Ping Pongers

[Jon the Hat]

So many lovely Cafe's to choose from for breakfast in Perth, you can spend a fortune though!

[Canbush]

5 hours ago, HappyHeart said:

We stayed at the Doubletree in April. Thought the breakfast was fine. Not a massive choice and slow to refill (understaffed) 

We must have been unlucky.  We had a five night stay in June and a weekend in July and had poor breakfasts each time.  The staff were very nice, but stretched as you said.  

[Rightside13]

On 16/06/2021 at 02:55, Dan Not Dale said:

Hi There,

Apologies, could be a long read. I’m looking to hear the experiences of people who are back and forth between Australia and UK or those that have never really made their mind up.

A little context first.

I’ve been in Melbourne 7 years next month, based in Melbourne. Met someone on a working holiday. She did 18 months in UK so we could do visas here. We now both have a UK and Australian passport. 

I miss home intensely and visit every year, do 3 week holidays (pre covid). However, after 15 days I’m often ready to come back to Melbourne. I don’t know if it’s the stress of cramming everything in or the emotion of it all and seeing parents age etc but I’m aware I’m ready to come back often when I visit. 

Although strangely, I dislike Melbourne. The tv and radio telling us it’s the best place in the world on a daily basis doesn’t make it so. It probably is great if you are in a decent suburb, but we have little desire to take on $800,000 debt to be in a good one. The roads and traffic are terrible. People seem far from happy in general. Vast swaths of it are a complete eye sores. I’m often left scratching my head at supposedly ‘beautiful’ spots too.

Ive felt extremely lucky to be here throughout this pandemic. I don’t want to bash the place, it’s been great and welcomed me. 

My opinion has been that Australia is the better option because our salary is higher and house is bigger. I feel wealthy here despite a modest salary. I rarely feel financially stressed. That wasn’t the case in UK. Personally that’s where the benefits end for me.

When we go home and I walk the streets I am beaming, it’s so beautiful, the small tree lined streets, the old buildings. I can’t explain how great it feels.

Does anyone else relate? Do you change your mind regularly, will the beauty of the green tree lined streets be forgotten when I’m scraping ice off the windscreen in January before driving to work? Will I pine for my nice house in a boring Melbourne suburb when it costs me £100 to fill the petrol tank.

Does going back to a smaller house become an issue? Does it ever matter? Hose prices look absolutely mad across the south of England.

I hope I haven’t rubbed anyone up the wrong way. I don’t want to bash Melbourne. I can’t help but think the constant population growth is detrimental to its existing population. I don’t see it improving as a place to live.

I’ve made no friends here in 7 years so I realise I could be the problem. Still close with friends back home and I’d be welcomed back in the circle with open arms I’m sure.

Does anyone relate, do you fear you’ll want to be back in Australia 2 months after you’ve returned to UK?

Thanks, Dan

 

 

 

 

I wanted to be back in Melbourne within a week of returning to the UK, somehow still find myself in the UK nearly five year later!

Now at the point where I'm thinking I'm too old to move back to Melbourne.

[Marisawright]

4 hours ago, Rightside13 said:

 

I wanted to be back in Melbourne within a week of returning to the UK, somehow still find myself in the UK nearly five year later!

Now at the point where I'm thinking I'm too old to move back to Melbourne.

Never say never.  The only thing that might hold you back is the house prices, which have gone bonkers in Melbourne since you left.  We arrived in our 60's and have never looked back.

Melbourne is a great place to get old in.   One of the great things is the very active U3A (university of the third age).   There are several branches around the suburbs, which mainly cater to the over 70's, but the Melbourne City branch has a much younger vibe, with a large membership of people in their 50s and 60s, so it's easy to make friends.  

On top of that, the excellent public transport and excellent health facilities are tailor-made for old age, not to mention the flat terrain.  

[Rightside13]

19 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Never say never.  The only thing that might hold you back is the house prices, which have gone bonkers in Melbourne since you left.  We arrived in our 60's and have never looked back.

Melbourne is a great place to get old in.   One of the great things is the very active U3A (university of the third age).   There are several branches around the suburbs, which mainly cater to the over 70's, but the Melbourne City branch has a much younger vibe, with a large membership of people in their 50s and 60s, so it's easy to make friends.  

On top of that, the excellent public transport and excellent health facilities are tailor-made for old age, not to mention the flat terrain.  

Arriving in your sixties is impressive, I'm only 37 and already think I'm too old for moving back.

