ozglenn

Oz is not really behind these days it's just a different culture as it's a new country. I also have nieces in OZ and they are no different than UK kids. Plenty of Brit kids go do sports and hobbies hence why England did so well in the Olympics. If you don't want any grey days then my advice is to go to qld or Darwin not down south. I was back in England last summer and the weather was great and this winter has not been bad has it? I'm surprised that registered nurses would be on wages in the UK, would have thought they would be salaried and on shift allowances. On another thread i remember somebody mentioned registered nurses were on 35k in the UK.

Have you been to Melbourne or Sydney in June? Best wishes with your plans.:smile:

LOL...i live in Adelaide and this past year has seen a very average summer and a cold start to Autumn. What you get in the uk is a more enjoyable summer without the extremities and lovely long summer days. Tonight we have the gas heating on in the hills.:huh:

May i ask what your OH does as i have never met any Brit that has arrived in OZ and earns 5 times the salary that they earned back in the Uk.

In a sense it was a form of detention in a way, as you say many could not get the money together to pay back the passage and the "bribe" if you will. My parents came out as ten quid poms and were on the hostel for 6 months as it was expenisve to stay on the hostel and then get the money to get off. I think it's important to stress that people still were not forced to stay for two years more like they found difficulties if they wanted to return within two. Were they aware of the ramifications regarding the payback, i'd say they were. It is much different today as the British cities and towns are no longer smog ridden and the ability to zip over to the continent is within reach of most working families. Psst war Britain was a bit dreary in the big cities so i guess the clean air was an attraction. Not sure of the cost of living as the cost of food and clothing was very high in OZ much like today.

Personally i would give it time especially with how expensive it is to emigrate here these days. I often wonder sometimes if the whole emigration thing is worth is at all unless of course people come from a dire place. I think the old Miltiary career that takes you around the world and pays for it all is the way to go.

This is not true, not sure from whom you ahve received this information but ican assure you nobody was forced to stay for two years and some when straight back. You say that 8 months is way too early but how can you put a time on anothers assessment. Many ofus can make our minds up within a couple of weeks. You can like a place initially and then the novelty drops away and then other times you can go the other way. We are all different.

Your post is a little condradictory, "loved everyday going back alone in April can't wait" So you are sure you are settled here? I agree that Portland is different to Manchester, you could say that the Welsh coast is also, as Portland is a very remote town compared to say Melbourne. For you Australia might well be ten times better but that is a subjective perspective only and for many it is no better and for many it is worse. I'm in the Adelaide hills, today it is cold and raining i nthe middle of summer and a few days ago is was a scorching heatwave with risk of bushfire devastation. On days like this it far from perfect.

I guess for some it takes just one aspect of change to make them feel that they are 'living the dream' which should be stated more like 'Living my dream' or 'living our dream' because what is 'Living THE dream' ? After my recent trip back to England i did speak to many folks who are more wise to the pros and cons of Australia and many seemed enlightened and knowledgeable when it comes to a life down under.

AC is a necessity especially for older folks. Poms other migrants and born and bred Aussies all suffer and all hate it when we get those 40 plus heatwaves. This is commonly omitted from the glossy sales mags and from those Australia house expos. If you have an job where you have climate control it's all good but many don't. We run reverse cycle AC for heating and cooling here in Adelaide for 9 months of the year and it costs a lot. This is something that working class migrants should consider as a reality.

Until it gets to over 40-45 for two weeks straight like it is doing more often in southern and eastern Oz come summer. Last summer here in Adelaide was the hottest i have felt in 30 years. The power bills come in very high as AC is a must especially as one ages.

A lot of old homes in the outer suburbs are being detonated and the 800 sqm blocks are being halved. I think within 20 years it will be hard to find home with a large block as many will be either very expensive and desired or would have given way to subdivision. It all depend son how much the economy grows of course and that's a hot issue in Oz right now.

The thing is oz doesn't have room to grow either hence the smaller sub divisions now and homes built not unlike English estates. I just got back from a visit to the Midlands and the new two story estates remind me of some new Oz suburban and city developments. I just found the road traffic to have increased dramatically in ten years. The towns didn't seem much busier and in the countryside and small towns it seemed much as i remember.

I thought the pop was 58 mill?

Going back is wonderful for some but unsettling for others, particularly those who realize that they liked OZ after all. And going back to 'live' is not the same as going for a holiday when everything seems so pleasant and free from cares. I found that the roads network had changed and without my sat nav i would have been lost at times but then again i had not returned in 12 years until last month for a visit. Once i became familiar it was not a problem. Everywhere is getting busier on the roads whether in the UK or OZ. When your on holiday anywhere it seems all great because you have money and a good exchange rate helps. The people i find that moan are generally those on minimum wages here or in Britain. Somehow they think a move will give them a better middle class life doing much the same without getting better work skills. I told people in the Uk to get a good education if they are considering immigrating to OZ otherwise they will live a crappy poor life here miles from the beach in mixed up area. The people living in nice detached homes in nice towns, have great hols and friends are go getters here and in Britain. I have family and friends in Britain that plod along and others that live down south near coast with a unit in Spain and earn 6 figure household incomes. Food, clothes and a session at the pub costs much more in Oz i tell them so that they know the full story.

I do like Melbourne but it same story if you live in the burbs over there. I guess Victoria has more towns to visit than SA does with easy reach of Melbourne. The dilemna i would face is a move to Melbourne would mean more housing costs and not much more pay in my job.

My mum is from Bilston and they are great friendly people in the black country. So true in sayin that the accent is differnet from Brum even though very close by.

Are you dual nationality or here on a visa? If you are on a visa I recommend you check with Australian Immigration how this would be affected by you not having a valid passport. Yes i'm a dual citizen and i have just returned from a holiday back in the uk. My British passport had expired so i entered the Uk on my Aussie passport this time. I got the third degree as i entered though immigration, asked why i was visiting, intention to work or not etc. My passport clearly states that i was born in the uk and i also carried my expired passport, national insurance card and a copy of my birth certificate as i was considering renewing my British passport if time permitted. I made it very clear to the officer that i was looking to renew my passport and she said that was a good idea to save money but the time delay may be an issue. What made me angry was that i'm pretty sure that my status and history was right in front of her on the screen yet i was treated like a foreigner. TBH i legally had right to enter stay and work regardless even though i entered on an Aussie passport. I was ready for a fight if i was goin to get any more hassles. I wonder if anyone else has also been given the third degree.

I think it's more of an issue about the time you spend back in the uk not so much the passport. You would need to satisfy the government that you are back and resident again which can mean a lengthy stay.

I reckon you should go back with a view to have a feel to see how you like it again long term. If you have your citizenship you can always return if you desire or need to. If you have family and friends in the UK it makes it much easier to settle back in. Living in a nice place and an ability to travel to the continent can make all the difference.

I just went back after 12 years away and i must say apart from the traffic i really enjoyed it. I usually settle back into Adelaide again very quickly after previous trips but i have found it very different on return this time. I feel it seems very quiet and isolated and almost like a time warp. Maybe i need to move to the east coast or something or into Adelaide city. I certainly am missing the pubs and affordable eateries.

I just go back for England a couple of weeks ago and it was lovely when we got back but we wished we had stuck it out for a bit longer as the weather has been good this summer.

That a subjective view i guess, i just got back from being away for 12 years and found many positives. I met a few Aussies who think jobs wise that Oz is finished.