ali Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I look around and kids are just as happy and full of life as they are in Oz in fact I see more kids on playing fields her playing football and rugby than I did in Oz, the football pitches are rammed with kids at the weekends where I live, I never witnessed that much in perth. As a mum whose son plays football, I can tell you that there are indeed pitches with lots of children on them - our son trains twice a week and played on Sundays, many clubs we visited had several pitches all of them used from 8am onwards to fit all the matches in. (having to travel to Mandurah for an 8.30 KO when they have warm up for 45 mins before was a killer). The Rooball at the club he was playing for last year ( 5 - 9's) had over 300 children playing every weekends and in U12's over 60 boys. (don't know the numbers for the other levels or girls teams. My own experience before we moved is that in his final season, my son played only twice from September - Jan due to games being called off, here he plays rain or shine (but not in lightening!!). I don't disagree that you never witnesses kids playing much in perth, because that's your experience but they do, along with Rugby and AFL - you just need to know where to look Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mandajay Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 We are in the procees of the big move at the minute... It has taken the death of both of my parents for us all to reflect on life and how precious it is and just how big our back garden could be if we just took the plunge and went to explore... We want to see different places, try new things and enjoy exploring and experiencing new things together. We put the idea to the kids and left them to ponder.... And what do you know, it appears we have nurtured 2 mini explorers too! (please bear in my mind, i am 36 and on the plump side, im no dare devil !!!) And where better to start than Oz? the weather is smashing and will give us a completely different way of life to what we have so far experienced...and lets face it, its not a poor country with rubbish education, and employment prospects are better than the UK at the moment.. We think life is what you make it and whilst we are all happy we will keep exploring and having fun. I hope our positive attitude being shared in a beautiful country will be what motivates and supports my kids to having a great life. And if s**t comes to shove and it turns out not to be for us.....then we will can always nip through the back of the wardrobe and have a cuppa in Narnia on the way home... Mand x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Where were you and your children in the UK? I have never ever felt unsafe in the UK and I have lived and worked in Th east end of London, crime statistics show OZ and the UK are about the same.I think the excuse that people are leaving the UK because of crime is a bit far fetched. At the end of the day a child will grow up fine in Oz or the UK as long as they have good parents and plenty of love. I look around and kids are just as happy and full of life as they are in Oz in fact I see more kids on playing fields her playing football and rugby than I did in Oz, the football pitches are rammed with kids at the weekends where I live, I never witnessed that much in perth. Good parents and love are irrelevant in the context of being frightened to walk the streets of your neighbourhood, and yet again, I have to re-iterate, that if you have never experienced it, then it seems that some folk are unable to empathise with it or simply are in denial of it. That said, failure to empathise is no excuse for accusing those who have experienced it of making "far fetched" statements. Living in one's own "comfortable" neighbourhood tends to create "ostrich syndrome" as can clearly be seen by some of the posts and for some strange reason, those "I'm alright jack" heads are only pulled out of the sand to contradict and minimise the plight of those who live less comfortably. Once again, your response to a post asking a relevant question resorts to an Oz v UK debate. I couldn't give a toss what you have witnessed in Perth compared to London or whether you admit or deny that some folk do live in fear in whatever country. My family's experience is light years away from yours but do I label yours as "far fetched"? No! so please have the courtesy to afford me the same priviledge of illustrating my experience without inferring that it is not/was not, my family's (and other families) experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest31881 Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I have never ever felt unsafe in the UK and I have lived and worked in Th east end of London, crime statistics show OZ and the UK are about the same. Sorry but if you never felt unsafe in the UK then you are lucky. I have lived in areas where you would not go out in the evening because of the kids on the street corners. I worked night shifts for many years and at least twice a week i would attend to someone who had been stabbed. These stories did not make the news, when you get that amount of serious crime each week it no longer warrants a slot on the news. Since living in Australia, i can go for walks late at night with no feelings of anxiety, yes there is crime but not to the extent that I found it n the UK. Your posts are all totally anti Australia, its a pity you cannot be more even handed with your posts, then you may even see some good sides to Australia. Both countries have their good and bad points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3FatCats Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 