Why do people go to Australia/New Zealand?

Húrin

I have always wondered this and heard few satisfactory answers. Surely these countries have little to offer that cannot be found in Europe, indeed, even in Britain (which both are modelled after). Why do people bother going all the way out there for a holiday?

watna

Why do people from OZ and NZ always go for a year away in Ireland/UK? It's the same thing. Have you asked any of them?

I'm presuming people go to gain some new experiences and because you can work in a completely different part of the world and take holidays in another part of the world e.g. go to Fiji instead of going to Lanzarote for two weeks.

Have you lived in oz or NZ? Why do you think they are exactly the same as Europe? From my experience, they're not as hugely different as somewhere like South America is to Ireland but it's sufficiently different as to give me a different work environment and experiences. Plus I've travelled and seen different parts of the world. That in itself is worth it. There's nothing worse than insulated people who have no interest in leaving Ireland.

Xavi6

watna wrote: »

There's nothing worse than insulated people who have no interest in leaving Ireland.

My thoughts exactly. I can't understand these home birds who are quite content with their 4 bedroom, semi detached house at 25 having worked in the same job since they left school. I'd hate to be so boring.

Travelling is exciting. Seeing new things is exciting. Meeting new people is exciting. Living in another country is exciting. Ireland is not exciting.

Oh, and the weather alone means Australia is nothing like Ireland.

bringitdown

Ummm ... different culture, work experience, lifestyle climate, etc.

You also can drive 800km in one day under clear blue skies and meet 2 cars, 5 road trains, 1 jeep, oh and 2 kangaroos am pretty sure that cannot be done round in Europe ... although I haven't been to Scunthorpe lately.

hussey

Húrin wrote: »

I have always wondered this and heard few satisfactory answers. Surely these countries have little to offer that cannot be found in Europe, indeed, even in Britain (which both are modelled after). Why do people bother going all the way out there for a holiday?

have a read of Down Under by bill bryson.

Also can you name anywhere in Britain that comes close to
Uluru
Cape tribulation (the only place in the world where a rainforest and a tropical reef meet)
Blue Mountains
Fraser island
Whitsunday islands

One Cold Hand

Húrin wrote: »

Surely these countries have little to offer that cannot be found in Europe, indeed, even in Britain

I don't you'll find this guy in Britain or Europe

Ozeire

I have always wondered this and heard few satisfactory answers. Surely these countries have little to offer that cannot be found in Europe, indeed, even in Britain (which both are modeled after). Why do people bother going all the way out there for a holiday?

Well Húrin where do i start.

First off never say to an Aussie or Kiwi they are modeled after Britain . Its the same as saying Ireland is part of Britain. Doesn't go down to well.

It's true that all speak English but to be honest that’s where the comparison with Britain stops. People travel here for a number of reasons. The weather, the great outdoors, a better way of life. I guess it really comes down to the person them selves. How open their mind is to new things. Out of 5 of us that traveled in 2000 I’m the only one who really fell in love with the place. The rest couldn’t wait to come home.

When you ask anyone who has gone it really does differ from person to person. But I haven’t herd many have a bad word to say about the year they spent down under.

If you’re the sort of person who loves life great weather and adventure you’ll love life down under.

casey jones

Ozeire wrote: »

First off never say to an Aussie or Kiwi they are modeled after Britain . Its the same as saying Ireland is part of Britain. Doesn't go down to well.

It doesn't go down well ? Is that why the Queen is head of state in Australia and the union jack adorns the Oz and NZ flag ?

As regards the question I think the earlier post disparaging the guy who is 25 and content with his 4 bed semi d says a lot. Oz/NZ is the trendy thing to do right now and if you say you don't fancy it you get dismissed as a bore or a home bird. I know quite a few who have travelled to both and they mostly say NZ is worth visiting for the scenery but Oz is a bit disappointing. There is a lot of talk about the Oz outdoors etc but it is one of the most urbanised countries in the western world, in excess of 90% living in big cities. The cost of living has become expensive and they are going into recession. In fairness to Oz and NZ they have marketed themselves well and are really well geared towards tourists.

However in my view the 25 year old with the 4 bed semi d has a lot going for them and can always travel abroad with work or on holidays in the future. The 25 year olds who spent a lot of their year down under drinking in the Irish bar in Sydney might look down their nose at the 'home bird bore'. But they'll be whinging about the price of accommodation on their return without a bean in their pocket and a couple of tall tales from the outback.

helimachoptor

casey jones wrote: »

It doesn't go down well ? Is that why the Queen is head of state in Australia and the union jack adorns the Oz and NZ flag ?

