Here we are 5 months on in Melbourne
Nov 9th 2005, 7:42 am
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2005
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 2
Here we are 5 months on in Melbourne
Well my wife and I have been here 5 months now and I cannot believe how fast time has flown by. It feels like yesterday we were hassling with all the details of the visas, police checks and medicals and of course all the money it took to get here. I must say though it has been worth it. I have lived in a few places around the world and I think that Australians have a very good life here. I am South African and my wife Melanie is from Birmingham UK, we meet when I was living in Israel, but that's another story on its own. For last 5.5 yrs we both lived and worked in the UK. After 5yrs living in London, I kind of got used to the way life. We had made very good friends and we were kind of settled, so moving again to another country seemed hard at the time. I had a fairly good job; I knew the market quite well and made a few contacts. So going to Australia seemed as though it would take a lot of energy, especially starting from scratch again. In London, I was quite used to traveling to a clients site that would take me anywhere between 1.5hrs to 3hrs traveling time (Due to traffic of course). I would then need to do a full day’s work and still drive home. This after awhile became normal for me and I kind of just dealt with it. Over here anything over 40 minutes traveling time is considered a sleep over. When I first started working here I would arrive at a client’s site 30-40 minutes before my appointment simply because I was not used to the traffic here. It now takes me about 20-25 minutes to get to a clients site, and what a pleasure that is. Living in London gave me no lifestyle whatsoever; all it seemed was that my days were filled with work and travel. The one thing I can say is that my lifestyle has improved dramatically since moving here. I have taken up Aikido (Japanese martial arts) 3 times a week and after work I can ride down to the beach and watch the sunset. It just seems as though I have more time to do things here.
Coming to Australia was very daunting; I knew that it would not be easy. I was worried about not finding work, was not sure where we would live, how the system worked etc. I was very negative about coming to Australia. There are a few things that surprised me in a good way that taught me a lesson. Never believe the negative hype, try and make up your own mind, yes and sometimes you will have to take a risk in moving somewhere in order to know if it is for you or not. Life is too short not to move. Both Melanie and I wanted to get settled as quickly as possible, so we found a place to rent and started looking for work straight away. I thought that Melanie would find work quickly and I would be without work for months, guess what, I found work quickly and it took Melanie 2 months to find a suitable job. Just by the way I am a Technology Consultant and Melanie is in Event Management. The first couple of months being here was quite hard but that was to be expected. We lived with basically nothing until our stuff arrived, but when it arrived, things started falling into place. We also knew one person, and she was a friend from London that had also moved to Melbourne. Her family had moved to Melbourne a few years back, so meeting them as well also helped a great deal.
There is one thing that will always be the hardest part for me and that is not having my family with me. They live in South Africa and I miss them terribly and that is something I do not think I will get used to. But I know I have to live my own life and live my own adventures, so I try and not to dwell on it.
I have come to really love Melbourne; I like the weather, the culture and especially all the nice places to eat. I like it that after work I can go and sit on the beach for an hour and just chill out. I like it that it does not take me forever to get from one place to another. I like it that people are friendlier here and that striking up a conversation is also easy. I like it that when I want to get away for a day, it’s only an hour or two and I am in the mountains or in a forest.
I do not have rose tinted glasses on and I never have. I have, as I said before lived in other countries and I know moving somewhere is not easy. Australia is not perfect but compared to other places I have lived, it’s perfect for me. Melanie and I are still going through our getting settled stage. She has found another job which is more suited to her and is loving every minute, I on the other hand am still with the same company and am getting to know Melbourne quite well since my work takes me around Melbourne most days. We do not have many friends as yet but compared to where we were 5 months ago, we are not doing to bad.
So moving to Melbourne has been a good decision for both Melanie and I, it has taught me to sometimes trust and to also let go.
