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What do/will you miss about Australia?


CrimsonPetal

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Guest GoldCoastMag

When I was away, I missed

 

Walking on the noisy sand, the colour as light faded, the sound of the surf, the smells of Australia, the bacon, passionfruit, seeing children with parents shopping all the time, eating out being a social occasion, my family and friends (of course), the cleanliness except for the "tags", the dark evenings, the birdsong, going to the Dr (I didnt have health insurance), my home by the beach, the surf club,

 

and I am sure some more.

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Everything. I've read that some people are annoyed at the wildlife, and of course we can't all like the same things, but I just love that about Aus. I loved being woken up by the kookaburras, the praying Mantis the cat killed and left for me to inspect, the sun bringing a sense of adventure to every day ('we can do whatever we want today!'), the many many household perks like having your bags packed at the shops, the Asian cuisine that I adore and miss, bubble tea with tapioca pearls, the smell of rain, driving up a highway to Bris and not even realising you're in between two cities because it's so beautiful and rural, Mt. Tamborine and the gardens there, the fresh food, the pounding rain... just everything. I really really hated the Summer heat in England, it was one thing I couldn't stand. But in Aus it was strange...hottest place I'd ever been, 36-40 degrees some days, and I burnt horrifically in Sydney on my boobs where it stayed red for two weeks and then blistered for another week. But I loved it so much. Warm and fresh, my skin cleared up, the funny zinc pen on my nose, and just grabbing your bag and getting in the car to pick up some food from Woolies before driving to a National Park. Love it. I can't wait to be back.

 

Please, no one take my post and add bits on to it in red about how England has this bit too, etc. I find it patronizing, and frankly the thread is about what you miss from Aus, not what England has as well.

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Everything. I've read that some people are annoyed at the wildlife, and of course we can't all like the same things, but I just love that about Aus. I loved being woken up by the kookaburras, the praying Mantis the cat killed and left for me to inspect, the sun bringing a sense of adventure to every day ('we can do whatever we want today!'), the many many household perks like having your bags packed at the shops, the Asian cuisine that I adore and miss, bubble tea with tapioca pearls, the smell of rain, driving up a highway to Bris and not even realising you're in between two cities because it's so beautiful and rural, Mt. Tamborine and the gardens there, the fresh food, the pounding rain... just everything. I really really hated the Summer heat in England, it was one thing I couldn't stand. But in Aus it was strange...hottest place I'd ever been, 36-40 degrees some days, and I burnt horrifically in Sydney on my boobs where it stayed red for two weeks and then blistered for another week. But I loved it so much. Warm and fresh, my skin cleared up, the funny zinc pen on my nose, and just grabbing your bag and getting in the car to pick up some food from Woolies before driving to a National Park. Love it. I can't wait to be back.

 

Please, no one take my post and add bits on to it in red about how England has this bit too, etc. I find it patronizing, and frankly the thread is about what you miss from Aus, not what England has as well.

 

Apologies if you felt patronised by my post on this thread Tulip, but I am intrigued by the fact that many of the individual things people value are not actually unique to Australia or the UK. Had this thread been placed on CTF or one of the other forums I would not have raised it however, as we are all posting on MBTTUK I had assumed, maybe naively, that some people might be interested in the parallels/ comparisons. I guess its's not always easy to know what might or might not offend others. :unsure:

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Apologies if you felt patronised by my post on this thread Tulip, but I am intrigued by the fact that many of the individual things people value are not actually unique to Australia or the UK. Had this thread been placed on CTF or one of the other forums I would not have raised it however, as we are all posting on MBTTUK I had assumed, maybe naively, that some people might be interested in the parallels/ comparisons. I guess its's not always easy to know what might or might not offend others. :unsure:

 

No offence taken at all, but I do tire of reading threads on this forum that have been started as 'Let's talk about what we love about Aus.' but end up being an Australia-bashing thread where everyone compares it to the UK. The UK isn't Australia, we get it.

