Kay Dee

Hey jen140977, You are not alone, believe me. We moved to Australia just over 3 months ago and did not have the support of my parents. My dad didn't speak to me for 12 weeks after he found out what our plans were and the whole process was horrendous because of their attitudes and disgusting comments. We managed to clear the air before we left and although they didn't understand our reasons for wanting to emigrate, they wished us luck. I felt extremely guilty for wanting to move to Australia in the first place as I felt as if I was taking their Grandchildren away from them, however, I didn't have children for my parents sake! I keep reminding myself of that fact and since we have moved here, we actually keep in touch and "see" my parents more than we did when we lived 5 minutes away. It's not easy to make the move and if we could have our family and friends with us, Australia would be absolutely perfect. Having said that, we have no regrets whatsoever; our children are thriving out here and we have made some wonderful friends. It's definitely worth taking the leap!!! I hope that things improve with your parents and fingers crossed they realise that their negative comments are not helping the situation. Good luck and stay strong because it is a fantastic opportunity for you and your family!!! :hug:

So pleased to hear that because of your vigilance you caught it early LKC. It really is a worry and I always ensure that the kids are suitably covered in factor 50+, however, I need to be a bit more consistent when it comes to applying my own sunscreen. Hubby is always reminding me to apply my sunscreen prior to going running and I have to admit that I avoid doing it sometimes. Your post has given me the wake up call I needed. Thank you.

Hi Vinny, Have you checked out the children's services at your local library? http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/facilities-recreation/libraries/opening-hours-locations/holland-park-library/index.htm We don't live in Brisbane but our local library hosts story time and toy library sessions and they are a great way to meet other families. Our local council also run a Play Van which goes to the local parks and allows children and their parents to take part in arts and crafts, free play etc so it may be worth checking out your council website too. :smile:

Congratulations and good luck for the big move! :biggrin: Hope everything goes well for you :smile:

Great to hear that everything is going well for you. :smile: We've been here just over 2 months now so I'm hoping we can be as happy and settled as you and your family are. So far, so good though! All the best for a happy Aussie future!

What a horrendous situation to be in :sad: I really feel for you SeadogSal and hope that things work out for you and your family, I really do. :hug:

Oh, not at all! Never apologise, I know how crazy life can be at times :wink:

Sending you massive hugs Kate. :hug: There has been some great advice on this thread for you and I sincerely hope that you can find a solution to enable you to be fighting fit soon. Take care of yourself x

Fantastic news! Congratulations and good luck in your new job :smile:

It's meeeeeeee! :wink: I signed up to PIO using the nickname I was blessed with in my teens and then I couldn't work out how to/if you can change it......:confused: Hope you're well lovely lady and hope you got a parking spot for the school run :biggrin:

We're from East Kilbride, not too far from Glasgow. Been here 4 weeks now and I'd give the whole experience 8/10 but that's only because I'm still in the process of finding my way about and meeting people. Sydney gets 10/10 most definitely as it is absolutely stunning and there is just so much to see and do. Our kids absolutely adore it here so it's, so far, so good! :smile: When does your adventure begin? You'll need to give Brisbane marks out of 10 once you're settled. I'd love to travel Aus and see what the other cities have to offer.

Good luck Debz101, scrumpy and Alant! We made the move almost 4 weeks ago now and although the run up to it was stressful (this included living out of suitcase hell and living in the echoey house), it's been worth it. Hope everything goes smoothly for you all :smile:

Hope everything goes well for you and you settle in well. :smile: Looking forward to hearing what you think about Sydney! Take care :smile:

Hi Amy, That is fantastic that your visa has been granted, you must be delighted! :smile: My family and I moved to the Sydney area 3 weeks ago and we love it. Enjoy planning your trip at Christmas and good luck with your future job search; I hope you find your dream job here. Like Claire said, if you need to ask anything, feel free :smile: Kay.

