Waited 6 months for this, and it has finally been accepted, me my partner and son are moving to Australia!!!!!!!! OMG still can't believe it, and just had to let it out....
No no mate really, make sure you have someone who can supply you with plastic crack. Because your wallets gonna have a full blown hear attack the first time you walk into a GeeDub.
So where abouts are you moving to, if you don't mind my asking?
As for the local wildlife... - Crocs you really don't have to worry about unless your moving to the Northern Territory. The big Salties up there will get 4 or 5+ metres easy.
- Spiders you really can't do much about aside from either learning to like and live with them or stocking up on the Mortein.
- If your moving to the Eastern part of Oz then you have all kinds of fun snakes to avoid. Eastern Browns, Kind Browns, Tigers and both Inland out Coastal Taipans.
But seriously, if you are a beach going family then watch out for Blue Ringer Octopi and Jellyfish. They're what'll get ya.
Oh also in the time honoured tradition of greeting anyone new to the country...... Feth off, We're full!
Gold Coast eh? I went there for a holiday once, pretty nice there. Don't be freaked out about spiders and stuff, I've lived here all my life and never really run into any crazy ones. But yeah, as everyone else has said prices are ridiculous here.
Im not too sure about LGS and clubs up around Brizzie/Gold Coast but im sure you'll be able to sus out the local gaming situation when you get there.
For clarification, Mortein is a bugspray.
Whats hows your grasp on Aussie slang? It can be quite the hurdle for people who don't know it. My cousins husband is American and it took him ages to wrap his head round all the little things we say.
mikeyboy69x wrote: Its the frickin spiders / crocs / snakes am worried about, might just walk around in a space marine suite..... pesky things won't do jack to me then!
I suspect that you underestimate the size of our spiders...
mikeyboy69x wrote: Its the frickin spiders / crocs / snakes am worried about, might just walk around in a space marine suite..... pesky things won't do jack to me then!
I suspect that you underestimate the size of our spiders...
Indeed, might I suggest he play Skyrim to get an idea?
mikeyboy69x wrote: Its the frickin spiders / crocs / snakes am worried about, might just walk around in a space marine suite..... pesky things won't do jack to me then!
I suspect that you underestimate the size of our spiders...
I'll just leave this here.
To be fair, this was North Queensland, so you're a little south of them.
I read somewhere that you're ten times more likely to suffer a stroke after seeing what aussies pay for GW products then you are to die from a bite of one of Austrailia's many fanged fauna.
Congrats on making the big move, and welcome to Australia.
And don't worry too much about the gouging on GW products, I'm sure you've got plenty of friends and family back in the UK. Just make an order on the UK site with their address, and when they get they can mail it to you. If you do it in bulk the mail out doesn't cost much.
mikeyboy69x wrote: Its the frickin spiders / crocs / snakes am worried about, might just walk around in a space marine suite..... pesky things won't do jack to me then!
I suspect that you underestimate the size of our spiders...
I'll just leave this here.
To be fair, this was North Queensland, so you're a little south of them.
See photos like that make me question the sanity of not being able to carry a weapon in Australia.
Nicorex wrote: Gratz! have fun. Watch out for Kangaroos.
Not usually a problem inside the cities. Although if you're out bush, watch out for the wombats. Seriously. If you hit one on the road, it WILL wipe out your car's underside. WE call them furry speed-bumps for a reason. Many are the wombats who have been hit by a car, wrecked the car, and then waddled off and died several weeks later.
There are a couple of gaming groups on the Gold Coast (area between Brisbane and south to the New South Wales border ) and Brisbane isn't that far from the GC, really (an hour and a bit maybe by car? That wouldn't even get you across Sydney) so you won't be starved for opponents.
Yes, you can stock up on Mortein - but we also have RAID! now, as well.
chromedog wrote:Although if you're out bush, watch out for the wombats. Seriously. If you hit one on the road, it WILL wipe out your car's underside. WE call them furry speed-bumps for a reason. Many are the wombats who have been hit by a car, wrecked the car, and then waddled off and died several weeks later.
Yes this QFT x1000. My uncle totalled his Land Cruiser when he hit a wombat. It completely destroyed his engine block. This was fully kitted out with a bullbar and all too. He reckons the wombat was easily on par with a decent sized German shepard.
chromedog wrote:A thong is a "flip-flop" in Australia.
Not butt-floss.
Oh hehehehe. Yeah i forgot about that little difference in names... Hehe now i can only picture someone trying to smoosh a spider with a Gstring.
KalashnikovMarine wrote: See photos like that make me question the sanity of not being able to carry a weapon in Australia.
We just smash spiders with thongs. No need for projectile weapons.
I was thinking a knife actually, I assume Crocodile Dundee isn't accurate and you lot don't wander around with hunting knives on your belts. Though I have to say I'd strongly approve of a culture that did stuff like that
No, Crocodile Dundee isn't an accurate representation.
The same way that Jersey Shore isn't an accurate representation (if it is, then I suggest nuking that area and starting again).
None of the local spiders have developed an immunity to the house brick or sneaker, yet, though.
Sydney funnel webs make a crunchy sound if you step on them. Somewhat akin to stepping on a mouse ive been told. So while not yet immune to shoes, Funnel webs make you pay for it with by grossing you out.
n0t_u wrote: No one drinks fosters though, we just export it to dumb people.
I remember getting hit of the head by a tin of fosters in a pub brawl years back, that's where the bitterness stems from, and the cheating that the Aussies did during the Lions tour of 2001
Been mad busy in work and not had chance to reply to all these posts, and I am about to shoot out for the night.
BUT, some of these posts ( the on with the big effing spider eating a man sized bird or what ever) officially give me poo stains........ thank you for all the facts abotu oz land, spiders and creatures and stuff, great help! :O
The tips on warhammer has been great to thanks alot, I will defo try third party gaming companies, I will try anything to get some decent battles under my belt.
What the hell is a Julia?? is this some kind female dog??
Other than that, thanks alot for the great read, I love how this thread mixes serious replies with the dam right outrageous ones (or atleast i am hoping that spider pic was a joke?) Look forward to more response.
