Stuju Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 :laugh: Steve Wright was good and our tune was brill, but i also remember radio caroline the radio station out at sea still have an out tune book that was written memorys !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SAINTHURLOCK Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 a) you live in Canberra,even the Aussies dont big up Canberra, b)when did you last live in England? trust me its changed a hell of a lot since 2001. c) Spiders schmiders nothing a good thick soled shoe wont fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest koala12 Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Hi I did actually start a 'pro Oz' threat a couple of weeks ago as I was fed up with all the negativity floating around! I have been here 8 months now and I'm probably a lot older than most of you coming out here as I'm in my late 40sm (very late!!!) and my children are grown up - just wish I had come here when they were younger though! I think if you come here thinking it's going to be England with sunshine you are going to be very disappointed but I can see from the majority of posts on here most of your are extremely sensible and are coming for the right reasons, ie you are fed up with UK, want to give yourselves and kids a better life, etc etc and that is the right attitude. Of course things are different here, it's Australia not England and the shops are different, you might not be able to get the same brands of food you are used to (so what!?) but believe me the good things far outweigh these minor inconveniences! As to TV I don't find it that bad (although I'm not a huge TV watcher), I still watch the same things I liked in England like CSI, SVU, Prison Break, Lost, JAG, NCIS, Medium to name but a few so it's ok as far as I am concerned! When I was in England I had never met one person who had been here and not liked it - the general comment was if only it was nearer we could go more often! I came out here twice on holiday before we decided to move here (my OH holds permanent Ozzie residence) and I can honestly tell you that the ONLY thing I miss about England are my parents and younger daughter who are still there and a a couple of close friend. As most of you say, what's the worst that can happen? You give it a fair go, don't like it and move on somewhere else.........I'll be very surprised though if many of you feel this way!!! Karen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kellyin canberra Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Yes I will do that, its only fair. The obvious great thing about living here is definatley the weather. It does vary thoughtout the country. Sydney is beautiful and now we are in canberra is it still good but different in the winter. Winter in this country is "not winter as you will have ever experienced it" when we came out here for our interviews it was June in Sydney and being british we brought shorts and t-shirts etc. All the locals were in hats,scarfs and ugg boots! It was 22 dregrees!! and so bright and clear. Canberra is far colder,as Im just finding out now but nothing on the uk bitterly cold days. The lowest we are talking for Sydney in the day would be 16 in mid winter. and maybe 11 for Canberra. Im not sure you told me where your heading but if I had my way we would always live near the coast. The kids really dont know they are born with all they have out here. Surfing lessons is on the weekly timetable in most Sydney schools. Sport is a big thing..if your into it and generally I think the kids here (obvioulsy there are bad areas too) are more polite and slightly more innocent in there thinking. They really do seem to have more of a childhood than english kids..plenty of time outdoors etc etc. no ones saying "am I bovered yet"! The Home and Away, perfect looking life syle is pretty acurate if your near the coast. Food is cheap and the sea food in this country is out of this world!! Prawns are huge. The service and resturants are so much better than the uk in so many respects. Back to the weather again but you dont have to worry about buying big coats and boots, carpet doesnt suffer though the winter Most people are more healthy,fit here. I may think of more...hope thats more positive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JoanneHattersley Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Good to read all your posts on this and very interesting to hear the wide variations in views. We obviously have our own point of views and have found that Australia varies widely. We come from Brissie and are currently enjoying a few days in Melbourne. To us Melbourne appears very english. We have found that hard as we are Brisbanites and love the Australian ways. We enjoy the tropical feel and different weather that Brissie has to offer. It has been good to see "Autumn" in Melbourne with the leaves changing and falling. (1st time in nearly three years!) but having been here , even only for three days at the moment, I couldnt live here. I agree with some things you say Kel, TV can be crap! but coming to a place like this we found that all we wanted to do was be outside!! We had frirneds here fir 10 days and came inside for 1 evening!!! Life is what you make it. When we came out we had no preconceived ideas, forums like this (if they were here-we didnt know) werent available. The only things we looked at were the real estate sites to gauge house prices. We have embraced ther Aussie way of life. We miss M+S for food, but if it is not there, you cant have it!!! We miss people but who do you live your life for? Them or you? They can always visit. In our first two years here we had about 12 months where we were completely invaded by visitors!!!!! I havent been to any other AUssie CItys but will be going to Cairns later on in the year so will compare then too. Joanne & Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yvonne & paul Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 hi all, Up late again, more decorating, people comming to view saturday and tuesday. anyway just being listening to Simon Bates 'Hour Tune' on Ocean FM playing all the old 80's - love it when i am painting.... Yes another oldie ..41 (Old in age young at heart!!!) Love reading all posts good and bad. The reason we are going is as with most of you... The kids. We too enjoy the outside life and hate it when we can't go out... (I'm sure 9 months of the year!!!:laugh: ) We also don't expect it to be anything like England hopefully. Everyone we talk to wants to get out. We are not bothered at all about TV, I can't remember the last thing I watched apart from GMTV whike i have my cuppa in the morning. Our kids are also sporty and as for academics at school, who really uses what you learn at school for the real world??? Not us. We will miss family and friends but all have said they will come for hos. We are freindly people and we have no worries about making new freinds. We had a removals firm around to give us a quote and the man was an expat..moved to Brisbane 30 years ago, he loves it and told us Nambour, where paul is going to study is like going back 20 years........ He couldn't have said anything we wanted to hear more... That will suit us fine!!!:yes: Yvonne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bladder Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 ......and another thing, if you (like me) are vegetarian, good luck! The resteraunts don't give a flying XXXX and maybe offer 1 choice which is of course no choice at all but more take it or leave it. The supermarkets do stock veggie sausages, and there are a few variations too, but they are all pretty much the same, think hot dog sausage and thats it, but you can have them curry flavoured (ooooh). I really miss being able to go into Tesco, and choosing from the huge selection of vegetarian foods on offer, the sausages are infinately nicer and lots of variety to choose from, same goes for burgers. Credit where its due though, the veggie bacon here beats UK hands down, but again only 1 choice. Back home you can get Lasagne, cottage pie, Quorn meals or quorn pieces to add to meals, no such thing here! As for going for barbies, once people discover a vegetarian is amongst them, they do try to get some salad together, but you won't be invited back because 'well, what do you give them?' I have taken my crap sausages along on occassion, but this place is meat mental, there are even 'mad about meat' stores. Its like England 20 years ago when I stopped eating meat/fish, hopefully things will improve, but as someone else wrote in this thread, if you can't cook, you gonna have to learn! I know this sounds a right whinge, but I am a pom, and thats apparently what we're good at. If on the off chance anyone near Brisbane knows of a good place to shop for veggie foods, maybe similar to Holland and Barratt in England, my stomache would be pleased to hear from you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kdal Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Hi all and thanks so much Kellyin Canberra, It's a great thread camparing and jotting down and pros and cons and then weighing em up and seeing if its for you or not! My OH and kids are positive about the move i'm a bit more well I'le give it a go as long as i'm with them i'm happy no matter where I am. The bad things are good to know as you go there knowing them and you don't get too much of a cultural shock. Having said that I have visited Oz on holiday for 5 weeks and it is the country I have ever been on holiday to and not felt the desire to leave. This is the way i'm looking at it, and it's not everyones cuppa of tea but it helps me if we go there and live there for 2 years (hopefully for ever and ever though), I have then given the children another home i.e. England and Australia, as Iam sure that Australia is going to get harder and harder to get into. They have the choice of which country to call their home and haven't got to go thru this whole process! My Dad tried giving me some negatives (although it's too late and he would love to live in Oz but doesn't want us to go) he said in 15 years time it will be just like here! To be honest I wouldn't have thought so but at least by then my kids will hopefully be on the proprety ladder in Australia and don't stand a chance here (unless they manage to get a great job thats pays mega pounds). The Australians seem to love their country, I didn't hear one Oz moan about their country. Reading Kellyin Canberra's read and between all the lines Yes it sounds a fab place for children... I'm treating this as a life experience, i've lived here all my life and need a new chapter ile "Never Say Die" though as you never know I may come back one day, but I got this sneaky feeling I'm going to love it !!!!!! With love and kind regards to you all xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Impatient Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Personally, I hate shopping, never buy food from M&S and never have time to watch TV. So then, guess I am not going to miss too much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazy Cow Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Ok, here's my pennyworth!:SLEEP: (that's a suggestion, not an order!) Things are obviously unfamiliar so it takes a while to find the products etc that you'll like. That's no biggy. I compared stuff at first, not because I was being critical, just because I had to measure goods up to something. Now I know which cleaning products I like, where to get different things, how much services etc are going to cost me. The surprise has been taken out of that side of my life! We had never visited Oz before emigrating here and I think I assumed Adelaide would be a mix of the best of American choice as well as having lots of English influences. That isn't the case, and it came as a bit of a shock. But food isn't really that important*, I tend to cook/burn everything from fresh anyway, so it doesn't bother me that the range of convenience meals is relatively small. I would like a wider range of basic veggie products, but I'm sure they'll come in time. When my son and I popped back for a visit, we walked into Asda (it was 7am and the nearest shop to my brother's house) and couldn't believe how bright the shop was and how many yummy foods were on offer! Instant orgasm!:wink: We brought back lots of things OH and daughter missed; they were very excited by them, but more than two months on, they're still in the cupboard! So, things I love: 1: OH not so stressed, works shorter hours in a job he enjoys. 