steve-n-jo

As those who have seen my other posts would be aware, I am not a fan of living in Australia and after nearly 10 years the novelty has truly worn off!!

.....Then I was thinking.. "Its too bloody far away, that's the main problem!"

Sounds like a stupid 'obvious' statement, but for years I have been telling myself "hey its not that far...only a day away"

It is not a day away... well actually it is, its a day away from practically everywhere and nearly two days away from England (our best travel time from door to door is 32 hours)

So if you want isolation, love spending hours getting anywhere, want to put visiting loved ones through the hell of very long haul flight and all the associated risks, and don't mind never being able to 'pop' anywhere... come to Australia where space and isolation are plentiful and the rest of the world 'aint that far away...on a jet!!'

old.sparkles

Doesn't seem much of an update - did you want this moved to the main forum or Barbie?

steve-n-jo

Can be moved to wherever is deemed suitable

ozzieeagle

Ask yourself this though, from my point of view if were suddenly displaced back to the UK I'd feel like I was far away from everything that was important to me, especially after 35 years of living and setting up roots here, I'd feel like I was far away from everything that was important to me..

So in a way it's relative. In other words heart dictates where home is. Your heart sounds likes its still in the UK.... Thats to do with assimilation.

Easier for me, my wife is an Aussie.

steve-n-jo

Hi.. It is not just the UK it is everything and everywhere. Plane times = Melbourne 1 hour, Sydney 2.25 hours, Perth 3.5 hours, Darwin 4 hours. NZ 4 hours, Bali 5 hours, Bangkok 10 hours. Road travel is even worse, we 'pop' to see friends for the evening that are a 1.5 hour drive away, a mate of mine is 2.5 hours away, people at work drive nearly 2 hours each way to work and home..

old.sparkles

Moved to the main forum

Pollyana

I hear you, and i agree with you, for what its worth.
Only thing holding me to Brisbane is the knowledge that at my age I won't get a job on money like this anywhere else. My boss, after 8 years of asking, has finally approved me to go on the one course that might get me a reasonable job back home but I think its now too late age-wise.
I have an increasingly dwindling number of good friends here, a few in other Aus cities but they can't take time off even if they wanted a visitor, so I just do my own thing, I have a list of the places I want to see before I go home, and I spend my time in limbo, waiting for my next little trip.
The day I can no longer work and have to retire, I'm off. Seems sad to be wishing my life away like this but when you really don't have anything left in your life except solo trips and a UK pension waiting for you, what else can a witch do?

Steve, bite the bullet and make the list, pros and cons of each country. What holds you here? What pulls you home?

Bix

"Home is where the heart is" is a lovely pragmatic saying but IMO is too simplistic. You can have your heart and soul in a place but frustrations of life and events can transpire to prevent it from truly feeling like home.

The numero uno is assimilation and that is something that expats miserably fail at the world over. In virtually every country you will find enclaves of expats which should be no surprise really. To quote another saying "Birds of a feather stick together".

GarryP

Well, it's one way to look at it.

On the other hand, there's plenty of space (not something you have in the UK), it IS well positioned from China and SE Asia (where the global CoG is moving), and forever improving communications means physical distance means less and less.

This christmas I could call friends and relations around the world for less money than I could call the next door neighbour. Go back a century or two and it would take as long to travel from London to Manchester has it would now take London to Sydney. Did they feel 'cut off'?

My friends from ten years ago are now dispersed around the world, and friends I made now would be similarly dispersed within the next ten years.

The world is now global, so are you.

If you prefer to live in the UK, then by all means go there, or elsewhere if that takes your fancy. Take advantage of the opportunities this world gives you to live how you want, where you want. Because, for certain, international finance and business will take similar advantage to move money and business where IT wants (which includes away from europe).

the troubadour

The world may be global for some less so for others. The rootless young professional may well have a choice of world postings. Others though usually in their thirties may well prefer to find stability and nest. Sure others may use WHV's as a way to travel and experience a part of the world but hardly new. Probably easier a few decades past when life was cheaper and aspects easier.

Just having returned from Europe I do find Australia isolated. The flight I find very taxing. Remember also it won't get easier with age. There could come a time when the option no longer exists due to age illnesses and/or high travel insurance costs. All things to be considered for those feeling they are here for the long haul.

MountainHiker

We lived in Canada before Australia we had to drive 2 hours just to get to the next town, 4 hours to the airport or somewhere worth visiting. Now living in Australia on QLD coast everything is close by its a big contrast, we have lived in 4 different countries now you can't compare them otherwise you will never be happy, you just have to be happy with what you have, In Oz we have great weather all year round, pay is a lot higher than previous countries we worked and when the AUD is strong it's ridiculously cheap to travel.

Beoz

In 2010 I did 4 trips from London to Sydney in one year. That's 8 days out of 2010 spent inside an aircraft which doesn't include the flights I'd done through Europe and elsewhere for work.

All in economy. Kind of wrecked my knees but it kept life interesting.

Molly Coddle

There seems to be a lot of people going back to the UK recently or not happy in Australia. I wonder why, apart from the fact it's far from everywhere.
Is the present economy a factor I wonder?

Molly Coddle

Just think of the air miles, surely you must've been upgraded at some point?

Beoz

Unfortunately upgrades can only happen if you have the right class of ticket. The cheapest generally doesn't permit upgrades. That said I do have enough points for 3 return trips to London. Again only usable usually when I don't want to fly