olly Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 The country is so vast, each State is different, and so are the people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Donna & John Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Hiya Nicloe.. Ididnt go to Macdonalds till I left home and got a job either cause I grew up in a family with 2 parents who couldnt work due to severe arthritis so we never had a car or the cash of mac d's.. so no stranger to living on very little! Where abouts in the uk are you? and how are you finding it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Emmap Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Mea culpa, it was a joke! You really dont get much cultural difference in the international metropolitan areas and I dont suppose you would expect to. There is a whole world of Australia out there that many migrants never even get a sniff of and it really is culturally quite different from what people in the cities see as normal. Nothing like a chook raffle in a small country town on a Friday night to give you the quintessential Australia which is a world apart from what is, I hate to say it, the tourist destination of the Opera House or Harbour Bridge - or, for that matter Parliament House or the South Bank or the miles of golden beaches of the Gold Coast. I actually think it is quite sad that people dont go and stay in Oodnadatta and Delegate and the hundreds of other small towns and just get a look at how the other half live - there lies the culture shock. There is more substance in places like that due to the people who made the land rather than the buildings that everyone ogles and takes a zillion pictures of. I am sorry if you didnt get the joke, it wasnt meant to be patronizing, just in response to the comment that I hadnt sold you Australia by describing how many real Australians live. Go out and stay in the bush for a while and get a real taste for it. Edited to say, there are more migrants to the square inch in Sydney than anywhere else in the world I should think! The NSW folk are a bit ticked off that there are so many because it costs them mega bucks for the infrastructure to support them. Thank for answer......after all the replys, the matter is i still love living where i do......i am working in the city, as i always have done, same in the uk.....in a few years when i can afford to stop working and go travelling around to all these places in Oz, i will.....if this site is still up and running, i will post the answer then!...thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docboat Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Back to the OP question - cultural difference. Australia is a different country, and it is not like the UK - thank God, or else I would be out of here in a heartbeat. Each state is a bit different, and in each major city there are areas of quite large differences. In Perth, for example, the residents of Mosman Park and Peppermint Grove are very different from the average resident of Mirrabooka. You need to bear in mind that you must not hang on to the classical UK idiocy of looking for fish and chips like "back home" or complaining because the pubs are different. If that is your scene, then you will find plenty of Aussie incentive to go "back home" .... and so, perhaps, such people should go away again, because it will make life easier for everyone. Keep an open mind, enjoy the differences, and strive to adapt to the new life. And if you want to see an example of why, search out Aldo's posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nicole Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Hi donna as a teenager i thought I had it really tough....I think I thought wrong. I am in Eastbourne..althought we started in twickenham (had a baby) then moved to Brighton (had another baby) moved to eastbourne (had last baby) I have been really happy it has taken a few years to feel part of something here having children forces you to go and make friends but I will find it hard to leave I will miss living by the south downs we take the dogs up there everyday and it is fantastic (everywhere in oz is a national park very hard to find places to just let the dogs run also because of this dogs in general are not as well socialized so seem to get more nasty ones) I will miss uk tv australian tv is rubbish with the most annoying personalities...curries....H&M, zara, and i hate to say it primark..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongrel Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Hi donnaas a teenager i thought I had it really tough....I think I thought wrong. I am in Eastbourne..althought we started in twickenham (had a baby) then moved to Brighton (had another baby) moved to eastbourne (had last baby) I have been really happy it has taken a few years to feel part of something here having children forces you to go and make friends but I will find it hard to leave I will miss living by the south downs we take the dogs up there everyday and it is fantastic (everywhere in oz is a national park very hard to find places to just let the dogs run also because of this dogs in general are not as well socialized so seem to get more nasty ones) I will miss uk tv australian tv is rubbish with the most annoying personalities...curries....H&M, zara, and i hate to say it primark..... There are numeroud parks and beaches specifically for animal exercise p-oo bags and bins are provided , let your dogs run free in the bush . only thing some inhabitants take offence to being disturbed by a wet nose and they can be lethal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Donna & John Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I love primark!! glad to hear you got on over here well, it doesnt matter where you go an effort has to be made to fit in. Cant expect a different country to mould to you, you have to mould to it.. I'll not miss curries as im not a fan lol but will miss my clothes shops.. never buy just window shop lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nicole Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 It is good to know there are places for the dogs to run....will have to do a bit more research...We lost a couple of dogs and cats to as kids so well aware how unfriendly some of the locals can be.....