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A year in Hinsight (B'ham to Adelaide and back again)

A year in Hinsight (B'ham to Adelaide and back again)

Old Sep 15th 2008, 12:05 pm
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Default Re: A year in Hinsight (B'ham to Adelaide and back again)

Originally Posted by Mochinbach
Part one!

We’re leaving the country in 3 weeks and returning to an icy, chilly England. It was always going to be that way, that’s what we planned all along. We’d spend one year in the ‘land down under’ and see how we felt.

We’d never been here before. The only references I had were taken from my obsessional viewing of the Australian soaps. From England I dreamt up a world with beautiful beaches and stunning sunsets, a land where everyone was having a BBQ and anyone could join in, a land where the sun always shines and the sea is always a beautiful turquoise. There were going to be parrots and Koalas in my back garden and I would have to be very careful to ensure I warded off the many deadly creatures that could kill me at any moment. It meant selling my house, leaving my job behind for a year, putting my career on hold, leaving my family and friends and not seeing them for 12 months. It was really hard and the stress of making the decision, selling the house, leaving work and my students (I am a teacher), saying goodbye to my family and best friend was really difficult. I felt selfish and scared and excited all at the same time. It was the hardest and strangest feeling to deal with. On my blog, which documented the entire 18 months process of getting the visa and the preparations for departure, I have commented that I felt nothing. It is true to some extent that I really didn’t have time to feel much at all! My school was in the final stage of a HMI inspection to pull us out of special measures, I was incharge of shipping, selling the house, the car, storing our belongings etc and I was exhausted! I remember in the final days bursting into tears in the staffroom before briefing, not eating for a week in the build up to it all and not understanding why I was in such turmoil! The plane journey was really the only time I had to let it all sink in. I had left. I wasn’t coming back for what seemed then a very long time and the bubble of security, safety and comfort was being left behind for someone else. I am thankful, however, that I was taking my partner with me, the OH who consequently became my Fiance Without him I am sure that I would never have had the strength to do any of this.

My family and friends, no doubt, have always seen me as an extroverted, carefree individual. However, in truth I like routine and I enjoy having something familiar to return to at night. This was like nothing I’d ever done before in my life and it was terrifying. I just kept repeating the mantra “nothing great comes easy”. It was a mantra that kept me focused and happy to persue this dream for a long time.

When we arrived in Australia (in January 08) we landed in Perth and then began a long travelling journey that took us all over the place. Having spent hours and hours researching and chatting to expats on the net we had decided that the place to be was Brisbane. Through conversations we were having on line, and perhaps a little bit of selective hearing, we had deicded that this was the place for us; the place with the beaches, the koalas the parrots and the 3 bed house with a swimming pool for around 300 dollars a week. Thus we planned that our travelling would end in the Sunny city of Brisbane where we would set up our new Austrlian home. As a result all of our shipping was being sent there and I had applied for Teacher registration from the Queensland College of teachers. We were all ready to get going and settle in. We travelled through Perth, Alice, Adealiade, Melbourne http://farm1.static.flickr.com/152/3...b897cc.jpg?v=0(where, of course, I visited Ramsay street –alone lol- and when on the Neighbours night – I met some of the stars and got their autographs ) , Canberra, Sydney and then finally ended up in Brisbane.


