Is the grass always greener?

AussieGran after melting in the 35degree heat today I do understand your friends change of mind! Our washing dried in about 10mins.
Still, I’ve just come in from walking the dog on the beach this evening and it was lovely.

Oh so do I. But what a tough job whomever takes over will have- as the Tories have more or less bankrupted the country (as they filled their pockets- as in most 3rd world dictatures).

I agree that our health system is no longer considered to be one of the best in the world - as it was a few years ago.

Some people may recall, 12 years ago, before the Conservatives/Lib Dems were elected, Labour election broadcasts warned people that the NHS was at serious risk if the Conservatives got in. They had said it before, in previous elections, and they were proved right on those occasions too. After all, when the NHS was first proposed, the Conservatives were absolutely against it - as they have been in respect of almost every measure designed to help ordinary working people.

Despite the mess we are in now, I think we are fortunate to have our NHS, even though this government is doing everything in its power to strangle it. I have friends from Ireland who greatly appreciate being able to access health care which is not free but free at the point of delivery. I hope we get rid of this government.

We were chatting to an Australian couple yesterday and we came to the conclusion that both countries have very similar problems.
Their pot hole situation is definitely worse than ours!
We bought a bottle of gin in Woolworths on our way back to DD’s, it translated into approx £43. Not a special brand either!
Think we’ve made up our minds.🍸

The problem with our NHS is that that there are too few doctors, as I’ve said repeatedly on a number of threads. Due to having too few doctors, working conditions for doctors have diminished over the last few years. Also the pay of doctors has been held down for at least ten years (along with other public employees) and this has exacerbated the flow of doctors to other countries such as Australia, which is currently launching a recruitment drive to try to get UK doctors to emigrate to to Australia.
If the UK wants to retain its doctors and not have to rely on nurses to do the job of doctors, then it needs to pay them properly and improve their working conditions.

aussiegran for all its faults and I can’t deny that it has quite a few when the NHS works well it’s fantastic.
The thing is that we have got used to it. In our surgery there are a lot more telephone appointments but if you really need to see a Dr you can.
The thing is that we understand how things work in our own countries. I’m in NSW at the moment and, because my DD lives here I’m sure she would get me sorted if I needed medical help. I’ve no idea how to access it.
If I had to choose another country to live in it would have to be one where we share a language, so important IMO. How could I fit in in France with my schoolgirl French and DH’s schoolboy German? I would want a proper life not one that depended on a small group of expats.
Also to find one that would welcome us at our age would be tricky.
If I was answering the question 45 years ago I may have had a different response.

Callistemon21 I'm obviously aware of petroglyphs and pictographs and early Aboriginal art but it is not something that on its own would draw me there - any more than (say) the Lascaux Cave works would be sufficient to encourage me to visit from the UK or the petroglyphs in Nevada.

We all like different things. I don't want to have to interpret all the time to feel close to earlier generations. I'm a simple soul really and I suppose I like to feel people who might have been me there. I suppose that must be a failing.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Thank you for your kind thoughts Jennifer.

I loved my very short time in Australia some four years ago, and I also loved being in New Zealand then too. However that was before my daughter moved to New Zealand and I was on holiday. What’s not to like about holidays? I loved looking around Sydney and Melbourne, seeing the iconic sights such as the Sydney Opera House. We visited the Blue Mountains and went to a wildlife park to see the animals native to Australia. Then a cruise across the Tasmanian sea and spent a day cruising the breathtaking sounds of New Zealand. Milford Sound was absolutely awe inspiring. Out visits to different places as we cruised up the coast of New Zealand were interesting and informative. We loved every minute. But living in a place is not the same as holidaying in a place. During our holiday we didn’t visit a single supermarket. Why would we? We were on holiday. So we never found out that prices for basic foodstuff are so much more expensive than the UK. However I do remember thinking that it was all so wonderful to experience but that it’s so very far away from anywhere else in the world and therefore I wouldn’t like to live there. I thought that more in New Zealand than I did in Australia to be honest.

NotSpaghetti

I know I'm another who would miss the history.

My favourite places are full of old buildings, museums, places of worship and remote places where the hand and foot of earlier generations are visible in the landscape.

remote places where the hand and foot of earlier generations are visible in the landscape.

Australia is home to some of the oldest and most prolific collections of rock art in the world, and interpreting these ancient artworks provides valuable insights into our history

I know I'm another who would miss the history.

