Taffy

I would totally agree with this - personally speaking if we had our time again we would only bring clothes and personal items. A lot of furniture etc we had suffered some wear & tear during the move and really didn't suit our new house when we arrived - we went from a townhouse in our village to an expansive 4 bedroom bungalow in Oz. Plus I think there is something therapeutic in casting aside a lot of your bigger possessions as you are making a new life. My one regret was not bringing across a carton of Branston Pickle :laugh:

Managed to get down there on the very last day with family. Totally brillant! Love the pics also!

Hello! Our family has only recently left Albany after 6 or so wonderful years there. Hubby has taken on a new career up the up in the big north and we are planning a move up there soon. We loved the climate there-summers and autumn are just delightful. Of course it does get cold & wet in winter down in the south but theres nothing like a nice cosy wooden heater & good local vino to warm the home & heart! Albany region itself is blessed in all seasons. Definitely go and have a good look around. I have spent countless mornings walking Middleton Beach early in the morning just after sunrise – simply the best way to start the day! (sorry Im waffling on now). Yes there a quite a few retirees (probably given the cooler climate), but we found Albany is very family orientated with lots of people from all over the place after the same thing – a relaxed lifestyle with good steady work prospects. We ended up with a really interesting mix of friends whom really supported each other as we were all away from our families. Work in the town is quite steady and whilst you may make more money in the city, at what cost to your family I say (yes I am completely biassed!) I must admit we never really benefited from the mining boom however also we didn’t feel the ‘bust’ either. Most of our friends all had no problem with work. Always seemed to be plenty of employment around for folk in building, nursing (me) & aged care, administration, education and anything agricultural like. Retail & hospitality you may struggle a wee bit though. House prices can be very affordable and there is something to suit any budget. It really depends on what you want to live close to-we thought we would be by the sea after moving to Oz and ended up in the loveliest little cottage not far from town which we renovated as we had the money at hand. Importantly for me (being a nurse) there are excellent health services in the town now, especially if you are under the Doctor. We never found wanting for Perth for good medical care even when our little buns were quite unwell. We found the shops more than sufficient for our needs, but then again we aren’t big into shopping. Hubby & me loved to eat out (mixed with a bit of imbibing!!) and there is a lot of choice – if you know where to look! Kids sports are a plenty in town but our little ones were more into dance & Gymnastics. There is a very lively local arts scene if you are that way inclined and the fabulous new entertainment complex now attracts world class acts. There is a great choice in schools for little ones as well depending on where you live with good school bus services. Our kids miss their little school so much! Also have quite a few friends from around Denmark area – a beautiful place but for us it would have meant a lot of traveling as everything the kids did is in Albany. I wouldn’t say there is a drugs problem – it happens everywhere but there have been a few well known issues highlighted from time to time. Being in healthcare, I would say it is more a symptom of probably a lack of things to keep teenagers & young minds occupied. No shortage of young mums which was no different to my wee village back home if you know what I mean!!! Well it seems im waffling and sounding like a paid ad but we miss what we had so much and would go back in a heartbeat if our circumstances changed. Life has a habit of throwing curved balls! If hubby has a good work option as you write then I would say go for it and cherish the time with your kids. Mine are growing up much too fast! Good luck in what ever you choose!