A better way of life?
Nov 27th 2006, 7:07 pm
#1
Homeward bound
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Costa Del Sol
Posts: 722
A better way of life?
Margaret put up a thread about cold feet recently and I was surprised at the number of people out there who all felt the same way, and it got me thinking . . . . . . .does the move down under really afford you a better way of life.
We are not emigrating because we don't like the UK, more because we want to give ourselves and our children a better way of life - all round. My children currently attend good schools and we live in a beautiful part of Scotland in a nice house with lots of friends and family around us.
But Bing has to work away a lot, I am effectively a single parent of two young, and very energetic children and as most of our leisure time centres around outdoor activities, for 6 months of the year we are all 'bored'.
So does Australia offer a better way of life? If not, whats the point of going?
Nic
We are not emigrating because we don't like the UK, more because we want to give ourselves and our children a better way of life - all round. My children currently attend good schools and we live in a beautiful part of Scotland in a nice house with lots of friends and family around us.
But Bing has to work away a lot, I am effectively a single parent of two young, and very energetic children and as most of our leisure time centres around outdoor activities, for 6 months of the year we are all 'bored'.
So does Australia offer a better way of life? If not, whats the point of going?
Nic
Nov 27th 2006, 7:25 pm
#2
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2006
Location: 'stralia
Posts: 2,383
Re: A better way of life?
Originally Posted by The O'Neills
Margaret put up a thread about cold feet recently and I was surprised at the number of people out there who all felt the same way, and it got me thinking . . . . . . .does the move down under really afford you a better way of life.
We are not emigrating because we don't like the UK, more because we want to give ourselves and our children a better way of life - all round. My children currently attend good schools and we live in a beautiful part of Scotland in a nice house with lots of friends and family around us.
But Bing has to work away a lot, I am effectively a single parent of two young, and very energetic children and as most of our leisure time centres around outdoor activities, for 6 months of the year we are all 'bored'.
So does Australia offer a better way of life? If not, whats the point of going?
Nic
We are not emigrating because we don't like the UK, more because we want to give ourselves and our children a better way of life - all round. My children currently attend good schools and we live in a beautiful part of Scotland in a nice house with lots of friends and family around us.
But Bing has to work away a lot, I am effectively a single parent of two young, and very energetic children and as most of our leisure time centres around outdoor activities, for 6 months of the year we are all 'bored'.
So does Australia offer a better way of life? If not, whats the point of going?
Nic
If you love the outdoors life then surely Australia has got to be a good move.
I think the people who suffer the most are the consumer-holics who like to have five shopping centres within half an hours drive, who spend hours every night in front of the BBC, and who have a wide social network of friends & family that they regularly see. There are also the people who are miserable here and think that a new country will solve all their problems - then it doesn't.
If you are happy people, taking your favourite people with you, you love the outdoors, and you can live with limited TV & shopping then no need to worry!
Nov 27th 2006, 7:44 pm
#3
A rather curious boy
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 5,917
Re: A better way of life?
Originally Posted by esperanza
If you love the outdoors life then surely Australia has got to be a good move.
I think the people who suffer the most are the consumer-holics who like to have five shopping centres within half an hours drive, who spend hours every night in front of the BBC, and who have a wide social network of friends & family that they regularly see. There are also the people who are miserable here and think that a new country will solve all their problems - then it doesn't.
If you are happy people, taking your favourite people with you, you love the outdoors, and you can live with limited TV & shopping then no need to worry!
I think the people who suffer the most are the consumer-holics who like to have five shopping centres within half an hours drive, who spend hours every night in front of the BBC, and who have a wide social network of friends & family that they regularly see. There are also the people who are miserable here and think that a new country will solve all their problems - then it doesn't.
If you are happy people, taking your favourite people with you, you love the outdoors, and you can live with limited TV & shopping then no need to worry!
Nov 27th 2006, 8:06 pm
#4
Timelord
Joined: May 2006
Location: Lost in space...
Posts: 2,834
Re: A better way of life?
Originally Posted by The O'Neills
So does Australia offer a better way of life? If not, whats the point of going?
