Gough Whitlam

I suspect you will have your wish - just.

I wonder if it takes ease of access to international travel into account? Would have to rank towards the bottom if it did.

Couldn't agree more. I met a 60 year old Australian woman in London a few months ago and I asked her what she was doing here. She said that she had just moved to London on her own and was having the most wonderful time and was sooooooooooooooo happy with life. She was living in a very ordinary part of London but this wasn't phasing her at all. She was embarking on a new phase in her life on her own and good luck to her. She was loving it. In my opinion life starts at 60. You will be fine.

You may be thinking of working beyond 65? I certainly am (I am 59 and have my own business as does my wife who is 61) I think that you will find something as you seem to have a range of skills and the economy is on the up. I think, but have nothing to back this up, that UK is a less prejudiced place generally and a more forgiving and less money orientated culture. I speak as a long term Aussie resident of the UK. These are simply my views. So I think that you will find something and people won't hold your age against you. The UK is a wonderful place to live.

I am on $2.30 by Xmas 2015 and $2.50 this time next year.

Pound just hit $2.15 Aust - who would have believed it?

Everybody wanting a weaker Aust dollar heave ho, heave ho - it's just under 2.15 at 2.14950[TABLE=width: 629] [/TABLE]

Agree with above. There's only one way for the Aust dollar to go and that's down. it will also begin to depreciate against the Euro at some point as Eurozone will gradually pick up too.

Aussie dollar down to 2.10080 to a pound. Who would have believed it 4 years ago? When UK interest rates go up (early next year???) suspect it will hit $2.30 to a pound??? Proof that you should never say never. Just yesterday that people were talking about a 50 year boom in Australia.

Pound just hit Aus 2.05 dollars to a pound. Long time coming - suspect it will be 2.20 by the end of the year. Greece could knock it back a cent or two?? Any armchair economists out there like to have a guess where it will be at Xmas 2015? A UK interest rise would lift it a good 10 cents??

davlap Loved your post. If I have time I will reply. Just wanted to say loved it though. #honesty

Any thoughts on why the dollar has declined so much today against the pound?

One pound now buys $2.00020. Yahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I predict it will be $2.15 by the end of the year. What are your predictions??

Not ignoring you, just very busy. Will come back to you at the weekend. Have never been to NZ but would love to visit. Best wishes

On the surface theatre etc is expensive in London as well, but if you dig around it's very cheap. You could try a begging letter to the theatre in Brisbane you want to attend saying you are desperate to attend but can't afford it? Or going there and asking the question? Write saying you are willing to help out for a day/week as a volunteer? Anything really. I have always thought the UK is a very generous country in that sense. People will help if they can so don't be afraid to ask if you need it and never feel bad about it. Equally people who work in the arts tend to be people who are keen to help others. I am sure that this applies to Australia as well. The UK is a less money minded society than Australia and so people in my experience are far more willing to bend the rules. I speak as an Australian born and bred in the Australian bush but a long term resident in the UK. I don't know much about the health sector here for jobs but my wife has retrained at the age of 60 as a fitness instructor (!) and is getting alot of work in the older persons market eg care homes. I am a similar age and am setting out on a new business venture and doing a million things. I swim a mile and a half every night (and work out in the morning) so feel fitter than ever and full of life, ideas and energy. Hence feel positive about the UK. A lot of it is in your head and what you make of what you have got. UK is tremendously well positioned for connecting to the rest of the world so your children can take advantage of that as they grow. Grammar schools operate on a selection system by holding examinations at the age of 11. They only operate in certain parts of the country - Kent and Buckinghamshire have them and these are close to London so may interest you. Having said that schools in London have improved alot over the last 10 years so no you should never discount the "local school". I am sure this applies to many parts of the UK. Best wishes

Just to say that I would agree with much of what Amelie has said re start up businesses in the UK. Digital but other things as well. The UK, like Australia, is a terribly easy place to set up a business. If you have a good idea and work hard you have a chance to do well. If you live in the North West house prices more affordable and you can live well.

Sorry for long delay, but have been very busy. I am Australian (country towns in Qld in the late 1950's, 1960's and early 1970's) who has lived in the UK for many years, though I did return twice (!) to Australia but returned both times. Found Brisbane a bit dull on return (it was late 1990) and Melbourne OK but felt I may as well live in London as it seemed to suffer from as much grafitti and rubbish. As I grew up on Qld beaches and as a bit of a surfer I never thought much of Melbourne's beaches and swimming. Also found the Victorian snowfields (??) overhyped from memory. Food was wonderful in Melbourne (as it is all over Australia) as was Prahan market. We have two children who both went/are going to university here. We did part private education here and than they went to the local grammar school. One now lives in London and the other in Newcastle where she attends university. Both have got endless possibilities for jobs and businesses (the eldest wants to set up an interior design business to help her partner who is a property developer. I think the London and the South East of England would offer so many more possibilities for your children than Australia career wise. London is on an absolute roll at the moment and has been for a few years. It's probably the most global city in the world for business (even more than New York) and Sydney really doesn't compare generally in my opinion for business and job possibilities. If you are a trade person/nurse/teacher things might be better in Australia (Australia has always been good for trades people financially and culturally) but if you are in a professional job requiring International experience/skills there is no argument. The big, big down side is the cost of housing in London. I have just been on the phone to my brother in Brisbane and he was talking about the number of people there in their late 50's who are trying to find work. It seems the mining boom is well and truly over though I suspect that it was always a bit of a two speed economy. I think the thing that worked in people's favour in Australia was the good exchange rate over the last few years though this appears to be over now. I run my own business and work very hard, but now that the children have gone I am going to alot of theatre which I have always wanted to do, which can be very reasonably priced. I went to a play yesterday at the Sam Wannamaker theatre (newly built reproduction of a Jacobean theatre -google it, as it is so beautiful) next to the Globe theatre for £5. If you are a theatre buff you can get tickets to the National Theatre for £15 and the Young Vic for £10. One arty theatre in Sloane Square offers standing tickets for 10 pence (!!) Google all these places as they are at the absolute top of their game) Things can cost an arm and a leg here (like Australia) but if you look around, buy things like travel in advance and use supermarkets discounts etc (90% discounts at certain times of the day in Tesco) to the full things can be very cheap. There is alot more competition here. I am sure the other poster who mentioned Salford and the digital world there is absolutely right. Basically if there are two of you working with reasonable jobs the UK is pretty hard to beat. There will be certain parts of the UK and certain sectors that will do well over the next few years and I am sure digital is one of those. So I would say go for it. Try and find somewhere outside London but not too far. There is so much to do here for young people and jobs/opportunities if they have a bit of get up and go in them. Travel is great. I went to Prague with my daughter at Xmas for 4 days and the flights and accomodation cost a total of £175 as we stayed in a very cheap hostel. Went to the ballet and two other concerts. I forget how much but they were a very good price. There are endless possibilities for that sort of holiday here. All the best

Hi I am Australian (Western Queensland) who has moved to UK three times and now permanently. All quite some time ago I am afraid. When I have time I will post a longer more helpful post! Just wanted you to know. Go for it. If things work for you in the UK you can do very well and have a great life. Have done both private and selected Government schools here so have some thoughts. You probably should consider Kent as it has grammar schools and nearish Gatwick. Sorry for rush. x

Mindless propaganda from a removal company! Sydney Morning Herald published this a couple of days ago Australians are once again flocking to London to find work

Everybody heave......................... The rate was $1.9980 a minute ago.