Bishop3912

Hi I agree with the others, it depends on what you are looking for, gathering from the minority who thread bad vibes on BE they are looking for a home from home which I know it wont be. (no offence to anyone just my opinion). Myself and OH are moving mainly for the a better way of life and better schooling and lifestyle for the kids (5, 4 and 1), we are also looking for a more relaxed way of life for us as a family and for us to spend more time with the kids as a family. I am still pooing myself about going but I also know that if we don't go and give it a go will we be saying in a few years what if! My attitude is we can always come back if we hate it that much (don't think we will though). We have had two reckies both to Perth and loved what we found. Although we are now considering Adelaide and Tasmania to relocate to due to house prices in Perth going through the roof in the areas we wanted. I have been told that the Oz education system do not believe in grading their schools like over here so have no Ofsted type system nor League tables as such. Apparently they believe that each school can change year by year as it is dependent on the level of students at that time. By all odds their schools are 10 times better than over here (so I have been told by friends and family). Depending on where you want to go (I am assuming not to far to travel to CBD as you are in IT as is my OH) go by word of mouth once you find a couple of areas you like the look of, post back on here then and you should get more response about specific areas. Dont worry about the flight I done it first time round with daughter 18 months and son 13 weeks old, then most recently at Christmas for our official validation reckie with daughter now 5, son now 3 and another son 1 year. The kids loved the freebies Emirates gave them and were over the moon about their own personal tv's (they had square eyes all the way) in between they slept, ate (dont forget to order kids meals for your kids we had to ring Emirates to do this no extra charge just feed them first and its things kids love), had a change over at Dubai and then to Perth, it was fine. For first leg (3 year old hardly sleeps) I gave them all a dose of Medised to help them sleep (checked with doctor and they said this would be fine). Check out these sites for Adelaide www.adelaidebound.com, Tasmania www.development.tas.gov.au and Perth www.migration.wa.gov.au I found these sites really helpful to me. Like I say no offence to anyone in other places but these are the only three that I have been looking at personally (although I can say visited Queensland - GC and Sydney- but not for us). Know what you mean about finding lists of schools though but I have found that if you choose an area and then look on the related sites to that area they do give you lists of the schools etc. Hope this helps. Corinne

RachaelW

Hi Alleykev
I have to agree with Chrispy and Phil. I've been trying to make up my mind about moving to Adelaide too. My Mum, Dad, Brother and Husband all want to go and I can see why, Australia is so appealing. But part of me still wants to take the easy route and stay here. I've only been married 18 months, moved into a new house a year ago and started teaching in 2005. To leave everything and move to the other side of the world seems some what silly but sensible at the same time. I can see that England is going down the drain and can't see it as the best place for having children compared to Australia.
I'm torn between England:the place I've known all my life where everything is familiar with family and friends but the country has no prospects and Australia: A country I do not know very well, away from friends with a more positive future for my family.
The grass might be greener but will it still taste sweet?
Rachael.

Pommie Granite

It doesn't matter whether the grass is greener or not. It's all about how much you'll miss home.

Some people don't look back or think much of home. Other end up missing even the crap aspects of life in England because that's what made it home.

It's all about how well you can deal with it.

AllyKev

Hi Corinne

We are wanting to move to Oz for the same reasons as you - we dread to think what the UK will be like by the time our children start secondary school - never mind leaving school. Has your OH found a job in IT? if not does he envisage any problems as some of the threads i have read are really worrying, re: people now living in Oz but not being able to find work. I am also concerned that my OH will end up working long hours like he does here just by the nature of the IT industry, which will defeat the entire reason for going, for us to spend more time together as a family. Thanks for the info on the schools - that's what i keep hearing. I just don't want to keep moving my kids from school to school until i find a good one - as moving them to Oz away from their friends & family will be hard enough. At present with never having been to Oz - hence the trip next yr - we have no idea where we would like to settle - we keep hearing conflicting stories about each area. So it's really difficult. You have really put my mind to rest re: the flights - thanks for that - i can't imagine how you coped with an 18month old & 13wks old baby. You are brave! Have you always flown with Emirates? I presume you would recommend them?
When are you hoping to be moving? Good luck with it all - hope it works out well.
Ally

