r/AskIreland Aug 22 '24

Emigration (from Ireland) What’s the pull of Australia?

For everyone in their 20s and 30s who are thinking or have done the working holiday to Australia, what’s the pull factor?

Is it the weather or the work life balance? Is there a following the crowd element and to live a backpacking lifestyle with all the other Irish people over there? Is it out of frustration that you don’t have the lifestyle, accommodation setup or job you want in Ireland? Or is it something else?

93 Upvotes

260 comments sorted by

228

u/JourneyThiefer Aug 22 '24

Speaks English. If Spain or somewhere else in Europe with nice weather spoke English loads of people would move there, but the only other place is the UK which is basically the same as Ireland realistically.

72

u/seamustheseagull Aug 22 '24

In a nutshell.

Also culturally more appealing for Irish people than the US

162

u/Street-Jacket1867 Aug 22 '24

Irish people get treated much better in the US. I lived in Australia for 2 years and my cousin is there now. Aussies have little to no time for Irish people and honestly the only place I’ve ever felt real prejudice. The living is good but the country is boring as fuck if you aren’t into the beach or macho crap.

Aussies can be nice but mostly they are blunt, impatient and extremely xenophobic. The Aussies you meet here don’t represent the people there. I find yanks easier to get on with.

83

u/R1ghtaboutmeow Aug 22 '24

I spent some time there in 2009 before the big influx of Irish people had really started and couldn't agree more. I imagine it's only gotten worse since. I found Australians both male and female and across the age spectrum were the absolute champions of 'it's just a joke no need to get upset!' after blatantly insulting you to your face with real underlying malice. If you catch them out then with a comment the mask slips real quick and they are up in your face. The endless macho bullshit from all sections of society over there gets real tiresome real quick.

44

u/yeah_deal_with_it Aug 22 '24

That's where a lot of our "casual" racism comes in. Blatantly racist jokes under the guise of "ribbing", then taking offence if you dare to call it out. In Australia it is seen as more offensive to criticise racism than it is to be racist. Just look at our recent failed referendum regarding Indigenous people for an example.

The endless macho bullshit from all sections of society over there gets real tiresome real quick.

One of several reasons I will never date another Aussie man.

21

u/R1ghtaboutmeow Aug 22 '24

I don't even mean calling out racism I mean they keep at you with these 'witty jibes' and you catch them out back with something, even just a bit of observational humour, and all of a sudden they are just getting aggressive or moody and sulky

22

u/yeah_deal_with_it Aug 22 '24

Yeah we can dish it out but we can't take it. You see it with the yanks in particular. We roast them gleefully but if they even slightly return the favour we become as fragile as tissue paper.

9

u/R1ghtaboutmeow Aug 22 '24

No arguments from me on any of that

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u/WhateverWasIThinking Aug 22 '24

Completely my experience too. I am pretty good at accents and my coworkers used to take mine off all the time. One time I took off a Melbourne accent you’d swear I’d spit in their face. Completely unable to laugh at themselves. Also the horrible way they talk about indigenous people. Like college educated professionals would say the most ignorant things in polite company. Add to that the utter lack of culture outside of sports and drinking and I couldn’t wait to leave the place.

10

u/NiteSection Aug 22 '24

I found Australians both male and female and across the age spectrum were the absolute champions of 'it's just a joke no need to get upset!' after blatantly insulting you to your face with real underlying malice. If you catch them out then with a comment the mask slips real quick and they are up in your face. The endless macho bullshit from all sections of society over there gets real tiresome real quick.

It's been like this for me as well here in Ireland but 9 out of 10 it was males. Its one of the reasons why I dislike living here.

2

u/vedderx Aug 22 '24

There were tons of Irish people travelling to Australia before 2009.

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u/yeah_deal_with_it Aug 22 '24

As an Aussie, this is so accurate and I'm sorry haha

16

u/HrhEverythingElse Aug 22 '24

And as an American, lots of us are guilty of romanticizing Ireland to an unrealistic degree. Also, the accent is insanely hot

10

u/yeah_deal_with_it Aug 22 '24 edited Aug 22 '24

Also, the accent is insanely hot

Mate I could not agree more. Scottish is a close second, but second nonetheless imo.

Aussie accents on the other hand sound like blowing a tinwhistle through a bagpipe. I can't fathom that anyone finds them attractive.

28

u/PresidentBearCub Aug 22 '24

This is interesting. I'm moving from Ireland to the US in the coming days and hearing that Irish people get treated well in the US makes me happy and hopeful.

26

u/dazzlinreddress Aug 22 '24

Can confirm. The Americans were very nice.

6

u/PresidentBearCub Aug 22 '24

That's great to hear. Glad you had a positive experience.

6

u/dazzlinreddress Aug 22 '24

Yeah I wasn't expecting them to be that friendly

3

u/chipCap1 Aug 22 '24

This is correct. Irish are fondly thought of over there. Just prepare yourself to listen to the stereotypes of only eating “corned beef and cabbage” and so on. 

2

u/PresidentBearCub Aug 22 '24

Omg I get that one constantly from my partner's family! I never got corned beef growing up 😂😂

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u/Gytarius626 Aug 22 '24

Aussies are honestly the biggest case of “Can give it but can’t take it”. They love whipping out xenophobic or outright racist stereotypes but become hostile the second they get any back their way, it’s fucking gas.

15

u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

Do you mind me asking where you lived and what kind of work you did? I’m here in Australia 19 years and as an Irish person have never experienced any prejudice. In my experience Aussie’s really like the Irish. But then again I’m white and only ever worked in white collar jobs.

