Katie22

It's just the same as making the assumption that the unemployed and low income earners spend most of their spare cash on fags and booze. I work (therefore I also pay tax) I have 2 dependents as single parent and I scrimp & save to send my daughter to an independent school with the help of a partial scholarship & I hardly ever visit my GP. So the only assistance I get from the government is family tax and will soon be losing family tax b so I'm paying for this debt too. I'm a registered nurse with 30 years experience and have a responsible job so I reckon I work pretty hard but sorry to say my occupation is not considered to be well paid . I have no objection in paying more tax, unlike some people who earn more than me, but I have a massive problem with taking money away from people who have far less than me. Lets just show some compassion - it makes for a far more pleasant society to live in.

I think it is so wrong but if they are going to do it then people on concession cards should be exempt from co-payments, extra prescription charges etc. I know it's free after 10 visits but it's still morally wrong making poorer people pay as you're just making poor people poorer - where's the fairness in that? From what I see evidently the labor government have got us into debt so Mr Abbott and Mr Hockey are the knights in shining armour coming along to save the day, boost the economy and provide lots of lovely jobs for us all. But in order to do that they need money and lots of it so they're deciding to take it from the unemployed, disabled and the low paid. Oh no wait a minute they are taking more tax from the super rich so it must be alright then mustn't it? However, I'm pretty sure these wealthy people will gets their accountants to manipulate a few figures come tax time and are they really going to have to adjust their weekly household budgets to accommodate that hike?! its just plain mean and wrong and it confirms to me why I didn't vote for them as knew it was on the horizon.

Yes and $70 per year can be equivalent of $700 or $7000 on higher salaries and am sure there'd be a massive uproar if they were expected to pay that. Once again stereotyping the "poor" as drinkers and smokers. Sure some do but lots don't. The people you are referring to will head straight to an emergency dept & that visit will end up costing a damn site more than $7. And because there are going to be cuts in public health then it's something public hospitals can least afford.

Sorry but that is such an unfair comment. I am a single parent and I do not have benefits thrown at me left, right and centre. I receive family tax only but I was under the impression that this was a tax concession and NOT a benefit but this budget says that I will soon no longer receive it. I work hard and I am privileged enough to earn enough to support myself and my 2 children but after doing that I have little left. However, I know for a fact that there are plenty of people out there, single parents, unemployed, pensioners who have far less than me and we as a society should be looking after them, not making their lives even harder. I find it very sad that not more compassion is shown to people who have less and even sadder when people are all stereotyped. Of course some people milk the system but not all and why should the majority be punished because of that. $7 to someone on a larger income is the equivalent of $70 or even more. In a fair society health care should be free so the needy and vulnerable can be looked after. Unfortunately under Mr Abbott, Australia is becoming a bit of a "I'm alright Jack" society.

What a beautiful story and I'm so glad you're happy! It must have been a massive life change to move after so many years in Australia but sounds as if you did exactly the right thing for you. I really feel that for a few of us it is a case of "belonging" and it's so refreshing reading your story after hearing so many negatives ones on here about England! I'm very much looking forward to my return next year!

Tom28 - the funniest post I've read since joining this forum!

8 years is a very long time to be planning such a life changing move and it's a big thing to live up to also so sounds as if reality just didn't cut it. Honestly homesickness is a form of grief and it does lessen with time but it's a very powerful emotion. It's still early days for you and all the events of the last few months are sinking in so give them time to sink in then start making decisions. It sounds as if all of you want to go back to give it another try so maybe that's what you should do and at least this time you have a reasonable idea of what to expect so none of it will come as a shock. You'll still be faced with issues of child care, jobs, bills etc etc though. Be honest with yourself and your family. If you do return suggest to your parents about booking a trip to visit within the year. If there are definite plans to see each other again the pain can lessen.

I have a feeling this thread might produce some unsavoury replies so will censor mine! definitely Australian Christmas - homesickness always hits me hard at that time of the year and can't wait for it to disappear Aussie drivers - lovely people outside of their cars but definitely different story when they get behind the wheel telly - far too American Unhealthy obsession with winning at sports summer days reaching 40 + temperatures can add some more but better not and promise that I can list far more things that I'll miss than not miss - trying not to sound biased!

All I can suggest is to look on the net for short term leases, you should find one with no problems. Best location maybe the city itself - parking in Adelaide is probably lot easier than all other cities and a lot of lets will include it too. Another good location is Glenelg which is by the sea, just 15 mins drive to the city centre straight down Anzac Highway and also easily accessible by bus or tram. Being Adelaide's seaside resort there should be plenty of short term lets there and a nice location for you to start your new life here!

