SallyKay

Hi all! I have posted on here a few times in the past. My husband is Australian and we have been up and down about emigrating over the last 3 years. We have finally decided to do it! House on the market and plan to come out next September. We love this area and my husband's mum lives in Woy Woy. I am very excited/ sad as I'm sure a lot of you are familiar with the emotional roller coaster that comes with leaving family, especially with kids too. One thing that I'm worried about is meeting friends and fitting in and I'd love to meet a few fellow Brits in the area? I know I'm not coming out until next September but it would be great to have some contacts for a coffee and a natter once we have arrived and settled in and most importantly having someone that is familiar with trying to settle and leaving family behind. My husband is great but being Australian we are having a different experience with this move as he is not leaving any family behind and taking grand children away. At the time of arriving my daughter will be 3yrs and my son will be 7yrs. My son is on the spectrum, mild to moderate although you'd never know to meet him! We are still awaiting diagnosis here before we come out. This makes me a little nervous also as to how he will settle and fit in. Anyone that is in the area or knows of any good play groups or ways to meet new people, all advice would be greatly appreciated. My biggest fear is being lonely! :-( Thanks so much for taking time to read my post! Sally xx

Thanks so much for all your replies! I know I have tortured myself by watching too much on you tube but I wanted to be prepared for what I may face as my biggest fear was seeing one of the buggers whilst my husband is at work and trying to get it out the house!!! I know for sure that I'd definitely need some kind of therapy if we went as it would ruin my initial months as I'd be checking everywhere!! Crazy huh?!! I have seen some people use a Hoover to suck them up with the larger ones and release it outside unharmed. Anyone tried this? Although I don't like them I don't think I could squish them!! Wouldn't be able to get close enough even if I wanted to!! The Hoover idea sounds the easiest method although I'd probably struggle to even do that especially if they were on the ceiling!!! Oh my god I can feel myself getting anxious already and I'm not even there yet!!!!!!!!!

Hi all, A very common post I'm sure!! Surprise surprise I'm terrified of spiders and it's affecting my decision to move to Australia! I never realised quite how bad I was until I started researching into the Australian spiders. I guess I wanted to be aware of what I was letting myself in for but stumbled across the huntsman and they have truly terrified me! The size, the speed!!! How do you get the big ones out if you're on your own in the house?!? Etc etc!! I'm very aware that if we make the move I'll spend the first few weeks checking everywhere I go like some lunatic but I wondered how many of you were like me and checked everywhere to begin with?? When did you stop and forget about them, or did you stop? I know there's all sorts of help I could have and I certainly will look into it but wanted to hear some stories of those of you with a fear of spiders and how it affected your move and whether things have got better as time has gone on.

A huge thank you to you all for your time and replies its so good to be able to talk with others in similar situations!! Xx

Hi everyone, goodness it's so nice to not feel so alone with this awful decision! Silver Lady your story has really given me some hope, Thankyou so much! I'm sure if she visited she would love it especially as like me she suffer from SAD so the sunshine would be wonderful for her. I'm sure if she could travel with my brother that would be great although he has a family now and the expense of bringing them all would be tricky. I'd like to hope that my partner and I could save enough to help them travel as it makes sense for them to come to us as houses are bigger and it would feel like more of a holiday. Murta, my mother is also widowed, my dad died very suddenly 12 years ago, she's never been the same and is emotionally quite unstable so it makes it all so much harder!! The other issue for me is that the general parent visa that is affordable to her can take up to ten years to be granted ( this is assuming she may one day like to come as Silver Lady has) and the contributory visa is WAY out of her price range and I simply couldn't expect her to pay so much just to be with us!! Silver Lady, which visa have you applied for and how long did it take to be granted?? Skype and Facebook are a great idea so she feels more part of it all!! CowlingAFC I really feel for you as you will be leaving her on her own, I at least will still have my brother here to take care of any issues and look after her but in a funny sort of way perhaps that may make her consider making the move herself as Silver Lady has chosen too. I'm pretty sure that after we've settled my brother will want to join us the lifestyle would suit him down to the ground and he then will be in your dilemma. I do feel strongly that if that happens both my brother and I will really try and persuade her to come even if it means an annex and her with one of us so it's financially viable. Just such a stressful situation and sometimes part of me wishes I didn't have such an easy option to go, it's torture at the moment!!!

Hi Andy, Well my hubby is Australian so it would be a spouse visa which is permanent I think?! Better look into that a little more! Am sure it is and we have 2 children under 5. I don't work at the moment as my youngest is only a year old. Ive heard the fact that I don't work could make a difference to what we could borrow. I'm really grateful for your time, Thankyou!

I meant to go on to say (hense the header!!) what the general lend is with an Australian mortgage. We should have about a $75,000 as a deposit, I've read it's generally 3 or 4 times your salary??? Thanks!

Hi guys, I'm really hoping for some realistic info on leaving family to emigrate to Australia as I have my mother who is on her own here in the UK and I know I'm going to really break her heart by leaving but I do feel it's the best for my family as the UK is in such a mess and im worried for my childrens future here! My husband is Australian and so we have always talked about it and luckily had the option to go but now I feel it really is now or never as my husband is 42 so no spring chicken!!! My mother is 57yrs and has no health problems so far apart from bad anxiety which is why I'm pretty sure she won't visit due to the flight and I doubt we'll all be able to afford to travel home very often so it really will be a hard move. My brother and his partner live nearby so she won't be completely on her own. Has anyone had a similar situation with a lone parent and have you all adjusted and accepted things and do family cope with just Skype when visits are often possible? I am fully aware that the home sickness will never leave me but the thought of my mum never getting over it and always being heart broken is almost enough to make me back out!! When she passes away the guilt of going wont be there but my kids will be in their 20,s and have their own life then i may feel resent!! It's just so hard to make the right decision!! With my husband being Australian and not leaving his own family I don't feel I have anyone to talk to who has experienced similar and can give me any advice. I'd be SOOOO grateful for any helpful advice with this????

Hi all, my husband and I are planning on emigrating in the next year or so to Perth. My husband is Australian and I am British. He is currently a qualified electrician in the UK. Does anyone know what he will have to do when we arrive in order to be recognised as a qualified Electrician as I've heard that the UK qualifications aren't valid in Australia. Am I correct on this? Also wondered if anyone is aware of average salaries for a qualified Electrician in the Perth area? Thanks so much!