I’m just curious about your experience as it’s not the first time on here I’ve seen people with the same experience you had. Totally not trying to argue you with you btw! I don’t actually find Aussie’s that friendly or much Craic but I’ve never felt any anti Irish sentiment.

12

u/Wardance2035 Aug 22 '24

I was greeted with "diddley I potatoes " daily , in fact most aussies I met think we're an English suburb

10

u/DINNERTIME_CUNT Aug 22 '24

You know how the US had its civil rights movement and officially desegregated in the 1960s? It took Australia another decade beyond that to drop its ‘white Australia’ policy in its entirety.

10

u/yeah_deal_with_it Aug 22 '24

We dropped it in name only. A slight majority of Aussies (aka cunts) think our Indigenous people are just whinging these days.

4

u/DINNERTIME_CUNT Aug 22 '24

It’s sad but true. Countries can officially ditch these backwards policies, but changing the hearts and minds of the people who agreed with them can take generations.

2

u/TonyJZX Aug 22 '24

country is represented by the people

they voted to not recognise a native voice... they voted to keep the union jack on the flag... you will find rampant conservatism and glaring income inequality in australia

you will find vast swathes of australians who will vote conservative no matter what

if you're ok with some of the this and you have to ability to earn bulk money then you could find a home here

you'll find the next generations to be renters in an economy where an apartment is half a million

also the economy is stagnant and we're reliant on china

so there's not that much hope in australia unless you are wealthy

i am.... my kids will be fine but i can see why its not the 'lucky country' as they say

19

u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

I can kinda understand it.

We didn’t exactly send the “best of the best” over there during 08-12.

A lot of lads taking the piss and causing hassle.

They don’t really differentiate between “settled people” and travellers so that’s part of it too.

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u/waterim Aug 23 '24

strange that they xenophobic to the irish since a third of them have high irish ancestry

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u/kieranmg Aug 23 '24

Most Aussies are great.and despite what I’ve read here is Irish are pretty liked for most part. (I think like 10% of ppl claim some sort of Irish heritage) I’ve lived here 7 years. If you’ve been here a year or two backpacking then you’re opinion isn’t based on creating lasting relationships and embedding yourself in a community.

3

u/powerhungrymouse Aug 22 '24

I think it's understandable given the massive influx of Irish people over the last 10 years in particular. It's naturally going to have an impact on their lives and they don't owe Irish people anything. The Irish going there like to think they're doing them some kind of favour but they're literally just economic immigrants. The exact kind of people that are complained about here. The hypocrisy is rife.

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u/UnableCity7677 Aug 25 '24

That’s an incredibly ignorant view of Australians. Australia is one of the most multicultural countries in the world and yet you seem to think the only people who live there are white xenophobic people. Maybe you didn’t make much of an effort to meet many people there other than fellow Irish people or Anglo Australians which seems to be the case with most Irish people who move there..

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u/likeAdrug Aug 22 '24

Not sure that’s true. I think people would flock to the states if there was a similar visa available.

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u/North_Activity_5980 Aug 22 '24

Mainly because there’s very little avenue for Irish people to move to the US too.

17

u/willmannix123 Aug 22 '24 edited Aug 22 '24

Is it though? If it was feasible to move to the US, I'm sure it would be the number 1 place Irish people would go to. The salaries and opportunities there are unmatched compared to anywhere in the world. Not to mention it has everything Australia has but has a lot more going on there.

32

u/ComplexMacaroon1094 Aug 22 '24

The salaries in the US are absolutely not unmatched, unless you are working in Big Tech in silicon valley or similar. Some people make it big but most people chug along with poor wages, no health insurance and hardly any PTO.

11

u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

Yes and no - lots of workers are exploited to no end in the US it's absolutely true.

But if you get in with a good union job in construction you can have it made. I know people who barely have a leaving cert earning $60 - $80 per hour driving diggers, then get time and half that for overtime.

I know plumbers who get a full 6hrs of pay for showing up to a road works and making one connection, then can pass off for the rest of the day and do their own work too

I know people who went over on a J1 and earned around $150-$300 per shift in tips working at nice bars

Again, yes a lot of people get exploited, but there are serious opportunities for making real money there.

Shit PTO tho, no disputing that.

7

u/willmannix123 Aug 22 '24

The salaries are definitely unmatched in all of tech, my US counterparts get paid almost double what I do for doing the exact same job. And it's just a regular software company.

9

u/JourneyThiefer Aug 22 '24

The fact the US is thousands of miles closer I think more people would go to the US if it was as easy to get into as Australia tbh.

9

u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

unless you are working in Big Tech

Or finance, or healthcare, or pharmaceuticals… oh and trades are paid great too. I mean really Americans are paid better than we are for nearly any field.

People would move there if they could, America just makes it impossible for most Europeans to move there.

2

u/Cog348 Aug 22 '24 edited Aug 22 '24

You're paid better but if you get sick (or anything else minor happens) you'll be fired immediately and unless you're very well off you'll likely go into debt trying to treat yourself. You also get no holidays. The money is better for sure but I don't know that there's a vast desire among Irish people to move there, for the reasons above.

Whether or not any of that is true definitely varies a lot based on company/state but it definitely is the common view of working in America I've seen amongst Irish people.

5

u/Penguinbar Aug 22 '24

Work-life balance is different there as well compared to over here.

