# Australia - The Good, The Bad , The MindIts



## x1y2z3 (Mar 17, 2011)

Hi,

Australia is a healthy economy with first world benefits and wonderful landscape. Which makes this land an attractive place for som many of us looking t come to a new country

However, there must be some share of problems in the land as well, which the senior expats are well aware of. And that most likely varies with city-to-city.
So, can we share the pros and cons, goods and "not-so-good" s of living down under in this forum.

Let us share our perspectives in this thread, how about this format:


*LOCATION*
(people who lived in more than one cities requested to make two separate posts)

*THE GOOD*
(top three things I love about living here)

*THE BAD*
(top three things I dislike about living here)

*THE MINDIT*
(top three things I need to keep in mind before or after moving there,may be crime rate, some particular paperwork, issues with some necessities etc)

thanks,
Rob


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## Aussiegirl2 (Apr 5, 2012)

Brisbane

The Good-
It's safe
You earn really good money
You have a say.

The Bad-
Not having your family here
The expenses
The price of petrol and food

The mindit
-You need to work hard to be able to afford living here.
-it's very safe, but thats no reason to be stupid and to hang out in dangerous places. 
-This is the Australians country and we need to respect that.

My quick opinion. =)


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## Dolly (Feb 17, 2008)

Frankston South

The Good:
Weather
Lifestyle
Love living near to the beach

The Bad:
Driving standards (you need to have balls of steel to drive here)
Expensive to live here
How a lot of Australians start their sentences with one or all of the following : ah/yeah/look
(sorry it's all I could come up with!)

The mindit:
When you first come here and get a rental, take loads of photos/video of the property because during your stay the Real estate company don't really care what you do. They'll come for their inspection, mince around for 2 minutes then leave. When it comes to getting your bond back when you leave they will play dirty and try everything they can to get you to pay for stuff. For example, when we moved into our rental the grass was maybe 4ft high at the side of the house (it came up to my chest and until we cut it all back we didn't realise there was actually a path there!). When we moved out I spent 2 solid days weeding and making sure the garden was looking good. The RE totty then tried to say there were too many weeds and that i'd have to pay for a gardener to sort it out. When I politely emailed her back saying I'd got dated photos of how atrocious the garden was when we first moved in and how much work we had to do to it to get it to a liveable state, she never replied!

Rant over :lol:

Dolly


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## Aussiegirl2 (Apr 5, 2012)

How a lot of Australians start their sentences with one or all of the following : ah/yeah/look
(sorry it's all I could come up with!)


I can actually recall hearing all three at the same time! 'Ah, yeah, look mate, its just not gonna work...'

Funny people, I love it! =P


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## stormgal (Sep 30, 2009)

Dolly said:


> When it comes to getting your bond back when you leave they will play dirty and try everything they can to get you to pay for stuff.



To get your bond back, why not just take the initiative to play dirty instead and stay the extra month without paying rent? That way, when they try to sue you for the extra month, you can just tell them to take it out of the bond. :tongue1: 

Kidding, but it works in some places because the owner needs a court order and a marshal with the notice of eviction to literally throw the tenant out in the street!


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## x1y2z3 (Mar 17, 2011)

guess what, I was thinking of Brisbane when I started the topic and first post is Brisbane....
however no posts as of yet about Melbourne, Canberra, Perth


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## x1y2z3 (Mar 17, 2011)

cool Dolly,

did you get the money?


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## Dolly (Feb 17, 2008)

Every cent...... :lol:

Dolly


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## x1y2z3 (Mar 17, 2011)

then the overall infrastructure is good, I know in Seattle some people always complaint they dont get it back


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## nonny1983 (Jul 20, 2011)

Gold coast 

The good -
The space
The weather
The landscape


The bad - 
No family (although sometimes this is not such a bad thing)
No decent chocolate or fish and chips 
The bugs! 

Keep in mind that although things seem more expensive here, wages tend to make up for it, and if anything iv found many things cheaper.
Also yes the rentals and real estates are shocking. The house we moved into was stinking with no water pressure from the showers ( even tho they said a plumber had checkef all the fittings prior to moving in) and had an infestation of spiders, ants and cockroaches!!! Yuk they said they had had pest control in too but I don't believe that, we paid $200 in the end ourselves! On our recent inspection the landlord came out with re and they were like tidy the garden up, get rid if the weeds and like dolly there's been a huge improvment on the garden to when we moved in, none of the repairs we have reported has ever been done either Grrrr cant wait to save a deposit to buy!


