matimage Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Hi Folks, Quick fun poll here. Aim is to garner some opinions of people that are thinking of going and may already of made the move. First, quick biog: Me: 34. Self-employed for 7 years new media/graphic designer. Wife: 36. Secondary school teacher. 10 years pro experience. 2 daughters; 2.5 years and 4 months. Lives: near Portsmouth. Own house with okay amount of equity (over-payed a lot). Don't particularly like the area or house. No decent parks nearby. No family network nearby. In 3 years no family member has ever baby sat (basically saying we don't have close family ties here). Due to work and circumstances most friends don't live nearby. Australia experience: Travelled down coast from Queensland to Sydney 8 years ago. Have family in Sydney. Just happen to be the cool side of the family that live there. Made us feel very welcome. Worries: Finding a job. Affording to live. So there you go, no great emotional ties keeping us to this country, just the usual financial worries I guess. Over to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libbysmum Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Me: 29. presently a housewife but qualified biochemist and secondary science/chemistry teacher. OH: 28. Barber 11 years experience. 1 daughter: age 4. 1 Son: nearly 3 Lives: caerphilly south wales. Own our own home with enough equity to make the move. House OK for what it is, and happy with location. Hate the dreary welsh valley weather, like the lush greenery which we can enjoy a couple of days of the year :mad:, Both our familys all live within a 15 minute drive from us, will be a bit of a wrench but want to give our children a brighter future with more opportunity and enjoy our spare time in the outdoors. Australia experience: Absolutely none :biglaugh: Worries: Finding and settling in a nice family yet affordable area. Will my OH's plans of opening a barber shop where we settle take off? What if things go t*ts up and we end having to go home losing the equity we have in our home and basically having to start from scratch again:wacko: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matimage Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 I wouldn't worry about the equity in your house here even if things go wrong and you do come back. I don't think the UK housing market is going anywhere for a while. Our plan is to keep any money from house sell in the UK for 2 years. By then we should know if we are staying in Oz. And you won't get the hit in the exchange rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matimage Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 Wow. Its fairly even at the moment folks. Keep on voting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trixie Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Go for it!! You don't want to be 70 and wonder what your life would have been like. If you don't like it go back to the UK, simples :smile: (well not that simple but you know what I mean) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matimage Posted February 24, 2011 Author Share Posted February 24, 2011 Thanks to everyone who is voting! Definitely swinging one way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammygirl Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Wish we had gone when we had the chance and our kids were younger. We were climbing in our careers well though and would have had to start again. We are now well off BUT finding it difficult to get to Oz - been once but had to give up the visa or split the family. Now trying AGAIN ...........................MUCH harder with teenagers!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MADTOM Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 I say - Go for it We made the move to Adelaide last year. Just turned 40 with 2 young kids. House still in UK - will surely sell or rent it out one day! Been thinking about it for years - "Still feeling a bit up in the air" and unsure but very glad we are here! We moved more for the children as we felt Oz had a better way of life and was more relaxed. I only wish we had done it a few years ago! Your kids are very young and at a great age to embrace a new life, you don't have to think about schooling just yet so have plenty of time to find a place to settle down. If you try it and don't like it at least you tried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Joker Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Do it. Me - 48, wife 44 kids 18 & 16. We came here mid-2003. Had a little bit of money behind us but not rich. Work was relatively easy to find (IT) in Brisbane. Had house built - 5 times bigger than the house we sold in UK, it cost us less and we had swimming pool. Have since had two other houses built and own 3 properties - 2 which we rent out. Eldest daughter owns 3 horses and was Queensland State Champion in 2009. Youngest daughter was in the Australian Youth Choir and got to perform with the Vienna Boys Choir (the only choir to EVER perform on stage with the Vienna Boys Choir in its history). We go to the beach most weekends and have an active lifestyle and our kids are still happy to hang out with their uncool parents. In short - we would have had NONE of this if we stayed in the UK. I had a well paid job (overpaid, like yourself) and we had a relatively good lifestyle but it wasn't great, I was working long hours, hardly seeing the kids or the wife. Could afford for the daughter to take horse lessons but never to own one (let alone three of the buggers). And like others have said, don't end up when it is too late thinking "if only". Do it. What's the worst that could happen? Now, what's the worst that could happen if you don't do it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest siamsusie Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I voted "go for it"... a little easier for me being in the medical profession and other half an Australian working in the railways mining field. Never had a moments regret, its a great country. Maybe keep a few options open if possible, but I still say go for it! Nothing is ever 100% in life is it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mikewheble Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Wish we had gone when we had the chance and our kids were younger. We were climbing in our careers well though and would have had to start again.We are now well off BUT finding it difficult to get to Oz - been once but had to give up the visa or split the family. Now trying AGAIN ...........................MUCH harder with teenagers!!!!!!! I know what you mean. I am now 46 but applied for my visa in Nov 2009...now got a case officer and things look like they are moving. My children are 23 (second year in Oz and hoping to get his work to sponsor him), 19 year old at Uni and on my visa application and 18 year old (starts Uni in September) and on my visa application. AS you know the cut off date for most visa's is 45...do it before then and dont regret getting to 46 without trying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matimage Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 Big thank you to all who voted. In the process of getting uni placement certified (even though I have 10 years pro experience!) to get skills assessed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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