In the US those stabbings would be shootings with many many more casulaties. It is extremely rare what recently happened here vs the US where shootings happen daily.
I agree, as someone who moved interstate as an adult. People here are generally friendly but it doesn't mean they want to be your friend. As opposed to somewhere like Germany or Sweden, where theyre hard to get to know but once you do, then you may have a friend for life (peach vs coconut cultures). I'm in Canberra, which is also a transient city. People move here for work, stay for a few years and then leave. And the people who are from Canberra tend to have their own social circles. I've found Meetup, Facebook, etc. to be useful for finding social groups and meeting people. I prefer the ones that are based around common interests such as hiking, board games, trivia, etc. As opposed to the ones where they just go to a pub on a Friday night and drink. With those ones, I find it awkward if you're not one of the regulars. Your best bet is probably finding a Sydney expats group or a writers group (which it sounds like you've tried) or something like that. Book clubs are also a thing. Or rely on your partner to introduce you to people, unless he's not a social person. Making friends is difficult. I've also found as you get older and your habits and interests change, that you realise that sometimes your friends were really just drinking buddies or coworkers or fellow church goers or you played the same sport or whatever.
Wow. First comment. I think Sydney is more cliquey than other cities. The magnificent harbour is also a giant barrier to getting around. So, in Sydney, your friends are more likely to be from the same or neighbouring suburbs. In other states, you can branch out more.
This is true and it's not just the harbour, there are 3 rivers cutting the city into pieces. There's plenty of suburbs that are beautiful but pretty much only have 1 way in and out.
I dont think cliques are all that different all over the world. I am a daily talker on a music discord channel. There are people from all over the world there. It takes work to form a relationship with people. But it is well worth it. Persistence, kindness, and not getting offended is key.
If you love music, you would love the Charasmatic Voice. World famous opera singer, bringing her love of music to all. Couple of degrees, smart lady. Lives in Phenonix.
Whats interesting is that back in around 2010, Australians were travelling to the US and everything was so cheap (the exchange rate was certainly a factor).But those days are long gone. The US probably has very low taxes on things like petrol/gas, alcohol and cigarettes compared to Australia. Americans generally don't like paying taxes.
Bonnyrigg is near Fairfield about 20 k south east of you there is actually a bus from Blacktown that goes there ,Pop music there is a song by Dragon called the Blacktown Boogie from the 70's
Big thanks to Melissa from Bonnyrigg for her gift to Kaitlyn. Also Kaitlyn you mentioned you'd never heard of Bonnyrigg before, its actually pretty close to you in Blacktown, its about 5 minutes away from Wetherill Park which i know you've heard of since you've mentioned in one of your previous videos is the place with Carls Jr and the Fat Franks place with the Cheese Steaks 😋 Also of historical note Bonnyrigg (well technically now Bonnyrigg Heights) is the location of the former Male Orphan School that was established by Governor Macquarie and ran from 1819 to 1850, it was a massive estate at the time which consisted of market gardens, a farm where the orphan's learnt to raise animals and trade skills, and was one of the first wineries which was established by James Busby who a neighboring suburb was named after en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Male_Orphan_School_land
On your topic about making close friends. I have worked in nearly every state in Australia and have found that my friends tended to be those I worked with. I never had a social group growing up, so maybe that's why I don't have a core group or person, who has known me for such a long time. I have now settled near Queanbeyan, NSW, and have found it very hard to make that strong connection with a friend. They are lovely people and it's great when we catch up for cuppa/drinks or dinner. However, because they already had their core group of friends, I feel like I'm still on the outside. I am a very social person and love a good 'chin-wag' and social outing. My husband isn't the social type, so at times, my mood can get very low. My point is, I don't think that your ability to find a close connection with (as your American friend) Australian's is an 'American' issue. It's more of you moving to a totally different environment, where, like me, most people have already found their core group of friends/confidants. They say we generally only have 5 really close friends. So don't be hard on yourself and enjoy the company of those you like, whenever you are with them. Generally, if you really do need someone to talk to, they will be there for you. P.S. I also felt your pain with your permanent residency. Don't despair, it will happen. All the very best, Sincerely, Erika 💌🍷✨️
Unfortunately things like the stabbing happen in all cities but it's a pretty rare occurrence here. Damage could have been worse if he'd have had a gun, which he probably struggled to get due to the strict laws we have here.