This thread is very interesting reading and has, in part, answered the bit fat question mark that has been hanging over me since we got here in August: what is this better lifestyle everyone is on about? So, thanks for all the answers, keep them coming! I would also be interested to hear from people without kids (we aren't lucky enough to have any) to hear if they feel any different, or if the fact that you haven't a family influences the decision in a major way. Many thanks x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nikkidel Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 We moved for all of us as a family. Dh and I prefer living here than in England for lots of reasons. We also want to give the kids options in the future...and by having another citizenship they will have those options, so if work is scarce in one country they can try another. Now I know that it may not be a 'better life' down here, just different...there are pros and cons to each country, but for us being down under suits us as a family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpersgirl Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 We also want to give the kids options in the future...and by having another citizenship they will have those options, so if work is scarce in one country they can try another. For me and I suspect many of us (with or without kids!) this sums up much of reason we're here. Its all about having The Option. :wubclub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpersgirl Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Originally Posted by Perthbum I look around and kids are just as happy and full of life as they are in Oz in fact I see more kids on playing fields her playing football and rugby than I did in Oz, the football pitches are rammed with kids at the weekends where I live, I never witnessed that much in perth. I don't disagree that you never witnesses kids playing much in perth, because that's your experience but they do, along with Rugby and AFL - you just need to know where to look And tennis, netball, lacrosse,hockey, volleyball.... The opportunity (and take up!) of sports is FAR greater here mainly for the reason that the climate allows it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 There are good and bad areas in both countries. You don't necessarily have to change countries to move to a better environment. If you're in a bad area you may decide to move out of your current environment to improve life/educational environment for your kids, but the choice of which better area to move to is about the parents, not the kids. (though if you're going to move, why not go on an adventure rather than to another town/city in the same country). In terms of employment prospects, economies fluctuate in every country, you can't know what the employment prospects are going to be in ten years time when your kids are actually looking for work. To me the main thing that children gain from moving between first world countries is an open mind from living in a different cultural environment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 And tennis, netball, lacrosse,hockey, volleyball.... The opportunity (and take up!) of sports is FAR greater here mainly for the reason that the climate allows it. I would agree with this in that the facilities seem to be much more accessible. Eg, tennis clubs, there are so many tennis courts in Geelong it's verging on the ridiculous, but it's a LOT easier to have a hit of tennis here. Same with swimming pools, there are 3 large council run pool facilities in Geelong. Lane swimming is a doddle here compared with the UK. Same with cricket clubs which are abundant in the extreme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I would agree with this in that the facilities seem to be much more accessible. Lane swimming is a doddle here compared with the UK. In summer maybe, but swimming in winter becomes a problem since there's hardly any indoor pools... While sport is huge over here, can't say I've been particularly impressed with facilities/take-up of other activities, such as music. Not everyone is sporty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 In summer maybe, but swimming in winter becomes a problem since there's hardly any indoor pools... While sport is huge over here, can't say I've been particularly impressed with facilities/take-up of other activities, such as music. Not everyone is sporty. must vary then, as I say 2 council run indoor swimming centres, 1 outdoor swimming centre in Geelong. Wouldn't know about non sporting stuff but I suspect you're right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 In summer maybe, but swimming in winter becomes a problem since there's hardly any indoor pools... No problem here in Hobart - we have a couple of council run fully enclosed multi-pool aquatic centres plus indoor private school pools which are open to the public and numerous privately owned indoor pools also with some public access. While sport is huge over here, can't say I've been particularly impressed with facilities/take-up of other activities, such as music. Not everyone is sporty.... The annual Eisteddfodd here is HUGE with thousands of entries. The place is littered with drama and dance schools. All the local schools have bands, orchestras and choirs and there are also independent youth orchestras and bands outside the school system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 The annual Eisteddfodd here is HUGE with thousands of entries. The place is littered with drama and dance schools. All the local schools have bands, orchestras and choirs and there are also independent youth orchestras and bands outside the school system. Don't tell fibs. Everyone knows there ain't no culcha in Oz. :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 The place is littered with drama and dance schools. All the local schools have bands, orchestras and choirs and there are also independent youth orchestras and bands outside the school system. But there's pretty much nothing for adults... