Greener Grass?

[tea4too]

This is my first post, but I have followed POI for quite a while and enjoy the (usually) good hearted banter. I have dithered for ages over whether to post this contribution, but what the heck - just ignore it if it irritates you and if it helps, well I might make it to a second post at some point!

 

I was born and bred in the industrial Midlands, and emigrated in my 30’s when my husbands job relocated. As properties are cheaper here, we managed to buy a large house on the coast with a beautiful garden (I love my garden and spend time in it all year round). We have made new friends, but keep in close contact with family and old friends by using Skype, texts and telephone calls. We regularly have visitors from ‘home’ and frequently make trips back ourselves. We love the culture of our adopted country, and although I have encountered some anti English sentiment, I am pretty sure that it is in jest and not meant to offend. Upon staring school my daughter has learnt the language of our adopted country and takes great delight in in correcting her mothers efforts, particularly when it comes to reading road signs! Some 12 years after our initial move, we are still very happy here in ‘God’s own Country’.

 

Four years after I ‘shipped out’ my younger brother also emigrated. He too has a beautiful home, far bigger than the house he left in the UK. He loves the culture, has made new friends and is every bit as settled as I am. So far he has not encountered much racism, and views ‘pommie’ comments as light hearted banter, not seriously meant to offend. He too considers his adopted country to be ‘God’s own” and is very happy with his lot.

 

My brother lives in Western Australia and I live in Wales in the UK .

 

The point of this post? Having visited my brother a number of times I love Australia, but as a holiday destination. I also like to know what is happening in his neck of the woods, and have an interest in how ‘fellow’ ex pats are dealing with the changes in life style. But do I personally have a burning desire to move down under? Actually no, and I can’t help but wonder, when I read posts from potential pingpongers..... could the adventure they seek be found closer to home? Maybe the adventure that you are looking for could be found closer to home?

[Guest Bobby]

It is up to you to be honest, you can have a great life in Oz or in the UK, you can live by the coast in Oz or the UK, if you do not let the weather stop you doing things in Australia or the UK you can have an active healthy lifestyle in either country, we are so lucky to have the choice of 2 fanatastic Countries to live in that many people around the worls would give theie right arm for.

Good luck whatever you decide.

[Pingpongpom2]

Hi and welcome to PIO:smile:..thanks for your post..i thought it was lovely and very well thought out..it's hard to say from my own experience whether you can find what your looking for much closer to home..i was a £10 pom in the late 60's as a very young child, so my heart was captured in Aus with no choice..therefore i took my own family back there much later on..hence the pingponging as my hubbie has strong ties here..i think what makes Australia the country it is, is partly the distance and i have never felt the same way as when i walk into Aus..it has it's own feel:yes:..i agree if you are closer to home there isn't the distance, and even though it's only a day away..it's a long way!..but whether it can be the answer to do that, rather than pingpong such a long distance i don't know..it worked for you so obviously it can, but Aus is my heart throb and always will be..carry on enjoying your life in Wales and all the best..

[ck10_9]

I believe life is as good as you make it.... regardless of where you are.

Live for the moment and pack in as many great experiences as you can.

We only get One life...

[Guest The Joker]

I guess it depends on what you are looking for out of life. I moved to Oz almost 8 years ago and simply wouldn't consider going "back" to the UK. For one, I hate cold, wet, wintery days - hence a move to Queensland. I love the outdoor lifestyle in shorts and tee-shirt and walking the dogs on the beach, barbecues, watching my daughter horse riding without having to wrap up in layer upon layer of clothing to try and stay warm (usually failing). So I would certainly not achieve that in Wales.

 

The other thing has been the opportunities for my kids. As mentioned, my eldest daughter loves horse riding and owns three horses (and was a Queensland State Champion in 2009). We could barely affor a one hour riding lesson a week for her back in England, now she owns horses and rides whenever she wants. My other daughter is a real beach babe, and enjoys surfing and active sports. They have way more freedom than they could have had in the UK and a much more active and healthier lifestyle (they still keep in touch with their old school friends from the UK so can directly compare and wouldn't consider going back either).

 

When we moved here we had a house built - about 5 times the size of the pokie little place we owned in England - with swimming pool. I got to spend much more time with my wife and daughters and on less income we had a much, much better standard of living. So for me, the move has been a success and glad we did it.

