Kapri

Rachael, even before I read your subsequent posts I was going to say, don't let him go! He's 11, he will get a bit down now and then but my fear is that if yo let him go, he will think you have abandoned him too! Tell him you love him and when he is an adult he can return to Australia if he so chooses. But for now, he remains with you and will continue to have contact with his Dad. best of luck

Newcastle, NSW ticks all those boxes. I imagine any of the coastal cities would though.

The new grad programmes are one year so I think you would be better waiting until then. It would also be easier for you if you already had a PR visa in place but sponsorship may not be impossible if you choose the right place. I would qualify, then start researching jobs and areas and be ready to apply as soon as things come up.

If you look on NSW health jobs there are a few positions but most will require experience. New grad jobs will be much harder to get because there are lots of Aussie new grads looking for jobs. Once you've got a bit of experience, things become much easier because Aussie nurses don't specifically train in mental health - they have to do a new grad programme.

What Nic says is correct. AHPRA is Australia's equivalent of the NMC. All nurses have to be registered with AHPRA to work in Australia. ANMAC is a skills assessment body. They assess whether overseas nurses are eligible to emigrate to Australia on a permanent basis. If you are only intending to come for a few years on a temporary visa, such as the 457, you don't need a skills assessment but you do need to be registered with AHPRA. If you want to migrate permanently, you will need both. If you register with AHPRA first, you will only need to do a modified skills assessment with ANMAC.

I did a huge amount of research on several different cities. I know a lot about Melbourne and Perth despite never having been to either! I think my research paid off, even though a lot of it was irrelevant. I haven't been surprised by much!

I agree 100% Your wife sounds like me! Yes ,I meant that women generally tend to miss family and friends more. The women I know who are homesick yearn for mum, sister, best friend. Their husbands generally are more pragmatic.

We moved here a year ago and are all settled and loving it. I had lots of concerns before I came, most of them were needless or silly, in hindsight. IMO, Most people who don't settle, don't settle for the following reasons: 1. They were very close to family and had a friend who had been their best friend since the year dot, 2. Work didn't go according to plan. Either licences were too hard to get, jobs not available or having to work away from home. I also think that, generally speaking, men settle more easily than women. I deliberated for years and thought of a thousand reasons not to come but I'm so glad I did. Ultimately, you will never know unless you try.

I missed this thread, but if you need any more info, ask away!

Hi Dani Where are you living?

After 8 months in Aus, I unexpectedly had to return to the UK. It felt strange: in some ways it was same old, same old, and in some ways it felt like I had moved on. I could easily settle back into life there, but I don't want to. Here is home now. There are people I wish I could see more regularly, but I wish they could come here rather than me go there.

Depression is certainly not more taboo here, I'd say it's less taboo. I'd suggest a psychology referral to help you work things through (your GP will refer you) and find an expats group so you can meet up with some people who know what you're going through.

For the first 6 months we were here, we saw spiders all the time. Redbacks, white tips, huntsmen and a wolf spider. I think it's because our house backed onto a bush reserve. In the house we are in now, all we had was orb weavers in the garden, during summer months (they don't move from the fence). I love spiders. They eat cockroaches :arghh:

I was 41. I nearly did it when I was 25, then again when I was 34. I'm glad I've finally done it :laugh:

I'm a mental health nurse who came over on a 457. You have to be a very experienced mental health nurse to do my job and they couldn't find anyone locally.

I've been here 10 months and am fully acclimatised. On Facebook, I saw someone in the UK post that they were off to Spain and they were delighted because it was 22 degrees. That's socks, boots and jeans weather for me now :wink:

I flew with Etihad recently and they were good. Great food and good entertainment. The only thing I will say is, make sure you get the shortest stopover possible at Abu Dhabi.

I've just flown with Etihad. They had great food (for an airline) and decent entertainment. I would definitely fly with them again.

Stuart, you sound like a lovely man who wants his wife to be happy. I think it's important to realise that she is still in the post natal period, and having a baby of her own is probably making her think about her family. For your sons sake, it's important to try and find a resolution. Would it be possible to try the UK for 2 years with a view to making a permanent decision on where to live before your son starts school? I love living in Australia now but if I had come when my two were babies, I'm not sure I could have settled. It's bloody hard work having babies and young children and it's not unusual for women to want to be near their own Mums. Maybe once your son is older, your wife will find it easier to settle in Aus. Good luck

Mornings have been a bit nippy here, but evening and daytime temps are still ok. I think I need a trip to Cairns though!

You'll get a range of replies. Some will say, "go for it", others will say, "but it didn't work before". I think you know now that both places have their pros and cons. The fact that you feel gutted at the thought of not returning to Australia, and the fact that you think about it all the time, says to me that you should start making plans to give it another go. It will be easier if you don't rely on family in the UK to help with child care, etc.

The skies: Often clear blue during the day, or with amazing cloud formations. Fabulous sunsets - beautiful red streaked skies. The night sky too is beautiful, I regularly look at it and see shooting stars. The weather: days of sunshine but interspersed with heavy downpours of rain, which keeps everything green here in NSW. Being able to sit and socialise outside in the evenings. Amazing wildlife - parrots, lizards, possums, kangaroos, even the spiders! Gorgeous, sandy beaches. Welcoming people. Beautiful NSW countryside and lots of great places to go camping, for minimal cost. Sydney's harbour Fantastic vineyards and good, affordable wine. Trees that are green all year round. Houses with separate laundry rooms, plus being able to hang washing out all year. Makes life easier. Well observed speed limits in school zones.

No plans to return to the UK, but if I did I wouldn't miss the cold houses in winter. I would miss the beautiful, blue winter skies though

That is very funny.....and so true!

That wouldn't have worked for me. My family were keen to see updates, plus I was talking to people via local expats pages before I arrived. It's how I made a good friend. then, once I started work, I connected with work friends and got involved in banter