Life so far in Melbourne

suey · 18-03-2008, 01:43 AM

Hi Everyone!
We've been in Oz 2 months now and it's flown in. We are loving the new lifestyle, a different beach every weekend. I came over to Oz with it in my mind it's not going to be perfect paradise it'll still have it's fault but as long as we can give the kids a more outdoors lifestyle and be living comfortably we'd be happy. I didn't set my expectations of Oz too high and I'm glad I didn't as I would have been dissapointed. There is still the usual things you'd get anywhere else in the world that you'd rather not see e.g. broken glass on the floor, graffiti and dog mess. But the things I was expecting safer environment for kiddies, outdoor lifestyle, cheaper living is all worth it! And my husband and I feel as if we've got out of a horrible routine back home as if our lives where all mapped out for us. It's like we've been given a new lease of life, we're saving our money and being more careful cause we don't want to make the same mistakes we made back home with credit cards etc. Hubby's planning his career more and hobbies. And I can actually plan what I'm gonna be doing when my boys are at school and study toward that, which is something I couldn't get motivated to do back home. I'm not saying Oz has done this, maybe a move to any country would have given us this new get up a go attitude but we happened to choose Oz and now we are planning. Looking back at our lives in the U.K. which wasn't a bad lifestyle, it just sort of makes sense why we weren't really going anywhere, felt abit like a groundhog day feeling.
Now we have more family quality time and we're making the most of our lives. What I'd say to anyone thinking about moving is give it a go if it doesn't work try somewhere else, there's a reason why your looking to make a new life, curiosity, just keep moving forward with your life.
Wish you all luck with your new lives wherever they may lead you.
Suey

EvieB · 18-03-2008, 08:08 PM

That's lovely, Suey - so encouraging! And nice to hear from someone both realistic and positive. We can certainly identify with your comments about Groundhog Day, sometimes you just want to scream. We love to go out for days and do different things but here in the UK we work so hard all week and then on a weekend the traffic is so horrendous and everything is so expensive to do when the weather is bad that we end up doing very little. Where in Melbourne are you living?

racht · 18-03-2008, 09:19 PM

Great post. Probably sums up how a lot of people think. I suppose I feel as though I dont want to grow up , live and die in the North West of England. Not that there is anything particularly wrong with where I live, it is actually very nice, with very little crime etc. however I would like and to experience more of the world and want the same for my family. Good on you. Hope you continue to enjoy yourselves. Onward and upward!

casterbridge · 18-03-2008, 09:40 PM

Your post has given me hope that our decision to emigrate to Melbourne is the right one for us and our children. We are tired of the struggle our life has become in UK. Good luck to you.

Hearne_Family · 18-03-2008, 09:56 PM

Suey,

Im so glad you posted this, we are planning a move to Melbourne for all the same reasons, we want our children to have a better quality life, finacially we want a fresh start and we want more time as a family and personaly I want to spend more time with my wife (I currently spend 3 hours a day commuting to work).

We have got a file we keep labelled 'Our Aussie Bits' and your post is printed off and put in that folder, right now my Mum has refused to accept our plans but your post has put the reasons why we are doing this back to the top of my thoughts.

Thanks so much for an honest post that for me personally got my mind back on track, when we get to Melbourne next year Im going to buy you a drink!

Terry

maz&jon · 18-03-2008, 10:12 PM

HI SUEY,WE ARE HEADING TO MORNINGTON IN TWO WEEKS TIME AND WE HAVE THE SAME ATTITUDE AS YOU.WE KNOW WE ARE NOT FLYING TO A MAGIC KINGDOM WHERE EVERYTHING IS ROSY WE ARE COMING OVER FOR A BETTER WAY OF LIFE AND TO GIVE OUR CHILDREN A BETTER START AND MORE OPPERTUNITIES.IM SO GLAD YOU HAVE SETTLED IN SO QUICKLY I HOPE WE ARE SO LUCKY.HOW HAVE THE CHILDREN SETTLED IN AS WE HAVE A 12YR OLD SON WHO WE NEED TO GET SORTED IN SCHOOL

