Flying back in December
Nov 2nd 2002, 6:13 am
#16
Cynically amused.
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: BC
Posts: 3,648
Originally posted by jeannie
Dingbat,
what part of Canada are you living in, I"v been here 35 years it's a great place maybe its were you are thats the problem, I always hated the citys (Vancouver B.C.) so I moved to a small town "BIG DIFFERANCE" so now when I go to Vanc I love it for a day or so .
Dingbat,
what part of Canada are you living in, I"v been here 35 years it's a great place maybe its were you are thats the problem, I always hated the citys (Vancouver B.C.) so I moved to a small town "BIG DIFFERANCE" so now when I go to Vanc I love it for a day or so .
Nov 2nd 2002, 6:20 am
#17
Cynically amused.
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: BC
Posts: 3,648
Love that saying about the kangeroos. I'll be trying that one out on Monday....lol. Canada has marketed itself in Asia heavily too, as Chinese now make up the bulk of people emigrating to the West at least, then India. I think you may be right though about Europe - I wish I had kept my house in Blighty and just gone to Italy or Greece or something! I think it was the lure of the same culture (how wrong can you be) with a touch of the American dream rolled in (yes I know my geography is clearly off). Still, you makes your bed as the saying goes....
Nov 4th 2002, 12:40 am
#18
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Flying back in December
Originally posted by Christian S
Hi my family and I are leaving Western Australia and flying back to Cornwall Uk in December, We have given Australia over 3 years and all dislike it here very much, our bubble was burst shortly after arriving and we are looking forward to getting home, bit fed up about the $, for every $1000 we will only get approx 340 pound, sad aye?
I have 4 Children 2 of which are teenagers and they all discribe this place as 'dull and boring', infact i have to agree with them, lol
I'm sure for many Australia will be just what they dreamed but for us it has been a nightmare.
It took us guts to pick up sticks and emigrate out here not knowing a soul and I feel just as scared returning, this is not easy for anyone never mind which way they are going.
Glad we have our own forum, the folks on the 'Australia' forum do hate you if you don't agree with them only wanting to hear success stories.
Anyway looking forward to hearing from others who are returning, and if anyone need any info on the new PETS passport i will be only to glad to help.
Christian
Hi my family and I are leaving Western Australia and flying back to Cornwall Uk in December, We have given Australia over 3 years and all dislike it here very much, our bubble was burst shortly after arriving and we are looking forward to getting home, bit fed up about the $, for every $1000 we will only get approx 340 pound, sad aye?
I have 4 Children 2 of which are teenagers and they all discribe this place as 'dull and boring', infact i have to agree with them, lol
I'm sure for many Australia will be just what they dreamed but for us it has been a nightmare.
It took us guts to pick up sticks and emigrate out here not knowing a soul and I feel just as scared returning, this is not easy for anyone never mind which way they are going.
Glad we have our own forum, the folks on the 'Australia' forum do hate you if you don't agree with them only wanting to hear success stories.
Anyway looking forward to hearing from others who are returning, and if anyone need any info on the new PETS passport i will be only to glad to help.
Christian
Why delay until december. Your children's boredom will only get worse
An idle brain is the Devil's workshop. And there are 4 workshops
If you leave now, you will avoid the boring perth summer.
And be home for the english winter.
Nov 4th 2002, 1:34 am
#19
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 298
Sydneyrose,
Your reply to this post served no useful purpose...
Surely the objective of these forums is to give information and advice, and hopefully support to other posters. "If you can't say anything good, don't say nothing at all"...
Your reply to this post served no useful purpose...
Surely the objective of these forums is to give information and advice, and hopefully support to other posters. "If you can't say anything good, don't say nothing at all"...
Nov 4th 2002, 3:53 am
#20
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally posted by pommiesheila
Sydneyrose,
Your reply to this post served no useful purpose...
Surely the objective of these forums is to give information and advice, and hopefully support to other posters. "If you can't say anything good, don't say nothing at all"...
Sydneyrose,
Your reply to this post served no useful purpose...
Surely the objective of these forums is to give information and advice, and hopefully support to other posters. "If you can't say anything good, don't say nothing at all"...
When did the censorship of free speech become part of western civilisation?