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/188/4...7927b7eb_m.jpgImpressed with the beautiful city we spend Australia Day night on the bridge over the river watching the fireworks and the giant bats (who I was convinced were birds for ages). The heat and humidity was hard to bare but we visited the towns that were mentioned on the forums as nice places to live where the breeze came from the sea and were hopeful of finding our dream location and price. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/128/4...afcd44.jpg?v=0We went to lovely Manly and Wynnum. And although we enjoyed our breakfasts and views from the Irish Pub and the towns seemed nice we were disapointed to not be able to find the beach. We were looking for a city near the sea. Something that is very hard to find in England, perhaps with the exception of Cardiff. The people were very friendly, the cabin we were staying in just outside of Wynumm was lovely and had possums visiting at night (to raid the bin liners but I was soo happy to see them I didn’t care!) We were desperate to find a beach, looking on the street directoty (map of the local area – like our A-Z) we searched for lines of yellow on the edge of the land. We drove as far as Redcliff in search of the lifestyle we had imagined but were twarted at everyturn. The beach in Redcliff was about 1.5 meters wide and my OH being 6”6 wouldn’t have been a very easy place to sunbathe with dry feet! The beautiful city center was not enough to keep us there and we made a decision to return to what we had seen for about 24 hours in Adelaide.

When we had stayed there for the night we had caught the tram down to http://farm1.static.flickr.com/154/3...a64250.jpg?v=0Glenelg and watched the sunset into the sea. Cafes and restaurants behind us. We had been to the Central Market where we’d enjoyed the sights and smells of food from all over the world and obsereved the arts and music that was being advertised all over the walls. We’d visited the festival center on the river bank and enjoyed watching the ducks and pedalows go by as we ate lunch. We loved it. Infact, as we pulled up in the tour bus (on our way back from an exciting and exhausting 6 day safari from Alice to Adelaide) we were heard to say “I could live here”. We thought nothing of it at the time. It was only the second city we had visited and we’d just spent the last 6 nights in swags, and underground (CooberPedy) camping… any kind of civilisation had to be good after that! (Cold water in the taps instead of luke warm!!! Exciting!)

A week in Brisbane, not finding what we were after, and we realised that we’d already seen it in Adelaide. So off on a plane we went, we’d have to deal with the shipping later – it hadn’t arrived in the country yet anyway  We stayed in another caravan park and over the course of a week we used realestate.com.au and the local Advertiser newspaper (Wednesday and Saturday are the days when all the rentals are put in) to view several properties. It became blaringly obvious that we weren’t going to get a house by the sea with a pool and near the city and that our expectations were a little too high We also discovered that Fully Furnish means something slightly different in OZ. It means you get everything, cutlery, plates, sheets, towels EVERYTHING. Unfortunatley Fully furnished properties represent only 5% of the market; this mean that there wasn’t much to choose from. However, in a very short time we were lucky enough to find a beautiful 3 http://farm1.static.flickr.com/155/4...5de0a4.jpg?v=0bedroom townhouse with the beach just across the road. 20 mins from the city center, 30 mins from the wine regions and 2 secs from the beach! Incidently it’s also 45 min walk along stretches of gold sand to the place where we ate our fish and chips on the wall and watched the sunset on our first visit.
Fantastic story, i am planning on traveling down under next year & looking for the beach lifestyle you are also i am so happy you found it, your story also made me think twice about Brisbane & maybe Adelaide would be more my kind of place.
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Old Oct 4th 2008, 6:05 pm
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Default Re: A year in Hinsight (B'ham to Adelaide and back again)

Hi Mochinbach

was looking for the messenger option - will look some more

but your posts are AMAZING
esp the video instructing paperwork/docs required

i found it incredibly useful!

thank you so much!
PP
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Old Oct 7th 2008, 10:48 pm
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Thumbs up Re: A year in Hinsight (B'ham to Adelaide and back again)

Hi

Really enjoyed your post! We are a family of four deperately trying to fathom out where to go in oz

Its difficult to decide which city to go to. Once you know which city it seems to be pretty easy to get advice on various suburbs.

We have a dilemma we have fanily north of brisbane, south of sydney and friends inadelaide and north of sydney. My Husband is an electrician and we need to go where to work is and where house prices have not gone too crazy

I would appreciate any help at all as to the pro's and con's of these three cities.
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Old Jan 3rd 2009, 6:59 pm
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Lightbulb Re: A year in Hinsight (B'ham to Adelaide and back again)

Part ?

