New to forum...Is the reality of moving your family to Oz as good as expected?

[shaunfreo]

Sounds like you have a good life, it wouldn't necessarily be better here, but like so many of us who make the move you don't know until you try , my kids got straight back to the UK at the first opportunity and have done well , so if they get a decent education they will do well in either country I suspect, things are changing here the job market is certainly not as good as it was, and looks to decline further so who knows, good luck

[JMG79]

Sorry, But I have to ask. You live in the lakes why would you want to move?

 

You have a life, that most people would dream of, I know about 50 people who would swap with you including me!

 

If I could even get close to being able to get a job, or afford a decent house in the lakes I would not be planning to emigrate.

 

As for Opportunities, these will depend on the paths your children wish to take, and what their interests are at the moment, whether they want to get a trade or go to university or both, There is plenty of opportunity in the UK, its just we have to work a lot harder for it now.

 

I think you do not realise what you have in the UK, there is a number of post’s from people who are relatively comfortable in the UK, they move out to Oz, then 12,18 months to two years latter, they are writing about how difficult their lives are, and how they wish they had stayed in the UK. I think you should have a read of some.

 

If you have got the bug, and it won’t go away.

I would recommend a trip to Oz if you have not been already just to check it out, I was there 13 years ago and I found as many negatives about Oz, as I could about the UK. I imagine I will discover it has changed a lot in 13 years, and I’m wandering how I will cope with not being able to get on the hills as much (not that I do that much any more).

 

If you can afford it and, you just need a break for a couple for years to see a slightly different side to life. I don’t mean move to the suburbs, live in the outback, have an adventure, do something totally different, then do it get the visa and go you have to make that decision,

 

You will only regret what you don’t do!!

[cathy99]

I think you really need to ask why you want move? What is missing in your life that you think you can get in oz? What are you giving up/sacrificing to move here? From the sounds of it you already have a happy fulfilled life.

 

I've only been here 4 wks and although it's ok i don't know if it's forever but i have given us 18mths to fully settle and get used to the place, it certainly doesn't happen over night.

 

For us we decided to come as a last resort! Sounds mad i know! A year ago we weren't getting on very well we have a 4 year old and 7 year old. life was dull and boring, struggling for money working long hours for nothing and not getting much quality time with the kids or each other was taking it's toll! I was in the verge of walking out when we saw an advert in our local paper for panel beaters in perth and i jokingly said to my husband 'go on you go, we'll come and visit'!! Lol well it sowed the seed and we started talking seriously about it, and it was the first time in a long time we had anything in common to talk about! We have friends in perth so i spoke to them and did lots of research, got his cv together and just kept sending it out everytime i saw a job advertised. We got lucky and found a sponsor who offered my husband a job in august, paid for our visa, two weeks accommodation and bought us a car to get around in. All this happened in a relatively short space of time and here we are 9 months later and we've been in Sydney for 4 weeks.

 

I guess what i'm saying is for us we had nothing to lose by 'giving it a go' we haven't sold our home we've rented it out, the kids are young enough to adjust, i wouldn't of done it had they been teenagers and the visa is for 4 years, so after two we'll know if we want to stay or not so can apply for our permanent residency or hold our hands up, cut our losses and say 'we tried', and i'll not get to the age of 60 and wonder 'what if'?.

 

It's been a tough 4 weeks already, lots of ups and downs, but i'm feeling very positive about our future here, we're in a lovely suburb about 30 mins from cbd, the girls start school on monday, there's lots to see and do and i'm looking forward to ticking them off my list. So for us i feel it was the right thing to do at our time in life - you need to weigh up your pro's and cons for staying or going, good luck it's very stressful but worth it if it's right ;0) x

[Guest Ptp113]

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!

 

More exciting how exactly?

[Guest Ptp113]

I think you really need to ask why you want move? What is missing in your life that you think you can get in oz? What are you giving up/sacrificing to move here? From the sounds of it you already have a happy fulfilled life.