Nov 4th 2002, 9:30 am
#21
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 213
its truely a shame in this technical day and age that any monkey can get on a keyboard and string together words of the english language. just because people come to australia, decide they dont like it, and want to go back, someone sticks in the knife. i feel for the people that want to head home to the UK - i feel like that myself at least 50% of the time, and I know how bad it can be.
sydneyrose, shut up will you ? or go and watch "Citizen Smith" or something to get your "i'm being oppressed fix". australia is a lovely country, with many positive attributes. however, it is full of people, like yourself, who wish to remain in happy isolation from the rest of the world, ignorant of everything that is not australian. fortunately, because you cant breed enough, you are in a minority.
extol your fake intellectual high-and-mighty responses to a part of this forum that befits someone of your artistic and intellectual flair.
or, as a Yorkshireman would say, shut the ****ing hole under your nose, before someone shuts it for you.
but, you will no doubt come back with some witty, intelligent remark befitting of the teachings of Jung, Marx or Stalin, because behind your keyboard you are truely a Prophet of Australia, hard as nails and ten feet tall.
sydneyrose, shut up will you ? or go and watch "Citizen Smith" or something to get your "i'm being oppressed fix". australia is a lovely country, with many positive attributes. however, it is full of people, like yourself, who wish to remain in happy isolation from the rest of the world, ignorant of everything that is not australian. fortunately, because you cant breed enough, you are in a minority.
extol your fake intellectual high-and-mighty responses to a part of this forum that befits someone of your artistic and intellectual flair.
or, as a Yorkshireman would say, shut the ****ing hole under your nose, before someone shuts it for you.
but, you will no doubt come back with some witty, intelligent remark befitting of the teachings of Jung, Marx or Stalin, because behind your keyboard you are truely a Prophet of Australia, hard as nails and ten feet tall.
Nov 4th 2002, 9:31 am
#22
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 298
Your point about "free speech" - if anything is worth something, you usually have to pay for it...
Nov 4th 2002, 9:33 am
#23
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 298
Originally posted by stay or go ?
its truely a shame in this technical day and age that any monkey can get on a keyboard and string together words of the english language. just because people come to australia, decide they dont like it, and want to go back, someone sticks in the knife. i feel for the people that want to head home to the UK - i feel like that myself at least 50% of the time, and I know how bad it can be.
sydneyrose, shut up will you ? or go and watch "Citizen Smith" or something to get your "i'm being oppressed fix". australia is a lovely country, with many positive attributes. however, it is full of people, like yourself, who wish to remain in happy isolation from the rest of the world, ignorant of everything that is not australian. fortunately, because you cant breed enough, you are in a minority.
extol your fake intellectual high-and-mighty responses to a part of this forum that befits someone of your artistic and intellectual flair.
or, as a Yorkshireman would say, shut the ****ing hole under your nose, before someone shuts it for you.
but, you will no doubt come back with some witty, intelligent remark befitting of the teachings of Jung, Marx or Stalin, because behind your keyboard you are truely a Prophet of Australia, hard as nails and ten feet tall.
its truely a shame in this technical day and age that any monkey can get on a keyboard and string together words of the english language. just because people come to australia, decide they dont like it, and want to go back, someone sticks in the knife. i feel for the people that want to head home to the UK - i feel like that myself at least 50% of the time, and I know how bad it can be.
sydneyrose, shut up will you ? or go and watch "Citizen Smith" or something to get your "i'm being oppressed fix". australia is a lovely country, with many positive attributes. however, it is full of people, like yourself, who wish to remain in happy isolation from the rest of the world, ignorant of everything that is not australian. fortunately, because you cant breed enough, you are in a minority.
extol your fake intellectual high-and-mighty responses to a part of this forum that befits someone of your artistic and intellectual flair.
or, as a Yorkshireman would say, shut the ****ing hole under your nose, before someone shuts it for you.
but, you will no doubt come back with some witty, intelligent remark befitting of the teachings of Jung, Marx or Stalin, because behind your keyboard you are truely a Prophet of Australia, hard as nails and ten feet tall.
