heatherchill Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Hi All, We are a family of 5 living near the lake District in Cumbria, we have a large house, good jobs and generally a good life but would really like to make the move to Australia mainly for our children 12, 5 and 2 as we feel there will be more opportunities for them in the future (whilst we all enjoy a great lifestyle). We are in our early forties and my husband is a Maintenance Fitter (Fitter and Turner), we have been advised we can go for the 189 Skilled Independent visa but wonder if it is possible to live an equally good life in Oz?...Is there anyone in a similar situation to us that has made the move good or bad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 I think you will find the majority of people who move are in your situation. I am sure you can live an equally good life in Oz but probably not a better one - just different. Whether you like it better depends on what makes you happy here - how much friends and family are part of that or whether you are pretty much a self-contained family unit. What makes you think there will be more opportunities for your children in Australia? I don't see it at all - except perhaps in terms of trade apprenticeships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beffers Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 The reply from Lady Rainicorn above is brilliant - so many people on here I've found are saying that they are finding life in Australia difficult after having made the move, and that Australia isn't just Britain with sunshine but a very different country. Also, the note Lady R made about whether you are pretty much a self contained family unit makes all the difference. We are planning our move at the moment, just me, hubby and our toddler. I've lived away from my family for over ten years already so to be honest, I don't 'feel' that different with the idea of moving to Oz. Friends however who made the move a few years ago are still homesick for their families, as they were much closer to their extended families. Be realistic about your goals. Give yourselves time to research into the idea properly and give yourself at 1-2 years there before you even think about coming back to the UK for a holiday, to make sure you settle in properly! That said, I always think you should 'try' the country out before moving, i.e. book a holiday and see whether you do indeed like Australia for yourself! Good luck - it's a big decision! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heatherchill Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 Thank you Lady Rainicorn and Beffers for the replies...we live in a small semi-rural town where the nearest major employers nuclear and shipbuilding are nearly an hour away in opposite directions with terrible infrastructure so there is very little employment round our immediate area and I predict this will get worse as the children get older so this is why I feel there will be more opportunities for our children in Oz if we live near (within an hour) of a major city. We took a 3 week trip to Sydney in 2010, where we got married and included travelling round Tasmania to experience two very different sides to Australia and we loved both aspects. We have both lived away from our families before we had the children and I still do though the children do see all their relatives regularly, my mum is supportive of the move whilst my mother-in-law is not at all...that is why I wondered how other families had found the reality :arghh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 It's different not (IMHO) inherently better (you don't need to move to the other side of the world to improve your lot) and there is no guarantee that youth employment will be any better (youth mental health may well be worse than UK). If you are selfish and self sufficient you'd probably make a go of it I suppose. The lack of connection with our small extended family has been the biggest regret voiced by both my now adult sons so I'd think carefully about taking kids away to relative isolation. Nothing magical, just another first world country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyupnorth Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Everyone's journey is different, there are a lot of pro's and con's......nobody else could make the decision for you. What ever you decide good luck. LR post (the second on your thread) is a fair way to explain it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Thank you Lady Rainicorn and Beffers for the replies...we live in a small semi-rural town where the nearest major employers nuclear and shipbuilding are nearly an hour away in opposite directions with terrible infrastructure so there is very little employment round our immediate area and I predict this will get worse as the children get older so this is why I feel there will be more opportunities for our children in Oz if we live near (within an hour) of a major city. We took a 3 week trip to Sydney in 2010, where we got married and included travelling round Tasmania to experience two very different sides to Australia and we loved both aspects. We have both lived away from our families before we had the children and I still do though the children do see all their relatives regularly, my mum is supportive of the move whilst my mother-in-law is not at all...that is why I wondered how other families had found the reality :arghh: I'm not here to put you off (& please do be aware that we moved to Perth in similar circumstances to yourself and moved back after 5 years so I am biased!) but if you lived within an hour of a major city in the UK then your children would have far more opportunities. I can speak from absolute first hand experience when I say London and Edinburgh have far greater opportunities than Perth. We moved to Perth knowing that our careers and finances would be far worse - we went for the lifestyle (which turned out to be no better apart from a bit (lot!) of sunshine) My OH spent his teen years in Kendal so I know the area you live in, he went off to university at 19 and never went back - the opportunities were elsewhere in the UK but a 22 year should be doing that not living at home with their parents anyway IMHO. To be honest there is every chance they'd leave uni and take full advantage of their British passport and head to the UK (as I expect my son will with his Australian one!) Focus on the here and now and not the 'what might be', once you're children are adults where they live, work and seek out opportunities is up to them! The reality for us was going from living in a nice area, with a small mortgage, comfortably off so we could pretty much do what we wanted - typically a snow and summer holiday overseas each year plus weekend breaks, good friends and a good support network to living hand to mouth in a less desirable area, unable to afford to have a night out let alone holidays (ok we managed to go to campsites in WA), for whatever reason we made acquaintances not true friends (no-one I could call at 3am in a crisis!) and after 4 years we looked at our lives and thought 'what on earth was the benefit of moving here' and saw absolutely none. However there are as many, if not more people that feel differently. I don't regret going because I appreciate much more what I have now but it was a stressful and expensive journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heatherchill Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 Thank you guys and in particular Lady Rainicorn...this is actually the information I wanted to hear rather than everyone just telling us to go for it etc. we have heard so many stories of all the good points to moving but we are realistic and know it wont benefit anyone if we invest well over £20,000 into moving then finding the reality very different and returning jobless and homeless in addition to all the upheaval. