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How Does Where You Live Now; compare to the UK?
Topic Started: May 5 2008, 12:03 PM (1,030 Views)
ManicBlue36
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Geoff Horsfield
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Would be interested to hear all your accounts. How does law and order compare to over here? Can you walk down the street feeling safe? What's cheaper and what's more expensive (thinking specifically of beer)? Were the natives welcoming? What about property prices, renting and buying?

....and more importantly, how many Blues's games do you get to see on the sats?

Would be very interested to hear, especially as maybe pondering a move sometime in the future.
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The Blue Bear
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Mikael Forssell
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An interesting post mate, I'm surprised no one has bothered to reply.

I moved to Brisbane, Australia in Nov 2003.

I grew up in Chelmsley Wood, and after leaving the army, moved to South Wales.

The police here carry hand guns, which I suppose people could argue the value of both for and against. I don't think that your typical law breaking citizens, IE, Thieves, muggers etc, is any less or more than the UK, certainly we read about that kind of stuff in the papers a bit, houses being broken into etc.....(most of these crimes appear to be commited by the Islander types, Maoris; Tongans etc....stand back and watch the Rascist accusations come my way)....just telling it as I see it.

Australia is a great place to live, I would say that you certainly don't get that feeling like you do when walking through Birmingham, *avoid eye contact* with the wrong types...

The customer service here is the best I've ever seen. You are treated with coutesy and politeness, and your bags are packed for you, without that "I need to rush as people are waiting in the queue" feeling.

Plenty of jobs available, for those that want to work, and depending on where you live, you can get two different opinions on public transport. In some areas, the local trains run regurlarly and are pretty cheap, as are the buses, but in some cases you'd need to detour a long way to get to your destination. So a car is the best way to go.

The living style here is one of outdoors, people do a lot of entertaining in the garden. There's never any shortage of invites to peoples BBQ's, and of course the weather is good. We're just going into our winter here now, and the mornings are about 10 - 12 degrees when I go to work at 5:30am. We never have to worry about scraping the Ice off the windscreen. Talking of food, there are plenty of International cuisines to choose from if you want to eat out, Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Greek, Thai to name but a few, and all reasonably priced.

Petrol, although has gone up recently, is still a lot cheaper than back home. It fluctuates at the moment between $1.25 - $1.40 a litre which is about 50p -65p a litre. Car prices are probably there or thereabouts the same.

There isn't that pub mentality that you associate with the UK, there are bars and clubs, but I think the home entertaining thing here is much bigger. There are three size types of beers you can get, pot, Scooner and Pint. Pot being the smallest.

Fox sports is a sister channel of Sky sports. This season I'd say I've seen 80% of Blues games Live. They have the chosen live game, or you can choose one to watch from a further 4 games of choice. Then they have the Sunday and Monday night games Live too....basically whatever you see, we see, and sometimes we get to see games that aren't shown there. And just in case.....the Championship games are shown Live here too, at least one game per week and a highlights show.

There are down sides to life here. Travel around Australia isn't cheap. It's such a huge place. From one city to another isn't like back home, just jump into a car.....you need to catch a plane. Whereas there are plenty of cheap flights to get you not just around the UK, but Europe too, so i guess thats a factor.

Also, it is quite expensive to travel back to the UK, and bearing in mind the jetlag that entails, you cant just go back for a short trip, so you tend to use up a lot of holidays for one trip.

Whilst the Aussies are quite friendly, if you cant take the expected 'Pommie bashing' abuse, this isn't the place for you! Of course, you have to give it back, and generally speaking it's all good banter. I have seen one ex pat who thought the abuse was serious and he took a swing at this guy.

We were renting initailly, but we got a good deal from renting a property from her parents, and again, depending on where you live will depend on how much you pay. We are 25 mins south of Brisbane, and a 3 bedroom house with a garden is I'd say between $300 - $350 a week in rent. We bought a house two years ago for $310,000, and we pay about $1100 a fortnight in mortgage repayments. The house has recently been re-valued at over $400,000. Oh yes.....no terraced houses here....most if not all are detacthed, and most are different in shape, colour and design. (Exchange rate is about 40p to $1).

Having said all nice things about it here, I do miss home. I miss the fact that you are supposed to be cold at Christmas, not stinking hot. I miss the weekends...especially Saturdays, matchdays. Like I mentioned before, the opportunity to jump on a cheap flight and go to Paris, Berlin or Amsterdam was great to get away for a cheap weekend, you cant do that here. And whilst I am happy here, I expect we'll move back one day.

Hope that helps?



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adamrc
Mick Harford
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Hello Blue Bear

Great post. A very disapointed Blue Nose here. Currently living in Tamworth UK but hopefully moving to Brisbane at the end of this year. Really looking forward to it and apart from family the only thing I will miss about this place will be Saturdays at St Andrews. Glad to hear you can watch the Championship there!!!! Last time I was in Oz Premership coverage was OK but not so much the Championship. Anyway by the time we get there we will be 10 points clear and on thw way back.

Do the Aussie Bluenoses meet up? Are there anymore Brisbane based Bluenoses as will need to KEEP RIGHT ON even if on the other side of the world.
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The Blue Bear
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Mikael Forssell
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Hi Adam

What part of Brisbane are you moving to?

There are quite a few noses in Oz, but it's such a big place that meet ups haven't happened yet. There is a thread on Aussie Bluenoses, and I'd love for us all to meet up at least once a year, but it's difficult as people cant always be available....it's an ongoing thing.

I'm in South Brisbane, and I have a Blues mate who I went to school with who lives on the Gold Coast, which is about 45 mins away from me further south. I know of other Bluenoses in or around Brisbane but as yet haven't met some of them (met up with one from the North side).

What visa are you coming in on?

