mickinqld

Thanks for the tip Scotty - strangely enough, id been recommended Aviva, and Swintons quote was based on them. I'll go direct to Aviva and see what happens with the premium then. Jeez, that's more like a sensible quote you got there Scotty.

However, can I say, 3 months into London again and it amazes me how you really don't need a car here. I had just a motorbike for years before I went over to oz and loved it and its very easy to do it. The buses/trains/tubes here really are amazing now how frequent they are....even much more so than 13 yrs ago.

Any more insurance clues though more than welcome y'all!

Thanks Guys - tried go compare and it came down to 274 quid at the lowest....it didn't ask where my 13 years no-claims came from, so didnt tell em!

Im sure they'll ask when it comes to getting cover from the actual company...but we''ll see when I get the car.

But, on the face of it, that's crazy - 274 up to 750 quid just for being overseas while you got the same NCD.

Jim - that's mad also! a good pointer though as I haven't bought the vehicle yet......ill take the approach of assuming nothing then till I get the quote on the actual make and model.

Hey all, Having been back in the UK now for a couple of months and now looking at getting some wheels again.

Following on from a couple of posts here, I have just got quotes for runarounds for 1200 GBP from Swintons and 750 GBP from Keith Michaels - both fully comp.

They both took 13 years no-claims-discount from AU but getting penalised for being out of the country - which seems crazy cos if you can avoid a crash in AU for 13 years, you must be a pretty good driver I think!

Anyhow, has anyone got any recent UK companies that they know give decent, rational quotes?

Cheers one and all!

Hi Alice,

My heart goes out to you with all that's you've described.

I'm always very wary about giving life-changing advice to people whos own situation you done really know, but in your case, if you did the old, tried and tested test of writing pros and cons on each side of a piece of paper - I think youd have a pretty one sided piece of paper.

Some things can be fixed after a while - others, the longer they are left broken, the more it is to fix them, if attall. I think some of the aspects you describe need that immediate attention back in the UK.

I'm been back in the UK now on a trial return for 2 months so can appreciate how much personal life type things are easier here than on the other side of the world. My own on-going story is for another day.

All the very, very best my dear.

hi bitman, im back in the uk now and getting some stuff sorted out in advance of a move back hopefully. missing the missus but the enthusiasm, relaxation and laughs are already coming back in droves.....as expected.

Hi AA, and thanks for your suggestion. I have spent some time living in Melbourne also and I do understand your thoughts about the place. But I think its a different flavour of the same food if that makes sense. I cant help comparing any place ive lived/visited here to the good places back 'home' and I come back to the feeling that theres an underlying difference that sets the places miles apart.

Youre right, It will be tough without my partner for a period but I hope things are clearer for both of us because of this and the way forward becomes easier.

Thanks again AA.

Hi Mollie. From what you've said, things I would consider:

Getting a new agent and new tenants. When it's a good team you can near enough forget about it.

the cost of selling and buying is a big overhead with agents, stamp duty, other costs.

the pound is on the rise (and may continue), the long you have finances in the uk, the more it's worth.

sounds like a good area it's in.....in the boom area of the uk I take it?

But also depends how useful it would be to have that cash from a sale available in australia.

best of luck as a huge decision.

I know Melza. Very difficult options, but still options. As I touched upon before, my heart goes out to the people on here who are, or feel, completely trapped due to circumstances outside of their control.

thanks legoman.

You just made me think about how this living on the other side of the world thing can be so all-consuming of your life....its constantly there in the background and everything you do has to take this into account with regard to family, friends, time and finances.

I have a good friend who moved to rural Ireland from London and can be back 'home' in 3 hours door to door. I think that far ahead if I want to travel and get a decent pizza.......and theres a good chance the pizza will cost more than his plane ticket I think.

To be honest, in hindsight, I knew I preferred the UK after about 2 years but made the effort to keep the missus happy. I would say its only in the last 18 months that things have got really bad.

Thankyou again for your understanding responses.

Yes legoman, many people fit in here fantastically…I envy them and best of luck to them.

In my case I can honestly say I gave it my all for 13 years but could not ‘fit in’ in a way that I could enjoy and thrive in. To me, it would be a lot easier if you were more willing to adapt to the Australian psych but to me that would mean sacrificing my core values which are non- negotiable. Again, each to their own.

Quoll , you lasted 32 years in that particular situation……I genuinely salute you and don’t know how you did it. Many people on here state they hate it after a month! We all of course have to compromise in life in one way or another, but as I said before, each of own core values and needs are things that should be preserved.

LR – My partner isn’t going back for this trip back. I’m leaving my return date open-ended for now and it makes practical sense for her to remain here and look after house, animals and her work! Although I need to go back for this break for my own sanity, I’ve also deliberately chosen to make it the ‘worse case’ scenario for a return – my partner wont be there and the weather will undoubtedly be cold, wet and dark. The thinking being, if I still REALLY love the idea of the UK again, it wont be because the sun was out or it was a holiday type environment.

