OT: What's Australia like? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Sypher
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2012, 04:45:49 pm
content: Off topic, but what is Australia like to live in? For some reason after watching Dave's show, if I ever move out of the US I feel like moving down under lol. Sydney looks pretty cool, how comparable to the US is it?

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2012, 05:51:11 pm
content: And of course, the classic introduction to OZAnd here is how they welcome you

author: M0BSW
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2012, 07:03:14 pm
content: You know what you can do with your spiders Dave and other bugs you can shove them where the sun don't shine , as far as I'm concerned.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2012, 07:37:30 pm
content: I have the same climate as Dave, but no dangerous bugs, just one dangerous one, the Anopheles mosquito.

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 22, 2012, 07:43:34 pm
content: I am not sure exactly what the message of the M0BSW is, but I have some experience with Oz.I found Australians to be pragmatic, friendly, no BS people. Of course as with any culture/group of people you will find assholes and wierdos. But Australia is a modern country with a modern outlook.In some ways I would have preferred to move to Australia instead of Chile, but my new home has the best skies in the world. This is a good thing if you are an astronomer!Australia is not perfect of course and it has all the modern problems of government over reach and things like that.As far as spiders and snakes, yes they can be a problem, sometimes a big concern depending where you are. Where I was staying in the North Simpson Desert, you always checked checked your sheets before crawling into bed, always checked your shoes twice before putting them on, and always checked outside the door before opening it. I was outside early in the morning, before sunrise doing astronomy, when I heard a shotgun go off. Later I learned that the owner had been blocked from exiting his house by a what I think he said was a Death Adder. He shot it through his screen door. According to him, this was not the first time had to face down a dangerous snake by his door.There are always tradeoffs when going from one place to another. The grass is always greener until you see that there are things you have worse off than where you live now.

author: RCMR
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2012, 07:58:18 pm
content: I used to live in Australia but moved to New Zealand in the late 1970s.Going from Oz to GodZone was like stepping back a decade (or two) in time -- and it's colder here in Winter.I've gone back to Oz a few times but, despite the nice warm climate there (it's colder in NZ), I don't think I'd move back permanently, mainly because of the Aussie government and its move to exchange privacy and personal rights for (alleged) "safety". In this way, Oz is a lot like the USA -- where government really wants to watch and log everything you do -- just in case they need to hold something against you later on.Like all developed countries, NZ has suffered from the same thing -- but nowhere near to the same extent (yet).Not many poisonous critters in NZ either (although I never had a problem in Oz because things like checking your shoes, not walking barefoot through long-grass and wearing gloves when shifting old rotting planks of timber become second-nature and scarcely given a second thought.Here in NZ we have no snakes, no crocs or gators, only a couple of poisonous spiders (Aussie imports or relatives) and the only dangerous warm-blooded creatures are politicians and wild pigs.Racism is growing here in NZ. When I arrived here 35 years ago, there was virtually no discrimination or segregation on the grounds of race -- that has changed and the indigenous peoples are becoming more outspoken in claiming their rights and compensation for the alleged wrongs of earlier generations. Some of these are genuine grievances, some of it is opportunism.Still, I prefer NZ to Oz -- at least for the time being. Although I *hate* the climate from May through November (brrrrr!). I never did acclimatize.

author: GeoffS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 22, 2012, 08:24:37 pm
content: The spiders and snakes get a lot of bad press overseas but they are not usually a problem for most people.Since arriving in Australia from England as a 6 year old, I've lived in most areas of the country including spending most of my childhood in theKimberleysand I've only ever seen 2 or 3 live snakes. As far as spiders go, as long as you're aware of where they like to hang out, they are not a real problem either.Sunburn is much more dangerous and likely than snake/spider bite.At least there are no animals here that can tear you apart and eat you, apart from the crocodile which you get surprisingly few of in Sydney