Good luck with everything Hubbert. It can't be an easy decision to make but at least you have experienced living apart before and you know what to expect. Nevertheless, I hope it does not come to that and you are successful in your job search! Really hope things work out for you, whatever you and your hubby decide to do. :hug:

My friend's hubby was on a working holiday in LA recently and, whilst there, he had a Skype interview for a job in Edinburgh which he subsequently got :smile: Good luck! :smile:

Thank you for your kind words and advice Wendy :smile: After re-reading my post, it sounds as if I am all doom and gloom :err: about being here, but I am genuinely happy to be in Australia :smile: I think the whole sorry experience in the run up to the move put a dampener on things. You're right about hubby and the kids being my priority and I know that I can't live my life for my family and friends back in Scotland. I really want to make the best of this fabulous experience and know that I need to give it time; I'm so impatient though and want everything to happen yesterday :wink: I'm glad things are going so well for you and loved reading your post. Best Valentines pressie ever, eh? :wink: Take care and enjoy every minute of your exciting new life :smile: Kay x

Loving this thread! It's great to read about other people's experiences (some have brought a tear to my eye!) Our journey to Australia was not an easy one and unfortunately there were more bad days than good. Thankfully, the visa process was straightforward due to my husband being sponsored by his company for his job in Sydney; it was my family who made the whole thing difficult for us. I'll try not to make this war and peace............... Hubby and I have wanted to move to Australia for a number of years and after having our 2 children, we decided that we would like to provide them with a better quality of life as I was working 6 shifts in a row as a Detective Constable and hubby was a contractor - we ended up being like ships that pass in the night. We advised our families of our decision and knew that "taking the grandkids away" from our parents would be upsetting but it was my parents reaction came as a shock to everyone. My Dad didn't speak to me for 3 months or so and my mum informed me that I'd ruined her life; things were completely unbearable as various family members felt the need to have a go at me and, in turn, I felt as if I had to justify our decision. My husband started his new job on 31st March so I was at home in Scotland with my 5 year old and 3 year old and was incredibly lonely. Many people took great pleasure in telling me that I wasn't strong enough to cope with a move to Australia and made reference to the fact that I suffered from severe post natal depression after having my daughter, however, feeling as isolated as I did at home, their comments just made me more determined to make the move. That being said, I didn't want to leave for Australia without building bridges with my parents so I made them a peace offering which they accepted and we admitted that there were probably faults on both sides with differing attitudes, not listening to one another etc, etc but I will never be able to forget the way they treated me or what they said about me and the kids. It was just horrendous :sad: Preparing to leave was extremely difficult and I felt as if I was breaking up with my family and friends, although we managed to make light of it and decided to say it was "see you later", rather than "goodbye" and that seemed to get us through. We've been here almost 3 weeks now and the kids are loving it. I am still extremely apprehensive as I've said goodbye to my family, my friends and a career that I loved, however, I rarely saw my husband and children and now I get to be with them all of the time which is absolutely fantastic. The parts of Australia that I have seen so far have been amazing and I know that I'm so fortunate to have this opportunity. I'm just hopeful that once my daughter is enrolled in school that I will start to meet people and I can build friendships that way - I'm not the most confident person in the world but have such a strong desire to make this move work and I know that I need to just pull my socks up and put myself out there, so to speak :wink: Good luck to everyone who is about to make the move and thank you to all those who post on PIO as the info/advice on here has been invaluable. Kay x P.S. Oops! I said I wouldn't make this war and peace...........:chatterbox::biglaugh:

Good luck to you and your family for your big move :smile: I said the exact same thing to my family and friends when we were leaving for Sydney. There's something about saying "see you later" seems less final. Been here almost 3 weeks now and the kids are loving it so that's keeping me going as I do miss everyone, however, realise just how lucky we are to be able to have this experience. Have a safe journey :smile: Kay x

Welcome to PIO. Hope you and your wife enjoy the next exciting chapter in your life! We've just moved to Sydney from Scotland and are absolutely loving it. All the very best for a happy future :biggrin:

All the best for your new adventure; it sounds like you've got off to a good start! :smile: Our journey starts on Monday......guess I'd better sign out and get on with the packing! :wink:

:sad: I would agree with BrownEyedGal. Ask for their advice and see what they suggest. It shouldn't be the first time they've encountered a customer without a specific address. Hopefully you can work something out with them. Good luck with everything!

Are you going to be working in Sydney and if so, do you have an office address? We used my husband's office address and were advised that we can inform the shipping agents of our new address once our belongings arrive in Sydney (ie: when they contact us to confirm same).