Gary & Melanie
Coming to Australia was very daunting; I knew that it would not be easy. I was worried about not finding work, was not sure where we would live, how the system worked etc. I was very negative about coming to Australia. There are a few things that surprised me in a good way that taught me a lesson. Never believe the negative hype, try and make up your own mind, yes and sometimes you will have to take a risk in moving somewhere in order to know if it is for you or not. Life is too short not to move. Both Melanie and I wanted to get settled as quickly as possible, so we found a place to rent and started looking for work straight away. I thought that Melanie would find work quickly and I would be without work for months, guess what, I found work quickly and it took Melanie 2 months to find a suitable job. Just by the way I am a Technology Consultant and Melanie is in Event Management. The first couple of months being here was quite hard but that was to be expected. We lived with basically nothing until our stuff arrived, but when it arrived, things started falling into place. We also knew one person, and she was a friend from London that had also moved to Melbourne. Her family had moved to Melbourne a few years back, so meeting them as well also helped a great deal.
There is one thing that will always be the hardest part for me and that is not having my family with me. They live in South Africa and I miss them terribly and that is something I do not think I will get used to. But I know I have to live my own life and live my own adventures, so I try and not to dwell on it.
I have come to really love Melbourne; I like the weather, the culture and especially all the nice places to eat. I like it that after work I can go and sit on the beach for an hour and just chill out. I like it that it does not take me forever to get from one place to another. I like it that people are friendlier here and that striking up a conversation is also easy. I like it that when I want to get away for a day, it’s only an hour or two and I am in the mountains or in a forest.
I do not have rose tinted glasses on and I never have. I have, as I said before lived in other countries and I know moving somewhere is not easy. Australia is not perfect but compared to other places I have lived, it’s perfect for me. Melanie and I are still going through our getting settled stage. She has found another job which is more suited to her and is loving every minute, I on the other hand am still with the same company and am getting to know Melbourne quite well since my work takes me around Melbourne most days. We do not have many friends as yet but compared to where we were 5 months ago, we are not doing to bad.
So moving to Melbourne has been a good decision for both Melanie and I, it has taught me to sometimes trust and to also let go.
Gary & Melanie
Nov 9th 2005, 7:58 am
#2
Account Closed
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 671
Re: Here we are 5 months on in Melbourne
Gary,
A great post, thanks and well done!!
It is always reassuring to read others accounts of their adventure!!
The reasons you state for being happier sound very much like my own for moving. Less traffic, better quality of life and TIME to actually DO other things!
Keep on enjoying it!!!
A great post, thanks and well done!!
It is always reassuring to read others accounts of their adventure!!
The reasons you state for being happier sound very much like my own for moving. Less traffic, better quality of life and TIME to actually DO other things!
Keep on enjoying it!!!
Nov 9th 2005, 8:04 am
#3
mamacares
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 201
Re: Here we are 5 months on in Melbourne
I do not have rose tinted glasses on and I never have. I have, as I said before lived in other countries and I know moving somewhere is not easy. Australia is not perfect but compared to other places I have lived, it’s perfect for me. Melanie and I are still going through our getting settled stage. She has found another job which is more suited to her and is loving every minute, I on the other hand am still with the same company and am getting to know Melbourne quite well since my work takes me around Melbourne most days. We do not have many friends as yet but compared to where we were 5 months ago, we are not doing to bad.
So moving to Melbourne has been a good decision for both Melanie and I, it has taught me to sometimes trust and to also let go.
Gary & Melanie[/QUOTE]
Nice post! Thanks for sharing. Wearing off those rose tinted glasses, one can see the beauty and reality of living in Melbourne. We can't wait to go back next winter and even our kids can't wait.
Have a nice stay...
Cheers,
Hannah
So moving to Melbourne has been a good decision for both Melanie and I, it has taught me to sometimes trust and to also let go.
Gary & Melanie[/QUOTE]
Nice post! Thanks for sharing. Wearing off those rose tinted glasses, one can see the beauty and reality of living in Melbourne. We can't wait to go back next winter and even our kids can't wait.
Have a nice stay...
