Difficulties moving back to Australia

I was born and raised in Australia and moved to the US almost 20 years ago. I moved here when I was 20 years old. I left all my papers in Australia and came to the US on vacation but ended up getting a job and meeting people here and I ended up staying. I have been here 17 years now. Now I would like to move back to Australia but I am hitting all these roadblocks. Last time I went to Australia I went to the Medicare office to get a new Medicare card as I don't know what happened to my original one and it was a long time ago. Well the lady told me that even though I am an Australian citizen and have a bank account in Australia and plan to buy property there, I couldn't have a Medicare card and I wasn't in their system. So bottom line is I can't even get medical coverage in my own country UNTIL I move back and can prove I live there on a permanent basis. So I have to get a job first and get settled (and have bills coming in under my name) before being "eligible" for something I should be getting as an Australian citizen. Then I try to buy property and I am told that because I live overseas I can't buy an existing property, but only property that hasn't been built yet. What is wrong with this picture? Is it just me that sees this as unfair. I am still an Australian citizen and just because I have been overseas for a number of years I feel I am being punished and all these walls are being put up in my attempt to move back and get the services that other Australians take for granted. I have European citizenship as well and I could probably go there and get medical assistance easier than in my own country of birth.