mkeeno

If you have a 4G phone (iPhone 5/5c, one of the new Samsungs) you'd be best with EE. They're the only network with wide spread 4G.

The way that each television channel will only mention their own programmes. If you watch sunrise in the morning all they talk about is what was on channel 7 last night and what's coming on tonight. For some reason this really annoys me. I love how in the UK all of the chat shows get each other's guests on and talk about all of the shows irrespective of the channel it's on.

Hey, I'm actually a travel agent for STA Travel. I can organise this for you, for travellers not planning on returning we just need to issue you a basic policy, it's still very comprehensive, it provides $10 million medics cover and $3000 for personal belongings etc.. Do you want to message me your phone number and I'll call you on a Friday (I'm off tomorrow)

The cost. 5 weeks right this second and I'll be taking off from Dubai on my final flight towards Manchester. I've been here for 8 years and can't hack the financial strain anymore. I may get a shock when I'm living and earning in the UK, but surely it's got to be easier to live than it is here. Only recently the Brisbane City Council extended parking meters from 7pm to 10pm, the worst of it is the spin they put out. 'Brisbane City Council is providing more opportunity for people to find a car park on weekends and evenings by extending metered hours for on-street parking.' There has to come a time when Aussies will stand up and say enough is enough, the lower and working class is out priced in this country.

Thanks. All sorted, found out today I've got the transfer. So fortunate to be moving back with a full time job.

Thanks for the well wishes! I'll be moving back to Liverpool, that's where home is. I agree things have changed a lot since I left 8 years ago. Firstly Liverpool's city centre was completely regenerated, featuring the UKs largest open air shopping centre. The docklands has also transformed and they've built a state of the art arena for attracting international artists. I go back every year whenever I can and I never see the doom and gloom everyone talks about. Yes there's unemployment, yes there's poverty, yes there's crime. But these things happen in Australia too. I live in New Farm, Brisbane. You get all walks of life here, no different to any major city in England. I live between the affluent riverside Queenslanders and housing commission 'apartments/hostels' for the homeless/disadvantaged. I won't believe the doom and gloom any more. You can see the bad in both places, you can also choose to see the good in both places. I'm sure with a full time job, you can have a higher disposable income in the UK than you can here - Australia is extremely good at keeping their money in circulation. For instance paying for a driving license every year, when England's lasts for life. Australia is an extremely nice place (I'm a Aussie citizen too) and will always be my second home, but I'm under no illusion - nice things need paying for. That manifests in fines/fees/taxes on most things and a lot 'stricter' society. I enjoy the freedom of the UK. I go to gigs/festivals with my parents in the UK, because they enjoy music too. Over here that is somewhat frowned upon, or considered out of the ordinary - 'that's what teenagers do' apparently. Like I say the two countries are worlds apart, literally and figuratively. Neither are better/worse than the other, they are just different.

Hi guys. I've posted here a few times. You may recall I've had a bit of a turbulent time overthinking wether to move back to the UK or not. It's finally happening in June. I'm just hear to express my good news. I had an informal chat/interview today in Brisbane with the head of UK operations for the company I work for here. It went well, no absolute guarantees but pretty close to it. I can't wait for what's to come!

I'll be going back in June. Everyone asks me why, to which I ask them why not? I have both passports. I've been here for 7 years now, so it's time to go back and start another adventure. Worst case scenario is that I come back. I've learnt not to over think this anymore, it has beat me up for years - not no more!

Think you've misread what I was saying.

Hey guys, I'm still in Oz - still in two minds about where I want to be. I can't help but notice everyone mentions the weather trade off, when moving back to the UK. Is it really that big of a deal? To be honest, I don't find Brisbane's weather too pleasant anyway. It's either warm or horrible. But am I forgetting how bad it is back in the UK. Has anyone moved back and enjoyed the difference in weather?

Hi guys. Thanks for all the advice ^ I have decided to finish this semester at university and go back to England in November. I will be leaving Aus with the mentally of planning to stay in the UK and when I get to the UK I will be trying to get into a normal way of life there (getting a job etc) and not treating it as a holiday. If by March (when Aus uni starts again) I feel better and still enjoy the UK then i'm going to sacrifice my education in Aus and carry on with living there and planning a future there. If by living for 4/5 months in the UK I realise it's not what I thought it would be then I'll come back to Aus and attend uni like nothing ever happened. I've spoken to the education department in the UK and they won't recognise my Australian teaching degree unless I stay in Aus and work for 2 years full time as a teacher after graduating. Therefore i'm currently expected to graduate November 2015 + 2 years teaching.. means I could move back to the UK November 2017 as qualified teacher (this is provided I get a full time teaching post straight away, which is highly unlikely at the moment).

My query is how do they know (how can you prove) the date you moved back to the UK permanently, and therefore the date you're eligible to be a UK domestic student. Also this is a good link http://www.reading.ac.uk/Study/fees/study-feesdefinition.aspx It explains all the legislation. Something I didn't know: basically if your course begins between 1 August - 31 December, then you have to have completed 3 years wait prior to 1st September. i.e if your course starts on 4th October 2018, you'd have to live in the UK for the period 1 September 2015 - 31 August 2018. Living their 4th October 2015 - 3rd October 2018, wouldn't work - as it's automatically presumed your course begins on the 1st September, even though it's actually 4th October (example only).