[Guest Bobby]

I guess it depends on what you are looking for out of life. I moved to Oz almost 8 years ago and simply wouldn't consider going "back" to the UK. For one, I hate cold, wet, wintery days - hence a move to Queensland. I love the outdoor lifestyle in shorts and tee-shirt and walking the dogs on the beach, barbecues, watching my daughter horse riding without having to wrap up in layer upon layer of clothing to try and stay warm (usually failing). So I would certainly not achieve that in Wales.

 

The other thing has been the opportunities for my kids. As mentioned, my eldest daughter loves horse riding and owns three horses (and was a Queensland State Champion in 2009). We could barely affor a one hour riding lesson a week for her back in England, now she owns horses and rides whenever she wants. My other daughter is a real beach babe, and enjoys surfing and active sports. They have way more freedom than they could have had in the UK and a much more active and healthier lifestyle (they still keep in touch with their old school friends from the UK so can directly compare and wouldn't consider going back either).

 

When we moved here we had a house built - about 5 times the size of the pokie little place we owned in England - with swimming pool. I got to spend much more time with my wife and daughters and on less income we had a much, much better standard of living. So for me, the move has been a success and glad we did it.

 

 

Good post and glad it works for you, all people are different and I cannot see myself gioing back to Oz anytime soon as I prefer London, do not know what the future will bring and I might go back but at the momment I am loving the seasons in the UK, first white xmas I have ever seen and I loved it :cute:

[Guest Emilym]

Hi,

Great post! As a born and bred welshie I am extremely fond of my country and found myself basking in it's glory whilst reading your post BUT I am just about to leave the beauty of the Mid wales hills for Perth and I can't effing wait!:laugh:

 

I'm tired of working just to get by, I'm tired of long cold wet winters, I'm tired of the lack of hope our new government has brought for me and my kids and am thrilled at the prospect of another role of the dice. A roll of the dice away from our oppressive class system, away from HUGE tax on fuel and towards hope and opportunity for my children (Oh and the sun will help of course!)

 

I'm glad you found your haven in our beautiful country but I think the days of snapping up a bargain in an area where you can make a good living are behind us - that is unless you have made a few quid already.

 

Wales will always be home for me but the adventure I am about to have is, I believe what I need to do for my family, we hope for more quality time together, a few spare dollars to save and less worry about money and prospects,

emily

[Guest The Joker]

Don't get me wrong - this place is not perfect. Politicians are useless. Police almost as useless (and, in my experience, corrupt and don't follow the rules). Aussie TV is absolute rubbish. Getting a tradesman to a) turn up to quote on a job and b) actually do it when he says he will is next to impossible. Job market is bizarre (but probably the same all over the world right now). The usual gripe of spiders, snakes, crocs, sharks, jellyfish, dangerous plants etc (well, that's the wife's and daughter's gripes - personally I love the wildlife). Humidity in summer. Cost of living spiralling up like crazy (but probably the same all over the world right now).

 

However, when you see us at play - the sun shining, I am swimming in the sea with the dogs, my daughter is riding one of her horses bare-back in the sea, my other daughter is surfing, my wife is lazing on a white, prestine, sandy beach with barely another person on it and we all have huge smiles on our faces - PRICELESS. Wouldn't trade that for anything. And the best bit is that we get to do that each weekend we choose to - for free (floods and cyclones permitting). Plus, ABC1 is pretty much BBC1 with the amount of Brit programmes on it. We can barbecue pretty much 12 months of the year - free using any of the council provided barbecues at most public parks and beaches - and I LOVE my barbies. The standard of housing is generally better, for less money. I can't recall the last time my kids said "I'm bored". I believe we are much, much closer as a family than we would have been in the UK as we have had so many more shared experiences here and spend much more time together. But then, I was really over the UK and, personally, stopped loving London about 20 years ago. I guess I am just a country boy at heart and love the space and freedom.

[Guest Emilym]

Thanks Joker, you highlight everything really that we hope to get from our move - TIME together as a family - it will be wonderful, all those things we can do together on weekends, you don't mind slogging it out in the week when you have those kind of things to look forward to on weekends.

[Quoll]

Wow it really is interesting how different people see their lives. For us as a family, having had to have 2 working parents just to sustain a mortgage and private school fees while the kids were growing up meant that we had very little family time. With both kids into sports, most weekends were taken up with interstate or local competitions (usually my responsibility as the DH seemed to always need to work long hours and at least one day in the office at the weekend) so we had very little time together - we didnt even get to eat together most days because of various training commitments.

