JockinTas Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 I can understand why you don't like the outdoors in Perth then VS. Personally I hated the Lake District. Every time we went up there it was packed, gloomy, usually that light rain come drizzle that soaks you through and we spent heaps just being in pubs, playing pitch and putt just to keep us occupied. Maybe we were just unlucky with the weather? I'm sure it would look a lot more pleasant in the sun. I did my vet nurse training in the Lake District and I grew to absolutely love the place. I lived up a little lane between Ambleside and Windermere. The Lake District, North Yorkshire and County Durham are my favourite places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Heard on the radio this morning that the skin cancer rates amongst over 60's in the UK has gone up a hundredfold since the 70's. All those days of going to Spain and Greece etc. and sitting in the sun with oil on now giving results and numbers comparable with here. Yes the ACTUAL number of deaths is comparable to here. However, the UK's population is nearly three times bigger - so if you look at the number per head of population it's not so comparable, is it? In an average year, 7,850 people are diagnosed with melanoma out of an Australian population of 23 million. Compare that to 5,900 people in the UK out of 64 million. As the Americans say, you do the math! The reason DEATHS are higher in the UK is that doctors, and the public in general, are less aware of skin cancer and therefore it's less likely to be picked up. So although there is a lot less melanoma in the UK, it's more likely to be treated too late, and therefore there is a much higher death rate. The facts are that Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. 50% of Australians will have a skin cancer of some sort at some stage of their lives (though thankfully, most are not life-threatening). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 (edited) Isn't that why most people emigrate? Well exactly, that's my point. What if someone said "I've decided I don't like Indian food, I prefer Chinese", after having spent several months visiting the best Indian restaurants. I'm sure no one would say to them, "What are you talking about? Indian is marvellous! It's great! It's your attitude that's the problem! You're not trying! How dare you say Indian is inferior?" They would just accept that different people like different things. And different people like different countries, too. Edited April 7, 2015 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 I can understand why you don't like the outdoors in Perth then VS. Personally I hated the Lake District. Every time we went up there it was packed, gloomy, usually that light rain come drizzle that soaks you through and we spent heaps just being in pubs, playing pitch and putt just to keep us occupied. Maybe we were just unlucky with the weather? I'm sure it would look a lot more pleasant in the sun. I had my first and only holiday in the Lake District in July 2013. My week there coincided with a heatwave with sunny skies every day and temperatures in the high 20s. We didn't end up doing most of the walks we planned as we ended up getting into the lakes to cool off (mind you the water was fffffreezing). Sitting in pub gardens in shorts and tee shirt until 11pm with all the kids playing was surreal really. Could not go back as I want to retain the memory of it as we saw it. Some friends of ours have holidayed there many times and joke that they have never seen the tops of the mountains due to low clouds let alone taken a dip in the lakes. I am not normally lucky with the weather on holidays so will never forget that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Most people don't take 30 years to realise though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Yes the ACTUAL number of deaths is comparable to here. However, the UK's population is nearly three times bigger - so if you look at the number per head of population it's not so comparable, is it? In an average year, 7,850 people are diagnosed with melanoma out of an Australian population of 23 million. Compare that to 5,900 people in the UK out of 64 million. As the Americans say, you do the math! The reason DEATHS are higher in the UK is that doctors, and the public in general, are less aware of skin cancer and therefore it's less likely to be picked up. So although there is a lot less melanoma in the UK, it's more likely to be treated too late, and therefore there is a much higher death rate. The facts are that Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. 