As regards the question I think the earlier post disparaging the guy who is 25 and content with his 4 bed semi d says a lot. Oz/NZ is the trendy thing to do right now and if you say you don't fancy it you get dismissed as a bore or a home bird. I know quite a few who have travelled to both and they mostly say NZ is worth visiting for the scenery but Oz is a bit disappointing. There is a lot of talk about the Oz outdoors etc but it is one of the most urbanised countries in the western world, in excess of 90% living in big cities. The cost of living has become expensive and they are going into recession. In fairness to Oz and NZ they have marketed themselves well and are really well geared towards tourists.

However in my view the 25 year old with the 4 bed semi d has a lot going for them and can always travel abroad with work or on holidays in the future. The 25 year olds who spent a lot of their year down under drinking in the Irish bar in Sydney might look down their nose at the 'home bird bore'. But they'll be whinging about the price of accommodation on their return without a bean in their pocket and a couple of tall tales from the outback.

Haven't oz tried to replace the queen as head of state a few times but it gets narrowly defeated in the parliament?

I dont fancy going to oz or NZ and racking up massive debt! a friend on mine came back nearly 15k in debt and she worked for 10 of her 11 months over there! I've been to NZ and Fiji on holidays, loved NZ, was there in their winter and I like the cold. I did a lot of travelling with work which is i really liked as i could do my 9-5 earn money and then do stuff in the evenings and weekends and usually expense it

kittex

casey jones wrote: »

Oz/NZ is the trendy thing to do right now and if you say you don't fancy it you get dismissed as a bore or a home bird. I know quite a few who have travelled to both and they mostly say NZ is worth visiting for the scenery but Oz is a bit disappointing. There is a lot of talk about the Oz outdoors etc but it is one of the most urbanised countries in the western world, in excess of 90% living in big cities. The cost of living has become expensive and they are going into recession. In fairness to Oz and NZ they have marketed themselves well and are really well geared towards tourists.

However in my view the 25 year old with the 4 bed semi d has a lot going for them and can always travel abroad with work or on holidays in the future. The 25 year olds who spent a lot of their year down under drinking in the Irish bar in Sydney might look down their nose at the 'home bird bore'. But they'll be whinging about the price of accommodation on their return without a bean in their pocket and a couple of tall tales from the outback.

There are 2 types of people in this scenario.
1st, the type who believes life experience is important. People who enjoy that tingle when you see something amazing, who love interesting chats with people from different cultures and who enjoy finding out about new things. New bathroom? Nah, will make do and spend the money developing one's self through travel instead.
Conversation topics: Travel, culture, society...

The 2nd, those who know what they like and like what they know and see the world through domestic status.
Why travel when you could put in a new bathroom? Why slum it when you can wait 5 years and afford a 4 star hotel?
Conversation topics: What you had for dinner last night and the traffic.

Actually perhaps there's the 3rd - those 25 year olds who want a year of the first stuff plus some madness before life gets too serious. Fair play to them to be honest. Plenty of time to moan about the traffic.

Sounds to me like you're just jealous of this lot, cos you haven't had any fun yourself!

Xavi6

helimachoptor wrote: »

Haven't oz tried to replace the queen as head of state a few times but it gets narrowly defeated in the parliament?

I dont fancy going to oz or NZ and racking up massive debt! a friend on mine came back nearly 15k in debt and she worked for 10 of her 11 months over there! I've been to NZ and Fiji on holidays, loved NZ, was there in their winter and I like the cold. I did a lot of travelling with work which is i really liked as i could do my 9-5 earn money and then do stuff in the evenings and weekends and usually expense it

She must've been just going out on the lash the whole time and blowing her money to have that much debt, or else wasn't working as much as she said she was.

Personally things could not better in Ireland than they are here. I'm 23, have a career job, live in (renting) a 2 bedroom apartment in the 'trendiest' suburb in Perth about 10 mins drive from the beach, own a car, have seen all of Queensland, am going to Vanuatu for a holiday (island in the south Pacific) and am planning to drive the west coast of the country in the next year.

There's no way I'd have those sorts of opportunities and luxuries back home with the way things are. Why the hell would I be over there?!

Zambia

1st I cant slam anyone for doing what they want to do.

For some people Ireland is a better bet , mate of mine from north Sydney loves it in cork and wont leave. Some aussies are looking for a faster pace of life when they are younger. So they travel to London.

Oh and blowing 15K , I know the same chick/Blokes who could blow that here in no time.

You have one life best you pack in what you want wether its a 4 bed semi and a wife & kids or a head full of experiences. Both are goals and both are admirable.

irish_bob

Xavi6 wrote: »

My thoughts exactly. I can't understand these home birds who are quite content with their 4 bedroom, semi detached house at 25 having worked in the same job since they left school. I'd hate to be so boring.

