How long before it felt normal to live in Australia

[North to South]

Hi,

I'm now five months in to living in Adelaide and it now feels normal and I just wondered how long before the magic and excitement left people after first arriving before it felt like normal life.

For me the first few months were wow, wow, wow, look at that, go here, go there, see that etc etc but now it's just normal.  Driving my daughter to school I used to marvel at the view across Adelaide on the journey, but now it's just, that looks nice today.   I only feel that I'm living in a different place when I visit somewhere I've not been before, or see something new.

Don't get me wrong, I love living here, even in this colder weather as we're doing so much more than in England, especially at weekends, but it just feels normal now and not sure if I was expecting that to come so soon.

Be good to hear other peoples experiences on their first few months.

[Marisawright]

I'm not sure what you expected?   

[Bulya]

Minimum 5 years

[HappyHeart]

5 hours ago, North to South said:

Hi,

I'm now five months in to living in Adelaide and it now feels normal and I just wondered how long before the magic and excitement left people after first arriving before it felt like normal life.

For me the first few months were wow, wow, wow, look at that, go here, go there, see that etc etc but now it's just normal.  Driving my daughter to school I used to marvel at the view across Adelaide on the journey, but now it's just, that looks nice today.   I only feel that I'm living in a different place when I visit somewhere I've not been before, or see something new.

Don't get me wrong, I love living here, even in this colder weather as we're doing so much more than in England, especially at weekends, but it just feels normal now and not sure if I was expecting that to come so soon.

Be good to hear other peoples experiences on their first few months.

Difficult to remember when the 'novelty' wore off, maybe a year? 

It felt 'normal' as in not like we were on holiday or feeling unsettled extremely quickly, say 6 weeks? 

Still have moments when I pinch myself with the views driving home from work along the coast or in otherwise spectacular spot or everyday situation. 

Edited June 10, 2021 by HappyHeart

[ramot]

1 hour ago, HappyHeart said:

Difficult to remember when the 'novelty' wore off, maybe a year? 

It felt 'normal' as in not like we were on holiday or feeling unsettled extremely quickly, say 6 weeks? 

Still have moments when I pinch myself with the views driving home from work along the coast or in otherwise spectacular spot or everyday situation. 

I agree.

18 years here, and I drive home by the sea on the way back from shopping and think  ‘I love living here’!! Went for a walk along Mooloolaba beach front today,  a cold but glorious glorious day, sparkling sea, a yacht race in the distance, everyone out walking, a few brave people in the sea, and thought I only live 8 minutes from here. There is so much going on here you never need to be bored. 

Edited June 10, 2021 by ramot

[Bobj]

Nearly 60 years on and am  still in awe at the wonderful sights, be it when  fishing, looking at the southern Whitsundays, or in the desert, looking at an impossibly blue sky, or, the vastness of it all, let alone the magnificent and unique wildlife.

Bugga! Getting dewy eyed...

Cheers, Bobj.

[ali]

10 hours ago, HappyHeart said:

Difficult to remember when the 'novelty' wore off, maybe a year? 

It felt 'normal' as in not like we were on holiday or feeling unsettled extremely quickly, say 6 weeks? 

Still have moments when I pinch myself with the views driving home from work along the coast or in otherwise spectacular spot or everyday situation. 

Similar to us, I still love the journey into the city along the river.  It probably took us about 10 months to feel  as if we'd stood still (we were on a break in Busso) and I remember thinking that it was the first time since arriving that everything felt in order.

[Bobj]

5 hours ago, Bobj said:

Nearly 60 years on and am  still in awe at the wonderful sights, be it when  fishing, looking at the southern Whitsundays, or in the desert, looking at an impossibly blue sky, or, the vastness of it all, let alone the magnificent and unique wildlife.

Bugga! Getting dewy eyed...

Cheers, Bobj.

 

This morning's fishing trip and the islands

 

Cheers, Bobj.

[Johndoe]

Hard to explain but for me it never seems "normal" because nothing is typical or usual. Forty five yrs of UK "normality" can't be deleted from ones consciousness by 26yrs here IYKWIM. Every day is new for me. Having had two life threatening health situations, nothing has felt "normal" since.

[Lavers]

On 10/06/2021 at 15:04, North to South said:

Hi,

I'm now five months in to living in Adelaide and it now feels normal and I just wondered how long before the magic and excitement left people after first arriving before it felt like normal life.

For me the first few months were wow, wow, wow, look at that, go here, go there, see that etc etc but now it's just normal.  Driving my daughter to school I used to marvel at the view across Adelaide on the journey, but now it's just, that looks nice today.   I only feel that I'm living in a different place when I visit somewhere I've not been before, or see something new.

Don't get me wrong, I love living here, even in this colder weather as we're doing so much more than in England, especially at weekends, but it just feels normal now and not sure if I was expecting that to come so soon.

