RonnieRocket0 Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 Dear Fellow PIO'ers My family and I are currently in Perth on a 'validation of visa' visit. To start off with we were 'seduced' by programmes such as 'Wanted Down Under', and decided to visit migration seminars as well as joining various web forums such as this one. We applied for our 176 visas in July of 2009 and prior to being awarding them in January 2010 we visited Perth in October 2009 for a two week holiday. At that time my employment/renumeration prospects were better in Australia than they were in the UK due to the economic climate, however on that visit we did notice that life in WA, is certainly not cheap. That said there is a cost to hoping to enjoy a higher standard of living and I think there is/was a mis-conception that it's easy money here in Australia. The reality is, unless you are financially well off then I believe you may have to work harder for your $ than you would for your £. Fast forward to Jan 2010, were awarded our 176 visas and as we have a large family (4 children) there would be a lot of organizing which would many of you have been through or are aware of. Without wishing to commit financial suicide of resigning from my employer at the time without a job in Australia and attempting to sell the house in the current economic climate, we thought it would be prudent to complete a validation visit, as a visit for 6 (£10000) was a far cheaper prospect than moving with no certainties (£150000+). That way we would then have until January 2014 to move and in the meantime, I could then potentially travel to Australia on my own to secure employment, in the knowledge that my wife and children had experienced some aspects of life in Australia even if it is for a short period of time. On our visit in 2009, we did not do so much of the tourist thing, but concerntrated on speaking to recruiters about career/salary prospects, looking at schools, and speaking to teachers about the education system (My eldest son is mildly autistic), and what provisions are in place for special educational needs. We also looked at housing and compared properties which were new builds to those which were 10+ years old. To be completely honest we were not overly impressed with the houses at that time as I wondered why on earth did so many homes have very tiny back gardens. Inside the houses there were many examples of high level of spec for appliances and house layout. After our 2009 visit, as our visa situation had not been decided by DIAC, we were still in limbo and could not plan our move, as it would have been a great deal of time and money wasted had we not been awarded our visas. That visit was invaluable as it gave us many thoughts about life in Australia, and the numerous people we spoke with about the many areas of life in Australia was great, they were honest and frank and as with anywhere in the world, some loved it, others were not so keen, (Aussie's included!!). March 2010 saw a change of job for myself which now has presented a number of various oppotunities, one of which is the possibility of moving to Australia to open an office up for my new employer. This is not an immediate option, and may take two years. The 7 months I have been working with my new employer have been great in all areas. This has made life in the UK somewhat more pleasant, which in turn has made the desire to leave less likely. October 2010, we are in Perth on our visa validation visit, and as with our 2009 visit we have met a number of great people, all with differing stories and views of life in Perth/suburbs. Some have no desire to stay in Australia and are looking to return to the UK within a couple of years, others have no wish to return to the UK permanently but are going back for a short visit to complete their emotional closures, before returning. To summarize, I guess the short answer to the $64,000 question is, will we move to WA? My response at this moment would be is to spin a coin. The only advice I can offer is that you can never do too much research into this subject. I thought that once we had our visas life would be simplier, that is very wrong. The visa process is a small part of a huge life changing action you are embarking on. I will continue to add to this post from time to time, but it would be great to read your comments about my thoughts. I would also like to thank the numerous people in Perth we have met as well as the numerous people on PIO who have contributed their thoughts and ideas on the numerous aspects of life in Australia. I'd better sign off now as we are off to King's Park for a picnic with a fellow PIO'er,Floater and his family. Kind regards Ronnie Rocket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest33730 Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 Great post - nice to see a balanced view, enjoy the picnic!! Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest famousfive Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 Good post,you have your head screwed on right as my mother would say and not jumping in blind with the life is better in oz attitude that some succumb to.Make the decision with eyes wide open and whatever you decide has a better chance of being the right one.I look forward to reading more.Enjoy the picnic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonnieRocket0 Posted October 31, 2010 Author Share Posted October 31, 2010 Hi All, Further to my earlier post, we had a great day in King's Park with Floater and his family. They have been here for a few months now and it sounds as though they are thoroughly enjoying their Aussie experience. Whilst there we learnt how to do the Aussie wave as there were a great many flies in need of an air traffic controller and the only thing missing was Sir Bob Geldof with a film crew and an appeal number for donantions. But I was also reliably informed that the flies do not like it when it gets too hot and are gone by summer!! Tonight the kids and I went 'Trick or