50% of Australians will have a skin cancer of some sort at some stage of their lives (though thankfully, most are not life-threatening). You've hit the nail on the head when you say doctors and the public are less aware. The statistics are so high in Aus because nearly everyone gets checked and minor skin cancers treated. My wife has had 2 ops to remove what looked to me and her like normal freckles. Our doctor sent her to have them checked but they were non-life threatening, as you say. All adds to the statistics though. Australian people of our age admit that when they were young they would sit all day in the sun and not think about putting any sun cream on. Probably didn't exist. Just like the folks being diagnosed now in the UK who discovered Spain and Greece in the 70's and used to slap ambre solaire over them to enhance the tan. Apparently the UK is trying to find what they can learn from Aus as they've had years of experience trying to get people to wear sun screen and cover up. You might be getting the slip-slop-slap adds some time soon.:wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 We lived here for 11 mth then back to the Uk, then back to oz GC again, been back since Aug 14, this time round we are all good, I think it takes about 2 yrs to fully settle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 People live longer in Australia than the UK. So chances are something will get you sooner in UK than in Oz whether you are more likely to get skin cancer or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolla Bolla Bing Bong Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Hey guys do you remember me? I cannot believe you headed back home for a while? It does take time to settle in but with a little support here and there it can do wonders so if you wanna chat and catch up, drop me a line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 I had my yearly skin cancer check last month at a doctor in South Coogee who specialises in skin cancer. I think I will keep going to see him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 People live longer in Australia than the UK. So chances are something will get you sooner in UK than in Oz whether you are more likely to get skin cancer or not. I received an Easter card and letter from my neighbour in Sydney. She will be 102 very soon. Here in Devonport I also have a neighbour who still lives independently and she is also nearly 102. I often walk up to the local shops with a lovely old bloke in our street who is 93. None of them look their age and they are all as bright as a button. They also have no problem with skin cancer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellybingobingo Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 (edited) I don't believe you live longer whether in uk or oz ...my great auntie Clara has just passed a way 2 month ago she was 98 .....my grandad was 89 my nana was 87 , my dad's side my nana was 93 , my grandad was 97 .....my real dad was 61 when he died but he drank like I don't know what and smoked 60 fags aday . My my stepdad is 74 ...he's in early stages of alzhimers ....doesn't look old or anything he looks about 60 .....fit as a fiddle .... my my nana and grandad both smoked like troopers ! On me mothers side . On me dad's side me grandad drank a bottle of whiskey a day and smoked park drive bloody lung bleeders and stll lived till a ripe old age . Then em there was one of me besties dropped down dead at 46 of a embolism . Her dad died at 49 of same thing ...her brother died at 40 of the same thing none of them have lived over 50 ...apart from the mum . And all in uk . Its the the way the cookie crumbles that's all . Give ve oz it's due I've had one cold and bad cough since being here . In uk I had a cough and cold once a year my auntie tie clara was praying for the last two yrs for the good lord to take her , saying shed had enough , and she had all her faculties they must know when theve had enough ! Edited April 7, 2015 by Shellybingobingo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Life expectancy is slightly longer in Australia. Maybe about 1 year I can't recall exactly. I also can't remember whether it is due to the medical systems or the climate. Worth googling. The cold may kill off a few in UK, but heatwaves can kill elderly people in Aus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 (edited) Most people don't take 30 years to realise though. That can only be described as a snide remark and completely ignores the fact that 25 of those years were: (a) while I was working and therefore spent 5 days a week in an office and evenings/weekends at dance practice or performing, so I didn't have much time outdoors (b) I wasn't post-menopausal and unable to cope with humidity (d) My husband didn't have a sun allergy So no, I haven't taken 30 years to decide, it's just that I've changed in the last ten years or so. This move is not about liking or not liking Australia, and you probably hadn't noticed that I have no great affection for the UK - a desire to "go home" doesn't even enter my mind. In fact, Sydney is home. It just doesn't like me any more. Edited April 7, 2015 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 That can only be described as a snide remark and completely ignores the fact that 25 of those years were: (a) while I was working and therefore spent 5 days a week in an office and evenings/weekends at dance practice or performing, so I didn't have much time outdoors (b) I wasn't post-menopausal and unable to cope with humidity (d) My husband didn't have a sun allergy So no, I haven't taken 30 years to decide, it's just that I've changed in the last ten years or so. This move is not about liking or not liking Australia, and you probably hadn't noticed that I have no great affection for the UK - a desire to "go home" doesn't even enter my mind. In fact, Sydney is home. It just doesn't like me any more. Scot by birth, emigrated 1985. Heading back to the UK at Easter to retire OUT of the sun. I just copied this over from the bottom of your thread. Have you left already? (I did not mean to type this in blue!