ACE

Thanks PB,
Although we were hoping to be based in a town outside the city on the south coast perhaps and for Steve to wotk on a fly in fly out basis, perhaps offshore.
Many Thanks
Ace

peppi

All I can say to that is I couldn't agree with you more...!

sofistek

So how many times have you moved in the UK? Do you always research the new area, the estate, the neighbours, the schools, the facilities? Do you go and stay there for a couple of weeks first? Even if you do, I doubt whether many people do. Of course, NZ is a different country and a different culture but it's not so widly different that it warrants special treatment, in this regard. Oz is more of a change, probably, but it's not the same as buying a car and not as easy to gain a good idea of what it will really be like once you've "bought" it. With a car, you can test drive it (and it's exactly the same as driving it as your own car), poke it around, have a check done on it, look under the bonnet, etc. For all but a small number of people, the best they can do before deciding to emigrate (especially, for countries as far away as NZ and Oz) is to have one or two short periods on holiday and, at best, thoroughly research a couple of areas in detail. But you'll never really know what's it's like to live there, until you live there.

IMO

nosuchluck

Well said!!!
i live on the south coast and have never been to Scotland let along North Wales yet we are going to live in Australia after doing loads of research on the internet and on this very helpful forum

cadman

We are planning to go straight out there, see my cousin in Mbourne, travel a bit and try and sort out work etc. along the way.
It's a big ask to try and see some of the country, decide where to live in terms of state/city/town/area/suburb AND get a job, rent a house etc. We are well aware of the enormity of the task believe me!
However, if we get a visa, maybe in the New Year, what would be the point of going for a month in the UK summer hols with the kids?
I too am self-employed so to lose a month's wages, pay for 5 flights and accomodation to Oz for a month as well as still paying the Mortgage and all the bills back home would be an astronomical sum of money which we don't have to hand although we could save between now and then or borrow it against the equity in the house.
Far better to go when we've sold the house, have no bills to pay and the furniture is on it's way IMO, and, only 1 set of 1 way air fares to pay.
We are going no matter so we might as well go with more cash in our pockets.

Although my cousin lives in Melbourne, the weather there in winter seems nearly as bad as it is here so we're either going to Perth or more likely Brisbane.
Again, largely depends on the availablility of work - I'm a civil/structural CAD drafter currently at Shell, previously all aspects of Civil Engineering e.g. shopping centres, offices etc.

Perhaps someone could advise me of areas that would have suitable work?

Andy.

65 million

I don't mean to offend or Insult anyone here, but I'm amazed at the number of people who seem so happy to just hop on a plane one way to live somewhere where they havnt even visited????.

Maybe we are just over cautious, I will be making my 4th and final visit to Australia prior to us moving over. This trip is really for the benfit of the wife as she hasnt seen Melbourne for 10 years.

I know you cant tell from a visit wether you will or will not be happy anywhere, but it gives you damn good idea before uping your roots.

I would strongly reccomend to anyone moving to Oz, visit first; it may or may not live up to your expectations!.

:lecture:

Guillemot

Interesting thread this one.

Of those prepared to give life in Australia/NZ a try without a prior holiday visit I wondered how much of the decision is about desire for the image of the destination and how much is based on just being brassed off with what you have already got e.g. life in the UK

For me I'll admit it is a bit of both. (I confess my emigration plans started due to the latter, however.)

After researching the usual suspects (US/CAN/AUS/NZ) I chose AUS as the most welcoming destination based on what I can offer my new country. If things do not work out as I would hope that will not make me regret the decision, prior visit or no prior visit. The family fully expect emigration to be a challenge and will relish it as such.

Someone made the comment "if you cannot afford a trip before emigrating how will you afford to get back if things go wrong?"

Affordability is probably not the issue.

I'm willing to bet most people HAVE factored in an emergency fund for a last resort return trip - its just that a few thousand pounds for a "prior PR" holiday could be a few thousand less in settlement funds.

