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frustations of oz life!


johnd

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VERY LONG POST ALERT!,hi all, i am thinking of returning back to the uk. i am and have been unsettled since coming here nearly 2 years ago. i had lived in oz in the early 90's and felt that i hadnt given it a "fair go", as the aussies say, so it was my idea to come here my wife had never been to oz before.

she is keener than me to stay as she reckons that nothing is happening in the uk and there is so much to see in our part of oz. fair point, but having been here a while, (we both intend getting citizenship as this was part of plan/aiming point), i just think oz is ok but i sometimes just dont get it. i had always thought of coming back and i knew the types of things which you should and shouldnt do, i.e. we both got jobs quickly, moved into a nice house in a nice area, and i joined a local sports club last year to make friends, so far so good. i also have family here who we get on well with.

but heres the bit which will get up peoples noses, ( i am going to 'whinge' ), i work in the steel industry and my wife is in managment, ( retail ),and i know you shouldnt generalise but we have both found that at work aussies can be very unproffesional in their attitude, and in my job bordering on immature. an example in my job, in a meeting in a uk workplace the vast majority of people turn off their mobile phones, in oz i think they turn them on!. safety wise in the engineering environment i work in, and i am employed for a big well known oz company, the safety is a joke, they are talking the talk but not walking the walk. i have never felt more unsafe unsure of myself in the workplace in my life , this is purely down to the saftey attitude of the management.

further more aussies are obsessed with "paying of my home loan" and "getting ahead" and "i have a wife and kids to support", combine this with other sayings such as," i'm a hard worker" makes them almost american in thier attitude to the workplace, and usually the one telling you how hard he works is a lazy git!, ( i have found that in uk people dont go on as much like this and i have worked in the same environment all my life)

i have never ever met before a bunch of people who seem more scared of losing their jobs in my life, ( and this is pre-credit crunch ), back stabbing and brown nosing are common events, the aussies also work ridiculous amounts of overtime, or in my wifes case unpiad overtime, she is just expected to do it.

the infastructure in this part of nsw is a joke, roads are crap , public transport unsafe and unreliable, local governments are corrupt and everyone seems to be happy living in the 1980's?, ( remember everyone who emigrates to oz thinks its great that oz is 10-20 years behind the uk.....till you get here ), laid back = can't be arsed and aussies can be as rude and ignorant as brits.

now remember before you all want to kill me this is just my opinion, and it is from someone who has a lot of aussie born relatives, ( whom i like a lot ),and also from someone who joined the workplace ASAP and joined up with a local club so its not as if i havnt tried, ( in fact i do not have any pommie mates here only oz ones, and they are good blokes , just different from me).

i feel the problem with oz is that when i lived here in 91-92 the wages and conditions were above uk, for my line of work anyway, paid hols & sickies, but now probably cos of the eu , the uk has had to toe the line with hols etc, which i believe go up to 5 weeks in the uk soon. my fellow workers here cannot believe i got 5 and a half weeks leave in my uk job when we only get 4 in oz. so now oz is trailling behind not only in conditions but infrastructure etc. if a road/railway/development needs building the state gov argue with the federal gov about who should pay and nothing gets done. in certain aspects oz is as far as 30 years behind uk/europe.

it has made me realise that uk has its problems but it wasnt that bad, i have a good life here but it is without my immediate family and lifelong friends , and i miss them all dearly. i think i will make a decision by years end and it will prob be uk for us. its not that i hate oz and love uk i just think i maybe expected too much from oz and now i have realised how important the people are we have left behind.

thats all.

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Good Post John - always good to hear folks perceptions and experiences of Oz the good and the bad, being a member for a few years atleast you have seen it from all sides.

 

I would agree that perhaps a return back to the Uk maybe a good thing - if nothing else to compare and contrast after a couple of years and see if it is as remmebered.

