When are you going home?

Mr Benevolent

For me it's the 10th of January after looking for a job in Brisbane for ages. Tickets booked so am just going to enjoy Christmas here. By and large I like Australia, but the weather is just ridiculously hot for someone like me who prefers the cold. Ireland's climate is much more interesting and varied tbh. The girlfriend is staying until her WHV runs out in June, she has a steady job so I wasn't expecting her to come back with me.

Anyone else going home soonish? Any reason besides your visa running out?

brendansmith

Confab wrote: »

Ireland's climate is much more interesting and varied tbh.

Not more than Melbourne.

Zambia

I would agree it does get cold here in Melbourne in winter.

In answer to your first question , sometime after hell freezes over

unreggd

Surprised u havent found a job in Brisbane, theres loads goin! Just blitz Seek and the CBD

I got here [Oz] in Sept

Hated Sydney so stayed here in Bris

I agree about the heat, it's woeful! But at least Bris has a bit of a breeze durin the day

Im in a flat with no aircon, so Im a hillbilly in front of a fan when Im at home!

Im stayin here til Feb, then hittin up Melbourne, work March > May, do some tours then home Mid June

I've no desire to live in Australia

and I have college to start back in Dublin so I'm actually lookin forward to headin home

Mr Yellow

If i could swap, i would gladly swap the sheer misery of IRELAND for Oz anyday.
Offers open, please apply within" {yes had 2 years in Oz, dont know how ****ed up i acsually was to leave there PERIOD....illegal or NOT}

Good night & please stop depressing the f**k out of me.....i miss it!

brendansmith

Mr Yellow wrote: »

If i could swap, i would gladly swap the sheer misery of IRELAND for Oz anyday.
Offers open, please apply within" {yes had 2 years in Oz, dont know how ****ed up i acsually was to leave there PERIOD....illegal or NOT}

Good night & please stop depressing the f**k out of me.....i miss it!

How long ago did you leave?

There is always New Zealand mate

shane86

Never with the hope of god. Was very suprised to read in the echo that there were only something like 5000 Irish on 2nd year visas. This surely cant be right. I can only think of two people Ive known who have went home in their first year, and they only left because they were found out for lying on the visa. In fact i cant think of one Irish person i know who has any intention of ever returning home, the amount of illegals i know grows by the week. Id love to dip home for a fortnight and do some of the few things we have better than Oz but as for living, not a chance. Cant hack the weather, the high cost of living and the crap nightlife in dublin.

Mr Yellow

Thanks my friend, great to hear optimism when i need it most.
Got a kiwi friend so looking at it currently, got a degree etc but a bit hindered at the minute..explain to you again!

Left in february thia year - stupidity is choice of the beholder

PERSONAL ADVICE TO ANYONE - return to Ireland at your own demise...seriously

Mahatma coat

NEVAAAAAAH

Seriously, why would anyone want to go back to Ireland?

FreeAnd..

Never

Xavi6

I'm a citizen so I'll just come and go as I please.

brendansmith

Xavi6 wrote: »

I'm a citizen so I'll just come and go as I please.

You are lucky. I hope to become a citizen too someday. When I do im getting a ute and putting this sticker on it:

http://sheikyermami.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/****-off-we-are-full.jpg

Mahatma coat

Ha, I have a Ute

and mine says

Lo and the Angel of the Lord Said onto the Shepherd
"**** off, this is Cattle County"

and the other ute has

"John Gill is a Bollox"

scrawled on the back

:D:D:D:D:D

Jagera

Probably go back to Ireland in the next 2-3 years, for a spell of 1-2 years, then to Australia permanently.

The last few recent visits to Ireland make it look pretty hard hit by the economy. Ireland definitely needed the shake-up because prices were just getting ridiculous. Recently, I did a shop at Dunnes and was surprised how cheap it was. Rent prices are 20 odd percent lower.

So once things pick up there (in how long.. who knows) then I reckon it will be better than it was 2 years ago.

Mr Benevolent

Australia is hard to live in on the WHV. I was on Seek and every website under the sun, got an interview, had a total of three interviews with the same company and they've haven't come back to me at all despite calls and emails. They're utterly incompetent. My girlfriend is being paid under minimum wage, this country is not worth the effort. Living without air conditioning is a pain and I'm looking forward to going home, at least I can go back and get a job and an education. I'd never live here long term.

