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 hours ago, Bulya said:

They’re clueless when they select a place to migrate to (pin the tail on the donkey basically).

absolutely spot on, you are amazing that's exactly what I did....I gathered my wife and son together some 9 years ago on a random rainy day and placed a pin in the map of the world...and would you know it i landed on Australia and Perth and said right lets go  ...are you some sort of migration guru? ...just asking

 

10 hours ago, Bulya said:

They’re clueless

please enlighten us who is they're?

[Home and Happy]

10 hours ago, ali said:

Had you been before and were dreading the move or just wasn't really up for migrating?  I'm sorry to hear that you've been unhappy for so long, sounds as if Perth has just really reinforced those initial misgivings you had.

No we were young, seeking adventure. We both wanted it, and were rather excited.  The Internet was poor then, in its infancy, not much info online apart from pretty pictures over a slow dial up connection. We totally bought into all the glossy brochure hype from the migration agents. And started planning our way out.  It was not a waste of time by any means, we didn’t like it, but it was not an unpleasant or bad place or anything. Moving there and back set us up well in life. No complaints there. I totally get why young people starting a family and raising children love it and why old retirees love it.  It’s very quiet.  

Edited November 12, 2020 by Home and Happy

[Bulya]

39 minutes ago, bug family said:

absolutely spot on, you are amazing that's exactly what I did....I gathered my wife and son together some 9 years ago on a random rainy day and placed a pin in the map of the world...and would you know it i landed on Australia and Perth and said right lets go  ...are you some sort of migration guru? ...just asking

 

please enlighten us who is they're?

Poms 

[Snoozy]

1 hour ago, Red Rose said:

Sounds like you have lived a lifetime in Perth. Has it changed for the better since you arrived in 78? Are there parts of Perth / WA you do still like?

 Red Rose, There have been so many changes, especially housing and the roads, railways etc. I can hardly recognise the place now. There are so many new suburbs that never existed in 78. I miss the old Australiana homes. They had a certain charm, that will never come back. It's more costly now to live in Perth, than it was back then. Places like Subiaco are ruined. They shut down the lovely markets. Personally I think that was a very foolish move. Maybe people think it's all for the better, personally I don't. I guess it's what they call progress. I've never liked Perth, so no, there's no parts that I'm really fond of. Sorry, I have such a negative attitude towards living here. I miss the friendly community I grew up in. It still exists today. For me Perth is all about wealth and status. There are many more changes, I just can't list them all here.

[Bulya]

1 minute ago, Snoozy said:

 Red Rose, There have been so many changes, especially housing and the roads, railways etc. I can hardly recognise the place now. There are so many new suburbs that never existed in 78. I miss the old Australiana homes. They had a certain charm, that will never come back. It's more costly now to live in Perth, than it was back then. Places like Subiaco are ruined. They shut down the lovely markets. Personally I think that was a very foolish move. Maybe people think it's all for the better, personally I don't. I guess it's what they call progress. I've never liked Perth, so no, there's no parts that I'm really fond of. Sorry, I have such a negative attitude towards living here. I miss the friendly community I grew up in. It still exists today. For me Perth is all about wealth and status. There are many more changes, I just can't list them all here.

Had some fantastic visits with a race team but under no circumstances could I live there.  Palpable sense of isolation and a very weird vibe...

[Snoozy]

46 minutes ago, Bulya said:

Had some fantastic visits with a race team but under no circumstances could I live there.  Palpable sense of isolation and a very weird vibe...

Bulya, Yes, it's the isolation that has made me very depressed. I wish I could have explored other parts of Australia. Maybe I could have settled and not been so unhappy.

[bug family]

On 11/11/2020 at 23:37, Snoozy said:

I realised it the moment I stepped off of the plane in Perth, that I had made a big mistake. I hoped that one day I would return, if only for a holiday. Circumstances have prevented me from ever going home. Forty two years I have endured living here. To many it's paradise, for me it's a hell hole.

Can I just say snoozy I feel for you and understand exactly what you mean, I hope it helps somewhat to know that you are not alone in how you feel,  that can be seen in what has been written on here time and time again by many posters, anyhow thank you for your honest words, I hope someday that you find some happiness here take care

[Snoozy]

59 minutes ago, bug family said:

Can I just say snoozy I feel for you and understand exactly what you mean, I hope it helps somewhat to know that you are not alone in how you feel,  that can be seen in what has been written on here time and time again by many posters, anyhow thank you for your honest words, I hope someday that you find some happiness here take care

bug family, Thank you so much for your understanding. I have been reading the posts for a few years now.  It brings me some comfort being on here. I'm having a hard time now I'm older  and have ill health, and knowing that I will never return home xx

[ozuk]

I prefered Australia when on holiday. Not keen on it now as within months of moving here I've developed a serious disease and as I don't qualify for Medicare due to being on a bridging visa I've had to pay thousands in medical bills over the last few months and more bills to treat the side effects of the drugs. Very expensive country. I'll soon be living here illegally as I have no money to go back to the UK.

