Living in Australia - things I'm looking forward to

[FirstWorldProblems 2,142]

We know life in Australia isn't better than life in the UK - it's just different.  Nit picking differences between two really good countries really is @FirstWorldProblems.    But for me there are some things that are just better in Australia and as our 2026 move gets closer these are things I'm excited to take advantage of and stay focussed on.

• Sydney is a breathtakingly pretty city.  No matter how bad things were at work or with life, catching a ferry to and from Circular Quay always left me chilled and happy.  
• Most winter days are around 20 degrees at some point - warm enough to be able to spend the weekend outdoors in shorts and a t-shirt
• Blue skies.  Even though there's 50% more rain in Sydney than where I live, there are nowhere near as many days where it's just cloudy all day/week/month.  A blue sky makes everything look better and makes me feel better
• Lebanese parties.  The wife has a big, big extended family.  There's a wedding or another reason to party every few months and the Lebbo's know how to party.  Everyone gets up to dance the dabke, the sound of the drums and the spectacularly over-the-top bride and groom entrance - all wonderful.
• Having a pool and the weather to use it.   We''ll be early 50's when we move back and if we're lucky there will be grandchildren before too many years pass.  I love the idea of goofing around with them in the pool every visit.  
• Al-fresco dining for most of the year.  We love to eat outside.
• Proximity to Asia.  I'm really looking forward to taking holidays in a part of the world that we have not explored yet.
• I'm going to make a really nice outdoor entertaining space with an outdoor kitchen area.  Somewhere we really enjoy being.
• Exploring somewhere new.  I don't know what suburb we'll end up in, but it's almost certainly going to be somewhere we don't know well, or at all.  I'm looking forward to exploring every street, and reserve on our walks or on my runs
• I'm looking forward to joining a triathlon club to help me make new friends, learn where the best runs, rides and swims are and exploring all of those. 
• There are some great looking coastal walks that I am keen for us to do of an evening or weekend.  Enjoying the epic scenery on those early evenings when the weather is warm but not uncomfortable hot.
• Bunnings.  Bunnings is great.  I was wearing my Bunnings cap today when I went down to Homebase - which just doesn't compare.  OK B&Q is probably better but I don't have one nearby
• Parking spaces that modern day cars actually fit into
• Seeing my wife re-connect with her family.  They are close and annual visits just aren't the same.  Giving all that up to support me for >20 years was incredibly selfless.  I look forward to seeing how much joy she gets out of being back with them all.

This is a very personal list that compares our life in a Warwickshire town to life in the big city.  

What aspect of day to day live is better for you in Australia?

[Jon the Hat 1,163]

This is the internet, your caveats have no currency here   

A great list, and I think important here to focus on what you are looking forward to.

[Bulya 2,865]

14 hours ago, FirstWorldProblems said:

We know life in Australia isn't better than life in the UK - it's just different.  Nit picking differences between two really good countries really is @FirstWorldProblems.    But for me there are some things that are just better in Australia and as our 2026 move gets closer these are things I'm excited to take advantage of and stay focussed on.

• Sydney is a breathtakingly pretty city.  No matter how bad things were at work or with life, catching a ferry to and from Circular Quay always left me chilled and happy.  
• Most winter days are around 20 degrees at some point - warm enough to be able to spend the weekend outdoors in shorts and a t-shirt
• Blue skies.  Even though there's 50% more rain in Sydney than where I live, there are nowhere near as many days where it's just cloudy all day/week/month.  A blue sky makes everything look better and makes me feel better
• Lebanese parties.  The wife has a big, big extended family.  There's a wedding or another reason to party every few months and the Lebbo's know how to party.  Everyone gets up to dance the dabke, the sound of the drums and the spectacularly over-the-top bride and groom entrance - all wonderful.
• Having a pool and the weather to use it.   We''ll be early 50's when we move back and if we're lucky there will be grandchildren before too many years pass.  I love the idea of goofing around with them in the pool every visit.  
• Al-fresco dining for most of the year.  We love to eat outside.
• Proximity to Asia.  I'm really looking forward to taking holidays in a part of the world that we have not explored yet.
• I'm going to make a really nice outdoor entertaining space with an outdoor kitchen area.  Somewhere we really enjoy being.
• Exploring somewhere new.  I don't know what suburb we'll end up in, but it's almost certainly going to be somewhere we don't know well, or at all.  I'm looking forward to exploring every street, and reserve on our walks or on my runs
• I'm looking forward to joining a triathlon club to help me make new friends, learn where the best runs, rides and swims are and exploring all of those. 
• There are some great looking coastal walks that I am keen for us to do of an evening or weekend.  Enjoying the epic scenery on those early evenings when the weather is warm but not uncomfortable hot.
• Bunnings.  Bunnings is great.  I was wearing my Bunnings cap today when I went down to Homebase - which just doesn't compare.  OK B&Q is probably better but I don't have one nearby
• Parking spaces that modern day cars actually fit into
• Seeing my wife re-connect with her family.  They are close and annual visits just aren't the same.  Giving all that up to support me for >20 years was incredibly selfless.  I look forward to seeing how much joy she gets out of being back with them all.