Hello again

It's the New Year and with that comes resolutions. Mine is to be back in Oz by September!!

I can't say how much i need to be back in Adelaide, in my old job with my old freedoms and my old responsibilities. We've made the decision and are putting the house on the market (wish us luck! GULP) We're going to end up having a huge financial lose but I just don't care! It's worth every penny. Life is way to short to worry about money that I can make again.

There is just soooo much opportunity for me in Oz and all I see here is a large box with very little space inside. I don't want to raise a family here, I don't want to teach here, I don't want to live here. It's not that I hate England because i don't and I know that i will miss it's beautiful countryside and history, it's that I feel like a completely different person when i'm here.

In Australia I was happy, confident, respected, flourishing and growing. I ran my own business part time, worked in a college training teachers, was writing a book (got 30,000 words through it too) and had loads of time to hang out with my then fiance and relax. Here all I have managed to do is work as a teacher and collapse at the end of term. I'm exhausted and I have achieved nothing! I haven't picked up my book! lol I can't even begin to describe how ridiculous being a teacher is here; nor is that particularly relevant. However, when in Australia I felt happy, relaxed and valued i deserve to feel like that again and sadly that won't happen whilst i'm living in England.

So now it all starts again! (lol) selling the house, shipping the stuff (and the cats this time!) and making the move more permanently. I can't wait!
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Old Jan 3rd 2009, 9:49 pm
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Default Re: A year in Hinsight (B'ham to Adelaide and back again)

Great to see you have decided!! I loved your update and I knew you loved Adelaide. Hope you can sell that house and get back there.
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Old Jan 4th 2009, 1:46 am
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Default Re: A year in Hinsight (B'ham to Adelaide and back again)

Originally Posted by Mochinbach
Part ?

Hello again

It's the New Year and with that comes resolutions. Mine is to be back in Oz by September!!

I can't say how much i need to be back in Adelaide, in my old job with my old freedoms and my old responsibilities. We've made the decision and are putting the house on the market (wish us luck! GULP) We're going to end up having a huge financial lose but I just don't care! It's worth every penny. Life is way to short to worry about money that I can make again.

There is just soooo much opportunity for me in Oz and all I see here is a large box with very little space inside. I don't want to raise a family here, I don't want to teach here, I don't want to live here. It's not that I hate England because i don't and I know that i will miss it's beautiful countryside and history, it's that I feel like a completely different person when i'm here.

In Australia I was happy, confident, respected, flourishing and growing. I ran my own business part time, worked in a college training teachers, was writing a book (got 30,000 words through it too) and had loads of time to hang out with my then fiance and relax. Here all I have managed to do is work as a teacher and collapse at the end of term. I'm exhausted and I have achieved nothing! I haven't picked up my book! lol I can't even begin to describe how ridiculous being a teacher is here; nor is that particularly relevant. However, when in Australia I felt happy, relaxed and valued i deserve to feel like that again and sadly that won't happen whilst i'm living in England.

So now it all starts again! (lol) selling the house, shipping the stuff (and the cats this time!) and making the move more permanently. I can't wait!

I have been thinking about you and wondering how things have been going. All the best with your house sale
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Old Jan 4th 2009, 8:11 am
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Default Re: A year in Hinsight (B'ham to Adelaide and back again)

Great read girl
Hope it all works out

Were from sunny bromsgrove,just down the road

Torn between canada(cold for 6 months) or aus(hot for 12)
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Old Jan 6th 2009, 10:26 am
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Default Re: A year in Hinsight (B'ham to Adelaide and back again)

Originally Posted by Mochinbach
Part ?

Hello again

It's the New Year and with that comes resolutions. Mine is to be back in Oz by September!!

I can't say how much i need to be back in Adelaide, in my old job with my old freedoms and my old responsibilities. We've made the decision and are putting the house on the market (wish us luck! GULP) We're going to end up having a huge financial lose but I just don't care! It's worth every penny. Life is way to short to worry about money that I can make again.

