Would you ever consider living in Australia, Canada, or New Zealand?
Posted by OceanicEndeavors@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 461 comments
Would you ever consider living in Australia, Canada, or New Zealand? The concept of CANZUK has been growing stream, and I do wonder if people here would consider living in other commonwealth nations. Is that something you would ever do? Why or why not?
weeble182@reddit
Lived in New Zealand for a year, moving around and working/house-sitting.
It's my favorite place in the world but the reason I'm not there now is that it's about as far away from every single person I know and love as you can get.
There's a lot of great there, but on a day to day living, it has as many problems as the UK does, just slightly different. Huge unemployment, huge racism, a terrible housing market, only really five places you can actually live unless you have a pre established career. But you can buy Whitakers chocolate from every shop so that does cancel our alot of the bad points.
Haunting-Shelter-680@reddit
Why is it ur favourite place in the world? Living there makes little to no sense when u combine everything u said, while the UK has so many great things that are hard to leave behind when u rly start using them.
weeble182@reddit
What a weird issue to take with my comment. I never said the UK didn't have brilliant things, and somewhere else can be my favorite place while still having issues.
No-Poem@reddit
I would have if they hadn't all had massive imigration from India.
OceanicEndeavors@reddit (OP)
Why is that an issue?
yolo_snail@reddit
Possibly New Zealand because it's basically just upside down UK.
Australia is too deadly, and Canada is just Scottish America.
Haunting-Shelter-680@reddit
NZ is the worst of the 3, everyone in the country is actively trying to leave because of insane costs, economy in a perpetual nosedive, and just being the most isolated place on earth. And it’s just insanely boring compared to the UK unless all a person cares about is scenery.
No_Ring_3348@reddit
The most dangerous animal in Australia by far is the domestic dog.
infinitewowbagger@reddit
Dunno the mozzies in some places just make you wish you were dead.
alwaysflying1@reddit
horses actually
No_Ring_3348@reddit
They're most likely to kill you, dogs are most likely to injure you to the point of seeking medical treatment.
alwaysflying1@reddit
sure, but we were specifically talking about 'deadly'
infinitedadness@reddit
New Zealand is not upside down UK. There are obvious similarities, being a colony and all, but it is really not the same.
Bossman_Mike@reddit
New Zealand has a Welsh-Scottish natural landscape, 1950s social practices, and an American town and road layout. Even the road signage is Americanised while the Aussie ones look more like ours.
KiwiZoomerr@reddit
Its actually very different
Ruff_Magician@reddit
Lived here since 1997, spent 5 years in the outback and I've seen 1 snake on a golf course in Perth. I've seen 4 or 5 redback spiders, which aren't deadly.... sharks? They're a different story but I either swim in my pool or inside the shark net at cottesloe.
rawker86@reddit
I’ve seen brown snakes and death adders up close in person…because the snake handling trainer brought them for us to practice with. Other than that I’ve seen maybe three snakes in my life, and the last one was twenty years ago.
Crash_Revenge@reddit
Not sure how offended the Scottish should be about that comment.
Username_goes_here_x@reddit
I've considered all three.
Canada is a lovely country, I've been there and enjoyed it, but it's seriously cold in winter. I already hate UK winters and get mildly depressed come mid January, not sure I'd want to deal with their winters.
Australia and NZ I like the idea of emigrating to either, NZ probably being my preference as I love mountain biking and surfing, but love mountain biking the most. But NZ is a serious distance from the UK and I anticipate a huge lifestyle shock.
Australia has great weather and a culture I could vibe with, but again, so far away from family in the UK.
All three countries have high housing prices and cost of immigration to either wouldn't be cheap with no guaruntee you'd get along with the place long term which is why I've never pursued it with any real seriousness.
Username___5@reddit
I'd honestly say the uk is more depressing than canada in winter, mostly because it rarely ever snows and when it does its almost immediately washed away by rain. I remember going to toronto over Christmas and winter was definitely better there than over here, even if it were colder
helloseohee@reddit
So agree with this. I’m Canadian and I really struggle with the winter here because it’s sooo grey during the days, hardly any light and just very depressing. We went back to Canada in Feb one year and my (British) husband was very worried about the cold, coldest was -25 when we were there. But you’re totally fine as long as you layer/wrap up properly, everywhere is properly insulated and heated (no cold water for washing hands in public washrooms…), get proper sunshine, and it was a dry cold so it would feel more refreshing than here with the rain which really seeps the cold into your bones 🥶
little_odd_me@reddit
I feel opposite lol, we could also be from different parts of Canada. Im living in the UK and I’ll take a British winter all day over a Canadian one. We have more sunny days in the Canadian winter but I don’t find it that many more. I like that here nothing actually stops you from leaving your house, the roads are never too icy, the car doesn’t need to be dug out, I haven’t slipped on slush in 2 years. I get more fresh air in a UK winter by triple easily. I don’t even find it rains that much here, where I live it’s usually a light rain that comes and goes, the pouring rain in April back home is worse then any rain I’ve had here. I’d love to experience a Vancouver winter, I feel like I’d like that.
I much prefer a Canadian summer though, aside from the bugs.
Haunting-Shelter-680@reddit
I totally agree with you about the functional side of winter. i’m in the Lower Mainland right now and honestly the only thing i’ll miss is the occasional snow. This year was the first snowless winter in 40 years, which felt strange because we usually get at least a bit in January or February.
But in terms of day‑to‑day living, Vancouver winters aren’t actually easier than British ones. They’re even more depressing because the rain is heavier and more constant, and the grey lasts longer. It may technically be sunnier than the UK, but not by much, and it doesn’t have that same ‘lift’ when the sun comes out.
So if you like UK winters because nothing stops you from going outside and the weather doesn’t disrupt your life, Vancouver won’t feel that different it’ll just be wetter and darker.
Strong_Access_8179@reddit
I agree with you. I can keep doing all my outdoor activities here in the UK except for maybe one or two days a year, and unlike the commenters above, I'll take 5 degrees and rainy over -20 and sunny any day.
SilverAss_Gorilla@reddit
Same here, I'm fine to go back a couple weeks for Christmas but every time there's a blizzard I remember how much it sucks there. It's fun when you're a kid and snow just means tobaganing and snowforts, but I'm happy to never again have to shovel a driveway, drive in a blizzard, cancel plans because the roads may kill you, get an accidental soaker from nasty half melted slush.
themcsame@reddit
Likewise, Canada doesn't seem to shutdown whenever that snow isn't immediately washed away. They actually seem to cope.
Meanwhile, our last bout of snow was largely only on the floor for about 12 hours, and anywhere that got it turned into a complete shitshow of people getting stuck and abandoning cars, public transport went to shit for about half the day (if it ran at all).
Username___5@reddit
Yeah. When we coming back home from Canada, our final flight home from amsterdam got cancelled because of snow. And when we got finally got home 17 hours later, we found there wasnt even all that much snow
themcsame@reddit
Yup...
In all fairness, part of the issue is just a lack of any sort of push for people to have winter/winter rated all season tyres for winter, or education on the benefits of using them. People are, by and large, just opting for what's cheapest.
I mean, people already suck at driving when conditions are fine... A lot of people simply have no hope once the snow falls, but having 3PMSF tyres could absolutely make that situation a lot better for them, and no doubt they'd at least help to keep the busses running in some capacity.
Not much else you can do about other failings when snow starts falling, but if we adopted laws on winter-ready tyres, I'd suspect we'd see a massive improvement just from that one change.
Necessary_Sea_7127@reddit
I heartily concur
ChoakIsland@reddit
You get a lot of blue sky, sunny but cold days in Toronto during the winter. Summers are very hot.
Nomoreorangecarrots@reddit
At least you can have a summer in Canada. It can be a complete wash out in the UK. I’d take the snow if it would actually be warm for an entire summer.
dinosaurtruck@reddit
Canada has some great winter sports options. Skiing/snowboarding, ice skating, ice hockey etc are far more accessible than the UK that might make Canada more bearable in winter. Vancouver doesn’t get as cold as the central and eastern parts. Vancouver also has ski fields very close to the city so people can have a season pass and go after work.
touchmypenguinagain@reddit
Vancouver, Victoria, etc has better weather than the UK.
voltairesalias@reddit
I feel like it depends where in Canada. The entire country is cold in the winter (except Vancouver and Vancouver Island), but it's sunnier and less dreary. I've only lived in Alberta and BC and I'd pick -30C in Alberta with sun and semi arid weather over 2C on the coast of BC with constant rain and overcast.
madmaxcia@reddit
Ditto, lived in Alberta now for almost nineteen years, I’d take minus twenty and sunny over plus seven overcast, dreary and miserable. The year we moved it rained every day from October to May, no lie, even if it was just drizzle.
Rcsql@reddit
Yes the mountain biking in NZ is amazing, but the places that are best are not where the jobs are, especially if you're in an industry like finance , law or IT.
FreshMontrealer12@reddit
I think the thing with Canada is there is a lot of differences between provinces. Quebec is nothing like BC for example. I’m here at the moment, I umm and arrr about coming back, the freedom is nice but I miss the culture and architecture and just a good damn Chinese tbh
Haunting-Shelter-680@reddit
Quebec is the only rly unique provinces, sure the west coast, prairie, and maritimes aren’t the same, but the neighbouring provinces are not different from one another, and they provinces still largely have a lot in common. BC is scenic but overpriced, Alberta is expensive when close to the mountains, but flat and ugly elsewhere, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and all of Ontario outside the Golden horseshoe make u question ur life choices, the GTA and surrounding area may have a lot going on, but are overpriced and major UK cities are more fun and have more charm, and are more affordable, Toronto is so embarrassing compared to Manchester. Quebec is a French surrealist hell hole, and the maritimes are in a perpetual nosedive due to rising costs/taxes, and ever increasing unemployment, and a healthcare/social services system that makes the NHS look like a 5 star hotel.
voltairesalias@reddit
To be fair, Quebec is a pretty different animal within Canada itself. It's definitely the cultural outlier.
Randomfinn@reddit
Down east is very different. And the Territories are super different to anywhere in Canada. Ontario is its own beast, but also culturally split between urban and rural. The prairies are similar to each other, but in a spectrum. BC has a few different cultures going on.
But I find the same in the UK. There are definately regional differences. Someone from Manchester won’t find Toronto too different. And probably someone from rural Scotland would feel comfortable in Nova Scotia or the Yukon.
voltairesalias@reddit
I think it's a stretch to call those differences bonafide cultural differences, but I will agree there are significant subcultural regional differences.
Salty-Jellyfish4327@reddit
Thats because you compared Quebec, if you compare Ontario with BC or Alberta, the difference isnt that huge
voltairesalias@reddit
Geographically it is, but culturally it's exactly the same.
Salty-Jellyfish4327@reddit
I find Ontarians to be more friendly and more open for conversations, people in Vancouver are just damn cold and unfriendly, seems like unless you are friends with them, they wont even talk to you more than a few sentences lol
voltairesalias@reddit
That is a thing actually! Even south of the border in Seattle. The Americans call it the Pacific Northwest "Chill". I do see what you're getting at, I've experienced it too when I moved to BC from Alberta. Once you get past the initial clique and social distance it's the exact same, but that is a fair observation.
