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-   -   returning to uk from nz - how have any of you found the return please (https://britishexpats.com/forum/moving-back-uk-61/returning-uk-nz-how-have-any-you-found-return-please-755253/)

nelsonpom Apr 17th 2012 9:49 pm

returning to uk from nz - how have any of you found the return please
 
Seriously considering moving back to the UK. Have found it harder and harder over here since we had our daughter and not having family or good friends nearby our support network has come up well short. Wondered how many people on this website have returned and how are you finding it. Is the UK as bad as is reported or is that an exageration. Would prob keep our house here and as we have citizenship would prob look at returning in the future as we do both think NZ is a wonderful country, but not having help close is really taking its toll. Really think my daughter is missing out on her immediate family.

nelsonpom Apr 19th 2012 7:00 pm

Re: returning to uk from nz -
 

Originally Posted by nelsonpom (Post 10011147)
Seriously considering moving back to the UK. Have found it harder and harder over here since we had our daughter and not having family or good friends nearby our support network has come up well short. Wondered how many people on this website have returned and how are you finding it. Is the UK as bad as is reported or is that an exageration. Would prob keep our house here and as we have citizenship would prob look at returning in the future as we do both think NZ is a wonderful country, but not having help close is really taking its toll. Really think my daughter is missing out on her immediate family.


Anyone done this ?

Homeiswheretheheartis Apr 19th 2012 8:40 pm

Re: returning to uk from nz - how have any of you found the return please
 
Hi Im not a returnee yet, but I haven't been gone very long only 7 months.

Every country has is bad places and good, so it depends very much on where you are returning to.

Just to give you an idea of it being good, I lived in a small town in the UK. I have two children, had a nice house, kids went to good schools, lots of outside sports/activities for them. We regularly left our car doors open, kids played out all the time. I always felt completely safe and happy there. I have only left for my husbands job and we will be returning.

The people I know didnt lose their jobs in the recession. I have friends that are a teacher, nurse, police, electriction, hairdresser, furniture delivery person, shop assistant, swimming instructor and bank worker.

Where I live house prices didnt fall that much, but sales have slowed.

Fuel is expensive, food has risen loads, utilities are really expensive now compaired to what they were. But I do not know the costs of these things in NZ. I am in the US and I find the costs the exactly the same as home, even fuel I spend the same even when its really cheap here, as I drive 4 times more here.

When my children were very young I only lived 4 hours away from family and I found that really hard. If I could do it again (well I can be don't want to;) I would live nearer to support, my kids are 9 and 11 now but still not old enough to be left alone for a day or at night. Still have to do everything with them, hardly have any time by myself or with OH, so I would love some support now:)

In comparison my friend lives in a large city and I wouldn't want to live there, as traffic is awful, house prices are huge, she had trouble getting her child into a good school and she wont let him play outside as theres too much traffic etc.

I wish I could just say go home, or no stay, but I can't say you will love or hate it as its how you will feel that matters. But I can say its not gone to the dogs as some people say it has.

daisycutter Apr 19th 2012 10:38 pm

Re: returning to uk from nz - how have any of you found the return please
 

Originally Posted by nelsonpom (Post 10011147)
Seriously considering moving back to the UK. Have found it harder and harder over here since we had our daughter and not having family or good friends nearby our support network has come up well short. Wondered how many people on this website have returned and how are you finding it. Is the UK as bad as is reported or is that an exageration. Would prob keep our house here and as we have citizenship would prob look at returning in the future as we do both think NZ is a wonderful country, but not having help close is really taking its toll. Really think my daughter is missing out on her immediate family.

Hi we have lived in NZ 3 times and several Canadian cities ... everywhere is good and bad,but now we are seriously considering returning to the UK .. we have visited over the last few years and believe it is not anywhere as bad as it is portrayed to be,usually in the Daily Mail etc ... we would choose the west country or east anglia,plenty of towns just small enough to be friendly and close and big enough for amenities for the kids,also with the pound being so weak against KIWI & CAD $ large gains can be made ... cheers.

MnB Apr 20th 2012 8:04 pm

Re: returning to uk from nz -
 

Originally Posted by nelsonpom (Post 10015256)
Anyone done this ?

Hi NelsonPom

You might remember we dropped in to see you when we were in Nelson but it was your day off.....no worries if you don't remember!.... just wanted to reiterate what some OP's have said about living in the UK.

