My sister who has just moved to Adelaide ( Christies Beach ) from Sydney was saying the other day that while she misses being 'home', Australia has a far better quality of life and especially good for outdoor living and more relaxed people.
She said she would happily move back to the UK by the time her son is 5 if she could find somewhere that even half measures up her life over there.
Is it likely she could hope to replicate that here? Im presuming she would like to live near the sea as thats where she is now which is easy enough, but do we have undiscovered little towns by the sea that have reasonable year round weather ( obviously the odd day of snow isnt a problem ) which also have very decent local services and provisions?
She favours places that are clean and modern or at the very least, extremely tidy which is what she has found where she is now.
Reason Im asking is that next year they are coming over here and her husband hasnt really travelled here much, so she said its a good time to wow him and so take a holiday in the general area. He quite likes the idea of living in the UK, its actually my sister who needs convincing, but if he likes something, that will have a bearing on what she thinks.
She can afford a nice house, but it would have to be in somewhere very nice indeed that met her rather high expectations!
Last edited by: stunorthants29 on Sun 23 Jan 11 at 18:43
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The channel islands come to mind but it is not Britian although a lot closer to home than Australia. The south west Cornwall/Devon is probably the nearest thing to it, lovely blue sea and lovely beaches.
Really dosn't feel like England at all.
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Southwold and suffolk coast (south of lowestoft)
Pembroke coast
Alnmouth
Dartmouth
Jersey Guernsey ( but they cant afford to live there )
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>> Southwold and suffolk coast (south of lowestoft)
>>
North sea or Coral sea, no contest, you have got to be be joking.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sun 23 Jan 11 at 18:57
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>> North sea or Coral sea, no contest, you have got to be be joking.
Clearly not been to Southwold ON.,
It has what Aus can never have
History and class.
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>> History and class.
>>
No not been there, sounds old, dilapidated and stuck up. I won't cancel my upcoming trip to Australia.
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You have read all fourteen volumes of "Deadly Australian Creatures"?
John
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>> You have read all fourteen volumes of "Deadly Australian Creatures"?
>> John
>>
I have an agreement with the sharks, I stay out of their water and they stay off my land. :-)
The rest is common sense, like no sandals outside built up areas and if anything bites or stings you catch it and take it to A&E with you so they know which antidote to use.
That should make sure it is not too crowded while I am there. :-)
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My sister said that you grow accustomed to looking for the creepies, it becomes second nature.
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>> The rest is common sense, like no sandals outside built up areas and if anything
>> bites or stings you catch it and take it to A&E with you so they
>> know which antidote to use.
Except when they say excitedly " wow we have never seen one of those before"
I got bitten by a redback in Perth, twice in fact. It was under the patio chair.
Its a wasp sting, nothing more.
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They're living in a sunny climate, have an economy that's escaped the recession, it will be a thousand years since it is as overcrowded as this one and they are thinking of coming back?
Talk them out of it, for God's sake.
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>> They're living in a sunny climate, have an economy that's escaped the recession,
Adelaide and the surrounds has not escaped the recession. In the "aussie way of life stakes" it comes a very poor last, by some way.
Jobs wise, its tougher than the uk, but still a btter place to live than the uk.
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 23 Jan 11 at 19:16
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I thought you had to be born there or be very, very rich to live in the Channel Islands.
South coast of Devon or Cornwall would be my choice - Falmouth, Truro or Looe maybe.
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>> I thought you had to be born there or be very, very rich to live
>> in the Channel Islands.
As per my "they cant afford to live there"
Guernsey is easier to get into than Jersey. Or it was.
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>> >>
>> As per my "they cant afford to live there"
>>
>> Guernsey is easier to get into than Jersey. Or it was.
>>
Don't bother - unless, of course you have a small mind to go with living on a small island.
Coming from a large island like Oz, they would go mad.
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>> South coast of Devon or Cornwall would be my choice - Falmouth, Truro or Looe
>> maybe.
>>
Too many tourists.
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I have lived in Australia and have travelled in most parts of it.
I wish you good luck with your task but think you are on a looser. :-)
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There are plenty of Aussies living in the UK, so the quality of life can't be that much better. I guess it depends on what you're into.
Personaly though Australlia does appeal to me although it is a long boat ride away (it is one of the few places I cannot reach by train!).
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So thats two votes for Channel Islands - hadnt thought of that, my brother-in-law has a degree in hotel management so not as crazy an idea as it sounds for them.
And Southwold... been there, not sure what my sister would make of it, I like it myself, but I wonder if it may not be her taste.
