Dear Caitlin the reason why Sydney Trains always carry out rail maintenance on the weekends is that in 1977 we had a horrific rail disaster at Granville. The rail network had been run down by the conservative government. The incoming Labour government said, " this will never happen again", so ever since rail maintenance happens every weekend somewhere on the network with over 800 km of track and 170 stations that have to be maintained.
Granville was a terrible event. I was in my mid twenties, we were glued to the radio all day hoping they could rescue as many as possible and then watched the heartbreaking footage on the evening news. There is an excellent documentary about it here on RUclips.
The three big transport infrastructure disasters of the 1970's, that being the Westgate Bridge collapse in Melbourne, the Tasman Bridge disaster in Hobart, and the Granville train disaster in Sydney. Important moments in history with many lives lost. The lessons learned must never be forgotten.
100% correct about the wildlife! I’m so tired of the attitude of “everything in Australia is trying to kill you”. Thank you, Caitlyn. Love your channel!
I’m in Adelaide. I recently had to rely on public transport after eye surgery. I was pleasantly surprised. Excellent service. Reliable, clean, safe with helpful and friendly drivers.
@@graemedd travelled all times, even after dark. Had to do it for 6 months. Not one single problem with safety. I was new to public transport so needed help and advice. Everyone was very nice.
In Perth we haven't had a decent drop of rain for months and can only water twice a week and another desalination plant is being built. That's a Australia, "a land of droughts and flooding rains".
Yeah this one is hard for people to understand. In comparison to other continents Australia has no mountains. NZ has higher mountains than Australia. The US has an incredible supply of water from snow melt. Australia has a huge area but a tiny amount of snow in comparison to other continents. No mountains, no water.
Kaitlyn, living in the Western Suburbs you should vlog the great things found in Western Sydney. The foothills and Blue Mountains, the history of Parramatta, Camden and Blacktown, and the really amazing parks where people can interact with native animals.
Our Neighborhood has bulk immigrant families, and none can understand why I get depressed about Christmas time because cars no longer have hubcaps. They will never know the joy of having over a kilogram of prawn heads, the disappointment of having nowhere to deposit them for maximum impact. A uniquely Aussie personal paradox. Cheers.
Growing up on the beach we'd just throw the shells there for the seagulls. Dad fancies himself an amateur photographer so he'd get the camera out and capture the frenzy.
On December 12th 2023 my GP ordered a CT scan of my abdomen and an Xray of my knee. (My knee had started to make me limp but not severely enough to require pain medication.) I had Both x-rays done the following day, December 13th. I was at the Radiography clinic for a total of 35 minutes for both x-rays (which includes an IV infusion for the CT scan)! I saw my GP on December 19th and he referred me to a visiting orthopaedic surgeon for a total knee replacement. I saw the specialist on January 12th, 2024, and I decided to use my private health insurance for the operation. The surgeon simply told me to let him know a few weeks in advance as to when I want to have the surgery...
Yes Kaitlyn, you are right about the, I guess you could say FRIENDLY, rivalry between NSW and VIC but as a New South Welshman you have to also include QLDer’s in this rivalry. 😂😂😂😂
(Natralia eczema and psoriasis cream )we found it in supermarket a few years ago ..my son went to doctors tryied everything..only natralia worked on really bad eczema a few days you could see improvements .few weeks masive improvement then gone....
There's a pretty good reason for my recommending people considering visiting The Atherton Tablelands, Far North Queensland hire a car. It's up a mountain range behind Cairns and public transport certainly leaves a lot to be desired. I just feel sorry for our tourists, especially those on working visas at the moment with all of current cyclone damage. With the working conditions and not being able to leave the area whenever they want to. It rained heavily for 5 days and we experienced a 20 hour power outage in the town where I live. In previous years I found out this town is a priority when it comes to the restoration of power to maintain the water supply in the area. Not long after the electricity was restored a family friend dropped in for a quick visit. He told us that in the outlying area with just a few homes and a couple of businesses they didn't have running water or electricity. But you won't hear the locals complaining due to what a mess Cairns is in at the moment. The main problem is the food supply network. I'm starting another comment.
Vegemite behind the ears, I'm writing that one down. We don't have many drop bears around here but the ones we do have can bite straight through car tyres. I left out ride on mower outside one night and all that was left in the morning was one wheel, the front axle and the steering wheel.
You can go to private hospitals if you want, they’re just not all free for uninsured patients (some do see some patients under Medicare). Depends on the specialists. They often have 3 days a week in the public system and another 2 for private patients. If you want to pick it might be a week or two for a specialist, if you want it completely free it might be two months.
It is a requirement for being allowed to live in Sydney that you diss Melbourne. You meet the requirements for staying here. Well done. Waiting times is a product of the number of specialists, which I believe is controlled by the specialist "colleges" (medical specialist trade unions). If they admitted more doctors as specialists, the waiting time would go down -- and so might their fees ... and income. See the problem? Snakes are less scary than meeting grizzly bears, mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, etc. Why do North Americans worry about Australia's dangerous animals? They have their own scary critters.
Those colleges don't put a cap on the number of applicants. That's all the government and immigration. I work for one of those colleges and is not or job to limit the number of doctors who come in
On survival in the Australian wilderness, I feel that it is significant that a lot of the general advice centres on simply checking before you sit down, watching where you walk, and so on.
@@KindaAustralianThe relevant medical fields governing bodies put a limit on accreditation for the doctors to become specialist, next time you see a specialist ask them about all the hurdles P.s A belated Merry Xmas
The thing about long travel times engendered a joke, and the original I heard was a comparison between Europe and the US. It goes something like... in Europe, a person can live in one country, work in a other, and duck over into a third to pick up some special groceries after work. In the USA, people can drive for nine hours and and be in the same state. My addition to this? In the right place, an Aussie could drive for nine days and be in the same state (north to south in WA). Certainly a nine hour drive is a fast trip between Brisbane and Sydney (Mum managed to drive that trip in 9.5, overnight, once in the 90s, when... I think it was once time Noddy had a medical emergency).
Only after the last couple of years I've been in an out of hospital probably six or eight times hasn't cost me a cent. I don't know if this is because Melbourne is different, but most GPs have bulk billing. I don't know what it's like in Sydney, but I can certainly say that in Melbourne the healthcare is great.
I'm in Adelaide and had multiple open heart surgeries and it really didn't cost me a cent, then again it invalidated my driving licence so I wasn't able to work, money got incredibly tight. Dentists are expensive here in Australia
I have been on walking trails many times since I moved here in 1972 never seen a snake while on a bush walk. Once on the Beef Rd Outback inland between Rockhampton and McKay crossing the rd.
As for specialists, if you need really urgent treatment you go to the ER. If you just need a check up etc with a specialist you make make your next appointment as you leave the first one. But dont forget you need referrals from your GP.
i am an Australian born and raised here in New South Wales, I've lived in the smallest of country towns and gone to school where all they had were two demountable rooms grades 1 to 3 in one room and grades 4 to 6 in another room because there were so few children in the town I was in the same classroom/demountable as my brother. I've also lived in Sydney on and off for many years as well in different areas of Sydney from northern to western Sydney, so I can say having lived in Australia all my life it makes me lol to hear someone who has lived in Australia for less then 2 years critic Australia
The problem with the health care system is that all Australian politicians prefer to spend money on getting re-elected rather than important infrastructure and services. Add the amazingly short memory we have when voting and you have Australia. It’s a great country for all our faults and no place is perfect.
