MichaelP

I would recommend the Spring Street Physio in Chatswood. Kris did miracles fixing my knee and leg & getting me walking again after I was hit by a car and broke my tibia and ankle. Would link to their website but it appears to have been hacked.

I just made the move back to Leeds after 15 years in Sydney - wish I'd come ten years earlier. However, I'd wait until you get your citizenship. Jobs are hard to come by here and the pay is crap, but you can probably get something if you're as motivated as you sound.

I'm not saying Australia is a racist country, but there is a tolerance and encouragement for racism like this that needs to be addressed. If that women on the bus had lit up a cig instead, I bet the other passengers would have spoken up about it and the driver would have kicked her off. We need to have the same zero tolerance for racist abuse. Saying that 'non whites are racist too but only whites get criticised' is a cop out.

An example of what occasionally happens if you have dark skin in Australia. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-08/fernandez-why-i-didnt-give-up-my-seat/4508686 My wife (who is Asian-Australian) experienced almost exactly the same thing a year ago - copped a load of abuse off some old white guy on the bus and was told to 'go back to where you came from'. She got some support from a couple of other passengers, but it affected her quite badly. She got off the bus, had a bit of a cry, and walked home. When we emigrated to Australia in the 90s we thought this sort of racism was on the way out, a thing of the past. Unfortunately it seems to be becoming more common.

We brought our two kids back to the UK, entering with their Australian passports. Didn't say anything about staying, just said we were here to visit family, and they were given a three month holiday visa. We applied for their UK passports after we landed (had to submit the Aussie ones) and got them about three weeks later. Not heard anything about 'overstaying' on our Aussie passports as yet.

I found that a lot of the houses in Sydney were surprisingly gloomy and old fashioned inside - especially those in the rental market. A lot of houses seem to be stuck in the 1950s-70s era, and a lot are also designed and furnished in a way more suited to cooler European climates (carpets, tiny windows that don't let in light etc). There are also some really nice places out there too that make better use of the light and have wooden floors, balconies etc - just takes a bit of looking. On the whole I found Sydney houses to be less 'cosy' and homely than their UK counterparts, but that's probably because of the outdoor lifestyle and the fact that people don't spend all their waking hours cooped up indoors.

I have a son who has gone from year 9 in Australia to year 10 in the UK. Age wise and academically he could have gone into Year 11, but that would have left only a few weeks to prepare for GCSEs, so he has accepted a move 'down' to Year 10. The main problem was the continual assessments that he has missed and cannot catch up on. Therefore the teachers have recommended subject where there are less of these - such as languages, which he is happy with. It depends on which curriculum the school is following.

I've always used Macpac - not sure if you can get them in the UK. A bit pricier but they're tough and last forever. I have a Cascade and it has lasted many treks and train/bus trips in Asia. Mont are also very good - and they do more lightweight packs.

1. The people. After 15 years in Sydney people in Yorkshire seem down to earth, friendly, self effacing and not pushy. I like the local characters ... in Sydney the local characters were either would-be politicians, spruikers or homeless people 2. Sense of belonging. I'm an 'Aborigine' here. And yet I like the way people in our part of town who are from places like India and Poland are known by their names and not viewed as 'wogs'. 3. The birds. Yorkshire lasses are nice. I also missed hearing the calls of curlews, skylarks and blackbirds on long summer evenings.

I like Richmond/Windsor to visit, but personally couldn't live there. Like you say it is just too far away from where all the action is. I once spent a Sunday sightseeing in Windsor and by the middle of the afternoon just couldn't wait to get back into Sydney, it was quite dismal and a bit run down too. The pub there is nice and historic but seems to attract a lot of bikers. Richmond seems to be a dormitory town for the RAAF base although there are some students from the Uni of Western Sydney about. A work colleague had to work shifts in Richmond so she rented in Redfern and took the train out there every day - a long commute, but she didn't mind.

Sorry to hear you're not liking it back in Britain. I'm in the same position, but am relieved to be back - despite all the gloomy weather and economic climate. For me it's ultimately the people that count. I loved the Sydney lifestyle too, but just found the social side a bit isolating. Had a lot of Sydney acquaintances but no real friends. I think it what summed it up for me was when we were filling in a school form and had to put down who to contact in an emergency. There just wasn't really anyone we could comfortably ask to step in and take our place to mind the kids if we weren't contactable. Yes I do find it a bit bleak here sometimes, but that feeling disappears whenever I overhear British accents or experience the quirky sense of humour. You sound like my older brother - he hates British weather and thinks the whole country is a dump - there's no way he would come back. Looks like a move back to Aus would be best for you.

