Interesting posts. I think people make assumptions about what Australia will offer them and their families. I dont know that it necessarily follows that Aus is better for kids - one of my sons has gone back to UK for better opportunities. If you are a sporty kid then sure there are lots of good opportunities in the pool or perhaps on the footie fields (we dont do athletics very well on the whole). If you are an artistic kind of kid, to get ahead in music, acting etc you have to leave the country to get to achieve your goals. High levels of melanoma for kids being burned in the sunshine, very high levels of drug abuse amongst teenagers and a fairly insular outlook on life. Most Aussie kids cant wait to do the European tour thing and to get out - a good many of them would be quite happy never to have to come back. (DS had a school reunion in London with over a dozen chaps from his HS - all well settled in the city)
Beautiful country - sure, it's ok but dont knock the UK for stunning beauty and also some significant atmospheric history which is pretty much absent in Aus. I dont think I have seen anything quite so dismal as when driving up the Hume Hwy 12 months ago - mile after mile of dry dusty drought ridden nothingness. It's marginally better this year in that there is a bit of green but it is a sad looking land.
I've been here nearly 29 years and I know full well what UK has become and would be back there tomorrow if I could - I have no illusions about what it has become and it still has heaps to offer. My lad hasnt been out of a job since he arrived for his gap year 5 years ago and he has had some wonderful opportunities that he wouldnt have come close to having had he stayed paddling in this little pond.
Australia is a very insular country with barely any sense of community. It's economy doesnt allow normal working people the capacity to travel far and wide because we are far away and our dollar doesnt buy much of anything. We have our fair share of disasters - live through a bushfire, drought or flood to get a real taste of what the country can throw at you and living with the bloody flies and mosquitos is enough to drive any person to drink. Living in the cities are just like living in any other city in the world except the public transport isnt nearly as good
My reasons for leaving the UK are many, and with a soap opera style life story over the past few years we are ready to swap our lives for something new.
I dont hate the Uk thankfully in fact I fell in love with parts of it again over xmas after a fantastic break in the Lake District and coming back through beautiful Northumberland villages not to mention the snowball fight my kids had while stopping off high in the hills.
But we need a change, life has become stiffling here I need room to breathe and to learn that life is more about us than the lenghty hours my hubby has to work to make a living.
I want to start fresh and with a clean slate and as a family we choose Australia (OK I gave in I really wanted Canada but I gave in and am really excited now)
We don't come with rose tinted glasses, expect anything of Australia just a chance to start again. We know we swap one bill for another and all that comes with a UK life will be transferred to a different continent but we will make a go of it if not then Canada it is.
A shack on the beach and a fridge with wine and beer is all we ask oh and to watch my lads play football and cricket (and snooker sorry Tom)
Stacey ,it dosnt take long to realise money isnt everything when you live in such a beautiful country.We ,like you, had a fair whack of 'spare' cash lying about ,we werent rich but could have our treats and were lucky enough to own outright a house in spain as well as one in the uk with a small mortgage on.We sold everything and piled ALL our money into what we have today.It has enabled hubby to only work 4 days and me to work basically when i want.We scrape by week by week and havnt much cash lying around.If we want something we save for it and you know what ,,i couldnt be happier!!! the extra time i spend with my family more than makes up for a fat wallet.You can have a good family day out for very little dosh,,life really is fantastic.dont worry about having no spare cash here,as long as you can cover your bills youll do ok !! good luck with everything
Cal x
Cal, I couldn't agree more, sounds like we are pretty much in the same boat. We rarely have lunches out or trips to Starbucks here as we used to in the UK, we have lovely family picnics instead, and we enjoy them so much more. Takes a bit more work and organisation, but what else would I be doing with all the free time I now have with the kids? And there is so much free stuff to do, like swimming in a creek, or going fishing.
It takes a bit of getting used to, and some days I would kill to be able to abandon the pots and pans and take the kids out for dinner, but generally, it rocks! Everything feels so much more real and worthwhile. I'm not saying I'd say no to the sort of income we had in the UK of course. But me being able to be at home with the kids is priceless. (and we qualify for quite a bit of money in benefits because I don't work, which was an unexpected bonus)
Ax
Well my two reasons for going to Aus are in my avatar.
We have been going over to Oz since 1987, sometimes twice in a year - no we are not rich, but son works for BA, bless him - and have seen quite a bit of the country. We just love it there.
The Aussies are a friendly bunch, as soon as you meet them, they are inviting you to tea (dinner to us). Sure they don't suffer the whinging pom gladly, but the answer to that is don't whinge. Remember you chose to go and live there so make the effort to integrate.
We are fully aware of the pros and cons, but we have decided that we want to spend our retirement with our grandchildren - only have one at the moment, but live in hopes.
We have done all our international travelling over the years, so will be happy to just move around Aus - big enough to keep us occupied for many years to come.
When I was out there last year, I met a lady who had been out there for 20 odd years. She said that she had spent all those 20 years pining to go back to Scotland. The previous year, she had finally gone back for a two month holiday and guess what? She spent the whole two months desperate to get back to Aus.
