newjez

Alltrails.com doesn't look that bad. Haven't used it but searched for walks in South West wa and it came up with quite a few. There are a few others, but until you test them in anger you won't know how good they are. I'm planning on doing some walking when I'm in Oz later this year so I can report back then.

If you are at the end of a ten mile walk and you find cows in the field you need to cross to get home what do you do? I have been in that situation with cows and calves on the path and I decided to take another route. But sometimes you might not have that option. Farmers do tend to move their stock around, and you sometimes find cows unexpectedly. On the south downs you get the Scottish cows with the really big horns, but they are gentle giants.

More people are killed by cows than sharks, but both are very minor. Sometimes paths do go straight across the field. It's usually pretty obvious where the path goes. But I use footpathmap.co.uk as it is free (you can pay) and it has a GPS so you can keep to the paths. I was hoping to find a site like that in Australia.

Farmers aren't allowed to keep dairy bulls in fields crossed by footpaths. For some reason dairy bulls are much more aggressive than beef bulls. You have to make a judgement call with cows, and a lot depends on whether you have a dog. I often cross fields with cattle walking or on my bike. Sometimes coming close to them and I've never had a problem.

All night long.

Have you considered south east Asia as a base? If you're son managed to get it into Australia, (possibly after UK degree) then you would be in a position to visit him regularly. I'm not up on South East Asia, but I have heard of it being popular as a retirement destination. Or possibly NZ.

What's lifetime loading?

You can buy seeds online in the UK for your "seed collection". Apparently you're not allowed to grow them they're not cheap.

Thanks for the replies. Timing isn't too much of an issue as they won't be traveling for a while. But it does mean I wouldn't get them back before I leave. So I might need to rethink that.

This is going to sound weird, but go skydiving. Jumping out of an aeroplane will change your life. You won't be the same person when you land. It will change your life much more than moving to Australia.

I am planning a trip to Perth, and I wondered whether I could get the kids passports renewed when I was there. Plus get the first Australian passport for my youngest. The kids won't be with me, but I figured it might be easier in Perth rather than go up to Australia house in London. They always make me drag the kids up there and it's a real pain. I figured I could do it by post from Perth, or even go into the immigration office. Probably easier by post. Might even be cheaper.

I never had grand parents as they were in the UK when I was growing up in Australia. I do feel like I missed out.

from my understanding there are actually a lot of rules, as they are in Union, but the advantage rule is played alot, so it appears there are less rules than there are. Keeps the game flowing.

Not only subject to finance approval, but name the bank that you want to approve it.

Nope. Works fine for me from the UK.

Thanks, that is interesting.

Can you live in Australia with your kids at a UK uni? Do they have to pay international fees? I had thought of nipping of to Australia whilst mine were at university, but wasn't sure if it would affect their status.

When I was young I had a lot of friends who used to travel from Perth to Cairns to live. Mainly because it's about as far away from Perth as you can be and still be in Australia. Alot of Perth kids do leave to see the world. I did, and I didn't come back. Well not to stay. But I might. The thing is, Perth can be a prison if you treat it as such. The isolation engulfs you. For some people, they can only be happy there if they know they can leave. Maybe it's being trapped that's the problem. But your kids aren't trapped. They can and will do what they want. I didn't understand the kids away from home university thing. My wife didn't understand me going to a uni close to home. Having the experience to grow and so on. We have one kid at our local uni and one kid up north. True, the one up north has grown alot from the experience. But the one at home is much happier. But I do get what you are saying. Mine did Europe summer before last and loved it. Talking about doing it again this summer, as everything is really cheap close to the war zone. A lot of it will be a mental battle inside you. It's claustrophobia basically. But on a larger scale. If you can get past that, there are benefits from isolation. I'm not 100% happy at being a target should a thermonuclear war start anytime soon. I'm guessing no one has bothered to put Perth on their target list.

It's never ending building in both countries. Drives me insane.

I don't think anything has changed in the UK over the last twenty odd years other than there being a few more houses. I walk and cycle and it is still a very beautiful place. We often walk cuckmere haven, and for some reason we never took the trails up the downs. We did the other day and it is breathtakingly beautiful. Possibly people's attitudes have changed? When I arrived in the UK in 95, we had a tired old Tory party that seemed to have run out of ideas, and the only answer they had was to sell off utilities cheap. Then new labour burst onto the scene. Things could only get better. Peace in northern Ireland. Brit pop. The UK had a place in the world where Australia never had, and it was quite exciting, and there was a real feeling of hope, and a feeling that the government was on your side. Sadly that didn't end well. The Iraq war, overpriced property, and a GFC. We changed to the Tories who only offered austerity. Then the bitter division of Brexit, and then covid which reunited us briefly before tearing us apart again. And now a bitter war in Ukraine and the threat of nuclear destruction. Not saying this threat is realistic, but it's just another thing. We now have two/three political parties that have the inspiration of a damp piece of toast. There's no vision. I don't think I could vote for anyone and feel that the country would be in a better place in ten years time. It just feels a bit tired. Still beautiful. Still has the countryside and the lovely village pubs and all of that. But Britain seems to have lost its purpose. At least that's how I feel. Understandably I guess considering what we have been through, and I imagine other countries are the same. It worries me that France may lurch to the right this weekend. I don't think that is the solution. But what is the solution? Despite the beauty of the UK, and everything it has to offer. I can't see any hope on the horizon, and I'm contemplating a retirement in Australia. True, it also has its problems, but at least it's warm there.

What are you studying if you don't mind me asking? I haven't made up my mind yet.

That's like telling someone not to take a tax deduction because you don't like it. If the government are happy to pay then let him learn. The government can change the law if they don't like it. I was also thinking about going to university for fun in the near future. Why shouldn't I? I've paid taxes all my life?

Either. Perth has better beaches. Melbourne has more culture. Melbourne is more expensive from a real estate point of view. Perth is a bit marmite. But Melbourne winters are chilly.

My niece in Australia is currently in rehab. The streets aren't lined with gold.

I've done 45 degrees in Perth Marisa. Perth gets pretty damn hot. Not as hot as the north, but a lot hotter than the eastern states, and I did live in Sydney for five years.