Guest Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 A subject which always fascinates me is why people choose a place and why they remain there. I say that as someone who has lived in a lot of places in the UK and who has lived in two States in Australia, so I have a bit of experience in moving around. So, with Australia, what was it for you that prompted the move out here? Were you seeking adventure, a bigger house, hot weather, an outdoors lifestyle, a better paid job, a better future for the kids, or were you disillusioned with how things were going back in the UK in terms of immigration, the EU or political correctness? That settled, what keeps you here? Is it the sunshine, the work-life balance, bigger salaries, the friendships you've made, living by or having access to the ocean, or something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 What brought me here? I had spent three years in Africa while my husband was on a British government aid scheme. It was tough, but we did get used to the weather and returning to rainy Scotland was a shock. Also, the economy was dire - it was the early 80's and where we were in Central Scotland, whole villages were unemployed. I was a well-qualified PA, and my skills had previously been in such great demand I'd been able to pick and choose my jobs. Suddenly all I could get was temp work because big companies all had recruitment freezes. We started looking for another overseas aid program, but happened across the idea of emigrating to Australia. None of the overseas aid programs appealed, so Australia won. What kept me in Australia - I liked it! I never had a moment's homesickness and if I hadn't met my oh, I probably would not have considered leaving Sydney (even though I've found the humidity a trial for the last few years). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 Well I was 18 months old when I went so my parents took me there. What keeps me there ? Uh, nothing lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 I married an Australian and before we married and for about 4 years into our marriage, living in Australia never crossed my mind. We enjoyed living in the UK and because we didn't have children way back then, we did a lot of travelling around the UK and Europe. Before getting together I had lived in 4 other countries so was ready to settle down, however the adventure bug started to bite and we thought we'd give Australia a go. That was nearly 35 years ago when life was easy here. Easy to find a good cheap rental. Easy to find jobs with good pay and easy to buy a nice house in a good area after we had saved up a large deposit. I think we would find it a helluva lot harder these days as newcomers. Right from the start I felt at home here. I was lucky enough to go back to the UK often on holiday with our two children. That's probably what helped a lot too. We have lived in Perth and Sydney but always wanted to live in Tasmania. Due to being reluctant to leave good jobs we waited until retirement to move here and very happy we are too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 My hubby was getting a little disenchanted in the UK and after a holiday in Aus to visit my brother, mentioned that he could live in here. My brother lives in QLD but we chose WA deciding that if we were going to make the move then it would be for us rather than just to be near my brother (who at the time was looking at jobs elsewhere). We stay basically because we're very content, we work the same hours yet are more relaxed. My eldest, says that she's glad to have had her teenage years here - she has a flying visit to the UK to meet up with old primary school friends this year on her way home from Rome, it'll be interesting what she makes of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 Liked it from the first day I arrived the first time in 1968. Remember the day like yesterday. Sunny, blue sky, on a ferry to Neutral Bay in Sydney. I too lived in UK as a child, lived in Africa, New Zealand and back to UK and back to Aus. I am always pleased to get back here. Yep there are things I like in other places but I really really love the size of the country, the landscapes and everything about it. Love the humor of the Aussies in country towns so blunt and straight. My children have British passports and neither of them ever wanted to go to live for a year a holiday is all they ever want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 What brought me here, well that was hubby and my sense of adventure. What keeps me here... If I had stayed in Melbourne all these years and never moved I may have gone back. However, we use to go on road trips for 5 weeks at a time and saw what Australia had to offer. There are more beautiful places than anywhere in the UK. You have a dramatic change in landscapes, from outback, to beach life to rainforest. We aren't beach people so it wasn't the beaches that brought us here. I do agree that the weather can make a huge difference although living in the FNQ we tend to crave for rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northshorepom Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 Just opportunity came knocking really. I got rung up and asked if had ever considered working in Aus, coincidentally 2 days after I'd experienced the coldest temperatures I'd ever seen in Southern England in Jan 2011 (-15C FFS, reminded me of when I lived in Sweden & Russia) and had had the wife on the phone moaning she couldn't get warm all day. I talked to them because I was a bit tired of 3 years of recession/stagnation by then, with the only thing that looked likely in my industry (Crossrail) a bit unappetising as dealing with the client was quite frustrating, plus it would have meant a continuation of my then awful commute of 90 mins e/w on a good day. We didn't plan it, have a dream to come here, or see it as a permanent move necessarily, were just happy to come over and have an adventure. 