bencrom81 Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 Family love and friends are everything. . A small house filled with happiness and love from family is far much nicer than a big fancy house without them. If you are sure you wont be going back, why bother to wait for citizenship. Agreed. not sure about wattsy but I 'stuck it out' for my citizenship because: a- I have a habit of taking the easy way out of things and it is proof that I can hang in there when times get a bit hard. b- if I didn't get it, id want it. now I have it, I barely think about it. I, for one am much happier now Im home. as a northerner, the relentless fake sincerity and upbeat positivity of the place wore heavily on me. it was uplifting to encounter a sour misery and realism back home and engage in prolonged moaning. I feel the eastern suburbs was full of false optimism and I couldn't handle any more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Home and Happy Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 Agreed. not sure about wattsy but I 'stuck it out' for my citizenship because: a- I have a habit of taking the easy way out of things and it is proof that I can hang in there when times get a bit hard. b- if I didn't get it, id want it. now I have it, I barely think about it. I, for one am much happier now Im home. as a northerner, the relentless fake sincerity and upbeat positivity of the place wore heavily on me. it was uplifting to encounter a sour misery and realism back home and engage in prolonged moaning. I feel the eastern suburbs was full of false optimism and I couldn't handle any more! Both great points and very honest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 I, for one am much happier now Im home. as a northerner, the relentless fake sincerity and upbeat positivity of the place wore heavily on me. it was uplifting to encounter a sour misery and realism back home and engage in prolonged moaning. I feel the eastern suburbs was full of false optimism and I couldn't handle any more! Oh yes, I get this entirely, if I'd heard 'I'm so blessed' or 'Awesome' one more time I swear I'd have punched someone. I really wanted one of these t-shirts but they sold out before I could get my hands on one https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/69454019227777328/ Perth really could be Bricksburg :twitcy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 Word Bl**dy perfect!!! Summed up exactly how im feeing/thinking @pixieontherocks When I think about trying to buy a house (that we like) back in the uk etc I think of the house and pool etc we have built here and I worry ill make a mistake...then I just imagine xmas after xmas, kids b'days after b'days here, in our house, without family and friends and it all just seems irrelevant. My heart says go home...my head is telling me to wait 8 months for citizenship...and I plan to listen to both! If you have kids then wait for citizenship - we did it for our son & whilst if I'm honest it'd break my heart if he chose to go back as an adult I still want him to make the choice. If needs must we would always be able to join him if he did - after all there is nothing to say he couldn't have applied for his own visa as an adult and parent visa are difficult and expensive. If any of your children were born there then in my view it's an absolute necessity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher1 Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 If you have kids then wait for citizenship - we did it for our son & whilst if I'm honest it'd break my heart if he chose to go back as an adult I still want him to make the choice. If needs must we would always be able to join him if he did - after all there is nothing to say he couldn't have applied for his own visa as an adult and parent visa are difficult and expensive. If any of your children were born there then in my view it's an absolute necessity. Very sensible. We met someone who had left after many years and all of their children subsequently returned as adults. They wanted to join them and had to wait and pay for their visa, just the same as someon who has never set foot in the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george70 Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 as a northerner, the relentless fake sincerity and upbeat positivity of the place wore heavily on me. it was uplifting to encounter a sour misery and realism back home and engage in prolonged moaning. I feel the eastern suburbs was full of false optimism and I couldn't handle any more! Haha, I'm a miserable Northern get too and I miss all that. It rains 400 days a year in Manchester and I can't wait to get back so I can start complaining about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 If you have kids then wait for citizenship - we did it for our son & whilst if I'm honest it'd break my heart if he chose to go back as an adult I still want him to make the choice. If needs must we would always be able to join him if he did - after all there is nothing to say he couldn't have applied for his own visa as an adult and parent visa are difficult and expensive. If any of your children were born there then in my view it's an absolute necessity. This is exactly why OH and I always said that even if we hated it from the start, we would stay for as long as it took for the kids to get their citizenship. As you say, although it would be sad if they chose to move away from wherever we happened to be, it gives them the choice without having to go through the process that we did. If we do move back to the UK there's nothing to say that we can't come back to Australia at a later time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher1 Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 This is exactly why OH and I always said that even if we hated it from the start, we would stay for as long