doubter

My understanding is she would be a dual citizen being born in the UK and eligible to apply for UK passport.

4 hours ago, newjez said:

You planned to land when Wales were playing? Seriously?

? Wasn't thinking about that when I was jumping ship

8 minutes ago, Ozzie said:

@NicF thank you! You're the only one who has understood! Exactly right - I don't personally know of any cases.

Exactly as NicF summarised. Anyway I give up, too many getting defensive about something they complain about but won't do anything about it.

However, what has been interesting, is the fact everyone presumes I am male!

You can only be called Ozzie if you are a guy and you come across like a Bruce not a Sheila ??

18 minutes ago, ScottieGirl said:

Absolutely,  school holidays in Aus do not overlap with the UK.

Went back one Xmas and spent my time haring around the country as no one was prepared to change their plans. I had travelled 10,000 miles but they wouldn't travel 20. People don't miss you as much as you miss them. 

Parental visits can become less frequent as well as elderly parents become less able to cope with the journey.

Very true you think family will fall at your feet when you come back to the UK not always true. When I came back to the UK after leaving Australia for good I had to hire a car and drive home to Wales after the long flight.Reason there was a Wales rugby match on and nobody would fetch me from Heathrow ? They knew I was returning for months but still put their plans first. I used to have more contact from my parents in Oz via Skype than I do here in the UK and they live 10 mins away.

Each to their own but if I did it again I would sell though I did try last time but time frame was short and no joy. Unfortunately when you rent out it's difficult to get it ready to sell it on when you are the other side of the world. Part of the reason I returned to the UK was because I had options which made it easier. I had my house which I rented out and my old job having took a career break. I truly believe I would still be in Australia now if I didn't have those get out clauses and wish I had cut ties with UK altogether.

My experience of renting out was a bad one. My rent payments were late luckily I had enough money in UK account to cover mortgage.I never used an agent mainly due to the cost and sorted tenancy agreement and everything else you have to do to rent out myself. When I came back to UK I never went back to my house I rented another house.Didnt want to give notice to my tenant because she had children and it was close to Xmas. She saw the writing on the wall and eventually left anyway. I rented house to someone I knew big mistake. You should have seen the state the house was left in.Damage to floors rubbish and their belongings left behind.I made 3 car runs to the local refuge tip.Things that cost a lot of money were either damaged or not maintained.All this was done in a year and I had no looks on the house. I had to redecorate throughout and luckily I managed to sell the house and buy another in a short space of time.Ironic really when I had no joy prior to leaving the UK.

On 9 May 2017 at 0:11 AM, Parley said:

There is also the suggestion to stop all welfare payments to non citizens.

Currently welfare payments like Newstart and Disability Payments are paid to residents as the qualifying criteria.

It was something like 170000 British citizens living here that the Government is paying welfare to.

Other nationalities too but British by far the highest group we are paying welfare to.

 

In fact we are paying out $15B a year to foreigners in welfare payments.

Ridiculous when we have so much debt and deficit.

 

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/foreigners-living-in-australia-get-15-billion-a-year-in-welfare-payments-2017-5

I thought you couldn't claim welfare on PR for the first 2 years that was the case when I was there.

On 6 May 2017 at 3:12 PM, The Pom Queen said:

This is something that we have heard a hundred times over throughout the years of the forum. 

But seriously, how can people say this is fact. Let me say I'm not getting at anyone who has returned, who knows one day I may have no choice myself. 

I saw a postcard today and it reminded me just how large Australia is. I know it's not exactly to scale but it still gives us all an idea of the size.

 

So, working on the size of Australia and the diversity, when people say they don't like Australia it is like someone moving to Bradford and saying they think all of Europe is a dump. Or the people are unfriendly etc. Let's face it how can we say Bradford is like Poland or France

Is it unreasonable to ask if it really is Australia or is it a suburb in a state they don't like.

I have seen some dumps in Australia but I have also seen hundreds of places that are paradise. 

The cost of living and job situation I could understand more.

Can I ask if some of the members going home can clarify? 