Treating' around the neighbourhood, so that was also a great way for me to speak to locals and expats about life in WA. The kids had a great time with a bucket load of chocolate and sweets and we had the novelty of locals knocking on our door as well. Tomorrow we are meeting up with a family who have been here for nearly 4 years and the husband works on the mines. As I explained to Floater earlier today, it feels like a game show similar to 'Deal or No Deal'. By the time we leave here we will either be completely confused with the number of variants in the equation or there maybe some clarity as to which way we will decide to go. I think this is going to require the use of a large whiteboard and and non-permanent markers. By the way the weather today was a cool 30degs C, with a indication that this will rise to around 35 by Wednesday. Many thanks for taking the time to read my account of life here. Tomorrow we are heading SOR to look at some of the suburbs etc.. Should anyone have any questions about Perth, then please feel free to drop me a line. many thanks for reading my account. Kind regards Ronnie Rocket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lankan1 Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 Hi All, Further to my earlier post, we had a great day in King's Park with Floater and his family. They have been here for a few months now and it sounds as though they are thoroughly enjoying their Aussie experience. Whilst there we learnt how to do the Aussie wave as there were a great many flies in need of an air traffic controller and the only thing missing was Sir Bob Geldof with a film crew and an appeal number for donantions. But I was also reliably informed that the flies do not like it when it gets too hot and are gone by summer!! Tonight the kids and I went 'Trick or Treating' around the neighbourhood, so that was also a great way for me to speak to locals and expats about life in WA. The kids had a great time with a bucket load of chocolate and sweets and we had the novelty of locals knocking on our door as well. Tomorrow we are meeting up with a family who have been here for nearly 4 years and the husband works on the mines. As I explained to Floater earlier today, it feels like a game show similar to 'Deal or No Deal'. By the time we leave here we will either be completely confused with the number of variants in the equation or there maybe some clarity as to which way we will decide to go. I think this is going to require the use of a large whiteboard and and non-permanent markers. By the way the weather today was a cool 30degs C, with a indication that this will rise to around 35 by Wednesday. Many thanks for taking the time to read my account of life here. Tomorrow we are heading SOR to look at some of the suburbs etc.. Should anyone have any questions about Perth, then please feel free to drop me a line. many thanks for reading my account. Kind regards Ronnie Rocket Hi there, Interesting posts! Be careful when you go out in the sun when temp hit above 30degs its really bad for your skin :dull: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest the terry's Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 It's not an easy decision to make at all, you think getting the visa in the first place is the easy part (after much waiting I might add) but it's far from it. When we looked at moving to oz, we too got seduced by 'wanted down under' and we too went to seminars and after all that decided to go for it as OH job situation was a bit dodgy here and thought 'why not?'. At least you are looking at it with your eyes open, and it's only you who can make your mind up whether to make the move or stay put. Good luck for which way you choose and hope you enjoy your holiday. Helenx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Carrie254 Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 Hi Ronnie, it's good to read your thoughts on life in Perth, thank you for the well balance view! I have my PR visa and am still in Kent but have just sold my lovely home and expect completion to be on the 26th November. My work place are considering my application for a 'career break' of 12 months so I might have the safety of that option. (specialist nurse in the NHS) I tried to 'emigrate' last July but really messed it up and ran back to what I knew only 2 weeks after getting there! I felt so lost and alone despite my Dad being in Mandurah so this time I think I am even more nervous. In some ways if I have the security of a sabbatical I know I should try it but in other ways I just don't know if I have what it takes. Funnily enough the tiny gardens worried me too! Look forward to hearing how you get on. Kind regards, Carolyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ebstar Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 It's nice to read well balanced posts.This site is the only place i feel i can be completely honest about emigrating.Myself i try not to look through the rose tinted glasses.I seem to find myself looking for a negative to match each positive until i get there to gain my own experience. This being said i have so much negitivity coming from family that don't want us to move,that i find myself dressing up and completely exagerating how wonderful it is. Mum is the worst.She says that i'm taking her children away from her(my children)and that my family don't mean anything to me if i can do this.Needless to say i have got in the habbit now of throwing huge positives back.I feel bad not being honest but emigrating is surly the most stressfull thing you could choose to do. Look forward to hearing more of your posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 All of us who are thinking about emigrating have similar dilemmas and it will inevitably boil down to individual choice. We loved Perth and it is a fantastic place for young children, but we loved Brisbane even more. Some like what Australia has to offer, some don't, we are all different, it would be an odd world if we wasn't. Great