Nic
Nic
I've always been uncomfortable with this 'I want a better life' stuff because I feel that's building a great deal of expectation in there that may not necessarily be fulfilled... And no fault of Australia's either, but it does seem to lead some people to be a bit unhappy when everything calms down and reality bites...
Having said all that, it does seem that with your requirements a move could be a good idea. You can have a 12 month outdoor life and if your OH can get a job closer to where you live then it seems job's sorted...!
Nov 27th 2006, 8:49 pm
#5
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 15,526
Re: A better way of life?
Originally Posted by esperanza
If you love the outdoors life then surely Australia has got to be a good move.
I think the people who suffer the most are the consumer-holics who like to have five shopping centres within half an hours drive, who spend hours every night in front of the BBC, and who have a wide social network of friends & family that they regularly see. There are also the people who are miserable here and think that a new country will solve all their problems - then it doesn't.
If you are happy people, taking your favourite people with you, you love the outdoors, and you can live with limited TV & shopping then no need to worry!
I think the people who suffer the most are the consumer-holics who like to have five shopping centres within half an hours drive, who spend hours every night in front of the BBC, and who have a wide social network of friends & family that they regularly see. There are also the people who are miserable here and think that a new country will solve all their problems - then it doesn't.
If you are happy people, taking your favourite people with you, you love the outdoors, and you can live with limited TV & shopping then no need to worry!
Nov 27th 2006, 9:23 pm
#6
Mozzie magnet
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Brisbane 'burbs
Posts: 1,690
Re: A better way of life?
Originally Posted by The O'Neills
Margaret put up a thread about cold feet recently and I was surprised at the number of people out there who all felt the same way, and it got me thinking . . . . . . .does the move down under really afford you a better way of life.
We are not emigrating because we don't like the UK, more because we want to give ourselves and our children a better way of life - all round. My children currently attend good schools and we live in a beautiful part of Scotland in a nice house with lots of friends and family around us.
But Bing has to work away a lot, I am effectively a single parent of two young, and very energetic children and as most of our leisure time centres around outdoor activities, for 6 months of the year we are all 'bored'.
So does Australia offer a better way of life? If not, whats the point of going?
Nic
We are not emigrating because we don't like the UK, more because we want to give ourselves and our children a better way of life - all round. My children currently attend good schools and we live in a beautiful part of Scotland in a nice house with lots of friends and family around us.
But Bing has to work away a lot, I am effectively a single parent of two young, and very energetic children and as most of our leisure time centres around outdoor activities, for 6 months of the year we are all 'bored'.
So does Australia offer a better way of life? If not, whats the point of going?
Nic
It won't necessarily offer a better way of life, but it will be a different way of life. Until you get here, you really won't know whether it have been the right move for you, that's the risk you take.
Nov 27th 2006, 9:45 pm
#7
Cup of tea, Father?
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Underground, overground, wombling free
Posts: 6,895
Re: A better way of life?
Don't fall into the trap of overrating the outdoor Aussie lifestyle. Summer here can make being outside really miserable. When it's 35+ (as it is today, and summer hasn't even startedf yet), you're constantly looking for shade and you're covered in tar-like, sticky, chemical, sunscreen. Remaining indoors sometimes seems the easier (certainly cleaner-feeling!) option. So, you could think of it as changing one type of crappy weather for another. Chel's point is excellent - different, not necessarily better.
Nov 27th 2006, 10:12 pm
#8
Banned
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: Godzone, utopia, Paradise Island under the sun.
Posts: 1,177
Re: A better way of life?
Originally Posted by The O'Neills
Margaret put up a thread about cold feet recently and I was surprised at the number of people out there who all felt the same way, and it got me thinking . . . . . . .does the move down under really afford you a better way of life.
We are not emigrating because we don't like the UK, more because we want to give ourselves and our children a better way of life - all round. My children currently attend good schools and we live in a beautiful part of Scotland in a nice house with lots of friends and family around us.
But Bing has to work away a lot, I am effectively a single parent of two young, and very energetic children and as most of our leisure time centres around outdoor activities, for 6 months of the year we are all 'bored'.
So does Australia offer a better way of life? If not, whats the point of going?
Nic
We are not emigrating because we don't like the UK, more because we want to give ourselves and our children a better way of life - all round. My children currently attend good schools and we live in a beautiful part of Scotland in a nice house with lots of friends and family around us.
