Why We're going

[ali]

Loved the read - thank you. Whilst having kids gives an extra dimension to think about, having migrated having turned 40 with 2 children that didn't stop us one bit in giving it a go and carving out a new life for ourselves. So whilst it might seem 'easier' without children .. it can still be very successful with them.

 

Good luck with the move and enjoy the adventure.

[Guest]

:mask: Ahem, just a quiet reminder to not take this off topic further please. Our of respect for the OP and their original post.

 

Feel free to drop someone a PM if you want to discuss a TV show or other things a bit more. Or start a new thread of your own.

 

Thanks in advance.

[MARYROSE02]

OK that's your opinion of Melbourne weather. That's fine. Inland Australia definitely has four distinct seasons. Areas inland from Sydney eg Blue Mountains, Bowral, Mount Wilson and towns like Armidale. Not sure about Queensland. For sure here in Tasmania and we also have snow.

I don't really care about seasons any more. Summer in Sydney could run from now to the end of March given it is mostly warm and sunny now. Autumn April to May. Winter June to Aug, spring Sept Oct. With a few variations. Flowers bloom at odd times, Bright orange in winter, crimson in Autumn - bougainvillea maybe?

 

It can have similar variations in UK though I'd never swim all year round the way I do here late May to late September at best.

[Jessica Berry]

Go for it! We were in a similar situation, no kids, late 20's and early thirties, OH had a good well paid job with very generous terms and conditions, we had a very small mortgage but there were many elements of the UK that frustrated us and we felt living in Australia would offer a more balanced life. We sold up lock, stock and barrel and came over with just suitcases and holdalls containing clothes, shoes, a laptop and not much else, with nowhere to live and no jobs to come to. The one thing we did come with is the attitude that we would give it our best shot and get stuck in with building a new life. Personally, and this is only my opinion, but you can read posts or meet new arrivals and we can tell most of the time whether they will last/make a go of it - I think peoples attitude, expectations and approach makes a big difference.

[Bungo]

Thanks all, yeah I realise not having kids and a mortgage automatically removes what would be two significant factors in our decision. We plan on making all that happen for us once we've actually settled there!

 

I also appreciate the irony in making such a big deal about the changeable weather and then planning to emigrate to Melbourne initially of all the cities. I did live in Melbourne in the summer of 2010 and winter of 2013 though and the harshest winter day we experienced was akin to a bad rainy and windy day that we get all the time in Autumn here.

 

Wozzie I can completely relate to the situation with your pet, our dog was ill and we knew it would be too treacherous to try to arrange travel, she passed in MAY and I remember thinking whilst my own brother was in the room 'Well there's definitely nothing keeping me here now'

 

A lot of my work mates and family members have said things to me like 'I just don't understand, Scotland has absolutely everything any one cold ever want whatever their taste' it's actually a really common attitude I encounter and that may very well be true and certainly is for a lot of my friends but somehow ever since I first visited Australia I've known it's not for me.

 

I must admit I chuckled when I read your thoughts on the weather and decided not to comment in my earlier post, but I thought "he will learn". I am afraid Aussie weather is every bit as unpredictable as UK weather in my opinion. I generally prefer the warmer climate of Australia but I did find planning ahead a bit more of a risk as you never know when torrential rainfall will occur and that really will keep you inside, not like UK drizzle, equally you cannot predict in advance when the weekend of 40c will occur (obviously you know roughly what time of year it might occur) but for planning activities in advance, nope.

 

As for friends and colleagues, well good for them that they have already found what makes them content and happy. Some of us have a wanderlust, some don't.

[jumpingjellybean]

Nonsense. I've been living in Melbourne for over 3 years (a city the locals claim has 4 seasons in a day) but am yet to see a snowflake. Yes, for part of the year the weather is decidedly Autumnal (i.e. cold, wet and windy) but this turns to spring (intermittent showers and sunshine) before getting anything close to winter (snow and ice).

 

It is not nonsense at all!

 

I suggest you re-read my post, particularly this part: "it still occurs in many areas"

 

I didn't mention Melbourne at all!

 

I have lived in Victoria, NSW, Northern Territory and Queensland and have now been here permanently for over 20 years now. And in MANY (that word again) areas you can see the seasons occur.

 

Take Mount Wilson in The Blue Mountains. Looks like an English country village. In spring all the buds come out, in summer it is warm (but not stinking hot due to tree canopys), in autumn all the leaves change a lovely shade of brown and red, and in winter it often snows there.