opening post and as like you, our life in the uk financially and job wise is really great and there are big risks in Emigrating and we also have much to weigh up, but we feel that the future in Australia for our kids would be much better, job wise at present, as you know the uk is really struggling, but hopefully it won't always be like that and not to mention the stress of leaving family and friends, so............... Come on down' the decision is yours' lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaz n family Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 Thankyou for your post, written not through rose tinted glassess. Its the emotional thoughts that i for one dont seem to have considered, mainly because in my opinon, Australia is still too close to my mum and certain members of my family. but the wife is a different story, she is very close to her family, and i know we will suffer should we go. the one advantage is they are confortable with money so will visits us often. but i am sure my wife will throw it back in my face a few times about me taking her away from mummy. It is not an easy decision for anone to make, we have all sat around the dinner table several times talking over the options, and still will. We have the opinion that we wont know if we dont try and nothing doent have to be forever. if it all doesnt work out we can all come home, we have set out a minimum of four years to stay if things dont go well. we know its going to be hard, we know we will have some serious downs, eh being a military family, moving around away from friends and family you have experienced some of these up and downs so know if we stick together we will all get through it. I wish you well in your dilema and to be honest, only you will know what is best for you and your family. good luck and enjoy the rest of your time in the heat, i bet your not missing the rain???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonnieRocket0 Posted November 13, 2010 Author Share Posted November 13, 2010 Dear PIO'ers, apologizes for the update to my journal. We have now completed our validation visit top Perth and the family are all well after a pleasant visit and a nice six day stop over in Singapore. As I mentioned in my previous posts, the family and I are still at odds about whether to make the firm commitment for that move to Perth. The white board and markers are doping overtime in respect regarding the pro's and con's of the move. Whilst we were in Perth, we met some great people from all over giving us a valuable insight in to how life in WA is treating them, and providing us with a wealth of feedback both positive and negative about life in Perth. The points to consider are; Can you afford to move? WA is an expensive place to live. Our visit in Oct 2009 was mainly SOR, so this years visit was primarily NOR. Do your research about suburbs, what may appear as a bargain could well be because it is in a less desirable area. We originally looked at new build properties, but soon changed our minds as we were not so sure we wanted to live so far out of the city to buy a place within our budget. It was also a strange eerie feel that on a lot of the new build communities there seemed to be little sign of life which made me wonder if a lot of the properties were second home investments. To summarise about properties I am sure we will probably rent for the first 12 months until we find a home to buy. We have also narrowed our search down to Willeton and the surrounding suburbs as we have kids, there is the schooling to consider. At this point it is highly likely that I would need to seek a career within the mining sector or oil and gas. These industries provide an income live within your means. Realistically for my family I would need to seek a Job which pays $110k+. I think unless you are a lottery winner then the chances of being mortgage free are next to zero. One big plus I would like to highlight is how friendly everyone we met was. Certainly a welcome attitude from the way us Brits are back in the UK! This visit has cemented mine and my family's thoughts about moving from the UK. However six months ago I changed jobs in the UK and am now working for a Canadian nuclear medicine company. I have been presented with a number of options from them about the future which could include staying in the UK, moving to Australia or moving to Canada. It really feels like a gameshow about the various options. I am currently over in Canada on a training course and I must admit there are many parallels with Canada and Australia, the weather is a little different!!! I hope you enjoy reading my posts and as I mentioned in the previous ones, should anyone have any questions, then please feel free to drop me a line. Kind regards Ron R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinsmom65 Posted November 13, 2010 Share Posted November 13, 2010 Hi Rocket, Have just read your posts. Thank you for being open and honest about your experience. Yes the emigrating lark is a minefield sometimes, and you are never sure if you are going to step on a mine. Glad you enjoyed your time in Perth. It is a lovely city, but like you said expensive. We are heading back to Canada in 3 weeks time (after living in Perth for 2 years), and yes there are alot of parallels between Australia and Canada. I must admit I am looking forward to having a greater variety of choices back in Canada and certainely looking forward to spending less money..... can't wait to buy my xl coffee for $1.85 compared to $7 in Australia. All the best with your decision... I am sure that whatever you chose will be the right one, as you have your head placed squarely on your shoulders. Cheers Karen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Carrie254 Posted November 13, 2010 Share Posted November 13, 2010 Hi Ronnie, Thank you for your comments, good to read them. I am wondering whether or not to try life in Perth and remain undecided for many of the reasons you've written about. Just picked