 

We struggled financially for years and now we are fine but there were many years when we werent fine at all. DH did a survey once and found that, as a public servant, he was averaging 60 hours a week (and no flex time!). Working in schools I came in over 40 hours a week most of the time.

 

Our kids had no better nor worse opportunities than most of my friends' kids in UK - except perhaps a better chance of getting melanoma - and one has found that he has far better career opportunities in UK than he would ever have had here. Neither of them have a great appreciation of history which saddens me.

 

Driving through the bush recently reinforced for me just how boring it all is - a 2 hour drive up from the Snowies, just miles and miles of nothing (except Cooma of course:biglaugh:) and my depression deepened as I drove. It was almost a relief to get back to Canberra (now most folk will think that's a joke!)

 

We actually bought a barbie a few years ago when we started eating meat again after a couple of decades of vegetarianism. We would be lucky to have one a year - eating outside with the flies and mozzies isnt a great pastime of ours. We had one when the DS came over for a visit over Christmas and he lasted about 30 minutes outside before taking himself inside with a comment about how he had forgotten just how bad the flies are!

 

Give me the seasons any day of the week. I dont mind bundling up against the cold, it is far easier than escaping from boiling heat and I hate the summer lurch from one airconditioned environment to another.

 

See, horses for courses!

[Guest siamsusie]

There are some gorgeous places minus the flies, where BBQ's are the order of the day most days,,, rolling green fields, no flies... yes and Tasmania has seasons and snuggly log fires.. gorgeous beaches.. there is something for everyone in this great land:biggrin:

[christopher]

What is the Australian facination with bloody BBQ's?

 

Anyway I can only speak for Sydney but the weather is less predictable than the UK in my opinion, it has twice as much rainfall as Manchester and all these wonderfull weekend activities are often cancelled due to the weather. Take the last two weekends, the first was 43degrees which is too hot to be doing anything and last weekend it peed it down so couldn't do anything. Australia has done a very good job at marketing it's weather but in reality it's quite a volotile country weather wise. The Aussies also love taking the piss out of the English weather, how they have the cheek to do that when in the last month there's been cyclones, floods and bushfires'

[Guest guest30038]

What is the Australian facination with bloody BBQ's?

 

 

Has something changed in the 15 yrs since I left the UK? In Oz, BBQ's are the traditional cooking method for not injecting more heat than neccessary into a household. I rarely cook indoors............open plan = greasy walls and more heat. Where I lived in the UK OTOH, every man and his dog was chasing a BBQ, just because it was the "in thing". Nearly everyone in the street, at least had one of those silly little "hibachis" that only had room for a couple of chops, let alone a decent T Bone............not that I could afford a decent T Bone back then :biglaugh:

 

Even now, when I talk to my sons back in the UK, they invariably waffle on about how, "we had a lovely BBQ last week"

[Guest The Joker]

Isn't it bizarre how in Sydney (further from the equator than we are here in Queensland) has hotter summers, colder winters and more variability in the weather than we do (floods and cyclones excepted)? The "normal" pattern in Queensland is a bit like Florida. In the summer it is hot and humid and you generally get an afternoon storm that throws loads of water at you for half an hour then goes away and in another half hour you would never know it had been raining. Spring and Autumn are usually just sublime. Clear blue skies, warm (but not stinking hot and humid) and not a lot of rain. Winter is cooler and, in the opinion of a lot of ex-pats, the best season as there is virtually no rain, warm days, cool evenings and you can work in the graden without sweating all the time. We seldom have weekend events cancelled due to rain (this year is an exception). Beaches are great and we still go to them plenty of weekends. Got surf boards and going to have a crack at kite surfing - looks fun. The sea from later spring to mid autumn is beautifully warm.

 

The only flies that bother me here are at the horse stables - with all that horse poo around it is no wonder. Mosies are not a problem where we live but a few K's down the road they are. Tip - plant your garden with plants that don't attract them and make sure you have good drainage so you don't get standing water that attracts them.

 

Barbies - love them. Always have, always will. Healthier way of cooking meat and generally more social and an outdoor thing. But if you don't enjoy cooking then it won't matter whether it is a barbie or conventional cook top, you just won't enjoy it.

