brits1

We moved back after living in Australia for quite a number of years (things may have changed since then) but we love our life back in the UK, Brexit has not encroached upon our lives, we still visit Europe on a regular period, our sons who returned home with us just love their lives here and all the options open to them but that is us, we had a good life before we left for Australia, we had a good life in Australia and now we are back home, it is crazy (to me) to think the actual country your wanting to relocate to will make your lives better, it’s can help in some cases ( if your fleeing violence,war, extreme poverty etc) but it’s how you live your life that for me is the most important it’s the true route to happiness, thinking a country will mend things also is not always the case. If I am asked about trying anything new/ different (as long as it’s legal lol) I say “ go for” it but do the homework and way up all the other options

brits1

I have not heard off this, Turkey is not in the EU, they need visas to enter Europe we need visas to enter Turkey.

MO_90

Thank you for sharing your wisdom.

How long did you stay in Australia and how old were your children?

We certainly have a nice life here from a combination of working hard and being fortunate to being born in a decent working class area with opportunities. We are not really running away from anything, just fed up with the climate here and no matter what you say it does effect quality of life. Politics wise, I'm sure Australians moan about their own issues

Moses2013

If you are just fed up with climate, probably better to look at places closer to home. Even Jersey is now reaching 2300/2400 sunshine hours but property is very expensive, especially with non quals.
Otherwise you have West Sussex and other parts further down that might give you options or maybe Suffolk if you want less rainfall/droughts. Of course you also have the option to buy a holiday home rather than spending that money. Then being an Engineer you might even have more chances than others getting a visa for Spain or even Portugal. Around Barcelona you have Vallès Oriental or Maresme. Then Germany is crying out for Engineers and with global warming summers are very hot, even reaching above 40 now. I still have friends and family there who always complain about the heat these days.

Pollyana

Please, please, don't move just because of the climate.
Have a read of Australian news sites, you will see some shocking political issues, escalating youth crime, horrific drug problems, serious shortage of housing........
Then you see how the climate is changing. More long periods of heat, increasing severe storm events in SE Queensland and NSW, Cyclones may be fewer making landfall but those that do are more severe. And the huge areas which have been flooded in the last 2 or 3 years, for the first time in donkeys years, if not ever. And the bushfires......

Australia isn't paradise, its just another western country. And its very very expensive both to move there and live there these days

brits1

Excellent advice Polly.

brits1

We lived in Australia for 13 years and my DH 15 years, climate….as the others have said please do not let that be a major factor, we do not have the sunshine days here but when we do it’s so much nicer to enjoy then the really hot weather that is summer in most states in Australia, our sons were 4.5 and 6.5 when we moved. My DSIL who has experience of most countries around the globe (through her work) says “rubbish is usually just around the corner” I had to edit what she normally says lol

Beoz

Climate is one thing that stops me moving back to the UK. In Sydney, yes it probably has a higher rainfall than many parts of the UK but then the sun comes out.

What bothers me most about the UK weather is the 9 months of winter and that low hanging overcast skies that just hang around weeks. Summer in the UK is awesome but just too short.

Amazulu

You're entitled to your views but one thing - the climate is not really changing. It's only changing in the minds of those who want it to

Moses2013

There will even be people who complain when they have a day of rain in Dubai, but don't forget that your experience of the UK is a long time ago now. Apart from regional differences the weather has changed a lot in the last ten years alone and winters are certainly not 9 months long across the whole of the UK (Maybe for some in Scotland:-). We used to go to Spain in late April or May, but these days we go in March as it's already too hot later on and Spring now arrives a lot earlier even here in Ireland. No doubt some people will never be pleased and will always complain about the UK, but it does make a huge difference if you live in the city or maybe have a larger garden to actually enjoy the climate (be it UK or Australia). I know you have more space, just don't forget that a lot of people are also stuck in small apartments which can also be a nightmare when it's hot and not everyone has direct beach access to less crowded beaches. It looks like the future of living is like The Line and outdoor living seems to be a thing of the past for many. I suppose be it UK or Australia, we can count ourselves lucky when we even have decent air quality these days. All we can do is hope for the best and play our part, I left another area of our garden for the bees and planted a few more trees. It might not change the world but at least it's something to also enjoy.

Pollyana

Purely from personal observations, after 20 years working in disaster management, which pretty much meant observing the weather 24/7, Queensland's weather has changed. I'm not speculating on reasons, just stating the facts. Weather patterns have changed a huge amount in the last 20 years,

Moses2013

Beoz

I live in Sydney. I made that point clear because the climate is vastly different across Australia. We don't have air-conditioning. Ceiling fans do the trick here. We don't go to the beach because it gets too hot despite it being a 5 minute drive away. Sydney, despite the rain that comes down all at once rather than the long months of British drizzle, is combined with lots of sunshine all year round. I was in the UK for a week in late March early April. It was freezing cold and miserable. Nothing has changed. Fingers crossed for a tasty British summer.

the troubadour

Quite so. Anyone thinking of emigrating from an advanced western country, really ought to consider if it is the best thing for them to do. I would advance on those fleeing war, violence and extreme poverty, to include the middle class over countries in the neighbourhood, often to improving their quality of life, to include things like a free medical system, child benefit, pension, much higher pay. These being the reasons many families are willing to sacrifice considerable money to get their kids in Australia with the likelihood of permanent residence. The filthy rich can pick and choose of course. But not necessarily the ideal migrants for a country.

But for others, outside of far better weather conditions, beaches and in some areas pay, the same problems exist as in other countries, worse compared to some, not quite at UK levels of decline yet, but the signs are not good, but to sacrifice a good life on a whim of improving on that by moving across the world seems increasingly a gamble at best.

old.sparkles

Off Topic posts regarding China attacking Taiwan, and subsequent discussions, have been moved to their own thread - https://britishexpats.com/forum/barb...e-live-947833/