[starlight7]

Of course there are 4 seasons in Melbourne but you do get, within each season, different days. Like a really warm day in the middle of Winter or a really cold day in Summer. Spring and Autumn are the best seasons here ,Summer often being very hot and dry and Winter quite chilly and sometimes a slight frost.

[LochStock]

I'm really appreciating the diversity of the feedback here, though I think I may have failed to properly explain the issue with the weather when we talk about the seasons. Now again my experience is relative to growing up in the central belt of Scotland, I won't tar all of Britain with the same brush but I would be willing to bet money it's very similar for all the country, especially in the North of England.

 

The best way to explain it would be to a story from a friend of mine I recently had the pleasure of performing on stage with. She is from Canada and is a violinist in the Irish orchestra and Scottish Opera. To paraphrase her "I've grown up in Canada, studied my music degree in San Francisco, lived in Beijing for 6 months, London for a year, Dublin for 6 months and now Scotland for a year. I cannot stand your weather, At least in Canada we have four seasons, and yes it's freezing cold in Winter but we have great summers it can be sunny for weeks at a time with some downpours, San Francisco was always sunny 'cos it's California but you want to know what the problem is with Britain and Ireland? It's almost always wet, so what if it's technically your summer? The sun is rarely warm enough to completely dry up the ground from whenever the last day when it really poured down, it's also never sunny for more then 2-3 days at a time, oh sure you might get lucky with one week one particular year where it's a week straight of sun, but by and large it's just always wet here. There's not so much four seasons as there are the months where the flowers bud and bloom and it's raining, the sun comes out and warms you and the flowers and trees are in full bloom and it's raining, the leaves fall off the trees and it's raining and then it's raining more, then there's a bit of snow, and it rains more and turns it into horrible slush.

 

In winter in Canada we can wrap up against the snow and the cold and the blizzard but you get where you're going and you can take your heavy coat off and be fine, in Britain and Ireland it's likely your same heavy coat is soaked through and will be nowhere near dry enough by the time you have to go back out. I think I'd want to live somewhere where there can be four distinct seasons, where maybe it is rainy and windy and cold in Winter but in summer we actually do get really hot, nice warm sun for more than 2 days in a row! In Scotland people were acting like it was such a big deal and people were losing their minds that the sun was out and the temperature was 17, 19, 18, 20 degrees over 4 days this year. That's maybe a result if that's all you've known but that's plain awful, I can endure harsh winters if I know that the summer is going to bring temperatures consistently into the 20's for several days at a time"

 

She was really on a rant by this point and probably feeling a little homesick being a touring classical musician, but she was spot on. When I'm talking about wanting to experience better weather and climate I'm happy to accept four clear distinct seasons but I absolutely hate that summer here is really only just the months July to September, where the sun occasionally comes out, and occasionally gives you a roasting hot day but for the most part, just like spring and Autumn here, it's constantly wet, and muddy, and miserable, making it hard to enjoy outdoor pursuits. I want to experience a summer where the amount of hot and dry days vastly outnumber the soaking wet ones. I know it's possible because I experienced it for myself and I regularly Skype with my relatives in Melbourne who tell me what it's like year on year.

 

I don't think there's really an argument that, unpredictable as Australian weather may be, and as rainy as it could get, spring and summer over there are consistently warmer and drier for longer than they are over here. That's really what I want from it.

[movingback]

I get your desire to move for the weather. I really do. It was the main motivating factor for me. However, after living here, I've found that it doesn't really matter that much. I miss so many more things about the UK. Weather is immaterial and a 'superficial' thing to me. Culture, people, etc have more depth and I've realised much more meaning to me than the blue sky. It has taken moving and living here for 4 years for me to realise this. By all means make the move, but please come back in 4 years and reflect on this post and give us all an update.

[Quoll]

Can't believe anyone would move for the weather! The U.K weather - for me - knocks spots off the Aussie! I loathed lying sweating in bed on hot nights, lurching from air conditioned car to air conditioned environment or sitting inside with curtains and Windows drawn to keep the heat out all summer - yuk! And freezing in a flimsy house all winter no matter how well insulated. In 4 yrs here I can count on the fingers of one hand how many times the weather has stopped me doing what I wanted. You can dress for weather here but no undressing for an Aus summer would be enough!

 

Go for an adventure by all means but the weather???? LOL

[bristolman]

I'm another that can't understand selling up and moving half way around the world for the weather but I suppose I understand more as in Scotland even your good weather can be crap lol. As has been said Australia's weather can be unpredictable and horrible. By all means make the move and I wish you luck but do it for more reason than the weather.

