Any Aussies in the US ? | FerrariChat

Any Aussies in the US ?

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by barranr, Sep 29, 2004.

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  1. barranr

    barranr Formula Junior

    Jul 7, 2004
    287
    Herndon VA
    Full Name:
    Rod Barrand
    Just wondering if there is anyone on this board from downunder now living or visiting the US, or anyone from the australia thread intend coming over?
     
  2. Admiral Thrawn

    Admiral Thrawn F1 Rookie

    Jul 2, 2003
    3,932
    I was over there a few months ago... visited Florida (before the hurricane carnage) and California for around a month.

    Wish I could have stayed permanently! :)
     
  3. moretti

    moretti Five Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Nov 1, 2003
    58,226
    Australia
    Full Name:
    John
    I promised my boy I'd take him to Disneyland earlier in the year and was going to fit it in with Monterey but circumstances intervened and we are now going in November for a few weeks so hope the snow is working in NY as I want to take him to the Smithsonian as well as NASA and Seattle.

    I've been several times with the air force back in the 80s and several times in 2001 (was in the WTC 8 days before the hit) on the east coast, great people, horrible cars, lovely scenery in Yellowstone and Yosemite and absolutely brilliant roads but love Oz too much to want to move over, we do have the best country you know :)

    Good Ferrari mate of mine just moved to Pasadena with his American wife for a few years but he will be back in a few years after he has collected a few Fcars :)

    I like California as it is very much like where I live now and the people have the same attitude (mostly)
     
  4. barranr

    barranr Formula Junior

    Jul 7, 2004
    287
    Herndon VA
    Full Name:
    Rod Barrand
    Let me know if you are going to the DC area (smithsonian) and we could catch up, or as the yanks say "do lunch"
     
  5. moretti

    moretti Five Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Nov 1, 2003
    58,226
    Australia
    Full Name:
    John
    love to Rod, missing the old country ? :)

    I live on the Gold Coast and the weather is a nice 27 degrees now so I guess you lot will be starting to get cooler, I haven't driven on snow in 3 years so should be "fun".

    I must admit, the last time I was in Boston the hire car handled the atrocious weather really well and I had a lot of fun sliding her around at slow speeds.

    Pretty country but I love the diving on the GBR
     
  6. barranr

    barranr Formula Junior

    Jul 7, 2004
    287
    Herndon VA
    Full Name:
    Rod Barrand
    Oh yeah, miss it every day, footy, beer, women, weather ... maybe not in that order
     
  7. Kevallino

    Kevallino Formula 3

    Feb 10, 2004
    2,257
    Mid-Ohio
    Full Name:
    Kevin
    Rod

    Not a native Aussie, but now have dual US/Aussie citizenship. We lived in Sydney from '94 to '01 but I came back to LA for the classic "offer I couldn't refuse".

    When the pile gets big enough and I have gathered a sufficient number of vehicles (!) we are going back to Oz for good.

    There is a bloke here in LA who has started importing Lion Nathan grog so you might look up www.beerfromoz.com unless of course you are a CUB man. Personally I go for the Crown Lagers (or a middie of Resch's), but my mate works for LN and makes me drink the Hahn Premium when he is buying!

    Cheers
    Kevin
     
  8. barranr

    barranr Formula Junior

    Jul 7, 2004
    287
    Herndon VA
    Full Name:
    Rod Barrand
    Kevin, thanks for the link.
    Will you be taking your cars with you when you go back?
    I know 10 - 15 years ago it was real expensive to do that with the import tax and conversion, maybe different now i guess
     
  9. Kevallino

    Kevallino Formula 3

    Feb 10, 2004
    2,257
    Mid-Ohio
    Full Name:
    Kevin
    Rob

    The "plan" is for northern hemisphere summers in Europe or travelling and southern hemisphere summers/home base in Oz. So of the current fleet the Benz and the 348 are keepers but will go to Europe. For my Oz list I am looking at early RR Corniche dropheads, an older Ferrari (30+ years) and perhaps an earlier Benz SL (113 "pagoda" series). My better half is the Porsche driver so she gets newish cars - will just bite the bullet and replace as necessary as it keeps her from giving me stick about the rest of the cars!

    I imported an '89 Mustang 5.0 back in '96, but as a "Competition Vehicle" so beat the ADRs, RHD conversion, etc. For the last few years in VIC and NSW you can get a full rego on LHD over 30 years old so conversion on the old cars isn't necessary; also the taxes/duties on cars over 30 years old are much lower than younger cars. If the car is more than 15 years old, it still must be RHD in most states, but you don't have to comply with ADRs, so UK-spec F-cars can get in. However, the duties and taxes will sting a bit. Finally, the longer you own your vehicle overseas, the lower the "customs value" so you can save on bringing them in.

