Things you miss about Oz?

[calNgary]

23 minutes ago, Dusty Plains said:

A very nice Ford Ranger there, the same model as mine in fact.

Yep... us Ranger ute types are fairly bombastic when it comes to parking but only because the FR would have to be the worst car to park, ever. Rangers are long and for some reason the view in the side mirrors ( especially when reverse parking) is more the parallax view rather than the actual view. I went to Bunnings this afternoon and parked in the usual spacious parking bays. Sitting the drivers seat, you cannot see the lines on the parking bay (I have to open the door and look down onto the tarmac in hope of spotting a white line that delineates the actual parking bay).  And those mirrors..          

If yours is anything like mine the turning circle is absolute bobbins too. I still love it to bits though and with over 300,000km it is still going strong.

 Cal x

[Dusty Plains]

Just now, calNgary said:

If yours is anything like mine the turning circle is absolute bobbins too. I still love it to bits though and with over 300,000km it is still going strong.

 Cal x

Overall they are a great car but they are a brick ( thats "brick": with a "b" but you could could also employ "p") to park.  

[ramot]

7 minutes ago, calNgary said:

If yours is anything like mine the turning circle is absolute bobbins too. I still love it to bits though and with over 300,000km it is still going strong.

 Cal x

My son has one, the main problem for me as a short grey haired granny! I find it difficult to climb into, a heave helps! 

[newjez]

I miss my family in Australia.

I also miss the smell. There's nothing quite like the smell when you come out of Perth airport.

[Parley]

Having a separate laundry room is normal in Australia and a good thing.

I always think it is funny how UK kitchens often have a washing machine in them

[ali]

1 hour ago, Parley said:

Having a separate laundry room is normal in Australia and a good thing.

I always think it is funny how UK kitchens often have a washing machine in them

When we built an extension in our UK home we made a much larger kitchen and made the old part of the kitchen into a laundry

[Rallyman]

5 hours ago, Parley said:

Having a separate laundry room is normal in Australia and a good thing.

I always think it is funny how UK kitchens often have a washing machine in them

When I extended our home in uk I extended kitchen and also added a laundry room (utility room in uk) 

put boiler and washing machine in there also broom cupboard in there. 

[Skani]

22 hours ago, Tulip1 said:

I’ve never heard of McCafe coffee but maybe it’s available in the big cities.  

In  McDonalds restaurants - so presumably in their franchises in other countries?  Not sure - maybe it hasn't travelled outside Australia.

[Skani]

6 hours ago, Parley said:

Having a separate laundry room is normal in Australia and a good thing.

I always think it is funny how UK kitchens often have a washing machine in them

I've always thought if I went on "Escape to the Country" my first request would be a separate utility room.     I've never had to do the laundry in the kitchen and I think it would drive me bonkers.

[HappyHeart]

The average size British home is much smaller than Australian. Makes sense to put washer in kitchen. Tumble drier often goes in garage. Never bothered me. It's just what you get used to. 

[Tulip1]

7 hours ago, Parley said:

Having a separate laundry room is normal in Australia and a good thing.

I always think it is funny how UK kitchens often have a washing machine in them

Mines in my kitchen but it’s integral so it just looks like all the other kitchen cupboards until you open it.  Many houses have a utility room which is nice and keeps it out the way.  Saves the noise in the kitchen when it’s running too.  

[Athena]

So that's it, coffee, large parking bays and laundry. That makes me feel very assured about the return to the UK.

[Quoll]

24 minutes ago, Athena said:

So that's it, coffee, large parking bays and laundry. That makes me feel very assured about the return to the UK.

You forgot the high powered showers.  Other than that (and I don't miss the coffee), oh and fly wire screens, that would be about the sum total.

[Parley]

54 minutes ago, Athena said:

So that's it, coffee, large parking bays and laundry. That makes me feel very assured about the return to the UK.

She's living in Australia so those things are obviously vitally important.

[Antipodista]

Such good replies on here. I would have said coffee but I actually find that there are loads of great independent coffee shops opening round Cheshire and where I live now so I miss that less. They even do fab avo on toast brekkies

I miss the smell too. The sound of the kookaburras in the morning (even though I generally love the birdsong here, I used to be fascinated with the kookaburra sound. I actually thought it was monkeys when I first moved to Aus and woke up to it at 5am ) The beach views and the new-ness of everything. I adore the UK, but it’s nice to miss Aus too

[Antipodista]

On 08/06/2021 at 06:15, Quoll said:

You forgot the high powered showers.  Other than that (and I don't miss the coffee), oh and fly wire screens, that would be about the sum total.