 

T

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Guest snow white

hi john

just want to say at least your honest enough to say what you see, hope everything works out for the best for you and your wife, and a lot of what you say is exactly what my oh says after being here nearly 2 years also

lesley x

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Guest proud2beaussie
further more aussies are obsessed with "paying of my home loan" and "getting ahead" and "i have a wife and kids to support", combine this with other sayings such as," i'm a hard worker" makes them almost american

When I spent three months in the UK last year I found exactly the same attitude,I have also been in meetings in the UK where people took personal phone calls,and I have seen almost non existent compliance with health and safety regulations in the hospitality industry in the UK.so it can happen anywhere.and as regards public transport being unsafe in NSW,have you been on the London tube lately? I have and could tell you some horror stories about what I saw in only three months.

 

Having said all the above I congratulate you for having a go,and at least trying the OZ way of life,the fact that it hasn't really been that fantastic for you is a shame but at least you tried which is all that can be asked of you.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

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John,

Sadly i have to agree with most of what you have said, i thought it was only me who continued to see the not so good ways & lives & lack of professionalism over here,(or so i keep getting told) I too work for a very large company & they coudnt organize a chook raffle !!!

Just out of interest which part of NSW are you in ?

stuju

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When I spent three months in the UK last year I found exactly the same attitude,I have also been in meetings in the UK where people took personal phone calls,and I have seen almost non existent compliance with health and safety regulations in the hospitality industry in the UK.so it can happen anywhere.and as regards public transport being unsafe in NSW,have you been on the London tube lately? I have and could tell you some horror stories about what I saw in only three months.

 

Having said all the above I congratulate you for having a go,and at least trying the OZ way of life,the fact that it hasn't really been that fantastic for you is a shame but at least you tried which is all that can be asked of you.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

Nigel, your post is typical "t!t for tat, mines bigger than yours" nonsense. Although what you say may well be true, the thread is titled frustations of oz life!

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Guest proud2beaussie
John,

Sadly i have to agree with most of what you have said, i thought it was only me who continued to see the not so good ways & lives & lack of professionalism over here,(or so i keep getting told) I too work for a very large company & they coudnt organize a chook raffle !!!

Just out of interest which part of NSW are you in ?

stuju

And the UK is so much better?

I was in London for three months last year and in that time I bought three restaurants that had been left to rot by the previous owners,in two of them the local health authorities had closed them down due to failure to comply with hygiene regulations and in the other the place was so bady managed that it was running at a 60% loss on turnover.however the underlying businesses were sound,since I have owned them I have put in new managers and all three now make a profit and employ 9 new staff.

Every business in every country has it's share of unprofessional employees ,Australia included,and most businesses in the world could do at least a few things better,but having worked in every state of Australia I don't believe that Australia is any worse than any other countries,and in many industries it's a lot better.

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Nigel, your post is typical "t!t for tat, mines bigger than yours" nonsense. Although what you say may well be true, the thread is titled frustations of oz life!

Sorry Aldo,I can accept your point,I was simply pointing out that "frustrations of OZ life" are not exclusive to Australia and can happen anywhere,even in the UK.

That does not in any way invalidate the points that John made,but simply makes it clear that Australia as a country is not always at fault,the things he complains about happen anywhere so why would going home to the UK solve those issues,that's my point.

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And the UK is so much better?

I was in London for three months last year and in that time I bought three restaurants that had been left to rot by the previous owners,in two of them the local health authorities had closed them down due to failure to comply with hygiene regulations and in the other the place was so bady managed that it was running at a 60% loss on turnover.however the underlying businesses were sound,since I have owned them I have put in new managers and all three now make a profit and employ 9 new staff.

Every business in every country has it's share of unprofessional employees ,Australia included,and most businesses in the world could do at least a few things better,but having worked in every state of Australia I don't believe that Australia is any worse than any other countries,and in many industries it's a lot better.

