Not sure about this emmigration lark

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Mar 26th 2007 | 9:24 am

#16

Vash the Stampede

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Re: Not sure about this emmigration lark

Quote:

Originally Posted by chels

Well, if Morris Iemma thinks it isn't a valid comparison, why on earth did CityRail pay rail experts from Hong Kong 'to compare Sydney with metro systems around the world for efficiency, cost effectiveness, reliability and maintenance'?!!

I guess they were hoping that the rail experts would have enough common sense to draw their comparisons from similar rail networks.

Looks like their optimism was misplaced.

Mar 26th 2007 | 12:54 pm

#17

chels

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From: Brisbane 'burbs

Re: Not sure about this emmigration lark

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vash the Stampede

I guess they were hoping that the rail experts would have enough common sense to draw their comparisons from similar rail networks.

Looks like their optimism was misplaced.

To blame the rail experts for fulfilling a brief - to compare railways around the world - and failing to find railways that perform worse than Sydney is rather unjust.

This is not the first time I've come across an example of the findings not matching up to the hoped for results, within the NSW public sector. Another government agency spent a lot of money compiling benchmarking standards for its five year business plan. The first year of reporting against them, the results were way below what they had expected (despite a lot of money being spent), and the decision was made to drop the benchmarking for that year. This was despite lots of publicity that it was going to happen - to show how much the agency was improving - but unlike CityRail, they managed to get away with not releasing the figures.

Ultimately it's not the bureaucrats who decide what is or isn't going to be compared or reported - anything that involves costs above a certain amount and/or which has political implications is signed off by a government minister. The decision to go ahead and to compare CityRail against other systems (some with less track, less stations, less passengers) would have been a ministerial one. Governments are very quick to deny knowledge of things when the findings don't go their way, even when the amount of control they wield over day to day operations tells another story.

Mar 26th 2007 | 9:27 pm

#18

Abject_Rage

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Re: Not sure about this emmigration lark

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deadmeat

You'd leave because of the "water crisis"?

Why did you leave the other six countries ... increase in reported muggings, health service crisis, Top of The Tops getting canned?

Really, if such a thing is causing you to SERIOUSLY have second thoughts then maybe you probably have issues to sort-out other than which country you happen to reside in.

Maybe your criss-crossing the globe has actually contributed to the thinning of the Ozone Layer, the increase in temperatures and ... hey ... a lack of water!

Oh, ho ho ho, my sides!

I worked, if you can believe this, for a multinational company that had offices all over the world. Imagine that!

Last edited by Abject_Rage; Mar 26th 2007 at 9:42 pm. Reason: desired to

Mar 26th 2007 | 11:50 pm

#19

Deadmeat

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Re: Not sure about this emmigration lark

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abject_Rage

Oh, ho ho ho, my sides!

I worked, if you can believe this, for a multinational company that had offices all over the world. Imagine that!

My sympathies, I've done the McDonalds thing too, you can never get that smell of fat out of your hair.

Mar 27th 2007 | 1:43 am

#20

Gazzap

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From: Rockingham WA

Re: Not sure about this emmigration lark

My tuppence...

I spent an extended time 'backpacking' in the 90's back and forth between Oz, NZ and Asia for almost 5 years, my wife too, both separately and together.
Both of us experienced feelings of homesickness in all it's forms.

We have been back in UK for 10 years now, and have consistently felt 'homesick' for Australia (not so much the other countries) ever since.

It is something you have to accept I think once you begin moving around, you might never be 100% settled anywhere. Pro's and con's to both/any country.

For us, when we eventually get back permanently, we will be doing this more for our kids, knowing they will 100% settle and grow up as Australians (as they are only 6 and 4 yo). Which we feel is better for them.

Gaz

Mar 27th 2007 | 2:45 am

#21

bethandneil

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Joined: May 2006

Posts: 253

From: Thornlands, Brisbane

Re: Not sure about this emmigration lark

hi
congratulations on you impending motherhood!!

its the most fantastic time!!

However, you have been away from the UK for 5 years, you may find a very different UK to the one you left!

We have 2 young children and will not allow them to be raised in the UK any longer, hence the move to oz. The UK has recently been named as the worse place to raise children (in Europe), some may not agree with the report but i do and its certainly something to consider in your present predicament.

I work within the NHS and would wholeheartedly agree with previous poster on the state of the NHS and having a baby in the UK, dont do it!!!!
from both an NHS worker and an NHS user!! When i had my daughter there were 7 woman in advanced labour and 5 midwives, i needed two of them due to previous complications, god only knows what happened to the rest of the new mums to be!!

Good luck with your decision but beware of those raging hormones making decisions for you!!

