LKC

I agree, and I think that this is why we would try somewhere else in the UK. I wouldn't want the same or to go back, and would definitely be up for a new adventure. We lived near Bury St Edmunds before we left, but we weren't really settled in Cambridgeshire/Suffolk (we did 9 moves in 10 years around that area and never found somewhere we could settle).

This is exactly how I feel. Rather than feeling more at home, I feel less at home. I've heard that autistic kids are better helped in the UK. She has anxiety problems, and as she gets older it is becoming more and more apparent that she is different to the other girls in her year. She is under a psychologist for the anxiety at the moment, but still worked herself into such a state on the flight over that I couldn't calm her and she vomited about two hours before we got to Heathrow. I am worried that I will be taking her away from her one friend, but on the other hand a clean break with more support night be beneficial. Lots to think about.

i think it is the kids, particularly our eldest, which worry me. She has Asperger's and as she is getting towards high school she is increasingly suffering with anxiety. She is under a psychologist at the moment for that. She struggles socially, particularly since it is increasingly apparent that there is a difference between her and neurotypical girls. I wonder if a reccie rather than a holiday might be worthwhile. We'd have to wait for oh to accumulate some more leave, but we could manage it.

Hubby is pretty easy going. He knows how I feel and understands our situation with the kids. We have a good relationship, and I have been open with him. I did catch him looking at potential job opportunities here (Scotland), but I'm positive he'd be just as happy to stay in Aus or go wherever. He loves his job, and that is transferable. He works for a great company since he was 16 (he is 39 now), and as a director for 12 years so I'm sure they would be helpful.

Yes, my husband knows. We have a great relationship, thankfully. He is pretty easy going and just wants everyone to be happy. I think you're right. I need to go back to Aus, where I was perfectly happy before, and see how things are for a bit.

I never thought I'd be in the MBTTUK forum, but here I am, after almost eight very happy years in Sydney. We are currently on holiday in the UK, and I am dreading going back to Australia. In fact I cried this morning at Culloden battlefield, when the lovely staff member asked if I was enjoying my holiday in the UK. Because it is a holiday. And I have to go back, although I don't want to. I don't belong there. I feel like a square peg in a round hole. I just don't know what to do. All our children know is Australia. Eldest has Autism (Asperger's) and severe anxiety problems and I just don't know how she'd cope with a move back. But at the same time I don't think I can stay. Not really sure what to think or do. Just wanted to say some things out loud. I'm not sure if it's the holiday talking, or a genuine feeling.

I'm in Sutherland Shire, but I'm a much older married mother of two, so probably not who you are wanting to socialise with! Have you tried joining some group exercise groups? If you join up with the Facebook group 'Everything Sutherland Shire' there are some advertised on there, or you could ask if there are any in your area. Alternatively, you could try meet up.com where there are lots of different groups who meet up locally. Otherwise, do you have any hobbies you do that have groups in the area?

Check with the shipping company. Maybe they will know if they are okay to ship. I've only seen the cheaper type here, although I've not looked for anything more fancy. My four are hooligans so I get the cheaper ones, so they can trash them and then I can replace it. The cat tree is out of the way in the garage though (they have their own area there with comfy hides holes and things to climb on and play with) so I don't have to look at it!

This is the conclusion that I am coming to. The older I get, the less bother I want. All I need is a roof over our heads, enough food to nourish and good times and laughter with my OH and girls.

Thanks Chook :wubclub:. Just in a bad place at the moment. I am sure that things will improve, given time and support.

I have been here for almost seven years. My depression/anxiety has been worse here, I drink more as a result of that, I have put on weight due to the drinking and despite the fact that I have a very healthy home-cooked diet. I am vitamin D deficient due to the care I take in the sun. I have a hard time in the winter with my asthma. Since I have been here I have had a pars fracture in my back and two metatarsal fractures whilst bushwalking and turning my foot awkwardly. Having said all that I have absolutely no idea as to whether the same would have happened in the UK had we stayed there. I have had depression/anxiety since my late teens. I have used alcohol due to my depression on and off since I lost my dad when I was 24. I have been steadily putting on weight since then too. I had bad hayfever in the UK which I don't have now. Just part of getting older I would guess. I don't think that Australia has improved/worsened my health. I am getting older and my life experiences dictate how my health is to a larger extent.

