How Long before you realised that Australia was or was not the place that you wanted to spend the rest of your days ?

[bug family]

10 minutes ago, Peety said:

Thanks x we’ve got super tied up in property. Nothing too exciting just a two bedroom flat in Melbourne. I’ve got maybe $50k of super in the UK other than that nothing so financially I’m stuffed. My ex told me not to get lawyers involved in our divorce but I’ve definitely been disadvantaged. I’m so ashamed and embarrassed tbh to be in this situation. I’m 50 with maybe $200k that I could get if I sold my crappy house. I’ve worked full time for the last 30 years as a nurse it all seems for nothing. Definitely not enough to buy a think in the uk. 

I guess I just need to look forward to the next chapter in my whatever the hell that would be.
 

 

 

Peety ...200,000$!! From your house sale ....I am late forties and have less than ten thousand to my name think yourself lucky with that much you can easily start again think positively 

 

On 19/05/2021 at 17:58, Dusty Plains said:

Crime Comparison Between Perth and Manchester 

Index	Perth	Manchester
Crime Index:	41.88	56.34
Safety Scale:	58.12	43.66

	Perth		Manchester
	Improve Data		Improve Data
Level of crime		Moderate 44.67		High 64.53
Crime increasing in the past 3 years		High 63.97		High 71.98
Worries home broken and things stolen		Moderate 42.86		Moderate 54.98
Worries being mugged or robbed		Low 33.85		Moderate 55.64
Worries car stolen		Low 30.28		Moderate 46.71
Worries things from car stolen		Moderate 42.41		Moderate 54.70
Worries attacked		Moderate 40.23		Moderate 56.32
Worries being insulted		Moderate 41.99		Moderate 57.86
Worries being subject to a physical attack because of your skin color, ethnic origin, gender or religion		Low 24.77		Low 38.08
Problem people using or dealing drugs		Moderate 54.77		High 71.57
Problem property crimes such as vandalism and theft		Moderate 52.25		High 64.56
Problem violent crimes such as assault and armed robbery		Low 39.18		Moderate 54.95
Problem corruption and bribery		Low 30.34

 vs Manchester

 

On 19/05/2021 at 18:45, calNgary said:

Just a reminder what this thread is about and that it isnt in CTF as this last few pages seem to be going off on a comparison tangent.. Please leave the Perth Vs Manchester posts for another thread,( if you wish to discuss that of course.)

 Cal x

[Parley]

I think someone would feel a lot more alone if they leave the country and leave their kids behind (grown up or not). Who knows when you would see them again.

If you have a couple hundred thousand in retirement is not too bad as will be supplemented by the age pension.

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Peety said:

Thanks x we’ve got super tied up in property. Nothing too exciting just a two bedroom flat in Melbourne. I’ve got maybe $50k of super in the UK other than that nothing so financially I’m stuffed. My ex told me not to get lawyers involved in our divorce but I’ve definitely been disadvantaged.

Well, the good news is that you'll have to untie it.  I assume you have a SMSF (a self-managed super fund) with your ex?  If you go and live overseas, you can't run a SMSF, it's illegal.  You'll have to either close down the fund (which means selling the property),  OR you will have to pay a lawyer every year, to act as trustee of the SMSF in your place. 

Honestly, I think closing down the fund would be the best thing you could do.  Who wants to share a super fund with their ex?  You then just transfer your share to a good super fund like Australian Super.  

Edited August 2, 2021 by Marisawright

[Bulya]

2 hours ago, Peety said:

My son is in Victoria but one in Sydney. Not sure what you mean “ seppuku”. 

Suicide 

[proud preston]

@Peety and @Pendragon - ditto! I’m the same. Husband will never go back. Kids 19 and 17- they’ve no intention of going to the UK - here is home for them.  I feel so stuck. Think about the UK every bloody day. 

