Anita85

I'm currently going through this now. I have been working with dogtainers for 7 weeks. We hope to fly on 19th oct but still cannot get confirmation. It's really frustrating but there is a backlog at Heathrow animal airport check in and lots of airlines not taking pets.

I won't book my ticket until I know the pets are definitely going which is stressful because flight options are becoming limited now and going up. But I'm scared to buy a ticket, leave and find out my pets are still in aus

I have an exemption, I applied and it was granted in less then 24 hours.

Pets have rabies, need to be done at least a month before. 

If you're shooting for November get onto a pet company now because I've been trying to book for 7 weeks. I'm totally flexible, can leave at any point, basically waiting for the green light and it's still hard.

Thank you it is a permanent move. Im thinking I should put in an application with documents and just see what happens. Appreciate your reply 

Hello

I'm moving back to UK hopefully on 19th Oct. I cannot book anything yet as I'm taking my pets and carriers will not book them until 2/3 weeks out. I'm using dogtainers who are overseeing the process for me

My question is on exemptions. I'm a UK citizen moving home. I have read that I don't need an exemption as I'm citizen, but it does mention that Aus residents do (and I am)

Has anyone recently left aus and applied for exemption? I'm finding it hard to get the right info and I can't apply without my flight date. It's a mess 

On 10/09/2020 at 19:59, Joanne Donnelly said:

Hi, 

We flew on 16th August with Etihad.

1.  We had our gov travel exemption and the check in staff call immigration and check and people had been turned away. 

2.  We were covid tested at a local hospital and had a text only, the guy at check in nearly forgot to ask us! He was on his first shift after 6 months off and he laughed at forgetting. Ultimately others were being checked and showing phones and paperwork. 

3. Stricter rules on luggage and having to check in hand luggage so make sure you have a small case that can be checked in instead of backpacks.  We had backpacks so only one piece of hand luggage. Others had to rearrange luggage and check in their additional bags.  Usually you get 7kg and a 5kg hand bag etc... 

4.  The Q was quiet, the airport was very quiet, not much is open, no one was turned away and the flight the first leg had 78 people on it! I had 4 seats to myself and so did my partner and no one in front or behind for rows and rows! best flight ever. 

5. Etihad you have to wear a mask all the time, they provide you with one and there are masks at the airport (Sydney).

6. The staff are helpful and the plane was very clean...

7.  You must complete the passenger locator form for entering UK either before during or at the airport in London online only.  Heathrow was dead quiet and no Q's. The form does not specifically state .. did you transit through etc...? This info is only available when you read the guidelines on further information if you check this info... Technically transiting through UAE you have to isolate for 14 days.  However, at border control we spoke to the guy and he was like your coming from Oz, you dont need to, you should have ticked NO on the form for do you need to isolate Q?  he didnt appear to think we needed to and said not to bother and welcome home! He also said no one will check on us as there are no resources and he said if they do say you ticked the wrong box!  We left feeling very confused and bewildered, I thought of older people etc who would be less aware of the regulations (such as my in laws who would have found the whole process stressful) They would always ask an official and do what they are told by them... in this case told to not isolate.... go figure! 

8. We are back, shell shocked, glad the anxiety fuelled mad travel is over, feel like we have left the pandemic and its over as getting back was our biggest hurdle but clearly that is not the case! We are enjoying being back though its very odd, wearing a mask everytime you go to a shop and the way things are here compared to Oz is definitely noticeable and the strain and the message of say safe save lives is strong and people are paranoid and been leaving in such a strange way compared to Australia. Family get togethers have been odd and the no touching is horrible, plus new restrictions of no more than 6 people indoors or out is changing things again. 

9. The weather has been pleasant in the south, warm, sunny, rainy, cloudy, warm, breezy, late warm evenings, cold... all the usual but its been lovely, calm refreshing pleasant weather, I've enjoyed sitting in the sun in the evening with a glass of wine watching the slow long sunset and feeling a difference from the strong UV sun of Oz. 

10. Went into one pub and it was weird.... 

11. People are not always socially distancing in the tourist hotspot areas... 

12. Supermarket produce seems appalling but I am comparing it to Oz and the mid norther coast with all the growers markets and the general good produce of Oz and lack of plastic in supermarkets... So far not impressed with UK supermarkets... 

13.  The news is all about the same but its cheery and interesting to listen to, uplifting unified and decent music jokes and chats... 

14. I missed Oz for days and kept thinking about the beach the sunrises the kookaburras etc... Less so already and its not even a month.... 