A whole lot of reasons and emotions can play a part in going back I will name a few.For me it was the distance to get anywhere within Australa more so than outside. I picked the wrong soulless suburb and area to live. I made the mistake of comparing to what I knew. I longed for old buildings and character. I know this exists in Oz but I wasn't in a position to move on. The main dislike for me was my job and where it was but I was  stuck in it. Having said that I seen and experienced some great places and everytime I visit Europe I come away not feeling fulfilled like I did in Australia in regards to the scenery. I don't put the country down and I would go back, the time and place just wasn't right for me then.

Suppose to start job in June given 6 weeks notice and sent me contract to sign without full terms and conditions. Just not possible to get there so soon at moment Understandably gone quiet on me when I asked for a later start date and more info ?

I used Kent removals back in 2010 from Australia to UK and they were excellent.Items were packed well and I had no damaged items unlike UK to Australia. If I was doing it again I would only take my clothes and personal items with me. My way of thinking is you need household items as soon as you arrive in country so just as well buy. If you items you leave behind are not expensive or antique and you shop around its not going to be much difference in price.

2.00 was always my benchmark and when it last went to that I got excited and exchanged pounds to my Oz bank account ? Don't know why haven't been there since 2010, the moment got hold of me ?

I can certainly see the draw to Pembrokeshire having just spent a weekend in Tenby.The draw to Wales was great for me in my short time in Australia for different reasons. Good luck with the move ?

6 hours ago, The Pom Queen said:

Cairns at Christmas 

That's bizarre looking at a Xmas tree in the sun ?

7 hours ago, ali said:

I think QLD must have been difficult for a few years, my colleague who is Australian and trained (nursing) in Aus went to QLD with her partner and was unable to find any work other than casual shifts with an agency - she had to return to WA after less than a year

I agree Qld Health have closed the door on jobs especially the overseas applicants they once encouraged. I think there is too many people competing for few jobs in the south east corner and more chance if you go regional.

9 hours ago, Kirstyj said:

We love it here, yes people are always calling me a Pom and take the Micky out of my accent as I'm from Lancashire, but I lived in Edinburgh before coming here and I found that was a lot worse, and you always get 'I love the way you talk' , I take it with a pinch of salt as we all do it.  Anyway a sunny 28deg in Perth today a lovely autumn day think it's time to go for a swim ???‍♀️?‍♀️X

I get it with a Welsh accent too and a great deal of people I met had roots someway or another in the UK anyway. We had a good Aussie friend on our street who thought we were actually speaking Welsh because of our accent,slang and pronounciation. She thought we were pulling her leg when we told her we were speaking English and couldn't speak Welsh ??

I also get it in the UK as my job sometimes takes me over the border.

17 minutes ago, Kirstyj said:

Very well said, we are going to look at our 1st home build tomorrow, something we probably would have never done in the uk, very excited x

Good luck would love to do that ?

6 hours ago, Pura Vida said:

It's a two way process though. Aussies should not be of the nature that they know always best and/or vice versa. I'm afraid if unhappy or under acknowledged in one's job, then life style will not amount to very much. Respect and recognition all around. Just don't expect to get in a 'top' position in getting off the boat.

What is this 'lifestyle' anyway? Aussies these days work some of the longest hours of advanced countries and carry some of the largest personal debt and live in a land where some of the world's most expensive housing is found.

Whinging Pom, is an Aussie invention of little significance. Due to Australians being by and large an uncomplaining and tend to accept things any other group that speak out a little more may well be thought of as 'whinging'.

I know nationalities that complain to a degree that would make English appear more like 'shy church mice'.

I can't speak for you and vice versa but I am at a stage in my life where I am not career driven. I went to Australia knowing I was going to be deskilled. I would have stayed in the UK if that was important but it gave me an opportunity to go and try it out, which some only dream of trying.

I slightly agree if you are not happy in your job then lifestyle doesn't amount to much.All the more reason not to keep on whinging and try to fit in, something I do well wherever I go.If you can't you find employment elsewhere. In human nature we all want to be liked and to fit in so its best we try to. I can also stand toe to toe with the best of them when I need to.