suey · 19-03-2008, 01:39 AM

Hi Everyone,
After typing my post yesterday I sarted thinking about all the fears and thoughts I had before coming over here , leaving my family, taking my kids who where just starting to get settled a school and my hubby's job, he's basically landed the job of his dreams back there with great pay and travel around Europe, everthing was just starting to take shape and yet we still were looking forsomething more for our family. Then ofcouse you feel ungrateful for still wanting and needing more. But the more wasn't a material thing, we wanted more of that family time you have when your on holiday and there's nothing wrong with loving that time that you'd love to have more of it. And it's not cruel taking your kids out of school and bringing them to experience a new country and to see them benefit from it, they ajust before us. As for leaving loved ones behind, it's not easy but SKYPE is fantastic and you will have better family time when you or they visit andappreciate it so much more. You cannot see what's infront of you until you stop looking back. Think positivly and set your sights high, that's what we're doing and it's fingers crossed working for us so far. My hubby may not have a great job (we're working on that) but everything else, we're very happy with ! If anyone would like to meet up for a chat always happy to make new friends. We live in Patterson Lakes 12 monhs rental, looking to buy within 4months or so, so thats mean we'dhave to re-lease the house for the remaining time left if anyone woud be interested in a shorter lease than the standard 12 months here, get in touch.
Bye for now
Sue

peppa · 19-03-2008, 01:47 AM

Hi suey

really good to read your post, Im having a bit of a bad time right now. we move down to mornington in april and would love to meet up for a coffee and hopfully some of your positivity will rub off.

x

jonseywife · 19-03-2008, 08:37 AM

Nice post Suey....
We have been here three months now and had never been before, so we took a huge gamble. We had researched alot (mostly on here actually..... you can tell by my post total, cant you !!) and its been ups and downs and swings and roundabouts for us. We have struggled getting work for my OH and struggled even more getting his plumbing registration, but we knew it would'nt all be easy and it certainly is'nt.
HOWEVER, like you we have a positive attitude and have no regrets about coming to Oz and love it here..... Lifes what you make it wherever you are in the world, and we certainly hav'nt gone through all this visa malrkey and come all this way to fail.
Our quality and standard of life far out weighs our life in the UK and my kids are safer and their future is much brighter here.
Good luck to you and all of us, who take the plunge.
Enjoy the good bits and don't dwell too much on the not so good and you'll do well !! Sally-ann x

ashmalog · 22-03-2008, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suey

Hi Everyone,
After typing my post yesterday I sarted thinking about all the fears and thoughts I had before coming over here , leaving my family, taking my kids who where just starting to get settled a school and my hubby's job, he's basically landed the job of his dreams back there with great pay and travel around Europe, everthing was just starting to take shape and yet we still were looking forsomething more for our family. Then ofcouse you feel ungrateful for still wanting and needing more. But the more wasn't a material thing, we wanted more of that family time you have when your on holiday and there's nothing wrong with loving that time that you'd love to have more of it. And it's not cruel taking your kids out of school and bringing them to experience a new country and to see them benefit from it, they ajust before us. As for leaving loved ones behind, it's not easy but SKYPE is fantastic and you will have better family time when you or they visit andappreciate it so much more. You cannot see what's infront of you until you stop looking back. Think positivly and set your sights high, that's what we're doing and it's fingers crossed working for us so far. My hubby may not have a great job (we're working on that) but everything else, we're very happy with ! If anyone would like to meet up for a chat always happy to make new friends. We live in Patterson Lakes 12 monhs rental, looking to buy within 4months or so, so thats mean we'dhave to re-lease the house for the remaining time left if anyone woud be interested in a shorter lease than the standard 12 months here, get in touch.
Bye for now
Sue

hi sue
reading that thread has bought tears to my eyes!! honestly, it is great that so many people think as you do, family life is our main aim for going, i have 3 boys 10,7,2 and i am worried what the UK has to offer them. we have family in melbourne and friends have just immigrated out there also so we have a base and network already. we still have fears that we need to overcome but hopefully we will settle. my main fear is telling my best friend who has just found out she is pregnant, baby is due november and we are aiming to go out after xmas. family have been great and accept our decision but it was difficult, my mum lives in spain so it won't be so easy for us to pop on a plane when we want. we are doing a reckie in may to get an idea and a feel for the place, hope my expectations are too high.