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Marydoll
Trevor Hockey
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Trevor, what you really miss most about home is seeing the nutters on the minibus from South Wales to Birmingham. You make Australia sound like the promised land. You and Keith have deserted the sinking ship that is 21st century U.K. and I would too, but no-one will have me. At 55 years old I am past my sell by date where emigration /immigration is concerned, even though my construction skills mean that I could earn a living anywhere in the world. Of course, if I wanted to come into the U.K. my age would not be a barrier because these days they will let any 5h1t in, I could then commit any crime, including murder, and with my human rights to defend me I could stay here forever and claim benefits until the day I die. Missing you, Newdave.
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The Blue Bear
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Mikael Forssell
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Marydoll
May 18 2008, 05:19 PM
Trevor, what you really miss most about home is seeing the nutters on the minibus from South Wales to Birmingham. You make Australia sound like the promised land. You and Keith have deserted the sinking ship that is 21st century U.K. and I would too, but no-one will have me. At 55 years old I am past my sell by date where emigration /immigration is concerned, even though my construction skills mean that I could earn a living anywhere in the world. Of course, if I wanted to come into the U.K. my age would not be a barrier because these days they will let any 5h1t in, I could then commit any crime, including murder, and with my human rights to defend me I could stay here forever and claim benefits until the day I die. Missing you, Newdave.

Ahhhhhhhhh New Dave......how I've missed you........some of the PC idiots on this forum have really got to me lately.

Great days travelling up on the mini bus from South Wales to Blues.....with Deano falling asleep and dribbling...unable to sing KRO in the correct order....LOL

All is not lost for the UK.....

Maybe one day I will return.

As for Oz, it's great.......but it's not home.
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adamrc
Mick Harford
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Hi Blue Bear

Looking at north Brisbane maybe somewhere around North Lakes. I have a spouse visa as my father in law is Aussie. Wife and daughter have UK and Aussie passports. Brisbane's not that big a place so sure we could arrange some meet ups for the big games. Slightly more optomistic about next season. Hope we can bounce straight back. Sure the Foxtel coverage will be better if were in the Big League. If not will have to be content with watching the Bronco's. Dont really get the game with those old shaped balls though.
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The Blue Bear
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Mikael Forssell
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adamrc
May 21 2008, 02:31 PM
Hi Blue Bear

Looking at north Brisbane maybe somewhere around North Lakes. I have a spouse visa as my father in law is Aussie. Wife and daughter have UK and Aussie passports. Brisbane's not that big a place so sure we could arrange some meet ups for the big games. Slightly more optomistic about next season. Hope we can bounce straight back. Sure the Foxtel coverage will be better if were in the Big League. If not will have to be content with watching the Bronco's. Dont really get the game with those old shaped balls though.

North Lakes is like Little Britain! LOL

Loads of ex pats there, Including a couple of Blues fans!!!

We met one family who moved from Brum to North Lakes, his name is Steve, I can PM you his e mail if you like?

A meet up looks on the cards........ **thumbup
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ManicBlue36
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Geoff Horsfield
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Absolute top post Bear!! I really appreciate the insight you gave, and you covered a lot of points which are of interest to me.

I know it's a combination of many things which could be argued why this country is going downhill (fast?), but the one main factor I think that is contributing to the problems in our society, is the lack of respect ie. yer chav-types etc. What's your view of it down there? You touched on how good the customer service was over there, so that would be interesting to hear.

As with Adam, I'm a Tamworth lad, but moved to Notthingham nearly a couple of years ago. Tamworth generally is an ok area, whereas Nottingham being the big city is, has more widespread problems, but both have the same ones like you get in every other town and city in the UK, such as the centres being turned into no-go zones by a certain time at weekends, etc. Don't get me wrong, Ive had good times out in both places, but if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time.... and there's absolutely no way you could take your kids out, even early evenings. I've heard it's more family-orientated in other countries, like Spain for instance.

As for Pommie bashing, if I were to move over there, bring it on, I'd say!! :)

Oh, and when did you leave Chelmsley Wood, Bear?
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ozbrummie
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Bob Hatton
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Blue bear.........great post mate..really well done

i moved here 35 years ago........so long time now .
born in aston, grew up in the 50's when no one had a penny, but only can remember good times as a kid......gues we knew no different, in fact my kids can't believe i never had hot and cold running water, or we bathed only once per week.........etc etc.

this is a great country, you can imagine the years of ear bashing over the cricket, and most sports really.......aussies are sports mad, and don't take prisoners..........the want to win everything by a big margin.

pommie bashing.........yes sure, but the banter is great, just got to learn how to give a bit back in good humour. Generally speaking the brits are well accepted and adapt well.

loads of opportunities here, particularly if you are prepared to have a go, self employment is easy and hard work and innovation are well rewarded.

property has certainly gone up over the years, however if you look at what can be got for your money, i think we live a lot better, houses are certainly bigger and well designed, there are a vast amount of styles and designs, it is common for people to design and build there own place ( using contract labour or a contract builder )

things here tend to get done much faster........people wont wait for a tradesman, they simply have plenty of chioice in both labour and materials.

we tend to travel much further to work and play.........not uncommon here in Sydney to travel 30 km or so to go to a good club or resturant, however over the last few years, the drink driviing laws have slowed us down a bit. these laws are severe here and well enforced.

we live about 100 metres from Brighton beach ( botany bay ) our beaches are world class with plenty of pubs and resturants at hand.

clubs here are generally attached either to big football teams ( rugby league ) the RSL ( like british lions or ex sevicemen clubs ) or bowling clubs ( lawn bowls ) .........these clubs are fantastic, some with indoor pools, squash courts, tennis courst, snooker rooms, gym etc..........all for a membership of about $10 per year ( 4 quid ) food at the clubs is great and cheap and often there are good quality shows each friday saturday and sunday afternoons.

pubs here are much different, usually pool is played in them adn some serious drinking.

i missed soccer a lot when i first came the quality is just not here and usually good players go abroad, although i must admit the standard is improving, but you don't get the sing song and banter we get in english club games.

in answer to your question about " where is home " ........i think you never forget your heritage, however as the years roll on..........we do change............now when i go back to the UK.........i feel like an outsider........i realise how much the place has changed from my days in summer lane aston, and i hardly recognise the city centre of brum... lots of teh pubs i remember are long gone and teh new big ones just don't seem like pubs at all.
the country pubs and country side hardly change........but the cities most certainly do.