I know we didn't live in NZ for as long as you have and don't have young children ( ours our adult 'kids') but they were part of our support network that we'd left behind in the UK and it was so good to come home to them!!!!

We live in Somerset :thumbsup: and personally have not been hit too hard by the recession, yes, fuel is more expensive and the food bill has probably gone up a bit, house prices are only slightly increasing but new property is being built and people are still moving. the unemployment figures for the UK are down this month and European holidays are still selling......all in all we're more 'comfortable' here than we could have been in NZ and we're amongst close family and 'old' friends.

Good luck with what ever you do and if you're heading this way pm me if I can be of any help.

B:)

sallysimmons Apr 20th 2012 8:38 pm

Re: returning to uk from nz - how have any of you found the return please
 
I have only been here a week, so obviously I have much to learn but I am in a beautiful market town in North Yorkshire and I see no sign of anything having gone to the dogs. On the contrary - this is a much more interesting and sophisticated country than the one I left 22 years ago. In my little town there are all kinds of amazing pubs and restaurants, lots of interesting little food shops, and tons of things to do and see. I left a slightly depressed, inward-looking country and returned to a cosmopolitan, buzzing place.

The people are as friendly as ever - everywhere we go we get into conversations with random strangers and we laugh such a lot! People complain about service in the UK, but we have experienced nothing but helpful, kind and friendly people. I have no idea what the moaners are talking about, but they are clearly not living in Knaresborough!

nelsonpom Apr 20th 2012 10:55 pm

Re: returning to uk from nz - how have any of you found the return please
 
Thanks for all the replies, pretty sure we will be heading back and feel pretty positive. Will be heading to Cambridge initially. MnB I do remember missing you ! Glad you have settled back in uk, my wife's dad lives in Dorset so we will be heading in your rough direction at some point ( may call in for pint and discuss how much we miss nz ;-))

crap coffee Apr 21st 2012 1:01 am

Re: returning to uk from nz - how have any of you found the return please
 

Originally Posted by nelsonpom (Post 10017375)
Thanks for all the replies, pretty sure we will be heading back and feel pretty positive. Will be heading to Cambridge initially. MnB I do remember missing you ! Glad you have settled back in uk, my wife's dad lives in Dorset so we will be heading in your rough direction at some point ( may call in for pint and discuss how much we miss nz ;-))

Nelsonpom, I will miss you.

hope things will work out alright.

I've got load of friends who live in UK and they are very happy seriously!! mostly in Oxford, Yorkshire, and London. Good jobs (professional), kids going to great schools, live in nice houses and have regular (European) holidays breaks!!!!

it clearly tells you - not everyone in UK miserable!!! :sneaky:

nelsonpom Apr 21st 2012 9:43 am

Re: returning to uk from nz - how have any of you found the return please.
 

Originally Posted by crap coffee (Post 10017495)
Nelsonpom, I will miss you.

hope things will work out alright.

I've got load of friends who live in UK and they are very happy seriously!! mostly in Oxford, Yorkshire, and London. Good jobs (professional), kids going to great schools, live in nice houses and have regular (European) holidays breaks!!!!

it clearly tells you - not everyone in UK miserable!!! :sneaky:

Ash how nice, thank you. We shall see how things pan out

MnB Apr 21st 2012 4:46 pm

Re: returning to uk from nz - how have any of you found the return please
 

Originally Posted by nelsonpom (Post 10017375)
Thanks for all the replies, pretty sure we will be heading back and feel pretty positive. Will be heading to Cambridge initially. MnB I do remember missing you ! Glad you have settled back in uk, my wife's dad lives in Dorset so we will be heading in your rough direction at some point ( may call in for pint and discuss how much we miss nz ;-))

:thumbsup: Glad you're feeling positive......yep, you will miss NZ for sure, but it will still be there when you're ready for your next 'kiwi fix'.
Hoping to visit the land of the long white cloud again in the next couple of years but at the moment Greece & Canaries are 'feeding' my travel bug!!
Let us know when you're down this way...........:beer:
B

brits1 Apr 22nd 2012 1:08 pm

Re: returning to uk from nz - how have any of you found the return please
 

Originally Posted by nelsonpom (Post 10011147)
Seriously considering moving back to the UK. Have found it harder and harder over here since we had our daughter and not having family or good friends nearby our support network has come up well short. Wondered how many people on this website have returned and how are you finding it. Is the UK as bad as is reported or is that an exageration. Would prob keep our house here and as we have citizenship would prob look at returning in the future as we do both think NZ is a wonderful country, but not having help close is really taking its toll. Really think my daughter is missing out on her immediate family.

