# What is Brisbane like?



## PDXnative (Aug 5, 2008)

Can anyone tell me what life is like in Brisbane? Is it a good place to live? Is there a lot of crime? Any dangers in the area such as cyclones, crocs, snakes, etc? How affordable is it to live there?


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## jabaspurs (Jul 20, 2008)

Hi

Try this site as it's quite helpful - Home | ourbrisbane.com

But like you i could do with more info.

Jamie


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## Shouganai (Aug 25, 2008)

*Brisbane is a good choice.*



PDXnative said:


> Can anyone tell me what life is like in Brisbane? Is it a good place to live? Is there a lot of crime? Any dangers in the area such as cyclones, crocs, snakes, etc? How affordable is it to live there?


I have been to all cities in Australia except Tasmania's Hobart. Brisbane is far smaller (1.2mil) than say Sydney (4.8mil) or Melbourne (4mil), so its a lot more quiet. People are very friendly. Crime is higher because of higher unemployment. A lot of migration from the other cities is the cause. There is a lot of unruly youth around, mainly on the Gold Coast. A lot of tourists. 
Its hot in summer, pleasant in winter. I think you could find a place you like there. Its too far south for cyclones, crocs. Australia has the most poisonous snakes in the world, but you never see them. I'm a geologist, and moving around the bush you never see them, just be careful walking through bush at the beach as they can't feel your vibration, and they can look like sticks in the sand when you walk through the scrub back to your car. You might see them on the dirt tracks if driving your car. 
Australia is more expensive these days, but its still ok. 
I think Brisbane and Sydney are the best main cities to live.


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## spadgersdad (Aug 30, 2008)

*Hi PDXnative*



PDXnative said:


> Can anyone tell me what life is like in Brisbane? Is it a good place to live? Is there a lot of crime? Any dangers in the area such as cyclones, crocs, snakes, etc? How affordable is it to live there?


Hi PDXnative,
Brisbane is a great place to live, lots of culture, night life, restaurants, art and live events. Crime, depends where you settle, like anywhere in the world there is high,low crime will have to do some searching on crime rates and areas to find where least crime is. We feel that crime rate is lower than where we were in England, children ride their bikes to school, and walk independently even in Primary, of which I found very strange at first, as would never allow my daughter to walk to school in the UK. We have settled in the Redlandshire area on the Bayside, and feel very happy and comfortable with going out at night and allowing our daughter that extra freedom to grow to become an independent adult. We have been here nearly three years not had cyclone so cannot answer you that one. Seen a few snakes and have a resident snake living in the eaves of the house, as with any nature leave it alone and it will leave you alone. Seen no crocs only at Australia zoo which suits me, go swimming in creeks further up North and one might be able to say hello to one personal (but would not advice it) Not sure if this helps but would advice you to research different areas, have a visit and see what gut instinct you have. If you need any further information please dont hesitate to contact me, good luck
Spadgersdad


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## SNH (Aug 26, 2008)

Shouganai said:


> Australia is more expensive these days, but its still ok.
> I think Brisbane and Sydney are the best main cities to live.



I would have to seriously disagree there.

It depends what you're after.

For good food and culture, I would have to say Canberra or Melbourne. Also Hobart, but so many people seem to move to Australia for that elusive beach culture, and Tasmania is more like what you would find in the British Isles.

For me Brisbane and Sydney remind me too much of places like Las Vegas or Florida. Glitzy, tacky, not a lot of heart. But then I don't really enjoy lounging on beaches - I like 'city cities' - places with attractions like good theatres, fashion, style, cultural aspects.

Queensland is a bit of a joke to other Australians because of the high concentration of 'bogans' who live there. (Bogans are feral people, hillbillies, something like that. The accent takes a lot of getting used to!!)
A lot of people like the place, but most of the Australians who don't live there at the moment would never want to.

And don't expect good weather in Sydney!!


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## nicholea (Jan 26, 2009)

I am sooo intruiged by what you wrote. I live in the U.S. and am moving to Australia in April. I had my heart set on Brisbane, but now that you compare it to Vegas or Florida I'm so confused! I would NEVER want to live in either of those places.

I've done research on Melbourne and feel certain it's not the city for me, but I know nothing about Canberra. Do you think it's the type of city that would be good for someone who's coming to Australia without a job and without a friend? It is my hope to be able to easily meet people in a bustling city, to find housing without a problem, and perhaps an "easy" job in a book store or coffee shop or something of that nature. Since I won't have a personal vehicle I will require some sort of public transportation. Is that something that Canberra offers? 

And how is the weather during the winter months? I will be in OZ for the dead of winter (April - Sept) and don't want to leave one cold climate for another. Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated!

