BadgeIsBack

Its well documented how I like Australia and feel I got a few things right to be happy here. It worries me to see the same old complaints as I feel almost guilty.

Apart from the usual cliches, does anyone have a success story with points that contribute to their settlement? Their own little x factor that other migrants can take on? To make it slightly harder, your're not allowed to talk about the size of your house or the weather, or how laid back or 'lovely' something is eg dolphins/ BBQs

Cheers

Badge

DagBoy

I'll tell you now Badge - you need a bloody big BBQ to do a dolphin

mand8002

I think that once you arrive in Australia you have to accept that it is a different country and that they quite often do things differently. We chose to live here so it is not wise to continually compare things between the two countries. We have embraced all Australia has to offer, we have even been cheering on the Australian team in the Commonwealth Games.

iPom

No house, weather or dolphins?

I'm screwed then.

Um how about I married a lovely Aussie man and his family are fabulous and so 'uncomplicated' ... They've never been proper grandparents, only from a distance, but they've never complained or said anything about that. They're so super pleased we're moving to Aus, they've planned time off work and 'surprises' for us when we get there. My FIL has been looking at rentals for us, and doing a search of the car market to see if he can find us the ideal car ...
Basically they're bending over backwards to help us.


I am not there until 12th April, so I can't share any success stories about our settlement apart from what I've written so far above, but I hope that helps.

Suni&Jay

I'm just worried about not being able to afford to buy Banana's lettuce and tomatoes. Will have to learn to live without them

BadgeIsBack

good on ya. Badge

BadgeIsBack

ever privileged to see you using one of your quality posts on me, old bean.

Alan Collett

Said "yes" to all invitations from Aussies when we arrived ... BBQs/drinks/etc. Result: we got a reputation as fun loving Poms and hence more invites ... build a busy social life and you start feeling at home a lot sooner.

Best regards.

Alan Collett

B*****r ... forgot I wasn't supposed to mention BBQs ...

BadgeIsBack

priveleged to see a post from you!

cheers

Badge

Alan Collett

Not a problem ... it's not all visas and tax from me you know ...

Best wishes.

nightnurse2

We met up with some friends from years ago (knew the husband but not the wife) they made us feel really welcome and introduced us to all their friends. So we know have a group of really good friends (ozzies and brits). This has made us settle easily. I think building up friendships is the most important thing about coming here, especially when you don't know anyone. It helps you settle and they can be a big help when everything is new to you.

Tracey

Hutch

Well.. I've said it before but I'll say it again on account of your upbeat post mate. We were over most recently, for two months at Xmas - a dry run to see if my wife's business could function there whilst still retaining the level of service her clients expect (it could and did, incidentally).

In that period I was invited to join (and did join) a touch football team (just a nice bunch of blokes playing a bit of rugby for fun .. and ermmm... beer) and an 'older' surfing group (not retired, but not still in the throes of puberty). We made friends up and down the street, Catherine met lots of cool mums at the park, beach etc many of whom invited us round to their house so the kids could play etc and many of whom we're still in touch with (we even have a steam-train trip lined up with a load of other families with youngish kids). I made a good friend down the road who I went surfing with on many mornings - on one occasion we were joined by the pod of dolphins that the boats take tourists out to see down at Huskisson (I shat myself to be honest - thought they were sharks at first - lol). I found the vast majority of people I met to be friendly and engaging and very welcoming. There wa also this incident which wasn't untypical. If you make an effort to meet people, leave your comparisons at Heathrow along with the rest of your old life, and just get stuck in you'll be right.

MartinLuther

I've got a few (and it's interesting to see what could have happened).

When we first arrived we thought that we would live in the Dandenongs (near Melbourne). After a couple of days we switched out search to the Mornington Peninsula. Although the Dandenongs are really pretty (and a great place to visit), it was not the right place for us to live. The main reason was that it is heavily treed and we had no experience of what to do in a bush fire. Also the roads were not great for our (young) kids to cycle on. The peninsula was much better suited to our needs, wants and expectations.

At one time we thought about buying a hobby farm, but decided not to in the end. Even though I have often thought it would be nice to own a farm (back in the UK), I am fully aware of the reality of farming because I grew up on one which my dad and brother still run. It's interesting to see that the problems of farming in Australia are not unlike the problems of farming in the UK.

After that we did think of running some other small businesses, like a guest house or a winery, but we decided against it as neither of us had any experience in these areas and would probably be on a hiding to nothing if we went down those paths (or any other area we have no experience in).

Finally the wife wanted to buy a land and house package (or buy an existing land and shack) so we could build our ideal house. We eventually kicked this one into touch based on the Grand Designs programme in the UK. If people have problems building houses in a country in which they have lived all their life – imagine the problems you would get if you are new to the country.

As others have said, make an effort to make friends and be prepared for all the extra kissing they seem to do here when people meet up.

Buzzy--Bee

Hi again Badge

Well as you know I'm not there yet but I'm starting to put together a list of "deliverables" (you could never tell I'm a project manager could you?) which I consider the attainment of which will mean that I feel I have achieved my aims in moving.

Some of them are quite simple and almost all of them are low cost or free.

Dolphins won't be included on the list but shore diving on my doorstep will!!! And having a bigger garden where I can grow veg and fruit trees is further up the list than a great big house with a lot of rooms that never get used.

Hmmmm I'm in danger of starting to spout b0!!0cks so I'll leave this post here I think.

Cheers

Buzzy