Australians check in?

webberchoked · Post by **webberchoked** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 11:10 am

It comes down to the fact that Australia has nothing to offer me in terms of my interests/hobbies/lifestyle.
Snowboarding - Spent winters riding 75+ days in Canada, America and Japan where the snow quality and infrastructure is incomparably better let alone lift tickets are ridiculously cheaper (australia has the most expensive tickets and worst snow in the world which is a total joke)
Downhill mountain biking in summer - see above.
Motorsports - Whilst living in the UK, I was able to buy a car that would cost 2-3x more in australia, was able to race at 10x as many world class racetracks and had the ability to modify my car without police state australian regulations. (if you're not a car guy, you probably dont realise how insanely strict australia is in terms of what you can do to your car and how there is a culture of police targeting 'hoons' and 'speeding' because they have modified cars)
Travel - Australia is so far in the middle of nowhere with nothing interesting around it, it makes it impossible to do any cheap travel. Wanna go to amsterdam, paris, berlin, the alps, italy etc etc? £100-200 and you're there in a few hours. I have no interest in any poor asian countries as my parents were born in one and they suck imo.
So when I do come back to Oz, and maybe get the once every other weekend chance to meet up with my aussie friends since most of them are corporate drones(re boring), what do we do? go out and experience the shitty nightlife that sydney has to offer, talk about oh so important shitty australian sports (footy/cricket), their careers.
So, thats why i think Australia is mind-numbingly boring. Compared to my lifestyle everywhere else, theres nothing Australia can offer me.
End anti-australia rant

webberchoked · Post by **webberchoked** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 11:15 am

oh dont get me started on sydney's public transport.

concerts and theatre? pathetic compared to UK.
Basically everything i can think of, other places do it far better.

webberchoked · Post by **webberchoked** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 11:26 am

i notice you're into bjj, my bro is a brown belt. can you imagine living in brazil and rolling with 100s of different black belts everyday?

graynomad · Post by **graynomad** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 2:20 pm

@webberchoked

You my friend need to either change your interests or your country, if you don't you will be one sorry individual for a long time.
I've lived in and/or been to many of the places you cited and I don't see the attraction, quite the reverse, I'd rather chew my arm off than live in any of the cities you mentioned (Sydney included).
I'm not having a go, seriously if your interests are mainly in activities that aren't catered for well in Aus then you should go where they are.
And BTW, there are just as many corporate drones overseas, so maybe you need to look for some new friends as well

webberchoked · Post by **webberchoked** » Tue Nov 08, 2011 2:30 am

yeah well thats obvious and thats why i dont and havent lived in australia for over 5 years.
i have plenty of fun friends overseas who share my same lifestyle, im just stating that the people i know in australia are boring because australia is boring.

webberchoked · Post by **webberchoked** » Tue Nov 08, 2011 2:41 am

also, i mentioned the attraction of the places ive lived in (ie snowsports/mountain biking in canada, motorsports in the uk).
Of course, you wont see the attraction of these places if you have no interest in why those places are the best at what they do.
If I was a bogan and loved footy, going to the beach, drinking beer and getting smashed every weekend while driving my ute, I'd love Australia and think it was the best country in the world. (I grew up in a bogan town before moving to Sydney, so I know that for lots of people this is their life)

graynomad · Post by **graynomad** » Tue Nov 08, 2011 5:45 am

Of course, you wont see the attraction of these places if you have no interest in why those places are the best at what they do.

Exactly why you shouldn't be slagging off a country that obviously holds no interest to you.
Have you ever climbed Uluru, camped in the most remote part of the Kimberley overlooking the archipelagoes, snorkeled with the turtles at Ningaloo, watched the sunrise from a sand dune in the Simpson Desert, or canoed down the Murray.
I suspect the answer is "no" and I suspect that's because you have no interest in such things. Nothing wrong with that, but millions of people do. I don't slag off Rotterdam saying it's full of hookers and druggies or LA because it's "all gang bangers".
bogan and loved footy, going to the beach, drinking beer and getting smashed every weekend while driving my ute,