Imagine if both instances had guns, both were orchestrated by those with mental health issues and would never be able to get near a gun legally in Australia, Kaitlyn had family/friends check on her concerned over a stabbing when gun crime is a daily instance in so many cities across the USA, it’s normal🤷🏼♂️ and dare I say it ignored. A stabbing like those we experienced makes worldwide news because it’s so out of the ordinary in Australia.
Regarding the social cliques, I think that Australia has changed very quickly from being a place where people didn't move much 40-50 years ago to one where the majority of the population moves a lot. And much of this is economic - if you're lucky enough to own your own housing, then you might move, but likely only in your own city. If you are less skilled, or keen to make big money in the mining industry, then like the 1930's, you often have to do the modern version of being on the wallaby track. The other thing forcing people to move is getting priced out of capital city housing altogether. Beyond this, I think Australian culture still has some British hangovers; our new houses still had formal dining rooms until the 1970's, and this reflected the idea for some that guests were only received in that room. That didn't exactly encourage informal, close bonds. Ditto with the idea of the six o'clock swill in the pubs. So for a long time, our version of hospitality was either really formal or super casual/low effort, i.e. "beer's in the fridge, help yourself". The next thing is that very few of us are actually taught hosting etiquette - the idea that hosting a guest, and making them feel welcome, is important. Many (not all) Australian men don't put much effort into social events - Australian women certainly do. All of this flows through to superficial conversations, and a feeling for many - including those who have lived here all their lives - that they don't really matter to anyone. We often don't make an effort with new work colleagues, or new neighbours, to follow up and actually make them feel welcome. Instead, at 5pm on Friday, we disappear and leave them wondering what's wrong with them - when the truth is it's nothing that the newcomer has done wrong. Then we wonder why we have, along with NZ, high levels of youth suicide, especially for men. We can learn something from many other cultures on this front :)
Im about to go into surgery in a few days for my right shoulder with a few tears. Lucky for its due to work and workers competition is covering it. But also me and some others at work have all been retrench. In one ways its ok as i got 20k in redundancy and recovery after the op is only 80% now of my full time pay which soon takes effect. Recovery time im told by my physio will be 6 to 9 months. All the physical hard work ive done in my life is niw starting to take its toll. Mark should be fine by the sounds of it. Lucky he aint doing surgery like i am.
Kaitlyn, I reckon book yourself the stay upright course to get your L's. Manual means bike, auto means fruit booter. Scooters are way more practical for the run up the shop or whatever as they have more storage then a bike without a venturi rack on the back as they typically only have enough space under the pillion seat for a mens wallet and phone. a fruit booter, well you arent exactly going to be honking down the m4 or great western hwy on one, but for domestic duties, on your L's you can only do it on your own.
Great package from Melissa🙂. Love the rainbow lorikeet! One of your favourites. I didn't realise the festival didn't cover romance. (I've never been). Not worth going then as you said. I think Sydney is definitely harder to make friends in. Takes longer. I found that to be the case when I moved there from another state. Lived there for 12 yrs. And noticed the difference moving away again. Re safety, while these incidents are rarer in Australia, there's are some areas in Aus that have more violent crime, and certain parts of greater Sydney are some of those areas. Every country has areas that are statistically higher in crime rates. That being said overall still less her than in some other countries. Gov. still needs to do more to address these issues though. Haven't seen your new video yet. I'm against g#ns but I do think non lethal things like pepper spray should be allowed for women and security guards.
I would recommend TH-cam videos of famous Australian performer, John Farnham, in live performances. While he was born in England, he has spent the past 60 years becoming an Aussie, so we claim him now. He has a wide range of songs, at least one hit in each decade, and can sing many genres so you can probably find a few songs to add to your Spotify. His recordings are great but his live performances are next level energy and he really lives each song. Ballads : Touch of Paradise, Burn For You, Angels; Rock : Take the Pressure Down, Two Strong Hearts; Anthems : You’re The Voice, That’s Freedom, When the War is Over (Cold Chisel - Cover), See the Banners Fall; Duets : When Something Is Wrong With My Baby (with Jimmy Barnes), Please Don’t Ask Me (with Olivia Newton-John). Plenty of great Aussie music and artists from the eras you have mentioned for you to discover.
Grocery stores are different to Supermarkets so you went to a Supermarket as Grocery stores in australia are smaller in Size APCO service stations are a good example being a grocery store.
That was always my attitude until I started buying the espresso from one of their shops near my office. To be honest, really top quality. I think we slip too easily into criticizing Starbucks.
