legoman Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I have said before I could and would love to live in both contries, here in the uk I earn decent money heating plumbing etc, mortgage free in 3 years no debts at all, In oz I would need a mortgage 3 times the size of my uk one to buy at the moment i re trained in oz, have a son and grandaughter there and will move back there later this year, offered a uni place, very mature student lol, but i wouldnt say never coming back to uk, beautiful sights in perth, but those late summer evenings when its still light at near 10pm takes some beating. 6mths uk 6mths oz would be a dream. i love both countries, yet both niggle me too sometimes. luv it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenpasha Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 we did the same,glad really now we know how much we love oz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordapm Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 The biggest mistake we made was going back to " good old blitey" the sun seems to never shine, the people are so miserable and the cost of fuel is out of this world. We paid £1.40 for litre of unleaded today, joke! The government are also making some real cuts in running the country, ie 28% of the police force are going to be axed, armed forces are being cut leftvright and centre, also the price of houses are up, you also need a ton of money for a deposit, that's if the banks let you get a mortgage. SORRY TO MOAN guys, but that's UK at the moment, we've decided to come back and can't wait!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest treesea Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 It's freezing cold and grey today, my neighbour just said hello and chatted about the weather (British past time as you know), the postman whistled at me (brilliant!), my windscreen is frozen because I didn't cover it over because the weatherman did not say there would be a frost, the birds are singing, there are bright yellow daffodils out, newborn lambs bleating and buds on trees. When I get into work, everyone will say 'good morning, how are you', someone will get me a cup of tea (I am the boss), my customers will all be pleased to see me, I will be able to control the heat, I can nip down the butchers to get a hot homemade soup, they will give me a bone for my dog, the shop owner next to me will talk forever, the girls in the hairdressers will tell me all their problems, the cafe next door will ask if I want my sandwich delivering, the girl in Tesco will ask how I am, I will do a million tasks today, get back home, my neighbour will have walked my dog and invited me over for a drink, I will have a hot shower, get into a warm bed, read a book and smile because I LOVE BEING HOME! Can't speak for anyone else but I have absolutely no regrets. More power you! What a great post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest treesea Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 We've been back now for 7 years, after 16 years in Australia in two separate stints. Primary and secondary school education are good here, but access to higher education thereafter seems a bit haphazard, even in Scotland, where education is better funded than down in England. One thing I liked about Australia, and I certainly didn't give this much thought before we came back, was that regardless of where you were at by the end of year 10, you got to go on and sit HSC/VCE and depending on how well you did got into whatever course you wanted to go to. Whereas here, even being allowed to take highers in S5, or S6 for that year, depends entirely on how well you do in S4 (standard grade), and even then, if the teachers don't let you sit credit grade standard grade, you can't get the necessary grades to go on for highers. If you're self employed, the opportunities here are good. Better, imho, than in Australia. A bigger population, plus the (it seems) ever increasing petrol prices make in prohibitively expensive to get in the car and go and buy anything from a shop just down the road (by Melbourne standards) in another city. Working for someone else can be a bit of a strain at the moment though, both getting a job and keeping it. Take the local council. They are planning to lay off hundreds of people but no one knows exactly when, so the people can't plan for things like mortgages/holidays etc because they don't know if their job is going to stay or be one of the ones restructered out. If you have private health insurance in Australia and need elective surgery or things like dental repair work - the kind of stuff private health insurance covers in Australia, you might want to do that before coming back here. To say the NHS is stretched would be an understatement. And its a lottery whether or not you get good care. I've had two operations this year, both brilliant from a technical point of view, but the aftercare was at opposite ends of the spectrum. And that's in the same hospital. The NHS is getting restructured. The nurses I met the last time at hospital were under quite a lot of stress because they were worried about whether they would keep their jobs in the current round of layoffs. The non essential stuff is great. Ryanair still seems to think that the most it should charge for a ticket is the same £10 it charged in 2004, when we first came back. Primark still thinks £20 is too much to spend on one item of clothing, and Foxes glacier mints and fruits are 92p a packet at WH Smiths. Cheaper than when we first came back. Food prices are low here. I find that a bit odd, because I would have thought, with the pound languishing and so much of it imported, that they would have gone up significantly. But in Morrisons yesterday, they had 4 apples/5 oranges or 4 kiwifruit packs for 30p a pack. I'm glad we came back. For day to day living, even though there are things I miss about Australia (the