Postcard from Europe: Clouded by crisis

Even filtered through sunglasses and a glass of good Australian Chardonnay, the European news looked especially gloomy. First there were those images from Poland's tragedy when President Lech Kaczynski and so many others died in a plane crash in Russia. The fog, the cold and the sadness of it all seemed, from my sunny spot in the southern hemisphere, to amplify the tragedy.

It reminded me also of my own travels in winter through Eastern Europe and how intensely I had suffered home-sickness in that milky winter light of a frozen landscape. My heart went out to the Poles at the same time.

Then there was the massive plume of ash from Iceland's volcano turning plane travel into plain chaos. The Australian media was all over the story and with good reason. With no flights to Europe the sense of isolation that many Australians feel was intensified. Of course Asian flights were still running but for hundreds of thousands of Australians Asia is a stop-over on the way to Europe.

The other story dominating my time down-under was Greece's financial pain and the ever-falling euro, and it was this story which really illustrated the difference in attitude and mood between Europe and Australia.

Down-under is on top of things

Australia is enjoying positive economic growth and a rosy outlook. The dollar has never been higher against the Euro, and the government's main problem is stopping people from spending and borrowing. Compared to Europe it looks like, and feels like paradise.

While almost every European economy went into recession over the past two years, Australia simply slowed a little from its decade long boom. And now it's speeding up again. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd reckons he'll turn in a budget within three years.

Australians are driving bigger cars than Europeans, building bigger houses than Europeans and putting expensive stuff in them. Yes, much of it is driven by China's demand for Australia's raw materials but the end result is an optimism which contrasts starkly with European gloom.

Watching the bad news from Europe with me, well meaning Australian friends suggested I stay and enjoy the good life. And for a while Iceland's volcanic ash threatened to keep me there longer than planned. But the cloud cleared in time and on the long journey back I told myself that spring has arrived in Europe - and everything will look much better.

It does, even though the news on Greece and the Euro could hardly be described as uplifting. But fleeing Europe's gloom for Australia's upbeat economy is not really an option. The economic good times there have gone on so long that to exiles like me house prices seem impossible. I can barely afford the Chardonnay.

Author: Kerry Skyring

Editor: Neil King