Politicians are have always been in the business of getting re-elected and will do anything to make this happen. As a result, most of them are averse to tackling important but contentious issues like health care, disability rights, asylum seekers and refugees, climate change, environment, affordable housing, homelessness, putting an end to live animal exports, to phasing out fossil fuels, to protecting our flora and fauna from greedy property developers and mining companies...the list goes on. Admittedly they are all complex issues but most politicians are spinless b*st*rds and will never do anything if it means losing votes.
The flood issues come from the way rainwater flows across Australia. The southern states can’t get water without flooding in Queensland and Northern NSW.
He doesn't hate Perth. He is amazed that one can fly from London to Alicante in Spain in a couple of hours yet you would not be half way to Sydney in that time. I have fond memories of a business exhibition in Canberra. Fellow demonstrators new to Australia. Loaded their car one morning in Perth and set off. Around midday on day 2 they were pulled up for speeding near Norseman. Officer said where are you from - they said Western Australia - he said you're still there you silly buggers. Two shocks the word not used in UK in this situation plus they were nowhere near Canberra. That was still a couple of days away.
My Australian partner takes long showers and leaves the tap running when he brushes his teeth. I’m considering sending him to a country more suited to his water wasting needs, like the UK.
That is dreadful. Many areas of rural Australia rely on tank or bore water. Even nowadays rural dwellers usually are very fickle with water usage, taking short showers with a bucket in the shower to collect excess water for their veggie plot, limiting water to wash dishes and even travelling to nearby towns to use a laundromat. Once during a drought in Australia I visited New Zealand where one poor schoolgirl got a desperate plea from me to please, please turn the tap off while she was cleaning her teeth. It was the days before "Karens" and I did try to explain to her how important water conservation is for us all.
@@eddykate3700 I was one of those rural dwellers. Town water but a bucket in the shower for (short) showers, a tank for extra water, shade cloth so the plants didn’t dry up. I know I’m making fun of my partner but he’s not alone among city dwellers. The “let’s let the hose run for a couple of hours” thing at children’s birthday parties is insane.
Caitlin Sydney's water restrictions apply for 8 am till 7 at night in Summer and 9 till 6 in Winter . So many people think that there is no restrictions and get fined in excess if $400 each time .
I had a baby brown snake in my kitchen in suburban Sydney…the cat brought it in through the cat flap and let it go. A chat with the neighbours prompted them to clear up the unkempt area at the back of their block and we never saw another one after that.
@@rainbows_trees_clouds_dais1766 Yeah, I’ve seen heaps of snakes here, mostly carpet pythons but also Eastern Browns, Red-Bellied Blacks, Whip Snakes, Crown Snakes and Green Tree Snakes. Besides a brown snake getting under the fridge once, I’m always happy to see them.
I’m from Perth. In two days I’ll be going on a prospecting trip, on my own, around 7 hours from Perth. I will consider myself unfortunate if there is another human within a 50 km radius. That’s why I’m glad to be Westralian.
Dental is excluded from Medicare. 1978 I was a Dental Student. Dean Noel MARTIN compared England's NHS Dental set up was not economically viable due to Human {greed) Nature. Apparently in UK, each person was "entitled" to say 5 fillings plus two crowns. Thus why would you NOT get your 5 fillings and two crowns per year? Since in Australia you pay for each procedure, most people will get only essential work completed. Crowns are expensive. Unless you really need a Crown which is desructive on the tooth, wait until you need one. {Bad Dad Joke} Look at Prince Charles for 75 years. Now he waited 75 years to get his first Crown. He hasn't even got his face on the UK money. Now that he is King he doesn't need a Drivers Licence because he "issues" all driving licences.
Health cover - don't forget that temporary migrants must pay a significant price for the compulsory private health cover (as they are ineligible for publicly funded Medicare). Ambulance insurance - need - varies state by state. Spouse Visas just sit around for 3 years - meaning, several bridging visas come and go...
re water use: "conscious" not "conscientious". Also, new arrivals and visitors should watch a mandatory video about surviving in remote areas or bushland. e.g. [at least!] insuring your spare tire is inflated and you have adequate water for your trip, and tell someone where you expect to be in 1-2 days. Walking groups have become lost walking in bushland less than 2 hours west of Sydney and once a cyclist crashed his bike over a steep embankment and broke his leg 7km from Sydney CBD and it took him 5 days to crawl to where he could be found!!
Personally, I'm definitely an outgoing person with a sincere interest people in general. My Grandma was incredible at reading people despite her somewhat shy quiet nature. Give her a few minutes and her warm, cuddly personality would start coming out. I was a shy little girl when it came to places where I really didn't know a lot of people. I've inherited her ability to read people and her people skills. But I've come a long way, my shyness only comes out occasionally now. If I know one or two people in a social setting, I'll be out there meeting new people. I have many various interests in life, so I can usually find some common ground with a wide variety of people. I'll definitely say hello to or stop and have a conversation with strangers. One of the mother's of an old friend of mine from when I was a teenager, recently told my sister that I have a magnetic personality and just seem to draw people to me. It's not uncommon for people to start telling intimate details of their lives after hanging out with me for a while. Personally, I'm an open book, but I'm great at keeping other people's secrets. Wherever I go I seem to at least leave good impressions or find people who want to be my friend. I visited one of my sisters last year and a friend of hers said the following to me the night before I was leaving. Mind you I'd only hung out with her for few minutes the first time we met. But she said "So you're leaving? When do you think you'll be back here again?" It was definitely sad when my Facebook account was recently hacked, it was fun catching up with the friends I've made over the years. Once you've made friends with me you've got one for life. You'd have deliberately set out hurt me to damage you're friendship with me. Even then if I received a sincere apology, I'd eventually be your friend again.
I lived in the US for many years, our Medicare system is head a shoulder above the US system. My husband passed away in the US, he was American he didn't have insurance, 2011 I got a hospital bill for $167,000. Because he didn't have insurance he didn't qualify for a liver transplant. In Australia if you have something that is urgent you won't wait for care.
Aussie here...... I have never waited more than 4wks for either gp or specialist,faster when more urgent. I have cardiac,sight & diabetic hastles.Never been a drama.
Really glad for you. I currently can’t get a GP as I’m too complicated for them (their words). Most specialists I need are around 3-9 months wait with an out of pocket cost of $200-$400. Plus all the medications and I’m on a concession card. So it’s always a blessing when you have fully understood and treatable illness stay blessed! Realise others might not be so much so you can enjoy your blessings more 😊 stay healthy from the work you’ve done to get there.
@@Telle875 Try telling the medics you can't afford it (all of it is then inferred !) I've always told any of them "ain't got no munni hunni "! ! If things are serious then they will open doors,well,at least that's what happened with me. Resident of mid north coast of NSW,Oz........
@@Telle875 agreed. Do you live outside of a Capital City? I think that's when you get the huge wait times. Children waiting for educational assessments (diagnosis) is well over a year everywhere. I have a friend who is waiting for her son to see a pedatrician aa the final part of her son's assessment.... And it's a nightmare. He's had a formal diagnosis from child psychologist; however they need a pedatrician to sign off on it. The psychologist assessment was about 8mths, and the pedatrician is about 12mths..... both private/pay $$$$ (not to be mistaken by long public wait times). She's in Lennox Heads, and has to do everything at the Gold Coast. I think she had 3 hour round trip in the car for weekly appointments at one stage.
Being a mate you can get called on 24/7 for all kinds of strange jobs. Towing trailers or cars out of ditches to rescuing boats. All part of being a mate. I expect it when I need it as well. A bit rough when they come over to help and the hand goes straight into the esky. Oh well it is time for a beer.
I know you have been to Perth, but has Mark been to Perth. Both of you should take a trip and have a good look around the suburbs both north and south, you may be very, very surprised.