Nov 4th 2002, 11:39 pm
#24
Senior member
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Paris
Posts: 835
Originally posted by Christian S
Gosh so many questions, lol
We are in Perth, south of the river, our children are twin boys 15 and boy 12 and boy 10, they all looked forward as we did to arriving but soon found how backward it is here, my children made friends easily but as strange as it sounds 90% of their friends are also poms, we do seem to stick together,we do feel slightly disconected from the aussie's as they don't seem to be on the same wavelength..if that makes any sence.
When we return in Dec we are going to stay with family for a while, my parents have a farm so there is plenty of room, we are going to settle in Cornwall/Devon as that is where I was born and it's a great place for bringing up Children, as for work, I will find one, i always have, my wife is a midwife and she wants to work as soon as possible too, bottom line is we are all very unhappy so it matters not that we won't have a big house, swimming pool and nice weather, but we will replace that with family and happiness, after doing what we have done you come to realize the important things in life and we won't find that in material wealth which is all we have here.
We will buy again in the UK and I don't care how small, just that we are all together and happy.
To Sunny Samantha, I am at work right now but i will post up some Info on Pets Passport within the next few days.
Christian
Ps I would never tell anyone not to come over to Australia and would hate my posts to put you off, just remember for every unhappy pom there will always be a happy one too, it's not for everyone but it could be for you.
Gosh so many questions, lol
We are in Perth, south of the river, our children are twin boys 15 and boy 12 and boy 10, they all looked forward as we did to arriving but soon found how backward it is here, my children made friends easily but as strange as it sounds 90% of their friends are also poms, we do seem to stick together,we do feel slightly disconected from the aussie's as they don't seem to be on the same wavelength..if that makes any sence.
When we return in Dec we are going to stay with family for a while, my parents have a farm so there is plenty of room, we are going to settle in Cornwall/Devon as that is where I was born and it's a great place for bringing up Children, as for work, I will find one, i always have, my wife is a midwife and she wants to work as soon as possible too, bottom line is we are all very unhappy so it matters not that we won't have a big house, swimming pool and nice weather, but we will replace that with family and happiness, after doing what we have done you come to realize the important things in life and we won't find that in material wealth which is all we have here.
We will buy again in the UK and I don't care how small, just that we are all together and happy.
To Sunny Samantha, I am at work right now but i will post up some Info on Pets Passport within the next few days.
Christian
Ps I would never tell anyone not to come over to Australia and would hate my posts to put you off, just remember for every unhappy pom there will always be a happy one too, it's not for everyone but it could be for you.
My wife and I have been in Sydney for 2 years and return to the UK in April next year. If I am being honest we both like Australia immensely BUT we do find it a very backwards country in many ways. We are planning to buy our first home and start a family and my wife says the idea of having our first baby over here sends a cold shiver through her. We know that in the long term sunshine and beaches are merely external influences, they do not change what's inside you and they definitely do not compensate us for severing the close ties we have with both our families. I am from South Gloucestershire where all my friends and family have a tremendous lifestyle, the schools are great, the countryside is gorgeous and access to the M4 and M5 (up to Wales, down to Cornwall - fantastic!) is easy. My wife is from the Czech Republic, which is just over an hour flight from Bristol airport.
Our issue is that now we have made the decision people at work, mainly Aussies and English with no kids, keep on giving us a hard time. They just don't get it and you seem to be one of the few people who really is on our wavelength. My wife and I reckon if we had a child here and bought a house, we would be selling and trying to get back to the UK within 5 years so we decided not to wait!
Best of luck to you and I agree with you - I would not say to people do not come as its a wonderful country. Even if people only stay for a few years it could still be a life changing experience in as much as it makes them realise what is truly important to them. So they should come! Some people love it here - one of my mates has been here 7 years and says he could never go back. I think it depends on how strong your roots are back in the UK and how good an area those roots are based in. Some of the good parts of the UK are amazing. If your roots are in a slum urban area then I guess you may think differently to you and I!
Nov 4th 2002, 11:43 pm
#25
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 163
Re: Flying back in December
Originally posted by Christian S
Hi my family and I are leaving Western Australia and flying back to Cornwall Uk in December, We have given Australia over 3 years and all dislike it here very much, our bubble was burst shortly after arriving and we are looking forward to getting home, bit fed up about the $, for every $1000 we will only get approx 340 pound, sad aye?