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It was hardly Australia bashing. But if people see stuff listed as being specific good/bad points of one country and the other country has them too, then I think they're well in order to comment accordingly

 

I've noticed on this forum (as opposed to others I use) a lot more people being personal/precious about what they post and trying to dictate to others what they can and can't say in response. I don't agree with that, it's an internet forum; once you've posted, it's not up to you what others do or think of that post cos you've published it in the public domain. Quoting and responding is just a part of the debate. Don't want others touching your posts? Don't make 'em

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I don’t really want this to hijack the OP, but as I appear to have inadvertently kicked off a ‘is it bashing/ isn’t it bashing’ debate - I would just like to clarify my intentions.

 

 

While I agree that Australia versus the UK posts are pointless and irritating in general, I’m not sure why it might be considered Australia bashing to confirm that many positive aspects of life in Australia can also be found in the UK. That was the main point of my earlier post, plus the fact that people are different, and irrespective of how many similarities there are between the countries, it all comes down to where folk feel most at home in the end.

 

 

That’s all I have to say really, and hopefully the thread can now get back on track.

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Guest danny66

Depending on where you live in Australia, obviously you are not from Sydney (Large open spaces, no graffitti), I think not.

Although I will miss the beaches, but thats it.

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Look, I went back to the UK after eighteen years in Sydney, then I spent another twelve years in England before returning to Sydney again to be close to my brother. I could live in either country and in some ways I regret quitting my good job with Royal Mail in 2008.

 

There is no 'stigma' about wanting to go back to England, or anywhere else but what does irritate me is the ones who appear to have given up on Australia after a few months here. In my opinion they have not given Australia a chance and probably should never have left the UK in the first place.

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Guest mozziebite

I miss the diversity of the wildlife over there. I miss lazy Sunday afternoons on the beach and the large picnic areas with outdoor bbq's.

 

I miss people accepting you for what you are and in general the Aussies being happier people!

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Haha, thanks for replying.

 

Well, that's kind of the point of the thread, if it's only two things that you will miss then you know making the move is a good decision. I've heard people say that I will miss Oz and want to move back, this is a preemptive strike. :wink:

 

Bananas are a heck of a lot cheaper in UK aqnd available year round so what else will I miss. The light. The light is quite different here. The sparkle of sunshine that bounces off everything, particularly cars. Sunrises and sunsets. I'll certainly miss the ease of parking in surburban shopping centres and everywhere I go here there are no parking charges. I'll miss the width or surburban streets (ease of access when cars are parked at the side of the road), the weekly rubbish bin collections - although the British government is looking to councils to revert to the weekly collections because of the increase of rats. I'll miss the ability to walk into any GP for help and to be able to try several out until finding one I feel comfortable with. I'll certainly miss the ease of finding a dentist (when last in Paignton for 9 months we were never able to find one as all their books were full). I'll miss cookaburras. I'll miss being able to put the washing out and knowing it will be dry very quickly (I live in Brisbane). I'll miss having the windows open all the time and pet dogs being able to live outside. I'll miss my kids and friends - none of whom will be going back like me!

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Been home nearly 2 years and have had two holidays with all our ozzie mates in that time. So here goes:

 

I miss

 

The sunshine

The beach

Boost juice (although they are starting to come here)

Iced chocolate

Having a pool (although this is not a reality miss because all my husband did was curse about cleaning the bloody thing and no one using it - nice pond)

Clean wide streets

THE PIES (seriously they are lovely in Oz - not sausage rolls I must add - you can't beat Gregg's or the cornish pasty shop).

Watching the birds fly in over our lake at the end of the day

Sydney

Being adventurous

 

Don't miss:

Loud mouth aussies (sorry please don't take offence if you are not a loud mouth - just been to Thailand and was reminded of this type of aussie - much like those brits in south of spain)

Bland conversation ( again sorry no offence but from my perspective English conversation is the thing I love the most)

Woollies closing at 5pm on a Saturday and poor choice

Expensive everything

The bugs (uk is big free compared to qld)

Feeling so alone

The dark evenings all year round

The crap telly

Tyrannical bosses

 

Love about UK:

Countryside and dog walking culture - friendly, chatty, beautiful.