Most people living in Australia have access to Medicare, you can choose to add private health insurance to it. Medicare takes care of most medical care needs, yes it can be a bit slow. If you you've added PHI to the mix you can fast tracked if needs be. That's what I've done, since 2015 ive had 5 cancer treatments, cost to me nothing. Conservative governments try to gut Medicare and turn it into the American system, I have no idea why
Hi Katlin talking about our health services just before I saw your video I went to see my doctor and he rang to get me an ultra sound asap and within an hour I saw my doctor and had an ultrasound and paid nothing out of pocket
Indeed, Vegemite behind your ears can reduce the risk of DropBear attack, but it in no way works when trying to escape the deadly Kangawallafox that strikes at the most inopportune times.
The clinic I go to has an online booking service so I can book the doctor i want - I have that I see for heart and skin cancers bad a different doctor for other things.
Caitlin, with the new Labor government, the Medicare system is improving now. The last government had an undeclared policy of running the Medicare system down. This was to keep financial support from big business, who were trying to get control over the medical system, as it has in the US.
I expect a long wait to see specialists, or surgery. I treat it the same as I do travel. It takes a while. Recently, acute abdominal pain had me call an ambulance. A badly infected appendix was removed, I spent 6 days on intravenous antibiotics, was sent home in an ambulance, with sufficient medication. Well treated, and lucky enough to have a single room. Total out of pocket expense? Zilch. 😀🇦🇺
Love your videos which are usually very enlightening, however in this one there was a puzzling reference to rivalry between Perth and Melbourne. I am a very mature age and have NEVER heard or read of this, Perth pop. 2.3m and Melbourne 5.3 are completely different cities and on opposite sides of the country and the weather pattern is quite different for each place as are their economies. There has always been friendly banter between Melbourne and Sydney, cities of a similar size but rivalry between Melbourne and Perth? I am still scratching my head.
From what I remember before Medicare (Medibank, prior) there was a lot of resistance, and getting it through they had to compromise, hence dental wasn't covered.
Re: Perth vs Melbourne. I’ve heard of Melbourne, isn’t it an island between Greece and Turkey. Sydney is between Somalia and Syria. Hence here in Perth we’re not interested
As I live in Adelaide, South Australia, I don't have the problems that people who live in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane do with health care. The longest waiting time to see a specialist was 2 months, but it wasn't an emergency for the times I needed to see a specialist in an emergency it was the same day or the next day. Adelaide has an excellent public transport system. Were I live I can catch a bus from the outer suburbs to the city centre using a guided busway that takes around 15 minutes but by car it takes 45 minutes to an hour depending on the time of day. Every Australian state is basically a different country and every capital city has both its own unique advantages and disadvantages. South Australia is the driest state in the driest country on earth, but water restrictions are actually very rare and after we got a water desalinisation plant, we don't need to worry about conservation of water. Climate change has also completely changed the weather patterns so we are now receiving more rain per month than we used to get per year, so soon we will lose the title of the driest state in the driest country if we already haven't. When I see what people from other countries have to deal with, it just makes me feel very lucky to have been born in Australia. Currently I am on a disability pension and receive around $600 per week and I rent a 3 bedroom house on a quarter acre block a 2 minute walk from a major shopping centre and public transport hub so I don't have my own transport. My rent is $250 per week and my bills are, water around $120, electricity $300 and gas $150 per quarter. I also receive subsidies on my rent and utilities as part of my pension, so I actually pay less. I also receive a reduced rate for public transport, so for around $1.50, I get 2 hours of travel, which is more than enough to get anywhere in Adelaide. Australia is not perfect but it is a safer, more relaxed place to live than the majority of other countries. It is a national news story if a house gets shot, so yes, gun control laws do lower the crime rate, sorry Americans. Remember to have fun because life is too short to take it seriously.
Although you make some valid points about the creeping privatisation of health care system. The new federal govt is increasing medicare funding and incouraging additional bulk billing. The previous conservative government. ran it down to the ground. However I have always get an specialist appointment within 3 weeks at most. I can also get a bulk billed appointment with my GP the next day at the latest and have always been able to get into a free public hospital virtually straight away when necessary. With the amount of rail maintenance happening nowdays is just the necessary catchup after 12 years of under funding for public transport by the Coalition government.
Goodness, where do you live? Finding a GP who bulk bills everyone is virtually impossible around here, although we do have walk in Urgent Care clinics that bulk bill. With specialists it depends on the specialty how long it will take to get in, some specialties can take months and months to get into while others are relatively quick. Unfortunately it’s usually quicker to get into the ones who aren’t as good.
Bulk billing is rapidly disappearing. Since payroll tax has been backdated 5 years for medical practices (which didn't have to pay it before) practices are opting out of bulk billing or requesting a co payment
My wife’s TR visa took 14 months to get approved. And then once she arrived in Australia it took another year and a half for her PR visa to be granted.
Our Federal Government needs to fix Medicare, they've been underfunding it for over a decade. Overall I've been lucky and not had to wait too long for a specialist once I've found one that I'm happy with. I rejected the first specialist recommended by my GP because the reviews were terrible.
On average, the PR process takes from about 6 months to 1 year, depending on the type of skilled visa you have applied for. First, you get an invitation call to apply for a skilled nominated visa, depending on your PR score. And by the way i hope you had a nice Christmas 😃
I am an Australian who gave up residency for tax reasons while living in Europe for 33 years. I was required to go through a two year process and not allowed to work during that time.
Hi Caitlin. Glad you enjoy Australia. However, I think you should try regional Australia. IMO Sydney is VERY over rated and the most expensive city in our wonderful country.
Honestly, the processing of visa here in Australia is faster than in US specially skilled migration program . It's only bit slow lately because of the back jobs from COVID time.
on the crocodiles it all depends on where you are in the country if your in the top part of North QLD. N.T. and top part of western Australia in croc territory then you might be hunted but again there are ways to avoid that which is never stand to close to the water as crocs wont want to use more energy then necessary, never go to the waters edge at the same time daily while camping and never go to the same spot as crocs will keep all that info in mind and figure out when best to attack you at, so always mix that up to confuse to croc, but when in croc territory always keep in mind that just becoz you dont see one doesnt mean there isnt 5 or more around and if you manage to see one there is prob 5 or more you dont see at all, but in sydney there is no chance of meeting a croc lol but agreed CROCS wont actively go hunting you down as there opportunistic predators
Medicare was like NDIS, (National Disability Insurance Scheme) when it started. Potential demand poorly researched, a highly bureaucratic and complicated billing system. Because demand was poorly researched, or possibly politically ignored, costs of Medicare kept rising. So then we have round after round of politically motivated demands for 'finding efficiencies. Which means looming for ways to reduce government funding. This ongoing process is watched with some interest by the American for-profit medical and health services, who see Australia as a potentially lucrative market to move into. My advice, vote out any politicians who make noises about finding efficiencies in our health care.
I'm lucky I still have a bulk billing GP. And I noticed (at least in SE Qld) that some clinic were sending out text msgs recently to say they'd resume bulk billing in light of the rebate increase from the Fed Gov. But more need to go back to bulk billing at least for pensioners, they wanted an increase and they got it, so they need to do the right thing by those most in need. And yes the fed gov needs to do more or undo the erosion by the previous successive conservative governments. I agree that dental should be covered more widely. There are free dental clinic but of course there's wait times unless it's an emergency and you go early in the morning with a toothache. But really they need to work with private dentists and work out a rebate scheme that can at least give subsidised dental care. Ambulance in Qld is covered by the state government. Even if you need one whilst visiting another state, you will be covered. All state governments should do this. Though from what I understand the yearly Ambulance fund fee is not much. (less than $100) The friendship circle thing is probably more of a Sydney thing (and Melbourne). I noticed that myself when I moved there many years ago, took me ages to establish a genuine friend group. Sydney is very diverse and transient city so that makes it harder too. I think that's true of big cities everywhere in the world. Moving back to South east Qld a couple of years ago I noticed a difference. People are welcoming, friendly and happy to offer help without asking, people will invite you to join activities or for a cuppa etc, it feels more community spirit based.