Cheers,
Hannah
Nov 9th 2005, 8:16 am
#4
Just Joined
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 24
Re: Here we are 5 months on in Melbourne
Hi Gary & Melanie
Really glad to hear you are settling well. My wife and I and heading out for a recce trip in two days (very excited!) with a view to moving out next year. We currently live in London so your post was especially relevant - and reassuring!
cheers
Jason
Really glad to hear you are settling well. My wife and I and heading out for a recce trip in two days (very excited!) with a view to moving out next year. We currently live in London so your post was especially relevant - and reassuring!
cheers
Jason
Nov 9th 2005, 8:20 am
#5
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2005
Location: Mornington
Posts: 1,650
Re: Here we are 5 months on in Melbourne
Hi Gary
A great post, we move to Melbourne next week, 19th November. And although I have all my family out there it is still daunting and I worry about exactly the same things you did. Will I be able to find work, will Julie be able to find work, making new friends etc.
I also drive round London every day and you do just get used to the traffic and the time it takes to go a mile or two and one of the silly things that is worrying me is finding my way around Melbourne, which considering I can find my way around 90% of London without an A to Z is a bit stupid
Its good to see a positive post about moving without the rose tinted look about it. Were abouts in Melbourne have you settled ?
John
A great post, we move to Melbourne next week, 19th November. And although I have all my family out there it is still daunting and I worry about exactly the same things you did. Will I be able to find work, will Julie be able to find work, making new friends etc.
I also drive round London every day and you do just get used to the traffic and the time it takes to go a mile or two and one of the silly things that is worrying me is finding my way around Melbourne, which considering I can find my way around 90% of London without an A to Z is a bit stupid
Its good to see a positive post about moving without the rose tinted look about it. Were abouts in Melbourne have you settled ?
John
Nov 9th 2005, 9:01 am
#6
Victorian Evangelist
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Melbourne, by the beach, living the dream.
Posts: 7,704
Re: Here we are 5 months on in Melbourne
Originally Posted by Gary_Sun
Well my wife and I have been here 5 months now and I cannot believe how fast time has flown by. It feels like yesterday we were hassling with all the details of the visas, police checks and medicals and of course all the money it took to get here. I must say though it has been worth it. I have lived in a few places around the world and I think that Australians have a very good life here. I am South African and my wife Melanie is from Birmingham UK, we meet when I was living in Israel, but that's another story on its own. For last 5.5 yrs we both lived and worked in the UK. After 5yrs living in London, I kind of got used to the way life. We had made very good friends and we were kind of settled, so moving again to another country seemed hard at the time. I had a fairly good job; I knew the market quite well and made a few contacts. So going to Australia seemed as though it would take a lot of energy, especially starting from scratch again. In London, I was quite used to traveling to a clients site that would take me anywhere between 1.5hrs to 3hrs traveling time (Due to traffic of course). I would then need to do a full day’s work and still drive home. This after awhile became normal for me and I kind of just dealt with it. Over here anything over 40 minutes traveling time is considered a sleep over. When I first started working here I would arrive at a client’s site 30-40 minutes before my appointment simply because I was not used to the traffic here. It now takes me about 20-25 minutes to get to a clients site, and what a pleasure that is. Living in London gave me no lifestyle whatsoever; all it seemed was that my days were filled with work and travel. The one thing I can say is that my lifestyle has improved dramatically since moving here. I have taken up Aikido (Japanese martial arts) 3 times a week and after work I can ride down to the beach and watch the sunset. It just seems as though I have more time to do things here.
Coming to Australia was very daunting; I knew that it would not be easy. I was worried about not finding work, was not sure where we would live, how the system worked etc. I was very negative about coming to Australia. There are a few things that surprised me in a good way that taught me a lesson. Never believe the negative hype, try and make up your own mind, yes and sometimes you will have to take a risk in moving somewhere in order to know if it is for you or not. Life is too short not to move. Both Melanie and I wanted to get settled as quickly as possible, so we found a place to rent and started looking for work straight away. I thought that Melanie would find work quickly and I would be without work for months, guess what, I found work quickly and it took Melanie 2 months to find a suitable job. Just by the way I am a Technology Consultant and Melanie is in Event Management. The first couple of months being here was quite hard but that was to be expected. We lived with basically nothing until our stuff arrived, but when it arrived, things started falling into place. We also knew one person, and she was a friend from London that had also moved to Melbourne. Her family had moved to Melbourne a few years back, so meeting them as well also helped a great deal.
