Tigerozpom

Hello all,

Didn't think I would be back here all these years later. I moved early naughties and came back as Dad is and has been very poorly. I never wanted tot return, however recently I feel it would be much better for my daughter as she gets older.

I am in a good place career wise and have worked for some big names in Oz already.

I lived in Caloundra and my daughter went to the Grammar school and compared to here was tremendous, though she does do Mandarin here .

Anyone else in the same thought process as me right now ?

Trying to find my Ozzy stuff and working out cost of living again

I used Crown relocations twice now and probably would bring everything again as things are so costly either side.

rammygirl

I guess the first question would be do you and your daughter have citizenship of Australia?

Tigerozpom

Yes I am a citizen, I am just putting ducks in a row. I am also in Lancashire

quoll

Why do you think it would be better for your daughter? Apart from COVID at this moment it’d be hard to see much inherent betterness. There’s still the issues here of bullying, adolescent mental health problems, drug use, youth suicide, youth unemployment etc that there is in U.K. and in some cases they’re worse. If her school isn’t good, perhaps a change of school might be cheaper. Comparing first hand my grandkids schools here and there I’m not impressed by what I see here but my son can’t afford private and his ex would be philosophically opposed to it anyway - my sons’ private school was (back then) a much more rigorous, stimulating environment than the current government option. My grandson in U.K. is doing some very interesting stuff by comparison and his skill development is streets ahead of his cousins.

We came back in March and my dad has died since we returned and I certainly felt the tyranny of distance and after nearly 9 years away I’m not finding it much better this time around tbh but I was well over the place before we left (and just didn’t return from our holiday). We used Seven Seas move cube as we didn’t have that much stuff and they were brilliant. Even so, the move has haemorrhaged our savings and we moved back into our own home without all the hotel quarantine etc. It was the COVID threat that inspired us to move when we did and in the short term that’s been a good move for us but if COVID ever gets rampant in Australia it’ll be much the same if Vic was anything to go by. We had been going to return anyway as dad had moved into a care home and we were selling his house to pay his fees and I’m married to an Australian and we have a home here.
Big decision, good luck with it

Amazulu

Do it

Beoz

To be brutally frank, and as a father, it is rarely about the kids and always about what the parent wants. The kids are an after thought - can they cope leaving their old friends, and make new friends?

The kids will be fine. They have many transitions in life, this would just be one of them.

Not in the same boat as you now but was 10 years ago. For me Australia has worked out way better financially on a London to Sydney move as the cost of living vs salary for me was far better in Australia.

No idea about Caloundra vs Lanc.

Did you plug your figures into https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/

rammygirl

good to know!

Yes I’m a Lancashire lass, but I can tell you I prefer hot sunny days to constant grey skies and drizzle! The Adelaide hills are perfect for me. Four proper seasons and beautiful rolling countryside with some deep gorges and lots of trees. Still green too!

joeyballantyne

I agree with amazulu - do it - not sure how long since you lived in caloundra but it's changed over the last few years, more suburbs, more people, more traffic - still beautiful one day, perfect the next, you know the drill. Schoolswise - if you really want to get a heads up on what your daughter will be studying, all the schools have their curriculum on their webpages. Good luck with your considering !

abner

I'm not quite sure what response you're actually looking for, from this post. It appears that you've already made your decision to return, and are in a good financial and at worst neutral-career-wise point to make it work.

Not sure why you're so prominently featuring "Crown relocations" in your post, however...

BwitishSam

I lived in aus and then canada for a decade each. I often think about aus, mainly the sun and easy life and wages are soooo much better than canada and england. Im always moaning about the weather here in canada and crave the realness and bluntness of aussies, compared to the political correctness here. the distance to family is killer though. I often think about moving somewhere sunny in europe. though its not comparable. i am pretty sure i will moan about the british weather too.

schooling is better in the uk tbh, and qualifications are worth more overseas. in saying that you can study with british uni online and get a qualification. perhaps aussie has some cool alternative schools? i would say its def healthier growing up in aus rather than concrete jungles back home, depending on where youre from.

oh, and i used seven seas 20 years ago lol. cheap and cheerful for one box.

something i read today, you can draw up the pros and cons but what do you really feel?

i went back to aus 2 years ago and everywhere I went I was like "yep moving here". I even did the same in nz. almost moved before covid but now I am thinking of spending time with mum in the uk before I do that. the family thing is a big thing I think.. especially as they get older.

another thought, with your kid its never a good time to move, whether theyre young or teen so dont worry about that.

Moses2013

I don't know about that and too often people are focused on the country and it's more a mindset thing. No doubt rammygirl lives in a beautiful part of Australia and Adelaide hills would certainly be my preferred location in Australia but then again a lot of places can be similar, be it Europe or Australia. Even if you walk a random road the one is in Adelaide and the other Selva comarque. Think away all the other things and life is pretty similar. People are people, streets are streets and trees are trees. I can even drink a beer in both locations and have a bbq. You can argue about climate but there are many things close to all of us. I can even have an American feel by sticking a flag pole in the garden and serving spare ribs LOL