Travelling is exciting. Seeing new things is exciting. Meeting new people is exciting. Living in another country is exciting. Ireland is not exciting.

Oh, and the weather alone means Australia is nothing like Ireland.

spoken like a true 21st century middle class irish kid

The Sweeper

And can I just point out, not all boardsies on this forum are backpackers, here for a year? You could slag off any country in the world for its potential to put someone who isn't working full time into thousands of dollars of debt as they splurge and live it large.

WWMan and I have moved here permanently and currently have no intention to returning to western Europe. We're looking forward to the return of the summer weather, which was a big reason for moving here; the completion of our new house, which was another big reason for moving here; the potential purchase of our first brand-new-off-the-forecourt car, a third big reason for moving here, and our next holdiay, which will be a few days visiting wineries in the Yarra Valley and enjoying the local produce, which is around an hour's drive from our house. Alternatively we could have gone to the snows on Mount Bulla, to go skiing or snowboarding, also an hour's drive from our house.

We love it here. And having lived for 25 years in Ireland and six years in the SE of England, I can tell you it's different to both places.

coco85

I think the question should be why not travel to nz or Oz?..

Personally we are moving to get away from:
-weather
-economic downturn
-possibility of adventure- seeing new places meeting new people
-get out of the commute/work/commute/eat/sleep rut
-be in a position to look back in life when old and grey and say that we have done something interesting and different with our lives .. and not say...

well at 25 i owned my own house, spent my life working my butt off to earn more money only to spend it in a country where the cost of living is constantly rising and wage increases not matching current inflation.

So many of our friends are stuck in this rut and cannot get out due to children and mortgages. We are lucky we can just up and leave..... so why not??
When we told our friends we were moving to NZ for a year.. all were happy for us but most were jealous(and openly admitted this) because they were so tied down and could not do the same..

Plus.. the fact that they lifestyle is so much more relaxed and healthier in these countries.. we may ward off depression due to the above mentioned factors for another few years and enjoy life!...

Plus i beleve the kiwi's have a ''work to live' attitude and not the 'live to work' attitude that so many people have here.. not only that but they are not obsessed with fancy tv's,cars and gadgets. We have friends who live basically from hand to mouth but have the house full of flat screen tv's, gadgets and the best cars outside. Life should not be about keeping up appearances especially when they are up to their eyeballs in debt to do so!..and i tell you there are many people out there doing the exact same thing.

Tristram

cos they are English speaking countries and require little or no learning to adapt to life there?

pclancy

Different strokes for different folks....i've met loads of people that fit into either the traveller or the home bird catagory, i've met people travelling that are horribly boring and people living at home for ever with mortages/new cars that are very interesting. Its your life live it whatever way you wish. Both ways of life have their advantages and pitfalls and I dont think bad of anyone for wanting to be happy.

I'm just thankfull I'm part of the small percentage of people on this planet that can afford to actually travel, eat and clothe myself.

The only things in New Zealand that are very British are Christchurch and Dunedin city centres and the fact people speak english and drive on the left. Because so many different types of immigrants from so many parts of the world built New Zealand from the ground up, all those cultures remain strong. Auckland is very polynesian/asian/american, Wellington feels quite Maori/European to me and the south island cities quite european.

The scenery cannot be matched by anywhere else in the world imo Kayaking in gorgeous crystal clear waters or the abel tasman park one day, climbing a glacier the next, looking over mountain ranges skiing another day and relaxing in a winery the next...its an incredible mix of scenery and culture, well worth checking out.

I sure as hell dont' miss the M50 or Coolmine train station

Coileach dearg

The reason I came out here initially was to experience something different and had heard from many others that it is worth travelling/working in Australia/NZ for a year or so. I found a job and got sponsored and have been here since and have no intention of going home in the near future.

I went home at Christmas and was disgusted at how materialistic some of my friends and family had become, it has really gotten worse in the last 4/5 years. An example of this was when I asked a close friend of mine "Would you ever go down under for a year" and the reply I got was "ah sure I have a jeep now and everything". I do realise that different people have different priorities but when you're young is the time to see the world and what it has to offer.

You are only young once for feck sake! Get out and see the world!

Xavi6

irish_bob wrote: »

spoken like a true 21st century middle class irish kid

Less of the 'kid' thanks.