One last thing....is it common for coffee shops (or public shops of any sort) to offer wi-fi?

THANKS!




SNH said:


> I would have to seriously disagree there.
> 
> It depends what you're after.
> 
> ...


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

Brisbane does remind me of Florida, but not Vegas. I'd say give Brisbane a look. I'm into the beaches culture so I live in Sydney and seriously disagree with SNH about the weather (I think Sydney weather is great). 

Not much free anything in AU (including Wi-fi). I've seen some free Wi-fi in McDonalds here but by and large it's not free or common to have free Wi-fi here. If you really need net access on the go then get a USB 3G stick that gives you mobile broadband (the cell phones here are much better than the US, US cells are the pits). If MEL is not a city for you I don't see Canberra having that much appeal to you either. I think it does have a good singles scene (as all the Federal Govt. depts are there and the many many public servants working there), but in Winter it is colder than Sydney. If you are coming in the middle of Winter you will feel the cold there, but I believe they have lots of central heating too. It's going to be sweater weather around the time you come and a light-medium jacket (like most Fall jackets in the US) are sufficient. You won't need gloves or thick down jackets or anything in most of AU. If you were going to Brisbane you might even get by with a sweater all Winter there.



nicholea said:


> I am sooo intruiged by what you wrote. I live in the U.S. and am moving to Australia in April. I had my heart set on Brisbane, but now that you compare it to Vegas or Florida I'm so confused! I would NEVER want to live in either of those places.
> 
> I've done research on Melbourne and feel certain it's not the city for me, but I know nothing about Canberra. Do you think it's the type of city that would be good for someone who's coming to Australia without a job and without a friend? It is my hope to be able to easily meet people in a bustling city, to find housing without a problem, and perhaps an "easy" job in a book store or coffee shop or something of that nature. Since I won't have a personal vehicle I will require some sort of public transportation. Is that something that Canberra offers?
> 
> ...


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## nicholea (Jan 26, 2009)

This is so confusing, amaslam! I now have it narrowed down to Sydney and Brisbane despite SNH's post. Though it is worrisome you've compared Brisbane to Florida - I lived there for several years and would never want to go back. It seems to be Sydney would have a little more "heart" than Brisbane, since it's more culturally diverse and seems more city-ish than beach-ish. 

Though the cost of living in Sydney is awfully daunting. It is that much more expensive to live in Sydney than Brisbane? And Brisbane temps during the winter on average will only be about 10 degrees warmer than in Sydney, correct?

Also, I'm guessing you haven't had to do this, but was hoping you'd know something about renting out furnished rooms. I just wonder in which city it would be easier to find something like this. 

I've been researching netbooks in the hopes of being able to travel with it and use wi-fi....but now I'm not so sure. I guess that was naive of me to assume that everywhere in the world has coffee shops and delis with wi-fi! Decisions, decisions 



amaslam said:


> Brisbane does remind me of Florida, but not Vegas. I'd say give Brisbane a look. I'm into the beaches culture so I live in Sydney and seriously disagree with SNH about the weather (I think Sydney weather is great).
> 
> Not much free anything in AU (including Wi-fi). I've seen some free Wi-fi in McDonalds here but by and large it's not free or common to have free Wi-fi here. If you really need net access on the go then get a USB 3G stick that gives you mobile broadband (the cell phones here are much better than the US, US cells are the pits). If MEL is not a city for you I don't see Canberra having that much appeal to you either. I think it does have a good singles scene (as all the Federal Govt. depts are there and the many many public servants working there), but in Winter it is colder than Sydney. If you are coming in the middle of Winter you will feel the cold there, but I believe they have lots of central heating too. It's going to be sweater weather around the time you come and a light-medium jacket (like most Fall jackets in the US) are sufficient. You won't need gloves or thick down jackets or anything in most of AU. If you were going to Brisbane you might even get by with a sweater all Winter there.


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## nicholea (Jan 26, 2009)

amaslam,

Do you think a cell phone with a USB 3G stick would be able to take the place of an actual computer/laptop for 6 months? If there is not much free Wi-fi offered, I don't anticipate being able to pay for internet wherever I am staying. I am now considering relying solely on my cell phone for internet purposes. 



amaslam said:


> Brisbane does remind me of Florida, but not Vegas. I'd say give Brisbane a look. I'm into the beaches culture so I live in Sydney and seriously disagree with SNH about the weather (I think Sydney weather is great).
> 
> Not much free anything in AU (including Wi-fi). I've seen some free Wi-fi in McDonalds here but by and large it's not free or common to have free Wi-fi here. If you really need net access on the go then get a USB 3G stick that gives you mobile broadband (the cell phones here are much better than the US, US cells are the pits). If MEL is not a city for you I don't see Canberra having that much appeal to you either. I think it does have a good singles scene (as all the Federal Govt. depts are there and the many many public servants working there), but in Winter it is colder than Sydney. If you are coming in the middle of Winter you will feel the cold there, but I believe they have lots of central heating too. It's going to be sweater weather around the time you come and a light-medium jacket (like most Fall jackets in the US) are sufficient. You won't need gloves or thick down jackets or anything in most of AU. If you were going to Brisbane you might even get by with a sweater all Winter there.