There is just soooo much opportunity for me in Oz and all I see here is a large box with very little space inside. I don't want to raise a family here, I don't want to teach here, I don't want to live here. It's not that I hate England because i don't and I know that i will miss it's beautiful countryside and history, it's that I feel like a completely different person when i'm here.

In Australia I was happy, confident, respected, flourishing and growing. I ran my own business part time, worked in a college training teachers, was writing a book (got 30,000 words through it too) and had loads of time to hang out with my then fiance and relax. Here all I have managed to do is work as a teacher and collapse at the end of term. I'm exhausted and I have achieved nothing! I haven't picked up my book! lol I can't even begin to describe how ridiculous being a teacher is here; nor is that particularly relevant. However, when in Australia I felt happy, relaxed and valued i deserve to feel like that again and sadly that won't happen whilst i'm living in England.

So now it all starts again! (lol) selling the house, shipping the stuff (and the cats this time!) and making the move more permanently. I can't wait!
Yay! Sounds like you have a plan Good luck, I hope it all works out and you get back to where you want to be
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Old Jan 11th 2009, 8:34 am
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Default Re: A year in Hinsight (B'ham to Adelaide and back again)

Thanks for a great read.

We're in Adelaide - we arrived at the beginning of October and my OH especially has had real trouble in settling. I'm a bit of a nomad so will be alright were ever my family is! I don't have any hang ups over jobs as long as I can earn enough for my family I'll be right!

We read this together and I'm hoping it'll help him. His biggest problem is the difficulty he is having getting his plumbing licence. Nobody official seems to know what's going on and in the end you don't trust anyone because they all tell you different things. It's difficult when you've been a respected trades person (working on compliance issues in the NHS) and now the ozzies tell you you are not good enough, eventhough there plumbing practices are shocking!!

Anyway reading your thread made me feel even more positive about Oz, I hope it did the same for him.

Mrs PHH
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Old Jan 19th 2009, 9:44 pm
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Default Re: A year in Hinsight (B'ham to Adelaide and back again)

Most of Australia is NOT hot for 12 months unless you live in NT, Nth QLD or Nth WA. Canada you hibernate for 6 months, is that living or existing?
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Old Jan 20th 2009, 5:47 pm
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Default Re: A year in Hinsight (B'ham to Adelaide and back again)

ive really enjoyed readin this especially as im a PGCE student and one of the reasons I started my course was to enable me to eventually get to australia!

although i realise it will be different for everyone what you've said has made me really hopeful!

it seems like australia is about to go through a bit of an educational change in the next few years and coming from the more advanced but certainly more worked british system might put me in the right position!

id love to here your views on what ive gleaned from what you've wrote
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Old Jan 21st 2009, 2:35 am
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Default Re: A year in Hinsight (B'ham to Adelaide and back again)

Thanks as everyone else has said, for sharing your experiences.

As people know Im not that impressed with Adelaide myself (ahem) but we are all different! To me there are "fantastic trams" in melbourne...in Adelaide it goes city to bay...and back...! you can't get anywhere outside the CBD on public transport, suburb to suburb.

Also:
We were looking for a city near the sea. Something that is very hard to find in England, perhaps with the exception of Cardiff.
Im from Portsmouth and lived 10 mins from the sea...(yeah I know stony beach etc!) and Cardiff is in Wales!

Having said that excellent posts!
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Old Jan 24th 2009, 1:33 am
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Default Re: A year in Hinsight (B'ham to Adelaide and back again)

Adelaide? Enough said!
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Old Jan 25th 2009, 9:17 pm
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Default Re: A year in Hinsight (B'ham to Adelaide and back again)

? Eh? I hope you mean it's fab!!
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Old Jan 25th 2009, 9:24 pm
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Default Re: A year in Hinsight (B'ham to Adelaide and back again)

No!
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