You make good points Quoll! First thing I did when I renovated my new place was get a good, stand-alone shower! Managed to squeeze it into the bathroom despite the builders protesting, best thing I ever did! I keep telling them “i just want a proper shower like in Australia!”

And agree re parking bays, though my parking skills are a lot better here as a result

[Blue Flu]

People less inclined to be 'nosey' in Australia, with obvious exceptions. Which has a good and bad side obviously. But I agree with the showers being superior in Australia and driving skills less   in demand  (a good thing for those not so apt behind the wheel but not overall) But really quite little to miss  when thinking about it. Probably pretty much guaranteed weather for outdoor outings, the odd beach day to cool off on a hot day, Not sure I get the overpriced coffee and breakfast thingy so much, though do it rather a lot. It really does add up though in cost on a regular basis even if pleasant enough .

[Marisawright]

2 hours ago, Blue Flu said:

People less inclined to be 'nosey' in Australia, with obvious exceptions. 

I think that's just a factor of living in a big city - which  most Australians do.  The bigger the city, the more people keep to themselves.  

[Paul1Perth]

On 28/05/2021 at 19:24, HappyHeart said:

That's a shame....I know what you mean though. Strong yet smooth. I've had some amazing coffee in Perth and the South West but also some absolute rubbish. Long mac topped up with almond milk is my go to. Apparently LMTU is a WA 'thing' and gets laughed at in Melb. It's the bomb. Served in a small glass and packs a fabulously caffeinated punch. 

Almond and milk shouldn't be allowed in the same sentence.

My youngest works in a coffee shop here. When we were on holiday back in the UK we went swimming to Stockport baths, cost us a fortune, so that's something else that's better in Aus. Anyway, we went for a coffee near the bus station, instant nescafe in a mug and signs all over the place about not leaving your bag unattended as it might get stolen.

[Paul1Perth]

On 29/05/2021 at 09:19, Marisawright said:

When I was in the UK, I missed the "Cheap Eats" of Sydney - inner-city restaurants and cafés offering high quality meals at very good prices.  Now I'm in Melbourne, I realise that was a Sydney phenomenon rather than an Australian one. 

Don't you get food halls there? Loads in Perth and just about every shopping centre. Excellent value. Used to take the kids Sundays when my wife worked shifts. I could have full roast whatever, with roast spuds, gravy and they could have pizza, chinese, maccas.

[HappyHeart]

2 hours ago, Paul1Perth said:

Almond and milk shouldn't be allowed in the same sentence.

My youngest works in a coffee shop here. When we were on holiday back in the UK we went swimming to Stockport baths, cost us a fortune, so that's something else that's better in Aus. Anyway, we went for a coffee near the bus station, instant nescafe in a mug and signs all over the place about not leaving your bag unattended as it might get stolen.

It’s lower calories than regular milk and I’m trying to reduce my dairy intake. High dairy intake is associated with several disease processes. 

[Parley]

27 minutes ago, HappyHeart said:

It’s lower calories than regular milk and I’m trying to reduce my dairy intake. High dairy intake is associated with several disease processes. 

Have you tried oat milk?

Almond milk is very high in salicylates.

[newjez]

11 hours ago, Antipodista said:

Such good replies on here. I would have said coffee but I actually find that there are loads of great independent coffee shops opening round Cheshire and where I live now so I miss that less. They even do fab avo on toast brekkies

I miss the smell too. The sound of the kookaburras in the morning (even though I generally love the birdsong here, I used to be fascinated with the kookaburra sound. I actually thought it was monkeys when I first moved to Aus and woke up to it at 5am ) The beach views and the new-ness of everything. I adore the UK, but it’s nice to miss Aus too

It is the smell. When I walk out of Perth airport and the eucalyptus hits my nose, I know I'm home.

[newjez]

On 08/06/2021 at 06:15, Quoll said:

You forgot the high powered showers.  Other than that (and I don't miss the coffee), oh and fly wire screens, that would be about the sum total.

They do fly screens in the UK.

Not like Australia, they tend to stick on with Velcro. But they do work. We have one on the backdoor held together in the middle by magnets, so you just push through and it closes behind you.

[newjez]

On 08/06/2021 at 06:15, Quoll said:

You forgot the high powered showers.  Other than that (and I don't miss the coffee), oh and fly wire screens, that would be about the sum total.

Plumbing in the UK has come on leaps and bounds.

You can still get older houses with crappy showers. But most newer houses have the same quality showers as Australia.

Our house can run both showers at once and be watering the garden and running the washing machine with no noticeable loss of pressure.