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Australia?

boardsie12

What was the whole Australia experience like?

I know a good few people that moved there for a year or 2 and judging from their Facebook pics and statuses, they had a great time.

It all seemed so exciting, white sandy beaches, surfing, great weather, great salaries, and an amazing-looking social life.

I had the chance to go on one or 2 occasions, but I declined and I slightly regret it now looking back.

What was it like to live in Australia?

What is as good as people made it out to be?

Was it worth spending a year or 2 over there?

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Wanderer78

great experience, much preferred by time in nz and Vanuatu though, wouldnt be believing everything on the ould unsociable media though!

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058242808/australia

Keep in mind that people generally don't post on FB of the s**ty live they are living.... no doubt some people will find it is not to their liking and probably most, at least Irish people, will adapt and enjoy the experience. It also depends a lot on if you find work you enjoy, fall in with group of like minded people, travel as part of a group etc...

Everyone encounters culture shock to one degree or another and English speaking people going to another English speaking country are often more impacted that going to say a European country. I guess they expect it will not be very different from home, but of course there are traditions, ways of doing things, a common outlook, share values etc.... And again some adapt and prosper and some do not.

Over all I think living and working abroad for a while is a good idea. Seeing how other nations go about living life awakens you to the possibility that there are other ways to do things and other ways of looking at things etc. And it makes you appreciate as well as questions what you have at home in Ireland.

I think if you get an opportunity to go abroad for a while you should do so, even if it is not to Australia.

boardsie12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118960458#Comment_118960458

Oh really?

I would have thought the opposite

What made New Zealand better than Australia?

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118961070#Comment_118961070

just a truly stunning country, one of the most amazing ive ever been to, australia is a lovely country, and the fact ive only seen a tiny corner of it, but give me nz any day

brownbinman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118961070#Comment_118961070

would second NZ over Oz. It's utterly amazing. Try get a campervan and drive it

People over there a lot like the Irish, and not as up their own arse like aussies

Just like in Braveheart, "The trouble with Australia is Australians"

boardsie12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986922#Comment_118986922

In what way are Aussies up their own arse?

[Deleted User]

Best decision I ever made was moving there in 2011 and did the 2 year's working holiday experience.

Was absolutely gutted I couldn't go back when I came home.

The weather is just fantastic

boardsie12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118987018#Comment_118987018

What city did you move to?

Was the money good?

Was it difficult to settle in?

What were the Aussies like?

Did you feel culturally challenged in any way?

brownbinman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118986970#Comment_118986970

just my own experiences that I found them, in general, quite arrogant. Lovely country all the same, absolutely HUGE and some amazing places

Overall, if I had to go and live somewhere it would be in NZ any day of the week

BronsonTB

What city did you move to? Sydney - Alot of work based there

Was the money good? Average as it can be expensive to live

Was it difficult to settle in? Nope, very easy

What were the Aussies like? All I met were sound but was hugely multiculture with very little 'Aussies'

Did you feel culturally challenged in any way? No, easy mix & overall being Irish was a good thing accept when meeting some pom's.

The Fake Arab

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058242808/australia

Lived there for 6 years, got there after the crash, spent most of my time on the west coast in perth and traveled all the way up to darwin, in hind sight i wish i had went to the east coast first, but i have great memories of the place. Perth was going through a boom when i was there so there were lot of opportunities for work at the time, settled in there pretty quickly. Salary there was probably 40% increase to what i was on at home straight away, and i went in fresh enough.

The weather, social life and place is amazing, you can have an amazing life there, but it was too far away from home for me, and if i had of settled there it would have been hard to go back home. I moved to the middle east which i find more manageable to get back home. There are pros and cons with everything, go for a year if you still have the option but you'll find the year goes in pretty quickly.

I found the aussies fine especially there ones i worked with, very welcoming, they like a beer, but its the same as everywhere, you go out on a Saturday night you will meet pissed up messes in any city.

Went to New Zealand for 2 weeks, its an awesome place.

boardsie12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118987859#Comment_118987859

When you say that you had a 40% price increase, is it fair to say that Australian prices, especially accommodation, is a lot higher than Ireland?

What part of the Middle East do you live?

thefallingman

Australia is great as long as you aren't turkish or asian, they really don't like them.

boardsie12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118988065#Comment_118988065

Did you experience any racism towards Irish?

thefallingman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118988262#Comment_118988262

depends on how sensitive you are, i was called paddy and Mick ect for the year but to me that was banter so i'd say no but others might find it offensive

boardsie12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118988425#Comment_118988425

Would you say that's more outside of the main cities?

thefallingman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118988527#Comment_118988527

well it was Sydney and Brisbane but maybe it was just my experience

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118987347#Comment_118987347

Victoria

About $900 a week to drive tractors

Aussies are savage craic

Never, always felt like one of there own

StressedOot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118960458#Comment_118960458

Vanuatu- sounds amazing. Always wanted to go there.