You must be a real fan! Bit of torture only going for 4 days but still pretty exciting - enjoy!

It is a fact that illegal drug use is increasing at a remarkable rate in Australia, especially the use of stimulants and that is not just in the inner cities but in suburbia and rural areas - in fact in some rural areas in Victoria and South Australia it is rife. We all know drugs are widely abused in the UK - don't need to be told that. Obviously you are only going to be aware of it if you see it first hand which some of us have in either country.

All the very best with your move - very exciting for you! And good luck with your job too. Ignore the doubters! Dwelling on doom and gloom in any country is not a healthy pastime.

The long term consequences of migration can be devastating to some. When you first move with a young family the thought of that family becoming fragmented in years to come just does not enter your head (be warned future migrants!) but it's the reality and one of the massive setbacks of moving the other side of the world. I'm lucky enough to be moving back with my 2 teenagers though now they have the option of living in either Australia or England, who's to say they won't move far away from me in the future and I know that if that happens I will be devastated. So if I put myself in your position Lostlily then I know exactly where you're coming from. When you're unhappy with your situation you get angry at what's around you so the original post should be taken with tongue in cheek and maybe a bit of humour too. Lots of people wanting to migrate to Australia could probably think up a checklist of reasons as to why England's so lousy, but I expect then you'll have more people agreeing than disagreeing! Sounds to to me as if you need to go back to live in the UK, even if only for a short while just to see where it is you really want to be.

Maybe just try to have the mindset that you're going for a year or two and then after that you can make your mind up if it's where you want to stay. Say to yourself that you'll use that time to spend with your family and to see if you can cope with those English winters - a million miles away from those 40 + degree Adelaide days!

Funny talking about backpacks, I suggested to my teenagers that rather than getting a one way ticket to Heathrow why don't we get some backpacks, fly to Prague or Berlin or wherever and make our way via train to England instead. I thought it would be a great way to start a new chapter and was being deadly serious! They both looked at me as if I was barmy - these kids - no sense of adventure!

Terrifying and exhilarating are exactly the words I use to describe moving back too! Quite funny really waiting till the teenager leaves school - it's the parent fleeing the nest rather than the other way round! Yes, so much of England to see along with Europe too. When I first decided to move the doubters really got to me and I kept questioning myself but now my attitude's changing and I'm becoming really confident in what I want and the decision I've made. If the doubters think I'm crazy then they can rejoice if it all goes pear shaped and crack open the bubbly and say "I told you so"!

So pleasing to know there's someone who feels like I do! Same here, I don't want to get to a certain age and have regrets. If it doesn't work out then I'll come back but I need to know. Do you know where you're going back to live and is your son going with you too? A lot of people I've come across think I'm a little mad (they might be right!) so it's lovely finding this site and hearing from people who are as mad as me!

Moving back after a long time here is unsettling and if you're like me there's a part of you that is scared of it not working out. Then you have friends, family, acquaintances, whoever questioning your choice and it makes you question yourself even though you know it's what you want to do. I suppose everybody is welcome to their opinions but that doesn't necessarily mean they're right nor that they are the experts on how you should live your life. Keep focusing on being excited moving back to live near your family. It sounds as if you're very close to your parents and miss them dreadfully so relish the time that you will soon be able to spend with them and the time they will spend with your daughter. That is priceless and though lots of migrants can cope with separation there are a small proportion who find it just too hard. An english friend of mine has had both her parents and one brother die over the past 2 years, she has been here for 20 years and it made me think about all that time that she was away from them, wasted years really but there you go, that's the price you pay I suppose. The first person I told when I'd decided to move back was a very close friend back in England. She was the one I was expecting to be over the moon but no, she said are you sure etc. etc. Boy did I feel deflated - talk about bursting your bubble! Then there was my close family who I expected to say what on earth are you doing but no, my sister said she thought I should have gone back years ago. Another interesting incident was hearing about an Australian moving to England and everyone was saying "that's so exciting, it'll be great etc" then me saying I'm going back to England to live the response was "what are you doing that for, you'll be back after 6 months". Mmmm, don't quite understand the difference there. For me Australia is a fantastic destination for a holiday, in fact I read yesterday that it's one of the most popular destinations in the world for just that. However, living here is totally different. I'm one of the few who finds it just lacking something be it culture, history, tradition or whatever and I feel "empty" living here. I have half my family here and half in England so if I do settle back there I really look forward to the opportunity of coming back to Australia for a holiday and I know that will be when I will love it at its best.