This is a very personal list that compares our life in a Warwickshire town to life in the big city.  

What aspect of day to day live is better for you in Australia?

Everything really.  Not a huge supply of clotted cream but I can handle that. 

[Nemesis 1,922]

18 hours ago, FirstWorldProblems said:

What aspect of day to day live is better for you in Australia?

The thunderstorms were better

(and yes, in Qld that was day to day life for much of the year!)

[ali 16,506]

Great list - I enjoy a lot of those, the alfresco dining, fire pits in the winter, I don't live in NSW but I never tire of the journey into the city along the river  here in Perth.  My hubby would concur with Bunnings, I swear it's his aim to visit every single one in WA lol

[Skani 5,409]

16 hours ago, ali said:

  My hubby would concur with Bunnings, I swear it's his aim to visit every single one in WA lol

That reminds me of an obituary which I've always remembered in the local Hobart paper:  "There was never a problem which couldn't be solved by a trip to Bunnings". 

[Tychen 54]

• Real sand beaches nearby, that you can enjoy even in so-called winter. We live in the inner west, miles from the ocean, but the little river beaches nearby at places like Gladesville or Putney or Cabarita are perfect for small kids.
• Mango season.
• Ethnic-specific enclaves that aren't exclusionary or grim.
• Seeing the harbour from my office window, not just concrete blocks.
• National parks close to the city - one minute you can see the city skyline, then you turn the corner and spot whales on the horizon.

[Quoll 6,245]

My husband would concur with the Bunnings - if he doesnt go at least once a week he gets withdrawal symptoms.  For me - the wider car parking spaces is about it.

[calNgary 9,292]

- The blue skies and lovely weather we have 95% of the time.

- Being able to be roaming through forests, strolling along a beach or wandering around the city all within an hour or two from home.

- My kids are now older but we loved the variety and standard of the free public parks and activites on offer.

- Not sitting in traffic jams everyday (although traffic around us is building in numbers massively, so i dont think those jams will be far away,lol)

  Cal x

 

 

[ramot 7,099]

The blue skies and warm weather.

Still love the view from my house after 20 years.  

The sea is minutes away, the joy of seeing the migrating whales, and dolphins. The contrast of the hinterland a 20 minute drive away.

Brisbane close enough to go to shows and art exhibitions.

Family and friends having such fun in the swimming pool.

Edited August 30 by ramot

[Bobj 10,332]

Barramundi fishing all year round. A 2 minutes walk to 2 pristine beaches and a view of the Fabulous Whitsundays.

Living in a National Park, Wallabies, bandicoots, whistle and burdekin  ducks on most lawns, mango, frangipani and poinciana  trees in most gardens.

Cheers, Bobj.

[Bulya 2,865]

Living, not existing.  Clean air, more space, AFL, NRL.  

[InnerVoice 1,283]

On 28/08/2023 at 22:35, FirstWorldProblems said:

We know life in Australia isn't better than life in the UK - it's just different.  Nit picking differences between two really good countries really is @FirstWorldProblems.    But for me there are some things that are just better in Australia and as our 2026 move gets closer these are things I'm excited to take advantage of and stay focussed on.

