Hello!

[SteveandKirsty]

We are Steve and Kirsty - both 30somethings, no kids but Kirsty does own a much loved old horse. I work in various media aspects, mainly focused on sport and Kirsty manages a busy veterinary lab (she would thus be the first named applicant). I am a bit of a veteran of travelling to Australia (and New Zealand) having done a back packing/working holiday there in 1999-2000 and then been back again in 2002, 2004, 2008 (which was with Kirsty for the first time) and then NZ on our honeymoon early last year. We had talked about taking the plunge about a move down under a lot, too much talk probably. To jog things along we applied and very nearly got on to the BBC's "Wanted Down Under" earlier this year, but seeing as we didn't, we decided to do our own version and have returned last week from a very short 12 day trip to Adelaide and South Australia (which is our chosen destination)

 

I'm itching to go, but Kirsty is still having reservations. It is mainly about leaving her Horse and her mum, who is widowed. It is not easy as I'm sure many of you on here will know and appreciate and it is by in large a 50/50 decision, but we are very much stuck in a rut in so many ways in the south of England at present.

 

I'll keep you up to date with our progress... (and if I need any advice..!)

 

S & K

[Rupert]

Good luck with the decision making process. Leaving behind a mum and horse are serious matters and don't let anyone tell you that they are not, missing people from home or just wanting to support parents as they get older is a very common reason for returning.

 

Having said that, the horse can go with you at a cost. Likewise you could see if mum has any interest, u don't think you should drag her kicking and screaming, but she might just have an interest.

[Guest Magen04]

Hy, Megan Belle is here from Australia. Hopefully it'll be nice here with all of you guys.

[Bal67]

We are Steve and Kirsty - both 30somethings, no kids but Kirsty does own a much loved old horse. I work in various media aspects, mainly focused on sport and Kirsty manages a busy veterinary lab (she would thus be the first named applicant). I am a bit of a veteran of travelling to Australia (and New Zealand) having done a back packing/working holiday there in 1999-2000 and then been back again in 2002, 2004, 2008 (which was with Kirsty for the first time) and then NZ on our honeymoon early last year. We had talked about taking the plunge about a move down under a lot, too much talk probably. To jog things along we applied and very nearly got on to the BBC's "Wanted Down Under" earlier this year, but seeing as we didn't, we decided to do our own version and have returned last week from a very short 12 day trip to Adelaide and South Australia (which is our chosen destination)

 

I'm itching to go, but Kirsty is still having reservations. It is mainly about leaving her Horse and her mum, who is widowed. It is not easy as I'm sure many of you on here will know and appreciate and it is by in large a 50/50 decision, but we are very much stuck in a rut in so many ways in the south of England at present.

 

I'll keep you up to date with our progress... (and if I need any advice..!)

 

S & K

 

Hi Steve and Kirsty,

 

This is a tough one to comment on, we are in our forties now and it will probably be our last chance to emigrate and we are in the final stages of our visa process, it has not been easy and I too am worried about leaving my mom who is in her eighties on her own, but if we dont do this now our children will not want to move and we will also be too old to move, this is something that I have wanted to do for 15 years or so but hubby always said it was too far away, but when friends or ours moved there and said how good there lifestyle was there we thought we would have a go too and went on a reccie and loved it!!

 

So think long and hard, we have other friends who have been there and come back because of home sickness and now are going back out next year!! Not for everyone but I think you have try it and get it out of your system or you may regret it later!!

 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!! We too are heading for Adelaide, Port Noarlunga area hopefully!!

 

Bal.

[Toodolou]

welcome, good luck ! do whats right for you .. but dont live with regrets . this might sound a bit harsh and i dont mean it to come across like it ... but live for yourself , not for other people , you really do only have one life, and yes i appreciate emigrating is a big decision.

[carlagrif]

Hi Steve,

 

 

As someone said above, you could take the horse with you which won't be that cheap I think (Once I heard one could pay £2K ish for a cat, just as i.e.), plus you'd need the space?

 

 

As per your wife's mum- i believe she could be added in the application - it sometimes depends on the visa you're applying for and the circunstances. If the mum is the only direct member of your wife's family left, then there is a big possibility the mum can be added in the visa- of course, it may be easier to check with a migration agent. Or... If you both just apply the mum could go and visit you as long holidays?

 

 

Your story is a bit more like ours in some ways. I don't know how old your mum's wife is and of course how long she is been a widower and more importanly how she feels about the move. Mums can be very different;she may want to stay and support you guys on going, or she may say not to go, etc. My mum is a very recent widower so I understand your wife, but my mum always encouraged us to go for it - she will be coming over to visit very soon.

 

 

Saying all the above, I'd say you gotta go for it or you will always wonder and maybe regret the 'what if', 'why we didn't do it'. As my dad would say in any travel: 'you have your passport and wallet, then you don't need anything else' - the worst that can happen is that you both don't like it and want to come back, then you go back.. Of course, money and expenses, etc...there is always a way. But at least you did and tried it. You'll get homesick, dislike many things, like things, etc... You, who has travelled so much here, may know the differences but just take it as an adventure. We are doing so and just going for it. There is always a way.

 

if your wife wants to contact me feel free to do so, maybe I can help her a bit.

 

All the best!

[royalmedical]

Well I am new in this forum site and all the very best to you both.

