mike-Ju

Hi guys

Been on here for a few days and my situation has changed in that time.
Ok I'll start from the begining (always the best place to start, I think)

Feb-May 1991 I backpacked around Australia aged 19 by myself, great experience, loved it always told myself Id go back one day.

January 2007 - My Husband and I get fed up with britain, niether of our careers are taken seriously and I'm classed as a glorified babysitter (registered childminder) even though I'm going on to do my Degree in childcare and education in September and my Husband has won the restaurant of the Year (Wales) 2006, but recieved no payrise, no recognision from his boss and didnt get a penny as a Christmas bonus but everyother member of staff did! - So we start looking into leaving and going to OZ.

April 14th 2007 - Have a meeting with an imagration company in Cardiff and really get exited and feel it'll be the best thing for all, but decide to finish my degree first and go August 2009.

April 15th 2007 - My Now ex-best friend tells me she was arrested the night before for stealing £20000+ off a terminally ill elderly neighbour that trusted her to sort out her finances as she lay dieing in a nursing home. I'm devistated, my first reaction book the flights were going now.

April 2007 - spend the rest of the month realling in anger, pain and disapointment.

Up until today - I've been looking into sorting out finance, keeping an eye on the housing market and switching between going/staying.

Reason for going - Better lifestyle, our jobs are considered important and I can get a much better pay than I could dream of here, better weather and my husband would get a better quality of life as a chef.

Reasons for staying - Family and my kids have great schools and great friends.

I dont have to start my TRA until Christmas, so still got plenty of time to decide.
Just wondering if anyone had similar thoughts, i dont want to drag my kids away from their friends and family and ruin their lives. On the other hand if I we stay here, eventually my husband is going to either start his own restaurant or change career, hes 36 now and can only be a chef for another 5 years before he burns himself out. I have to open my own nursery or i'll never make anything above 18k a year as a nursery manager.

Is it fair to do this just so that I and my husband can have better careers?

Scott

Ruin lives ? like who ?

Kids would have a better life i am sure , thats priority in my book along with my own .

JoolsB

There are always going to be reasons to go and reasons not to go. I'm a great believer in trusting in one's instincts (how many times have we heard someone say "I know I should have done this or that..."?)

Which future are you most drawn to in your heart of hearts?-providing your partner is in agreement then that's the way forward.. Good luck

Shakmaty

Sorry to say, but no one can decide but yourselves....it may be the greatest thing you do, it could be a disaster, but if you don't do it you'll never know and may end up regretting not giving it a go....but then again, a lucky break may turn up and you have no regrets at all.

The point I'm trying to make is that emigrating to OZ is not a bad thing in itself, but it isn't right for everyone, and no one can tell you if it's right for you or not. There may be similarities between you and others, but it means nothing. Our uniquely individual lives mean that only you are in the position to say whether you should move or not.

Is it fair to your family? Well, that is up to you all to decide, and there may be some heartache along the way, but if you all want to try then go for it.

Remember, there is no right or wrong, but whatever you decide to do, just always think that you rationally made your decision at a time when it was right for you....then you should have no regrets.

Sorry for rambling

Wendy

Can I just ask, why you think your careers would be better in Australia?

jad n rich

Some of your reasons for going sound like they need a bit more thought. Not saying dont do it, saying reasons like a crooked mate/bad boss dont mean thats it emigrate, same shite could happen here. Please check into your thoughts that being a chef/childcare would be respected professions here childcares very poorly paid and long hours and chef, your at their beck and call, not good. Look into australias workplace laws, not exactly on the side of the employee!

Do it because youve researched what australais like for a family in 2007, not what it was like as a single backpacker in 1990, then do it because youve weighed up the reality. Plus think deeply about the family aspect, just how close are you and could you afford to go back and see them etc, might be at a pinch on low irregular wages. Things are not cheap here anymore.

worzel

I am not sure you will get an impartial opinion on here. We have all weighed up that dilemma and chosen to make the move

mike-Ju

Hi,

Both our careers are in demand and I have been in contact with a chain of nurseries and they are desperate for childcare co-ordinators (thats what I'll be qualified to do after my degree) and they pay well $48k I could never earn anything close to that amount in the UK as a nursery manager £18k at most.