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ptp113 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 No. Stay in Blighty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest26012 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I don't think you can achieve, materialistically, a better life in oz. It's all about what you want from life. We came here in our forties and started all over again. We are building our second home, we both have good jobs. To us, it's about a simpler less stressful life. That's not the case for everyone. It depends on a whole heap of stuff. Families, jobs, finances etc etc. everyone has a different story, it's up to you guys to make your decision according to your needs. All the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Our life here in Perth is comparable to the life we left in the UK. As Mad Cow said in her post, what we feel has been better isn't really measurable and quite subjective. my daughter is glad to have had her teenage years here, my son has little memory of being in the UK, but likes to think of himself as English because at 14 it seems to get some female attention lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KellyA Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Hi Guys Hope you don't me jumping in on this conversation but I've just joined this forum and was going to ask exactly the same question. We are a family of four, myself, my husband, a 6 year old and a 2 year old. We have just returned form visiting my sister in law in Victoria (she moved from the UK 2 years ago) and we loved Australia. One of the most important things for us is that we wont actually be leaving any family behind just friends. We are hoping for a better, less stressful life in Australia but we need help trying to figure out if Australia can provide this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beffers Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Hi Guys Hope you don't me jumping in on this conversation but I've just joined this forum and was going to ask exactly the same question. We are a family of four, myself, my husband, a 6 year old and a 2 year old. We have just returned form visiting my sister in law in Victoria (she moved from the UK 2 years ago) and we loved Australia. One of the most important things for us is that we wont actually be leaving any family behind just friends. We are hoping for a better, less stressful life in Australia but we need help trying to figure out if Australia can provide this. Hi, I think Australia can offer a better work/life balance than the UK, but the Aussies do work hard and so if you're prepared to put the time and effort into Australia then I think you will reap rewards. Lots of people on this site are not enjoying Australia after a short amount of time but I think you need to give it at least two years. It will be easier for you than most, already having family in Australia, as we are in the same position. i think if you're positive and think it will work for you, then why not! Better than being a "what if" further down the line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Who knows? For a lot of people it isn't a more laid back relaxed life, for others it is. If you want longer holidays and more opportunities for foreign travel then don't go to Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toodolou Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 .... hopefully my family will settle in oz , we are not looking for a better life but a different one x cant wait for a new adventure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Many of us who came to Australia had a fairly good life back in the UK, we did and good jobs but for us Australia has given us a lifestyle far and away better than we had, You have to be sensible and not go for the most expensive suburb and you don't need the brand new 4x4 straight away etc, but yes our life for us is even better than we anticipated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3FatCats Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Hi All, We are a family of 5 living near the lake District in Cumbria, we have a large house, good jobs and generally a good life but would really like to make the move to Australia mainly for our children 12, 5 and 2 as we feel there will be more opportunities for them in the future (whilst we all enjoy a great lifestyle). We are in our early forties and my husband is a Maintenance Fitter (Fitter and Turner), we have been advised we can go for the 189 Skilled Independent visa but wonder if it is possible to live an equally good life in Oz?...Is there anyone in a similar situation to us that has made the move good or bad? Hi and welcome. Your life in Cumbria sounds nice, can I swap lol? :laugh: Seriously, we often read of people wanting to move to give kids more/better/different opportunities. I don't have kids, and my parents made minimal efforts whilst I was growing up, so I salute anyone who puts their children's future before their own choices. However, there is a comment above by LR which says it all, where your kids decide to go when they are older is up to them... I am sure that an experience in another country will be amazing for them, but you may move to Oz and they may find a career path in America (just an example) or meet a life partner from another country and move. If you have the travel bug, feel like a change and can afford it (don't underestimate), don't think of it as a life changing, forever thing. Try to live it in the now, take it at face value, and enjoy the journey. Life is what you make it, although that sounds harsh and even stupid to those having a hard time, it is true really, and so isn't about a particular country but more about how and where you are as people and as a family. Good luck with your choice! x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest km75 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Hi, Not sure where you are thinking of moving to, but certainly Cumbria is a gorgeous place and hard to beat in many aspects (other than the weather). We moved recently from Carlisle (and prior to that we were living in Kelso in the Scottish Borders) back to Sydney (my husband is from here originally). Without a doubt Sydney is so so so expensive to buy / rent compared to Northern England / Scotland (though might depend where in the Lakes you live as that too can be pricey). So make sure you can afford it - our rent in Carlisle was £750pcm, here it's $850pw. We've been here six weeks, and no regrets so far for us - I miss my family, but our boys (5 & 7) are loving being close to the beach, and we've been most afternoons after school. For young kids, the weather is great and just seeing them run around in the sea on an afternoon / evening after school does kind of make it worth it for me for now. Not sure where the best opportunities lie in the future, I like the idea of being closer to Europe later down the track, and who knows job / economic wise what lies ahead in any country. There is absolutely pros and cons to both - you're coming from a great area, and you sound settled and happy, and therefore Australia might not offer you everything you have already, but it will offer you different experiences too. It is a gamble, but sometimes, if you have an itch to scratch you need to scratch it, otherwise when you're in your mid 50s you'll be left wondering what if... Good luck with whatever you decide, make the most of wherever you are! