# Reasons to move to Australia



## Editor

It is no surprise to learn that Australia is one of the most popular expat destinations in the world and has been for some time now. We see many different reasons mentioned for moving to the country therefore we thought it would be interesting to introduce a new thread to the forum to give members [...]

Click to read the full news article: Reasons to move to Australia...
Please come back to discuss the story here in this thread.


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## Boboa

I would take the location out. The country is so bloody far away from everything! 
I'll add work culture as well, never seen such good, understanding and relaxed work environment as in Australia (perhaps only Scandinavia ..)

Oh and also equality and fair dincum spirit, nobody here really cares where you come from, what you do or how much money you have. It's your personality that counts.

This is not an immigration advice


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## louiseb

Boboa
What part of Australia are you living in, because reading peoples comments on other threads people do find allot of racism, not so much about the colour of the skin but down to the fact that because people are foreigners they are not really accepted wholly into the Australians circle. Im not saying that half of them should be given the reputations some have but to be fair its not all that accepting to foreigners here.

As far as work goes and being in a relaxed environment well yes i couldnt agree more but wouldnt you say its down ( more times than not) to Unions and rules and regulations, management dont want to cause a whole fuss because they know the unions will be straight on there backs, so they turn a blind eye to everything. Workers know this and tend to point out that if its not there job they aint doing it.

I know that foreigners here are discriminated against they find it very hard not just with the culture but with the snard remarks they receive from people, even there own inlaws.
As far as wealth goes i had an incident recently i made friends with a poor person i invited them to my house warming party, people commented on " how in gods name do you know these kind of people" this friend was singled out and basically left sitting by himself. Im not saying status is always a factor here but it does happen sometimes people are such snobs they have there own nose up there own arse, they dont want to mix with the less fortunate because they believe there better than every body else. 

I am sure there is good and bad in each and every national, culture, country and i dont believe that Australia is any different at the end of the day we just have to try to fit in and blend with the Australians as best we can. At the end of the day the Australians also have quite a bad reputation in other countries no one is perfect in this world and the sooner people learn to accept and work alongside other nationals without discrimination the better.


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## Ozz777

louiseb said:


> Boboa
> What part of Australia are you living in, because reading peoples comments on other threads people do find allot of racism, not so much about the colour of the skin but down to the fact that because people are foreigners they are not really accepted wholly into the Australians circle. Im not saying that half of them should be given the reputations some have but to be fair its not all that accepting to foreigners here.
> 
> As far as work goes and being in a relaxed environment well yes i couldnt agree more but wouldnt you say its down ( more times than not) to Unions and rules and regulations, management dont want to cause a whole fuss because they know the unions will be straight on there backs, so they turn a blind eye to everything. Workers know this and tend to point out that if its not there job they aint doing it.
> 
> I know that foreigners here are discriminated against they find it very hard not just with the culture but with the snard remarks they receive from people, even there own inlaws.
> As far as wealth goes i had an incident recently i made friends with a poor person i invited them to my house warming party, people commented on " how in gods name do you know these kind of people" this friend was singled out and basically left sitting by himself. Im not saying status is always a factor here but it does happen sometimes people are such snobs they have there own nose up there own arse, they dont want to mix with the less fortunate because they believe there better than every body else.
> 
> I am sure there is good and bad in each and every national, culture, country and i dont believe that Australia is any different at the end of the day we just have to try to fit in and blend with the Australians as best we can. At the end of the day the Australians also have quite a bad reputation in other countries no one is perfect in this world and the sooner people learn to accept and work alongside other nationals without discrimination the better.


My experience has been more similar to louiseb than the pollyanna "australia is utopia" chant that most on these types of forums spout.

I've only lived in 2 countries, so I'm no expert on the subject. And I lived in my home country for 47yrs, and Australia for 17 months, so I'm much more familiar with "home".

If you're looking for a laid back, slow moving place with nice weather and beaches, lots of free (to you) services, etc, this place is pretty good. If you want faced paced, get things done, useful Internet, low prices, personal freedom, not so great.


