KTM1963

You suspected correctly...doh! Oh well, a few months more of saving it is then. Cheers

Okay, I did say I may have had a brain drain but I still can't see the wood for the trees :daydreaming:. Okay, please tell me where I am going wrong...NicF, I agree, using a currency converter calculator $100 AUD converted gives GBP £56.12 but converting from AUD to USD instead you get $93.92 USD. If you then convert your $93.92 USD to GBP you get £159.79 which is a lot more than the original $56.12. I am thick skinned so go for it and put me back in my box if I have missed some glaringly obvious step.

Thanks. I have a question too about getting the most of out of my hard earned AUD. The exchange rate is much better against the USD so unless I'm having a brain drain moment, it seems to me that if you convert AUD to USD and then convert to GBP (as still quite strong) you're almost doubling your money sterling. I have never ever figured out that until actually thinking about it seriously....makes it so much more appealing having quite a bit more dosh. Chiswick, is this what you would do? Don't tell me I'm dreamin :biggrin:

Thanks Caramac. Yes, I will head to Worcester city as have immediate family, brother, niece, nephew and long term friends there as went to college there and my mum lives in Birmingham which is a hop, skip and a jump away. Lovely county and looking at the employment situation, the employment agencies have plenty of contract/temp work which would suit me fine. The seed was planted 5 years ago and now the time is right

Glad to have read your post as it has inspired me to put my money where my mouth is and actually do something about returning to the UK for a couple of years or so instead of just dreaming about it. Aging parents, great friends, close proximity to Europe and a sense of belonging are the drawcards. I don't care about the weather . I turned 50 last year and have been in Oz for 24 years. Originally came out as a solo back packer in 1989. I loved the lifestyle and opportunities in my late 20's, 30's and even early 40's but with age comes wisdom and I realise now that my priorities have changed. Have no family here, never married and no kids and quite frankly feel like the spare cog in a wheel as friends have moved on in different directions which of course is normal. Spent 6 months caring for a terminally ill dad in Worcestershire 2009/10 where I lived for 12 years before heading to Oz (originally Scottish) and just adored being back for longer than a 4 week holiday. I visit every year and each year it gets harder to adjust to life again. Australia is a fantastic country and has afforded me so many opportunities that I possibly would not have experienced in the UK. Great friends too but I'm on the wrong page nowadays. Friends at home are now all empty nesters and seem to do so much more than I do. Getting tired of doing stuff on my own for lack of interest with friends but I need to make the decision I guess. Lucky that I have citizenship and a unit I could rent out. Need a little reassurance from others perhaps who did the same after such a long stint away. Cheers Karen

I would consider Melbourne if things don't improve. Aussies go to Queensland on holiday but not to live generally unless they're retiring. Melbourne has 4 distinct seasons like the UK, not temperate all year like Brisbane but there is a much more similar culture to a big city in the UK, sports capital of Australia and probably the most multi cultural offering all sorts of cuisines, music and have 2 football teams (the round ball). It really depends on what you personally want. For me, I came out as a backpacker on my own, travelled around and realised that to live a "normal" if somewhat similar life to what I had in the UK, Melbourne felt like home. Yes, you can experience 4 seasons in a day but the summers are dry and hot with less rainfall than Sydney. More expensive than QLD but rent inner city and see how you go. Don't throw in the towel yet, it's a big, big country/continenent/island and I'm sure with time you'll know what feels right. Give it a go and you can always head back. Nothing ventured, nothing gained