GPs aren't readily available in country areas or even in the Blue Mountains where I live and for those in remote areas, access to medical care is difficult. Almost impossible to get onto the books of a GP here in the Blue Mountains - they have all closed their books. Darwin isn't a low rainfall city!
Remote areas of Australia are covered by RFDS, not only by their aeromedical services but also by their road services and mobile clinics including mobile dental clinics. Which are free to the patient.
My ex-wife was Chinese. I managed to get visas for her son and mother. It is a slow and cumbersome process . Truly frustrating. And repeated calls/inquiry don't help.
Yes I agree. Thanks to both political parties and a host of other issues our health system is getting more and more troubled. But just recently in June I experienced a health problem and apart from an initial fee of about 50AUD follow up visits and a host of blood and urine tests, even an MRI test, were all bulk billed-in free. Deeply thankful for Medicare. Even stressed it's still working
@@graemedd It’s usually when I go bushwalking I encounter leeches. Flies hassle me during the summer months and mozzies usually feed on me whilst I’m sleeping.
His channel [@ThatJohnstonLife] relates to those poor unfortunate "Prisoners of Millbank" [POM] {Prison}, that are being transported to our colony... and not to our American imports....
I have no issue paying for Medicare sadly people come here for Medicare freebies after COVID having to pay for the doctor absolutely sucks ….. I got a private Professor for Crohn’s disease he said he would accept Medicare I never ever paid too see him . And private hospital do see a public patient you just got to know a great GP who actually cares ❤
Where in Philly were you from? My mom grew up in Chester but I'm hearing a hint of a southern accent which is throwing me off....cause I'm also thinking you may have spent some time in the PA dutch area? Or in the south....
Darwin is tropical. No droughts there... California and lots of other US states have droughts. Transport is a vexed issue. Comapring rural transport in Australia to a a country in Europe with the area of Tasmania and the combined population of Sydney and Melbourne just doesn't work. I'm sure public transport in the less populous US states is not great outside cities. And to be honest public transport in rural Scotland isn't fantastic...
You could not be more wrong about the mateship fading it's as strong today as it ever was I think you may still have too much american idea of what mateship is still with you america iss all about me me me get out of my way or I'll step on uou attitude which is an eternity away from mateship I can say that confidently
Ah yes! The notorious Sydney weekend track work.Has been going on for at least the last 20 years.Should be done and dusted just in time to commemorate Christ's second coming. At my local train station during track work periods, the train replacement bus-stop is a nice 10-15 minute walk from the train station uphill all the way.
@@belleriffraff nah,I thought your mum queefed out new rail lines.I have no problem trekking for 2 1/2 hours..I have a problem with City Rail putting bustops, half a kilometer from the train station.
I think you feel like mateship is dead/dying because you’re in a big city. I didn’t like Sydney at all when i went, too busy fast paced and full of rude people. Come up to Brissie or the sunny coast in QLD. Everyone super friendly and kind because slower pace of life and more chilled climate.
"Just make new friends. You won't be rejected." I can only speak for Adelaide. Here they are all a bunch of clique snobs. I've lived here all my life and unless you (or a mutual friend) went to the same school as them, they don't wanna know you. I know someone who came from Sydney 4 years ago. At first, people are friendly to her and then they ask what school she went to. The moment she says she's from Sydney, their big wall goes up. It's a real shame. She's a beautiful person if people would just give her a chance. So that guy could not be more wrong. Making friends here is near impossible, and you ABSOLUTELY WILL be rejected!! Long-term, i want to move interstate. If anyone knows which capital city has more friendly people, please tell me.
Gen Z & the younger generations are selfish and self absorbed that's why Mateship isn't as common . The biggest problem is that Mobile phones have taken away the communication skills of younger people and the ability to interact effectively with each other . It's the older Australians who have to show them how to act b4 they understand their fear of missing out FOMO isn't normal . Kids get taught by their parents that it's ok to whine when they don't get their way . At 58 we know that b4 mobile phones we had it good . It's these kids nowadays who have no idea of a true childhood as we knew it .
Why don't you people that advertise Australia tell people what they should be wearing long shirt long trousers where socks and good covered boots and where a hat and if they happen to see a snake or they gotta do is stand still or throw something over the top of them like a jumper or a towel if they a jacket over the snake the snake will stay under the jacket and if they happen to be going out in the bush for a long period of time they should take a bandage that they can wrap around their legs just in case I do get bitten by a snake or a spider because it might save their life buy a slowing the poison down if I get bitten by a snake or spider or any other insect like an ant
Medicare has needed a complete overhaul for years, but govts don't have the will and/or spine to do it. As for visas, let's hope that 2024 brings you a permanent one!
In NY you can see specialists right away. No real wait time at all. Plus most employers have dental and vision coverage. In Australia some procedures are not even available yet. As reporters on Australian news a guy recently had to leave Australia first America to get certain cancer treatments not available in Australia. So health insurance is different than health care.
Dear Caitlin the reason why Sydney Trains always carry out rail maintenance on the weekends is that in 1977 we had a horrific rail disaster at Granville. The rail network had been run down by the conservative government. The incoming Labour government said, " this will never happen again", so ever since rail maintenance happens every weekend somewhere on the network with over 800 km of track and 170 stations that have to be maintained.
Word. Granville is before my time, but I know it was a big event.
I remember it very clearly, I was thirteen at the time.
@@JohnLee-pt5jzl remember it too 😢
Granville was a terrible event. I was in my mid twenties, we were glued to the radio all day hoping they could rescue as many as possible and then watched the heartbreaking footage on the evening news. There is an excellent documentary about it here on RUclips.
The three big transport infrastructure disasters of the 1970's, that being the Westgate Bridge collapse in Melbourne, the Tasman Bridge disaster in Hobart, and the Granville train disaster in Sydney.
Important moments in history with many lives lost. The lessons learned must never be forgotten.
100% correct about the wildlife! I’m so tired of the attitude of “everything in Australia is trying to kill you”. Thank you, Caitlyn. Love your channel!
Yea horses are involved in more deaths than all the wild animals combined.
- ha ha it's all usually for a laugh (until you pocket a cute tiny octopus... yep, deadly)
@@kadmow yeah I was fortunate to stop a seven year old boy from picking up a blue ringed occy!
Beware of the dangerous chooks!
I’m in Adelaide. I recently had to rely on public transport after eye surgery. I was pleasantly surprised. Excellent service. Reliable, clean, safe with helpful and friendly drivers.
I agree.
What time of day/night was that trip? I agree with most claims .... except safe. Getting worse everywhere.
@@graemedd travelled all times, even after dark. Had to do it for 6 months. Not one single problem with safety. I was new to public transport so needed help and advice. Everyone was very nice.
The Tram is excellent
In Perth we haven't had a decent drop of rain for months and can only water twice a week and another desalination plant is being built. That's a Australia, "a land of droughts and flooding rains".
.... and bushfires!
3 months later and still no rain (except for Joondalup who got flooded... kind of jealous)
Yeah this one is hard for people to understand. In comparison to other continents Australia has no mountains. NZ has higher mountains than Australia. The US has an incredible supply of water from snow melt. Australia has a huge area but a tiny amount of snow in comparison to other continents. No mountains, no water.
