The cookie monster

Hello all, Ok the plan was me, my partner of 18 years and our dog were relocating to Melbourne this September, We split up in May, I only got the visa(175) through him and it run's out end of November, so this is my one and only chance, so no pressurethen, I still want to go but the fear of doing it alone is holding me back, that and I will have to give up our dog.
I love being outdoors, Gardening is my passion and here being stuck indoors is so depressing we have just had the first summer in 7 yes 7 years and now the weather is turning the winters are so long, miserable, grey, wet and cold.
I also lost my mum in May which has made me realize life is just too short and you need to grab it with both hands, so if anyone has any pearls of wisdom for me or you have made the move alone and can offer me any advice would love to hear from you

old.sparkles

Hi Cookie Monster and welcome to the forum

Of course it's possible to do it on your own - I'm over here with my teenage son and no other family - just friends made through here. But I have a skill in demand, and we had savings to cover us for quite a few months. I think Melbourne is more expensive than Adelaide when it comes to housing, but couldn't tell you much about it. Is there a reason for picking that area? Also, what do you do for work?

Bermudashorts

Have you validated the visa? Are you on good terms with your ex, because if they were to notify DIAC that you have split up before it is validated, then I would expect your visa would be cancelled.

Assuming no issues there, then this could be just the tonic you need right now. Sometimes I think a singleton has an advantage in making friends, firstly you will put yourself out there more and secondly couples are less approachable for others. Don't move for the weather though, yes winter did feel short this year I must admit, but Australian weather can be more challenging than UK weather in other ways.

Buzzy--Bee

You can bring your dog with you if you want.

BB

dave99

You can definitely do it on your own, but only you know deep down if you really want to.

Regarding the weather, I have been in Melbourne for 2 months now and I think we have had only two days when the suns come out. Every day its grey, cloudy and raining, it reminds me a lot of england. This is winter though so hopefully it should only get better.
Melbourne feels very english in a lot of ways to me, not only in the weather, but the lifestyle and the sheer large amount of people here in the city.
I lived in perth for a few years and it was very different, sunshine almost all year round, warmer, sometimes to warm but its what I imagined an australian city to be like.
I just wanted to say that you should be really sure its what you want, it will be an adventure and it will have good and bad elements. Only you can decide if you want to do it.
Just be careful reading opinions on the web because two people can experience the same city and have totally different views of it, the only way to know what its like is for you to experience it yourself.

If I could go back in time though, back to 2006 when I first came here, I would tell my younger self not to do it, to stay away from aus its just not worth the trouble and pain. I now feel like I dont belong here in aus and I dont belong in the uk.

Buzzy--Bee

I'm not sure which Melbourne you're living in weatherwise, but it's not the one I'm living in. The daytime temperature has barely dropped below mid-teens all winter and some days have been over 20 degrees - which part of England did you come from if it reminds you of winter in England??? The Channel Islands?

... clearly....

BB

bcworld

As I've said before...it's been our warmest winter on record.

2013 Figures from BOM:

June - average max 15.4C - 9 days with rain - average 4.2hrs sun/day
July - average max 15.9C - 10 days with rain - average 5.1hrs sun/day
August - average max 16.5C - 13 days with rain - avergae 5.8hrs sun/day

If you think this winter was bad you'd better not hang around for an average one!

The cookie monster

Hi, Thankyou all for your reply's
My job at the moment assembly worker and in my share time I'm a gardener. Picked Melbourne for the climate.

My visa has been validated back in 2009.

I know I can bring my dog but it's hard enough here trying to find somewhere to rent with a dog and I will be working so he will alone a lot of the time I don't think that's fair.

The cookie monster

I'm interested Dave99, Why if you could do it all again would you chose not to go? You said it's not worth the trouble and pain, do you mind me asking what you mean by that?

Bermudashorts

Do you not work now? I would not have thought it would be that hard to rent with a small dog, bigger dogs might start to get tricky. To be honest though, I didn't find renting with pets to be even close to hard (two cats for me). I was expecting a titanic struggle based on what I read, but it was no trouble whatsoever. Anyway just something to consider, I think pets can help with settling in too, we felt a bit more at home once ours arrived.

Buzzy--Bee

People who don't live in Melbourne would be surprised by this.

People who live in Melbourne probably wouldn't.


Some rentals do allow dogs. They are harder to find but not impossible.

Our friend has a gardening business and she takes her dog to work with her!

BB

verystormy

You can bring your dog and you will find a rental - arrived in Perth in 2008 when rentals were at incredible short supply and didn't struggle that much - though we wanted to live further out.

But, do research the cost of bringing your dog. It's not cheap.

But most of all you have to look at jobs. Research the available jobs for what you can do and what they pay. Do you want to move to find you are a lot worse off. Oz is not a cheap place to live in. Research this before anything else.

The cookie monster

I'm staying with my dad at the moment, so when I'm at work he's not on his own, I just thought it will be more difficult bringing him with me and because he's a large fella a Newfoundland the cost will be about £3,500 not including the kennel cost's for the 30 day's.

Alfresco

Wow!

SteelCityBrickie

I'm also wondering if I can do it alone. I'm 27 and dying to do it. I wouldn't be taking a dog though so I'd literally be alone.

I'm pretty sociable so making friends wouldn't be too difficult, and I'm sure I could meet a few expats anyway.

I have a job that is on the list so I'm able to make it should I take the plunge. Something, though I don't know what, is stopping me.