There is one thing that will always be the hardest part for me and that is not having my family with me. They live in South Africa and I miss them terribly and that is something I do not think I will get used to. But I know I have to live my own life and live my own adventures, so I try and not to dwell on it.
I have come to really love Melbourne; I like the weather, the culture and especially all the nice places to eat. I like it that after work I can go and sit on the beach for an hour and just chill out. I like it that it does not take me forever to get from one place to another. I like it that people are friendlier here and that striking up a conversation is also easy. I like it that when I want to get away for a day, it’s only an hour or two and I am in the mountains or in a forest.
I do not have rose tinted glasses on and I never have. I have, as I said before lived in other countries and I know moving somewhere is not easy. Australia is not perfect but compared to other places I have lived, it’s perfect for me. Melanie and I are still going through our getting settled stage. She has found another job which is more suited to her and is loving every minute, I on the other hand am still with the same company and am getting to know Melbourne quite well since my work takes me around Melbourne most days. We do not have many friends as yet but compared to where we were 5 months ago, we are not doing to bad.
So moving to Melbourne has been a good decision for both Melanie and I, it has taught me to sometimes trust and to also let go.
Gary & Melanie
Coming to Australia was very daunting; I knew that it would not be easy. I was worried about not finding work, was not sure where we would live, how the system worked etc. I was very negative about coming to Australia. There are a few things that surprised me in a good way that taught me a lesson. Never believe the negative hype, try and make up your own mind, yes and sometimes you will have to take a risk in moving somewhere in order to know if it is for you or not. Life is too short not to move. Both Melanie and I wanted to get settled as quickly as possible, so we found a place to rent and started looking for work straight away. I thought that Melanie would find work quickly and I would be without work for months, guess what, I found work quickly and it took Melanie 2 months to find a suitable job. Just by the way I am a Technology Consultant and Melanie is in Event Management. The first couple of months being here was quite hard but that was to be expected. We lived with basically nothing until our stuff arrived, but when it arrived, things started falling into place. We also knew one person, and she was a friend from London that had also moved to Melbourne. Her family had moved to Melbourne a few years back, so meeting them as well also helped a great deal.
There is one thing that will always be the hardest part for me and that is not having my family with me. They live in South Africa and I miss them terribly and that is something I do not think I will get used to. But I know I have to live my own life and live my own adventures, so I try and not to dwell on it.
I have come to really love Melbourne; I like the weather, the culture and especially all the nice places to eat. I like it that after work I can go and sit on the beach for an hour and just chill out. I like it that it does not take me forever to get from one place to another. I like it that people are friendlier here and that striking up a conversation is also easy. I like it that when I want to get away for a day, it’s only an hour or two and I am in the mountains or in a forest.
I do not have rose tinted glasses on and I never have. I have, as I said before lived in other countries and I know moving somewhere is not easy. Australia is not perfect but compared to other places I have lived, it’s perfect for me. Melanie and I are still going through our getting settled stage. She has found another job which is more suited to her and is loving every minute, I on the other hand am still with the same company and am getting to know Melbourne quite well since my work takes me around Melbourne most days. We do not have many friends as yet but compared to where we were 5 months ago, we are not doing to bad.
So moving to Melbourne has been a good decision for both Melanie and I, it has taught me to sometimes trust and to also let go.
Gary & Melanie
Excellent post. Most encouraging.
Nov 9th 2005, 9:01 am
#7
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Cremorne, Sydney
Posts: 706
Re: Here we are 5 months on in Melbourne
lovely post thanks for taking the time to write it, I love hearing how people are getting on with their new lives
Nov 9th 2005, 9:56 am
#8
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2005
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 2
Re: Here we are 5 months on in Melbourne
Originally Posted by jond
Hi Gary
A great post, we move to Melbourne next week, 19th November. And although I have all my family out there it is still daunting and I worry about exactly the same things you did. Will I be able to find work, will Julie be able to find work, making new friends etc.