Eeerrr excuse me but did i say anywhere in my reply that the uk was better ? NO i don't think so !!!! So before you decide to jump down my throat with what you have done,where you have worked,what you have brought etc read the damm post properly - if you wanna stick up for oz good for you, we all have our own comments,experiences of where ever we are in the world & if what i put happens to be mine then except it - jesus christ where do these people get off ? you dont know my situation, my life or anything about me

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Sorry Aldo,I can accept your point,I was simply pointing out that "frustrations of OZ life" are not exclusive to Australia and can happen anywhere,even in the UK.

That does not in any way invalidate the points that John made,but simply makes it clear that Australia as a country is not always at fault,the things he complains about happen anywhere so why would going home to the UK solve those issues,that's my point.

 

Yes we know that but this is why people are afraid to post negative posts on here, they get the "well the uk is EVEN worse" retorts.

 

I was simply pointing out that "frustrations of OZ life" are not exclusive to Australia

oxymoron?

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Guest proud2beaussie
Yes we know that but this is why people are afraid to post negative posts on here, they get the "well the uk is EVEN worse" retorts.

 

 

oxymoron?

I'm not saying the UK is EVEN worse,just that in some things it's not a whole lot better.,that's all.Australia is far from perfect,but it's pretty good at a lot of things,great at some,poor at others,just like the UK.

And I dont mind hearing some home truths occasionally.

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VERY LONG POST ALERT!,hi all, i am thinking of returning back to the uk. i am and have been unsettled since coming here nearly 2 years ago. i had lived in oz in the early 90's and felt that i hadnt given it a "fair go", as the aussies say, so it was my idea to come here my wife had never been to oz before.

she is keener than me to stay as she reckons that nothing is happening in the uk and there is so much to see in our part of oz. fair point, but having been here a while, (we both intend getting citizenship as this was part of plan/aiming point), i just think oz is ok but i sometimes just dont get it. i had always thought of coming back and i knew the types of things which you should and shouldnt do, i.e. we both got jobs quickly, moved into a nice house in a nice area, and i joined a local sports club last year to make friends, so far so good. i also have family here who we get on well with.

but heres the bit which will get up peoples noses, ( i am going to 'whinge' ), i work in the steel industry and my wife is in managment, ( retail ),and i know you shouldnt generalise but we have both found that at work aussies can be very unproffesional in their attitude, and in my job bordering on immature. an example in my job, in a meeting in a uk workplace the vast majority of people turn off their mobile phones, in oz i think they turn them on!. safety wise in the engineering environment i work in, and i am employed for a big well known oz company, the safety is a joke, they are talking the talk but not walking the walk. i have never felt more unsafe unsure of myself in the workplace in my life , this is purely down to the saftey attitude of the management.

further more aussies are obsessed with "paying of my home loan" and "getting ahead" and "i have a wife and kids to support", combine this with other sayings such as," i'm a hard worker" makes them almost american in thier attitude to the workplace, and usually the one telling you how hard he works is a lazy git!, ( i have found that in uk people dont go on as much like this and i have worked in the same environment all my life)

i have never ever met before a bunch of people who seem more scared of losing their jobs in my life, ( and this is pre-credit crunch ), back stabbing and brown nosing are common events, the aussies also work ridiculous amounts of overtime, or in my wifes case unpiad overtime, she is just expected to do it.

the infastructure in this part of nsw is a joke, roads are crap , public transport unsafe and unreliable, local governments are corrupt and everyone seems to be happy living in the 1980's?, ( remember everyone who emigrates to oz thinks its great that oz is 10-20 years behind the uk.....till you get here ), laid back = can't be arsed and aussies can be as rude and ignorant as brits.

now remember before you all want to kill me this is just my opinion, and it is from someone who has a lot of aussie born relatives, ( whom i like a lot ),and also from someone who joined the workplace ASAP and joined up with a local club so its not as if i havnt tried, ( in fact i do not have any pommie mates here only oz ones, and they are good blokes , just different from me).