[Guest]

On 02/08/2021 at 20:32, proud preston said:

@Peety and @Pendragon - ditto! I’m the same. Husband will never go back. Kids 19 and 17- they’ve no intention of going to the UK - here is home for them.  I feel so stuck. Think about the UK every bloody day. 

Yup, wife now hates the UK and our three children (9, 11, 14) are fully settled and they clearly cannot be disrupted now. Stuck in Perth for at least another 15yrs I suspect. Armed robbers get less.

[Marisawright]

33 minutes ago, 22B said:

Yup, wife now hates the UK and our three children (9, 11, 14) are fully settled and they clearly cannot be disrupted now. Stuck in Perth for at least another 15yrs I suspect. Armed robbers get less.

So have you had some counselling yet?  I seem to recall you are keeping your emotional anguish a secret from your wife and kids.   You do know she is going to be incandescent when she discovers you've kept it all a secret for 15 years?

Edited August 4, 2021 by Marisawright

[Bulya]

10 hours ago, 22B said:

Yup, wife now hates the UK and our three children (9, 11, 14) are fully settled and they clearly cannot be disrupted now. Stuck in Perth for at least another 15yrs I suspect. Armed robbers get less.

Oh you poor thing…

[Simonrbh]

This post is so pertinent, I never realised there were so many of us who felt like we do! My heart goes out to all of you that feel so disconnected and long to be back home. I can relate to it personally, as I am exactly the same. After 7 years I know QLD and Australia will never be where I want to spend the rest of my life, but my Australian partner is home and will never leave. I too, like many, feel the years have been wasted and wish I'd never made the move. Like so many of you, I too will be hit financially when I finally make the move to family, real friends, proper fish 'n' chips & mushy peas and real malt vinegar, great real ales in great real pubs! I yearn to be hiking in the Lake District. My 40 years+ mate in Perth sums it up.....'People say Australia it's better, it's not better.......... just different'!

I wish the very best outcomes for all those unsettled souls.

Edited August 5, 2021 by Simonrbh

[Simonrbh]

On 31/07/2021 at 16:10, Marisawright said:

@Peety,If you feel that strongly, don't delay.   Start doing your research now.   Don't think "I'll move back when I retire",  because you may find you can't afford it then.

The difficulty is that if you leave Australia before you're eligible to claim the Australian government pension, you will never be able to claim it.   So you either have to leave now and start building up your entitlement to the UK pension, or you'll be stuck in Australia until you're entitlement age--which the way things are going, could well be 70 years old. 

I would suggest finding out about paying NI contributions now, and maybe backpaying some missing years as well.

Also make sure you understand what the deal is with superannuation.  

Hi Marisawright, How do I find out more information about what the implications are of Super and Aussie State Pension if I return to the UK?

Regards, S.

[Marisawright]

3 hours ago, Simonrbh said:

Hi Marisawright, How do I find out more information about what the implications are of Super and Aussie State Pension if I return to the UK?

Regards, S.

@Simonrbh, it's pretty straightforward.

If you return to the UK before you're eligible to claim the Aussie state pension, you can never get it.  Doesn't matter how many years you worked in Australia.  You should look into paying NI contributions while you're in Australia, so you've got a British state pension to go back to.  You can backpay missing years.  

As for superannuation, it depends how old you are.  If you're still under retirement age when you move, then you just make sure you're in a fund with low fees and good performance (move if necessary, it's well worth it!).  Then once you're in the UK, write to them to tell them your new address and tell them to cancel all insurances.  Then stop worrying about it until you are ready to retire - it will keep growing and give you a nice nest egg eventually.   

Once you're at or near retirement age, you need to tread carefully because of the rules around lump sums.   You probably know that if you take a lump sum from your super, it's tax-free in Australia.  But the bad news is that if you're living in the UK by that time, the Inland Revenue will grab about a third of the lump sum in tax. So the lesson is:

If you're old enough to take a lump sum while you are still legally resident in Australia, it's no problem, because once it's in your bank account, it's just money in the bank and won't attract any tax.  However if you leave before you reach the eligible age, then you've got no choice really - either convert it to a small pension which won't affect your annual tax too much, or if your balance is small, just withdraw small sums when you need to. 