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Don't tell fibs. Everyone knows there ain't no culcha in Oz. :wink: Good thing we're not really Oz - just those two headed inbred weirdos on that backward island half way to Antarctica :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 But there's pretty much nothing for adults... WT...:arghh: Just spluttered my coffee all over the keyboard! I suggest 1. you move to Hobart 2. take early retirement 3. be wealthy enough to employ domestic servants for all the "must dos" of your daily life 4. then see if there are enough hours in the day to do your pick of non sporting activities for adults Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 WT...:arghh: Just spluttered my coffee all over the keyboard! I suggest 1. you move to Hobart 2. take early retirement 3. be wealthy enough to employ domestic servants for all the "must dos" of your daily life 4. then see if there are enough hours in the day to do your pick of non sporting activities for adults OK so I didn't word that very well. I was referring to music in particular. There just isn't the density of amateur adult choirs, concertband, orchestras etc here as there is in the UK. Many of my work colleagues have mentionned that they used to play or sing when they were at school, but stopped after uni because there just wasn't anywhere to move onto. Very few people here seem to take up an instrument as an adult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I'm really surprised about that, RockDr, as Adelaide prides itself on being a cut above the rest of "uncultured" Australia, especially in music. There are any number of amateur instrumental groups here - classic ensembles, orchestras, blues and jazz bands, brass bands, pipe bands, Taiko drummers - and singing groups from small acapella (including barber shops) to orchestral choirs and a (very good) gospel choir and an annual Festival of Voices. There is a saying that climate is destiny and maybe we have a very active amateur music scene here because of the more temperate climate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Good parents and love are irrelevant in the context of being frightened to walk the streets of your neighbourhood, and yet again, I have to re-iterate, that if you have never experienced it, then it seems that some folk are unable to empathise with it or simply are in denial of it. That said, failure to empathise is no excuse for accusing those who have experienced it of making "far fetched" statements. Living in one's own "comfortable" neighbourhood tends to create "ostrich syndrome" as can clearly be seen by some of the posts and for some strange reason, those "I'm alright jack" heads are only pulled out of the sand to contradict and minimise the plight of those who live less comfortably. Once again, your response to a post asking a relevant question resorts to an Oz v UK debate. I couldn't give a toss what you have witnessed in Perth compared to London or whether you admit or deny that some folk do live in fear in whatever country. My family's experience is light years away from yours but do I label yours as "far fetched"? No! so please have the courtesy to afford me the same priviledge of illustrating my experience without inferring that it is not/was not, my family's (and other families) experience. Your experience is, of course, your experience as is my experience MY experience - and if I say that I felt most threatened in my entire life on Magnetic Island, no doubt you do think that is far fetched - however, after living in London, Melbourne, Bristol, Canberra and the Highlands of Papua New Guinea I did indeed feel most in fear of my life on Magnetic Island (there are weirdos everywhere!!!). My son also got mugged in the food court at Paramatta Westfield by a gang of young MOMEA so there is no guarantee that you wont feel unsafe in places in Australia - solution, of course, is not to live in those places and I wouldnt live in Paramatta, Redfern or Auburn if you paid me. Not sure that I would feel all that happy in Wilcannia either I am sure that if you lived in Central Bradford then your experience is going to be quite different from someone who has lived their life in bucolic Bude but you dont need to flee to the other side of the world to find a place where you can feel comfortable about walking your neighbourhood - a few miles up the road would do it from Bradford. I believe the 'better life for the kids' is a great excuse when explaining to other people why you are planning to do it. It gives the slight martyr air to the venture ie look at what we are prepared to do for OUR kids blah blah and it is also harder for the rellies to argue that what you are doing is totally self indulgent as compared with the excuse 'we wanted a bit of adventure so we are off'. I guess the question is - if you didnt have kids would you still go? I would think that the answer would still be yes, of course, I want the adventure. The 'outdoor lifestyle' is another thing which bemuses me - even in the last 10 years I have noticed far fewer kids playing outside as the fear of melanoma and the need to slather on sunscreen has dominated the airwaves. Add to that the general level of indolence