 

I've only been here 4 wks and although it's ok i don't know if it's forever but i have given us 18mths to fully settle and get used to the place, it certainly doesn't happen over night.

 

For us we decided to come as a last resort! Sounds mad i know! A year ago we weren't getting on very well we have a 4 year old and 7 year old. life was dull and boring, struggling for money working long hours for nothing and not getting much quality time with the kids or each other was taking it's toll! I was in the verge of walking out when we saw an advert in our local paper for panel beaters in perth and i jokingly said to my husband 'go on you go, we'll come and visit'!! Lol well it sowed the seed and we started talking seriously about it, and it was the first time in a long time we had anything in common to talk about! We have friends in perth so i spoke to them and did lots of research, got his cv together and just kept sending it out everytime i saw a job advertised. We got lucky and found a sponsor who offered my husband a job in august, paid for our visa, two weeks accommodation and bought us a car to get around in. All this happened in a relatively short space of time and here we are 9 months later and we've been in Sydney for 4 weeks.

 

I guess what i'm saying is for us we had nothing to lose by 'giving it a go' we haven't sold our home we've rented it out, the kids are young enough to adjust, i wouldn't of done it had they been teenagers and the visa is for 4 years, so after two we'll know if we want to stay or not so can apply for our permanent residency or hold our hands up, cut our losses and say 'we tried', and i'll not get to the age of 60 and wonder 'what if'?.

 

It's been a tough 4 weeks already, lots of ups and downs, but i'm feeling very positive about our future here, we're in a lovely suburb about 30 mins from cbd, the girls start school on monday, there's lots to see and do and i'm looking forward to ticking them off my list. So for us i feel it was the right thing to do at our time in life - you need to weigh up your pro's and cons for staying or going, good luck it's very stressful but worth it if it's right ;0) x

 

No chance of settling in 18 mths IMHO. 3 yrs minimum if not 5.

[jac2011]

Just another perspective... I am hoping to emigrate in 12-18 months time with my husband and 3 children (who will be 11, 9 and 4). For us the move is about a fresh start for our family and a chance to start again. We both have very negative families and are both adventure seekers. I have never settled anywhere since I left home at 18 as nowhere in the UK felt like home. I hate the cold, sit indoors and become very isolated from the world. Yet as soon as spring arrives (a day like today) I am up, dressed and out of bed dying to get out and about. Its not specifically about the heat but about seeing the sun when I wake up in a morning. My husband had a pretty bad upbringing and a few months before we met was lucky enough to get out to Australia, for him it was push to turn his life around and ditch his bad friends and aim for something higher by studying a degree. We then got together after talking on Facebook about his holiday (we knew each other from school). Our children have shared our research and loved learning about Australian culture since we talked to them about it. They often do presentations at school on the subject and teach their class mates about aboriginal culture too.

 

So for us, Australia isn't about a 'better' life, its about a fresh start that we all chose together. We are willing to work hard as a family to get there, we are looking forward to the perils of arriving with nothing but a few grand in the bank. The children are happy to go without holidays, day trips etc until we leave. They have even asked if this years birthday and Christmas presents can be Australian dollars so they can buy surf boards etc when they arrive.

 

If a few years after we arrive it doesn't work out we will hold our hands up and return but we wont feel like failures, we will feel like a family that grabbed an opportunity, worked hard as a team to achieve it and I hope it will teach my children that there is a whole world out there and they are capable of achieving whatever they aim for.

 

This week we have downsized our house, got rid of Sky and a TV licence (bought a roku box instead) and in a few weeks my OH will get rid of his lovely large family car for a cheap runaround! We have allowed ourselves £45pw spends for all 5 of us which will be withdrawn on a Friday and everything else is our savings fund. Its certainly going to be a challenge but we are hoping that it also teaches us how not to waste money. On my last month prior to this I realised I had wasted £400... ridiculous!

 

So the challenge is on...