Aunt Agatha Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Nah, it's been great! :wink: Thank you to everyone who has asked after me and PMed me. Sorry it's taken me ages to get back online with an update, it's been a busy few weeks. We stayed in Hong Kong and Dubai on the way over and I highly recommend that to people travelling with young kids - it split the journey into three eight hour (ish) trips and was so much easier on all of us. Plus we got a little holiday en route. We've been staying with my folks since we arrived back in England and they have made us all really welcome - including our three cats! It's been lovely getting some TLC after a stressful few months and so nice to spend some quality time with them. That said, we are ready to move into our own place and to start our new lives "up over." Finding a rental was a bit of a challenge - not having UK payslips, utility bills etc. was a pain and our first rental application fell through as the landlord decided to give the house to a friend (I suspect he was put off by our awkward situation). Thankfully we found another great place and we move in on 1st April. We looked in York but ultimately decided upon Northumberland - it just ticked all the boxes. I have put our DD's name down for a lovely nursery school which she will attend after Easter and have applied for a place at the attached first school (Northumberland have the three tier school system) which is really, really good so hopefully she will get a place. We visited the school and met the headteacher and we think our kids will be really happy there. We also put two alternative village schools on our application just in case, so wherever they end up will be lovely I'm sure. We bought a second hand car with cash but had to pay 12 months worth of insurance up front which was quite a chunk. This was because we had no recent UK 'no claims' period. The insurance was also more expensive because of this and we ended up paying around £700 for a Ford Focus. Something to think about when calculating the budget! Some of the things which worried me before I left Aus were the UK weather, a fear of "chavs" and a homesickness for Brisbane. I have been loving the colder weather though DH has struggled a bit. I saw two chavs in town - talking to each other in derogatory terms about women which was charming - but apart from that it's a chav-free zone which is a very big relief! I miss my Brisbane friends a lot but so far I haven't been homesick for Brisbane - probably the biggest surprise of all. In terms of cost of living we have found groceries, books, mobile phone plans and cars much cheaper than in Brisbane. Rent slightly cheaper but it works out comparable as we have to pay council tax here. Petrol is more expensive here. We haven't had any utility bills or setup our internet or home phone yet so I can't comment on those costs. Obviously I only been back for six weeks so we are still in the honeymoon period but so far so good! I'm appy to answer any questions about the move or getting settled etc. I had lots of good advice from PIO users and would like to pay it forward :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bora Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Welcome home AA ! I'm glad things are working out for you and can sense the excitement in your post. It's a great feeling isn't it especially when things start to fall into place. Enjoy the honeymoon period, and long may it last. I'm still in it some days and I've been home over a year now I hope everything continues well and enjoy those long warm summer evenings soon to be upon us again ! You'll see and hear things you never did before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacaranda Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I'm so glad you posted an update AA,I was wondering how things were going for you!Have you managed to find work?Its gorgeous where I live today and you can definitely tell spring is in the air!Clocks by forward at the end of the month too which is great.Here's to your future happiness,and best wishes for the future.I bet your parents love you being back home!:cute: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 You had me worried there for a minute! :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbodia Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 How long did you spend in Australia? Were you living in Brisbane the whole time? We're hoping to move out in the next couple of years, just wondering what brought you back to the UK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveR Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Hi. I was going to ask the same as Kimbodia as Brisbane is our destination of choice too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 OMG your title made me feel sick!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt Agatha Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 Sorry guys, I couldn't resist pulling your leg! Thanks Boro, I'm happy to hear the honeymoon feeling lasts :-) Thanks Jacaranda - I have kept my Australian freelance work (will be adding UK freelance in the future) and DH landed a job here before we left Aus so we're all sorted on the job front. Kimbodia and Steve we lived in Aus for 11 and a half years and were in Brisbane the whole time. We really enjoyed our time there but had intended to have a four year adventure and then move back. We "accidentally" stayed for 11 years and became citizens! The move back was driven initially by our parents developing serious health issues and we wanted to support them and also let our young children spend some quality time with their grandparents. But it also felt like our time had come. We had started to feel a bit bored with life in Brisbane and we missed British culture, diversity and ease of travel. I was truly in two minds about the move back to the UK but it feels like the right decision. (My DH was always certain that the UK is where he wanted to live long-term). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveR Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Thanks for answering. Glad you are happy with the choices you made too. After accidentally staying for 7 more years I can see that it is still the right place to aim for. Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3FatCats Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Knew you would settle in fine, grand being back isn't it? :cute: 9 months for me and I still have the honeymoon vibe! Spring is just around the corner and it is going to be wonderful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I'm still on honeymoon 3.5 yrs later! Glad you're enjoying things AA. Being back in UK just makes me realize how boring Australia had become! Long may your honeymoon continue! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Yes, 15 months back for us and no sign of the honeymoon ending Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliedec Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 These Posts make me feel so good .... When you know its right ! ... Its right !... for you .....After another tearful St. Patrick's Day ..missing my friends and family ....Counting down the days ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 AA, we don't have friends to stay with so we'll have to book a holiday apartment till we find a rental. Based on your experience, would you say six weeks is enough or will we need to book for longer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 How long did you spend in Australia? Were you living in Brisbane the whole time? We're hoping to move out in the next couple of years, just wondering what brought you back to the UK? Browse around this section of the forums (Moving Back to the UK) and you'll find lots of discussions on this subject. By far the most common reason is missing family too much - for women who've just had their first baby especially (it's a life-changing event that can alter your whole outlook on the value of family!). There is also a sizeable minority of people who move back out of boredom. Australia is a wonderful place if you love sun, sand, sea and sport. If you're more artsy or bookish, then you'll eventually exhaust all there is to see in Australia and start to hanker for the history and culture of the UK and Europe. Of course there is a lot of ancient history and culture in Asia but exploring it is more challenging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perthbum Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Browse around this section of the forums (Moving Back to the UK) and you'll find lots of discussions on this subject. By far the most common reason is missing family too much - for women who've just had their first baby especially (it's a life-changing event that can alter your whole outlook on the value of family!). There is also a sizeable minority of people who move back out of boredom. Australia is a wonderful place if you love sun, sand, sea and sport. If you're more artsy or bookish, then you'll eventually exhaust all there is to see in Australia and start to hanker for the history and culture of the UK and Europe. Of course there is a lot of ancient history and culture in Asia but exploring it is more challenging. Great post for many, if you love culture history and the history and culture of europe then oz in my opinion is not for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Congratulations AA. Hope it all continues well for you and you are all very happy :wubclub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Great post for many, if you love culture history and the history and culture of europe then oz in my opinion is not for you. I agree IF you're thinking of it as a permanent move. If you can afford a short-term adventure - which most people with families shouldn't, IMO, since the cost of relocation is so incredibly high - it's worth it. I think when you come to any new country, there's always a lot to see and do at first, even if it's not strictly in line with your interests - and it can widen your horizons.. It took me 15-20 years to start running out of things to explore, in spite of not being a beachy/sporty person! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miley123 Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Phew, you had me worried there too AA ha ha!! So glad it is all going well for you all, we are a few months behind you and are moving out beginning of July so was very relieved to hear how well it is going. Was it still an emotional rollar coaster until you landed in UK or once you were on the plane taking off, did the mixture of emotions stop then? As each day passes I feel more sure that moving back is the right thing to do and we are all ready to go flights booked for us and dog, removals sorted, house on market etc, but I still feel sad but one of my friends said to me it is ok to feel sad about leaving, it doesn't mean we are doing the wrong thing just meant we had a wonderful time. Just wondered if/when you had an eureka moment where the relief/excitement took over from the stress/worry/sadness of goodbye? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shak Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Aww i want to go home now too,lol...miss my family and friends loads...patiently waiting for the day we return,but i get the feeling i'll also be a little sad leaving oz...glad its all working out for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Great post for many, if you love culture history and the history and culture of europe then oz in my opinion is not for you. I must be a Philistine then because I am perfectly happy here :wink: I've also seen enough of Europe (lived there) to last me a lifetime. However, I'm visiting my sister in London soon so I'll get my fill of much needed culture then :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Great post for many, if you love culture history and the history and culture of europe then oz in my opinion is not for you. I think you tend to enjoy that stuff more as a visitor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcorners Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Yey! We are settling back in too, been back just over a month now which has flown by! I should start a thread soon when I have chance to sit down.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perthbum Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 I must be a Philistine then because I am perfectly happy here :wink: I've also seen enough of Europe (lived there) to last me a lifetime. However, I'm visiting my sister in London soon so I'll get my fill of much needed culture then :cool: You can never see enough of Europe, you can never tire of history and culture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 You can never see enough of Europe, you can never tire of history and culture. Each to their own, some people never tire of the beach whereas an afternoon a couple of times a year is enough for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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