I got up off my arse and decided to do things for myself on the other side of the world rather than live at home til I'm 27 before finally sponging off mummy and daddy for a mortgage. And it's worked out better than if I had tried it at home.

latenia

What interesting people? I've been all over SE Asia and Australia and New Zealand and I've never come across such a group of conformist bores as backpackers.

hussey

latenia wrote: »

What interesting people? I've been all over SE Asia and Australia and New Zealand and I've never come across such a group of conformist bores as backpackers.

please explain your sweeping generalisation, conform to what exactly?

http://blogs.smh.com.au/travel/archives/2008/07/travel_****.html

estebancambias

I'd move to Australia if all my family, friends,cats, dogs and just general life moved there.

my mum lived in melbourne and hated it.

dont think ill be going there anytime soon.

as far as im concerned i can do the same things here as anywhere else...tennis, swimming in the beach, football..

Húrin

watna wrote: »

Why do people from OZ and NZ always go for a year away in Ireland/UK? It's the same thing. Have you asked any of them?

I'm presuming people go to gain some new experiences and because you can work in a completely different part of the world and take holidays in another part of the world e.g. go to Fiji instead of going to Lanzarote for two weeks.

Most Australians I have met in hostels on the continent stay indoors watching films most of the time. I was not impressed.

Australia isn't a completely different part of the world, except georgraphically. I don't understand why people go to Lanzarote to lie on the beach, and I don't understand why people would go to Fiji to do the same, and I don't understand why, given these, one would be any more interesting than the other.

Culturally, Australia is part of the white capitalist Anglosphere - doesn't sound like much of a culture shock to me.

Have you lived in oz or NZ? Why do you think they are exactly the same as Europe? From my experience, they're not as hugely different as somewhere like South America is to Ireland but it's sufficiently different as to give me a different work environment and experiences.

No I've never been there, nor do I thinkk they're exactly the same as Europe. But I expect there is a greater cultural difference between Ireland and Spain or Slovenia (and I don't mean the beach resorts) than between Ireland and Australia.

Plus I've travelled and seen different parts of the world. That in itself is worth it.

You can do that anywhere, in Ireland, other European countries, etc... doesn't seem like much of a reason to choose Australia in particular.

There's nothing worse than insulated people who have no interest in leaving Ireland.

Why? Murderers are worse. Elitists are worse. Ignorant people are worse for assuming that Ireland has nothing to offer those of us seeking interesting experiences.

kittex wrote: »

There are 2 types of people in this scenario.

That's where you're completely wrong. I value experience greatly. I am just considering that so many of these people who go to the other side of the world will never bother to go and see and do some of the amazing things that are to be found relatively near home, because they assume they are not there. It is not being open-minded; it's succumbing to the most ignorant motive for tourism: the idea that the place where you live is boring and the places where other people live are more interesting.

hussey wrote: »

have a read of Down Under by bill bryson.

Also can you name anywhere in Britain that comes close to
Uluru
Cape tribulation (the only place in the world where a rainforest and a tropical reef meet)
Blue Mountains
Fraser island
Whitsunday islands

These are natural wonders. As Australia is a continent, a fair comparison would be to compare it with all of Europe, not just one island.

Xavi6 wrote: »

My thoughts exactly. I can't understand these home birds who are quite content with their 4 bedroom, semi detached house at 25 having worked in the same job since they left school. I'd hate to be so boring.

Travelling is exciting. Seeing new things is exciting. Meeting new people is exciting. Living in another country is exciting. Ireland is not exciting.

Oh, and the weather alone means Australia is nothing like Ireland.

While I neither fit into nor aspire to your little stereotype, I would hate to be as elitist as you!

If you think there's nothing exciting in Ireland, I would suppose that you know very little about Ireland.

I'm not slagging travel in general in my thread here. I'm just trying to unravel why people choose Australia in particular.

Coileach dearg

estebancambias wrote: »

I'd move to Australia if all my family, friends,cats, dogs and just general life moved there.

my mum lived in melbourne and hated it.

dont think ill be going there anytime soon.

as far as im concerned i can do the same things here as anywhere else...tennis, swimming in the beach, football..

Fair play, mammy knows best.

Xavi6

Húrin wrote: »

While I neither fit into nor aspire to your little stereotype, I would hate to be as elitist as you!

I'm not being elitist, you asked why people are over here and I told you why I'm here. I can only speak from my experiences and I do know people who are quite content to rest on their laurels in Ireland doing the same thing day to day with only a two week annual holiday in *insert generic summer destination here* to look forward to. I find it mind boggling in the same way others find what I'm doing baffling. Different strokes and all that.

If you think there's nothing exciting in Ireland, I would suppose that you know very little about Ireland.

Ireland is home and always will be. It is a beautiful country in its own right with many positives and I can see why it is such a popular tourist destination. However, after 21 years in Dublin I was, quite frankly, bored of the place. I fancied a change and I've got it and I'm happy. I will go back, whether in five, ten or whatever amount of years. But right now it holds zero appeal to me apart from family and friends.

I'm not slagging travel in general in my thread here. I'm just trying to unravel why people choose Australia in particular.