Salty-Jellyfish4327@reddit
Yea I stayed in BC for 6 months near metro area, safe to say I wouldnt return. I dont think I actually "talked" to anyone like I could in Ontario. I dont even know how to go past this initial clique, seems like everyone is stanfoff ish
voltairesalias@reddit
Very stand offish! It took me about a year. But I will say that once that barrier was broken the vibe came very easily and I made some great friends. It's very much a "once you're in, you're in" type place. I find it interesting you picked up on that though, I wasn't really sure if that was a regional subcultural thing, or a really subjective experience - but I've talked to enough Americans, interprovincial migrants to BC, and now Brits (you) to solidify my conclusion that the Chill is a real phenomenon.
I really like Ontario a lot, but I don't know if I could live that far away from real mountains. I like the mountains too much to leave the west I think. If I ever migrated to the UK I think it would have to be Scotland or the Lake District.
Master-Trick2850@reddit
They all have separate problems, some even worse. The labour market is much worse in new Zealand
The_39th_Step@reddit
My grandma is a Kiwi. It’s an amazing country but it has a worse housing market, worse job prospects and also has problems like crime etc. Canada sounds pretty fucked in that regard too. Australia, while also having a fucked housing market, pays more, so that’s something. My mate is paying double why I’m paying to buy a house in Sydney than in Manchester and I’m buying in one of the poshest areas. It’s quite mad!
_lippykid@reddit
Serious question- are there any English speaking countries that don’t have a completely fucked housing market?
Brave_Assumption6@reddit
USA. So long as you're not in California or New York or Boston.
Haunting-Shelter-680@reddit
Bro everywhere in the UK outside greater London and the north east have affordable housing, sure it’s not cheap but the incomes for the most part match the housing costs which is something unthinkable in Canada and Australia. Sure those countries have places with dirt cheap housing, but they’re not places people would want to live in, whereas the UK has so many amazing cities to choose from as the country becomes less London centric. Manchester isn’t cheap, but housing costs match the incomes a lot better than zone 1 in London.
dono1783@reddit
All the places where perks don’t really want to live
MrNewVegas123@reddit
Singapore, I think.
Professional_Elk_489@reddit
Most of north England
clutchnorris123@reddit
A lot of Scotland as well which is why we have had a massive influx of people on London wages pushing loads of locals out of their area as we can't afford the prices they are willing to pay
Sutraner@reddit
Plenty
They're just not in areas with competitive job markets
_lippykid@reddit
Such as?
Sutraner@reddit
You can buy cheap housing all over the UK , Australia, Canada, the USA or NZ if you are happy living outside major populated areas
SmugglersParadise@reddit
It still amazes me how people don't recognise that developed areas, all over the world, have a housing problem
It's not unique to any country, city or political regime
Dense, developed urban areas have limited space. Space therefore costs more. It's not rocket science
SqareBear@reddit
Singapore
Cole-Palmer-phd@reddit
India is probably cheap I'm guessing
kefematausichehoo@reddit
If you think crime in nz is worse than the UK then you obviously haven't been there. Crime is much more rampant in the UK
Haunting-Shelter-680@reddit
This can’t be further from the truth, NZ is in a downward spiral and every issue in that country is worse than the UK, and the scenery can’t make up for it.
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
Per capita NZ is shit. Never felt so unsafe in another city. Auckland was crazy 10 years ago.
Bossman_Mike@reddit
NZ is really struggling with drugs and gang violence.
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
That’s because of a weak government and cops. In Sydney you have a special squad called the Raptor to deal with crims.
throwawaynewc@reddit
That just means you've never travelled man.
leapowl@reddit
Aussie but used to work out of the NZ offices. There are some shitty bits of Auckland. I quite like it.
East Coast South Island is the “nice” bit, but Wellington is beautiful.
Personally I didn’t find Auckland as bad as most of the US cities I’ve been to, or even the bad bits of the bits of Canada I’ve seen. But that was post-fentanyl crisis, so to me that was jarring.
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
That’s BS I have traveled to great many countries and lived in Australia for a long time.
_lippykid@reddit
Perception sure is relative
rk1993@reddit
Lived in Glasgow and Auckland which have near identical populations & can confirm Auckland was way worse at least for visible city centre street crime. So much petty theft and assault you’d see in broad daylight multiple times a week. Saw so many thieves fighting with security guards at the supermarket for example.
There were also these things called ram raids where they’d take one of the big american trucks put a custom bull bar on it and ram it through a storefront window in the middle of the night to rob the place. Happened pretty regularly like two times a month, was usually teenagers sent by the gangs to do it so they could face less punishment if caught.
There’s a big gang problem there. The police would do regular raids where they’d take 20-30 officers and search all the bars & clubs by the waterfront to root out the gangs drug dealers.
I also had a gun fired on the street behind my flat, turned out a guy was shot & killed. A couple weeks later there were two shootings within 24 hours (unrelated) one of which I was at the other end of the street (main shopping district in the city) when the gun went off. Never felt less safe and I moved around a fair bit trying different areas. Even in the poshest area I lived which had houses into the multi millions there was still trouble as a guy got stabbed 5 mins down the road.
Glasgow has its faults and isn’t exactly a beacon of safety but after being in Auckland I realised just how much safer it is here. I went from having never heard a gunshot in real life to being in a one block vicinity of 3 in one month.
ReneRottingham@reddit
I have, you’re talking shit.
Tvdevil_@reddit
according to every study and stat
they are virtually the same.
CanIhazCooKIenOw@reddit
Apples and oranges, if anything Sydney is a London equivalent.
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
Sydney is Sydney an in its own league. The waterfront properties are world class and dare I say the real estate is still undervalued for what it offers.
wildrift91@reddit
The lakefront properties in areas like Ontario are also world class tbh and highly undervalued.
Fellow Canadians likely going to downvote me because of insane CoL crisis though.
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
The only problem is the ass freezing climate.
Haunting-Shelter-680@reddit
Sydney’s high price tag is not deserved whatsoever. The city is overpriced not because it’s fun/interesting, and there is a massive job market like London, but because it’s a city where the wealthy elite park their cash and let it grow artificially because real estate is the safest form of investment. The safety is also poisonous because it ruins a cities substance and depth in every other aspect where the average person can not only afford a decent place to live, but they can’t even find a decent paying job without competing with people with elite connections, sure the latter is a thing in London too, but only for top of the line finance jobs which one can still By-pass with experience. Don’t even get me started on Sydney’s nightlife collapse. On top of Sydney being overpriced, it’s also wayy too isolated.
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
You are somewhat right. It is a safe heaven for the wealthy and everything is accessible meaning you don’t have to get out of it and the temperate climate helps.
dinosaurtruck@reddit
No average Australian or newcomer to the country is buying waterfront properties in Sydney, lol.
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
Most of the owners are newcomers either from the far east or arrived as refugees after the war.
dinosaurtruck@reddit
That’s not even vaguely accurate. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/overseas-migration/latest-release The majority of migrants to Australia are 1. New Zealanders 2. Skilled migrants 3. Family visas, 4. Humanitarian
And anyone who can afford something waterfront in Sydney, even an apartment is very well off. It would be a mix of well of locals, well off new arrivals or people who bought before it got out of control. Those areas as full of people like barristers, surgeons, owners of large successful businesses, old money.
T-Bone2809@reddit
None of us need preem waterfront properties, we just need a place to live.... and undervalued real estate? I'm sorry it sounds as if you've never lived here, willing to be wrong no disrespect but this is so far out from anything myself or my peers think about living here, all born and raised if that adds context.
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
Lived there for a decade and still own 3 investment properties.
T-Bone2809@reddit
That's great man! Unfortunately I think you make up a large minority, again, I mean no disrespect, but we are literally in the midst of a middle to lower class housing crisis, im glad you have money i guess, we don't need to own a home, as long as you have your 3 investment properties to keep you comfy we'll just make do.
Ok_Neat2979@reddit
Sydney is the size of a small European country, and a lot of people aren't living in the lovely beach side suburbs. But much further out in suburbs full of new builds and little in the way of community or character.
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
That’s correct. Prime real estate only makes up about 5-6 miles.
MarmotFullofWoe@reddit
If the Australians could read they would be very upset
UnkyjayJ@reddit
I am extremely upset cause there is no way in hell they are undervalued. they are an absolute rort. Source: lots and lots of time spent in Sydney and am Australian
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
In that case you do not understand real estate.
UnkyjayJ@reddit
I clearly understand a lot more than you
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
If you did you wouldn’t be spouting nonsense.
UnkyjayJ@reddit
Go on then mate, explain to me exactly why the Sydney market is undervalued?
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
Infrastructure investments /Security/Currency/Rule of law are some of the big factors. There isn’t a better place to invest in the region outside Singapore/Auckland.
EshayAdlay420@reddit
You just spouted buzzwords and dint bother at all to actually explain anything lol.
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
What is there to explain when the listed factors are self explanatory? Am I missing something?
UnkyjayJ@reddit
That doesn't answer my question at all.
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
Why’s that?
UnkyjayJ@reddit
Because I said explain to me exactly why they're undervalued and you've given no justification for why they're undervalued. You've just listed some things about Australia.
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
I said those are the main “factors”.
UnkyjayJ@reddit
How do those factors mean the market is undervalued though? You haven't actually tied the "factors" to your assessment. I don't think you know anything about the Australian housing market. Or how to value anything in general.
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
Do you know there’s $100B worth of infrastructure investments currently in the pipeline? As for waterfront properties comparable to other global cities there’s nothing like Sydney so there’s the relatively factor as well.
UnkyjayJ@reddit
Poor person rationale lmao. My brother I live in the houses were talking about you nong. I don't want to get into a dick measuring contest but I can probably buy your whole bloodline.
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
I had to be blunt because you are thick as two planks. A few hours ago outraged with the prices now he lives in one and can afford someones bloodline. What a bullshitter!
Revolutionary-Toe955@reddit
Lol, yeah so cheap. A$26m is a bargain
https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-point+piper-149130768
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
That’s Wunulla Road bru you need to be comparing to places like Monaco, Malibu etc so yes $26m is indeed a bargain.
MissingBothCufflinks@reddit
You are thinking of Sydney Sweeney, not the smelly southern hemisphere city
determineduncertain@reddit
“Canada sounds pretty fucked in that regard to” - how so?
The_39th_Step@reddit
The housing market is fucked. It has a bad drug and crime problem. The winters suck. I think I’d be paid slightly more but I’d spend more. If you wanted to make more money, Australia is clearly the best option.
determineduncertain@reddit
The housing situation in the UK isn’t all that grand, the crime rate in the UK is higher, the rain sucks in the UK and your income point is impossible to refute without specifying where someone lives in a context. I’m not saying that there aren’t problems (there are) but I’m not sure where you get your info from.
I live in Australia. Yes, you make more money here but the CoL is high. It’s rather relative.
The_39th_Step@reddit
Looking at that stat, the crime rate is fairly similar among them all. The fact that the UK and New Zealand is nearly identical tells all you need to know about marketing and PR.