[Counting Stars]

Hey welcome to PIO xx

[Rupert]

 

As per your wife's mum- i believe she could be added in the application - it sometimes depends on the visa you're applying for and the circunstances. If the mum is the only direct member of your wife's family left, then there is a big possibility the mum can be added in the visa- of course, it may be easier to check with a migration agent. Or... If you both just apply the mum could go and visit you as long holidays?

 

 

Just to clarify that point. Unfortunately, no, there is no way at all that mum could be added to the application.

[MattD]

Hello Steve (and Kirsty), welcome to PIO!

[SteveandKirsty]

Thanks for the welcomes and replies folks! I totally agree that we should, every box was ticked on our visit to Adelaide with regards to the situation there and I too do not want to get five-ten years down the road and look back, because it really will be too late then. It is a good job that we HAD chosen SA as Kirsty's job has been taken from the list in WA in the past few months when we have been undertaking the decision process. Nothing to say that SA will not follow so we cannot sit on our hands.

 

Mum (in law) and the Horse coming with us aren't options that are on the table, even though as pointed out, it is not possible to tag on parents to visa applications in any case (which I think is a very good thing) As for the Horse, it is 31 years old, and alas too old to undertake the journey and I'm not sure that we could afford the added expense for it any way.

 

And as I have pointed out to my parents, who are a little more understanding than Kirsty's mum, but equally not exactly 100% supportive, step 1 is applying for a visa, step 2 is getting it and then step 3 is going... so it is all very early days yet.

[Bal67]

Thanks for the welcomes and replies folks! I totally agree that we should, every box was ticked on our visit to Adelaide with regards to the situation there and I too do not want to get five-ten years down the road and look back, because it really will be too late then. It is a good job that we HAD chosen SA as Kirsty's job has been taken from the list in WA in the past few months when we have been undertaking the decision process. Nothing to say that SA will not follow so we cannot sit on our hands.

 

Mum (in law) and the Horse coming with us aren't options that are on the table, even though as pointed out, it is not possible to tag on parents to visa applications in any case (which I think is a very good thing) As for the Horse, it is 31 years old, and alas too old to undertake the journey and I'm not sure that we could afford the added expense for it any way.

 

And as I have pointed out to my parents, who are a little more understanding than Kirsty's mum, but equally not exactly 100% supportive, step 1 is applying for a visa, step 2 is getting it and then step 3 is going... so it is all very early days yet.

 

 

Well done guys go for it!!!

 

Bal

x

[SteveandKirsty]

Vetassess have taken our money... so it means that they have at least received the paperwork...

[adamrobinson]

Hello to Everyone,

 

I am adam & also newbie in this community..While searching on google about home & improvement, I across on your community....Now I am the member of this community...Hope all guys waiting for christmas day...Have you set up christmas tree in your home yet?? Any ways hello to all!!

[SteveandKirsty]

Update on this... Things moving very slowly. As you will see from profile, Vetassess was submitted in December and still "in progress". Surely Kirsty will get a result soon though, when she submitted we did think it would be March or even April, although that doesn't make it any less frustrating. We are having to take each step at a time so she hasn't booked the IELTS yet, but we have kept an eye on places at the University of Surrey and so on. Our house is on the market and despite talks of bubbles and booms has received absolutely no interest!

 

We have opened an Aussie Bank Account though, it wasn't planned - got nabbed at Down Under Live last month, so that is at least one thing ticked off, no matter how small.

 

Neither of our parents are in acceptance, the whole subject remains one big elephant in the room.

 

In the meantime, I have an article on Adelaide/SA in the current issue of Australia and New Zealand magazine - available in all good newsagents

[TheGreatDane]

Nice work Steve, do what makes YOU happy. If family and friends try to talk you out of it it really is very selfish of them.

 

They can always come stay with you for long periods of time. It's not about how often you see people but more about the quality of time spent together.

 

As for the horse, have you tried Tesco? They offer good horse spot prices.

[SteveandKirsty]

Time for an update, and it would appear, a bit of closure.

It is now exactly a year since we went on our recce toAdelaide and some time since I/we posted anything on here.

I was always more keen on the idea than Kirsty. However, wewent on the recce last year and even she had to admit that everything added up and if we played our cards right we could have a more comfortable life than wecurrent have in the south of England. We looked, did our sums and our workingouts and as in the posts above, so long as we could sell our house in Englandit would work. It was enough to convince us that it should be persued and Kirsty got her skills assessed with Vetassess (see separate thread on that, as it wasn’t without its dramas) and then the IELTS. Thus the next step would beplacing the EOI. However, after much soul searching, discussion and not without too much interference from certain family members, who simply appear to fail to understand why we would look tomove to Australia we have decided to call a halt to the idea. This and the fact that there does not appearto be much in the way of a positive vibe in Australia at the present moment andparticularly in South Australia which, if you read the local press, is somewhat doom and gloom. I have been looking atthe job situation for us both online, and it looks like it really would be difficult at the present moment. That could have changed of course, which is why I felt that the EOI should have been placed, but it is in Kirsty’s name and therefore her decision. She doesn’t want to go and that is that.

I’m disappointed but that’s life. Our life here in Hampshire could be far, far worse, there is no denying, maybe I was simply wanting – or dreaming - too much.

[Gbye grey sky]

Whilst it is a personal disappoint for you I sensed a considerable degree of reticence from Kirsty from all your past posts. For such a major move you both need to be equally behind it I feel or the wheels are more likely to come off later.