simon and deb Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 harpodom, that sentence confused me too.... especially while docboat's signature, in red, is There is nothing more important than that you be happy .... are you still coming over to QLD in april anywhere near the sunshine coast, if so give us a shout when you get here. WE ALWAYS have time for new friends.:biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest methuselah Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Packed up & ready to go - just waiting on a final date for completion of the house sale. So much we miss - family apart - basic stuff such as the history, weather (really!), the smell of frost and a damp autumn day, Asda, 24 hour shopping (as those in WA will understand), there's far less crime in UK than here, no flies which mean you can have a proper picnic, to be able to walk in the countryside without being fenced off or expecting something to jump out & bite you, a sea free of sharks, country cottages, the UK sense of humour, A DECENT CURRY, proper chocolate & ice cream, green,. green and more green, no nasty hidden multinova cameras (they have to be marked over there), skylarks & birdsong in general, no silly 'cat laws' which make you afraid to let your pets out of your sight, and no forlorn kittens & puppies for sale in pet shops, (so no stray cat problem), the cheaper cost of living compared to that in WA, lower interest rates, online shopping, Radio 4, not having to pay to send your kids to the local comprehensive, neighbourliness, fewer hoons, I'll stop there. Oh, and a decent sized back garden! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stovies Posted January 3, 2011 Author Share Posted January 3, 2011 Packed up & ready to go - just waiting on a final date for completion of the house sale. So much we miss - family apart - basic stuff such as the history, weather (really!), the smell of frost and a damp autumn day, Asda, 24 hour shopping (as those in WA will understand), there's far less crime in UK than here, no flies which mean you can have a proper picnic, to be able to walk in the countryside without being fenced off or expecting something to jump out & bite you, a sea free of sharks, country cottages, the UK sense of humour, A DECENT CURRY, proper chocolate & ice cream, green,. green and more green, no nasty hidden multinova cameras (they have to be marked over there), skylarks & birdsong in general, no silly 'cat laws' which make you afraid to let your pets out of your sight, and no forlorn kittens & puppies for sale in pet shops, (so no stray cat problem), the cheaper cost of living compared to that in WA, lower interest rates, online shopping, Radio 4, not having to pay to send your kids to the local comprehensive, neighbourliness, fewer hoons, I'll stop there. Oh, and a decent sized back garden! Amen to all that. Except, maybe, to the decent back garden bit.. we have 8 dry acres just now.. what's the point of having 8 acres if you live in the driest state? :jiggy: Actually, it is lovely but it is a huge job keeping things alive. I look forward to water being free and copious. Also, don't forget Heinz Tomato Soup... how it should be. I could go on forever too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest methuselah Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 :biggrin: And big pots of gravy granules....and water straight from the tap that doesn't taste like your local swimming pool! I am so gonna go walking in all that luvverly rain:laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flake Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 oh i could list so many things aswell!! I am so Envious, I am so excited to go back ( I have to wait at least 1 more year) I cant wait to live in a house 4 times the size of the place I live now- for less money and that I can own- with a real fireplace and the need to use it! I actually look forward to the central heating bill! to be fair even if it was twice as expensive in general I would still want it, Australia is not bad by any means- its different, But I love the UK!! its Fab!!:laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flake Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 also how long have you lived in Oz? which removal company are you using? are you shipping all your furniture aswell? must be so exciting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sunshineonme Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I can understand and respect your honest and decisions however, may I ask if any of you have moved interstate to see if another part of Australia fulfills you more than the current state you are living in before heading back to the UK? If so, was that state much different to the other(s)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stovies Posted January 3, 2011 Author Share Posted January 3, 2011 are you still coming over to QLD in april anywhere near the sunshine coast, if so give us a shout when you get here. WE ALWAYS have time for new friends.:biggrin: We will be visiting the Gold Coast at the beginning of April.....but thank you for your offer! I cannot believe how far we have come since my first post on this thread on 23 November! We are now at the stage where our property is officially up for sale, we have found a house that we would like to buy 5 minutes from my sister's and we are in the process of getting our mortgage for the UK sorted out. The assistance from certain people on this site has been huge and has been a godsend. There are many rivers to cross (as the song says) but we couldn't be happier with the knowledge that this Australian era is almost over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flake Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 ia it true that it is possible to arrange a UK Mortgage from earnings made here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggardemma Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Hi Flake We are looking into getting a UK mortgage whilst here so will let you know more. Just bumping up for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest carbee Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 OMG your post sounds exactly like us!!! We have been here 13 years and I desperately want to go back, but maybe only for 1-2 years. My husband started a new job in October and is a bloody good job and he really is enjoying it, so we have put our plans to go back on a kind of hold. And like you the kids are settled etc but want to give them a life experience which they are happy to do. I too need somebody to tell us what to do!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flake Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 oh thank you! will be interesting to understand the process! wishing you all the luck for your move!