I’d just like to start by thanking many of the members of PIO that have provided their own stories and experiences that have helped me in knowing that I’m not going stark staring mad and that my negative experiences of Australia are valid, commonplace and shared. I hope by posting this as my contribution to others who may benefit from it in some small, similar way.

Australia I do find, on a practical level, is a very ‘easy’ place to live with open space, few crowds and all the benefits of a first world country.

However, my experiences of the Australians, their culture and society have been overwhelmingly negative. I won’t dwell on the specific details here as many of you have previously described these failings in better literary ways than I possibly could, and also I find it too depressing to go over them again.

I could dwell on aspects of Australian life which have been highlighted by others on here, such as excessive heat, prices and lack of choice in some areas, but to be honest these are mere annoyances to me when compared with the failings of the society and culture.

I can honestly say that my partner and myself overwhelmingly only get on with and mix with other people from the UK and other foreign countries. There are of course some great Australians I have met and am proud to know but sadly these people are very much in the minority and probably more telling than any other fact, when I have discussed my opinions of the weaknesses of this country, these people will almost without qualification agree with me, and themselves feel trapped in their own country or feel that there is something ‘missing’ here. This is particularly telling when these people have actually visited and experienced other countries and know for themselves that there are alternatives.

Workplaces here have been negative, backstabbing, manipulative etc and are again IMO, representative of the bullying and dishonest culture which thrives here.

Australians pubs are not only dreary and completely lacking of atmosphere, but they are only representative of the people who frequent them. Many Australians can’t have a drink without becoming argumentative and violent and have witnessed how many view a good punch up or beating as their entertainment for the night or even the highlight of their week as the other aspects of their lives are so bland and empty.

I am in one way lucky in that my partner is Australian (having met and lived in London for 5 years) and therefore my move over here 13 years ago was relatively painless and inexpensive on a defacto based visa. Because she was effectively returning home, we also had her family as a support base – both emotionally and for initial accommodation etc.

I must say, even though the move to Australia was in support of my partners desire to move home and I had no burning desire to emigrate, I was initially excited at the differences here and escaping the envisaged problems of the UK. The initial excitement of course diminishes and the reality of living requirements becomes the norm. At first the things I was annoyed at in Australia society and culture were just that, annoyances, but over the years they became far more deep seated and the black dog reared his ugly head at certain times. I managed to overcome this for periods as I am a naturally positive and optimistic person, but earlier this year after a great trip back to the UK, something clicked on my return big time and it stayed well and truly. Being constantly exposed to the problems here that caused this situation meant there wasn’t a break from it and hence no opportunity to bounce back.

However, now I wish/need to return back to the UK and as with so many ‘mixed’ relationships, she wants to stay in Australia. I can understand her position however I cannot do the same at present and so we will see how I go in the UK and difficult decisions lie ahead for us one way or another.

I’m going back to the UK next week for a sanity break and if I can break out of this depressive cycle (which I predict is a yes, though I’ll be keeping open minded in fairness to my partner), I’ll be carrying out a lot of research and making plans for a more permanent move back. One of the saving graces of being in Australia for myself is having made some good property and work decisions and so am able financially to do this (13 years ago it was about 3 dollars to the pound also!). I can only imagine what it must be like to be ‘trapped’ here, saving for that return back that unfortunately you read about with so many people on here that have put all their financial eggs in the move over.

I will probably always have ties to Australia as my partner is from here. The more temporarily and flexible situation we have is property here but that can be sold off or rented out if needed.

None of us are experts at these situations that get thrust upon us and all the constructive suggestions in the world aren’t too many…..maybe I’m missing a glaring alternative!?

Best of luck to anyone in a similar boat as I know there are many on here and feel your pain.

Hi Jimmy, I'm from London and was back there 6 months ago.

London is a big place and so diverse in areas so generalisations are difficult. I'm from west london and have been told Croydon has gone a bit downhill but haven't been there myself for sooo long I wouldn't like to comment.

london is very expensive for property and rents but with the exchange rate at present it's a lot cheaper than oz if you take dollars over!

anywhere in London where you can be on the tube or train is easy to get around and so many buses also.

You'll notice the pay is less than oz but that's to do with the exchange rate again.

lots to do in london you'll find and certainly is a buzz ive never found in oz.....difficult to explain until you see and experience for yourself.

id suggest start there but maybe look at travelling around the country as there's so much more to the uk than london and it's not all focused on the capital city like the states are in oz.

best of luck jimmy......you certainly won't be bored!

Dear SaffaInLondon

 

I'm also a South African, living in Aus (Melbourne) for 7 years. I've been in the same boat many many times, i.e. should we stay or should we go, etc. The "we" is my wife, two children and I. It seems that the more options you have, the more difficult it is to make a decision, especially on something that is life changing. We're preparing to leave Aus for the UK.