 

As I always say - if THOSE are thing things you are looking for from the move out from the UK then Queensland will give it to you in bucket loads. If those things hold no interest for you then the downsides of life in Queensland can make it a bit of an ordeal.

[Guest Bobby]

Don't get me wrong - this place is not perfect. Politicians are useless. Police almost as useless (and, in my experience, corrupt and don't follow the rules). Aussie TV is absolute rubbish. Getting a tradesman to a) turn up to quote on a job and b) actually do it when he says he will is next to impossible. Job market is bizarre (but probably the same all over the world right now). The usual gripe of spiders, snakes, crocs, sharks, jellyfish, dangerous plants etc (well, that's the wife's and daughter's gripes - personally I love the wildlife). Humidity in summer. Cost of living spiralling up like crazy (but probably the same all over the world right now).

 

However, when you see us at play - the sun shining, I am swimming in the sea with the dogs, my daughter is riding one of her horses bare-back in the sea, my other daughter is surfing, my wife is lazing on a white, prestine, sandy beach with barely another person on it and we all have huge smiles on our faces - PRICELESS. Wouldn't trade that for anything. And the best bit is that we get to do that each weekend we choose to - for free (floods and cyclones permitting). Plus, ABC1 is pretty much BBC1 with the amount of Brit programmes on it. We can barbecue pretty much 12 months of the year - free using any of the council provided barbecues at most public parks and beaches - and I LOVE my barbies. The standard of housing is generally better, for less money. I can't recall the last time my kids said "I'm bored". I believe we are much, much closer as a family than we would have been in the UK as we have had so many more shared experiences here and spend much more time together. But then, I was really over the UK and, personally, stopped loving London about 20 years ago. I guess I am just a country boy at heart and love the space and freedom.

 

 

Great it works for you and where you live in Oz, but in brisbane you cannot barbie every weekend as it rains so much here,I cannot agree with houses after working on them in both Countries though, houses are bigger but the standard is worse IMO, I was never bored in Oz and I am never bored in the UK, it is all down to the mindset of the person and how they want to live their lives, you can do everything in the UK you can do in Oz if people get off their bums and do it, as I say 2 great Countries that have sooo much to offer if YOU WANT IT, :jiggy:

[Guest Bobby]

Has something changed in the 15 yrs since I left the UK? In Oz, BBQ's are the traditional cooking method for not injecting more heat than neccessary into a household. I rarely cook indoors............open plan = greasy walls and more heat. Where I lived in the UK OTOH, every man and his dog was chasing a BBQ, just because it was the "in thing". Nearly everyone in the street, at least had one of those silly little "hibachis" that only had room for a couple of chops, let alone a decent T Bone............not that I could afford a decent T Bone back then :biglaugh:

 

Even now, when I talk to my sons back in the UK, they invariably waffle on about how, "we had a lovely BBQ last week"

 

 

Have you noticed if you have more than 2 barbies in a week the food no matter what you cook tastes the same :eek: just kind of burnt and tough.

[calNgary]

Bobby you need one of these -[ATTACH]2748[/ATTACH] rain doesnt stop play here,lol and at least it stays a decent temperature and doesnt go cold (except for in winter,lol). Saying that its only really this year that its been so wet, the past 3 years we have been here have been nothing like this one.

 

Cal x

[Guest guest30038]

Have you noticed if you have more than 2 barbies in a week the food no matter what you cook tastes the same :eek: just kind of burnt and tough.

 

No :goofy: If you find the above to be true, I suggest that a) you learn to cook properly and refrain from burning it, and b) you buy more tender meat and c) how can a BBQ'd veggie taste the same as meat?

 

NB If you burn it even the tenderest of meats will be tough :goofy:

[Guest Bobby]

Bobby you need one of these -[ATTACH]2748[/ATTACH] rain doesnt stop play here,lol and at least it stays a decent temperature and doesnt go cold (except for in winter,lol). Saying that its only really this year that its been so wet, the past 3 years we have been here have been nothing like this one.

 

Cal x

 

Very nice Cal,:wubclub: all I am saying is that if you are expecting sun every day as a lot of posts indicate you are going to be dissapointed, people should still get out if it rains in either Country as skin is waterproff I have found.:wink:

[Guest siamsusie]

No :goofy: If you find the above to be true, I suggest that a) you learn to cook properly and refrain from burning it, and b) you buy more tender meat and c) how can a BBQ'd veggie taste the same as meat?

