bunbury61 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 In the UK we went out with the local ramblers group every other week on a Sunday, followed by a lovely pub lunch. Other Sundays were cooking for family or friends - or being cooked for - Nice! We got great weather gear and endured all weathers - some days better than others. Of course, during the summer and those long evenings, there were opportunities to go out on our bikes, or explore the countryside. Very rarely too hot to walk. I feel a bit like a caged animal in Oz - there is the gym and it is lovely swimming in the pool outside for a lot of the year, but I do struggle with the indoors lifestyle here. When I got here I told myself I'd never be one of those who drove everywhere, even round the corner - but here I am, moving from air-conditioned house, to car, to bus, to office and then back home again. One thing I'm taking as a bonus in Oz is because I shelter from the intense heat, and go outside so much less, my skin is less exposed to the sun - In the UK I often got burned caught unaware on a chilly but sunny day. There are some great things to do and see in Oz, but the 'outdoor lifestyle' hyped is a bit of a myth. As for chatting to neighbours - when we came to Brisbane we lived next door to a guy who had parties every two weeks and mentioned every two weeks for about two years 'we must have you over some time'. We actually thought it was very funny. When we left the house, he complained to the landlord how much he would miss us. We'd never exchanged more than a few words! Back track to UK, people moved in next door, had a moving in party, invited us over to that (and we invited them back) - still friends 10 years on! As I have said many times ...we may not have the big houses etc ......but in general the PEOPLE are great ......and its the CHOICE we have here ....choice to travel , choice of scenery , choice of weather within 3 hours .... the lads and myself are looking at moving golf clubs ....all ordinary blokes, builders , plumbers ...blues and villa ...bit of banter on the course .....we have about 8-10 top quality courses to choose from within 10 mile radius .....I went to one of our favourites to meet the president yesterday ....,sunny afternoon , the clubhouse had 50 men and women there having lunch ......fantastic view out on to the course ....and everyone was so friendly ...they didn't know or care who I was , and what I was there for .....the bloke got the coffees in , no side on him at all .....that will do for me ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunbury61 Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 As I have said many times ...we may not have the big houses etc ......but in general the PEOPLE are great ......and its the CHOICE we have here ....choice to travel , choice of scenery , choice of weather within 3 hours ....the lads and myself are looking at moving golf clubs ....all ordinary blokes, builders , plumbers ...blues and villa ...bit of banter on the course .....we have about 8-10 top quality courses to choose from within 10 mile radius .....I went to one of our favourites to meet the president yesterday ....,sunny afternoon , the clubhouse had 50 men and women there having lunch ......fantastic view out on to the course ....and everyone was so friendly ...they didn't know or care who I was , and what I was there for .....the bloke got the coffees in , no side on him at all .....that will do for me ..... and then theres the down side ....just had a job within a mile of Dudley zoo , if anyone knows the area . terraced street ( just like the street in bread )...litter everywhere ....the house I visited was an absolute tip .....I had to wipe my feet on the way OUT !......its a good job the weathers ok ...if it was a 7am start in January ,I would have been p....ed off .......typical of England though within 15 mins iam surrounded by a bit of decent scenery again , and alls well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmcdevitt Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I'd give it another 6 mths - we are back on holiday after 3 yrs away on a spectacular winters day. Truly beautiful. Worth it if the jobs are going well to keep going for a while longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose Fuller Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 We are biting the bullet and going home. We too have only been here since the beginning of December. My eldestwent home in March, he really couldn't settle...he was 19.youngest would probably settle in time, but still hasn't as misses his friends and family. I fell pregnant (unplanned) and that has just excellerated my want to go home. Also there is a worry that if we stay much longer we wont be able to afford to go home!! I just find that theres a lack of substance to the place...I feel its hard to meet friends, the only ones I tend to zone in are English anyway!!! I see people on here that have been here for a long time and wish they had gone home or feel very negative about the place, sometimes stuck as their kids are settled and teenagers. I don't want that to be me. Its best to think of it as an adventure that made me appreciate all things English!!! Good luck with your decision...its very personal to each individual and theres no wrong or right...just gut feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akiralx Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 You're not alone. A lot of Brits have a 'wake up call'.... if thats the easiest way to describe it. I think we are blind sighted with the 'better life down under' but honestly it isn't any better, just different. I have been here 3 years and it will never be home. I like Australia but I am not convinced by the culture or lack of. I actually read in the paper this week that statistically Aussie kids are now the most indoor amongst youths! Its crazy isn't. They do not play out until dinner like the UK. I think we are missing those old traditions. I remember playing out, going to a beautiful country pub on a sunday, scenic walks, mountains! I miss mountains. Its a very odd feeling and I am in it at the moment. I think something hits you after the honey moon period. I don't feel like I belong here and if I am honest I haven't been very welcomed either. I dont really know what you should do. I know of some that just know, they have that feeling (even if they have only been here just a couple of months) they know it isn't for them. Some wait it out. I cant help with any success stories as I don't know any. Im not sure if I will return home. It won't be soon. Too expensive to move. But I dearly miss my old english folk, the british humour and the friendliness back home. As others have said, this sums up my experience here very well - we have been here for 5 years and I have just got citizenship but I suspect we will return home eventually, but not for quite a few years. I am not unhappy here at all and can regard Aus as home, but I doubt it will ever invoke the same feeling as the UK. I am rather an introvert and so have no friends here though I did have quite a large circle of friends in the UK, mainly work colleagues. Here everyone is v friendly but there is just a barrier between Australians and myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fizzybangs Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 If you don't love Australia in the first few months I can't see anything changing that! Most people either embrace it or feel wrong very quickly. Our gut reactions and instincts don't change however much your mind tells them that they should. I loved it for over 30 years. I went back to the UK for holidays and couldn't wait to get back. Okay, that's changed now. Another holiday did that when they put on a family reunion for me and I didn't know all the younger generations. I realised that to my family there I had been a ghost on their walls. That person who lived out in Australia probably only mentioned when one of the younger ones wanted to come out on a working holiday! We went back and I became me again after all those years of trying to fit in. We are back again now as my three kids are here and one had a heart attack on christmas Eve. Torn between two countries. Wish I'd never left England. We will be going back though one day. Two of my kids know that and now have savings account to come and visit us in the UK. Time is dragging which is why I am on here as I left my heart back there and miss everyone so very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miw54 Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 We managed 5 years in Oz then we were homesick, we missed the UK, we went back, had a great time touring our own country, Jersey, Isle of Wight then France, then Spain - all so easy to get to when you are in the UK. But then, in the cold of Winter we missed Oz, so back we went again. After two years felt a little bored and headed back to the UK. Had a great time catching up with everyone and lots more travelling in Europe. 12 months later we missed the sunny days in Oz and went back again, only that time our sons stayed over in the UK as they liked it better. Spent 2 more years in Oz but missed the boys and a grandchild came along in the UK so we jetted back again. After a couple of years in the UK went back to Oz but only temporarily as intended at the time and returned to the UK last year. We are now about to go back to Oz for the 5th time, knowing we will probably be back in the UK again at some point in the future. The truth is we love the UK and we love Oz and when in one, we miss the other. You can't completely compare them because the things we love and miss in the UK are not there in Oz but likewise, the things we love about Oz are not there in the UK. For us the UK is where we were born and grew up and it is where our roots are. That can't be changed - hence why we belong the rather restless group of ping pong poms. Sometimes I wish we had never emigrated in the first place but then I wouldn't have missed the Oz experience for anything !! :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest krackajak Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 If you don't love Australia in the first few months I can't see anything changing that! Most people either embrace it or feel wrong very quickly. Our gut reactions and instincts don't change however much your mind tells them that they should. I loved it for over 30 years. I went back to the UK for holidays and couldn't wait to get back. Okay, that's changed now. Another holiday did that when they put on a family reunion for me and I didn't know all the younger generations. I realised that to my family there I had been a ghost on their walls. That person who lived out in Australia probably only mentioned when one of the younger ones wanted to come out on a working holiday! We went back and I became me again after all those years of trying to fit in. We are back again now as my three kids are here and one had a heart attack on christmas Eve. Torn between two countries. Wish I'd never left England. We will be going back though one day. Two of my kids know that and now have savings account to come and visit us in the UK. Time is dragging which is why I am on here as I left my heart back there and miss everyone so very much. Disagree. It does change but it takes time and you aren't going to settle in under 3-5 years. Hated it for years after arrival but wouldn't go back now. Most poms just don't give it long enough, why bother coming in the first place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt Agatha Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Wow @miw54 that's the most pinging and ponging I have heard of! Please share your top moving tips :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy1982 Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Wow @miw54 that's the most pinging and ponging I have heard of! Please share your top moving tips :-) Practice makes perfect I should imagine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulRaynor Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 We managed 5 years in Oz then we were homesick, we missed the UK, we went back, had a great time touring our own country, Jersey, Isle of Wight then France, then Spain - all so easy to get to when you are in the UK. But then, in the cold of Winter we missed Oz, so back we went again. After two years felt a little bored and headed back to the UK. Had a great time catching up with everyone and lots more travelling in Europe. 12 months later we missed the sunny days in Oz and went back again, only that time our sons stayed over in the UK as they liked it better. Spent 2 more years in Oz but missed the boys and a grandchild came along in the UK so we jetted back again. After a couple of years in the UK went back to Oz but only temporarily as intended at the time and returned to the UK last year. We are now about to go back to Oz for the 5th time, knowing we will probably be back in the UK again at some point in the future. The truth is we love the UK and we love Oz and when in one, we miss the other. You can't completely compare them because the things we love and miss in the UK are not there in Oz but likewise, the things we love about Oz are not there in the UK. For us the UK is where we were born and grew up and it is where our roots are. That can't be changed - hence why we belong the rather restless group of ping pong poms. Sometimes I wish we had never emigrated in the first place but then I wouldn't have missed the Oz experience for anything !! :confused: Ping ponging? My God that robs the olympic gold medal from the Chinese table tennis team! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy1982 Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Hated it for years after arrival but wouldn't go back now. Most poms just don't give it long enough, why bother coming in the first place? Lifes too short not to ever try it and also too short to "hate it for years after arrival" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 My best advice to those who are unhappy in Australia, is to at least explore/visit various other parts before you leave. It is such a diverse country. I say this because of all my missed opportunities when I lived in Africa, it took me 40 years before I went back to really appreciate the wild life etc. and realise that I should have taken more advantage of what was on my doorstep, that was so unique to the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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