If we did move back we've got friends in Melton and Werribee so wouldn't be against moving to those areas which I know are a little cheaper, should have enough in savings for a good 50/60% deposit and assuming my old boss is serious about taking me back then I'll have a decent job straight away too.

[Lavers]

2 hours ago, Rightside13 said:

Arriving in your sixties is impressive, I'm only 37 and already think I'm too old for moving back.

If we did move back we've got friends in Melton and Werribee so wouldn't be against moving to those areas which I know are a little cheaper, should have enough in savings for a good 50/60% deposit and assuming my old boss is serious about taking me back then I'll have a decent job straight away too.

Plenty of people migrate to Aus for the 1st time older than you.

You have the advantage of being here before and having a job to come to.

[Marisawright]

4 hours ago, Rightside13 said:

Arriving in your sixties is impressive, I'm only 37 and already think I'm too old for moving back.

If we did move back we've got friends in Melton and Werribee so wouldn't be against moving to those areas which I know are a little cheaper, should have enough in savings for a good 50/60% deposit and assuming my old boss is serious about taking me back then I'll have a decent job straight away too.

If you're 37 then I don't know what's stopping you.

[MARYROSE02]

18 hours ago, Lavers said:

Plenty of people migrate to Aus for the 1st time older than you.

You have the advantage of being here before and having a job to come to.

I went back to England when I was 42 and stayed for 12 years, then came back to Sydney, and I've been here for another 12 years, or maybe it's 13, December,  2008 to December, 2021, yes, but I did have eight months in Surfers Paradise on another little "sojourn" . I may go back to Surfers. Nothing against Sydney or Melbourne but I don't like the winters any more.

[RandL]

it's never too late to do what you want to do if you have the means to do it .

We came to Australia in our late 20's , move  to the UK in our early 50's , moved back to Australia in our late 50's , moved back to the UK in our early 60's and now planing our retirement in Australia next year .  Moving always looks daunting , we always sold up and bought again,  quit jobs and found new ones in the other country, if you take it step by step it's OK, things will fall into place .

Just don't look back how much money you have spent doing it  

 

 

 

[Toots]

8 hours ago, RandL said:

it's never too late to do what you want to do if you have the means to do it .

We came to Australia in our late 20's , move  to the UK in our early 50's , moved back to Australia in our late 50's , moved back to the UK in our early 60's and now planing our retirement in Australia next year .  Moving always looks daunting , we always sold up and bought again,  quit jobs and found new ones in the other country, if you take it step by step it's OK, things will fall into place .

Just don't look back how much money you have spent doing it  

 

 

 

I couldn't go through all that myself but good on you.  

[starlight7]

Melbourne is very much what you make it because there are vast differences in areas to live, type of people you meet etc. It is very big and sprawly. When we arrived in the early 70 s I thought it was exceedingly ugly, mainly because of the trip in from the airport. If you find the ‘right’ suburbs it is actually charming and green and pretty with good local networks and communities. So many things to do, especially when you get older. Theses days I rarely go to the dead centre (city) because it has been decimated by over zealous politicians and their fondness for draconian measures against Covid but I can live very happily without that. The population has dropped somewhat just now which is a good thing that they have done. Unintentionally I am sure but there are benefits for the ‘remainders’.

[Marisawright]

2 hours ago, starlight7 said:

Melbourne is very much what you make it because there are vast differences in areas to live, type of people you meet etc. 

Very true and I think it's true of any large city.  Sydney is the same, so is London, and I'm sure Manchester and Birmingham are too.  

I remember sitting in a taxi from Sydney Airport thinking what a dump the city was, and then we got past the rundown ex-industrial areas and it was like night and day. 

[Bulya]

2 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Very true and I think it's true of any large city.  Sydney is the same, so is London, and I'm sure Manchester and Birmingham are too.  

I remember sitting in a taxi from Sydney Airport thinking what a dump the city was, and then we got past the rundown ex-industrial areas and it was like night and day. 

Big and so diverse.  

[Ken]

On 04/11/2021 at 03:47, Rightside13 said:

Arriving in your sixties is impressive, I'm only 37 and already think I'm too old for moving back.

If we did move back we've got friends in Melton and Werribee so wouldn't be against moving to those areas which I know are a little cheaper, should have enough in savings for a good 50/60% deposit and assuming my old boss is serious about taking me back then I'll have a decent job straight away too.

I didn't arrive here until I was 46 so I definitely don't think that's old - although I'm departing the Werribee area (we've just sold our house in Manor Lakes) and moving to the Gold Coast. I'm 55 now and still not too old for another new start!

