CatMoose

Hmmm.... I have been here in Oz for 7 years. I closed all my bank accounts in the UK - why wouldn't I? Nothing to do with thinking I'd be here for ever. I'm moving back soon and opening a UK bank account will take no time at all. Innit?:cute:

My reasons for going back are the 1) The 21st Centrury! 2) Culture 3) Friends and family My sister now is battling breast cancer and that has pretty much sealed the deal. I just need to get a job :err: I'll never overtly bag Australia, it's got A LOT going for it it really has. But after 7 years here, as with many - it doesn't feel like home. That said, I never 'emmigrated' here anyway. I came over for an adventure with an open mind about staying. I haven't regretted one minute.

Got to agree with this. I'm single with no debt, but enough savings to get back to the UK and then what? Try living in the UK on meagre savings and job hunting at the same time. Expensive business. I'm applying for jobs at the moment, but there will soon come a time when I need to go home without and hope my savings hold out.

Hey lass I'm also in South Australia - though on the coast near Adelaide NOT country. I do like it here, but I am working towards going home as soon as I can get a job (or courage to go without one!). My sis has cancer, my nieces are growing too fast and well... I just miss the UK in so many ways. It was pretty ballsy to move where you did, Christ not even metro Adelaide! The only people who have 'failed' are those who sit on high, bitch moan and whine but do nothing about it. You gave it a shot but as someone has previously said, if your hubby won't even compromise an hour's nearer to Adelaide then you've gotta question whether he'd be there for you at all. As a comparison, my friend is an Aussie and met her husband on a station north of Coober Pedy. They now live in the Adelaide Hills in the countryside as she needed to be nearer civilisation. He still won't wear a watch, works when it's light and he struggles not being 'out bush' but he compromised anyway because that's what you do when you love and more importantly, respect someone. Hopefully when you get back to the UK you'll also have fond memories of Oz and will crack on making new ones back 'ome! If you're out Adelaide way, give me a shout I'll shout you a coffee

I'm a Leicester lass (and a City fan :wink:). I've been in Adelaide for 7 years now and I have my citizenship-but I'm looking to move back soon. I feel like most people who decide to go back, that it's a combination of things or rather an accumulation of things when finally the thought pops into your head and you don't try and quieten it anymore. That's when I knew I wanted to go back. I'm not bagging Australia AT ALL - Adelaide is a brilliant city, great beaches, markets, wine regions etc etc, but I realise it's not enough for me anymore - at least not right now. I'm not ashamed to say that I miss the football (especially last year!) I also miss my birthday being in the summer, cold Christmases, TK Maxx (yes really) country pubs etc etc. But apart from all that, I think most people's reasons are around family. I'm 46 and have no kids of my own, but I'm very close to my sister's 4 girls. When I moved here the oldest was nervous about starting secondary school. When I went back in August she was talking to me about what unis she's applying for. I went back in August (my 4th trip home in 7 years) because my sister now has breast cancer. While there I talked to my dad about his health and how he's recovering from his heart attack (and who City need to buy this season!) I have no idea what's going to happen health wise with my family, but I'd rather be a drive away and not a 36 hour journey that will clean me out of savings every time. I'm not looking at it as 'going back' I'm looking at it 'what's next?' A new town (I won't be going back to Leicester) a new job, new local football team to start supporting, taking my nieces out for day trips and having them visit for weekends. I look at it by treating it the same was as when I came over. It'll be an adventure, both good and bad I know, but after my recent trip back to Leicesterhsire I realise that there are far worse places to be going back to. All I need is a job.....:skeptical: Now if I could just get my fellow Brits to give a crap about litter!!!! :arghh:

For what it's worth, I think the fact that you've had kids is significant. I know two couples here in Oz who have moved back so that their kids can have time with grandparents and other family members. All waited until they got citizenship mind you. For me as a single lass, the pull to go home has been going on for about 6 months. In the middle of that time, my sister got breast cancer and my dad had a heart attack (he's fine now thankfully). I have my Aussie passport and I'm trying to see if going back to the UK could work for a couple or three years. I'm happy to be mobile, but money is my issue in that it's VERY tight. Dad has offered to pay for my flight home and also that of my cat. He wants his girl home, even though his 'girl' is 46!! I've just returned from a short trip to the UK to help my sister where I could. Obviously I can do bugger all from here. When in the UK I realised that there was in fact MUCH that I missed about the place. I only ever clothes and shoe shop on my return to the UK, I have Foxtel to watch the English sport and I listen to British and US music. Hmmmm.... Anyway - the move BACK to the UK is proving far more traumatic for me than the move from UK to Oz, as I do really love it here in many ways, but no it's never felt like home and there's much abut UK/European culture that I love and miss. I'm going to look at it like a 2-3 year adventure in the UK and then I'll decide from there. I guess with both passports, we really can have our cake and eat it sometimes. Good luck with your decision.

Just want to reignite this thread, as I have a full motorbike licence here in Oz now - anyone know if I can get that added to my new photocard licence when I apply for it back in the UK? Save me a whole lot of money and hassle if I don't have to start again with the CBT

Yeah she did. Perhaps it's because it's a brand new car?? No idea... but I'm personally not spending £1000 on car insurance!

I'm still in Oz, but I just did a Comparethemarket search and for my one year's NCD I'd get here in Australia and having a UK driving licence for 23 years, I was quoted approx £500 for a 10 year old Mini. In the online questions I was asked if my 'no claims' was from overseas. One of those quote was from Admiral. I've also heard that Aviva accept Australian NCDs. Don't know if that helps?

UPDATE- seems you only need to be a resident to apply online, so I'll do it via mail when I get back to UK. I still need to figure out if I can get my motorcycle qualification on it. And still surprised you got such cheap insurance! Thnaks for the replies.

That's interesting because my friend has just returned to the UK after 8 years in Australia and her insurance cost her £1000 for a Hyundai i30. Re the DVLA. While shopping around for insurance you get asked how long you've had a license, so that's why I mentioned them. Now I know that only the card goes out of date - that's that problem answered Ta. I find the DVLA site a confusing mess. I've tried to complete an online form for a new license (photo card bit) and the first question is am I a UK resident? For resident status you need to be at a permanent address for over 150 days. So the answer to that will be no, in which case, I will have to use my Oz license for a while. But then how much will the insurance cost on a new car? Agree re being honest - more hassle than it's worth.

Hi all Im planning on returning to the UK in January. I allowed my UK driving license to expire and have an Aussie license. I also took my motorcycle test here too. My dilemma is returning to the UK with only my Oz license and convert to new UK one as I understand insurance will be crippling (I had a uk driving license for 20 years until it expired). or do I pretend that I've been living in the UK all this time as far as the DVLA is concerned? Those of you returning- have you kept a UK license even though you were no longer legally 'resident'?