If you returned to the Uk for a Hol, what would you stock pile to take back?

[adele244]

As the title says, If you were to return to the UK on a holiday, what would you stock up on to take back to OZ? Whether it is because they are a lot more expensive in OZ, or you simply cannot purchase them over there.

 

I would be really interested in your answers.

[Jacaranda]

Probably clothes tbh!I would pack really lightly so I could fit a lot in,and stock pile winter clothes which I would buy in the new year sales!Shoes as well!:cute:

[Peach]

nothing tbh... Too much hassle and Australia is a first world country.

[Cez]

Clothes! Aussie clothes are awful. Expensive and poorly fitted. Also chocolate, teabags, shoes

[Scrutineer]

As the title says, If you were to return to the UK on a holiday, what would you stock up on to take back to OZ? Whether it is because they are a lot more expensive in OZ, or you simply cannot purchase them over there.

 

I would be really interested in your answers.

 

Fresh vegetables, shoes, clothes, books, CDs, DVDs, proper beer, single malt whisky, cars. Reasons - some are hard to come by, others are ludicrously expensive. For example, I want a series of books at the moment which are $26 on Amazon, but $155 in Dymocks because they have to be bought individually. No Amazon in Australia so I have to order them on UK Amazon.

[Skani]

Fresh vegetables,

 

Firstly, fresh vegetables would be confiscated by the Quarantine Service and secondly, I can't believe Adelaide doesn't have high quality fresh vegetables if you buy in the right places (NOT supermarkets).

 

single malt whisky

 

Don't know why you'd bring this when you can buy Australian world winning whisky

http://www.worldwhisky.com/news/lark-distillery-wins-best-world-whisky-category/

[adele244]

Fresh vegetables, shoes, clothes, books, CDs, DVDs, proper beer, single malt whisky, cars. Reasons - some are hard to come by, others are ludicrously expensive. For example, I want a series of books at the moment which are $26 on Amazon, but $155 in Dymocks because they have to be bought individually. No Amazon in Australia so I have to order them on UK Amazon.

 

Bloominheck!!, you would have to hire the whole plane to come back!!! Clothes seem to be a big one. As I would love to settle in Adelaide Hills (if it happens) I will gladly bring you over a single malt whisky!!!:yes:

[Scrutineer]

Skani

 

We buy vegetables from farmers' markets that are supposed to be fresh on the day - I had carrots delivered on Friday and two days later they were black and bendy. After six years of searching we have given up trying to find quality vegetables in Australia. Also, I would bring back good drinking water. The tap water in Adelaide is fluoridated, tastes like crap and in the summer comes out the cold tap at about 30 degrees so very unpleasant to drink. For this reason we buy a lot of mineral water but that often smells funny and has even been contaminated in the past with bits of crap floating around in it.

 

So add drinking water to my list along with the fresh vegetables.

[Parley]

Nothing at all.

[NicF]

I did go back for a holiday and brought back M&S hipster undies and 40denier thick black tights. Haven't found the undies anywhere yet (haven't looked too hard either to be fair) and thick tights are expensive here. Everything else I don't have a problem getting here for reasonable prices (I think I must live in a different Australia to a lot of people on this forum). I don't buy books or DVDs - I tend to just borrow them from the local library for free.

[Scrutineer]

It's the books that's the real killer, yes. I have thousands - a lifelong collection, so for me borrowing is no good. You can get classics in Aus for a reasonable price but newer books are just insanely overpriced. I bought a pretty rare book - a large philosophy book - 2/3 years ago and it was $17 in the UK and $55 in Dymocks - so I scanned the barcode into my phone there and then in the shop and ordered it from Amazon. It was probably on its way before I left the shop. This is the new competition and the Aussie book market is just getting slaughtered. I think there's only 3 or 4 book shops in central Adelaide now.

[Guest]

It's a shame you can't bring back fresh food as I'd bring back half of the M&S Food Hall! - especially bacon, sausages, Thai Fish cakes and Jam Roly-Poly!

M&S, NEXT and GAP clothes.

Books

DVD's

French wine

German Beer - particularly Erdingher (spelling?)