15.  The countryside is spectacularly beautiful right now

 

 

Hi thanks for the Info

I'm hoping travel in the next 3.5 weeks, I can't book anything yet as I'm flying with pets and carriers won't book them until 3 weeks out (I'm using dogtainers). I'm moving back home

My question is regarding the exemption, does everyone need one to fly? Even if you are citizen in another country? If so, what was your exemption please 

4 hours ago, s713 said:

It's never going to be easy and, if you're like us, and these are your babies, it's ridiculously stressful and upsetting. Our boy is terribly nervous but they handled him well, I couldn't fault them at all. This was well pre-Covid though, as the other poster mentions, god knows what the state of play is now. We had to use Emirates, no other option out of Perth, and the summer months were blanked out for our smaller pooch. We basically had to organise our flights around theirs.

Ok so they tell you what's available and you just have to work around it? I've been trying to understand how all that works. Thanks you 

6 hours ago, Island said:

It is a nightmare at the moment.  We've been talking to a couple of different companies.  Basically - most flights are just taking one passengers pets - so much reduced capacity, and no weekend pet arrivals in the UK. We wanted our dog to fly out on 1st September - you need to pay upfront a month prior in order to get on a flight - and they are saying the airlines are not releasing flights till sometimes a few weeks prior.  It is very hard to get your dog on a flight basically.  If anyone has any different information or tips please do share!

Wow thank you. Certainly is the worst time to be tryin to make this move. Which Companies have you tried? Im finding it hard to even get a call back, they must be so short staffed.

This was one thing I wasn't sure of- who books the flight etc me or the pet company

It sounds like this is going to be a right mission..I will keep you posted if I get anywhere

Thank you 

Looking to fly 40kg lab and 5kg cat from Brisbane to London

Looked at dogtainers and jet pets- both have some really scary reviews!

Anyone had a good experience to help guide me please? 

Thanks home and happy. I think you're right about the soul searching.

I have a lot of ties here, relationship, pets and a business. To up and leave will be so hard. I'm feeling really stuck, but deep down I know my gut. 

So helpful thank you. I've been so confused googling services. This is really helpful, I appreciate it 

Thank you, I know it's going to be a while. That's making it worse. I don't know where to start with the therapy/ councillor/ psychiatrist stuff- is it all the same service? I had an appointment booked but I'm not sure it's the right place. If anyone has experience with this please let me know. There are alot of options out there. Thank you 

This is so true. I've had an awakening for sure... Just wish it hadn't of spurred on my homesickness. But grateful for the overhaul to my work-life balance

3 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

It could well be.  I'm in my sixties now and have never got tired of Australia, but I didn't move here for adventure in the first place - I'd already had a few.  

The questions to ask yourself are (and sorry, yes, it is a bit morbid):  Am I looking forward to growing old in Australia?   Am I happy at the thought of being buried in Australian soil?   If your reaction to those questions is strongly negative, then for goodness sake, find a way to go home.   The more you let the years go by, the harder and harder it will get.  In your early fifties, you'll get to the point where it's too late to establish yourself back in the UK, because you'll lose too much financially (pensions etc).  The sooner you go back, the longer you'll have to create a new life in the UK - and remember, you don't have to go back to where you came from.  Different parts of the UK offer very different experiences.  

Thank you, those questions surely have got the brain ticking over. I appreciate it.

You're right, another UK Location could be good. I'm not sure I could go back to my home town forever. I have half my family now moved and living in London so this is a possibility.

The messes I get myself into 

Thanks again 

13 minutes ago, RosieH11 said:

Yes honestly i think Covid situation whether is affects us directly or not is the main reason for major anxiety for millions of people right now, i have been fortunate to be working throughout it all all so have somewhat kept my mind busy, however i still feel like what am i working for? We earn money for what end if we cannot enjoy life? Nothing to look forward to? then i went down a really dark hole of feeling guilty as their are people in terrible situation in countries where there is no hope for freedoms even way before Covid. i know this sounds very dramatic but honestly i started just feeling like working all hour god sends is pointless. But then i felt i had to tell someone how i felt and i mentioned this to some of my work mates and friends and they all said they felt the same way! Its defiantly having our freedoms restricted has caused this.Lets just hope it only temporary x

 

My back to the UK to visit family... fully intended to go back to Aus and start life again but then I met a boy in the UK,  fell in love and got stuck for now 3 years ...    this boy was an old school friend from 15 years ago! its funny how life turns out ! Still i never really felt settled in the UK and i miss the beach! There some nice beaches in UK but they are so packed all the time... i miss big empty beaches of Queensland! We want to return together but its proving quite difficult in the current climate. One piece of advice il give you is if you don't yet have Aussie citizenship, and your in the position to get it and soon then please get it before you leave! At least then you can always come back if you do decide to leave, I didn't get mine and i regret it now as returning for me will get a lot harder very soon 

I feel for you  Its a tough decision to make, you have to follow your gut, sometimes its just a phase we go through and right now its a high stress time so keep that in mind also. I to had a pet cat with my Ex, broke my heart to leave him behind, that cat got me through some of the darkest days of my break-up. My ex has him now and actually i think it turned out well as it gave him something to take responsibility for and we still keep in touch (mainly because of the cat!)   