But Bing has to work away a lot, I am effectively a single parent of two young, and very energetic children and as most of our leisure time centres around outdoor activities, for 6 months of the year we are all 'bored'.
So does Australia offer a better way of life? If not, whats the point of going?
Nic
Nov 27th 2006, 10:14 pm
#9
Full Throttle
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: here
Posts: 1,728
Re: A better way of life?
Originally Posted by Geordie George
Don't fall into the trap of overrating the outdoor Aussie lifestyle. Summer here can make being outside really miserable. When it's 35+ (as it is today, and summer hasn't even startedf yet), you're constantly looking for shade and you're covered in tar-like, sticky, chemical, sunscreen. Remaining indoors sometimes seems the easier (certainly cleaner-feeling!) option. So, you could think of it as changing one type of crappy weather for another. Chel's point is excellent - different, not necessarily better.
Taking young kids (especially) out in the summer heat can be a nightmare, not only for having to constantly apply sunscreen, but also the draining effect of the heat - regularly mid 30's and sometimes up to 45 degrees.
We do love it here, but it is a bit of a myth that you will live the outdoors lifestyle 12 months of the year. That, and it goes dark so early (compared to UK summers) that evening outdoor activities can be limited.
On the sunscreen thing tho - we use Sunsense, as it is not at all greasy and seems to moisturise the skin at the same time
Steve
Nov 27th 2006, 10:21 pm
#10
Still alive
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 28,994
Re: A better way of life?
It's not been any better for us, but not worse, either. We've become debt free but at the same time don't own our own home yet. Once they start building our house we'll have the same mortgage we had before we left, only without any car loans or credit card debt to pay off. That's the good part. Hub lost his job 3 weeks after signing on to build our house. That's the bad part. So, no better, no worse, just different.
Nov 27th 2006, 10:38 pm
#11
Banned
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: Godzone, utopia, Paradise Island under the sun.
Posts: 1,177
Re: A better way of life?
Originally Posted by The O'Neills
Margaret put up a thread about cold feet recently and I was surprised at the number of people out there who all felt the same way, and it got me thinking . . . . . . .does the move down under really afford you a better way of life.
We are not emigrating because we don't like the UK, more because we want to give ourselves and our children a better way of life - all round. My children currently attend good schools and we live in a beautiful part of Scotland in a nice house with lots of friends and family around us.
But Bing has to work away a lot, I am effectively a single parent of two young, and very energetic children and as most of our leisure time centres around outdoor activities, for 6 months of the year we are all 'bored'.
So does Australia offer a better way of life? If not, whats the point of going?
Nic
We are not emigrating because we don't like the UK, more because we want to give ourselves and our children a better way of life - all round. My children currently attend good schools and we live in a beautiful part of Scotland in a nice house with lots of friends and family around us.
But Bing has to work away a lot, I am effectively a single parent of two young, and very energetic children and as most of our leisure time centres around outdoor activities, for 6 months of the year we are all 'bored'.
So does Australia offer a better way of life? If not, whats the point of going?
Nic
Nov 27th 2006, 10:42 pm
#12
Cup of tea, Father?
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Underground, overground, wombling free
Posts: 6,895
Re: A better way of life?
Originally Posted by stevemich
Completely agree!!
Taking young kids (especially) out in the summer heat can be a nightmare, not only for having to constantly apply sunscreen, but also the draining effect of the heat - regularly mid 30's and sometimes up to 45 degrees.
We do love it here, but it is a bit of a myth that you will live the outdoors lifestyle 12 months of the year. That, and it goes dark so early (compared to UK summers) that evening outdoor activities can be limited.
On the sunscreen thing tho - we use Sunsense, as it is not at all greasy and seems to moisturise the skin at the same time
Steve
Taking young kids (especially) out in the summer heat can be a nightmare, not only for having to constantly apply sunscreen, but also the draining effect of the heat - regularly mid 30's and sometimes up to 45 degrees.
We do love it here, but it is a bit of a myth that you will live the outdoors lifestyle 12 months of the year. That, and it goes dark so early (compared to UK summers) that evening outdoor activities can be limited.
