blobby1000 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Some interesting stuff on here about when people are going home (and many seem to have been here a similar length of time to us) What I would love to read is peoples reasons.... Is it the UK you miss, or the people, or do you find you dont like Australia as much as you expected? We are heading home due to all of the above Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AKA63029 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Hi Blobby. Never left Australia 'voluntarily', always had to come back for family reasons, BUT. The ONLY reason that I would return (when next out there) would be for my parents sakes, as they are getting older I worry so much, but it is 'only' a 24 hour flight if I have to come back. I still 'miss' an English woodland and many things, but at the moment Australia is for me, but who knows, when I'm old and wrinkly (not far off,:laugh:) I may return, just to annoy my kids.:biglaugh: Cheers Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 I was OK to begin with, it was an adventure and the opportunities kept on popping up - had opportunities popped up in UK I have no doubt we would have gone rather than cementing our lives in Australia. Those early years didnt bother me, I guess I could put up with the things that bugged me because I thought I would be moving on. For me it has always been that ephemeral "belonging" which is very hard to quantify but just a sense of well being because the surroundings arent alien, the people arent on a different wavelength, there is just so much variety, the weather is much better for what I want to do. I guess I was just a slow learner and had I known then what I know now, I would have escaped a long time ago and given my kids (IMHO) better/different opportunities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3FatCats Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Oz is my third relocation and so far the only one I am struggling with. The last two have been about relocation due to OH work motives, not choice per se. I settled in Italy in my 20s and loved everything about the place, so had no trouble "trying" to be happy, I just was! Makes it easier. So happy my original year out turned into 15 years, 2 husbands and a house :laugh: I re-relocated back to the UK in my mid 30s, albeit to an area I had never set foot in. This time it was harder, I think it is for me as I get older. However, we already knew some friends there, OH liked his job, I found a brilliant job, we bought a house, made friends, enjoyed a good lifestyle.... life just seemed to be going our way and tbh I was very happy and settled and really loved that period of my life. Been here 7 months now and it has surprised me how "down" I have gone in such a short space of time. I have lost confidence, put on weight, am not the energetic, happy person I usually am and generally can't stop thinking what the hell we were thinking. I won't harp on re the actual reasons for not settling as I have made them clear in other posts, suffice to echo Tony's words earlier, Oz can be a pretty hard country to settle in for some and it doesn't always work out. So, my reasons for wanting to return to Europe are that "there" has made me feel better, more alive, more welcomed rather than "here". I also know if we stay here too long it will affect me too much In the long run and I really want to get back to being my own self and having a life. Everyone is different and will have their own experiences and reasons for liking, not liking and wanting to stay or go. It is very good to hear them all and respect each choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlobeTrotta Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Hi Blobby. Never left Australia 'voluntarily', always had to come back for family reasons, BUT. The ONLY reason that I would return (when next out there) would be for my parents sakes, as they are getting older I worry so much, but it is 'only' a 24 hour flight if I have to come back. I still 'miss' an English woodland and many things, but at the moment Australia is for me, but who knows, when I'm old and wrinkly (not far off,:laugh:) I may return, just to annoy my kids.:biglaugh: Cheers Tony. I am old and the sun is making me wrinkly.....:biglaugh: Actually dont feel old just wise enough to know this place doesnt want me and I dont really want it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirsty M Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 I mainly want to go back for family reasons. My parents aren't elderly yet but they aren't getting any younger and I want to spend time with them. I also want my kids to know their grandparents. My parents never make me feel guilty for being in Oz and want the best for my family even if that involves us being here, but I know they would love to see their only grandchild. My dad probably won't make it out when I have bub no.2 in July, so he won't meet her until we go back for good next March. This is the kind of stuff that really kills me. They miss all the birthdays and milestones too. I also feel that I've done what I want to do in Oz and just generally don't want to be here anymore. I will also be happy to be back in Scotland and not have to deal with people that can't cope with accents...a minor thing but irritating nontheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 For me , mostly because I think my kids were much happier and had better lives there. My wife misses her friends, the shops, the nightlife and social life, there was much more to do, and basically enjoyitthere more. I love the hot weather here and the sun but it seems i really shouldn't sit out in it. Take away the beach and the sun and I like the uk better too ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmaroo Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 I also feel that I've done what I want to do in Oz and just generally don't want to be here anymore. I will also be happy to be back in Scotland and not have to deal with people that can't cope with accents...a minor thing but irritating nontheless. The above for me too plus personal reasons! Emma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lebourvellec Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 I will also be happy to be back in Scotland and not have to deal with people that can't cope with accents...a minor thing but irritating nontheless. When I was working in Oz I have been mistaken for so many different nationallities - American, Canadian, Kiwi, Netherlands??!! Being from the North East of Scotland my accent is very scottish.... even my French Hubby is starting to speak Doric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blobby1000 Posted April 7, 2012 Author Share Posted April 7, 2012 Good to hear your opinions, it seems its mainly due to missing family and friends together with the fact that we all realise we like the UK!