Jean
__________________ 27/07/07 Acknowledgement - 13/06/08 Case Officer! 03/07/08 AOS paid 09/08/08 2nd VAC Request 22/09/08 VISA GRANTED
We came because we wanted a change of lifestyle. We have 3 young children whom OH barely saw. In coming over we are spending more time together as a family, do more things together as Cal says, picnics, beaches, swimming etc all free (even went to movies in the park Tues night - again free!) We are no better off financially - cost of living - we think - is expensive when you are earning in $$ not ££. We didn't come with rose tinted glasses - we knew we still had to work, do shopping etc. etc but as a faimily we all wanted to come and try a different life and we are all pleased that we have! I think you have to remember that things are different and you just have to get on with it!
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Attitude is a small thing that makes a big difference
Hi ,I am new to this website so really appreciated your comments.I fell in love with Australia as a backpacker 16 years ago and have dreamed of returning ever since.
I am lucky to have a husband who also fell in love with the country before he met me.Oddly we both visited pretty much everywhere except Perth but that is where we are both drawn to live and are currently awaiting our 457 visa,house on the market and excited about our new life.
I am very happy in England,am not running away from anything,not expecting to get rich in Oz,just looking for a different life for my 2 young daughters and us as a family.
I believe Australia to be very social,largely due to climate,have a more outdoors lifestyle and offer an opportunity to experience things I could previously only enjoy on holiday.
I love the openess of the Australians and maybe I am naive ,but believe after 17 moves in 20 years that lovely people and wonderful friendships exist all over the world.
I will be sad to leave England,I have had a wonderful life here but have never felt at 'home'.I cried all the way back from Australia when I left and look forward to finding a simple but happy life with my family in Perth.
A typical question I am sure ,but what do you miss about England apart from family and friends?
Regards pottsy .
Hello Jannette your spot on with what you say. Most people who try it love it. Good luck
PS
I don't blame you for hating scotland thoe
Hi Jason
My main reason is work. It just is not for me I'm like a fish out of water. As for whinging
pom I'm really not worried what the aussies think. I'm English I moaned about England and I suppose I,ve had a good moan about Aus. It's good to have a little moan as I'm sure most 99.9% of people in this world have. This is not a game If I was 15 years younger I would at least do my time (2 years). But there really is bigger things in life to sort out and these things will be easier in the UK. Australia is not a bad place and I would never talk anyone out from doing it, but like I say you'll no if you never go.
I take it that your not hear yet so please don't take this as a negative it's just we are all very diffrent.
Good luck John
can't beleive your coming back already, i remember you going, don't even think it's been a year has it???.......................surely that is not giving it a fair crack?, you see that is exactly what the aussies hate about us poms, is the fact we don't give it a fair go, it was the same in the 60's, hence the term 'whinging pom', what are your exact reasons if you don't mind me asking and where are you based?
I must say though the thing that scares me the most is the fact i've always got work and money here in the uk and feel well off, and even when i went over to oz last year, the money and oppotunities didn't seem the same and i would definately have to work longer hours for less money in oz, that is a 100% fact. But then i think of my kids future and try to weigh it up and come to the conclusion they would be happier kids for longer in oz, what do u think as you have that experience?
hi, i understand good luck.................im too really just stuck in the middle as i fear i too will be like you with the work situation, how will i feel about working in the heat for longer hours, for less money, and then not being able to enjoy the lifestyle i came for...................i respect you for not talking about it and actually going and doing it, its the only real way to find out i guess.
jason
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Stacy ,Jay, Joe (3) and Summer (2)
We came because we wanted a change of lifestyle. We have 3 young children whom OH barely saw. In coming over we are spending more time together as a family, do more things together as Cal says, picnics, beaches, swimming etc all free (even went to movies in the park Tues night - again free!) We are no better off financially - cost of living - we think - is expensive when you are earning in $$ not ££. We didn't come with rose tinted glasses - we knew we still had to work, do shopping etc. etc but as a faimily we all wanted to come and try a different life and we are all pleased that we have! I think you have to remember that things are different and you just have to get on with it!
Good answer me and my hubby love anything thats free....thats not to say we are tight
It was a foregone conclusion that we would move to Oz eventually the only real decision was when. My husband is an Ozzie who has worked here in the UK for nearly 10 years now, he is a clever computer programming troubleshooter type! A bit like Superman, but he wears his boxers on the inside of his pants!
His mum died in 2006 after many years of ill health, we were visiting at the time (no connection I add hastily!) so were able to be there for the funeral. This left his dad on his own, so after much thought we decided to move over in August 2008, tickets are now booked and we leave on 17th August.
We are lucky in that we already have a house in Sydney, John had it built before he came over here, and his dad lives up the Central Coast so less than 2 hours away. We also have family in the area, John has two sisters, one has three boys and the other has two girls and a boy, so knowing people there should make it a lot easier, I hope!
Saying all that I know this will not be some long holiday, John will still need to work we will have all the normal bills to pay, but life should be an adventure and we are going to continue ours in a warmer sunnier climate! OK people have dodgy accents over there and call thing by the wrong words ... "garden" - flower bed, "yard" - garden, "manchester" - the haberdashery department in a shop and so on ..... but I am hopeful that with training these things will change!
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Sue .. XXX
A poem about being a Chocoholic
my tummy sometimes talks to me
I really dont know how
It says "I need some chocolate!
And I really need it now!"
