t4top Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Hello Everyone, I was a regular visitor to this forum when we were preparing to emigrate to Australia just over three years ago. I haven't posted anything since we arrived here but today I just decide to visit the site again to read about peoples experiences of moving to Australia and also share our own experience so far of living here in Perth. We decided to relocate to Australia after many years of proscastination. We weren't sure at the time and thought it was a big gamble to leave our jobs, family and friends and move to a place where we had never visited before. Anyway, we summoned the courage and moved in December 2011 after my wife and I both had job offers in Australia. We arrived here on 1st january 2012 and my first impression was this place is so small. I mean we were out of the airport in about 15 minutes! Have we made a big mistake!!! All the fears quickly evaporate after a couple of days. We bought two cars as we both needed to commute to work, secured a rental accomondation and everything else started to fall into place. My eldest daughter who was in the middle of her A/Level in the UK before we relocated got an admission to two different Universities but she had to do a six month programme prio to her degree to make up for the rest of her A?Level that she didn't finish. Our other chuldren quickly settled at school but the younger one found it hard to start with because she wasn't happy that she was put back a year. I have found that the key to settle down quickly is to try and make friends and occupy yourself by going out to where you can meet people. I have found the Aussies to be very friendly and welcoming. We have met a lot of people through church and by going swimming regularly at state swim schools. I can honestly say that our lifesyle is better here than it was in the U.K. We do go out a lot now. We are regularly been invited to parties and barbies than we ever were in England. We are really loving it here. There were times in the first year that I wanted to go back but my wife and the kids said no way so I had no option but to give it a good go. I am glad I did because now I am very happy here. I can understand people that have come and want to go back. You do have this feeling at times but gradually most people get over it. We managed to buy a plot of land by the end of our first year here and have since built and moved into our own house. My eldest daughter will complete her BSc Nursing degree in December and our other two children are doing well in school. Our neigbours, who are all Aussies, are very nice to us. Infact, we know almost everybody that live in our street and they stop and talk to us all the time. It wasn't like that at all where we lived in London. We are now looking forward to becoming Aussie citizens in January and visit England not only as British but as Aussies as well. We think that this country as been kind to us and I cannot thank the people and the country enough for the opportunities they have given us. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birch4 Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Hi there, wow! what a positive post! It is great to read positive posts on here when we are in the UK. We are just starting out on this journey and I do have moments where I think there is so much to do and wobble :twitcy: We are a family of three we have one son. We are simply looking for new experiences and the new opportunities to work and do some travelling in Australia. We have a good life here in Scotland and we are not looking to replace that. Thanks for sharing your experience of Australia so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Really pleased to read your post as it confirms my own belief that if you integrate and embrace what your new country offers (rather than try to recreate the UK, but with sunshine) then you settle in and find happiness. Thanks for sharing that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jac2011 Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 What a great post! I think the aspect that has made it work for you guys appears to be your attitude to 'lets make this work', You accept it wasn't always easy but you branched out, made friends and changed your outlook on life. I am hoping that I am just as positive and able to make a similar transition when I move, but I know it's not always easy. Great post and I wish you and your family well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t4top Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 What a great post! I think the aspect that has made it work for you guys appears to be your attitude to 'lets make this work', You accept it wasn't always easy but you branched out, made friends and changed your outlook on life. I am hoping that I am just as positive and able to make a similar transition when I move, but I know it's not always easy. Great post and I wish you and your family well! Thanks everybody for all the positive response to my post. Australia is a very beautiful country. I sometimes pinch myself to believe that I live in a country like this! I haven't been to the East Coast yet but we are going on holiday to the Gold Coast in July. However, the places that we have visited in WA like Rotnest Island, Bumbury, Busselton and Margereth River are very nice places with some of the best beaches in the world. More like the Caribbean with white sandy beaches and crystal clear water for miles. They are just so beautiful I wish all those who are in the process of coming over the best of luck and hope you find your own perfect place to settle in Aus. Do your research properly before you come and come with a positive attitude. The country is very welcoming and the people are very friendly. The saying here is "No worries" and that shows how laid back the people are. They tend to live life to the full and if you can relax and make a bit of effort you will enjoy the place. We are enjoying it here and we are also very grateful to the people and the Country. Wish you all the best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomasvo Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Very good to hear all that I myself am moving to Sydney in a few months time, I obtained my PR in february, finishing up work here before I go. Even though I have already lived in Australia for 2 years on a WHV, I am still scared of course, but posts like this take that fear away (for a while) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Hello Everyone, I was a regular visitor to this forum when we were preparing to emigrate to Australia just over three years ago. I haven't posted anything since we arrived here but today I just decide to visit the site again to read about peoples experiences of moving to Australia and also share our own experience so far of living here in Perth. We decided to relocate to Australia after many years of proscastination. We weren't sure at the time and thought it was a big gamble to leave our jobs, family and friends and move to a place where we had never visited before. Anyway, we