My favourite places are full of old buildings, museums, places of worship and remote places where the hand and foot of earlier generations are visible in the landscape.

I don't think I'd ever want to live anywhere else than Britain, and Australia certainly wouldn't appeal to me.

However, I know people who have emigrated there or been there for holidays and they think it's great. I suppose it depends on what your interests and priorities are. People in Australia often refer to an open air, active life but, whilst I would certainly appreciate more sun, I am not particularly interested in beach life or sports in general. I wouldn't like to be so far away from other countries and so distant from other parts of Australia.

Each to his own.

That’s a shame but I guess it’s still early days for your daughter to try to decide what to do for the best.
There are so many things for her to consider aren’t there?
Very worrying for you and your husband though.

I don’t think so at the moment Jennifer, it’s a sad situation but not uncommon. My daughter has just taken another house and settled in, and so we’ll see what the future brings. Thank you for your concern, it’s appreciated very much.

I was sorry to hear about your daughter’s marriage break up maddyone.
I remember when you said the family was going to work in New Zealand temporarily.

Is there any chance your daughter and the children will come back, especially in view of the extensive drawbacks to life there, which you have explained so clearly?

SueEH

If I didn’t have ongoing parental ties here in the UK I’d be on a plane with a one way ticket to Greece.

Is that you Shirley Valentine? 😁

We noticed the lack of culture in New Zealand whilst we were there. Of course there are a few theatres and we went twice, once to the pantomime and also to a performance of songs taken from musicals, but the performers of the musical songs were from Britain and Ireland. I looked at the advertisements for future performances and the performers were mostly from abroad and were tending to tour just Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland. There seems to be little home grown talent. No classical music at all whilst we were there and none in the rest of the year. Perhaps New Zealanders are not that interested, I don’t know. I would certainly miss the arts if I lived there. The All Blacks are iconic, but not enough for me!

What a super post! Well done the original poster.
We lived in Oz for 5 years, 8 months and 11 days.
Never hated anywhere so much in my whole life.
Lived all over the world, Oz was the worst IMHO.
Then transferred to Belgium - what a huge delight.
Culture, culture, culture.

I lived in Australia for a couple of years when I was young. I have been twice to New Zealand. I thoroughly enjoyed the experiences and saw many wonderful places but had no desire to live in either country. On my return I gazed at England's green fields and was so thankful to be home. For all its faults there is nowhere like England.

I’m well travelled and have been to some beautiful countries and met many interesting people but would never wish to live anywhere else but England. I love the seasons, the lack of mosquitoes and other nasty creepy crawlies. I adore the greenery and countryside along with the history. It’s home to me and I’m always pleased to be back.

I spent January in Australia- a much anticipated holiday years in the making. We travelled around, visited friends and had a wonderful time. I loved everywhere we visited and have unforgettable memories of a wonderful trip.
Some observations:
The food is not cheap. Fresh fruit and vegetables seem particularly expensive.

I needed to see a doctor whilst staying in Melbourne. I got an appointment right away, had a thorough examination and left with a prescription for 3 items. Naturally, it all cost money!
Some pharmacies charge more than others for filling a prescription - you need to shop around
(Chemist Warehouse, to be found in every town are wonderful and fairly cheap compared to other chemists )

The weather was hot! We couldn't help but think how much Aussies save on energy bills. In reality, it was the height of their summer and air conditioning is not cheap.
Everyone we met seemed friendly and went out of their way to be welcoming and helpful.
I returned home with a suitcase full of Tim Tam biscuits (Australia, you've turned me into an addict!)
But ... could I live in Oz? The answer is no. I love my home in NE England and as much as I enjoyed my holiday to Australia it was, just that, a holiday albeit an unforgettable one.

AussiGran59, having lived 20 years in Australia and now back home, I am in complete agreement with you. Brits love to moan about what they have which raises the question of why does the world want to come and live here. Nowhere is perfect and if you're a failure here, you sure ain't gonna get a character transplant if you swap your surroundings!

Moved to Australia 15years ago, best thing we ever did. Wish we’d done it when the kids were still at home. The lifestyle is so relaxed and the weather is wonderful. We visit UK and can’t wait to get back home to Australia

Adelaide isn't at all humid generally, Mostly that would be the northern parts of Australia.