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgt Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 You know, i once said once im there i,ll never come back. Im looking at it like this, im going for the kids hopefully a better way of life but if it doesnt work out ,what an adventure, a chance to see another part of the world, wish my parents did that with me but that was in the 70s and every body was kung fu fighting and "stayin alive", keeping an open mind on it, but if it doesnt work out i dont think ill be coming back to the Uk, maybe scotland or ireland,might even go to pakistan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blobby1000 Posted April 7, 2012 Author Share Posted April 7, 2012 Difficult to go back to exactly where you left I reckon after making such a bold move. We started out thinking we would give it 2 years...but when we paid all the costs etc (especially the 4 grand for our dog) we decided it was forever...and that really screwed us up I think, hard to think of anything as forever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgt Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Yeh the money side of it hurts, no offence but i dont get the pet thing so it must be even harder to come to terms with the financial loss, but hey ho, like iv said earlier , you gave it a go, lots talk about it , but few do it, hats off to ya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blobby1000 Posted April 7, 2012 Author Share Posted April 7, 2012 Funnily enough we are not remotely bothered about paying all the money out again (except for the fact that we dont have it) we just want to get back home!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgt Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 I understand, i was once abroad working, once i had mentally checked out that was it, i had to go, best of luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SupportPants Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Australia isn't right for us for a variety of reasons - although it's a factor, family and friends are not that high a reason as I've lived in the Far East and the Middle East before. For me I think it's the blandness of life here, the isolation and the expense. I think it's a friendly family oriented place and can lack the vibrancy and buzz of other more highly populated countries. It's very beautiful due to the underpopulation granted but I think human contact and exciting cities are our reasons for leaving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PityTheFool Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Although quite negative for us aiming in the other direction I am finding this an informative thread, its helpful to hear what could be the harsh reality of our dreams. Would people mind stating where they are in Oz? (helps give an idea of areas) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blobby1000 Posted April 7, 2012 Author Share Posted April 7, 2012 I think had we loved it here we would have managed to cope without family and friends....but then I think the fact that we couldnt manage without family and friends meant we would probably have never loved it. But I agree that it is bland. As a country as a whole it is certainly not bland, there is so much variety but we are talking about living and working in a place, not holidaying... Its so expensive to take trips away, it would cost us the same to travel to Alice Springs as it would Malaysia, factor in accommodation, food and car hire, airport parking and dog kennels and for a family of 4 going to Alice Springs/Uluru for a weekend, you are looking at getting on for $5000. And everything is just so far from everything else with dust in between. Its no problem when you are 21 and backpacking and dont mind spending 20 hours on a coach with a cask wine bladder for a pillow, but with 2 kids a 20 hour drive is out of question and so is a $5000 weekend. Although we are gonna have a million holidays and bugger the expense cos we may never be back, had we been staying (and saving for our half-a-million-dollar-three-bedroom-basic-estate-hours) we would have remained living in our little town (admittedly a beautiful place) for years saving and that would have been somewhat bland. Incidently we were in Greensborough (Melbourne) to our mind a boring northern suburb and now Torquay, the self proclaimed surf capital of Australia (90km west of melbourne). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ptp113 Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Australia isn't right for us for a variety of reasons - although it's a factor, family and friends are not that high a reason as I've lived in the Far East and the Middle East before. For me I think it's the blandness of life here, the isolation and the expense. I think it's a friendly family oriented place and can lack the vibrancy and buzz of other more highly populated countries. It's very beautiful due to the underpopulation granted but I think human contact and exciting cities are our reasons for leaving. So which cities here have you lived in here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunni1234 Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 So which cities here have you lived in here? we live in Perth. Where are you Ptp113? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Julz Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 I just can't see myself growing old here and the kids growing up without other family around.....how could we think it would be a better life out here without friends and family, blinded by the thought of the sun I think. For me we will have a better life in the UK, I'm sick of the sun, the beach, insects, heat, humidity, lifestyle (which I think is boring), shops, tv, the expense of everything from schooling to holidaying. Its just not for us.....but I'm glad we tried.....as it as brought to light what really is important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 Before I migrated, I always found threads like these very interesting and as a couple gave us food for thought before we embarked on our own adventure. Even 5 - 6 years ago, there wasn't the same amount of information that there is now. For those returning home that found Aus not to be as they thought .. how did it not meet your expectations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SupportPants Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 So which cities here have you lived in here? Sydney, Townsville, Cairns (although I do like Cairns as its more mixed) and Mackay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cartertucker Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 I just can't see myself growing old here and the kids growing up without other family around.....how could we think it would be a better life out here without friends and family, blinded by the thought of the sun I think. For me we will have a better life in the UK, I'm sick of the sun, the beach, insects, heat, humidity, lifestyle (which I think is boring), shops, tv, the expense of everything from schooling to holidaying. Its just not for us.....but I'm glad we tried.....as it as brought to light what really is important. How long have you been in Brisbane? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Julz Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 Darwin for 20 months and Brisbane for 9 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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