and reluctance to move out of air conditioned comfort as more and more houses now come with aircon fitted as a matter of course. I know that I spend far more time indoors especially in an Australian summer than I do in UK less clement weather - you can wrap up against the cold but not much you can do against the heat. My daughter in law and granddaughters were in their element here in UK for two months - I dont think the kids had spent so much time outside in their entire lives (they didnt have to worry about biting ants, spiders and snakes - they do live in the bush on and off - and they werent fearful of being burned to a frazzle and they couldnt get over the feel of real lawn to play on). Everyone has their own experiences and I suspect that many folk make the move with the assumption that things will change for them but probably if people dont have an outdoor lifestyle in UK then chances are they wont have one in Aus either once the novelty wears off. Australia is different, for sure but it is just another first world country with first world problems - perhaps lagging the UK by 3 - 5 years and it has certainly had its share of hardship over the past 3 decades that we have lived there - high interest rates, property prices out of reach of young home owners, high suicide rates, youth unemployment - we've had it all, it's not perfection on a stick and doesnt magically confer anything on anyone that they couldnt equally achieve in some other first world country. OTOH if you have a far better opportunity in Australia or really do have the itch for adventure then go for it but own it for what it is, it doesnt need to be dumped on the kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I believe the 'better life for the kids' is a great excuse when explaining to other people why you are planning to do it. It gives the slight martyr air to the venture ie look at what we are prepared to do for OUR kids blah blah and it is also harder for the rellies to argue that what you are doing is totally self indulgent . I'd hate to view my fellow man as you seem to do :goofy: Do you really consider that those who have posted in this thread that they believe they are giving their kids a better chance in Oz are actually being deceitful? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckleface Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 My husbands family moved here from the UK when he was in primary school (many moons ago). He has often said over the years how grateful he is that his parents took the plunge and made the move. They could never have afforded to give him the same opportunities in the UK that they were able to provide here (education, nice house, safe neighbourhood etc) Life is what you make it wherever you are but he is one 'child' who has grow up believing his parents did the right thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perthbum Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 As a mum whose son plays football, I can tell you that there are indeed pitches with lots of children on them - our son trains twice a week and played on Sundays, many clubs we visited had several pitches all of them used from 8am onwards to fit all the matches in. (having to travel to Mandurah for an 8.30 KO when they have warm up for 45 mins before was a killer). The Rooball at the club he was playing for last year ( 5 - 9's) had over 300 children playing every weekends and in U12's over 60 boys. (don't know the numbers for the other levels or girls teams. My own experience before we moved is that in his final season, my son played only twice from September - Jan due to games being called off, here he plays rain or shine (but not in lightening!!). I don't disagree that you never witnesses kids playing much in perth, because that's your experience but they do, along with Rugby and AFL - you just need to know where to look Only what i witnessed Ali, and why was football games called off in the UK for your son :eek: they play in the rain where I live although we have had so little rain this year I do not even think the little darlings have had a muddy pitch to play on this year like I did in my youth :cute: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perthbum Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Originally Posted by Perthbum I look around and kids are just as happy and full of life as they are in Oz in fact I see more kids on playing fields her playing football and rugby than I did in Oz, the football pitches are rammed with kids at the weekends where I live, I never witnessed that much in perth. And tennis, netball, lacrosse,hockey, volleyball.... The opportunity (and take up!) of sports is FAR greater here mainly for the reason that the climate allows it. The climate in the UK allows all these outdoor activities also plus you can play late into the evening as it stays light till 10.30 whereas in Oz you are limited because of the dark nights,:eek: very little sport is called of due to the weather in my experience, just look at the prem this season, I don't think I have watched one game where it has rained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 The climate in the UK allows all these outdoor activities also plus you can play late into the evening as it stays light till 10.30 whereas in Oz you are limited because of the dark nights It may stay light til 10.30 pm in the UK in summer but that is offset by the much earlier (than Australia) darkness in winter. That being said, it doesn't get dark here in this part of Oz until 9.30 pm at this time of year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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