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 22, 2012, 10:13:07 pm
content: As an actual place to live in terms of quality of life, infrastructure, climate, health, jobs, crime etc, there are very big reasons why Australia (and it's main cities) is almost always listed at the top or very near the top in in the international lists of "the most liveable city" etc.And that's still after factoring in the fact that Sydney has one of the worst public transport system in the worldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_most_livable_citiesNote we have 4 cities in the top 10 in one survey.And on the Human Development Index, we are at #2:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Indexand when adjusted for "Inequality", we are still at #2, were for example America drops from #4 to #23Dave.

author: RCMR
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2012, 10:15:30 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on October 22, 2012, 10:13:07 pmDave, you should spend a little time in Auckland, NZ. Then you'd understand what one of the worst public transport systems in the world really means. By comparison, Sydney is utopian.But as far as public transport goes, Singapore's MRT is a little beauty.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 22, 2012, 10:25:06 pm
content: Quote from: Lightages on October 22, 2012, 07:43:34 pmYes, but it's very overrated. Some people keep saying we live in a "nanny state" etc, but when pressed to provide actual real working examples, they can't muster anything.We are orders and orders of magnitude better than the US for example in terms of being a police state, and government influence by corporations etc.QuoteOur dangerous creatures rep is highly overrated in terms of actual deaths.Snakes for example:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_snake_bites_in_AustraliaDave.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 22, 2012, 10:28:03 pm
content: Quote from: RCMR on October 22, 2012, 10:15:30 pmI've only walked around Auckland.QuoteYes, Singapore's is nice, as is almost every major international city I've been too. Crowded as usual in peak hour though.Paris has one of the best train systems I've used.Although New York's subway system looked like it hadn't been maintained for 30 years.Dave.

author: RCMR
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2012, 11:01:50 pm
content: Am I the only one who could not believe how *small* "The Tube" is in London?Man, they have to be the smallest underground rail carriages in the world!

author: AntiProtonBoy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2012, 12:33:10 am
content: I heard that in terms of lifestyle and people's attitude we are somewhat similar to Canada. Admittedly I haven't been to Canada, but my relatives live there; and judging by their stories, I don't think I'm too far off the mark in that respect. One major difference is that we have drop bears instead of grizzly bears.P.S. People make a big fuss about snakes and spiders around here. I can't even remember the last time I encountered a critter that could be potentially life threatening if you dick around with it. And I do go to a lot of parks and go fishing as well. Oh wait, I found a red back spider in my waste basket a year ago. *yawn* So I took out the rubbish.

author: M0BSW
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2012, 02:25:26 am
content: Quote from: Lightages on October 22, 2012, 07:43:34 pm,I have no problems with Australia at all,and have a lot of Radio Amateur friends in australia, who have offered me to come over for vacations, my only problem is spiders , snakes mossies, and everyother kind of bugs, not for me.

author: M0BSW
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2012, 02:29:41 am
content: Tubes in LondonI agree its small, far to small really, my favourite is the Metro in Paris France, but mind you I love been in France, I like there attitude, and find the French people a delightful race, we spend most of our holidays there or Canada another beautiful country.

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2012, 05:15:58 am
content: Quote from: RCMR on October 22, 2012, 10:15:30 pmYeah, but the funny thing is, the younger Singaporeans think it's a terrible system that always breaks down, is too expensive and never goes where you want...

