australians - more questions

[rookie]

dh is in the interview process and we may move to sydney - i have asked some questions in the past and you have been very kind in answering.

 

i hope my next question will not offend.....

 

do you feel isolated?

 

it is my only concern.

 

i have looked at flights from sydney to asia, europe, us and they are all so expensive and SO MANY HOURS away. it seems like you are at least 24 hours away from everywhere.

 

we like to travel and it seems like living in australia would be limiting (outside of the country itself).

 

i thought that maybe asia would be easy but it is just as far and as expensive as if we flew from the u.s.

 

anyway, i just wonder about this. i don't know if i could go for 5 years without traveling somewhere else. :confused:

[keptwoman]

How much is there to see in the USA? Lots right.

Well Australia is almost the same size as the USA. As a fairly unbiased outsider I feel comfortable in saying that it is stunningly beautiful country with so much to see you could holiday here all your life and not run out of fabulous places to go.

Yes, everything is far away, but when that's how it's always been for you, well that's how it's always been. I don't feel isolated, but I suppose it's conceivable you might.

Also, the Pacific Islands are 3-6 hours away depending on the island. Asia is 6-12 depending on the area. Look at some of the cheaper airlines like Tiger, Air Asia, Jetstar etc to see the budget options. Obviously you'd be nuts to be travelling to Europe from here, so you might as well make the most of the opportunity to see Australia, NZ, SE Asia and the Pacific Islands, that will give you plenty to explore.

USA or Europe is definitely a 24 hour proposition unless you are only going from Sydney to LA and stopping.

[Amber in AUS]

I don't feel isolated one bit and I live on the west coast in one of the most isolated cities in the world! It is expensive to travel but if you budget, not cost prohibitive :) So far i have been to Bali, Phuket, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Paris, Geneva and London internationally. Not to mention i have seen every capital in Australia and been across the Nullabor twice, I have also travelled extensively within my state. We have plans to continue to travel into Asia with our children who have been on two international holidays already. We are a single income family :)

 

Australia is going to be what you make of it. There is plenty to see right here :D

[Peela]

I am also in the most isolated city on the planet- Perth, in W.A.- and I dont feel isolated at all. In fact, its a blessing, because Perth is a modern city but I find the lifestyle here wonderful. I come from Sydney. I cannot imagine feeling isolated there.

From here, we can fly to Sydney (where my family live) for about $400Au each, return. Most places in Australia are about the same cost.

 

We can however fly to Bali for less than that, including accomodation. We can also fly to India or Thailand very cheaply.

 

Australia is very beautiful and vast. Lots to see and do here. As Sandra says, you would never run out of amazing destinations, from the Snowy Mountains to the Great Barrier Reef, to Ningaloo, Margaret River or Kakadu.

[Lucy in Australia]

I'm in Western Australia as well and I feel much less isolated today than I did 10 years ago. The flights are much cheaper and you can get some really good special deals. In fact, we have friends who go to Singapore for the week-end when good special come up. My MIL is able to visit us from South Australia for 4 days. We often see ads in the newpaper for really cheap flights to Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.

 

If you're going to be based in Sydney you can often get very cheap flights to Brisbane, Melbourne and Canberra and Cairns. And once you're in Cairns, the Barrier Reef is right there. Sydney also gets good specials to places like Vanuatu, Fiji and New Zealand.

[Rosie_0801]

I assume you haven't seen all of Australia? Then there is an entire continent you haven't seen, and if you can see it all in five years, you should feel blessed that your hubby is on such a good wage. :lol:

 

I don't think there is any need to feel isolated from the rest of the world until you've seen all there is to see here. Then, as the others said, NZ is just next door. But to answer your question, yes I do feel isolated here. I've lived here my whole life though, and have taken what will probably be my one and only three week trip outside the country. You are not in this position though.

 

Even on my crappy wages, I've been to South Australia a few times, took the train across the Nullabour, a bus trip around the SW corner of Western Australia and up to Exmouth. I've been to Canberra a few times, took a two week drive around Tasmania and just last year I bundled the kids in the car and we drove up through country New South Wales and Queensland. When I was a kid, we took the regulation family holiday to Queensland, a trip to see ex neighbours in mid coastal New South Wales and I went on a bus trip to Central Australia with guides. When I get sick of being at home, I get in the car and drive somewhere. I've just moved three hours away from where I had been living for the past four years and I'm looking forward to exploring the south eastern part of the state.

 

If you arrive here and spend your time moping that you're not in NYC or Vietnam, then you are very spoilt and I'd like to be you. :tongue_smilie:

 

Rosie

[Melissa in Australia]

The whole idea of feeling isolated because of the long flights is so foreign to me that I have no comment .