Kaitlyn, living in the Western Suburbs you should vlog the great things found in Western Sydney. The foothills and Blue Mountains, the history of Parramatta, Camden and Blacktown, and the really amazing parks where people can interact with native animals.
Our Neighborhood has bulk immigrant families, and none can understand why I get depressed about Christmas time because cars no longer have hubcaps. They will never know the joy of having over a kilogram of prawn heads, the disappointment of having nowhere to deposit them for maximum impact. A uniquely Aussie personal paradox. Cheers.
Growing up on the beach we'd just throw the shells there for the seagulls. Dad fancies himself an amateur photographer so he'd get the camera out and capture the frenzy.
On December 12th 2023 my GP ordered a CT scan of my abdomen and an Xray of my knee. (My knee had started to make me limp but not severely enough to require pain medication.) I had Both x-rays done the following day, December 13th. I was at the Radiography clinic for a total of 35 minutes for both x-rays (which includes an IV infusion for the CT scan)! I saw my GP on December 19th and he referred me to a visiting orthopaedic surgeon for a total knee replacement. I saw the specialist on January 12th, 2024, and I decided to use my private health insurance for the operation. The surgeon simply told me to let him know a few weeks in advance as to when I want to have the surgery...
Yes Kaitlyn, you are right about the, I guess you could say FRIENDLY, rivalry between NSW and VIC but as a New South Welshman you have to also include QLDer’s in this rivalry. 😂😂😂😂
You're definitely the most informed and intelligent yank Sheila I've ever known now.
(Natralia eczema and psoriasis cream )we found it in supermarket a few years ago ..my son went to doctors tryied everything..only natralia worked on really bad eczema a few days you could see improvements .few weeks masive improvement then gone....
Adelaide has pretty good public transport. Especially now there's free transport any time of the day for us oldies.
There's a pretty good reason for my recommending people considering visiting The Atherton Tablelands, Far North Queensland hire a car. It's up a mountain range behind Cairns and public transport certainly leaves a lot to be desired. I just feel sorry for our tourists, especially those on working visas at the moment with all of current cyclone damage. With the working conditions and not being able to leave the area whenever they want to. It rained heavily for 5 days and we experienced a 20 hour power outage in the town where I live. In previous years I found out this town is a priority when it comes to the restoration of power to maintain the water supply in the area. Not long after the electricity was restored a family friend dropped in for a quick visit. He told us that in the outlying area with just a few homes and a couple of businesses they didn't have running water or electricity. But you won't hear the locals complaining due to what a mess Cairns is in at the moment. The main problem is the food supply network. I'm starting another comment.
Vegemite behind the ears, I'm writing that one down. We don't have many drop bears around here but the ones we do have can bite straight through car tyres. I left out ride on mower outside one night and all that was left in the morning was one wheel, the front axle and the steering wheel.
You can go to private hospitals if you want, they’re just not all free for uninsured patients (some do see some patients under Medicare). Depends on the specialists. They often have 3 days a week in the public system and another 2 for private patients. If you want to pick it might be a week or two for a specialist, if you want it completely free it might be two months.
It is a requirement for being allowed to live in Sydney that you diss Melbourne. You meet the requirements for staying here. Well done.
Waiting times is a product of the number of specialists, which I believe is controlled by the specialist "colleges" (medical specialist trade unions). If they admitted more doctors as specialists, the waiting time would go down -- and so might their fees ... and income. See the problem?
Snakes are less scary than meeting grizzly bears, mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, etc. Why do North Americans worry about Australia's dangerous animals? They have their own scary critters.
Those colleges don't put a cap on the number of applicants. That's all the government and immigration. I work for one of those colleges and is not or job to limit the number of doctors who come in
On survival in the Australian wilderness, I feel that it is significant that a lot of the general advice centres on simply checking before you sit down, watching where you walk, and so on.
@@KindaAustralianThe relevant medical fields governing bodies put a limit on accreditation for the doctors to become specialist, next time you see a specialist ask them about all the hurdles
P.s A belated Merry Xmas
The thing about long travel times engendered a joke, and the original I heard was a comparison between Europe and the US. It goes something like... in Europe, a person can live in one country, work in a other, and duck over into a third to pick up some special groceries after work. In the USA, people can drive for nine hours and and be in the same state. My addition to this? In the right place, an Aussie could drive for nine days and be in the same state (north to south in WA). Certainly a nine hour drive is a fast trip between Brisbane and Sydney (Mum managed to drive that trip in 9.5, overnight, once in the 90s, when... I think it was once time Noddy had a medical emergency).
Only after the last couple of years I've been in an out of hospital probably six or eight times hasn't cost me a cent. I don't know if this is because Melbourne is different, but most GPs have bulk billing. I don't know what it's like in Sydney, but I can certainly say that in Melbourne the healthcare is great.
I'm in Adelaide and had multiple open heart surgeries and it really didn't cost me a cent, then again it invalidated my driving licence so I wasn't able to work, money got incredibly tight. Dentists are expensive here in Australia
I have been on walking trails many times since I moved here in 1972 never seen a snake while on a bush walk.
Once on the Beef Rd Outback inland between Rockhampton and McKay crossing the rd.
Sydney has the amazing harbor, Pittwater inlet, northern and southern beaches, Blue Mountains, national parks etc.
As for specialists, if you need really urgent treatment you go to the ER. If you just need a check up etc with a specialist you make make your next appointment as you leave the first one. But dont forget you need referrals from your GP.
i am an Australian born and raised here in New South Wales, I've lived in the smallest of country towns and gone to school where all they had were two demountable rooms grades 1 to 3 in one room and grades 4 to 6 in another room because there were so few children in the town I was in the same classroom/demountable as my brother.
I've also lived in Sydney on and off for many years as well in different areas of Sydney from northern to western Sydney, so I can say having lived in Australia all my life it makes me lol to hear someone who has lived in Australia for less then 2 years critic Australia
The problem with the health care system is that all Australian politicians prefer to spend money on getting re-elected rather than important infrastructure and services. Add the amazingly short memory we have when voting and you have Australia. It’s a great country for all our faults and no place is perfect.
Politicians are have always been in the business of getting re-elected and will do anything to make this happen. As a result, most of them are averse to tackling important but contentious issues like health care, disability rights, asylum seekers and refugees, climate change, environment, affordable housing, homelessness, putting an end to live animal exports, to phasing out fossil fuels, to protecting our flora and fauna from greedy property developers and mining companies...the list goes on. Admittedly they are all complex issues but most politicians are spinless b*st*rds and will never do anything if it means losing votes.
The flood issues come from the way rainwater flows across Australia. The southern states can’t get water without flooding in Queensland and Northern NSW.
He doesn't hate Perth. He is amazed that one can fly from London to Alicante in Spain in a couple of hours yet you would not be half way to Sydney in that time. I have fond memories of a business exhibition in Canberra. Fellow demonstrators new to Australia. Loaded their car one morning in Perth and set off. Around midday on day 2 they were pulled up for speeding near Norseman. Officer said where are you from - they said Western Australia - he said you're still there you silly buggers. Two shocks the word not used in UK in this situation plus they were nowhere near Canberra. That was still a couple of days away.
My Australian partner takes long showers and leaves the tap running when he brushes his teeth. I’m considering sending him to a country more suited to his water wasting needs, like the UK.
That is dreadful. Many areas of rural Australia rely on tank or bore water. Even nowadays rural dwellers usually are very fickle with water usage, taking short showers with a bucket in the shower to collect excess water for their veggie plot, limiting water to wash dishes and even travelling to nearby towns to use a laundromat. Once during a drought in Australia I visited New Zealand where one poor schoolgirl got a desperate plea from me to please, please turn the tap off while she was cleaning her teeth. It was the days before "Karens" and I did try to explain to her how important water conservation is for us all.
