warbs4

Don't be fooled by the traffic when in holiday mode, we thought Perth traffic was great. Believe me when you have to be somewhere by a certain time, it's as frustrating as hell.

MartinLuther

We didn't come on a reccie because we had kids. It's too expensive to fly them back and fore when you could save the money for getting you all home if you don't like it.

An alternative way of looking at it, is that we came for a 2 year reccie.

We came, we saw, it was better than we expected, we got citizenship, we spent the reccie money on something else...


(PS: not dissing people who do reccies - we're all different)

arkon

Too right. Came here on a month recce, during autumn so it wasn't too hot, there were no flies or mossies, We visited 3 of the big cities, didn't have to work, wasn't paying tax, didn't have to pay for the doctors or dentist. No bills, had no need to encounter any services or bureaucracy, didn’t get sweaty bollocks or sore chuff, never saw a snake or spider, never swallowed a fly. Never got a finger wagging from the traffic cops and never noticed all the druggies, bogans, ferrals and aborigines. In fact it was just like going on holiday!!

Then we got here and it was nothing like the holiday and all a bit of a disappointment really.

busterboy

I stand by what I said, 1 month living with the biggest moan in Australia (no, he doesn't post on here)! really did give us a reality check..constant 'do you believe how much this costs, they tax you for everything, demerit points', it went on and on. I came away with a realistic 'same sxit, shinier bucket' attitude.

You have admitted that you moved to the wrong place and I really hope that you are able to sell that farm.

Get some cream for your sore chuff!

Nomore

we did a reccie first too, but found it to be a complete waste of time too. On a reccie you don't pay bills, morgage, worry, etc....living here is the same as living anywhere where you pay bills etc, except the sun shines more and it is windier

Pollyana

I spent 2 days this week with a poster out here on a reckie - he had done lots of research, and been here before, and was basically looking at suburbs to make notes and weigh them up.
But there were a few things that came out of the two days that fit this thread - for one, he said, I want to go to a supermarket, and see it through the eyes of a Brit that shops here. Not through the eyes of his Aussie friend, who is used to things, but through the eyes of someone used to Sainsburys.
Another that comes to mind now, he collected me for our trips during the morning rush hour - and got stuck in an accident on the Gateway both days, traffic tailed back for miles.

Its things like that which make a reckie work. Would have been easy for him to just visit souvenir shops, rather than Woolworths and a greengrocers, and would've been easy for me to say I would meet him at 10am when the traffic had vanished, but he didn't, he wanted it as real as possible.

StellaDave

We done the same thing, we shopped for groceries in woolies and coles, we drove constantly all times of the day and night, visited a family member who was in hospital. We visited many family members in different areas, rockingham, wellard, a couple of other places I can't remember, yes we were lucky to have this. Going to pharmacies to get medicine for us, asking for help from the local halfords type shop re our car. drove from from Perth to mandurah, burnbury, augusta, walpole. It all made a difference and has cemented the idea in our mind why we are going to OZ. But we had thought out our trip before hand and had told family members there not to expect us out for a holiday, we wanted to do all these things by ourselves so we could get a good feel for the place.

I was in OZ when I was 11, my OH has never been to OZ and never wanted to go, we decided on the reccie as OH didn't want to move to a place she'd never seen before (fair enough), after 2 days there she decided she wanted to emigrate

So if you feel unsure and you want further confirmation IMO go on a reccie. and try to live during that reccie like you live there, doing all the boring stuff you have to do at home.

Dave

travelbug

I must agree with your other half here - i dont think that personally i could contemplate emigrating to OZ without doing a reccie. I have never been - although my partner has visited both his sister and her family numerous times alongwith having travelled around the country backpacking. We are thinking of doing our reccie (we've a few places in mind) out of summer season when the flights will be cheaper and i'm hoping that the places wont seem so holidayish if the weather's not brilliant!

monkeypeaches

We were lucky because we went for 6 months (WHV). At this point, we weren't intending to emigrate.

At first it was brilliant - beach every day, invited to barbecues, brand new hire car, typical holiday. Then we ran out of cash.

After staying with family for a few weeks we moved into a unit, bought a knackered old car and started work. It was only then that we really saw what it would be like to live in Oz. And to be honest, we didn't love it. Nothing stayed open late, there was no Starbucks, no bagels, the washing machine opened at the top :scared: We spent hours lamenting the state of journalism in WA and even longer laughing at the politicians. And don't even get me started on the bureaucracy After 6 months, bored and broke, we were ready to go home.

Then we arrived back in London, on a cold and rainy March morning. And it hit us - we actually had loved Australia, we just hadn't realised it. The things we thought were important really weren't. We quickly tired of a Starbucks on every corner, and we were so knackered from working all hours to be able to afford London rents that we didn't stay up long enough to appreciate the nightlife. OK I know that these are totally shallow reasons for liking or disliking a place, but we did consider the big things, and overall, we liked Australia better. Yes we were constantly broke there and living in a tiny unit, but we are constantly broke here and renting an even smaller flat that costs 6 times as much. So we decided to emigrate, and 3.5 years later we are almost there.

Anyway, after that rather long nostalgic waffle, my point is this: a short reccie will not be long enough to really experience Aussie life, the good and the bad. My mum, who has only been on holiday, has a completely different, and rose-tinted view of the place than I do. She thinks that houses are cheap and it's all walks on the beach and fish n chips in Fremantle. However, I'm always up for an adventure so probably would have gone without doing a reccie, got to 6 months then jacked it in. Don't think you can win really - my family out there say that 6 months is the hardest time (disillusionment, homesickness), but you really need to give it 2 years.

At least now I know I have my eyes open - I know what to expect and won't come back crying if it doesn't work out in the first year or two.

Rach xx

onepearlyb

Rach,
are you any nearer to geting your visa?? seems like ages that you've been "blank" on Dave's spreadsheet.

*pearly*

monkeypeaches

Nope, not a sausage! Don't mind though, just had a baby so in no rush to do meds! We were acknowledged 2nd May, so hopefully won't be too long now.

How's the wait treating you? Shouldn't be too long if you've frontloaded, you'll probably get your visa before us!

Rach x

busterboy

Stupid question I know. When in London for business and seeing people on the tube with prams etc. I always think raising a young child in London must be quite awkward. Is it any more difficult?

Margaret3

someone needs a hug again

aston man

i have been a member on this forum now for about 6 months and i have nothing but respect for everyone who i have come across.i would never want to upset anyone...but i have to say this...

i have read loads of posts on emigration,rekkis,should i go,shouldn't i,will i miss my family, etc.

i am really confused,do people expect the streets to be paved in gold?what do they expect?if it was such paradise do they not find it a little strange that the waiting list for applicants is only a year? its not going to be easy street ,if people have any apprehension what so ever or they are worried about leaving family and friends etc.behind, you shouldn't go.

we are going on a rekki to put put any apprehension we have, in the bin once and for all.
here are some of my concerns.

what house am i going to get for my money.i can have a look around the areas i can afford and see if there for me.

i am going to get some work experience and see if i an able to put money on the table every Friday

flys,i cannot stand em.so ill go and check it out..


and the Ozzie's can i live with em.or as its their country could they live with me..

yes we will treat our rekki as a holiday but we will also find out everything we need to..if you think life is going to be one big holiday then you need to try a different location,,,,planet mars...

if anyone is uncertain of anything no one on this forum is going to be able to make a decision for you,you need to get your own answers.

my motto about Australia,is,, expect nothing ,then everthing else is a bonus..

StellaDave

fantastic! I agree totally!