    As a complete car idiot, I pick up Unique Cars whenever I visit, plus you can check out Aussie car prices at drive.com.au - there are some funny anomalies between US and Aussie markets, but the best part here in the US is that the RHD cars really attract a discount. So at least on the Roller I am hoping to buy well in the US, for example.

    Long answer to your question but I have researched the hell out of this to try to get the most bang for my buck over the long haul.

    Cheers
    Kevin
     
  10. ashsimmonds

    ashsimmonds F1 World Champ

    Feb 14, 2004
    14,385
    adelaide, australia
    Full Name:
    Humble Narrator
    eventually i plan to get voted off this island.

    i just keep having that "oh, things are picking up and it won't be long before i'm getting decent dollars...".

    pushing 28 (next week), if i procrastinate much longer i'm gonna see the US in a zimmer frame rather than an F-Car. :(
     
  11. Kevallino

    Kevallino Formula 3

    Feb 10, 2004
    2,257
    Mid-Ohio
    Full Name:
    Kevin
  12. moretti

    moretti Five Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Nov 1, 2003
    58,226
    Australia
    Full Name:
    John
    What is it with you guys in South Oz ? You're a miserable bunch of gits who need to learn to live a bit and enjoy this country.

    Travel the world a bit and see how good we have it ffs, the US looks good from the outside but the culture is so alien to those of us that grew up here that if you're not happy here then the US will quickly lose it's gloss and you'll be pining for the fiords :)

    Look, the US is a great place but the worlds lifeboat is still the place to be but don't take my word for it, go do some travelling and see for yourself and remember the crotchety old guy who "told you so" :)

    Kevin, interesting ideas for the cars, I would have thought it better to buy the Fcars you want here in Oz as the import from the UK is a killer on resale.

    Any idea where you plan on "retiring" to ?
     
  13. Aircon

    Aircon Ten Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED

    Jun 23, 2003
    100,524
    Melbourne, Australia
    Full Name:
    Peter
    Daddy, will you take me with you please?
     
  14. Kevallino

    Kevallino Formula 3

    Feb 10, 2004
    2,257
    Mid-Ohio
    Full Name:
    Kevin
    Look, on the F-car for Oz I really see an older car rather than a RHD UK car - was just running down what I understand the current state of play to be re: ADR compliancing/RHD requirements etc. I am still a few years away so the late '70s cars really start to come in to it - I like the Boxer, for example - but I do like the open cars so could see perhaps a cut Daytona. Either of these are nudging the 30-year-old mark so I could get an NSW rego in LHD, plus of course I would save on the duty as well. Can't say I disagree with you on the UK resale problem - but I am really trying to get keepers so I don't have to deal with resale...

    We will go back to Sydney - we lived in Wahroonga and she loves it there. Half hour from CBD on the train but still very leafy and easy to get out of town. Our Sydney friends are now all over - Melbourne and Perth, plus of course the UK, etc but Sydney is easy to get in and out of internationally and there is nothing that beats the view coming into Kingsford Smith airport from the north over the Harbour (IMHO).

    Still looking at areas in southern Europe (she likes warm weather...) - I've been running numbers on the French leaseback schemes to see what a portfolio would have to look like in order to cover its own nut and subsidise something for us. Getting there...

    Having said that, after visiting FNQ I could see having a little place up out of Cairns/Port Douglas for when we need a "jungle fix".

    Cheers
    Kevin
     
  15. Admiral Thrawn

    Admiral Thrawn F1 Rookie

    Jul 2, 2003
    3,932
    I've been to the USA (including Hawaii), England, Scotland, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Switzerland, Germany, Egypt, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Fiji. Most of those places several times.

    US culture alien to us? How so? Maybe to those that spend their time watching AFL and enjoying the "simple life," who are ignorant of nor care about anything outside Australia, but I just feel like I'm cut off from truly modern society and culture. I felt more at home in the US than I ever do here. Okay, that doesn't apply so much to the Eastern states - Sydney especially. That's an awesome city. But South Australia? Don't get me started...

    Also my allergies ceased to exist in the US - different vegetation I guess. Whenever Spring and Summer get into full swing in Australia, it's a nightmare for me.
     
  16. moretti

    moretti Five Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Nov 1, 2003
    58,226
    Australia
    Full Name:
    John
    Ok son, but you've gotta promise to leave mum alone OK ? :)
     
  17. moretti

    moretti Five Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Nov 1, 2003
    58,226
    Australia
    Full Name:
    John
    -for starters we don't go in for GUNS (apart from our rednecks, hi Stuy:))
    -we know there is a world outside the Pacific and Atlantic ocean
    -we are all forced to vote (a damn good thing too as it ENTITLES us to whinge about politicians!!)
    -food
    -we beome world champs when we beat the world (baseball anyone??)

    We are also very similar as we both like freedom of speech (but pay out on anyone stupid enough to stick their head up :)), Ferraris :), naked women, naked men (in joke for the Victorians ...you know who you are..Scott, Carl, PP) good lifestyles.

