Mhags

Hi, Well I've been back for almost 5 weeks now and settled in, still in a bit of a guddle with boxes ( as in another 50 in the garage to be dealt with!) but most rooms look identifiable as to what they are supposed to be. Weather: whilst not a lover of the heat and my kids ( home in 2 weeks) have been moaning about the heat in Melbourne , the wet has taken a bit of getting used to again. First 5 days it just rained solidly. But there have been a few bright though cold days. Have discovered the joy of putting your heel through an iced up puddle again! I live on the wet and windy west coast and grew up with wind and rain but I think I'd forgotten ! Dog: he settled after a few days. Was passing fresh blood in his poo when I picked him up at airport. This was rather alarming but settled within 24 hours. Then he had a bug about 14 days in and had to go to vets. I have never been so obsessed by dog poo in my life! He was distressed when I picked him up but after a couple of days was fine. He loves all the new smells and places to walk. Not used to as many dogs as there are here so that's been a challenge for him. Had his routine annual inoculations at vets last week. We lived on a big corner plot with a huge fenced in garden so it's been a challenge with our open front garden ( no fences allowed in this estate) and the blooming postie cuts across my front grass , literally right in front of window which is alarming for me never mind the dog! Food: after eating my own body weight in all the things I couldn't get in Australia for first week or so! Loving M&S but missing the village feel of independent shops in our wee town back in Oz. Where I went to the bakers for a loaf of bread or the green grocers for bananas. My local shop is tesco! I think prices here are not as cheap as I remember them to be which shocked me as have thought of Australia as being very expensive. Friends & Family: it's been lovely reconnecting with them. Most people just pop in which is nice. It's been nice having friends over for tea. It's been a bit overwhelming though as everyone wants to say they are sorry about Scott dying and I've found that hard , as I did that all about 7-8 months ago and also people who I meet randomly , like today in tesco at till , oh what made you come back here? Well, my husband died ...it's a conversation stopper for sure! Then I have to do the whole 'it's okay, you didn't know' thing. But to not say it isn't right for me either. Leaving kids for weeks: they just winge on the phone about each other ...it's as if I'm still there! As long as I can speak to at least one of them every day I'm okay. Eldest fell whilst rock climbing and split his chin and had to go to hospital, middle had a recurring infection and needed antibiotics and youngest has had a terrible time with tonsillitis and needed to go to ED and had IV antibiotics and fluids. But good friends kept an eye on things. No one has starved yet. I will be glad to have them here though. I like being a hands on mum. House: our tenants had left it a mess and I have a huge snagging list to work my way through. However I have concentrated on getting kids rooms painted and ready for them. We've went from slime green, dark brown and rancid red to white. Just white! Have started on main bathroom now , glutton for punishment! Much needs to be done in the garden but all I've done is plant my spring bulbs and move my garden furniture removers just plonked down in garden. Removals: I used Chess Wilson in Melbourne and Britannia at this end. The service was okay. Late arriving here by almost 2 hours. Container was outside and all I wanted was my stuff! Guys turned up and whilst full of funny Glaswegian banter were not apologetic! Everything has been wrapped in 5 sheets of poster sized paper , great to unwrap and find a balloon and a straw! Such a pain to recycle. I miss my big blue sky but not the heat. I miss my loud noisy birds but enjoy the gentle tweets of birds here and my wee garden robin. I miss my trees though have found a eucalyptus tree on my dog walk. I miss the bright spring flowers that I left but caught the tail end of Autumn colours here and have planted bulbs for Spring here. Is there anyone I'm supposed to contact officially to say I'm back? I'm back on electoral roll, have paid council tax, had a ToR number that said when I was re-entering the country, came back in on my British passport. Anyone else? So far, so good!

Hi, well it's the night before I leave to head back to Scotland. So much organisation,. So much downsizing , so many farewell meals and catch ups and not once have I thought what the hell are you doing Mhags? It's still feel very right and I do think I've made the right decision...which is just as well really. Our dog boy has started his journey and I've just had an email and a photo from Jetpets as to what he's done today. Him and I are the advance party and the kids follow in 6 weeks after exams are over. Our house has been getting decorated by a crack team of friends and I had an email from shippers to day my container will arrive in Uk next week so that's all worked out quite well and I won't have to camp in the house for too long and can look forward to making it our home again. I no doubt will have brought too much back even after carefully whittling lists down! Looking forward to catching up with friends and family but will ask them to give me and dog a few days space. I'm making my big announcement tomorrow , lots of people don't know...only those that need to know know! So au revoir Australia , you've been amazing . I love you but need to go and be Scottish for a while. See you on the other side!