@@1949cr I agree. I’d seen the well-known YT video about what Starbucks didn’t consider or research properly about coffee here. I chose not to try any of the remaining outlets. Then one day I was at Westfield Burwood and saw the Starbucks cafe there. It was clean, with friendly staff so I decided to try their iced coffee and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I suspect that the managers of the remaining stores gave a lecture or two to the Starbucks executives in the USA.
Also yes, writers festivals in general tend to be (in my opinion) very pretentious and stuffy, they don't have much time for genre fiction like fantasy, sci fi, or even children's and YA writing. I used to attend the Emerging Writers Festival in Melbourne, but that also morphed from a fresh and vibrant celebration of the craft and culture of writing, into a very dry and pretentious mutual back-patting session by poets and biographers who think they are above the popular fiction market. Even though Melbourne's writing and literature scene is huge and diverse and exciting, that doesn't get reflected in the festivals for some reason.
You could start a family and that will force the government to give you permanent residency, bit hard not to give you PR if you have an Australian husband and children.
HA, yeah, I think the BS meter is half being in your 30s, and half being in Australia. Aussies are hardwired to be sceptical of "being slipped the raw prawn", even as friendly and easygoing as we are, and I think that definitely has an effect on our politics, social interactions, and beliefs.
I think like anywhere, you usually know straight away if your going to be good friends with someone. It's like Golf, you could hit 18 holes in one. But your bloody more likely not to. You sound like a young Lady who would smash it in a Reading Book club or any sort of general interest Club. Your bright and bubbly, articulate, intelligent and generally pretty quite and shy compared to the American males I am mates with. Sorry. Use your new found skills and Have A Crack. As an old Aussie male I can tell you most Aussie males are scared of Women. They act brave, but that's a defensive front, just like humour. Go out, have fun, meet some people and take no prisoners. Be the best Aussie Babe you can be, but one with a cute accent. Sic Em Rex. Or at least squash some ants. Take Care Michael
I agree. A reading group would suit you. There should be enough around to find one that suits you. Then again, leaving your comfort zone is also a good idea.
My bet is that's where her fiance's friends and family are, given he's a truck driver they could live anywhere in Australia, but still stay in western Sydney. So it's probably his family keeping them there, totally understandable.
If you want to make genuine friends try going to a Christian church. I recommend a good Pentecostal church but look for a smaller congregation and not a large mega church. Be bold. Introduce yourself to the pastor and be honest about what you think about God Jesus and Christianity. If they are true Christians they will not Bible bash you but seek to give you answers to genuine questions you may have. If the church offers the Alpha course I highly recommend you do it. They have a weekly shared meal a video to provoke discussion and you will meet others and make friends. Invite your husband along so you won't feel so awkward. The church is supposed to be a welcoming family so I pray God leads both of you to the right place. I don't live in Sydney. I'm in Queensland so I can't recommend a church. But make sure it's Pentecostal is my advice.
![MV วิถีชีวิตใต้ - ผา อัยย๊ะ [Official MV HD]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nODlkOUu9B0/mqdefault.jpg)
In the US those stabbings would be shootings with many many more casulaties. It is extremely rare what recently happened here vs the US where shootings happen daily.
I agree, as someone who moved interstate as an adult. People here are generally friendly but it doesn't mean they want to be your friend. As opposed to somewhere like Germany or Sweden, where theyre hard to get to know but once you do, then you may have a friend for life (peach vs coconut cultures).
I'm in Canberra, which is also a transient city. People move here for work, stay for a few years and then leave. And the people who are from Canberra tend to have their own social circles.
I've found Meetup, Facebook, etc. to be useful for finding social groups and meeting people. I prefer the ones that are based around common interests such as hiking, board games, trivia, etc. As opposed to the ones where they just go to a pub on a Friday night and drink. With those ones, I find it awkward if you're not one of the regulars.
Your best bet is probably finding a Sydney expats group or a writers group (which it sounds like you've tried) or something like that. Book clubs are also a thing. Or rely on your partner to introduce you to people, unless he's not a social person.
Making friends is difficult. I've also found as you get older and your habits and interests change, that you realise that sometimes your friends were really just drinking buddies or coworkers or fellow church goers or you played the same sport or whatever.
I'm glad to know Mark is ok. My mother had shoulder replacement surgery last Tuesday. It's no picnic...Rocklea Road is delicious 😋😋
Ive never seen your cat before, so cute. Melissa really spoilt you and its so deserved 👍
I’m happy to hear that Mark is doing better.