2: Both kids enjoying school. Both doing well and enjoying themselves. 3: Walking on the beach etc greeting people as they pass - it's the way here, how good's that? 4: The way change is rounded up or down - no silly pennies! 5: I have always been treated with courtesy in shops. Even the youngsters working on the checkouts are polite and will chat -even if you don't really feel like it!(When I'm being Miserable Cow!) 6: People want to chat. They don't view you with suspicion, or try to edge nervously away. 7: The sky seems much higher than in the UK. 8: I like hearing the kookaburras, seeing koalas, 'roos, and sometimes even the odd squashed possum or goanna. 9: My son is always out following some sport or just on his skateboard with his friends. Still loves MSN, TV and the computer, but doesn't have as much time to use them. 10: Early mornings on the oval with the dog. The light is fantastic and even at 6.30am, there are people out running, or with their dogs, you can hear the exercise class at the leisure centre... 11: Evenings sitting outside playing games or chatting. BBQs or just friends round for a drink. 12: Watching the kids in the pool while you drink and chat. 13: Driving on less congested roads. I agree that some drivers are obv. nutters, but that's the same everywhere. I just move over, or carry on in my own sweet way. Or drive like a nutter myself of course. 14: The amount of festivals etc that go on. There's always something..although this week it's the Sexpo.Hmmn. :shocked: 15: Oh goodness, I could go on and on and on...(just ask my kids! On this subject I do suffer from VD*) NOW WAKE UP!!! I'VE FINISHED!!! Re-reading my post, I guess they're only small pleasures, but they all contribute to the Fluffy Bunny Land my daughter says I live in. Yours boringly, LC *An obvious lie. *Obviously verbal diarrhoea, not the 'other' thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Impatient Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 LC - small pleasures are what life is all about. I am with you girl, 100%. Well not really, because then I would be in trouble with Mr Cow and Mrs Imp and it would end up costing me bruises/more diamonds, but you know what I mean! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kdal Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Dear LC, It's sounding better all the time! Food it's not important to me either as I eat anything (lol) Thanks for the post, it's the walking along the beach and watching the kids in the pool they I can't wait for.... With Kind Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hays Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 LC, love the post..........now thats what its all about!!! Yay Oz!!:wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Have to agree LC that those are the things we are enjoying here too. Ali Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tinbasher Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 LC I know you live in fluffy bunny land, but that's ok sweetheart it was your pigtails that gave it away. Bless you my dear. Would you like to join the kids for a skip down the street? One thing that pains me greatly... is to say that I agree with your 15 points. I may never agree with you again so enjoy the feeling whilst it lasts. Although if you do intend to go to the Sexpo this weekend I am sure you will have a few more enjoyable feelings! Did you know there is a man there who paints pictures using his :Randy-git: he was interviewed on the radio this morning. He told everyone that the watercolours by the end of the week played havoc with his big end! I think that is one festival I'll miss out on. Mrs TinB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dunnarunna Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 lc they are the reasons i want to be there, but mrs tb`s man who can paint with is todger really sold it for me!:biglaugh: dont you just love australians! donna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Angelcake Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 Hi All, Let me start off by letting you know that Steve Wright is STILL on the radio!! Radio 2 at 2pm weekdays and Sunday mornings too!! So you can all take a trip down memory lane! I actually went to see him at the Radio 1 road show in Lyme Regis Bay in 1984 (showing my age now)!! Went with my dad though, so was SO not cool! Anyway, my brother has lived in Oz for 15 yrs now and he always says when you step off the plane in Oz you step back 10 yrs in time. I lived in and worked in Oz for a year and totally agree with all the negative's but to me, those things are annoying niggles which Im sure will bug me (especially the spiders - eek)but the positives far, far outweigh them. Angelcake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Morven33 Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 My husband got some good advice when he arrived there from some ex-pats. The sooner you stop comparing things the better. You have a salary to live on and live accordingly, stop thinking this would cost this in Britain. I liked your post LC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazy Cow Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 LC i never knew you were so deep - brought a tear to my eye xxx Thank you Chelle. I am very deep*. Deeper than deep in fact. Yours thoughtfully, LC:wubclub: *Oh ok, I was just pretending. I'm no deeper than your average SA puddle after a short shower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peggy Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 Just remember "to think australian is to drink australian " lol sorry couldnt resist Piers Life is one big game its just a matter of wether your on or not soim gonna tick ali and you cant tick your ticker.lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 Been Tryin that one Peggy lol, feel as if I fit right in, even Cal who never drank before does now!! Ali Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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