Apologies for any typo's I am in a rush lol
Aussie slang I need alot of help with, so if you can throw the basics my way that would be great!
Actually the word fanny really isn't used that mutch in Oz. We use it in the same context as the Brits do but we just use it a lot less.
Julia Gillard is our Prime Minister.
Ok common slang... I can't even think of any useful slang. This is terrible.
Slab - unit of distance as well as a rough volume estimate of beer (24 cans, small bottles ("Stubbies" or "throwdowns")).
As in "It's 4 slabs from Darwin to Alice springs. Better make it 8, then or I'll have nothing left when I get there." OR "How much booze do I bring?" - A couple of slabs'll do.
Americans talk about grilling. We have barbecues (BBQ) where we barbecue. The grill is in the kitchen (Americans call it "the broiler").
Thong: As noted, a "flip-flop". Footwear. Stops your feet getting melted betwixt the beach and the car when you have to cross the very hot blacktop carpark.
Bloody: General purpose adjective used to add emphasis. Can be used just about anybloodywhere. Things can be bloody good or bloody hopeless.
Crocs: Ugly footwear worn by the completely clueless. Also larger reptile found mostly in the northern parts of the country. Mostly used for the "salties" (Salt water crocodile) which are the ones that eat people. Once you head north of Townsville, you will see signs warning about crocs.
BTW you're more likely to find an American or Canadian beer in a bottleshop (place to buy booze by the bottle/case/slab. May be attached to a pub (bar/boozer) or more often are stand-alones) than Fosters. I haven't seen it in a couple of decades.
chromedog wrote: Slab - unit of distance as well as a rough volume estimate of beer (24 cans, small bottles ("Stubbies" or "throwdowns")).
As in "It's 4 slabs from Darwin to Alice springs. Better make it 8, then or I'll have nothing left when I get there."
OR "How much booze do I bring?" - A couple of slabs'll do.
Although worth noting that in some parts 'slab' is not as well used, and 'case' is more common.
Other linguistic oddities depending on which part of this wide, brown country you find yourself in include swim-shorts (cossie vs togs vs bathers), school backpacks (bag vs port), and deep fried potato treats (potato scallop vs potato cake, not to be confused with a hash brown (which is apparently known as a potato cake in some parts of the US)).
For any american visitors, it's also worth pointing out that we don't have gas stations... we have petrol stations or 'service' stations (why they're still called service stations when driveway service hasn't been much in evidence for decades outside of remote rural areas is anybody's guess). We put petrol in our cars, not gasoline. If you rock up to a servo and ask for gas, they'll point you to the LPG pump.
What about sports, I remember seeing the Aussies play a very weird game of footbal/rugby on a hexagon style pitch??? (by football i mean soccer)
I love my beloved Liverpool F.C, and I don't like missing the match, are there t.v channels I could watch the footy (soccer) on over there?
insaniak wrote: (why they're still called service stations when driveway service hasn't been much in evidence for decades outside of remote rural areas is anybody's guess)
To be fair, I haven't heard anyone call them service stations in over a decade. 'Servo', however, is the usual abbreviation.
mikeyboy69x wrote: What about sports, I remember seeing the Aussies play a very weird game of footbal/rugby on a hexagon style pitch??? (by football i mean soccer)
No idea what you would have seen on a Hexagon. Aussie Rules is played on an oval, and Rugby Union and Rugby League are played on a rectangle.
In most areas the game of choice is either Aussie Rules or League. Union has a large following, but it's not as big as those two. Soccer is a little less publicised (although was always the game of choice when I was at school), but seems to be gaining some ground these days.
Some of the European games are televised, but it's usually in the wee hours of the morning.
It's surprisingly hard to get a Visa these days, in a lot of countries. I appreciate being a native-born American a lot more, knowing that hundreds of thousand of people jump through flaming hoops to afford themselves the same liberties every year.
You'll pick up the language quick enough. A few words that might be helpful to know.
G'day. - You probably know this one already. Standard multiuse greeting. Can be used any time of day.
Bogan. - Our version of Chav.
Drongo. - Just another way of saying idiot. Not used a lot anymore. But still gets a bit of use out in rural towns. (i think)
Bush, the. - Refers to any area that isn't urbanized but is heavily wooded or foresty
Outback, the. - Refers to any area that isn't urbanized but is heavily sandy.
Rev head. - Anyone who is heavily into cars and/or vehicles in general.
A ____ nut. - Place any word inbetween "A" and "nut" and you are refering to anyone who is fanatical about anything. So someone might be a sports nut or a aeroplane nut or a cooking nut.
Insaniak has pretty much hit the sports nail on the head. Hope you like saying Soccer. That being said you will not lack for places to play soccor or clubs to join.
Snrub wrote: You'll pick up the language quick enough. A few words that might be helpful to know.
G'day. - You probably know this one already. Standard multiuse greeting. Can be used any time of day.
Bogan. - Our version of Chav.
Drongo. - Just another way of saying idiot. Not used a lot anymore. But still gets a bit of use out in rural towns. (i think)
Bush, the. - Refers to any area that isn't urbanized but is heavily wooded or foresty
Outback, the. - Refers to any area that isn't urbanized but is heavily sandy.
Rev head. - Anyone who is heavily into cars and/or vehicles in general.
A ____ nut. - Place any word inbetween "A" and "nut" and you are refering to anyone who is fanatical about anything. So someone might be a sports nut or a aeroplane nut or a cooking nut.
Insaniak has pretty much hit the sports nail on the head. Hope you like saying Soccer. That being said you will not lack for places to play soccor or clubs to join.
Snrub wrote: You'll pick up the language quick enough. A few words that might be helpful to know.
G'day. - You probably know this one already. Standard multiuse greeting. Can be used any time of day.
Bogan. - Our version of Chav.
Drongo. - Just another way of saying idiot. Not used a lot anymore. But still gets a bit of use out in rural towns. (i think)
Bush, the. - Refers to any area that isn't urbanized but is heavily wooded or foresty
Outback, the. - Refers to any area that isn't urbanized but is heavily sandy.