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## louiseb

Ozz777 said:


> My experience has been more similar to louiseb than the pollyanna "australia is utopia" chant that most on these types of forums spout.


i couldnt agree more with this "Australia is utopia" people give this image all the time that Australia is the place to be and oh how wonderful the people are ect, well im sorry i say it as i see it and Australia is not the utopia that is so often used to describe this country.


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## AngeliquePrince

Hi All,

I want to join my husband and he has been telling me that if you are a hard worker person and you know how to play it cool and assertive. Australia is one of the best country that you might want to retire. Of course the love I have and to start a family is the priority as to why I am moving and leaving my life away from home. I guess all countries have their own unique personality pertaining to their locals, but if we believe that we can blend in and do not might other business then we can definitely consider staying in australia until we grow old. 

Assertiveness, sense of belonging and resilience will be my key to success in this country.

Cheers,

AngeliquePrince


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## Boboa

louiseb said:


> Boboa
> What part of Australia are you living in, because reading peoples comments on other threads people do find allot of racism, not so much about the colour of the skin but down to the fact that because people are foreigners they are not really accepted wholly into the Australians circle. Im not saying that half of them should be given the reputations some have but to be fair its not all that accepting to foreigners here.
> 
> As far as work goes and being in a relaxed environment well yes i couldnt agree more but wouldnt you say its down ( more times than not) to Unions and rules and regulations, management dont want to cause a whole fuss because they know the unions will be straight on there backs, so they turn a blind eye to everything. Workers know this and tend to point out that if its not there job they aint doing it.
> 
> I know that foreigners here are discriminated against they find it very hard not just with the culture but with the snard remarks they receive from people, even there own inlaws.
> As far as wealth goes i had an incident recently i made friends with a poor person i invited them to my house warming party, people commented on " how in gods name do you know these kind of people" this friend was singled out and basically left sitting by himself. Im not saying status is always a factor here but it does happen sometimes people are such snobs they have there own nose up there own arse, they dont want to mix with the less fortunate because they believe there better than every body else.
> 
> I am sure there is good and bad in each and every national, culture, country and i dont believe that Australia is any different at the end of the day we just have to try to fit in and blend with the Australians as best we can. At the end of the day the Australians also have quite a bad reputation in other countries no one is perfect in this world and the sooner people learn to accept and work alongside other nationals without discrimination the better.


Hi Lou,

I live in Sydney. I had the same problems when I arrived and it was hard to secure first job. However after you have local experience you are treated exactly the same as everyone else.

To be honest if I was an employer, I would do the same. It is always safer to employ local, and a person with local experience. I don't take that as a racism but as a fact if life. From Europe to the amazon, people usually prefer locals in Business. That's normal.

In regard to comments, some people do drop comments. But majority don't care. At least this is my experience. I wouldn't let couple of bad apples define the whole harvest. In majority, even the "bogan" areas of Australia didn't really give a damn about my skin colour or origin. Whenever I get such a comment I usually respond with a joke. 

And no, Australia is not a utopia but its a bloody great place. Much better than any other place in the world and I lived in several countries, including continental EU and UK. Non of them, in my opinion, come even close to this place.

I didn't expect employers greeting me at the airport with job offers, and I didn't expect people greeting me with red carpet. Was realistic and wasn't disappointed.

This is not an immigration advice


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## Dexter

Editor, you may want to clearly state that "temporary employment" or "migration for profit" does not work in Australia. The costs of visa, ticket and other are so high that EU and US are a lot more attractive than AU. 

I agree with Boboa - the start is tough here but as you progress it becomes better than any other country - mainly due to stable economy and relaxed work environment. Sometimes the amount of leniency at work may get even a bit annoying.


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## Ephestion

Maybe there should be a thread for why you shouldn't migrate to Australia?