[Guest]

I'm another that can't understand selling up and moving half way around the world for the weather but I suppose I understand more as in Scotland even your good weather can be crap lol. As has been said Australia's weather can be unpredictable and horrible. By all means make the move and I wish you luck but do it for more reason than the weather.

 

The better food? :tongue:

[bristolman]

The better food? :tongue:

 

Better than Scotland, yes I will give you that.

[Guest]

Don't know about that my best eating in UK this summer was in Scotland.

[Gbye grey sky]

Can't believe anyone would move for the weather! The U.K weather - for me - knocks spots off the Aussie! I loathed lying sweating in bed on hot nights, lurching from air conditioned car to air conditioned environment or sitting inside with curtains and Windows drawn to keep the heat out all summer - yuk! And freezing in a flimsy house all winter no matter how well insulated. In 4 yrs here I can count on the fingers of one hand how many times the weather has stopped me doing what I wanted. You can dress for weather here but no undressing for an Aus summer would be enough!

 

Go for an adventure by all means but the weather???? LOL

 

The Queenslan climate compared with England is the major draw card for me. I have lived in England for 54 years and would describe the UK climate as primarily damp, chilly, grey (often windy) most of the year and certainly from mid October to mid-March. I am well acquainted with many who thrive in this climate but cannot understand the lack of empathy from those that do with those that do not.

[LochStock]

I think I mentioned in my original post there are plenty more reasons for my wanting to leave than just the weather, it's just the last couple of posts really focused on that and I wanted to be able to elaborate on that particular factor as it pertains to my growing up in Jockistan.

 

Also I'm more than happy to accept some people don't see it as such a big deal likewise there's plenty of posts that mention things that are too much to ignore such as family and cosying up to a fire and Christmas times, seem really alien to me, and I have to try hard to empathise because I just don't have those close family ties a lot of people really rely on and find such a valuable asset to life. I've just plain never had that. Not a sob story by any means just offering an explanation as to how we can all view the world so differently.

 

For example, not a trolling comment here in case it comes across that way because it's a polar opposite opinion that you may think I'm stating just for arguments sake, but for my views, that post about sweating loads and relying on air conditioning sounds amazing. Getting up at 6 am every day for the gym is getting difficult now the freezing mornings are starting to happen up here.

[Guest]

I get your desire to move for the weather. I really do. It was the main motivating factor for me. However, after living here, I've found that it doesn't really matter that much. I miss so many more things about the UK. Weather is immaterial and a 'superficial' thing to me. Culture, people, etc have more depth and I've realised much more meaning to me than the blue sky. It has taken moving and living here for 4 years for me to realise this. By all means make the move, but please come back in 4 years and reflect on this post and give us all an update.

 

I couldn't agree more, we left the Central Belt of Scotland and the weather was a motivating factor, we are very outdoorsy and did feel we'd be able to do more in Perth but the reverse was absolutely true. I would never ever argue the weather in Scotland is better but I was surprised how restricting the weather was in Australia - the heat can be unbearable, the wind totally took me by surprise (I guess I didn't research that one!), and when it rains wow does it rain, not to mention the hail.

 

We didn't move back because we didn't like the weather though, it was about the culture and we were in Perth which is very different from Melbourne - we went to the cinema in the CBD and it finished at 7pm, we expected to have a meal afterwards and the only place open was McDonald's, you could practically see the tumbleweed - that was 2008 though and I'll acknowledge by the time we left in 2013 it had improved.

 

I have been to Melbourne on business though and in terms of great cities I would put it way below Glasgow but everyone is looking for something different and with few responsibilities life is very different to the middle-aged parents we were when we migrated. We needed a family home and the price of housing meant door to door an hours trip to the CBD and I've never been a fan of suburbia.

 

The lack of cheap travel opportunities was a factor for us, the first few years is fine because we were happy to explore our new home country but bordom soon set in and it was compounded by wanted to visit my elderly parents in the UK each year which ate up our budget and annual leave. I have nothing against Australia but decided I'd rather live in the UK and holiday in Australia than vice versa.

 

You have obviously put much thought into your move and as you can see from the responses everyone's perception of the UK and Australia is different, so long as you go with an open mind and experience it for what it is rather than your preconceived ideas then there is a good chance of making a good life there - good luck!