[LibraryLover]

We've driven across the US, taking our time, but even then, we were only able to see a fraction of the US. Austraila is one huge honking piece of continent. :auto: I can imagine how fun & interesting it would be to explore!

Edited July 2, 2010 by LibraryLover

[rookie]

My.

I did say that I hoped no one would take offense. I did hope no one would think I was spoiled.

I am aware that Australia is a huge country and that there is much to see. I am not US-centric. It is precisely because I enjoy visiting different countries and meeting different people that I wondered about it.

I have driven/visited the 48 contiguous U.S. states with my children so I do know what it means to get on the road in a vast country. I still like it that I am able to hop on a flight and be in a different continent within 6 hours.

I have been on several 26 hour flights and would do it again but having had both experiences it is a bit easier to get there in under 10.

I am excited about Sydney. I am not saying I would be bored at all. I just know that I would like to be able to continue exploring the world while exploring Australia. That is my number 1 reason for hsing.

Thanks to all who posted about inexpensive trips to other places from Australia! :)

[keptwoman]

Offence? You are seeing offence?

[rookie]

offence is the wrong word. it does sound like some posters are annoyed or think i am dense or spoiled because of my concern.

[Lucy in Australia]

I know where you're coming from, Rookie, don't worry :) I grew up in France, and when you can pop into another country at the drop of a hat because everywhere is so accessible, the thought of living in Australia can seem isolating, but I think you'll love it here (not that I'm biased or anything :D)

[rookie]

I know where you're coming from, Rookie, don't worry :) I grew up in France, and when you can pop into another country at the drop of a hat because everywhere is so accessible, the thought of living in Australia can seem isolating, but I think you'll love it here (not that I'm biased or anything :D)

 

 

you are very kind and this post is so helpful. you understand exactly what i feel - it is good to know that you love iaustralia having enjoyed the accessibility of living in france. thanks! :001_smile:

[Rosie_0801]

offence is the wrong word. it does sound like some posters are annoyed or think i am dense or spoiled because of my concern.

 

Not annoyed, don't think you're dense, yes I do think you are spoilt! (The Australian response to being told you're spoilt on a topic like this is "Ha ha, sucked in, you're just jealous!" Which is 200% true :D) No one is going to grudge you your jetsetting lifestyle, but for the likes of me, your concern is a luxury I can only dream of!

 

Why don't you share the reasons you travel, what you travel for? Then we might be able to recommend places to seek out. Western Australian beaches are better than everyone else's. It really is worth traveling to Central Australia to see dirt that colour, unless you've seen dirt that colour before. If you like wide open spaces so you can feel like the rest of the world doesn't exist, there's quite a few places you can get that feeling :lol: Bendigo is a nice town, not at all worth visiting :lol::lol: My dad can recommend all the best places in the country to buy cake. I swear that guy thinks about space in terms of the food he ate. "Tennant Creek? Yeah, they do a really good steak there. Alexandria? They make the best strawberry mousse." If you travel just for the sake of traveling, you've come to the right place. You can drive and drive and drive and not worry about passports or customs :)

 

Rosie

[Melissa in Australia]

I am not offended at all. Just the idea was foreign to me.

[Peela]

offence is the wrong word. it does sound like some posters are annoyed or think i am dense or spoiled because of my concern.

 

Lol, we can be a bit blunt...and so what if you are dense or spoiled, we will still treat you nicely- in fact I have had Americans call all Australians dense because of some of our movies that made it overseas, and I think we consider ourselves spoiled just living here :) We will probably tease you a bit though...

[Sara Mac]

I live in Perth, Western Australia too and I do find it somewhat isolated. There I said it :leaving:

 

I spent the first half of my life in England before moving to Aus, so I vaguely remember just how easy it was to go from country to another; one culture to another. having said that,five years in Australia will easily be filled up with travelling around in the continent as everything will be so new and different. There is so much to see and do that I doubt you'd be able to fit it all in :D

 

Flights from Perth to anywhere on the East Coast are relatively expensive and take a minimum of 4 hours (our last Perth - Sydney took 4hrs). It's often cheaper for us to fly to Asia, Indonesia, Vietnam. However, you will be living on the east coast in Sydney, there are often specials on where you can fly from Sydney to Brisbane or Melbourne for $30. Flights to New Zealand are generally not much more than flying over to Perth. I don't think you'll feel at all isolated once you're here and see all sight-seeing opportunities. :001_smile:

[IsabelC]

do you feel isolated?

...

it seems like you are at least 24 hours away from everywhere.