 

NB If you burn it even the tenderest of meats will be tough :goofy:

 

We cook on our outdoors kitchen the whole year around, and thats Tasmania.. we also have a Puffing billy outdoor heater!

I really cant remember the time we have used our kitchen oven.. An outside oven doesnt necessarily mean BBQ's, roasts, casseroles /stews/ curries etc are all cooked outside and as Kev says no nasty smells inside, no greasy walls to clean !

[Guest Bobby]

Isn't it bizarre how in Sydney (further from the equator than we are here in Queensland) has hotter summers, colder winters and more variability in the weather than we do (floods and cyclones excepted)? The "normal" pattern in Queensland is a bit like Florida. In the summer it is hot and humid and you generally get an afternoon storm that throws loads of water at you for half an hour then goes away and in another half hour you would never know it had been raining. Spring and Autumn are usually just sublime. Clear blue skies, warm (but not stinking hot and humid) and not a lot of rain. Winter is cooler and, in the opinion of a lot of ex-pats, the best season as there is virtually no rain, warm days, cool evenings and you can work in the graden without sweating all the time. We seldom have weekend events cancelled due to rain (this year is an exception). Beaches are great and we still go to them plenty of weekends. Got surf boards and going to have a crack at kite surfing - looks fun. The sea from later spring to mid autumn is beautifully warm.

 

The only flies that bother me here are at the horse stables - with all that horse poo around it is no wonder. Mosies are not a problem where we live but a few K's down the road they are. Tip - plant your garden with plants that don't attract them and make sure you have good drainage so you don't get standing water that attracts them.

 

Barbies - love them. Always have, always will. Healthier way of cooking meat and generally more social and an outdoor thing. But if you don't enjoy cooking then it won't matter whether it is a barbie or conventional cook top, you just won't enjoy it.

 

As I always say - if THOSE are thing things you are looking for from the move out from the UK then Queensland will give it to you in bucket loads. If those things hold no interest for you then the downsides of life in Queensland can make it a bit of an ordeal.

 

No putting a downer on your barbies Joker but I hope you cook your meat correctly as you say you have so many barbies, I did not realise untill I seen and advert for cancer from barbecues in Oz, it tells you how you can cut the risk by cooking certain ways and cutting down the risk.

Some great tips online and will cut down cancer risks.

 

Many Americans still do not know that grilling can be unhealthy. The cancer risk from grilling, however, is real, but it changes dramatically with what you grill and how you do it.

 

Cut cancer risks from backyard barbecues - Health - Diet and nutrition - Nutrition Notes - msnbc.com

[tracy123]

No :goofy: If you find the above to be true, I suggest that a) you learn to cook properly and refrain from burning it, and b) you buy more tender meat and c) how can a BBQ'd veggie taste the same as meat?

 

NB If you burn it even the tenderest of meats will be tough :goofy:

 

POMS can't cook BBQ's

[Guest Bobby]

No :goofy: If you find the above to be true, I suggest that a) you learn to cook properly and refrain from burning it, and b) you buy more tender meat and c) how can a BBQ'd veggie taste the same as meat?

 

NB If you burn it even the tenderest of meats will be tough :goofy:

I was joking about burnt and tough, but what I meant was having a barbie more than twice a week for me was just to much and gave you that smokey taste that is nice now and againd but if overdone starts to taste a bit repetative (I am sure most have noticed that) :cute:

[Guest Bobby]

POMS can't cook BBQ's

 

 

Nor can aussies, only South Africans know how to do a proper barbie or brie :cute:

[Guest The Joker]

Thanks for the link re: cancer it was an education but no need to worry on my account. I am a master barbecuer. It is not the smokey effect I seek when cooking meat, just a better way of cooking. Here's the tip (backed up by that cancer post). Sear your meat on a high gridle plate first. Just a few seconds each side of a steak is fine. I actually use a back burner and rotisserie for joints of meat. Then turn the heat down really low - as low as your babrie will go - close the lid and cook really slowly. Not only will that help prevent cancerous carcenogens (I guess you can get cancer from just breathing, particularly if it is with a cigarette in your mouth), it will give you juicy, tender, well cooked meat. But you don't have to cook just meat. We cook vegetables and fruit on there as well - just try a fresh pineapple on there or apples and bananas.