i feel the problem with oz is that when i lived here in 91-92 the wages and conditions were above uk, for my line of work anyway, paid hols & sickies, but now probably cos of the eu , the uk has had to toe the line with hols etc, which i believe go up to 5 weeks in the uk soon. my fellow workers here cannot believe i got 5 and a half weeks leave in my uk job when we only get 4 in oz. so now oz is trailling behind not only in conditions but infrastructure etc. if a road/railway/development needs building the state gov argue with the federal gov about who should pay and nothing gets done. in certain aspects oz is as far as 30 years behind uk/europe.

it has made me realise that uk has its problems but it wasnt that bad, i have a good life here but it is without my immediate family and lifelong friends , and i miss them all dearly. i think i will make a decision by years end and it will prob be uk for us. its not that i hate oz and love uk i just think i maybe expected too much from oz and now i have realised how important the people are we have left behind.

thats all.

 

I worked in the steel industry in the uk and the news aint 3500 jobs gone and the order book ,well order bus ticket , I have a lot of mates who are being finished or uncertain whats happening. I f you are concerned about aspects of safety contact worksafe, the gaffers sh** themselves when those guys turn up

 

Mally

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Guest proud2beaussie

BTW I also congraulated John for having the guts to try life in a new country (Actually he's had two goes at it) and I said it was a shame that not everything was fantastic for him.

I wish him well if he decides to return to the UK,of course it would be nice to think that he would decide to stay but if not he can go back to the UK proud in the knowledge that he gave it a good shot.and nobody can ask any more.

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Guest proud2beaussie
:biglaugh:you should be a politician

Funny you should say that,coz I was a local shire councillor for 5 years until last year.

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Guest proud2beaussie

I think it's a shame that John is thinking about going home,I'd much rather everyone who comes to Australia falls in love with the place and stays forever,but that just doesn't happen,and not everybody will find Australia to be "Their cup of tea" but anyone who at least tries it,should be congratulated.

Good luck to John whatever he decides.and thanks for the "banter" Aldo !

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Obsessed with paying off the home loan? As against obsessed with last nights TV and the merits of the local football team? Back to the recession in the UK, and a wife who would prefer to stay in Oz ..... Nah. Look, you are what you think, and it seems you thoughts are not completely aligned. By all means return to the UK, but be prepared for the unaligned thoughts to remain unaligned.

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Guest sunseekers
Obsessed with paying off the home loan? As against obsessed with last nights TV and the merits of the local football team? Back to the recession in the UK, and a wife who would prefer to stay in Oz ..... Nah. Look, you are what you think, and it seems you thoughts are not completely aligned. By all means return to the UK, but be prepared for the unaligned thoughts to remain unaligned.

 

 

 

Cant help but agree with you Docboat x

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Guest John Sydney

I think a little bit of history might help here -

 

First off NSW used to be one of the power house states of Australia. Unfortunately Due to the stupid Labour Government and the totally stupid liberal opposition for the last 5- 8 years what ever was todays headline was dealt with - No long term planning or building has been done its all been please the whingers which has finally court up with this Government - next election they will be out on their ear - and all the needed building will start

again.

 

As for the Newcastle (NSW) steel workers upto about 15 years go they were all bolishie union types - and refused to see the writting on the wall - that change was needed, most of them lost their jobs in the wash up with no body to blame except themselves. Newcastle was very slow to recover from this but they are getting there now

 

I happen to agree with most of your comments, but there is a reason behind the problems you pointed out.

 

One of the biggest problems facing Australia as a whole is there is to many politicians per head of population. So they are far more acceptable to losing their jobs. Even if a few people complain about new highways powerhouses coal mines etc etc in their area

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I think a little bit of history might help here -

 

First off NSW used to be one of the power house states of Australia. Unfortunately Due to the stupid Labour Government and the totally stupid liberal opposition for the last 5- 8 years what ever was todays headline was dealt with - No long term planning or building has been done its all been please the whingers which has finally court up with this Government - next election they will be out on their ear - and all the needed building will start

again.