• Sydney is a breathtakingly pretty city.  No matter how bad things were at work or with life, catching a ferry to and from Circular Quay always left me chilled and happy.  
• Most winter days are around 20 degrees at some point - warm enough to be able to spend the weekend outdoors in shorts and a t-shirt
• Blue skies.  Even though there's 50% more rain in Sydney than where I live, there are nowhere near as many days where it's just cloudy all day/week/month.  A blue sky makes everything look better and makes me feel better
• Lebanese parties.  The wife has a big, big extended family.  There's a wedding or another reason to party every few months and the Lebbo's know how to party.  Everyone gets up to dance the dabke, the sound of the drums and the spectacularly over-the-top bride and groom entrance - all wonderful.
• Having a pool and the weather to use it.   We''ll be early 50's when we move back and if we're lucky there will be grandchildren before too many years pass.  I love the idea of goofing around with them in the pool every visit.  
• Al-fresco dining for most of the year.  We love to eat outside.
• Proximity to Asia.  I'm really looking forward to taking holidays in a part of the world that we have not explored yet.
• I'm going to make a really nice outdoor entertaining space with an outdoor kitchen area.  Somewhere we really enjoy being.
• Exploring somewhere new.  I don't know what suburb we'll end up in, but it's almost certainly going to be somewhere we don't know well, or at all.  I'm looking forward to exploring every street, and reserve on our walks or on my runs
• I'm looking forward to joining a triathlon club to help me make new friends, learn where the best runs, rides and swims are and exploring all of those. 
• There are some great looking coastal walks that I am keen for us to do of an evening or weekend.  Enjoying the epic scenery on those early evenings when the weather is warm but not uncomfortable hot.
• Bunnings.  Bunnings is great.  I was wearing my Bunnings cap today when I went down to Homebase - which just doesn't compare.  OK B&Q is probably better but I don't have one nearby
• Parking spaces that modern day cars actually fit into
• Seeing my wife re-connect with her family.  They are close and annual visits just aren't the same.  Giving all that up to support me for >20 years was incredibly selfless.  I look forward to seeing how much joy she gets out of being back with them all.

This is a very personal list that compares our life in a Warwickshire town to life in the big city.  

What aspect of day to day live is better for you in Australia?

@FirstWorldProblems that's a great list. I loved the last one about your wife reconnecting with her family and the joy you'll both get from that 

Being the pedant I am I am going to pull you up on a couple of points though, so apologies in advance. Apart from South East Asia, you won't be much closer to the rest of Asia than you are in the UK. You will find the cost of getting there pretty similar too, if not more. I don't think anyone eats outside as much as they thought they might, although those down south do more than we do in FNQ. We have marine grade screens throughout our house for security, which are always open until we turn the air-con on. They let a lot more light and sound in than regular fly-screens so we can enjoy the jungle without the jungle visiting us! I recall when I lived in Sydney we ate outside more often, but to be honest the novelty soon wears off. I spend a lot of my recreational time outdoors so I don't feel the need to eat out there too. Bunnings has absolutely everything but blimey, you'll pay for it. I try to buy hardware elsewhere or second-hand, and use Bunnings as a last resort.

I concur with your list on the weather, the pool, and the parking spaces. I've never paid for parking in Cairns accept at the airport. My wife comes from a polluted Asian country so loves the blue skies, and being able to obtain all her native produce. I also find teenagers and young people in general far more pleasant over here, and lack the snide ageism and superiority that UK kids seem to adopt from an early age. And last but not least, everyone speaks English, so what isn't there to love about that?!

Edited August 31 by InnerVoice

[ali 16,506]

On 30/08/2023 at 14:31, Quoll said:

My husband would concur with the Bunnings - if he doesnt go at least once a week he gets withdrawal symptoms.  For me - the wider car parking spaces is about it.

My hubby has gone 2 or 3 times in one day because "he forgot something" 

[Quoll 6,245]

1 hour ago, ali said:

My hubby has gone 2 or 3 times in one day because "he forgot something" 

They do that. Going to all 3 in the near vicinity in one day is not unheard of either.