[Quoll]

On 04/11/2021 at 03:47, Rightside13 said:

Arriving in your sixties is impressive, I'm only 37 and already think I'm too old for moving back.

If we did move back we've got friends in Melton and Werribee so wouldn't be against moving to those areas which I know are a little cheaper, should have enough in savings for a good 50/60% deposit and assuming my old boss is serious about taking me back then I'll have a decent job straight away too.

Nah, you're still young. We accidentally moved back to UK in our early 60s and back to Australia in our early 70s. If it were financially viable to move back to UK I would do it in a heart beat now crawling towards my mid  70s. It's only money after all. 

[Blue Flu]

7 hours ago, Quoll said:

Nah, you're still young. We accidentally moved back to UK in our early 60s and back to Australia in our early 70s. If it were financially viable to move back to UK I would do it in a heart beat now crawling towards my mid  70s. It's only money after all. 

But I'd suggest at some point money should not be the focus. I mean i the sense of what has already been acquired, likely enough for rest of one's life at a certain point, rather than an attempt to gain more or even lose out somewhat on potential earnings  in some form as a reason to remain. Far better I suspect, to say I've enough to get me through and locate to desired location and added mental ad sociability benefits gained from that.   

[Quoll]

2 hours ago, Blue Flu said:

But I'd suggest at some point money should not be the focus. I mean i the sense of what has already been acquired, likely enough for rest of one's life at a certain point, rather than an attempt to gain more or even lose out somewhat on potential earnings  in some form as a reason to remain. Far better I suspect, to say I've enough to get me through and locate to desired location and added mental ad sociability benefits gained from that.   

True, but the other insurmountable obstacle is the husband I have had for nearly 50 years, who is Australian! He gave me nearly 10 years in UK so now is his time again.

[ramot]

We would probably  be better off  retired  in UK, the free NHS, might still need private health though if it’s as bad as people say, plus unfrozen state pension. Still own property there and could sell our house here, which is worth silly money because of the buying frenzy locally. However nothing will tempt me back to the UK, as money isn’t everything, and we both want to live in Australia, it’s more important that you are happy where you living, hard if you aren’t on the same page, so decisions have to be jointly made, with the person who is prepared to make the least compromise, perhaps giving way to the more unhappy partner. 
I had to put up with living in a country that was very difficult to live in at times, due to my husband’s job, but knew it was temporary, not a life sentence, and would never again live somewhere I was unhappy.

[starlight7]

Same as you, ramot. You know where you feel 'at home' and that's it, really. I don't even want to visit my birthplace now since Covid, no appeal whatsoever. I still think the tv programs are better there, though and still watch them for preference.

[Tulip1]

23 hours ago, ramot said:

the free NHS, might still need private health though if it’s as bad as people say, 

It’s a strange one because we hear this a lot.  I guess until you need it you’re not sure how good/bad it is.  Even throughout Covid, the few people I know that needed it got first class treatment.   My mum spent 9 days in hospital summer last year after one of her many delirium episodes, at a time we weren’t allowed to visit at all.  Throughout that I was spoken to daily on the phone by the doctors and I couldn’t have asked for more.  Earlier this year she was found unresponsive one morning by her care home staff and rushed to hospital by ambulance.  She had suffered a stroke that rendered her in a coma and end of life was the only option.  For the five days she was in hospital (at a time of no visiting unless something like end of life)  my brother, sister and I were all allowed in anytime day or night.  The care they gave her and us (I’ve never been offered so much tea and biscuits) was amazing.  Last month a close relative was very ill and his wife called an ambulance.  They arrived in 8 minutes and he was rushed to hospital.  He spent 10 days there and underwent every scan/test you can think of.  He was diagnosed with severe acute pancreatitis.  He is now home and on the mend.  He said he couldn’t imagine it possible to have had better care.  We all do hear the nhs horror stories but my family have a very different story to tell as in their time of need the nhs were outstanding.   

[Cup Final 1973]

14 minutes ago, Tulip1 said:

It’s a strange one because we hear this a lot.  I guess until you need it you’re not sure how good/bad it is.  Even throughout Covid, the few people I know that needed it got first class treatment.   My mum spent 9 days in hospital summer last year after one of her many delirium episodes, at a time we weren’t allowed to visit at all.  Throughout that I was spoken to daily on the phone by the doctors and I couldn’t have asked for more.  Earlier this year she was found unresponsive one morning by her care home staff and rushed to hospital by ambulance.  She had suffered a stroke that rendered her in a coma and end of life was the only option.  For the five days she was in hospital (at a time of no visiting unless something like end of life)  my brother, sister and I were all allowed in anytime day or night.  The care they gave her and us (I’ve never been offered so much tea and biscuits) was amazing.  Last month a close relative was very ill and his wife called an ambulance.  They arrived in 8 minutes and he was rushed to hospital.  He spent 10 days there and underwent every scan/test you can think of.  He was diagnosed with severe acute pancreatitis.  He is now home and on the mend.  He said he couldn’t imagine it possible to have had better care.  We all do hear the nhs horror stories but my family have a very different story to tell as in their time of need the nhs were outstanding.   

