brits in canberra?

[Guest Mr Happy]

I have no idea where you are hanging out but Canbeera has the highest ratio of females to males of anywhere in the country. All the country girls come here for work. You need to get out more.

[nik_kershaw]

I currently live over the border in Queanbeyan and I think the night life is quite good. I realise canberra is small and it's no London but it does quite well. As for the single women I am not sure at all, my wife and her friends are all friendly enough. I think you might just need to mix with a different crowd.

 

The only down side about Canberra I find is that the vast majority of jobs require you to be an australian citizen to get a job, which has limited my income at the moment. However this may change in April when I get my PR status.

 

I find Canberra people to be more friendly than say London people, I even had a guy today say welcome to Australia as he could tell I was a POM. Canberra drivers can't drive for toffee but nor can some London drivers.

[Quoll]

The girls at work often pop into the Muddle bar(?) in Civic but I think for their Christmas singles rave they are off to somewhere in Kingston.

DIY Wotz-on guide 4-6 Dec ‘09 | The RiotACT There is quite a bit to do in Canberra at the weekends - this thread is usually a good starting point.

[Guest Taff]

hey[sic] quoll. your[sic] idea of an education system and mine are very different. im[sic] a chartered accountant and tax speacialist[sic] from the uk!![sic] the[sic] exams i[sic] undertook are considered the most difficult in the world, In[sic] oz[sic] u[sic] just turn up do[sic] 1 unit at a time and after 5 units ur[sic] an accountant!![sic] anyway[sic] aprt[sic] from that the women are ugly the guys are savage ill mannered hooligans!![sic] theres[sic] nothing nice about the city, its [sic]horrible!![sic] im[sic] after fun times and hope to find a professional single girl, but canberra[sic] isnt[sic] the palce[sic]!![sic] im[sic] heading back to uk in 2 weeks and am considering goin[sic] awol[sic] as the place relaly[sic] is that bad!!![sic] just[sic] wish id[sic] did more research on it!![sic] but[sic] i [sic]will make it my gola[sic] to ensure any1[sic] i[sic] know never has the misfortune of coming anywhere near this god for saken[sic] dump ever!!![sic]

 

Can someone help me out here? For some strange reason I'm having difficulty taking the word of a person who has passed the most difficult exams in the world seriously.

Can anyone indicate why this may be?

I’ve lived in Canberra for the last 9 years, and find it incredibly friendly, beautifully set in lovely countryside, accommodating, with world class facilities, and my wife is from Canberra and is very beautiful.

So why can I not take this person seriously?

 

Can't fathom it myself...

[Quoll]

Can someone help me out here? For some strange reason I'm having difficulty taking the word of a person who has passed the most difficult exams in the world seriously.

Can anyone indicate why this may be?

I’ve lived in Canberra for the last 9 years, and find it incredibly friendly, beautifully set in lovely countryside, accommodating, with world class facilities, and my wife is from Canberra and is very beautiful.

So why can I not take this person seriously?

 

Can't fathom it myself...

 

LOL well, looks like it must have been an incredibly difficult mathematics paper because written English obviously wasn't assessed.

[Guest opusca1]

LOL well, looks like it must have been an incredibly difficult mathematics paper because written English obviously wasn't assessed.

 

Qoull uve changed ur tune. Taff i undertsand the jealousy over my exams. and i also understand y u love canberra and y u reckon ur wife is beautiful. U R FROM WALES!! ALL U HAVE IS SHEEP

[Yaz]

Hi there,

 

My husband got a job in Canberra and has been here 4 years. I needed to stay in South Australia with the 4 pets (until husband got a permanent contract...can't rent with 4 pets) then left to renovate and sell the house. I've been in Canberra for 10 months and am very, very unhappy here. In fact, I'm depressed. I have no job and zero prospects of getting paid employment (am 59 yrs old in July). I've applied for many jobs with only one having the decency to respond with an "unsuccessful application" 3 months after I applied. I have no children, no family here and making friends is very difficult (unprecedented for me as I'm quite chatty normally). We've had various small groups of people round for dinner. They have a great time.....then leave. People ask my husband how I'm doing and he tells them "not finding it easy". They say..."Oh yes, Canberra's like that" and yet make no effort to help. People have taken my mobile telephone number and email address....then don't make contact. Not a simple email, txt to say "How ya doin'?"

I'm originally from the UK and feel maybe that's where I should be.

I've lived in Sydney, Adelaide and a small time in both Queensland and Melbourne. NOWHERE has been as cold, heartless, uncaring as is my experience of Canberra. I am very sad here and find it difficult to cope each day. For days I have no one else to speak to except my husband. This is only ever broken up when I go to the supermarket and speak with the checkout staff, post office staff and the like. This cannot be good for me....and I know it isn't.

Is there any advice anyone can offer me?

Thanks in advance.