@@eddykate3700 I was one of those rural dwellers. Town water but a bucket in the shower for (short) showers, a tank for extra water, shade cloth so the plants didn’t dry up. I know I’m making fun of my partner but he’s not alone among city dwellers. The “let’s let the hose run for a couple of hours” thing at children’s birthday parties is insane.
Caitlin Sydney's water restrictions apply for 8 am till 7 at night in Summer and 9 till 6 in Winter . So many people think that there is no restrictions and get fined in excess if $400 each time .
Regarding snakes I’m 63yo in my lifetime I’ve only seen one wild snake in the city area (both Darwin and Alice Springs) and that was only a python.
I had a baby brown snake in my kitchen in suburban Sydney…the cat brought it in through the cat flap and let it go. A chat with the neighbours prompted them to clear up the unkempt area at the back of their block and we never saw another one after that.
We have lots of snakes in Qld.
@@rainbows_trees_clouds_dais1766 Yeah, I’ve seen heaps of snakes here, mostly carpet pythons but also Eastern Browns, Red-Bellied Blacks, Whip Snakes, Crown Snakes and Green Tree Snakes. Besides a brown snake getting under the fridge once, I’m always happy to see them.
I’m from Perth.
In two days I’ll be going on a prospecting trip, on my own, around 7 hours from Perth.
I will consider myself unfortunate if there is another human within a 50 km radius.
That’s why I’m glad to be Westralian.
Dental is excluded from Medicare.
1978 I was a Dental Student. Dean Noel MARTIN compared England's NHS Dental set up was not economically viable due to Human {greed) Nature. Apparently in UK, each person was "entitled" to say 5 fillings plus two crowns. Thus why would you NOT get your 5 fillings and two crowns per year?
Since in Australia you pay for each procedure, most people will get only essential work completed. Crowns are expensive. Unless you really need a Crown which is desructive on the tooth, wait until you need one. {Bad Dad Joke} Look at Prince Charles for 75 years. Now he waited 75 years to get his first Crown. He hasn't even got his face on the UK money. Now that he is King he doesn't need a Drivers Licence because he "issues" all driving licences.
It has become a nightmare for pensioners. A filling is almost the equivalent of a weeks pension
Health cover - don't forget that temporary migrants must pay a significant price for the compulsory private health cover (as they are ineligible for publicly funded Medicare).
Ambulance insurance - need - varies state by state.
Spouse Visas just sit around for 3 years - meaning, several bridging visas come and go...
re water use: "conscious" not "conscientious". Also, new arrivals and visitors should watch a mandatory video about surviving in remote areas or bushland. e.g. [at least!] insuring your spare tire is inflated and you have adequate water for your trip, and tell someone where you expect to be in 1-2 days. Walking groups have become lost walking in bushland less than 2 hours west of Sydney and once a cyclist crashed his bike over a steep embankment and broke his leg 7km from Sydney CBD and it took him 5 days to crawl to where he could be found!!
Personally, I'm definitely an outgoing person with a sincere interest people in general. My Grandma was incredible at reading people despite her somewhat shy quiet nature. Give her a few minutes and her warm, cuddly personality would start coming out. I was a shy little girl when it came to places where I really didn't know a lot of people. I've inherited her ability to read people and her people skills. But I've come a long way, my shyness only comes out occasionally now. If I know one or two people in a social setting, I'll be out there meeting new people. I have many various interests in life, so I can usually find some common ground with a wide variety of people. I'll definitely say hello to or stop and have a conversation with strangers. One of the mother's of an old friend of mine from when I was a teenager, recently told my sister that I have a magnetic personality and just seem to draw people to me. It's not uncommon for people to start telling intimate details of their lives after hanging out with me for a while. Personally, I'm an open book, but I'm great at keeping other people's secrets. Wherever I go I seem to at least leave good impressions or find people who want to be my friend. I visited one of my sisters last year and a friend of hers said the following to me the night before I was leaving. Mind you I'd only hung out with her for few minutes the first time we met. But she said "So you're leaving? When do you think you'll be back here again?" It was definitely sad when my Facebook account was recently hacked, it was fun catching up with the friends I've made over the years. Once you've made friends with me you've got one for life. You'd have deliberately set out hurt me to damage you're friendship with me. Even then if I received a sincere apology, I'd eventually be your friend again.
I lived in the US for many years, our Medicare system is head a shoulder above the US system.
My husband passed away in the US, he was American he didn't have insurance, 2011 I got a hospital bill for $167,000.
Because he didn't have insurance he didn't qualify for a liver transplant.
In Australia if you have something that is urgent you won't wait for care.
Aussie here...... I have never waited more than 4wks for either gp or specialist,faster when more urgent. I have cardiac,sight & diabetic hastles.Never been a drama.
I've been waiting on a specialist appointment from last September to the end of May, Vascular.
Gosh you're lucky. I live regional and it's quite common having to wait at least 5 months to see a private specialist.
Really glad for you. I currently can’t get a GP as I’m too complicated for them (their words). Most specialists I need are around 3-9 months wait with an out of pocket cost of $200-$400. Plus all the medications and I’m on a concession card. So it’s always a blessing when you have fully understood and treatable illness stay blessed! Realise others might not be so much so you can enjoy your blessings more 😊 stay healthy from the work you’ve done to get there.
@@Telle875 Try telling the medics you can't afford it (all of it is then inferred !) I've always told any of them "ain't got no munni hunni "! ! If things are serious then they will open doors,well,at least that's what happened with me. Resident of mid north coast of NSW,Oz........
@@Telle875 agreed. Do you live outside of a Capital City? I think that's when you get the huge wait times. Children waiting for educational assessments (diagnosis) is well over a year everywhere. I have a friend who is waiting for her son to see a pedatrician aa the final part of her son's assessment.... And it's a nightmare. He's had a formal diagnosis from child psychologist; however they need a pedatrician to sign off on it. The psychologist assessment was about 8mths, and the pedatrician is about 12mths..... both private/pay $$$$ (not to be mistaken by long public wait times). She's in Lennox Heads, and has to do everything at the Gold Coast. I think she had 3 hour round trip in the car for weekly appointments at one stage.
Being a mate you can get called on 24/7 for all kinds of strange jobs. Towing trailers or cars out of ditches to rescuing boats. All part of being a mate. I expect it when I need it as well. A bit rough when they come over to help and the hand goes straight into the esky. Oh well it is time for a beer.
I know you have been to Perth, but has Mark been to Perth. Both of you should take a trip and have a good look around the suburbs both north and south, you may be very, very surprised.
Most people living in Australia have access to Medicare, you can choose to add private health insurance to it. Medicare takes care of most medical care needs, yes it can be a bit slow. If you you've added PHI to the mix you can fast tracked if needs be. That's what I've done, since 2015 ive had 5 cancer treatments, cost to me nothing. Conservative governments try to gut Medicare and turn it into the American system, I have no idea why
Hi Katlin talking about our health services just before I saw your video I went to see my doctor and he rang to get me an ultra sound asap and within an hour I saw my doctor and had an ultrasound and paid nothing out of pocket
Indeed, Vegemite behind your ears can reduce the risk of DropBear attack, but it in no way works when trying to escape the deadly Kangawallafox that strikes at the most inopportune times.
The clinic I go to has an online booking service so I can book the doctor i want - I have that I see for heart and skin cancers bad a different doctor for other things.
In my wild erratic fancy visions come to me of Clancy
Gone a droving down the Cooper's where the western western drover's go.
Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.
Caitlin, with the new Labor government, the Medicare system is improving now. The last government had an undeclared policy of running the Medicare system down. This was to keep financial support from big business, who were trying to get control over the medical system, as it has in the US.