as it took for the kids to get their citizenship. As you say, although it would be sad if they chose to move away from wherever we happened to be, it gives them the choice without having to go through the process that we did. If we do move back to the UK there's nothing to say that we can't come back to Australia at a later time. Yes, this is our feeling too. We are about to embark on the big adventure of moving to Australia in our sixties, to join family. We have talked through loads of 'what ifs' -especially the 'what if we don't settle' - and have agreed that as long as we don't absolutely hate it, we'll hang out for citizenship. Just in case we change our minds again later on. It it isn't going to happen of course, because we're going to love every minute of our new life from the secon we step off the plane, make squillions of elderly friends who will steadfastly refuse (like us) to succumb to the horrors of old age and live happily ever after in a house we can afford right next to the coast near Sydney ... But just in case ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 Yes, this is our feeling too. We are about to embark on the big adventure of moving to Australia in our sixties, to join family. We have talked through loads of 'what ifs' -especially the 'what if we don't settle' - and have agreed that as long as we don't absolutely hate it, we'll hang out for citizenship. Just in case we change our minds again later on. It it isn't going to happen of course, because we're going to love every minute of our new life from the secon we step off the plane, make squillions of elderly friends who will steadfastly refuse (like us) to succumb to the horrors of old age and live happily ever after in a house we can afford right next to the coast near Sydney ... But just in case ... You have just described my life since we retired here, except we live on the Sunshine Coast. Seriously we really do love it here, have made really good friends, hope you will be as happy. x M When we decided to move to Oz, on retirement, we just weren't ready to go back to UK after living in Asia, and thought why not have a bit of adventure, live and explore Oz for a few years, and then decide what else we should do. 13 years later unless something very unexpected happens we are staying put, especially as 2 of our children followed us here and are very settled, so we, plus my relations who emigrated here from Africa, have made it home, and our family has grown larger here, we have great family get togethers, but only because we have all persevered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 I have citizenship, but would not have waited in Oz just to get it if I didn't want to be there. Pointless. It is very unlikely I will visit Oz again as it had never even been on my list of places to visit. I am glad we did spend the time there, but no interest in going back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 I have citizenship, but would not have waited in Oz just to get it if I didn't want to be there. Pointless. It is very unlikely I will visit Oz again as it had never even been on my list of places to visit. I am glad we did spend the time there, but no interest in going back. I can sort of understand getting citizenship if there is some doubt in your mind but waited it out to get it just in case seems a bit strange really. If it's a place you can't wait to leave what are the chances of wanting to go back ? We have citizenship because we got it back in the 80s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools1973 Posted November 5, 2016 Author Share Posted November 5, 2016 Unusual that you would earn that much less, what do you do? I'm a practice manager in the medical field and my OH is a sales manager. I've looked online at UK jobs and the salaries don't appear to have gone up at all since I left (whereas everything else has of course). I think because the healthcare system here is more fund based than in the UK (as to avoid the Medicare surcharge levy people are encouraged to join a private health fund) there are more private clinics and many more jobs in my field plus they are better paid. Still, at the end of the day I don't mind taking a pay cut if it means I am benefiting in other areas of my life. As long as I get a job working with friendly people in one of the areas I want to live I'll be happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools1973 Posted November 5, 2016 Author Share Posted November 5, 2016 No amount of financial security or sun makes up for missing family and friends in the UK, IMHO. If you have that nagging feeling that life is 'nice' and you are financially ok but there's still a big, black gaping hole that you can't explain away then it's your heart, your emotions and the lack of deep connections you have in Oz that's causing it. Waiting won't help. Go back. I've done 11 years here and I'm done (not helped by a horrible divorce situation in 2014 and two kids involved). My ex has agreed that we will all go back to the UK to live in June next year. I love Sydney in many respects, I really do, but it's just not enough. I'm sorry you've had to go through a divorce on top of not feeling at home here. What a relief that your ex is with you on going back. When you say you've 'done' 11 years - that's exactly how it feels - like 'doing time' despite it being pleasant enough. Good luck with planning your move back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools1973 Posted November 5, 2016 Author Share Posted November 5, 2016 Verystormy- along with everyone else thanks for posting. It's really good to read a positive return tale. Its' great that you've all settled happily back into UK life including your jet setting pooch and have found jobs and a home you are enjoying. Like you we are only planning to ship clothes, personal items and a few of our favourite bits back with