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I have an australian workmate who says he will probably stay here, as he married a British girl and has kids, but I suspect if he was on his own he would move back. But he does like Scotland, because it has that big country feel and plenty of rugged coastline. Much colder though! He also likes the Dorset coastline.
Last edited by: corax on Sun 23 Jan 11 at 19:03
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The Norfolk Broads. Right in the middle of one of the larger ones :-(
John
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A friend of ours is Australian but has lived in London most of her adult life. She has been single again for some ten years and has a modest job and flat and I have sometimes asked her what she finds attractive about staying here rather than moving back to Melbourne where she owns a property and her family are based.
Her answer took me aback a bit as I'd never really thought of Australia in these terms but she claims it is oppresively racist. Our friend is of Armenian extraction but was born and raised in Australia. Her appearance is similar to the generic Greek or Turkish facial type and skin tone. In London no one ever questions that or makes reference to it. In Australia, she claims to have suffered significant racial abuse and prejudice.
I was frankly shocked and astonished by this having always thought of Australia as a modernist nation. Of course this is only hearsay based on one person's evidence. Nonetheless, a disappointing tale if nothing else.
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Its true.
The older european races, the Greeks, Germans, and of course the Brits are well served.
But they do not like far eastern types. They are all boat people in their eyes.
Funnily enough, I know of no other country where you can eat such an international cuisine.
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There is little there that will eat you.
Apart from the salt water crocks
or sharks.
The rest, - the snakes and spiders, just kill you.
One of my family claimed it was "gods own country" I told him "god must want you dead then"
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 23 Jan 11 at 19:34
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My BIL, being indian born, you would imagine have something to complain about if it is such a racist country, but he has been there ten years or so and he is a proper 'aussie bloke' which he said was all you need to be accepted, the embracing of the culture.
He did say they arent tolerant if you want to impose another culture on theirs, but he liked that.
He complained alot about immigrants causing issues which makes him the kind of anti-immigration asian that you would search a long time for in the UK.
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I can only suggest the Madame X humiliation parlour in Soho for the true Aussie experience.....
( I'm talking cricket here )
As for the suggestion of Almouth Zero...don't make me laugh.
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>> He did say they arent tolerant if you want to impose another culture on theirs,
>> but he liked that.
That's also true in Wales; it's been the downfall of many an English townie.
I like it too; when in Rome.......
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Few weeks back BBC Panorama featured a documentary on settling in Australia.
I was surprised to find that properties there are quite expensive.
Few weeks back a BBC Panorama documentary on settling in Austria showed property price there quite high.
It is true that houses in general in Australia are bigger (the country is very big compared to UK).
But where do you go on holiday - other than New Zealand? ;-)
The grass is always greener on other side.
Last edited by: movilogo on Sun 23 Jan 11 at 21:51
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Well I mostly go on holiday in the UK anyway, I believe one should know their own country before being allowed to leave the borders. I do love going to Europe though.
For me I just get the impression not very much exciting happens in Australia but then some people like that. They wouldn't have me anyway.
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In some areas, house prices are comparable to UK prices. Sydney. Melbourne, Perth.
Most other areas are cheaper, and yes in the burbs they are bigger, tho not in inner cities.
>> But where do you go on holiday - other than New Zealand? ;-)
Australia. The country is big enough or diverse enough to keep your holiday whims satisfied.
Failing that - Bali - is the Australian Costa Brava.
>> The grass is always greener on other side.
A lot of it is desert, which in its own way is fascinating ( in small doses )
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What about South Wales?
Two out of three ain't bad :-)
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Stuff all the above get her up to Yorkshire especially Bridlington for fish & chips and a pot of tea in the middle of july.!!
East Coast is for me stuff the west.
But honestly who would want to come from Australia to Britain? It's dirty cold miserable & damn EXPENSIVE.!! Stay where she is or holiday in Europe where it's warm.
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The company I used to work for was bought up by an American group who moved some of their own managers in.
I got talking to one of them who was house hunting in the area, it was about the same time of year as now. He asked where I lived, I answered Weston-super-Mare.
With typical American directness he said "We looked at places there and went down by the ocean. God, it's bleak and empty". Couldn't really disagree, I think he ended up living in Wells.
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I never quite understand this going abroad to find an acceptable quality of life. Of course you can't argue with the climate in Australia but beyond that you can find a similar quality of life in so many parts of the UK.