AllyKev

Hi Rachael
I know what you mean about taking the easy route - better the devil you know and all of that. But in your case I think you are in a really good position in your life to go for it and not jeopardise anything if it doesn't work out. I really wish we had tried it out before we had children. We are also torn, as we have a lovely house in a lovely village, with good friends and family close by, and my daughter goes to a good school. But i'm hoping that i could say the same about Oz in a few years time, and as a few people have said we could always come back. I am just worried that my daughter wouldn't get back into her current school as there is a waiting list!! Have you looked into how your parents may be able to get into Oz as my mum, younger sister & family would also like to join us - which would make our decision to go for it easier - but they are finding it harder to tick all the right boxes, especially my mum.
Good luck with your decision.
Ally

TraceyW

We've been in Oz for over 2.5 years and for us, the grass is a little bit greener. We have a bigger house/swimming pool/blue skies most days/warmer weather but honestly, that is not the be all and end all of life! Like someone else mentioned, it's all about how much you miss home and family. That will probably dictate as to whether this works for you.

Could somebody please enlighten me as to how the UK will be completely ruined and 'down the pan' in the next few years? What the hell has gone so badly wrong there over the space of a two years? It wasn't that bad when we left. yes it had the immigration issues, the crime was bad (it is here too) and the chavs were a hassle. But none of that actually affected me, in my house or in my street. I'd say the UK press has a lot to do with the scare mongering that goes on over there. Just my opinions though.

Teabag

My Lord Ally, I would be so careful, you have everything I want and I am stuck in Perth (I am Australian). Australia has a whole different set of problems, but I think what people need to remember is the whole world is going down the bucket, not just the UK!

Teabag

I wonder this too - as my Boss said to me last week, the only reason people here need the big house and the pool is because we can't afford to travel so we have to make home our entertainment

AllyKev

Hi Teabag

If you don't mind me asking - what do you find so appealing about the UK? Why are you so unhappy with Australia? I agree with you about the entire world having problems but Australia is in a nicer part of the world compared to the UK. But that's just my opinion!

Ally

Centurion

I find that when the subject of taking a holiday comes up my wife and I look at each and laugh. Palm trees, white sandy beaches, days by the pool, eating out, sunny weather. Hate to say it but I get that everyday of my life here. I kid you not when I write this from my laptop overlooking the pool in 28 degrees of heat and its only 9am :-)

Kinda beats my life in Orpington, Kent.........

Teabag

you can't get 5 pound flights to Europe
Flies
Australian's all have their heads up their arse's
Part-time work for Mother's is very limited and even when you get a PT job you feel you're not pulling your weight
5 hour flight from Perth to Sydney at $600 per pop
School system is crap, Private Schooling is all about Jesus until your kid get's bullied and then 'we will pray and leave it in God's Hands"
Flies
Can't move without getting a sweat up
Lethargic all the time due to weather
Headaches all the time due to Glare
Have to download any decent TV
No history unless you live in Sydney and then it's only 200 years back
Flies

Teabag

Oh and I should also say in my defence, I will be seeing a UK through fresh eyes, not from the point of someone who has grown up there and seen so many changes. There are lovely parts of England, have you thought of moving within the country? Or are you just jaded with the whole system?

If you are escaping high mortgages, crime and bad schooling, then they are bad reasons, if it's the weather, you are going from one extreme to another (which I particularly find appealing). If you have close family ties back home, the loneliness here will be devastating.

Hutch

So - to recap. You've never actually lived in the UK?

Wendy

But Hutch, the grass is greener in the UK

Hutch

Excessive nitrogeon based fertiliser usage mate.