All I know is that having a good job in Manchester lends me a good life. It has drawbacks, like an unpleasant winter, but overall it’s good. My friends from Toronto preferred living here to there. They liked the easier access to nature and better public transport. Their house was half as expensive and bigger and they lived in a better neighbourhood. They earned similarly. Obviously Nov-Feb here is quite grim but they claimed it was even worse there. I hike and run here even in the depths of winter, you can’t do that there.
determineduncertain@reddit
Your experience is fair and I’m happy you have a happy life. All I’m trying to get at is that it’s relative and that you were overstating how bad it was elsewhere. I lived in Canada: it was great. Perfect? No but no place is. Take the weather as a really simple example: I’m glad you have a climate you can do what you want but you can’t do winter sports in that climate, something many people enjoy.
And I appreciate that you’ve got an anecdote as evidence but an anecdote is an anecdote, nothing more.
All in all, if you’re happy, great. That doesn’t have to come at the expense of other places in your sell job.
katalyna78@reddit
Sydney is second most expensive after Hong-Kong (apparently). Low housing stock so plenty of competition.
Clear-Security-Risk@reddit
And Vancouver third after Sydney.
mr-tap@reddit
There are housing problems in lots of parts of Australia, but the Sydney housing market has always seemed crazy expensive to the rest of Australia (like London housing to rest of UK).
As a comparison, Google AI says that about 13% of UK population lives in Greater London, while 20.4% and -19.7% of the Australian population lives in Greater Sydney and Great Melbourne respectively.
propargyl@reddit
Sydney median house price is >50% ahead of the other capital cities. Melbourne is roughly the same size and more affordable.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-22/australian-real-estate-median-home-prices-domain-report-millions/106251932
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
Melbourne has a weak state government so no thanks.
Hour_Cartoonist5404@reddit
Victoria is the only state building enough houses to match the National housing accord, with 60,000 being complete in the last 12 months.
They are doing something right.
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
Yes but the rate of crime is too high.
West_Put2548@reddit
Lol.....2 right....but crime in NZ.....haha I've spent time in the UK and Aus and I'll put up with the low pay and expensive housing because of the crime rate
The_39th_Step@reddit
It really depends on where you live but it can be bad in New Zealand. Similarly it can be nearly non-existent in the UK.
West_Put2548@reddit
crime in NZs biggest city vs UK's biggest city.....(or even comparable sized cities ) .....it's a no contest
AppropriateIdeal4635@reddit
Nominally double or post FC double? Exchange rate to gbp to aud is about 2$ to 1£
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Professional_Elk_489@reddit
Well comparing Sydney and Manchester, not surprised
The_39th_Step@reddit
I get that, but it’s in the posh nice bits of South Manchester. It’s genuinely a lovely part of the world. If you can afford it, you’ll have a good life.
If you were looking at the rough areas, it would probably be 4 times more expensive for your average house.
Professional_Elk_489@reddit
I'm not denying it's nice. International property market treats Sydney as a luxury asset class in a way it does similarly for London but in a way it doesn't for Manchester
The_39th_Step@reddit
I completely understand that, I’m just not sure that price inflation would actually improve my life quality, certainly not by the amount of cost extra.
As per the original question, would I move abroad to Australia? I’d have to pay a whole lot more to achieve a relatively similar standard of living that I have here. It’s more glamorous but that’s not a huge driver for me. I already really like where I live.
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
The difference is he’ll be a millionaire in no time in Sydney.
Sutraner@reddit
Being a millionaire means nothing if the cost of living is just as extortionate
Foxtrot-0scar@reddit
No buddy, with the equity growth he’ll be able to move elsewhere say Gold Coast for ixample.
Nolsoth@reddit
Job prospects arnt that bad in NZ, and wages are certainly higher than in the UK.
But the housing markets beyond fucked.
Zaganoak@reddit
As a New Zealander who moved to the UK last year, I can confirm this. With NZs nightmare government cutting the public sector, the knock on to hospo and retail work, and the increasingly frequent natural disasters closing businesses, the labour market is set to just keep getting worse.
Visual-Program2447@reddit
The nz government is cutting the public sector because the last government doubled our nations debt and it wasn’t sustainable.
Exact_Monk_7897@reddit
You are correct in your first point certainly.
Visual-Program2447@reddit
And correct on the second point. Nz had some of the most extreme business closures closing our largest city twice for months to coerce them to get vaccinated.
Zaganoak@reddit
When I say ‘natural disaster’ I mean things like earthquakes and the recent Wellington floods
Visual-Program2447@reddit
The recent Wellington waterway issues was due to the green mayor deciding to build cycleways not fix sewers. And this government has nothing to do with earthquakes or floods and Wellington businesses aren’t shut because of them.
OceanicEndeavors@reddit (OP)
Oz seems better, though.
abfgern_@reddit
Very expensive renting/buying. Because the 5 major cities are such a high proportion of the population
infinitedadness@reddit
The grass is markedly browner in Australia due to the harsh hot climate in summer.
Thestickleman@reddit
Tbf Where I used to live in Australia it was like the UK but colder, more snow and often wetter
infinitedadness@reddit
Tasmania?
mentaldriver1581@reddit
Very true. Here in my beautiful province of Alberta, we currently are “under siege” from MAGA backed lunatics eyeing our precious resources for themselves. Then there’s the Orange one and his disgusting talk of making Canada the 51st state. Even WORSE is that some Albertan’s are getting sucked in to this BS. I would wholeheartedly welcome the concept of CANZUK, though.
abfgern_@reddit
Oh yeah some sort of CANZUK EU-style arrangement sounds great. Frankly any country besides USA, Russia, China & India needs to be looking towards some kind of bloc to keep up. And with the very close cultural, language and historical ties it'd be a great fit
dwair@reddit
Too flat. Needs proper mountains with glaciers and stuff.
Terrible-Group-9602@reddit
No
leapowl@reddit
I love that you’ve framed it around problems, these are three of my favourite countries in the world
(Climate knocks Canada and NZ out for me)
katalyna78@reddit
I concur. Moved here recently and its bloody expensive. The concept of heating, home insulation and double glazing is generally not a thing.
Beautiful countryside, Australian style housing in a colder climate - mental.
EngineerComplex9790@reddit
NZ is a fantastic place to live, but it’s not a place to come and make money.
Relative to income everything is the same or more than the UK, but it’s a tiny population so job opportunities are not plentiful, particularly if you’re too specialised. There are some industries that just don’t exist.
Sielirth@reddit
My dad emigrated years ago with my siblings and step mum. I considered emigrating to NZ years ago but decided against it.
Was chatting to my sister a while ago about housing over there. She's trying to move areas as hers has an issue with "gangs and stray dogs" and her house wasn't cheap! Feels so different to suburbia over here!
HighPriestess29@reddit
Canada or NZ. Likely NZ tbh. If I could leave UK I'd be gone immediately
Brave_Assumption6@reddit
What about France, Netherlands... just next door across the channel?
HighPriestess29@reddit
I would certainly consider the Netherlands. I am stuck in England unfortunately
Zealousideal-Low3388@reddit
I’ve lived in a few countries, I’m planning to leave the uk forever this year.
I can’t live anywhere cold and grey again, so Australia yes the others no
Brave_Assumption6@reddit
Why go all the way halfway across the world when you can just hop over to south France or to Spain with beautiful weather?
Zealousideal-Low3388@reddit
Never said I planned to live in Australia, simply that I wouldn’t want to live in Canada or NZ.
And do tell more about how you can “just hop over” to move abroad, i think I must have fucked up because when I’ve lived abroad it was a fuckload of paperwork
Glittering_Garlic204@reddit
honestly i dont know how UK and Canadians put up with the freezing winters ...i have lived in the Hunter Valley of NSW all my life and im out in the yard in shorts , no shirt ,no shoes 320 days of the year ....some summer days can get pretty hot but a heap of beaches are only an hours drive away and every town has a terrific public pool to swim in ... and there are lots of good jobs if your willing to have a go ...plus the Valley is very beautiful ...
Plus_Key_2325@reddit
Australia is too hot, too far away from everything and just not as much going on compared to London
Canada has many of the same problems as the US minus most gun problems
New Zealand sounds great when I'm 60 but I'm not
inbruges99@reddit
What American problems do you think Canada has?
Brave_Assumption6@reddit
Car culture.
Plus_Key_2325@reddit
Drugs, dodgy food regulations/culture and cities are a pain to walk around in.
sprunkymdunk@reddit
What American problems are you envisioning in Canada, besides expensive housing? Our violent crime is a fraction of American, we have socialized healthcare, our politics is less divisive and less nationalistic, our immigrants better integrated, and we have a distinctly different outlook.
Brave_Assumption6@reddit
You forgot about about the French-speaking Canadians.
Plus_Key_2325@reddit
Idk man I guess I just couldn’t look past the food situation. I don’t know what it is but it just feels so wrong.
I also noticed a big drugs problem.
Trying to get from point a to b also feels so unnatural. What do you mean I have to stand at this traffic light for a minutes to cross this gigantic road to get to a place I can see with my eyes. It seems small but drove me nuts.
sprunkymdunk@reddit
Idk man, sounds like you went to Van/Toronto and assumed the rest of the country was like that. That's like me going to London and assuming that is an accurate representation of the UK as a whole.
We have less drug abuse than the US, and have legalized cannabis since 2018. Our food regulations are also stricter. There's parts of the country where you can drive for ten hours and not see another soul, if intersections bother you much.
Hit up the east coast next time you are here, or Whitehorse.
Plus_Key_2325@reddit
I understand the issues aren't as bad as the US but they are issues I don't see as much of here.
Also I don't think legalsing something means the problem has disappeared.
In my experience the food felt very americanised.
I'm not bother by intersections as a driver. They're just a pain to walk through.
Canada has brilliant natrual beauty but I don't think I would enjoy living there permanently.
fxxked@reddit
As in Aussie who lived in London for years and has been in Canada for a while I can confirm that you’ve hit the nail on the head with this one!
Although Canada is nowhere near as cooked as the US, it certainly shares a lot of the same issues and in my experience Canadians are fairly oblivious to this
Plus_Key_2325@reddit
Yeah idk why we're pretending Canada is a European country.
It shares much of the same culture and therfore problems as the US. It's not all bad but I just wouldn't want to live there
Capable_Order_815@reddit
Canadians are delusional lmao
drivelhead@reddit
You still spell socialised wrong, though :-p
gregd303@reddit
You know Australia is a country, and London is a city right?!
Plus_Key_2325@reddit
I’m an Australian living in London
goater10@reddit
New Zealand is also far away from everything
5c0ttgreen@reddit
I’ve lived in Australia and New Zealand. Pound for pound they are far nicer places than the UK.
ra246@reddit
I'm looking deep into Australia again, having done so 18 months ago and decided to let it sit in my mind and see how I feel.
I'd get a 50% pay rise after tax, I'd have cheap accommodation if needs be and I'd have better future prospects.
It's easy to find people on YouTube who move from the UK to Aus and love it. I try to find people who have moved back; touch wood, I've only found 2 videos of people who moved back.
One was because their visa ran out and they were gutted. The others moved back out of choice, immediately realised theyd fucked up, and we're now in the process of trying to move back to Australia.
