*** Members' Intreview with BIGDOWNUNDER ***

Jock


I lived in Sydney for a year and absolutley loved it - I wouldlove to move back there one day.

My question is how did you find the visa application was it as stressful/expensive as some people make it out to be?

My wife did all the Visa application herself-most people get a solicitor can cost around 10 grand-we are only here in Aus due to my wifes skills.  When it was all ok'd we had to go to NZ for 2 weeks-you have to get your passport stamped and you can't be in the country.  This bit was the only pain in the arse.  The best piece of advise I was given was don't get caught in the Sydney trap!-Australia is a huge place and theres plenty of beautiful cities and towns apart from Sydney.
Most people stay with the English and this is the first mistake-get to know the Aussies and they will help and show you shortcuts with employment and other things.
Cheer

If at first you don't succeed, then skydivings not for you!

[link=http://www.muscle.com.au]www.muscle.com.au[/link]

Ballbag AKA onefatidiot


Do you think you will move back to england ever?
How old are you?

Hi mate,
 
I'm 38
 
I would never say never-you just don't know what opportunities arise.  I will try and stay until my kids have finished school-then maybe travel a bit more.  I stayed in Miami for a few months and I quite liked that so who knows.  My wife is halfway through a qualification that will allow her to specialize in Oncology and teach at Uni-and I know that most Countries would jump at the chance of having these skills.
I'm as thick as pig **** and tag along for the ride

If at first you don't succeed, then skydivings not for you!

[link=http://www.muscle.com.au]www.muscle.com.au[/link]

Glad you said about being in bed for 9pm as I was feeling a bit of a puff!

I have to get up at 5 ish and come 8pm ish, I can't keep my eyes open. I try to stay up until 9pm but sometimes I can't even manage that!...really annoys my mrs LOL.

Lovely house chap....so hard to believe it was only £130K!!!!....I'm sure you know as well as I do what that cash would buy you here!!!

I fell into the 'Sydney trap' when I went!...gutted. Too expensive and it swallowed all my cash. Great city though

Neb


Glad you said about being in bed for 9pm as I was feeling a bit of a puff!

I have to get up at 5 ish and come 8pm ish, I can't keep my eyes open. I try to stay up until 9pm but sometimes I can't even manage that!...really annoys my mrs LOL.

Lovely house chap....so hard to believe it was only £130K!!!!....I'm sure you know as well as I do what that cash would buy you here!!!

I fell into the 'Sydney trap' when I went!...gutted. Too expensive and it swallowed all my cash. Great city though

So many people only stay within the city and think thats it!-Cities are pretty much the same in what ever country you go.

If at first you don't succeed, then skydivings not for you!

[link=http://www.muscle.com.au]www.muscle.com.au[/link]

Have you ever been to Brisbane? If so how does it compare to Sydney.

Neb


Glad you said about being in bed for 9pm as I was feeling a bit of a puff!

I have to get up at 5 ish and come 8pm ish, I can't keep my eyes open. I try to stay up until 9pm but sometimes I can't even manage that!...really annoys my mrs LOL.

Lovely house chap....so hard to believe it was only £130K!!!!....I'm sure you know as well as I do what that cash would buy you here!!!

I fell into the 'Sydney trap' when I went!...gutted. Too expensive and it swallowed all my cash. Great city though

He Neb.
 
I'm a dickhead!-just talking to the Mrs about the cost of the house!-It was 299,000 pounds we paid $530,000 dollars-sorry don't ask where I got 130000 quid from!

If at first you don't succeed, then skydivings not for you!

[link=http://www.muscle.com.au]www.muscle.com.au[/link]

Irish Beast


Have you ever been to Brisbane? If so how does it compare to Sydney.

Never been mate-its supposed to be nice-I bit warmer than Sydney but its a couple of hrs in land-and i like to be near the sea. An old school mate of mine has just moved our and lives in Brissy-hopefully meeting up with him at the end of October so I'll let you know.

If at first you don't succeed, then skydivings not for you!

[link=http://www.muscle.com.au]www.muscle.com.au[/link]

Have you/ do ever have any problems with Snakes etc?

Ra Ra Rasputin lover of the Russian Queen, Ra Ra Ra Rasputin Russia's greatest love machine (Allegedly)

Rasputin


Have you/ do ever have any problems with Snakes etc?

To tell the truth I've only ever seen 2 snakes, once i was stood outside a KFC and a Red Bellied Black Snake shot across the road and over a garden wall, 2nd one was taking the dog for a walk, It was stood up about 4 feet in the air by the river bank as soon as it noticed us approaching it shot off.  My house backs on to a reserve so I'm surprised I've not seen more.

If at first you don't succeed, then skydivings not for you!

[link=http://www.muscle.com.au]www.muscle.com.au[/link]

loving the price mistake. Just out by 110% haha.

Still - we paid £210k for my house in late 2006 and it just doesn't compare

"bring me an ambalamps" - mouthy dude after getting his arse handed to him

Hello BigDownUnder,

An enthusiastic publisher has offered you A$250,000 to write a book.

What's your book going to be all about?

BIGDOWNUNDER

Irish Beast


Have you ever been to Brisbane? If so how does it compare to Sydney.

Never been mate-its supposed to be nice-I bit warmer than Sydney but its a couple of hrs in land-and i like to be near the sea. An old school mate of mine has just moved our and lives in Brissy-hopefully meeting up with him at the end of October so I'll let you know.

That would be good.