We arrived back in May and have been very impressed by how quickly our needs have been met on the NHS, including an endoscopy for my husband which had been postponed 3 times in Melbourne and hearing aids for myself.

[ramot]

39 minutes ago, Tulip1 said:

It’s a strange one because we hear this a lot.  I guess until you need it you’re not sure how good/bad it is.  Even throughout Covid, the few people I know that needed it got first class treatment.   My mum spent 9 days in hospital summer last year after one of her many delirium episodes, at a time we weren’t allowed to visit at all.  Throughout that I was spoken to daily on the phone by the doctors and I couldn’t have asked for more.  Earlier this year she was found unresponsive one morning by her care home staff and rushed to hospital by ambulance.  She had suffered a stroke that rendered her in a coma and end of life was the only option.  For the five days she was in hospital (at a time of no visiting unless something like end of life)  my brother, sister and I were all allowed in anytime day or night.  The care they gave her and us (I’ve never been offered so much tea and biscuits) was amazing.  Last month a close relative was very ill and his wife called an ambulance.  They arrived in 8 minutes and he was rushed to hospital.  He spent 10 days there and underwent every scan/test you can think of.  He was diagnosed with severe acute pancreatitis.  He is now home and on the mend.  He said he couldn’t imagine it possible to have had better care.  We all do hear the nhs horror stories but my family have a very different story to tell as in their time of need the nhs were outstanding.   

I’m glad you’re mother was well treated and recovered, but I suppose you can’t help judging a system by your own recent experience.

II’ve had an appointment to see a Dr a couple of times on my annual visits, but have been seen by the nurse instead, on one occasion antibiotics were consequently  delayed for a chest infection that got  very serious. and it took 2 different courses of antibiotics to clear.

last time I was there I had to go to A&E and wasn’t impressed with my visit or follow up clinic visit. Perhaps I was just unlucky, but the nurse? couldn’t get the needle in even after several attempts to take blood, and had to call someone else, and even though I went to a follow up clinic, I was dismissed as no problem found.  I will give full  praise to the GP I saw later, who was more switched on than the clinic, but if I hadn’t gone to see her because I had been dismissed by the clinic I would have been in trouble.

I like that I am not tied to one Drs practice, it makes sense to stay with your Dr if satisfied, but no problem here moving Dr. There are several 7 day Drs surgeries locally for drop in and a 24hr Dr. So far we have been lucky here, with very little disruption to face to face appointments, but of course unless you go to a bulk billed Dr, most of us have to pay. I’m sure there are good and bad stories from each system, so stay well everyone.

Sorry if this has gone off subject after a comment about the NHS in my post, it wasn’t my intention to go off topic.

Edited November 7, 2021 by ramot

[Blue Flu]

On 04/11/2021 at 23:08, RandL said:

it's never too late to do what you want to do if you have the means to do it .

We came to Australia in our late 20's , move  to the UK in our early 50's , moved back to Australia in our late 50's , moved back to the UK in our early 60's and now planing our retirement in Australia next year .  Moving always looks daunting , we always sold up and bought again,  quit jobs and found new ones in the other country, if you take it step by step it's OK, things will fall into place .

Just don't look back how much money you have spent doing it  

 

 

 

Now that's I suppose what I call ping ponging. Although come to think of it, I've done it as many times myself, but on two occasions prior to last, had little intention of remaining forever. 

I think your last sentence says it all. The massive cost involved over more recent times really focus's the mind into viability of such an action. Like many things, moving seemed considerably easier in the past.   

[Bulya]

Back in my NASA days I worked with a bunch of poms one of whom had ping pinged six times with his family in tow.  Wife spat the dummy and said he could go back to England on his own next time.  

[MacGyver]

4 hours ago, Bulya said:

Back in my NASA days I worked with a bunch of poms one of whom had ping pinged six times with his family in tow.  Wife spat the dummy and said he could go back to England on his own next time.  

Off topic, but any sentence starting "Back in my NASA days..." really grabs your attention!