And I hope I'm able to give you an incite into my own personal situation

hussey

Húrin wrote: »

Most Australians I have met in hostels on the continent stay indoors watching films most of the time. I was not impressed.

Neither would I be, most of them I have meet are nothing like this.

Culturally, Australia is part of the white capitalist Anglosphere - doesn't sound like much of a culture shock to me.

live out in NT and see how different it is.

No I've never been there, nor do I thinkk they're exactly the same as Europe. But I expect there is a greater cultural difference between Ireland and Spain or Slovenia (and I don't mean the beach resorts) than between Ireland and Australia.

Yes agreed, I think people get mixed up with culture, history and lifestyle.

These are natural wonders. As Australia is a continent, a fair comparison would be to compare it with all of Europe, not just one island.

The OP compared Australia to Britain.

I'm not slagging travel in general in my thread here. I'm just trying to unravel why people choose Australia in particular.

I don't think anyone is attacking Ireland as such, people come to Australia to experience a different lifestyle, it is also easy to get a Visa and has plenty of jobs, it is not a culture shock, and people speak English.
There is plenty of see and do, each part of Australia is unique.

watna

I think what it comes down to is a personal choice. Op, you're happy to stay in Ireland, other people are not and want to live in NZ/Aus. What's the big deal? How does it affect you? Also, you're asking in the wrong forum, tbh seeming as most people here have made the move. You just want us to give our (sometimes very personal) reasons for coming here so you can tell us they're wrong.

Why don't we all do what makes us happy and go wherever the hell we want?

For the record, I'm not an irish backpacker doing my year abroad. I live and work in NZ. My OH is a kiwi, all our friends are kiws and I work in a company with mostly kiwis. I feel I am gaining valuable experience by living abroad. Note how I said living abroad - not backpacking or travelling.

I'm only in New Zealand because that's where my boyfriend is from. If he was from anywhere else I'd probably be there. However, I'm glad he's from NZ because it's given me an opportunity to properly experience living here.

hussey

watna wrote: »

If he was from anywhere else I'd probably be there.

Lucky he isn't from Cork wha????

Ah I may live in Aus, but still a dub at heart!

One Cold Hand

hussey wrote: »

Lucky he isn't from Cork wha????

Or Geelong!!

Mahatma coat

Lots of people whio dismiss Australia asbeing nodifferent to home have only really experienced life in Sydney or Melbourne or done a few of the Tourist traps on the East coast, Airlie Beach, Fraser Island, Whale Watching, Byron Bay.

if that was your only experience of Australia then the whole experience may ring a bit hollow, however if you actually go out beyond the Black Stump and intothe Real outback, stay in a few of the small towns, work in some of the more remote areas etc thats where you will see things that will alter your view of the universe

watna

Húrin wrote: »

No I've never been there, nor do I thinkk they're exactly the same as Europe. But I expect there is a greater cultural difference between Ireland and Spain or Slovenia (and I don't mean the beach resorts) than between Ireland and Australia.
.

Mahatma coat wrote: »

Lots of people whio dismiss Australia asbeing nodifferent to home have only really experienced life in Sydney or Melbourne or done a few of the Tourist traps on the East coast, Airlie Beach, Fraser Island, Whale Watching, Byron Bay.

if that was your only experience of Australia then the whole experience may ring a bit hollow, however if you actually go out beyond the Black Stump and intothe Real outback, stay in a few of the small towns, work in some of the more remote areas etc thats where you will see things that will alter your view of the universe

Well, the OP has never been to any part of NZ or Australia so if dismissing it without experiencing any of it.

One Cold Hand

Húrin wrote: »

I'm not slagging travel in general in my thread here. I'm just trying to unravel why people choose Australia in particular.

Hurin,
I think you should also bear in mind that a lot of people who go to Aus or NZ go as part of a larger world trip, taking in various part of Asia, South America or whatever takes their fancy. Very few people fly straight to Australia, then fly straight home. Obviously a full year travelling is very expensive so a lot of poeple opt to stop and work for a few months somewhere along the way. Australia is the choice for a lot of people for a number of reasons:
1. Easy to get a VISA
2. Language
3. Culturally not too dissimilar to Ireland
4. Has a few differences to make it an exciting experince (weather, lifestyle, landscape etc)
5. Geographically it's about halfway through a lot of peoples world trips. For example, a lot of people go to SE Asia for few months, then Aus/NZ, then S. America for a few months on the way home. Australia is a logical place to stop for a few months on the way.

