Parker

I've always dreamed of moving back to Sydney since living there in 1996.

Have the visa booked the flights, and due to go in Sept. But now am having a panic and need to be reminded of why we are going and how great its going to be.

So encouraging words and inspiring tales from those who are there would be gratefully received!!!

Am worried because:

1. Costs seem so high - not remotely less than the UK. The more we search the more we realise that property and the cost of living in Sydney is comparable to the UK, even almost to London.

2. Taxes are higher. Salaries are less. So you earn less than in the UK, yet costs are the same or higher.

3. Childcare is impossible to find and is more expensive than the UK

4. You get no paid maternity leave. So you need to go back to work immediately after having a baby to a job that pays less to pay for your higher cost of living, and have to find childcare to take the baby and therefore your costs go even higher.

5. It seems from posts on this site that the school system isn't as good and most people seem to be recommending going for private schools so again more costs.

6. Lettuces are few and far between and cost the earth.

I am worried about quality of life when we both have to work all hours to earn less, afford a smaller place and be unable to afford to have another baby.

I know the sun shines and you can do lots of outdoor things which will be great for quality of life. But is there anything else I can cling to that will make me think that this is a good choice and move for my family?

Is there anyone in Sydney who can give me some inspiration and dispel my fears?

Parker

Oh and it seems from reading on here that the clothes shopping isn't as good as the UK (not a reason not to move of course!)

bridiej

Right, I'm going to try and "shock" you out of it:


GET A GRIP, you've wanted this to happen for years, it's your dream to live in Sydney so STOP WORRYING about things and get on with it.

It'll all work out in the end and Ok so shops arent as good, lettuce is hard to come by etc but you'll be living in your dream place!!!!!!

And if you really cant stand it you can always come home.





OK, hope that helped! Will send you some karma tomorrow (ran out for today!)

Carruss

You could fax it over ! ! !

R.

Parker

You are very right and yes I will just try and stop worrying.

I guess I am more worried as when I decided this is what I wanted I had very different priorities than I do now. Now the most important thing is my daughter and family - and I am beginning to think that this move is not the best option for her and our future as a family.

I NEVER thought I would say this but am beginning to think the UK is a better option. Now thats a shock!!

zazutata

Hi...we're also due to move out at the end of this year and have constant palpitations whenever we think about it.

Just remember, nothing is for ever and if it doesn't work out then you still have options. Sydney is expensive but you don't need to live in the CBD - there are plenty of other areas (esp in the south) that are commutable and pleasant to live in that will have good schools.

We're living in London and planning to go to Melbourne and almost anywhere in the world is a better place to bring up our 3 children than zone 2 in London! We're looking on our move as a kind of 3 year project - see how it goes, have an adventure, do some work and then review we we are. If we're happy we'll stay if not we'll move on. Our oldest is 5 (6 in August) so we have time to make a move or two before things start to get serious about settling down.

One final thing...a friend of mine said to me "...if you don't do it now then you'll grow up being a miserable old bloke instead of just an old bloke", the point being that it's better to live to regret it than live to regret never doing it. If that makes sense!

Good luck

Mike, Sarah and the 3 naughty monkeys

louise4

Hello parker,
me and my family emigrated to sydney 3 years ago and found the change hard. my hubby work 24/7 here, we thought it would be different there. it wasn't. he still had to work as hard.
How old is your child? if they haven't started school yet no worries. they will have only sampled australian schooling and know no different. you live to your means and it's what you do as a family that really matters. no matter where you live today you will have to work damn hard. for this reason we are going back hopefully within the next year.
we had no equity to go with and have no equity to take this time. we lived on the skids of our bums and all was well. we made it. funnily enough it was when we had made it through the tough stuff financially that we came back. emotionally drained, we realised our mistake.
go for it, your child will thank you in the long run.
just think about what your life will be like when you retire. much better than anything that is on offer here.
hope this helps.
louise

Hutch

Yep - I think Mark Twain said it best - "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did so. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Be positive, stay focused and enjoy the ride.

DianneH68

Exactly! Try imagining how you will feel if you decide not to go.
Imagine still being in the UK in a few years time, feeling miserable in another freezing cold winter, knowing your visa has expired and you are stuck here.
Imagine your daughter watching a prgramme about Aus on TV and saying 'I wish we lived there'.
And imagine feeling all that, and knowing that you could have done something about it.
Just relax, have a and go for it

numbers

Here here, kinda says it all really

BobbyDazzler

When I first saw the title of this thread I thought it was someone asking for copies of that dated ITV comedy about a group of Mancunian friends starring jolly chappy John Thompson

............

OzSheila

Hi - I sympathise. We are returning to Oz after 13 years here and it has been an extremely difficult decision to make. I recall the high taxes, lived in Sydney thru the last property boom (and it has only got worse), worry about the drug scene, hoons, crappy clothing, bank charges, poor (although friendly) customer service, obsession with sport, etc. etc.

HOWEVER, at the end of the day we are going solely for our children. We have a very comfortable lifestyle here, my husband earns very good money, we have a large house in a very nice area, we went abroad 7 times last year BUT our children spend 9 months of the year indoors because of the weather (even today it was only 14 degrees!); a day out for the family costs in excess of £100 (a day at the beach in Australia costs next to nothing!); the only places we can afford to eat out as a family are Harvester, Pizza Hut, etc; and schooling (we will be paying $5000 for private school fees as opposed to £11000!). And it is these reasons I keep telling myself over and over.

HTH

NB. Depending on who you work for you can get paid maternity leave and there are some very good State schools (you just need to pick the right areas!)

Grayling

Rubbish!

G

BobbyDazzler

Sheila

Your other (good) points about the UK are very valid but *this* reason and *this* alone is enough to make us want to move out to Oz

It's been a very nice day here in the Midlands and who's to say it won't stay like this until the end of the summer?

One thing we can definitely say though is that from October when the clocks go back, until March next year, it's nothing but grey and miserable in the UK

Who wants to spend (in effect) half of their lives being miserable due to crappy weather????????????????

Bring on the Aussie sunshine

Grayling

This is nonsense.

Are you really suggesting that generations of children in the UK have had to spend most of the year indoors because of the weather???

How on earth have we survived for so long?

If you are going to knock the UK then at least keep it credible.

There is another thread running on here about how it has been raining in SE Queensland for the past six weeks.

Is Australian rain somehow better than that in the UK?

G