What was the main reason for moving back to UK?

[speakeasy]

Most people admire the beach to different degrees. As with the temperature really.

[janlo]

Sports and Leisure Centres! Each council has about 6 or 7 each. Unrestricted access to sports actives no matter the weather.

 

Come on Australia.....we don't all like playing netball in 80 degrees.

[VERYSTORMY]

This weekend here in Windsor it is cold, grey, and drizzling. Wonderful. We will be spending tomorrow walking the dog through the great park without boiling and sweating and begging for an air con and worrying if the dog is too hot / getting too much sun.

[Patphillips47]

This weekend here in Windsor it is cold, grey, and drizzling. Wonderful. We will be spending tomorrow walking the dog through the great park without boiling and sweating and begging for an air con and worrying if the dog is too hot / getting too much sun.

Always said it's easier to get warmed up than cool down Enjoy the walk crocus ,snowdrops ,daffodils all popping up in our garden

[Johnny]

This weekend here in Windsor it is cold, grey, and drizzling. Wonderful. We will be spending tomorrow walking the dog through the great park without boiling and sweating and begging for an air con and worrying if the dog is too hot / getting too much sun.

 

Yesterday it was a nice day, no wind, overcast but absolutely perfect for me, not hot but not cold either.

 

Next day off, we are heading down to Edinburgh for the day. Before we leave we will drop in to the Isle of Skye in Perth for the £3.99 unlimited buffet brekkie, coffee & toast. Their sausages & potato scones are really something else..

[janlo]

....and the humidity...awful, especially on Sydney's east coast. We do so much more here, using one of the many new cycle paths this afternoon, its a cool Spring day....perfect.

[The Smith Clan]

I would like here from those who are in Aus and have now retired and how they are finding retirement.

 

When I was working I was so busy during the week and on weekends busy with household things life really just went on and I didnt think to much about the UK and never thought about retirement. Now retired and due to reasons I wont go into we are not comfortable financially.

 

This has meant retiring to an area a good couple of hours from a capital city. Hope was to at least get stuck into gardening, but with little rain and poor soil that has not worked. SO, what to do in retirement in Aus if you are not financially able to travel ? Not much to be honest. Not in to lawn bowls, or fishing, or football.

 

Yes could join clubs like Lions, but find Aussies are hard to get close to, they dont seem to understand the british sense of humour or even our work ethic.

 

Everything is so far away you need to have a car, and even then we are starting to realize there is little to do. The heat in summer is oppresive, Love winter but it only last for about 8 weeks here.

Have looked at the cost of going back but with the exchange rate if we sold our house, we would not be able to buy another even close to the standard we have now ( and it is pretty basic) in a rural area, of England .

 

For a long time now I have realized how much I have left behind in the UK, always a castle to visit, a walk around the village and a friendly chat. I cant even put into word the ache I feel knowing I am now stuck here, until I die.

 

For many it works and they love it, all I say is if you are coming over put plans in place so that IF one day you decide it is not for you, then you are able to return.

 

Is there no way you can return, would family not financially support you to move back. There is the option of renting if you could not buy in the UK. You may not get the home you have now but happiness is very important!

[Flake]

That's interesting, I too have lived in Perth, WA for 9 years, and quite honestly it has not been the greatest of experiences to which I have encountered, I won't bore you to death, but the job market is totally my worst nightmare (sort of) as it's the most difficult market to get into, even with reputable organisations which I have worked for, it makes no difference at all, and to be honest, I am done n dusted with all the other stuff too, such as quality or there lack of food, and sooo mega expensive here in Perth, unbelievable, and I am done with this Heat - it just isn't me at all, at 38 degrees today, completely over it, perhaps it's an age thing, but you can't do anything with these temperatures and I find myself having to take 4 Cold showers during these temps, I won't even go into the Mozzy thing, that's just an added wind-up...so to say, I know it all sounds a bit negative, but as you said, you either like it here in Australia or you don't and after 9 years I've just had quite enough thanks, I am very much looking forward to returning to the UK (London) and starting again, with my career as now I have 3 different ones, and a business which I will focus on...and really looking forward to just having quality food over there, even a good curry would help....even those country walks looking at the Rivers and Lakes again and experiencing the weather again, this is the third time I have left the UK and I always want to return....It's just totally different here in Australia, not made too many friends, and the ones I have are English, not sure how that one works,

 

I'm already researching what Car I am going to get for when i do return which will be about three months after my contract finishes, (been out of work for five long months) and that'l do it..