The Fake Arab

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118988055#Comment_118988055

Hi there, my salary was 40% more than in Ireland but yes the cost of living for some things in australia were higher (especailly perth as its so isolated), but not all such as petrol, cars and some consumer goods such as electrical and electronics were cheaper than home.

I live in UAE now

mandrake04

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058242808/australia

Everyone's Australian experience is going be different and their opinion and their overall mindset are going to be influenced by that experience.

There is going be Pros and Cons, but acceptance that different is not always negative is the key to success.

I been living in Sydney about 17 years, back in 2005 at 28 unbeknown to me it was absolutely the best single decision I made in my life was get on that plane and not look back. From a financial, career and quality of life I would never ever have had in Ireland. I had spent 3 months solo travel in Asia travelling Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia & Singapore and arrived in Sydney knowing no one on a working holiday. Ended up in a share house in Randwick for few months with a few Irish lads and worked the usual construction until I decided to get permanent job in my field, few of us who had decided to make a go of it and stay for the craic moved to the inner-west was there 3-4 years before I moved out on my own. I had only planned to stay few years but all this was before the Tiger went bust so I was kind of lucky I was where I was and fate played its hand unexpectedly.

Now my experience is probably going be a bit different from most, I have been extremely lucky in a couple of ways.. first for the last 14 years I been working as a Technical Specialist all over NSW & ACT which is about the same size as France & Germany combined about 50% of my work is metro around the city but some regional areas is 2-3 hrs drive any further and it was FIFO, drive to the Airport jump on a QL Turbo Prop and fly all over the state usually come back same day or stay over fly back the next morning every day is potentially an adventure and I have never grew tired of it. I still get a buzz when I hit the road on a perfect blue sky day and I also occasionally support other countries in Asia pacific, training and doing installs in Japan, China, NZ and some of the Pac Islands. Secondly I have been extremely lucky buying and selling property in the right place at the right time in short I moved to an area in 2010 and 4 years later the government built a underground metro station 100m from my house I sold for a good profit and the next house I bought lol was rezoned few years later from R2 to R4 more than doubled the value overnight and allowed me to buy a house in another area nearly outright. This has given me and my family huge financial security we live in a great area 4BR house with a pool and my wife is stay at home mum, kids go to private school we have a great lifestyle I also took up learning to fly. Luckily I have a good family support as my in-laws live 10 mins away, this is kind of essential as it would be very difficult without family.

I love the outdoors lifestyle mainly into Jetskiing, 4WD & fossicking, my inlaws have a holiday house up the coast near Ettalong NSW its just over an hours drive drive from my house so its easy to nip up on a Friday night for few days and we usually have the place to ourselves otherwise my mate has a class caravan he lends me for a week and I lend him my Jetski in return. Fingal Bay, Werri Beach and Jervis Bay amongst my usual long weekend getaways. Gold Coast has all the theme parks etc and its about 9 hr drive for me.

The Aussies are grand, sure you get a few dickheads like you everywhere else but I have never had any real problem. Personally the biggest issue I find is my accent especially pronouncing certain numbers some people always confuse 2,3 & 8 but I never felt found any issue with being Irish even in the rural areas never really had any problem. Bear in mind about 49% of Aussies were either born overseas or had at least one parent born overseas so they are used to different people but I can understand that some people take a joke the wrong way then again I can come across as a fairly confident type so maybe they don't bother with me, I'm not like some of these thin skinned princesses who get all upset because they cop a bit of stick.

Many Irish people in Sydney fall into the trap of of sticking to much with their own, but with that comes a lot of negativity especially around drink and the value of their time. Working 6 days a week then going out on the piss all weekend it not healthy.

Paul Kilroy has an excellent Podcast on getting the most out of life down under. His advice don't follow the crowd to find your best self.

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-irish-life-down-under-podcast/id1497479414

Jim2007

I think this is a common problem with expats the world over. It's comfortable, it's what you know and you are sharing a common experience. But the problem is you don't integrate, you don't get to know the locals beyond surface, their values and their ways. And because everyone is transient you find you are continually trying to make new friends. And it's expensive.

boardsie12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119088019#Comment_119088019

Thanks for sharing!

Very informative and helpful