Crisp

Thanks for all your replies. They are a real help. I think my reasons for going are similar to a lot of expats. The better weather and economy. More opportunity and a lifestyle that suits me better than the cold TV dominated lifestyle of the UK. However, as MeeTo says, saying goodbye to friends and family is harder than you expect. I have a lot of friends here that I've know for over 15 years. They were really supportive after the panic attack. So I DO wonder if its right to give that up for a bit of sunshine, amongst other things. It may take years to find good friends again. I am a fairly confident person and have travelled all over the world (I love flying btw, so it wasn't that). A few times on my own too. Making friends in hostels and on excursions is easy, but they are just that. Holiday friends. It has also been suggested by a few friends as well as MeToo (no offense, I appreciate your suggestions) that I give it a 6 month trial, but a lot of expats including my uncle in Oz say that you have to commit to a year at the very least. Which I am inclined to agree with. Going for a short period seems like you are not taking it seriously and will treat it like a long holiday rather than a lifestyle change. Thanks again for your feedback. Keep it coming. Its all very useful and reassuring.

Hi. I tried to emigrate to Australia this week on my own but had a violent panic attack at the airport gate, so I couldn't fly. I'm now back home wondering what happened. Has anyone else suffered the same problem and how did you deal with it? There is a slightly larger story to this, so here goes... I have been to Australia a couple of time over the years and travelled around plus visited family. I loved it each time so decided to apply for the 175 skilled migration visa. I'm a software consultant. The trouble is if I were to migrate I would have to do it alone Over the years spent applying this worried me greatly. My permanent residency visa came through a few months ago so I was planning to move this summer. Then my job required me to go to Australia for a new customer we had acquired over there. So I worked in Tasmania for a couple of weeks, then had a couple of meetings in Melbourne and finally went to Brisbane for a week to see my uncle. I loved it there as always. Tasmania is stunning, Melbourne I wasn't so keen on but I was only there for a day or so. So I can't give it a fair judgement. Brisbane was great! The weather, water sports, hiking etc... I had a great time and didn't want to come home. When I got home I told my boss I was going to emigrate and handed in my resignation. Much to my surprise he asked me to continue working for him but from Australia. My uncle also offered me somewhere to live for 6 months. Brilliant I had everything sorted. I couldn't ask for an easier transition. I sold my stuff and said good bye to my family and friends full of excitement! I wasn't nervous at all. A couple of days before I left I got very nervous, but I expected that. A friend took me to the airport, I checked in and had a stiff drink to calm my nerves. When I sat at the gate I began to breath very quickly and shake uncontrollably. I alerted the airline staff so they sat me somewhere quieter. Unfortunately this didn't help. I got a lot worse. My muscles locked up and I couldn't move other than shake violently and uncontrollably. The staff managed to calm me down enough to stop me passing out but said I could not fly. They offered to put me up in a hotel and let me fly the following day. So I took them up on their offer. However the attack seemed to do some damage to my abdomen causing me a lot of pain. Long story short I ended up in hospital the following day where I was given some relaxing medication and told to go home and think about why I am making this move. Clearly something isn't right subconsciously. So that's where I am now. The only rational concern I can put my finger on is that I will be working from home on my own in a country where I only know my uncle, who has he own life so won't be spending his time with me that much. The whole episode was very unpleasant and I'm terrified it will happen if I try again. Sorry for the long post but I wanted to find out what other people's thoughts were or if they had experienced anything similar themselves. Am I just a massive wimp! Thanks Chris PS: The airline was Qantas. I was very impressed with their service and would highly recommend them.

Thanks Guys. That is a little bit concerning. Perhaps the 3000 recently layed off employees will have found work by the time I arrive. It's certainly something I will take into consideration when I decide when to make the move. You are right about trying to find a job in Oz when still in the UK. Despite my suitability for the role, most of my applications are ignored. I will keep an eye on the jobs that are come up. Thanks again for the info. It was very useful. Chris.

Hello. I am a IT Systems Analyst / Business Consultant and am looking to move to Brisbane towards the end of this year. I was wondering if anyone knows what the job prospects are like in Brisbane for someone in my line of work? Has the market been saturated or are there plenty of jobs? Thanks in advance for your feedback. Chris.