 

 

agreed! Funnily enough the only friends I have made have been English too! If I'm ever lucky enough to make it back to the UK we would have to be in/around London too, never thought I would ever 'want' to live in London but after returning to Aus for the 2nd time, i honestly don't care where we live in the UK I just want to be back.

[Flake]

Yep Sydney winters ideal- shame it's such a short season though.

[Rallyman]

Always said it's easier to get warmed up than cool down Enjoy the walk crocus ,snowdrops ,daffodils all popping up in our garden

 

I honestly don't miss the winters of the U.K. The expression " chilled to the bone " was something I experienced too many times often taking me a couple of hours to get warm again far easier to pop for a swim on way home to cool off

[Johnny]

agreed! Funnily enough the only friends I have made have been English too! ,

 

i honestly don't care where we live in the UK I just want to be back.

 

Same thing here, we had really decent UK neighbours in our street in Perth. There was a definite closeness with all the poms there and I think it annoyed the locals somewhat perhaps more so as it was the poms who owned the nicest houses.

 

You are right in what you say, it doesn't really matter where you live when you come home. Its just that "feeling" of being home and being "part of it all", knowing that you belong here, totally fit in and that are also able to live a much more fuller and more colourful "happening" kind of life and are right in the centre of the world with so much on your doorstep.

 

We used to think UK was "boring" before we migrated, but after coming back home, we have rediscovered the UK through new pairs of eyes, and we think its the best country in the world to live in. We would never want to live anywhere else.

[Wa7]

We are at the stage of deciding if we should commit to applying for our visas? This site has been great for information but also has highlighted things we need to consider seriously, the initial thought of moving to Oz seems to trigger excitement and the thought of a warmer climate but we also need to be realistic.

 

 

What made you decide to move back to the UK?

 

Appreciate any response?

 

I personally am considering heading back to uk simply because of lack of social life / boredom. Even tho I didn't come here to make friends ( I have tons of them in uk ) I didn't foresee that losing all that or not being able to replace them in a small way would impact the decision, so if you have a really good social life this could be an issue but I would still of done it being I was 30 when came to Aus but 8 yrs later it is now an issue but in general it was a good decision to come but probably not forever.

[Marisawright]

agreed! Funnily enough the only friends I have made have been English too!

 

 

I don't find that odd at all. It's something that doesn't occur to you until you move countries - but the reality is that most people make their best friends at school, college or university. Another group of friends may result from mothers' groups when young children arrive - but after that your circle is pretty established and you don't have much room for brand new friends. And Australians are no different.

 

So it pretty much means that if you're trying to make friends as a stranger in town at that age, your best chance of finding friends is other strangers in town.

[Kanga]

I have read all these comments and just have to add a couple of things. Firstly, I can't believe people actually go to Australia not knowing that in some places it's going to be very hot for a lot of the time. Brisbane does get a few hot days during the Summer months and can be humid during that time, but the other months are lovely. Melbourne and Adelaide almost have four seasons, although Adelaide does have hotter Summers.

 

I returned to UK after many years in Australia to be with my elderly mother, who unfortunately died suddenly at the end of 2015. I have spent the last few months sitting in a very well centrally heated modern house with a hot water bottle on my lap as I just can't get warm. Since October the days have been very dark and short and who wants to go out in the freezing cold and dark. Basically unless you want to spend every night in the pub, you just sit in an watch TV (which isn't as good as it used to be in my opinion).

 

A friend has had her routine operation cancelled 3 times and has now been waiting almost 18 months for a definite date. There is a shortage of Doctors, the NHS is under enormous pressure to cope with the amount of patients it already has, and media reports are that people are dying in hospital corridors. Getting a Doctors appointment in my area can mean a wait of up to a week. If they can afford it, people get operations done privately because they have waited so long and are in a lot of discomfort.

 

I still feel that wherever you decide to live, the grass is always greener. Good luck to everyone who is heading back to the UK in the near future, I sincerely hope it works out well for you, but please don't expect to always find it the same as when you left it! I didn't.

 

Am heading back "home" to Australia this year and will be very happy when that day comes.

[MelbourneTractor]

Everybody knows it can be hot, but they don't know how they'll cope with it.

 

I'm sure you didn't realise how gloomy the winter in the uk can be and that you would be stuck with the choice of pub or tv.

 

I never found winter too difficult in the uk as that's when the hockey and soccer seasons are in full flow.

[tea4too]

I have read all these comments and just have to add a couple of things....................