us so will have to remember not to make any soup on our return haha . When I priced up shipping it seems to cost almost the same to transport all of our 10-15 year old furniture (brought here from the UK) back as it does to buy some similar replacement items on arrival. Plus we wont have storage costs at the other end etc. Interesting that you say you earn less but are better off. Why is that do you think? I personally feel that in the past I have definitely spent too much on going out here in an attempt to drown out my feelings of not being settled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools1973 Posted November 5, 2016 Author Share Posted November 5, 2016 Firstly can I just say if you are bound for Bath you could hardly pick a more beautiful part of the country, my wife is from that area and we did toy with the idea of heading that way ourselves but in the end we headed further north but still withing easy access of that region. We found we go up so much more for our money in Herefordshire, a bigger house and far less traffic which is a killer in Bath. We were you age when we made the move back with 2 teenagers in tow and it's worked out wonderfully well for all of us. I wouldn't worry too much about the difference in wage, we have certainly found that our money stretches further here, swings and roundabouts but overall we are better off financially. If it's going to make you happier then do it, I have a feeling you won't regret it. Thanks yes the name is a tiny bit of a giveaway We're from London but I've always loved Bath. I applied for uni there but went somewhere else in the end. Then a few years before we came to Aus I suggested a move there but OH wasn't keen on leaving the excitement of London at that stage. Now he is older he wants a quieter pace of life and is more than happy to head for beautiful Bath (with Bristol being a close second). I'm glad everything worked out so well for you and thanks for the encouragement. I know in my heart this is the right decision but it's good to hear some positivity! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted November 5, 2016 Share Posted November 5, 2016 Verystormy- along with everyone else thanks for posting. It's really good to read a positive return tale. Its' great that you've all settled happily back into UK life including your jet setting pooch and have found jobs and a home you are enjoying. Like you we are only planning to ship clothes, personal items and a few of our favourite bits back with us so will have to remember not to make any soup on our return haha . When I priced up shipping it seems to cost almost the same to transport all of our 10-15 year old furniture (brought here from the UK) back as it does to buy some similar replacement items on arrival. Plus we wont have storage costs at the other end etc. Interesting that you say you earn less but are better off. Why is that do you think? I personally feel that in the past I have definitely spent too much on going out here in an attempt to drown out my feelings of not being settled. I think if your furniture is old, then that is the best thing to do. Have a look at move cube for the bits you are shipping. We didn't have a choice in the matter as not only did we not have the cash to pay for shipping, but we needed to raise cash to pay for the flights and things. I earn a lot less here, but costs are much smaller. For example, we rent a lovely little cottage in the country which costs just over £300 a month. That is a big saving on what we paid in rent or mortgage in Oz. All our other bills are smaller, for example, our food bill is about a quarter. We are also not as consumerist here. I guess that is a mix of the fact people just aren't and because when we had nothing, it was actually enjoyable. For example of the former, it was Halloween and in Oz, kids would have all had bought costumes, but here the kids all had home made ones which would also have been more fun to make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortlepuss Posted November 5, 2016 Share Posted November 5, 2016 Went for a walk by the seaside in my lunch break and it was glorious today. So sunny and warm. T shirt and shorts weather. Forecast for the next ten days is good. Did Halloween and guy Fawkes without hat or gloves and light jacket. Is it getting warmer or something? Glorious weather this time of year. Don't let the weather deter you. The fish were jumping too. Don't know what that means. i haven't been back in Autumn/Winter for a few years...is this typical weather or exceptional? It has been utterly glorious as you say. I bought myself a duvet style warm jacket the other day. Now I'm worried that I won't get the chance to wear it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bound4Tassie Posted November 5, 2016 Share Posted November 5, 2016 i haven't been back in Autumn/Winter for a few years...is this typical weather or exceptional? It has been utterly glorious as you say. I bought myself a duvet style warm jacket the other day. Now I'm worried that I won't get the chance to wear it... Techinically it is/ was unseasonably warm...but I have felt for a few years that the season have been pushed back a month. Don't worry the bad/cold /dreary weather is still coming! Though, as I've just paid out for winter tyres, I've probably put the kibosh on a severe snowy winter! Lol! Not sure where u are but up North the weather turned freezing on the 2nd November...if I could fit in my quilted coat I'd be wearing it! (pregnant belly preventing it!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy1982 Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 Family love and friends are everything. . A small house filled with happiness and love from family is far much nicer than a big fancy house without them. If you are sure you wont be going back, why bother to wait for citizenship. Ive stuck it for 3 1/2 years...may as well stick it for 4 and have something to show for the struggle. Plus 'if' the kids decide to move back here with their kids in x years time we can follow, id rather have it and never use it than rely on the parent visa! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 i haven't been back in Autumn/Winter for a few years...is this typical weather or exceptional? It has been utterly glorious as you say. I bought myself a duvet style warm jacket the other day. Now I'm worried that I won't get the chance to wear it... Dont worry, it is getting colder as we head to winter. Most of the country is forecast to be below zero this morning and tonight. It is 5:30am here and looking out at my car, the scraper will be needed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BigJon Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 I lived and worked in Bath and surrounds during the 80's and then moved to Herefordshire in the 90's...... Came to Perth in 2002. Heading back to Europe as soon as the house is sold. Bath is in our top 3 places to live when we return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benj1980 Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 Disclaimer - I'm not planning to move back any time soon. Verystormy I find your Halloween example strange. We know lots of people over here who made costumes and we cheated by getting $10 K-Mart ones. Hardly breaking the bank and I'd suggest we've previously spent more on Sainsbury's ones in the UK! I find people less materialistic over here which suits me just fine. Interestingly I moved over from the edge of Bath and it was a quick one stop on the train into the city centre to watch my beloved Bath Rugby. Now that is a place that is materialistic! But it has a great feel about it, it's beautiful and doesn't seem like a city. When I watch the Bath games at bedtime there is a little bit of me that wishes to be there all wrapped up. Incidentally I studied at Bristol University and Clifton is also awesome and there has been a lot of development in the city as a whole but Bath swings it for me every time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 Disclaimer - I'm not planning to move back any time soon. Verystormy I find your Halloween example strange. We know lots of people over here who made costumes and we cheated by getting $10 K-Mart ones. Hardly breaking the bank and I'd suggest we've previously spent more on Sainsbury's ones in the UK! I find people less materialistic over here which suits me just fine. Interestingly I moved over from the edge of Bath and it was a quick one stop on the train into the city centre to watch my beloved Bath Rugby. Now that is a place that is materialistic! But it has a great feel about it, it's beautiful and doesn't seem like a city. When I watch the Bath games at bedtime there is a little bit of me that wishes to be there all wrapped up. Incidentally I studied at Bristol University and Clifton is also awesome and there has been a lot of development in the city as a whole but Bath swings it for me every time! Maybe it is North / South thing. My wife is a massive WA fan, but probably the biggest thing she disliked was the over consumerism of WA and a big thing about appearing to be keeping up with the Jones's. Interestingly, we did think the same when we were living in the South in Windsor. But, had never experienced it in our previous areas - we lived in Leicester and Middlesbrough and now live near Glasgow. Though maybe it was our friends as they are just not very big into things like buying stuff - our best friends, despite having very good incomes didn't even own a TV (When we left in 2008 though we only had a little black and white portable and even now have something that most people would only have in a bedroom and it doesn't even have a remote control) I certainly noticed it at work. When I started work in a big office in Perth, you had to wear the right sunglasses and right clothes or you were looked down at. I never did and found myself ostracised by some including large parts of the management. Fortunately for me, I couldn't give a monkeys about if I am liked or not, though some took it hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benj1980 Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 Maybe I just haven't noticed people looking down at me! I wouldn't be concerned either to be honest about having the right gear, although my wife tried to 'smarten' me up in Bath... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 Maybe it is North / South thing. My wife is a massive WA fan, but probably the biggest thing she disliked was the over consumerism of WA and a big thing about appearing to be keeping up with the Jones's. Interestingly, we did think the same when we were living in the South in Windsor. But, had never experienced it in our previous areas - we lived in Leicester and Middlesbrough and now live near Glasgow. Though maybe it was our friends as they are just not very big into things like buying stuff - our best friends, despite having very good incomes didn't even own a TV (When we left in 2008 though we only had a little black and white portable and even now have something that most people would only have in a bedroom and it doesn't even have a remote control) I certainly noticed it at work. When I started work in a big office in Perth, you had to wear the right sunglasses and right clothes or you were looked down at. I never did and found myself ostracised by some including large parts of the management. Fortunately for me, I couldn't give a monkeys about if I am liked or not, though some took it hard. Yes we found Brisbane very much the same, you were almost judged ion what you owned, what car boat or whatever you owned. I don't miss that aspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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