I have 4 Children 2 of which are teenagers and they all discribe this place as 'dull and boring', infact i have to agree with them, lol
I'm sure for many Australia will be just what they dreamed but for us it has been a nightmare.
It took us guts to pick up sticks and emigrate out here not knowing a soul and I feel just as scared returning, this is not easy for anyone never mind which way they are going.
Glad we have our own forum, the folks on the 'Australia' forum do hate you if you don't agree with them only wanting to hear success stories.
Anyway looking forward to hearing from others who are returning, and if anyone need any info on the new PETS passport i will be only to glad to help.
Christian
Hi my family and I are leaving Western Australia and flying back to Cornwall Uk in December, We have given Australia over 3 years and all dislike it here very much, our bubble was burst shortly after arriving and we are looking forward to getting home, bit fed up about the $, for every $1000 we will only get approx 340 pound, sad aye?
I have 4 Children 2 of which are teenagers and they all discribe this place as 'dull and boring', infact i have to agree with them, lol
I'm sure for many Australia will be just what they dreamed but for us it has been a nightmare.
It took us guts to pick up sticks and emigrate out here not knowing a soul and I feel just as scared returning, this is not easy for anyone never mind which way they are going.
Glad we have our own forum, the folks on the 'Australia' forum do hate you if you don't agree with them only wanting to hear success stories.
Anyway looking forward to hearing from others who are returning, and if anyone need any info on the new PETS passport i will be only to glad to help.
Christian
Nov 5th 2002, 6:55 am
#26
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: England
Posts: 279
Hi Christian S
We've been in Perth now for 5 months and unfortunately after all the waiting for our visa (2 years) we have this 'gut feeling' that it's not going to work out for us long term. You mentioned that 'the bubble burst shortly after arrival' - why did you stay for 3 years? Did you hope that things would improve? Are you glad you stayed 3 years or looking back do you regret not returning sooner?
Sorry for all the questions, we are at the 'hanging in there' stage hoping things will improve.
Any advice/comments much appreciated.
We've been in Perth now for 5 months and unfortunately after all the waiting for our visa (2 years) we have this 'gut feeling' that it's not going to work out for us long term. You mentioned that 'the bubble burst shortly after arrival' - why did you stay for 3 years? Did you hope that things would improve? Are you glad you stayed 3 years or looking back do you regret not returning sooner?
Sorry for all the questions, we are at the 'hanging in there' stage hoping things will improve.
Any advice/comments much appreciated.
Nov 5th 2002, 7:46 am
#27
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 298
Originally posted by Herman
Christian S.
My wife and I have been in Sydney for 2 years and return to the UK in April next year. If I am being honest we both like Australia immensely BUT we do find it a very backwards country in many ways. We are planning to buy our first home and start a family and my wife says the idea of having our first baby over here sends a cold shiver through her. We know that in the long term sunshine and beaches are merely external influences, they do not change what's inside you and they definitely do not compensate us for severing the close ties we have with both our families. I am from South Gloucestershire where all my friends and family have a tremendous lifestyle, the schools are great, the countryside is gorgeous and access to the M4 and M5 (up to Wales, down to Cornwall - fantastic!) is easy. My wife is from the Czech Republic, which is just over an hour flight from Bristol airport.
Our issue is that now we have made the decision people at work, mainly Aussies and English with no kids, keep on giving us a hard time. They just don't get it and you seem to be one of the few people who really is on our wavelength. My wife and I reckon if we had a child here and bought a house, we would be selling and trying to get back to the UK within 5 years so we decided not to wait!
Best of luck to you and I agree with you - I would not say to people do not come as its a wonderful country. Even if people only stay for a few years it could still be a life changing experience in as much as it makes them realise what is truly important to them. So they should come! Some people love it here - one of my mates has been here 7 years and says he could never go back. I think it depends on how strong your roots are back in the UK and how good an area those roots are based in. Some of the good parts of the UK are amazing. If your roots are in a slum urban area then I guess you may think differently to you and I!
Christian S.