I would repeat my recommendation for any prospective migrant to Australia to go online have a listen to the output of radio shows like Alan Jones - or the popular shows in the area you are migrating to. It will give you an idea of the kind of stuff Australians are talking about and what they get worked up about. Australians seem to have an appetite for this shock jock/political rant stuff. Personally I'd rather listen to Steve Wright in the Afternoon (and I used to hate Steve Wright, but he seems like harmless fun after the ranting and whingeing of Aussie radio). Would-be migrants should also try listen to the output of Kyle Sandilands to get an idea of popular radio for younger Aussies. Not sure why he is so popular, he seems like a crass, egotistical bully to me, but obviously people are tuning in. Me, when I listen to the radio I just want to listen to some decent music and people being mildly funny, not political rants and DJ duos who do stunts or who bully callers. It's a problem when you do those long drives in Australia - what to listen to on the car radio? Something that's not going to drive you nuts or send you to sleep. Last time I drove from Melbourne to Sydney I managed to get Mark Trevorrow (who plays Bob Downe) on the ABC. Was good till he faded out (perhaps appropriately) near Ettamogah.

All I can say is that I am glad to be back in the UK where even Jeremy Kyle sounds like a voice of moderation and open mindedness compared to the lynch mob dross on the airwaves in Sydney. Alan Jones is a demagogue. He has a knack for sounding like he knows what he's talking about. I once heard him talking about the Australian health system, a subject I happen to know to know a bit about from my work. What he said was complete rubbish, but it sounded so convincing I almost believed it myself. He's a con man.

We've come home with pretty much nothing. Long story but basically we got shafted by the liquidation of Borders bookshops, with whom my wife had a franchise arrangement, leaving us with huge debts and having to sell the house which we'd used as collateral for loans. Now back in the UK and feeling much better. Living on almost nothing, and well acquainted with the Morrissons Savers brands. Can't even get Jobseekers Allowance as I'm not classed as a "habitual resident" of the UK any more. But I don't mind. It's a struggle, but I'd rather struggle in the company of friends and family than among strangers. We could probably earn more and get back on our feet sooner in Oz, but I just prefer it here - and there's less of a stigma of being 'a loser' here.

I would also recommend any prospective migrants listen to Alan Jones or one of the other male talkback hosts of Australian radio (there aren't any females on the commercial stations). Listen to them and their callers and understand that these are perceived as normal and not unreasonable views by many in Australia.

I felt homesick in varying degrees during my 15 years in Sydney. I listened to those who said 'stick it out' and was busy anyway with a great job and what we thought was a great life and education system for our kids. Like Quoll, it was only when I'd been there more than a decade that I started to think "is this it?". Just didn't want to grow old in Australia, being a lone pom among lots of other self contained migrant groups in some anonymous suburb of Sydney. Great to be back in the UK. My homesickness was justified. Feel like an Indigenous person of Yorkshire now - should have my own "Welcome to Country" ceremony!

I've just moved back to Leeds after 15 years in Sydney. It's been a lot easier and a lot more pleasant than I thought. I was dreading the move and thought i wouldn't fit in or re-integrate. On the contrary, I'm finding it wonderful to be back and very easy to 'be myself' again. Having said that I'm finding it hard to find work in my area, but I can wait a while and would rather live near to friends and family after being 12,000 miles away. So it hasn't worked out perfectly for me, but I'm glad I made the move. It's harder when you've been away for more than five years as you then have no UK 'history' and have to go through a lot of hassle to get credit checks, re-open bank accounts etc. But it's do-able.

From a health point of view Blacktown is a good area to work. It has some of the most pro-active healthcare workers in Sydney - people like GP Dr Michael Fasher and the guys at the newly created Western Sydney Medicare Local are doing some very exciting projects in multidisciplinary care. You don't have to live in Blacktown - it's on the train line so you could live in the inner west (about 20 mins away) or even in the Blue Mountains if you wanted to commute. Despite its reputation Blacktown is a friendly area, very multicultural and has good facilites like libraries etc ...