I don't claim to be that widely travelled but I've experienced a fantastic quality of life all over the UK including places tucked away in Wales, Scotland, Norfolk, Suffolk, South coast, Cotswolds... and where I live in the Cambs Fens. To be honest I think life is largely what you make of it... not some perfection to be handed over on a plate.
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Well, my sister didnt go there to find better quality of life, she went for a long holiday and fell in love.
So far, the Channel Islands look like somewhere they would like if they could afford it, otherwise, Im guessing Dorset and further west. Looe is I think a bit quaint, but somewhere a bit bigger down that way might be good so anyone got any recommendations for a South West town thats a cut above the rest?
Im off to Bodmin this year so ill be checking out that area anyway.
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St Austel.
Its big enough to be a proper town, small enough to be pleasant, far enough away from the tourist places to be bearable in the summer, and near enough to the coast.
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>>Well, my sister didnt go there to find better quality of life, she went for a long holiday and fell in love<<
Love is a temporary insanity, from which we eventually recover :)
Bodmin! - know it well comrade stu, lived in Warleggan for 6.5 years ~
www.cornwalls.co.uk/Warleggan-village.htm
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Ive not been to Bodmin area before. Usually end up in Torbay or Looe area although tried Truro once and Penzanace ( got very bored down that way ).
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>>Ive not been to Bodmin area before<<
When are you going (coming) to Bodmin stu ... I'll have to be your tour guide :)
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>>
>> Bodmin! - know it well comrade stu, lived in Warleggan for 6.5 years ~
>>
>> www.cornwalls.co.uk/Warleggan-village.htm
>>
SWMBO is a big Winston Graham fan, so I have to drive through Warleggan every time we visit the area (generally a couple of times a year).
Bodmin always seems down at heel to me,I don't think it's ever recovered from the mainline railway bypassing it (even if it did end up with 3 stations). I did toy with the idea of moving there about 10 years ago, wish I had. My ideal location would be somewhere between Bodmin and Wadebridge, on the Camel trail, so I could pushbike into both towns and Padstein easily.
There's always Padstein itself of course, but even more mental than Looe in the summer. St. Merryn would be another good spot for me.
Last edited by: spamcan61 on Mon 24 Jan 11 at 11:52
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>>Bodmin always seems down at heel to me,I don't think it's ever recovered from the mainline railway bypassing it<<
I reckon Bodmin has always been 'down @ hill', spamcam :(
But like all Towns & Cities, there are good and bad areas ... I like The Moorland area (know it well)
Bodmin had the largest Lunatic Asylum in Cornwall once upon a thyme ~
www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?Bodmin/Bodmin.shtml
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The local railway company used to run special services to view the public executions as well :-)
Yeah, I'm sure Bodmin's big enough to have some nice bits, the vast majority of times I've been there over the last 15 years I've been passing though rather than stopping there, other than visits to the preserved railway. I noticed this year that motorbike shop with the front half of a bike mounted on the front wall above the shop has gone :-(.
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>> I noticed this year that motorbike shop with the front half of a bike mounted on the front wall above the shop has gone :-(<<
He's gone has he! probably retired, I went in there a few times but he didn't want to know my old Honda CX500 custom, I quite understood his thinking though as I wouldn't touch BMW's over 7 years old when I was in the mobile tuning game - too much ag!
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>>Still there on Google:-<<
It's amazing how these places are always Sunny (except when ya actually go there) :-)
>>How about Polruan? Like Fowey but without my fellow grockles<<
Polruan is nice but - like a lot of these places, its a bit isolated, I'd probably 'get the twitch' if I lived there, like I did in Gorran Haven :)
A lot of people retire to these places (which is fine) but if you've got to do a daily commute to somewhere like St. Awful, then its less-than ideal really.
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>
>> It's amazing how these places are always Sunny (except when ya actually go there) :-)
>>
LOL, even Delabole looks OK on Google. Certainly didn't look like that last time I drove through on a cold, rainy, grey November day!
maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=delabole&aq=&sll=50.476298,-4.744892&sspn=0.025181,0.077162&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Delabole,+United+Kingdom&ll=50.62186,-4.733562&spn=0.025103,0.077162&z=14&layer=c&cbll=50.621633,-4.733818&panoid=P6qILm2K73qQhmg7gEgZ2Q&cbp=12,194.04,,0,11.37
>> A lot of people retire to these places (which is fine) but if you've got
>> to do a daily commute to somewhere like St. Awful, then its less-than ideal really.
>>
Yes, a fair point, I did seriously consider moving to East/mid Cornwall 10 years back, but finding somewhere 'nice' but commutable and affordable was tricky even then.
