TazG

Its been a while since I last posted.... I am now 37 days out from moving home.  I have a small move cube coming this Friday which I am managing to fit 24 boxes and a mountain bike in.  TOR approval has been received and it looks like we may have been approved for a rental too.  Just waiting to hear back if the owner is happy for us to move in 3 weeks later than they wanted but pay rent for those 3 weeks.  Its all coming together nicely :)

5 hours ago, Toots said:

I think you said you only had 77 days 'til you leave.  Not long to go now Taz.  

36 days!!!  but that's just for a look see to check out if the kids will be happy us moving there in November.  I can't believe how fast it is coming up now! 

On 18/03/2019 at 18:10, Traceyk said:

I feel like I don't belong in Australia to be honest 

After 30 yrs in Australia I feel the same way! I have never settled.  It is your life... don't waste what is left of it only to die with regrets.  It might not work out back home... who cares! at least you know that you tried.  On the other hand... you may find that it is everything that you have been yearning for and more.  You don't know unless you try.  I am packing up later this year and finally making the move but taking my teenagers with me.  I honestly don't know who is more excited... them or me.  xx

5 hours ago, LKC said:

When we told people we were moving to Scotland, the overwhelming opinion was that it'd be grey and drizzly the whole time, but I can honestly say that we have plenty of beautiful bright blue skies with sunshine days. Sure, we have rain and wind and snow and everything else in between, but on the whole it is fine. We've got the kit for whatever the weather throws at us anyway, so even the odd days of bad weather don't stop us going out.

This is great to hear!! I have heard nothing much positive regarding the weather and why we would be mad to leave Australian sun to go back to dreary wet Scotland.  I'd rather being cooler and walking in the drizzle any day over 40 degree heat!

On the flip side.... how is it work wise if you return to the UK?

11 hours ago, LKC said:

Moving to Scotland is the single best thing I have done in my life (having my kids excluded, of course!). I'm not even from Scotland (I'm English), and had never lived here before, but I love it more than anywhere else I've ever lived!

Where will you be visiting?

Hi LKC   I am going to North Ayrshire, then Aviemore, then over to Edinburgh.  Have so much to do in only 16 days!!   So many friends and a family to see, a wedding to attend also.  I can't wait!

3 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Also I'm assuming you've already got your children their British passports?

Yep all 3 are British citizens and have UK and Aussie passports   

3 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

From the rest of your post, I don't know why you're in any doubt about the move. It sounds like the right thing to do.  However, I suggest you start the process of getting official permission from your husband now.   It may take a while to get.

We don't have any orders in place at present.  He has seen the girls once in two years and the boy twice.  He is wrapped up in his new life with his new partner.  If he were to pursue it via the courts it would be a massive waste of time and money for him.  The girls will be both over 16yrs old and the boy will be 14yrs old.  Under the Hague Convention the only one he can try and bring back is the boy, but he doesn't want to look after him and a Judge would not likely side with him as he has not exercised any parental responsibility for years and removing the boy from his sisters and mother would not be just.   

Just now, Toots said:

Not long to go now Taz.    Have a great time over Easter in Scotland.

Thanks Toots!! I am beyond excited!!!! I get teary thinking about it!  I have dreamed about this for so damn long now.  

I go home to Scotland in 77 days.  It has been 11,062 days since I left Scotland and was brought to Australia by my parents.  11,062 days I have longed to be back on Scottish soil.  I am the same as you,  I hate the heat.  I am over it!  This summer especially has been insufferable for me.  My children all want to go to live in Scotland and so does my partner.  We are planning on moving later this year after my eldest has graduated grade 12.  My dad passed away in 2006 but always wanted to go home.  He never settled here.  I don't want to die with those feelings inside me also.  The yearning never goes away.  I call it displacement.    

My eldest wants to go to Uni also, I heard from a lady on FB that her daughter moved over and was accepted as a resident after a year of being back in the country.  We are hoping that happens for my daughter also.  She is going to have a gap year then apply.  My other two will slot into 2nd and 3rd year.  My only issue with it all is their father and I are divorced.  he has not seen the kids in over a year... he sends them a text once a month.  I hope he can see the move as something positive for them and not try to stop me.  

We are going to be spending 3 weeks there at Easter.  Its not really going to give us full understanding of how life will be, but it will give us some idea.  Then we will know if the move back is on or not.

I wonder if it is worth shipping any household items at all... The estimated transit times for movecube are pretty much 3 months.  I think that within 3 months of being back home we would get sick of waiting and just buy new stuff.  What have others done?  did you take much furniture? or just personal items in boxes?

2 minutes ago, NickyNook said:

Not sure you can top up as many as 15 years. You'd need to check that.

Did you work in Australia prior to 2001? If so, you can count those years towards the 35 years required.

I have lived in Australia since 1988 and was only 14 when I came here so never actually got an NI number... 

On 26/10/2018 at 11:33, NickyNook said:

Not so for the New State Pension. 

For men born after 6/4/1951 and women born after 6/4/1953 - they need 35 years of NI contributions to qualify for a full pension. 

so if I move back next year aged 44 i will need to work for 20 years and top up 15yrs worth of contributions to get a full pension?