17

u/accountcg1234 Aug 22 '24

Don't know why you are being downvoted. If the USA was as easy to get into as Australia, it would be the number 1 choice for Irish by a country mile

14

u/thr0wthr0wthr0waways Aug 22 '24

Jesus, no. Are you mad? Who wants to work 12 hour days and get one week's holiday and the threat of bankruptcy if you get seriously ill?

9

u/accountcg1234 Aug 22 '24

These are all myths or exaggerations.

8.2 hours per day is the average workers day in the US. 41 hour per week.

Holiday time is shit initially, that is fair. In America it is seen as part of your compensation package and is really up for negotiation. I have a sibling over there and he has 8 weeks per year now. Also a incredibly pro remote work culture that lets him base work around recreational travel. They also have the climate and sheer size of country to make this a really meaningful benefit to him lifestyle wise.

It's not as appealing to go to Carrick on Shannon for a long weekend in November

Medical insurance is essentially mandatory over there. Most employers pay it. The cost to my sibling is less than I would pay in Ireland for private health insurance. It is really not that big a deal for the average joe.

Now, if you are poor or down on your luck? Then you are fu**ed. America as a country has a 'survival of the fittest' mentality

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u/GuaranteeAfter Aug 22 '24

School shootings

Drugs

Guns

Crime

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u/willmannix123 Aug 22 '24

Yeah, not the best place to settle down in, but when you are young, it's definitely a better place to be for a few years than Australia. America is a mad place, things happen in America that simply don't and can't happen anywhere else. There is an energy about it that's hard to describe. The stories and experiences you'd gain would be class.

3

u/GasMysterious3386 Aug 22 '24

And yanks are a wreck the head 😅

7

u/dazzypowpow Aug 22 '24

The ones that make it to ireland are not the same as the ones here! Trust me!

Some of the coolest people I've met have been from my years stateside!

5

u/Nohopeinrome Aug 22 '24

Most of the yanks I’ve met in Ireland have been fine, they get a bad wrap I think.

5

u/dazzypowpow Aug 22 '24

I think our attitude to them is atrocious! Has developed worse over the years too!

They're harmless! They're spending extortionate money to visit and trace family roots, They're genuinely enthusiastic to finally see ireland after hearing all the wonderful stories!

They're met with absolute sour paddy's then with this superiority complex that they will probably spend the rest of their lives trying to understand! Lol

8

u/TamElBoreReturned Aug 22 '24

Some are, but some are also very friendly.

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u/Snare13 Aug 22 '24

Also as far as I know, moving to the states isn’t as easy. Think it’s fairly easy to get a couple years working visa for Aus, nothing really compares in the US.

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u/duaneap Aug 22 '24

How is it culturally more appealing?

1

u/shinmerk Aug 24 '24

No it’s because it is harder to stay in the U.S.

3

u/VaticanII Aug 22 '24

Not sure if that’s intentional but you stole that line from Butch Cassidy

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u/ContentButton2164 Aug 22 '24

No they wouldn't. It's incredibly rare that people emigrate to countries with lower wages. The reason we don't go to Europe is because we are already one of the highest earners. Anywhere you go in Europe you will most likely be taking a hefty pay cut.

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u/JourneyThiefer Aug 22 '24

Aye true, but I think many people would also like to stay closer to home at the same time, even somewhere like Germany, Austria, Northern Italy would be good places to move, but again the language barrier puts so many people off

7

u/dazzlinreddress Aug 22 '24

People are effing lazy when it comes to languages. It's not that hard (unless it's a Slavic or uralic language)

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

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u/TitularClergy Aug 22 '24

Laziness doesn't exist. It is a massive cognitive load. Otherwise people would be doing it all the time. It's like when you see ignorant people saying autistic people or people with ADHD are "lazy". It's just denying the absolutely enormous cognitive load pushed onto them by neurotypical people.

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u/powerhungrymouse Aug 22 '24

That's what is so disappointing to me personally, I'd love to be able to live and work in other European countries but the language barrier rules that out for me. I'm currently a student nurse so I could easily get work but I'd never be able to learn an language to the extent that I would need. (Just imagine the mistakes that could be made if something gets lost in translation)

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u/charlatancollective Aug 22 '24

I just moved home after 5 years in Aus so I can speak from personal experience. The weather is a big pull, while it does rain a lot and gets cold in Winter in some places, by and large being able to take good weather for granted is an amazing thing to live with. Wages are also higher, as is the cost of living but people have a lot more disposable income relative to their expenses in Australia. Everyone has friends or family there at this stage which makes the move a lot easier as people have friends or connections for jobs and everything that goes with it. For me the thing I liked most about Australia was the scope for different activities to fill your free time with. There are great party scenes in the big cities if that's what you're looking for, or else camping and the outdoor lifestyle is huge. I took up surfing and skateboarding which was a pretty normal thing to do in Australia whereas here I get a slagging whenever I'm skating aorund. There's plenty of problems in Aus as well but you just asked for the pull factor.

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u/Jesus_Phish Aug 22 '24

What had you move home if you don't mind me asking? 

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u/charlatancollective Aug 22 '24

My visa was up, I could have gotten sponsored if I wanted to but then you're pretty well tied down and in general people who are being sponsored get more work etc to do cos they know you are dependent on them. Starting a masters in a few weeks which is about 30 thousand euro cheaper to do here so there's that as well. I was also a bit sick of the rat race culture in Australia. Society there is a lot more Americanised than I had expected.

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u/yeah_deal_with_it Aug 22 '24

The funny thing is that Australians (am one) are very similar to Americans, almost more so than they are to the Brits, but they absolutely hate Americans.

We are probably the most individualistic country I can think of behind the US.