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## phat-dave (Nov 19, 2008)

Brisbane has high crime rates and unemployment????

I'd love to see these statements backed up with some evidence.... South East Queensland (Sunshine to the Gold Coast, Ipswich, Brisbane & Toowoomba) has experienced boom conditions for the past ten years, 1500 people move to Queensland a week because employment prospects are the highest in the country (higher than Western Australia). Violent crime is LOW however, break and enters have probably increased (im only guessing here).

Brisbane has a mild winter - 5 degrees at night - 25-30 during the day and we are not prone to cyclones (too far south) and there are no crocodiles.


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## nicholea (Jan 26, 2009)

It's not the crocs I'm afraid of. It's the snakes and the spiders. 



phat-dave said:


> Brisbane has high crime rates and unemployment????
> 
> I'd love to see these statements backed up with some evidence.... South East Queensland (Sunshine to the Gold Coast, Ipswich, Brisbane & Toowoomba) has experienced boom conditions for the past ten years, 1500 people move to Queensland a week because employment prospects are the highest in the country (higher than Western Australia). Violent crime is LOW however, break and enters have probably increased (im only guessing here).
> 
> Brisbane has a mild winter - 5 degrees at night - 25-30 during the day and we are not prone to cyclones (too far south) and there are no crocodiles.


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## phat-dave (Nov 19, 2008)

nicholea said:


> It's not the crocs I'm afraid of. It's the snakes and the spiders.


why, are you moving into the bush?

it seems to be a major misconception for all those immigrating that there are spiders and snakes crawling through the streets - think of your own country, where do these guys live?

australia is no different. ive lived in the suburbs all my life and love it, yes you get spiders, yes there are snakes HOWEVER ive probably seen 100 redback spiders in my life and 2 king brown snakes - they dont come charging down the main roads attacking you


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## nicholea (Jan 26, 2009)

definitely not! though i did want to live in the suburbs until i read on this very forum that some people have gotten used to finding snakes on their patios. but maybe they just really like where they live and don't want it getting too crowded 

i lived in florida for a while in a suburb right outside the city and had 7 unique snake experiences in a short 3 year period. if figure if it can happen there, well....

i am deathly afraid of snakes and almost just as much afraid of spiders. in all seriousness, i can only kill them by sucking them up with the vacuum cleaner and hoping that the pressure kills them! so one spider is too many.

but i am prepared to live with the spiders. i've lived in new york, san diego, boston and cleveland and have definitely had to deal with spiders. so i can only imagine that it might be just a little worse in a country that is known for having a few breeds of snakes and spiders 



phat-dave said:


> why, are you moving into the bush?
> 
> it seems to be a major misconception for all those immigrating that there are spiders and snakes crawling through the streets - think of your own country, where do these guys live?
> 
> australia is no different. ive lived in the suburbs all my life and love it, yes you get spiders, yes there are snakes HOWEVER ive probably seen 100 redback spiders in my life and 2 king brown snakes - they dont come charging down the main roads attacking you


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

Hi Nicholea:

I'll answer both your posts. 

Brisbane is almost always warmer than Sydney on any given day. And their Winter is not cold at all (20+ does not strike me as cold). Brisbane is more humid than Sydney so you feel the heat more during the Summer. I don't think it's exactly Florida but it does remind me of it. 

Now for the cost of living. Sydney is the most expensive city in AU on average. But it's not double the cost of the other cities. Lots of people live in Sydney at all socio-economic levels so you would find someplace suitable no matter what your occupation or salary level. The main cost in Sydney higher than most other cities is rental and house purchase. Other than that I haven't found it all that expensive.

As for furnished rooms I've seen some of that in the inner city and primarily for students. You may want to look at 'serviced apartments' which is available at some hotel chains. Unfurnished is the norm for most rentals here.

***
Now for the netbooks question, I'd still get a netbook instead of a smartphone for Internet browsing. There is both pre-paid and billable Internet here you can use on the go (Optus, Telstra, 3 all offer packages that include data). You can use a smartphone (i.e. something like a Blackberry) but I find them too limiting and would like to use computers most of the time. 