 

My advice will be biased towards saying that you should think twice about moving to Aus. Unfortunately taking bias out of an answer is almost impossible for almost everyone. And I've also seen in your posts that you're very happy in London. You'll never find utopia. So if you're very happy, then that's enough reason to stay put and enjoy your life. You have something that many people lose through bad decisions based on emotions and not fact.

 

My reasons are based on my own views.

 

Fact 1. You live a heck of a lot closer to SA now than you would being in Aus. Even in Perth. It costs us around $7,000-$9,000 dollars on flight tickets to travel at a decent time of year from Melbourne to Cape Town to see family and old friends. Then there is the spending money, which is another $2,000-$4,000 for a 2-4 week stay. Granted, this is with family in tow, but if you do the math, you'll see that it's very expensive to travel from Aus to SA for a holiday.

 

Fact 2. The time zone between Aus and SA is a killer. You'll spend about a week recovering from jet lag in SA, unless you're one of the lucky ones that take a couple of days. With us, that takes one third of our holiday away from us because we can't enjoy family and friends when we're all walking zombies. Also, we can't just pick up the phone or Skype whenever we want. We have to wait and time our comms to SA. It's normally late evening here, and mid morning/late afternoon in SA. You really are at the arse end of the world here.

 

Fact 3. All cities in Aus suffer from a small town mentality, including the big centers Melbourne and Sydney. Which on London and New York standards are quite small in the first place. They also have the added issue of tall poppy syndrome. It is very very rife here. Funny enough I haven't seen that in the smaller rural towns, but it's all over the place in the cities. Australian workplaces are the most frustrating I've ever encountered. In general, Aussies are lazy and self-obsessed. Which is why I hire mainly foreigners. The work ethic is non existent.

 

Fact 3. London is one of the greatest cities on the planet. The diversity and acceptance of other cultures and the integration that's possible is second to none. Not so in Aus. In general, Aussies don't like foreigners. And you'll always be a foreigner if you don't speak with an Aussie accent.

 

Fact 4. There are a LOT more opportunities in the UK and the rest of Europe for work and business. I've just come back from a four week business trip to London, and I can't believe the opportunities I see there when I compare it to the economic prospects in Aus. Aus is living on borrowed time. I own an IT consultancy in Mlebourne, specializing in erp deployment.

 

Fact 4. Although you know this already, and I'm only saying this because I got a sense that you want to capture some of your old days in SA in Aus, Australia is nothing like South Africa. Not in culture. Not in diversity. Not in climate. Yes, the sun shines here far more than in the UK. Similar to SA. But it's not the same. It burns. It's not friendly sun like in SA or the Mediterranean. I'm Italian-South African, and I have an olive complexion. I burn in Aus. Not in SA. My kids can't enjoy a day out in the sun like they do in SA.T

 

Fact 5. There is no such thing as ubuntu in Aus as you find in SA. That sense of compassion and togetherness. You won't find that here. UK has more of this than Aus.

 

Fact 6. Australia is a VERY insular society. They can't see anything past their own borders. It's also a nanny state that puts the UK to shame. Growing up in SA, we all had a very real sense of the world and our place in it. You don't have that in Aus.

 

Fact 7. In Aus, it's all about the beautiful people and sports. Aus doesn't really have a defining culture. And a European-type appreciation for the arts, history, science, comedy, etc. and similar passions that we foreign-born people have, are lost on most Aussies.

 

Fact 8. Australia is probably more safe than the UK.

 

Fact 9. Life in Aus for me has been soul destroying. It's a personal fact I know, but you have to consider that life in Aus just won't match up with life in the UK.

 

There are a lot more things but these come to mind. I know they're based on my own bias, but I also recognize some things in your posts that I have gone through before. And if I have stayed put in the country I was happy in, things may have been different. One of the most unsettling things I've encountered is that everyone "back home" seems to have just got on with their lives and tried to eek out every bit of enjoyment from their lives as they could. We, the priviledged ones, with Italian and South African and Aussie passports, seem to be the ones not able to enjoy life because we can't make a decision and stick with it. We have too many choices. And we can't settle.

 

I don't think you want to leave London. I think that you have a picture in your head of what life in Aus could be like. But I promise you, that picture is 99.99999% flawed.

 

Don't make the mistake of chasing the wind.

Great at post may I say and very well conveyed, and myself being originally from London, would agree with every point you make.

Strangely enough, I get on very well with many saffas in aus now because I find you much closer in attitude and outlook than the locals here.

although I am looking at returning to the uk after 12 years in aus for many reasons including the ones listed above, I would say to the OP though that a year would fly by in a new country especially if you treat it like an extended holiday and see as much as you can of the country during that period. I do think that now you have the opportunity, if you do not take it you will regret it in the future.

but I would leave as much of your life intact in the uk for you to return to at any stage you wish to return. That includes friends, property, finances, career, etc. I will have to rebuild that part of my life back in the uk and not looking forward to the hastle and cost.

the very best of luck to you though!