BarryCreed

I wouldn't agree with people saying "I'd never go back to Ireland. Why would you want to live there!". True to a certain extent, but all well and good on your WHV, getting drunk, travelling and so on.
Once you hit 30, you get a bit more cynical (I do anyways...).
I;ve met folk who constantly go on about how better Aus is than Ireland, as if to justify their being there. Horses for courses. Personally, I'd take continental Europe or the med over Aus a lot of the time. Same weather, same outdoors lifestyle if you wanted, proper seasons, snow in winter, good summer, home is a short flight away and doesn't take 2 days, soccer, rugby...but that's just me.
I would find it hard to ever think about settling anywhere at the moment. I'm in Ireland but won't settle here I'd say...

mandrake04

shane86 wrote: »

Never with the hope of god. Was very suprised to read in the echo that there were only something like 5000 Irish on 2nd year visas. This surely cant be right. I can only think of two people Ive known who have went home in their first year, and they only left because they were found out for lying on the visa.

I would believe it, to get the 2nd WHV you have to obtain 3 months of rural work..... not so easy when stuck in the Bondi trap.

The other 10000 probably tried to bodgy the 2nd year all using the same ABN number and DIAC have now caught on...

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055740901

shane86 wrote: »

In fact i cant think of one Irish person i know who has any intention of ever returning home, the amount of illegals i know grows by the week. Id love to dip home for a fortnight and do some of the few things we have better than Oz but as for living, not a chance. Cant hack the weather, the high cost of living and the crap nightlife in dublin.

My friend returned to Ireland a few months ago after living 'Undocumented' for 6 years in order to go straight and return on an ENS, in his words "Ireland is like a 3rd world country, get me out of here"

Mr Benevolent

What frightens me is the that Irish have such a poor sense of perspective and are so naive. Countries I've visited like Bulgaria are much, much worse than Ireland. We denigrate our own country out of some odd self-hating anti-Irish thing we have. Australia is not the perfect country and never will be. Ireland has come on hugely and is an excellent country in general. The problem is that Irish people believe what they here in the news. Be realistic. Recession is happening everywhere and Ireland is not the worst hit. The one criticism I would have of Ireland is that the education system does not encourage enough people to think independently.

Funny enough, one of the really poor things about Australia, it's media and TV, are the same things that Irish people love it Ireland. TV here is scarily racist. In fact a lot of Australians are scarily racist. I'll be glad to be out of here and back to a properly civilised country.

Mr Benevolent

BarryCreed wrote: »

I wouldn't agree with people saying "I'd never go back to Ireland. Why would you want to live there!". True to a certain extent, but all well and good on your WHV, getting drunk, travelling and so on.
Once you hit 30, you get a bit more cynical (I do anyways...).
I;ve met folk who constantly go on about how better Aus is than Ireland, as if to justify their being there. Horses for courses. Personally, I'd take continental Europe or the med over Aus a lot of the time. Same weather, same outdoors lifestyle if you wanted, proper seasons, snow in winter, good summer, home is a short flight away and doesn't take 2 days, soccer, rugby...but that's just me.
I would find it hard to ever think about settling anywhere at the moment. I'm in Ireland but won't settle here I'd say...

Yup I'm just gone 30 as well, the Irish'll believe anything. Australia has been hyped up beyond belief considering the WHV is a tourist scam designed to get money into the country.

unreggd

Confab wrote: »

What frightens me is the that Irish have such a poor sense of perspective and are so naive. Countries I've visited like Bulgaria are much, much worse than Ireland. We denigrate our own country out of some odd self-hating anti-Irish thing we have. Australia is not the perfect country and never will be. Ireland has come on hugely and is an excellent country in general. The problem is that Irish people believe what they here in the news. Be realistic. Recession is happening everywhere and Ireland is not the worst hit. The one criticism I would have of Ireland is that the education system does not encourage enough people to think independently.

Funny enough, one of the really poor things about Australia, it's media and TV, are the same things that Irish people love it Ireland. TV here is scarily racist. In fact a lot of Australians are scarily racist. I'll be glad to be out of here and back to a properly civilised country.

Nail on the head!

Ireland is a great country, its the people and their attitudes that make it crap sometimes

We need to be more positive, and proactive
And be a bit rebellious, like in France
The health and work system there is fantastic, cos if the government tries to implement any unfair crap, the people take to the streets
The motto from V for vendetta is so through, about how the government should fear the people, and not vice versa

Beside, the goverment needs an overhaul. It's their job to run the country efficiently, they're not doin that
What happens if ur not doin your job? You get sacked!

I think Ireland could come a long way if people simply think more positivly, as cheesy as that sounds

seachto7

not wanting to generalise, but most of the lads I know who love Aus are tradies, so they would be stuck in Ireland pulling and dragging in sh1te, but they're doing it in the sun. They have mainly just gone from Ireland to Aus, so are basing their experiences on that. They didn't like Europe, as they didn't have the lingos..