Be good to hear other peoples experiences on their first few months.

Hahaha I know what you mean but as I've always said life is life, you still have to go to work, you still have bills to pay and you still have the kids to sort out.

We usually get down to the beach a couple of times a week, just to remind us where we are.

[Eera]

For me, I came with zero expectations other than hopefully being able to do fieldwork without my fingers freezing off.  As I had citizenship from birth I didn't have to go through the visa process or anything, just decided to move and a couple of months later there I was - maybe as it wasn't a hassle for me I don't have the same appreciation of the emotional load emigration has on people.

Ultimately it's another first world country with much the same advantages and disadvantages. I still have to work, pay the bills and go to the toilet.  It's always been as normal as the UK, just with more things that bite.  My parents were also ping-pongers and we moved back and forth to the UK several times; Australia therefore has never had a particular cachet for me - just somewhere I spent several years in as a kid and now live.

[Rallyman]

On 11/06/2021 at 04:15, Bobj said:

Nearly 60 years on and am  still in awe at the wonderful sights, be it when  fishing, looking at the southern Whitsundays, or in the desert, looking at an impossibly blue sky, or, the vastness of it all, let alone the magnificent and unique wildlife.

Bugga! Getting dewy eyed...

Cheers, Bobj.

Don’t forget the amazing night sky with no light pollution 

[Wanderer Returns]

On 10/06/2021 at 15:34, North to South said:

Hi,

I'm now five months in to living in Adelaide and it now feels normal and I just wondered how long before the magic and excitement left people after first arriving before it felt like normal life.

For me the first few months were wow, wow, wow, look at that, go here, go there, see that etc etc but now it's just normal.  Driving my daughter to school I used to marvel at the view across Adelaide on the journey, but now it's just, that looks nice today.   I only feel that I'm living in a different place when I visit somewhere I've not been before, or see something new.

Don't get me wrong, I love living here, even in this colder weather as we're doing so much more than in England, especially at weekends, but it just feels normal now and not sure if I was expecting that to come so soon.

Be good to hear other peoples experiences on their first few months.

That's great, isn't it? It means that you are adapting well to your new live down under, rather than hankering for what you left behind in the UK  

To use that rather unflattering expression; "same sh*t, different day" - it pretty much sums it up if you're still working. That said, we're currently in the depths of winter, and knowing that at lunchtime I can sit outside and enjoy my sandwiches in the sun - that kind of thing has never lost it's novelty to me - even after 18 years here. I think there are things we come to accept as being normal here, but they are far from normal when compared to life back in the UK.

[Toots]

On 11/06/2021 at 21:56, Lavers said:

Hahaha I know what you mean but as I've always said life is life, you still have to go to work, you still have bills to pay and you still have the kids to sort out.

We usually get down to the beach a couple of times a week, just to remind us where we are.

We didn't have children when we first arrived and I think buying/building our own house then having a couple of children made life seem "normal".  I hated renting.  Been here 40 years this year so I've lived in Australia longer than I've lived anywhere else.  As you say, no matter where you live you just have to get on with the nitty gritty of everyday life.  

I started work the week we arrived - so did my husband - everything seemed to be happening so quickly that I didn't have time to feel homesick though of course there were a few pangs.  We also moved from Sydney to Perth then after babies and new house - moved back to Sydney.  All a bit of blur now.  

Hope you and your wife and daughters are settling OK.

[Bulya]

On 13/06/2021 at 09:56, Wanderer Returns said:

That's great, isn't it? It means that you are adapting well to your new live down under, rather than hankering for what you left behind in the UK  

To use that rather unflattering expression; "same sh*t, different day" - it pretty much sums it up if you're still working. That said, we're currently in the depths of winter, and knowing that at lunchtime I can sit outside and enjoy my sandwiches in the sun - that kind of thing has never lost it's novelty to me - even after 18 years here. I think there are things we come to accept as being normal here, but they are far from normal when compared to life back in the UK.

I’ve tried to think of one single thing I’d be ‘hankering for’ in Blighty.  Thankfully I can’t… 

[BobHatton]

Give it at least three years. We've been here 20 years now and everything feels 'normal'. In fact we've forgotten what life in the UK is like...

[Wanderer Returns]

2 hours ago, BobHatton said:

Give it at least three years. We've been here 20 years now and everything feels 'normal'. In fact we've forgotten what life in the UK is like...

I left 18 months ago, and I can reassure you that you're not missing much - and that was even before the coronavirus!

[Jon the Hat]

On 14/06/2021 at 02:15, Bulya said:

I’ve tried to think of one single thing I’d be ‘hankering for’ in Blighty.  Thankfully I can’t… 

When to sun does shine, out in the countryside there is nowhere more lovely than England.  It's just a shame it tends to happen while you are at work all but a few days a year!

