HappyHeart

I live in a similar suburb and I think unless you live in an isolation chamber you're going to be confronted by antisocial behaviour wherever you live. That said you can expect pockets and like Jules says one bad family can change the neighbourhood. If you're lucky enough to have community minded neighbours you can keep the area you live relatively peaceful. We had a problem family evicted by way of a petition and complaining to the letting agency. If I saw copulating couples in my front yard I'd throw water over them, failing that some dog droppings out of the bin. Disrespectful disgusting individuals.

I will send my son to private school here as my daughter failed to thrive in the public system. Lots of other factors obviously and the child's motivation is the biggest determinant of success I believe. I'm just reducing the risk and narrowing the odds next time.

The fundamental thing that's wrong with Australia for millions of poms...its not HOME. Nothing more, nothing less, plenty can accept that, more positives than negatives here for them, a trade off, some people are more 'mobile', place less importance on 'roots' and belonging. It just doesn't compensate fully for not being 'home' I guess, for some. It's about what's acceptable for the individual in terms of quality of life. What factors make you content etc

Hopefully when theyre sat right next to you on a plane the possibilty of abduction is minimal. As for poor Kate Mcann, I don't think she would care to comment on the rights and wrongs of medicating children, was it proven that she had sedated Maddie? I didnt know that. I know I would want to closely observe my sedated child for ill effects though

I think it can be easy to fall into the trap of expecting Australia to be a 'safer' place than were you came from. I think overall, it is a country that is populated by a mixture of people with varying morals. Much like any other, first or second or third world country! Easy to be down on the nation following an incident such as this but not very rational.

​The slippery slope..sigh

I would say its hit and miss. Depends a lot on the type of establishment you prefer but for a pub lunch or dinner I think the UK is miles ahead. The price you pay here in a 'family friendly' joint is extortionate and prohibits frequent dining out in our household. Even a beach cafe for a light lunch or coffee and cake comes in too pricey for frequent visits. It's a treat rather than a regular occurance. I think quality wise, its here but you pay through the nose for it and price is often not indicative of quality. That's to say you can end up feeling quite cheated when you fork out for a very average meal.

The one thing you will wish for once here is to see more of your precious friends and family. Make a date once a week with someone and the time will fly...hard to be happy about the time you spend in a country youre about to leave but in hindsight you will miss it and the people you are leaving. Try to be a tourist in your own land, it will make the time pass quickly and you will store a lot of good memories of your final weeks..who knows how long it will be before you have the opportunity to return?

Are you on steroids? Dexamethasone/ prednisalone? Or are you retaining fluid...water in your tummy, legs or hands and feet? Can all put weight on you

I wouldn't sedate my child on a long haul flight for the convenience of others but I would for his/her benefit. Some kids could happily stay awake for nearly 24 hrs. Is that in their best interests? No. Is it natural to be awake for 24 hrs on a giant flying tin can at altitude? No. Bring on the drugs but test them at home first in a safe environment. Anti histimines are indicated for short term sedation in children. I'd prefer my child to have 6 or 7 hours of drug induced sleep than none at all. Each to their own. It worked for mine.

Not very highbrow but enjoying a bit of Cathy Kelly and Nora Roberts at the minute

Its taken me a few years in Oz and a trip back to appreciate the UK and being at 'home'in the UK. I really 'get' that feeling of belonging that you can never achieve in any country other than your homeland imo. Warts and all its a very decent lifestyle if you choose your areas wisely. It is what it is and time apart truly does make the heart grow fonder. That said I still prefer Australia at this point in time. Hope you dont mind me adding to the thread

First stop email DCP and Social services in the UK. I imagine it will be complicated as regardless of contact UK social services have to be seen to give the birth father every opportunity to reconnect with the child and seek to gain his consent. If he is uncontactable or ignores their letters imagine it will be quicker and more straightforward. I doubt you can go through this process unless you and your partner are Aussie citizens. I may be wrong though

Great post, welcome to Perth..all I will say is, moving IS an option. Your experience will be based mostly on where you settle. Cut your losses before the kids are really, really settled, theyve moved halfway across the world, get the location right and you'll be laughing. Think about as rural as you can get and still go to work, or the best suburb you can afford and really research your schools. That way contact with the antisocial minority will be minimised,ever so important for your kids, and you will thrive. Good luck with it all!

We booked a holiday rental for 6 weeks and it took us that long to find a rental. That was several years ago and apparently the rental market is tighter nowso Id advise booking for at least 6 to 8 weeks, this also gives you precious time to come to terms with what youve done! enjoy yourselves a bit and really explore rather than just plumping for the first non rat infested hole you find!! As for cars, we hired for 2 weeks and bought a second hand car via a private ad in the Quokka, got much more car for our money that way but depends on budget. Found the 2nd hand car yards to be, in general, terrible places waiting to rip off unsuspecting migrants and others with their overpriced heaps of junk. Obviously if youre looking at one of the main dealerships buying second hand is a far more pleasant experience. If youve only got a few grand though Id do your research on solid Aussie cars, usually from asian manufacturers and go private, best of luck to you on your adventures!

When I arrived in Perth I remember being struck by the number of brown/black faces in the queues. I had this vision of a place with fewer ethnic minorities than where I came from, how wrong I was. While very few pakistanis and limited numbers of Indians there are huge numbers of Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, African and many, many other races, nationalities in Perth. I find it to be, in general a very peaceful, multi cultural society where racial unrest is limited to suburban pockets where immigrants are channelled. Much like in the UK. The older Australian generation I find to be quite racist particularly towards the indigenous people. What can you expect only a few decades after the white australia policy was quashed?

Listen to your heart, that's what will make you happy, not your head. Remember nothing has to be forever, remember it's your life, your choice, your happiness, your regret...whatever you do Perth and Edinburgh will still be standing and maybe it's possible to have 2 homes. Who says you have to put all your eggs in one basket. Single, no kids, no ties...I know what Id be doing. Best of luck Emma:)