DevilsAdvocate

Solars worth investing in, even know the feed in tariffs are next to nothing compared to what they used to be. Next step Batteries. Not for Islanding Off Grid but for Evening savings. 

15 minutes ago, Constance said:

It would be interesting to know how you are finding cost of living in Oz, compared to here. 

Similarly to the OP we have young children so will need alot of paid childcare. 

We have gone from saving £500-1000  per month here to barely anything at all and we haven't been able to go abroad. 

We have a £1000 per month mortgage and if we remortgaged now it would be £1700-2000 (which appears similar to Australia). We are also now £350 per month for gas and electricity, but our nursery fees are cheaper than Australia. 

We are moving to Brisbane - Sydney and Melbourne were out of reach for us in terms of property prices (taking into account that we want reasonable commute, good school, family areas etc). 

I'd note cost of living not the only issue - healthcare system decline, constant strikes, weather, work opportunity. 

Other than Food & Fuel it seems to be cheaper here. Our Mother in law is out here at the minute and is giving us the run down. I’m surprised people can live a half decent life in the UK. 
 

Wages are higher in Aus with certain professions, so factor that in too. 
 

It definitely seems like I have more disposable cash here then I ever had in the UK. But again… Horses for courses. 

1 hour ago, beanbear said:

I think there are lots of things that will help you to settle. You definitely make friends more easily when you have Primary aged children and once you know people and have joined in with things you may feel more part of your new community. It will be easier once the housing is also sorted. It is more of a culture shock than you probably anticipated and that can be hard too. 

On the schooling side I (as someone who's taught in both countries) am adamantly opposed to all the testing and stress the UK puts on children in primary. The Oz system seems slower paced and that's great! Kids here still become vets and nurses etc but also have more variety of experience, learn to be more articulate and grow up more slowly with things like scouts on offer and plenty of sport and outdoor stuff. 

If you have come and not really improved on what you had in the UK, you might question the benefit overall. Give it time with as positive a perspective as you can. Where you are has lots to offer for families. 

Personally I feel the UK is in its worst state in living memory! 

100% Agree with your last sentence. I have friends in the UK itching to get out due to sky rocking energy prices, inflation and stagnation of wages. Horses for courses though. 

On 31/12/2022 at 19:22, Blue Flu said:

Saying that I've only just become overwhelmed by living in Perth after twenty years.  Not to say I adored it previously but could travel regularly and thought it okay, if somewhat dull place and parochial. Recent (two years) findings has made me want out of the place and never return but difficult to reach an accord on this with partner. 

I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked all over Australia and Perth was listed as my least favourite two cities in Australia, with Adelaide coming in at the bottom. I lived in Adelaide for 2 years. 
 

My preference was SE QLD as it ticked most of the boxes for the family. 

32 minutes ago, Quoll said:

Alternatively, it could be said that banging your head against the brick wall to make the headache go away is also not a great idea.  I dont think it takes that long to know whether you belong or not.  I hesitate to use the word "settled" because that implies you are never going to move and I hate that feeling.  I have been here a long time and in the beginning it was fine, no homesick, no yearning to return because I always knew that it was possible to move on and I had great holidays back with my folk.  However once it became obvious that I was stuck here then it became really unpleasant - I dont belong and never have, despite having been here for more than half my life.  My head has told my heart for decades that "this is home" but my heart doesnt listen and, for me, living in UK for nearly a decade from 2011 was the most amazing experience despite being full time carers for elderly parents.  I am back here now and the black dog is creeping back despite all my attempts at rationalisation.  I really think you know quite early on whether this is the place you want to grow old and die in and you do have to be proactive about moving on rather than letting yourself get beyond the point of no return which has certainly happened to a lot of us - finances, family etc etc  There is absolutely no shame in deciding you dont want to live here - it's just another first world country, it isnt magic and if your needs, values, interests are best met somewhere else then moving on is the most sensible option - I hate it when moving on is portrayed as a "failure" of some sort - it's no such thing.

Firstly, I’ve not mentioned failure. 
 

Secondly, I completely disagree with your first statement. The example I made (1 to 2 years) settlement is a ball park figure obviously these vary from individual to individual. 
 

Most migrants feel overwhelmed on first arrival or over the first 6 months, that feeling can be misconstrued in many ways. Hence why I said that it can take time to change your prospective. Or am I incorrect? 

4 minutes ago, Cobs_Ahoy said:

I can see where you’re coming from @DevilsAdvocate and agree with giving it a try, but we will need to make a decision that balances ‘giving it a shot’ and the well-being of our family as a whole. I guess it’s this balance that will determine how long is long enough.

 

For me, I would set it at a year - long enough to feel a bit more competent in navigating social and systemic idiosyncrasies+ long enough that we can say  we got a real sense of whether we would ever feel at home, balanced against returning to the U.K. without it causing significant distress to the kids. A year also given enough time to address things that are causing issues (eg I work/rentals etc). 