British beers - Timothy Taylor's, Pedigree, Hobgoblin and Speckled Hen.

Single Malt

Replica football shirts

Boots Toiletries

Cadbury's Chocolate.

Those Scampi-flavoured snacks you can get in the pub. Bloody gorgeous they are! :smile:

[Skani]

Skani

 

We buy vegetables from farmers' markets that are supposed to be fresh on the day - I had carrots delivered on Friday and two days later they were black and bendy. After six years of searching we have given up trying to find quality vegetables in Australia. Also, I would bring back good drinking water. The tap water in Adelaide is fluoridated, tastes like crap and in the summer comes out the cold tap at about 30 degrees so very unpleasant to drink.

 

Yes, I can empathise with you about Adelaide tap water. I lived there for 6 years in the 1970s and I can remember my first drink - of blackcurrant fruit juice cordial. I couldn't taste the blackcurrant for the taste of the water! :shocked:

 

I don't know why the farmers' markets vegetables are so poor...unless they are not changing their varieties to suit changing temperatures? One of the advantages of living in a cooler climate here in Tassie....things take longer to grow but the flavour is more intense and they don't wilt from heat.

[Scrutineer]

It's a shame you can't bring back fresh food as I'd bring back half of the M&S Food Hall! - especially bacon, sausages, Thai Fish cakes and Jam Roly-Poly!

M&S, NEXT and GAP clothes.

Books

DVD's

French wine

German Beer - particularly Erdingher (spelling?)

British beers - Timothy Taylor's, Pedigree, Hobgoblin and Speckled Hen.

Single Malt

Replica football shirts

Boots Toiletries

Cadbury's Chocolate.

Those Scampi-flavoured snacks you can get in the pub. Bloody gorgeous they are! :smile:

 

Hobgoblin and Speckled Hen were both my local beers but they moved the latter to Suffolk I think. It's $18 for 2.2 litres in the UK and $25 for around the same here, which isn't too bad considering the distance and so on. You've inspired me to get some of that in for Christmas, Endless Winter!

[Scrutineer]

I've got my eye on Tassie as a potential place to live one day, but we'll see... Here is a picture of the rotten carrot delivered to my house three days ago by the way. Inedible.

[wattsy1982]

Nothing at all.

 

Didnt see that coming....

[Paul1Perth]

I've just returned and the only thing I could think of to bring back was some make of raspberry ruffles that my wife likes. Clothes and other stuff were much the same as here. Cheap tack shops have cheap tack clothes in them made in China or some other sweatshop. I enjoyed going to the pubs and the beer was a lot cheaper than here, specially the weatherspoons in Melton Mowbray. Other than that the weather was terrible, grey damp, dark at 4:00pm, dark when you wake up and just generally grey and depressing. I guess the pubs have to be good and cheap as there ain't much else to do.

 

I joined the local leisure centre for a couple of weeks for 20 quid, which was OK. Pool could have been better though, 25m and one lane for swimming but you could only use it 2-4 and after 6 at night. Gave me something to do though.

[PityTheFool]

M&S, NEXT and GAP clothes.

 

 

You can order from next.com.au!!

 

And river island (free delivery!!), ASOS too.

 

Breakfast cereal would be my big one. All cereals in Oz are either covered in sugar or chocolate. We brought two boxes of Sheddies the other day from Treats from Home on Collins street, $20 a box but worth every penny...sorry, cent!!

[HappyHeart]

Agree on the cereal. Not as much choice with low cost sugar free high fibre. I'll be bringing back bran flakes, lidls award winning muesli and shreddies. Plus a job lot of English chocolate for sharing out. Digestive biscuits. Paxo. Ice cube bags from tesco. 19p panadol. Antihistimines. Might get some more tights. Boots toiletries, yes. I think thats it....oh and Quavers..had a special request for them. Really after 6 years theres nothing I can't substitute in Aus but seeing as I'm here I'm making the most of it!!

[ali]

Nivea combined cleanser and toner - I can't get it here.

