If you could live anywhere in Australia where would you live?

(96 Posts)
XBenedict Mon 24-Dec-12 02:46:44

And why? I'm thinking WA - south of Perth but only because I holidayed there once and quite liked it, would be prepared to be persuaded elsewhere!

Mosman Fri 18-Jan-13 04:54:28

You were and are rude, calling somebody's else's experiences bullshit is rude.
Time will tell, but living somewhere for 35 years doesn't give you more insight than the government agencies predicting and planning around the population and the infrastructure for example.

And yes I agree there are issues in our state schools and the education system, which is highlighted regularly in the media.

So basically you agree with my first post then hmm

emmyloo2 Fri 18-Jan-13 04:59:17

Yes but living abroad for 9 years does give me some insight.

I still think your portrayal of Perth is bullshit. OK maybe bullshit was harsh but I don't think it paints a fair picture for someone asking about Perth to be told the schools and universities are crap, and we are all useless and unskilled. I agree with you that the costs of living are high.

I apologise if I came across as rude. I am not a rude person I assure you.

SavoyCabbage Fri 18-Jan-13 05:06:14

Schools definitely do let children wander off without permission.

I am a supply teacher. I've never been to a school where anyone made sure the children in their class have been collected or walked home. The onus is on the child. My Britishness often forces me to go out with the class I am teaching that day but I have to manufacture an excuse to do so. It is not the norm.

More than half of the schools I have worked in don't take a register in the afternoon.

The buildings and grounds are in no way secure. My own dc's school has a right of way through it, and it totally open to bush land at the back, a park on one side (no gate between) and a six lane road at the front.

Mosman Fri 18-Jan-13 05:08:37

I didn't say all Australians were all useless or unskilled. I do think your state schools are crap.

emmyloo2 Fri 18-Jan-13 05:10:52

OK maybe they are crap. I am not going to argue the point anymore. My son will be attending a state primary school so I can only hope you are wrong!

LoopsInHoops Fri 18-Jan-13 05:30:56

Mosman said she was unimpressed that her DD was allowed/able to wander off.

You wrote: "Mosman, sorry but you are talking absolute rubbish. Schools do not simply let children wander off without permission. What utter crap."

You are rude, and accuse her of lying about something that must have been very distressing for her. Incredibly rude. I get that you're passionately loyal about your local area, but there's no need to put yourself across as so nasty.

emmyloo2 Fri 18-Jan-13 05:39:02

I didn't realise she was talking about her own daughter - I thought she was talking generally about children wandering off.

I have apologised for being rude.

tryingtoleave Fri 18-Jan-13 05:39:10

In Canberra, the schools don't even have fences...

But mosman, you won't put your child just anywhere, but you got a nanny that hit your dc?

You obviously don't think much of uk state system either, because you wanted your dcs in private school there.

I went from my Australian undergrad to come top of a masters in the uk. There are significant differences in the educational systems, but not all mean it is worse here.

emmyloo2 Fri 18-Jan-13 05:42:14

Yes that's true tryingtoleave. I don't think the schools have fences - well certainly mine didn't. I must admit I never thought about that but I guess it wasn't an issue when I was at school.

Mosman Fri 18-Jan-13 05:46:48

Hitting my child wasn't a specification on the fucking job advertisement hmm
I employed an ex teacher, you wouldn't expect to go far wrong there would you ? Especially given she had a working with children's card and references.

Mosman Fri 18-Jan-13 05:48:00

And yes you're right i wasn't blown away by the UK state system either, luckily the private schools do actually seem to be the one affordable aspect of Perth at the moment - once you can get a place.

emmyloo2 Fri 18-Jan-13 05:54:12

See Mosman - I think private schools are incredibly expensive! But I guess maybe they are cheaper than UK private schools. $20,000 for primary school per year? Seems outrageous to me. That's why we will send our schools to state primary schools. However, if money wasn't an issue, I think I would go private school, except I am not sure about single sex schools for little kids.

Einsty Fri 18-Jan-13 05:56:23

FFS, one of the worst aspects of Australia is the defensiveness in the face of any criticism - and the tendency to blame any failings on the individual experiencing them. Gets in the way of making improvements IMO - essential, as Australia won't get away with coasting forever hmm

emmyloo2 Fri 18-Jan-13 06:00:48

There is an element of truth to that Einsty. I think we can be quite defensive, but isn't that true of other countries, if people move to the countries and then criticize them? I think a lot of other people would get defensive, not just Australians.