So one week on ... Discovering the delights ( not) of Facebook selling! NIL! NIL! Waaaaaah! But as someone picked up my butchers block she remarked she liked the plants on the back door steps...sold for $30! Can anyone give me a rough idea of what a 20' container will likely cost? All our expenses were paid by Scott's company when we moved here and they were very generous! Now it's my purse that's paying! Anyone recommend particular Shippers? We used Britannia leaving UK who are Chess Wilson out here, I don't want to feel ripped off but if I had a rough idea beforehand might numb the shock! We have so much 'stuff' and I'm determined I'm not taking any crap back and trying hard not to be over emotional about things. have managed to chuck out my 40th birthday cards (8 years ago) and last year's Christmas cards...wondering why I'd ever kept them. onwards...10 weeks and counting down!

Tasmania was where I had intended to move to but I was there a few weeks ago and it just did not seem the right move at this time. I did much soul searching whilst looking out to sea. Scott and I had went in January for this purpose but it's not for now. I'm calling this my 'gap year' and will see where life takes me at the end of that year. It may very well be a permanent move back but who knows? We all have citizenship so can go between the two. wherever I go is without Scott so that's hard but at least at home there is familiarity, friends and a house that's been paid for!

Hi, I thought I'd write here and say in a big , out loud voice that I've just booked my ticket and it's one way! Weve been in Melbourne for almost 7 years ( arriving on ironically the same date I'm leaving!) , my husband ( who some may remember as a prolific poms in Oz poster Suzuki Scottie) died in March and has left a huge Scott shaped gap in all our lives. A few things recently all just kind of fell in to place and a big decision to return made but it feels a very positive decision. I own my house back home, which had been up for sale but tenants seem to have left it in a mess and no one wanted to buy it. So it's off the market and I will give it some TLC. Our landlords here have decided not to renew the lease in October and want to move in themselves. I just have a part time job ( following Scott's death) and even working full time I would never ever be on the same level of earning capacity he had here. We live in a house here with about twice the floor space as back home so have a lot of downsizing to do in next 2 months. Have started selling on FB and we are planning our first ever garage sale! My aim is notbtontake crap back ...we were going through bides at the weekend that have been in the garage for almost 7 years! We are taking our doggy home and I'm a bit anxious about that but realise I probably over-humanise him and he is just a dog! The dog and I will travel home first and kids will follow just over a month later as they have exams / studies to finish. This will be hard but they are all young adults and seasoned travellers and it means I can go and get a home ready for them. 2 will stay in Scotland and 1 coming back to finish Uni. So my flight is booked and the dog's deposit paid and will get his flight booked by end of week. I need to get shippers in for quotes at start of next week and get that sorted out. It just all feels very right and we are looking forward to seeing ( most) family and good friends who have found it hard not being able to support us on a practical level when Scott was ill for 5 years and then we he died. I know it's not going to be necessarily an easy transition but I'm looking forward to a cold Christmas, no nasty spiders lurking, no fear of snakes ( though to be fair I've never encountered one yet) , time with friends , cheap bananas , rolls and sliced sausage and Marks and Spencer's everything!

I just wanted to let you know that my husband Scott aka Suzuki Scottie passed away peacefully last night. He had been in palliative care for past 2 weeks . I know he was a prolific poster on here and loved helping / sharing his insight into moving to and living in Australia .

Hi, We moved out here almost 2 years ago(Oct 2010) and had put our house in UK up for sale in March 2010, just at the start of the decline in house prices (we had bought at the height of the housing market) and we took it off the market in 2012 as we were now getting silly offers (if any!) at a ridiculously low price that we could not afford top take. We then decided to rent the house out, which we had considered at the time of emigrating but decided against then. So our first tenants move in this week and we just have to hope they have been fully vetted and don't damage our home. As you mentioned you have landlords insurance for this very problem. We will also have a property manager. We are happier knowing that if for any reason we have to return to UK we still have a good foot on the property ladder. Good luck

also shop around with chemists, there can be quite a difference in price. They should ask you if you want a cheaper, generic item too.