Guest MR HOPEFULL Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Having been in Sydney for the last 3 months, the Aussie dream is turning into the Aussie nightmare - I'm not a celebrity but I'm close to shouting "get me out of here" !! For all of those considering a move to Sydney (and yes there are some beautiful beaches) you should be aware of the following, you will meet some of the rudest individuals known to mankind, you will not unless you wish to live in undesirable locations be able to afford to purchase quality accommodation (and rentals are not cheap), you will be amazed at the levels of crime and you will quickly question what the hell you have given up to come here. Public transport is disgusting, quality of supermarkets/shopping outlets is a joke. it's expensive and to be honest in the main it's like living in an era with the "walton's" !! probably 20 years behind any city I have ever been to in my life (and following 25 years military service I have been to a few). 8% + interests rates, average housing costing more than A$500000, ridiculous tax regulations, and real social issues. If the rest of Australia is similar to Sydney (let's hope not), then I will fulfill my 3 year obligation on my contract, convert my A$'s into a currency of my chosing and get the hell out of here - I think we who contribute on these forums have a "duty of care" to ensure threads (albeit based on personal experience) our honest and reflect reality thus allowing others to have reasonable expectations on arrival. There will no doubt be those who disagree with my comments - I will read all replies with interest, whilst at the same time be interested to learn how others are maintaining a "quality lifestyle" (without just the beach) that I am yet to discover here in Sydney. Is Perth/Brissie anywhere any better ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest billy braveheart Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 sorry to hear your having it tough,cant say anything about sydney as never been but perth sounds the opposite.friendly people ,good shopping,good public transport network and the housing although i realise it has went up in price is still affordable,hope things work out for you billy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fairbloodydinkum Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Fully agree with you and i'm all aussie.. Sydney's the place the go if your a high flyin party goin night-owl....It's like one huge nightclub full of trouble...(my personal view) I've lived there a few times and admit...some lovely places..amazing sights...but not the place to go to quietly settle down with family and get on with life anymore.....the northern coast of n.s.w is nice..some of the popular towns have gone a bit yuppy... queensland..now your talking...:yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Seems like you really are having a bad time.From my experience of Brisbane ,they are some of the most friendlist folks ive ever met,shops are pretty good (except for clothes!) and food is reasonably priced , housing still pretty reasonable $300k upwards,rentals are about although becoming harder to secure and work is readily available for most trades.I have no experience of public transport so cant really comment on that.We do have water restictions but its not that hard to adere to the rules especially if you have water tanks,and yes it can get hot but nothing unbearable ,,if i was you i'd have a good look around maybe its just where you are,,good luck with whatever you decide Cal x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Life on easy street Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I was in Sydney in 1991 and would not say it was that far behind London. Unless it has gone down hill in the last 16 years. As for cost just about every ware in the western world has become expensive for the average Joe bloggs to live. If I had to start today with no capital it would be difficult if not impossible in the U.K and here in Australia. Do not tar the rest of Australia with the same brush as Sydney. Perth, Melbourne are far better City in my opinion. Brisbane looked ok to me but that was 16 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Hi, sorry to hear it's not working out for you. I think people are being honest when they give their opinions as you say they're based only on their own personal experiences. We've had a great first year in WA, happy with where we have settled and like the bravehearts have met many nice people, who have been very generous with their time, help and hospitality. I only visited Sydney briefly, had a great time sight seeing - but I'm not a big city girl and it wasn't for me. Ali Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fatpom Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 ... you should be aware of the following, you will meet some of the rudest individuals known to mankind... Something I noticed too when I first went to live in Sydney. Families/groups will walk three abreast down the pavement and don't expect to move aside for you. :smile: Driving is crazy too. Something which still scares the **** out of me sometimes. :smile: Its just a different way of doing things. Chill out and go with the flow where ever possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mutikonka Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I agree with a lot of what you say, but isn't what you describe true of a lot of big cities these days? I don't think Sydney