I also drive round London every day and you do just get used to the traffic and the time it takes to go a mile or two and one of the silly things that is worrying me is finding my way around Melbourne, which considering I can find my way around 90% of London without an A to Z is a bit stupid
Its good to see a positive post about moving without the rose tinted look about it. Were abouts in Melbourne have you settled ?
John
A great post, we move to Melbourne next week, 19th November. And although I have all my family out there it is still daunting and I worry about exactly the same things you did. Will I be able to find work, will Julie be able to find work, making new friends etc.
I also drive round London every day and you do just get used to the traffic and the time it takes to go a mile or two and one of the silly things that is worrying me is finding my way around Melbourne, which considering I can find my way around 90% of London without an A to Z is a bit stupid
Its good to see a positive post about moving without the rose tinted look about it. Were abouts in Melbourne have you settled ?
John
Don't worry about finding your way around Melbourne. The best gadget I ever bought was my GPS. I actually used it in London when I was there and now brought it over. If you decide to buy a GPS rather wait till you get here. I am using the Garmin GPSmap60cs with Australian maps installed. I like this GPS because I can take it anywhere with me, cycling, hiking, boating and course driving. There are others which are purely for the car. I terms of getting around Melbourne now. I am finding that I use my GPS less and less, since it is not that hard to find your way around Melbourne once you have driven around it a few times, however there are times where I got myself a bit lost so I had to pull out my GPS.
Gary
Nov 9th 2005, 3:34 pm
#9
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2005
Location: Mornington
Posts: 1,650
Re: Here we are 5 months on in Melbourne
Originally Posted by Gary_Sun
Hi John,
Don't worry about finding your way around Melbourne. The best gadget I ever bought was my GPS. I actually used it in London when I was there and now brought it over. If you decide to buy a GPS rather wait till you get here. I am using the Garmin GPSmap60cs with Australian maps installed. I like this GPS because I can take it anywhere with me, cycling, hiking, boating and course driving. There are others which are purely for the car. I terms of getting around Melbourne now. I am finding that I use my GPS less and less, since it is not that hard to find your way around Melbourne once you have driven around it a few times, however there are times where I got myself a bit lost so I had to pull out my GPS.
Gary
Don't worry about finding your way around Melbourne. The best gadget I ever bought was my GPS. I actually used it in London when I was there and now brought it over. If you decide to buy a GPS rather wait till you get here. I am using the Garmin GPSmap60cs with Australian maps installed. I like this GPS because I can take it anywhere with me, cycling, hiking, boating and course driving. There are others which are purely for the car. I terms of getting around Melbourne now. I am finding that I use my GPS less and less, since it is not that hard to find your way around Melbourne once you have driven around it a few times, however there are times where I got myself a bit lost so I had to pull out my GPS.
Gary
I was thinking of buying one when we get out there, thanks for the info. I have always avoided one in the UK as I feel that coming from London I should be able to find my way around with just a map
John
Nov 9th 2005, 5:06 pm
#10
¤¤¤ • ¤¤¤ • ¤¤¤ • ¤¤¤
Joined: May 2004
Location: Frankston South, Victoria
Posts: 2,867
Re: Here we are 5 months on in Melbourne
Originally Posted by Gary_Sun
Well my wife and I have been here 5 months now and I cannot believe how fast time has flown by. It feels like yesterday we were hassling with all the details of the visas, police checks and medicals and of course all the money it took to get here. I must say though it has been worth it. I have lived in a few places around the world and I think that Australians have a very good life here. I am South African and my wife Melanie is from Birmingham UK, we meet when I was living in Israel, but that's another story on its own. For last 5.5 yrs we both lived and worked in the UK. After 5yrs living in London, I kind of got used to the way life. We had made very good friends and we were kind of settled, so moving again to another country seemed hard at the time. I had a fairly good job; I knew the market quite well and made a few contacts. So going to Australia seemed as though it would take a lot of energy, especially starting from scratch again. In London, I was quite used to traveling to a clients site that would take me anywhere between 1.5hrs to 3hrs traveling time (Due to traffic of course). I would then need to do a full day’s work and still drive home. This after awhile became normal for me and I kind of just dealt with it. Over here anything over 40 minutes traveling time is considered a sleep over. When I first started working here I would arrive at a client’s site 30-40 minutes before my appointment simply because I was not used to the traffic here. It now takes me about 20-25 minutes to get to a clients site, and what a pleasure that is. Living in London gave me no lifestyle whatsoever; all it seemed was that my days were filled with work and travel. The one thing I can say is that my lifestyle has improved dramatically since moving here. I have taken up Aikido (Japanese martial arts) 3 times a week and after work I can ride down to the beach and watch the sunset. It just seems as though I have more time to do things here.