summoned the courage and moved in December 2011 after my wife and I both had job offers in Australia. We arrived here on 1st january 2012 and my first impression was this place is so small. I mean we were out of the airport in about 15 minutes! Have we made a big mistake!!! All the fears quickly evaporate after a couple of days. We bought two cars as we both needed to commute to work, secured a rental accomondation and everything else started to fall into place. My eldest daughter who was in the middle of her A/Level in the UK before we relocated got an admission to two different Universities but she had to do a six month programme prio to her degree to make up for the rest of her A?Level that she didn't finish. Our other chuldren quickly settled at school but the younger one found it hard to start with because she wasn't happy that she was put back a year. I have found that the key to settle down quickly is to try and make friends and occupy yourself by going out to where you can meet people. I have found the Aussies to be very friendly and welcoming. We have met a lot of people through church and by going swimming regularly at state swim schools. I can honestly say that our lifesyle is better here than it was in the U.K. We do go out a lot now. We are regularly been invited to parties and barbies than we ever were in England. We are really loving it here. There were times in the first year that I wanted to go back but my wife and the kids said no way so I had no option but to give it a good go. I am glad I did because now I am very happy here. I can understand people that have come and want to go back. You do have this feeling at times but gradually most people get over it. We managed to buy a plot of land by the end of our first year here and have since built and moved into our own house. My eldest daughter will complete her BSc Nursing degree in December and our other two children are doing well in school. Our neigbours, who are all Aussies, are very nice to us. Infact, we know almost everybody that live in our street and they stop and talk to us all the time. It wasn't like that at all where we lived in London. We are now looking forward to becoming Aussie citizens in January and visit England not only as British but as Aussies as well. We think that this country as been kind to us and I cannot thank the people and the country enough for the opportunities they have given us. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie............. Thank goodness for this positive post! After reading a couple of the other threads from miserable, unhappy migrants I was beginning to think I wasn't living in the same country as them :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlas Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Great post, thank you form sharing. Lovely to hear that you and your family have settled in so well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Thank goodness for this positive post! After reading a couple of the other threads from miserable, unhappy migrants I was beginning to think I wasn't living in the same country as them :wink: None of us live in the same country as them! They live in a bubble, or rather a 'prison' into which they sentenced themselves, 'for the term of their (un)natural lives.' I was scared before I came to Australia, in 1978, put off by the endless horror stories the uncouth blokes I worked with in England told me about Australia. I was watching 'Kerry Packer's War' the other night with my brother, which we both really enjoyed (Aussie TV drama has come a long way since the rubbish like 'Bodyline), but I was thinking how Kerry Packer and the major Aussie cricketers were portrayed, and just how they all fitted the Aussie stereotypes - hard drinking, hard living, rather brutal blokes, who, to a man, hated 'us.' But if you want to see the 'real' Aussie cricketers, and in fact, the 'real' Aussie, you only have to look at the reaction to both Phil Hughes and Richie Benauds' deaths. Are they really boorish, brutal, hard men incapable of showing the 'nice' human traits? To anybody in 'Blighty' thinking about coming to Australia, and put off by the handful of horror stories which you keep reading on PIO, imagine you are given a 'twelve-sided dice' and instead of numbers it has eleven 'Happy in OZ' and one 'Unhappy in OZ', and then think of the odds of it coming up 'Unhappy in OZ' each time you throw the dice. Go figure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ac123 Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Thank you for taking the time out to post something so positive. It always seems like the doom merchants are the only ones that take time to put pen to paper. it looks to me like your positive attitude to life has got you going in leaps and bounds. Thank you again and god bless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirkyG Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I too have had a similar experience. My family and I have been here since Sept 2011 and already had many positive experiences and made friends for life. My recommendations for a positive experience are 1. Go to the local bowlo regularly 2. Join a vets sports team in some capacity 3. Embrace the local community 4. Attend as many of the kids parents get togethers as you can 5. Go to the local bowlo regularly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 I too have had a similar experience. My family and I have been here since Sept 2011 and already had many positive experiences and made friends for life. My recommendations for a positive experience are 1. Go to the local bowlo regularly 2. Join a vets sports team in some capacity 3. Embrace the local community 4. Attend as many of the kids parents get togethers as you can 5. Go to the local bowlo regularly It doesn't have to be the bowlo BTW, just join in with something. We came out here in 92 and still have to pinch ourselves sometimes, usually when we are sat on the beach, 5 mins from where we live and it looks like the shots you see on the adverts showing "the next dream holiday destination".:yes: Since we've been here we've joined the local surf club, I played squash for years, the kids have joined the surf club, AFL auskick, swim clubs, soccer, gym. I've been their coach at AFL, surf club and loved every minute of it. It's how you fit in, meet people and make the most of it. Still love it just as much as when we first came.:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Fancy some bowls now and maybe a schooner or two... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adele244 Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 What a lovely positive post! The first thing we will want to do when we get there (eventually) is to join a church. To have a church family is wonderful thing - I just hope they are as friendly and loyal as they are here. Obviously joining in as many other activities as possible will usually lead to making friends. I am so happy for you and long may it continue :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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