    I use to spend 4-6 months a year in the US and after a few months I missed Oz terribly no matter how nice and friendly the locals were, we even built our own SLSC on the air force base in Mt Home which helped but we kept running out of beer :) We didn't get away with anything in Nellis AFB due to the seriousness of the operation and we were too close to Las Vegas casinos to see any real Americans, I hate casinos and hope the greed destroys them someday.

    South Oz is fine if you're a German trying to hide out in Hahndorf :)
     
  18. moretti

    moretti Five Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Nov 1, 2003
    58,226
    Australia
    Full Name:
    John
    oh, and Contiki tours don't count, you need to work in these countries before you have a real idea what they're like. Fiji looks great but I worked there for 6 months (accused of starting the coup with Rambuka :)) and you would never want to live there unless you owned a resort. Malaysia/Singapore for 3 months sorting the SEA network backbone and although the people are great the pollution of Malaysia and the rigid lifestyle of the Singaporeans is a no thanks for me. 18 months in London/Scotland/Wales loved the girls but the weather got to me, Italy for 4 weeks on hols was great to see the Ferrari factory but not knowing the language made life tough, same for Germany, France and Greece although I never worked for more than a couple of days in these countries.

    Holidaying in countries is very different to working there, even Oz has some bad points but I think most are in the water with a huge body attached :)
     
  19. Mike360

    Mike360 F1 Rookie

    Feb 18, 2004
    3,429
    Sydney, Australia
    Full Name:
    Mike
    Does Tasmania count?
     
  20. Admiral Thrawn

    Admiral Thrawn F1 Rookie

    Jul 2, 2003
    3,932
    Topic: Guns.
    Stance: Like guns. Most of my friends do to. Fun sport.
    Verdict: Australia for guns - bad. USA for guns - good. Europe for guns - mixed.

    Topic: Beer.
    Stance: Hardly ever drink alcoholic beverages.
    Verdict: Unimportant.

    Topic: Sport.
    Stance: Well, AFL is really the only Australian national sport, and I'm not interested. Same can be said for cricket, although it's not exclusively Australian.
    Verdict: AFL occupies more time in the news than anything else. The daily interviews with the players/coaches/team owners is truly mind-numbing, not to mention the weekly injury summaries. Give me any sports coverage but that...

    Topic: Motorsport
    Stance: Coverage of motorsport in Aus is average at best. General national obsession is with V8 "Supercars", which are basically stripped versions of the family barges (Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons) also used as taxis here, but with more power. Their idea of 'racing' is punting one another off the track. Technology is from 20 years ago. Most drivers have no talent. Open-wheel racing hasn't really got much of a foothold here.
    Verdict: Europe easily the best in this regard. USA - NASCAR is crap and is the American equivalent of our V8 Supercars. I do like the CCWS, however. Indy is too dangerous. Don't know what sort of Formula Ford or other open-wheeler championships there are in the US.

    Topic: Weather.
    Stance: Incredibly varied in Aus. Mixed feelings.
    Verdict: SA - Winter too cold and boring. Spring and Summer - too dry and dusty, with high pollen count. Sends me crazy. Had no problems anywhere else in the world.

    Topic: Technology/Entertainment/Cars/Luxury Goods Availability
    Stance: Everything is more available in Europe and the USA.
    Verdict: Give me Europe and the USA over Australia anyday in this regard.

    Topic: Taxes
    Stance: Income tax is the devil.
    Verdict: Again, give me the US anyday. Tax rates in Europe are mixed. To hell with the countries that have income tax around the 50% mark.
     
  21. barranr

    barranr Formula Junior

    Jul 7, 2004
    287
    Herndon VA
    Full Name:
    Rod Barrand
    I came to DC from melbourne 7 years ago. Never left australia for 43 years prior. The first 3 months were tough but it got easier. I mentioned in another thread that i would not be able to afford a ferrari if i wasn't here. The pay rate in my profession just doesn't hold up down under. I will go back there when i retire though and try and boost the economy with my 401K !!!
     
  22. ashsimmonds

    ashsimmonds F1 World Champ

    Feb 14, 2004
    14,385
    adelaide, australia
    Full Name:
    Humble Narrator
    wot on earth are you doin here then eh? :D

    i never did the backpacking round europe or travelling with the chick stuff that most of the people i know have done. i never wanted to, i don't like "holidays" or travelling so much.

    my idea is to live and werk all over the planet, a year here, 6 months there, but having said that, not in the same capacity as other friends who've done it like as a barman or IT helpdesk or whatever, going somewhere then looking for a job to pay the bills. my idea is to werk because i WANT to in these places... but we'll see how that pans out.

    but yeah, i'd like to live in the US, but probly not for more than a couple years at a time.
     

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