Rev head. - Anyone who is heavily into cars and/or vehicles in general.
A ____ nut. - Place any word inbetween "A" and "nut" and you are refering to anyone who is fanatical about anything. So someone might be a sports nut or a aeroplane nut or a cooking nut.
Insaniak has pretty much hit the sports nail on the head. Hope you like saying Soccer. That being said you will not lack for places to play soccor or clubs to join.
Isn't Dero the Australian version of Chav?
They're interchangeable, also varies depending on how old you are. High school kids will use 'Dero' more.
Snrub wrote: You'll pick up the language quick enough. A few words that might be helpful to know.
G'day. - You probably know this one already. Standard multiuse greeting. Can be used any time of day.
Bogan. - Our version of Chav.
Drongo. - Just another way of saying idiot. Not used a lot anymore. But still gets a bit of use out in rural towns. (i think)
Bush, the. - Refers to any area that isn't urbanized but is heavily wooded or foresty
Outback, the. - Refers to any area that isn't urbanized but is heavily sandy.
Rev head. - Anyone who is heavily into cars and/or vehicles in general.
A ____ nut. - Place any word inbetween "A" and "nut" and you are refering to anyone who is fanatical about anything. So someone might be a sports nut or a aeroplane nut or a cooking nut.
Insaniak has pretty much hit the sports nail on the head. Hope you like saying Soccer. That being said you will not lack for places to play soccor or clubs to join.
Isn't Dero the Australian version of Chav?
They're interchangeable, also varies depending on how old you are. High school kids will use 'Dero' more.
Yeah, true. I will use either them term dero or lad to describe them. Also, you will do well to avoid some of the groups who call themselves "Wogs" and hang out in gangs.
Abo's - Indigenous Australians,
bugger - Something bad
Footy - Australian rules football
sickie - A day off from work, usually going fishing
Also, Queensland tends to be the area where you do tend to get those bigger spiders, so good luck. The bird eater is actually genuine and NOT photoshopped.
Another thing. Bull ants. They are as big as your thumb. and bite like a ******.
Best used judiciously, in company you are certain of, as it can get people riled...
But then, finding any way to refer to Australia's indigenous population that won't offend somebody (often just on said indigenous Australian's behalf) is tricky. Unless you're in the Northern Territory, where they still proudly call themselves 'Blackfellas' and are liable to take offence if you try to call them anything else.
rockerbikie wrote:Isn't Dero the Australian version of Chav?
I've always been under the impression that Dero was a word for a homeless guy.
Doctadeth wrote:Bugger - Something bad
Don't the Poms use bugger?
Sickie - A day off from work, usually going fishing
Oh yes. The fine art of chucking a sickie. How could i forget that. This is one you will most certainly need to learn. Call into work, put on your best "im ill" voice and let the boss know you won't be coming in. Not to be used to often though or else the higher ups will cotton on. Alternatively if you want a bit more credability when chucking a sickie, get the wife or girlfriend to call in for you. This how ever is entirely dependent on your significant other being fine with you skipping work.
Another thing. Bull ants. They are as big as your thumb. and bite like a ******.
Definately worth a mention. Some of these fethers grow to 4 or 5 cms and will feth you up.
Four or five centimeters? That's basically ten times the size of the ants we have in the US!
Australia is like the land that time forgot. Hopping marsupials, dingos, giant ants, huge crocodiles, the platypus... The list goes on and on. I bet Biologists had a ball cataloging and identifying all the weird stuff they have in Australia.
Ah hang on i buggered up my measurements. The big bullants will get to 2.5 cms which is 1 inch. They're also known as "Inchmen" or "You pinchy little sons of beaches".
But the fun doesn't end there! Oh no sir! We also have Fire ants (No they don't breathe fire. That would be a little extreme even for Oz.) and Jumping ants (Yes they jump.).
I bet Biologists had a ball cataloging and identifying all the weird stuff they have in Australia.
I'm sure they did. When they weren't getting mauled, maimed or eaten by it.
G'day is a term I seem to hear 247 since the visa grant (good old british humor)
Some of the other terms..... lol.
We english do use the word bugger, but depends who and how you say it. Instead of saying "o poo" they would say "o bugger" or if you are a male, and are attracted to the same sex, a bugger is something that would be performed during intercourse........
Bull ants, my son loves a program called deadly 60, basically a guy finds the worlds most dangerous animals (funnily enough he spends 90% of his time in Australia) and bull ants were on it, needless to say I'll be watching everywhere my feet and backside go.
I don't think I can get used to called footie, soccer :( but I guess thats a sacrifice I have to make lol :(
I've got a funny feeling I may here the word 'Drongo' alot!
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Captain Fantastic wrote: It's surprisingly hard to get a Visa these days, in a lot of countries. I appreciate being a native-born American a lot more, knowing that hundreds of thousand of people jump through flaming hoops to afford themselves the same liberties every year.
We are moving to Pacific pines, gold coast, queensland. Anyone near here?
ish, Brisbane is a bit further north and there seem to be a few of us who were planning on meeting at the Mt Gravatt (one of the southern suburbs) GW battle bunker for a game at some point. Could end up being a bit far from you for a game, but its a possibility I guess.
Thank you kindly for the wildlife lesson, I shall fully stock up on mortein ?? I can never get used to spiders, freak me out big time.
Bushman's mate. Bushman's. Mortein is the weak stuff, you want all the bugs in the world to feth off? Bushman's is your stuff.
And most of all, welcome to Aus!