You can't quote a stereotype and extrapolate that behavior to the entire population.
Not all Americans are loud, not all Pommies are queue-standing accountants, not all Germans are arrogant, and not all Australians get drunk and watch the footy. Granted many do that's presumably why these stereotypes exists in the first place. But nobody I know does, once again you have chosen the wrong friends.
I've lived and travelled all over the world and without a doubt the main thing that makes or breaks a location is the people you meet. Meet arsholes and you don't like the place, meet like-minded people and you do.

webberchoked · Post by **webberchoked** » Tue Nov 08, 2011 9:01 am

been to airs rock, one of the most boring overrated things ive ever done, the others no interest you're right. im not slagging the others off because i havent done them, but i have every right to slag off australia for its lack of mountains and lack of motorsport because a huge part of my life revolves around these activities.
its funny that you say youve lived and travelled around the world, because you'd have to know first hand that aussies are absolute dickheads everywhere you go and im no exception. ive done the backpacker thing with other aussies and been a loud drunk obnoxious aussie amongst them, its part of our culture, its a huge part of our identity. deny it all you want, but its everywhere and you dont even need to look hard.
and anyway, sydney is arsehole central of australia

nz · Post by nz » Tue Nov 08, 2011 9:20 am

webberchoked - Your comments reveal far more about you than about Australia.

graynomad · Post by **graynomad** » Wed Nov 09, 2011 10:27 am

What nz said.
Anyway we've highjacked Stark's thread enough. I've been living on the road in Aus for 10 years, I'm happy to answer questions about life after early retirement should there be any.
Happy to meet up with people as well should we be in your area.

aussierogue · Post by **aussierogue** » Fri Nov 11, 2011 12:05 am

I am one of those corporate aussie drones who got out. Line in inner city melbourne (northcote) worked in the financial services ector for 20 years earning 200-250k for the last 10 years. Saved around 7-8 k per month for 7 years. Paid of two mortgages and made some invesments. 2 years ago Was able to downshift so now I only work when i have too. I am trying to get into tafe teaching. At 6 0 bucks and hours ill take 10 hours per week please. Also have a blog and books that make me around 300 bucks per week. I have a wife 2 kids under 7 and over the last 2 years have managed to live of around aud 60 k per year with no material change in our circumstances.
im in melbourne of anyone want to meet up

Grandmother · Post by **Grandmother** » Fri Nov 11, 2011 3:30 am

I'm a grandmother living in Perth. Too late for early retirement for me but we're using the same principles to have A retirement. I am wondering about the best place to retire to though as I don't want to stay in a large city or end up in some bogan dominated town, but would prefer to live somewhere less desertlike when the time comes. We will of course get the pension when my husband retires but I'd like to be able to be free of government oversight if possible.

george · Post by **george** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 8:21 am

Well its ANZAC day on Wednesday
I want to say gidday to all you Aussies from a New Zealander.
ANZAC day is a time when we all in our own way, remember those who have fallen..
I also want to let you know when we had our earthquakes, and we had our little portable radios, and were digging silt. I remember them announcing very quickly that your Prime Minister was offering us help.
I don't know if you saw it, we didn't have tv, but apparently your police were clapped as they arrived in the city. And your Search and Rescue teams were among the first to arrive.
We needed you, you were there.
Just want you to know that meant a lot to us

LonerMatt · Post by **LonerMatt** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:23 am

New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands mean a lot to this Australia, as does their friendship and solidarity in this random part of the world.
Sometimes we forget our closest neighbors in a globalised world. It's too easy to focus on Russia, China, the USA, Brazil, and forget NZ, Polynesia, Melanesia, Indonesia and Timor.

J_ · Post by J_ » Mon Apr 23, 2012 10:46 am

Investing in AUS

I am interested in putting in a fixed deposito on an Australian bank. Do one of you know how to get an account in one of your banks, and if it is allowed for a dutch based person to have such an account, and how (much) you have to pay taxes on the interest?
ps have been several times on holiday in your beautifull country. Visited coast from Melbourne to Rockhampton.