[Quoll]

Hi there,

 

My husband got a job in Canberra and has been here 4 years. I needed to stay in South Australia with the 4 pets (until husband got a permanent contract...can't rent with 4 pets) then left to renovate and sell the house. I've been in Canberra for 10 months and am very, very unhappy here. In fact, I'm depressed. I have no job and zero prospects of getting paid employment (am 59 yrs old in July). I've applied for many jobs with only one having the decency to respond with an "unsuccessful application" 3 months after I applied. I have no children, no family here and making friends is very difficult (unprecedented for me as I'm quite chatty normally). We've had various small groups of people round for dinner. They have a great time.....then leave. People ask my husband how I'm doing and he tells them "not finding it easy". They say..."Oh yes, Canberra's like that" and yet make no effort to help. People have taken my mobile telephone number and email address....then don't make contact. Not a simple email, txt to say "How ya doin'?"

I'm originally from the UK and feel maybe that's where I should be.

I've lived in Sydney, Adelaide and a small time in both Queensland and Melbourne. NOWHERE has been as cold, heartless, uncaring as is my experience of Canberra. I am very sad here and find it difficult to cope each day. For days I have no one else to speak to except my husband. This is only ever broken up when I go to the supermarket and speak with the checkout staff, post office staff and the like. This cannot be good for me....and I know it isn't.

Is there any advice anyone can offer me?

Thanks in advance.

Sorry to hear that Yaz - Canberra is like that unfortunately and I've just read what I wrote all those years ago - still true I suspect. Now you are more in my age bracket (LOL) and had I still lived there would have been happy to catch up for coffee! However, your experiences with the job market are standard, don't take it personally, you're definitely considered "over the hill". my suggestion would be to volunteer - I can recommend Lifeline but there are loads of places that would love your help (National Gallery, AWM, OPH etc!) Failing that, you could try hobby group meetings (there are some knitting groups but I never really got into them, I'm sure there are others though - art, drama, music, fitness) and you're almost old enough (or you may be old enough, I'm not sure) for U3A - one friend has discovered Bridge and is now addicted. I can't even offer you my own friendship network really - after 32 years there it was still pretty sparse! Just try and avoid what a lot of elderly Canberrans seem to do and that is to hang around the Pokie lounges in the footy clubs. Happy to pm but as I'm not there at the mo I'm not going to be much of a help for coffee and giggles! Good luck, I'm sure you will find your niche somewhere but you're not Robinson Crusoe in your perceptions!

[Skani]

If you are interested in volunteering, a search in the ACT section of this website provides many opportunities in many different areas:

 

http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/

[ABL275]

thanks for the posts guys. i think canberra is bearable when ur married and thats bout it!! I arrived with my gf in feb but she has to go home at xmas cos of crap visa restrictions. couldnt agree more with ingy, the place is rubbish, mainly cos the folks seem uneducated and have a hugh chip on thier shoulder that they are laughed at throughout Australia and They are. I traveled oz on hols last yr then moved out all exctied to live here. chose canberra as had never been and just assumed it was like rest of oz without a beach, what a hugh mistake!! no wonder they need a live in canberra campaign website!! the place is awful!!!!

 

Each to their own I guess!

 

We moved to Canberra from Milton Keynes (so no great change then) 4 years ago and loved it so much we’re selling the house in the UK to go back. Everyone says it’s the perfect place to bring up kids so if that’s not what you’re doing then yes, you might find yourself a square peg in a round hole.

 

You occasionally need to get out to Sydney for the weekend to stop going stir-crazy but Sydney’s an easy 3-hour drive (less stress involved than in the average 30 minute drive in the UK) so we’re plenty happy.

[Quoll]

Each to their own I guess!

 

We moved to Canberra from Milton Keynes (so no great change then) 4 years ago and loved it so much we’re selling the house in the UK to go back. Everyone says it’s the perfect place to bring up kids so if that’s not what you’re doing then yes, you might find yourself a square peg in a round hole.

 

You occasionally need to get out to Sydney for the weekend to stop going stir-crazy but Sydney’s an easy 3-hour drive (less stress involved than in the average 30 minute drive in the UK) so we’re plenty happy.

 

The OP is long gone, this is a very old thread!

[Yaz]

Sorry to hear that Yaz - Canberra is like that unfortunately and I've just read what I wrote all those years ago - still true I suspect. Now you are more in my age bracket (LOL) and had I still lived there would have been happy to catch up for coffee! However, your experiences with the job market are standard, don't take it personally, you're definitely considered "over the hill". my suggestion would be to volunteer - I can recommend Lifeline but there are loads of places that would love your help (National Gallery, AWM, OPH etc!) Failing that, you could try hobby group meetings (there are some knitting groups but I never really got into them, I'm sure there are others though - art, drama, music, fitness) and you're almost old enough (or you may be old enough, I'm not sure) for U3A - one friend has discovered Bridge and is now addicted. I can't even offer you my own friendship network really - after 32 years there it was still pretty sparse! Just try and avoid what a lot of elderly Canberrans seem to do and that is to hang around the Pokie lounges in the footy clubs. Happy to pm but as I'm not there at the mo I'm not going to be much of a help for coffee and giggles! Good luck, I'm sure you will find your niche somewhere but you're not Robinson Crusoe in your perceptions!

 

Thanks so much Quoll. It is nice to know it's not all "in my head". I really appreciate your input. Cheers and take care.

Thanks for you input(s) too Skani and ABL 275