Edited November 13, 2020 by ozuk

[Marisawright]

31 minutes ago, ozuk said:

I prefered Australia when on holiday. Not keen on it now as within months of moving here I've developed a serious disease and as I don't qualify for Medicare 

Something doesn't add up.  The bridging visa doesn't qualify for Medicare, BUT as a former UK resident, you are eligible for Medicare under the reciprocal agreement.  

On your thread back in August, you said you had planned to live on your investments, on the basis you would get 5% interest, which would give you $1500 a month.  That means that in August, you had about $360,000 in investments.  So it makes no sense that you've got no money to go home.

In August, you said the waiting time for your visa is 50 years, so there is no way your bridging visa is about to run out. Therefore there is no way you will be living in Australia illegally.

What's the truth?

 

[Pendragon]

We moved to Perth in 2007 from the rual West Country. It was all about our then 17 yo having an opportunity where little existed. Plan was to settle him into Australian life, gain our citizenship and return home. Of course plans change. He found a lady and started a family of his own.

Whilst I love my family I am not so keen on life in Australia. I have not settled in at all, only making acquaintances and no real friends. Finding I have little in common with those I meet, so now I don't bother. I use to be enjoy a good social life, whereas in Australia I have done. Once this Covid mess is over I am contemplating leaving my family and returning to the UK. Feel like these past 13+ years have been wasted. As I move into retirement I don't want to spend it wishing.

[ozuk]

I still cant decide if it's for me. Where I am the average age is 28 so I feel out of place. 99% of people are considerably younger than me and I feel like this is the land of the giants as I constantly have to look up when talking to people. Everyone is so incredibly tall here, even the women. Must be something in the water lol 

[Marisawright]

20 minutes ago, ozuk said:

I still cant decide if it's for me. Where I am the average age is 28 so I feel out of place. 99% of people are considerably younger than me and I feel like this is the land of the giants as I constantly have to look up when talking to people. Everyone is so incredibly tall here, even the women. Must be something in the water lol 

@ozuk, did you see my post above?  here it is again:

"Something doesn't add up.  The bridging visa doesn't qualify for Medicare, BUT as a former UK resident, you've been eligible for Medicare under the reciprocal agreement since the day you arrived.  

On your thread back in August, you said you had planned to live on your investments, on the basis you would get 5% interest, which would give you $1500 a month.  That means that in August, you had about $360,000 in investments.  So it makes no sense that you've got no money to go home.

In August, you said the waiting time for your visa is 50 years, so there is no way your bridging visa is about to run out. Therefore there is no way you will be living in Australia illegally."

In August, we all advised you to cut your losses and go home, because clearly, you're going to end up destitute if you stay in Australia.  And you don't sound happy.  So why you're still here beats me.

Edited November 16, 2020 by Marisawright

[MARYROSE02]

2 hours ago, Pendragon said:

We moved to Perth in 2007 from the rual West Country. It was all about our then 17 yo having an opportunity where little existed. Plan was to settle him into Australian life, gain our citizenship and return home. Of course plans change. He found a lady and started a family of his own.

Whilst I love my family I am not so keen on life in Australia. I have not settled in at all, only making acquaintances and no real friends. Finding I have little in common with those I meet, so now I don't bother. I use to be enjoy a good social life, whereas in Australia I have done. Once this Covid mess is over I am contemplating leaving my family and returning to the UK. Feel like these past 13+ years have been wasted. As I move into retirement I don't want to spend it wishing.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to go back to the UK but if you leave your family here and go back on your own (assuming they don't want to come with you), that may be harder than you think, especially after 13 years away.

Has your time here really been wasted? You said the plan was to give your 17 yo an opportunity "where little existed??" and it seems if he has an (Aussie) family of his own, and presumably a good job, then surely your plan has worked, in part at least.

I went back for 12 years by the way, not because I hated Australia, just something that "happened". I was made redundant, my parents were still in England, so I went back to see them and stayed for 12 years. After they passed, I came back to Australia, not because I was unhappy in England but because my brothers were in Oz and I had no close family left in England.

Good luck anyway.

[MARYROSE02]

On 12/11/2020 at 19:47, Snoozy said:

 Red Rose, There have been so many changes, especially housing and the roads, railways etc. I can hardly recognise the place now. There are so many new suburbs that never existed in 78. I miss the old Australiana homes. They had a certain charm, that will never come back. It's more costly now to live in Perth, than it was back then. Places like Subiaco are ruined. They shut down the lovely markets. Personally I think that was a very foolish move. Maybe people think it's all for the better, personally I don't. I guess it's what they call progress. I've never liked Perth, so no, there's no parts that I'm really fond of. Sorry, I have such a negative attitude towards living here. I miss the friendly community I grew up in. It still exists today. For me Perth is all about wealth and status. There are many more changes, I just can't list them all here.