Sydneyy is a city about 4 times bigger in area than brum, with a population close to 4 million now..

i have travelled extensively around Australia...............if you picture, our most northern city as moscow.......then our most southern city is somewhere close to Tel Aviv..........east to west is 3,600 km.........so yes is a big place, but only occupied by 20 million people.......about half of which are ex british stock......some 3 million first or second generation Brits.
thats changing a bit now, with more emphasis on asian associations.

as a country we are the only one on earth fully self sufficient, so i gues we are liucky in many ways.

weather in sydney is similar to that of Barcelona in spain........although i think we get a colder spell around July August..........and you do get aclimatised.....i dread to think of how i worked in the building trade in Brum through the winter...........but at the time i gues thats what we did.

food here is high quality, plentiful and comparitivly cheap.

to make comparisons in living standards is not so easy..........a formula i have used when entertaining friends or relatives from the Uk ( nearly every year we get at least 2........with 8 being the most , for a month last year ) is to say use a common wage...........say $1,000 per week or $25 per hour...........then work out how many hours work it costs for various items.....i.e one hour buys............7 pints o beer........3 packs of 20 cigarettes.........18 litres of petrol............2 lb of steak..........8 kg of potatoes.........4 lots of fish and chips...............a good chinese meal 2 good bottles of wine........etc

hard to equate mortgages, capital growth needs to be factored in.......and around australia, house prices change dramatiically............but an average house in the suburbs of sydney costs about $500, 000.......or 200, 000 pounds............this will be a detached house, pool, 4 beds double garage and a reasonable sized block.......approx 700 sq. metres.
houses by the water would probably average well over a 2 million dollars.....

in outer areas, bargains can be gained, however travel then becomes an issue depending on location of work.....my old house was 8 beds 5 baths, air con......2 acres pool, snooker room.........lots of extras.........sold 2 years ago for just under a million........( 400k pounds ) this was 50 km or about an hours drive to the city centre..........and same to the mountains or the ocean.

ok..........in summary then..........i think this is abetter place for young folk starting a family..........however......you do miss home, your relo"s and good old english humour.......we do tend to mix easy and aussies can be great mates, very loyal adn good fun

hope this adds a bit to Blue Boars post and is informative.

:banner:
n.b....... we should get to see at least 5 or so blues games live.........that means getting up at 2 am to watch them however .......
take care
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The Blue Bear
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Mikael Forssell
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ozbrummie
Jun 5 2008, 09:57 AM


hope this adds a bit to Blue Boars post and is informative.


It certainly does!!

Brillinat post....very informative, accurate and helpful for any Brit interested in the move.

Queens Birthday public holiday this monday........something else that isn't honoured in the old country. (Even though the Queens birthday is actually 21st April)
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The Blue Bear
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Mikael Forssell
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ManicBlue36
May 28 2008, 04:36 PM
Absolute top post Bear!! I really appreciate the insight you gave, and you covered a lot of points which are of interest to me.

I know it's a combination of many things which could be argued why this country is going downhill (fast?), but the one main factor I think that is contributing to the problems in our society, is the lack of respect ie. yer chav-types etc. What's your view of it down there? You touched on how good the customer service was over there, so that would be interesting to hear.

As with Adam, I'm a Tamworth lad, but moved to Notthingham nearly a couple of years ago. Tamworth generally is an ok area, whereas Nottingham being the big city is, has more widespread problems, but both have the same ones like you get in every other town and city in the UK, such as the centres being turned into no-go zones by a certain time at weekends, etc. Don't get me wrong, Ive had good times out in both places, but if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time.... and there's absolutely no way you could take your kids out, even early evenings. I've heard it's more family-orientated in other countries, like Spain for instance.

As for Pommie bashing, if I were to move over there, bring it on, I'd say!! :)

Oh, and when did you leave Chelmsley Wood, Bear?

Sorry mate, didn't see your post before.....

In terms of respect, I think there is a world-wide problem with that, I guess modern society that we all live in is controlled very much by an American-celebrity-I'm cool attidude....America for me is the root of all of societys problems today.

Customer service is very good. The relationship between customer and supplier is very polite, you are always greeted, and rarely ignored. I think you have to experience it to believe it.

I know what you are saying about the 'no-go zones'....without being too political, and I have made my politcial views quite public on other threads....until we have a change of government in the UK, preferably one that will put the Brits first for a change, things will never change.

The Pommie bashing is part of every-day culture here......but I love it. It's all good banter, and I enjoy singing God save YOUR Queen to them on a regular basis! ;-)

One point I'd like to make..........

To anyone thinking of making the life-changing move.......make sure you at least experience it first.....spend a few weeks, or a couple of months here first......and remember, whilst that is a holiday....you will still need to do the normal stuff.......work, pay bills, etc etc........

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Jmackay
Bob Hatton
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I'm a Brummie who has been in Australia for a bloody long time and I have enjoyed reading the comments above. I agree with most, but not all, but in the main a pretty good guide to life in Australia.

Ive just got back from a couple of weeks in England in May and I found I enjoyed all the stuff Ive always enjoyed ... the stunning countryside, proximity to Europe, the country pubs, etc.

And I hated all the things Ive always hated ... how crowded it seems in comparison to Australia, the awful service in some shops, the rubbish food in so many places we ate, the traffic, how it's almost impossible to park a car in any city or town in England without paying through the nose for it ... well you all know better than I do what the problems are.

