Come on guys... tell us the problems that make you say you wouldn't do it again!

With hindsight (that wonderful thing!) were you looking for a solution to problems you were having in the UK?

Were the problems with job hunting/ finance/ finding schools / getting a house in 'the right area' bigger than you thought?

Or is the Aussie Culture different from what you expected?

Like your honesty so far - just need some detail
:)

jak

Thanks for being so honest about the last 12 months. I think my first year it still had not really sunk it I was here and sadly my second year has been the worst for various reasons. We decided to head back home this year...not an easy decision as we have to go through all the upheaval again. Don't care what anyone says..it's not easy !!On the good side we will be going home to a loving warm circle of family/friends which at this point in our lives is where we want to be....!!At least I have tried it in OZ and if we do want to come back ( Auusie is an hubby) then I am a bit more prepared.

The homesickness never goes...apparently. This is what many long time poms have told me...they just get on with it !!

Keep happy Jak, try to stay positive..your'e not alone with what you feel!

Hello Jak,
interesting post, we're still new here so havnt hit the tough stuff yet but we're under no illusions and expect it to hit us at some point.
Is it anything specific that you've found difficult or a general feeling that you're not home? Anything we can do to avoid it!!!! (apart from going back of course!)
Michaela

hi everyone, glad to here im not alone!!!! i cant explain the feeling , its wierd. everything has gone to plan, hubbie had no problem finding work, (MECHANIC). Kids are happy etc, we have got a house with pool, all the stuff we dreamed of,but theres just this feeling i cant explain. Maybe its homesickness, but i hated living in wet cold kidderminster. Im debating whether to go back for a visit in a few months, hoping i.ll be desperate to come back to oz. The thought of the 24 hour flight keeps putting me off though!!!!!!!!!!! :scared: :scared: Theres lots of things i miss aswell, like walkers cheese n onion crisps and muller yoghurts and proper choccy.............. :D :D Also this summer was a nightmare, it was 46 degrees, we had a heatwave!!!! Plus lots of very bad storms, hail stones like tennis balls, trees were just being ripped out the ground, power off for days. not trying to put you off at all !! :cool:

Just to say hi. We moved from Kiddy to Christchurch NZ 18 mths ago. You didn't used to post on here as Andie before you went did you, cause she was from kiddy and hasn't posted on here since her goodbye post, I'm sure she was heading your way.

Paula

oh yeah and not forgetting the brown snake at the bottom of our steps, the blue tongue likard in the garage, the giant cockroaches that jump out the cupboards, endless redback spiders that especially like to hide in car engines and under the seats of motorbikes, luckily no ones been bitten, yet. I musnt leave out the lovely mozzie bites that keep you awake at night that only itch when you want to go to sleep, oh and the barbies out side are fun with the swarm of flies around your food. :mad:

hi paula, yes andie is hubbie, we were addicted to this site before we got the visas. how are you settling in? Its not all bad is it?

We too are on the Goldie for 1.5 years now. We have a lovely house on the golf course with pool, no mortgage, 2 fully owned cars etc, kids are finally happy but......we are not.

I think it is the lack of community or community spirit and also lack of friendly neighbours (and its not just our street either). The people are nice enough but conversations centre around footie, booze, beach, sport and bbqs.

We will hopefully move to Sydney later this year, even that will be a huge physical and emotional effort. Thought we should try somewhere else here before head off.

Good luck to all of you coming here. Would I do it again? Well, I would still leave the UK, but maybe go to Spain, France or USA.

Queenie

I thought it had to be you! I've been wondering how you have been getting on, I even posted a 'whats happened to' thread in case some one else knew how you were.
You sound like you are struggling with mixed feelings of the move. I have found the move pretty good so far. We have had lots of visitors from the UK, my mum flies back today. I have never experienced any homesickness and the only thing that upsets me when rellies go home is that my daughter gets upset (there will be tears today!). I think the fact that we lived in Kiddy stops homesickness (what a hole!). Hubby has felt a bit more people sickness than me, and felt that the move hasn't lived up to expectations a little. Although he had a lot of job problems which are now thoroughly sorted and he has just had a whacking big pay rise which has brightened his outlook. He now feels he has recovered the ground he lost in his career in the move.
All in all I am please with the move, Ian has always been a bit restless so I wouldn't rule out another move within the next 5 - 10yrs but not back to the Uk thats for sure!

Paula

been here 6 months and the homesickness comes and goes.

Me and Pollyanna say its "the winnie the pooh feeling" not knowing quite how to find what it is you've lost, cos you don't know quite what it is you lost in the first place.:rolleyes:

I get myself through it by thinking back to all the reasons i left Banbury and begin to realise its the people, not the place, i miss.

I can't understand you missing Kidderminster, home of West midland safari park, our kids favorite summer jaunt for the last 5 years:rolleyes: :D

Great post and honest!
We have been here six months and came out with really realistic ideas about what we would be living with. The last six months have far out done those impressions and we have had a fantastic time full of making friends, starting jobs etc.
Now we are settling into a routine, I guess not helped by the fact that the weather in Melbourne is now changing although its still quite good! I am starting to realise what we have actually done and am spending a lot of time speaking to friends and family in the UK to make me feel better. I can't quite believe we actually made the massive decision to leave our lovely house and family in the UK to come here so far away.
I can honestly say that although I have all these feelings I still don't regret the move and am enjoying every minute of this great country!

Thanks Jak (& everyone else whose been so honest & helpful)

Your feelings sound pretty normal to me; more culture shock than homesickness!

Could be that once the things you're uncomfortable with at the moment become routine, you'll accept them as normal and the stress levels fall ...IMHO.

Ireally hope that all turns out well for you and that the enormous amount of effort you made in visa applying, pays off.

:) :) :)

does beer/wine help?
:beer: ;)

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jak xx
hi everyone, glad to here im not alone!!!! i cant explain the feeling , its wierd. everything has gone to plan, hubbie had no problem finding work, (MECHANIC). Kids are happy etc, we have got a house with pool, all the stuff we dreamed of,but theres just this feeling i cant explain. Maybe its homesickness, but i hated living in wet cold kidderminster. Im debating whether to go back for a visit in a few months, hoping i.ll be desperate to come back to oz. The thought of the 24 hour flight keeps putting me off though!!!!!!!!!!!


Hi question for hubby re shipping, did he take his tools, if so how. Any advice for a mechanic arriving late June, ie things you wish you'd brought, anything you wished you had done differently etc.
All advice comments gratefully received.

we are family of 4, two girls (2&6), house sold, waiting to exchange, may 20? hoping to fly June 17th

regards
philanthropist

I don't think you'll escape that by moving to another city. Certainly in Melbourne, it's pretty much the same in my experience (although less buggy - still lots of flies in summer though).

I've been here since last August (although left the UK 1 year before that) and I can honestly say that right now, I would definitely do it all again! I love it here. We found and moved into our house within five weeks of arriving and are enjoying rennovating. We live in a smallish village - 1 primary school, no high school so people tend to know each other. I just feel part of the community. It is interesting reading other posts......I just asked my hubby what he felt.......luckily he feels the same as me!!

Five years ago I would never thought I'd be living away from the UK, but President Bush, Tony Blair and general politics changed that - got sick of it all. So I will not say that we will be here for ever..........but right now, here is where I want to be and I do not see myself back in the UK................

Good luck to those thinking about coming - for us it's been wonderful.

Rudi