[FirstWorldProblems 2,142]

8 hours ago, ali said:

My hubby has gone 2 or 3 times in one day because "he forgot something" 

What a great day out 

[Rallyman 4,104]

On 30/08/2023 at 20:19, calNgary said:

- The blue skies and lovely weather we have 95% of the time.

- Being able to be roaming through forests, strolling along a beach or wandering around the city all within an hour or two from home.

- My kids are now older but we loved the variety and standard of the free public parks and activites on offer.

- Not sitting in traffic jams everyday (although traffic around us is building in numbers massively, so i dont think those jams will be far away,lol)

  Cal x

 

 

Not sitting in traffic, the op better get use to it in Sydney oh and pay those tolls . 

[BendigoBoy 210]

Simple life for me.

- Being within a thirty minute walk and twenty minute roll along the ground to the local winery

- Being able to finish dinner, open the patio doors, and sit under the verandah watching the kookaburras in the evening

- Fresh plums, pears, apples, cherries, peaches, almonds, lemons, limes, kumquats, guava, strawberries, raspberries, jostaberries, boysenberries, kaffir limes, oranges, tangerines, olives from the garden (and that's not even starting on the herbs or veg)

- Neighbours over on a weekly basis for a light lunch or dinner party

Just not the sort of thing you get in Kilmarnock, really...

[InnerVoice 1,283]

4 hours ago, FirstWorldProblems said:

What a great day out 

The one (Bunnings) near me has a lovely little coffee shop which sells great coffee, is cheaper than a regular café, and has a nice view of the garden section (lot of lovely plants and flowers), so that's my most-common reason for visiting 

[InnerVoice 1,283]

1 hour ago, BendigoBoy said:

Just not the sort of thing you get in Kilmarnock, really...

Kilmarnock... along with Killer Shark, and Kwik-save Haddock, one of the three fish that begin and end with the letter 'K'.

[Marisawright 10,931]

3 hours ago, Rallyman said:

Not sitting in traffic, the op better get use to it in Sydney oh and pay those tolls . 

I'm in Melbourne where everyone moans about the traffic, yet I still find it dramatically better than the motorways in the South of England.

[BendigoBoy 210]

1 minute ago, Marisawright said:

I'm in Melbourne where everyone moans about the traffic, yet I still find it dramatically better than the motorways in the South of England.

It's the fact they moan about being stuck in traffic for 90 minutes plus to get from home out towards the ranges and into the CBD.

Yet will not even entertain the prospect of living somewhere like Bendigo, where rush hour means the drive takes about 90 seconds longer, and the train will get you into Southern Cross inside 2 hours for the same cost of using the tram / metro network down in Big Smoke.

Some people just can't be reasoned with, @Marisawright

[Marisawright 10,931]

2 hours ago, BendigoBoy said:

- Fresh plums, pears, apples, cherries, peaches, almonds, lemons, limes, kumquats, guava, strawberries, raspberries, jostaberries, boysenberries, kaffir limes, oranges, tangerines, olives from the garden (and that's not even starting on the herbs or veg)

That's one thing that astonished me about Melbourne when I first arrived.  I was used to Sydney, which has riots of gorgeous exotic flowers (bougainvillea, hibiscus, frangipani), but try to grow fruit and all you get is caterpillars and grubs, and then the fruit bats eat it all anyway.   Whereas i can walk down the street in Carlton and see olives, lemons,  mandarins, oranges, persimmons, pears, kumquats and apricots. Not to mention the roses. 

I like Bendigo but I think it would be too hot for me.

Edited August 31 by Marisawright

[BendigoBoy 210]

17 minutes ago, InnerVoice said:

Kilmarnock... along with Killer Shark, and Kwik-save Haddock, one of the three fish that begin and end with the letter 'K'.

Might need to explain that Kilmarnock is a plaice in Scotland for the benefit of the broader community, though

[InnerVoice 1,283]

4 minutes ago, BendigoBoy said:

Might need to explain that Kilmarnock is a plaice in Scotland for the benefit of the broader community, though