I expect a long wait to see specialists, or surgery. I treat it the same as I do travel. It takes a while. Recently, acute abdominal pain had me call an ambulance. A badly infected appendix was removed, I spent 6 days on intravenous antibiotics, was sent home in an ambulance, with sufficient medication. Well treated, and lucky enough to have a single room. Total out of pocket expense? Zilch. 😀🇦🇺
Love your videos which are usually very enlightening, however in this one there was a puzzling reference to rivalry between Perth and Melbourne. I am a very mature age and have NEVER heard or read of this, Perth pop. 2.3m and Melbourne 5.3 are completely different cities and on opposite sides of the country and the weather pattern is quite different for each place as are their economies. There has always been friendly banter between Melbourne and Sydney, cities of a similar size but rivalry between Melbourne and Perth? I am still scratching my head.
From what I remember before Medicare (Medibank, prior) there was a lot of resistance, and getting it through they had to compromise, hence dental wasn't covered.
I think the true rivalry is between Sydney and Melbourne. Think N.Y (Sydney)and Boston (Melbourne)
Re: Perth vs Melbourne. I’ve heard of Melbourne, isn’t it an island between Greece and Turkey.
Sydney is between Somalia and Syria.
Hence here in Perth we’re not interested
As I live in Adelaide, South Australia, I don't have the problems that people who live in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane do with health care. The longest waiting time to see a specialist was 2 months, but it wasn't an emergency for the times I needed to see a specialist in an emergency it was the same day or the next day. Adelaide has an excellent public transport system. Were I live I can catch a bus from the outer suburbs to the city centre using a guided busway that takes around 15 minutes but by car it takes 45 minutes to an hour depending on the time of day. Every Australian state is basically a different country and every capital city has both its own unique advantages and disadvantages. South Australia is the driest state in the driest country on earth, but water restrictions are actually very rare and after we got a water desalinisation plant, we don't need to worry about conservation of water. Climate change has also completely changed the weather patterns so we are now receiving more rain per month than we used to get per year, so soon we will lose the title of the driest state in the driest country if we already haven't. When I see what people from other countries have to deal with, it just makes me feel very lucky to have been born in Australia. Currently I am on a disability pension and receive around $600 per week and I rent a 3 bedroom house on a quarter acre block a 2 minute walk from a major shopping centre and public transport hub so I don't have my own transport. My rent is $250 per week and my bills are, water around $120, electricity $300 and gas $150 per quarter. I also receive subsidies on my rent and utilities as part of my pension, so I actually pay less. I also receive a reduced rate for public transport, so for around $1.50, I get 2 hours of travel, which is more than enough to get anywhere in Adelaide. Australia is not perfect but it is a safer, more relaxed place to live than the majority of other countries. It is a national news story if a house gets shot, so yes, gun control laws do lower the crime rate, sorry Americans. Remember to have fun because life is too short to take it seriously.
Although you make some valid points about the creeping privatisation of health care system. The new federal govt is increasing medicare funding and incouraging additional bulk billing. The previous conservative government. ran it down to the ground. However I have always get an specialist appointment within 3 weeks at most. I can also get a bulk billed appointment with my GP the next day at the latest and have always been able to get into a free public hospital virtually straight away when necessary. With the amount of rail maintenance happening nowdays is just the necessary catchup after 12 years of under funding for public transport by the Coalition government.
Goodness, where do you live? Finding a GP who bulk bills everyone is virtually impossible around here, although we do have walk in Urgent Care clinics that bulk bill. With specialists it depends on the specialty how long it will take to get in, some specialties can take months and months to get into while others are relatively quick. Unfortunately it’s usually quicker to get into the ones who aren’t as good.
Bulk billing is rapidly disappearing. Since payroll tax has been backdated 5 years for medical practices (which didn't have to pay it before) practices are opting out of bulk billing or requesting a co payment
My wife’s TR visa took 14 months to get approved. And then once she arrived in Australia it took another year and a half for her PR visa to be granted.
Hi Caitlin. Darwin buses run with long waits between buses but $3 maximum fare which lasts for 3 hours is OK.
Our Federal Government needs to fix Medicare, they've been underfunding it for over a decade. Overall I've been lucky and not had to wait too long for a specialist once I've found one that I'm happy with. I rejected the first specialist recommended by my GP because the reviews were terrible.
If only a government could make massive multinational companies pay their fair share of tax, we could fully fund Medicare.
The Newcastle Earthquake 14 people were killed thousands injured it was and still is Australias Deadliest earthquake in its history
On average, the PR process takes from about 6 months to 1 year, depending on the type of skilled visa you have applied for. First, you get an invitation call to apply for a skilled nominated visa, depending on your PR score. And by the way i hope you had a nice Christmas 😃
I am an Australian who gave up residency for tax reasons while living in Europe for 33 years. I was required to go through a two year process and not allowed to work during that time.
Hi Caitlin. Glad you enjoy Australia. However, I think you should try regional Australia. IMO Sydney is VERY over rated and the most expensive city in our wonderful country.
When Medicare was first introduced, dentists banded together and refused to sign on. That’s why dental isn’t covered by Medicare.
It's becoming a massive problem for pensioners.
Honestly, the processing of visa here in Australia is faster than in US specially skilled migration program . It's only bit slow lately because of the back jobs from COVID time.
on the crocodiles it all depends on where you are in the country if your in the top part of North QLD. N.T. and top part of western Australia in croc territory then you might be hunted but again there are ways to avoid that which is never stand to close to the water as crocs wont want to use more energy then necessary, never go to the waters edge at the same time daily while camping and never go to the same spot as crocs will keep all that info in mind and figure out when best to attack you at, so always mix that up to confuse to croc, but when in croc territory always keep in mind that just becoz you dont see one doesnt mean there isnt 5 or more around and if you manage to see one there is prob 5 or more you dont see at all, but in sydney there is no chance of meeting a croc lol but agreed CROCS wont actively go hunting you down as there opportunistic predators
You certainly need to be conscientious about being conscious of your surroundings. 🙂
Medicare was like NDIS, (National Disability Insurance Scheme) when it started. Potential demand poorly researched, a highly bureaucratic and complicated billing system. Because demand was poorly researched, or possibly politically ignored, costs of Medicare kept rising. So then we have round after round of politically motivated demands for 'finding efficiencies. Which means looming for ways to reduce government funding. This ongoing process is watched with some interest by the American for-profit medical and health services, who see Australia as a potentially lucrative market to move into. My advice, vote out any politicians who make noises about finding efficiencies in our health care.
I'm lucky I still have a bulk billing GP. And I noticed (at least in SE Qld) that some clinic were sending out text msgs recently to say they'd resume bulk billing in light of the rebate increase from the Fed Gov.
But more need to go back to bulk billing at least for pensioners, they wanted an increase and they got it, so they need to do the right thing by those most in need. And yes the fed gov needs to do more or undo the erosion by the previous successive conservative governments.
I agree that dental should be covered more widely. There are free dental clinic but of course there's wait times unless it's an emergency and you go early in the morning with a toothache.
But really they need to work with private dentists and work out a rebate scheme that can at least give subsidised dental care.
Ambulance in Qld is covered by the state government. Even if you need one whilst visiting another state, you will be covered. All state governments should do this. Though from what I understand the yearly Ambulance fund fee is not much. (less than $100)
The friendship circle thing is probably more of a Sydney thing (and Melbourne). I noticed that myself when I moved there many years ago, took me ages to establish a genuine friend group. Sydney is very diverse and transient city so that makes it harder too. I think that's true of big cities everywhere in the world.