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Melbourne (East)

The Good
-The people, everyone so nice and courteous, smiling & wishing everyone while walking on the road
-The weather, it is hot one moment and cold the other, rains almost the entire year but has enough sun
-The nature, cant get enough of it, there is so much to explore
-The Bar-b-q at the Parks
-Clean Clear Blue Sky
-From my window I can see 12 trees right outside my house right now, it is so green
I can go on and on

The Bad
-Some Aussies have a WHY ARE YOU HERE, YOU DONT BELONG HERE attitude
-Spiders, have not come across the dangerous ones but there are webs everywhere, needs constant cleaning
-Mold in the bathrooms and Weed in the Lawn

The Mind Its
-Expensive, Food etc is fine but the clothes are so expensive, specially for Kids. Anything below 40$ is bad quality, with a 17 month old I have to buy an entire wardrobe every season
-Real Estate is a ripper
-getting your first job is not easy, when no one is willing to give you a break how do they expect you to gain Local Experience
-Unless you have paid tv, the unpaid ones are sad
-Food is expensive


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## atsurti (May 20, 2011)

Dolly said:


> The mindit:
> When you first come here and get a rental, take loads of photos/video of the property because during your stay the Real estate company don't really care what you do.
> 
> Dolly


Dolly - This is key info. Thanks for sharing this, will keep this in mind.

Any one from Adelaide?


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## Riza2012 (Mar 2, 2012)

anj1976 said:


> Melbourne (East)
> 
> The Good
> -The people, everyone so nice and courteous, smiling & wishing everyone while walking on the road
> ...


anj can u plz explain the part "some aussies scream WHY ARE YOU HERE" , does this happen a lot part of everyday ? Do people come up at you at supermarkets and give you hateful looks, shout at you while ur walking on the road and you get racially abused at least once a week by strangers ? Plz let me know as this is disturbing. do People in workplace talk racist stuff ALL The time ?? 

The reason i ask is because when i was studying in Russia , people would spit on my face, call me all kind of hateful stuff because i'm brown, i used to fight with White racists all the time over there... It was the most disturbing experience in my life i hate racists and i hope Australia is not the same, plz clarify.


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## nonny1983 (Jul 20, 2011)

Hi Russ I know you asked ani but ill jump in quick and say iv not witnessed any such behaviour at all. I'm white so don't get comments about my skin colour however it is very multi cultural and no where have a witnessed any racism. You may get the odd aussie who is overly patriotic and doesn't like any immigrants despite the colour of skin but this is something you'll get everywhere I think and again its not what iv seen. From my experience so far people have been more than welcoming, interested about why you moved etc but nothing more. Please don't fret tho, sounds like you had a horrible experience in Russia


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## naoto (Jan 8, 2012)

Riza2012 said:


> any can u plz explain the part "some aussies scream WHY ARE YOU HERE" , does this happen a lot part of everyday ? Do people come up at you at supermarkets and give you hateful looks, shout at you while ur walking on the road and you get racially abused at least once a week by strangers ? Plz let me know as this is disturbing. do People in workplace talk racist stuff ALL The time ??
> 
> The reason i ask is because when i was studying in Russia , people would spit on my face, call me all kind of hateful stuff because i'm brown, i used to fight with White racists all the time over there... It was the most disturbing experience in my life i hate racists and i hope Australia is not the same, plz clarify.


You can't compare Australia to Russia. Russia is a very racist country, I'm quite sad of the degree of open racism back there. 

Obviously Australians don't like newcomers complaining to much about their country. If you keep saying to your friends "Australia is too expensive, too crowded, too busy and etc", it is only natural they might say "Well go home".
In general the population here is very friendly and extremely polite. It is no where even close to Russia, where racism is a public policy.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

not as often as you assumed from my post. if it was that often I would have put it in the Bad and not Mind it section, once in a while, yes you do come across some. 

No they don't spit on your face or say things to you upfront but their behavior shows they are not pleased by our presence but they are harmless, they might just show you a cold shoulder. In 10 months that I have been here, I have come across 3-4 of them. I have to deal with one almost everyday, the person is just plain rude. You get used to it eventually. When I was working a colleague used to behave the same way, they just act superior, i wonder why because they too are not originally from Australia, none of the white (as you call them) are. They all are of British origin who came to Australia some or the other time or whose forefathers were sent by Britishers. Aboriginals are the actual Australians. If i stay here all my life, three generations down the line my family will say we are Australians but the fact remains, I came from India in 2011 .