4.5 years after arriving, we have no plans to go back, although we don't really have to make our minds up for another 5 years - past that point we're committing ourselves to an education/exam system and by the time both kids are through that we won't be a million miles away from retirement so I guess that's the window for any return decision. What keeps us here? I like my job, although I have struggled with the smallness of the market. I would feel different if NSW wasn't going through a 15 year long boom in what I do (major infrastructure projects). I like commuting half a hour, and being close enough to work I can commute by pushbike (although I haven't actually done that for months now). We both like Sydney quite a lot - lots of natural beauty, the city centre is compact enough to be easily navigable but there's everything going on you could wish for culturally. We like where we live - a decent house with lots of potential for future projects (we like doing this) on a nice street in a suburb we feel at home in, where we have made several good friends. Our son's school is fantastic and necessary for him, and we would find it hard to afford similar in the UK. Further parts of NSW have endless opportunity for exploring and holidays, we've barely been out of state yet as a family. The climate is a cliche but a real one for us, we like being warm. We have some family support as my wife's sister has lived here for 10 years now, and it's brilliant for the kids having their auntie see them every couple of weeks. Most importantly of all, my wife is much happier here - neither of us realised how much the depression had taken hold where we lived before and the change of scene and the move to where she didn't feel she was being looked at/sympathised with as "the woman with the dead babies". My son is also pretty happy now although the move was tougher for him than we'd have liked - he's a very sensitive soul but keeps it all bottled up, and in the first 2 years here he was quite affected by anxiety that I am sure came from the upheaval/change in his environment. I was quite unsettled for the first couple of years as well, partly because I was trying too hard to make it all OK for him, partly because I struggled for a bit with work practices here, but mostly because I loathed the impermanence of renting, could never settle properly whilst we were doing that. All good now :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxlornaxx Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 A gut feeling that I should be in qld was what brought me here..the weather, people, amount of places to explore, financial prospects and good employment is what keeps me here...and a general feeling of peace as I am where I belong ? Even though I'm alone here and no idea where that feeling comes from i just know its right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 I had never lived anywhere other than SE England for the first 55 years of my life. Met my 2nd wife 14 years ago who has travelled extensively in her life and came to Oz about 25 years ago as a skilled migrant and gained citizenship. She loved Australia but never broached the subject of emigrating because she thought I probably would not be interested. Aside from the grey, damp climate half the UK year I had no issues with life there. Good well-paid job, small commute, mortgage paid etc I found it increasingly hard to look forward to a future retirement in the UK. We did a huge amount of research and settled on the Bayside area south of Brisbane with several excellent school options for our daughter and a climate and lifestyle that seemed right for us. I haven't experienced a moment of home sickness yet and have no plans to return for any reason (this may change, who knows). I feel that I have landed on my feet as I simply love everything about the place I live. I pinch myself every day as I feel I am living the life of someone else; how did I get this lucky? There are a surprisingly large number of Poms in this area and I meet new ones almost every week. Many have lived here many years or decades and I am yet to speak with one who has the remotest interest in returning to live in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest241083 Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 [h=2]Australia - What brought you here / what keeps you here?[/h] ...........work is what brought the OH here......and opportunity that we didn't have for the children where we were...... ............opportunity to buy somewhere they could have room to enjoy.... ............an area they were safe to explore...... .............all over 20 years ago...... .............it kept us.....(..though not exclusively as I still enjoyed travel to other places....) .............because of its vastness and diversity..... .............there are so many beautiful places to visit.......still got some to do...! .............it kept us as the children had opportunity to find and achieve the career they wanted.... ..............a lifestyle they enjoy immensely.......they too travel......but always return here..... ..............I never say it will be forever.........not for me personally..... ..............but circumstance hold me......for now...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 The wife always wanted to return home to Geelong. I'd had dalliances with Aus on previous occasions with spells in Sydney, Cairns and Melbourne, and felt there was 'unfinished business' on my part, so I was open to giving it another go. As the time of leaving approached, however, the finality of what we were doing really started to hit me: it was different this time, what with kids and permanent residency, a house to sell etc, I almost felt like I'd been ambushed by fate. On arrival in Aus 8 years ago I felt like I was grieving my old life, family, friends, house, everything familiar. I became depressed and begged with the wife to allow ourselves a get out clause after say, 2 years, and she reluctantly did. Luckily around the 2 year mark, things started looking up and we've never looked back since. Well, apart from the odd severe wobble of homesickness, the last after a UK hol in 2014. What keeps us here? Well, the thought of returning to the UK makes the wife feel depressed for a start! Fortunately, we have a great life here: the town/suburb/house/kids' school/job/weather is ideal for us. We have friends that we actually like (that takes years). I think an imaginary line was crossed at some point in the last 2 years: the thought of returning to the UK permanently just feels too hard now, almost pointless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 What keeps us here? Well, the thought of returning to the UK makes the wife feel depressed for a start! Fortunately, we have a great life here: the town/suburb/house/kids' school/job/weather is ideal for us. We have friends that we actually