Hey, this is in regards to the three year residency period required to become a domestic student in the UK. How do you officially say 'i'm back' and start the 3 year wait? Do you have to inform any department about your intention to live back in the UK, or is it just done electronically based on your passport in the system? Cheers

So it's just the same as being casual in Australia? What's the big deal? Plenty of workers are casual over here. Scaremongering not appreciated. Nor are those dramatic ........ between sentences.

Totally agree, my step father is in the construction industry in Brisbane and is up most days at 4.30am, rarely later than 5am. Therefore he rarely stays up past 9pm. I find it odd, especially considering on english tv, prime time seems to be 9-midnight.

Still suffering from depression. I've hardly attended uni since it started. What the hell is with me, I'm not like this in the U.K!

Hi Loumish! It's important to remember that whatever you want in London, so does a lot of other people. The amount of people that would love to be within the magic '30 minute' commute of London is incredibly high. Therefore if you're wanting to be able to compete with that demand, then it'll cost big ££! You may already have a job and salary confirmed, if so ignore the next sentence. Although $1600 a month and £1000 is the same when converted, it's not in real terms. £1000 is a worth a lot more in real terms and a lot harder to earn, when living in the UK economy. Therefore just be careful getting into something that you later find out is way above your means. London is a fantastic place, provided you have the money to enjoy all it has to offer. Therefore if I was you, I'd rather add on 15 minutes to my commute, if it meant I had the money to go out and about in London. It's pointless living closer to London, if you don't have any money left over in your budget to actually go and enjoy it.

Hi Louise, that seems like a very high entrance rank! I'm not doubting your research, however take a look at this: http://www.brighton.ac.uk/international/equivalencies/australia There you can see the entrance rank from WA and its equivalent in the UK. They don't even mention as high as 98.5! I got a Queensland OP 5 which is an A Level ABB and from my research that gets me into most universities. Obviously each university will have different cut offs depending on the demand. But definitely confirm again that what you've been told is correct, because even though that's not on the chart I'd imagine a 98.5 is an A*AA! I've never heard of a university asking for that kind of attainment. Best of luck.

Hi guys, it's lovely to get so many responses of advice. Currently I'm continuing with my Aussie studies, after all, it's only 13 weeks until this years study is finished. I would then be able to go back to England at the end of the year for November - February. Upon doing some more research i've discovered Australians can get full teacher status in UK provided they have either: 1. a degree and have worked 200 days in Australia. OR 2. I could go back to the UK with just my completed degree and gain my full teacher license through gaining the experience in the UK, instead of in Australia. I would have 4 years from my first UK teaching post on an Aussie degree to complete the necessary conditions and gain full UK teaching status. Therefore I'm trying to remain positive whilst here and complete my degree, knowing I can move back at the end of 2015 with a degree that allows me to get a job there. It's such a shame Australia has become like this for me, it's almost as if I'm wearing glasses and everything has become tainted. Everyday I'm comparing it to England. It's like a nanny state, a boring and expensive one too. Every thing has rules and regulations. Argh!

Yep, so it effectively puts any study on hold for 3 years. But I've got 2 and a half left in my degree here anyway, and then who knows how long it would take to acquire 200 days supply work once I have graduated. On some teaching forums, I've read about teachers being happy to have received 10 days supply a term, that's a lot of terms! Therefore, if I stick it out, I'm looking at 4/5 years at least.

Thanks for your replies. You're right in saying I can't study as a domestic student until I've been there 3 years. However right now, the longer I think about it the less worried I am about the decision I make and it's implications. At the end of the day, If I go and it doesn't live up to the idea in my head, then I board a plane and come back. Otherwise I could absolutely love going back and it could turn out to be the best decision I've made. Right now all I know is these mental games of constantly pining for England and family need to be addressed.

Thanks Stacey! Have you moved back to Scotland from Australia?

Thanks! Yes mum knows how I feel. She thinks I should finish my teaching degree (2 years to go) and then do what I want. However, I have read that in order to teach in UK, they require you to be a fully licensed teacher in the country you gained your degree, which you don't get in Aus until you've held a teaching position for 1 year (200 days), something that is extremely hard to get right now here due to the tsunami of teachers graduating. Therefore realistically it's going to take a lot longer than 2 years before I could move back, should I continue.

Hi, I posted a while back about my desire to move back to the UK. I'm 22 and have been living here with my mum, step father and 2 older siblings since I was 15. My brother and sister have since moved back to the UK and I can't stop thinking about it either. I got back to Brisbane 2 days ago, after spending 2 months in England going to Glastonbury and T in the Park (music festivals). It was wonderful seeing everyone and spending time with my dad. Now that i'm back in Aus, I feel even worse than i did prior to my trip. The only dilemma is if i go back i'd be starting over again, quitting uni etc. Does anyone have any experience with using Australian high school achievements to get into UK universities? Cheers, Mike Edit: I understand i'm fortunate in the fact that I don't have children to consider or even a partner. I also have dual citizenship. However, I can't help but feel this over whelming pressure to start making tracks into a career and get set up for the future. So this decision is absolutely wrecking my head!

I have dual citizenship, so no worries with that. I'm expected to graduate November 2015 with my teaching degree. I guess the proper thing to do, would be to finish this out and then go back like you say. It just seems like such a long time to keep entertaining this home sickness.