cookiestar

I'm really curious to know who had been to Australia before deciding to make the huge move.

It strike me from the number of "where is better to live?" threads that a lot of people are seriously considering moving thousands of miles to the other side of the world without ever having visited the place (which to me is madness)

rabsody

Yep I'd been out on a year's working holiday where I was unfortunate enough to meet my now ex husband!

cookiestar

Oh, and call me nosy, but I'd be interested to hear from those who make the decision to move without having visited.

Donna&Neil

Yeah visited first before applying for the visa. I could not consider leaving Scotland to live somewhere I could not picture in my head. My other half would have thou.

Donna

sel

We came over without ever visiting I researched everything I could possibly research and then some, didnt hate the UK at all so were not leaving for any stupid reasons like thinking oz would be Utopia, we wanted an adventure and we decided that the cost of a reccie (which I believe does NOT give a true feel for living here anyway) would be my going home money if it didnt work out ... my Plan B.

We have been here nearly three years and have no plans to go back, I love where we live. I think it boils down to researching well, knowing what you want out of life and being honest with yourself and OH and a bit of luck ... a reccie wouldnt have made any difference to us. I think it is madness when people make the move, find they dont like it and due to lack of funds are trapped, but whichever way you look at it, we all have our reasons for what we do

northernbird

My husband got offered a job, 6 weeks later he was here and 8 after that I was here. Had never been, job offer was out of the blue so no time to research. As Nike says 'Just do it'

Safin

I could almost have written this. details vary but the sentiment is the same. What the hell - we had/have the option to return so why not try it....

Sparky wife

Nope, we had never been here before. I thought it would be a huge adventure (and it really was). I personally don't think a reccie would have helped us- until you are really in the thick of it, it's hard to know how you are going to cope. (IMO)

Gina123

We are moving out to Melbourne on the 2nd December with a new born baby and A two year old, never been to Oz before. ITs probably complete madness.... but its definatley an adventure, and I figured you only live once... If it all fails I can return to the UK knowing we had an adventure. Ive always fancied doing it and if we dont do it now then we would probably stay here for the rest of our lives wandering what it would have been like!
We are coming over on a 457 visa, OH has been transfered at our request by his company.
I am completley aware that we still have to live everyday life in Australia ie mortgage to pay, bills, work, kids to sort out etc etc... It isnt going to be anything like a holiday, the only way I will find out what it is like to live in Australia is to give it a go and live there! So thats what we are doing!

kids carer

We have been to Australia but not to the places where there seems to be interest in my husbands skills. Being in NZ it is not so far to have to come home if we have to but the main reason we are thinking about coming is because there seems to be so more more opportunity in my husbands career and it is a good way for us to get ahead. Here we are just getting by and my hubby cant really go any further in his career so this is the main reason why we are thinking about moving. Even if we just spend 10 years over there we will be able to come back and be better off financially.

We are fortunate in the fact that it is not going to be so far to come home if we have to and we dont have to go through the whole visa thing that everyone else has to.

Kooky.

We'd been a few times, but they were holidays rather than looksees. Our looksee was to find somewhere to live once we knew the move was imminent.

I really do recommend a visit before deciding to move, although we didn't do it before we moved to Singapore. We were out there within 6 weeks of The Geek being offered a job, but we were cautious and initially rented out our house, plus had no kids to uproot. We're pretty mobile.

I realise a trip down here is expensive but, knowing how many people don't settle, I honestly think it's money well-spent if you have a family and/or are planning to sell up. Not that a holiday can really prepare you for real life here, but it's a start.

Pomster

company offered me a 2 year posting to come to Mellie. H had visited Oz but not Melbourne before, I had never been.
So we came out in 2000 and are still here now ....and citizens!
Strangely enough I never had much desire to visit Australia before.

rosscov1970

Spent 2 years here in my yoof. Met my husband here. Returned to the UK, got married, had 3 kids, migrated 14 years later. Thought I knew what to expect...thought wrong.

purple rain

Never visited before. Loads of research and landed in Adelaide. No regrets.
Jacqui

Nu-Shooz

We applied for a Visa before we visited. Then when we got the Visa we came for a visit. Then we sold up and moved here.

It is so different living here than coming for a short holiday/reccie.