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Thank you Lady Rainicorn and Beffers for the replies...we live in a small semi-rural town where the nearest major employers nuclear and shipbuilding are nearly an hour away in opposite directions with terrible infrastructure so there is very little employment round our immediate area and I predict this will get worse as the children get older so this is why I feel there will be more opportunities for our children in Oz if we live near (within an hour) of a major city. We took a 3 week trip to Sydney in 2010, where we got married and included travelling round Tasmania to experience two very different sides to Australia and we loved both aspects. We have both lived away from our families before we had the children and I still do though the children do see all their relatives regularly, my mum is supportive of the move whilst my mother-in-law is not at all...that is why I wondered how other families had found the reality :arghh: Considering where you live to say there would be better and more opportunities for your kids if you came to live within reach of any of Australia's major cities would be a given. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfndirt Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Hya, There are some places that you may end up with the better qual of life but, I will be honest - if you have a good life, income and house etc in Cumbria it 100% is not gonna be attained by moving to ANY of the state capitals, with the exception of Hobart. Our Mam lives just outside of Wigton - so talking from experience of your area. They are over visiting at the moment and are currently in Tassie and totally loving it. Basically, if you have the chance to move here on the same coin as you are on now or better and the opportunity is not in; Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Darwin then consider it. If you were looking at any of these then just consider it again. It may look good to see Phil Spencer mincing around Sydney harbour bridge in the sun - on a dark night at 7pm in channel four - the reality of these places is far far different. The other place to look at is the South Island of New Zealand - best place on the planet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ptp113 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Hi Guys Hope you don't me jumping in on this conversation but I've just joined this forum and was going to ask exactly the same question. We are a family of four, myself, my husband, a 6 year old and a 2 year old. We have just returned form visiting my sister in law in Victoria (she moved from the UK 2 years ago) and we loved Australia. One of the most important things for us is that we wont actually be leaving any family behind just friends. We are hoping for a better, less stressful life in Australia but we need help trying to figure out if Australia can provide this. Hi, I think Australia can offer a better work/life balance than the UK, but the Aussies do work hard and so if you're prepared to put the time and effort into Australia then I think you will reap rewards. Lots of people on this site are not enjoying Australia after a short amount of time but I think you need to give it at least two years. It will be easier for you than most, already having family in Australia, as we are in the same position. i think if you're positive and think it will work for you, then why not! Better than being a "what if" further down the line. At least 3 years if not 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Hya, There are some places that you may end up with the better qual of life but, I will be honest - if you have a good life, income and house etc in Cumbria it 100% is not gonna be attained by moving to ANY of the state capitals, with the exception of Hobart. Our Mam lives just outside of Wigton - so talking from experience of your area. They are over visiting at the moment and are currently in Tassie and totally loving it. Basically, if you have the chance to move here on the same coin as you are on now or better and the opportunity is not in; Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Darwin then consider it. If you were looking at any of these then just consider it again. It may look good to see Phil Spencer mincing around Sydney harbour bridge in the sun - on a dark night at 7pm in channel four - the reality of these places is far far different. The other place to look at is the South Island of New Zealand - best place on the planet. I can understand that reply coming from someone who liked the Lake District and Cumbria. You would probably feel right at home in Tassie or New Zealand. From someone who always wondered how anyone could find the bleakness, isolation and cost of the Lake District appealing I would advise absolutely the opposite and head to any of the Capital cities you don't like. All depends what the OP is wanting from life I guess but if it's a change to a sun, surf and beach lifestyle with decent opportunities for the kids in the future I would be heading to Aus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheswick Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Hello,i think lady rainicorn has summed it up very well...I have lived in oz for about 20 yrs and I`m now on my way back to the UK...its a great country and your kids will love it..but,its a different country and you`ll have to all adapt and give it a few years to see if you really want to stay...its a very different lifestyle and so far away from all you know so there will be times when you`ll want to go back but, if you stick at it there will be a lot of benefits for you and your family...altho its becoming a very exspensive country to live in...and a fairly red neck culture away from the big cities...anyway good luck for the future,cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreatDane Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 I'd say his skills are on the jobs list. Best bet is to contact Australia House for more info. Sorry a pretty useless reply from me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Tilley Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I would say that make sure the move is what you both want to do and that one of you aren't going along with a dream of the other. If you are not happy in your current location you could always move to another one in the UK and be happier there. I still have friends in Australia from when I lived there, and now that their children are older they are looking to come to Europe (not just the UK) for work opportunities and a more exciting life style! I suppose everyone always thinks the grass is greener on the other side. Sometimes it is, or sometimes the grass just ain't green at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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