NickyC

Sorry, yes, you're quite right..

I often wonder how the poor, little Aussies can afford to buy all the waterfront houses, expensive boats and 4WDs that I see around here. Maybe they're all owned by British migrants

vor

And how many Brits do you know how regularly vacation in Oz? Is Ibiza really any different to someone based in the UK than the Gold Cost is to someone in Sydney or Melbourne.

Hels

Excellent point!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Peter

<sarcasm>
More likely Asian or Eastern European migrants. You don't seriously expect the British or their descendents to want to put in 12 hour+ days, do you?
</sarcasm>

NickyC

Actually, you're quite right. The bulk of the really palatial eastern suburbs waterfronts are almost all owned by Jewish or Eastern European people (or their descendents) - most of whom arrived post-war.

MrsDagboy

And here I was thinking that you only grew Tamarillos. Multi tasking at its best .

phoenixinoz

Hi clotje and welcome to the forum

You make some very pertinent points here and it's obvious you have thought things through very wisely

Very true. Anyone coming here thinking it's a doddle is likely to be dissapointed. There's a lot of hard work ahead as in effect you are starting again.

I have to say, I love Aus and I have no intentions of going back to UK if I can help it, but I think you have a good point here. The reason I say this is, when you read the job adverts they all sound exciting, however I've yet to be convinced some of those jobs actually exsist. The cynical person in me thinks they are to entice you into the recruitment office and get you on their books just in case something comes along. I have even spoken to people in a certain government dept where I know jobs have been advertised yet they have actually been recently filled with internal aplicants. The other thing to bear in mind is, you are starting again, from scratch. It doesn't matter how good you are or how qualified you are in UK, in Aus this means nothing. Unless of course your particular trade or skill is in absolute demand in the area you intend to live in Aus. The reality is you may have to be prepared to do anything and possibly lower your expectations job wise, and this is a hard pill to swallow if you are at the older end and have already proven yourself in your current profession in UK. In effect you are starting again. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule and some do do better here, you need to bear in mind the younger you are, possible the better off you will be as you don't mind "proving" yourself again. And this in itself is the biggest irony of all. Most who come here on a skilled Visa have generally had to prove themselves of having had previous experience at a very high level so it seems ludecrous therefore that they are not deemed acceptable to the Aussie market. So in that sense I can see where you are coming from. It seems ironic that the Aus government is currently begging for oversees skills yet at the same time some who are already here are not being given the opportunity to demonstrate their skills for the reasons already mentioned. Then there are the skilded tradesmen who come here and must spend hundreds/thousands to retrain or get certificates. Yes, it's not cheap to move to Aus and that's the bit the Aussie government keep low key, so I can see why you think it's an economic drive by the Aussie govenment. And yes, there does seem to be some Aussie government bulshitting going on, but then isn't that what all governments do?

Agreed. The people and the scenery in Aus is second to none. Aussie people are some of the most nicest people you could ever wish to meet, of course there are always exceptions, isn't that the case everywhere?, but generally speaking, a nicer bunch of people you couldnt wish for. And the scenery and fauna and flora are fantastic. However at the end of the day though, as you say, these things alone will not help feed you and so it is for this reason you are right to weigh up all the pros and cons.

And this is a VERY good pertinent point. Some people beleive they come to Aus and can afford a much bigger house with a big swimming pool and get a less stressful job. This might be true for some, but for others, house prices have shot up and so people still have to find work. They imagine they can find a similar job at the same or a similar field or position that they were in in UK and this isn't always the case. Sometimes it happens, but not always. And if you're the sort of person that has worked hard in UK, has risen throught the ranks and has already done "the hard yard", then you need to remember you are going to be doing this again and this will mean less "play time" which ironically you may well have moved here for in the first place! This can be a difficult thing to come to terms with once in "mid life" career stage, and you might find it hard going. In most top positions, the big organisations seem to wear long hours like a badge of honour [just like UK] so don't expect the hours to lessen if you want a job with high prospects either.