November, 1978, I was in Perth. If I was still in Sydney I'd be digging out my 1978 diary to read what I was up to. The funny thing is that even though I know I did some things because I wrote them down I can't remember doing them. But I do know that on the day I arrived - 3rd November, 1978, I wrote "I love it here and I want to stay."

I spent a month fruitlessly looking for work, heading to the CES in the City every day (from the hostel in Newcastle St - still there too) and swimming at Scarborough and going out drinking, nowhere that I can remember except for the Leederville Hotel. After a month I got the Greyhound to Adelaide and then on to Sydney possibly via Ansett Pioneer.

Apart from a week in 1981 and a weekend in 1997  I never really went back till Dec 17 when I stayed for 7 weeks, then six weeks in May, 2018. I don't know your old Subiaco but the one i visited i thought was nice enough, plenty of restaurants and pubs, one of them where Perth Spurs fans to to watch games.

I spent most of my time in South Perth which seemed nice enough to me. House styles are always changing. In Sydney circa 2000 it seemed to be square, white homes, sometimes semi-detached replacing the bungalows. I am a conservative at heart myself but many of the new homes look nice. 

I was seriously thinking of moving to Perth but since  came to Surfers Paradise I have a new 'lover' (not literally!) I don't miss Sydney but I'm not sure if I will go over to Perth again either.

[Home and Happy]

9 hours ago, Pendragon said:

We moved to Perth in 2007 from the rual West Country. It was all about our then 17 yo having an opportunity where little existed. Plan was to settle him into Australian life, gain our citizenship and return home. Of course plans change. He found a lady and started a family of his own.

Whilst I love my family I am not so keen on life in Australia. I have not settled in at all, only making acquaintances and no real friends. Finding I have little in common with those I meet, so now I don't bother. I use to be enjoy a good social life, whereas in Australia I have done. Once this Covid mess is over I am contemplating leaving my family and returning to the UK. Feel like these past 13+ years have been wasted. As I move into retirement I don't want to spend it wishing.

Totally relate to this. The street we lived in, the only people who spoke to us were other poms and other foreigners.

[Pendragon]

11 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

There is nothing wrong with wanting to go back to the UK but if you leave your family here and go back on your own (assuming they don't want to come with you), that may be harder than you think, especially after 13 years away.

Has your time here really been wasted? You said the plan was to give your 17 yo an opportunity "where little existed??" and it seems if he has an (Aussie) family of his own, and presumably a good job, then surely your plan has worked, in part at least.

I went back for 12 years by the way, not because I hated Australia, just something that "happened". I was made redundant, my parents were still in England, so I went back to see them and stayed for 12 years. After they passed, I came back to Australia, not because I was unhappy in England but because my brothers were in Oz and I had no close family left in England.

Good luck anyway.

The thing is I was married previously and have children and grandchildren in the UK. None wish to move to Australia and I wouldn't want them to make same mistake as myself. In 13 years I have taken annual return flights back home, so get to see them. 

Australia is somewhere one can easily live, but is not for everyone. The same language maybe spoken but it's a different country.

My wife of 20+ years is supportive of me going back to the UK and thinks I need to do what I feel is right for me. If I stay here in retirement I fear I not last long.

[Chortlepuss]

I came over after I got a job here In Brisbane. I was on a 457 Visa so a dodgy thing to uproot my family. After a few years, my company sponsored me for PR (lucky because by that time I was too old so ‘special’ case made). Hubby got a job he loved, kids got settled and they all grew to like it here. I always wanted to come here & feel really lucky to have got citizenship. I loved it at first with a passion! But it was never meant to be forever - I love my pubs, National Trust buildings, gardens, cathedrals, the countryside European travel and the quiet (despite not much to do in Brisbane it is never quiet!). I’m still close to my family and lifelong friends at home and chat often. And now I’m stuck here. Only myself to blame. I made us come! Unemployed - at 58 I’m probably never going to work in IT again as I’m ‘overqualified’. I’m so lucky cos investments & hubby’s work means that we can have an OK life here although we’re not rich . When I overthink it, I’m puzzled that I’ve allowed myself to get trapped in a place with no real friends, no work and not even able to be outside much cos it’s too hot! I don’t really like driving yet I have to drive every day to the pool, the gym, the shops, the GP etc. In my village in the UK in the South Downs most things I needed were just a short potter away, and I got to listen to birds and spend time in the countryside instead of constant traffic, DIY, or building noise.....I can’t imagine growing old here, it’s just crept up on me....I feel so daft for not having a proper exit plan - if we’d stayed out four years and returned, we’d have had nothing but brilliant memories of Australia....