I suppose our story starts quite a number of years ago. When OH and I first started dating in 1998 we realised that we both had a desire to live and work overseas, although because we were both at uni the time wasn't right. Fast forward a few years, we were married, with one daughter and a second on the way, OH phoned me from work one day to tell me that he had been approached by his company as a potential candidate to move over to Australia, because they were going to be expanding in to Australia. Took me about 10 milliseconds to decide I was game for it if he was. We were renovating the house, so we got on with that, put the house on the market and came over to Australia to meet with the Australian end of his company and have a look at potential areas for his practice. We signed up and returned back from our holiday to sort out the visa etc. One day after our youngest daughters first birthday, in Feb 2009, we waved goodbye to our family and friends, and made the journey over to Australia, with a freshly granted 457 in our sticky mitts! We had pre-arranged a rental from the UK with the help of a relocation agent, so the morning after we arrived in Sydney we moved to our new (temporary) home. We had a few ups and downs in those first few months, I started to become depressed because I wasn't having much luck in meeting people, and was having a huge amount of pressure put on me to do that by certain family members. We didn't like the suburb that we had rented in particularly, there wasn't anything wrong with it per se, it was just a bit noisier and in the middle of things than we were used to. However, OH was getting on well at work, so we looked around and bought a beautiful house in a lovely quiet suburb. We have been very happy in this home. We love the suburb, we have made some very good friends, the girls go to a good school and both are blossoming in to wonderful little girls. OH has been going great guns at work, and was subsequently sponsored by his company for PR. We have since gained citizenship. The girls were so little when we moved here that they consider themselves to be Australian, although of course they do know that they are also British. OH and I are happy and settled, and to be honest, I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. It hasn't always been easy, you do have to be self-sufficient. We don't have that support network from family that many people depend on, but we do have some very good friends who have helped us out when things have been difficult. And of course we have returned the favour to them. OH and I have not suffered with home-sickness at all, which has probably made things a great deal easier for us. We didn't live close to our families in the UK, so it wasn't such a wrench to leave them. We are due to go back to the UK for our first visit in the four and a half years that we have been here, in 23 days time, so it will be interesting to see whether the homesickness presents itself after that, or whether we will be running back on to the plane to get home! Advice, I suppose would be to come with a open mind and no pre-conceived ideas about living here. Australia is a very different country to the UK, probably more than most people would expect. It isn't like being in the UK, but with better weather. Living here won't transform your life, won't make you slimmer or fitter, it won't make you do more outdoors things that you wouldn't do in the UK. It won't make your kids more or less clever or confident, it won't give them a better life, just a different one. You may or may not have a better work life balance, you may have to work harder, you probably won't knock off work early every day and go to the beach. Life is just the same, bills have to be paid, the house has to be cleaned and the kids have to be run hither and thither at the weekends. You are just living your life in a different place. Same ****, different bucket as they say. Australia is a country of extremes. It is hot and cold, dry and wet, green and lush and barren and dusty. It won't suit everyone, but I can say with certainty that I love it with all my heart, and absolutely wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Barramundi is nice, also Dory is very nice. I think that Hoki is quite similar to cod, I remember that back before we moved over some of the supermarkets were making a big thing of Hoki because of the depleting cod stocks.

I feel the same. Was telling hubby the other morning that I have lost my mojo! I am finding it very hard to get out of bed in the mornings at the moment. I used to be far more of a morning person, but now even though the kids wake me up at 6.30, I stay in bed dozing until the last possible second that I can! I reckon it is something to do with the winter. I did get up a bit earlier yesterday morning, and was rewarded by seeing a wallaby on the fire trail behind the house for the first time. Unfortunately, by the time I fetched my camera, the bloke five doors up had let his dog out there and it hopped away back into the bush.

Lovely photos Kev. I have let photography go over the last few months because I've been busy, but I would like to get back to it at some point. There are some beautiful places round here to photograph. Might even make the effort to get up early and do some sunrises over the sea.

Bobj, your photos are always wonderful! Here is my contribution. These were taken out the back of our house. The big tree in them is sadly no longer there (infested with termites and rotten right through so we had to have it removed).