Bottom line - you will be worse off financially if you retire to the UK because you'll get no Australian state pension and your super will be taxed as income by the Inland Revenue. You can compensate somewhat for that by paying into the British state pension, but you'll still be worse off.  If you can move back sooner and build up a British private pension, you'll be in a better position.

 

Edited August 5, 2021 by Marisawright

[scousers]

On 27/05/2021 at 14:38, SWMOY04 said:

Made me chuckle...

 

I wasn't implying it was a competition.

 

But I get you 

 

Melbourne vs Liverpool... For me, it's Liverpool all the way. 

 

Melbourne vs London... Melbourne

 

Melbourne vs any "small" city for me, Melbourne will always lose. 

(I can't define "small"... But Liverpool is probably the "biggest" city I can tolerate) 

Agree, i am from Liverpool but live in Melbourne, its the people that make the difference , its Liverpool for me

[bug family]

4 hours ago, scousers said:

Agree, i am from Liverpool but live in Melbourne, its the people that make the difference , its Liverpool for me

Yep totally agree scousers, I work with a couple of Liverpool girls and they brighten my day every time, I have a real laugh and a good chat as there has always been a strong connection between North Wales (where I am from) and Liverpool

[MARYROSE02]

22 hours ago, scousers said:

Agree, i am from Liverpool but live in Melbourne, its the people that make the difference , its Liverpool for me

Liverpool in NSW over Melbourne. I agree though I doubt that the people are any different.

On 02/08/2021 at 12:25, Parley said:

I think someone would feel a lot more alone if they leave the country and leave their kids behind (grown up or not). Who knows when you would see them again.

If you have a couple hundred thousand in retirement is not too bad as will be supplemented by the age 

[scousers]

On 24/08/2021 at 11:05, bug family said:

Yep totally agree scousers, I work with a couple of Liverpool girls and they brighten my day every time, I have a real laugh and a good chat as there has always been a strong connection between North Wales (where I am from) and Liverpool

Totally agree, i really miss those i worked with in Liverpool UK, its been 32 years now and still in touch with many of them, here in Melbourne you leave a job and never here of the people again.the humour too is missed very much

[MARYROSE02]

As a loyal Sydneysider I'm duty bound to regard Melbourne as the hole at the end of the Hume Highway but it still seems sad that after thirty two years you have not made any connections with either Pommies or Aussies.

Without Googling I'd bet anything that both "Reds and Blues" have their chapters in Melbourne so even if you hate footy (triple sacrilege in Melbourne) you could be going to watch games twice a week and mixing with other Scousers.  I don't support either team but I know where they go in Sydney if I had a craving to be amongst Scousers, or Mancs, or y local team, Saints, though I follow Spurs and we have our pub too.

Liking AFL and cricket gives me two other "ins" and my NRL team is the Storm and they are firmly established in Melbourne too.

I suppose if I.missed the sound of darkest Hampshire yokeldom I could go to a few Saints's games but it's a horrible accent, dropped "hs", dropped everything.  "Ere, Mush, I'll see you lai'uh, Pee'uh."

[Marisawright]

2 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

As a loyal Sydneysider I'm duty bound to regard Melbourne as the hole at the end of the Hume Highway

.....which is something that always saddens me, now I'm living in Melbourne.  Don't get me wrong, I love Sydney.  I think I'll always think of it as "home".   But this idea that if you are a Sydneysider, you have to run down Melbourne and be nasty about it, is SO childish. It's widespread in Sydney, amongst perfectly intelligent people. There's no reason for it.  I don't understand why it has to be a competition - why can't they just be two cities that are equally good in different ways?  Because that's what they are.

Sadly, while both cities offer lovely places to live, both cities also have whole acres of soulless, dead suburbs.  If you're unlucky enough to pitch up in one of those, you're going to hate it.  Migrants often end up in those places because they're cheap.