My wife and I have been in Sydney for 2 years and return to the UK in April next year. If I am being honest we both like Australia immensely BUT we do find it a very backwards country in many ways. We are planning to buy our first home and start a family and my wife says the idea of having our first baby over here sends a cold shiver through her. We know that in the long term sunshine and beaches are merely external influences, they do not change what's inside you and they definitely do not compensate us for severing the close ties we have with both our families. I am from South Gloucestershire where all my friends and family have a tremendous lifestyle, the schools are great, the countryside is gorgeous and access to the M4 and M5 (up to Wales, down to Cornwall - fantastic!) is easy. My wife is from the Czech Republic, which is just over an hour flight from Bristol airport.
Our issue is that now we have made the decision people at work, mainly Aussies and English with no kids, keep on giving us a hard time. They just don't get it and you seem to be one of the few people who really is on our wavelength. My wife and I reckon if we had a child here and bought a house, we would be selling and trying to get back to the UK within 5 years so we decided not to wait!
Best of luck to you and I agree with you - I would not say to people do not come as its a wonderful country. Even if people only stay for a few years it could still be a life changing experience in as much as it makes them realise what is truly important to them. So they should come! Some people love it here - one of my mates has been here 7 years and says he could never go back. I think it depends on how strong your roots are back in the UK and how good an area those roots are based in. Some of the good parts of the UK are amazing. If your roots are in a slum urban area then I guess you may think differently to you and I!
Would be interested to know whereabouts in "South Gloucestershire" you are from, as hubbie is from Gloucestershire as well. Your comment re schools is also interesting - can you be a little more specific please? Reason I ask is that IF (note the big if) we return to the UK we are looking at Gloucester/Somerset area and schools will be a BIG issue for us - also house prices too.
Nov 5th 2002, 3:40 pm
#28
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: Yallingup
Posts: 343
Originally posted by pommiesheila
Herman,
Would be interested to know whereabouts in "South Gloucestershire" you are from, as hubbie is from Gloucestershire as well. Your comment re schools is also interesting - can you be a little more specific please? Reason I ask is that IF (note the big if) we return to the UK we are looking at Gloucester/Somerset area and schools will be a BIG issue for us - also house prices too.
Herman,
Would be interested to know whereabouts in "South Gloucestershire" you are from, as hubbie is from Gloucestershire as well. Your comment re schools is also interesting - can you be a little more specific please? Reason I ask is that IF (note the big if) we return to the UK we are looking at Gloucester/Somerset area and schools will be a BIG issue for us - also house prices too.
We live in S.E. Somerset, I found a local authority Website that said the average price of a 4 bedroom house is about £270.000 (a bit cheaper in a town though). Try www.rightmove.com, several search options.
Local Primary schools in general are very good, the problem around us is what to do when they get to Secondry, the very cheapest Private is going to cost over £7000 per year. Several of our friends have moved into Dorset as our local secondry is not the best.
FYI Ofsted reports are on-line now.
Nov 5th 2002, 9:32 pm
#29
Senior member
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Paris
Posts: 835
Originally posted by pommiesheila
Herman,
Would be interested to know whereabouts in "South Gloucestershire" you are from, as hubbie is from Gloucestershire as well. Your comment re schools is also interesting - can you be a little more specific please? Reason I ask is that IF (note the big if) we return to the UK we are looking at Gloucester/Somerset area and schools will be a BIG issue for us - also house prices too.
Herman,
Would be interested to know whereabouts in "South Gloucestershire" you are from, as hubbie is from Gloucestershire as well. Your comment re schools is also interesting - can you be a little more specific please? Reason I ask is that IF (note the big if) we return to the UK we are looking at Gloucester/Somerset area and schools will be a BIG issue for us - also house prices too.
A detached 4 bedroom house in the Thornbury area costs from 240k upwards, and I have it on good information that prices in the area are slowing down as first time buyers can no longer afford to live there (I bought a new 2 bed semi detached house in Thornbury, about the cheapest thing in the area, for 50,000 in April 2000 and sold it for 90,000 in August 2001 when I moved to London with my job, and now its on the market again for 136,000. A friend of mine is the selling estate agent and he tells me not one serious buyer has looked at it in the 2 months its been on the market at this price and he is trying to persuade the vendor to drop the price - this is starting to happen a lot he tells me. So like you I am praying he is right and prices fall!).
I am biased as I am from the area (Alveston) but I think its a lovely part of the world, surrounded by great countryside and villages with real country pubs. Its a 15 minute drive to the huge shopping mall area at Cribbs Causeway, 15 minute drive to Wales with its countryside and beaches and 15 minutes to get onto the M4 or the M5 to head East, North or South.