I'm not saying you only get a certain type who will love Australia, but that has been my experience...

I was close to going there for good myself up until recently. In hindsight, I'm glad I didn't but I still do wonder what things would be like if I did go....

Again, a lot of it is down to what you are doing as a job (in no way at all related to a WHV life of "whooring and touring"). I could be living by the sea in Aus, and if I was in a job I hated and with a woman I didn't get on with, then what's the point being there at all....

Zambia

Ireland is a very good country to live in.

I just don't want to live there.

Mr Benevolent

seachto7 wrote: »

not wanting to generalise, but most of the lads I know who love Aus are tradies, so they would be stuck in Ireland pulling and dragging in sh1te, but they're doing it in the sun. They have mainly just gone from Ireland to Aus, so are basing their experiences on that. They didn't like Europe, as they didn't have the lingos..

I'm not saying you only get a certain type who will love Australia, but that has been my experience...

Got it in one. They're grand lads but with a very blinkered view of a very big world

jank

brendansmith wrote: »

You are lucky. I hope to become a citizen too someday. When I do im getting a ute and putting this sticker on it:

http://sheikyermami.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/****-off-we-are-full.jpg

Do you know how idiotic and ironic that sounds? Whatever floats you boat I guess.

To the OP, OZ is not the be all and end all. Every country is different. If you dont like the heat perhaps NZ would be a better option or Canada?

I think that "Australia is not a Panacea" Thread should be sticky'd on this forum. The Irish do love to talk themselves down and talk any other country up. Australia is almost a myth at this stage but at the end of the day you get up go to work, eat your dinner etc etc. Life cannot be a party every day but you have to make the most out of it, learn to surf, go on a mountain trek, rock climbing etc etc. Doing that and not pissing your wages down an alley 4 nights a week you will see if a country is for you or not. As my Kiwi house mate said to me the problem with OZ is that its full of Australians

The irony of all this is that I'm transferring to OZ with work on a 4 year work visa in the next few months but would love to stay in NZ. Still ill give it a go and by then residency should have come through for NZ by then so Ill have the option of going back.

Always keep your options open and never look a gift horse in the mouth.

brendansmith

jank wrote: »

Do you know how idiotic and ironic that sounds? Whatever floats you boat I guess.

It was a joke.

hussey

jank wrote: »

Do you know how idiotic and ironic that sounds? Whatever floats you boat I guess.

*facepalm*

jank

brendansmith wrote: »

It was a joke.

My apologies.

The Sweeper

I'm never moving back to Ireland. I haven't lived there in what will be eight years, as of July 2010. I was back in August/September this year, and had a lovely time, but I wouldn't go back to live.

Then again I'm on a permanent visa down here, with a view to citizenship, so I don't have the difficulties of WHVers and temp visa people. I bought a house that's twice the size of the one I grew up in, for about 1/3 the money I'd spend in Ireland. Got in before the crest of the wave too, so already have equity in the house. I prefer the weather - solar powered split system air conditioner being installed in seven days will mean I prefer it even more because I have a comfortable home.

There are things that piss me off about Australia, but that's the same as anywhere. It's worth noting that my siblings don't live in Ireland either. I miss my aging parents, but they're wonderful people who travelled the globe themselves before settling in their thirties, so they've never begrudged or guilted me into feeling bad about choosing to settle on the other side of the planet from them. Skype is a marvellous invention - we probably talk more now than we did when I lived on the other side of Dublin.

So I'm not going back, and I'm not sad about it either. Australia is a good spot for my lifestyle. I don't want to have kids either (in my thirties, so that's a serious decision made) and that makes a difference in not tying me here - so I can move interstate, or head back up to mainland Europe - world's my oyster really.

Nice way to be.

brendansmith

The Sweeper wrote: »

I'm never moving back to Ireland. I haven't lived there in what will be eight years, as of July 2010. I was back in August/September this year, and had a lovely time, but I wouldn't go back to live.

Then again I'm on a permanent visa down here, with a view to citizenship, so I don't have the difficulties of WHVers and temp visa people. I bought a house that's twice the size of the one I grew up in, for about 1/3 the money I'd spend in Ireland. Got in before the crest of the wave too, so already have equity in the house. I prefer the weather - solar powered split system air conditioner being installed in seven days will mean I prefer it even more because I have a comfortable home.

There are things that piss me off about Australia, but that's the same as anywhere. It's worth noting that my siblings don't live in Ireland either. I miss my aging parents, but they're wonderful people who travelled the globe themselves before settling in their thirties, so they've never begrudged or guilted me into feeling bad about choosing to settle on the other side of the planet from them. Skype is a marvellous invention - we probably talk more now than we did when I lived on the other side of Dublin.