Edited August 25, 2021 by Marisawright

[scousers]

On 25/08/2021 at 05:11, MARYROSE02 said:

Liverpool in NSW over Melbourne. I agree though I doubt that the people are any different.

 

On 24/08/2021 at 11:05, bug family said:

Yep totally agree scousers, I work with a couple of Liverpool girls and they brighten my day every time, I have a real laugh and a good chat as there has always been a strong connection between North Wales (where I am from) and Liverpool

 

3 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

As a loyal Sydneysider I'm duty bound to regard Melbourne as the hole at the end of the Hume Highway but it still seems sad that after thirty two years you have not made any connections with either Pommies or Aussies.

Without Googling I'd bet anything that both "Reds and Blues" have their chapters in Melbourne so even if you hate footy (triple sacrilege in Melbourne) you could be going to watch games twice a week and mixing with other Scousers.  I don't support either team but I know where they go in Sydney if I had a craving to be amongst Scousers, or Mancs, or y local team, Saints, though I follow Spurs and we have our pub too.

Liking AFL and cricket gives me two other "ins" and my NRL team is the Storm and they are firmly established in Melbourne too.

I suppose if I.missed the sound of darkest Hampshire yokeldom I could go to a few Saints's games but it's a horrible accent, dropped "hs", dropped everything.  "Ere, Mush, I'll see you lai'uh, Pee'uh."

I have made “ good “ contacts in Melbourne i must have sounded like i hadn't however its just not the same. Have lots of aussie friends however its an interesting way of being friends, once i realised they where different was about 15 years in i started to watch, lots of back stabbing and fallings out. I learnt years ago never open yourself up to them, only did it twice to who i thought where my best friends both turned on me, still good friends but i watch what i say. Never ever be honest with an aussie on how you feel is now my way of being.  Interestingly i have only fell out with one person ( not my doing) but i watch the others omg they are crazy in a weird sort of way, my analysis is that they are bored and need to create drama. So onto uk friends, so easy, so much fun when not in lockdown, really enjoy these people full stop. What i miss is when you need to really talk i have to call the uk and speak to old friends they do the same keep me in the loop. Have a gorgeous Liverpool friend here who i would call bestie but because of other experiences here i know i am cautious but wish i wasn't. No, don't like sport haha

[Marisawright]

25 minutes ago, scousers said:

I have made “ good “ contacts in Melbourne i must have sounded like i hadn't however its just not the same. 

I don't think this is anything to do with Aussies vs Poms.  It's all to do with the friends you make as a young person and the friends you make as an adult. 

I think this is something most migrants miss.  Talk to anyone who's lived in one country their whole life, and their closest friends are always the ones they made in school or university, or when they were young mums.  That's just the way life works - those bonding experiences are what make fast friendships.  People do make deep friendships when they're older, but it's much more difficult, wherever you live.

Edited August 25, 2021 by Marisawright

[Toots]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

I don't think this is anything to do with Aussies vs Poms.  It's all to do with the friends you make as a young person and the friends you make as an adult. 

I think this is something most migrants miss.  Talk to anyone who's lived in one country their whole life, and their closest friends are always the ones they made in school or university, or when they were young mums.  That's just the way life works - those bonding experiences are what make fast friendships.  People do make deep friendships when they're older, but it's much more difficult, wherever you live.

Of course it isn't.  In my time here I've met some horrible Poms as well as some horrible Aussies.  I just have nothing to do with them.  My very good friends I've known for over 30 years.  We are now retired and they have also left NSW and come down to Tassie to live.  One of them is ten minutes away from us which is really nice and the others are in different towns on the north coast but my best friend is down on the south west coast.   We have all been there for each other during life's ups and downs and we just have so much in common.  My UK friends from my much earlier life are scattered over the UK   .................  mainly in the north of England and Scotland.  We all still keep in touch regularly.  

Sorry that @scousers friends have let her down.  They were never real friends so no loss there.  

