Australia

[smee.again]

I am beginning to sense the negative vibes now...can anyone else feel them?

[brownie74]

filth

the underbelly of london is not in soho. thats for tourists. its in the grimy East End

kings x in sydney is like soho in london. full of tossers on stag dos and tourists.

you're right, the aussies work hard and long hours generally

you should try the Dry Dock - my local. i'll see you in there at 9pm!

[Devlin]

Rates aren't too bad here. I'm getting 350 quid a day, which aint far off London rates is it, for noddy Java coding

That is an excellent rate at over AUD 800 a day! More than any of senior J2EE guys I know in Sydney are making contracting as a coder. I only know architects on that money.

[brownie74]

It's exactly $800/day

If i moved jobs i would have to go down to $650-720/day

I'm on a good screw at the minute

[rootsnall]

naa, its not like london. its more like cardiff, or leeds. the dirty underbelly that you can easily find in parts of london does not really exist here - small pockets but nothing really

sydney is tame compared to london. its a lot safer.

the pubs are worse here - not much atmosphere. if i was in my 20's (im 33) i would prefer london for the nightlife - its pretty tame here and much more posed

there are no characters in sydney - aussies are generally boring - thats what i miss about the UK - it comes from the years of hangovers/comedowns and the poor weather - its character building

I think Sydney has all the problems you'll find in any big city but it's hidden away in the farway suburbs out west where overseas IT contractors would very rarely venture. Heroin is a big problem in Sydney, more so than anywhere I've seen in the UK. In the UK and other countries the problems are more on show in the city centres and inner city suburbs. Kings Cross and the surrounding suburbs are just about fully gentrified now, the seedy side is getting squeezed out, why run a strip club or brothel anymore when a property developer will pay you a fortune to buy you out.

[Lucy]

Why I adore Sydney

[brownie74]

i've bin to cabramatta and seen the viet smack heads out there. its not pretty. but its nothing compared to bethnal green in east london. the quality of the smack heads round there is much higher. whores on the back streets of whitechapel at 8am, scabby faced smack heads lookin for business. and they get it.

[barely_pointless]

Why I adore Sydney

hmm, you missed North Sydney (http://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/ww...ympic-pool.asp) and Drummoyne (which is closed at the moment ), swam with a bunch of 80 year olds at north sydney last summer, and will again soon if I can swing a contract in the CBD or N Syd soon.

tis true, the Old main Drag (London) needs more pools.

[Lucy]

hmm, you missed North Sydney (http://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/ww...ympic-pool.asp) and Drummoyne (which is closed at the moment ), swam with a bunch of 80 year olds at north sydney last summer, and will again soon if I can swing a contract in the CBD or N Syd soon.

tis true, the Old main Drag (London) needs more pools.

I much prefer the beach pools.

I wouldn't swim in any London water, I certainly don't drink it!

[Moscow Mule]

The one in Wooloomoloo bay is awesome.