside the UK it has been shocking to witness the repeated mistakes and recklessness shown. I cannot believe that you are "not unhappy" with that.

They get what they vote for, and they'd vote for it again tomorrow. Feel very sorry for the way they've been led by the nose and set up for what's going on now, all very predictable. I just can't see it getting better unfortunately, it's easier to keep fooling someone than to convince them they've been fooled. C'est la vie.

UK is as cheap as chips, last time i bought sprouts from Tesco they were 19p a bag 2 years ago. Prices will have to rise as they adjust to the new labour and overheads reality, but so should wages if the workers hold out against minimum wages jobs that are unfilled.

And steak is flesh meat, the least nutritious part of an animal ! Coles and Woollies now sell a few kinds of Black Pudding, it's quite good but not as good a butcher. https://britishsausage.com.au/bsco_products/traditional-black-pudding/ https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/787012?googleshop=true&store_code=woolworths_supermarkets_1407&cq_src=GOOGLE&cq_cmp=Woolies_8458_BAU_Shopping_LIA_F%26B High_WW-0001&cq_con=Food %26 Beverages&cq_term=PRODUCT_GROUP&cq_net=g&cq_plt=gp&cq_med=71700000072477838&cq_gclid=Cj0KCQjw9O6HBhCrARIsADx5qCSzx4WPcyLBMQD1dqjrlcKbEqTuhciGho5LvE-JpmrtiasnfJIurs8aAr2dEALw_wcB&cmpid=smsm:ds:GOOGLE:Woolies_8458_BAU_Shopping_LIA_F%26B High_WW-0001:PRODUCT_GROUP&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9O6HBhCrARIsADx5qCSzx4WPcyLBMQD1dqjrlcKbEqTuhciGho5LvE-JpmrtiasnfJIurs8aAr2dEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

We visited Port Macquarie a few months ago (the week before the massive floods) taking advantage of these small regional flights to open up regional destinations, now that Virgin and Qantas are fairly grounded due to their big planes and too few passengers. It's a lovely little place, though not sure that it would not become quite boring after a time. Climate was wonderful but they do get lots of rains...the rivers are not real lengthy rivers, but short run offs from the surrounding mountains. Because it's very flat near the river, I actually looked at the flood maps and realised a large part of Hastings River Drive and Settlement Point (where they were building new houses) would be underwater at some point....then 7 days later it all flooded. I imagine house insurance will be very difficult from now on, unless you're elevated well above river level or on the sea side nr Lighthouse Beach. I much preferred Coffs as a place you could live better, with more services.

How cold is VERY cold...are we talking minus temperatures with frost in winter?

I have been to Buderim and liked the elevation, I assume it gets a bit cooler and breezier being set back, as well as being quieter. How quick is it to get to Mooloolaba/Maroochydore from Buderim. Is the road on the tourist route? Is there a direct bus service to hop on and off? Just imagine the parking around the beaches there would be quite difficult if you wanted to spend a decent amount of time there?

I am looking for the same thing, though have been working with a Queensland fella who moved from the Sunshine Coast who to the South Coast because of the traffic in the Sunshine Coast, having built in Kawana Waters and ended up in traffic gridlock...they lasted 3 years and have got out. We want to move North for the warmer winters, finding somewhere near, but not in, the urban sprawl is important. Would look anywhere from Kingscliff up to Noosa, but maybe inland.