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Iknowcb.... We are now moving to Wollongong, NSW been offered a job there and I've accepted! We're very excited, just under 3 months to go

I agree with everything @Marisawright says. I read of people in the UK who have good jobs, nice lifestyle, a comfortable home in a good area who want to come to Australia with no job waiting for them and I think WHY? Fine if you have pots of money to fall back on and you fancy a bit of an adventure but otherwise ............ I'd be thinking very carefully as they could be throwing good money after bad.

Be aware that your DH may struggle. Australia is a very ageist country and over 50 is over the hill even though he may think he is super qualified - as a gas engineer he would have to re-certify in whichever state you might want to work and then start at the bottom again. Most people are winding down by 50 and you are going to struggle to have amassed a reasonable superannuation pot by the time you are thinking about retiring - the average super pot is around the $500k mark and that is borderline beans on toast territory when you retire and you'd be struggling to get that in the next 10 years (for your DH). It'd have to be something stunning, surely, to give up a nice house with a low mortgage and a good job and a good life. Your husband's now adult sons are likely to give him grandkids before too long - wont he want to be around for them? I can see you want an adventure but adventures require pretty deep pockets these days and when you are comfortably off then you spend a whole lot with little to show for it and discover you are no longer comfortably off it gets a bit wearing.

Iknwc but my husband just got his truck license (about 20 years after he first mentioned ir)

You've hit the nail on the head, I think. Frequently, I look at would-be migrants and wonder why they're still coming to Australia. Australia and the UK are very different places, but I wouldn't say one is BETTER than the other -- even at the moment, when things aren't going too well in the UK it seems. We have members who've come to Australia and love it, but equally we've had members who've gone back to the UK and think it's the best thing they ever did. These days it's not about which is best, it's about personal happiness, I think. When I moved to Australia, it was no-brainer. I arrived and had three job offers within a few weeks, for excellent jobs at a more senior level than I had in the UK. We got a lovely apartment with a pool in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. We were better off in every way than we had been in the UK. Nowadays, we see some people arriving and taking several months to find a job, and using up their savings as a result. And if they come to Sydney, far from getting the big house with a pool, they find themselves squashed into a smaller home than they had in the UK. However it's not all about money, is it. If you are really homesick for Australia then maybe a bit of financial pain will be worth it? How does your partner feel about it? Will he have to leave family behind and will that be an issue? Will it cause friction in your relationship if you move and it doesn't work out that well? @Ausvisitor is one of our most recent movers and can give you an update on Sydney.

You havent noticed????

Agree, completely. I've lived in Sydney for over 40 years and can count on one hand the number of times it's too hot be outside. It's been in the low-thirties in the last couple of days - supposedly the hottest it's been in Sydney for over two years - and everyone is out and about as usual. People go to work, kids go to school, shoppers are shopping. To suggest that the whole population is stuck indoors for weeks on end during summer is ludicrous.

When using irony or satire in a forum of this kind, there is always the danger that some people might think you are being serious

They don't want to stop them. They never have wanted to stop them. They are running a failing government that can't campaign on a single positive issue because they've been hopeless these last 13 years and have lead every aspect of the UK to a worse place than when they took over. All they have is manufactured culture wars to scare people like you into fearing "others" and that your way of life and values are under attack. You're being conned on this like you were conned on Brexit. Ask yourself two questions: 1) if the Conservatives wanted to stop migrants from claiming asylum in the UK, why do they keep refusing the French's offer to set up a UK processing centre in France? 2) if the Conservatives wanted to stop migrants from claiming asylum in the UK, why don't they staff up the UK asylum team to get them processed and booted out quickly? They love it. It's a constant distraction from their failings. It gives them the chance to replace headlines about failing the NHS, failing the schools, failing the fisherman, failing the farmers with pictures of an "invasion" by foreigners. It's literally all they have! Stop amplifying their lies.

Have you considered country Victoria? It can still get hot in summer (but then it also gets hot in Tasmania) but we do have proper winters here. Ballarat is famous for being cold! The advantage of Victoria is that it's much more densely populated but there is still plenty of countryside and small country towns. There wouldn't be the same concerns about lack of employment.

The fact that anti-semitism and anti-Israel have been somehow combined is a by-product of how the press are managed. Israel are a disgrace and deserve to be called out but unfortunately you're not allowed to express that opinion anymore.

It didn't. You made that up. It soared by over 17% From 2019 to 2020, death rates increased for each age group 15 years and over. Rates increased 20.8% for age group 15–24 (from 69.7 deaths per 100,000 population in 2019 to 84.2 in 2020), 23.8% for 25–34 (128.8 to 159.5), 24.5% for 35–44 (199.2 to 248.0), 20.7% for 45–54 (392.4 to 473.5), 17.6% for 55–64 (883.3 to 1,038.9), 17.4% for 65–74 (1,764.6 to 2,072.3), 16.0% for 75–84 (4,308.3 to 4,997.0), and 15.0% for 85 and over (13,228.6 to 15,210.9) . Rates for age groups 1–4 and 5–14 did not change significantly from 2019 to 2020. Figure 3. Death rates for ages 1 year and over: United States, 2019 and 2020 Products - Data Briefs - Number 427 - December 2021 (cdc.gov)

Hi MasOzposs The reality is that most good RMA's are exceptionally busy at the moment and generally won't offer free consultations. It's not that they don't want your business, its a combination of offering free consults takes them away from doing work from fee paying clients. Also, under the code of conduct they are accountable for advice provided to you even if it is free. Personal details have to be recorded and documented which all takes time. What I would strongly suggest is that for a consult to be worthwhile for both parties, that you fill out a fact find or questionnaire which most agents use. This way, they can review the facts and will have had time to consider any potential pathways, strategies which may be applicable. This process means a consult can focus on solutions rather than data collection. I hope this is helpful.