I am not sure why you say we coast? A lot of us work incredibly hard.

I do take your point though - and perhaps I am guilty of the same thing - there is a big thing in Perth of "if you don't like it leave", which annoys me. But it's a bit like your family - you can criticize them but watch out if anyone else does. I am like that with Perth - I routinely moan about things I don't like (lack of daylight savings) but do get defensive when others who move from abroad criticise it.

Thumbwitch Fri 18-Jan-13 06:12:19

<<studiously ignores the mild bunfighting>>

Up until a couple of weeks ago I would have said Tasmania because it has the (for me) nicest weather. But then they had the lightning strike fires, which, fair play, could happen anywhere - so I'm a little less keen.

Other than that, anywhere cooler than here is today! Fucking 44 degrees in the shade - very unbloody funny. Lots of whinging about it from friends on FB (native Aussies, btw) - have only seen one person think it's great. 3 friends have air con struggling to work; one friend is in a rental with no aircon and the internal house temp is 49 degrees.

Make sure you can handle heat before you come out here. It's supposedly low humidity today as well hmm

sleepywombat Fri 18-Jan-13 06:16:51

My Aussie dh agrees with the coasting. He thinks we're relying on mining far too much, as despite bringing in lots of dosh (atm), is actually a very tiny industry, employing very few people.

We're in a real quandry re moving/staying. The schools in our area are pretty rubbish & HUGE (4 form entry, all of them). Our ds1 is a sensitive soul & I'd love him to go to an English village state school. But our life is here, we love swimming in the creek at the bottom of the road & evening walks on the beach...

Thumbwitch Fri 18-Jan-13 06:25:11

My Aussie DH works in a business that supplies to mining. With the coal price dropping, mines in NSW and QLD are cutting back, closing (temporarily and permanently), reducing shifts etc. This year is going to be bad for orders for his company because of this - mining is not a secure industry (well coal mining isn't) at the moment.

Lastofthepodpeople Fri 18-Jan-13 06:29:30

Could I hijack a little (sorry xbenedict) and ask for any experiences of Adelaide?

Thumbwitch Fri 18-Jan-13 06:32:18

Lastofthepodpeople - you'd probably do better to start your own thread asking specifically about Adelaide - Tortoise has said something about it on here though.

tryingtoleave Fri 18-Jan-13 06:57:59

Look, there are plenty of fair criticisms that could be made. 44 degrees in Sydney is one. Although we've had a nice day. Swim in the early morning, sit in air con for day then just come in from another swim now. But mosman has nothing good to say about anyone or anything, as far as I can see

saffronwblue Fri 18-Jan-13 07:16:58

Mosman has clearly had a bad experience with one school. I don't think this qualifies her to say that all schools in Australia are terrible.

OP a lot of the conversation at the moment is about the relentlessness of climate change and increased heat and bushfire risk.

Australian private schools ( and a few state ones as well) are starting to offer the IB not so that people can study overseas but as a way of enriching and stretching very able students. I don't see that as evidence of a poor system.

tryingtoleave Fri 18-Jan-13 08:16:45

I also suspect some schools are doing the IB so their final results can't be ranked against other schools.

Mosman Fri 18-Jan-13 08:51:05

Oh with respect i am not basing my decision one one school, i looked around plenty and speak to parents about their experiences, aussies, indians, chinese, brits. The brits that love the schools tend to come from complete dumps in the UK where frankly anything would be an improvement. The most disparaging comments tend to come from the Australians themselves whilst writing cheques for private schools, which themselves aint all that.

CanIHaveAPetGiraffePlease Fri 18-Jan-13 08:58:51

My husbands family are Australian so we have wondered about moving to Australia (decided we really wouldn't but that's for other reasons).

Hobart is lovely, pretty, good weather by my standards (ie not incredibly hot in summer!) but is quite insular and Island like.

We'd decided if we would we would go to Melbourne (and visit Hobart). The schools my family are at are fine but must depend on area (just like the UK).

Mosman Fri 18-Jan-13 09:12:59

People I have met from Perth have actually moved to Victoria for the schools so you might be placed than most there.

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