The way you she described the anxiety's around Working and COVID and that sense of is it all worth it- is exactly how I feel. My main reason for being here - the good life, earning well- has been tipped on its head. I too have spoken to people who are changing the way they work and live. I wonder if it's a phase... Or if my goals have changed 

I can get my citizenship in a couple of months so will get this just in case

I've learnt over time that I can be impulsive. So I'm trying to really ride this one out. Its been four months of constant back and forth. Perhaps when the boarders open and I can have a visit that will help guide me

I feel lost knowing where I belong too. The thought of leaving either country is overwhelming.

I hope you and your new man and come to Aus and you finally feel settled. I too love the outdoors life. I wonder if I loved back to the UK if I'd crave that too.

Thank you for the pet advice also 

23 minutes ago, Quoll said:

Good luck with the counselling. I hope you get one who is good at CBT or ACT - lots of strategies that might help you through each day. 
I certainly resonate with the trapped and in the wrong place but I’ve known it was the wrong place for at least a couple of decades - and it didn’t take me being in the right place for the last 8+ years to confirm that. The trappedness Does just add to the angst.  If you can reframe - basically, you don’t have the option to leave (not without considerable bureaucratic shenanigans anyway) so start planning for when the entrapment will be lifted so that your rational decision can go smoothly at that point.  Ironically, although I know I am in the wrong place and would give my eye teeth to be back in UK the fact that the government tells me I can’t be there has shifted the resentment I sometimes feel away from my  General circumstances to the nasty big brother Government - oddly, easier to handle! 
Never been in the situation of having pets but it may be that your partner doesn’t feel as passionate about them as you do.  
Good luck! Hard decision but get your citizenship and you’re free to come and go as you like. 

Thank you so much. I will be able to get citizenship in a couple of months, so will definitely get so I have the option to move back. 

For me now it feels like a waiting game. When everything returns to normal, travel wise I will take an extended trip to UK to try and work out my feelings.

I'm wondering if this is an age thing too. When I moved here it was all about adventure, travel, fun. Now I'm almost a decade in I just miss my roots. I never thought I would feel this way.

Thanks again for your comment

1 hour ago, Fisher1 said:

Hi Anita85. My husband and I moved here three years ago to be with my daughter and grandchildren and have felt a bit homesick from time to time but nothing drastic. Since COVID I have had a few days when I’ve felt desperate to go home. I am absolutely sure this is a reaction to being unable to do so, nomatter what. A double whammy for me is that I haven’t even got a passport - I returned it on April 6 because it was about to expire and the new one is still not here!    I think it’s a normal reaction to abnormal circumstances and we just have to ride it out. 

Thank you, I appreciate it

1 hour ago, RosieH11 said:

Do you have family in the UK? It may be anxiety reaction related to this awful situation we all find ourselves in, your'e feeling of being out of control in a dangerous situation and home (UK) is pulling you back as it where your family are. It also may be a subconscious reaction to the fact that you are likely trapped in Australia due to the ban on leaving the country.

I feel similar to be honest, but it the opposite for me as i already left Australia 3 yers ago to return to UK and pretty much for 3 years regretted that decision and wanted to go back...this year was the year for return but our plans are now in the air....... since Covid started my absolute certainty of wanting to return to Aus has started to fade, i'm not longer sure it the right choice and the pressure of making the decision is giving me Anxiety like i've never experienced in my life  

 

Do you feel trapped by your relationship? If your not happy with them perhaps this is the reason also, when we break up with someone we crave familiar surroundings and friends/family. I know i did when i left my ex in Australia. I hope you feel abit better soon. I keep reminding myself that nothing in life is permanent and better days will come
 

All my family are in the UK, except for a really close friend who moved here with with. I am experiencing anxiety, like you, that I have never felt before. It's torturous. I definitely feel trapped and Covid-19 taking away my travel options might be the reason why.

I got shut down and was off work for over two Months, that's when I began to analyze what's important. I moved here for the lifestyle and better work option. But once that was all taken away due to lockdown I began to question if that's truly what's important in life.

What were the reasons for you leaving aus? And now you want to return? This also scares me. I know the UK is not perfect. I sometimes feel like I will feel unsettled wherever I go

My relationship has not be the best recently and I also wonder if that's being a trigger for wanting to go home

My biggest worry, which only pet owners will understand is how to deal with that if you do have a break up? We share a dog and 3 cats and love them like kids. I could never leave them, or take them. That's adding to my trapped feeling.

Thanks for your reply x

I have struggled with homesickness in bouts over the years, but covid-19 seems to have triggered something in me and I'm desperately homesick. I feel trapped as I'm in a relationship here, with pets and a great job. Why am I considering leaving all this now? I'm booked to see a counselor. Just wondered if anyone else has suddenly had a change of heart like me ?