george70

I used to go to Whitehaven on business. Depressing doesn't tell half the story.

I instigated a move back to the UK after 8/9 years here but the Mrs has kiboshed it, she had a couple of weeks back recently and hated it. Bit disappointed for myself but happy here if she is.

Point is, as per the OP, no-one in the UK could even believe we were considering it.

We are in careers like yours and Perth isn't a great place for them. Firstly, there's not too many employers to choose from, secondly, there's a downturn on, thirdly Australians aren't exactly cutting edge when it comes to modern methodologies and practices, they are getting there but work seems a bit '2001' to me, if you know what I mean.

No real problem with Perth in general but I wouldn't move here if I was career-committed. Also, we earn in excess of $200k, have no kids and, although very comfortable and happy socially etc. I wouldn't consider massively us well off. We have no savings although we do have a short mortgage. We spend up every fortnight.

Good luck.

Mandurah, Freo, King's Park/City, Cottesloe, Hills, Matilda Bay/Point Walter/Applecross/Nedlands would be my suggestions.

I think the only British thing I really buy now is Mint Sauce as the local stuff is some weird jelly concoction. Oh, and Oxos.

I can understand the need for a comfort/junk food fix, I used to do it when we first got here. It wears off though when you start paying $100 every week for crisps and sweets. Plus, another poster is right, couple of years down the line, it tends to make no difference. In fact, similar to this topic, after spending my first few years here yearning for a British Chinese, I went back last year and found it greasy and stodgy so tastes and palate do change I reckon.

I saw a bit of one the other day and they asked the bloke what he was looking for in his ideal Aussie home. A pool? A sea view? A balcony?

No .... storage space apparently. Laughed, I did.

Incidentally, you can also buy things online from Hong Kong, China, USA, UK without paying import tax on anything under A$1000. Crazy really and probably quite unfair to local retailers. But mostly for smaller electrical goods, clothes etc. Some UK stores actually have Australian targeted websites for ordering items.

Bought electrical stuff from Asian sites twice and both times have then had my credit card subjected to fraud.

Did a river cruise over Chrimbo and noticed there is a big new place on the bend between Barrack jetty and Claisebrook. Not sure if it is open yet.

Pizza Hut or Dominos not sure which. $5 for the basic pizzas kids like. It was opening night of the The Force Awakens and there were no promotions on. Also, I forgot to add in the 16 quid parking in Liverpool One.

I was last there when The Force Awakens was out, as I went to see it with my mate and his 2 kids. We did Pizza Hut first, 60 odd quid, then the flicks, 12 quid a ticket. Cost about 130 quid in total. Can you imagine going the pictures here and it costing $260 for 4!!!! As if.

Don't say this very often but $10 a film and $5 pizza here, thank God.

Been there a good few times, always enjoyed it. Freo is much better than it used to be, used to be about having 10 cups of coffee a day, now I can think of at least a dozen decent bars.

We've just had my Mum here for 3 weeks and have done a lot of eating and drinking out. What struck me is no-one seems to be skint, despite the wavering economy. Virtually everywhere we have been has been busy.

It is an expensive business though. I have differing thoughts on it, I paid 15 quid for a gourmet burger and chips last year in Liverpool (UK) and then 30 quid for a steak in Miller & Carter. We could have paid 5 quid in Wetherspoons but I wouldn't take my dog there. So, you can find expensive anywhere. And you are going to pay premium for a river view.

Still, overpriced I reckon.

My Mum tells me they're struggling, clothes wise.

Can't say I'm surprised, we were there last year and the clothes are naff (unless you're 67) and very expensive. The Mrs asked everyone for vouchers as a novelty but couldn't find anything worthwhile to spend them on. Apart from the food, which is ace by the way.

Give it a couple of months, some will be able to pretend it wasn't a cold winter. Like it didn't rain last year.

Ours has worked for 9 years. Although, no one uses it to be fair. Landlines are a bit pointless these days.

Yeah with the central heating on full blast.

If I was thinking of emigrating to Oz and read these comments I would go and drown myself. Please realise that this particular part of the forum is mainly for those who haven't really settled - there are far more of us who have and are leading very happy lives and wouldn't dream of going back,ever.

Is the right way to think.

There is a hardcore half-a-dozen on here who would have you believe Perth is worse than Mosul. We have extended family and friends here and, with their friends etc. I would say we have exposure to over a hundred Pom families. And I am the only person out of all that even vaguely interested in returning to the UK. They all think I'm a dickhead but that's by the by.

Pinch of salt etc.

Except that it was Poms asking those questions.

My wish to go back is mainly fuelled by missing family and friends although the ‘belonging’ that has been mentioned is also a factor as is the sense that we have seen all that Perth & WA has to offer.

Regards that last point, as a migrant, there can be a tendency to create a ‘to-do’ list more so than you would as a local inhabitant of wherever in the UK you come from. We have done everything we probably would want to in Perth & WA and that leaves a certain emptiness. However, I never set these life targets when I lived in the UK for 37 years. If I had, for the town and surrounds that I come from, I’d have probably ticked those boxes by the time I was 5. So, I’m not sure if I’m being overly critical and not accepting that this is my life now and not just a long (8 year) holiday. Regardless, it plays on the mind. You tend to accept a certain monotony in your original home environment because it is what it is; when you’re a migrant, you interpret that as a limitation of the place you’ve moved to. That comparison probably isn’t fair.

Since I joined this site as a potential UK returnee, my wife has expressed doubts about moving back and I’m happy to let her call the shots to be honest, I’m not really that desperate to leap into action. Like others have mentioned in this thread, we were happy in the UK, we are happy here, we would be happy back in the UK; which kind of doesn’t help really.

I hate to say it but I found that too. This was way back in the early 80's and I was amazed how many folk from the UK lived in Perth. At that time they seemed to not mix with the born and bred Aussies. Almost every social occasion we were invited to - it was wall to wall Poms yapping on about their house, the kids' private school yadda yadda yadda. We just started turning down the invites.

"Whereabouts do you live?" is generally the first question asked, the response to which determines whether you are in the gang or not.

"What volume is your pool?" was the best I was asked once.

I've mentioned in a few posts that we've always found it very materialistic and shallow here. But I'd caveat that by saying 90% of it comes from other Poms we've been forced to endure.

Go to a party full of Poms and you'll see the cliques in full flow.

Just told my parents- my mums so pleased but my dad thinks we're doing the wrong thing.

Funny that, I told my folks that I wanted to move back, Mum was chuffed, Dad told me I was an idiot.

Will probably ensure that either (a) nothing ever happens or (b) the agreed Brexit will be a wimpy half-baked plan and not really satisfactory to INees or OUTees.

Good work, I enjoyed reading that.