Additional slang;
-C**t is used in some circles as a term of endearment, so yeah, may not necessarily be a negative if someone you make friends with calls you that after a few weeks -Boardies as another kind of name for swim shorts, at least in Brisbane -Freak is sometimes used in a positive manner as well (you see someone step about 3 people in a game of league, 'God that guy is a freak') -Rabbitohs; The most successful team ever in the NRL, the Nation-wide (kind of) Rugby League competition. Support them. They are the pride of the league. Even being kicked out of the comp for being poor wasn't enough to keep us down! -linger, pronounced ling-a, short for malingerer, someone who is faking being sick to go jack (see below) -'going jack', a.k.a. 'dogging someone', doing something which screws another person over, for example someone going on extra tea breaks at work and leaving you in the lurch has 'gone jack' on you, or is a 'jackc**t' depending on how often they do it... -sparrows, or 'the crack of', means early in the day, dawn
You'll pick 'em up right as rain, some day you can come over for a barbie and I'll have a captain cook at you while we have some snags on bread with slaughtered horse, a few tinnies, then you can head back to wagga later that evening.
not 100% sure if the area you are moving to is bushy, but I decided wagga was the thing to go with
You'll pick 'em up right as rain, some day you can come over for a barbie and I'll have a captain cook at you while we have some snags on bread with slaughtered horse, a few tinnies, then you can head back to wagga later that evening.
not 100% sure if the area you are moving to is bushy, but I decided wagga was the thing to go with
Barbies I understand and cannot wait to have some of that, with the tinnies as for the rest.......
Oh we get Deadly 60 here. Me and my dad love it. Hes much better then Steave Irwin.
Yeah C*** is one of those words people use as a term of endearment it can be a bit confronting at first.
FYI - Tinnies = cans of beer.
Stubbies = small bottles of beer.
Long necks = larger bottles with long necks.
motyak wrote: -Rabbitohs; The most successful team ever in the NRL, the Nation-wide (kind of) Rugby League competition. Support them. They are the pride of the league. Even being kicked out of the comp for being poor wasn't enough to keep us down!
Now now... lets not get crazy. Everyone knows Storm is best.
Yeah I like Steve Irwin too, never used to think much of it, but then realised it was mostly filmed in Australia, so every episode has been recorded and added to my survival guide!
Soooooo since starting this thread, I have been advised that everything that moves (other than human) I need to keep away from, the slang people use in Australia is slightly different, I will rarely be watching my beloved Liverpool.F.C :( , what about Working / utility bills, this question can be al over the place as I understand these will vary drastically, but on average what is the cost of living over in Australia ?? E.G petrol, food, gas, electricity, water, internet??
insaniak wrote: 'Fanny' in UK/Oz slang refers to a very slightly different part of the female anatomy... In Oz, the US 'fanny pack' is usually called a 'bum bag'.
And just to restate the point - Fosters is produced in South Africa for the export market. Nobody in Australia has drunk Fosters since the 80s.
mikeyboy69x wrote:what about Working / utility bills, this question can be al over the place as I understand these will vary drastically, but on average what is the cost of living over in Australia ?? E.G petrol, food, gas, electricity, water, internet??
Yeah, kind of hard to say, since the utilities all went private, bills are all over the place depending on exactly where you are and which company you go through.
In Brisbane petrol hovers between the $1.35 to $1.65 or so a litre. Tends to be a little more expensive down south, particularly in Sydney.
Haven't been on gas for a few years now, and electricity will really depend on your usage. Ours works out around $20-25 a week (set up on a direct debit, so I just ignore the bills).
Internet and phone vary hugely depending on your provider. Telstra (who used to be the publicly-owned sole phone service back in the day, so own most of the infrastructure) have the best coverage, but the worst service, and are about the most expensive. Stay away from the little companies offering services that are too cheap, though... they tend to just disappear overnight. We're with Optus on a $50 a month plan that covers home phone with a bunch of free calls and ADSL2 broadband.
Water... if you're renting, you usually only pay water if you go over a preset minimum (which is usually pretty high) unless the house is certified as having water-saving fittings, which very few rental properties do. No idea what the actual charges are... I haven't had to pay for water since I sold my house back in 2002.
Not paying water unless you go over a preset limit? WOW, here we have to pay roughly £500 a year, no matter what (so thats $750ish per year) so thats a plus!
Just out of curiosity, what is the minimum wage over there?
mikeyboy69x wrote: Not paying water unless you go over a preset limit? WOW, here we have to pay roughly £500 a year, no matter what (so thats $750ish per year) so thats a plus!
Up until fairly recently, rental tenants didn't pay water at all. Water was the responsibility of the property owner, as part of their council rates.
When they brought in individual metering, councils put in a requirement that houses had to be water-efficient for that cost to be passed on, to protect tenants from getting stung because landlords didn't want to set up their properties properly.
The amount you can use before you start paying is built into your lease agreement... In the time since this came in, I haven't had to pay at all yet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=AU&hl=en-GB&v=KeMarRzd28w a list of reasons to stay away, from one of our local funny groups... its funny I say 'our' when I'm canadian, but I've lived here over a decade now damn it! Things are expensive here. But we get paid more so... BUT if you're able to order online and can wait awhile for stuff you can really save.
I still get gak for saying 'pop' when I ask for something to drink. It's usually just called drink. ie. Can I have some drink? Coke would be preferable.
I really hope for your sake you're not flying jetstar... I've had nothing but bad luck and worse service with them.
mikeyboy69x wrote: Soooooo since starting this thread, I have been advised that everything that moves (other than human) I need to keep away from, the slang people use in Australia is slightly different, I will rarely be watching my beloved Liverpool.F.C :( , what about Working / utility bills, this question can be al over the place as I understand these will vary drastically, but on average what is the cost of living over in Australia ?? E.G petrol, food, gas, electricity, water, internet??
I just want to say that while we do have a lot of dangerous animals, and we're perversely proud of the fact, as someone living in South East Queensland, I've never seen anything more dangerous than a Red Back in the urban areas, and the huntsman spiders, while large and scary looking, are pretty harmless. In northern Queensland, or inland Australia, you'll see far more things to worry about, but in the urban areas of the south east, you don't really have much to worry about, and you're probably no more likely to be molested by the wildlife here than you are in England. Worst you'll probably get is mosquito bites and some green ant bite if you go on a pick nick (and green ants are annoying as all hell, but not deadly).
Also, just to counteract a bit of advice given by someone earlier - never use the term 'Abo'. It's usually used in a derogatory way, or taken as such. Aboriginal or Indigenous is always acceptable.
