rabble_rouser

I'm thinking about moving to Oz next year, possibly march. Hopefully my passport will come through in Jan.

I'm thinking just shutting up shop here selling everything so I can move there with a few bob on my pocket.

I've been working in IT development over here in the UK for quite some time now and I am weary of it. If I move I don't really want to bring any emotional baggage with me. A new country demands a new job.

The UK is very much an office based work culture with lots of meta-work, so I don't really have much useful experience in anything to be honest. Maybe I need to retrain somehow. I don't mind starting at the bottom.

I'd like to try something outdoorsy, although I don't know if I could stand to be directly in the sun all day. I thought about training to do surveying but my bro did it over there and said they worked double shifts virtually every day.

Just looking for some ideas. Any suggestions?

Bikergirl

Whilst moving to another country can be a good trigger for a change of direction - it worked for me - you need to know your key strengths and interests for it to be succesful.

One thing - your passport coming through in January and moving in March? Is there a visa/Australian citizen in the mix somewhere? You need a visa as minimum even to visit.

rabble_rouser

Getting passport by route, citizenship by decent: other situations. Long story but basically everyone in my immediate family is Australian except for me because of a silly bit of legislation that was around for 2 years.

I was born in the UK and have only been to Oz on holiday but I know holiday and living somewhere are two totally different scenarios. For instance first time I went to Italy on holiday for a week and loved it. So, I decided to move there a few years later, I spent 3 months over there checking out houses and decided that I really didn't care for the place at all!

It made me realise everywhere has got its advantages and disadvantages you just have to find somewhere that best suites your tastes.

What I loved about Australia is you can be a fat bloke and wander around in a thong and nobody bats an eyelid, or you can go fishing and not be afraid someone in a uniform with a nasty dog is going to chase you off. You can drive all day and not see a single soul, even downtown Sydney had less pedestrians than my local village, things are more laid back, less jumped up.

I love the outdoors elements but I'm afraid I'm ill prepared for it, I just wonder what some popular options are that offer a good work life balance?