 

As for the Newcastle (NSW) steel workers upto about 15 years go they were all bolishie union types - and refused to see the writting on the wall - that change was needed, most of them lost their jobs in the wash up with no body to blame except themselves. Newcastle was very slow to recover from this but they are getting there now

 

I happen to agree with most of your comments, but there is a reason behind the problems you pointed out.

 

One of the biggest problems facing Australia as a whole is there is to many politicians per head of population. So they are far more acceptable to losing their jobs. Even if a few people complain about new highways powerhouses coal mines etc etc in their area

 

 

In the 60`s the Wollongong steelworks was effectivly manned by ex steelworkers from the uk ,Rotherham my home town suppied a lot ,rationalisation in the works led to a lot from the Templborough Meling shop (Steeloes) going , I have a few distant relatives who went over .

 

Mally

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I was frustrated by the amount of racism I had to endure,not all the time directed at me or Brits,but to anyone who entered the Australians beloved country,It was truly revolting!

 

The early start times were also a right royal pain in the scroat!!:SLEEP:

 

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Guest kevin747
VERY LONG POST ALERT!,hi all, i am thinking of returning back to the uk. i am and have been unsettled since coming here nearly 2 years ago. i had lived in oz in the early 90's and felt that i hadnt given it a "fair go", as the aussies say, so it was my idea to come here my wife had never been to oz before.

she is keener than me to stay as she reckons that nothing is happening in the uk and there is so much to see in our part of oz. fair point, but having been here a while, (we both intend getting citizenship as this was part of plan/aiming point), i just think oz is ok but i sometimes just dont get it. i had always thought of coming back and i knew the types of things which you should and shouldnt do, i.e. we both got jobs quickly, moved into a nice house in a nice area, and i joined a local sports club last year to make friends, so far so good. i also have family here who we get on well with.

but heres the bit which will get up peoples noses, ( i am going to 'whinge' ), i work in the steel industry and my wife is in managment, ( retail ),and i know you shouldnt generalise but we have both found that at work aussies can be very unproffesional in their attitude, and in my job bordering on immature. an example in my job, in a meeting in a uk workplace the vast majority of people turn off their mobile phones, in oz i think they turn them on!. safety wise in the engineering environment i work in, and i am employed for a big well known oz company, the safety is a joke, they are talking the talk but not walking the walk. i have never felt more unsafe unsure of myself in the workplace in my life , this is purely down to the saftey attitude of the management.

further more aussies are obsessed with "paying of my home loan" and "getting ahead" and "i have a wife and kids to support", combine this with other sayings such as," i'm a hard worker" makes them almost american in thier attitude to the workplace, and usually the one telling you how hard he works is a lazy git!, ( i have found that in uk people dont go on as much like this and i have worked in the same environment all my life)

i have never ever met before a bunch of people who seem more scared of losing their jobs in my life, ( and this is pre-credit crunch ), back stabbing and brown nosing are common events, the aussies also work ridiculous amounts of overtime, or in my wifes case unpiad overtime, she is just expected to do it.

the infastructure in this part of nsw is a joke, roads are crap , public transport unsafe and unreliable, local governments are corrupt and everyone seems to be happy living in the 1980's?, ( remember everyone who emigrates to oz thinks its great that oz is 10-20 years behind the uk.....till you get here ), laid back = can't be arsed and aussies can be as rude and ignorant as brits.

now remember before you all want to kill me this is just my opinion, and it is from someone who has a lot of aussie born relatives, ( whom i like a lot ),and also from someone who joined the workplace ASAP and joined up with a local club so its not as if i havnt tried, ( in fact i do not have any pommie mates here only oz ones, and they are good blokes , just different from me).

i feel the problem with oz is that when i lived here in 91-92 the wages and conditions were above uk, for my line of work anyway, paid hols & sickies, but now probably cos of the eu , the uk has had to toe the line with hols etc, which i believe go up to 5 weeks in the uk soon. my fellow workers here cannot believe i got 5 and a half weeks leave in my uk job when we only get 4 in oz. so now oz is trailling behind not only in conditions but infrastructure etc. if a road/railway/development needs building the state gov argue with the federal gov about who should pay and nothing gets done. in certain aspects oz is as far as 30 years behind uk/europe.

it has made me realise that uk has its problems but it wasnt that bad, i have a good life here but it is without my immediate family and lifelong friends , and i miss them all dearly. i think i will make a decision by years end and it will prob be uk for us. its not that i hate oz and love uk i just think i maybe expected too much from oz and now i have realised how important the people are we have left behind.

thats all.