Im starting to get itchy feet again and there is a chance, albeit slim that we might try Oz again. I think we were very unlucky with how things turned out in Melbourne wiith regards to work and lack of friends! I'm reliably informed that Queensland is a bit more chilled out.

He Neb. I'm a dickhead!-just talking to the Mrs about the cost of the house!-It was 299,000 pounds we paid $530,000 dollars-sorry don't ask where I got 130000 quid from!

 
It's not like you were far out mate, £170k is fcuk all really! LMAO

JK2


Hello BigDownUnder,

An enthusiastic publisher has offered you A$250,000 to write a book.

What's your book going to be all about?

It wouldn't be a book it would be a magazine-called 'Talking Sh*t'-It would be a monthly purchase full of interesting stories and facts-you would place in your bathroom to read whilst on the loo or in the bath-the back page would be blank so you could fill in your interesting story/fact.  If your story/fact gets published you get that copy for free.

If at first you don't succeed, then skydivings not for you!

[link=http://www.muscle.com.au]www.muscle.com.au[/link]

Irish Beast

BIGDOWNUNDER

Irish Beast


Have you ever been to Brisbane? If so how does it compare to Sydney.

Never been mate-its supposed to be nice-I bit warmer than Sydney but its a couple of hrs in land-and i like to be near the sea. An old school mate of mine has just moved our and lives in Brissy-hopefully meeting up with him at the end of October so I'll let you know.

That would be good.

Im starting to get itchy feet again and there is a chance, albeit slim that we might try Oz again. I think we were very unlucky with how things turned out in Melbourne wiith regards to work and lack of friends! I'm reliably informed that Queensland is a bit more chilled out.

Almost wish we would have settled up there-the climate is a lot better than Sydney.  The general feeling is that Queenslanders are a lot more relaxed if thats possible!.  How does your Visa work in regards to you coming back?

If at first you don't succeed, then skydivings not for you!

[link=http://www.muscle.com.au]www.muscle.com.au[/link]

Neb

He Neb. I'm a dickhead!-just talking to the Mrs about the cost of the house!-It was 299,000 pounds we paid $530,000 dollars-sorry don't ask where I got 130000 quid from!

 
It's not like you were far out mate, £170k is fcuk all really! LMAO

I'm still shaking my head now!-can tell who doesn't do the Finances in my house!

If at first you don't succeed, then skydivings not for you!

[link=http://www.muscle.com.au]www.muscle.com.au[/link]

You've mentioned your encounters with snakes above but I'd be more concerned about the sydney funnel web, have you encountered any of these? Would also like to know how the aussies reacted to their recent ashes defeat?
 
Cheers

TGR London


You've mentioned your encounters with snakes above but I'd be more concerned about the sydney funnel web, have you encountered any of these? Would also like to know how the aussies reacted to their recent ashes defeat?
 
Cheers

Yeh not seen many snakes but spiders **** yeh!!-Spiders are everywhere-not seen many funnel webs but Redbacks are all over my garden-I've seen Huntsman spiders as big as my hand.  I once tried to move one out of the hall because I thought it might get trodden on and it turned round and bit me.  The spiders webs are bigger than a car.
 
The Ashes defeat was taken very quietly!-I've not heard much about it to tell the truth.
 
 

If at first you don't succeed, then skydivings not for you!

[link=http://www.muscle.com.au]www.muscle.com.au[/link]

The Aussies are a bit "la la la not listening" when any sport doesn't go their way.

My brother spent 5months over there in 2006 and summarised it like this;

In the UK when sports coverage is on, say the commonwealth games - Great Britain may be in the 100m butterfly swimming and comes 5th. When the awards giving comes on we'll discuss our position, how we did, then focus on the 4/3/2/1 place competitors and give comment on each both positive and negative. If we come 1st we'll still cover 4/3/2/1 place competitors but obviously will spend more time discussing our own efforts.

In Australia when coverage is on and Australia is in the swimming and comes 2nd the coverage will show most of the 4/3/2/1 positions but focus understandably on the Aussie competitor. Should the Aussie competitor come say 5th the focus will stay on their competitor and you might be lucky if you actually get to find out who came where in anything other than a quick flash of a leaderboard onscreen

In your experience is this fair comment?

"bring me an ambalamps" - mouthy dude after getting his arse handed to him

essex_chris


The Aussies are a bit "la la la not listening" when any sport doesn't go their way.

My brother spent 5months over there in 2006 and summarised it like this;

In the UK when sports coverage is on, say the commonwealth games - Great Britain may be in the 100m butterfly swimming and comes 5th. When the awards giving comes on we'll discuss our position, how we did, then focus on the 4/3/2/1 place competitors and give comment on each both positive and negative. If we come 1st we'll still cover 4/3/2/1 place competitors but obviously will spend more time discussing our own efforts.

In Australia when coverage is on and Australia is in the swimming and comes 2nd the coverage will show most of the 4/3/2/1 positions but focus understandably on the Aussie competitor. Should the Aussie competitor come say 5th the focus will stay on their competitor and you might be lucky if you actually get to find out who came where in anything other than a quick flash of a leaderboard onscreen

In your experience is this fair comment?

100% spot on!-they only show the events that have Australian competitors in!-One of the best ever Sporting triumphs of all time for me was the Rugby World Cup-When Jonnie Wilkinson kicked that ball in the last 2 seconds of the game I felt the heart of a nation collapse!!.  My neighbours wouldn't talk to me for 2 weeks-It was probably the St George Cross that I had  on the roof of my car..

If at first you don't succeed, then skydivings not for you!

[link=http://www.muscle.com.au]www.muscle.com.au[/link]