TheSmithFamily

I am quite interested in politics generally in the UK but I am totally disillusioned with the Tories and their agenda. They claim to be doing things in the countries interest but really they are doing things for their persoanl benefit, at least those in the cabinet who are actually running the country. Anyway it got me thinking, what is the Australian government really like? From afar, and with admittedly little knowledge of it, they seem to be okay. But to those living in Australia is the reality different? Or is the current government popular and doing things in the interests of the public (and not just a small group of millionaires!) Be interesting to hear what people think.

Thanks for the replies. Thankfully our desire to move to Australia began over 11 years ago when we visited family over there and are definitely not moving just for the weather. I actually love the UK weather, you never feel as alive than when you breathe in a lung full of icy North Sea air!

As a family of 4 who are hoping to make the move to Oz in the next 2/3 years we are wondering what is the one thing people heading back to the UK wish they had considered, or taken into account, before their move which perhaps they didn't? I know a lot of people are as thorough as they can be when researching the move and I know that in some cases you simply will never know until you are living the life in Australia whether it's for you or not. But I'm sure there must be things which people have overlooked which may have potentially made a difference?

Just out of interest which areas south of the city are good? I have family in Bunbury though I dont want to live there as id like to be within an hour of Perth. Though it'd be good to be on the south of the city so visiting would be easier. Sent from my Lumia 800 using Board Express

Haha yeah ive been out today and it started snowing on the high ground!!! I do road cycling. I suppose the heat in Oz will be a challenge in itself at times. Sent from my Lumia 800 using Board Express

I'm a keen cyclist and am fortunate to currently live in a hilly part of the UK so training is fun! Just wondering are there any hilly parts of WA, near the coast? I'm not familiar with how the land lies over there! Sent from my Lumia 800 using Board Express

I would say tell him as soon as you can. It'll be less of a shock when you do go Sent from my Lumia 800 using Board Express

The way I look at it is that we are a family of 4 (soon to be 5!) and spend 90% of our time together. Yes we visit family & im close to my parents & brother but not to the point where I would stop my move abroad. They all moved away from the town I live in to various parts of the country anyway! Sent from my Lumia 800 using Board Express

I'll keep an eye on this as we'll be renting in Perth area when we move, so on the lookout for good areas. Sent from my Lumia 800 using Board Express

I think there is so much emphasis put on missing family by so many (nothing wrong with that) but for many it's nit the biggest issue. I think in a way I'd spend more quality time with my parents in Australia as daft as that sounds. It's certainly not a big concern of mine. However my wife may feel it tougher to leave her mum & dad but its not a deal breaker & her mum thinks we should go for it anyway so we have her blessing in that regard Sent from my Lumia 800 using Board Express

I know that most people face the same dilemma when it comes to missing family. Most people are close to their loved ones and so moving to the other side of the world naturally brings a concern about missing them. But are there people who have made the move who haven't missed family or more specifically they have missed family but haven't found it as hard to deal with as they imagined? The way I look at it from my point of view is that I expect I will miss my parents quite a bit but they live 2 hours away and so I see them perhaps once a month for a weekend as it stands. I know if we moved to Australia that they would come out at least once a year for several weeks at a time. My mum has a brother in WA too. As for my extended family I have always lived 2hours away from them anyway and so dont see them daily or weekly anyway. Just wonder what others think? Sent from my Lumia 800 using Board Express

Perhaps I didn't explain my question properly. I'm familiar with Skype and use it often. I was just wondering if others who have made the move to Australia relied on it heavily when they first moved out to Oz as my friend did when she went to NZ? I just found it a big thing to say that without Skype she would have returned to the UK! Do others feel the same? Sent from my Lumia 800 using Board Express

I was at one of my best friends weddings over the weekend. She emigrated to New Zealand about 3 years ago and has married a kiwi. Their wedding was in England but they are to live in NZ. She comes from a very large and close family and when I spoke to her she said that if it wasn't for Skype, particularly at the start of her move, then she wouldn't have been able to stay. She says it was the thing that made the difference. Now she has applied for residency & is unlikely to move back to the UK which is great. So im just wondering if anyone else has found Skype to be such an important tool once emigrated?

That's great news! Good luck with your move!!

One thing that is quite obvious from reading people's experiences on PIO and watching TV shows like Wanted Down Under is that the most difficult thing is leaving family and friends behind. Totally understandable & is the one thing that will be a massive issue when it's our turn to leave the UK behind for obvious reasons. But on a practicable level how do people who have made the move to Oz cope with childcare. I'm talking about the little things here like going out for a drink, a meal or to the cinema as a couple. Obviously you can't just dump the kids on grandma and grandad or round the corner at a friends house. Is this a tough thing to get used to begin with? Did it come as a shock to anyone? Obviously over time you'd hope to make friends etc but the fact is it's nice to do stuff without your kids every so often, in fact it's healthy to. I imagine this could be one of the harder aspects of moving.