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>> I did seriously consider moving to East/mid Cornwall 10 years back, but finding somewhere 'nice' but commutable and affordable was tricky even then<<
Somewhere around say Sticker, Hewas Water, Grampound, Tregony etc. would be ideal, as they are within striking distance of St. Awful & Truro workwise.
Last edited by: Dog on Mon 24 Jan 11 at 14:19
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...Bodmin had the largest Lunatic Asylum in Cornwall once upon a thyme...
If Spammers is from the island, he'll not be fazed by a few odd folk.
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Ok, well, ill ask it in a different way - is there a Tunbridge Wells of the south east?
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...is there a Tunbridge Wells of the south east?...
Er, yeah, it's called Tunbridge Wells.
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I meant south west. Im getting old now Im past 30, brains going :-)
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Bath? Bradford upon Avon?
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Have any of you folk making these recommendations ever travelled around Australia ?
Last edited by: Old Navy on Mon 24 Jan 11 at 13:37
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If there were any place in the UK truely like Australia, then no-one would be leaving the country to live there.
I think you have to entertain a bit of poetic licence when suggesting answers to this question.
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Tubridge Wells of the South West?
Exeter.
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She would like Chichester, Salisbury, Winchester,
Maybe Poole, if sailing suits. Weymouth is the new place to be, with the Olympic sailing due there.
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>>
>> Maybe Poole, if sailing suits. Weymouth is the new place to be, with the Olympic
>> sailing due there.
>>
Poole reminds me of my home town of Luton, apart from the quay and park area, Sandbanks probably makes the Channel Islands look cheap :-)
There's some slightly cheaper bits between Poole and Bournemouth like Canford Cliffs, that are rather nice.
There are some nice parts of Weymouth between the run down bits, loads of yuppie apartments gone up over the last few years with good views over the bay.
>>She would like Chichester, Salisbury, Winchester,
Yep, I'll vote for those three.
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...I meant south west...
Depends what you mean by south west.
I don't think there's anything similar to Tonbridge Wells in Cornwall or Devon, or possibly Somerset.
Dorchester was quite jolly at one time, or how about Bath? More west than south.
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>>
>> Dorchester was quite jolly at one time, or how about Bath? More west than south.
>>
Dorchester came to my mind as well.
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I think Poole/Weymouth isnt a bad suggestion, ive never been there myself but I know she wants to take hubby to Durdle Door which she loves, so it might work for them for location.
I dont mean to be rude about my sister, but I know her well enough to know that she is quite stuck up about where she lives and it needs to be an area that has a swanky town and feel and her home needs to be in one of those streets where everyones front garden is 'just so'.
Shes got better since she married and had a baby, but her housing expectations have risen if anything since she experienced Australia.
A posh marina is a good start though, so she can play at being posher than she is.
I might add that she finds my 'one step up from a tramp' look most annoying and embarrising. This amuses me greatly ;-)
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>> I think Poole/Weymouth isnt a bad suggestion, ive never been there myself but I know
>> she wants to take hubby to Durdle Door which she loves, so it might work
>> for them for location.
>>
Provided 24 hour night life isn't on the wish list then maybe Swanage then.
Oh, and Talbot Wood is another fairly posh bit between Poole and Bournemouth.
Last edited by: spamcan61 on Mon 24 Jan 11 at 14:22
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>> >> But honestly who would want to come from Australia to Britain? It's dirty cold miserable
>> & damn EXPENSIVE.!!
When was the last time you were in Australia?
I was there in December, it is EXPENSIVE
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...I was there in December, it is EXPENSIVE...
But at least we beat them, so it must have been worth every penny.
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Petrol is apparently cheaper, my sisters £100k deposit for a house seems to go further there too. She was shocked coming back here just what stuff costs and its not so long since she left, maybe two years or so.
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>>>> But at least we beat them, so it must have been worth every penny.
>>
Quite so.
Just by chance..... I happened to be in The Melbourne Cricket Ground on the 29th December when England retained the Ashes...........
Well worth every penny - or cent.
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>> Is it likely she could hope to replicate that here? Im presuming she would like
>> to live near the sea as thats where she is now which is easy enough,
>> but do we have undiscovered little towns by the sea that have reasonable year round
>> weather ( obviously the odd day of snow isnt a problem ) which also have
>> very decent local services and provisions?
>>
Didn't you ask a similar question about your own retirement plans by the sea some time ago?
Don't you think you are giving away too much information about your sister, her finances, etc. here?
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Aussie quality of life in UK? - RattleandSmoke
