I was surprised by what I read in this BBC article. Did they get it wrong, or are they just being "London-centric"?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-36299682

Driving in Australia such a waste of those great roads.

Problem is they think Australia is like what is shown on TV shows like Neighbours and Home and Away.

You mean it isnt????

I am not surprised by that. Look at the facts. 5.5% of Australians were born in the UK. 1.2 million have UK citizenship. Two of the recent Prime Ministers were born in the UK. So you have this strong UK link that goes back over 150 years.

But the last 25 years have seen Australian demographics change. Far more people from other countries - Middle East, South & SE Asia, Africa etc.

Moreover, the whole Aboriginal issue is getting far more attention today than ever before.

The rate of change in Australian society is far greater than British society.

I have noticed the same thing in NZ in the last 24 years!

That article reminds me of the stereotype Aussies have long labelled the English with (Can't say too much ).

But maybe things have turned around. I worked for a year in London 40 years ago and found the cost of living horrendous. I was unemployed for six months on return but, due to serendipitous circumstances, found we could live better in Oz with no wages than we could in England on two.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
That article reminds me of the stereotype Aussies have long labelled the English with (Can't say too much ).

But maybe things have turned around. I worked for a year in London 40 years ago and found the cost of living horrendous. I was unemployed for six months on return but, due to serendipitous circumstances, found we could live better in Oz with no wages than we could in England on two.

You mean this magazine? http://www.perthpoms.com/forum...ng-pom-magazine.html

G'Day Fella's,

Bill, most Aussies I know, are not afraid of hard work, and plenty of it when it's required.
We also know how to Party, and for "Our" great Rock & Roll bands!

The way I see it, you really need to get away from our Big cities, especially Sydney (apart from the Gun Shops and Air Port out of there), its a shit hole!!!

Hope that helps

Doh!
Homer

quote:

Originally posted by HomerOz:
G'Day Fella's,

Bill, most Aussies I know, are not afraid of hard work, and plenty of it when it's required.
We also know how to Party, and for "Our" great Rock & Roll bands!

The way I see it, you really need to get away from our Big cities, especially Sydney (apart from the Gun Shops and Air Port out of there), its a shit hole!!!

Hope that helps

Doh!
Homer

Yep!

Gunghalin used to drive me nuts when I lived in Harrison.

Los Angeles makes every part of living in Australia seem like a great wonderful dream. Even the crappy parts with Sydney, Brizzy and Melbourne.

Kambrah is alright mate!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdIFx27opJc

G'Day Fella's,

BWW, it is a pity we weren't able to catch up for a chat, while you were here!

Yes, Kambrah is an OK location!

Avagreatweekendeh!
Homer

Well, I just got back to Kambrah today after 5 weeks in the US and Canada .....

I tried to get political asylum at Cabella's but the bastards threw me out, something about not having a diplomatic corps .....

It's an interesting article. I am always interested in what it costs to live in other countries and also, housing costs (I know, I am somewhat odd).

I just looked up Australia's min. wage and was shocked to find out that it was $17.29 an hour! Her in Utah, it is $7.25!! I had no idea that there was that big of a gap!

However, looking at your housing costs, on average, also shocked me! They are very expensive (compared to my home town).

Here, I can buy a relatively nice house for about $233,000 Australian dollars.

I filled my diesel truck up yesterday. I paid about $.89 (AUST) a liter.

So, I guess its all relative and probably balances out!

That minimum wage in Australia ( and New Zealand is entirely the reason we get hot under the collar about tipping. We have a livable minimum wage , our population dont rely on tips to prop up their income.

Diesel here in Townsville is sitting at $1.21 a litre

quote:

Originally posted by Bakes:
Diesel here in Townsville is sitting at $121 a litre

Bakes, please tell me that's $1.21 and you forgot the decimal, or I'm going to have to leave .....

quote:

Originally posted by muzza:
That minimum wage in Australia ( and New Zealand is entirely the reason we get hot under the collar about tipping. We have a livable minimum wage , our population dont rely on tips to prop up their income.