I still love England and I still love going there but I am married to an Australian who doesnt like the place as much as I do. She will happily come with me every few years but asks, quite reasonably, why we dont go somewhere we've never been instead.

But the original question here started me thinking about what it is about Australia I like in comparison to England.

In simple tearms, I think it's probably the simplicity of life here. It's so easy to live in Australia.

Crime is minor, there's very little racial tension, weather is good which leads to an outdoor life, there's plenty of room and as Bear points out, if you want to work you can always get a job.

As for Pommy-bashing, that's nothing. It's all good natured and my wife and Aussie-born kids even call me The Pom. That's not even an issue for me.

And if you'd seen the affection showered on English-born Jane McGrath when she died this week it would have brought tears to your eyes.

Well that's my two bob's worth. Hope it helps



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bornblues64
Mikael Forssell
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Live in Spain and although i cant speak for Spain as a whole because i have lived in the same place for 5 years, where i live is heaven compared to where i lived in England.

Generally think that law and order is about the same as in the Uk, dont care where you live there is crime etc, unless you live on an island with 100 inhabitants, beer is cheaper here and better, its like a lot of the Aussie emigrants we live more outdoors here but thats obviously made easier by the weather.

Would say the food in general is better in the Uk but a big factor in that is most food is cooked in olive oil so therefore is generally more healthy to eat.

Work is the same as in the Uk i currently work far more hours than i did in the Uk for a lot less money my wage is about 800 squid monthly, but to even that out the price i pay for my apartment is about 350 squid a month for a front line apartment with stunning sea views, i dont think i could dream of earning enough to pay for the equivalent in the Uk.

Bills are cheaper, what people are paying in council tax in the Uk i would say i pay all my bills for slightly less than that.

Food is cheaper in the supermarkets, loaf of bread about 40 pence, milk about 45 pence a litre, 5 litres of water is about 30 pence.

All in all at the moment i wouldnt even think of moving back to the Uk.

As for banter at work etc i get called all sorts, my nickname at work roughly translated is "s**t immigrant" but i dish it out as well.

The one great thing about Spain is the PC Brigade have no say here, you can say what you want when you want and nobody gives a damn, the PC Brigade here as a very small membership.

Over here you need to speak the language and integrate or the Spanish will just ignore you and wont go out of their way to help you (unless you are a gormless tourist then they will find all sorts of ways to rip you off)

As for blues games i saw a load last year on the internet but it will be more difficult now as we have gone down but saying that there are plenty of English bars in a town near to us that have Sky Sports but as i dont frequent them i will miss most of this season but i will still have my local Spanish team to support on Sunday mornings so i'll get to see them, (season ticket 35 squid a year)!!!

I would recommend anyone to come and live in Spain its better than the Uk but its imperative to speak the language well as only then can you integrate, find work etc and truly appreciate the eccentricity of the people.
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username
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Alex Govan
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ozbrummie
Jun 5 2008, 09:57 AM
The Blue Bear
May 9 2008, 10:54 PM
Everythink you said

ozbrummie
Jun 5 2008, 09:57 AM
and everythink you said also


Sounds like paradise, I'm a mature student curremtly doing my psyche nursing at uni my aim has been to emigrate to oz for a few years now. I am far from being any kind of expert on the place but cant think of a better place to go in saying farewell to my country of birth. from what you have posted it seems like a dream, I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to spiders and moths though and the thought of some of those deadly snakes is a bit alarming, am I over reacting and are these afflictions assigned mainly to the outbacks, or would my fears be a real threat,

I have also heard to be accepted in oz there is a age cut off of 45 is this correct.
feed.back
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Jmackay
Bob Hatton
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username
Jul 2 2008, 07:22 PM
ozbrummie
Jun 5 2008, 09:57 AM
The Blue Bear
May 9 2008, 10:54 PM
Everythink you said

ozbrummie
Jun 5 2008, 09:57 AM
and everythink you said also


I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to spiders and moths though and the thought of some of those deadly snakes is a bit alarming, am I over reacting and are these afflictions assigned mainly to the outbacks, or would my fears be a real threat,

I have also heard to be accepted in oz there is a age cut off of 45 is this correct.
feed.back

Username, In all the years I've been here I've seen about three snakes and Ive never been eaten by a shark.

If you come across a snake in the bush they'll run before you do unless you corner them and they can't get away.

The only creepy things the average person sees are spiders and the really scary looking ones, the huntsmen, are totally harmless.

And Ive never heard of those killer moths.

When I first came to Aust a guy I worked with told me to watch out for the hoop snakes, which put their tails in their mouths and roll after you. And however fast you run, they'll roll faster. :rolleyes:

Then there are the drop bears, which drop from trees and savage you. :rolleyes:

Seriously, none of the above are an issue ... ask anyone on here.

As for the 45 age limit, Ive never heard of it and I doubt it. But dont quote me on that . Cheers

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username
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Alex Govan
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Jmackay
Jul 3 2008, 03:40 AM
username
Jul 2 2008, 07:22 PM
ozbrummie
Jun 5 2008, 09:57 AM
The Blue Bear
May 9 2008, 10:54 PM
Everythink you said

ozbrummie
Jun 5 2008, 09:57 AM
and everythink you said also


I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to spiders and moths though and the thought of some of those deadly snakes is a bit alarming, am I over reacting and are these afflictions assigned mainly to the outbacks, or would my fears be a real threat,

I have also heard to be accepted in oz there is a age cut off of 45 is this correct.
feed.back

Username, In all the years I've been here I've seen about three snakes and Ive never been eaten by a shark.

If you come across a snake in the bush they'll run before you do unless you corner them and they can't get away.

