drud88

Hello everyone,

I'm really just looking for some advice and success stories of people moving to Australia to start living there.

I have a young family which consists of my wife (24) myself (25) and our 5 month old little girl Isla.

We have been toying with the idea of moving abroad since we met, but now feel with the little one it may be a good step to give her a better life as we are fed up with the UK.

I work for a large organisation who can offer transfers and sponsoring so would be fairly straightforward for us to move, I am an electrical engineer by trade as well so this is another benefit. I am really just looking to hear from people who made the plunge and did what we are thinking of doing, how you got on and what challenges you faced...

We are looking to move to either Melbourne or Brisbane but would also depend on where my current company would need me to be based, though they have told me I should be able to pick one of the two above.

Anyway I will stop babbling and I look forward to hearing from you all

Thanks

Dan

Bermudashorts

I would recommend you spend a bit more time considering it and really weigh up the pros and cons, I find writing them down helps, but doesn't work for everyone.

I really think you should do this process to clarify your thinking though, because wishing for a better life and being fed up with the UK are not really great reasons to move. The reason being that life does not magically get better and without a shadow of a doubt there will be some things that will annoy you in Australia too in due course.

I certainly do not wish to put you off and we are happy with our move and maybe you will be to. But I just think you should try to find some more tangible reasons, if someone said to me they were moving for a warmer climate at least that has a basis in fact, whereas "better life" is just really wishy washy.

drud88

Sorry by stating a better life I thought that it would save me going into the finer details...

There are a number of reasons we want to move, I would get a chance for more career progression which would then result in higher earnings, I have heard good things about schools in Australia which we would love our daughter to experience.

The warmer climate and the chance to use our weekends more constructively and together are another reason for us wanting to move.

I wasn't really looking to be slated for asking for some peoples experiences of moving, didn't realise it would be such an issue to ask and our reasons for moving questioned...

Bermudashorts

Goodness me, are you sure is me doing the slating around here? In fact my post was considered and my advice was genuine based upon what you said and on what I thought you needed to think about, based upon my years around the forums. But I can see you don't want it, so I will move along. I am sure that others will be here to help soon.

As an aside, I think you might have won the BE record for making an "ignore list" with your second post.

drud88

So you took your time to consider telling me to go away and write a list of pros and cons, then telling me that I needed more time to think about it....?

Not sure your making sense, I merely asked for some success stories from people and experiences of moving and your first response was telling me I can't just move because I want a better life, what else would anyone move for??

I'm sure I can live without that useful information moving forward, feel free to put me on your ignore list...

Pollyana

Welcome to BE
Plenty of success stories around, though most of their owners are in bed asleep at present

Please don't misunderstand the reponses you'll get using the term 'a better life'. We see so many people on here who genuinely believe that by moving to Australia their lives will magically be 'beter' - even though they often can't really say what they mean by 'better'. That's why we try and get people to be more specific, so that we can give answers which are more realistic. Once we know more about what your family are hoping to get from the move we can give you moretarfgetted answers.
Here's an example - you mention The warmer climate and the chance to use our weekends more constructively and together - depending on where you live you may find that you actually spend less weekends out doing things together, because of the weather being too hot instead of too wet/cold. Many parents think that their children will spend mopre time otside instead of on computer games, but when its over 35 for weeks on end thekids would be mad (and sick) if they were outside for long.

Australia offers a different life, but whether it is actually 'better' is one of the most hotly debated topics on here......

paulry

I have to say, six years ago when I said I was after a better life for my family and I, I'm glad it wasn't in fashion back then for people to poohoo the idea because it might have killed off my family's decision to move here.

OP: Incentives and outcomes for moving and settling in Australia is a very individual case by case thing. There are positive and negative stories to be told. Rest assured that for every person who throws cold water on your stated aspiration for a better life there'll be at least one other who came to Australia and found it.

Try the update forum.

I wish you good luck

old.sparkles

OP - only been here a year, and as an electrician still struggling with licensing but still happy with the decision to move Can't offer any advice with regards Melbourne or Brisbane as we are in Adelaide.

BritInParis

My personal experience of both cities is limited but Melbourne has to trump Brisvegas surely?

Sally Redux

But you actually only wanted success stories.

Dorothy

Better, warmer weather indeed. It was 9° this morning in my uninsulated house. I guess I shouldn't complain too much about it only being mid spring, since we had one of the hottest summers on record this year. Days and days of 35-40° heat and blazing sun sure didn't help my electricity bill.

Blade Down Under

Why just success stories

I find it always good to hear positive and negative experiences of moves. I certainly don't want to hear blinkered eyed views (love and hate), balanced well thought posts explaining for and against is good

I never heard of the Sydney Bull Ant until I arrived.

CherryUK

Drudd- for someone considering this move to Australia I think you'll find this website very unhelpful. Its useful for practical information but ask for personal or emotional experiences and its very negative. I don't think people writing realise how they sound. I posted a topic a few months ago and found the responses very upsetting. I don't know if the responders the natives were naive in their move to Oz but seem to think everyone in the uk thinks Oz is a perfect problem
free paradise. I'm sure like me you have weighed up the pros and cons and its a tough decision to make.

We're moving to Brisbane in January next year. Also with a young family- 9months and 2years. I've loads if friends over there who love it and the ability to enjoy the outdoors all year round. I'm sure even this will raise an eyebrow by regular posters who will start banging on about humid Brisbane, too hot, rain etc. But it's not like that week after week 24hrs a day.

People on this site maybe well meaning but like to play devils advocate which comes across negative not balanced. Just be warned as it may put you off the move rather than help. I hope it doesn't but i decided to stay away. Came back on today for first time and doesn't seem much has changed !

chris955

quoll

I'm sure I asked you what your "better life" would look like back then!LOL

It's just another first world country! Same issues, benefits and problems.

It looks as if you will be coming on a temp visa anyway (if your company is transferring you, likely to be a 457 visa) so, by all means, give it a go if it means a career boost. The temp visa will mean you don't access a lot of things benefits wise and be very careful about the medical coverage - what you may think of as necessary intervention may not be what Medicare think of as necessary (build private health cover into your contract). If, heaven forbid, the job goes pear shaped, you will have 90 days to leave or find another sponsor (and getting PR is no longer a cast iron guarantee either) Your OH will probably have to work and you will get no childcare rebate and she may well have difficulty finding work on a temp visa anyway (lots of dependents have reported that!). Be prepared for a long commute and the need to be very self sufficient within your environment.

Aus has fewer days holiday than UK and, in my experience, expects more time in the workplace. As others have said - don't be misled by the "warmer weather more outdoors" meme. Again, in my experience, I spend far more time outdoors in UK than I ever did in Aus and with little kids you have to be very careful!

Note I am not saying don't go for it - I'm always one for following the best opportunities of the moment, but perhaps your expectations may not quite be realistic.

Good luck!