BooBooBear

Despite being born and raised there. I have no real affection for England. I fell in love with Australia the first moment I came here, and my love affair has not abated since. Just grown stronger each passing year. Well I suppose if I was pushed, I would say that England has decent fish and chips. And some of the country pub gardens are nice. But that is hardly a reason for staying in a country overall. Especially as nearby, I can get nice fish & chips in Palm Beach. And The Newport Arms has the most fabulous views from their beer garden. So it is not like I am pining for anything. I talked to my husband about this. He says he is not homesick either. He just feels like living back there for a while. So bizarre. It can only be a mid-life crisis

Well I didn't whinge, whine, mumble or groan. It is not in my nature to do that. And also I didn't want to ruin his holiday. But I do remember taking off in the plane and commenting something along the lines of : I thought those six weeks would never end. How miserable everyone seemed. Nothing has changed. Thank f*ck we are leaving. I cannot wait to get home to Oz. And then I would have changed the subject. So maybe he thought I was sarcastically joking or something.

Depends what she wants to do. A number of TAFE colleges are closing down. About 30 across the country I believe. TAFE use to be considered "a bit of a joke" back in the 1980's. Attitudes since then have changed but some employers have been slow to catch on. I did a really intensive hospitality course for two years and it was excellent. But then some potential employers said it wasn't worth the paper it was written on. Then again, I did once get a job solely based on the TAFE qualification. So works both ways. Some good courses could be: hairdressing, hospitality, chef, bookkeeping and horticultural studies. TAFE is fine for bookkeeping. But one step up to an accountant would need a university degree. General accounting for a job is a bad idea anyway. There are thousands of Chinese and Indian accountants flooding the cities. To get ahead you would need a CPA qualification which is expensive and long winded.

Stay in a backpackers hostel, motel, caravan park, or any short term cheap accommodation etc.... During our last move we had three weeks between end of one house, and move into another. We stayed in a cabin at a caravan holiday tourist park.

Start looking now to get a feel of the place and different prices. Any time is a good time to look. Change of season makes no difference. Manly is a very popular place to live and competition may be quite stiff. So be prepared and have all your paperwork and records together ready to go at a moments notice. Not much point viewing a property on the Saturday and then spending the next five days scrabbling around for relevant paperwork. It may be snapped up by then. We once did a rental viewing in Manly and about 60 people turned up for the same open day. That was a few years ago now so things may have settled down. Or they may be worse. So just be prepared paperwork wise should you happen to find the perfect place.

Anything to do with sailing or hospitality is your best bet.

If he wanted to do that he could save himself $5,000 and just move to the other side of Sydney. Or up to Queensland. When he made his announcement he fully expected me to joyfully agree to go. He knows I love it here. But thought I would enjoy a year or ten in the UK again. I suppose my own faulty there. I have never really discussed the UK with him. Never expressed any homesickness. So I guess he presumes my feelings about the place are neutral. I have thrown a spanner in the works by saying I don't want to go.

The hospital build started some months ago. I have been avoiding Wakehurst Parkway since that time. But I have not noticed any traffic increase on Mona Vale Road at the time we go through. No

When my youngest cat was a kitten around 8 months old, she use to chase roos. It was so funny to watch a tiny kitten stalking a fully grown kangaroo. Nowadays she wears a bell on her collar to protect the birds. But my main concern is snakes. She is fascinated with them.

Thank you Sounds like you did good.

First place I lived said a big fat NO to pets, and I had to sign the lease agreement saying I had no pets. I actually had two cats, and kept them there anyway without the landlord or real estate agent knowing. During the periodic real estate inspections, I simply booked the cats into the local cattery a few days prior. And then scented and cleaned the house up to remove any evidence. I had them in this rental for five full years before getting found out. The landlords then tried to issue another lease saying No Pets. I simply argued that they had been there for five years with absolutely no problem or incident, but I would personally cover any future damage out of my own pocket. They backed down and agreed to keeping them there....... And I got my full bond returned when I left. I actually steamed cleaned the carpets at my own expense which they loved, and it got me a very good reference from them (even though I had lied to them about the cats), which came in most useful for securing my next rental. However, after that experience, I was always truthful from the go-get with a pet resume, and offer of extra bond. Both work well.