like (that takes years). I think an imaginary line was crossed at some point in the last 2 years: the thought of returning to the UK permanently just feels too hard now, almost pointless. And to think that some people still label you as an 'Oz-hater,' they couldn't be further from the truth could they?! I completely get what you say about a return to living in the UK seeming to be 'too hard.' It's a daunting proposition, as tough as moving out to Australia is in the first place I think. As I approach 50 I think that I've got just enough energy left in me to fuel one last big move, but we'll only do it if the stars align and we can identify a place in the UK that's right for us as a family. :smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 We left miserable Britain at a time of strikes, only 3 days a week of electricity and bread rationing in the 1970s. My husband was a university lecturer and we had 2 babies but found it hard to pay bills and manage on just the one income, there was no work for me and certainly no child care available even if I could have got work. The weather was dire and one nasty winter's day we made the big decision. It took about a year to get here and we arrived on Australia Day to lovely blue skies and bright sun. I felt homesick for about an hour on the drive from the airport because the suburbs there are so ugly. We really never looked back- when the kids had grown a bit I found part time work and then we had another couple of kids. Life was hectic but we made lots of friends and every weekend was party time with our newfound friends. We still see most of them to this day. We lived in North West Tasmania for a short time but it wasn't for us, too slow even though the scenery was magic. I do like to keep in touch with things in the UK which is obviously a much nicer place these days but we are all Aussies now, wouldn't fit in over there and couldn't cope with the cold winters! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjg Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 I made her watch neighbours and summer bay nightly whilst in england for six years, whilst contantly prompting, just say the word and we can be there....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 We came wanting a change, some adventure and a hotter, sunnier climate.. We stay because we want to,,lol, and because we have a pretty good lifestyle, great weather the majority of the time and ticked off most of our wish list boxes. Cal x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pommy Jimbo Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 For a better life for my children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 For a better life for my children. And did that work out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 I made her watch neighbours and summer bay nightly whilst in england for six years, And she's still married to you?!! She'd have had a good case for divorce there on grounds of 'unreasonable behaviour,' or even 'cruelty!' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 And she's still married to you?!! She'd have had a good case for divorce there on grounds of 'unreasonable behaviour,' or even 'cruelty!' I was watching an old repeat of Wanted Down Under on BBC2 the other day. The husband was obsessed with moving to Australia and had obviously been nagging his wife for years. They'd even gone through the whole visa process and got PR, but she was still "undecided". Looking at her face through most of the program, I'd say she wasn't "undecided" at all - she really, really didn't want to go to Australia but was just worn down by his constant pressure. Poor woman. I hope she dumped him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 I was watching an old repeat of Wanted Down Under on BBC2 the other day. The husband was obsessed with moving to Australia and had obviously been nagging his wife for years. They'd even gone through the whole visa process and got PR, but she was still "undecided". Looking at her face through most of the program, I'd say she wasn't "undecided" at all - she really, really didn't want to go to Australia but was just worn down by his constant pressure. Poor woman. I hope she dumped him. I think I know who that person is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pommy Jimbo Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 And did that work out? I'll never know!:rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjg Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 And she's still married to you?!! She'd have had a good case for divorce there on grounds of 'unreasonable behaviour,' or even 'cruelty!' Actually, i saved her. When we met she watched H&A, Neighbours, Eastenders and Corrie. I weaned her off all of them over six years. It was rough; withdrawal symptoms, cold flushes, occasional agression and overworn sofas. But she is now clean, and has been for the last seven years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Brought by the best offer on the table at the time, married to an Australian who then 20 years later decided he would be depressed if he had to live in UK. It was only my marriage that kept me there those last few years then the DH did an about face when it was obvious that my aged ones needed us and he's happy as a pig in muck but we are in limbo until they turn up their toes (our excellent care is keeping them going I fear!). So if we can move back at 62 anyone can! You just have to recognize that your family is probably going to be scattered to the 4 winds anyway - bonus, we have grandkids here and there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach pig Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 What brought me here? was to get away from the political correctness in the UK which became stifling plus seeing the country being overrun by asylum seekers,more like economic rapist migrants.from a particular faith what makes me stay for now? the reasons above as I have three daughters and I don't want them to be in a position like what happened in Rotherham, Bristol and cologne, plus a lot more places in the eu and England.I won't apologise for that as they are scary facts. plus I will wait on the referendum of the UK leaving Europe.i really hope they bloody do. Vote leave you know it makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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