Pubs

Restaurants (variety and quality)

London - an amazing city

Normal service - not gushy just genuinely helpful

Fashion!!

Choice

Europe

Telly

Cool weather

Boots

Free tickets for BBC shows

The education

Feeling alive

Middle class people ( I know awfully snobby - but very polite, helpful and on the whole funny and interesting)

Light evenings

 

 

Hate about Uk

gum on the streets

arrogant rudeness

kids who are aggressive

chavs

shitty housing estates

moaning

 

Good to map it out - can see I have made the right choice.

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Good list there mrsindecision, I agree with most of what you have written. Your points about the UK are spot on, both good and bad, I also agree with your list of things you won't miss about Oz but as for the things you will miss I only share one...the clean, wide streets. As you say, it's good to think things out. :)

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After dinner tonight I'll add something that I'll definitely be missing:

 

Australian beef!

 

Good lord it is good stuff. If only I could find a proper cut Australian brisket to smoke. I'm betting I could drop dead after eating that and have died a complete man.

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Been home nearly 2 years and have had two holidays with all our ozzie mates in that time. So here goes:

 

I miss

 

The sunshine

The beach

Boost juice (although they are starting to come here)

Iced chocolate

Having a pool (although this is not a reality miss because all my husband did was curse about cleaning the bloody thing and no one using it - nice pond)

Clean wide streets

THE PIES (seriously they are lovely in Oz - not sausage rolls I must add - you can't beat Gregg's or the cornish pasty shop).

Watching the birds fly in over our lake at the end of the day

Sydney

Being adventurous

 

Don't miss:

Loud mouth aussies (sorry please don't take offence if you are not a loud mouth - just been to Thailand and was reminded of this type of aussie - much like those brits in south of spain)

Bland conversation ( again sorry no offence but from my perspective English conversation is the thing I love the most)

Woollies closing at 5pm on a Saturday and poor choice

Expensive everything

The bugs (uk is big free compared to qld)

Feeling so alone

The dark evenings all year round

The crap telly

Tyrannical bosses

 

Love about UK:

Countryside and dog walking culture - friendly, chatty, beautiful.

Pubs

Restaurants (variety and quality)

London - an amazing city

Normal service - not gushy just genuinely helpful

Fashion!!

Choice

Europe

Telly

Cool weather

Boots

Free tickets for BBC shows

The education

Feeling alive

Middle class people ( I know awfully snobby - but very polite, helpful and on the whole funny and interesting)

Light evenings

 

 

Hate about Uk

gum on the streets

arrogant rudeness

kids who are aggressive

chavs

shitty housing estates

moaning

 

Good to map it out - can see I have made the right choice.

 

 

couldnt have put it better myself :biglaugh:

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Sorry I have been reading from the shadows, can I please ask where on the Sunshine Coast you are currently and why you have decided to go back?? We have similarly been over here 8years and after spurts in Sydney, Airlie Beach, Central Qld and have now moved to the Sunny Coast. It was hoped that this move would settle us, but the UK what ifs? have reared their ugly head again :arghh:

 

Love your lists everyone Lis

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Guest Homer
at least you'll be able to buy bananas once a week, and get a few slightly greener ones for the end of the week, and not have them all turn brown within a couple of days...

 

If/when I move, I'll miss my daily walk across the park with all the parrots etc.

 

I'm impressed. The parrots only fly over the parks here:biggrin:

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Guest Jersey Bean

:biggrin:

When the tennis player Jenena Dokic was asked what she had missed most when she was away from Australia, she replied 'Tim Tams'.

 

How sad, maybe she was joking.:wink:

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