ghost Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 I did, for 3 weeks , loved it , couldnt wait to move out to live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Yes, went on a working holiday for 3 months and had no qualms about going there to live ..... for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinsmom65 Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Nope had never been to Australia, until the day we landed when we emigrated. Once we got used to driving on the opposite side of the road, came to really enjoy our time there. I would love to go back for an extended holiday and see the east coast and FNQ and New Zealand.... perhaps when I retire, and I have more time !! Cheers Karen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest62757 Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Yes we came out on a holiday in 2005 for hubby to show me around. Sadly I knew I didn't "love" Australia, it's all in the eye of the beholder I guess! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Lass Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 No we had never been here before we arrived to live. I think if I had come over here on holiday I would have still emigrated here. It's only when you are living and working in a place for any length of time that you see it in it's true light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desprado Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 No never been to Oz before hand. Had return tickets as it was to be a holiday. Until OH was offered a job then everything was up and onwards. Too fast for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcorners Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Came on a three week field trip to Perth, Southwest and Kalgoorlie. That got my OH an interview in Kal and we didn't really think about other options apart from that. Stayed there for 18 months. Then a Phd opportunity came up for OH and we left, probably a bit too soon looking back, but you have to take these things as they come. Phd didn't work out so we went back to the UK at the start of the GFC. Could never quite make it work in the UK jobwise (loved living there) as a couple, so ended up coming back out to Kal to earn some dough. Had I not gone on the field trip (I know in years since they have gone to Namibia instead....) I think we would still have ended up in Oz, maybe Kal, maybe not. I'm glad we both had a little bit of a taster before coming out to live, but I don't think it would have been the end of the world if we hadn't. Plus I don't think the fact that we visited previously had any bearing on us leaving - we would have gone anyway given the same opportunities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legal angel Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Yes, I had lived in Perth and Melbourne on and off for 20 years - went back to Ireland for 16 years - back in Perth for 10 mths by the time we leave and heading back to Ireland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Had two holidays here first. Loved the first one - The Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Melbourne. Was exciting to be in my partner's country and to see where she'd spent so much time growing up. Knew straight away that I never wanted to live here though. Second holiday was largely a meet and greet tour as we tried to keep her parents and all her friends happy to the extent that we came home feeling exhausted. It was also tarnished by her F+F making a series of jibes about the UK to which I responded in kind about Australia. I landed back at Heathrow thinking that if I never saw Australia again then it wouldn't be a bad thing! :sad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest36187 Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Hubby and I had never been here. He did heaps of research. Me......none! My theory was if I had no expectations then I couldn't be disappointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perthbum Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 I had never been to Perth before, if I had I would have chosen another state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soozan Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 My husband did the back packing thing about 16 years ago and since then wanted to emigrate. He was offered a job in Sydney - he said this would never have been his first choice to move to, prefers other parts of Aus. I had never been before until we landed last November, I think programmes like Wanted Down Under build the country up too much and also happy memories my husband has told me. Life here is not how I expected it to be unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markandcat Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I had been out 3 times when I was younger to visit my sister who has lived here over 20 years. Hubby had never been but couldn't wait to move here, now he can't wait to get back to the UK and neither can I!! Some people have said that he should have come to visit first, but he says if he came here on holiday, he would still have wanted to move. You never know until you try it for real!! Even though we are not enjoying life here I have said we will come back on holiday one day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest71686 Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I agree, reccies are a wasted of time in some respects they dont prepare you for how much spare money will we have, the logistics of for example childcare, leisure time etc. Only thing is without visiting first it seems like a brave move. I've visited Oz 9 times and still didn't know what it would be like once i actually was living here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desprado Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Paradise in Oz & Wanted Downunder don't really give a realist view of life really here. It's overrated that's why the Brits who watch it in the UK ask why People return? Take the rose tinted glasses off!!! One couple I heard came thought the whole of OZ was like Home and Away,she only lasted 2 weeks !, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 I agree I think wanted down under doesn't give a true view, after all it's "made for television" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whatsitallabout Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Neither of us had been to Oz before, If I had I wouldn't have wanted to come! I came with a very open mind & has taken me ages ro settle (3 years). Like I have said before don't think there is much difference in the two countries, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathancowen Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Had two holidays here first. Loved the first one - The Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Melbourne. Was exciting to be in my partner's