Anyway, expect a lot of g'days, and we call our friends 'mate' alot (well, usually it's 'maaaaate'), and most of the rest (well, the bits that might embarrass you to get wrong) have already been covered, so you can pick up the rest on the go
Also, jump on to WargamerAU if you haven't already, and people will be able to help you with finding games happening around the place. I'm up in Brisbane myself, but it's 1-1.5 hours away, depending on which part of the coast you're on, and which part of Brisbane ('Brissy' or 'Brisvegas') you're heading to, so a bit of a drive for a games night.
I have a funny feeling I will still embarrass myself on numerous occasions
Lol Col, I am flying with Emirirates, so hopefully the service is quite good?. Shop online to save, I shall remember that.
Can I have some drink? :O "Can I have a tinnie" <<< that'll do.
Thanks for that website madder, I will be sure to sign up to it. If it meant getting a game of 40k in, I would gladly drive an hours distance, I don't want to give up on battling.
motyak wrote: -Rabbitohs; The most successful team ever in the NRL, the Nation-wide (kind of) Rugby League competition. Support them. They are the pride of the league. Even being kicked out of the comp for being poor wasn't enough to keep us down!
Now now... lets not get crazy. Everyone knows Storm is best.
With South Sydney having 10x the amount of premierships that the Storm has (literally, 10x the amount), I can't see how you could make a mistake like that.
Putting myself in the firing line here, but I love football (soccer) too much so I doubt ill inherit the nation wide or what ever you call it, unless it truley is a fun sport, i'll google it I think
If your in Melbourne, I can introduce you to some really nice privately run 40K retail places. Oh and congratulations on coming here, if the heat don't kill you, everything else will.
Rugby is fun to play, and they say fun to watch but I'm not a fan personally. But if you can get into sports (which you obviously can) you'll probably enjoy it. Hell, it'll be hard for you not to be bombarded by it. Them aussies love their rugby... and it's a fun atmosphere even if you're not a fan of the sport.
Just remember the chant... when they say "AUSSIEAUSSIEAUSSIE" you say "OI! OI! OI!"
motyak wrote: With South Sydney having 10x the amount of premierships that the Storm has (literally, 10x the amount), I can't see how you could make a mistake like that.
Join the bunnies. You won't regret it.
No hangon. Your team is owned by Russel Crowe. Your whole argument is invalid.
mikeyboy69x wrote:Putting myself in the firing line here, but I love football (soccer) too much so I doubt ill inherit the nation wide or what ever you call it, unless it truley is a fun sport, i'll google it I think
If you are refering to AFL like i think you are then worry not.
While its true Australians by and large do love their sports you will find that some people are very particular about what sports they like. Its my understanding that AFL (Aussie rules football) isn't widely followed outside of Victoria. Where as Rugby has a larger following in OLD and NSW but it isn't as popular in Vic. Cricket is pretty much loved country wide, although you will find small pockets that think its the worst game going. There is a new GC footy team that was only formed last year. That'll give you someone close to home to barrack for should you choose to take up an interest in the sport.
And please don't shout the AUSSIE OI! chant. Its so lame.
I don't like cricket at all, but I am the type of person that loves playing every sport (or atleast i've not come across a sport I don't like playing) but I can't watch most of them as they bore me to death, golf is a great example of this, I love playing it, but can never sit and watch it for more than 5 seconds.
I will be searching for some form of team to support when I get there, an adopted new home team, but hopefully that will be a footie (soccer) team.
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Novelist47 wrote: If your in Melbourne, I can introduce you to some really nice privately run 40K retail places. Oh and congratulations on coming here, if the heat don't kill you, everything else will.
Its my understanding that AFL (Aussie rules football) isn't widely followed outside of Victoria.
RL is mainly played in two states - NSW and QLD. Whilst several other states have teams in the comp, AFL is the "national" game.
Especially since they merged the WAFL, SAFL and VFL leagues into it. In Victoria, it is not so much a game as a religious institution. Not barracking (supporting) a team is akin to not believing in a deity in other countries. Their temples for religious observances are ovals, and the goalposts shall number 4 (not 2), be of two pairs, a taller and shorter, and there shall be men in white coats with flags.
The only reason the bunnies have more premierships than the storm is because they've been in the comp for longer (founding team - the storm are johnnie-come-latelies) - they had a massive dry spell where they were perennial wooden spoon winners. There are, however, none so one-eyed in their supportage than the bunnies crowd (not even GW or PP exclusive gamers approach this level of parochialism)
Ok so a last few nuggets of advice before this thread dies or gets locked for being severely off topic.
- Do not, repeat DO NOT watch Australian tv breakfast programs. They will melt your brain and make you want to go out and commit mass muder.
- Both Holden and Ford suck. Don't get drawn into that stupid debate. Mitsubishi master race reporting in.... - None of us know the second half to the Australian anthem. Neither should you.
- Australians have a strange sense of humour compared to everyone else.
- We come off as being a bunch of racists a lot of the time. We really aren't. Just because it sounds racist doesn't always mean its said with racist intent. The same goes for any offensive term. It might be an offensive word but it won't be used in an offensive way.
mikeyboy69x wrote:Any sport with 'rugby' in it is always going to be boring
League and Union are very, very different games to watch. I'm not a big sports watcher, but I'll more happily watch Union for the faster pacing. League isn't as bad with all the stop-starting as American Football, but it's in that same general direction.
Snrub wrote:- None of us know the second half to the Australian anthem. Neither should you.
Turns out there are actually half a dozen verses that most of us have never even heard... My wife's little brothers' school sings a 'second' verse that really threw us for a loop the first time it popped up at a school function. And since all of the parents there seemed to know it, it was like we had slid into some sort of alternate dimension. Had to go and look it up on the net when we got home to make sure we hadn't gone crazy...
- We come off as being a bunch of racists a lot of the time. We really aren't.
Some of us are. Everytime I see a ute drive past with a 'Feth off, we're full' sticker on the back, I weep for the future of our nation. Well, figuratively, at least.
Snrub wrote:- None of us know the second half to the Australian anthem. Neither should you.