You asked the question do people not think Ireland is interesting? Personally I think Ireland is facinating. I love it, and it's my favourite country by miles in the world, it's my home and I'll be back living there in a year or so. However after living in Dublin for 26 years, growing up there, going to school, 6 years of college, it was time for a change. It's not that I think there's nothing to do there. I'd done nearly everything there is to do in Ireland.
So I decided to leave. I'd been to the UK, and travelled through most of Europe and lived and travelled in North America. You seem to think that no-one has been to anywhere in the UK and Europe, or done anything in Ireland? Everything in Europe is so close and easy to get to these days. I wanted to go somewhere I hadn't been before. The point is that when I'm 35 and married and settled down with a mortage, I'll still be able to check out the places in Europe and Ireland that I've missed. Going for a hike up Franz Josef wouldn't be quite as easy though! When I'm young I wanna check out all the hard to reach places in world!

A lot of things are similar to Europe, but there are also so many things that are different. Most have been outlined already.

Húrin

One Cold Hand wrote: »

Very few people fly straight to Australia, then fly straight home.

It seems to me that a lot of people do.

Australia is the choice for a lot of people for a number of reasons:
1. Easy to get a VISA
2. Language
3. Culturally not too dissimilar to Ireland

Yes there are the reasons I was wondering why people go to Australia on holidays. I love going to places where they speak a different language, and learning a bit of it by spending time with the people who live there.

You asked the question do people not think Ireland is interesting?

So I decided to leave. I'd been to the UK, and travelled through most of Europe and lived and travelled in North America.

You're thinking in terms of destinations. The journey is more important, every land you pass through has a dense cultural and natural fabric available for exploration. Though when travelling by bus, aircraft or train this fact is disguised unfortunately.

You seem to think that no-one has been to anywhere in the UK and Europe, or done anything in Ireland?

No, but there have been a few posters proclaiming Australia so be so much more intrinsically interesting than Europe. From my POV, Australians seem to be warmed up Brits, and is culturally closer to us than even geographically closer places like Spain, Norway or the Balkans.

Everything in Europe is so close and easy to get to these days. I wanted to go somewhere I hadn't been before.

There's more to Europe than London, Paris, Berlin, and skiing in the Alps. I suspect that you haven't seen as much of Europe as you think. This summer I went cycling around France and Spain, which really opened my eyes to these things.

The point is that when I'm 35 and married and settled down with a mortage, I'll still be able to check out the places in Europe and Ireland that I've missed.

I agree with that logic and that's why I am saving the many of the wonders of Ireland and Britain for later in life, and exploring the continent now. I just see the current trend of going to Thailand, Australia etc as a lot of people being conned into thinking they're going somewhere that is so much more interesting than boring old Europe... when that's not at all the truth.

Zambia

Yes some people fly straight home ...thats there choice.

You love going to places where they speak a different language ,I for one dont. You are probably more linguistic than I am , fair play its a skill you should be proud of.

As for the warmed up brits comment , seriously catch yourself on there. The Irish are far more British in nature to the Aussies. Come walk up my street in Belfast and you cant see for eejits bending over backwards to be British the Aussies have no such problem. in fact in our habits we are near identical in many respects.

So your real piont is you think we should all be going to the UK & Europe and not Australia or Thailand? You know a lot of people think like that, and some dont. They want to start further than europe travel young leave europe till their 40's. Then do Ireland on the free bus pass.

I dont think anyone is really having a go at Ireland/UK/Europe so people just want to go further or see different things. Now lay off Australia we get you dont like it but your beginning to sound like your girlfriend has ran off down under with a backpacking koala. Each to there own like.

Enjoy Europe

BarryCreed

One thing I do notice between Europe and Oz is that Oz is Europe is overpopulated in my opinion. When it comes to living somewhere, grand, you have cool cities in Europe, but you're piled high in apartments. I think Oz has an advantage here in that there is plenty of space, clean cities,and good weather etc. YOu have so many med extraction people there, you get parts of their culture too, as well as the asian influence..

Europe does have an advantage in that you are close (1 to 2 hour flights) to many cultures and languages, whereas Oz is so big, and you are a good six hours flight from anything not in English. I loved Perth, but it being so far from everything is one concern. You can;t take a 2 hour flight and be in prague, or bratislava, or berlin, or san sebastian, or stockholm (all different), you kind of have to stick with the south west WA, which is beautiful, but you know what I mean.....

slipss

Húrin wrote: »

I'm just trying to unravel why people choose Australia in particular.

It's an English speaking country with a reasonably healthy economy, beautiful weather all year round, a visa arrangent with Europe, a natural landscape and wildlife that is very different from Ireland and it is also very firmly geared towards catering for foreigner visitors. It really isn't that hard to understand man. Can you name any other country on the planet that ticks all those boxes?