The lack of free Internet shouldn't daunt you, most places in the world do NOT have free Internet.



nicholea said:


> This is so confusing, amaslam! I now have it narrowed down to Sydney and Brisbane despite SNH's post. Though it is worrisome you've compared Brisbane to Florida - I lived there for several years and would never want to go back. It seems to be Sydney would have a little more "heart" than Brisbane, since it's more culturally diverse and seems more city-ish than beach-ish.
> 
> Though the cost of living in Sydney is awfully daunting. It is that much more expensive to live in Sydney than Brisbane? And Brisbane temps during the winter on average will only be about 10 degrees warmer than in Sydney, correct?
> 
> ...


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## scottishcelts (Aug 5, 2007)

phat-dave said:


> Brisbane has high crime rates and unemployment????
> 
> I'd love to see these statements backed up with some evidence.... South East Queensland (Sunshine to the Gold Coast, Ipswich, Brisbane & Toowoomba) has experienced boom conditions for the past ten years, 1500 people move to Queensland a week because employment prospects are the highest in the country (higher than Western Australia). Violent crime is LOW however, break and enters have probably increased (im only guessing here).
> 
> Brisbane has a mild winter - 5 degrees at night - 25-30 during the day and we are not prone to cyclones (too far south) and there are no crocodiles.


Totally agree phat-dave! I was just exactly the same thing and was about to post similar until i read your post.

You have to give Brisbane a shot and see for yourself but what we have discovered since arriving here in Brisbane is that there is NO crime here! - Compared with the UK anyways.

Good luck


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## scottishcelts (Aug 5, 2007)

nicholea said:


> definitely not! though i did want to live in the suburbs until i read on this very forum that some people have gotten used to finding snakes on their patios. but maybe they just really like where they live and don't want it getting too crowded
> 
> i lived in florida for a while in a suburb right outside the city and had 7 unique snake experiences in a short 3 year period. if figure if it can happen there, well....
> 
> ...


I am the worlds worst for spiders and have managed so far (well my face looked like this  for about 20 mins after seeing my first huntsmen) but you don't see these pesky creatures all the time and there are ways to control them too. As for the snakes....i haven't came across any yet , but the night is still young


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## nicholea (Jan 26, 2009)

Well, my visa was granted! So I now have about 2.5 months to make up my mind and decided whether it's going to be Brisbane or Sydney! I can't believe this is finally happening! I have a feeling a coin toss is going to be the decider in this matter 

I have to pre-apologize because this is most likely going to be a dumb question (I'm not at all tech savvy, in case you haven't noticed), but I can buy a laptop here, bring it over there and just get some sort of power cord converter, right? I'm slightly embarrassed to even ask that question 

Thanks for the info on the Australian apartment scene, especially the lingo. I'll search for serviced apartments, though I have noticed quite a few shared apartments that are already furnished. Like you said, most are unfurnished, but I've been pleasantly surprised to find more than a handful that are furnished.




amaslam said:


> Hi Nicholea:
> 
> I'll answer both your posts.
> 
> ...


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

Your laptop will work fine, you just need a plug adapter ($10 at Radio Shack or cheaper on Ebay) that converts the US (2 blade + 1 round) to AU (3 blade of which 2 are angled). I'd get about 3-5 and they should last for any time you spend in AU.

What tells you if your laptop power is compatible is writing on the power brick that comes with all laptops. Look for this (100-240V, 50-60 Hz). This means it will work at just about any voltage in the world. AU is 240V/50Hz and US is 120V/60Hz

I've brought several computers here with me and they always work (laptop and desktops). If you are using a desktop then you have to manually flick a switch on the power supply that switches it from 110V to 240V (it's normally orange on the power supply at the back of the PC). With laptops the brick is auto-switching so it does this automatically (no switches to flip).



nicholea said:


> Well, my visa was granted! So I now have about 2.5 months to make up my mind and decided whether it's going to be Brisbane or Sydney! I can't believe this is finally happening! I have a feeling a coin toss is going to be the decider in this matter
> 
> I have to pre-apologize because this is most likely going to be a dumb question (I'm not at all tech savvy, in case you haven't noticed), but I can buy a laptop here, bring it over there and just get some sort of power cord converter, right? I'm slightly embarrassed to even ask that question
> 
> Thanks for the info on the Australian apartment scene, especially the lingo. I'll search for serviced apartments, though I have noticed quite a few shared apartments that are already furnished. Like you said, most are unfurnished, but I've been pleasantly surprised to find more than a handful that are furnished.


