Chortlepuss Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 The first 10 years were ok. Would I do it again? Probably. Would I stay so long? Definitely not. It's very much a horses for courses issue and then you change, your priorities change, circumstances change and the trick is to take the best opportunity at the time. For some of us that means moving on. I was really lucky to have the chance to come out here with my family, but for us I wish it had been a temporary adventure - as it is we have become stuck here, and unlike many posters on here who seem to be living on high salaries (or thriving on very low salaries) , in lovely houses and with great jobs, we are scrimping and saving with a low quality of living. I am actually pretty bored with living in sub-standard accomodation which was fun and a bit student-y to start with, but I do miss my lovely house in the UK - pretty bog standard house by UK standards, but would be seen as a luxury residence here in Brissie. And yes I find it boring here - not because I'm a boring person, but because the things I like (theatre, art, travel, countryside, live music, comedy, affordable further education, IT project work) are either non existant, or difficult to attain - I was just very spoiled by Brighton in the UK! I do appreciate that if you're in your early thirties with young kids, and job prospects you can have a really good life here, but we simply can't afford to stay here much longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whatsitallabout Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Glad we made the move, the 1st 2 years for us were the toughest!! It took us a while to settle & enjoy Australia, but for us was the right decision & love the life here, no regrets except as others say you do miss your family. We too miss Brighton as we lived there for many years. Am going back for a visit this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booma Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 When i first moved i struggled to make friends and found it hard that lots of things i expected to be the same were different. I went home but it didn't take long before i realised i had made a huge mistake and started saving up to come back again. Looking back it wasnt oz that was the problem the first time around it was me. This time I am not comparing prices or thinking the ozzies do things the wrong way just because they do things differently and i am making friends because i am a happier person to be around. I am glad i made the move and have started building a wonderful life here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ptp113 Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Well you would know having lived here so long haven't been bored in 46 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eera Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Increasingly want to return to the UK as time passes, but I've got to be pragmatic as I suspect my yearning us based mainly on memories of having an easy life there without mortgage, children and all the other stuff grown ups have to worry about. Ultimately I've got a good life here, we are both high wage earners with investments that will hopefully set us up for retirement, children are happy and healthy, my family are in the same country, even if not in the same state. There's just a part of me that misses "home". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CXW Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Very happy to have made the move, but at present I'm doubting that I want to stay long term. Work-wise it's been fantastic overall and I've got great opportunities to develop new skills and good prospects for reasonably rapid promotion, which is exactly what I was hoping for. I'm less keen on Australian mainstream culture and politics, and that's what will probably be a driving factor in looking for a move back to Europe (not necessarily the UK) in a few years, although it all depends on what happens in the meantime - after all, European countries aren't free from many of the things that I'm less keen on about Australia. At the end of the day I've had mixed feelings about all the countries I've lived in, but if you told me I had to live in Australia for the rest of my life, I wouldn't be too upset as the downs are no worse than anywhere else and there's hell of a lot to recommend it if you go in with a positive attitude (and find a house with air con and decent heating!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Yes, very happy; love it here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambethlad Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Very happy in Oz. But I would like to return to UK for extended holiday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Only boring people doing boring things get bored! Lovely flash back to my good old Mum :wink: the times I heard that one . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ptp113 Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Lovely flash back to my good old Mum :wink: the times I heard that one . Mainly sad, boring poms here, as they are in blighty. Your a nice exception to the rule Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Yuills Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 4 years in after being away since 10 years old....had a rough ride at times, lost loved ones, hubby works 4/1 but overall we love it here and wish we had done it many years sooner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Neutral. It blows hot and hot and the mood is increasingly one of acceptance. Easier to live than many countries while aspects tend to make it less interesting than others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Mainly sad, boring poms here, as they are in blighty. Your a nice exception to the rule Not sure how the mods let this one slip through the filter, but I'll counter your cliche with: Only dullards use stupid meaningless cliches because it makes them feel special Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bazinga Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Married to an Aussie. Would never have made the move if I wasn't. That said, I love Australia & the opportunities I have here. Husband works 7 days a week, I am studying so paying a lot for childcare no return as yet. I dont miss londom or family or friends particularly either as they visit or we Skype/email etc. In terms of genuine friendships compared to friendly aqaintances, I probably have a lot le ss than I did in t..he UK but it doesn't currently bother me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Shoes Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Oh is a lot happier than me, where we live I cannot find work, even shop work which is pretty sad ... Since I got here I have become depressed, the dark nights, lack of culture that I enjoyed in Europe ... I think if I could find work then I would feel differently, but saying that I do so miss the culture... We have been to a major city for the Easter break and nearly everywhere was closed and the pubs and restaurants are getting ready to close early ... I am not a big drinker in fact one beer now and I've had enough but it would be nice to have a more social life IMO Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wylesfamilyinoz Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 We have lived here in Adelaide for a year and a half, was very happy but it's expensive to live, rent, etc and we are feeling like we are not getting anywhere here. The children prefer the uk and we miss our family. We don't know what to do! We