The only creepy things the average person sees are spiders and the really scary looking ones, the huntsmen, are totally harmless.

And Ive never heard of those killer moths.

When I first came to Aust a guy I worked with told me to watch out for the hoop snakes, which put their tails in their mouths and roll after you. And however fast you run, they'll roll faster. :rolleyes:

Then there are the drop bears, which drop from trees and savage you. :rolleyes:

Seriously, none of the above are an issue ... ask anyone on here.

As for the 45 age limit, Ive never heard of it and I doubt it. But dont quote me on that . Cheers

Thanks for that,
Drop bears eh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULEQpUY_crc
still more worried about the spiders

Hoop snakes :D

Just have to address my phobias if I am serious about taking the step.
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Wisel
Unregistered

Interesting thread, and good comparisons made.

Am I right in saying the following:

3 bed house in Brisbane £160k ~ 3 bed house in Hall Green £180K
Average annual salary Australia £20K ~ UK £25K
Seems pretty comparable.

Is this the answer to our lack of ST sales then, you're all in Oz?????
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ozbrummie
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Bob Hatton
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username
Jul 2 2008, 07:22 PM
ozbrummie
Jun 5 2008, 09:57 AM
The Blue Bear
May 9 2008, 10:54 PM
Everythink you said

ozbrummie
Jun 5 2008, 09:57 AM
and everythink you said also


Sounds like paradise, I'm a mature student curremtly doing my psyche nursing at uni my aim has been to emigrate to oz for a few years now. I am far from being any kind of expert on the place but cant think of a better place to go in saying farewell to my country of birth. from what you have posted it seems like a dream, I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to spiders and moths though and the thought of some of those deadly snakes is a bit alarming, am I over reacting and are these afflictions assigned mainly to the outbacks, or would my fears be a real threat,

I have also heard to be accepted in oz there is a age cut off of 45 is this correct.
feed.back

hello nurse,
until recently i lived on a 5 acre property in an outer suburb of sydney, in 20 years i saw 2 snakes and about 5 or so redback spiders.......never a problem dear........i only recall hearing of one fatality regarding snakes. that one was a snake man, who entertained crowds for years with his circus of reptiles.

gues in summary, you should worry more about the sharks in the high street an d in westmintster !!

although not as good as they used to be, hospitals here are great.......my wife has been in several times and been well cared for......we have a big demand for nurses, so you will do well.........psyche nurses.......can't comment, never had one look after me :D

cut off age 45 ?.......never heard that one before, at age 62 ( a lot less in outlook)...make me sound like oztesaurus or something ....lol......

don't get too many pre conceived ideas.....get your ass over here and see for yourself....

all the best
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ozbrummie
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Bob Hatton
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ahhh..Wisel............averages man........always dangerous, reminds me of the man who had his feet in the freezer and head in the oven.........average body temperature 98.4 deg F..........but had been dead for six months !!!

i think a more acurate comparison is quality of life.........i.e. what does the house in Brisband and Hall Green offer in terms of comfort, location, etc.

if an average income comparison is used............how many hours of work to buy
pint of beer
fish and chips
loaf of bread
lb of steak
pack of cigs
gallon of petrol
weekly mortgage on loan ( or home owned at average age of 45 ?)

quality of schools, hospitals etc
safety for residents
transport to and from hospitality centres

local recreational facilities
further education potential

etc etc

i gues at the end of the day, how do we measure happiness and contentment ?

take care

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PartisanBCFC
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Jack Wiseman
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Have lived in West Central Florida now for 14 years and have never regretted it apart from the fact job security is not really great here.......People lose their jobs for the pettiest of reasons and it's all done so nonchalantly you actually wonder sometimes as if people really care ...Unemployment benefits here are a joke and barely cover your petrol (gas) expense so it's important to keep working all the time ......Even homeless people get the same amount so the poor of the nation are harshly treated....there is such a WIDER spectrum between wealth and poverty here......Americans don't care for welfare states and especially left wing prone nations that much and thus there is a strong work ethic here...That dollar bill means 'everything to some folks.....Dog eat dog world as they say but the USA is well known as being the last bastion of pure capitalism

I've changed jobs so many times I've lost count but only because I've never really found anything I've 100 per cent enjoyed or I've been very harshly treated but usually you don't have to wait long to find another job..........I worked in the airline industry in Brum but that industry over here is having a tough time now due to the rising fuel and the events of September 11th 2001

When you think of the USA you automatically think of guns and crime naturally but I can honestly say I have never even heard a gun fired in the 14 years I've live here............Most Americans are considered middle class so if you find a decent neighbourhood to live in you can feel relatively safe........I live about 30 miles northwest of Tampa.........Crime is serious in certain poorer ,low income areas of Tampa and st Petersburg and it really is only an issue in parts of major cities.....In fact I 'm told these days it would probably be more risky living in areas such as Kingstanding,Erdington,Handsworth and some of the inner city areas of Brum where there have been problems with gang shootings and drugs than living in my district (so I'm told).....There does seem to be more petty theft in the UK cities such as house burglary and car theft ......Those are actually rare here but child abduction and child abuse have been a real problem throughout the nation in recent years

There has always been a drug culture in the USA but more kids are being educated these days to be wise and turn them down and the penalties for anyone dealing in drugs are pretty severe

And Boy !! am I glad I grew up in Britain as the legal drinking age in most states nowadays is 21

It is very hot and humid here in the summer (unbearable sometimes) but come the weekends etc we enjoy some of the best beaches in the country.....Winters are fabulous...........NO snow has fallen here for more than 20 years and Christmas Day average temperature is sunny and 70 degrees F (21 C roughly).....The Canadians and Brits even jump head first into the ocean in January :LMAO: but the temp of the Gulf Of Mexico in August is 85 degrees F so kind of feels like jumping into a warm bath quite literally