I don't think I can post links yet, as only joined this forum today. But using Google, try searching for: "resume for pets for renting in sydney" "resume for pets for renting in brisbane" Or wherever And loads of ideas come up

Pets do make it harder to find a rental. But it is certainly not impossible. I suggest putting your cats in a cattery for a while, whilst you find a suitable rental. We did in the past when moving around. One stay was for 12 months when we were moving interstate. Another stay was 3 months. Most catteries will give you discounted rates for long stay. Rentals will normally advertise as "No Pets" or "Pets Considered". If nothing is said on the advert, then it pays to ask. Even places that say "No Pets" will sometimes reconsider if you present your case. In regards to the "Pets Considered", you really need to show that you are a competent pet owner: You should make sure your cats are up-to-date with their vaccinations Are wormed every 3 months Are flea protected Are desexed Are micro chipped Are toilet trained Do you have vet records of this. That may help your application. Treat it like a cat resume (i.e.) vouch for them and present them in the best light possible. In Sydney, you have to also register cats and dogs with your local council, once you have moved into your rental. I have rented loads of times with cats. It is much easier renting with cats than with dogs, because cats are much quieter and cleaner animals. And therefore more favorable in the landlords eyes.

I have several friends that live in Bowral NSW; who have lawns exactly like this - in stripes. Bowral is just over an hour south from Sydney. The area is known as The Southern Highlands and is very picturesque. Lots of little quaint English style villages. Many of the houses have landscaped gardens exactly like your picture. Temperature is very much like England too. We got snowed in last year in one of the villages.

Yes I think that is the best course of action for me. He is none too pleased. He has also said to go back for ten years. I totally freaked out at that.

I thought they saw each other in-between. My friends husband comes home on leave every four months.

I would say that IS the problem. Makes no sense otherwise. You say how unhappy and depressed you were at home. So what makes you think anything will change if you now go back? I think you are having feelings of homesickness ONLY because you feel unsettled. I especially think this because you say how unhappy you were at home. So how can you possibly be homesick for an unhappy life?! Ponder that. Much better to get your anxiety disorder sorted out (which you can do in either country) and once that is settled and in remission; your overall life will improve. If you find a more permanent job and put down roots in one location in Australia - you will soon make new friends and feel more settled. All this "struggle" is why you are feeling so scattered.

The other concern for me is: If he goes for one year and decides to stay permanently. That will break up our marriage. I think he must be having some sort of mid-life crisis. He has always said he loves Australia and his life here. Now he drops this sudden bombshell based on nothing more than a "feeling".

Yes I am 100% committed to him. I love him deeply. And we have had a very happy faithful marriage for the past 30 years. But overall I dislike the UK, and simply shudder at the thought of living there again. Especially so close to our family and friends; who I find suffocating in their views. So should I go for one year to make him happy....... knowing full well I will be unhappy, miserable and possible resentful. It will be like going to prison for one year. Thank you for your advise xxlornaxx it was interesting to read your experiences in this matter.

Done it every morning for the past three years. It takes me 25 minutes travelling at the normal speed limit.

I am new here too dancing1112. Well new to the forum. I have lived in Australia for 25 years. Very hard to give salary figures. Because it vastly depends on what area you work in. Even within the same city. For example: Hornsby and Sydney CBD are only 40 mins apart on the train line. But the salary difference could be $30,000.

I am new here too krisjen01. Well new to the forum. I have lived in Australia for 25 years. I cannot help with migration because the rules have changed so much in the past 25 years. But getting an agent is probably a good idea. It will of course cost a bit. But will also help to take some of the stress and confusion away. In regards to catering and chef work. Well there is plenty of opportunity for both here. Especially in the big cities. But some smaller tourist wine areas have loads of gourmet food options to be explored and expanded on. Margaret River in WA and The Hunter Valley in NSW and The Barossa Valley in SA, are three that come to mind. Even somewhere like country Mudgee and Orange in NSW are considered major "foodie" hotspots. I have never been to Perth so cannot offer advice there.

A good suggestion overall thank you newjez. But a six week holiday was all I could manage, before I was itching and foaming at the mouth to return to Australia. My husband wants to go and live near family and friends. Like in the same street. I cannot think of anything worse.

To be honest. I would have to choose alone in the country I love. That is how strongly I feel about this situation. But of course, I don't want to throw a happy marriage away over this, hence I was wondering if a long distance marriage could work. Thank you for your advice Quoll.

Well the main reason is: the thought of living in the UK again, is too awful to even think about. A six week holiday was all I could manage, before I was itching and foaming at the mouth to get back to Australia. I think I would feel very resentful at being forced to live there against my will. And that would ruin our marriage quicker than being apart I reckon.