Piha Pirate

I've been over in NZ for the last 2 years. I've seen so many Irish and other nationality backpackers coming through our pub. its important to note a few things about the place.

firstly the bad points

New Zealand will cut you up and spit you out if you haven't got your ducks in a row. Know you want and go and do it.

Some people do only last 2 months in the place. It really isn't for everyone.

The financial crisis has hit OZ/NZ too. The wages are poor enough and stuff is generally cheaper.
Work is not plentiful. You really do need to do the work. After 3/6 months of travel you might be up to it.

The NZ can be a very dour lot...hard to make friends with. This leads to all the other nationalities sticking together to their own groups.

BUT OH MY GOD

Sunny days in August. 6 months solid of sunshine. Great beaches. Wide open roads that you can cruise down the country with little stress. Even in the cities the traffic isn't that terrible. The various array of outdoor pursuits are well known. Great ski slopes. Where else can you jump off the side of a building with a rope around your ankles?

The social fabric of the nation is not built around the pub. You will be fitter and in better shape for the lack of "the big fry".

The freedom to do what you want to do without someone asking why do you want to do that? Who do you think you are? Like i said if you know what you want to do, it is there for you.

You will find a lot of the things you like are home are available out here.

If you are a person who lives for Saturday nights and has limited enough interests with same circle of friends you've had all your life, you are going to find it tough out here on your own. THIS IS NOT IBIZA.

If you do come out here on a Holiday Visa for a year, spend 5 nights a week in O'Malleys in Sydney or Father Teds in Auckland for the first month....do yourself a favour...GO HOME!!

Húrin

slipss wrote: »

It's an English speaking country with a reasonably healthy economy, beautiful weather all year round, a visa arrangent with Europe, a natural landscape and wildlife that is very different from Ireland and it is also very firmly geared towards catering for foreigner visitors. It really isn't that hard to understand man. Can you name any other country on the planet that ticks all those boxes?

Plenty tick all the boxes, except the English speaking part. Though I have never understood why people want to go to places that speak English on holidays, I mean in that case you may as well stay in Ireland or England - they're beautiful too.

Just that Australia is so far away from here... it mystifies me the expense and length of travel time that people are up for, to visit just another Anglo western country.

mrDuke

come to ozz and see for yourself.

Daithio

Are you honestly trying to argue that a place isn't worth visiting because they speak the same language as you? I'm sorry, but that is just retarded. I'm surprised you've ever bothered leaving Ireland at all. Sure you could just spend your summers alternating between the different Gaeltachts to satisfy your language immersion needs.

irish_bob

Daithio wrote: »

Are you honestly trying to argue that a place isn't worth visiting because they speak the same language as you? I'm sorry, but that is just retarded. I'm surprised you've ever bothered leaving Ireland at all. Sure you could just spend your summers alternating between the different Gaeltachts to satisfy your language immersion needs.

the criticism of the country being english speaking is nothing but snobbery , there the kind of people who after spending a month with some tribe in papuau new guinnea would be singing the praises of that in touch with nature culture when the arrived back in ireland
personally even though i enjoyed my visits to lots of non english speaking countries , i could never ever settle down in a non english speaking country , not everyone takes to new languages like a duck to water , doesnt mean your not intelligent , linguistics are not a passion of most people

JWAD

Húrin wrote: »

No, but there have been a few posters proclaiming Australia so be so much more intrinsically interesting than Europe. From my POV, Australians seem to be warmed up Brits, and is culturally closer to us than even geographically closer places like Spain, Norway or the Balkans.

There's more to Europe than London, Paris, Berlin, and skiing in the Alps. I suspect that you haven't seen as much of Europe as you think. This summer I went cycling around France and Spain, which really opened my eyes to these things.

I agree with that logic and that's why I am saving the many of the wonders of Ireland and Britain for later in life, and exploring the continent now. I just see the current trend of going to Thailand, Australia etc as a lot of people being conned into thinking they're going somewhere that is so much more interesting than boring old Europe... when that's not at all the truth.

Unless you've been to Australia or the likes, I don't think you can pass a credible proxy criticism on the country.
I lived there for many years, am a citizen and still own my house (in Byron Bay) which is where I will return to and retire later on in life (I hope). The lifestyle (coastal in my experience) is what I miss as well as the climate.
Australia is a very varied country and you cannot pigeon-hole it under one descript.
I've also lived and worked in Greece and later on moved to Norway in 2000 (from Australia) where I lived until 2005. I've been on one package holiday in my entire life (Lanzarote). Have inter-railed. Have been to plenty of Europe for good trips too.
Aussie still does it for me and I'll be back there next october for a month.

Personally I'd have a more of an issue with the thousands of people each year who go to European cities on weekends (bucks parties or whatever) or European resorts and do exactly what they do at the weekend at home ie. drink til they drop.

