Gold Coast: British expats on one Australian city where locals are ‘irritated’ by English manners

British expats living on the Gold Coast have revealed what they really think of the Australian city, and while they love the work/life balance, they say that integrating with Aussies is ‘rather difficult’.

Brits who have made the move Down Under confessed that if you are middle class, it is ‘frustrating as the beautiful manners that have helped you through life actually irritate the locals’.  

‘If you are working class and British, it is very easy to fit in here. Middle-class Brits seem happiest when they find others who are similar. They find integration rather difficult,’ one man called Nigel told The Times newspaper. 

Nigel also said that the ‘English in general are far funnier than the Aussies’. 

One said that Aussies will be irritated by ‘good English manners’ and you will only fit in well if you are working class (stock image)

But it wasn’t all bad news for the Gold Coast as a place to live.

The host of Selling Houses Australia Andrew Winter said the work/life balance in ‘incredible’ and it would ‘shock’ people in the UK:

‘We start very early in the morning but finish early. Builders show up at 6am, stop at 2pm and are surfing by 3pm,’ he said.

Suburbs such as Burleigh, Palm Beach, Mermaid Beach and Currumbin were listed as ‘desirable coastal neighbourhoods’.

Many also praised the good weather and sunny climate as a huge impetus to come and stay.

However, many praised the work/life balance, which they said would be a ‘shock’ to people in the UK, as workers finish at 2pm and are ‘surfing by 3pm’ (stock image)

‘While I miss people back home – the English in general are far funnier than Aussies – the wife hated UK weather, the wages are cr*p, the economy is buggered and the place is riven by politics,’ Nigel said.

‘That could all happen here too. But at least the sun will be shining.’

Some who had both lived and visited the Gold Coast offered their opinions on it:

‘I went there twice. Awful place. Like Essex and Dubai had a baby,’ one commenter said.

‘Yuk [sic] the Cold Coast. Fine if you are a must be seen type, party party. Way overcrowded and worse during school holidays,’ another added.

Commenters were divided on whether the Gold Coast was a good place to live or not, with some saying it has desirable neighbourhoods and others saying it’s ‘awful’ (stock image)

But others were quick to defend it:

‘Slightly inland, just a short drive away from this section are lovely quiet hills of forests and wildlife. Beautiful places,’ one person wrote.

Another said: ‘A few miles from the beaches, say 10 or so minutes drive, are large areas of quiet, forested areas where properties with a few acres and rich wildlife can be had. 12 or so acres are common’.

The Gold Coast is a major tourist destination with a sunny, subtropical climate that has become widely known for its world-class surfing beaches, high-rise dominated skyline, theme parks, nightlife and rainforest hinterland.

The city’s star attraction is its beaches, including the world-renowned stretch of sand at Surfers Paradise.