Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

This thread I've wanted to start for some time. A mojority of the forum members are AU, but there are a fair amount from the US now.... and it's high time we discussed some differences between the two countries and what someone would need to consider if they were to migrate across the Pacific to the other's country.....

Other than the different directions of travel on our streets, what are some of the greatest differences in culture, government, health care system, domestic policy, law enforcement, education...etc...

Why would anyone want to migrate here or there?

you guys use imperial measurements don't you? We use metric.

You have George and we have John... not much difference there

We have medicare.

...they have george...we have "bansai" (mini bush)

I'll try to avoid rampant flag waving
Govt: Our govt taxes more and spends more on social security/health
Law: Similar but we are generally less litigious, and we don't do capital punishment.
Education: Was free-ish until recently, they only started charging when I started university (1988). Still cost less to get a degree than in the US, and you don't pay up front, you pay back in taxes later. When I was at uni it wass about AUS$3k per year, but I think it may be higher now.
Culture: I believe we are assimilating US culture through TV and Movies. Halloween and Valentines day did not exist here 40 years back. We are generally less religious than the US (ie. statistically less church goers per capita).
We have a much lower population density (ie. 80% of size of US, but 1/15th of the people.

Personally I wouldn't live anywhere else, except temporarily.

Do all AU citizens have Medicare...

fairly sure we do (not aware of any exemptions) others may know

So there is no private medicine in Au because it is completely subsidized through taxes?

Are wages higher then because of higher tax structure or taxes absorb more of your check and therefore cost of living is lower?

In California we have the best public university system in the country, but it still costs money, just not as much as private schools of equal or higher caliber. I think it is at $1,800 per semester tuition for UC Berkeley, but the compettition to get in is stiff.

We have more law school graduates failing the bar than succesful candidates, yet we still have more lawyers than anywhere else, and more apply each year.

there is private medical insurance, covers extra health care. Medicare covers basic care, plus listed treatments (some board decides what is covered)

Elective surgery and the like is not covered and there are waiting lists at the public hospitals. This is where the private insurance comes in. Of course, poverty (or low income earners) means that not everyone has private insurance (I don't, but luckily we enjoy reasonably good health and don't have the need for constant medical care)

I haven't actually earned a real wage or salary for a few years so I'm out of the loop as it was. We have recently had big changes to our industrial relations laws (again, out of the loop)

So what would an organ transplant patient do for care in AU? Would Medicare cover that, or would one have to get private insurance in anticipation of getting a transplant? Husband has a spare pancreas now. Our health insurance is paid for in part by my company, and in part out of our pockets. The insurance company reviewed husband's case and agreed to pay for it. Big Money. He's now on a drug cocktail for the rest of his life, and a lot of that is paid-for, too. We really really like the new pancreas, but there's no way we could have paid it out of pocket.

Oh, and next question...are the big scary critters we hear about in AU really an issue??? Like spiders that charge up and bite through your workboots? How about venemous snakes? Mosquitoes the size of B2 Bombers? (Oh wait, we have those mosquitoes, too.)

Medicare covers everything (I had a hernia treated for free through medicare). I don't think wages are higher to compensate, simply our medical system is not designed for profit (as much). Many countries run medical systems for the people rather than for profit, it's really the US that is unusual in that respect. This is of course changing, and was one of the terms of the recent unilateral trade agreement with the US.

There is private health insurance, and the government is strongly promoting it whilst cutting as much medicare as possible (the lack-lustre response is much to do with the fact that most people were happy with the old system). private health insurance (apparently) gives you better service etc, and my wife has it (she worked in insurance, so she thinks it is worthwhile).

Yes, we have all those nasties, but they aren't where people live (well apart from the Sydney funnelwebs, various snakes, dropbears, whitetails, kangaroo ticks, stingrays and sharks).

I agree with b2barker - having lived in the US, UK and various european countries I choose to live permanently here. I work with a bunch of ex-Berkeley profs who agree. But don't tell everyone or they'll get jealous.

(We also have trouble with things like supply - very hard to get electronic components and other similar specialist tools, we live in basically a permanent drought, have impoverished soils and tend to take the worst aspects of US culture faster than the best.)