author: mark5009
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2012, 06:33:56 am
content: Quote from: Sypher on October 22, 2012, 04:45:49 pmThat really depends on what part of the US you are comparing it to. I an Australian-Canadian have lived in both places, west coast and east, though done not much more than visited the south and center.Sydney is, in lots of ways, pretty similar to SF. Mostly liberal with pockets of xenophobic conservatism. The cost of living is higher, the cost of housing extreme, though the wages (assuming that they'd let you in) are pretty similar. Food is more expensive, gas more expensive, though both are better quality on the whole. Internet access sucks in comparison (slow, expensive and non-ubiquitous).There is a great food culture here, lots of stuff to see and do (it is a beautiful city), and the water is warmer. Overall it is warmer.Still, the easiest answer is to come and see for yourself.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2012, 08:49:09 am
content: If you ever come to NZ or AUS you should be aware that our border security take the answers you write on the customs form very seriously.If you tick "no" to having any food in your bags when you in fact have an apple or lollies (or anything that is consumed) theywillfind it using the xrays or dogs and theywillfine you a few hundred.It boggles the mind the number of people we get coming into the country who tick "No" to the question "Are you carrying any food items" and yet have a suitcase full of food.They then try to talk their way out of it. It doesn't work.So if in doubt, tick that you have stuff.Remember, you don't get in trouble/fined if you admit to having stuff, they will just inspect it and remove any prohibited items for destruction.If you tick yes on the form the absolute worst that can happen is you're refused entry. (for drugs/criminal stuff).However, if you ticked "no", and they find drugs on you, then you go to jail for X years then get sent home.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 23, 2012, 08:57:37 am
content: Quote from: mark5009 on October 23, 2012, 06:33:56 amYes, that's one of the reasons they are Sister Cities I suspect.Geographically, the "Sydney" area (or basin) is much larger, and compared to San Fran would encompass San Jose, the bay, Concord and Richmond etcDave.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2012, 10:44:09 am
content: Australia does look like a nice country, much better than the UK. An uncle of mine lives there and although he likes it, he misses England. My sister travelled around Australia but wouldn't live there. I don't think it's because they think it's a bad place but because they're too used to UK culture and would miss it. I personally couldn't move to another country - I don't adapt to change well and rely too much on my family.Quote from: EEVblog on October 22, 2012, 10:28:03 pmIt does look nice but from what I've read it's politically much worse than the UK and US. I don't think I want to live in a country governed by a dictatorship, regardless of: how good the public transport is, clean the streets are or low the crime rate is.

author: Hypernova
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 23, 2012, 01:31:01 pm
content: Two years ago in Brisbane while I was helping out the landlord with her garden:http://www.spiders.com.au/garden-orb-weaving-spider.htmlQuoteYeah right. It was two fucking weeks before the itching subsided.

author: M0BSW
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2012, 02:14:16 pm
content: Quote from: Hypernova on October 23, 2012, 01:31:01 pmMy point exactly, it would be ok if you could nuke the bugs spiders snakes ect for a 200 mile radius of where I was staying perfect.

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2012, 05:33:01 pm
content: Quote from: RCMR on October 22, 2012, 10:15:30 pmEven if the CEO has been fired for allowing the MRT to go haywire recently (2 lines broke down 10 time in a row in a few weeks, all due to the power faults and a a joint breaking that affixes it to the wall) But yeah it's a beauty and yet people still complain (Typical singaporeans huh) Every weekday i go to school on a 12min-trip and i can always expect the train to reach within 2-6mins plus there's a huge ass fan on the ceiling now so it wouldn't be THAT unbearable as it is now, even in the monsoon season.Quote from: peter.mitchell on October 23, 2012, 05:15:58 amOf course MOST. Clue : I'm from the "younger" generation that i am so disapointed withQuote from: EEVblog on October 22, 2012, 10:28:03 pmIt does look nice but from what I've read it's politically much worse than the UK and US. I don't think I want to live in a country governed by a dictatorship, regardless of: how good the public transport is, clean the streets are or low the crime rate is. Politically MUCH more stable than UK or the US. Dictatorship? Nah. You mean crazy housing prices and crazy weather as well as crazy car prices because of the darn import tax and the MAD "Certificate-of-ownership" which costs 100,000$!Why do they say it's worse? Because no country is happy with their government EVER!Dictatorship? Where did you find that term from? The Third Reich? We don't have governments that has had the prime minister send people overseas and kill (Bush? Of course. George Bush.)Our government apart from a few minor facts might look bad but our current government is doing a very fine job and to think that several PMs ago Singapore post-1965 was just a piece of insignificant land, one man changed the whole Singapore in short order and that man is Lee Kuan YewWhere the hell would Singapore be right now if it wasn't for him? (Apart from the fact that most Americans think Singapore is in China)Oh and the largest telco here couldn't even get HSDPA right and moved on to LTE which in turned made them worse ... M1 does do things very well i should say, as well as starhub