Actually they haven’t, and that’s why they’re screaming for an increase in job focused migration.

We moved here when I was 50 and my wife was 42, and definitely worth it in our case.

I just think we should leave people to do as they choose. As long as mandates etc stay away it’s all good.

In WA they don't post you rural that was phased out about 10 years ago and that was more for new graduates. You can of course choose to go rural and there is potentially more jobs that way. Maths is also not the only shortage subject, schools are keen to listen to English, Science, Maths and Technologies at the moment. HASS not so much but there is some vacancies. There's always an abundance of Phys Ed teachers so a second subject is important. In my experience, currently involved in recruitment of teachers in WA.

Interesting thread , o back in the day lol , some true characters and ‘debates’ arguments . Not sure when I joined but many of the posters have long gone now . Hopefully to the life they were seeking or the life they didn’t realise was all they wanted .lifes a novel I believe make it as interesting and happy as you can , because when u get to the last chapters and read back , better to read I gave it a go instead of I wish I had !

Depends on how much sentimental things you have which you want to bring. We wanted to bring all the kids things so decided on getting a movecube, just packed in as much as we could. Dont make my mistake though, we brought our king size mattress with no frame, bought a king size frame here only to realise that a UK king is an Aus queen. I now sleep with a 6inch gap at the side of me

At your mum's age, she doesn't need friends to go on holidays with or stay over with. She needs friends to have a cuppa with, go for a walk with, meet and chat with at church, and all those other little interactions that break up her days. You and the kids are a very poor substitute for friends, because you're all at work or at school most of the week. How many workday evenings will you spend with her, once the novelty has worn off? Are you all going to give up your normal weekend activities to spend them with your mum? I know one woman, also in her 80s, who moved to be with her daughter after her husband died. Unfortunately she's not very mobile, so her life now consists of sitting at home alone all week, waiting for the few happy hours when her daughter and family come to visit on Sunday. Of course, she was stuck at home in her old home, too -- but she had all her treasured possessions around her, and her garden to potter in, the health visitor to chat with, and good public transport at her door, to get her to John Lewis or tea with her friend. Where do you live? How is the public transport? Will your mum be able to get out and about easily on her own? Are there plenty of seniors/pensioners activities in your area? If not, how is she going to make new friends? All these are practical questions you need to think about.

That is a good idea. Wikipedia would be a good place to start: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15-minute_city Covers, briefly, both legitimate criticisms and the way it's been hijacked by conspiracy theorists: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15-minute_city#Criticism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15-minute_city#Conspiracy_theories Try not to get lured down that libertarian / anarchist rabbit hole, though. It can be very hard to find your way back out again. To quote a review of a recent book about QAnon: A surprise about Sommer's book is how moving it frequently is. "Trust the Plan" ripens into tragedy. It describes those moments when family members realize that Dad has leaped the hedge of rationality — that he isn't kidding when he talks about Trump and conspiracies and experimental vaccines and the impending storm, and he wants you to believe his ideas too. https://boingboing.net/2023/02/20/nyt-review-of-trust-the-plan-the-rise-of-qanon-and-the-conspiracy-that-unhinged-america.html "15 minute cities" is another one that can be added to that list.

As in realizing that you're opposed to traffic regulations in general, and possibly to the rule of law itself? Well, yes and no. That's obviously a key feature of the anarchist position, especially of the Rothbard / Rand / William Rees-Mogg variety, but yes it's interesting / surprising to have it stated so explicitly and openly.

I had no problem either

Yes, it's true. As an Australian taxpayer, I have to disapprove of its existence, because thousands are taking advantage of it and coming to Australia, to become a burden on Medicare and therefore on me! However it's a blessing for people like yourself. I would double-check that you can get comprehensive health insurance cover at her age. She won't be able to get the usual Australian health insurance as she's on a bridging visa. She'll have to stay on Overseas Visitor cover (I don't mean travel insurance, there is a special Overseas Visitor cover that most health funds offer within Australia). If you can't get insurance cover, then don't underestimate the cost of her medical care. A hip replacement in Australia will easily cost $35,000. Yes, you would have to sponsor her. You don't need to be a citizen and you just need to have been resident for 2 years.

But equally, bringing toiletries etc that you are used to can make the first few weeks or months easier while you find replacement. Especially true if you have allergies or sensitivities - even finding decent washing liquid that one isn't allergic to isn't easy. The stuff from home can also make the transition easier, as you aren't suddenly pitchforked into a world where you are trying to buy stuff but don't know where to start. If people have the container space, bring stuff!