coffee shops, restaurants, close friends, the family that are based there plus the ones in NZ) I find Edinburgh a relaxing place to live compared to Melbourne, partly because of the weather (sunny and cold, wild weather confined to other parts of Britain) but mostly because everything is so close. One thing that really surprised me is that it is actually possible to live quite well here, even if you don't have much money. I was expecting it to be over the top expensive compared to Australia, but it isn't at all like that. We also thought our incomes would be higher here, but that hasn't been our experience. Britain, compared to Australia, is a low wage economy. Unlike Australia, the minimum wage here isn't a living compared wage. Yes, people live on it, but it's subsidised. If you're minimum wage here, you will probably qualify for housing and council tax benefit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halshaw Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Hi Treesa All your positives for Australia are our reasons for being here- further education and the opportunities for post 16 being the main one. However I still cannot get my head round the cost of living in Melbourne and really miss UK supermarket shopping but not enough to return, lol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creese Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 Thanks for all the posts it's great to see positives for both UK and Oz. I don't regret our time here in Oz, we had to try it for ourselves, but now feel it is time to go home. I cannot put my hand on heart and say that we are doing the right thing moving back, only time will tell, who knows we may end up being a ping-ponger! :wub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jackie Macdonald Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 I think you've hit the nail on the head. For many people a move around the world is often viewed as a very permanent thing (and I appreciate that for many, they may only get one shot due to financial reasons etc). But there's nothing wrong with enjoying life in several different countries and you may move to a country and know that you won't be spending the rest of your life there. But that shouldn't stop you from endeavouring to enjoy every last minute in that country that you can. It seems that many people dwell on the negative aspects of their current country when planning a move, whereas you should look to the positives you're hoping to find in your new life and using those as a catalyst to actually achieve them. Everyone needs a dream... My sentiments exactly! jxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Yorkylass Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 You must have your reasons but what about the expense! You obviously weren't happy back in old blighty I am confused! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcorners Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 You must have your reasons but what about the expense! You obviously weren't happy back in old blighty I am confused! As some others have said, often people don't move because they are unhappy int he country they moved from. It just may be that they thought that the lifestyle and opportunities in Oz would be even better. Sometimes they are better, sometimes it doesn't turn out quite like you thought it would. But either way you've probably had a wonderful adventure along the way. If you can afford to move back, then expense shouldn't stand in the way of you getting the best out of life wherever that may be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 You must have your reasons but what about the expense! You obviously weren't happy back in old blighty I am confused! As the others have said, people dont only move because they were unhappy, they move because there is a better opportunity somewhere else. That makes it all the more difficult when you find yourself stuck in the somewhere else and not able to move on. They may even be fine when they move initially because of that opportunity but then it becomes like a good holiday - very nice but time to go home now. For some the holiday feeling is over within weeks and for others it may take a few years and for some poor souls they may find that they have arrived at the B&B from hell and the holiday is over before they have even begun! At the end of the day, Australia isnt magical Oz, there is no yellow brick road, it's just another first world country and there is nothing in the rule book that says you have to like it - your life may be far more fulfilled in UK because of a whole range of reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legoman Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 As the others have said, people dont only move because they were unhappy, they move because there is a better opportunity somewhere else. That makes it all the more difficult when you find yourself stuck in the somewhere else and not able to move on. They may even be fine when they move initially because of that opportunity but then it becomes like a good holiday - very nice but time to go home now. For some the holiday feeling is over within weeks and for others it may take a few years and for some poor souls they may find that they have arrived at the B&B from hell and the holiday is over before they have even begun! At the end of the day, Australia isnt magical Oz, there is no yellow brick road, it's just another first world country and there is nothing in the rule book that says you have to like it - your life may be far more fulfilled in UK because of a whole range of reasons. spot on post, take note all the oz v uk arguments :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thedenster Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 We moved back to the UK...and are returning to Oz at the end of this month. Been very emotional and expensive!!! Do we regret it??.....Not at all, as it has proved to us were we want to be.:yes: Us too. We moved back in May 2010 and fully intend to be back in Perth by the end of this year. My advice would be to do at least 3 years, no matter how hard it may be or how low you feel you MUST give it time to be fully sure! Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunbury61 Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 More power you! What a great post. Thats it in a nutshell .....close mbttuk ....its al been said:wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proview220 Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 No regrets what so ever, happy content kids makes me happy and that is the most important thing!The Strangest thing to happen since i have been back i have become a bit of a Delia in the kitchen, now that is scary lol x :wubclub: Nar, Nigella Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Boomerang family Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 We moved back from Canberra in July 2010. Already thinking of moving back to Oz. The economic climate here is grim, we had quite forgotten how long and miserable the winters are and the friends we thought we couldn't live without, well the majority all bar a few decent solid friends have actually lived without us quite well. We are back to the daily grind of working hard and the highlight of our weekend is food shopping (that is just as expensive as Oz) and Ant & Dec on a Saturday night. We are in good jobs but with all the cuts are constantly dreading the axe falling on our positions. My mother in law is our only sticking point. She was obvioulsy delighted that we came home but we can not shake Australia out of our systems and really miss the lifestyle and possibilities that we had there. We were simply on a downward spiral of homesickness and could not see the fabulous life we had in Oz. We will miss her dreadfully and our son will be devastated to leave her. We need to find a way to take her with us ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilliantay Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Hi Just wanted to ask, does anyone have any regrets on moving from OZ back to the UK? How did the kids go on the move? Did they settle back ok? Is the UK as bad as the doom and gloom you hear of on the news? Thanks :wacko: I will let you know in a couple of months when we move back. Been here for just over 2 years now......came because I had a skill in demand and thought .....what the hell, let's give it a try......... But I feel that it is now time to move on - happy with what I have acheived and it is now time to move on to pastures new................... Looking forward to feeling the damp Scottish air seep into my bones when I land in Glasgow :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Hi Boomerang family............ you are not on your own, your story reflects alot of returnees stories, who are made alot of when they return for a visit which increases the feeling of loss when they are back in Australia and when they decide to return to the uk, the same people have little to do with them. Its normal............ unless you are in a family who lives in each others pockets, the chances are when you return, the very people you are missing, won't be really in your lives anyway. Its different for everyone, we are dreading leaving our family, but they don't make alot of effort now, so we wouldn't be taken in by a get together when we would visit, not saying you were. There are still opportunities to have a good life back in the uk, it isn't as easy at present, but i wouldn't let anything stop me returning if i wanted to and i wouldn't feel it was wrong to think of returning to Australia, if thats also what anyone wants............ the good thing is that you have the choice of two great countries and trying to find out wheres best for yourselfs and we all are different and want different things. Best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dxboz Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Hi -well I came back to Uk about 18 months ago after 30 years in Oz and 3 years in Middle East - didn't make a conscious decision to move back to UK - just came here as had an empty house here when it was time to leave Middle East. Well it's been an eye opener. Things are certainly doom and gloom here - redundancies every day - I have just joined the club!! I did manage to find a really low paid admin job after 4 or 5 months (which I have now been made redundant from) and my husband (who is an Engineer) was unable to find a job. I did come back every year or so from Oz for a holiday but living here is a different thing. I see on this site everyone complains about how expensive Oz is - I can't understand that! I do understand the exchange rate is bad therefore converting £s to $s is not great. I however was used to living in Oz and earning $s and was continually shocked by how expensive things were in UK when I came for a holiday - still am - in fact even more so now I have been here for a while! As my husband could not get a job here he has gone back to Oz and he is telling me how cheap everything is there compared to UK! I will be going back shortly and it's not before time to be honest. Apart from family I really don't see any benefit in being here. Weather is horrible, less money, more expensive bills, petrol costs a fortune, cost of meat is extortionate, nights out cost a fortune, doom and gloom on news re economy every night, fuel bills going up constantly etc., etc. The Uk is seriously in the gripps of a really bad recession and I suppose this should maybe make some folks think again about their plans at least until things pick up here a bit. Having said all that, this is just my perspective - everyone is different. I too got very homesick in Oz -hence going back to UK very regularly for holidays however I was only homesick for family and