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest carbee Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Amen to all that. Except, maybe, to the decent back garden bit.. we have 8 dry acres just now.. what's the point of having 8 acres if you live in the driest state? :jiggy: Actually, it is lovely but it is a huge job keeping things alive. I look forward to water being free and copious. Also, don't forget Heinz Tomato Soup... how it should be. I could go on forever too! I forgot about all that, well most of it! I am sooooo wanting to go back even more now. So you're in Perth, would love to meet up with you for a proper chat as we sound so very similar in our views etc, fancy a catchup? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest methuselah Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Hi Flake, We tried Melbourne & stood it for a fortnight - too towny and colder than the UK by far! (we went in June, we were frozen). Good architecture and everywhere open 24/7, excellent eating out too. Haven't been anywhere else. But Perth is such a backwater in so many ways - WA too is very racist on the whole - we are a family of mixed race and we've never had racial hatred directed at us in the UK but my girls have been the recipients of it at least twice during the past 3 years. Plus we've come across some real 'pom hatred' as well. Unbelievable. However you can't tar veryone with the same brush and I can honestly say we've also met some absolutely lovely people here, my work colleagues especially, you couldn't hope for better & I will miss them. What removal company are we using? Kent removals in Perth. We're getting a 40' container & it's costing us about $13,000. Now begins the fun of finding UK jobs - we've found it impossible to get interviews by telephone while we're here, so we're having to go back jobless but we are lucky to have lovely family back there and we're not anticipating too many problems in our line of work. We will look on Australia as something we should have thought far more carefully about in the first place, and would always advise others to do the same - leave a door open in the UK. I dunno, if the recession hadn't hit, if the family were all here (though mum & dad as pensioners would have been far worse off over here), if the summer wasn't so damned hot, if there weren't so many flies, if the cost of living wasn't so astronomical, if we hadn't had to work so very hard just to stay afloat (we've had no leisure time here, it's just work work work), things might have been different. Oh and one word of warning - steer well clear of money transfer companies unless you have the cash already in hand to send! We booked a rate then lost the house sale & had to keep topping up our deposit, this went on for 3 months then lost another sale & cancelled it completely - but as the dollar was by now up so high against the pound, we lost not only our deposit of over 6K pounds but also owe them another chunk on top, meaning we've lost 10K POUNDS!! Just for pulling out of the 'contract' through no fault of our own. So if you want to use one, make sure you have the money in hand to send before you book a rate. What with that and the loss of money on our rental property and our home, we're going back skint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rayman1 Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Go home. If the parents are happy, the kids will be. Scotland has the friendliest people around and the kids will be looked after well with the scottish health service. Your unhappiness will affect your kids soon and that surely cannot be a good thing. My kids love having their parents happy again. Home isn't the country, it's where you feel you belong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stovies Posted January 3, 2011 Author Share Posted January 3, 2011 I forgot about all that, well most of it! I am sooooo wanting to go back even more now. So you're in Perth, would love to meet up with you for a proper chat as we sound so very similar in our views etc, fancy a catchup? Don't know if this was intended for me but I am in SA. :smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flake Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Hi Methuselah, I agree about Melbourne, I first arrived in Melbourne and was Freezing- that was in September so I dread to think how cold it would have been in June! great places to eat etc but i laso felt it was a bit souless. I havnt been to Perth, but that sounds simlar to my experience of Sydney aswell. There is alot of racism as a whole from what I have found from my experience. To be honest I have never even come accross it in the UK and then coming here it seemed very prevalent from alot of people. One of the various reasons why the UK stands of such a higher ground for me. Thanks for letting me know about the removals company, its such a daunting task knowing where to start and actually achieving it too. My partner is Australian, so we have visa issues to organise aswell (if he still decides to come with when its time!) he is finishing his CA at the moment which is why I have to wait another year, otherwise I would be going now thats for sure. I dont know what to do about Jobs either, i think it will be a case of doing the same, again though my prtner may have something to say about that- I dont think he will want to take the risk after the UK being Hit so badly by the recession but then I keep telling him that there is always a demand for accountants.. so many hurdles! nothing worth having comes easy so they say! I completey agree about the cost of living here. I dont understand why it is so expensive. the rent and house prices are so overpriced and to be honest under par on standard and then there is the groceries! nto to mention healthcare and everything else! I used to dream of a far away land before I came here and never appreciated what I had under my nose- the main positive for me in this experience is that once I am back in the UK and I will be sure I will never want to leave again! Thanks so much for the money tranfer tip. thats so rough for you. as if it wasnt already stressful enough in the process of house buying. I hope you manage to get everything sorted for your return. when do you fly back? hope the rest of plans and organising run smoothly for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest carbee Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Sorry, I must have misread. Good luck with your move and we are all the more keen to go now, reading all the advise you got has also helped us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stovies Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 Sorry, I must have misread. Good luck with your move and we are all the more keen to go now, reading all the advise you got has also helped us. As you say, we seem to be in a very similiar situation! It is a pity we cannot meet for a proper chat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stovies Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 Update - I fly back mid March! Everything has just fallen into place. We got an excellent offer on our place here, 4 weeks after it went up for sale, and