scousers

Been here 32 years my parents followed 26 years ago. My mum has chronic heart failure . She was told in high school she would never marry and would not make 20. She married had two kids both times had heart attacks and spent full pregnancies in hospital. When she came to oz 26 years ago the UK doctors gave her two years. Well she us now 85z had three mital valve replacements in her life. I do think aus conditions have helped her enourmously. me, on the other hand have had depression since the day i arrived. I am 35 kg over weight. In the uk my nick name was skinny lizzie. I was so active in the uk. Never ever watched tv. Put it this way, i have never seen an episode of coronation street. Ive seen the cat walk along the wLl but then i went out doing so many things every night. Here i am in front of the tv 24/7. I have never found anything to interest me here. Aus has been great for mum, disastrous for me.

Omg... have lived in Melb and have only two in 32 years! I would go home in a flash if i saw one near my house

Best if luck with your new life in Jersey, would love to be returning to the uk. Maybe one day!

Sometimes i think its a blessing in disguise, my parents wanted to come since the 70’s but where refused on health grounds, now i think there was a reason for that and we should have just accepted that.

Melbourne, eastern suburbs

I think i knew immediately but pushed it aside. Been here 32 years now and biggest mistake was staying!

Absolutely i would love to return to the UK. Not going to happen as my family followed me here so im now stuck!

You can enter the UK on an expired uk passport . I have done it many times

Just saw my comment from a few years ago and i still feel the same. I go back most years, not this year of course. But would move back in a heartbeat. Its 32 years yesterday since we arrived. I had an issue that i needed to talk to someone and its still my mates back home who i rely on, great people.

As i left the UK at 22 so only worked from 16-22 plus 1 year when i was 25 how do i top up the NI contributions?

I often think of you and didn't realise you where returning for good. How was the UK and how did you find the people? i caught up last week with a guy i went to school with, he was in Melb on holiday, always see him when i go home, it was lovely but set me off yet again! i have been lucky to find a fab group of poms all with partners and really good people love them , but its still not that feeling of being home, i feel really ungrateful but also feel like i have a home but its a long way away. i hope you find a fab group like i have when you return quoll, best wishes x

How have you found it Quoll and are you returning to Canberra?

There GP usually does everything bulk billing but ill get them to ask next time they go to see him. Thanks

No GP’s only give meds been down that road before, they do work but just cant be boghered doing that again. Seen some great physiologists and some hopeless ones lol. I just need to put the techniques in place again. Hopefully, ill get home again this year.

I think a long term plan is all i can do but feel dreadful if i leave my daughter here on her own. I hope one day she says she will come. Im 54 and she is 21. I dont think her dad would leave her here, so it may be just me going back. I think because she is more like us she hates the friends coming and going which she has experienced her whole life here. I always said aus was no good for her but everyone disagreed. I think they all agree now but its too late.

Its ok, im actually a bit of expert on anxiety, had a massive breakdown 20 years ago that lasted 5 years and learnt all there is to know. I know how to push myself out of it but its only temporary fix

I soldier on as they say. My parents are equally unhappy here now but they are both unable to fly. My daughter will not leave , hubby would go i think. I manage most of the time but as soon as i get stressed i just think of home and how i would rather be there than here. I have isolated myself alot here, only work two days a week now but we could do with more money but the thought of being stuck doing a job here for more years just makes me feel sick. I have a lovely group of pom friends who are fab, gave up on aussies, not worth the effort its only ever temporary , thats not just me i now watch and they just all rotate friends constantly, not my thing at all. I realise now when i get too down i have panic attacks over it. But hey I've got through 30 years i can get through some more years. I do worry at what point will enough be enough, i think when my parents go may be the time i just up and leave.

Thanks, i do go home every year for what i call my sanity breaks lol. Daughter was born in oz and she wont leave, funnily she seemed much more comfortable in the UK. I hope you are really happy when you get home x

Wish i was you able to go. Maybe one day. I can pull it together alot of the time but it is forced but then i have what i think are panic attacks brought on by always living with stress. Then i get thinking what will it be like when my parents aren't here anymore ( both in oz and very elderly now) then i think if something happened to my hubby i would not even consider being here. Not sure what my daughter would do but i just could not stay any longer. Its awful and sad stupid thing is we have so many people at home, what the hell are we doing here. Sorry its got to me this week!!

Where does she have the injections done? Is she in Melbourne?

If you feel that unsettled now it will only get worse in my opinion. Ive been in oz 31 years now didn’t feel right from the start but stuck it out. Now i feel so scared of the future i often wonder how bad it will get. I wish i had gone home back then. I have a great group of pom friends now gave up on the aussies as just nothing in common. I don’t get them and they don’t get me. But i think of home every day. Don't force something to work that just isn't, i did and i wish i had gone home where i feel safe and secure. Stuck here for now. Best wishes

Yes he is on an oz pension with no private health insurance.

My farther has MD and pays about $450.00 every 6 weeks and has done now for 7 years

Hi John, we are scouters also, been here almost 28 years so a little older than you guys. We are early 50's with a 17 year old daughter born here. Where are you heading too?

Hi everyone, sorry it have not replied, elderly parents have been sick which has took up a lot of time in the last few weeks. How about we arrange a get together in the next few weeks, any preference for days?