Newsweek Ranks Best/Worst Countries

[Ozy_Flame]

You don't have to convince me to move to Australia if I ever got the chance. It really is Canada with the sunshine.

And usually between October to March, I feel like flying down to Australia and claiming refugee status . . . I'm being persecuted by the climate in Canada.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

And usually between October to March, I feel like flying down to Australia and claiming refugee status . . . I'm being persecuted by the climate in Canada.

Where do I sign up for the migrant ship of refugees?

[amorak]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Where do I sign up for the migrant ship of refugees?

No where - Australia has the balls to turn those boats around... That's how the Tamil boat got here, it was rejected from Australia.

I wish the Queen would get on a jetski and tow the boat back.

[Mad Mel]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

It has the highest skin cancer rate too doesn't it? And it's expensive and, as one of my clients said recently, "they fry everything there."

Part A: probably true. Likely a combination of climate and demographics... not many tropical places have this many pasty white Brit descendants. You see it on people in the street, and talk to people at work who are getting skin growths removed. A lot of it is the lack of care that people used to take w/r/t sunscreen and proper clothing, but there is also something about the sun (or probably atmosphere) here... if it were a sunny 30° day here and in Calgary, your skin will feel the burn a lot sooner and hotter here. I'm a ginger, so I speak with some authority to that last point.

Part B: yeah, it's expensive. But - and this is a weird thing - every Canadian I know here says the same thing: they have more spending money. None of us can figure out how that's possible. The only thing I've been able to surmise is that the nice weather means that you entertain yourself outdoors... go to the beach, hike, bike, bbq, whatever. Cheap activities. Think about how much money you spend over a winter to amuse yourself and ward off cabin fever (or at least, I did). It's scary. Of course, $0 heating bills help a bit too. Seriously. My house doesn't have a furnace.

Part C: absolutely, unequivocally untrue. Probably was true at one time, but modern Australian food is largely Asian-inspired, healthy cuisine. The good influences from Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam... not crappy small-town Chinese restaurant fry-o-rama.

Originally Posted by chemgear

I've heard that Australia was indeed similiar to Canada in many ways, very beautiful. Great for vacations too - definitely on my list of places to visit soon for holidays.

Interstingly I do recall that Australia is also worse than Canada for housing unaffordability. Some of the larger cities have housing costs of about 7-9 times median income (http://www.demographia.com/dhi.pdf)

Trust me, New Zealand is much closer to Canada than Australia. Both in geography and culture. But as I've traveled more of the world in recent times, the more I realise that - in the bigger picture - anglo Commonwealth countries are pretty much all the same in a lot of ways in the bigger scheme of things.

Sydney and Melbourne are insane for housing, but Brisbane was similar pricing to Calgary when I moved here (Brissy is about twice the population of YYC, for reference). $450k or so got you a pretty nice home in the 'burbs, then more spendy near the CBD. Er, downtown.

[Barnes]

^ I have heard that Australia is to the USA as New Zealand is to Canada. At least that's what New Zealanders think anyways.

[SeeBass]

Originally Posted by Barnes

^ I have heard that Australia is to the USA as New Zealand is to Canada. At least that's what New Zealanders think anyways.

just like
England-Scotland
France-Belgium

[The Yen Man]

In a hypothetical situation where I didn't have to take friends, family, and financial situation into consideration, and I had a choice between Canada and Australia, I think I'd still choose Canada. I'm freaked out by all the stories about the crazy bugs and animals that warm climates have. I'm afraid of snakes and spiders, and Australia sure seems to have a lot of big bad snakes and spiders. I'd honestly rather suck it up and take the cold climate of Canada over dealing with all the crazy animals of Australia.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

In a hypothetical situation where I didn't have to take friends, family, and financial situation into consideration, and I had a choice between Canada and Australia, I think I'd still choose Canada. I'm freaked out by all the stories about the crazy bugs and animals that warm climates have. I'm afraid of snakes and spiders, and Australia sure seems to have a lot of big bad snakes and spiders. I'd honestly rather suck it up and take the cold climate of Canada over dealing with all the crazy animals of Australia.

Just send DESS on ahead - he'll clean things up...