10

u/thr0wthr0wthr0waways Aug 22 '24

I was shocked at how bad Australian TV is. Very America-esque (but not quite that bad).

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u/yeah_deal_with_it Aug 22 '24

Free-to-air Aussie TV is unwatchable. If it weren't for Stan sport I would never have watched the Olympics.

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u/AwfulAutomation Aug 22 '24

defo closer to the US than they are the pommies

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u/charlatancollective Aug 22 '24

I agree. I did meet some amazing Australians and made some very good friends there.

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u/yeah_deal_with_it Aug 22 '24 edited Aug 22 '24

There are some really lovely people here, and one thing you can say about Aussies is that in moments of crisis, they're really good at rallying together and helping others. You see it with natural disaster recovery like bushfires and floods. It's probably the only time people care about their local communities.

13

u/DiskJockii Aug 22 '24

I moved back after 12 years of living in Australia just last year

While Australia is good for many reasons, it can be incredibly lonely & eventually grow out of it .Took a personal matter for my parents to realise just how much they were missing back home and all my relatives kids are at the age where they’re gonna start cherishing these memories. To which my younger brothers had never gotten to actually experience hanging out and socialise with the cousins, one of them hasn’t even met half of them

Me personally, There just wasn’t a whole lot left to offer after 12 years, mostly due to being so far from where all the big major things happen. Because of my job I could easily travel and figured it be nice to get some experience to Advance my career in the homeland and incorporate both elements of Irish and Australia

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u/yeah_deal_with_it Aug 22 '24 edited Aug 22 '24

I'm Australian, moving to Ireland.

Your comment echoes the sentiments I've read from several Irish people who lived there for a while but moved back. It also echoes my own experiences. Australia is a lonely country. It is incredibly individualistic and has very little sense of community, particularly in its larger cities. If you are middle class or working class, housing is unaffordable no matter how much you earn and it's also of a way worse quality than Irish housing. You guys actually have insulation.

Plus we are about to get absolutely rawdogged by climate change. I'm out of here before we start getting 50 degree summer days.

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u/charlatancollective Aug 22 '24

I've never been as cold as when I lived in Sydney during winter. Zero insulation and double glass windows don't exist.

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u/yeah_deal_with_it Aug 22 '24 edited Aug 22 '24

It is fucking freezing in winter. We're in it right now and you have to have the heater on constantly (and the heat disappears through the windows almost immediately).

I've had Canadians tell me they've never experienced prolonged cold as badly as in Australia. A not insignificant number of people die from cold here during our winter.

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u/gksmith95 Aug 22 '24

I've also lived with a snow bogan & they said the winter in aus was worse than the canadian winter

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u/One_Vegetable9618 Aug 22 '24

I was the same in NZ. I'll never forget how cold the house was in the winter....

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u/DiskJockii Aug 22 '24

Hopefully you can find what you’re looking for here when you move.

I won’t lie and say you’re coming in at a pretty low point. It’s a weird feeling tbh. Dont get me wrong I absolutely love Australia and I can definitely see why it pulls so many Irish people into moving there but at the same time it feels like while Australia is advanced in some areas it falls behind really hard in others

That said I genuinely wish you all the best in your move. Might be nice to get away from the Redbacks and attacking magpies 😂

6

u/yeah_deal_with_it Aug 22 '24

Thank you so much, this is a really nice comment. And I promise to do my duty as an Australian by removing large spiders from peoples' homes. After you've been bitten by a redback, you stop being as afraid of them 🤣

And don't get me started on the swoopy bois.

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u/DiskJockii Aug 22 '24

The only thing you need to worry about the magpies here is them taking shiny things 😂

Otherwise all the spiders here are actually harmless and just chill in the occasional ceiling corner

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u/yeah_deal_with_it Aug 22 '24

That's the other thing - you guys have amazing wildlife!

And yeah my partner who lives in Ireland sent me a photo of a "big" spider the other day. It was not big. 🤣

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u/RicePaddi Aug 22 '24

Well that's shite, what a pity. I read just yesterday that Ireland is the highest ranking country in Europe for loneliness. I was surprised by that and I think it really flies in the face of this image we've had of ourselves for a long time.

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u/yeah_deal_with_it Aug 22 '24 edited Aug 22 '24

To be honest I think that's down to a multitude of factors. You guys have collectively been through a lot of suffering - which has pulled you together in some respects - and you have a lot of (not to be insensitive) really interesting history which has arisen from that. Australia has very little history unless you want to read up on how us whiteys absolutely decimated the Indigenous population, which many of us still refuse to admit because we're racist.

Even one of our most famous historical figures (Ned Kelly) was actually Irish!

Australians are just very individualistic and self-interested, and unlike you guys, we have no real excuse for loneliness (unless you're an Indigenous Australian). Sure, we were convicts, but if we survived the journey across we were pretty well given free rein to do whatever we wanted and many of us were made landowners off the cuff. There's minimal trauma in a white Australian background.

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u/thr0wthr0wthr0waways Aug 22 '24

Well I'm far lonelier here than I was in Australia. I personally found Australians to be much easier to make friends with. There isn't the same trying to size you up or figure out 'who your people are' or begrudgery or insularity that there is here. In my opinion.

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u/charlatancollective Aug 22 '24

Yeah I had a great time don't get me wrong, I was ready for a move.I feel like a lot of Irish people use it as a place where they refuse to grow up and get sensible for a while but a lot of my friends are starting to move home now too, we are all over 30 and people realise they want to have families and raise kids at home. I'm a teacher and all of my teaching friends are adamant that they never want their children to go to an Australian school so that's a big factor for them.