Coming to Australia was very daunting; I knew that it would not be easy. I was worried about not finding work, was not sure where we would live, how the system worked etc. I was very negative about coming to Australia. There are a few things that surprised me in a good way that taught me a lesson. Never believe the negative hype, try and make up your own mind, yes and sometimes you will have to take a risk in moving somewhere in order to know if it is for you or not. Life is too short not to move. Both Melanie and I wanted to get settled as quickly as possible, so we found a place to rent and started looking for work straight away. I thought that Melanie would find work quickly and I would be without work for months, guess what, I found work quickly and it took Melanie 2 months to find a suitable job. Just by the way I am a Technology Consultant and Melanie is in Event Management. The first couple of months being here was quite hard but that was to be expected. We lived with basically nothing until our stuff arrived, but when it arrived, things started falling into place. We also knew one person, and she was a friend from London that had also moved to Melbourne. Her family had moved to Melbourne a few years back, so meeting them as well also helped a great deal.
There is one thing that will always be the hardest part for me and that is not having my family with me. They live in South Africa and I miss them terribly and that is something I do not think I will get used to. But I know I have to live my own life and live my own adventures, so I try and not to dwell on it.
I have come to really love Melbourne; I like the weather, the culture and especially all the nice places to eat. I like it that after work I can go and sit on the beach for an hour and just chill out. I like it that it does not take me forever to get from one place to another. I like it that people are friendlier here and that striking up a conversation is also easy. I like it that when I want to get away for a day, it’s only an hour or two and I am in the mountains or in a forest.
I do not have rose tinted glasses on and I never have. I have, as I said before lived in other countries and I know moving somewhere is not easy. Australia is not perfect but compared to other places I have lived, it’s perfect for me. Melanie and I are still going through our getting settled stage. She has found another job which is more suited to her and is loving every minute, I on the other hand am still with the same company and am getting to know Melbourne quite well since my work takes me around Melbourne most days. We do not have many friends as yet but compared to where we were 5 months ago, we are not doing to bad.
So moving to Melbourne has been a good decision for both Melanie and I, it has taught me to sometimes trust and to also let go.
Gary & Melanie
Coming to Australia was very daunting; I knew that it would not be easy. I was worried about not finding work, was not sure where we would live, how the system worked etc. I was very negative about coming to Australia. There are a few things that surprised me in a good way that taught me a lesson. Never believe the negative hype, try and make up your own mind, yes and sometimes you will have to take a risk in moving somewhere in order to know if it is for you or not. Life is too short not to move. Both Melanie and I wanted to get settled as quickly as possible, so we found a place to rent and started looking for work straight away. I thought that Melanie would find work quickly and I would be without work for months, guess what, I found work quickly and it took Melanie 2 months to find a suitable job. Just by the way I am a Technology Consultant and Melanie is in Event Management. The first couple of months being here was quite hard but that was to be expected. We lived with basically nothing until our stuff arrived, but when it arrived, things started falling into place. We also knew one person, and she was a friend from London that had also moved to Melbourne. Her family had moved to Melbourne a few years back, so meeting them as well also helped a great deal.