Have not viewed your channel in a while. But, great to hear your both doing well! Regards from Cherrybrook, Sydney.
Wow. First comment. I think Sydney is more cliquey than other cities. The magnificent harbour is also a giant barrier to getting around. So, in Sydney, your friends are more likely to be from the same or neighbouring suburbs. In other states, you can branch out more.
This is true and it's not just the harbour, there are 3 rivers cutting the city into pieces. There's plenty of suburbs that are beautiful but pretty much only have 1 way in and out.
BS! Adelaide is full of clique snobs. I've lived here all my life and i've never been able to make any friends..
Good to hear Mark didn't need to have surgery, I unfortunately had to have the surgery and I'm still recovering three months later
I dont think cliques are all that different all over the world. I am a daily talker on a music discord channel. There are people from all over the world there. It takes work to form a relationship with people. But it is well worth it. Persistence, kindness, and not getting offended is key.
What I miss about Easter is the Hard Candy eggs. I haven't seen them for years.
Just searched and found some specialty stores that stock them.
Our local Woolies had the candy eggs.
Big W has them every year too
If you love music, you would love the Charasmatic Voice. World famous opera singer, bringing her love of music to all. Couple of degrees, smart lady. Lives in Phenonix.
Whats interesting is that back in around 2010, Australians were travelling to the US and everything was so cheap (the exchange rate was certainly a factor).But those days are long gone.
The US probably has very low taxes on things like petrol/gas, alcohol and cigarettes compared to Australia. Americans generally don't like paying taxes.
Bonnyrigg is near Fairfield about 20 k south east of you there is actually a bus from Blacktown that goes there ,Pop music there is a song by Dragon called the Blacktown Boogie from the 70's
Big thanks to Melissa from Bonnyrigg for her gift to Kaitlyn. Also Kaitlyn you mentioned you'd never heard of Bonnyrigg before, its actually pretty close to you in Blacktown, its about 5 minutes away from Wetherill Park which i know you've heard of since you've mentioned in one of your previous videos is the place with Carls Jr and the Fat Franks place with the Cheese Steaks 😋
Also of historical note Bonnyrigg (well technically now Bonnyrigg Heights) is the location of the former Male Orphan School that was established by Governor Macquarie and ran from 1819 to 1850, it was a massive estate at the time which consisted of market gardens, a farm where the orphan's learnt to raise animals and trade skills, and was one of the first wineries which was established by James Busby who a neighboring suburb was named after
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Male_Orphan_School_land
Hey there, handy piece of info about Bonnyrigg.Thanks.
Haven't been in contact with people I went to school with since I left school, still in touch with people from the 2 long term jobs I had.
One question I'd like to add is, have you gotten used to the metric system since moving to Australia?
Darrell Lea
Is the best. You will enjoy it. Was nice to learn more about you as a person.
I'm South Australian so I prefer Haigh's chocy
On your topic about making close friends. I have worked in nearly every state in Australia and have found that my friends tended to be those I worked with. I never had a social group growing up, so maybe that's why I don't have a core group or person, who has known me for such a long time.
I have now settled near Queanbeyan, NSW, and have found it very hard to make that strong connection with a friend. They are lovely people and it's great when we catch up for cuppa/drinks or dinner. However, because they already had their core group of friends, I feel like I'm still on the outside. I am a very social person and love a good 'chin-wag' and social outing. My husband isn't the social type, so at times, my mood can get very low.
My point is, I don't think that your ability to find a close connection with (as your American friend) Australian's is an 'American' issue. It's more of you moving to a totally different environment, where, like me, most people have already found their core group of friends/confidants. They say we generally only have 5 really close friends.
So don't be hard on yourself and enjoy the company of those you like, whenever you are with them. Generally, if you really do need someone to talk to, they will be there for you.
P.S. I also felt your pain with your permanent residency. Don't despair, it will happen.
All the very best,
Sincerely, Erika 💌🍷✨️
Huh my mum gave me that very same Darrell Lee Easter Rocky Road. It's delish. 😎
You never said how your friends / family enjoyed all their Gifts you took over to them .
Unfortunately things like the stabbing happen in all cities but it's a pretty rare occurrence here. Damage could have been worse if he'd have had a gun, which he probably struggled to get due to the strict laws we have here.