is any worse than any large British city. I've lived here nearly ten years and never had a break in, been mugged or experienced any major hassles. It depends where you live, I guess. Hang around in Kings Cross or Oxford St and you will certainly see a lot of the ugly side of the city. And there are some shocking suburbs out west. Yes, Sydney is expensive for housing and if your job allows you to live elsewhere in Australla you will get much more for your $500,000. I don't agree with you about public transport - having commuted in London I have to say that Cityrail is way better, even with all the cancellations, late trains etc. Can't comment on the buses though. Maybe some people have unrealistic expectations about Sydney. There's a lot more to the place than the harbour and beaches. It's a big and busy multicultural city and that's not for everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dannyboy Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Mr Hopefull Total agree with your comments. It's sounds like you are in the same place as I'm in.... We are in Melbourne, and yes, we are close to the beach, but even that gets boring after a while... Melbourne has it's social problems to, bashings etc... The public transport is poor at best, it's dirty, never on time, can't get a seat and compared to my commute to London (which I've done for years), it's a lot more stressful (the seats look like somebody has used them as a toliet). I think that comparing London or any major city in England to cities in Australia is a bit false. I have lived and worked in London and hardly ever saw any problems with crime (ok - the odd drunk etc. but nothing major), but if you compare London with around 12m to 20m people in and around the city (the figures are depending what report you read) to Melbourne which has around just over 2m, the stats point to Melbourne being more dangerous. I'm moving back to the UK at easter but my reasons are that I miss my family more than the life style. But also I do agree that everything in Oz isn't great but I never thought it would be before we moved out, they have the same issues with drugs and drink related crimes we have, in fact maybe worse. I personally feel that due to the spread of the city and the suburbs, young adults (16-25 years old) have nothing to do apart from drink and then get in a car and drive... (have you seen how many deaths on the roads this year in Victoria!! - it's a bit silly considering they only have 2 pedals to use!). I wouldn't stop people coming to oz but I do feel agree with the "duty of care" and both sides of the coin need to be aired. The grass isn't greener, in fact it's very much the same just a different shade of green... Dan Ps - also the TV is rubbish!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alliekate Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 sent you a pm. Best wishes, allie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GoodersGang Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Interesting posts!!!! My friend lived in Oz for 9 months and returned to uk. His view was same S%$T different bucket. I am off to Brisbane soon liked it much better than Sydney. I think that unless you have a couple of hundred grand in your back pocket when you land and can live mortgage free times will be very hard and many will return to UK. Good luck !!!! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Helaine Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 bless you for being so frank...its what we how are coming out to Oz need, i only ask for honest opinions as thats what i would give. Having never ben to Oz but moving out to QL in May/June i value every single opinion given, i am lucky as my brother lives there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Life on easy street Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Interesting posts!!!! My friend lived in Oz for 9 months and returned to uk. His view was same S%$T different bucket. I am off to Brisbane soon liked it much better than Sydney. I think that unless you have a couple of hundred grand in your back pocket when you land and can live mortgage free times will be very hard and many will return to UK. Good luck !!!! Steve I would not have moved to Australia without savings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I think after a few years the rose coloured specs come off - yours seem to have come off even earlier and you raise some excellent points. Sorry it isnt working out as well as you would have liked - at least you are one of the lucky ones who have the option to go home after 3 years, some of us are stuck here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Curlysoo Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Your opinions are valued on here as are everyone elses. Its a real shame you didnt find anything positive to say about about Sydney appart from the beautiful beaches, but we all have to speak as we find. There are MANY galleries, museums and exhibitions in Sydney, there are thriving markets a great one down at The Rocks by the harbour bridge, hundreds of waterfront bars & restaurants with the best fish IN THE WORLD!!! You have street entertainers and there is LOTS to see. I suppose if you were looking for England abroad you had a wasted trip because Oz is definitely NOT the UK! An hour and a half from Sydney are the Blue Mountains .... I defy anyone NOT to find them breathtaking. I have been to Sydney twice in the past 2 years, I agree it is a huge