Húrin

irish_bob wrote: »

the criticism of the country being english speaking is nothing but snobbery , there the kind of people who after spending a month with some tribe in papuau new guinnea would be singing the praises of that in touch with nature culture when the arrived back in ireland

I find the people who engage in that kind of pretentious wankery to be even more annoying than the "OMG you've like got to go to Australia!!" - I also fear that such people may be damaging the cultures of such tribes by importing western tourism.

personally even though i enjoyed my visits to lots of non english speaking countries , i could never ever settle down in a non english speaking country , not everyone takes to new languages like a duck to water , doesnt mean your not intelligent , linguistics are not a passion of most people

My thread isn't about people who settle down, just holidaymakers. Personally I don't think I could ever settle anywhere but Ireland.

One Cold Hand

Húrin wrote: »

You're thinking in terms of destinations. The journey is more important, every land you pass through has a dense cultural and natural fabric available for exploration. Though when travelling by bus, aircraft or train this fact is disguised unfortunately.

I fully agree, that's why I spent a month travelling through Japan, and 6 weeks in New Zealand. And I'll be spending 3/4 months in South America, which to me is of more interest than Australia. As I said earlier a lot of people use Australia to stop off and earn a few bucks along the way.

Húrin wrote: »

There's more to Europe than London, Paris, Berlin, and skiing in the Alps. I suspect that you haven't seen as much of Europe as you think. This summer I went cycling around France and Spain, which really opened my eyes to these things.

I suspect that I know better than you!!:D
I'm not going to start listing countries, but I've been through all of Western Europe and a good percentage of Eastern Europe. I'm not claiming for one second that I've seen and done absolutely everything of interest in, for example, France. But I do feel that I've spent a good bit of time there and seen a good bit of the country.

I think I misunderstood you slightly earlier. Am I right in saying that you points are mainly with regard to people who fly to Aus for 2/3/4 weeks, and then fly home, as opposed to people like myself who will spend a year living here? If this was your point then I would tend to agree with you, I don't really see the point in flying to Australia for 2 weeks, then flying home again. I certainly wouldn't do it and would see it as a waste of time and money.

Am I right in saying that your main problems with Australia/NZ is their culture and history? Obviously Europe has a larger concentration of different cultures, I don't think anyone is going to argue that one! There are other reasons people move to Australia, most of which have been outlined above. Just for your own interest though, there are still hugely interesting historical and cultural aspects to Aus and NZ. The Maori people and heritage, for example, I found facinating. I don't think you should assume that Aus/NZ are the same as the UK without checking them out.

Out of curiosity, would Asia, Africa or South America interest you? Or would anywhere outside of Europe interest you? You seem to be quite gone on Europe!!

hussey

Here are some interesting statics avout Ireland and Australia
http://www.tra.australia.com/content/documents/Visitor%20Profile/2008/Ireland.pdf

in 2007 about 50% were people travelling alone.
1/6th arrived in Dec (for xmas, I am guessing)
40% was a return visit

IM0

you might as well ask 'why do people travel?' :rolleyes:
I guess either you get it or you dont....
theres in this instance 2 kinds of people
those who travel..and I MEAN BACKPACK or similar..not check into a hotel and eat chips and talk to other tourists only and stay by the hotel /pool ect :rolleyes: (or sardines as I like to call them!)

....and those who work :P keep the economy rolling and up to their ass in debt/kids/TV ect....

its a bit like religion in a sense, those who do/dont believe shouldnt bother trying to 'convert' those who do/dont really, floggin a dead horse n that...
and life is tooo short for that sh#t.

Ozeire

me@ucd wrote: »

theres in this instance 2 kinds of people
those who travel..and I MEAN BACKPACK or similar..not check into a hotel and eat chips and talk to other tourists only and stay by the hotel /pool ect :rolleyes: (or sardines as I like to call them!)

....and those who work :P keep the economy rolling and up to their ass in debt/kids/TV ect....

Well that’s not exactly true. I know you might not mean to but the way you are stating things, makes you sound like a bit of a snob.

Travel is for everyone not the soul domain of backpackers. They aren't the only true traveler in the world. Plus odds are the second group you so flippantly talk abut probably were backpackers in there day.

They have done that, been there and now when they can afford it, would rather a bit of comfort when traveling, nothing wrong with that.

It’s each to their own when traveling no one is better than anyone else. It is good to try and meet some of the locals and get immersed in the culture but you don’t have to necessarily rough it to travel.

....and those who work keep the economy rolling and up to their ass in debt/kids/TV ect....

Don’t forget these people keep the country going while you travel . So if you decided to return things are still good and you can get a job and live . Don’t write them off so quick .