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2012, 07:53:49 pm
content: It's not the bugs and creepy crawlies that bother me, it's the two legged vermin and they exist all over the world, we got visited by a couple today asking if we had any scrap gov. Now I have to be extra vigilant for the next few weeks as this type of vermin has tendency to sneak back at night, at least here in the UK they tend not to have guns.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2012, 08:12:25 pm
content: I have Razor wire, electric fencing and CCTV.

author: M0BSW
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2012, 08:16:50 pm
content: Quote from: SeanB on October 23, 2012, 08:12:25 pmSnap, we had some two legged virmin today , offering to" savage ", I mean prune our lovely tree out the front, not a chance it's over a hundred years old, cared for by a proper Tree surgeon. I wouldn't ley anyone else any where near it , let alone a couple of wide boy pikeys.

author: M0BSW
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2012, 08:21:30 pm
content: Quote from: SeanB on October 23, 2012, 08:12:25 pmI was talking today to two of the security gaurds at work who come from south africa, one showed me a picture of his car back home ,it had these pipes coming out of the sides ,the flames were around 2 metres long,asking what there use was , they laughed , there for any car jackers that get to close, scary stuff.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 23, 2012, 09:11:48 pm
content: Quote from: Psi on October 23, 2012, 08:49:09 amTIP: Buy a pack of nuts at the airprort and then tick YES. The line for the "YES" people is MUCH shorter than the "NO" people, sometimes empty. And at Sydney airport which is notorious for queuing up international passengers. It can mean the difference between a 10min stroll through customs or a 2 hour wait, no kidding.Dave.

author: perfect_disturbance
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2012, 02:59:50 am
content: Here's the real question. How's the trout fishing?

author: perfect_disturbance
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2012, 06:29:04 pm
content: Wow you know the fishing's bad when the mere mention silences a thread instantly.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2012, 07:31:57 pm
content: Pretty good at Nottingham road, though I am not a fan of trout. The surviving Tilapia is swimming in the fish tank next to me. Next time I go to the dam he goes back and I get a batch of tiddlers again. The big ones are very tasty over the fire, but this one is a pet, so somebody else will eat him.

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2012, 08:13:31 pm
content: Quote from: perfect_disturbance on October 24, 2012, 02:59:50 amIt's actually pretty good, but as with most fishing, it's the people and the alcohol that determine how good it really is.I go tohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Eucumbeneevery 6-12 months.

author: Rick
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2012, 09:20:58 pm
content: QuoteProbably because it is still one of the few places in the developped world where you can legally migrate, along with Canada.USA is also possible but with their laws nobody wants to go there any more I suppose:)One cannot legally migrate to Europe since the 1970's unless you are an investor setting up a real business something like that. Of course there are those who cheat to stay there.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2012, 10:32:01 pm
content: Quote from: RCMR on October 22, 2012, 11:01:50 pmIt's because when they started out they were boring the tunnels deep underground using the technology of 100 years ago. Every inch they added to the tunnel diameter added hugely to the cost. As it was, the first underground railway companies had a precarious existence and ran out of money several times while trying to complete the digging. (Check out Charles Tyson Yerkes for details of how some of the finances were rescued and the lines got built.)And in the way of things, once a small tunnel diameter had become established it tended to continue as a de facto standard right into modern times when the Victoria Line was built. Even then, cost was a significant factor in keeping the size down (long narrow trains are more economical than short fat trains).More recently still, the idea of small tunnels has been blown out of the water with the Crossrail project, but in this case they are conjuring the billions required for construction out of who knows where...