Imagine if both instances had guns, both were orchestrated by those with mental health issues and would never be able to get near a gun legally in Australia, Kaitlyn had family/friends check on her concerned over a stabbing when gun crime is a daily instance in so many cities across the USA, it’s normal🤷🏼♂️ and dare I say it ignored. A stabbing like those we experienced makes worldwide news because it’s so out of the ordinary in Australia.
@@MrTaylor1964remember Port Arthur, a nut job able to get a gun
@@MeredithBell-v3f and the reason our laws were immediately changed.
Regarding the social cliques, I think that Australia has changed very quickly from being a place where people didn't move much 40-50 years ago to one where the majority of the population moves a lot. And much of this is economic - if you're lucky enough to own your own housing, then you might move, but likely only in your own city. If you are less skilled, or keen to make big money in the mining industry, then like the 1930's, you often have to do the modern version of being on the wallaby track. The other thing forcing people to move is getting priced out of capital city housing altogether.
Beyond this, I think Australian culture still has some British hangovers; our new houses still had formal dining rooms until the 1970's, and this reflected the idea for some that guests were only received in that room. That didn't exactly encourage informal, close bonds. Ditto with the idea of the six o'clock swill in the pubs. So for a long time, our version of hospitality was either really formal or super casual/low effort, i.e. "beer's in the fridge, help yourself".
The next thing is that very few of us are actually taught hosting etiquette - the idea that hosting a guest, and making them feel welcome, is important. Many (not all) Australian men don't put much effort into social events - Australian women certainly do.
All of this flows through to superficial conversations, and a feeling for many - including those who have lived here all their lives - that they don't really matter to anyone. We often don't make an effort with new work colleagues, or new neighbours, to follow up and actually make them feel welcome. Instead, at 5pm on Friday, we disappear and leave them wondering what's wrong with them - when the truth is it's nothing that the newcomer has done wrong. Then we wonder why we have, along with NZ, high levels of youth suicide, especially for men.
We can learn something from many other cultures on this front :)
Im about to go into surgery in a few days for my right shoulder with a few tears. Lucky for its due to work and workers competition is covering it. But also me and some others at work have all been retrench. In one ways its ok as i got 20k in redundancy and recovery after the op is only 80% now of my full time pay which soon takes effect. Recovery time im told by my physio will be 6 to 9 months.
All the physical hard work ive done in my life is niw starting to take its toll.
Mark should be fine by the sounds of it. Lucky he aint doing surgery like i am.
Kaitlyn, I reckon book yourself the stay upright course to get your L's. Manual means bike, auto means fruit booter. Scooters are way more practical for the run up the shop or whatever as they have more storage then a bike without a venturi rack on the back as they typically only have enough space under the pillion seat for a mens wallet and phone. a fruit booter, well you arent exactly going to be honking down the m4 or great western hwy on one, but for domestic duties, on your L's you can only do it on your own.
Great package from Melissa🙂. Love the rainbow lorikeet! One of your favourites. I didn't realise the festival didn't cover romance. (I've never been). Not worth going then as you said.
I think Sydney is definitely harder to make friends in. Takes longer. I found that to be the case when I moved there from another state. Lived there for 12 yrs. And noticed the difference moving away again.
Re safety, while these incidents are rarer in Australia, there's are some areas in Aus that have more violent crime, and certain parts of greater Sydney are some of those areas. Every country has areas that are statistically higher in crime rates.
That being said overall still less her than in some other countries. Gov. still needs to do more to address these issues though.
Haven't seen your new video yet. I'm against g#ns but I do think non lethal things like pepper spray should be allowed for women and security guards.
I would recommend TH-cam videos of famous Australian performer, John Farnham, in live performances.
While he was born in England, he has spent the past 60 years becoming an Aussie, so we claim him now.
He has a wide range of songs, at least one hit in each decade, and can sing many genres so you can probably find a few songs to add to your Spotify. His recordings are great but his live performances are next level energy and he really lives each song.
Ballads : Touch of Paradise, Burn For You, Angels; Rock : Take the Pressure Down, Two Strong Hearts; Anthems : You’re The Voice, That’s Freedom, When the War is Over (Cold Chisel - Cover), See the Banners Fall; Duets : When Something Is Wrong With My Baby (with Jimmy Barnes), Please Don’t Ask Me (with Olivia Newton-John).
Plenty of great Aussie music and artists from the eras you have mentioned for you to discover.
Maybe check out Aussie hip hop like hilltop hoods, the herd and muff and plutonic, let us know what you think. It's a bit different than US hip hop.