1. Highest income tax rates in the Western world (exagerated but still very high)
2. Land costs a fortune compared to the median wage of $48000 - 400K and over for a house.
3. You can't get on a plane for 90 euros and be in Paris, Rome, Berlin etc infact going from one city to another can cost as high as $500
4. There is a monotonic culture in every city, town and village. Which is depressing for cosmopolitan people.
5. You have to work 20 to 30 years to payoff a home loan 
6. You will be working everday like a robot, you may see a kangaroo in teh first three years, after that it will be traffic lights and rat race.
7. If you lose yourself on the roads and end up in an Aboriginal Reserve, you will most likely be murdered which is why white people don't live/go there.
8. If your from Britain or Germanic you will love how much beer you can afford
but If your from Southern Europe you will hate the fact there is not a single decent wine.
10. You will be called names no matter where you come from, Brits will be called Poms, Southern Europeans will be called Wogs, Asians and other will have their respective racial terms.
11. Food will cost so much you will be sharing a single avacado between 4 people.

I have no idea why the British owner of this web site wants to encourage more migration?


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## louiseb

Ephestion said:


> Maybe there should be a thread for why you shouldn't migrate to Australia?
> 
> 1. Highest income tax rates in the Western world (exagerated but still very high)
> 2. Land costs a fortune compared to the median wage of $48000 - 400K and over for a house.
> 3. You can't get on a plane for 90 euros and be in Paris, Rome, Berlin etc infact going from one city to another can cost as high as $500
> 4. There is a monotonic culture in every city, town and village. Which is depressing for cosmopolitan people.
> 5. You have to work 20 to 30 years to payoff a home loan
> 6. You will be working everday like a robot, you may see a kangaroo in teh first three years, after that it will be traffic lights and rat race.
> 7. If you lose yourself on the roads and end up in an Aboriginal Reserve, you will most likely be murdered which is why white people don't live/go there.
> 8. If your from Britain or Germanic you will love how much beer you can afford
> but If your from Southern Europe you will hate the fact there is not a single decent wine.
> 10. You will be called names no matter where you come from, Brits will be called Poms, Southern Europeans will be called Wogs, Asians and other will have their respective racial terms.
> 11. Food will cost so much you will be sharing a single avacado between 4 people.
> 
> I have no idea why the British owner of this web site wants to encourage more migration?


Ok so your first comment maybe you should start a thread and see what happens, could be interesting.
*No.1* tax is very high here but at least they charge you the more you earn, in Malta we had a standard tax which was 15% whether you were poor or rich so there is an advantage out here that the more you earn the more you pay, just a little unfortunate for those who dont earn a huge wage, yes it is high.
*No.2* The house prices really depend on where you buy i have a huge 4 bedroomed house with games room, sunken lounge kitchen and sitting area, believe me my house is huge far too big for 2 people, but getting back to the point its not worth that much compared to some areas, i do agree though that houses are expensive here when you think people are paying millions of dollars just to have a sea view apartment or small plot.
*No.3*** This is true when i think back in Malta i could jump on a flight to Uk, france, berlin, and italy for anything between 16 euros to 60 euros, the flights alone from Australia to Malta are nearly 2,500 dollars. Ok there is the fuel ect but i knew this when i came here that flying home wasnt really an option i could take 3-4 times a year not like when i was back in Malta flying around europe.
*No.8 and 10 couldnt find 9* Yes the foreigners will always be slagged off here but just think what the English say about the Australians and the reputation they have its tic for tat i usually buy a cheap bottle of wine and have a drink, yes good bottles of wine are available but you certainly pay the price for it. 
*No.11*** Now on this food pricing i have always said that food is far more expensive here in Australia but hey thats life here especially compared to the wages here if your lucky to be working.

I agree with some of what your saying and to be honest i had a right good moan about it in fact i was ready to up sticks and move back to Europe, but i have accepted my fate im here and i basically have to make the best of it, after all we all have a choice to make do we live here or do we stay were we are.


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## Dexter

A good idea about the subject why not to move to Australia. Would you like to do the honours?



> 1. Highest income tax rates in the Western world (exagerated but still very high)


Hmmm... wouldn't complain if they were lower.



> 2. Land costs a fortune compared to the median wage of $48000 - 400K and over for a house.


Hmmmm... you think this is expensive? It is only 8 times and it is still a house.

There are many places where it is worse. In Poland for example median salary (net after tax since you listed median net for Australia) is $8,700 per annum and average UNIT (not house but UNIT) costs around $94k. That's almost 11 times. Don't even want to do calculations for a house.