city, public transport was good I thought in comparison to the London Underground which I found filthy and totally oppressive with its filthy carriages and volume of passengers. The monorail round the city is brilliant, clean, on time and gives a great ariel view! The ferries reminded me a little bit of Liverpool my home town, they are cheap and a fun way to see the city from the water! With dozens of different trips up and down the waterfront to choose from. As for the ozzies themselves, everyone I met was really friendly. Cant believe you found people so rude and unfriendly, maybe its because I am a friendly person myself and very chatty? The way I look at it is if you want someone to be friendly to you why wait for them to make the first move? Ok we are lucky we are moving into our own 4 bed home with the mortgage paid off already, so money wont be a worry and Johns family all live in the surrounding areas, so I know people before we do the "Big Move". For me its an adventure and one I am looking forward to ..... I am not going to let people who found their experience the opposite to influence what I already know from the visits already made. I wish you health and happiness whereever you do settle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chloew Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 The Grass is always greener on the other side........life is what you make it....streets are paved with gold........... Wherever there are humans there are problems.........It's not all Ramsey Street and Summer Bay - but for me too, it's a big adventure and I intend to make the most of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alliekate Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 If we could have moved to sydney we would have been over the moon - we love it. But is it all so personal. And we could not afford it. Don't forget we named our dog after the place !!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Mr H, I could not live in Sydney either, but the city itself around the harbour etc is a great place to visit & one of the best in the world, we went to the city yesterday to visit a music shop. As we live in the Shellharbour area south of Wollongong, we decided to take a different route home & went through the south western suburbs, Lakemba, canterbury etc, most of the shops are empty & the places are an eyesore, but you find these kind of places wherever you go in the world, my native Sheffield was like that when I left 38 years ago. I have found that if people did their homework & didn't build up their expectations too much, more would settle easier than they do today, Perth is a beautiful place, Brissie is quite nice too, take away the beaches and the ocean of any city in Oz & what have you got apart from the weather ? that's what most people come here for. Many people live on the outer fringes of the city and commute these days, so they have the benefits of having a good environment for the family & cheaper property prices, many Sydneysiders have built mansions in the Shellharbour area for what they would have had to spend on buying a 2 bedroom apartment in or around the City area, it's horses for courses really & everyone to their own. One of the main reasons for people not being able to settle in Oz, is that people miss their families, friends etc, it doesn't seem to worry them too much until they are here, then it hits home, been there, done that, and it's an awful feeling that can take years to overcome as I found out. One thing about it mate, you tried it, better than wondering what it may have been like for the rest of your life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MR HOPEFULL Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Can we get serious for a moment and realise that for the majority coming to Australia, the PIO forums offer an informative, helpful, honest arena where individuals can glean information from those on the ground. Information/experiences are not always agreed on !! hence individuals need to comit to their own research and formulate their own opinions taking into account the +/- of city life. We shouldn't lose sight that "individuals are not coming here on holiday" and although the "fish at the fish market" may be "out of this world" and that Sydney has a fair few other attractions, it has many down sides which you potentially will not pick up on having been here just on a holiday ! As an example I for one, have lost count of the number of murders in the last 3 months here in Sydney ! Yes we can all make wonderful comparisons to life in the UK, how crap the trains there are compared to here etc I for one do not wish/need to make these comparisons. I have lived the last 25 years outside of the UK, living and working in at least 8 other foreign countries so it's not as though I am unable to formulate my own honest opinion - which is what I was doing based on my experiences to date in Sydney. If individual's are to learn from our experiences guys - we really should at times "tell it as it is" and not dress it up into something it's not. I for one am not ashamed to admit I have probably made a big mistake - the polls may indicate I am alone who knows. Additionally I think it more beneficial to inform individuals thinking of moving to Sydney of the average cost of monthly rental accommodation (I currently pay A$2400 per month) than how beautiful the Blue Mountains are !