Your point re living in a freiendly neighbourhood; this shouldnt unduly worry you as Aus has plenty of these neighbourhoods and as I say, the Aussie people are a friendly easy going bunch. What you may miss though, especially moire so if you are close, is your family. I think the older you are AND the more dependant you are on your family for support, the harder you will find it. Getting used to not having this relied upon support network may be hard. For us personally it wasn't a problem. We are very close to my parents however we lived further afield therefore did not depend on them and saw them less regualy than say someone who lives in the same town/village. Hence our everyday life did no revolve around our family. I also had a very stressful career in UK which also meant long hours, so time with friends was limited, again this means non reliance on friends so again Aus has been easy to handle in that respect.

Yep, this is also a possibility here. Jobs do tend to be casual or contract and emplouyees seem to be far more disposable over here than UK. Also, unlike the UK, the benefits seem to be far less here, but then I imagine eventually Aus will catch up. And I've not come accross one person yet who hasn't had to spend a bucket full of money to emigrtae as emigrating sure aint cheap and if things dont work out, you may lose more than you bargained for. However everyone who sets out to do this generally speaking is prepared to take the risk and spend the money. See .....that's the thing, the "no risk" takers are the ones who generally sit on the sideline, procrasternating, informing others of the doom and gloom side to it all, when in fact for quite a lot of people it does work out. They do find they enjoy their new life more, even though it is not perfect, they may not have found their ideal job, or ideal salary, or ideal house. They accept all the pros and cons before coming here and just get on with it. The strange thing is, others sometimes see this as "happy clappy" i.e they see no wrong...when in fact this is not the case. In fact they do see things are not perfect, but they accept nowhere in the world is perfect,shit happens...and they accept this, work round it and move on.

From what I can gather, as a perm resident, you are unable to claim dole until you have lived in Aus for two years.


Yep, I'd go with that. But you need money if you live anywhere in the world...so what's the difference? Unless in your view the difference is you can get dole where you are so if you dont get a job then there's that to fall back on? So...in that case then yes, you must bring at least enough to live on for two years...in THEORY....but in reality you are likely to find a job, albeit maybe a crappy one, there are ALWAYS jobs here of some sort. But yes, if you want a "sterile" world to live in i.e security of job or security of living etc, etc.....the Aus is not for you. It's a country that's been built by battlers, people who take risks, are prepared to "muck in" and try anything and it's not usually a comfy way of living. Aus is a rough country and yep, you are right....it's a pain in the ass and it aint easy so if this puts you off before you get here, then as you say, you're better off where you are.


The reality is that for most people there is no such thing. Ideally everyo9ne would like to leave their old life with their old job in place or their old house still there, and their old friends still waiting.....but reality is that most of us have to sell our property to fund the new life....your job is taken up by someone else, and your friends move on and after a while you are hardly ever noticed, except for the odd wedding, xmas party etc, where they genuinly wish you were there. The reality is moving to Aus for most people is one big gamble. One big risk. And it may or may not work out. Either way, in some way or another, it will cost you. Whether it is an emotional cost or a monetary cost...or both. It WILL cost you, that's for sure. And in your case, you have decided this risk, this cost is not for you. And you are right.


What is there to contradict my friend?This is your perception and in fact it is a very good perception if you ask me. These were the exact same things I saw when deciding to live here in Aus. The difference between us though was that I was prepared to give up everything I ever had that was of comfort to me, and take the risk. I am a risk taker. I thought it was worth giving up my beautiful home, worth giving up a fantastic career, worth giving up a fantastic salary and I knew I would never earn the same here, I knew I'd have to leave my family and close friends and I wondered if I'd ever afford to see them or vice versa. However.....unlike you.....I took that risk and it has, on some things worked out. Not in every way, but in some.

My eldest son has gone back to UK. This makes me sad, but hey, kids live their own lives.

My brother has managed to also emigrate. This has been a bonus as I now have family here which before I emigrated, I didnt think possible.

My friends and I are still in regular contact. In fact one came to stay for a month where we enjoyed Sydney together, something we never thought we'd be able to do 20 years ago....and who better than a close friend to share this first experience with!. Also some of our other friends intend coming next year. So we never did say goodbye forever after all.