So I'm not going back, and I'm not sad about it either. Australia is a good spot for my lifestyle. I don't want to have kids either (in my thirties, so that's a serious decision made) and that makes a difference in not tying me here - so I can move interstate, or head back up to mainland Europe - world's my oyster really.

Nice way to be.

Lucky man.

Do you think in the 8 years you have been here that it have become over populated or how long before you reckon it will be?

Where do you think will be the next Australia?

The Sweeper

Only been here nearly three years - the five before that I was in SE England. (And female, not a bloke. ) I've settled rural in Victoria so I have a different perspective on the overpopulation I hear all about on the news.

Between the town I live and Melbourne, it's an hour's drive - and I see plenty of featureless flatlands as I make that drive. Those flatlands are being sold off to developers hand over fist at the moment, with a view to new housing. There's certainly plenty of space. The infrastructure problems will be in terms of transport - but there's already a highly expandable road and rail network out this way, and some of the expansion is even happening BEFORE the houses are built.

Look, infrastructure pressure happens everywhere there is expansion - you can't expect someone to build a school in the arsehole of nowhere BEFORE a bunch of young families move in. One thing I'll say about Australia is that the infrastructure improvements happen more quickly than in my experience of Ireland and the UK - much of which may be because this place was founded, tabula rasa, a couple of hundred years ago, so the roads and rail networks aren't the descendents of 2000 year old donkey tracks.

I live 60km from central Melbourne and can drive it in one hour. The equivalent drive from a distance outside Dublin to its centre, or a distance outside London to its centre, would take far longer.

The Aussies need to calm down re overpopulation, but keep their strict migrancy laws. On one hand, they seem to stress about letting in too many people, but anybody I talk to has had to jump through flaming hoops for the visa they have, and I hope that continues. If you limit your migrants to educated, employable workforce, well then the migrants bring money, diverse skills, interesting food and broader traditions and they contribute to your taxation system.

For Kevin Rudd to be paying people to have babies on one hand, then saying the country will be overpopulated on the other - well that's really disguising the issue isn't it - Australia wants to make sure it's not overpopulated with non-whites.

Traq

much of which may be because this place was founded, tabula rasa, a couple of hundred years ago

Presume you mean terra nullius?? Not nitpicking, just confused!

The Sweeper

Nope, I mean it was a blank slate - so the roads, cities, and infrastructure were built as the settlers thought they should be designed, based on what they thought had worked best from their own countries. It wasn't just the case that an established thoroughfare, never intended for modern traffic, ended up being a access artery in a major metropolis, which is what happens often in European cities.

Traq

No worries, understand what you mean! I've just always associated "tabula rasa" as being more of a personal or mental thing than a physical thing in this description.

Mr Benevolent

Australia wants to make sure it's not overpopulated with non-whites.

And therein lies the problem with Australia. Very disturbing and right on the money. Might as well make a visa with only one entry requirement. Of course the hypocrisy of the concept is beyond a joke considering the entire population of Australia are descents of European and Asian countries. Most other countries, even America got over that at least a decade ago. Even Ireland is behind the times. Australia will probably end up with it's own private race war, white supremacists and terrorists *shudder*. Perhaps appropriate though considering its highly dubious beginnings.

jank

brendansmith wrote: »

Where do you think will be the next Australia?

The moon?

Seriously though there is $hit loads of land in OZ just resources like water are getting scarcer which is something that is happening all over the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Belt#Projections

If anything OZ is under populated but there are concerns about water shortages getting worse. TBH using that as a pre text to limit migrants is questionable to say the least as we all know what the context is.

m@cc@

Confab wrote: »

the weather is just ridiculously hot for someone like me who prefers the cold

Why are you in Brisbane in the summer?!

shane86

mandrake04 wrote: »

I would believe it, to get the 2nd WHV you have to obtain 3 months of rural work..... not so easy when stuck in the Bondi trap.

The other 10000 probably tried to bodgy the 2nd year all using the same ABN number and DIAC have now caught on...

[

What? How many Irish do you know? I only know of two who got found out, and that was because of the scam that caught loads of people. Nearly everyone I know paid theirs off. And rghtly so, some of the rural work should be illegal tbh.

If Ireland had reasonable booze/ clothing/ food costs, decent nightlife and a decent summer, Id be back in a second. Fact is we pay 30% more for a pint back home, our nightclubs dont venture beyond Lady fookin Gaga and the Black Eyed Peas on their playlists (seriously, bar the usual backpackery dives like the Gaff and Woolshed has anyone ever heard this garbage in an Aussie nightclub?) and we havent had a summer in 3 years. Not a chance I could go back.

m@cc@

shane86 wrote: »

If Ireland had reasonable booze

Booze? Aussie beers for the most part are pishwater. You get what you pay for.

