snow in Australia

[Rocker]

You could have avoided all that if you had been willing to spend ten pounds on a fare to Oz in the sixties

Rocker

[jow104]

Hi Rocker,

I acturally paid £105 single fare to Australia in 1954 on the ss.Orsova to Perth but cashed in the ticket about 10 days before sailing. I was starting to feel homesick. I refused the £10 offer at the time because there was a penalty if the immigrant did not stay a certain length of time.
Back in the 19th century it was free of course but around 10 years was the minimum???

[Sturdee]

I refused the £10 offer at the time because there was a penalty if the immigrant did not stay a certain length of time.
Back in the 19th century it was free of course but around 10 years was the minimum???

The penalty was a minimum of a 2 year stay before you could leave the cxountry.


Peter.

[aussieglen]

I lived until I was 23 in your neighbouring town of Torquay emigrating in 1958. I dearly love my adopted country and would never leave Brisbane now.

You say that we have everything here in Oz and I agree the we have much, but there are things which can never be in Oz that I miss terribly even after all these years - such as; an English Christmas, the cosy country pubs; the Cotswold and Devon villages; the dry-stone walls and high hedges in country lanes; the public footpaths across green fields and the ever-flowing streams; Devonshire Clotted cream; the softer sunlight; the long evenings; the beautiful Stately Homes, and Capability Brown gardens; Country mansions, castles and bridges; the harbours of Brixham, Clovelly and other fishing villages, and so on that I love to visit and savour on my infrequent holidays there. But I'm always glad to return to the warm climate and the feeling of freedom in Oz.

If you ever get to Brisbane on your travels look me up and we’ll have an icy cold beer.

Peter.

[jow104]

Thanks Peter.

By the way is there something wrong with your messaging?

[aussieglen]

Yeeh, its the aliens again - I'll sent them a rocket!

[Iain]

I miss a lot from the UK too, BIrmingham just before we went to live in Switzerland, 2 years then Aus in 1966.
Freezing cold winters so cold that your ears stung, playing school soccer in the snow, smog so thick you could barely see 20 feet in front of you, lots of fatalities on the road in winter due to black ice, arrogant shop stewards calling strike action at the drop of a hat, pious public servants (a bit like here really), limited entry to tertiary education etc etc.
Sorry, would find it hard to go back to that.

[Rocker]

Aussieglen,

Your lyrical enumeration of the unique delights of of the English countryside had me looking up John of Gaunt's speech in Richard II, and humming "English country garden". I spent my childhood about 6 miles from Torquay in the village of Little Hempston. However, it wasn't long before I remembered the superior delights of living in Queensland, and the drawbacks to living in England - the incessant rain, the ridiculously high cost of living, and the overcrowding. So, like you, I am very happy to be a citizen of this [somewhat larger] precious stone set in the silver sea.

Rocker

[jow104]

Just had some pictures sent me of snow in Sydney. Please mail me if you need any help or advice.

[Barry_White]

What compliments of Photoshop. Maybe when hell freezes over. Surely not Sydney Australia.

[AlexS]

I do recall seeing snow fall in Sydney nearly 20 years ago, but it melted as soon as it hit the ground. The pics Jow saw were probably of our hailstorm last weekend.

[jow104]

To Alexs

Are you sure? Its looks as good as snow to me, or do you work for the Sydney Tourist Office (joke honestly)
Last week you may recall I offered Sydney rain, and look what they got.

[HappyHammer]

I miss a lot from the UK too, BIrmingham just before we went to live in Switzerland, 2 years then Aus in 1966.
Freezing cold winters so cold that your ears stung, playing school soccer in the snow, smog so thick you could barely see 20 feet in front of you, lots of fatalities on the road in winter due to black ice, arrogant shop stewards calling strike action at the drop of a hat, pious public servants (a bit like here really), limited entry to tertiary education etc etc.
Sorry, would find it hard to go back to that.

:eek: I can't imagine anyone wanting to go back to Birmingham for any reason having managed to escape two feet away let alone several thousand miles it's the most miserable place in Britain with Leeds being a close second..

I'd never go back either, I love Aus.

HH.

[HappyHammer]

To Alexs

Are you sure? Its looks as good as snow to me, or do you work for the Sydney Tourist Office (joke honestly)
Last week you may recall I offered Sydney rain, and look what they got.

That looks like Hail to me Jow.

[craigb]

That looks like Hail to me Jow.

Yep. Last Sunday we had a mother of a hail storm. Fortunately the stones were'nt big enough to damage anything (like your car) but for a couple of houirs we had a "carpet of white"