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## scottishcelts (Aug 5, 2007)

Congratulations on getting your visa - decisions decisions decisions now


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## nicholea (Jan 26, 2009)

Amaslam,

You really are a wealth of knowledge...I honestly can't thank you enough for the help you've given. 

I have one last question for you and then hopefully I will be away from this forum for awhile, doing the research that really needs to be done before May. The question is, if you would compare Brisbane to the American state of Florida, is there an American city or state you would compare Sydney to?





amaslam said:


> Your laptop will work fine, you just need a plug adapter ($10 at Radio Shack or cheaper on Ebay) that converts the US (2 blade + 1 round) to AU (3 blade of which 2 are angled). I'd get about 3-5 and they should last for any time you spend in AU.
> 
> What tells you if your laptop power is compatible is writing on the power brick that comes with all laptops. Look for this (100-240V, 50-60 Hz). This means it will work at just about any voltage in the world. AU is 240V/50Hz and US is 120V/60Hz
> 
> I've brought several computers here with me and they always work (laptop and desktops). If you are using a desktop then you have to manually flick a switch on the power supply that switches it from 110V to 240V (it's normally orange on the power supply at the back of the PC). With laptops the brick is auto-switching so it does this automatically (no switches to flip).


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## nicholea (Jan 26, 2009)

At least there are no scorpions down there. Wait...are there scorpions?!?! 
I don't think I want to know..... 

All I have to say is I wish you luck with your first snake encounter when it happens! 



scottishcelts said:


> I am the worlds worst for spiders and have managed so far (well my face looked like this  for about 20 mins after seeing my first huntsmen) but you don't see these pesky creatures all the time and there are ways to control them too. As for the snakes....i haven't came across any yet , but the night is still young


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## scottishcelts (Aug 5, 2007)

nicholea said:


> At least there are no scorpions down there. Wait...are there scorpions?!?!
> I don't think I want to know.....
> 
> All I have to say is I wish you luck with your first snake encounter when it happens!


Sorry nicholea, there are scorpions here - but i'm fairly sure they aren't as harmful or as big.


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## nicholea (Jan 26, 2009)

Ah! My mom was right - never ask a question you don't want answered! But, it's better to find out sooner rather than later 



scottishcelts said:


> Sorry nicholea, there are scorpions here - but i'm fairly sure they aren't as harmful or as big.


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

Sure, the part of Sydney (Northern Beaches) I live in feels very much like San Diego, CA. The CBD feels a bit like Chicago and Western Sydney feels boring.



nicholea said:


> Amaslam,
> 
> You really are a wealth of knowledge...I honestly can't thank you enough for the help you've given.
> 
> I have one last question for you and then hopefully I will be away from this forum for awhile, doing the research that really needs to be done before May. The question is, if you would compare Brisbane to the American state of Florida, is there an American city or state you would compare Sydney to?


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## phat-dave (Nov 19, 2008)

damn i was walking through the local shopping centre earlier and just got attacked by a bloody kangaroo. i ran to the car but there was a koala coming down a tree and near my car, so i threw a rock and it moved but once i got to the car, it had redback spiders all over the door.

i hit the roof of the car which scared the spider but when i finally got into my car, there was a snake on the passenger seat!!!

damn australia, place is riddled with creatures!!!


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## nicholea (Jan 26, 2009)

but at least you didn't find a croc in your shower...



phat-dave said:


> damn i was walking through the local shopping centre earlier and just got attacked by a bloody kangaroo. i ran to the car but there was a koala coming down a tree and near my car, so i threw a rock and it moved but once i got to the car, it had redback spiders all over the door.
> 
> i hit the roof of the car which scared the spider but when i finally got into my car, there was a snake on the passenger seat!!!
> 
> damn australia, place is riddled with creatures!!!


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## nicholea (Jan 26, 2009)

Thank you, scottishcelts! You're certainly right about now being the time for decisions, decisions and more decisions....which is a little tough for someone as indecisive as me! I have a difficult time choosing between ordering chicken or fish!



scottishcelts said:


> Congratulations on getting your visa - decisions decisions decisions now


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## nicholea (Jan 26, 2009)

Ha...thanks for the honesty 




amaslam said:


> Sure, the part of Sydney (Northern Beaches) I live in feels very much like San Diego, CA. The CBD feels a bit like Chicago and Western Sydney feels boring.


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## scottishcelts (Aug 5, 2007)

nicholea said:


> but at least you didn't find a croc in your shower...


Or a bogan in your neighbourhood


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## nicholea (Jan 26, 2009)

Ha! As long as I stay out of Ipswitch and Ayala (Anala?) anyway!



scottishcelts said:


> Or a bogan in your neighbourhood


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