Finding comments like yours just adds to the consistency that... The quality of life would likely be higher out there 🤞🏻
Aristokat21@reddit
I moved to Australia 10 years ago and haven’t looked back. I love coming back to UK for a visit but 2 weeks is enough. The big, blue sky makes a big difference to life.
ra246@reddit
Thank you for this. Which area did you move to?
I don't think people seem to understand the difference that the sun makes in day-to-day life. The 5 months of greyness is so bland, and the first few days of spring when we get blue skies and some warmth make such a difference to me.
Aristokat21@reddit
I’m in NSW, about an hour and a half from Sydney.
Bossman_Mike@reddit
Every single year I hope that someone would just "put me under" in late November and wake me up again from about 15th January onwards.
Everything about December is shit.
ra246@reddit
As I write this, I'm in the Southern hemisphere for another 2 and a half months.
I've deleted the UK weather widget from my home screen; I don't want to know that it's warm and sunny in the UK rn. It's snowing down here, tonight.
That said, for this winter, I'll be heading to Asia (and honestly, possibly Australia) for 11 weeks from November to Feb.
Homebrew_in_a_Shed@reddit
I went back for 6 weeks last year. First visit for 22 years.
Homebrew_in_a_Shed@reddit
I've been in Australia for 36 years. Of course I've regretted it at times. On the whole I think I had a better life here. My, now adult kids had a great upbringing. Both heavily involved I surf life saving. Son also in the rural fire service.
Glad I made the move
ra246@reddit
There will absolutely be times of regret, if I go for it. I'd expect to be moving on my own, no partner nor kids which makes the decision much simpler ties-wise, albeit without a support network.
Sounds like you've done well with them! Thanks for sharing
Homebrew_in_a_Shed@reddit
I did the move solo too. Daunting to say the least. No internet back then. Expensive to phone. Anyhow all worked out. Aussie partner and two great kids. I'm about to retire soon.
ra246@reddit
Yeah, I bet. It all worked out well for you, then!
I've been looking into lots of the Super stuff for the last few days, trying to make sense of moving a Pension over and things like that, issues for 25 years down the line!
Homebrew_in_a_Shed@reddit
I didn't have much in pension, so left it.
I thought, but could be wrong that the rules were changed about bringing pensions over and now it's harder.
I now have three pensions in the UK, and it's hard work trying to sort it out.
They really don't know what they're doing.
It's a long story about the pensions and I'm about to head out.
Going to Newcastle for the football. I'm a Central Coast Mariners fan.
We stupidly beat Auckland last week to hand the Premiership to Newcastle.
I reckon there'll be about 2000 of us. 20000 of them. Should be fun.
Let me know how you get on with Super / Pension.
ra246@reddit
I have been building towards an MoD pension, but it won't be issued by the time I were to leave (unless I were to wait 9 years which I don't want to do.
As I say I'll have a private pension, too (avoiding the 40% bracket until I do leave) and I would have to move that over once I hit 58 (25 years time) to a QROPS (if all of the rules stay the same)
Super-wise, I'd be joining the ADF and so I'd get 16.4% of my salary added by the ADF each year which would be decent. I'd do my best to top up the tax-free allowances every year.
Newcastle is one of the places on my potentials, I hope you had a great time.
Homebrew_in_a_Shed@reddit
Sounds like you have a bit to do.
Did we have a good time? The pies and cream cakes at the bakery half way up were great.
We had a dead set penalty turned down and then they scored.
And then scored three more. But the pies were good.
We Coasties tend to put shit on Newcastle, but really if you could go there it would probably be a good place to live. Great coastline.
ra246@reddit
I do, but they're all good problems in the sense that because I have investments and savings etc etc, I have to think about how to manage them best.
Pies and cream cakes sounds good 👀 Sign me up once I land over there!
Coasters; I'm guessing Brisbane? It now makes more sense why I saw lots of Newcastle Jets stuff last week on my Instagram, but never before, with them winning the league.
Homebrew_in_a_Shed@reddit
Coasties. Central Coast. About an hour or so south of Newcastle.
I made mistakes regarding investments. Things I was ignorant of, and the fact the internet came along and changes things. It's proving a bit difficult now I'm thinking of selling stuff, but I'll get there.
Not being a UK tax resident throws the spanner in the works!
Jake_91_420@reddit
Just go, it’s infinitely better than the nonsense back home. The longer you delay, the lower the chance you will be needed there.
nevearz@reddit
I'm Australian. What is wrong with the UK?
So many people here would love to live in the UK.
Ok_Neat2979@reddit
People just think it's like home and away, all beaches and sun.
Jake_91_420@reddit
Why exactly?
nevearz@reddit
Language, jobs, and culture are pretty similar.
But in the UK you've got a lot more history and travel opportunities.
Want to go to Paris? In Australia, it's a 20+ hour plane trip and costs $2000+ for a return ticket.
Same if you want to travel anywhere in Europe or to the USA.
Young and old alike love the idea of living in the UK, although the grass is always greener and it may be different in practice.
ra246@reddit
I'm working on a 3 year timeframe. Apparently the application takes 18-24 months, I'm just about to take a bonus £25k before tax to stay 3 years at my current job aaand it'll give me time to try and complete much more of Europe 🤞🏻
No_Perspective1595@reddit
Good look finding cheap accommodation anywhere here. We are turning into the next America- so much homelessness , crime and drugs .
ra246@reddit
Military :)
sonictuesday@reddit
Somewhere being nicer doesnt mean everyone would enjoy living there though.
5c0ttgreen@reddit
It’s a fair point. I resented my job in Aus but I love my job here in the UK. I also rely on a close family network to help with childcare here in the UK.
There are lots of things that contribute to quality of life however Aus & NZ are spectacular countries. If I could up sticks and had a job I liked over there I would pick Aus or NZ over the UK any day.
Haunting-Shelter-680@reddit
Care to explain why? I understand why Australia appeals to some, but NZ is a failing country as everyone is actively trying to leave even if it means moving to Australia which is also a hot mess, but literally and figuratively.
flippertyflip@reddit
Did you get residency in either?
Rcsql@reddit
Amen. Speaking as an immigrant to the UK who has lived in both, they are nice, yes, great quality of life. But also boring AF and hugely expensive with difficult job market.
Exotic-Philosopher-6@reddit
Australia is far from boring.
Haunting-Shelter-680@reddit
Unless beaches are the only thing a person likes then it is boring, maybe a safari might be cool, but that’s something that is only fun to do once.
Exotic-Philosopher-6@reddit
There is so much more to do than go to the beach. I'm always busy doing things and I hardly ever go to the beach even though I live right next to it.
Far-Importance1234@reddit
Australia is one of the most boring countries and i grew up there
goongetoutofhere@reddit
WTF!! You’re off ya head
Far-Importance1234@reddit
Shitty nightlife, restrictions for everything, very antisocial culture where bogans are praised, even Sydney is a cultural wasteland and the whole city shuts down by 8pm
wearepurplebananas@reddit
Melbourne used to have a really great nightlife but it's never been the same since covid, even all the time later...it's really sad.
Bossman_Mike@reddit
There was an Australian teacher at my school. He decided to quit and go back to Australia... 12 years later he was back in the UK and the school rehired him.
I don't know the full circumstances but it was quite interesting.
Ok_Neat2979@reddit
When I got to Sydney I was convinced there must be some secret suburb with good clubs and nightlife. I couldn't believe a major city was so limited in the night. I've lived in a lot of countries, and Sydney pubs are odd not much character.
PPPenelope@reddit
This. If you’re a boring person you’ll live a boring life.
SchoolForSedition@reddit
There are aspects of them that are far too interesting.
Tundur@reddit
Australia is weird. Everyone is so fucking rich, the weather is amazing, and the cost of living is cheaper than here when you take salaries into account.
But it's like the planet from Hitchhikers where they sent all the management consultants, hairdressers, and dog groomers. It's a nation of pilates instructors and recruiters.
I'm a boring middle class person who wants nothing more than two kids and two dogs and a shed to muck around in, so it works for me, but it's definitely not for everyone.
Capable_Order_815@reddit
That's not what they stated though was it?
Haunting-Shelter-680@reddit
Australia has a housing crisis cause by speculation and foreign investments, bush fires, isolation, and just overall boring culture and limited history, massive car dependency and sprawl, limited public transit, and no entertainment either because it’s too expensive and the lockout laws ruined all entertainment and nightlife.
NZ is worse but there are no jobs, businesses are folding up left right and centre, yet the cost of living keeps rising.
So those countries are not better unless ur gaga for blistering heat or scenery.
DanBennettDJB@reddit
Totally agree, but I still came back to UK
Oz is beautiful but dull.
After a breakup I'm going to make the most of my year 2/3 of my whv this year to really see it fully but whilst Oz feels amazing it's like you're living in a weird fever dream away from the 'real' world.
indigo_pirate@reddit
Why dull??
DanBennettDJB@reddit
The people, the lack of cultural diversity and history yet 20 hours from europe
Legitimate-Crab7980@reddit
Lack of history? I think Indigenous Australians would beg to differ, mate...
DanBennettDJB@reddit
Honestly they wouldn't even
I can tell you havent met any
Legitimate-Crab7980@reddit
That's nonsense. They are the oldest continual civilisation on earth and are very proud of their history. You saying Australia has a lack of history is just straight up untrue. What you mean is, WHITE history. But there are rock paintings that are 17,000 years old, champ. That's history.
DanBennettDJB@reddit
Lol
Existing for a long time doesn't mean you have interesting historical value as you define it today.
History is the interchange of cultures, it's architecture, it's texts, it's languages, cuisine, culture etc etc
It doesn't exist in Australia.
Existence alone and a few cave painting is not history.
Far-Importance1234@reddit
It’s pretty sad what Australia has done with aboriginals
Legitimate-Crab7980@reddit
It's incredibly sad, and you can see it right here. 'Australia has no history'. I see this all the time and its so ridiculous.
DanBennettDJB@reddit
I totally agree
Coomgoblin68@reddit
How much of a problem are the spiders? This is a genuine question
FinalHippo5838@reddit
I've never met a spider I didn't like.
But seriously, I've lived here all my life and the only time I've seen a Funnel Web spider, which is the most dangerous, is in a zoo.
Otherwise, they're not an issue.
Coomgoblin68@reddit
Think it was always the redbacks that unsettled me, at least funnel webs make their presence known but redbacks sound like they’re everywhere, they’ve even made it to the UK though im yet to see one
FinalHippo5838@reddit
I've never had issues with Redbacks
Just need to wear gloves when handling things in the garden/shed/garage.
5c0ttgreen@reddit
No problem at all. It’s almost a cartoon version of Australia to say it’s crawling with spiders. Out in the bush you might want to check your boots before putting them on but the vast majority of Aussies live in urban areas where there aren’t any deadly spiders.
Professional_Elk_489@reddit
Kinda depends where you live. UK has some of the dullest places in the world
Ok_Neat2979@reddit
There's a lot more character, and people engage with each other more in UK.