Sounds like WSFM should be your radio station here
Grocery stores are different to Supermarkets so you went to a Supermarket as Grocery stores in australia are smaller in Size APCO service stations are a good example being a grocery store.
I love your ginger kitty ❤ what is his name?
You know most ginger cats are male?
I didn’t know until about a year ago. (Or maybe I once knew & forgot.)
Why would you want Starbucks coffee. You're in Australia. You can get real coffee.
I never thought that I'd see "Starbucks" and "coffee" in the same sentence.
Amen! Starbucks is beyond yuck and disgusting
That was always my attitude until I started buying the espresso from one of their shops near my office. To be honest, really top quality. I think we slip too easily into criticizing Starbucks.
@@1949cr I agree. I’d seen the well-known YT video about what Starbucks didn’t consider or research properly about coffee here. I chose not to try any of the remaining outlets. Then one day I was at Westfield Burwood and saw the Starbucks cafe there. It was clean, with friendly staff so I decided to try their iced coffee and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I suspect that the managers of the remaining stores gave a lecture or two to the Starbucks executives in the USA.
Tastes like dishwater.
Also yes, writers festivals in general tend to be (in my opinion) very pretentious and stuffy, they don't have much time for genre fiction like fantasy, sci fi, or even children's and YA writing. I used to attend the Emerging Writers Festival in Melbourne, but that also morphed from a fresh and vibrant celebration of the craft and culture of writing, into a very dry and pretentious mutual back-patting session by poets and biographers who think they are above the popular fiction market. Even though Melbourne's writing and literature scene is huge and diverse and exciting, that doesn't get reflected in the festivals for some reason.
You could start a family and that will force the government to give you permanent residency, bit hard not to give you PR if you have an Australian husband and children.
First! (I think)
Do you only write romance?
Forties, old ! LOL.
HA, yeah, I think the BS meter is half being in your 30s, and half being in Australia. Aussies are hardwired to be sceptical of "being slipped the raw prawn", even as friendly and easygoing as we are, and I think that definitely has an effect on our politics, social interactions, and beliefs.
As John Howard once said.
"Inherant Celtic skepticism"
We don't see straight through the bs.
We have plenty of friends. F all Mates in reality.
Only an American gets Starbucks in Australia 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Only once thou
@@Aussie-63 Lol Australia has the best coffee on earth.
Once is still insulting.
@@dcmastermindfirst9418 They have to be Patriotic for a couple of sips. Poor bastards. F that
Try Soul Origin as they make great coffee as well.They are in many large shopping centres around Sydney.
Bullshit meter 😂 its a mature thing as you get older and wiser you know the bullshit. Wait till till start to get the grumps. 😂
I think like anywhere, you usually know straight away if your going to be good friends with someone. It's like Golf, you could hit 18 holes in one. But your bloody more likely not to. You sound like a young Lady who would smash it in a Reading Book club or any sort of general interest Club. Your bright and bubbly, articulate, intelligent and generally pretty quite and shy compared to the American males I am mates with. Sorry. Use your new found skills and Have A Crack. As an old Aussie male I can tell you most Aussie males are scared of Women. They act brave, but that's a defensive front, just like humour. Go out, have fun, meet some people and take no prisoners. Be the best Aussie Babe you can be, but one with a cute accent. Sic Em Rex. Or at least squash some ants. Take Care Michael
I agree. A reading group would suit you. There should be enough around to find one that suits you.
Then again, leaving your comfort zone is also a good idea.
so why live there you do not need a City to write today and be seen. Lots of quiet spots without religious fevers, and thugs.
My bet is that's where her fiance's friends and family are, given he's a truck driver they could live anywhere in Australia, but still stay in western Sydney. So it's probably his family keeping them there, totally understandable.
If you want to make genuine friends try going to a Christian church. I recommend a good Pentecostal church but look for a smaller congregation and not a large mega church. Be bold. Introduce yourself to the pastor and be honest about what you think about God Jesus and Christianity. If they are true Christians they will not Bible bash you but seek to give you answers to genuine questions you may have. If the church offers the Alpha course I highly recommend you do it. They have a weekly shared meal a video to provoke discussion and you will meet others and make friends. Invite your husband along so you won't feel so awkward. The church is supposed to be a welcoming family so I pray God leads both of you to the right place. I don't live in Sydney. I'm in Queensland so I can't recommend a church. But make sure it's Pentecostal is my advice.