 

A friend has had her routine operation cancelled 3 times and has now been waiting almost 18 months for a definite date. There is a shortage of Doctors, the NHS is under enormous pressure to cope with the amount of patients it already has, and media reports are that people are dying in hospital corridors. Getting a Doctors appointment in my area can mean a wait of up to a week. If they can afford it, people get operations done privately because they have waited so long and are in a lot of discomfort.......

 

It's true the NHS is under pressure, and for a lot of reasons, but my own experience this week was so very different. I was offered an appointment to see my GP within an hour of contacting the surgery, had blood tests the next day and given an X-ray appointment 24 hours after that. My GP even rang me the day after the blood tests to talk me through the results (I had expected it to take a few days at least for them to come through) and to check that the medication he had prescribed was working and I wasn't in pain. I should probably clarify that in the scheme of things this was a relatively minor health issue.

 

I know and understand why the media focuses on the problems the health service is facing, but I can only speak from personal experience and I really appreciate the NHS, the people who work in it and the brilliant care myself and family have always received. T x

[Petals]

I have said this before, I moved and lived in four countries so had to make friends each time we moved. I never have found it a problem. What I do know is that you cannot look for friends anywhere. Friends happen along. I know even though I am retired and have friends there is always room for more. I would not be scared to up sticks and move to a new place if my health or some other problem turned up. When I first arrived yep I would be on my tod but that will not be forever. If you do find it difficult look at yourself through your own critical eyes, do you respond when someone smiles at you, do you answer when they talk to you. Do you get talking in a queue at the supermarket, the doctors all sorts of places. There are so many people in every country who are open to having a new friend, just have to respond and build, it does not happen overnight, it happens over months and years. I have friends that I have known since I was in my teens and one of them is with me now, we moved to Aus when we were both single. However other friends just happened by and we jelled. We have to jell with people. Social media has made it much easier to meet new people. As immigrants join forums that are not mainly immigrant forums, join others of interest, ie building a house, children, gardening, cats, dogs all sorts of people. Interest is another thing we need to make friends.

 

So do not say English people in England are hard to meet, well they are no harder than Australians in Australia both have developed social groups. However there is always more room for another friend everywhere.

 

I love living in Aus and one of the things I do love is the difference in the way things are done, the different customs, old style Aus family with Mum at the head, ladies in the kitchen men on the barbie, that is there way and its not bad. No-one says a woman cannot go and talk to the men or a man cannot come into the kitchen. Its just interests are different.

 

We make the lives we have and its our responsibility to make them as happy as we can, we are the only ones who can do it.

 

Migration is wonderful if you take it as it is and not expect too much. The other side of the hill is never greener than the one we are on, so if you choose it be open to the difference.

[ramot]

I'm like Petals, have moved constantly, and lived in 5 countries. I've never had a problem either making friends or just acquaintances.

Haven't found Australia any different, you have to make an effort, life doesn't come to you, but I do smile at the world, and more often than not get a smile back.

Not saying it's always easy, I wonder if your background makes a difference? Perhaps it's harder if you have hardly or never moved around before migrating? have known your friends area etc. all your life, I have no idea if that makes a difference, but because I have moved so much, stopped counting after 17 moves and that's just since marrying, I know unless I want to be miserable and lonely that it's up to me.

 

Obviously It takes time for new friends to become as familiar as long term friends left behind, but it can be fun getting to know new people, especially if you have had different backgrounds.

I really enjoy hearing how friends of my age grew up in often rural Australia, riding on horseback to school, or riding 10 miles to their property boundary to meet their neighbour who had ridden a similar distance. Had to go to boarding school because no local school and only going home once a year, new friends can be rewarding.

 

I also think it's quite normal if you leave a country and it hasn't worked out to pick on all the things that you didn't like or went wrong, but from my experience your memories soften over the years, and you start thinking perhaps it wasn't all bad and a few happier memories surface.

[ramot]

I don't find that odd at all. It's something that doesn't occur to you until you move countries - but the reality is that most people make their best friends at school, college or university. Another group of friends may result from mothers' groups when young children arrive - but after that your circle is pretty established and you don't have much room for brand new friends. And Australians are no different.

 

So it pretty much means that if you're trying to make friends as a stranger in town at that age, your best chance of finding friends is other strangers in town.

 

I think you are right Marisa that is easiest option when you are new, but the longer you are somewhere you should be able to meet plenty of different people.

Because so many people move to Buderim QLD, the local community organisation holds regular new to the area coffee mornings, a chance to meet other newcomers from all over the world, advice about lots of activities or interests in the area, and basically extend a warm welcome to the area. Certainly helped many migrants to settle and make new friends.

