Obviously there is a lot of ‘the grass is greener’ going on and only somebody who has properly lived in both places can truly comment on this.
I think I preferred Australia to the UK and I’m not sure it was purely down to the fact it was just ‘new’. I live in a particularly nice area where there is very little crime so that aspect of the UK doesn’t bother me. I can see Dartmoor from my window so I benefit from nice scenery as well, and I’m a few miles from one of the finest natural harbours in the country.
But there just seems to be something about the UK. I think its people – there are too many of them. Everywhere you go, within reason, there are loads of people there. You cant make a journey on the roads in daylight hours without being part of a procession of a million other people, everywhere is very tightly packed in, etc etc.
There was a much bigger feeling of space in Aus. Sure, its far bigger, so there should be. But everything was just better sized right down to the way the towns were built. Proper 8 lane wide high streets with shops either side instead of congested tight streets blocked by a muppet in a white van. Australia has masses of huge long empty highways which pass by epic scenery. It’s just great. But the motorway services suck.
Less of the incessant health and safety mafia stuff that infests this country – the main railway line into Cairns ran alongside the road. And it wasn’t fenced. Because hey, it’s a railway line. Stand on it and you might get hit by a train.
In this country we have to have a 10 foot fence with razor wire and a sign every metre in 15 different languages to explain that trains might kill you.
The people seemed so much friendlier. The climate is… different. Better? Dunno, but the climate in this country is just so boring, isn’t it?
The climate in this country can be described as ‘meh’. With the exception of the odd freak bit of weather (ie the last few weeks!) in the UK its overcast and about 10-15c. That’s it. It doesn’t really change. Just continual ‘meh’. How exciting.
Everything just seems so chilled out. Over here if you crash your car you take it to an ‘Accident Repair Specialist’ yet in Aus, they are called ‘Smash repairers’. A spade is indeed a spade, and its quite refreshing.
Plus the animals are totally cool. How awesome is the Kangeroo?
It’s not all good, though. The speed limits are ridiculously low yet the roads long, empty and safe and the cars big and powerful. Couple this with over zealous police offers and its frustrating. Chocolate is expensive. Luxury cars are eye wateringly expensive due to the taxation levied on them. The TV channels are crap.
I really liked it though and I was only there for 6 weeks. It’s just so much less… ‘average’ than the UK.
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