[Bungo]

I think I mentioned in my original post there are plenty more reasons for my wanting to leave than just the weather, it's just the last couple of posts really focused on that and I wanted to be able to elaborate on that particular factor as it pertains to my growing up in Jockistan.

 

Also I'm more than happy to accept some people don't see it as such a big deal likewise there's plenty of posts that mention things that are too much to ignore such as family and cosying up to a fire and Christmas times, seem really alien to me, and I have to try hard to empathise because I just don't have those close family ties a lot of people really rely on and find such a valuable asset to life. I've just plain never had that. Not a sob story by any means just offering an explanation as to how we can all view the world so differently.

 

For example, not a trolling comment here in case it comes across that way because it's a polar opposite opinion that you may think I'm stating just for arguments sake, but for my views, that post about sweating loads and relying on air conditioning sounds amazing. Getting up at 6 am every day for the gym is getting difficult now the freezing mornings are starting to happen up here.

 

The Australian weather is a plus for me too, no doubt about that. I prefer to be warm, I prefer not to have snow, I prefer a mild winter. But you had said something about weather predictability earlier and I am 100pc adamant that Australian weather is a) no more predictable than the UK weather and b) more extreme than UK weather and so more likely to scupper plans made a long time ago due to excessive rain or heat.

 

I found I was far more nervous about making plans in advance in Australia because you just don't know how the weather will go. I find I do heaps more outside in the UK now because the weather is just milder. But I still prefer the Australian climate overall.

[jumpingjellybean]

In Scotland people were acting like it was such a big deal and people were losing their minds that the sun was out and the temperature was 17, 19, 18, 20 degrees over 4 days this year.

 

:laugh:

 

I remember growing up in the UK, when even the slightest bit of sun would have everyone running outside, smothering butter or baby oil over themselves.......trying to catch a few rays.

[jumpingjellybean]

LochStock

 

 

Of course nothing is guaranteed in life.

 

From living here for over 20 years now very happily and contented, from ex-pats I have met personally and from reading these types of forums over the years, I am going to give you my view.

 

I am sure many on here would violently disagree with me and that is fine. I am only offering you advice from my perspective.

 

This is a long post sorry – sorry not my intention to hijack yours.

 

I think you have a fighting chance here of being successful long term given that you have been several times before – once on a WHV and once on holiday. And you seem to have a positive upbeat go-get attitude that should see you through any tight spots.

 

In fact, you sound a lot like how I was 25 years ago, and I am still very happy living in this gorgeous country 20 plus years down the line. I have never had any inclination or desire to return to the UK. Maybe I might in the future; who knows since nothing is guaranteed in this life.

 

Before migrating, I had spent a year traveling around Australia on a WHV and fell in love with the country at that point. I then came back for a three month holiday a few years later. So when I migrated here I knew what to expect. The day I got my resident visa was the happiest day of my life as every fibre of my being wanted to live here and I was in awe of several aspects – you sound pretty in awe too which is a good first step.

 

 

For me I fell in love with the vast contrasting scenery (the cities, outback, rainforests, deserts, coastline, beaches, river crossings, national parks and sunsets), also the animals and people. The easy going attitudes, the laid-back lifestyle, the sense of freedom (I came from a conservative town with small minded attitudes), the fresh healthy food, the late night al fresco dining, the hot weather which I thrive in. I just loved everything about it because it was so different to what I had grown up with. You are sounding the same.

 

 

It seems many people who return to the UK (key word here is many - and not all) may do so because they had preconceived ideas of what the place would be like and they thought they would have a better life over here. But often whatever problems you had in the UK are only magnified here.

 

The grass is not always greener (…was for me though!)

 

 

Many people migrate here without actually ever been here prior, which I find amazing. Not sure if I consider it brave or foolish. And coming over for a two week holiday then making your life’s decision is ballsy. There is a lot of difference between a two week holiday and living here permanently. But again, you came here on a longer WHV and therefore should hopefully be more aware of what it will be like long term.

 

Places like Sydney, Perth and Darwin get HOT and can be very humid. So if you are into outdoor activities like hiking, they are probably not the best choice to live in. If you like rain then it makes sense to avoid living in the desert, and so on. It may not sound like much, but the weather does have a big impact on people’s emotions and happiness.

 

It is NOT all sunny days like they show on Skippy, Neighbours or Home & Away, which when I was growing up these were the main contact that many in the UK had with Australia. I met a new arrival a few months ago who was seriously complaining about how cold it was. My reply was it is the middle of winter and it is snowing in the Blue Mountains, what do you expect? Well it seems like they expected the sun shining every day and they are already talking about returning to the UK. At least with your prior WHV, you should know that the weather (like the UK) is variable.