Few-Werewolf-1985@reddit
But it's tiny enough (by Australian standards) to get to very interesting places very quickly.
brasssica@reddit
What about kilo for kilo?
klaw14@reddit
Or dollarbuck for dollarbuck?
Far-Importance1234@reddit
I disagree with you. I am Australian and think the UK is a lot nicer
OceanicEndeavors@reddit (OP)
How so?
gameofdecimals@reddit
I got born in Europe and I know all three would be far worse compared to Europe
ascension2121@reddit
Already lived in Canada, planning on moving back ASAP. The quality of life on the west coast compared to the UK was so much higher, community was much better and scenery incredible
wildrift91@reddit
Tbh even QoL on the East Coast is technically higher than UK minus the Atlantic provinces.
OceanicEndeavors@reddit (OP)
Why do you life as if the quality of life was much higher?
ascension2121@reddit
I think the volume of things to do was so impressive for people’s physical and mental health. In the same small town you could go fishing, hiking, mountain or road biking, swimming, surfing, proper outdoor rock climbing and good skiing or snowboarding spots were an hour away for half the year. Seeing what that volume of opportunity for exercise and activity did to a population was so interesting. People were so much happier, and the biggest difference by far was young people. Much more confident, outgoing and sociable.
I think being that surrounded by the most insane nature too is amazing for your wellbeing, people felt so connected and protective of outdoor spaces. I’d only see a bit of litter on highways or cities, it was amazing how spotless the rest of it was, people really adhered to leave no trace.
Also Canada is so empty compared to the UK. V small population for such a huge landmass. Not living on top of other people and having such little traffic when not in inner cities was such a revelation. I feel quite stressed and overstimulated in the UK now with crowds and driving. Driving in Canada is so easy!
I went to hospital after a workplace accident and it was cleaner and nicer than private hospitals in the UK. Seen far quicker, much friendlier and happier staff. I met a lot of Brits there who said the same thing about their hospital experiences and life in general, happy people, happy country, happy you when moving there.
coffeewalnut08@reddit
I have no plans to emigrate as I love it here (give or take a few things), but I'd consider Canada (west coast) or New Zealand just for the experience.
I wouldn't consider Australia except for a visit.
Syd_Girl@reddit
You do realise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia are recognised as the oldest living culture in the world, with a deeply rich history and connection to the land that spans more than 60,000 years? There’s Indigenous history and stories to be discovered in every part of our enormous country.
As an Australian, I don’t want to speak for Indigenous people’s history in Canada and New Zealand, but to consider all of these countries as lacking in history in Eurocentric terms, equivalent to the length of time they’ve been colonised and been occupied by white people, is extremely narrow-minded and outdated.
coffeewalnut08@reddit
But you won’t find much of that as history in the places people live. Australia’s living environment is a lot more modern than ours, that’s just a fact. It’s built around cars, which weren’t invented thousands of years ago
Syd_Girl@reddit
Out of curiosity, have you actually been to Australia? And if how long for, and what parts did you stay/visit, and did you make an active attempt to engage with Indigenous history?
I’m not trying to interrogate you, I’m just interested as to whether this is an observation you had while you were here or the opinion of someone who has never been to Th e country.
gravityglues@reddit
My guess is he means the history in Oz is not very visible, comparatively to Europe which is more like a living museum.
_TerryTuffcunt_@reddit
Australia has a longer history than anywhere on Earth. So I guess you mean white history hey
coffeewalnut08@reddit
Didn’t know that car-centred infrastructure has a longer history than anywhere on earth, considering they were invented in the 20th century
Clear-Security-Risk@reddit
I'm a Canadian expat in the UK. Born in Alberta, raised in BC. Moved to the UK at 27 and now 51. My family still in Vancouver/Victoria.
When I go back and forth there are things in each country that really bother me. And there are things in each country that make me breathe a sigh of relief. I'd hate to have to buy my own house in Victoria or Vancouver (Edmonton is more reasonable), and there are incredibly harmful monopolies or oligopolies in things like power and mobile that make those things incredibly expensive. Groceries are more expensivem But houses are bigger and better condition. Quality of life sometimes seems higher in Canada. Canadians are chill and friendly.
I could go on, but my point is Canada is comparable, I think most Brits would settle in well and enjoy life there. All the Anglosphere is suffering from a similar systems breakdown and malaise... You just get to pick your preferred issues.
DaddyStoat@reddit
Always wanted to go to Australia.
My aunt was a Ten Pound Pom and went over in the late 60s, ended up doing rather well for herself. My dad was going to follow her over, but he met my mum and life intervened. And then I came along! Also, my dad was terrified of flying, and the assisted passage scheme had switched to air travel instead of sea by the time he was ready to consider it, so that put him off too.
I've visited several times, and I love it there (Melbourne area). I've aged out of eligibility now though, alas. There are a very limited number of ways in for people over 45, but they involve being "exceptional" - there's plenty of things I'm good at, but not to the degree they would require!
Canada is fantastic too. My wife has recently discovered that she had a great-great-great-great-grandfather who was born in Nova Scotia, which, under Canada's new citizenship-by-descent rules, qualifies her for Canadian citizenship. The weather's a bit shit though, unless you really like the idea of five months of winter.
apeloverage@reddit
The concept of CANZUK has not been gaining steam.
infinitewowbagger@reddit
For a while. We have family in western aus and it's a lovely place but it feels bereft of culture. Perth is a fine city but I personally felt it didn't have much soul. YMMV
Sydney was a bit like Manchester on Sea. A fair bit more going on there but I would miss Europe.
Being able to go on a decent adventure would be fun though.
flytotheleft@reddit
Only Canada. Good weather, more blue skies than UK, they’ve got good sports to watch, less lad culture, no creepy crawlies that only thrive in hot places. The way people talk about the weather in Canada in this thread you’d think it was Antartica. Yes they get snow 3 months of the year big woop. They get 30c summers and more prolonged dry weather, absolutely beautiful autumns too.
Electronic-Fennel828@reddit
I’d consider Canada or New Zealand, but I don’t think there is an amount of money large enough to convince me to permanently live in Australia. Hot weather doesn’t agree with me to be honest, not to mention the wildlife.
Although it would have to be a pretty cushty job offer to tempt me to move halfway across the world to live in either Canada or Australia. To up sticks and just start my life again somewhere else? The incentive would have to be pretty large let’s say, and I don’t have the kind of skill set where I’d be offered that much money to do anything really. So in theory yes, realistically no.
wearepurplebananas@reddit
Melbourne and Tasmania aren't hot places. There's no spooky wildlife to deal with in urban environments.
mand71@reddit
The only one I'd consider really is NZ, but it's too far away. I know a couple of people who live there; I also know a couple who live in Australia, in Sydney (one if from London, one from Ireland).
broccoli-of-truth@reddit
I live in australia.
Don't come here, it's awful.
Sillysally241@reddit
No, there’s nothing to consider. I already do.
regulator202@reddit
Aus or NZ for the weather maybe but I couldn't deal with the animals. Rather just stay here realistically
LazySlobbers@reddit
Am from the Uk, moved to Aus ~15 years ago.
Weather in Aus is generally better (brighter, sky is blue).
Super hot temperatures can be annoying but you can deal with it easily enough.
Plenty of things to do in Sydney so not that dull
However - housing market renting or buying is insane, utterly utterly insane. This makes everything super expensive. Leads to other problems eg forced to live far away from work so I end up with a 1.5 hour trip each way.
Combo of cost and commute time suck the joy out of Australia a lot.
However if you’re highly paid or have a lot of wealth, it’s great
allenysm@reddit
I’d go to Canada, probably Vancouver, yes I know it’s very expensive, but it looks like a great place to live.
I’d go to NZ because it looks so great, but they have fucking huge spiders and Australia is even worse for that so there’s no chance of me ever setting foot in either location
Zaganoak@reddit
NZer here - we have tiny spiders, I’ve seen bigger here in the UK. Biggest we get in NZ is the tunnel web and they’re pretty rare indoors, and not venomous.
Wētā are the creepy crawlies to watch out for! All spikes and the fuckers can jump.
allenysm@reddit
An ex-gf of mine married a NZ guy and talked about going there and seeing an (I assume appropriately-named) Goliath spider, what’s your take on that? 😳
Zaganoak@reddit
I had to google it, turns out the Goliath spider is an imported tarantula in Wellington Zoo, we don’t have them in the wild :)
allenysm@reddit
Thanks, that makes it slightly more likely that I’ll visit 🕷️😱
JLaws23@reddit
Australia is absolutely amazing. NZ is like a very boring version of the U.K. with better sightseeing.
Cloudinthesilver@reddit
NZ and Canada? Sure. Australia. Never. Too many animals that want to kill you and can get into your house / cupboards / shoes.
Aristokat21@reddit
I live in Australia and am yet to be killed by an animal.
Cloudinthesilver@reddit
You’ve grown up with snake survival skills. Me? I can survive cows and rabbits.
OzMoneyDude@reddit
Do u want to pay 50% tax? + 10% GST on everything you will ever spend , + ever increasing stamp duty tax, land tax, tax on tax on tax, ..Welcome to Australia
Ancient-Honeydew9555@reddit
Don't be worried about the bugs or animals in Australia. Just because it has sone of the deadliest ones doesn't mean you'll walk outside and see one. I've seen no snakes at my house, close by are some tiny grass snakes but that's all. It depends where you move to
Shoddy-Reply-7217@reddit
Yes, I'd consider all of them for a while - maybe 5-10 years if I could find work (I'm 55 which would probably make it more difficult).
My home is here but I'd happily spend a few years in any of them. I've been to Oz a few times visiting friends and also my mum lived near Perth for several years, and it's a fantastic country.
Been to Canada a couple of times and really enjoyed Toronto and Montreal. Would happily see more and for longer.
Never been to NZ but heard great things and have a Uni friend there.
Every country has good bits and bad bits, as does the UK, and there's always adjusting to do to somewhere new, but they're all fantastic countries where most people could make a pretty good life.
New_Combination_7012@reddit
Lived in the UK, NZ and Canada. Spent enough time in Aus and with Australians to have a fair idea of things. Would only live in NZ or Aus now. We left the UK after two kids for NZ but decided to try Canada right before COVID. Canada change before our eyes. It was a huge difference in the 5 years we were there. People are struggling everywhere, but it’s hard there. Haven’t been to the UK in 15 years now. Having to renew my passport is enough to keep me away.
Own-Specific3340@reddit
Canada. As a dual citizen of Australia and NZ I think Canada housing vs jobs is the best bang for buck right now.
sonictuesday@reddit
Anecdotal only, but I personally know 3 people who moved to Australia , 1 who moved to NZ.
3 returned!
helicotremor@reddit
I know more than 3 people who moved from Aus to UK & returned sooo
SafiyaO@reddit
I know three marriages that broke down after moving to Australia. Maybe it would have happened anyway, but it's also something to consider.
eves21@reddit
Isn’t that 100% returned?
Crazy-Ad5914@reddit
Out of interest, why did your returnee mates say they went back to UK?
John316-LIFE@reddit
We are actively considering Australia. It’s either that or the US.
Vivid_Employment8635@reddit
Australia no because weather and animals
Aristokat21@reddit
No to blue skies and wombats?
drivelhead@reddit
What have you got against kangaroos?