Beth

Mar 27th 2007 | 11:02 am

#22

hubbard

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Re: Not sure about this emmigration lark

Thanks for all the positive responses. I feel much more positive about things today. The homesickness isn't so much for the UK but the people I know there. When I hear about family gatherings, or milestones in friends lives it just makes the distance over here some really tough, but on the other hand we're off to Noosa for the Easter weekend to enjoy some well earned R&R and we certainly wouldn't be doing that in the UK.

I guess it's exactly as another poster put, living here is always going to mean a trade off of some things that you enjoyed in the UK.

Apr 8th 2007 | 9:06 pm

#23

pestra

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Re: Not sure about this emmigration lark

I moved to Oz in Oct already pregnant. I felt exactly the same, the hormones play havoc and everything thats instinctive about babies is upside down here (ha) My bub is now 6 weeks old, born 6 weeks preterm (PE) and out of hospital just 2 weeks. I was really sick and needed my folks when she was born (they came!) but now after the inital shock, I'm happy to say I am glad I live here. I moved to Oz to get the better lifestyle and if you are in WA you will find everyone here is from somewhere else. Establish your weekly routines of pregnancy yoga, antenatal swimming and prebirth classes and you will make friends really fast. Good luck its worth every second - and thats from someone who hasnt slept properly in a long time!!

Apr 9th 2007 | 1:13 am

#24

Babsw

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Re: Not sure about this emmigration lark

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speargun

One piece of advice...make sure you stay till after the baby is born..we are expecting our 2nd child in a couple of weeks time and are dreading the thought of the birth in a NHS hospital - my job involves meeting a lot of new mums..about 6 or so each week and many...in fact the overwhelming majority have had poor or even life threatening circumstances. Granted I have no experience of the Australian system but the birth of our first child in leeds was a near life death situation for both mother and baby and the registrar and mid wife started having a fight in front of us...not reassuring at all! My sister has now had 2 children in Oz and has found the places clean staff excellent and no shortage of staff....in the UK there are trained nurses available just no money to pay them...posts remain unfilled and the remaining staff get spread even thinner! The system is positively dangerous and is reprehensible. The TV program last week gave a true picture of what things are really like. Like you I am fully aware many things ARE better in the UK the NHS is sadly not one of them! In an ideal World the whole of your family would emigrate, they are the only things we shall miss...

having been through this i felt i should tell you about our ping pong, we left UK in midst of wondering what had we done to our children and family in UK by seperating them all after fairly intensive round of emotional goodbyes etc, However for other reasons we decided to return to UK but at front was that we were doing right thing by our children in 'returning them to their family'.Few weeks in after our return we hardly saw any of them and now hardly bother with them or they with us. We seem to have changed from our experiences while it seems to us as if they've stood stilll and nothing is the same any more. We are applying to return to Aus.and feel this time we know we are doing the right thing for our children. This is just what happened to us but may be worth a thought for you in your circumstances. Good luck what ever you decide. Babs.

Apr 13th 2007 | 12:51 am

#25

midwifetanya

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From: North Lakes, QLD- UK

Re: Not sure about this emmigration lark

Quote:

Originally Posted by hubbard

We left the UK nearly 5 years ago and have spent 3 yrs in NZ and nearly 2 in Oz. We have been fortunate in that neither myself or my hubby have struggled for work. We are financially solvent to a similiar level to what we had in the UK. We have made friends and enjoyed great holidays in both countries we have lived in but I really am now wondering is living in Oz worth what we gave up (in terms of family and friends) in the UK.

In comparing the two countries as places to live i really think that if I could replicate the exact same set of friends and family we had in the UK to OZ my preference would be to live in Oz. But the fact is we can't and I am now thinking that family and friends are far more important than the place that you live. I guess what has really got me thinking about this is we are expecting our first child in early Oct and the thought of nobody, other than my hubby, who really knows me being there to see my baby is really sad. Having people out to visit does in no way compensate. Visits with family and friends whilst great are very stressful as you have to pack so much in. Plus its not helped by the fact that we only have a 2 bed townhouse so once we have the baby, anyone visiting us will have to stay in a hotel or a holiday let - not great.

I just feel really torn. We never left the UK due to hating it but left for an adventure and to see a bit more of the world. We kept a property in London so still have a foothold on the property ladder. I just feel very undecided. We like Oz but we liked the UK too. Does anyone else feel like this?

Hiya,

I felt just the same as you. OH (aussie) and I lived in Sydney for 3 years, but as soon as I found out I was pregnant with our son I just knew I had to go home to be with family and friends etc....I felt so sad about my mum just seeing emailed pictures of her first grandchild. We ended up spending nearly 3 years back in the UK and returned to OZ last year.

We still have our house in London.....just in case