Healthcare and dental care are the best in the world but also astronimical in cost so it's important to be working and get some kind of health,vision and dental insurance plan......One thing I miss from the UK is the NHS and the feeling of not being burdened by huge medical bills

Electronics,food,clothing and cars are dirt cheap...........The dollar is roughly coverted 2 to the pound now so dollar amounts are halved for the British pound sterling equivalent.....i.e ...$10.00 = 5 pounds

Income Tax rate is approx 20 per cent but we don't pay state tax which some other states do ......Sales tax differs from county to county and state to state and in FL it averages 7 per cent....That's like your VAT.......Most expensive cities to live in are San Francisco,Boston,New York City,San Diego and Chicago ....Cheapest areas are the Southern states....mainly Florida,Georgia,Loiusiana,Arkansas,Texas,Tennessee and the Carolinas

A quality new 4 door sedan car - $ 20,000 - $22,000 ..(Toyota,Ford,etc)..you can get into a new Hyundai or Kia for less than that
SUV vehicle (Explorer,Blazer etc) - $30,000
The house we bought has a 2 car garage 4 bedrooms,fully air conditioned (a must in Florida) and 1,700 square feet of living space as well as a swimming pool - $165,000 ......There is no way we could buy this kind of house in the UK for the same money .....You're probably talking 3 ,4 or even 5 times more
LCD TV 40 inch - $650 - $900
Washing machine - $400
Electric clothes dryer - $450
Good brand Electric oven - $600
New mobile phone - $50 with rebate
Microwave oven 1000W - $75
CD's new release - $18-22
Good quality DVD player - $80-120
Good quality mens trousers - $60 shirts - $40 .....Clothing is cheap but perhaps the quality isn't quite as good as Europe....very much the case with shoes
King or Queen size bed (twice the width as a UK double) - $900
Average bi-weekly food shopping for my family of four ....approx $200

Gasoline (petrol) is roughly $3.79 a gallon now ......x 2 for the pound equivalent but no worries as you guys use 'litres ' now anyway,right ?? They still use gallons,quarts and pints for measurement here and feet,inches for distance etc But I know for a fact that the USA mile is shorter than a Britsh one.......500 ml can is roughly 12 fl ounces I believe....If you ever buy clothes,shoes here ,try them on.....my English shoe size is 9 but I have to take a 10 here in America

Eating out is a real pleasure in the States.....yes there's lots of fast/junk food purely for convenience that's true but a huge choice of American,Mexican,European,Veggie Lover (great and hearty salads etc) and Asian cuisine .....The food is wonderful and plentiful .......Bill for a full family of four meal......main course, desserts and beverages ......approx $50

The country is vast with no less than 6 time zones if you include Alaska and Hawaii and there are some of the most spectacular deserts,rivers and mountain ranges in the world ......Driving standard here in Florida is well below par compared to the UK even with lower speed limits (although 70 MPH is quite common on interstates ) and of course we drive on the right but roads are generally three times wider than UK roads and funnily enough one of the FEW items that costs MORE than England is Car Insurance !! :banghead: .......It's vastly higher for 18-25 year olds but the high premiums even for 30 year olds and older are most likely due to more claims and the high cost of medical treatment......you have to protect yourself much more against liability here

But for such an advanced country such as this, My ONE big gripe here is paid time off .....When I left my job in the UK I was getting 33 days a year holiday...more than a month off every year....I know some folks especially in France and Germany get 6 weeks or more

But here in the USA you usually have to work a whole year just to get 2 weeks ....it is an absolute JOKE.........The key is to own your own buisness and have someone trained and ready to fill in for you or stay loyal to a company and get at least 5 years service in....then the benefits and 'time off allowances' increase dramatically

But America certainly is the land of opportunity........Great climate here and my kids enjoy a great education.....high school students study right up to 18 years old (some drop out early of course but NOT advisable) and then of course parents are recommended to put their kids through either 2 years of college or university or 4 years even better.....Again though that isn't exactly cheap but a college degree goes a long way to a secure and prosperous future.....Poorer kids can qualify for scholarships (kind of sponsorships) especially if that student has excellence in SPORT ....and another great thing here is room and SPACE......there are very few space restrictions being a huge continent so everything is so BIG especially the grocery stores and shopping malls

Race relations have improved and the USA is of course a huge melting pot of people from virtually every nation on the planet so I don't really feel like a foreigner at all although the Brummie accent gets some Yanks very curious and most of them love the English,of course due to the fact that many descend from the major countries of Europe anyway......There are now 42 million Americans with IRISH heritage so St Paddies Day is a big event countrywide :drink:

My kids (once adults) have their own freedom of choice once adults to join the US military too if they wish........Veterans as they are known (ex services men and women) are well respected here when it comes to job selection and advancement.....The Army,Navy and Air Force will even pay for most college fees

Americans are very patriotic as are we Brits....and on that note I kept my UK citizenship as I am legally entitled to live and work here anyway

I do get homesick of course but visit Brum regularly......I miss the Blues with a passion but actually get to see them virtually every week with all the new digital and satellite entertainment at our fingetrtips...... My current fibre optic network carries high speed internet and no less than 500 channels on TV plus of course we have numerous English owned bars carrying English games every week ....Football or 'soccer' as it's universally known over here is the fastest growing recreation sport by far but isn't popular as a spectator sport....that really is mainly due to it's low scoring format ....i.e 0-0 draws are considered very boring here but of course we all know many games don't produce too many goals

Things I really MISS
The Bovril at the Blues and the live footy of couse
Good old Fish and Chips
The trains........virtually NO passenger train service at all in my part of the States
The good old country pubs and country pub food
Counties like Devon and Cornwall
The bread and milk......the bread here is very starchy and gets stale easily.....the milk is good but doesn't have that creamy taste like the England equivalent