Turns out there are actually half a dozen verses that most of us have never even heard... My wife's little brothers' school sings a 'second' verse that really threw us for a loop the first time it popped up at a school function. And since all of the parents there seemed to know it, it was like we had slid into some sort of alternate dimension. Had to go and look it up on the net when we got home to make sure we hadn't gone crazy...
I still don't know why the anthem hasn't been changed to Waltzing Matilda. Its a much better song and when ever its played everyone always enthusiastically sings along. Unlike the lackluster respone Advance Austalia Fair always gets.
- We come off as being a bunch of racists a lot of the time. We really aren't.
Some of us are. Everytime I see a ute drive past with a 'Feth off, we're full' sticker on the back, I weep for the future of our nation. Well, figuratively, at least.
Now you see i've always figured that those "feth off we're full" stickers were supposed to be a joke type thing. I never took them to have any real malice behind the the statement.
Having spoken to some of the people who find those stickers witty, it seems that at least some of them actually think it's a legitimate political statement.
But then, these are the same people complaining about 'them' coming here and taking 'our' jobs, who think they're being clever by insisting that they should be allowed to wear a ski-mask into a bank because muslim women are allowed to walk around veiled, and who think that being a multicultural nation means everyone should just discard their cultural heritage and do things 'our way'.
Sorry, I'll just climb down off this here soapbox now, shall I...
insaniak wrote:Having spoken to some of the people who find those stickers witty, it seems that at least some of them actually think it's a legitimate political statement.
But then, these are the same people complaining about 'them' coming here and taking 'our' jobs, who think they're being clever by insisting that they should be allowed to wear a ski-mask into a bank because muslim women are allowed to walk around veiled, and who think that being a multicultural nation means everyone should just discard their cultural heritage and do things 'our way'.
Sorry, I'll just climb down off this here soapbox now, shall I...
Ah ok right. I would/have never use FOWF as anything but a joke. I sure as gak wouldn't use it as a political statement. And please by all means stay up on your box. Just gives those One Nation assassins someone else to aim at.
KalashnikovMarine wrote:This thread is convincing me more and more that Australia is my sacred homeland as promised to the working class alcoholics who came before me.
C'mon then..... Cross ya come. You'll be glad to know that our beer is stronger then yours and that we try to slack off from work as much as possible.
KalashnikovMarine wrote:This thread is convincing me more and more that Australia is my sacred homeland as promised to the working class alcoholics who came before me.
C'mon then..... Cross ya come. You'll be glad to know that our beer is stronger then yours and that we try to slack off from work as much as possible.
Is that actual lazyness or the real and present need to check every object you touch for a dangerous critter?
I think there's a reason Canadians and Aussies get along so well. We don't give a feth because it's too damned cold, and watching out for bears and other assorted deadly wildlife is tiring. The Aussies don't give a feth because it's too damned hot, and checking everything to make sure it doesn't harbor something that will kill you is tiring.
Also, you'll be please to know that 4 weeks paid vacations are the norm here As for the PM getting assassinated, you forgot to mention why they'd expect the day off... to celebrate
Snrub wrote:- None of us know the second half to the Australian anthem. Neither should you.
Turns out there are actually half a dozen verses that most of us have never even heard... My wife's little brothers' school sings a 'second' verse that really threw us for a loop the first time it popped up at a school function. And since all of the parents there seemed to know it, it was like we had slid into some sort of alternate dimension. Had to go and look it up on the net when we got home to make sure we hadn't gone crazy...
I still don't know why the anthem hasn't been changed to Waltzing Matilda. Its a much better song and when ever its played everyone always enthusiastically sings along. Unlike the lackluster respone Advance Austalia Fair always gets.
I just can't take waltzing matilda seriously. Whenever we play the all blacks, we pit one of the wankiest songs in history against the haka, and come of weak as american beer. Seriously, it is embarrassing when that happens. The haka is awesome, and we come back with Waltzing-freaking-Matilda.
KalashnikovMarine wrote:This thread is convincing me more and more that Australia is my sacred homeland as promised to the working class alcoholics who came before me.
C'mon then..... Cross ya come. You'll be glad to know that our beer is stronger then yours and that we try to slack off from work as much as possible.
Coopers Sparkling Ale. 1.7 Standards in a stubbie. Welcome to Australia. There are 40.8 standards in this box
Waltzing matilda is a great song, just listen to the lyrics. A guy steals and eats a sheep, kills the farmer who's out looking for it, and then gets nicked and jumps into a watering hole and commits suicide.All in a cheerful song.
How cool is that.
Also see The Band Played Waltzing Matilda. most of Australia's national songs, are either about piss-ups, doing the impossible or being freaking awesome.
Yep, he actually sang in front of the blast furnaces, burning sugarcane etc. And yes, he's freaking out at the sugarcane cause of all the millions of bugs and wildlife coming out!
KalashnikovMarine wrote:This thread is convincing me more and more that Australia is my sacred homeland as promised to the working class alcoholics who came before me.
C'mon then..... Cross ya come. You'll be glad to know that our beer is stronger then yours and that we try to slack off from work as much as possible.
I drink beer like this: (spoilered for nancies who can't handle Beer. Also a saucy curse in the title of said beer) so I should be okay
Spoiler:
The real reason I'm not rowing my way over yet is finishing my trade school and finding actual work in my trade. There aren't a lot of gunsmiths in Australia, not even a guild so I can /probably/ find a gig of some sort but guns aren't quite as common as the United States.
Side note, I can't believe this hasn't been posted in this thread yet:
Is your country still made up of convicts, much like my country is made up of British political dissidents and those who can't deal with a "sexual revolution"?
Also, I don't know if you should be advertising your country as, "If the heat doesn't kill you, everything else will" it makes you sound not friendly
Alfndrate wrote: Also, I don't know if you should be advertising your country as, "If the heat doesn't kill you, everything else will" it makes you sound not friendly
I have to second this lol, I have a funny feeling I maybe in for a tough time when people here I am from england with a hint of scouse.