We met a much younger couple than us also from Nottingham 13 years ago and we are still friends.

 

Sorry if this was off track as I mentioned moving to Oz. and forum is MBTUK,

Edited March 20, 2016 by ramot

[JockinTas]

Most of my friends are Aussies born and bred but two of my really good friends were born in Sri Lanka and Macau. I have never sought out folk that were from the UK. Probably a lot more of them in Perth by the sound of it but not in Sydney.

[Booma]

the first time i lived in oz i didnt make any friends but this second time im living in the same village i was the first time but ive made a handful of brilliant friends & im expanding that group as time goes on. the only difference is my attitude. i feel blessed people gave me a second chance when they saw i was back. i cringe to think of the things i said when i was here before. always complaining things not as good when really they are just different & better a lot of the time. i didnt leave anyone with a very good impression of british people back then. as migrants we should look to ourselves before blaming other people if we cant make any friends.

[bristolman]

I have read all these comments and just have to add a couple of things. Firstly, I can't believe people actually go to Australia not knowing that in some places it's going to be very hot for a lot of the time. Brisbane does get a few hot days during the Summer months and can be humid during that time, but the other months are lovely. Melbourne and Adelaide almost have four seasons, although Adelaide does have hotter Summers.

 

I returned to UK after many years in Australia to be with my elderly mother, who unfortunately died suddenly at the end of 2015. I have spent the last few months sitting in a very well centrally heated modern house with a hot water bottle on my lap as I just can't get warm. Since October the days have been very dark and short and who wants to go out in the freezing cold and dark. Basically unless you want to spend every night in the pub, you just sit in an watch TV (which isn't as good as it used to be in my opinion).

 

A friend has had her routine operation cancelled 3 times and has now been waiting almost 18 months for a definite date. There is a shortage of Doctors, the NHS is under enormous pressure to cope with the amount of patients it already has, and media reports are that people are dying in hospital corridors. Getting a Doctors appointment in my area can mean a wait of up to a week. If they can afford it, people get operations done privately because they have waited so long and are in a lot of discomfort.

 

I still feel that wherever you decide to live, the grass is always greener. Good luck to everyone who is heading back to the UK in the near future, I sincerely hope it works out well for you, but please don't expect to always find it the same as when you left it! I didn't.

 

Am heading back "home" to Australia this year and will be very happy when that day comes.

 

The thing is all the same stuff is happening in Australia with the hospitals, people having operations cancelled time and time again. People dying waiting for treatment, it's all stuff I heard when we were in Australia. I can walk into our GP clinic here and see someone with an hour usually, if I want a specific doctor then usually next day. I had to get a routine chest xray a few weeks ago, the doctor wrote out the necessary note and I walked in to the hospital next morning and was out again within 15 minutes By all means go back to Australia because you want to go back but don't just ignore that many of the same issues here are also issues there.

[VERYSTORMY]

I have read all these comments and just have to add a couple of things. Firstly, I can't believe people actually go to Australia not knowing that in some places it's going to be very hot for a lot of the time. Brisbane does get a few hot days during the Summer months and can be humid during that time, but the other months are lovely. Melbourne and Adelaide almost have four seasons, although Adelaide does have hotter Summers.

 

I returned to UK after many years in Australia to be with my elderly mother, who unfortunately died suddenly at the end of 2015. I have spent the last few months sitting in a very well centrally heated modern house with a hot water bottle on my lap as I just can't get warm. Since October the days have been very dark and short and who wants to go out in the freezing cold and dark. Basically unless you want to spend every night in the pub, you just sit in an watch TV (which isn't as good as it used to be in my opinion).

 

A friend has had her routine operation cancelled 3 times and has now been waiting almost 18 months for a definite date. There is a shortage of Doctors, the NHS is under enormous pressure to cope with the amount of patients it already has, and media reports are that people are dying in hospital corridors. Getting a Doctors appointment in my area can mean a wait of up to a week. If they can afford it, people get operations done privately because they have waited so long and are in a lot of discomfort.

 

I still feel that wherever you decide to live, the grass is always greener. Good luck to everyone who is heading back to the UK in the near future, I sincerely hope it works out well for you, but please don't expect to always find it the same as when you left it! I didn't.

 

Am heading back "home" to Australia this year and will be very happy when that day comes.

 

Life is what you make of it. Here is a list of some of the things for winter that my wifes relative did last winter.