(the ones with no legs I mean)...not the ones in cork rim hats... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mufcforever Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Heading back to the original question,the only thing Australia has in common with Britain is the English language, culture wise the 2 countries couldnt be more different in my opinion.People who say they adapt to it happily are lying through their teeth,i dont remember trouble at wimbledon,like we have just seen at the oz open tennis,ethnic divisions scrapping with each other, or is that now not a big deal as you have a new life to adapt to,a lot of people(probably 95%) of people on here wouldnt know what an honest opinion is,they cannot accept australia either isnt what they wanted,or they cant face the hassle or embarrasment of returning to Britain even though deep deep deep down they long to.We are doing well here ,but we are who we are as people and eventually will return home as Greed here is rife, Work is paramount and any notion of laid back lifestyle should be consigned to the past, you cannot live a chilled lifestyle and pay a 400000$ mortgage here or anywhere ,alot of people on here really need to get real.Bring on the infraction as the honesty pill is difficult to swallow for most these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olly Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I wonder sometimes when I read some of the comments on these forums whether people who emigrate from the UK do a lot of research about the place they are going to? I know that searching for information can't always prepare you for what you might find when you get here, but it seems to me that some of my Brit friends (and I have a few) express surprise about simple things that may have been a good idea to gain more information about before they left the UK. For instance, climate differences between the States. I heard one say "We didn't know that Queensland could be so humid", and we didn't like it. Another one stated "I had wanted to drive from Melbourne to Sydney on a day trip - I didn't know it was 12 hours away until I got here". One relative of mine was coming with a list of things she thought she wanted to see, etc, but hadn't looked on the australia.com site or anything at all. I suggested she grab an East Coast Australia Lonely Planet guide (they know just about everything) and she then realised that what she had planned just wasn't going to work. For instance she was coming to Melbourne, driving to Perth, back again 'to see the Penguins in Phillip Island" and then "making a visit to the Outback", then "going North" and it went on and on. I suggested to her that she make her entry to the country at Perth, not Melbourne. When I spoke to her she had no idea where the cities were, how far etc. I was surprised. Now I am aware that this is not everyone, and of course some people must go where they have been offered a job. It is helpful though, if you can really research a lot about the places which are available here. I have travelled extensively and lived in the UK for some time (and regularly go back for visits). The first time I ever went to the UK to live I grabbed a guide to the UK and found out about London, prices, attractions and I poured over the Tube maps and British Rail journeys. Also the lifestyle etc. When I got there it seemed a little more familiar. I am about to go on a volunteering trip to work with wildlife in South Africa, and right now I have a pile of info to read - Lonely planet SA, the SA Tourist website, maps, train-bus journeys, where to go, where NOT to go etc. I was told by SA friends to be sure of that information, and I will be a little better prepared when I go. I think this is a good idea for anywhere you go, and very much so for Australia. I have travelled extensively here, and it certainly wouldn't suit me to live some places, especially in Queensland (lots of Victorians 'retire' up there and are back within 2-5 years saying it's too hot and doesn't have some of the cultured things of Melbourne). But I can see why some people would like it, and plenty do. I noticed someone mentioned the lack of 24 hr supermarkets in WA? In Melbourne there are heaps of 24hr Safeway/Woolworths/Coles not all of them, but we have several near us. Let's say I manage to buy my chocolate after midnight if I need to, and that's the main thing.... I think you could do lots of research and still regret coming to Australia, but if you are in possession of some good information, some decisions on where to live and the 'culture' (in my opinion the North is a lot more laid back and the service in some places drove me crazy) might be made a bit less stressful. Going 'blind' to any country, with some idea of 'living the dream' (which can be a bit of a fantasy) is not a great idea. However, many of the comments about places and people within Australia I can also match with my experiences about some places and some people in the UK. I won't mention where, but some places I went to could have been seen to be seen by some outsiders by the same descriptions (dull, dirthy, crime, graffitt, etc) Everywhere in the world you go, you can find those places everywhere. If they are not for you, then they're not. But that doesn't mean the people who live there are bad of course, take individuals as you find them, like everywhere. I met some friendly people in these places, and not so sometimes. One place and one group of people does not make an entire nation. London is different to Liverpool, Bristol different to Yorkshire and the people are different, and it's ok. I maintain that in each place there is something good. I found