After wishing to emigrate we have just spent 3 wks in OZ travelling

[JockinTas]

[/b]Thanks yes we did, we loved it and are soo glad we visited. Hopefully back next year down South. Thanks for all your advice on here. at least we know we could live here, even if for a while. I knew from visiting New York straight away I could never live there, so visiting has helped but even for those moving out until you actually live there and are living life day to day you can't really know.

 

Sounds like you had a lovely holiday! If you're coming to visit the southern states in our winter, don't expect the weather to be as good as you had it in Qld. It can be cold, wet and windy - not every day but be prepared.

[Guest]

Apparently sun cream is tested differently for EU and Australian standards - the latter requires a longer period of water resistance to reach the same SPF factor.

 

That isn't stronger in terms of sun protection though, just longer lasting in water. Which I get given the amount of beaches and pools used by many in the warmer months.

[Guest]

We knew it was Winter and yes it does get dark earlier in our Winter here but I was referring to our Summer nights when it gets dark a lot later. We plan another visit next year (South), as we had the best adventure ever, my husband feels we should visit in the Summer to get a feel for if I would cope. But it was hard to imagine it was Winter as the weather was lovely.

 

Depending on where you go, south is a vast area and for our part of south, days of 40C plus baking dry heat are not uncommon. And therefore bush fire risk and all that. I prefer the dry heat over humid any day but those stinking hot ones are tough regardless.

 

The hot dry summer months also change the look of the landscape considerably down this way. It goes from green and lush over winter and early spring to brown and dry by summer. But its still beautiful.

[Booma]

Certainly not in this part of Australia - English accents are common as muck here!:laugh:

 

 

 

when we visited tasmania my ozzie husband said it was like being in the uk there was so many people with british accents. when we got back from our holiday he told his family tasmania had been invaded by brits all over again without anyone noticing ha ha

[flag of convenience]

Never heard of a Pommy accent turning heads in Australia. I suppose ' cute' could be a term but doesn't sound a very Aussie term to me either. More North American. The summer evenings are nowhere as long as UK nights, anywhere in Australia.

 

We have just had a family stay over here in Perth for a week and the kids certainly were absorbed in their social media. They had done a road trip similar to OP, but in theory hardly left home as in contact pretty much constantly with the most mundane of things. Both were teenagers. That being pretty much the 'normal' experience we have encountered with youth coming over to Australia in recent years.

 

Byron Bay was the stand out on their road trip also. Perth was judged the best though, of course due to having someone who knows their way around. The expense compared to Europe was noted as well. Especially eating out.

[flag of convenience]

You have probably seen more of Oz than most young Australians - they are more likely to go off to Bali or Thailand for their holidays. They can't boast about going to the Gold Coast for two weeks - it just doesn't cut it. Back in the day I saw most of Oz in a series of road trips. Now it seems, judging from my daughter and her friends, they don't drive any further than Melbourne Airport. You chose a good area to travel this time of year - it's bloody cold in Melbourne - I've kept the log fire burning for the last four months!

 

Pretty much the case these days. Although in another time' doing Oz' was rather common among young Aussies. Far too expensive and more ' controlled' these days. Asia far more known and offering besides the ' exotic' value for money in more recent times.

[flag of convenience]

Don't take this the wrong way but when you say that you were all happy to get back to the English countryside etc after your trip I would really question your rationale for emigrating (unless perhaps you are looking at Tasmania or New Zealand).

 

As Marissa says, rightly, it is different living here to anywhere in the UK and I feel that to fully benefit from a move you have to be able to embrace the differences and not look back or keep comparing.

 

It is great that you all enjoyed your holiday here but try to imagine not seeing that English countryside for years. I sense that you might regret emigrating.

 

I would on evidence presented think the OP would definitely regret emigrating. Nothing wrong with that of course as a holiday is rather remote from actually looking to move permanently to another country. I must say it would be very doubtful if I'd live in Australia these days, if never here before and on a look see.