the bonus is that the buyers want to buy ALL of our furniture! We bought the house we were after in Scotland... it had even gone to closing date when we weren't ready to offer but that all fell through. We thought it was gone : (. However, my sister said the sign was still up so I gave the Estate Agents a call and lo and behold it was still for sale, we put an offer in and it was accepted straight away! It sounds all so simple but I have had many many sleepless nights and ran myself into the ground at one point. However, now that all the big things are in order, it is now time to get stuck into the packing. We are only taking about 10 tea chest size boxes over and to be honest, I am actually having trouble finding enough to put in them. I don't want to take anything over unless it is really special to me and I am finding that I am not so attached to many of the 'things' I have. The things that are in the boxes so far are actually pictures and ornaments, etc that I originally brought over! Our dog has had her rabies injection and blood test and my husband will stay over here for a while with his Mum while she has her 6 months waiting period, he has a few courses he wants to do at work and I get to set up home in Scotland with the children before he comes over. I feel strange. Before I got to this stage I felt super excited about going back to Scotland, I am still very excited but now some sadness is setting in about leaving Australia after 12 years. I find myself gazing at familiar sights here, trying to imprint the scene on my memory! Going back to Scotland is absolutely the right thing for us. But I suppose the end of any era is sad. The children are happy one day, worried the next day and excited the next about going to live in Scotland. My stomach churns when they have a worry day... they worry about leaving their friends and school and if they will even understand the Scottish children's accents! But the positive days out number the negative days and on the positive days it feels as if it is the most natural thing in the world for them to be going back. We are all at the stage now that we just want it to be happening NOW. But until then, we will be clearing the house out of our bits and pieces and getting the place ready for the new owners. On settlement date we move into a beautiful beach house for two weeks to just enjoy the rest of our time here and do the things we were always going to do and just relax. We will miss my husband dreadfully when we go. That is going to be the hard part. He plans to come over for a couple of weeks at some point so that is something to look forward to. I suppose I will be so busy over the months that time should just fly past. Anyway, just thought I would update everyone as to where I am at now. It has been an amazing journey so far to get here. I heard a saying a few months ago and it has helped me through the times when things seemed impossible .... "Start by doing what's necessary, then what's possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible"- Saint Francis of Assisi. This all certainly was an impossible dream for me up until a few months ago. Thank you to everyone on here for your support, experiences and advice on this thread, new threads and the older threads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chloew Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Update - I feel strange. Before I got to this stage I felt super excited about going back to Scotland, I am still very excited but now some sadness is setting in about leaving Australia after 12 years. I find myself gazing at familiar sights here, trying to imprint the scene on my memory! Going back to Scotland is absolutely the right thing for us. But I suppose the end of any era is sad. Thanks for your post, I'm in the same boat - just booked our flights back to the UK............ Like you I'm feeling strange................maybe it's because I won't really believe it's happening until we're there. We came over to Oz as a couple and we're going back as a family with 2 beautiful little girls. We've had a great time here but we're ready to go home. Good luck and all the best for the future! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stovies Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 It is a strange situation to be in isn't it? Leaving one life to return to another... I have had two more children since being here and most of my family haven't met them before (they are 10 and 11, my older daughter was 18 months when we came over, now she is 13)! Everyone is so excited to be actually seeing them at last. I wonder if you sometimes find yourself staring at your one way tickets home in disbelief like I do! I hope you post when you get back to keep us updated on how things are going for you. All the very best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest valleylass Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Just want to wish you good luck Stovies and ChloeW - hope you enjoy the rest of your time in Oz and the reception when you get home. Best wishes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bobby Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Update - I feel strange. Before I got to this stage I felt super excited about going back to Scotland, I am still very excited but now some sadness is setting in about leaving Australia after 12 years. I find myself gazing at familiar sights here, trying to imprint the scene on my memory! Going back to Scotland is absolutely the right thing for us. But I suppose the end of any era is sad. Thanks for your post, I'm in the same boat - just booked our flights back to the UK............ Like you I'm feeling strange................maybe it's because I won't really believe it's happening until we're there. We came over to Oz as a couple and we're going back as a family with 2 beautiful little girls. We've had a great time here but we're ready to go home. Good luck and all the best for the future! I hope I am wrong but I can honestly see you really missing Oz when you have been back in Scotland for a few months if you are thinking like that, please post when you are back and I hope you can tell me I am wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stovies Posted February 18, 2011 Author Share Posted February 18, 2011 I think you may be wrong Bobby. The feeling of sadness is just the feeling that an era is over. I have wanted to go back to Scotland to live for over 10 years now. We stayed here for various reasons, mainly thinking our feelings would change, but they didn't. I don't want to be here but I do still have the memories of our children growing up here so those reminders tweak my heartstrings. It is just because the day to leave is getting closer. I think it is just part of the process and have read that many people in the same situation feel like this. Don't you worry. Scotland is where my heart and hame is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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