up on your 'Nuclear Medicine' theme! I've been in Nuclear Med for 19 years now (senior sister) and still love it. Going to Perth means I am unlikely to stay in this field and it's yet another factor in my decision. What role do you hold? So still dithering here.....have just exchanged on my home and complete on the 26th November. Plan on spending Christmas here and will then think on the rest........... Carolyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonnieRocket0 Posted November 13, 2010 Author Share Posted November 13, 2010 Hi Carrie, I work with blood irradiators (cesium & x-Ray) as well as cobalt therapy units. I work for the manufacturer of these products, so there is a lot of interfacing with end users such as hospitals and research centres. I'm based in the UK, covering the UK and Africa, but am hoping to move to either Australia or N.America to live and work there. Problem with Perth is there are not too many therapy units or blood irradiators locally, so it would also include a lot of travel. From the research i have completed, it seems there are a great deal more roles on the east coast for this type of role. I guess you have also been on a reccie visit to Perth? How did you find it? Many thanks for your comments. Ron R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Carrie254 Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 Hi Ronnie, My reccie visit was a bit of a disaster to be honest......went over at the end of July last year and gosh was I surprised by how cold it was! I didn't expect that at all! I was staying with my Dad but he pretty much carried on his golfing and bowling as usual and left me to my own devices, I think that compounded how lonely and lost I felt to be honest. I had many text messages and e-mails from a particular girlfriend at home (UK) so believe it or not I got on a flight 2 weeks later and went home! It was traumatic......I lost quite a bit of weight, couldn't eat or sleep very well.....all the things I now know to be pretty normal. I simply panicked and ran back to what I knew and got my job back. However given the winter we had last year and the current state of the NHS I'm on the brink of trying it again. I was very suprised at how expensive a lot of things were in Perth, shower gel, shampoo and that sort of thing. No buy one get one free offers as we have here. Also the 'hoons' I could hear revving their engines outside my Dads place in Meadow Springs worried the life out of me. Didn't expect that either. So I'm moving out of my home in 10 days and living with a friend until I decide what to do. Work may give me a 12 month 'career break' this time and if they do I will be taking it. If I don't take the opportunity I will wait until Spring and hopefully pick up a bargain here with being a cash buyer. Im many ways I'd like to grab the chance and go for it. However I am on my own (although Dad is there too) and I already know I will miss my friends incredibly. I will miss the English countryside too and even the snow. Maybe at 44 I am just too set in my ways.......time will tell. And I am at the top of my tree so to speak with my job......it will be hard to move on from that but as we all know.......life is so incredibly short and gets shorter seemingly the older we get! Nice to be able to offload some of my concerns.....the next few weeks will be interesting! Best wishes, Carolyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest floater Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Hi Ron, great to see you again, glad you enjoyed your stay. Sorry for the delay in posting, here's my ten cents worth. We got here in august, whilst I have had several part time jobs its not until next week do I start full time employment. In the UK I had a well paying job in the Print Industry, in Perth I earn a lot less. Yes you can earn a fortune by working in the mines but you have to get the australian tickets to do the jobs first. Its expensive to live in Perth. Very expensive. On the other hand the sun is shinning, the people are friendly, there is a park with a kids playground on every other corner that has not been vandalised, and life is good. If you think the immigration process is stressful, just wait until you pack up and move to the other side of the world! But every day it gets a little easier, some thing you like some things you don't, the medical system is good, all the traffic lights suck. It takes time to recreate the life that you had in a new format that fits in with the way things are done here, it is after all a foreign country, and we are just starting to get into it really. It has been stressful worrying about money and it is only this week that we have actually had enough cash coming in to meet all the bills, but I'm glad we are here giving it a go, and in the next couple of weeks we will have a new arrival, with an australian passport. I hope that we stay long enough to get one for its older brother but we will just have to see how it plays out. Best of luck Floater Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest UFO Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Living in a new country is very hard, but you can get practise of this even before you make the move to australia. Try a local country not far For the next couple of months, i have been able to get work in Finland, its very expensive, 1o times as expensive than the uk. First time abroad living overseas, i thought what hell i am doing here, but the first couple of weeks i was loney but it goes away, because you get stronger in the mind. You learn to adapt because you stop comparing the uk to the country you are in. Living in a different country is not for every one, I have lived in many different countries in prep of moving to either Canada or Australia. Now days, I can adapt very well to a new country because all coutries look the same to me and you notice what makes them tick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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