Bytta · Post by **Bytta** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 3:14 am

@J_ : most of the Australian banks require you to have residential address in Australia and you are an Australian resident for tax purpose (have Australian tax file number, etc). Maybe you should check out international banks that exist in Australia like HSBC.
I spent most of my adult years in Melbourne and will probably move back and forth in the coming years. For a while I loved and was proud living there. It's clean, beautiful, laid-back and you don't need to work 80 hours a week to make a decent living. But after 6 years, it changed; the honeymoon was over. By the time I moved out, I was bored to death.
Australian cities lack night entertainment for non-beer-drinkers. I don't like pubs, let alone clubs. Shops closes at 5pm, except on Thursdays and Fridays. And winter time is worse. Yes, you can travel out of town, but how often can you do it? Plus, it annoys me that most people/strangers always ask me where I come from to open a conversation. Is it because I look Asian and speak like an American? or do people just want to hear a story? I don't know, I just feel like they want to put me into a box (and/or that I don't belong there). Hmmmm... that's just my subjective view. Maybe someone else can explain that to me?
Most of my friends there are easygoing and fun so that manages to offset the annoyance I feel regarding above issue.
Nevertheless, every corner of Australia is gorgeous and I always feel safe driving/walking alone at night. That part is hard to beat. I plan to go back there sometime in the future to make some $$ plus most of my assets are held in cash, stocks and real estate in Australia.
So, it's 50-50 for me

aussierogue · Post by **aussierogue** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 6:39 am

i dont know anywhere thats perfect...
i live in melbourne and have been to many countries. I think its pretty good.
Shops are open 7 days per week (incl sundays) and yes monday to thursday they close at 5 or 6 pm.....not too crazy.....i wish they were open less to tell you the truth
Plenty of places to go that arent pubs after hours.....what kind of venues are you talking about - wine bars? Clubs? any more ideas??? Im not sure what you are getting at.
One thing i do know from a friend who is from the USA is that there is a social difference between here and the USA with guys. He said that in Australia its quite clicky. In the usa friends are much more like family (bit like the friends show) where as in Australia friends are friends and family are family. I do not spend my entire weekend at a friends house sitting on a sofa watching sport for hours after hours on end. This my american friend tells me this is a standard weekend for many american men.
Melbourne hs one of the best live music scenes in the world not too mention great restaurants..
So no where is perfect. I loved NYC....i like most places...and would never use the words 'bored to death' about anywhere unless i wanted to annoy the people living there.

LonerMatt · Post by **LonerMatt** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:16 am

Blytta - "where do you come from?" is such a loaded Australian question, isn't it?
It irks me, and people aren't satisfied if I just say "Australia".
Currently some of my students don't consider me "Australian" because I've got a US mother (wtf?!)
...heritage, ethnicity, citizenship, etc are all such confused terms here, and I don't know why!

Chad · Post by **Chad** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 12:36 pm

@Aussierogue

I have never been to Australia (would love to though), so I can't speak to the "Australia its quite clicky" comment. But, you are right on with the "in the usa friends are much more like family (bit like the friends show)." I'm not sure how many men spend the entire weekend at friends house that is in the same town they live in, but close friends are definitely treated like family. After a few too many drinks it is quite common to just stay the night even if cab service is available.

Bytta · Post by **Bytta** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 4:39 pm

@ aussierogue: sorry if my comment comes out a bit strong, I don't intend to offend anyone. To be honest, I still consider myself part Melbournian as it is my spiritual hometown. Still, if you go to most Asian cities, night time is when they start jumping. People go out, hang out with friends, watch other people, at cafes, outdoor garden, shopping centres, karaoke (i'm guilty of too much karaoke-ing hahahha) etc. Basically just go out and immerse in the energy around you. And they're cheap too. This is the daily happening, not special events (like music concert, etc). But I understand that it's not for all people. In Melbourne (not sure about other cities), after work, people tend to go home and stay in because most live in the 'burbs. Restaurants are awesome but they're not cheap. The city is perfect for young families as it's safe, organised, clean and packed with family-friendly activities.
@LonerMatt: I don't know when they (or we?

) will get over that. I think what saddens me is no matter how much time, effort and love I have invested to fit in, I would never be part of the team. Despite years of "aussify-ing" myself (hahaha...), work, pay tax, threw some snags on the barbie, cheered on Jessica Watson, follow the law, adore Adam Hills, get the dry and sarcastic jokes, rooted for The Cats; I still feel the wall whenever I get asked that question (which is normally the top 2 questions after I introduce myself). What does it take to be an Aussie?