[fifi69]

I spent a fortune in Boots when I was back...unless it was for something I def couldn't get here, I wouldn't bother again. It was nice though to be able to buy so much under one roof.

 

Daughter would stock up on MAC make up...she says its more expensive here.

 

For me it would be clothes, shoes and bedding.

[Lindor]

I usually stock up in Boots, and next time I'll be buying my Bobbi Brown and Clinique make up as it's more expensive here. I always bring clothes and usually shoes. I always bring my preferred brand of coffee and gravy granules back as I can't get them here.

[MARYROSE02]

I used to bring a pair of Doc Martens or a Barbour jacket, sort of thing that might be dearer here. Private Eye at Heathrow to read on the plane.

[Jacaranda]

I've just returned and the only thing I could think of to bring back was some make of raspberry ruffles that my wife likes. Clothes and other stuff were much the same as here. Cheap tack shops have cheap tack clothes in them made in China or some other sweatshop. I enjoyed going to the pubs and the beer was a lot cheaper than here, specially the weatherspoons in Melton Mowbray. Other than that the weather was terrible, grey damp, dark at 4:00pm, dark when you wake up and just generally grey and depressing. I guess the pubs have to be good and cheap as there ain't much else to do.

 

I joined the local leisure centre for a couple of weeks for 20 quid, which was OK. Pool could have been better though, 25m and one lane for swimming but you could only use it 2-4 and after 6 at night. Gave me something to do though.

So you've just returned,I'm guessing that meant pretty recently?In winter?Well yes winter generally is cold,grey and (depending on your state of mind)can be classed as depressing!Actually,I returned to Oz last June,Sth Aust to be specific and guess what?Rain was like a monsoon a lot of the time,windy,cold,grey skies,twin sister had her wood burner chugging away 27/7,but.....I did expect it to be like that because I've lived there myself for 30 years.I'm sure you didn't expect to be sunbathing in December did you?:biglaugh:As for not much else to do,what do people do in Winter in Oz Paul?Cause where I lived in Sth Aust it wasn't much difference to the UK tbh.Woodburner on,blinds closed at 5pm,getting rugged up to the hilt to go outside,so whats different?Unless of course you live in Queensland????

[Paul1Perth]

So you've just returned,I'm guessing that meant pretty recently?In winter?Well yes winter generally is cold,grey and (depending on your state of mind)can be classed as depressing!Actually,I returned to Oz last June,Sth Aust to be specific and guess what?Rain was like a monsoon a lot of the time,windy,cold,grey skies,twin sister had her wood burner chugging away 27/7,but.....I did expect it to be like that because I've lived there myself for 30 years.I'm sure you didn't expect to be sunbathing in December did you?:biglaugh:As for not much else to do,what do people do in Winter in Oz Paul?Cause where I lived in Sth Aust it wasn't much difference to the UK tbh.Woodburner on,blinds closed at 5pm,getting rugged up to the hilt to go outside,so whats different?Unless of course you live in Queensland????

 

No I didn't expect to be sunbathing in December and I didn't expect anything else than what I got as far as weather went, you don't go to the UK any time expecting good weather, it's a bonus if you get it.

 

As for not being able to do much in winter in Aus I do the same things I do in Summer. The weathers never as grey, overcast, damp and depressing for any length of time as it was when I was in the UK for 3 weeks. I didn't realise Perth was so much different than Sth Aus would be, but obviously is. I never get "rugged up to the hilt" to go outside and carry on running, swimming in an outdoor 50m pool that's open all year round, like they all are, ski paddling never stops, a bunch of us go every Saturday morning winter and summer. Even in the middle of a good summer in the UK, if you are lucky enough to live near the coast the water is still freezing. Don't worry I've spent enough holidays on the Coast in the UK and even had good weather when I've been there to know what it's like.

 

Like I said I enjoyed going to the nice cheap pubs with family and my nephews, as that's what I enjoyed doing when I lived there. It's just the lifestyle to do that if you live there. Now I live here there are a lot better and more healthy options to meet friends and have a good time. That's what we expected when we emigrated and we haven't been disappointed.

 

I only went back 'cos my Dad died, it wasn't by choice.