I do agree certain areas are expensive but you can try some cheaper suburbs like western suburbs in Sydney or Central Coast.



> 3. You can't get on a plane for 90 euros and be in Paris, Rome, Berlin etc infact going from one city to another can cost as high as $500


Makes sense if you actually want to be in Paris, Rome and Berlin. Some people prefer to go to New Zealand, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Vanuatu, Fiji or Bali.



> 4. There is a monotonic culture in every city, town and village. Which is depressing for cosmopolitan people.


What do you mean by monotonic culture?



> 5. You have to work 20 to 30 years to payoff a home loan


Interesting... my home loan is on a 2 bedroom unit and it will take me around 6 - 7 years in total to repay it (I have had it for 4 years). In the meantime I bought a new car, renovated the whole unit, started post graduate studies, travelled to Europe and China and bought a second property 1.5 year ago (investment). All of this from single income and I am married with one kid.

You will be paying it off for 20 to 30 years if you are unable to handle money. It will take a lot less if you prepare for it properly.



> 6. You will be working everday like a robot, you may see a kangaroo in teh first three years, after that it will be traffic lights and rat race.


Working like a robot you say... Can you tell me where I can find employees who will work like robots (quickly, accurately and without questioning)? Because the ones that work under me are certainly not like robots.



> 7. If you lose yourself on the roads and end up in an Aboriginal Reserve, you will most likely be murdered which is why white people don't live/go there.


Like Redfern?  Been there in the dark many times and I am still alive. Although I must agree on this one as I heard many stories especially regarding NT.



> 8. If your from Britain or Germanic you will love how much beer you can afford
> 9. but If your from Southern Europe you will hate the fact there is not a single decent wine.


Not applicable, I don't drink alcohol.



> 10. You will be called names no matter where you come from, Brits will be called Poms, Southern Europeans will be called Wogs, Asians and other will have their respective racial terms.


Actually wogs refers these days more often to Middle Easterns rather than South Europeans (although I heard it in regards to Greeks too).

BTW - has anyone heard of Snow Wogs?



> 11. Food will cost so much you will be sharing a single avacado between 4 people.


I am sorry to hear that you are a victim of famine in Australia. Luckily most people are not.


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## Lindaa

Dexter said:


> BTW - has anyone heard of Snow Wogs


I hadn't until right now, but apparently that's me! Scandinavians living in Australia... I think it sounds rather cute though, and probably wouldn't even pick up on the insult (if intended that way)! 

Some of your comments made my day btw


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## Ephestion

Yeah well the Avacado thing was running with louiseb's point that each one costs $4.

The rest of my points, yes I know they are not all facts, but with respect to the Editor's post they are, well almost Biblical Truth.

As for Snow Wog, I haven't heard that term. I have heard Snow ****** for most white people.

Also Monotonic Culture means there is a Pub and a place to buy a Meat Pie in every suburb, town and village. You ask your friends what are you doing tonight? They say lets go to the Pub. Sure in the city you get trendy people that go to Night Clubs, which are pubs with loud music.

The only really different city would be Adelaide, you get to see lots of church buildings. The rest are pretty much the same.

Also the travel thing, even if you prefer Melbourne, Sydney, Fiji, Bali etc, the cost still isn't $100 or 90 euro. Traveling anywhere costs a lot of money if your departure is within Australia.


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## Dexter

You really haven't chosen good friends.  Mine usually do a lot other things than going to pub or night club. 

I haven't been to Adelaide but from my point of view Canberra and Gold Coast are two completely different cities than the rest. I agree that Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane is almost the same with slight differences. 

Not a while ago you had flights Sydney to Melbourne around $39 each way (I believe it was Jetstar) and Sydney - Brisbane not much more than that. Auckland goes around $230 - $250 each way. Fiji is more expensive but it is understandable - distance from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane to Auckland or Fiji is a lot more than let's say from Paris to Rome. Except that Paris to Rome is a 2 hour flight, Sydney to Auckland almost 3.5 hours and Sydney to Fiji around 4 hours. I do agree though that from distance perspective European international flights are cheaper.


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