country and to see where she'd spent so much time growing up. Knew straight away that I never wanted to live here though. Second holiday was largely a meet and greet tour as we tried to keep her parents and all her friends happy to the extent that we came home feeling exhausted. It was also tarnished by her F+F making a series of jibes about the UK to which I responded in kind about Australia. I landed back at Heathrow thinking that if I never saw Australia again then it wouldn't be a bad thing! :sad: I think we have had the same experience buddy. Came to see her friends (who had all moved back from London and regreted it) and family, and to look about and go surfing in warmer water. I wasn't impressed with the place and wasn't bothered about coming back and the water was packed with the most aggressive people having 'fun' and the waves were terrible. Came back a second time to arrange our wedding and didn't like anything much. Moved here and hate the place a little more each day, heat, humidity, zenophobic people who know everything about everywhere and haven't left the country, the excessive rules, the slow driving, the landscape and the most bland beaches I have ever seen. I am begining to think that the beaches are all photocopies! And the thing which winds me up the most is why oh why are Australians incappable of understanding that we don't all like the heat? no matter how many times I explain that I like the cold, snow and mountains they actually tell me I'm wrong to like that! Other than that its wonderful. Am currently at home on an extended holiday, been here 10 weeks so far and apart from the 8 weeks out of oz last year they have been the best few weeks in the last 14 months of 'living' there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest72037 Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Moved here and hate the place a little more each day, heat, humidity, zenophobic people who know everything about everywhere and haven't left the country, the excessive rules, the slow driving, the landscape and the most bland beaches I have ever seen. I am begining to think that the beaches are all photocopies! And the thing which winds me up the most is why oh why are Australians incappable of understanding that we don't all like the heat? no matter how many times I explain that I like the cold, snow and mountains they actually tell me I'm wrong to like that! Jonathancowan: Can I ask where you are in Australia? I have a feeling it might be Queensland? Queenslanders, in my experience having only lived there for a year, are very proud of Australia and Queensland and can't understand anyone wanting to live anywhere else, which is fine if they're happy. I'm sorry you're experience has been so negative and that you've been exposed to xenophobia. I must say though, depending on where you are, the beaches can be very different. Queensland beaches are all one big stretch of sand, although the Sunshine Coast beaches are a bit better. The Yorke Pennisula in SA (particularly Innes National Park/Marion Bay) is really beautiful and the surf is amazing there. OK it is in the back of beyond but great for a lazy holiday. Maybe you should visit there before you move back, if that's what you're going to do? Knowing you're leaving means you can treat Australia like being on holiday :biggrin: I know how you feel about people not understanding how anyone can hate the heat. I've lived in Australia most of my life and HATE heat and humidity (part of leaving Queensland) and really love the cold and snow too. Hope you are able to move back home where you're happy soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest71686 Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 palm beach 11 degrees this morning on way in to work - when'd you last see someone rugged up on home and away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scmercer Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 I visited twice before moving here. The first time as a trip around Australia and I fell in love with the East Coast(maybe should have gone there). The next time as a bit of a reccie to Adelaide. Nothing prepares you for the move. I remember landing in Adelaide and driving to our house for the first time. It felt like a different place to when we had been on holiday, I think I knew there and then it wasn't right. I seemed to notice all the negative things that you don't notice on holiday, I noticed how grotty some of the places looked which I had never noticed before and the lack of greenery and the awful iron fences everywhere. When you do a reccie you don't want to see these negative aspects which is probably why it doesn't make much difference whether you visit beforehand or not. I also remember hating to read the MBTTUK section on PIO as I didn't want to hear anything negative. It seems silly now when I look back but so many people don't want to be put off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whichway1 Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Yep, came out for around three weeks I think. Didn't love it and didn't want to move but knew that to move was the only way to keep my relationship. At that time it v simple and it was just too hot for me to live here, something I assumed I could overcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest71686 Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 I have some thoughts on this. When you visit on a holiday you are 'living sustainably' ie you dont go to work and you don't tend to worry about cutting back on spending. Moving can then be a real anticlimax Its so hard to deal with the disappointment of things not working out. I presently live in Sydney but in 2008 I moved here to take a job which didnt materialise, i found another quickly. Then came finding accommodation. I opted to be near friends i had which led to a 1.5 hour commute each way and i could only afford a room in a backpacker house - quite honestly it was horrific and i was at home back in my old job in the UK 3 months later. I felt so upset at the time and had to eat humble pie to friends at home (i remember i once said the UK had no future for young people - virtually third world i said, i cringe at the thought of saying that) now i'm back in sydney in the same job but there are differences which make it soooo much easier. I'm with my partner this time and i've tried to get more involved in aussie life accepting that its not the same as home. oh and the commute is 30 mins not 90! what I'm trying to say is i've been the optimistic migrant hoping for a better life, the disallusioned returnee and now (slightly) more settled migrant oncemore albeit needing to shift visa :0 I hope not everyone is so down on oz it has its faults but for some it can work out again if certain things are changed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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