 

I think what you're trying to say is that 'the rest of the world' is isolated from Australia, which, of course, is the center of the universe. :tongue_smilie:

Plus the best part, Tasmania, is almost a different country :D

 

Seriously, I would agree with the comments that there is more than enough here to keep the enthusiastic traveler amused for several years. I would love to see Western Australia one day if we can afford it. But obviously if you have country-specific reasons for wanting to travel (eg relatives to visit) then yes, it may wind up being more inconvenient and expensive.

[rookie]

Not annoyed, don't think you're dense, yes I do think you are spoilt! (The Australian response to being told you're spoilt on a topic like this is "Ha ha, sucked in, you're just jealous!" Which is 200% true :D) No one is going to grudge you your jetsetting lifestyle, but for the likes of me, your concern is a luxury I can only dream of!

 

Why don't you share the reasons you travel, what you travel for? Then we might be able to recommend places to seek out. Western Australian beaches are better than everyone else's. It really is worth traveling to Central Australia to see dirt that colour, unless you've seen dirt that colour before. If you like wide open spaces so you can feel like the rest of the world doesn't exist, there's quite a few places you can get that feeling :lol: Bendigo is a nice town, not at all worth visiting :lol::lol: My dad can recommend all the best places in the country to buy cake. I swear that guy thinks about space in terms of the food he ate. "Tennant Creek? Yeah, they do a really good steak there. Alexandria? They make the best strawberry mousse." If you travel just for the sake of traveling, you've come to the right place. You can drive and drive and drive and not worry about passports or customs :)

 

Rosie

 

 

I think I could spend hours chatting with your dad! :001_smile: I have been known to drive for hours to eat a specific meal, so, if we move, I may ask you to get a "list" from him! :D

 

My dh has to travel internationally for his profession and we save/scrape every penny and try to join him as often as possible. Our trip around the 48 states was a mix of staying with friends, camping, and staying at dodgy hotels in order to visit historical sites and national parks. We can do the "high" and the "low" very nicely. So, I guess I am a little spoilt!

[rookie]

I am not offended at all. Just the idea was foreign to me.

 

 

Oh.

Thank you for letting me know.

The idea of always taking long flights is foreign to me.

It's good to learn and grow.

[rookie]

Lol, we can be a bit blunt...and so what if you are dense or spoiled, we will still treat you nicely- in fact I have had Americans call all Australians dense because of some of our movies that made it overseas, and I think we consider ourselves spoiled just living here :) We will probably tease you a bit though...

 

 

Australian movies? I didn't even now there were any! :tongue_smilie:

Thanks for letting me in on the teasing - I guess I was a little dense. :)

[rookie]

I live in Perth, Western Australia too and I do find it somewhat isolated. There I said it :leaving:

 

I spent the first half of my life in England before moving to Aus, so I vaguely remember just how easy it was to go from country to another; one culture to another. having said that,five years in Australia will easily be filled up with travelling around in the continent as everything will be so new and different. There is so much to see and do that I doubt you'd be able to fit it all in :D

 

Flights from Perth to anywhere on the East Coast are relatively expensive and take a minimum of 4 hours (our last Perth - Sydney took 4hrs). It's often cheaper for us to fly to Asia, Indonesia, Vietnam. However, you will be living on the east coast in Sydney, there are often specials on where you can fly from Sydney to Brisbane or Melbourne for $30. Flights to New Zealand are generally not much more than flying over to Perth. I don't think you'll feel at all isolated once you're here and see all sight-seeing opportunities. :001_smile:

 

 

Good to know. Thanks.

 

How long does it take to fly to different points in Asia?

 

(Here's dense for you - I keep staring at the globe and thinking "It looks really close to Asia - it must be a quick flight")

[keptwoman]

It's not a really long flight to everywhere, just some places. In particular the Americas, Africa and Europe.

Shorter to:

SE Asia, http://www.australearn.org/destinations/australia/discover_contemporary_australia/partner_to_asia/flight_times_to_asia/

New Zealand 3 hours

Pacific Islands 3-6 hours

Perth 4 hours

Darwin 4? hours

You might as well stick to the Southern Hemisphere, because the places you will be closest to here are a long flight from the US.

[rookie]

It's not a really long flight to everywhere, just some places. In particular the Americas, Africa and Europe.

Shorter to:

SE Asia, http://www.australearn.org/destinations/australia/discover_contemporary_australia/partner_to_asia/flight_times_to_asia/

New Zealand 3 hours

Pacific Islands 3-6 hours

Perth 4 hours

Darwin 4? hours

You might as well stick to the Southern Hemisphere, because the places you will be closest to here are a long flight from the US.

 

great link! exactly what i needed. thank you.

[Starr]

I think it could be really exciting focusing on a different part of the world for a few years.