That WEAK dollar means great news for Brits travelling here for holidays ...But if you plan to live here......I'd recommend it......Work hard,stay out of trouble and obey the laws and the opportunites are ENDLESS ......As I said not much free time to enjoy yourself at first but being out of work here just means severe hardship and it's tougher to make ends meet ...Kind of hardens you up if you get my drift

KRO :Blues:


KRO
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ozbrummie
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Bob Hatton
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PartisanBCFC
Aug 8 2008, 04:35 AM
Have lived in West Central Florida now for 14 years and have never regretted it apart from the fact job security is not really great here.......People lose their jobs for the pettiest of reasons and it's all done so nonchalantly you actually wonder sometimes as if people really care ...Unemployment benefits here are a joke and barely cover your petrol (gas) expense so it's important to keep working all the time ......Even homeless people get the same amount so the poor of the nation are harshly treated....there is such a WIDER spectrum between wealth and poverty here......Americans don't care for welfare states and especially left wing prone nations that much and thus there is a strong work ethic here...That dollar bill means 'everything to some folks.....Dog eat dog world as they say but the USA is well known as being the last bastion of pure capitalism

I've changed jobs so many times I've lost count but only because I've never really found anything I've 100 per cent enjoyed or I've been very harshly treated but usually you don't have to wait long to find another job..........I worked in the airline industry in Brum but that industry over here is having a tough time now due to the rising fuel and the events of September 11th 2001

When you think of the USA you automatically think of guns and crime naturally but I can honestly say I have never even heard a gun fired in the 14 years I've live here............Most Americans are considered middle class so if you find a decent neighbourhood to live in you can feel relatively safe........I live about 30 miles northwest of Tampa.........Crime is serious in certain poorer ,low income areas of Tampa and st Petersburg and it really is only an issue in parts of major cities.....In fact I 'm told these days it would probably be more risky living in areas such as Kingstanding,Erdington,Handsworth and some of the inner city areas of Brum where there have been problems with gang shootings and drugs than living in my district (so I'm told).....There does seem to be more petty theft in the UK cities such as house burglary and car theft ......Those are actually rare here but child abduction and child abuse have been a real problem throughout the nation in recent years

There has always been a drug culture in the USA but more kids are being educated these days to be wise and turn them down and the penalties for anyone dealing in drugs are pretty severe

And Boy !! am I glad I grew up in Britain as the legal drinking age in most states nowadays is 21

It is very hot and humid here in the summer (unbearable sometimes) but come the weekends etc we enjoy some of the best beaches in the country.....Winters are fabulous...........NO snow has fallen here for more than 20 years and Christmas Day average temperature is sunny and 70 degrees F (21 C roughly).....The Canadians and Brits even jump head first into the ocean in January :LMAO: but the temp of the Gulf Of Mexico in August is 85 degrees F so kind of feels like jumping into a warm bath quite literally

Healthcare and dental care are the best in the world but also astronimical in cost so it's important to be working and get some kind of health,vision and dental insurance plan......One thing I miss from the UK is the NHS and the feeling of not being burdened by huge medical bills

Electronics,food,clothing and cars are dirt cheap...........The dollar is roughly coverted 2 to the pound now so dollar amounts are halved for the British pound sterling equivalent.....i.e ...$10.00 = 5 pounds

Income Tax rate is approx 20 per cent but we don't pay state tax which some other states do ......Sales tax differs from county to county and state to state and in FL it averages 7 per cent....That's like your VAT.......Most expensive cities to live in are San Francisco,Boston,New York City,San Diego and Chicago ....Cheapest areas are the Southern states....mainly Florida,Georgia,Loiusiana,Arkansas,Texas,Tennessee and the Carolinas

A quality new 4 door sedan car - $ 20,000 - $22,000 ..(Toyota,Ford,etc)..you can get into a new Hyundai or Kia for less than that
SUV vehicle (Explorer,Blazer etc) - $30,000
The house we bought has a 2 car garage 4 bedrooms,fully air conditioned (a must in Florida) and 1,700 square feet of living space as well as a swimming pool - $165,000 ......There is no way we could buy this kind of house in the UK for the same money .....You're probably talking 3 ,4 or even 5 times more
LCD TV 40 inch - $650 - $900
Washing machine - $400
Electric clothes dryer - $450
Good brand Electric oven - $600
New mobile phone - $50 with rebate
Microwave oven 1000W - $75
CD's new release - $18-22
Good quality DVD player - $80-120
Good quality mens trousers - $60 shirts - $40 .....Clothing is cheap but perhaps the quality isn't quite as good as Europe....very much the case with shoes
King or Queen size bed (twice the width as a UK double) - $900
Average bi-weekly food shopping for my family of four ....approx $200

Gasoline (petrol) is roughly $3.79 a gallon now ......x 2 for the pound equivalent but no worries as you guys use 'litres ' now anyway,right ?? They still use gallons,quarts and pints for measurement here and feet,inches for distance etc But I know for a fact that the USA mile is shorter than a Britsh one.......500 ml can is roughly 12 fl ounces I believe....If you ever buy clothes,shoes here ,try them on.....my English shoe size is 9 but I have to take a 10 here in America

Eating out is a real pleasure in the States.....yes there's lots of fast/junk food purely for convenience that's true but a huge choice of American,Mexican,European,Veggie Lover (great and hearty salads etc) and Asian cuisine .....The food is wonderful and plentiful .......Bill for a full family of four meal......main course, desserts and beverages ......approx $50

The country is vast with no less than 6 time zones if you include Alaska and Hawaii and there are some of the most spectacular deserts,rivers and mountain ranges in the world ......Driving standard here in Florida is well below par compared to the UK even with lower speed limits (although 70 MPH is quite common on interstates ) and of course we drive on the right but roads are generally three times wider than UK roads and funnily enough one of the FEW items that costs MORE than England is Car Insurance !! :banghead: .......It's vastly higher for 18-25 year olds but the high premiums even for 30 year olds and older are most likely due to more claims and the high cost of medical treatment......you have to protect yourself much more against liability here