Hi, We already had our two sons when we migrated to Aus although they were both very young, we returned to the UK after 12 years, mainly because we missed the older culture we have here and in Europe . We have settled well and are enjoying our time back in the UK, we had come to realise with time that you have to be happy in yourself to really be happy (hope that does not sound too deep etc lol) a place, house, etc cannot always do that for you. You have to think about in time family do move on in some ways and you cannot just return just because you want help raising your daughter, yes its great with Grandparents, Cousins,Aunties etc but your daughter will not miss something she has not really experienced and it would be harder if you came back to the U.K for her to form bonds that you might take her away from in the future. Really if I was happy as you sound about living in NZ then I would just make visits more often to the UK so you can visit family and for family to visit you.

Beedubya Apr 25th 2012 6:30 am

Re: returning to uk from nz - how have any of you found the return please
 
Hi

I moved back here to the UK just over a year ago after 29 years in Oz!! :eek:

And other than missing my kids and grand-kids dreadfully who still live there, I have never regretted coming back here. It is SO MUCH MORE interesting living here, I have been to more places of interest (to me) in the past year than I did in the past decade or two in Australia!! :ohmy:

I am earning less money now than I was in Oz, but I seem to manage just the same.

Prices of utilities, food and petrol are rising everywhere in the world not just in the UK so pay no attention to the gloom and doom newspapers.

Personally I don't know anybody who is unemployed, though I know there is unemployment here just like Australia and New Zealand and everywhere else.

I am still shocked when cars slow down to let me cross the street in my town, people are friendly, shops are open much later than they used to be, spring is still as beautiful as ever though today it's cold and raining :frown:, like Sally said there is now more of a cosmopolitan feel with different restaurants and eateries, when I left all those years ago most towns had just a Chinese and/or Indian restaurant and a chippy!! :lol: Now in my town there are numerous restaurants - Korean, Indian, Japanese, Italian, Turkish and so on, but of course there is also a chippy if you feel like a fix of fish and chips. :thumbsup:

Good luck with your decision to move back. :)

backwego Apr 27th 2012 4:32 am

Re: returning to uk from nz -
 

Originally Posted by nelsonpom (Post 10015256)
Anyone done this ?

I CAN;T WAIT TO GET BACK TO THE UK !!!!!! WENT BACK LAST JULY FOR A HOLIDAY AFTER BEING IN NELSON FOR 8 YEARS. (RUN LIKE YOU NEVER RUN BEFORE AND DON'T LIKE BACK) SO MUCH MORE TO DO.

Genesis Apr 27th 2012 4:59 am

Re: returning to uk from nz - how have any of you found the return please
 

Originally Posted by brits1 (Post 10019528)
Hi, We already had our two sons when we migrated to Aus although they were both very young, we returned to the UK after 12 years, mainly because we missed the older culture we have here and in Europe . We have settled well and are enjoying our time back in the UK, we had come to realise with time that you have to be happy in yourself to really be happy (hope that does not sound too deep etc lol) a place, house, etc cannot always do that for you. You have to think about in time family do move on in some ways and you cannot just return just because you want help raising your daughter, yes its great with Grandparents, Cousins,Aunties etc but your daughter will not miss something she has not really experienced and it would be harder if you came back to the U.K for her to form bonds that you might take her away from in the future. Really if I was happy as you sound about living in NZ then I would just make visits more often to the UK so you can visit family and for family to visit you.

Totally agree with this post. We came here 7 years ago with 2 year old twin girls and a 4 year old boy. We knew no one, nothing ..not even BE. To make matters worse I had given up work to look after them and as a useless male in all things child like (except my behaviour) it was a REALLY hard job. We do miss family etc but I was bought up with all my rellies either in France or Ireland so we saw very little of them. We miss much about the UK but could not not return if only because of the the overcrowding. I also think my kids are having a better life here than we could give them in the UK. Good luck whatever you do.


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