 

 

Very occasionally I may think how nice it would be to have a white Christmas again. But then coming to my senses I remember that a white Christmas is not guaranteed in the UK either. I really only remember a couple of white ones with snow falling. The rest of the time it was cold, wet or the snow had melted and left slush. And far from roasting chestnuts around an open fire, we were more like shivering with cold because the pipes had frozen. So when you get over here and start romancing the UK; just remember the reality of what it was often like.

 

So another factor in returning seems to be this constant comparing between weather, exchange rates, prices and products (i.e.) people are complaining that things are cheaper in the UK or they have better gravy in the UK and so on. So to assist you in making a better transition you need to forget the UK. Prices and products are what they are here and the quicker you embrace it and accept it; the better off you will be.

 

But the biggest factor for returning to the UK seems to be in relation to missing family and friends. So how close to family in Scotland are you? I have a big family in the UK, but we are a pretty independent family and don’t live in each others pockets. Therefore I don’t miss them at all. Many people migrating are leaving elderly parents behind and that is always a factor for returning.

 

 

Can you see yourself in any of these scenarios?

 

From reading your original post, again you sound like you don’t use rose coloured glasses and you are fully aware of what to expect. You sound very excited and that is the best way to approach it.

[MARYROSE02]

I think I mentioned in my original post there are plenty more reasons for my wanting to leave than just the weather, it's just the last couple of posts really focused on that and I wanted to be able to elaborate on that particular factor as it pertains to my growing up in Jockistan.

 

Also I'm more than happy to accept some people don't see it as such a big deal likewise there's plenty of posts that mention things that are too much to ignore such as family and cosying up to a fire and Christmas times, seem really alien to me, and I have to try hard to empathise because I just don't have those close family ties a lot of people really rely on and find such a valuable asset to life. I've just plain never had that. Not a sob story by any means just offering an explanation as to how we can all view the world so differently.

 

For example, not a trolling comment here in case it comes across that way because it's a polar opposite opinion that you may think I'm stating just for arguments sake, but for my views, that post about sweating loads and relying on air conditioning sounds amazing. Getting up at 6 am every day for the gym is getting difficult now the freezing mornings are starting to happen up here.

Standing outside the Strawberry Hills last Sunday morning after the England v Australia game, I was talking to a young Scottish guy whilst he waited for his Uber cab. Naturally I started talking about Scottish bands and he was surprised when I told him I loved Altered Images.

 

I asked him what he liked about Sydney and he looked at me as if I was insane. "You don't know how wonderful it is to wake up in the morning and know the sun is going to be shining."

 

I don't know if it's easier to migrate on your own or with a family, though as I know that from a bloke's point of view, they are usually healthier with a partner, I'm thinking it's like having a support team with you.

 

Frankly, looking back. I should never have left home, not because I do not like Australia, but because at 24 I had zero life skills "24 going on 18" and now I'm 61 going on 18!"

 

Talking to some of the young Pommie guys last night in the Trinity Bar, I could see how they'd created new social networks and adapted to a new country. (None of them have any desire to go "Home.'

 

They'd all been to see Sydney in their first game of the A League season. One told me he started going as soon as he arrived five years ago, probably to maintain his weekend "going to the footie" ritual. Some of them go to NRL or AFL and get more info the Aussie life that way. I love football but prefer to go to the beach in the arvo and evenings. That guy was playing cricket today so I could see how he fills his weekends and builds his social networks. One of the other guys did it by joining a squash club.

 

I built my own network by "pushing" myself to talk to people in cafes and pubs and shops. I have coffee some days with "Margot" an elderly lady I got talking to one day in one of my local cafes. I know the names of most of the staff in the cafes and pubs I frequent.

 

25 years ago, living in this same flat I was intensely lonely on Sundays and I'd go for walks and not see a soul I knew.

 

I don't know if it's harder to migrate now. The sense of incredible distance from home has diminished with Skype and the internet. When I came, there was just the phone and "snail mail." I used to go to the main PO in Martin Place on Sunday nights to book a call to my parents in 1978.

 

A generation earlier. It took six weeks by ship, and the first emigrants were, what, three months, or six months away from Britain.

 

The Ten Pound Poms had to commit to two years here or pay their fares back to the government. And when they arrived expecting "Paradise " they were housed in Nissan huts in old army camps and the like? (Commonwealth hostels?) it might have been easier to get a job, but not much else. I spent my first year in a far from home from home private hotel.