something good in all of these places (history, certain food) It's easy to criticize but a lot harder to look at a country and really see what makes each place tick. Also it can be helpful not to compare Aust and the UK - they are alike in some ways and not others, and sometimes I think the two countries just misunderstand each other!! And that I find quite difficult, as I have such a heartfelt love for both places. Will go and take the dog for a walk and ponder all that now ! cheers Olly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PommieLady Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 it seems to me that some of my Brit friends (and I have a few) express surprise about simple things that may have been a good idea to gain more information about before they left the UK.... For instance she was coming to Melbourne, driving to Perth, back again 'to see the Penguins in Phillip Island" and then "making a visit to the Outback", then "going North" and it went on and on. I am about to go on a volunteering trip to work with wildlife in South Africa, and right now I have a pile of info to read - Lonely planet SA, the SA Tourist website, maps, train-bus journeys, where to go, where NOT to go etc..... Going 'blind' to any country, with some idea of 'living the dream' (which can be a bit of a fantasy) is not a great idea. Great post :notworthy: Even when people go on holiday they rarely do any research, whereas I love to get an idea of the culture and what might be interesting to see rather than just a tourist attraction. however most other people on their two week holiday have no idea about the country they are staying in, prefering to bring their own culture with them, and getting pretty cross if things aren't like they are at home. I think the same often goes for migrating and is one of the reasons most people opt for living in suburbs that are populated by other poms, immigrants, professionals etc. However I must say that I did loads and loads of research on our chosen location (OH's choice) Geraldton, nothing really related to the actual experience of living there. However this is partly due to having no concept of many of the real differences, you can't really get them until you've experienced them. Lots of poms I meet really don't believe what I tell them about my experience, and I think they think I'm a bit mad, whilst all the Aussies I know think we were mad for going there :biglaugh: It was an experience a bit like being put in the deep end, although I am very aware it isn't anywhere near the deep end. your relly reminds me of a locum doctor that had planned a weeks 'vacation' traveling with his family from Gero up to Exmouth staying at various locations on the way.... they were roadhouses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ericaw Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 You certainly wont be sitting down to watch an evening of entertaining tv coz they isnt any! every thing shuts by 8pm! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olly Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Pommielady - so do you live in lovely Tasmania. Now that is a nice part of the world to live in. Re: the TV comment post, don't you have foxtel or something. That is not completely true about the TV, there are plenty of selected programs, especially on ABC and SBS to watch. Always lots of UK shows - LIfe on Mars, Long way down with Ewan McGRegor on the bike through Africa. Yes there are a lot of reality shows on in recent years, but that is with most countries, the same product rolled out across the world, and mainly rubbish. Thankfully Australia has finally ditched big brother once and for all! It's summer, go outdoors and do something, turn the TV off I reckon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 You certainly wont be sitting down to watch an evening of entertaining tv coz they isnt any! every thing shuts by 8pm! LOL, true. It's the only place I know where on a Friday night you can get three different kinds of ball sports being broadcast simultaneously on prime time free to air stations. And the other channels probably have Adam Sandler:mad: Just thinking of another cultural difference is the community volunteer organizations which support the state emergency services. The SES and the RFB being two - they are good examples of community participation which I dont think you find in the same way in UK. (SES volunteers came to a place over the road last night to chainsaw a tree branch which had skewered a car in the drive way. They were there until midnight and I would guess that they all came from other jobs which they had been doing all day. It was also good to see a "new Australian" amongst them as new migrants especially from very differnt cultures havent always been keen to get involved in such things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ericaw Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 can i just say in defence of my tv and early closing hours comment - are these neccessarly bad things? i dont think so, a little inconvienent thats all but what did we do in the seventies with only 3 tv channels and shops all closed at 5! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JoanneHattersley Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I love the early closing! back to the old days eh! I try my hardest when I am at home NOT to put the TV on! OH is different!! i turn on the I Pod and get it going through the surround sound! Much better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ericaw Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 you see!......johatts doesnt even bother to put the telly on...nuff said! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JoanneHattersley Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 you see!......johatts doesnt even bother to put the telly on...nuff said! Cheeky!!!:smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PommieLady Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 We have the TV on about an hour a day. I spend most of my free time on here :biglaugh: and like johatts I prefer music and have a little transmitter that sends my music or the radio (uk internet) from the computer to the various radios I have dotted around the house, including, gym, shower room, kitchen, bedrooms and garage/dog torture room. Olly, I do live in Tassie now, it is a truely lovely place and I feel very fortunate to live here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olly Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Nice Pommielady, glad u like the Apple Isle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olly Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Yes, turn the TV off, go to bed early.................!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PommieLady Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Nice Pommielady, glad u like the Apple Isle! Its more like the isle of wine, cheese and poppies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olly Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Yes, cool climate wine lovely - I can second that (hiccup). Australia has nice wines, not much to whinge about there. For a wrap: come to Australia, have some nice wine, turn off the crappy TV and go to bed early...................what's not to like. :jiggy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest treesea Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Cultural differences - plenty, including between all the states, let alone between Australia and the UK. Let's see - if you are a fireman, move downunder. Australians rightly, imho, see them as heros. In the UK, they get things thrown at them when they attend a fire. Very bizarre, even for a returning Brit like myself. In Australia, again thank goodness, there's practically no public drinking. Wandering down the street having a swig of your beer or wine is likely to get you arrested. And drink driving is an absolute no no and heavily policed. Back here in the UK, people drink everywhere - on the buses (do that in Australia and the driver is likely to stop the bus and tell you to get off) , walking down the streets, sitting outside their houses on the public footpath, even at 11am, - if your idea of fun is getting blind drunk, then stay in the UK. Australia is going to feel like the Temperance Society in comparison. Here, friends are a ten minute stroll away - in Melbourne they were a 40 minute drive away. This one to Brits already in Australia and thinking of coming back - if you are used to a city on the sea (as we were, living first in Sydney and then in Melbourne for the second stint) be warned - there are not many major cities in Britain built directly on the sea. There's not much sense of history in Australia that is easy to relate to. Aboriginal history for sure, but it doesn't seep into your bones the way it does here. Mother Shipton and Knaresborough forever! The people in Australia are light and friendly, and good for a laugh, but I found Australians, by and large, to be kind of empty, somehow isolated from the world, in their own little bit of paradise. If you like Indian food, decent authentic Indian food is quite hard to track down in Australia. The main non western food that is authentic on offer is Chinese/Malaysian/Thai/Vietnamese/South East Asian in general. I recommend Char Kway Teow and Curry Laksa to help you get over your cravings. If it's any consolation, the Chinese food on offer back here in Britain is akin to what they were serving up in Australia 30 years ago. There's no twilight, at least not as far south as Melbourne. Can't speak for Tassie. But then, the days are not as short in winter either. Weather in Australia can be scary compared to Britain. The nearest you'ld get to a Brisbane style storm back here is probably a hurricane hitting the shores of north west Scotland. The food is different - think king sized prawns rather than sausages. Though, having said that, Australia was heaps better for non-pork-containing sausages than Britain. The people's attitudes are different. Australians don't seem to think too deep about anything. They are more interested in how much they earn, how quickly they are paying the mortgage off - so materialistic compared to the UK. It's very much a "What do you do for a crust? Where do you live? How are you doing compared to us?" kind of place. I prefer it here, where nobody ever asks what you do or where you live, and they hardly ever talk about work. Outside of the major cities in Australia, places are quite small. For instance, Bendigo, which is considered a pretty big town by Australian standards, has 46,000 people. Whereas back here, we went to Barnsley to see the rellies, and I couldn't get over the fact that the small wee town I remembered - which was still there, just as I remembered it.... - had over 200,000 people living there. The same up here in Scotland. We went to Alva, a tiny wee place north of Stirling, the kind of blink while you are driving through or you'll miss it sort of place, and was amazed that nearly 5,000 people live there. In Australia, think big cities, but everywhere else is rural and small scale, with relatively little infrastructure. Which is the opposite of here - i.e. small cities but everywhere else has about four times the population that you might at first think, and an infrastructure that looks like it could serve 40,000 as easily as 4,000 people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest earlswood Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 There is no real feel of history or Georgian and earlier architecture or old pubs houses etc…no national trust type properties that you can wander around, no lovely gardens to visit. That what I found so strange…no past to look at. Also the work ethic....aussies live to work and the average hours are longer than I have ever worked.:arghh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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