There is one thing that will always be the hardest part for me and that is not having my family with me. They live in South Africa and I miss them terribly and that is something I do not think I will get used to. But I know I have to live my own life and live my own adventures, so I try and not to dwell on it.
I have come to really love Melbourne; I like the weather, the culture and especially all the nice places to eat. I like it that after work I can go and sit on the beach for an hour and just chill out. I like it that it does not take me forever to get from one place to another. I like it that people are friendlier here and that striking up a conversation is also easy. I like it that when I want to get away for a day, it’s only an hour or two and I am in the mountains or in a forest.
I do not have rose tinted glasses on and I never have. I have, as I said before lived in other countries and I know moving somewhere is not easy. Australia is not perfect but compared to other places I have lived, it’s perfect for me. Melanie and I are still going through our getting settled stage. She has found another job which is more suited to her and is loving every minute, I on the other hand am still with the same company and am getting to know Melbourne quite well since my work takes me around Melbourne most days. We do not have many friends as yet but compared to where we were 5 months ago, we are not doing to bad.
So moving to Melbourne has been a good decision for both Melanie and I, it has taught me to sometimes trust and to also let go.
Gary & Melanie
Lovely to hear you're really enjoying Melbourne life.
Hope to sample it myself next year!!!!
D D
Nov 9th 2005, 5:18 pm
#11
The Godfather
Joined: Feb 2004
Location: South East Suburbs of Melbourne
Posts: 7,336
Re: Here we are 5 months on in Melbourne
Ive sampled it for 6 years now. Never get fed up of it.
Back to your fav BBQ this weekend DD.
Back to your fav BBQ this weekend DD.
Nov 9th 2005, 6:41 pm
#12
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 567
Re: Here we are 5 months on in Melbourne
Great post Gary, it certainly has made me feel a bit more positive about our move. My husband and I are moving to Melbourne at the end of the month and I'm feelign quite jittery to say the least, thanks Kathy
Nov 10th 2005, 1:29 am
#13
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Here we are 5 months on in Melbourne
Originally Posted by Gary_Sun
Well my wife and I have been here 5 months now and I cannot believe how fast time has flown by. It feels like yesterday we were hassling with all the details of the visas, police checks and medicals and of course all the money it took to get here. I must say though it has been worth it. I have lived in a few places around the world and I think that Australians have a very good life here. I am South African and my wife Melanie is from Birmingham UK, we meet when I was living in Israel, but that's another story on its own. For last 5.5 yrs we both lived and worked in the UK. After 5yrs living in London, I kind of got used to the way life. We had made very good friends and we were kind of settled, so moving again to another country seemed hard at the time. I had a fairly good job; I knew the market quite well and made a few contacts. So going to Australia seemed as though it would take a lot of energy, especially starting from scratch again. In London, I was quite used to traveling to a clients site that would take me anywhere between 1.5hrs to 3hrs traveling time (Due to traffic of course). I would then need to do a full day’s work and still drive home. This after awhile became normal for me and I kind of just dealt with it. Over here anything over 40 minutes traveling time is considered a sleep over. When I first started working here I would arrive at a client’s site 30-40 minutes before my appointment simply because I was not used to the traffic here. It now takes me about 20-25 minutes to get to a clients site, and what a pleasure that is. Living in London gave me no lifestyle whatsoever; all it seemed was that my days were filled with work and travel. The one thing I can say is that my lifestyle has improved dramatically since moving here. I have taken up Aikido (Japanese martial arts) 3 times a week and after work I can ride down to the beach and watch the sunset. It just seems as though I have more time to do things here.
Coming to Australia was very daunting; I knew that it would not be easy. I was worried about not finding work, was not sure where we would live, how the system worked etc. I was very negative about coming to Australia. There are a few things that surprised me in a good way that taught me a lesson. Never believe the negative hype, try and make up your own mind, yes and sometimes you will have to take a risk in moving somewhere in order to know if it is for you or not. Life is too short not to move. Both Melanie and I wanted to get settled as quickly as possible, so we found a place to rent and started looking for work straight away. I thought that Melanie would find work quickly and I would be without work for months, guess what, I found work quickly and it took Melanie 2 months to find a suitable job. Just by the way I am a Technology Consultant and Melanie is in Event Management. The first couple of months being here was quite hard but that was to be expected. We lived with basically nothing until our stuff arrived, but when it arrived, things started falling into place. We also knew one person, and she was a friend from London that had also moved to Melbourne. Her family had moved to Melbourne a few years back, so meeting them as well also helped a great deal.