 

You are spot on.Australia is 20 years behind the Uk and western europe.The attitudes and keeping your job at all costs are more prevalent here.

Australia has had years of the resources boom and still they hang electricity wires overhead. They have not developed when times were good.For all the doom mongers think about this .China and India have not had recessions before but will now follow the world. This will greatly effect Aus.

People I know who came here from the UK many years ago have not moved on as much as their peers in the UK in terms of knowledge and skills.

If you are in a "profession" your practise is way behind the UK generally speaking.

Australian houses have been poorly built and they do not change their methods easily(Victoria can be miserable indoor in winter).

Australians are compliant despite their whinging.The UK and Europe's citizens are far better at descent(e.g. Poll tax).

The godzoners and many Aussies who have never travelled consider it to be the best country in the world. I have heard this often. Who is feeding them this line?

Unpaid overtime,poor holidays,no statutory maternity pay ,most of the kids in state school being educated in poor schools(2 years behind Scotland) for a start.

I meet many migrants who are surprised when I tell them my family are out of here. To me and I have experience of these things.they are 1. KIdding themselves 2. Look as if they have had a few years of anti-depressant medication.

Australia is a reasonable place if you flee South Africa or the troubles in easten Europe but it is culturally way behind the UK.It is no longer the cheap "blue collar paradise it was in the 60s and 70s.The big house with the pool is fine for a lot I know but in truth these are usuall limited or materialistic people.

The Murray/Darling is dying and they are still growing rice and cotton and Northern Queensland is flooded .Get over it folks if your happy -well and good, but Aus in stricly second rate.

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You are spot on.Australia is 20 years behind the Uk and western europe.The attitudes and keeping your job at all costs are more prevalent here.

Australia has had years of the resources boom and still they hang electricity wires overhead. They have not developed when times were good.For all the doom mongers think about this .China and India have not had recessions before but will now follow the world. This will greatly effect Aus.

People I know who came here from the UK many years ago have not moved on as much as their peers in the UK in terms of knowledge and skills.

If you are in a "profession" your practise is way behind the UK generally speaking.

Australian houses have been poorly built and they do not change their methods easily(Victoria can be miserable indoor in winter).

Australians are compliant despite their whinging.The UK and Europe's citizens are far better at descent(e.g. Poll tax).

The godzoners and many Aussies who have never travelled consider it to be the best country in the world. I have heard this often. Who is feeding them this line?

Unpaid overtime,poor holidays,no statutory maternity pay ,most of the kids in state school being educated in poor schools(2 years behind Scotland) for a start.

I meet many migrants who are surprised when I tell them my family are out of here. To me and I have experience of these things.they are 1. KIdding themselves 2. Look as if they have had a few years of anti-depressant medication.

Australia is a reasonable place if you flee South Africa or the troubles in easten Europe but it is culturally way behind the UK.It is no longer the cheap "blue collar paradise it was in the 60s and 70s.The big house with the pool is fine for a lot I know but in truth these are usuall limited or materialistic people.

The Murray/Darling is dying and they are still growing rice and cotton and Northern Queensland is flooded .Get over it folks if your happy -well and good, but Aus in stricly second rate.

All that is in your opinion, In my opinion you will be better off back in Scotland.

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Guest kevin747
All that is in your opinion, In my opinion you will be better off back in Scotland.

 

You're right I will be better off in Scotland(financially,psychologically and for my children ,educationally).

Aus has been a great adventure but it is simply too backward.Some put up with it,some don't even realise.Thanks

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