Any-Woodpecker4412@reddit
I would and I did. The only thing that would make me want to come back to the UK is family honestly.
Living in Western Australia for the last 1.5 years and I’m glad I took the plunge.
Sunshine 300 days and the “winter” is really just a wet season. There is a a lot more to do outdoors - beaches, camping, scuba diving, off roading. You’re so insulated from the outside new cycle/doom and gloom of the world which is so refreshing.
I honestly could see myself raising kids here. The only downside is that the environment is a lot more hazardous than the actual wildlife! (Had to deal with my first cyclone!)
Sufferer-Of-Cheese@reddit
Already have
LiveStep3869@reddit
Not after having lived in NZ and Au. Both suck butt.
EatingCoooolo@reddit
I definitely wouldn’t. Australia and NZ are too far away. I also like the warm countries. So it’s a no.
mck_motion@reddit
Brother you could not drag me back to the UK after living in Australia for a decade.
We usually come back once a year (Partner's family still lives there) and it is MISERABLE.
Everything is grey, and everyone is depressed.
Apart from those few days of Summer- they're legit banging because everyone is finally happy.
SamVimesBootTheory@reddit
Out of them I'd go with Canada as Aus and NZ weather would probably kill me
I doubt though I'd get in to Aus or NZ as I know they have pretty strict immigration criteria and I do have a masters degree but I don't think it's enough. I do have family that live over there though
I also am diagnosed with ADHD and Autism and I know that can be a barrier to immigration.
LordFarqod@reddit
CANZUK let’s go, yes please
ExerciseExotic1131@reddit
I moved from the UK to Australia. Never looked back.
Party_Success_2195@reddit
Accusations of racism in AuNZ are a concern
Few-Werewolf-1985@reddit
Honestly more of a problem in UK and Europe. Yes there's a vocal minority but they are safe places to live. I've lived in multiple countries and saw more entrenched racism outside of Australia. Half the Australian population is born overseas so racism is a self-limiting exercise.
Azlamington@reddit
Australia is a definite no. I seriously struggle with high temperatures. I have thought about this a lot and concluded that Canada, BC, would be my go to. Over anywhere else, US included.
I don't mind cold weather at all, only uncomfortable with arctic winds but a still temperature of -20 i could deal with. I feel Canadian's quality of life is better than a British one.
Few-Werewolf-1985@reddit
Australia has a huge latitude range. If you live in the south especially Tasmania then heat is not an issue
Voodoopulse@reddit
No, Canada is too cold, Australia will suffer the effects of climate change far worse than we will and New Zealand has Earth quakes and I can't deal that shit
Few-Werewolf-1985@reddit
Australia is one of the safest places in the world for food security even if things go tits up, and it's got less than half the population of the UK to feed.
UK could be in a very bad hole for food supply if the North Atlantic systems collapse.
Capable_Order_815@reddit
Lmao these are the softest and fakest reasons I've ever heard
touchmypenguinagain@reddit
Vancouver, Victoria, etc has better weather than the UK.
Voodoopulse@reddit
They get an average of 15 inches of snow a year, something that I hate, so no it's not got better weather than the U.K. in my opinion
touchmypenguinagain@reddit
I lived in the UK for over 27 years, 14 years in Canada. Canada has seasons, you can actually make plans in the summer and you get long stretches of 25c + weather. Even on cloudy winter days here, it settles on the mountains and looks moody & dramatic.
UK weather sucks. It never stops fucking raining and outside of the countryside, much of it is a miserable grey shithole.
Voodoopulse@reddit
And that's fine but for me I hate being cold, I don't mind rain in fact I quite like it.
Why are you trying so hard to convince me that your opinion is right?
touchmypenguinagain@reddit
You gave your opinion. I gave mine. That is all.
mingobrown87@reddit
I like the diversity of the uk not just in its people but also what is close by. With a 9 hour flight you can go to most of Europe some of Africa and east coast of America.
When i went NZ it felt like a boring England and was bored after 5 days. I haven't been Aus but I understand that there is more to do there. If I was younger I would have done it for 5 years or so.
TokiStark@reddit
Australia isn't all it's cracked up to be these days. The cost of living is insane
Mattricky@reddit
No.
They’re dystopian hell holes.
Rusky-Akl-90@reddit
As a New Zealander, living in NZ…I would 100% live in Australia….
Electrical-Sale-8051@reddit
Fuck off we’re full.
prancing_moose@reddit
Just keep in mind, in New Zealand I also get up in the mornings, I go to work, I go home and I pay taxes.
Housing is ridiculously expensive. Food is ridiculously expensive. Fuel is ludicrously expensive.
You either live in an active earthquake zone or you live on top of a dormant volcano that may actually not be really dormant but nobody knows when its going to go off.
If you're not in an earthquake, or running from lava, you end up being flooded in these "once in a lifetime" storms that happen every year now. Or actually, multiple times per year. If you don't get flooded by rain, you'll end up underwater when the poles melt and the sea rises by a few meters.
As a result, house insurance got ridiculously expensive as well. And don't get me started on health insurance, and all that for a health system that's trying to speed run the decline of the NHS.
Having said that, I wouldn't trade living in New Zealand with anywhere else. People are probably some of the most decent folks you can find (though eggs are everywhere). Can't beat the nature. Craft beer is exceptionally good here. Pace of life is just that bit slower.
And most Americans can't find us on a map and don't believe we even exist - so that's a plus too.
FloofyTheSpider@reddit
I’d move to New Zealand or Australia tomorrow if I could tbh, much better quality of life and weather.
ReneRottingham@reddit
Nope, you think petrol prices are higher here…..
Training-Trifle-2572@reddit
I've not been to Canada before so I'm sure on that one. I'm not super keen on cold weather and some of the Canadians I met were actually very similar to Americans, although some less so. I've been to Australia and New Zealand before and would absolutely live in Australia, it's beautiful although a shame everything is so far apart! I thrive in sunshine and nature and there are so many things that make it feel like a home from home whilst also having its own vibe. New Zealand is even more beautiful and most people I met there were lovely, but I found the quietness outside of the cities and big towns was quite eery. Maybe you get used to it. Had the same feeling in the Scottish borders.
GustavusvonTempsky@reddit
Born and bred kiwi who visited Canada for the first time last year. I'd emigrate in a heartbeat
stillshadowy@reddit
New Zealand for sure. I'm retiring in the next 7 years and my son is looking at buying land there. He;s suggested moving there with them into an annex with its own garage. I've already said yes.
Known-Wealth-4451@reddit
How is your son able to buy land there? You can’t purchase residential property/land unless you have a resident visa.
Ziphoblat@reddit
New Zealand seems like the perfect place to live if it could be ported into a better time zone. I would also live in Australia if it weren’t so far away.
The weather is a bit off-putting in Canada.
purplereuben@reddit
What makes one time zone better than another?
Ziphoblat@reddit
Overlapping with lots of countries increasing your chance of being awake at the same time as other people.
throwaway4477229@reddit
Would be great if NZ was also not on the ring of fire
ClockChucker@reddit
Lived in all 3 options. Settled in Australia. Would move back to canada given the opportunity.
r_keel_esq@reddit
Short answer: No
Long Answer: Despite the many shortcomings this nation has, I'm happy enough here for now. If I were to relocate, I would be more likely to head to the continent than the colonies.
CrustyHumdinger@reddit
NZ or Canada, yes. Australia...not sure, although TBF I haven't been there
drprox@reddit
I live in Australia. I'd certainly never live in the UK 😆
Puzzleheaded-Fix8182@reddit
Canada I could do. I speak both English and French. Hearing french Canadians complain about rent was funny. When I did the conversion they were renting a whole place for like £8/900 and crying 😒
Australia is nice. Lovely lifestyle there but too far away for me.
NZ I wouldn't consider as I hear they have low wages and high cost of housing like UK.
Im also weird in that I get SAD in spring/summer so I need a place where it rains/has greyness (yes odd I know)
lilphoenixgirl95@reddit
Me too! In my case it’s less SAD and more ‘sunny weather feels intense and exposing and stresses me out’ and often that the type of sun (the appeadance of the sky etc.) in the UK can feel very... Unsettling. I also find the expectation to be outside and enjoying the weather off-putting. Grey skies are calming for me. Plus, I am extremely heat intolerant.
Puzzleheaded-Fix8182@reddit
Same here. Also antisocial behaviour increases around now and hay-fever 🥲
Objective-Spray-113@reddit
I'm from the UK and lived in NZ for 6 years and now live in Australia. Both offer superb quality of life and am much happier here than UK. NZ is hard to build a future unless you earn a lot. Australia heading that way with rising rents and property prices. Overall though my life in Oz is significantly better than it would be in the UK.
OldDomG@reddit
I'd love to live in New Zealand because who wouldn't but I don't have anything of benefit to justify my living there and I'd love to move to Australia but I'm not sure I'd survive the heat 😅
No_Theory4059@reddit
We have a major housing crisis in Australia so please for the love of god think before you come here. If you can buy a one million dollar house sure. If you will be renting I wouldn’t recommend it
monkey_gamer@reddit
this popped up in my feed. I am an Australian 😝
Thestickleman@reddit
Used to live in AUS (I was born there) moved to the UK and I much prefer it here. Even though loads of family and that I don't really have any intentions on going back and my goodness is it expensive now
Can't comment on NZ except the climate is more like the UK and apparently theres no work and it's even more expensive that AUS and the UK......
Future-Dance7629@reddit
I moved to Melbourne 23 years ago. Never regretted it, made a great life over here.
ClaspedDust4415@reddit
In my former job we had offices in all three and during a tough time there were discussions about making the switch. There were internal politics that really put a stop to it, but I definitely had interst.
Canada was preference for Geography mainly, as punishing as transatlantic travel is, it's significantly closer than Oceania for family. The big disadvantage was the rules on employment for my wife which meant we'd have to take a big step back on salary for a period which is not ideal when you've uprooted your life.
Australia was second choice. Would have been given my choice of East coast cities. I know it's a cliche but looked into Melbourne rather than Sydney. Distance from family was an issue, but was manageable (i.e family visits we'd split flight and package meant we'd have space in house). Politics stopped this one.
New Zealand would only have been an option for a major step up so would only have been a consideration after a promotion after living in Australia so didn't research.
fussyfella@reddit
I lived in Canada for a while. A mostly nice place, mostly nice people, mostly rubbish weather (of course this varies with place as the country is huge, but most of the places with jobs are not great). It is a lot more like America than Canadians think and less like America than Americans think (a great comment I stole off someone on Quora).
I've visited both Australia and NZ on business and liked both, but they both have their down sides if you want to move there for a career - the economies are both quite small compared to the UK's and once there you more or less have to stay there (no just moving to your company's subsidiaries in another European country as I did several times) - that especially is the case in NZ. What that means is you can pretty quickly be a big fish in a small pond and if you want to move up further, you just have to leave. They also both (to me at least) seem pretty insular in cultural terms.