1000X's I agree with you! I wish that it was outlawed here!

quote:

Originally posted by Bren7X64:

quote:

Originally posted by Bakes:
Diesel here in Townsville is sitting at $121 a litre

Bakes, please tell me that's $1.21 and you forgot the decimal, or I'm going to have to leave .....

Sorry...fixed it

The good thing about diesel prices is...well nothing..... but when I was at home I was spending $70 per week in fuel just to get to work. Now I'm only 5km away from work and I'm walking there 4 days a week so I'm saving a shit tone of money .

Bakes, what sort of monster diesel are you driving?

Its an old 98 Holden rodeo with an Isuzu engine. I did live 40km away from work previously.

Lots of poms come here and expect to be managers in a colony, live in a mansion, swimming pool and have lots of slaves. Then find out most Aussies are better educated, more experienced and harder working than they are. The poms with those sorts of expectations soon head home. The others stick around and make a go of it and do well and live a much better life.

I've ;ived and worked in both Australia and the UK and know from experience the difference in education, experience and work ethics. On a general level, not specific persons of course, as individuals can always be different.

Hit the nail on the head.

I am already getting wound up thinking of this and the thread we had a few weeks ago!

quote:

Originally posted by muzza:
That minimum wage in Australia ( and New Zealand is entirely the reason we get hot under the collar about tipping. We have a livable minimum wage , our population dont rely on tips to prop up their income.

quote:

Originally posted by Jason P:
It's an interesting article. I am always interested in what it costs to live in other countries and also, housing costs (I know, I am somewhat odd).

I just looked up Australia's min. wage and was shocked to find out that it was $17.29 an hour! Her in Utah, it is $7.25!! I had no idea that there was that big of a gap!

However, looking at your housing costs, on average, also shocked me! They are very expensive (compared to my home town).

Here, I can buy a relatively nice house for about $233,000 Australian dollars.

I filled my diesel truck up yesterday. I paid about $.89 (AUST) a liter.

So, I guess its all relative and probably balances out!

Yep, the minimum wage idea was established here in the 1920's. And as said, tipping is virtually non existent. Service industry staff don't have to grovel and beg for a "tip" just to survive.

But the minimum wage is too high for unskilled workers. A reason many industries are unprofitable and not progressing.

I hire a fair number of people each year on a seasonal basis. And pay more than minimum. But they are also good workers and having good workers is better than cheap bad workers ...

But in the USA you also utilise extremely low paid "Mexicans", both illegal and legal immigrants. Here in Australia, we are expected to pay the minimum wage irrespective. We don't have the "cheap slave labour" option the USA uses.

Our fuel costs are expensive because about 80% of the price is Federal taxes. Again our greedy gov't at work.

Housing prices vary a lot according to the location. Sydney is over-populated and always getting worse. Our Federal Gov't is "Sydney-centric" and does not put into place sensible economic policies to reduce the problem. Instead they just want to tax everyone everywhere to allegedly reduce the Sydney "problem" ie change negative gearing tax deductions on housing. If Sydney is the problem, change negative gearing for Sydney alone ... but no they want to do it for "Woop Woop" in the outback as well, ie no real solution, just more socialist tax grabs ...

Lots of things cost more here. Some cost a lot less. But we don't have many ghettoes, our shooting forums are not filled with "how to carry a concealed firearm in case its needed" either. Few mass shootings, and none in recent years, thank goodness. Most of our cops spend their whole careers without ever needing to fire their handguns except in practice. I know where I prefer to live. Even given some of the negatives.

As for the original topic matter. If you think it is expensive to live in Australia, try London or many parts of Europe. Or New York for that matter ...

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:
I am not surprised by that. Look at the facts. 5.5% of Australians were born in the UK. 1.2 million have UK citizenship. Two of the recent Prime Ministers were born in the UK. So you have this strong UK link that goes back over 150 years.

But the last 25 years have seen Australian demographics change. Far more people from other countries - Middle East, South & SE Asia, Africa etc.

Moreover, the whole Aboriginal issue is getting far more attention today than ever before.

The rate of change in Australian society is far greater than British society.

I have noticed the same thing in NZ in the last 24 years!

If Her Majesty The Queen did not send all her undesirables to Australia as punishment, Australia might be a nice country now