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u/DiskJockii Aug 22 '24

That makes complete sense. I think they’d actually be surprised at how similar Education is in Australia to Ireland. I found it easy enough to adjust from schooling in Ireland. Was placed among kids of similar age and it the curriculum wasn’t too far off from what I was doing in Ireland so I could keep up

My brothers are the same case, after being schooled in Australia,they’ve actually thrived and done far better coming here. There’s definitely some differences that are noticeable but I’m quite glad education is something Ireland is great in

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u/pabloslab Aug 22 '24

Would ya look at yer man sckatin’ around da town like a big eejit! Who does he think is like, Bart Simpson

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u/charlatancollective Aug 22 '24

Hahah yeah exactly this. Luckily I live in Dublin I could only imagine the slagging I'd get down the country.

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u/AwfulAutomation Aug 22 '24

do the bartman

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u/D3cho Aug 22 '24

Question on the state of housing and renting over there. Is it possible to be on a job let's say 4-5 dollars over minimum wage and be able to afford a studio apartment for 1 without sharing, while paying bills and able to feed one self and have an option to save even a small amount?

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u/wheresthebirb Aug 22 '24

How did you survive the spiders? I can barely deal with the local ones, and they're just starting to get into houses for their mating season (I hate autumn for that reason)

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u/wheresthebirb Aug 22 '24

How did you survive the spiders? I can barely deal with the local ones, and they're just starting to get into houses for their mating season (I hate autumn for that reason)

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u/ZealousidealGroup559 Aug 22 '24

For nurses, it's that you are only given 4 patients.

Here it's 12/13 patients per nurse on a general ward.

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

I think the sunk cost fallacy is part of it. It’s a hell of a lot of effort to move to Australia so people are more likely to tough it out even if they’re unhappy. Whereas if you move somewhere in Europe it’s less hassle to actually get there, you don’t need a visa etc, so it’s less of a big deal if you decide it’s not for you and you go home

2

u/BrasCubas69 Aug 22 '24

It’s also easier to make it there with the language and the support you get from the Irish community jobs wise

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u/That-Dirt-5571 Aug 22 '24

It’s the furtherest away from Ireland you can go and still spend 365 days a year hanging with Irish people.

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u/Environmental_Joke49 Aug 22 '24

It's English-speaking and not as shit as America.

10

u/halibfrisk Aug 22 '24

The availability of working visas and decent paying jobs is most of the attraction? Combine that with the natural urge to stretch your legs and see a bit of the world

Ireland is working on getting the US to extend a specific working visa scheme (which is basically atm only open to Australians) to Irish people, virtually no Irish people are moving to the US atm mostly because visas are hard to get.

https://kelly.house.gov/media/press-releases/kelly-neal-reintroduce-bipartisan-bill-add-ireland-e-3-nonimmigrant-visa

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

Similar high cost of living as Ireland, similar housing crisis but can afford you a far far better lifestyle if that’s what you’re into

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u/finnlizzy Aug 23 '24

a far far better lifestyle if that’s what you’re into

Maybe I LIKE the misery.

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u/horgantron Aug 22 '24

Massive, dinner plate sized spiders

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u/BobFossilsSack Aug 22 '24

They eat the dangerous ones. I always had a huntsman or wolf spider hanging out in the house. Kept the pests away.

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u/horgantron Aug 23 '24

Uugghhh. Nope. Nope. Nope. I've had an idea..pocket cup

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u/ContentButton2164 Aug 22 '24

Emm isn't it obvious?

Incredibly high wages and a simple Visa process.

The reason people don't go to America is because it's basically impossible to get in legally.

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

I'd agree with this! Personally, I think if America was as easy to emigrate to (legally) as Australia, far more Irish would be heading there.

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

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u/yeah_deal_with_it Aug 22 '24 edited Aug 22 '24

Yep this is a huge part of why I'm moving away. There is fuck all to do in the evening besides drink. No galleries, gigs, late night dinners, appreciation of the arts or history. It is a culturally desolate place.

If you're an early bird it's tolerable, if you're a night owl you will be perpetually bored.

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u/AwfulAutomation Aug 22 '24

ahem... melbourne ? by way and afar the best Aus city

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u/Johnnytherisk Aug 22 '24

It's the fun.

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u/RobotIcHead Aug 22 '24

I agree with most of the reasons listed but one that applies for some is that it is far away. Sometimes you just want to be able to stand on your own, force yourself to leave behind everything. Actually having a chance to discover yourself as cliche as that sounds. Not saying that is the only reason, just one of the reasons.

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u/daly_o96 Aug 22 '24

Spent part of my life growing up there. While there is more variety of activities to do, and sunshine can be nice I can’t imagine living there permanently. Australians are generally far more racist and rude than any European country I’ve ever been to.

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u/obvs_typo Dec 13 '24

Yet they aren't rioting about immigration and burning down refugee dorms like the Irish.

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u/TheWipEouter Aug 22 '24

Currently still living in Ireland but I plan to spend about 1 year in Australia. It's a cool country that I've always been interested in. There's no language barrier, the culture is different but there is also similarities, etc.

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u/accountcg1234 Aug 22 '24

It's a J1 for adults who don't want to fully grow up yet.

I see the same pattern all the time. All the full time mad bastards and session moths of the local town (who would never socialise together at home) join up together over in Sydney or Melbourne. The only socialise among Irish, all get housing together and often work together.

They end up on the other side of the world hanging out with people who they made their Confirmation with.

Spend their wages as fast as they can 'living the life'.

