octatonic

My wife trained as a pharmacist and when we return will be looking at getting her qualifications back (they lapse if not used). As I understand it the registration is done at the state level, meaning if you are a registered in Victoria you can't go and work in NSW without registering in that state, which could involve some training. My wife will have to do between 6 months and a year of training (we think) when we return, but she has been in industry for quite a while and not working as a pharmacist.

I've never really understood this attitude. From my perspective, family are just people you were thrown together with- you didn't choose them and they didn't choose you. If you don't get on, for whatever reason, then why maintain an unhealthy or unproductive relationship? Genuinely don't see why you should tolerate behaviour from family that you wouldn't tolerate from your friends.

I'd recommend speaking to an accountant. Yes you usually need to declare your income in the UK and then Australia. You will have the income adjusted in one of the countries, depends on where you are resident. You won't pay double the tax- you can apply for tax relief as a nonresident. It is fairly complicated- I can't speak to your specific circumstance as I won't know the full details. Regarding capital gains- if you sell before April 6th this year then you don't pay capital gains in the UK. After that date the UK govt is brining in new rules for capital gains for non-residents. Again, fairly complicated so any advice you are given here may not apply to your specific circumstances.

Totally depends on the relationship with the in-laws. I'd have no problem living near my in-laws. My side of the family is the one I want a bit of distance from. :cute:

I'm originally from Hobart and my mum is still in Launceston. I wouldn't move back there under any circumstances. Positives: Cheap housing, close to beautiful wilderness. Negatives: Fairly cold by Australian standards, lower wages, few jobs, less property capital gain, most parochial of the capitals, somewhat inward looking, bit backwards and of course also fairly remote. What other people see as friendly and laid back I see as people being nosey and in your business but that is probably more to do with me adjusting to London life than anything. Just my opinion- I'm sure it would be a great place for some, just not for me.

How are you on motorcycles? I have a couple here in the UK and considering taking them back with me.

Yes, absolutely no problem. I had UK bank accounts when living in Switzerland and the statements forwarded to my Swiss home. When I left Switzerland I was told I'd need to deposit 100,000 francs (about £50k) to keep the Swiss account open.

Check what exclusions exist on the insurance policy. Don't be afraid to negotiate on those.

Que? Cameron is the UK Prime Minister. He isn't the president of Ireland- that is Michael Higgins.

I actually found my old Bondi flat on an Australian property website a few weeks ago. I used to pay $200 a week, in 2000. Now it is $650 a week.

Yes they are. Have a read of this: http://www.immi.gov.au/Live/Pages/australian-permanent-resident-information.aspx

Public is very good if my mum's recent cancer treatments are anything to go by. Whether you should take out private health will depend on how much you are earning. There is a tax rebate for higher earners to take themselves out of the public system. Can't help with the rest as I haven't live in Sydney recently so don't really know.

I'm Australian, living in London and have spent a lot of time in Ireland. They are pretty different places. It is really hard to say what you would prefer without knowing what you are looking for. Do you want great weather? Or do you fancy being on the doorstep of Europe? What you are asking is a pretty vast topic- just taking one section of it- transport and distance. You can't really make general statements about entire countries- for instance, traffic in central Sydney is way worse than rural Ballarat. As a rule though metropolitan areas of Australia are fairly congested but also Australia has good motorways and roads. Much of Ireland is single carriage way, so getting around can take a lot longer than you would expect coming from SA. Australia is a lot larger than Ireland (obvs)- you can drive from Londonderry to Cork in around 6 hours if you give it some, and are lucky with traffic. Getting from Sydney to Melbourne takes at least 9 hours (realistically, 11+). You'll have a larger house in Australia, as a rule but only if you compare like for like. Personally, I would be very hesitant to sink money into any EU country given the recent problems. Maybe give us a bit more of an idea of where in Ireland vs where in Australia you were thinking and what you are looking for in terms of lifestyle, what you like to do with your time and such. How do people take money out of SA these days. My ex-gf ended up going back because she wasn't able to take money out.

The expense is part of it, and we're not completely against going. I'm sure once we arrive we'll enjoy our time there. It is mostly having to start again, sort out work/jobs (which for me is tricky as I'm in a niche industry), buy house and all that. Looking out the window at the cloud and rain, and darkness at 4pm I do wonder why I love the UK so much.

Hi rallyjon, I guess it is because we are both in jobs we enjoy, have a lot of friends here, enjoy a lot of European travel and like being connected to history and culture. UK winters do get on top of me a bit, so I am sure I'll enjoy the weather once we get there. Bit concerned about how expensive Australia will be, although London isn't exactly a cheap place to live either. I guess it is mostly about having to start again.

Hi all, I've joined up because we are probably moving back to Oz in the next 12 months. I'm from the Sydney area. I've been out of Australia for 15 years, met my (also Australian) wife here in London and we're somewhat reluctant to return as we are both fairly settled but also have elderly parents who won't be around forever so have made the decision to return. Likely to be based in Melbourne or fairly close to it (although hopefully avoiding the fires). Cheers, James