[Paul1Perth]

On 12/11/2020 at 17:47, Snoozy said:

 Red Rose, There have been so many changes, especially housing and the roads, railways etc. I can hardly recognise the place now. There are so many new suburbs that never existed in 78. I miss the old Australiana homes. They had a certain charm, that will never come back. It's more costly now to live in Perth, than it was back then. Places like Subiaco are ruined. They shut down the lovely markets. Personally I think that was a very foolish move. Maybe people think it's all for the better, personally I don't. I guess it's what they call progress. I've never liked Perth, so no, there's no parts that I'm really fond of. Sorry, I have such a negative attitude towards living here. I miss the friendly community I grew up in. It still exists today. For me Perth is all about wealth and status. There are many more changes, I just can't list them all here.

Those type of friendly communities exist in Perth. We live in one.

[Paul1Perth]

16 hours ago, ozuk said:

I still cant decide if it's for me. Where I am the average age is 28 so I feel out of place. 99% of people are considerably younger than me and I feel like this is the land of the giants as I constantly have to look up when talking to people. Everyone is so incredibly tall here, even the women. Must be something in the water lol 

I remember going in a pub in Subi when we hadn't been here long and had the same feeling of having to look up at everyone. I played centre half in soccer a lot of time in the UK 5ft 11 and felt small here.

My eldest is 6ft 3 in the old measure and he has mates a lot taller. Might be a generational, sunshine, exercise and diet thing?

[Paul1Perth]

8 hours ago, Home and Happy said:

Totally relate to this. The street we lived in, the only people who spoke to us were other poms and other foreigners.

You probably lived in a street where the only people were other poms and other foreigners.

[bug family]

5 hours ago, Pendragon said:

5 hours ago, Pendragon said:

Australia is somewhere one can easily live, but is not for everyone. The same language maybe spoken but it's a different country

The thing is I was married previously and have children and grandchildren in the UK. None wish to move to Australia and I wouldn't want them to make same mistake as myself. In 13 years I have taken annual return flights back home, so get to see them. 

Australia is somewhere one can easily live, but is not for everyone. The same language maybe spoken but it's a different country.

My wife of 20+ years is supportive of me going back to the UK and thinks I need to do what I feel is right for me. If I stay here in retirement I fear I not last long.

Pendragon, if you return to the UK whereabouts would you move to and when would you go? you have not wasted the past 13 years don't be so hard on yourself you have given your family an opportunity to live a different life from what they would have experienced

 

"Australia is somewhere one can easily live, but is not for everyone. The same language maybe spoken but it's a different country"....<-----------------totally agree with this

[bug family]

3 hours ago, Chortlepuss said:

.I can’t imagine growing old here

Me neither, i feel that the door is slowly closing and if I do not make the move soon then I never will

[Red Rose]

4 hours ago, Chortlepuss said:

I came over after I got a job here In Brisbane. I was on a 457 Visa so a dodgy thing to uproot my family. After a few years, my company sponsored me for PR (lucky because by that time I was too old so ‘special’ case made). Hubby got a job he loved, kids got settled and they all grew to like it here. I always wanted to come here & feel really lucky to have got citizenship. I loved it at first with a passion! But it was never meant to be forever - I love my pubs, National Trust buildings, gardens, cathedrals, the countryside European travel and the quiet (despite not much to do in Brisbane it is never quiet!). I’m still close to my family and lifelong friends at home and chat often. And now I’m stuck here. Only myself to blame. I made us come! Unemployed - at 58 I’m probably never going to work in IT again as I’m ‘overqualified’. I’m so lucky cos investments & hubby’s work means that we can have an OK life here although we’re not rich . When I overthink it, I’m puzzled that I’ve allowed myself to get trapped in a place with no real friends, no work and not even able to be outside much cos it’s too hot! I don’t really like driving yet I have to drive every day to the pool, the gym, the shops, the GP etc. In my village in the UK in the South Downs most things I needed were just a short potter away, and I got to listen to birds and spend time in the countryside instead of constant traffic, DIY, or building noise.....I can’t imagine growing old here, it’s just crept up on me....I feel so daft for not having a proper exit plan - if we’d stayed out four years and returned, we’d have had nothing but brilliant memories of Australia....

The south downs is beautiful. Was your village anywhere near Lewes?

[ali]

8 hours ago, Paul1Perth said:

Those type of friendly communities exist in Perth. We live in one.

Our community is a nice one however,  I've never been one to live in my neighbours pockets and am quite content to wave and say hello.  We don't have street parties now that our kids are older, but  we still have a lot of the same neighbours and I know that we could call on them if needed in a time of crisis.