 

Went up to Scotland to see the northern lights

Went for weekly walks in the north yorks countryside

Went on a steam train outing

Went to London to have mulled wine at the winter ice park

Took the grand kids sledging in Scotland

Went to several winter festivals

 

And a huge amount more.

 

She is in her 80's and was born and raised in a hot country but now lives in North Yorkshire.

 

For us, things we will be doing in winter:

The boxing day dip in the sea

Christmas markets

Some ice climbing in Scotland

Walking through the lakes - I like snow walking

If we get good snow fall, then a range of snow activities

If we get rain instead of snow, then white water rafting

Probably a trip to an outdoor ice rink

Winter solstice party

 

That is just what we have planned already for next winter. By the time it gets here, we will be having to strike things from the list due to lack of time.

 

It is spring now and we will spend a lot of it in Windsor Great Park, though got about half a dozen other things pencilled in.

[bristolman]

Life is what you make of it. Here is a list of some of the things for winter that my wifes relative did last winter.

 

Went up to Scotland to see the northern lights

Went for weekly walks in the north yorks countryside

Went on a steam train outing

Went to London to have mulled wine at the winter ice park

Took the grand kids sledging in Scotland

Went to several winter festivals

 

And a huge amount more.

 

She is in her 80's and was born and raised in a hot country but now lives in North Yorkshire.

 

For us, things we will be doing in winter:

The boxing day dip in the sea

Christmas markets

Some ice climbing in Scotland

Walking through the lakes - I like snow walking

If we get good snow fall, then a range of snow activities

If we get rain instead of snow, then white water rafting

Probably a trip to an outdoor ice rink

Winter solstice party

 

That is just what we have planned already for next winter. By the time it gets here, we will be having to strike things from the list due to lack of time.

 

It is spring now and we will spend a lot of it in Windsor Great Park, though got about half a dozen other things pencilled in.

 

Isn't it ridiculous to think all people do in the winter is sit inside or go to the pub lol

[Guest Guest109139]

I have read all these comments and just have to add a couple of things. Firstly, I can't believe people actually go to Australia not knowing that in some places it's going to be very hot for a lot of the time. Brisbane does get a few hot days during the Summer months and can be humid during that time, but the other months are lovely. Melbourne and Adelaide almost have four seasons, although Adelaide does have hotter Summers.

 

I returned to UK after many years in Australia to be with my elderly mother, who unfortunately died suddenly at the end of 2015. I have spent the last few months sitting in a very well centrally heated modern house with a hot water bottle on my lap as I just can't get warm. Since October the days have been very dark and short and who wants to go out in the freezing cold and dark. Basically unless you want to spend every night in the pub, you just sit in an watch TV (which isn't as good as it used to be in my opinion).

 

A friend has had her routine operation cancelled 3 times and has now been waiting almost 18 months for a definite date. There is a shortage of Doctors, the NHS is under enormous pressure to cope with the amount of patients it already has, and media reports are that people are dying in hospital corridors. Getting a Doctors appointment in my area can mean a wait of up to a week. If they can afford it, people get operations done privately because they have waited so long and are in a lot of discomfort.

 

I still feel that wherever you decide to live, the grass is always greener. Good luck to everyone who is heading back to the UK in the near future, I sincerely hope it works out well for you, but please don't expect to always find it the same as when you left it! I didn't.

 

Am heading back "home" to Australia this year and will be very happy when that day comes.

 

 

 

Totally untrue, there are loads of things you can do during the winter.

This past winter we went ice skating a lot, long country walks in the woods, by the river and on the beach. Went to lots of Christmas markets, went on the steam train on the north Somerset coast with beautiful scenery, went to the medieval town of Dunster for their annual Dunster by candlelight just before Xmas. Went to London to take my daughter to Winter in Wonderland, and various other National Trust places where there was always something going on. Went to explore Exmoor a lot and all the lovely villages and towns that you come across during the drive. Would have gone sledging as well if we had the snow, but unfortunately didn't this year.

Went to the pub maybe once, but only because you happen to stumble upon an old and cosy pub and you want to check it out.

When the weather was really bad and chucking it down with rain, there are many indoor activities you can do especially with children like art & pottery classes, libraries, childrens activities in museums where entry is free, cinemas and theatres where the choice of different plays are endless for all ages. Not to mention sport centres with their huge choice of activities if you fancy some exercise.

The only time we watched TV when we wanted to and that was usually a DVD anyway, because we wanted to stay at home, cook together and watch a family movie.

 

 

Now with summer coming, there are so many things to do and see and all the programmes and activities that are planned, my head is spinning... if only work didn't get in the way.