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Well, it WAS in blue, but it has come out in 'red!' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Scot by birth, emigrated 1985. Heading back to the UK at Easter to retire OUT of the sun. I just copied this over from the bottom of your thread. Have you left already? (I did not mean to type this in blue!) Oops, I should update that. It was a guesstimate at the time. We didn't quite make it for Easter but we are heading off at the end of the month - we can't put it off any longer because our landlord has sold the house!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Life expectancy is slightly longer in Australia. Maybe about 1 year I can't recall exactly. I also can't remember whether it is due to the medical systems or the climate. Worth googling. The cold may kill off a few in UK, but heatwaves can kill elderly people in Aus. I think it's a lot more to do with the good genes/bad genes you inherit. My father's side of the family had a lot of heart problems and Mum's side were all fairly fit and healthy in spite of sucking on fags for the majority of their lives so I very much hope I've inherited her genes but I've already had a bit of a reminder of possible heart problems :frown: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpingjellybean Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 So so have we done the right thing? You tell me because I'm fed up with constantly thinking is this for us or not? Is this forever? I still can't imagine this being forever. Well only you can tell if you have done the right thing! I cannot tell you that. I love Australia and have an "attitude of gratitude" for being lucky enough to have got permanent residency in the first place and then granted citizenship. I have never regretted the move, and forever here is not long enough for me. Personally I hate the Gold Coast and would never live there or even holiday there. So maybe a move elsewhere in the country would make you happier? Maybe even take a road trip for 6 - 12 months (home school the kids) around the country living in a van and picking work up as you go - a great adventure that may make you appreciate this beautiful country more. I even know many Aussies who have done this and come back changed people for the better. Actually one didn't come back to Sydney, as they fell in love with Margaret River region in WA and now live there permanently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bound4Tassie Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 I do love it when people emigrate (partly) due to all the Foreigners coming to their home country. Er, you are now THAT foreigner! The irony must be lost on some....chuckle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 ^^^ True that. I had a funny experience with a taxi driver in Sydney. I had worked until after 10:00 pm and rather than get public transport home the company I worked for provided taxi cards ................ so anyway I jumped into the taxi told the driver my address and he looked at me blankly and said in very broken English he didn't know where it was. I explained how to get out of the city etc and he then said "I can't understand a word you are saying. You have a funny accent". I had no idea my Scottish accent was so pronounced. So it was like two foreigners speaking to each other. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Hi Kellie, It was really interesting to read your honest post. My wife and I (and our 23 month old son) are about to go through all the same things you describe. <==== in fact everything you mentioned from bugs, to TV to renting/buying is on our minds. We are just being positive that we WILL make it work. We have a fairly good life here; we live in Newmarket which we really like, near grandparents. We have good jobs and love our house and we're giving it all up on the idea of a better life in Australia! We leave in exactly a month. Our house is on the market to be sold we we are hoping to complete asap. We are doing it all because we think the quality of life will be better. Things like the outdoor lifestyle - our son loves being outside and we look forward to taking him to parks etc. Can i ask what you and your husband do for work now / did in UK? I think we're lucky as my wife's sister lives in Melbourne (which is where we're going). We have full visa's but another reason we're doing it is because when my wife turns 32 we lose more points and then it becomes increasingly difficult. We would rather go and come back then to stay in England and always regret never going or trying. Apologies there's not many questions above, and i know you wanted more from people already in Oz who have undergone same thing. You must be here now? How is it going? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 December, 2008 to June, 2015 means this is, by far the longest I've spent away from 'home' and this is also my second emigration to Australia. I was talking, briefly, to a girl from Leeds last night in the Trinity - I offended her but I'm not quite sure why - something to do with my not working, but having pensions and rent from UK, perhaps she thought I was bludging on a disability pension, or maybe coming from Leeds makes you stroppy? Anyway, I asked her why she likes it in OZ and she said, there are about a thousand, and none of them to do with the weather! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyba Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Hi everyone, those who are thinking about emigrating, those who have done it and those who have gone back to UK. Here's my opinions and feelings so far..... so me, hubby and our 3 children 9,8 and 1 emigrated to the Gold Coast in September last year. We sold our house (big mistake) and we left our jobs and we set off for a "better life down under"! Our lifes in the UK were not bad at all but the normal stuff everyone moans about in Kent where we came from did do our heads in. Like the amount of traffic, rubbish, foreigners and the worry about what it would be like in the future there for our children. We had Australia in our minds and wanted to give it a go rather than have regrets. So we have been here six months. Kids are loving school now but we have been concerned how far behind the UK education system it is here. This we have now decided doesn't matter if the kids stay here and finish all there schooling here it's only a problem if you keep comparing. we have made friends really easily. hubby happy at work but has to do overtime to be able to get by. we have found cost of living really expensive. Especially things like Internet, mobile phones and tv packages. There's just not the choice here and unless you go with Telstra the signal can be non existent! We shop in aldi a lot but can't get everything in there, so quite annoying going to lots of different stores. I really miss my tesco's online shop. You can online shop here with Coles or woolies but it's def more expensive for groceries here. we have bought a house here already as the renting malarkey I just hated! If anyone wants more info on that then inbox me but in reflection we probably should of carried on renting. Soon as you buy you lose rental assist from centrelink and you have to pay water rates as well as water usage and also council rates. So a big difference it ends up being between renting and buying. plus the upkeep of house. Lots to consider there. We decided to buy to see if that helped us feel more settled. The weather! Well sept, October and November were perfect. But since December it has rained ALOT and been very hot and humid. This weekend has been rubbish as it's just rained the whole weekend and we find ourselves with less to do here than in the UK. As when it rain it's torrential not just drizzle. Im actually missing the seasons already! Never thought I'd say that. I'm also missing our sun holidays staying in different parts of the UK at caravan parks. I'm missing lots about the UK that I totally took for granted whilst there. Especially how close everything was as here we are totally reliant on cars. we have had visitors already. My brother and then my cousins which was lovely but hated the goodbyes. We have my in laws coming in June for three weeks which we can't wait for and then my parents coming at Christmas. I hate the bugs here! Especially the Mozzies, the flies and don't get me started on the huntsman spiders! I've also had the worst luck and had a snake in the garden! I was then ready to get back on a plane! The hardest part of all is having no family support and dealing with the guilt of taking the kids away from there grandparents. Really missing family and friends loads. the beaches here are amazing, the amount of space we love, the many parks for the kids is great and it is a more outdoor lifestyle when the weathers ok. But then again the UK can be just as outdoors but you need to be more prepared I guess. There are lots of sport on offer here for the kids which is good. So so have we done the right thing? You tell me because I'm fed up with constantly thinking is this for us or not? Is this forever? I still can't imagine this being forever. By time our visitors have all been we would of been here 16 months so I'm wondering will I know the answer by then. The worst thing for us now is if we decided to go back and then regret it! The same problems will still be there (mainly too many people living in a small place) or maybe if we tried somewhere diff to kent be interesting to hear if others have had same feelings as me? How have others felt after moving back? The cost of migrating from visas, shipping, flights and setting up here is unreal! I'm just hoping it's all been worth it! be good to hear others opinions take care and happy easter Kellie Very good and honest posts just one quick question on the part above, how did you get rent assist? I didn't think you could get help of any type of benefit until you had been in the country for more than 2 years? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Very good and honest posts just one quick question on the part above, how did you get rent assist? I didn't think you could get help of any type of benefit until you had been in the country for more than 2 years? If you are on a PR visa and not earning mega bucks you can claim Family Assistance, Child Care assistance and Rent assistance. It is the unemployment type benefits you are exempt from. Hope this helps Cal x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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