On the sunscreen thing tho - we use Sunsense, as it is not at all greasy and seems to moisturise the skin at the same time
Steve
The evenings mean mossies too.
On the plus side, my mossie bites have all joined together, in one enormous bite, so Mr GG no longer plays join the dots on me. 
Thanks for the sunscreen tip - I'll keep an eye out for it. The stuff from the Cancer Council feels like lard.
Nov 27th 2006, 10:59 pm
#13
Gone Senile Member
Joined: Sep 2001
Location: Sydney
Posts: 3,014
Re: A better way of life?
I am with the different not better vote.
The changes for the better that you make to your life you could do in any country in the world by making a list of what to change and sticking to it
But it does seem a lot of us think changing countries will be a lot easier. I came for a challenge and cause Hubby thought it would be great not to live and die in one country! I think we could of got the same impact in our lives by moving to Somerset, Cornwall, Northern Ireland or Scotland (which was on my list ).
He likes hot countries - but now with his skin cancer the sun is not much of an option for us!
I do believe we are wiser people because of our move and have experienced much more than our daily rut in the UK that we created for ourselves.
Cheers Sandra
The changes for the better that you make to your life you could do in any country in the world by making a list of what to change and sticking to it
But it does seem a lot of us think changing countries will be a lot easier. I came for a challenge and cause Hubby thought it would be great not to live and die in one country! I think we could of got the same impact in our lives by moving to Somerset, Cornwall, Northern Ireland or Scotland (which was on my list
).He likes hot countries - but now with his skin cancer the sun is not much of an option for us!
I do believe we are wiser people because of our move and have experienced much more than our daily rut in the UK that we created for ourselves.
Cheers Sandra
Nov 27th 2006, 11:02 pm
#14
Mozzie magnet
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Brisbane 'burbs
Posts: 1,690
Re: A better way of life?
Originally Posted by Geordie George
The evenings mean mossies too. On the plus side, my mossie bites have all joined together, in one enormous bite, so Mr GG no longer plays join the dots on me.
Thanks for the sunscreen tip - I'll keep an eye out for it. The stuff from the Cancer Council feels like lard.
On the plus side, my mossie bites have all joined together, in one enormous bite, so Mr GG no longer plays join the dots on me. Thanks for the sunscreen tip - I'll keep an eye out for it. The stuff from the Cancer Council feels like lard.
I also use insect repellent religously, I used to put it on before going to bed too, as they got me then...The point about the weather is a good one. During summer I tend not to venture out into the sun between 11am and 2pm, I find the heat debillitating. But I've seen kids out playing cricket etc so maybe growing up here you become acclimatised? It also doesn't seem to bother the sun worshippers on the beach. When you're away from the sea, there's seems to be less of a breeze (of the type you get in the UK) to cool things down, which I miss.
Nov 27th 2006, 11:05 pm
#15
Cup of tea, Father?
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Underground, overground, wombling free
Posts: 6,895
Re: A better way of life?
Originally Posted by chels
Mozzie bites - try taking a vitamin B complex. I've been taking it regularly for a while now, and touch wood (a whole forest) I haven't been bitten yet although father in law and other half have both been nibbled recently. And not me!!!!! It was always me they attacked I also use insect repellent religously, I used to put it on before going to bed too, as they got me then...
The point about the weather is a good one. During summer I tend not to venture out into the sun between 11am and 2pm, I find the heat debillitating. But I've seen kids out playing cricket etc so maybe growing up here you become acclimatised? It also doesn't seem to bother the sun worshippers on the beach. When you're away from the sea, there's seems to be less of a breeze (of the type you get in the UK) to cool things down, which I miss.
I also use insect repellent religously, I used to put it on before going to bed too, as they got me then...The point about the weather is a good one. During summer I tend not to venture out into the sun between 11am and 2pm, I find the heat debillitating. But I've seen kids out playing cricket etc so maybe growing up here you become acclimatised? It also doesn't seem to bother the sun worshippers on the beach. When you're away from the sea, there's seems to be less of a breeze (of the type you get in the UK) to cool things down, which I miss.
I take vitamin B twice a day, eat bananas <gasp!> and eat vegemite. Oh, and use insect repellent. All to no avail. I have good blood.
Any news on Thursday's plan? Is there a drink organised?