Snrub, thanks for that, I won't watch morning tv, not a big fan of tv programs anyway, holden and ford suck? really? as for the strange sense of humour, by this do you mean, if an old lady fell over you would laugh? or do you mean in general?
Anyway, I can't believe I have learned more from this forum in a week, than I have searching the net in months....keep it coming loving the advice and tips.
Alfndrate wrote: Also, I don't know if you should be advertising your country as, "If the heat doesn't kill you, everything else will" it makes you sound not friendly
I have to second this lol, I have a funny feeling I maybe in for a tough time when people here I am from england with a hint of scouse.
To be honest, fully grown you aren't going to get too much lip for being a pommy bloke. Maybe during the ashes/other sporting contests you'll get a bit ripped on, but in those cases you can rip right back.
It's worse when you are a kid, and you are learning about how 'the British came to Australia and killed all the Aboriginals' or 'the British got us all killed at Gallipoli' or other things we learn about. That is when you are more likely to cop it, from other children, not so much adults. Unless it is around sporting time/ANZAC day (only rarely on the second one).
Ripping me I don't mind, i'll always give it back but also know when to stop, its my son i'd be worried about now, hes only 4 and gotta go through his whole school years yet :s I hope this is a rare thing for children to bully others just because there British
mikeyboy69x wrote: Ripping me I don't mind, i'll always give it back but also know when to stop, its my son i'd be worried about now, hes only 4 and gotta go through his whole school years yet :s I hope this is a rare thing for children to bully others just because there British
I dunno, I don't think that it is that rare, but it isn't so much bullying as the one time the subject comes up, everyone says 'Bob how could you have???', and the British kid feels bad because it is children taking things a bit too far, but it isn't like he gets bullied all school.
mikeyboy69x wrote: Ripping me I don't mind, i'll always give it back but also know when to stop, its my son i'd be worried about now, hes only 4 and gotta go through his whole school years yet :s I hope this is a rare thing for children to bully others just because there British
I knew a couple of English kids in school, and they never had any problems because of it, so I wouldn't worry too much. Kids, of course, will be kids, and it's never cut and dry what they will tease others about.
That said, your Kid is 4, 4 year olds aren't generally arseholes to each other, and by the time he gets to an age where it might make a difference,'he'll be fitting right in.
mikeyboy69x wrote: Yeh I guess thats true, thanks madder. I think with the move just around the corner I am starting to worry about absolutely everything possible.
Time to learn another great Aussie phrase then. 'She'll be right.' Meaning don't fret, it'll work out.
Nut cases alway make for the best girlfriend/wives. Ok sure you have to dodge the occational projectile or sometimes really leg it down the street when you run into the big bruiser she used to date who wants her back, but for the most part its nothing but fun. Help me i'm trapped in a basement.
Heres some examples of "She'll be right"
Black eye from a fight? She'll be right.
Blood nose from headbutting someone? She'll be right.
Sister fell of a cliff? She'll be right.
Dog got a sizable hole kicked in it when taking down a roo? She'll be right.
Colony of large Arachnids taken over a room in your house? She'll be right.
Shred your foot while mowing the lawn? She'll be right. (serves your right for mowing the lawn in thongs you dopey bogan)
The thing that's going to get you most, coming from England to Queensland, is heat. Especially when you come from cold England winter into the middle of fething hotass humid Queensland summer.
Seriously, as soon as you get on the plane, change into shorts, a t-shirt and thongs. If you're dressed for England winter and leave the airport like that, you'll die.
-Loki- wrote: The thing that's going to get you most, coming from England to Queensland, is heat. Especially when you come from cold England winter into the middle of fething hotass humid Queensland summer.
Seriously, as soon as you get on the plane, change into shorts, a t-shirt and thongs. If you're dressed for England winter and leave the airport like that, you'll die.
-Loki- wrote: The thing that's going to get you most, coming from England to Queensland, is heat. Especially when you come from cold England winter into the middle of fething hotass humid Queensland summer.
Seriously, as soon as you get on the plane, change into shorts, a t-shirt and thongs. If you're dressed for England winter and leave the airport like that, you'll die.
Thongs? Is it that hot?
As mentioned earlier in the thread, thongs are what we call flip flops. I'm actually trying to give some serious advice here.
Australian summers can be pretty unforgivingly hot - we're not called the sunburnt country for nothing. It's worse in Queensland because it tends to get unbearably humid as well. Coming from the almost deep-freeze of England winter into this heat will be bad enough without wearing 4 layers of warm clothing.
-Loki- wrote: The thing that's going to get you most, coming from England to Queensland, is heat. Especially when you come from cold England winter into the middle of fething hotass humid Queensland summer.
Seriously, as soon as you get on the plane, change into shorts, a t-shirt and thongs. If you're dressed for England winter and leave the airport like that, you'll die.
Thongs? Is it that hot?
As mentioned earlier in the thread, thongs are what we call flip flips.
KalashnikovMarine wrote: What's the average temp in Australia? I was doing 130-140 Farenheit fairly regularly for awhile in Arizona.
Ok adjust for crazy Yank temps and we get 140F = 60C.... Yikes... Thats hot.
Well i know in Melbourne at least our Summerly average will range anywhere from about 30ish(86F) to 40ish(104F). Hot days would be 40C+.
Couldn't tell you about central Oz or the Northern Territory though. I'd imagine that would have to get close on 60 some days. Plus as Loki said, QLD would have humidity coming out the wazoo.
Gotta laugh though, just checked BoM for a Victorias weather forcast for next week.... Rememeber folks, its the middle of Summer here.
Friday (today) - Rain
Saturday - Thunderstorms
Sunday - Shower or two
Monday - Cloudy
Tuesday - Sunny (Sunny in Summer? Perish the thought)
Wednesday - Possible shower
Thursday - Shower or two
1 day out of 7 we might get to see some Sun. Ah Melbourne weather how i love you and your utter randomness.
-Loki- wrote: The thing that's going to get you most, coming from England to Queensland, is heat. Especially when you come from cold England winter into the middle of fething hotass humid Queensland summer.