[Blewyn]

I would on evidence presented think the OP would definitely regret emigrating.

 

The line about the countryside not being up to the UK standard jarred with me. Really ? Damn we must be wearing very different specs

[Skani]

That isn't stronger in terms of sun protection though, just longer lasting in water. Which I get given the amount of beaches and pools used by many in the warmer months.

 

 

Yes, but I think that's where the idea comes from that the Australian one is "stronger".

[Marisawright]

I haven't seen anyone "defending" anything - just several posters commenting that experiences in one part of the country may not be true for other parts of "Oz".

 

Well yes, but they're not saying, "other parts of the country have longer evenings than Queensland"(which is true), they're jumping in to say other parts of the country have long evenings like the UK, which is a very long way from true. That sounds defensive to me.

[Petals]

Everyone is different, some like to move and take on a new country warts and all, others want the country they live in with things the country cannot provide them. Therefore its madness to even think about living in another country. Australia is great but its Australia its not UK with sun, this has been said many times. Yep we can put our views but bottom line is that no country is like another country, be it in Europe, Asia, Africa or anywhere else. Unless you want change and complete difference then forget it. If you still want to have a look, look but with open eyes looking for difference. We are not the centre of everyone's lives and they could not give a fig about what we think. So if people want to have a go, ok have a go. If not stay where you are and love it. We are but ants on a planet in the theme of things.,

[flag of convenience]

The line about the countryside not being up to the UK standard jarred with me. Really ? Damn we must be wearing very different specs

 

Some of course prefer the well tendered nature of the British countryside over Australia's. Nothing wrong with that. I can appreciate both. In fact rather enjoy driving through South Africa's Karoo region as well, to name one vista of many.

[The Smith Clan]

Don't take this the wrong way but when you say that you were all happy to get back to the English countryside etc after your trip I would really question your rationale for emigrating (unless perhaps you are looking at Tasmania or New Zealand).

 

As Marissa says, rightly, it is different living here to anywhere in the UK and I feel that to fully benefit from a move you have to be able to embrace the differences and not look back or keep comparing.

 

It is great that you all enjoyed your holiday here but try to imagine not seeing that English countryside for years. I sense that you might regret emigrating.

 

 

One thing we have always been mindful of is that oz is a different country and will never be the same as uk although it may be similar in many ways. Seeing the English countryside (my point) was more a sense of "we are home".

 

we would never move and give up our home and everything here, we would move for a set period and then if we were happy would consider more long term plans, it may well be that we always keep our home here and continue to rent, as life does change.

 

I feel what we have learnt since considering a move is that Oz is another country with its own issues like the uk and we would have to work there, but would have a more outdoor lifestyle in the sense that a lot of winter weekends (and throughout the year) here are spent indoors, there are limited trips one can do out when its pouring down.

[The Smith Clan]

The line about the countryside not being up to the UK standard jarred with me. Really ? Damn we must be wearing very different specs

 

you read it wrong! I meant it brought a sense of being home for me.

Im sure that if you were to travel o another country there would be something on returning that would give u a sense of being "home"

My feedback was my experience which is impossible to be the same as anyone else!

[NicF]

Well yes, but they're not saying, "other parts of the country have longer evenings than Queensland"(which is true), they're jumping in to say other parts of the country have long evenings like the UK, which is a very long way from true. That sounds defensive to me.

 

I've just been through the thread and there isn't a single post that says parts of the country have long summer evenings like the UK. Skani pointed out it doesn't get dark until 9:30 in Tasmania and I said it's not properly dark until after 9 in Adelaide, but no one said that evenings are the same as light as the UK. Unless you think that Skani and I are making up how late it gets dark where we live?

[benj1980]

I don't think anyone is defending Oz but giving their experiences. The beauty of this forum is that we have different experiences and points of view from living in vast variances in location.

 

Sounds like you had an awesome holiday @thesmithclan !