Moving back to South east Qld a couple of years ago I noticed a difference. People are welcoming, friendly and happy to offer help without asking, people will invite you to join activities or for a cuppa etc, it feels more community spirit based.
Vegemite behind the ears 🤣🤣Yeh that'll stop them.
GPs aren't readily available in country areas or even in the Blue Mountains where I live and for those in remote areas, access to medical care is difficult. Almost impossible to get onto the books of a GP here in the Blue Mountains - they have all closed their books.
Darwin isn't a low rainfall city!
Remote areas of Australia are covered by RFDS, not only by their aeromedical services but also by their road services and mobile clinics including mobile dental clinics. Which are free to the patient.
let's face it Sydney is just another Northern suburb of Melbourne
No, Noosa is Melbourne's biggest outer suburb.
Isn’t Melbourne in Mexico?
Caitlin I love Perth
Perth is The Best place in the world, WA is the Economic Engine of the Country, And I am from South Australia
Hey!!!!! Sssshhhhhh! Keep a lid on it! 🤫
Perth rocks: no toll roads, no pokies, cheaper than the East coast, far away from the East coast 😂
Lol it's cheaper because you got nothing 😂😂😂@freeman10000
That may be so but you also got no decent coffee.
When you learn that your idea of Just Down the Road is at least 1 hour or more, not 15 min.
Unles you're in Tasmania, where 15 minutes down the road is A HELL OF A LONG WAY.
My ex-wife was Chinese. I managed to get visas for her son and mother. It is a slow and cumbersome process . Truly frustrating. And repeated calls/inquiry don't help.
My partner is Chinese, her visa took only month.
Yes I agree. Thanks to both political parties and a host of other issues our health system is getting more and more troubled.
But just recently in June I experienced a health problem and apart from an initial fee of about 50AUD follow up visits and a host of blood and urine tests, even an MRI test, were all bulk billed-in free.
Deeply thankful for Medicare.
Even stressed it's still working
If you work full time in Australia it's imperative that you have private health insurance..✌️
I find when I go bushwalking it’s the leeches that get me.
... and ticks, flies, mozzies, ....
@@graemedd It’s usually when I go bushwalking I encounter leeches. Flies hassle me during the summer months and mozzies usually feed on me whilst I’m sleeping.
His channel [@ThatJohnstonLife] relates to those poor unfortunate "Prisoners of Millbank" [POM] {Prison}, that are being transported to our colony... and not to our American imports....
i have to been to brisbane,sydney,adelaide amd melbourne but not perth i heard a lot of good things about
I’ve been to Perth and Hobart as well as the four biggest. They all have their good points while being different to each other.
Perth = micro Sydney with a dash of Melbourne kulcha
@@graemedd zen micro Sydney…it has a peaceful vibe that Sydney has lost as it grew so big.
I have no issue paying for Medicare sadly people come here for Medicare freebies after COVID having to pay for the doctor absolutely sucks ….. I got a private Professor for Crohn’s disease he said he would accept Medicare I never ever paid too see him . And private hospital do see a public patient you just got to know a great GP who actually cares ❤
Where in Philly were you from? My mom grew up in Chester but I'm hearing a hint of a southern accent which is throwing me off....cause I'm also thinking you may have spent some time in the PA dutch area? Or in the south....
Kaitlyn has been here a couple of years now, so maybe you're hearing a slight Aussie inflection? 🤔
Nope, northeast Philly born and raised 😊
Darwin is tropical. No droughts there... California and lots of other US states have droughts.
Transport is a vexed issue. Comapring rural transport in Australia to a a country in Europe with the area of Tasmania and the combined population of Sydney and Melbourne just doesn't work. I'm sure public transport in the less populous US states is not great outside cities.
And to be honest public transport in rural Scotland isn't fantastic...
You could not be more wrong about the mateship fading it's as strong today as it ever was I think you may still have too much american idea of what mateship is still with you america iss all about me me me get out of my way or I'll step on uou attitude which is an eternity away from mateship I can say that confidently
Perth rocks: no toll roads, no pokies, cheaper than the East coast, far away from the East coast 😂
No pokies 😳🙆♂️ [Crown Casino: "what, am I an effin JOKE to you, bro 🤬"]
Then way it going, you could be old and grey before you become Australian. That is if you do.
When is the last time you saw a snake?
You are soooooo ready for you PR visa…. (Vegemite gag)
Ah yes! The notorious Sydney weekend track work.Has been going on for at least the last 20 years.Should be done and dusted just in time to commemorate Christ's second coming. At my local train station during track work periods, the train replacement bus-stop is a nice 10-15 minute walk from the train station uphill all the way.
So sad you actually have to use your legs. The maintenance of the network IS essential, but you knew that right?
@@belleriffraff nah,I thought your mum queefed out new rail lines.I have no problem trekking for 2 1/2 hours..I have a problem with City Rail putting bustops, half a kilometer from the train station.
What not.
Bahahahaha.....the wait times are long because we have a skills shortage in most areas of specialized medicine, not because Medicare is underfunded.
I think you feel like mateship is dead/dying because you’re in a big city. I didn’t like Sydney at all when i went, too busy fast paced and full of rude people. Come up to Brissie or the sunny coast in QLD. Everyone super friendly and kind because slower pace of life and more chilled climate.
"Just make new friends. You won't be rejected." I can only speak for Adelaide.
Here they are all a bunch of clique snobs. I've lived here all my life and unless you (or a mutual friend) went to the same school as them, they don't wanna know you. I know someone who came from Sydney 4 years ago. At first, people are friendly to her and then they ask what school she went to. The moment she says she's from Sydney, their big wall goes up. It's a real shame. She's a beautiful person if people would just give her a chance.
So that guy could not be more wrong. Making friends here is near impossible, and you ABSOLUTELY WILL be rejected!!
Long-term, i want to move interstate. If anyone knows which capital city has more friendly people, please tell me.
Gen Z & the younger generations are selfish and self absorbed that's why Mateship isn't as common . The biggest problem is that Mobile phones have taken away the communication skills of younger people and the ability to interact effectively with each other . It's the older Australians who have to show them how to act b4 they understand their fear of missing out FOMO isn't normal . Kids get taught by their parents that it's ok to whine when they don't get their way . At 58 we know that b4 mobile phones we had it good . It's these kids nowadays who have no idea of a true childhood as we knew it .
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Darwin is a tropical climate, they have two seasons, wet or dry.
Why don't you people that advertise Australia tell people what they should be wearing long shirt long trousers where socks and good covered boots and where a hat and if they happen to see a snake or they gotta do is stand still or throw something over the top of them like a jumper or a towel if they a jacket over the snake the snake will stay under the jacket and if they happen to be going out in the bush for a long period of time they should take a bandage that they can wrap around their legs just in case I do get bitten by a snake or a spider because it might save their life buy a slowing the poison down if I get bitten by a snake or spider or any other insect like an ant
Gen Z are very socially anxious, but I think once they start hitting their 30s and have been out in the world for a while that will change.
Medicare has needed a complete overhaul for years, but govts don't have the will and/or spine to do it. As for visas, let's hope that 2024 brings you a permanent one!
Ambulances are free in Qld 😊
Well we don't understand how a 10 year old can go to your wallmart and buy a gun.
Australia gets a drought about once every 18 years
He's a pom - needs something to complain about
Yeah, what's wrong with Perth?
Absolutely nothing!
We’re not Melbournites - it’s Melbournians. 😊
In NY you can see specialists right away. No real wait time at all. Plus most employers have dental and vision coverage. In Australia some procedures are not even available yet. As reporters on Australian news a guy recently had to leave Australia first America to get certain cancer treatments not available in Australia.
So health insurance is different than health care.