Anyways, I dont understand this ""Oh this is my country"" attitude, you dont owe the place, you just happened to be born there, why make such a big thing about it, one should be proud in his own space


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## oz_sg10 (Aug 31, 2010)

I have been here for a year now, and have not faced a single issue yet. People with the "oh this is my area" attitude exist everywhere. Even back in India, I do not think it is any different or anywhere for that matter. In office as well, I work in team where almost all are the white ozs - havent had any issues and it is one of the best work places I have had in my career. amongst India and elsewhere overseas. 

The only "mind it" that I see here is that most of the services are on contract and once you are locked in , it is tough and may cost a lot to get out. Most of the contract providers require direct debits as well. Also be very careful of the real estate agents - be it for rental or buying/selling. They dont give a damn if you are white or not, its just your money that they are after. If you are going to deal with a car showroom, that is another "mind it". Make sure you have done a good research and are 100% convinced that the product /service is worth your money, and be aware of all the terms and conditions.






anj1976 said:


> not as often as you assumed from my post. if it was that often I would have put it in the Bad and not Mind it section, once in a while, yes you do come across some.
> 
> No they don't spit on your face or say things to you upfront but their behavior shows they are not pleased by our presence but they are harmless, they might just show you a cold shoulder. In 10 months that I have been here, I have come across 3-4 of them. I have to deal with one almost everyday, the person is just plain rude. You get used to it eventually. When I was working a colleague used to behave the same way, they just act superior, i wonder why because they too are not originally from Australia, none of the white (as you call them) are. They all are of British origin who came to Australia some or the other time or whose forefathers were sent by Britishers. Aboriginals are the actual Australians. If i stay here all my life, three generations down the line my family will say we are Australians but the fact remains, I came from India in 2011 .
> 
> Anyways, I dont understand this ""Oh this is my country"" attitude, you dont owe the place, you just happened to be born there, why make such a big thing about it, one should be proud in his own space


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

I agree with oz, most people are unbelievably nice and some are nicer .. beware of contracts for all services, real estate agents can be a real pain when you are about to leave the rental or buy a property


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## louisam (Apr 20, 2012)

anj1976 said:


> Melbourne (East)
> 
> -getting your first job is not easy, when no one is willing to give you a break how do they expect you to gain Local Experience


Is this, I mean the local exp, a major problem everywhere in Oz or something confined to Mel alone?


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

i think that is the case all over the world, finding a job in India too isnt easy now but if you are open to taking a lower role, it isnt that difficult here


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## bangalg (Apr 22, 2009)

anj1976 said:


> not as often as you assumed from my post. if it was that often I would have put it in the Bad and not Mind it section, once in a while, yes you do come across some.
> 
> No they don't spit on your face or say things to you upfront but their behavior shows they are not pleased by our presence but they are harmless, they might just show you a cold shoulder. In 10 months that I have been here, I have come across 3-4 of them. I have to deal with one almost everyday, the person is just plain rude. You get used to it eventually. When I was working a colleague used to behave the same way, they just act superior, i wonder why because they too are not originally from Australia, none of the white (as you call them) are. They all are of British origin who came to Australia some or the other time or whose forefathers were sent by Britishers. Aboriginals are the actual Australians. If i stay here all my life, three generations down the line my family will say we are Australians but the fact remains, I came from India in 2011 .
> 
> Anyways, I dont understand this ""Oh this is my country"" attitude, you dont owe the place, you just happened to be born there, why make such a big thing about it, one should be proud in his own space


Brilliantly put!

Sent from my iPad using ExpatForum


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## stormgal (Sep 30, 2009)

Riza2012 said:


> The reason i ask is because when i was studying in Russia , people would spit on my face, call me all kind of hateful stuff because i'm brown, i used to fight with White racists all the time over there... It was the most disturbing experience in my life i hate racists and i hope Australia is not the same, plz clarify.


gosh, what a terrible experience that must have been. I am very sensitive to bullying, so I am so sorry you had to go through that.


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## sadie_ (Sep 24, 2011)

Hi Anj,

Just curious, do the recruiting agents charge a percentage if they get us a job? How much is that?

Also, what about the real estate agents, how much are their charges to find us an apartment on rent?



anj1976 said:


> beware of contracts for all services, real estate agents can be a real pain when you are about to leave the rental or buy a property


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

they dont charge from those seeking a job or those looking for a property for rent


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## sadie_ (Sep 24, 2011)

Thanks for the info, Anj! 

Now that's one expense less 



anj1976 said:


> they dont charge from those seeking a job or those looking for a property for rent


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## Eienstien_at_home (May 2, 2012)

Hi all..

any idea about Adelaide?