love the lifestyle but we miss the English countryside, the character of the houses, the humor, the driving! Etc.. It's not all about the weather, although it helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PontePom Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 We have lived here in Adelaide for a year and a half, was very happy but it's expensive to live, rent, etc and we are feeling like we are not getting anywhere here. The children prefer the uk and we miss our family. We don't know what to do! We love the lifestyle but we miss the English countryside, the character of the houses, the humor, the driving! Etc.. It's not all about the weather, although it helps. It aint for everyone that is for sure We're all so different what I love you might not and so on Good luck in where ever you find happiness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyay1 Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Been in Melbourne 5 months today. My partner's an Aussie who's lived all over the world for extended periods, probably having spent less time in oz than in other countries to be honest & so moving to Melbourne was a new thing for us both. We love Melbourne. Generally life seems bit easier here than it was for us in London, although we had an ok life there and had plenty of friends around which was great. However we just seemed to be running just to stand still and things had become a bit of a struggle workwise, with seemingly few career progression options for either of us. We are getting used to living here now and taking all the new good things for granted, i am sure, we've not had much time to stand back and take stock. I love cycling and the bay paths as well as the many quiet suburban streets with the cycle lane network is fantastic. The wide roads are a dream to drive down and we love the fact that congestion is the exception rather than the rule. The traffic in Sydney did our heads in when we visited a few weeks ago - we spent half the weekend stuck in jams just going a couple of miles around the place. I was rather sceptical about Melbourne before we came and wondered if i would have preferred Sydney - now i know that i'm a Melbourne person. I'm getting into a routine with a work contract which hopefully will become a permanent position in due course. At the moment, we're earning more than we were doing in our last jobs in the UK and hopefully this will continue and we can save money and build some financial security here. We kept our property in London so effectively have had to start again saving a deposit for a new place. We don't like living in our nice but noisy rental where we can hear neighbours banging around and dislike the fact that we don't have double glazing or noise insulation. Hey ho. When we buy a place we'll put it in and have it how we want it. The city itself is great and there's always loads going on - boredom is not a problem. However just at the moment i am working all hours at my job so i have little if any free time. Thankfully we didnt come here expecting it to be one big chill-out, or we would have been disappointed. We absolutely love the range of dining options and the fantastic quality of food and drink in Melbourne . The climate is interesting......not a huge fan of constant heat and the temperature variability suits us fine now we are used to it and we like the fact that it's not humid, unlike some parts of the country. Also we get nice long sunny evenings here in the summer which is gorgeous. The vast majority of days since we've been here it has been sunny. We've already had a couple of friends pass through and visit us from the UK, which has been really lovely. I do miss old friends and of course family, though i skype with some of them which is great, it's not the same as being with them. We've not got any home-grown friends yet, other than a couple of folks we know in other cities and see infrequently. i guess that will change as we get more bedded in. We're realistic about the time it takes to establish a new life, it doesn't happen overnight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ptp113 Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Been in Melbourne 5 months today. My partner's an Aussie who's lived all over the world for extended periods, probably having spent less time in oz than in other countries to be honest & so moving to Melbourne was a new thing for us both. We love Melbourne. Generally life seems bit easier here than it was for us in London, although we had an ok life there and had plenty of friends around which was great. However we just seemed to be running just to stand still and things had become a bit of a struggle workwise, with seemingly few career progression options for either of us. We are getting used to living here now and taking all the new good things for granted, i am sure, we've not had much time to stand back and take stock. I love cycling and the bay paths as well as the many quiet suburban streets with the cycle lane network is fantastic. The wide roads are a dream to drive down and we love the fact that congestion is the exception rather than the rule. The traffic in Sydney did our heads in when we visited a few weeks ago - we spent half the weekend stuck in jams just going a couple of miles around the place. I was rather sceptical about Melbourne before we came and wondered if i would have preferred Sydney - now i know that i'm a Melbourne person. I'm getting into a routine with a work contract which hopefully will become a permanent position in due course. At the moment, we're earning more than we were doing in our last jobs in the UK and hopefully this will continue and we can save money and build some financial security here. We kept our property in London so effectively have had to start again saving a deposit for a new place. We don't like living in our nice but noisy rental where we can hear neighbours banging around and dislike the fact that we don't have double glazing or noise insulation. Hey ho. When we buy a place we'll put it in and have it how we want it. The city itself is great and there's always loads going on - boredom is not a problem. However just at the moment i am working all hours at my job so i have little if any free time. Thankfully we didnt come here expecting it to be one big chill-out, or we would have been disappointed. We absolutely love the range of dining options and the fantastic quality of food and drink in Melbourne . The climate is interesting......not a huge fan of constant heat and the temperature variability suits us fine now we are used to it and we like the fact that it's not humid, unlike some parts of the country. Also we get nice long sunny evenings here in the summer which is gorgeous. The vast majority of days since we've been here it has been sunny. We've already had a couple of friends pass through and visit us from the UK, which has been really lovely. I do miss old friends and of course family, though i skype with some of them which is great, it's not the same as being with them. We've not got any home-grown friends yet, other than a couple of folks we know in other cities and see infrequently. i guess that will change as we get more bedded in. We're realistic about the time it takes to establish a new life, it doesn't happen overnight. 3 years minimum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjg Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Yep love it. Only need the waves at Point Leo to be a bit bigger as the next surf beach is another 10 minutes away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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