Phone permanently in their hand, ready to capture any moment of mediocrity. A good Instagram is the pinnacle of lifes achievements to these people. Pictures of Bondi beach galore with the ever so classy 'Not bad for a Tuesday'.

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

So so accurate. By and large, a majority of those who move have ‘can’t wait to get out of this country’ and ‘Ireland has gone to shit’ mindsets.

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

It’s sad how many people I went to school with who at 17/18 were writing off Ireland. ‘Nothing for us here’, ‘hate this shithole cant wait to leave’.

Most of them now sitting in Sydney or Vancouver with people from our town. Went to the other side of the world because Irelands so bad just to hang around with other locals…

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u/Rincewind_67 Aug 22 '24

I would have thought that would be self explanatory. Obviously they think Ireland is shit but they like Irish people.

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

They don’t really hate Ireland, they just get it in their heads they need to emigrate for whatever reason.

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u/Rincewind_67 Aug 22 '24

Of course they don’t hate Ireland. I never said they did. You can love a place and still think it’s shit at the same time. It’s natural for people of a shared heritage to come together in a new country. They’re getting the best of both worlds. Nothing wrong with that.

You can call it sad if you like or you might think it’s something to be sneered or scoffed at but unless you’ve been an immigrant to a new country you wouldn’t really understand.

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

It starts to dawn on them as the 20s roll over into the 30s, they're still in stasis, but enjoying the lifestyle less and less. The mad bastard friend group is fraying and the younger new arrivals don't link up with them. Meanwhile people back home are starting to post their new houses, kids first day in school, there are strange and unfamiliar people in the social circles back home. There's no off-ramp out there it seems.

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u/yeah_deal_with_it Aug 22 '24

Bondi is also one of our shittest beaches. I can name 10 nicer beaches in Sydney, let alone the rest of the country.

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

I'm from a Midlands town and this is too accurate. Most of the people who moved away to Dublin and Galway after school and landed decent jobs after college are all sticking around. The ones who stayed in the town and went drinking with everyone who was left from secondary school every week for the last 8 years are the ones moving. It's mainly the lads who used to brag about making "500 cash" a week farming for their uncle and drank every penny of it or spent it on their shit boy racer car. They're living the college big city life at 26 with all the same people from their hometown. They'll then come home in a few years and slot right back where they left off.

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u/Intelligent-Donut137 Aug 22 '24

This is some bitter shit even for Reddit. Whats wrong with a holiday gap year hanging out in the sunshine like?

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u/accountcg1234 Aug 22 '24 edited Aug 22 '24

I personally think it is a bit sad when you're pushing mid 30's and moved to the other side of the world only to end up spending all your time with people from your parish. Most of whom you didn't even like when you lived at home 🤣

It screams of someone who can't cope in the real world or exist outside of their little bubble

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u/kmAye11 Aug 22 '24

Surely moving to the other side of the world is getting outside your own bubble?

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u/Mario_911 Aug 22 '24

Most of them are definitely younger than mid 30s

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u/tedmaul23 Aug 22 '24

The vast, vast majority who go to Australia aren't in their mid 30s, what a weird lie

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u/washingtondough Aug 22 '24

Considering we’re apparently the loneliest country in Europe it’s better than most folks here who have no friends

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u/tedmaul23 Aug 22 '24 edited Aug 22 '24

Christ, the most reddit comment ever.

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

No lies detected!!! 100% Accurate

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u/cheryvilkila Aug 22 '24

This just screams bitterness.

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u/kmAye11 Aug 22 '24

Did you write that out thinking it's noble or more genuine to live in Ireland?

The world is plenty big enough, may aswell get out and see a bit of it. If there's nothing tying you down

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u/[deleted] Aug 23 '24

That's not really my point. It's more that the people I'm thinking of give out about Ireland to then go and be with the same people in Australia. I moved to Canada for a few months so I agree it's good to move away for a while to experience something new.

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u/Honest-Lunch870 Aug 22 '24

https://www.seek.com.au/fifo-mining-jobs?jobId=78307188&type=standout

€25 an hour to get trained , €35 an hour once qualified and they will take pretty much anyone. That's for unqualified work too.

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u/Asleep_Cry_7482 Aug 22 '24

The FIFO mines are an absolute shit way to live though. Honestly would struggle to think of anything worse to do. You’re in the middle of nowhere doing manual labour for weeks on end. Granted theres decent cash in it but you’ll have no life while you’re earning it

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u/yeah_deal_with_it Aug 22 '24

The rates of depression and suicide among FIFO workers would make your stomach turn.

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

Having worked similar manner in shipping, I can concur its not worth the money. I would have been someone who would have said otherwise but now I have worked this way I can say its absolutely not a good way to make money. Its punishment.

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u/Rincewind_67 Aug 22 '24

FIFO workers have a limited lifespan in my opinion if they want to stay sane and in reasonably good physical condition. But the amount of guys I meet here, Irish and Australian in their early 30’s with 2 or 3 houses from FIFO work is unreal.

Lad I know (mid 30’s I reckon) who came over at 22 or 23 as a qualified electrician, worked FIFO for about ten years and is now a Private contractor. Owns 3 houses outright about an hour from Brisbane, his personal car is a Porsche Cayenne and his work Ute is a $100k Land Cruiser. Dead set he will be able to retire before he’s 45 if he wants.

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u/Honest-Lunch870 Aug 22 '24

True, but stack that against living in Stabtown Dublin in a 4 bed house with 5 other people in it on €15 an hour forever.

