eribow

Wow! You have proved that determination pays off. You are a shining example of true determination. Mini you will be very proud. Well done!

Hi Perthbum, As frustrating as you can be at times with your Perth bashing...you do keep this forum on it's toes. It is all about perception. I get that you hated Perth...but then I'm 50... somewhat older than you... with a husband & 2 kids aged 9 & 13. We love it. Your perception is that it was rubbish. That is absolutely fine. Too us it is lovely. I'm only sorry you couldn't see it throughour eyes. But then, your circumstances were different.

Hi cara6, To a certain extent, if you do your research & appreciate the positives & negatives of moving here, you can soften the blow. The one thing you can't predict is how you are going to feel. A dogged determination to make it work, being open to change, & your natural adaptability as a person, are all factors that can make or break the whole experience. Although there are many reasons why people return to the U.K. the most common seem to be: Missing family & friends. Not securing a job, or unhappiness at work. Too expensive. Not making friends here. Not what they thought it would be. A feeling of not belonging. Some of these things you can prepare for & some, you can't. As Ali said, a career break is a good idea. So is gaining employment before you get here. It almost certainly will be more expensive to set up home here than you might have anticipated. You may have to take a step backwards materially & financially before you can move forward. I once read on here that the main difference in lifestyle is that you live your life outdoors in Australia. That is so true. It's just what people do. Personally I think it's great, it really is. It rarely rains in Perth, where I live. It is mainly warm, hot & dry. Do I think you are mad to move here without visiting? No, absolutely not. Just be certain of your motives for coming & weigh up whether you think you will have a better life here. You are welcome to PM me or look at my older posts, where you'll get an idea of how it worked for us. Good luck with your decision! Cheers, Erica

I agree

Your true, courageous & heart warming story brought tears to my eyes. How beautiful...as is your beautiful new born daughter. Congratulations to an inspirational family.

I can only agree with RockDr. It's a fabulously beautiful place. It reminds me of somewhere mediterranean. Great restaurants & pavement cafes. It has a lovely vibe about it. Lush, very green & tropical. Although we hired a car, we only used it to & from the airport & to Daintree rain forest & crocodile park. If you book somewhere to stay, try & make it walking distance from the shops & beaches, which are in close proximity to each other, anyway. I say this because, if like me & my hubby, you both like a drink, you won't need to take it in turns to drive. Everything is in short walking distance if you pick a central hotel. There are plenty to choose from. All in all, a perfect relaxing holiday destination for all age groups.

You sum up my sentiments exactly! Our house is full of gumtree furniture. There's nothing wrong with second hand stuff if you choose wisely. I do sometimes buy new...but it is usually in a sale. I know that second hand goods aren't everyones cup of tea, but living this way has enabled myself & my hubby to work part time & enjoy a good work life balance. Whilst more money would be handy, I personally find it's less about what you earn & more about what you do with it. I couldn't agree more with your statement that it's only as dear as you make it. The expenses involved with getting here in the first place though are an entirely different matter!

Have you seen the price of Heinz baked beans? $1.69 a tin. That makes them a luxury item. It could be just the rice for you, then! I only ever buy beans when they are on special...a dollar a tin. That puts them on a par with the u.k. I still can't get out of the habit of comparing u.k. & Aussie prices, although, as has been stated, you generally earn more money here. Although you can get reduced items at various times of the day, if you shop after 3pm you can get items that are still fresh with as much as 80% off. I've got a freezer full of meat this way. There's always specials as well. If you don't mind junk mail, you may get leaflets delivered that show you the latest specials. If you need peppers to add to a curry or chilli...then the jars of peppers are usually very reasonable. Otherwise, most shopping mals have good priced fruit & vegetable shops. There's an art to finding bargain food stuffs. Sometimes (as with the peppers) you just need to do some lateral thinking. Cheers, Erica

Hi there, If you are looking for value for money, Coles (as in supermarket) are miles cheaper than their competitors. They do cheap car insurance too. Cheers, Erica

Hi, It's such a personal decision, really. I'm also in the "love it here" camp. If you are adaptable, don't mind being away from family & don't expect it to be like the U.K. then you will probably love it here too. Perth, as you will recall, is a modern, clean, good looking city. We came here in Sept 2009 with our then 9 year old & 5 year old. It's a great place for families. We haven't looked back. We were nervous at first, particularly nearing our departure from the U.K. It's normal to have some intrepidation. It's a massive decision, after all. Good luck with the plunge if & when you do decide to come. There's always someone on P.I.O. who can advise & support you. Best of luck, Erica

I read somewhere that you get your U.K. state pension frozen from the day you set foot in Australia. I could be wrong & hope someone will tell me different. I understood it to mean that when I'm 67 I will get what ever my U.K. state pension was worth when I arrived in Australia at the age of 46. For the record, I am topping up my insurance contributions for 4 years. This would mean that I would have a full U.K. state pension if they change the rules. But, only at the rate it was when I left the U.K. aged 46. I would love to be wrong about this, so would be delighted to hear from someone who can tell me otherwise. Cheers, Erica

This is a great thread. I'm having nostalgia overload! How could I forget Vision On. Tony Heart was my Hero. He would give Neil Buchanan (Art Attack) a run for his money. I often say "Nice view Petunia"...(but my husband doesn't remember those adverts). Does anyone remember the advert where Petunia says something like: "Oh look Joe... there's a man waving...cooeee". She's waving at the poor sod who is actually drowning. And can you remember the length of their tongues wrapped around their ice cream cornets? Like lizards tongues. Pure class. Etched in my memory forever! Erica

"The Tommorow People" hit a nostalgic chord with me. I used to rush home from school to watch it. It had me really transfixed...as though I was actually there. I used to like "Crackerjack". Those poor kids trying to hold all those cabbages when they got a question wrong was hilarious. Thanks for the memory:cool: Erica