What I fear most is a change of heart that would leave me thinking "What if..." when retirement comes along....or if I am still working to get Tony's pension when I am 70!

jandjuk

sometimes in life a little naivety goes a long way. How many times do you watch those 'relocation to the sun' progs on the telly, and hear people say"if I'd known how difficult it was going to be, I probably never would have done it" - and then go on to say "but yes, I'd do it all again!"

For me that's what migrating to the UK was like. No matter how many friends told me about the UK, I'm 100% sure that if I'd come here on holiday I would never have come here to live, and even when I did it took me at least 6 months to see anything I liked about the place. And now I love it.... I can see all the good points that I couldn't before....

Life is an adventure, an experience - no matter hard you try to be prepared for emigration, you never really will be, so it's better to just go without thinking about it too much!

and it's not the end of the world if you decide to come back...

sofistek

Why be amazed? Have you not read the posts? If you have, then I don't think you can be amazed. I understand that the proportion is quite high, of people who emigrate before having visited. With NZ and Oz, it is a much more difficult prospect than, say, France.
You've contradicted yourself here. You say that a visit is not going to tell you whether or not you'll be happy but then say it gives a damn good idea.
I would agree that it's a good idea but it is sometimes simply not practical. There will be 4 of us emigrating to NZ (hopefully) and costs for 4 "adults" will amount to a lot, for a modest 3 week stay. Probably £5000 or more. 3 weeks (plus recovery time) with kids can only be done in the school holidays. That will be NZ winter. How much is this going to tell us? All it might do is put us off one or two small areas. But will it tell us whether it's a good long term idea? I very much doubt it. NZ is big enough, Oz would be ridiculous to cover in even 6 weeks.

There's the additional problem of getting time off work. If you're self employed, that might be even more difficult and costly.

So, if you can afford it, go ahead and visit. I'd recommend it too. But it's probably not going to tell you much more (probably less) than research will.

It all depends on your circumstances and weighing up settlement funds against a hectic holiday.

Badge

the question may be that for those who have never visited, why choose Aussie ?!?!!!

I would suggest ( infact I am willing to bet):

a) English speaking
b) modern country - not exactly a 3rd world country (!)
c) warm weather
d) general perspective of laid back life
e) Aussie culture (and humour) is closer to UK /Anglo Saxon humour than
say North American humour...and is safer than say SA.

if heat is an issue then NZ rears its head.

if this is the image, for those who have not visited why not? fairly accurate I would say.

badgers

l_jg

I have found it really interesting to read everyone's views about migrating without the initial "fact-finding" visit - and a little shocked that so many out there are doing the same as us.

We have not visited Australia, but we plan to migrate there. As most people seem to have done we have spoken to many Australians, done the research on the web and read the forum etc. etc. etc, and finally decided on Oz.

When I was 17 I headed over to Italy for a 2 week holiday, and came back 3 years later.... I learnt the language and found work and a home there for that time. I came back to get a university degree as it was a lot cheaper for me to do it in the UK than in Italy. If it was possibly to go to Australia and do the same, i.e. stay on after a holiday, I'm sure we'd be doing that just now. However, Australia has many more rules than EU countries regarding living there and so we are having to dot the i's and wait for that important letter to drop on the mat.

We don't have to learn a new language to live in Oz, the Australians that we have met have all been friendly and easy to get on with as there is no backstabbing like with the Brits, if they don't like you or what you do - they tell you!

All I can say is that we intend to give it our best shot and if we don't like it after a couple of years, we'll think about moving on.

After all, it's best to regret the things you don't do, than the things you do......

Good luck to us all

cadman

Right on the money!
If we don't like OZ we will be sticking it out until we get Citizenship and we've decided that we will give NZ a try before going back to the UK as a last resort.

Don

Too right. What's so difficult about understanding the costs (eg financial/ emotional/ opportunity) involved and seeing 'emigration' instead as a 3 year contract abroad? Stay if you like it, come home if you don't.

wmoore

That's the spirit!! We're the same. Can't wait anyway. Feel like I've been there with all the web sites I've been too, pictures I've seen and mad posters I've read on here

You're only young(ish) once.

bondipom

This is an old thread but with a great pb quote

Melbournes Winter is 9 months of the year so I am told , a friend who lives there did say its great weather for Poms 4 seasons in one day.