My husband wants a career change and would only use his status as a chef to get the visa (i wont be qualified by then) after that he'll work for a bit as a chef out there (to get us settled) then either search around for a little cafe to run or change completely and do something different, like driving instructor (which he is qualified in the UK to do)

mike-Ju

We could afford to go back once every 2 years (at christmas we thought) you can get cheap flights.

My friend has just gone back home to Austalia on monday and she was telling me how much she earns, shes a single mum, has to pay for her sons schooling (lives in Sydney) and she still manages to have a good social life, come home every 2 years and has a nice home. She said that a good day out is cheap (going to the beach, park, etc. You can eat out really really cheap and she spent a fortune back here that would have taken her 2 months to spend she spent it in 3 weeks.

Petrol, beer, food is all cheaper in Australia, I dont know when you left the UK, but soon enough they are going to find ways to tax us for breathing, farting and having sex, not joking, i know Australia taxes to (obviously) but the UK is just a joke

Wendy

Well there you are then, what do you have to lose?

FWIW, moving here didn't ruin my kids life. It's given them more choices for when they are older, hopefully it's given them an attitude of 'I can do whatever I put my mind to' and it's a great lifestyle and environment for them to grow up in. I wish I'd have had the opportunity to grow up here!

Baby75

[QUOTE=mike-Ju;5167065]Hi,

Both our careers are in demand and I have been in contact with a chain of nurseries and they are desperate for childcare co-ordinators (thats what I'll be qualified to do after my degree) and they pay well $48k I could never earn anything close to that amount in the UK as a nursery manager £18k at most.

My husband wants a career change and would only use his status as a chef to get the visa (i wont be qualified by then) after that he'll work for a bit as a chef out there (to get us settled) then either search around for a little cafe to run or change completely and do something different, like driving instructor (which he is qualified in the UK to do.

sounds like you have looked in to it i think you'll find your children will love it how old are they i have 3 and my eldest is 6 he will be 7 when we go he has know we are going for about a year as does my 4 year old and i think preparing them is the key im lucky to have very easy going boys and take every thing in their stride.

i plan on giving Australia a good go but if my kids didnt settle or things weren't working out then we would come home its a great experience a once in a life time chance and ild say we will be grand and so will you

we are heading over for basically the same reasons my husband can find lots of work but they pay crap or they close down he has been made temporary redundant about 5 times in two years the last time they closed for good he then was working for some one else went to Australia in April for a month and came home to no job they have gone in to liquidation now as well house prices here it very expensive to rent as well as buy and the rain im living in Dublin. sorry about going on good luck

Stella340

Is it the ABC chain? I'm a qualified primary teacher and have seen loads of advertisements for these requiring staff from assistants to directors but on a whim (I'm not desperately looking for work at the mo) I sent my resume to them for a teacher position - nothing. So I sent it again for an assistants position - the answer again was no there's nothing that matches your resume at the moment. What I'm saying is that there are jobs advertised on the websites but actually securing one is a whole different story with regards to registering with the right bodies, getting the blue card and getting your qualifications matched with Australian ones etc.
It obviously can be done but you may not be 'snapped up' on arrival in the country.
Good luck though, and if I were honest I'd say go before your degree. It may hold a lot more weight if you do your degree or training over here.

spectralcluster

AUD$48k is about GBP£20k, doesn't seem that much more.

p l d k

There seems to be to me a common misconception that UK Qualifications and experience will;
1. Mean an instant job offer.
2. Be highly thought of.
3. Instant managers job
4.High wages
5. No other training required

I do not mean any offence but if you are not reaaly successful in the UK, why would it be different in Australia?

jad n rich

A flight back to Uk at christmas is around $2500 per person once you include the tax, maybe thats cheap to you but its not cheap to those of us in australia, as the amount of threads on the cost of airfares and lack of competition will back up.

Petrol is cheaper, a lot of people drive more klms tho. As for food being cheaper, used to be not now, crazy prices on some items, like fruit and veg, bread, there are 2 supermarket players, like many things the lack of competition leads to them being able to charge whatever they like. The current drought seems to push the price of fresh produce up weekly, no way could food be called cheap. Taxes, not sure what you think is so much less, but that threads been done over and over and it usually turns out someone adds up all sorts of taxes and it breaks pretty even. Main thing I personally find expensive here is the amount you pay for medical care if you have a family, check threads on kids dental, prescriptions etc.