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## matt_nt (May 2, 2012)

x1y2z3 said:


> guess what, I was thinking of Brisbane when I started the topic and first post is Brisbane....
> however no posts as of yet about Melbourne, Canberra, Perth


Thought i'd add some thoughts on Melbourne. I've been here for almost a year and have been here several times before that. 

LOCATION: Carlton, Fitzroy, Northcote (all locations in Melbourne)

THE GOOD
- The people - people here are very friendly. Definitely a hipster look/style in the inner suburbs!

- Bikes - Very bike friendly especially in Carlton and Fitzroy. 

- Bars, restaurants, cafes - there is no shortage in Melbourne. Great coffee can be found in most places. Easy to get into most places.

THE BAD
- Public transport is ok, but some suburbs can only be reached by tram (no trains). Public transport isn't as frequent as I would like compared to cities in Asia. Sometimes you have to wait 15-30mins, depending on where you want to go (eg. trains to Northcote). 

- Weather: some days it is good, but other times you've got wind, rain. Weather is very variable and I found it much colder than in Sydney. Be prepared for rain and the cold!

- Found it hard to find somewhere to live, particularly as someone new to the city. I tried Gumtree and received minimal responses. Also, quite competitive to secure a place. I found it easier when I knew some other people and we went property hunting together.

THE MINDIT
- public transport has moved to MYKI system now (smart card you need to top up). Previously when you get onto the tram there was only an option to pay in coins! People can get fined if they do not have a valid ticket, so its worth swiping. Though I do note there are people that never swipe and take the risk of getting fined (minimal but I've seen it happen!)

- the doors don't always open automatically on the train!

- I noted some people mentioned the bond situation over rental properties. I'm having some issues over that now too. When you move into a place ensure you thoroughly inspect the place, note any damage, and get a new bond or transfer onto it.


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## kaz101 (Nov 29, 2007)

*LOCATION*
Mount Gambier, South Australia - 440kms SE of Adelaide (so not near Adelaide at all and half way between Adelaide and Melbourne) 

*THE GOOD*
- Friendly people - complete strangers say hello and have a chat.
- City of 25,000 people so not crowded and beautiful countryside with wildlife.
- Only 20kms from the coast and the coastline is beautiful with very few people around. 
- Weather is warmer than the UK(where we moved from)
- Property prices are much lower than Adelaide 

*THE BAD*
- SA Government is selling off the forests and so people are unsure what will happen since the timber industry is a BIG industry around here (and so property prices have fallen).
- Food prices are more expensive here because most of it has to be transported here
- When times get tough there may not be the work around that you would like so you have to be more creative with what you will do. 

*THE MINDIT*
- You need a car to travel outside of Mt Gambier since the only public transport outside of Mt Gambier is by plane (expensive) or coach (only a few a day). There are buses in the city and it's small enough to walk around as long as it's not raining.
- If you need serious medical attention (like cancer treatments / heart surgery) then you have to go to Adelaide or over into Victoria. We have a good, large regional hospital here but I've had a few friends had to travel for treatment which is costly. 
- The wildlife is great around here but for that reason you don't want to be driving on the road at nights or when it's getting dark.
- If you like to do seminars (property, wealth creation etc.) they rarely come to Adelaide and they certainly don't come to Mt Gambier 
- No Greek or Spanish restaurants which is a shame because we love that type of food! 
- We have one theatre and one main cinema (this is more than most towns around here) so we get most things but for only a limited time period. 

*Other stuff*
We've been here nearly 5 years (it'll be 5 years in July 2012) and I still haven't got used to the lack of transport to get to Adelaide & Melbourne and the fact that it costs twice as much on the coach to Adelaide as it does to Melbourne for roughly the same distance. We tend to drive everywhere and it's a gorgeous drive. Regional Victoria seems to be cheaper than regional SA for quite a few things. 

The air is fresh, there's no graffiti (we really notice the difference when we head towards Melbourne), there's very little rubbish on the streets and kids can still play outside. There is a lot of sport available and kids have more of a social life than the parents (we don't have kids but friends do!). 

It has an airport which flies to Adelaide or Melbourne but we only have one airline operating out here now so flights are pretty expensive in my opinion (but I was used to cheap European flights ). 

We could have moved anywhere in Australia (permanent visa when we arrived and now we're citizens) but we loved the friendliness and the feel of this place. Also the cheaper property prices meant we could buy somewhere and still have money left in the back


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## onlyassignments (Aug 22, 2011)

Maybe this is little bit off topic.I visited sydney for my initial entry and just came back to states. I had my skepticism but I found sydney to be a great place. I can totally see myself living there. Beaches are very beautiful and city is very multicultural.


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