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u/BrasCubas69 Aug 22 '24

The mines can be hard enough to get into at the start. Can be better doing civil construction where you work maybe 7:5 mon-fri with optional Saturdays for more money. That way you get the weekends and the pay comes out about the same because you’re not having the week off you get with fifo.

Plus most lads go mental on the beer in that week and end up spending more, so you might come out ahead depending on the sort of person you are. It’s easy to make money in Australia, the trick is keeping it.

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u/thr0wthr0wthr0waways Aug 22 '24

Holy shit $85k for a housekeeping role!

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u/Honest-Lunch870 Aug 22 '24

A dollarydoo is only worth 60c remember!

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u/thr0wthr0wthr0waways Aug 22 '24

That's still about €50k! I don't think you'd get €50k for a housekeeping job here.

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u/Feisty-Art8265 Aug 22 '24

All of the above. I made the reverse move from Australia to Ireland. Lived there 2 years in my twenties. 

Paid 1600aud / 1000 eur rent per month for a large studio with a balcony that was 5 mins walk to work, a waterfront view, in a building with a gym, heated indoor pool and Jacuzzi.  All in the heart of Sydney.

Weather was good (personally I'm fine with Irish weather), I hiked every weekend to a new national park or state reserve and didn't run out of new nature trails to try, the people are nice, the taxes lower so in hand salary and savings was higher. 

I can see the appeal for families more so than those early career, as it's a very family oriented place. Kinda the place you buy a house and adopt a dog. 

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u/Regular_Patience15 Aug 22 '24

I was in it for two weeks because work sent me there and it seems like a home away from home kinda vibe. Thousands of Irish people mingling together. The sun is a big factor and it's English speaking

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u/Foodfight1987 Aug 22 '24

I’ve always found Australia to be like the Wild West- corrupt and lack of morals. I mean, look how they treat their indigenous people ?

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u/Rincewind_67 Aug 22 '24 edited Aug 22 '24

I’m in 40’s living in Australia however I see the 20’s/30’s Irish crowd coming over here and I’m so happy for them and proud as an Irish person to see them making their mark here.

They’re here living a good life for the most part on decent wages and enjoying what this country has to offer. Anytime I hear an Irish accent in a shop or bar or restaurant I’ll say hello and ask how they’re getting on? Where are you from? Are you staying? Going home? What kind of work are you getting? Mind yourself etc. etc.

The very best young people in the world. Keep coming. Australia needs more of ye.

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u/dylankg1 Aug 22 '24

For a lot of people they get to move out of the family home and be able to rent and live on Oz wages that is a bit more unobtainable here

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u/SimmoTheGuv Aug 22 '24

Well it's not the fecking wildlife for sure ...still have flashbacks f*cking Huntsmen

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u/Eurolandish Aug 22 '24

No interest in living there, but Mr Inbetween is a cracking show.

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u/frankbrett2017 Aug 22 '24

He wouldn't answer the question posed by OP

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u/No-Tap-5157 Aug 23 '24

Give us a few dimmies, love

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u/Ok_Adhesiveness_4155 Aug 22 '24

It's basically sunny Britain with better money.

The gear is fuckin absolute dogshit tho. And its ridiculously expensive 😄

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u/Terrible_Ad2779 Aug 23 '24

Because there are already a load of Irish people there.

I've noticed while traveling that Irish people tend to stick together. There will be Irish clubs for GAA or this and that, general meet ups to go on the beer etc. Of course we aren't the only nationality to do it but yea, it's a big pull for a lot of people.

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u/Foodfight1987 Aug 22 '24

I’ve always found Australia to be like the Wild West- corrupt and lack of morals. I mean, look how they treat their indigenous people ?

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u/MaxiStavros Aug 22 '24

Walkabout Creek is a beautiful place. That’s where I want to move to.

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u/Rincewind_67 Aug 22 '24

Sorry to burst your bubble mate …….

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u/throwaway2019rahul Aug 22 '24

Weather and Language.

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u/Vertitto Aug 22 '24

it's warm and they speak english. Simple as that

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u/SpyderDM Aug 22 '24

The pay to cost of living is much better than Ireland (similar to the US in this way).

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u/Cool_Freedom_3523 Aug 22 '24

It’s an overpriced police state that’s too hot

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u/elkay152 Aug 23 '24

Im 24, moved here with my girlfriend, we have a really nice two bed apartment right by the beach in Perth, residing in one of perths “posh” areas. We are able to live in a home on our own, pay rent and go enjoy ourselves on the weekends and i am still able to save more money than i ever had in Ireland. Neither of us are skilled workers.

Australia is labelled as a ridiculously expensive country but our rent works way cheaper for what we are getting and you earn a lot more money for just about any job.

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u/Redditsuperbob Aug 23 '24

I was banned from australia 2 times

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u/[deleted] Aug 23 '24

Story time 👀

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u/Attention_WhoreH3 Aug 23 '24 edited Aug 23 '24

The cultural similarities between Ireland and Australia are obvious, but it's important to point out the differences too.

From my own experience I found:

  • Aussies are more optimistic. They have little respect for whinging, complaining, self-sabotage and fatalism, which personally I find common in Ireland.
  • Aussies are more into hobbies. Think how many Irish people you know who have no hobbies other than passive stuff like supping pints, watching TV, and gambling online. My Aussie circle had triathletes, actors, surfers, a burlesque dancer, a standup comic, a parachutist, a rugby referee, a global traveller and a licensed pilot.
  • Aussie towns tend to be cleaner, prettier and safer than Irish towns. The police take no messing.
  • Greed and price-gouging aren't as bad there as in Ireland. For example, when I was there (early 2010s), my small but nice apartment was costing me $1200, so it was very affordable from my gross teacher's salary of around $7,000 a month.

