MattLowe

Hi there
Family and I have made the decision to go hopefully early 2008 (awaiting skilled assessment for 136 visa at present )

We were thinking of going out there for say 2-3 weeks in Oct this year (once second child is here!) for a taster, but is it worthwhile as after all this would be holiday? and i think you would not know the real deal until living out there properly, working ect child in school, renting home ect

Any thoughts? or advice please?, on above plus experiences of anyone who has emigrated without visting previously? Is it worth putting things on hod till we have been to Oz?

many thanks, Queensland Bound Matt Lowe + Family

jad n rich

3 weeks could be useful if its spent looking at housing, schools, medical care, cost of raising kids, watching the news/current affairs, rush hour traffic, food prices, wages etc.

Not much use if you plan doing several theme parks , dining out 3 times a day and keep converting australian living expenses back to pounds which will be a dream currency once you live here.

Can be V useful or a complete waste of time. But any visit is probably a lot better than becoming yet another family who discover its not really for them a few months AFTER they have emigrated. Costly experience at best.

s-jmelbournewannabe

Hey Matt,

We have just submitted our 136 modl visa and have never been to Oz. we are a family of 6 and have a lot of friends and family who have holidayed there. Some which live there, we have researched it as much as we can on the net and have just made our minds up to go... Might be a bad move but seeing it more like an adventure, we adapt pretty well to change so think we will have a good chance..

I hear it's about 50/50 anyway!

We decided to not waste money as we dont have a lot anyway! Bit of a gamble but hey ho, gonna have a go!!

S-j and Si

Sleeping Beauty

we arrived last august without ever visiting australia...............

stengee

I am another crazy one who will go without looking! (a bit like the opposite of window shopping - good for a female!)
Was involved in the travel industry, however...I feel as though I have been as I talked about it every day for nearly 3 years!

themerlin

Yes we did. Sold our house and shipped all our stuff before ever seeing the place.

But we did watch a few episodes on Neighbours and home and away before we decided to move

We figured you can only know a place by living there, a visit would only waste time and money. We wanted to move away from the area we lived in anyway.

Wendy

We decided the £8 - 10k that it would cost for us to visit would be better spent on setting up our new life. It did too, we more or less furnished our new house with brand new stuff when we got here for that.

Not regretted it at all.

s-jmelbournewannabe

Good advice everyone!! I'm not too mental then?

s-j x

hoofie2002

We came last February without ever having visited either [although my wife lived in New Zealand for a while 10 years ago].

Having said that, both of us have lived abroad before, so the move itself to be honest held no fear for us at all. [The way I looked at it was, if I we move 100 miles or 10,000 miles, it the same logistics of selling the house, packing up, moving, new jobs, new schools etc].

Also my wife had a job lined up before we left and I got one very quickly.

A visit will give you a flavour of life, but it's not realistic as you will be in 'holiday mode' all the time. You won't have to go to work, pay bills, sort out childcare, find somewhere to live etc etc etc.

If you are unsure what part of OZ you want to live, then yes it would be a good idea.

sasbear

Nope - me too - never set foot on Oz soil and I shipped up and shipped out

mick69

We arrived here on the 8th February. Had never been to Australia have no family here but had one couple who we had met twice in the UK before they left last year.(Must say they have been a brilliant help) Also the people on this site have been a massive help as well.
So far all we can say is that its the best decision we have made just wish we had done it sooner. The girls started school last week and have fitted in quite easily, OH started work within a week of being here.
One and only down side - waiting for furniture to arrive!
Sitting on deck chairs are not as good as a settee

Good luck with whatever you decide. Have a reccie or not its up to you.

Lynne

The S's

Us too, we came without ever setting foot in the place before, me hubs and two kiddies 3 and 8yrs. I wish we had of come on a reccie first, although at the time we were of the same opinion as many on here, the money was needed to set up in Oz. We've been here 8 months and are just about settling in (me more than hubs) he's fine! of course! But not sure what we would have done if came on reccie, really don't know if we would be here or not, at least like this we don't have a choice but to try and make a go of it.

JAYMAC

We moved here in November 2005 without visiting first as we felt we didnt want to use up part of our available cash. When we did arrive we spent half the time setting up our new lives and half having a well deserved break.

I wouldnt change a thing, I think it worked for us, as we dropped ourselves in the deep end and had to make it work. I don't think we would have had a realistic view of things had we been here on a 'holiday/reccie'.

Julia

suesk

Hi we've never been just waiting for tra results hoping to go on a 136. And hope to be in Brisbane by this time next year.

Sam

we arrived beginning of Oct 2006, we had never visited before either!

So far so good, we are over in Perth WA, had a bit a a hicupy time the first 2-3 months,

But now

All's good, bought our own house, we are both working (admittedly i'm doing supply in schools, No i dont teach) Girls settled really well into school!
Things are now looking up

I won't lie and say everything is so s**t hot out here, but it aint too bad either
The first 2-3 months were the hardest for us (as adults, the kids settled straight away) but now, its becoming a way of life for us!!!