Many people move to the area so that their kids can go to Castle School or Marlwood as these schools only take pupils from the local catchment area. I think I mentioned that my wife is Czech. She has lived in various places (Paris, Zurich, Prague, Ostrava, London and now Sydney) and she feels strongly that the standard of living in South Gloucestershire is easily as good as anywhere she has seen, plus we have the added benefit of lots of family and friends in the area.
Hope this helps.
Nov 5th 2002, 9:51 pm
#30
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 298
Originally posted by Herman
We are from a village called Alveston, near to a town in South Glos called Thornbury. It has excellent primary schools in the town and in the surrounding villages of Alveston, Olveston and Almondsbury. Its a 35 to 45 minute commute by car into the very centre of Bristol, depending on what time you leave (if you leave at 7am as I used to its 25 minutes and friends tell me this is still the case). Thornbury and Alveston have two excellent free secondary schools - Marlwood School and Castle School, both of which have excellent sixth forms with very good A level results.
A detached 4 bedroom house in the Thornbury area costs from 240k upwards, and I have it on good information that prices in the area are slowing down as first time buyers can no longer afford to live there (I bought a new 2 bed semi detached house in Thornbury, about the cheapest thing in the area, for 50,000 in April 2000 and sold it for 90,000 in August 2001 when I moved to London with my job, and now its on the market again for 136,000. A friend of mine is the selling estate agent and he tells me not one serious buyer has looked at it in the 2 months its been on the market at this price and he is trying to persuade the vendor to drop the price - this is starting to happen a lot he tells me. So like you I am praying he is right and prices fall!).
I am biased as I am from the area (Alveston) but I think its a lovely part of the world, surrounded by great countryside and villages with real country pubs. Its a 15 minute drive to the huge shopping mall area at Cribbs Causeway, 15 minute drive to Wales with its countryside and beaches and 15 minutes to get onto the M4 or the M5 to head East, North or South.
Many people move to the area so that their kids can go to Castle School or Marlwood as these schools only take pupils from the local catchment area. I think I mentioned that my wife is Czech. She has lived in various places (Paris, Zurich, Prague, Ostrava, London and now Sydney) and she feels strongly that the standard of living in South Gloucestershire is easily as good as anywhere she has seen, plus we have the added benefit of lots of family and friends in the area.
Hope this helps.
We are from a village called Alveston, near to a town in South Glos called Thornbury. It has excellent primary schools in the town and in the surrounding villages of Alveston, Olveston and Almondsbury. Its a 35 to 45 minute commute by car into the very centre of Bristol, depending on what time you leave (if you leave at 7am as I used to its 25 minutes and friends tell me this is still the case). Thornbury and Alveston have two excellent free secondary schools - Marlwood School and Castle School, both of which have excellent sixth forms with very good A level results.
A detached 4 bedroom house in the Thornbury area costs from 240k upwards, and I have it on good information that prices in the area are slowing down as first time buyers can no longer afford to live there (I bought a new 2 bed semi detached house in Thornbury, about the cheapest thing in the area, for 50,000 in April 2000 and sold it for 90,000 in August 2001 when I moved to London with my job, and now its on the market again for 136,000. A friend of mine is the selling estate agent and he tells me not one serious buyer has looked at it in the 2 months its been on the market at this price and he is trying to persuade the vendor to drop the price - this is starting to happen a lot he tells me. So like you I am praying he is right and prices fall!).
I am biased as I am from the area (Alveston) but I think its a lovely part of the world, surrounded by great countryside and villages with real country pubs. Its a 15 minute drive to the huge shopping mall area at Cribbs Causeway, 15 minute drive to Wales with its countryside and beaches and 15 minutes to get onto the M4 or the M5 to head East, North or South.
Many people move to the area so that their kids can go to Castle School or Marlwood as these schools only take pupils from the local catchment area. I think I mentioned that my wife is Czech. She has lived in various places (Paris, Zurich, Prague, Ostrava, London and now Sydney) and she feels strongly that the standard of living in South Gloucestershire is easily as good as anywhere she has seen, plus we have the added benefit of lots of family and friends in the area.
Hope this helps.