Seriously, as soon as you get on the plane, change into shorts, a t-shirt and thongs. If you're dressed for England winter and leave the airport like that, you'll die.
Thanks for that mate, I will without doubt change into more warm weather clothing, the last couple of days here its been -6 :( :(
That's like apocalypse level hot for you Poms isn't it?
Well it will only get worse on the Gold Coast.
My mum moved from London close on 50 years ago and to this day 35+ degree days still make her feel a bit ill. BUT rest assured we have a cure for the hot days. They're called Sunny boys.
You realise that Australia is about the same size as the US, and so has more or less the same range of climates, right?
Coastal Queensland you're usually loooking at 28-35 degrees celcius through summer. Lower in New South Wales. Higher in central Queensland and out west. Victoria will be hot. And then cold. And then humid. And then raining. And then hailing. And then hot again. And then snowing. All in one day. I think they're the testing ground for the Apocalypse.
You realise that Australia is about the same size as the US, and so has more or less the same range of climates, right?
Coastal Queensland you're usually loooking at 28-35 degrees celcius through summer. Lower in New South Wales. Higher in central Queensland and out west. Victoria will be hot. And then cold. And then humid. And then raining. And then hailing. And then hot again. And then snowing. All in one day. I think they're the testing ground for the Apocalypse.
insaniak wrote: Victoria will be hot. And then cold. And then humid. And then raining. And then hailing. And then hot again. And then snowing. All in one day. I think they're the testing ground for the Apocalypse.
Thats gotta be one of the best descriptions of Victorian weather. Sums it up nicely it does. We don't get a lot of snow though. Infact the only snow we get is on Mt. Bulla, Mt. Baw Baw and Mt. Hotham and they're all ski resorts.
It will rain only long enough for you to get your umbrella open - or torrentially to the point where you need a boat, not an umbrella.
Or it will be so hot, that QLD will look on in askance, going WTF? We're supposed to be the hot-tropical zone.
"If you don't like Melbourne's weather - wait 15 minutes. It'll change."
(I have travelled to Melbourne more often than any other city bar Sydney (but I lived there) in this country and quite like it. ) The above comment came from a friend in Melbourne - who was born there and lived most of their life there.
Today its supposed to be showery with thunderstorms in the evening. So far today its pissed down, its now really quite sunny and the humidity is starting to rise. Give it about half hour and its gonna get muggy as hell. Then it'll start raining again and probably won't stop to any degree until late at night.
That's like apocalypse level hot for you Poms isn't it?
Well it will only get worse on the Gold Coast.
My mum moved from London close on 50 years ago and to this day 35+ degree days still make her feel a bit ill. BUT rest assured we have a cure for the hot days. They're called Sunny boys.
Sunny boys???
mate, apocalypse has got nothing on Australia..... 40c+!?!?! I am still struggling with that, my word i've been so frickin' cold these past few days its un-real, and in Jan I am walking into a furnace, or so it seems..... my body better adapt, and adapt fast!
Although Australia does apparently lay claim to being drier on the basis of sitting water rather than rainfall... we get more rain than some other countries, but have less water just sitting around.
Sounds like a pleasant summer day in South West Sydney.
You'll find there's no such thing as a pleasant day in SW Sydney.
Rather like a "nice day in Hell."
QLD (especially the gold cost) gets a crapload of rain when it rains - but when it doesn't they get drought big time.
Last time I was up at Broady ( Broadbeach - 3 years ago?) they were on level 4 water restrictions the day we arrived (for 2 weeks). The day we left, they had lifted restrictions completely after 3 days of torrential rain (reservoirs were full).
Yeah, Newcastle has a "broady" - Broadmeadow (no 's') - the Broady I was talking about was Broadbeach up on the Gold coast, though. (Been to Broadmeadows once - it's close to Tullamarine airport.)
Nope, few Lebanese in our one. We have more Serbs, Croats and Russians than Lebanese up here. Many settled up here in the 50s (and never left).
Plenty of bogans who want to glass you just for the hell of it though (and a 1am pub n' club lockout with a 3am shutdown because of it).
Yes well in the Broadmeadows shopping centre if you look at someone the wrong way you get bottled, bashed most likely robbed. Gotta love a good glassing though. Nothing spruces up a night out on the town like having your face ruined for the rest of your life.
Not many Eastern Europeans in Melbourne. At least not in the Northern Suberbs. Lots of Greeks, Maltease, Italians and Middle Eastern though. You can't walk 10 steps up any main road without crossing a kebab or souvlaki shop.
chromedog wrote: Plenty of bogans who want to glass you just for the hell of it though (and a 1am pub n' club lockout with a 3am shutdown because of it).
Shame about most of the locals, though (I live here, but I'll never be a 'local' - I wasn't born up here. I've got friends who still aren't considered 'locals' because their grandparents were blow-ins).
If it isn't the bogans, it's the hippies.
@Snrub: Plenty of Russians around Carnegie, though. I've got friends scattered all over Melbourne (North, South, East and West) and after 20-something years of travelling down and around your city, I know it fairly well.
A glassing was how I met my ex-wife. It's an Irish-American courtship ritual or a declaration to a dominance challenge depending on the gender of the one doing the glassing.
KalashnikovMarine wrote: A glassing was how I met my ex-wife. It's an Irish-American courtship ritual or a declaration to a dominance challenge depending on the gender of the one doing the glassing.
I can see why that marriage went well. "honey I'm home, happy annaversary" "why are you carrying a longneck in your hand?" "Hi darling *smashes bottle end against bench* I just wanted to try and recreate that feeling we had when we first got together"
KalashnikovMarine wrote: A glassing was how I met my ex-wife. It's an Irish-American courtship ritual or a declaration to a dominance challenge depending on the gender of the one doing the glassing.
I can see why that marriage went well. "honey I'm home, happy annaversary" "why are you carrying a longneck in your hand?" "Hi darling *smashes bottle end against bench* I just wanted to try and recreate that feeling we had when we first got together"
Yup, we had a loving relationship based on head trauma (me) and mental illness (her)
. I hope she 