after a few years in Oz I realised I didn't miss anything else. As I said though everyone is different - only sharing my story - if anyone wants to come back to UK would not be down on them for that if that's what makes them happy. Interestingly when I was in the Middle East - all UK expats I knew did not want to leave cos they did not know where to go and they did not want to go back to UK. Aussies always were happy to go back home. So bottom line is whatever is gong to make you happy. Life is short - got to make the most of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bobby Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I have no regrets whatsoever, for me the quality of life has improved since I moved back to London, so much to do and see that it is never boring, Oz bored me and i kind of outgrew it, but might go back now and again as I still have friends and family there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Hi -well I came back to Uk about 18 months ago after 30 years in Oz and 3 years in Middle East - didn't make a conscious decision to move back to UK - just came here as had an empty house here when it was time to leave Middle East. Well it's been an eye opener. Things are certainly doom and gloom here - redundancies every day - I have just joined the club!! I did manage to find a really low paid admin job after 4 or 5 months (which I have now been made redundant from) and my husband (who is an Engineer) was unable to find a job. I did come back every year or so from Oz for a holiday but living here is a different thing. I see on this site everyone complains about how expensive Oz is - I can't understand that! I do understand the exchange rate is bad therefore converting £s to $s is not great. I however was used to living in Oz and earning $s and was continually shocked by how expensive things were in UK when I came for a holiday - still am - in fact even more so now I have been here for a while! As my husband could not get a job here he has gone back to Oz and he is telling me how cheap everything is there compared to UK! I will be going back shortly and it's not before time to be honest. Apart from family I really don't see any benefit in being here. Weather is horrible, less money, more expensive bills, petrol costs a fortune, cost of meat is extortionate, nights out cost a fortune, doom and gloom on news re economy every night, fuel bills going up constantly etc., etc. The Uk is seriously in the gripps of a really bad recession and I suppose this should maybe make some folks think again about their plans at least until things pick up here a bit. Having said all that, this is just my perspective - everyone is different. I too got very homesick in Oz -hence going back to UK very regularly for holidays however I was only homesick for family and after a few years in Oz I realised I didn't miss anything else. As I said though everyone is different - only sharing my story - if anyone wants to come back to UK would not be down on them for that if that's what makes them happy. Interestingly when I was in the Middle East - all UK expats I knew did not want to leave cos they did not know where to go and they did not want to go back to UK. Aussies always were happy to go back home. So bottom line is whatever is gong to make you happy. Life is short - got to make the most of it. Good post, we were in UK for three months last year living in holiday lets so a normal type life and we found it just the same as you. We did have the pennies so it was ok but even with the exchange we thought it would be very expensive to live there as the wages were so low compared to our personal income. In fact my oh said he did not know how people managed. New cars were the same price, second hand cheaper but then they do not last as long there. Good luck our family was like yours never wanted to return to the UK and we lived a few different places. My friend lived in the middle east and they never returned to the UK to live either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WellyNZ Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 I lived in Adelaide back in 2001 and met a girl there who wanted to visit the UK. We went back to the UK for a year or so and fell out. She returned to Australia and I stayed in the UK. I could have gone back but felt I should stay home. Worst decision I made #1. Four years ago I found myself out in Canada and had the opportunity to settle there and was offered sponsorship to stay. I still felt that I wasn't ready to leave the UK permanently and so went back after 11 months in Vancouver. Worst decision I made #2. Currently living in Wellington, New Zealand and have been offered a position for a company in Sydney. I'm currently going through the 457 visa application process and with a bit of luck should be out in Sydney at the start of May. If that doesn't work out, I'll be back in NZ for sure. I've got no plans to make the 3rd worst decision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kiwi39 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 hi yea one big regret is that once back in uk you are not welcome as a brit unles from eu youll find this out when you get handed a habitual residence test for for any benifit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bobby Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 hi yea one big regret is that once back in uk you are not welcome as a brit unles from eu youll find this out when you get handed a habitual residence test for for any benifit. I was welcomed back no problems, got a doctor and NHS dentist within in a week, signed on but got a job before I claimed anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kiwi39 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 hi yea we got a doctor but that was it,not much work in devon its mostly seasonal better than nothing though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.