Australia

[smee.again]

Some might regard "out of the fire into the frying pan" as a good move, no?

Wasn't that a quote from a Meat Loaf song?

[Devlin]

Some might regard "out of the fire into the frying pan" as a good move, no?

Good spot. I like to keep my posts suitably generic so I can argue both sides with equal fervour

[snaw]

Sydney is a fantastic city, if ever so slightly up it's own arse, especially since the olympics.

Melbourne I like loads, bit more laid back than Sydney (Think of Melbourne as New York's to Sydney's LA) even if the weather is a bit British on occasion ...

Perth is the most remote city on earth and I just can't live anywhere that's that far away form everything. There's more to life than a nice beach.

Brisvegas is cool, just a wee bit to hot and humid for us Scottish types ...

The Aussie countryside is beautiful in parts, completely boring in most others and populated by some of the most bigoted, small minded people I've ever met - yeah some will buy you a beer and be nice, but you're as likely to get a kicking for speaking with a pomie accent - it's one of the only two places in my life I've experienced rasicm.

The thing I know for a fact is that the type of people who whinge about this country going to the dogs, and immigration, and taxes etc are exactly the same sort who spend all their time whinging when they get to Aus - anyone who's lived overseas knows the type. They don't usually last long.

I like Aus a lot, and there's a fair chance I'm going to end up back there but if I do it's with my eyes open to what it is, not some romanticsed idea o it.

[smee.again]

And they have some amazing fishing off the North coast....which works for me!!!

[Devlin]

Sydney is a fantastic city, if ever so slightly up it's own arse, especially since the olympics.

What's so fantastic about it? It's extremely expensive, traffic is tulipe, public transport is tulipe. The only nice part of Sydney is around the harbour, but normal people can only afford to live in it's sucuidally boring and ugly suburbs.

[smee.again]

What's so fantastic about it? It's extremely expensive, traffic is tulipe, public transport is tulipe. The only nice part of Sydney is around the harbour, but normal people can only afford to live in it's sucuidally boring and ugly suburbs.

But you have the Opera House, Taronga Zoo, good fishing, good pubs, good beer....

[Devlin]

But you have the Opera House, Taronga Zoo, good fishing, good pubs, good beer....

Ok, so you're saying it's good for tourists. I was descirbing issues that are more important for those who live there.

[smee.again]

Ok, so you're saying it's good for tourists. I was descirbing issues that are more important for those who live there.

Surely these things are good for the people that live there because it brings income, culture etc to the country...?

I have a few friends that moved out there and they love it...so surely it is not all bad? Think, you could be in Cheltenham....

[snaw]

What's so fantastic about it? It's extremely expensive, traffic is tulipe, public transport is tulipe. The only nice part of Sydney is around the harbour, but normal people can only afford to live in it's sucuidally boring and ugly suburbs.

Visually it's one of the most stunning cities in the world. Climate is about as good as it gets. Best place in Aus to find work and that offers a range of jobs. Culturally it's almost on par with Melbourne. Some of the best restuarants I have ever visited, and at a reasonable price (GST screwed that a wee bit). Has, for me anyway, an interesting mix of suburbs and diversity (I like that kind of stuff) and a pretty vibrant nightlife and great pubs. It's an amazingly health conscious place, and it's really easy to be healthy and be outdoors (Beach, watersports, mountain biking, blue mountains if climbing is your thing, foootball etc).

Public transport is fine if you live in manly and catch the ferry every day, which is what I did. Exepnsive, yes but if you're on an IT contracting board then there's nowhere that's out of the range of your pocket to live in. Western suburbs would be hell, but so would any sh!t place in any big city.

[Devlin]

Surely these things are good for the people that live there because it brings income, culture etc to the country...?

I have a few friends that moved out there and they love it...so surely it is not all bad? Think, you could be in Cheltenham....

Nope, I'm in London after moving back from Australia a few years ago. I was in Australia in Melbourne and Sydney at various times for over 20 years before that.