But for such an advanced country such as this, My ONE big gripe here is paid time off .....When I left my job in the UK I was getting 33 days a year holiday...more than a month off every year....I know some folks especially in France and Germany get 6 weeks or more

But here in the USA you usually have to work a whole year just to get 2 weeks ....it is an absolute JOKE.........The key is to own your own buisness and have someone trained and ready to fill in for you or stay loyal to a company and get at least 5 years service in....then the benefits and 'time off allowances' increase dramatically

But America certainly is the land of opportunity........Great climate here and my kids enjoy a great education.....high school students study right up to 18 years old (some drop out early of course but NOT advisable) and then of course parents are recommended to put their kids through either 2 years of college or university or 4 years even better.....Again though that isn't exactly cheap but a college degree goes a long way to a secure and prosperous future.....Poorer kids can qualify for scholarships (kind of sponsorships) especially if that student has excellence in SPORT ....and another great thing here is room and SPACE......there are very few space restrictions being a huge continent so everything is so BIG especially the grocery stores and shopping malls

Race relations have improved and the USA is of course a huge melting pot of people from virtually every nation on the planet so I don't really feel like a foreigner at all although the Brummie accent gets some Yanks very curious and most of them love the English,of course due to the fact that many descend from the major countries of Europe anyway......There are now 42 million Americans with IRISH heritage so St Paddies Day is a big event countrywide :drink:

My kids (once adults) have their own freedom of choice once adults to join the US military too if they wish........Veterans as they are known (ex services men and women) are well respected here when it comes to job selection and advancement.....The Army,Navy and Air Force will even pay for most college fees

Americans are very patriotic as are we Brits....and on that note I kept my UK citizenship as I am legally entitled to live and work here anyway

I do get homesick of course but visit Brum regularly......I miss the Blues with a passion but actually get to see them virtually every week with all the new digital and satellite entertainment at our fingetrtips...... My current fibre optic network carries high speed internet and no less than 500 channels on TV plus of course we have numerous English owned bars carrying English games every week ....Football or 'soccer' as it's universally known over here is the fastest growing recreation sport by far but isn't popular as a spectator sport....that really is mainly due to it's low scoring format ....i.e 0-0 draws are considered very boring here but of course we all know many games don't produce too many goals

Things I really MISS
The Bovril at the Blues and the live footy of couse
Good old Fish and Chips
The trains........virtually NO passenger train service at all in my part of the States
The good old country pubs and country pub food
Counties like Devon and Cornwall
The bread and milk......the bread here is very starchy and gets stale easily.....the milk is good but doesn't have that creamy taste like the England equivalent

That WEAK dollar means great news for Brits travelling here for holidays ...But if you plan to live here......I'd recommend it......Work hard,stay out of trouble and obey the laws and the opportunites are ENDLESS ......As I said not much free time to enjoy yourself at first but being out of work here just means severe hardship and it's tougher to make ends meet ...Kind of hardens you up if you get my drift

KRO :Blues:


KRO

Great write up partisan.........really enjoyed the article.....

i am convinced somewhere in our "genes" there is a travel bug, I have distant relatives who i personally know in Canada, South Africa, Norway , all happily reporting the "pros and cons" of where / how they live.

make an interesting book methinks, for someone to put all the perspectives together.........of course it can only reflect a set point in time.

take care

:banner:
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PartisanBCFC
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Jack Wiseman
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Cheers ,oz

I feel I am a patriotic Brit and am very proud to be English .....But the impression I'm getting both from family and friends who still live in and around Brum is that the country is going downhill

The chief complaints are the government,the current economy (but that clould be said of many nations right now including The Unites States) but what always crops up is the 'soft' immigration laws of recent decades and the European rulings of opening up country borders to other member nations

Of course this only opens a huge can of worms.....by that I mean accusations of racism,the religous and cultural divides ,the Big Brother mentality of some countries,the ratio of ethnics to whites,the demise of British industry etc ,

Unfortunately Britain was an Imperialist state and tried to dominate half the world 200 or 300 years ago........We were considered tyrannical and cruel yet recent history shows us countries like Japan and Germany have benefitted more than the victorious 'free' nations since World WarTwo ........Our history is coming back to bite us and I'm afraid no-one can really dispute that

I still love old Blighty dearly though..............and would gladly live there again if my own circumstances were to suddenly change


KRO
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OutOfTowner
Mick Harford
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If you don't mind me asking why the move to the US? Also I am wondering what you think is the difference in the sport cultures between the American fan and the British fan?
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The Blue Bear
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Mikael Forssell
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Jmackay
Jul 3 2008, 03:40 AM

Username, In all the years I've been here I've seen about three snakes and Ive never been eaten by a shark.

If you come across a snake in the bush they'll run before you do unless you corner them and they can't get away.

The only creepy things the average person sees are spiders and the really scary looking ones, the huntsmen, are totally harmless.

And Ive never heard of those killer moths.

When I first came to Aust a guy I worked with told me to watch out for the hoop snakes, which put their tails in their mouths and roll after you. And however fast you run, they'll roll faster. :rolleyes:

Then there are the drop bears, which drop from trees and savage you. :rolleyes:

Seriously, none of the above are an issue ... ask anyone on here.

As for the 45 age limit, Ive never heard of it and I doubt it. But dont quote me on that . Cheers

ROFLOL!!! :LMAO:

Spot on mate, I remember when I first came here, I always checked under the toilet seat for spiders, and always checked inside my shoes for them too.

Oh, and the first time I went into the pacific ocean I crapped myself (not literally)...I was so nervous about sharks! LOL

Partisan, great post mate, very detailed view on your part of the states.
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