author: perfect_disturbance
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2012, 12:22:06 am
content: Quote from: peter.mitchell on October 26, 2012, 08:13:31 pmThat's too bad I like to do most of my fishing alone with a caddis both of us sober.

author: notsob
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2012, 01:12:43 am
content: One thing many visitors to Australia don't understand (before they get here) are the vast distances between our major cities, quite a few Australians in the southern states do not quite comprehend this as well.I had 2 Americans out here to do an "emergency" fix to some equipment in Brisbane, and they thought that they would drive to Sydney to see a show, in their minds it was like driving from LA to San Diego. ( it's not). So her are a few comparisons.Size of California ~ 424,000 sq kmSize of England ~ 244,000 sq kmSize of Victoria ~ 238,000 sq km (our smallest mainland State)Size of N.S.W. ~ 809,000 sq kmSize of Queensland ~ 1,852,000sq kmSize of W.A ~ 2,527,000 sq kmDriving time Brisbane to Sydney ~ 12 hrs (~ 920 km) - one State southDriving time Brisbane to Melbourne ~ 22hrs (~ 1702km) - two States southDistance Brisbane to Cairns (in same state) ~ 1704km - in same StateDistance Brisbane to Mt.Isa ~ 1,823 km - in same StateDistance Brisbane to Auckland, New Zealand (across the ocean) ~ 2,290 km

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 27, 2012, 01:33:13 am
content: Quote from: notsob on October 27, 2012, 01:12:43 amand for our EU friends:Australia only has 7 states (and one piss-ant territory filled with politician. a.la Washington DC), and usually only one major city of any worth in each of those sates.Compare that to mainland US with 48(?) states, and usually many major cities of note in each of those states.So a huge difference indeed.Dave.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2012, 01:34:51 am
content: I just love how the cartographer drew nice straight lines for all the state boundaries, but when it came to NSW, he said "bugger this"!

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 27, 2012, 01:46:16 am
content: Quote from: tom66 on October 27, 2012, 01:34:51 amIt looks like he was pissed at the timeBut the NSW border with VIC is mostly defined by the Murray Darling rivier.http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/104377/NSW-VIC_Border_Determination.pdfThey even get into details of who owns what part of the bank of the river.In the middle of Oz there is nothing worth giving a shit about!Dave.

author: GEuser
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2012, 04:20:51 am
content: Quote from: IanB on October 26, 2012, 10:32:01 pmHi IanB and imo of course , i'ts in the psych over there , over there has been around for a long time and over those years peoples from all places have intermixed and due to the lack of space they have learned to think small or 'necessity' environmentally , i think they not be really aware that they do it as it'd be a subconscious thing as its the norm , footpaths , roads , streets even the canals for example , doors or doorways , windows and how about the elbow room only dunny!(or throneover there), stairs in houses (especially older places with one or more levels) , i recall having to nearly turn sideways to walk up stairs and/or walk through a door and duck at the same time , some footpaths are a 2 person only affair and along all those lines of examples , also add cost to that calculation (larger is more expensive) over hundreds of years will have also effected the common 'psych' ...The Mini car! , its all over the common psych (i'm not implying anything wrong , just different) .edited>added> coincidently after in posted i just saw thishttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2223757/Sardine-Britain-What-life-like-2050-experts-predict-population-exploded-80million.htmlBut its being going on for centuries imo....

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2012, 06:22:20 am
content: Quote from: GEuser on October 27, 2012, 04:20:51 amI'm sure you're right. Growing up in England everything seemed "normal" sized until I came to America. Then suddenly everything over here seemed huge and unnecessarily big. Now of course when I go back to visit England everything seems tiny...On the downside, with houses being so much larger it is less convenient to look after them. Cleaning, decorating, general maintenance are all much more of a chore (and more expensive) than they would be with a smaller house.