MechanicFit2686@reddit
I work for a Canadian company but not sure I'd want to relocate there. The impression I get from my colleagues is they have the same cost of living and housing issues in the major city areas as we do in the UK.
filbert94@reddit
Australia - too hot
Canada - too cold
New Zealand - too many Orcs
poutinewharf@reddit
Canada. But I also lived there from birth to 30 so it’s a no brainer.
My partner actively wants to move there and we are applying for their permanent residency right now. It’s likely we’ll move there shortly so they can gain citizenship anyway
po2gdHaeKaYk@reddit
Hello!
I lived there as well to my mid 20s and then moved to the UK for a decade+ for work.
It's interesting reading the comments here. I wonder how many comments are made by people who have truly experienced Canada, compared to just what people "think".
There is so much I love about Canada and I would absolutely move back in a heartbeat if I was "unattached" (family and work).
For example, a lot of people comment on the cold. I don't disagree, but actually, the cold is a very different cold than in the UK (humid cold). You bundle up and you shovel your driveway and that's that. My point is that it's a bit like outsiders of the UK complaining about the rain and greyness. It's true, but it's also difficult to grasp what that "means" when you're in the country and in a collective mentality. The truth is that most UK people are OK with the constant drizzle and grey.
My children can get Canadian citizenship and I'm looking forwards to spending more time there visiting family and re-experiencing the country as they get a bit older.
Tvdevil_@reddit
Absolutely but as a gas and heating tech - i'm a bit obsolete in Aus and NZ though
Cultural_Tank_6947@reddit
Honestly, no.
I'm 41 now. I'm not moving somewhere, uprooting my family in the process, just to live an equivalent standard of life.
For my industry, and my wife's, the UK is a much better place than all of those countries.
The UK is largely cheaper than all those places too (certainly for places I'd consider living in), and it's definitely far more convenient for leisure holidays from the UK as well.
I might consider retiring elsewhere, but it won't be one of those three places.
AutisticElephant1999@reddit
No
I'm too attached to my roots in England
Whole-Strawberry3281@reddit
Consider definitely, but I am pretty happy in the UK
straightnoturns@reddit
I’ve lived in Australia and NZ, both amazing. Would live in Canada in a heartbeat. All 3 have a better standard of living and a good time in the UK seems to require a lot of money.
shebangsthedrums91@reddit
Lived in Melbourne, for anyone young I couldn't recommend it enough, it's like a cheat code in some ways. Partner tripled her salary, I doubled mine, rent was only marginally more for a lovely apartment 25 minute walk from the centre. Piss easy to get around with public transport, hire a car for stuff like the Great Ocean Road or Phillip Island. Public services are brilliant, and the stuff that the locals complain about (i.e. their cost of living) is just nothing compared to how the UK have it. If you're content being that away from your family and friends, it's just a better place in every single way.
Terrible-Bad-9002@reddit
I'm an archaeologist so I can't live somewhere that doesn't have any or the natives don't let anyone dig it up.
youspiv@reddit
Growing stream? English much?
Electrical_Panda_326@reddit
I was thinking about it years ago, but not anymore. All 3 are nowhere near as attractive as they used to be.
pines6103@reddit
I've lived in Canada since 2000 in Saskatchewan. It's hot in the summer with mosquitos. Winters will have periods of very cold weather, I've seen -50c.
I go to the UK every summer, but I couldn't move back. I do miss some of the culture things but there are far too many people.
touchmypenguinagain@reddit
Moved from the UK to Canada - zero regrets.
SnooDonuts6494@reddit
Yes.
I've been to all of those, and they are all lovely.
Lear_ned@reddit
I moved to Canada from the UK. It has its problems, housing costs, cost of living, wages, employment conditions and homelessness and rampant open anti-social behaviour (think shitting in the street and drug use). But, it's pretty, the people can be polite but cold/distant. It feels very far away from the UK.
noctenaut@reddit
Nope, NZ is borderline unliveable, Canada is absolutely a dystopian unliveable hellhole and I don’t see Australia as too far behind on the enshittification train.
I moved to Colombia 5 years ago and the number of young Brits I’m meeting is growing a shocking amount by the month.
deiprep@reddit
Canada is a hellhole but Columbia is completely fine?
What drugs have you been taking lmao
noctenaut@reddit
Lived here 6 years in a poor neighborhood of Envigado - I know my whole street, they look after each other, the metro is spotless, the malls are spotless, kids here are respectful, of the 4 times I’ve left my phone / keys / wallet somewhere over the last 6 years - each time they were returned to me. I even sit in my local park all night and the only groups of men I have to fear are the old men playing chess.
My utilities per month are £37 and the amount you pay is means tested.
Medellin and Bogota account for a majority of the crime stats, but even then, in Latin America you need to go looking for trouble, whilst the west is now very much a case of trouble comes looking for you.
I know many in the UK/US/Canada are either too arrogant or poor to venture far abroad - but ask those who have been here in the last few years, and they’ll tell you exactly the same thing. Especially given the exploding numbers of young British people ending up here.
and on a final note - I’d maybe avoid chucking around accusations of drug taking when you can’t even spell Colombia. Pick up a book - there’s a whole world out there!
jasminenice@reddit
Why is NZ borderline unliveable? And why is Canada a dystopian hellhole?
tyger2020@reddit
Ah yes, Canada, hellhole because house prices are high.
Do you know where is better though? The country with a homicide rate 13x that of Canada and ruled by drug lords! Just the epitome of dream life
wickedwix@reddit
Looked at moving to Canada when I was younger because parts of it seemed to be very queer friendly (and I wanted to get away from family), I probably still would because as far as I remember, the health care situation seemed pretty good (unsure if its changed, we're talking over a decade ago) and they seemed to get a lot of same food and brands as the UK
I know less about Aus and NZ, I have distant family in Australia and friends who have been there who talk about how great it is and I'd love to visit, but its not my ideal weather wise.
lilphoenixgirl95@reddit
‘growing stream’?
Good-Gur-7742@reddit
I live in Australia, I’m engaged to an Aussie.
I moved here because the visa process for me to come here was infinitely easier and cheaper than him making the permanent move to England.
I like it here for a lot of reasons, but there’s a lot I hate too.
I love the weather, the lifestyle, the quality of fresh food is incredible. The people are friendly, and the work life balance is amazing.
That being said, Australia doesn’t seem to recognise any corporate experience gained outside Australia, so finding a job can be brutal. Also, the racism, homophobia and Islamophobia here is really upsetting. I heard more hate speech here in my first few months than I had ever heard anywhere else in the world. That makes me really sad. The right wing is definitely very strong here, and that’s hard too.
spittingparasite@reddit
I moved to Canada. I don't exactly love it.
Taiga_Taiga@reddit
When the CANZUK deal is done, I'm off to Canadia.
BubblerSpesh@reddit
I’ve been to Australia & New Zealand, so I’d consider Canada
Embarrassed_Koala125@reddit
I’m an Australian / British dual national, born and raised in Australia, and have lived in both countries.
Have been living in London the past decade, now with a young family.. we probably wouldn’t return unless it was to be closer to our parents (all based in Australia). Overall, from a lifestyle, education and income perspective - London offers significantly more opportunities for us and we enjoy the cultural aspect a lot more.
Now that being said, if you take London out of the equation - then that’s a different story. If I had to move to a commuter town, I’d much rather be living in say, Sydney. I mean Reading vs Sydney.. that’s a no brainer. For me, both countries are so diverse so whilst there are inherent structural issues which are country-specific, it ultimately depends on the city itself.
Amda01@reddit
No. Australia: too many crawlies. NZ: earthquakes. Canada: too cold.
drivelhead@reddit
I've been in Australia for 20 years. Saw far more spiders in the UK than I do here.
Amda01@reddit
Most of the poisonous/ venomous species of the word live in Aus.
drivelhead@reddit
Not near cities. You honestly never see any.
Xenozip3371Alpha@reddit
In Canada I have to worry about bears and moose.
In Australia I have to worry about almost every living creature I come across.
...I don't actually know about New Zealand.
Tour-Sure@reddit
Only Australia. However I still think the distance would put me off
Vaperwear@reddit
Yes but I’m too old to move there now.
kaetror@reddit
I considered new Zealand or Australia about a decade ago. Preferred the look of new Zealand.
But I was just getting started in my career, wanted a few years to establish myself then look at moving. Then the pandemic hit, everything got put in hold.
Now we have kids, and I'm not sure we could uproot them from everything here. Maybe it would be amazing, but I'll admit I'm scared it wasn't, and I've disrupted their lives for no real gain.
Taucher1979@reddit
I wouldn’t. Maaaybe Canada. Australia and New Zealand are just too far away.
drivelhead@reddit
I've lived in Perth Australia for the past 20 years. It's probably not the best place for 20 somethings who want excitement, but it's a great place to have a family and bring up kids - far better than anywhere in the UK.
The weather here is awful, though. Constant burning sun with no variety. Blindingly bright skies. You'd think it would be lovely, but I really struggle with the monotony of it.
Plus I really miss a decent fish and chips.
ohsaycanyourock@reddit
Australia and NZ are too far away, and Australia is too hot, not to mention the horrific spiders - my arachnophobia would not let me!
I really want to visit Canada though. My best friend is Canadian and it sounds lovely from what she's told me, nice people and great scenery and proper cold winters. I speak reasonable French too so would enjoy that aspect of it. So yes I might consider Canada if I had to move!
Iamthe0c3an2@reddit
I love the idea of NZ, the furthest away english speaking temperate country with a maori flair. But it’s so bad economically I literally have kiwi neighbours here in the Uk because they couldn’t afford to live there.
M1fourX@reddit
You can earn so much money in Australia especially in the building trades. But in the past 10 years housing has become incredibly expensive.
batch1972@reddit
I left 20 years ago. There are pros and cons. I will probably retire back to the UK. although wife has Maltese descent so we will probably go to the EU
MannerAdditional2121@reddit
Left UK 20 years ago for Australia and never regretted it. Yes it has problems like housing costs but healthcare is great, weather is brilliant and generally the lifestyle is just so more relaxed.
No_Candle2537@reddit
It's not something I expect to ever be able to afford in reality, but if in an ideal world I had some kind of opportunity where I'd have a house ready for me with some kind of stable income I'd likely be up for it.
In the past I would've been open to Canada, but from what I hear the political climate has been on a downer in recent times. Plus, I don't think I'd hack Canadian winters. But from what I'm aware of overall quality of life, I would assume it's one of the better options.
Australia seems nice. My knowledge of the area is limited, but the 'vibe' I get is somewhat of a cross between here and Canada (before the recent turmoil), but warm. I'm aware of high costs of living, but to my knowledge there are also higher wages. They don't seem to have significant issues that we don't from what I can see, so I'd 100% be open to it if the circumstances were in my favour, at least from what I already know.
I don't know nearly enough about New Zealand to comment on that with any degree of confidence, but I can't think of anything explicitly off-putting.
girlsunderpressure@reddit
I would love to live in New Zealand but they don't let you emigrate if you've ever been in hospital for a psychiatric condition and I was anorexic as a teenager so that's me banned.
Familiar-Bug2664@reddit
Yes, yes and yes
CwningenFach@reddit
If you have chronic health conditions or are disabled, forget about it. There's so many extra hoops that need to be jumped through.