Once again I can't speak for you but for me lifestyle was doing things outdoors when it's not freezing cold and pouring with rain. That is something I personally can't deal with in the UK and I hate the winter here. I loved the fact you can drive for hours and hours with hardly any traffic or people. So much to see and do you would never do it in a lifetime.

I worked the same hours in Australia as the UK with less responsibility and for more money. Did I say more money? I never live above my means so no debt for me only more disposable money.In regards to housing yes more expensive in OZ but that never affected me where I was either.

12 minutes ago, The Pom Queen said:

We lived in the valley but loved it, surrounded by rainforest and waterfalls in the back garden. I absolutely loved Cairns out of all the places we have lived in Australia. It was paradise.

12 minutes ago, The Pom Queen said:

Public school do you mean state school. If so you are looking around $130 a year all of which are voluntary, that's going off Redlynch state school up there. My boys went to St Andrews and then when the principal changed we moved to Peace Lutheran.

For St Andrews they made all their fees compulsory and charged around $3000 pa. 

Im sure Peace was $25 per term and voluntary 

Yes I would say $25-50 per term was about right. Christ $3000 pa that's a lot for a state school.Couldnt afforded that for 2 kids would want private education handing that over ?

Did you live in Redlynch @The Pom Queen ? I remember speaking to a nurse in Airlie Beach who happened to be from Wales who lived there.Her brother lived in Cairns but she hated it and returned to the UK.Cant remember her name at mo but spoke to her a few times on another forum.Not sure if she was ever on PIO. I had a drive by in Redlynch felt too enclosed with all those mountains around you and I live in a hole I mean valley ?

Just now, Kirstyj said:

We will always be known as winging poms?????

Yes quite right ? we are easy targets with that one and it won't take your Australian colleagues long to throw that at you ?

43 minutes ago, ali said:

When I first arrived I got friendly with Australian Colleagues, they'd had their fill of Brits coming over (nursing) and immediately bagging the system and the immortal works of "in the UK we did/had etc., etc., to the point that my friend said ...if it was so good why did they leave.

I think, like anywhere you have to be conscious of working in a new environment, new processes etc., and not to come across as being 'too good for the job'.  My personal experience was that I was a senior nurse in the UK but took a job on the wards as an RN to get my foot in the door, learn the new processes and build from there.

Quite right I was working for the ambulance service and I sometimes had to stop myself saying that ?

You have to fully embrace whatever you are doing and do it the Australian way.Just play the game and tell yourself I came for the lifestyle not the job, which was what I did.If you keep going on moaning and groaning you will soon be known as the whinging Pom ?

Someone who lives in these areas would be better suited to advise you.I have only visited places when I lived on the Gold Coast.

If it was me I would take a look at the Moreton Bay region.You have coastal areas like Bribie Island and Redcliffe. In land you have Samford Village, Samford Valley etc which I liked.I have a mate living in Petrie and he is happy with his family there. You have train stations and commuting distance car or train to Brisbane within a hour and the same north to the Sunshine Coast. I do believe there is a female AFL club called the Narangba Crows.

Take a look at the Moreton Bay council website and I am sure someone will be along to help shortly. You could always go to the Gold Coast which offers all those things and more but not everyone's cup of tea ?

Welcome back and am sure someone with better knowledge than me will be along soon.

I am guessing Brisbane coming from Sydney Sunshine Coast may be too quiet. If you are after major hospitals and AFL that's probably Brisbane again.Not great beaches like the Sunshine Coast you have to go to GC for that and surf but still good beaches for nice walks dotted around Brisbane area.

How can we help you when this idiot doesn't know what he is talking about ??

https://mobile.twitter.com/mattdegroot_/status/854831561685975040/video/1

I haven't had a problem on my laptop or iPad.

5 minutes ago, newjez said:

Why would you want to do this?

I was thinking the same just leave it there and don't tell them even though they would like to know.It gets written off after about 30 years anyway