On 04/10/2018 at 21:06, karen williams said:

I am British but was living in New Zealand with my young Daughter when I met and married an Australian, it made sense to move to Melbourne Australia as all his family were here. With the exception of his parents his family were not overly welcoming. We adapted to our new life, it was only after my Husband passed away three years ago and I have visited UK three times that I realise, I have lived in Australia but it's never really been home, on my last visit to England in September this year, I felt totally content and walked around with a stupid grin on my face most of the time. I love the British sense of humour and I just felt like I belonged. My Daughter and her then boyfriend moved to London 12 years ago on a working holiday, they are now married with a child, they have visited many times but there is no talk about moving back to Australia to live. When people asked me when I was flying  home I realised I already felt like I was home. I would have happily stayed in England. When I arrived back in Melbourne I felt totally flat. I am now making plans to move to England to live and I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I am not saying that Australia is a bad place to live, it just doesn't suit me.

Good on you for following your heart!! I am sorry to hear about your husband passing though.  I am similar to you... Born Scotland, lived in Australia since I was 14.  I have never felt as though I belong and I detest the heat.  I have never been home.  I have a trip booked for easter next year and all going well intend on moving back in September next year.  I know in my heart that as soon as my feet hit  Scottish soil I will be home and feel peace within myself again. 

On 05/10/2018 at 02:39, VERYSTORMY said:

Very nice part of the world. We are south of Glasgow near Strathaven, which I would also recommend. Also has one of the best schools in Scotland. 

I grew up in several places.... East Kilbride, Lennoxtown, Lenzie and North Ayrshire before moving to Australia.  I love being by the sea but I miss the hills.  I want my daughter to study nursing at Stirling University and I will likely get work in Glasgow.  So who knows where we will end up.  

On 29/09/2018 at 16:58, Scousers1 said:

How old are your children? And what area will you go to?

My 3 will be 14, 16 & 17 by the time I move next year.  Looking at outer Glasgow, maybe near the Campsies

27 minutes ago, NickyNook said:

So you reckon that if you go to the UK this time next year (so in September 2019) that your daughter will qualify for domestic uni fees by October 2020? 

That doesn't sound correct to me by any stretch of the imagination..

the new year starts in Oct.  If we get there before Oct any time served before Oct is considered to be the first year.  Then she will have oct 2019 to Oct 2020 - 2nd year.  Oct 2020 till Oct 2021 3rd year.....  Sorry you are right.  I was forgetting that she wanted a year off study before uni.  

15 hours ago, paulswin said:

Hi TazG. I think he said it was £43 and he’s had to send his uk passport, birth certificate and oz driving licence the lady he spoke to said as long as you are going to live permanently in the uk then it’s all good!  He sent it off today!

Oh so he doesn't have to wait the 185 days?

Not quite the same as me but.... I am planning on returning to Scotland after 29 years over here.  We moved when I was 14.  I am returning with my 3 children (dual nationals) and my eldest will be half way through grade 12 here.  I contemplated waiting until she finishes grade 12 then going but then she would have to wait almost the full 3 years to be able to apply for uni.  If we go say this time next year then any time you arrive before Oct is considered the first year of residency, she then repeats 5th year, completes 6th year, finishing in July 2020 and will only then have to wait until Oct until she has completed the 3 year residency and can apply for university. 

On 10/09/2018 at 00:20, paulswin said:

Oh thanks for that!  He’s not avhappy bunny as insurance will be high on an Aussie licence!

Out of interest... do you know how much they are charging him?  I will be in the same boat next year when we move home too

On 07/09/2018 at 16:05, Hanbo24 said:

i honestly still don't like Christmas in oz!!!

I have lived in Oz for almost 30 years.... I still don't feel like I belong and I dearly miss Christmas in Scotland    

On 27/08/2018 at 16:39, Toots said:

Your children are still fairly young I think TazG?  If you are happy, they will be happy too.  My cousin and his wife migrated to Australia when their three were 12 and 10 (twins).  They missed their friends for a while until they made new ones at school and have never looked back.  They are young adults now and barely give Scotland a thought - travelled to lots of different countries but not the UK.  They had very few relatives and no grandparents left which made a difference I think.

Yeah Toots, they are 13,15 & 16.  The two eldest (my girls) are very excited at the prospect.  The boy thinks that it is doom and gloom there... He has no experience to base this idea off. I will show him how beautiful my country is and I hope he falls in love with it.  I was 14 when I moved here,  I have missed Scotland every single day since then.

On 05/08/2018 at 09:27, Scousers1 said:

I guess my biggedt fear is that i have always felt out of place in OZ and i dont want her to feel that in the UK.

I hear you loud and clear on this one.  I am moving home next year and am scared that my children will feel the same way that I have felt for the past 30 years living in Australia.  I have never stopped missing home.  I am taking them over in Easter for a few weeks to see what they think with the plan of moving over in September.  They are very excited now, I hope they remain equally as excited after they have been there.

On 16/08/2018 at 22:00, catsndogs said:

yes that sounds like it would probably be best for her

We have actually decided to move before then.  She will redo what she has done in grade 12 here in 5th year over there then go through to 6th year.  By the time she is finished that, she will only have a couple of months left before she has sat the 3 years residency so that she can apply for university.  

I am another one in a similar boat...  My 3 will be in grades 9, 10 & 12 when we move back next year.  I am not sure what to do with the grade 12 girl...  We may just have to sit tight until she finishes her exams at the end of October instead of leaving at Easter when we wanted to.