Yes, you can get hospital cover and / or extras cover. The extras covers you for dental, optical, physio etc. Obviously there's also different types of cover, the lower the premium the higher gap you'll have to pay. Go on to the websites of the health funds - BUPA, Medibank, Health Partners & google more then they can often give you instant quotes, at least that gives you an idea. Ambulance cover is a definite, if you don't and you end up having to call one - accidents happen - you'll end up with a $900 + bill. Hospital cover is up to you, it does give you more choice of specialists and if you need elective surgery it can usually be done as soon as it can be arranged. I've looked after a few patients who've had their joint replacement the following day after their initial consultation. Compare that to people I've heard who've been on a waiting list for over a year in the public system. However, despite having hospital cover as a previous person wrote you can still be left with very large out of pocket expenses. Doctors can charge massive gaps and take it from someone who works with them, the larger gap does not necessarily mean the better doctor. At the end of the day private health care is a business and to survive businesses need profits.

Hi thinker 78, I've seen some of your posts on the main website but just come onto the Adelaide one to see what's happening! Yes, I'm planning on going back to England at the end of next year once my daughter finishes school. I've been separated for past few years (husband also English) and have 2 teenagers who both want to come back with me. Been here 12 years this April. I've never felt like I've belonged here and miss England so much and been back just once and found it hard to return to Australia. I'm very excited but also very scared that I might end up being disappointed but it's something I need to do. Am planning on spending this year paying off debts accumulated after separating and next year saving for moving - it's a plan! Would love to talk more about experiences etc.

I trained & worked in the NHS so have a soft spot for it . Sure, saw a few horrible incidents but can assure you I've seen them here in Oz in both public and private healthcare. My advice in Oz is to get private health insurance along with extras if you have issues with teeth & eyesight. That insurance has saved me lots of money also with having to pay for 3 emergency ambulance fees (definitely need insurance for ambulance cover or you face a $900 fee). The public health care here is on the whole great for emergency care etc but private healthcare is better for elective surgery - no waiting list & you can pick your surgeon - that can make a massive difference. It can initially be a bit of a shock to the system paying for your own healthcare when you're so used to it free but if you're young and healthy your premiums shouldn't be too high. However even after that these doctors can still charge you massive gaps. Money making business I'm afraid.

Jasepom - I think the problems run a lot deeper than which country you prefer to live in. Get professional help to talk it through. if Australia is really where you want to stay even without your family then for your own sanity you need to move on and make a life for yourself here without them. Just because you live here doesn't mean that you can't save and visit them as much as you can and keep the contact up - Skype, Viber, emails, Facebook, Australia post - so many ways. Whats done is done, regrets will just make you miserable.

I suppose this is a case of where Brits have different sense of humour too! I like the slapstick style - has me in fits. Used to show my kids when they were younger repeats of Dads Army and The Goodies - we'd all be rolling on the floor laughing our heads off :biglaugh: I used to to quite like Kath and Kim but not sure if that was because it was genuinely funny or because they were taking the mickey out of Aussies!

It probably depends on what type of nursing you are specialised in, if it's ward work then you'll probably be able to get work fairly easily but the thing is with Adelaide is that people stick in the same job for years and years and don't move on. Just like England the public health system suffers from constant cutbacks and also senior management been there donkeys years too, Adelaide is very much a "who you know" city. Public health pays you slightly better. The private health care is very much business run, they need to make profits to keep the hospitals running. If you've come from working in the NHS, it can be quite disturbing seeing how making money is an important factor in the doctors mentality. After several years it still makes me uncomfortable being aware of huge gaps (a gap is the difference between what the government will pay and what the surgeon charges) being paid by patients to doctors. This is the case in the whole of Australia. However, those comments are negative ones and there is always a flip side. On the positive side you should be able to find work, contact hospitals before you arrive to test the waters. I've only ever been to Queensland for holidays but their climate is very different to Adelaide. Lots of humidity and warm most of the year round. Adelaide is very dry, very hot summers with little rain and cool winters. I much prefer that but I've probably become acclimatised to it over the years. If scuba diving is your thing heading towards the Barrier reef might be an idea. Adelaide is a quiet city but it does have everything you need, beaches, countryside etc, it's just miles away from anywhere, much like all the other cities in Australia! Good luck with your plans and move!