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazy Cow Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Can we get serious for a moment and realise that for the majority coming to Australia, the PIO forums offer an informative, helpful, honest arena where individuals can glean information from those on the ground. Information/experiences are not always agreed on !! hence individuals need to comit to their own research and formulate their own opinions taking into account the +/- of city life. we really should "tell it as it is" and not dress it up into something it's not. I for one am not ashamed to admit I have probably made a big mistake - the polls may indicate I am alone who knows. I think it beneficial to inform individuals thinking of moving to Sydney of the average cost of monthly rental accommodation than how beautiful the Blue Mountains are !! I absolutely agree. :yes:If a 'negative' post makes someone re-think what their expectations are, or even whether they have chosen the 'right' place to emigrate to, then the forum has fulfilled a necessary function. I don't think that making a choice to move on/back can be seen as a mistake or failure, but I would suggest that if one state doesn't suit another might, and that time sometimes gives the chance to come to terms with real life here rather than the dream of life here. Optimistically yours, LC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mutikonka Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I don't think the serious crime or murder rates in Sydney are off the scale. According to the official figures, we have 1.3 murders per 100,000 people (or 78 a year). That compares pretty well to the UK (average of 2 per 100,000), and Sydney has a much lower murder rate than crime-ridden cities such as Geneva and Helsinki (click here for the league table). Yes, we all read about horrific murders and crimes in the (Sydney) Telegraph, but that's how Rupert Murdoch sells papers, by making us all feel under siege. A lot of the homicides are gang/drugs related and don't affect 'ordinary' people. One thing we don't get much of here are the senseless "granny bashings" and assaults by gangs of bored youths that used to sicken me in the UK. I'm not saying Sydney is a trouble-free city, but let's get it into perspective. It's not Miami or South Africa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongrel Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 If you have lived outside of the uk for 25 years, how can you make comparisons eg crime the uk is going thro a knife crime epidemic 8 killed at the weekend alone gun crimke on the rise, public transport dont go there. 25 years has seen a lot of change in both countries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongrel Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Mr H, I could not live in Sydney either, but the city itself around the harbour etc is a great place to visit & one of the best in the world, we went to the city yesterday to visit a music shop.As we live in the Shellharbour area south of Wollongong, we decided to take a different route home & went through the south western suburbs, Lakemba, canterbury etc, most of the shops are empty & the places are an eyesore, but you find these kind of places wherever you go in the world, my native Sheffield was like that when I left 38 years ago. I have found that if people did their homework & didn't build up their expectations too much, more would settle easier than they do today, Perth is a beautiful place, Brissie is quite nice too, take away the beaches and the ocean of any city in Oz & what have you got apart from the weather ? that's what most people come here for. Many people live on the outer fringes of the city and commute these days, so they have the benefits of having a good environment for the family & cheaper property prices, many Sydneysiders have built mansions in the Shellharbour area for what they would have had to spend on buying a 2 bedroom apartment in or around the City area, it's horses for courses really & everyone to their own. One of the main reasons for people not being able to settle in Oz, is that people miss their families, friends etc, it doesn't seem to worry them too much until they are here, then it hits home, been there, done that, and it's an awful feeling that can take years to overcome as I found out. One thing about it mate, you tried it, better than wondering what it may have been like for the rest of your life. Hi Noticed you are a deed daa lol I notice you live near Wollongong or little Rotherham, I am from the UK Rotherham n it is a s@@t hole . They are making strides to smarten Sheffield up but it is slow progress. Utd v Wednesday deby next week Malc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kdal Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Hi Mr Hopefull Thanks for your post very informative. We are heading Brisbane way all we can do is give it a try and see if it is for us. But it is good to know the points that you have addressed. If you are going back to the UK would you mind going to our poll that we have on here, Are You Staying or Heading Back To UK (1 2) jo n paul Thank you for your time Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GoodersGang Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I would not have moved to Australia without savings. Sorry dont get this reply. My point is that if people move to Oz without savings expecting an easier time than the UK they will be in for a shock!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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