It is easier to settle if you dont think everything British is better, especially if you dont make the mistake of saying it. Alot of Brits we have come across here seem to have the attitude that they are somehow better than the locals. It does not help them make friends except with other bitter Brits. Having kids at school makes it easier to meet people. Often the men folk settle faster than their wives as they meet people at work. If you have kids at school, people will get to know your face when you drop them off and pick them up and start chatting to you. I found going to the P & C meetings a good way of fast tracking getting known and you get to see what is going on at the school.

Prob is errr well, its true!

Getting a job helps you settle in, other than that it's how approachable you are or how easy iot is for you to speak to others.

If you've got a sense of humour that helps as good banter will help anyone, you can take the p1ss out of Australians without it being nasty as they can do the other way round.

no-one wants to talk to miserable people

If you can make friends in the South of England Australia will be a doddle I'm so looking forward to being back in a country where people don't look at you like you have two heads if you talk to strangers.

We've no family here, just the 4 of us. We have a small group of good friends, which has taken us 2 and 1/2 years to build up slowly - thats the way we like it. All of my friends happen to be Aussies, not a deliberate thing, just the way it happened. Ste's friends are mostly Aussie, one POM (interestingly, he and his wife have settled well and have mostly Aussie friends too).

We don't give a stuff what nationality our friends are and certainly have never been deliberately selective, as in: "Oh, we're not going to make friends with and meet new people who are POMs".

So long as we have lots in common, can have a laugh, share the same values etc then we're accepting of others.

I think that is the key to successful migration - being open minded - not just with new friends but the whole experience.

I'm glad you pointed this out. If I ever see a bunch of drunk Brits shouting in a foreign pub I'll let you know.

A rose by another name surely? The pom as a lovable rogue getting away with murder cos he/she's British!

As for team shirts - you never see an English football shirt outside of England do you!

The original question about settling in has mostly been answered I think. don't go with the attitude that it's Britain with sunshine. You are the foreigner there, and have to learn to call things by their proper names - chips instead of crisps, lollies not sweets, station wagons not estates etc. My observation is that a resistance to these minor differences hide an underlying bigger problem of non acceptance, but it will be you who is not accepted, end up feeling alienated and then want to go home. And no one out there will feel sorry for you because you are homesick.

All sounds a bit harsh, and I'm sure this won't apply to you. I have seen it from both sides, emigrating there as a child, coming back to the UK as an adult for work, ending up staying here for longer than I intended, but hopefully going back soon. It will be difficult for me as I have loved my time in England, made loads of friends, have extended family here etc. Stupidly never took out citizenship over there, but have been through the ordeal of reinstating my residency visa, now just waiting for the job offer.

Do it, love it, accept it for what it is and you won't go too far wrong!

lol - You're in for a long wait! Drunken Brits? In a pub? Pfffft.....