The Australian government has even made attempts to deport disabled Australian-born children
Character_Silver4285@reddit
I’m trying to live anywhere but the UK. I’ve lived in all three countries and quality of life is much higher in my opinion. The UK is so over populated, NHS is in a terrible state and weather is awfully wet all winter. I love the outdoors and mountains so Canada, specifically BC in the place for me.
CommercialAd2154@reddit
My dad grew up in Australia and went back there for a few years on a working holiday visa before I was born, he's always telling me how amazing it is, I definitely would consider it if not for the fact that my wife is from overseas and is very settled here (she just got her settled status last week) and wouldn't want to move anywhere other than back home or Ireland where we have family. In addition, she is Chinese, and I’m not sure they’re the most popular in Australia at the moment…
eves21@reddit
Your wife would be fine in Aus, there’s lots of Chinese ppl and they get along really well.
jelly_Pp@reddit
Why would Chinese not be popular in Aus? I thought they had a massive Chinese population there
IamlostlikeZoroIs@reddit
Yes I would live in Australia and maybe Nee Zealand but not Canada, that’s too cold.
I lived in Australia for 2 years and loved it, would happily move back. New Zealand would be alright, never been but know in laws that live there or came from there.
HalfYankHalfBrit@reddit
I wanted to move back to America when I was growing up, but I dont necessarily want to take the chance with my mangled accent around ICE agents. Im hoping to get into Canada at some point, but who knows lol
LieSuccessful8813@reddit
yes would definitely love to ,especially New zealand seems pretty laid back
baconbitesx@reddit
Lived and worked in both for a year each, just came back. NZ is beautiful but very isolated and also very quiet. I'm a city girl so it wasn't for me, very small town backwards vibes and the cosy of living out there compared to wages is way worse than we have it here. The weather also is about the same as here with a hotter summer. Lots and lots of rain though.
Australia is amazing and the weather I preferred, wages are way higher and it's easy to earn money and live a good life. Down side is that unless you have a pathway for a resident visa, either via skills or though your partner, your work life will be terrible. Casual work is like zero hours with better pay, looks great on paper but in reality they will fire you at a moments notice without reason. And it's soul destroying. I loved it there but I was finding it hard working in hospitality and housekeeping. I have a really good job in the UK but it's in the arts and doesn't translate well in Aus unfortunately. I do want to go back though.
I will say both countries have major issues with drugs, same as us but different drugs are causing problems. I really noticed how prevelant meth and crack is out there. I know we have problems too but it's a different energy
techbear72@reddit
I'd happily live in Canada or New Zealand, but I have no illusions they're strictly speaking better than the UK, just different pros and cons.
Australia just wants to kill you in every way possible, so probably not.
GarethGazzGravey@reddit
Canada as I have family over there
FloydEGag@reddit
Maybe, because my other half is from NZ. But we’d more likely go to Australia because the job market and cost of living are shit in New Zealand atm
JeffreyEpsteinUK@reddit
New Zealand maybe. The rest have too many foreigners.
SoylentDave@reddit
They're all populated almost 100% by foreigners.
Salty-Jellyfish4327@reddit
Canada if you have money or a STABLE high paying jobs, otherwise you will drown in debts since almost everything is more expensive than America
OceanicEndeavors@reddit (OP)
Do you like Canada?
Salty-Jellyfish4327@reddit
I love Canada 10 years ago, now it looks like little India
Valuable-Play-2262@reddit
CanIndia
localmansayshello@reddit
Yeah. They have their problems, same as us. But I think the main difference is that a lot of people my age (<35) don't think the UK will ever get any better. I don't think that's a thing in the above countries.
Fragrant_Bandicoot54@reddit
Yep. Canada and New Zealand but probably leans towards Canada more.
coldbeers@reddit
Yes.
But I already did.
I’m wondering why we came back tbh and may well return.
Danielharris1260@reddit
I really wanted to live in Australia until I visited for for about 3 months don’t get me wrong beautiful country but it really did feel like stepping back in time 30 years socially from the UK just the casual misogyny and racism. They that a lot of the people even some who are otherwise very much progressive speak about the aboriginal people made me feel very uncomfortable.
yubnubster@reddit
I'm not necessarily opposed to it, I just can't think of why they would need me!
Exotic-Philosopher-6@reddit
I've lived in Australia for nearly 15 years and I don't think I'll ever move back to the UK. I find the quality of life here just too good. It has its downfalls and it's a long and expensive trip away from the UK, but the lifestyle is just better for me.
Particular_Meeting57@reddit
Yea they are all great countries but I’m too lazy to move. Could see myself spreading my time between them.
SOULSTEALERX91@reddit
Always wanted to move to Canada, i love the cold and isolation.
blow_on_my_trombone@reddit
It's funny, on my travels I've met equal amounts of CANZ people who want to move to the UK as I know Brits who want to move to CANZ. It's why I think CANZUK would be a great idea. Me personally, I would love to try out any of these countries for a year or two just to see what they're like. I'm not sure I'd want to move that far away forever though. I'm pretty happy here but love travelling and trying new things.
BreqsCousin@reddit
No, I live here. Nearly everyone I know lives here. I know how things work here.
JeffreyEpsteinUK@reddit
what if they all suddenly died
alfa_omega@reddit
I'd say the chances of everyone you know suddenly dying are slim to none.
BreqsCousin@reddit
What a strange thing to say Jeffery Epstein UK
JeffreyEpsteinUK@reddit
it was a hypothetical
sugmaballezz@reddit
You need to hesitate more mate
BreqsCousin@reddit
Then something really quite catastrophic would be going on and it wouldn't be a good time to be making big moves
BroodLord1962@reddit
New Zealand yes. Canada unfortunately has a very bad neighbour, and definitely not Australia...too many things that want to kill you lol
Beneficial_Effort595@reddit
Not New Zealand but wouldn't mind the US, AUS, CAN, France and a few others
Lukeautograff@reddit
Canada in a heartbeat
Islingtonian@reddit
Absolutely, if I could afford it/get the work.
g_wall_7475@reddit
Move to London, Ontario if you dare
helpnxt@reddit
All but Aus, too hot, too many shit animals.
Put me in a city near the snowy mountains of Canada or NZ and watch me thrive
Traditional_Bee2164@reddit
Canada or new Zealand yes
Objective_Mousse7216@reddit
Fuck yeah!
Psycho_Splodge@reddit
Yes to all in theory, but then not really Oz cause there's no way I can cope with their spiders.
Rcsql@reddit
I feel uniquely qualified to answer in the reverse. I'm an immigrant to the UK, born in one (NZ), lived in another (Australia), and spent months in Canada (not enough that I'd qualify it as living there though).
As others have said, they all have their socio and economic problems. I summarise all three of them as "a great place to grow up, and to raise children", but if you're not in those groups, it really comes down to the individual (job, income, hobbies, distance).
AbsoluteBingo@reddit
I lived in Aus and Auckland for a while on a working holiday visa. If AN NZ CA freedom of movement was a thing, I fear I'd be gone so fast, especially with the way things are at the moment. Guess I'd try Canada and then head back to Aus.
abyssal-isopod86@reddit
I've been considering Canada for 2 years now, but that's because my fiancé is in the States and we agreed that if we're to move to be together, we should both move to a new country to make it fair and Canada is our choice.
He hates the US anyway and that orange w⚓ in the ⚪🏠
Flames_jesters654@reddit
Out of those three definitely Canada.
hallerz87@reddit
I have lived in Canada for six years now and I’m very happy out here in BC.
Nicename19@reddit
Australia yes, Canada and NZ, no. NZ is a shit hole unless you're rich, wages are low, good are expensive and heavily seasonal. Canada is similar from what I've heard. Australia was an absolute paradise.
jasminenice@reddit
I have distant family in NZ and they seem to be having a pretty sweet time over there. They tried UK living for a bit but missed NZ too much.
imtravelingalone@reddit
Lived in two of the three. Love them deeply and would return in a heartbeat.
OceanicEndeavors@reddit (OP)
Which ones?
matbur81@reddit
I'd love to live in Canada but wouldn't qualify as 'skilled' under their visa requirements
MattDubh@reddit
Everywhere has social problems. Good weather can only carry you so far.
Lady_White_Heart@reddit
Honestly? - Not permanently at least.
I'd like to try live in them, but Australia and New Zealand are too far away from my family and friends.
Canada = Maybe, but it's a similar scenario.
I would love to live on mainland Europe though since it's not as far.
Psychological-Plum10@reddit
Australia to hot, Canada to cold ( and the neighbours ), NZ might be ok.
TrousersTrousers@reddit
Canada yes.
amzlrr@reddit
I would LOVE to live in Canada, I hear it’s quite expensive to live there though
peterchekhov@reddit
I would need to visit the countries first before making that sort of decision, but I like living in the UK, I enjoy travel a lot but here is my home.
Skate_beard@reddit
I'm eligible for a Canadian passport but never bothered.
Every country has it's own set of issues, grass isn't always greener.
Margaet_moon@reddit
I’d live in Canada but would want to be somewhere like Vancouver/near the boarder on the west side.
Australia’s terrain/animals and bugs scare me lol. I don’t know enough about New Zealand to have a proper opinion.
voltairesalias@reddit
Literally the warmest part of Canada. Us Canucks tease left coasters (we call west coasters "left coasters") for not being real Canadians because they don't know what winter is.
.... so it's a good choice honestly, because it's bloody cold in the rest of the country. You're making a good choice.
apeliott@reddit
I moved to Australia a few decades ago but then moved to Japan.
Australia was great and I would have been happy to stay.
LolaWithTheGreenEyes@reddit
Canada and NZ yes. Australia no.
CptCave1@reddit
100%, I am outta here
ZedBundy@reddit
Got permanent residence in New Zealand. Will probs move there permanently at some point.
JimmyMcGlashan@reddit
Same story here 👊
FunkyYoghurt@reddit
Unlike most of Reddit, I have a lot of dear friends who I love and want to spend time with outside of work. I'm also very close to their kids as I don't have any myself. It's massively romanticised. I'd be lonely as fuck. Where I live isn't amazing but I'd rather not be lonely. I'm staying even if I won the Lotto.
Lostgirl1801@reddit
Honestly no, I've no desire to move abroad and be far away from everyone I love. To go on holiday though I'd happily visit all 3
BillyJoeDubuluw@reddit
No, they’re a bit too distant for me and the shared language doesn’t fill that gap.
I have relatives in Canada that I’m quite regularly in touch with, so would be slightly more inclined towards it, but I’m a much bigger fan of the Mediterranean countries… and I would potentially take advantage of my OCI card in the right circumstances…
As amazing as Australia seems like it would be for a bucket list holiday, it’s simply too far from my main family and that’s very important for me.
these_metal_hands@reddit
Yes. I would consider any of them
PigeonBod@reddit
I would consider it. However I’m in my late 30s and I have a thriving business here, family, friends etc so it would take a really incredible opportunity to walk away from it.
I’d be most worried about leaving elderly parents behind although I know they’d outwardly support me moving.
And actually I’m not the kind of person who moans about the UK generally, I really quite like it here. Particularly how close it is to mainland European countries.
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