[Bulya]

1 hour ago, Jon the Hat said:

When to sun does shine, out in the countryside there is nowhere more lovely than England.  It's just a shame it tends to happen while you are at work all but a few days a year!

In your opinion.  Far more spectacular sights here, and far more variety…

[Paul1Perth]

We've been here since 92 and often say how lucky we are just to be able to pop down the beach in guaranteed good weather. 

Also knowing that the beach and park are going to be clean and looked after by the excellent council workers. Grader comes down the beach every morning about 5:30, sand looks perfect just after, before anyone else has walked on it. Park and free barbies cleaned daily.

We went to Singapore on holiday, no-one seems to clean the beaches, the shots in the brochure looked great but there was a constant oil slick on the ocean and the beach was full of litter and party poppers. Stuck to the hotel pool.

Only a short trip back to the UK can make you appreciate stuff here very quickly.

[Jon the Hat]

9 hours ago, Paul1Perth said:

We've been here since 92 and often say how lucky we are just to be able to pop down the beach in guaranteed good weather. 

Also knowing that the beach and park are going to be clean and looked after by the excellent council workers. Grader comes down the beach every morning about 5:30, sand looks perfect just after, before anyone else has walked on it. Park and free barbies cleaned daily.

We went to Singapore on holiday, no-one seems to clean the beaches, the shots in the brochure looked great but there was a constant oil slick on the ocean and the beach was full of litter and party poppers. Stuck to the hotel pool.

Only a short trip back to the UK can make you appreciate stuff here very quickly.

The UK has certainly lost focus on the importance of maintaining things.  

[Lavers]

2 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

The UK has certainly lost focus on the importance of maintaining things.  

Because they are greedy bastards who just want to take all the time and give nothing back.......I'm not bitter haha

[Paul1Perth]

16 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

The UK has certainly lost focus on the importance of maintaining things.  

I think it's the cost Jon. We are in the lucky position here of having some very highly paid, mostly FIFO workers, paying a lot of tax and WA is earning heaps from mining and oil and gas. There's money to pay for a lot of council workers. It's a win, win in my opinion. The council guys seem well equipped, there's lots of them, it gives them a job, keeps places looking good, graffiti and rubbish free which, in turn, leads to people using the facilities and treating them with respect. 

People here seem to clear up after themselves a lot more. Maybe because things seem looked after and tidy. There's a really busy dog beach just up the coast with lots if dogs (and horses). There's very little, if any dog crap around. Plastic dog bags are provided, bins emptied daily, car park is full of dog wash businesses, drink facilities, coffee vans. Same with the numerous parks people take their dogs. Always bags and bins provided, grass always cut, kids play equipment cleaned and looked after, barbeques free, clean and looked after. Must cost a lot though. At least you know where your taxes are going.

[Paul1Perth]

14 hours ago, Lavers said:

Because they are greedy bastards who just want to take all the time and give nothing back.......I'm not bitter haha

I noticed they'd spent heaps on tidying up the canal network when we were on holiday a few years back. We used to live near Hyde and the canal through Hyde wasn't navigable at one time. It was horrible, full of prams and crap. Now it's cleaned up, big new basin built for longboats, new pub, can ride the bike on the canal path right into and through Manchester. 

I doubt there's going to be much money to throw around on that stuff after covid though.

[ramot]

20 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said:

I think it's the cost Jon. We are in the lucky position here of having some very highly paid, mostly FIFO workers, paying a lot of tax and WA is earning heaps from mining and oil and gas. There's money to pay for a lot of council workers. It's a win, win in my opinion. The council guys seem well equipped, there's lots of them, it gives them a job, keeps places looking good, graffiti and rubbish free which, in turn, leads to people using the facilities and treating them with respect. 

People here seem to clear up after themselves a lot more. Maybe because things seem looked after and tidy. There's a really busy dog beach just up the coast with lots if dogs (and horses). There's very little, if any dog crap around. Plastic dog bags are provided, bins emptied daily, car park is full of dog wash businesses, drink facilities, coffee vans. Same with the numerous parks people take their dogs. Always bags and bins provided, grass always cut, kids play equipment cleaned and looked after, barbeques free, clean and looked after. Must cost a lot though. At least you know where your taxes are going.

I do agree with you on the whole Paul, but I have just phoned the council to complain about the dog deposits on the grass in front of our house. We live by a lake and more and more irresponsible dog owners are treating it like a dog park, dogs off leashes and even though dog bags and bins are provided they are ignored by these owners, I mean who cares that people live here, and that flies spread disease.

I checked and it’s ok to put laminated warning sign up, theoretically only  A4 size, needs to be in big black print so the owners can read it from the path, or perhaps several with only a couple of words on each? not that they care as they never bother to see where their dogs are. Thinking of a spy camera to catch an action shot, and put them on the wall to shame the owners.