JONJO THE MISER

m@cc@ wrote: »

Booze? Aussie beers for the most part are pishwater. You get what you pay for.

Yes it kills me when people say its cheap to drink out and that you can get Jugs for $8, yeah for $8 you get drink that tastes more like water, Aus is not cheap for drink if you only drink Guinness and a few of the nice strong Aus ales.

Xavi6

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Yes it kills me when people say its cheap to drink out and that you can get Jugs for $8, yeah for $8 you get drink that tastes more like water, Aus is not cheap for drink if you only drink Guinness and a few of the nice strong Aus ales.

Why would you even do that any way?

Guinness shouldn't be consumed anywhere outside Ireland.

As for the slating Aussie beers are getting, what Irish equivalents are we drawing comparisons with? Feckin Harp? The beer over here is very good if you choose the right one.

The Irish have embraced Budweiser ffs, the most carbonated shite ever produced.

It seems that people are moaning just for the sake of it now.

Zambia

Lads Im off to bed, long night shift.

It used to really annoy me when an Aussie mate of mine sat in the middle of belfast slagging of Ireland with almost identical whinges.

Don't let our racist , crappy expensive beer drinking door hit you on the way out.

brendansmith

I love the beer here. Just said id ad that.

jackthekipper

unreggd wrote: »

Nail on the head!

Ireland is a great country, its the people and their attitudes that make it crap sometimes

We need to be more positive, and proactive
And be a bit rebellious, like in France
The health and work system there is fantastic, cos if the government tries to implement any unfair crap, the people take to the streets
The motto from V for vendetta is so through, about how the government should fear the people, and not vice versa

Beside, the goverment needs an overhaul. It's their job to run the country efficiently, they're not doin that
What happens if ur not doin your job? You get sacked!

I think Ireland could come a long way if people simply think more positivly, as cheesy as that sounds

Did you hear about the Murphy report?

eringobragh

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Aus is not cheap for drink if you only drink Guinness and a few of the nice strong Aus ales.

I only drink Guinness back home, I've tried a Guinness over here and it's middling at best.

I tend to rate what I get on the tap here more over whats back home, Tooheys, Carlton I love them, I'm not mad about the beers on tap at home: Carlsberg, Heineken and Budweiser.

brendansmith

I tried a bottle of Guiness in Vietnam when drunk. It tasted like it had a 9v battery at the bottom.

m@cc@

Xavi6 wrote: »

As for the slating Aussie beers are getting, what Irish equivalents are we drawing comparisons with? Feckin Harp? The beer over here is very good if you choose the right one.

The Irish have embraced Budweiser ffs, the most carbonated ****e ever produced.

No, I wouldn't say Irish beer is any better but at least we have the availabilty of German, Czech and Polish beers in any supermarket. For me, Boag Draught and Boags Premium are the best Aussie beers by a long distance.

Thankfully my encounters with Budweiser and in fact most American beers have been few and far between.

Derek B

m@cc@ wrote: »

For me, Boag Draught and Boags Premium are the best Aussie beers by a long distance.

Thought they were Kiwi beers? For me, Coopers pale ale and Little Creatures are the best local beers

m@cc@

Derek B wrote: »

Thought they were Kiwi beers?

Nope, Tasmania (yes, it is part of Australia!)

jackthekipper

m@cc@ wrote: »

No, I wouldn't say Irish beer is any better but at least we have the availabilty of German, Czech and Polish beers in any supermarket. For me, Boag Draught and Boags Premium are the best Aussie beers by a long distance.

Thankfully my encounters with Budweiser and in fact most American beers have been few and far between.

You're seriously missing out, some great US beers out there. Sam Adams, Blue Moon, harvest Moon, Honey Moon, Sierra Nevada, Land Shark etc

TheCandystripes

unreggd wrote: »

Nail on the head!

Ireland is a great country, its the people and their attitudes that make it crap sometimes

We need to be more positive, and proactive
And be a bit rebellious, like in France
The health and work system there is fantastic, cos if the government tries to implement any unfair crap, the people take to the streets
The motto from V for vendetta is so through, about how the government should fear the people, and not vice versa

Beside, the goverment needs an overhaul. It's their job to run the country efficiently, they're not doin that
What happens if ur not doin your job? You get sacked!

I think Ireland could come a long way if people simply think more positivly, as cheesy as that sounds

At last someone says it. The country is good but people in it make it bad.