[OldDutch]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

In a hypothetical situation where I didn't have to take friends, family, and financial situation into consideration, and I had a choice between Canada and Australia, I think I'd still choose Canada. I'm freaked out by all the stories about the crazy bugs and animals that warm climates have. I'm afraid of snakes and spiders, and Australia sure seems to have a lot of big bad snakes and spiders. I'd honestly rather suck it up and take the cold climate of Canada over dealing with all the crazy animals of Australia.

I hear you.

Man I hate spiders, I saw the biggest Wolf Spider in Australia when I was on Frasier Island. It crawled in our Land Cruiser, and that was the last I ever saw of it. I remember the 2 hour drive to the next beach, knowing this thing was in there under the seat somewhere.

For some reason, cockroaches get me even more. That is why I love Calgary, I have never seen one here in 31 years. Just the sight of one makes me want to puke. I have no idea why either, I just think they are the grossest insect ever.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

In a hypothetical situation where I didn't have to take friends, family, and financial situation into consideration, and I had a choice between Canada and Australia, I think I'd still choose Canada. I'm freaked out by all the stories about the crazy bugs and animals that warm climates have. I'm afraid of snakes and spiders, and Australia sure seems to have a lot of big bad snakes and spiders. I'd honestly rather suck it up and take the cold climate of Canada over dealing with all the crazy animals of Australia.

And the worst thing about Australia...


...it's full of Australians.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by OldDutch

I hear you.

Man I hate spiders, I saw the biggest Wolf Spider in Australia when I was on Frasier Island. It crawled in our Land Cruiser, and that was the last I ever saw of it. I remember the 2 hour drive to the next beach, knowing this thing was in there under the seat somewhere.

For some reason, cockroaches get me even more. That is why I love Calgary, I have never seen one here in 31 years. Just the sight of one makes me want to puke. I have no idea why either, I just think they are the grossest insect ever.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

I'm afraid of snakes and spiders, and Australia sure seems to have a lot of big bad snakes and spiders. I'd honestly rather suck it up and take the cold climate of Canada over dealing with all the crazy animals of Australia.

The cold snaps are good for that - they've slowed things like the pine beetle. It's a small comfort when it's freaking cold outside though.

[Russic]

nm ... my pictures aren't working.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Barnes

^ I have heard that Australia is to the USA as New Zealand is to Canada. At least that's what New Zealanders think anyways.

Flight of the Conchords is the best instruction on New Zealander's attitudes towards Australians.

I love sometimes flipping through the on-line real estate listings for New Zealand or a place like Tasmania . . . . it's like stepping back into the 70's through the mid-80's . . . . . so I definitely don't get the impression Canada is the equivalent of New Zealand.

Cowperson

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by chemgear

The cold snaps are good for that - they've slowed things like the pine beetle. It's a small comfort when it's freaking cold outside though.

It's my only silver lining whenever people complain about the bitter cold winters here.

[icarus]

The danger of animals in Australia is overblown. Deaths from spider or snake are extremely rare, like maybe one a decade. Compare that to deaths caused by moose in Canada (leading cause of accidental death in Newfoundland, incidentally).

Cockroaches and the occasional huntsman spider are always good cause for a serious scare in the house in Australia though. Them, and the flies in the outback which don't do anything except annoy you to death, are the worst critters of Oz. And sand flies! Aussies complain about their mosquitoes but honestly Canadian mosquitoes kick their asses any day.

[troutman]

If AUS is so great, why is every Aussie between the age of 20 and 30 working in the Rockies?

[Pinner]

Waaay too hot in Australia and those Nordic countries are very heavily taxed. I like the remoteness that we have in Western/Northern Canada, we can really get away from everyone.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

You don't have to convince me to move to Australia if I ever got the chance. It really is Canada with the sunshine.

I can see a lot of the geographical and historical similarities, but what about cultural? I'm a little jealous of them as they seem to be more jovial and fun than us. Maybe it's the closer ties to the UK or Asia but it appears their attitude is more 'work towards living' than 'live to work'.

Originally Posted by Pinner

Waaay too hot in Australia and those Nordic countries are very heavily taxed.

Could it be that the heavy taxation allows everyone, or a greater share of the population, to have a higher QOL?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by troutman

If AUS is so great, why is every Aussie between the age of 20 and 30 working in the Rockies?

Not true/

Some of them are in Whistler too.