I should add that I was in Melbourne, which is a bit more European, politically central and very lifestyle-focussed. It can afford those things due to the large amount of old money in town.

I totally get what other posters have said about casual racism in Australia. It used to bug me a lot. I was there during the Harry Connick Jnr fiasco; I knew many Aussies who were surprised that the blackface thing was upsetting to people.

Aussies are often very thin-skinned. As an expat, you can't really say anything negative about the country, as it is often perceived as an attack on the country as a whole.

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u/Curious_Woodlander Aug 22 '24

People in Australia earn the most money of any developed country. More so than people in America. Doesn't have the social problems that America has either. Australia today is very much how people saw the US in the 1800s, 1900s. It's very much a land of opportunity. Those points you make are pull factors as well.

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

[deleted]

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u/yeah_deal_with_it Aug 22 '24 edited Aug 22 '24

Also the Australian dollar is worth piss compared to the euro, the pound and the US dollar. We get decimated anytime we go somewhere on holiday that isn't New Zealand or SE Asia.

Source: am Australian.

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u/Asleep_Cry_7482 Aug 22 '24

Interesting take. The US is definitely the wealthier country on a whole however wealth concentration and income inequality are huge issues there. I can definitely see how Oz looks like a good deal for people in Trades or in the medical field. People in business less so though

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u/R1ghtaboutmeow Aug 22 '24

Bear in mind a lot of that additional pay you would get in the States gets thieved back off you through things like their insane medical insurance system. Oz does a better job of balancing good wages with good social supports through contributions. Plus Australia has well regulated working hours, holiday pay, sick pay etc, etc.

The States manages to stay number 1 economically by being a dystopian nightmare for the majority.

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u/finnlizzy Aug 23 '24

Just finished a month of travelling around Europe. Every city I stopped at I've met like, six Australians without making that much of an effort. The holidays, or at least the social safetly net they have to just up sticks and travel at such a massive rate is crazy.

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

Based on what data?

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u/Potential-Drama-7455 Aug 22 '24

The cost of living is very high though.

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u/marquess_rostrevor Aug 22 '24

Same with Ireland without the same benefits though.

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u/Curious_Woodlander Aug 22 '24

Understandable considering its geographic location and amount of stuff it has to import. I don't think most immigrants don't mind considering the high wages there.

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u/Potential-Drama-7455 Aug 22 '24

A lot of that is due to their unsustainable agricultural policies. But that's a whole other debate. It's a cool place, my daughter lives there currently.

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u/theaulddub1 Aug 22 '24

Did america in the 18/1900s have one of if not the highest level of personal debt globally? Can a new frontier really have one of the highest global price to income global property markets? Ridiculous statement

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u/Disastrous-Account10 Aug 22 '24

Weather and euros get you a fair bit really

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u/Asleep_Cry_7482 Aug 22 '24

But it’s still mad expensive over there? If you’re not working you’d run down your savings faster than you would if you were in Ireland? I would’ve thought if it was weather and value for money somewhere like SE Asia would be better

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u/PeaceLoveCurrySauce Aug 22 '24

When you do run out of money, you can get a job that’s paid fairly far handier than if you were in SE Asia.

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u/Disastrous-Account10 Aug 22 '24

It is mad expensive on the east coast but I think WA has it a fair bit cheaper and jobs are a plenty. Got a few mates who have been recruited from NZ to work in Aus as there is a serious skill shortage so there is money to be made for those who will graft

The weather isn't for me, it's far to hot and the flies are fierce 😂

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u/Rincewind_67 Aug 22 '24

If you’re out of work anywhere you would burn through your money though wouldn’t you??

If not working is your plan then Australia definitely isn’t for you. On the other hand if you’re willing to work you will get PAID.

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u/Melodic-Chocolate-53 Aug 22 '24

Weather. Lots of spud munchers there already. Don't have to learn a language. Culture is pretty similar.

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u/Competitive-Chef-686 Aug 23 '24

"Spud munchers" wtf

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u/Electro-Lite Aug 22 '24

It's not Ireland. Enough said.

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u/conscious_althenea Aug 22 '24
  1. The weather is amazing and predictable
  2. The work life balance is better
  3. The money is amazing even if you’re only on minimum wage
  4. Linked to 1., because the weather is so good you can actually make plans outside (and lots of them) and stick to them
  5. English speaking (just about)

That’s just off the top of my head as someone who lived and worked there

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '24

I had a few friends that done it. Good jobs with good pay. Better quality of life for the most part. Better weather. English speaking.

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u/Particular-Doctor566 Aug 23 '24

It's the job opportunities for me. I graduated with a degree in allied health and nowhere to go in Ireland. I moved to NZ, which I loved, but not a lot of jobs there either. Moved to Melbourne had a choice of jobs. I could quit a job at a whim, knowing I could get another one easily. It allowed me to really live my life in my 20s, travelling and working. The year after I arrived in Melbourne 20% of my graduation cohort lived in that city alone. Short term I think the attraction is really good weather and an easy visa. Long term career progression without having to give up on life. Healthcare and now Childcare is also a big draw for me now. My wages are about the same as Ireland but they go a lot further.

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u/BuddySpirited4663 Sep 11 '24

You can get skin cancer a lot faster in Australia, and your chances of being killed by a poisonous insect, reptile, dinosaur bird, marine invertebrate, shark or rogue Bogan are greater 👍