My sister and younger brother are not intending to live here for personal reasons. This makes me sad as I would like to share Aus with them. However it's their choice, their life and I respect their decision. This makes me sad, but hey they can come and visit, in fact they are coming next year. So all our crying and palaver at the airport when I left was for nothing...lol

My working life here in Aus is shite compared to UK. In the UK I was respected in my line of work. I worked for a worldwide organisation and could have been posted anywhere [except Aus...can you beleive it! ] I was also highly qualified, yet here it means Jack shit. I'm a nobody...and my past career pedigree stands for nothing. I have no work history. This makes me feel sad, but I suspected this would happen. Doesn't make it easy to swallow, but it's not the end of the world. Losing a loved one is, losing a job isn't. I shall battle on and if needs be I will find something with paupers pay...but the good thing is there Will be far less stress. And if I can or want to, I will build my career up again. Otherwise, I will learn to live with it and sod the pride. This has been a gamble that hasn't paid off, but hey, shit happens, and as long as I can pay the bills and eat, then who cares? I'm actually less stressed and going more places, meeting more people and having a life. So what does that say?

So......as you can see .....I've shared some of my personal risks with you there too, and they are personal, and they are / were risks. But I decided these things were worth the risk, whereas you have decided they were not. And you are absolutely 100% right in not taking the gamble if it is not for you. That's the thing about all this, what's right for one person is not right for the other. Neither is wrong!!

It's all about paying a price. And the price we are willing to pay. And that's personal to each and every one of us.

Good luck m8....and enjoy your life wherever in the world you decide to live

Princess Leia

Hey Vash we went to Ireland for our honeymoon for one week too! We flew from Brum and picked up a rental car. People thought we were so unromantic going to Ireland instead of our 2nd choice Paris but it was absolutely beautiful. The B&Bs were top class and the roads so quiet.

Princess Leia (R2D2 on BTDF)

melibeam

Vash, hope you have a great wedding day and enjoy the honeymoon!

Irishbloo - My parents live in Limerick too!!!!!!

Mel

Grayling

I do.

And America and Europe.

Usually about four holidays a year.

G

ozzieeagle

One of the main reasons I'm stating my Daughters case, in Milton Keynes, as a comparison, is the fact that in the time I've been on here, that most migrants from the UK major complaint about coming to Aussie is the low starting Wages that they are offered. When one is new to a country surely that is what is to be expected.

I would have thought that most people coming here "with Qualifications" would have been offered at least a similar amount to the 18 Aud conversion rate that my daughter got offered "at best" in Milton Keynes. (the other two jobs, she got offered on the spot were at 6.50 per hour circa 15Aud, not a lot for someone with who is a spread sheet wiz and proven office running abilities). I'm not too worried about her prospects and "know" that once she is established in the UK workforce, say in about two years she will be earning in excess of 20,000 pounds, and be on an rapid upwards career path, probably in London. If not will know what specfic tertiary qualification's she has to take, to fit into the London system. Two years being the time that it takes to establish a work record in any country.

What I found most interesting about the previous posts, were Phoenix's experiences, which are incredibly similar to mine. With the same situation with brother and sister as hers, and very personally the Job situation, which meant all my time spent working in the UK amounted to nothing here. Luckily for me, blue collar work in Aussie, seems to pay a far higher in comparison to the UK, and especially if you compare it to white collar work here. I dont mind admitting that my Aussie post job, pays me over 50,000 Aud per annum, albeit for night and weekend shift. For me to fit into the aussie white collar workforce I would have to take Tafe or Tertiary courses to get to that level. Not worth it in my book. Especially as my Wife, who is a Nurse can flex her earning potential at any given time.

Plus the fact that Phoneix's son has already gone through the experience that my Daughter is trying, in a move to the UK. I'm wondering if this a little known but common trend. For me, it just means, I'll be trying to spend more time, in the UK, in my latter years.

To sum up, basically moving to another country, comes down to successfuly assimilating into the culture and lifestyle that that country offers, and many things learned and earned in ones previous life, may be worthless, renumeration wise, except from the point of view of experience for the new country.

i

vor

Perhaps spending one of your four annual holidays in a third world country would help gain some humility.

Grayling

I've already said I go to Australia regularly

And I've been to New Zealand :scared:

G

phoenixinoz

Excellent summary!

This is well worth remembering by prospective migrants.

If they bear this in mind, they'll be more contented and should do OK

tracey.d

I thought you were hoping to migrate to Australia. Why, if you think it a third world country?