[scousers]

5 hours ago, Marisawright said:

I don't think this is anything to do with Aussies vs Poms.  It's all to do with the friends you make as a young person and the friends you make as an adult. 

I think this is something most migrants miss.  Talk to anyone who's lived in one country their whole life, and their closest friends are always the ones they made in school or university, or when they were young mums.  That's just the way life works - those bonding experiences are what make fast friendships.  People do make deep friendships when they're older, but it's much more difficult, wherever you live.

You may well be right, i know the bonds i have are very different to the ones i left behind.

[scousers]

I think at the time it was a huge shock when they let me down especially after some of the times i had been there for them. One in particular i had given work to in at least two jobs when she was on Her knees basically and the same one i gave multiple jobs to her son when she said he was suicide, he has done quite well for himself but she no longer speaks to our family, lol.. you got to love people like her, 28 years we where “friends”! Tbh very glad she has gone. The worst thing is it has made me really cautious and i don't like who i have become, it is always a huge relief when i get back to the UK, i can breath!

[Rallyman]

On 24/08/2021 at 11:05, bug family said:

Yep totally agree scousers, I work with a couple of Liverpool girls and they brighten my day every time, I have a real laugh and a good chat as there has always been a strong connection between North Wales (where I am from) and Liverpool

Which area of N wales Bug F ? 

[MARYROSE02]

12 hours ago, scousers said:

 

 

I have made “ good “ contacts in Melbourne i must have sounded like i hadn't however its just not the same. Have lots of aussie friends however its an interesting way of being friends, once i realised they where different was about 15 years in i started to watch, lots of back stabbing and fallings out. I learnt years ago never open yourself up to them, only did it twice to who i thought where my best friends both turned on me, still good friends but i watch what i say. Never ever be honest with an aussie on how you feel is now my way of being.  Interestingly i have only fell out with one person ( not my doing) but i watch the others omg they are crazy in a weird sort of way, my analysis is that they are bored and need to create drama. So onto uk friends, so easy, so much fun when not in lockdown, really enjoy these people full stop. What i miss is when you need to really talk i have to call the uk and speak to old friends they do the same keep me in the loop. Have a gorgeous Liverpool friend here who i would call bestie but because of other experiences here i know i am cautious but wish i wasn't. No, don't like sport haha

"Them" and "us?" I've never thought about Aussies and Pommies like that.  I just have "friends" and where they come from is largely irrelevant. 

To be honest, coming from the south,  Scousers, Mancs, etc, are more "alien" to me than Aussies. But then again I've spent far longer in Sydney than I have Liverpool or Manchester. 

"Don't like sport?!" I thought you were blue or red in Liverpool (unless you support Tranmere) as a family thing,  in much the same way that most Melbourne people have an AFL team. Indeed, when I met a woman for the first time I rarely ask them which team they support but for Melbourne women I ALWAYS ask them and I've never met one who does not have a team.

[MARYROSE02]

13 hours ago, Marisawright said:

.....which is something that always saddens me, now I'm living in Melbourne.  Don't get me wrong, I love Sydney.  I think I'll always think of it as "home".   But this idea that if you are a Sydneysider, you have to run down Melbourne and be nasty about it, is SO childish. It's widespread in Sydney, amongst perfectly intelligent people. There's no reason for it.  I don't understand why it has to be a competition - why can't they just be two cities that are equally good in different ways?  Because that's what they are.

Sadly, while both cities offer lovely places to live, both cities also have whole acres of soulless, dead suburbs.  If you're unlucky enough to pitch up in one of those, you're going to hate it.  Migrants often end up in those places because they're cheap.

All the people I know who have been to Melbourne tell me they prefer Melbourne to Sydney! I never intended to live in Sydney either; it just "happened" or rather I got my first job here after failing in my preferred destination  - Perth. And now Sydney is just "home", although I'm tempted to make Surfers Paradise home once Anna stops treating Sydney as The Walking Dead.