Medicare pays for transplants. One of my brother's has a spare kidney, another is waiting for one (family history is strong in PKD). I don't know about existing transplantees though.
Stuff that is life-threatening is covered, eg dialysis (at least 4 types), cardiac care etc Individual diseases or conditions would be best investigated before coming over.


Big scary critters are what makes life more interesting!
Snakes don't usually bother you unless you bother them. Spiders are busy eating bugs and other spiders. Mossies are a different matter! But then you can use spray/repellents. Or learn the Slappy Dance!

hmmm... If Scandinavia had more warmth & light during the year, I'd probably prefer to live over there. But I really love Australia... the last 10years of gov't have change more than a lot of people think.

This is JMO, but basic education here (primary & secondary) is the PITS no matter whether you're in public or most private schools... Standards are too low & there's not enough consistency throughout the system. I was reading A Midsummer Night's Dream in yr 7, about to move on to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for the second term/semester (I can't remember which) & then when we moved to Australia, my class was reading Storm Boy for a whole semester! I was shocked & appalled, even at that age.

Medicare works better here than people imagine, but all the little cracks & gaps are what get most people (like ambulance cover & hospital stays)...

Snakes here don't have injector type bites, but a 'freeflow' one... so while many are super venemous, they don't get as much into your system as quickly. If you get a really minor gash, there's apparently less chance of getting poisoned because the teeth don't inject at the point... This is what I've learnt & have been told... anyone, feel free to correct me.

Spiders, I'm quite 'meh' about. I have 2 redback spiders living in my little courtyard (woooo lucky me! ), but we respect each other. I'm just careful not to poke my fingers in dark, cosy nooks & crannies... at least, not without gardening gloves on. The huntsmen, I just let them be, they do a good job of keeping other insects & stuff out of the house & gardens. But I've just realised I haven't seen any for a while.. how strange... hmm.

Culture; there's a great deal of 'tall poppy syndrome' in Australia. People can't be good at something & many tend to play themselves down so that they don't get cut down. I think that's quite a shame really, but that's another facet to the 'laissez faire' attitude here... "she'll be right mate!"

It can be a little frustrating when there are big issues (like political or social ones) & no one really seems to give 2 hoots, when to me, it would be easier & better to deal with it from the start & show dissatisfaction early, rather than have to commit more time, effort & money later on in the piece.

- Woolen hats (knitted ones) are called 'beanies'.
- Sweaters are called 'jumpers'.
- If you don't have much good taste in clothing or humour (ie. you tell bad jokes or something silly) you're called a 'dag' (which are technically poops that cling to the wool on sheeps bottoms )

You get used to not seeing or hearing or smelling or feeling rain for long long long periods of time. Well, you think you get used to it... but when it's gone for this long, like really really gone... I've noticed that I feel a little empty inside. I definitely don't thrive in dry aridity like some others can... (but I also think I feel the need for water & water conservation more than a lot of people around me?)

Cost of living is quite a lot lower than say, the UK. Not sure about the US, but then it really depends on where you live. The pay rate is the same in # value as it is over in the US, from what I've read & heard around different places/forums, but then you also have to consider the exchange rate as well.

Social & community needs aren't dealt with as well as they are in more socialist countries, like Scandinavia. But I feel that it's better than what's provided in the US... BUT then many in the US take it upon themselves to provide what they don't have... Aussies don't do that so much (on a social/community scale).

Hmmm... can't think of anything else. It all sounds quite negative... But the benefits of Australia are just around me all the time... the environment, both natural & social, built etc... the weather, the SUNLIGHT!!! The people... friendly (though perhaps, generally a little racist.. more than I was used to before coming here).. fun, happy go lucky...

It would take a fair bit to get me to move permanently right now.. but things could always change.

well put PK, it takes someone who wasn't born here to compare us with someone in a sensible fashion!



And what do you get if you cross a sheep and a kangaroo? A woolly jumper!

As for poo and sheeps bottoms, that sounds about right!

The medicare gap on ambulance cover is now paid for by part of your electricity bill (at least here in Qld). Each elec bill has a levy for ambulance cover, no more nasty bills after a trip in the van.