 

However, that’s only my personal way of approaching things. My husband is struggling more than me, and he has said a year feels like a lifetime. My marriage and our family unit is more important than making this work, so I’m not going to enforce any arbitrary timescales.

 

I have found that things have improved for me since I started this thread, but the home sickness is still there. I no longer have the desperate panicky feeling and think I would genuinely enjoy being here for a few years while I see how things go.

 

100% a year, even two before you feel settled. What your feeling is completely normal. My wife didn’t want to leave the UK for Australia and felt very home sick. 9 years later and it’s like she’s a different person. She doesn’t even want to visit the UK. My initial post, which may of came across as blunt was to wait and give it time. I wasn't being pretentious.  

11 hours ago, Marisawright said:

I think that's the wrong attitude.  We've had members who've stayed in Australia for years even though they hated it, all because they were too embarrassed (or too proud) to go home "with their tail between their legs". 

If you try something and don't like it, it doesn't mean you've failed.  It means you tried it and realised it's not for you.  No shame in that.  

After a few months of being here. I would be embarrassed. That was my point. Hardly “Giving it a go” Also wrong attitude? I just don’t sugarcoat it like the rest of you. 

With all due respect. You’ve been here 5 minutes. It’s totally normal to feel that way. Atleast you secured a job. My family came here 9 years ago without pre employment the first 6 months were hard. But I’d rather give it a good go, then return to the UK with my tail between my legs. 

I found the job while being in Australia. We have two districts East & West 

Yeah I’ve been in Aus for 7 Years. 
 

I work for a Rival of yours

Lol, What company do you work for? I work with Gas Turbines, Gensets. Compressors, Mechanical drives. Offshore & Onshore 

E&I Technician by Trade 

Can confirm don’t use this company. A complete ruse. If you want in to the mines I suggest you reside in WA. 
 

From an E&I working in the Oil & Gas sector.

Any updates on this? 
 

I feel your pain. It was one of the reasons I left Adelaide. I done the whole Gap Training with Peer Veet. Over 7 years ago, the jumping through hoops. I was lucky to have completed the Gap Training experience while working at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital. Although prior to that very lucky opportunity. I worked for some South African chancer who used to hire guys doing their Gap training while exploiting them. 
 

Try a company called RJE Global.

Just my Two Cents, We initially lived in Adelaide for two years. Wife, Two kids. Wasn’t for us. Was contemplating moving back to the UK. Hardly any work there. Felt like a constant battle. Prior to leaving, thought we would give the Goldie a try. 5 Years later never looked back and had another kiddie. Complete contrast. But hey, it’s only my opinion. 

The U.K. Is in a much better economic situation then Australia. I'm an Electrician working on a Major Oil and Gas Project and can tell you that confidence in Construction is at all time low. You could say that Australia has entered or will enter recession. Commodities here are just too expensive to build and produce compared to Asia. On the other side of the world my Australian Friend has found work for a prestigious Electrical company in London. Under Two days of landing. He was also taken back with how many projects are taking place.

Too rough... No way.. Robina is pricey for a reason

Deryans. You had quite a legitimate Opinion. I think everything you brought to the table was true. It seemed the majority of people who were against your opinion was of retirement age. Anyway be happy we're both away from that insidious Place.

From an Old Ally :wink:

Ok Talking from Experience... Firstly use an MARA Migration Agent as mentioned above.. They will run through a series of Questions to see if you qualify or have enough points to proceed further. Once Successful. You will need to provide work history and proof of Apprentiship. References from Employers. Then a Waiting game to submit EOI. When your on your way the agent will ask to to submit an IELTs English test. Depending on your previous score you may have to gain 8's or 7's across the board. After that Crap and further into the roller coaster you will need to gain an OTSR. Offshore Skill Assessment. This is basically a version of the AM2 Electrical exam. When you have gained your OTSR and submitted that and you finally gain your precious Visa grant and you make the massive leap to a fantastic part of Australia.... Then the real fun begins. Remember that OTSR I was banging on about earlier, well that entitles you to a Provisional Electrical License. You will then need to Enroll through skills select to save thousands to complete the AS/NZ 3000 Wiring rules. This could take 6 Months... Keep in mind you are basically at this point classified as a 4th year Apprentice.. Wages will be shite. After completion of the Wiring rules another goliath event awaits and that is the GAP TRAINING. A logbook or E profiling which could take up to a year to complete. Covering Donestic, Commercial and Industrial Projects. Mine was 70,000 words long. Headache. After completing that you will recieve an Australian Certificate 3 and apply for your unrestricted licence.. I wish I knew all of this before I came because I would of honestly thought twice. I feel Aus is entering its Own recession the Mining Boom years are over. I'm on the last remaining Major construction project and thousands can't get on.. If you decide to make the move please do your homework and have enough cash to sit back on!!!