There is one thing that will always be the hardest part for me and that is not having my family with me. They live in South Africa and I miss them terribly and that is something I do not think I will get used to. But I know I have to live my own life and live my own adventures, so I try and not to dwell on it.
I have come to really love Melbourne; I like the weather, the culture and especially all the nice places to eat. I like it that after work I can go and sit on the beach for an hour and just chill out. I like it that it does not take me forever to get from one place to another. I like it that people are friendlier here and that striking up a conversation is also easy. I like it that when I want to get away for a day, it’s only an hour or two and I am in the mountains or in a forest.
I do not have rose tinted glasses on and I never have. I have, as I said before lived in other countries and I know moving somewhere is not easy. Australia is not perfect but compared to other places I have lived, it’s perfect for me. Melanie and I are still going through our getting settled stage. She has found another job which is more suited to her and is loving every minute, I on the other hand am still with the same company and am getting to know Melbourne quite well since my work takes me around Melbourne most days. We do not have many friends as yet but compared to where we were 5 months ago, we are not doing to bad.
So moving to Melbourne has been a good decision for both Melanie and I, it has taught me to sometimes trust and to also let go.
Gary & Melanie
Coming to Australia was very daunting; I knew that it would not be easy. I was worried about not finding work, was not sure where we would live, how the system worked etc. I was very negative about coming to Australia. There are a few things that surprised me in a good way that taught me a lesson. Never believe the negative hype, try and make up your own mind, yes and sometimes you will have to take a risk in moving somewhere in order to know if it is for you or not. Life is too short not to move. Both Melanie and I wanted to get settled as quickly as possible, so we found a place to rent and started looking for work straight away. I thought that Melanie would find work quickly and I would be without work for months, guess what, I found work quickly and it took Melanie 2 months to find a suitable job. Just by the way I am a Technology Consultant and Melanie is in Event Management. The first couple of months being here was quite hard but that was to be expected. We lived with basically nothing until our stuff arrived, but when it arrived, things started falling into place. We also knew one person, and she was a friend from London that had also moved to Melbourne. Her family had moved to Melbourne a few years back, so meeting them as well also helped a great deal.
There is one thing that will always be the hardest part for me and that is not having my family with me. They live in South Africa and I miss them terribly and that is something I do not think I will get used to. But I know I have to live my own life and live my own adventures, so I try and not to dwell on it.
I have come to really love Melbourne; I like the weather, the culture and especially all the nice places to eat. I like it that after work I can go and sit on the beach for an hour and just chill out. I like it that it does not take me forever to get from one place to another. I like it that people are friendlier here and that striking up a conversation is also easy. I like it that when I want to get away for a day, it’s only an hour or two and I am in the mountains or in a forest.
I do not have rose tinted glasses on and I never have. I have, as I said before lived in other countries and I know moving somewhere is not easy. Australia is not perfect but compared to other places I have lived, it’s perfect for me. Melanie and I are still going through our getting settled stage. She has found another job which is more suited to her and is loving every minute, I on the other hand am still with the same company and am getting to know Melbourne quite well since my work takes me around Melbourne most days. We do not have many friends as yet but compared to where we were 5 months ago, we are not doing to bad.
So moving to Melbourne has been a good decision for both Melanie and I, it has taught me to sometimes trust and to also let go.
Gary & Melanie
Nov 10th 2005, 3:13 am
#14
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Joined: Sep 2004
Location: Melbourne since 2003
Posts: 1,014
Re: Here we are 5 months on in Melbourne
Seffas are taking over this forum
Glad things are going well. It only gets better.
Glad things are going well. It only gets better.