 

It can't have been that easy to find accommodation if they had to live in those hostels for months?

 

Of the million or so Ten Pound Poms many of whom did do it tough, nevertheless three quarters of them stayed permanently, and half of the quarter who went home came back again to OZ. And those kind of figures have largely been replicated ever since.

 

If someone like me can survive and thrive, anybody can!

[speakeasy]

All I can say is that I grew up in Australia, lived in the UK for 8 years in my twenties and Australia is better. I say that with eyes wide open. Just come here and take it all in. If you have something to contribute and are passionate about living here, you will succeed. All the best.

[Que Sera Sera]

Sounds like you've got the exact right frame of mind to make a success and that goes a long way. I know it was an itch we had to scratch and we are very glad we did.

 

I'm not the sort of person to play down the weather I'm afraid it was a major pull for us, well me

in particular. I'm out in it working in all weathers and its Never been too extreme for me.

 

Good luck on your journey, sounds to me like you're going to enjoy the ride whatever the outcome.

[JockinTas]

You seem to know what to expect here Lochstock and I wish you all the very best. I'm from Scotland too and probably would never have come to Australia but I married an Australian. I've had a happy time here. As everybody has already told you, the weather here can be fairly extreme but even I got fed up of the damp weather in the UK. Have to admit I don't like very hot weather either and really dislike humidity. However, we live in Tasmania now which suits us really well.

 

Good luck! :smile:

[Guest]

I think I mentioned in my original post there are plenty more reasons for my wanting to leave than just the weather, it's just the last couple of posts really focused on that and I wanted to be able to elaborate on that particular factor as it pertains to my growing up in Jockistan.

 

Also I'm more than happy to accept some people don't see it as such a big deal likewise there's plenty of posts that mention things that are too much to ignore such as family and cosying up to a fire and Christmas times, seem really alien to me, and I have to try hard to empathise because I just don't have those close family ties a lot of people really rely on and find such a valuable asset to life. I've just plain never had that. Not a sob story by any means just offering an explanation as to how we can all view the world so differently.

 

For example, not a trolling comment here in case it comes across that way because it's a polar opposite opinion that you may think I'm stating just for arguments sake, but for my views, that post about sweating loads and relying on air conditioning sounds amazing. Getting up at 6 am every day for the gym is getting difficult now the freezing mornings are starting to happen up here.

 

I think your reasons to move are important to you. And as I said, so long as you can justify them, that is all that matters.

 

I come from a not so close sprawled out family. We don't live in each others pockets or anything. I can appreciate how you feel. I cope really well with being away from them for long extended periods and its not leaving me upset or missing them terribly. I do accept though that at some point in the future, even many years from now something might kick in in me and I may miss them or aspects of my life back in England and so on. I don't ever think it won't or can't happen, I don't dwell on it but I am aware that how I feel now might not be how I feel further down the road.

 

I do agree about the weather from some too :cute: (its a big deal to those in the UK and here lol) I've known sporting events here cancelled as the temp is too high, even at 6-7pm in the evening. Its horrible to be out in, breathing in hot 38C air into your lungs and they won't risk peoples health so cancel the events. I guess in the UK its the cold or rain cancels events, here it can be the heat (but also the torrential rain on occasion). Hubby is much happier being back in Aus for his sport though still. He loves the cycling round here in Adelaide (Melbourne would be a bad place to be for him as its many km's out of the city and metropolitan area before you even get to hills and rural roads). He is up in the hills and open country roads within minutes and can cycle for miles. It was a crappy long wet cold English winter did for him and had us moving back here.

 

In short, we have adapted and don't play sport in the middle of a hot summers day or when the UV is at its highest. We do mornings earlier on or later in the afternoons and evenings, provided its not stupid hot out there still. We had a run of about 12 days over 40C a couple of summers ago. One air con unit in the house in the living room. I was miserable. Miserable :sad:. Our house we bought, has working air con in all the living spaces :yes: I do get up some mornings at 6am to get out with the dog before the heat kicks back in. But those days it can still be the other side of 30C at that time here. A cool shower when I get home is always in order lol.

 

Heh, the weather is a hot topic here or there. Can't be helped :laugh:

 

I honestly think all your reasons to move here are fine. Its what you want to do and I said already you should go for it and just enjoy the adventure. You are a couple with no real strings, enjoy and hopefully build a life in Aus for the long term