pako

From working in London, and the type of job I do, I have met a lot of aussies and kiwis and have made some really great lasting friendships. I'm also married to an Australian and therefore have in-laws out there to.

I was just wondering how many of us know peeps down under and has it helped making the decision to leave the UK?

Brisben

Yep I have loads of relatives placed all over Oz, Melbourne, sydney, Brisbane and Perth, sure If I get a visa then it will make thing smuch much easier as I don't need to find a place to stay for a start, well not initially anyway. It must be much harder for those that don't.

claire33

Hi,

My brother and his family moved out to Perth 12 years ago, if he wasn't over there I dont think that we would of ever gone there for a holiday so would never of known what we were missing, also I personally couldn't of even thought about moving there if I hadn't already got some family to be there with.

Claire

Anastasia Beaverhausen

My hubby is Australian, and all his family live in NSW, mostly in sydney, but some on the illawara coast and bowral, southern highlands.

I cant imagine we will stay with them when we first get there. I doubt there will be enough room, but it does help to have an address in oz to put on all the application forms.

Claire
xx

KatieStar

I have family out here. My Nana and Pop and aunt emmigrated about 25 years ago. My sister has also emmigrated here. So I have them as well as two cousins.

We would have found it harder to settle in without there help and them being here made us feel it would be easier to emmigrate so encouraged us to apply. For example being told where the best places are to shop, how to join medicare etc, and in my case my aunt arranged doctors appointments for my pregnancy in advance of us moving out here.

I am full of admiration for people brave enough to come out here with no friends or family. This site does provide a great service for those in need of friendly advice when they move out here.

Katie

Geordie George

Are you going to be bringing all your Aussie friends from London to Aus with you? (Sorry - just took a few readings to get what you meant!) Kinda reading this as a two part question I suppose - Aussie friends in the UK as a push factor (unless they've returned), while rellies in Aus are a pull factor.

In my case, neither had any influence whatsoever. Have Aussie friends back in the UK (who are all very happy there and have no intention of coming to Aus), but that was neither here nor there in such a major life decision. Only family in Aus are some distant cousins or something in Perth on my hubbie's side. And I'm not about to go to Perth.

I guess our decision to leave the UK was about doing something new and different, that put us outside our comfort zone. So friends and family never came into the equation. Think Mr GG and I will be in a minority on that though.

GG

Brisben

No I don't think so, I mean we ar egoing not because of freinds of family but just like you want a new life expirience and if we like it we will stay nothing more , nothing less.

fraser

We have freinds in Melbourne, two who are very close that we consider them like family and then their whole circle of freinds who we also know.

KatieStar

Hubby and I found it made it easier having my aunt to stay with, stopped initial costs of renting fully furnished apartment. Plus gave us an Aussie address for medicare, TFN, bank accounts.

Katie

Geordie George

But how many people would still be so keen on going if they were in our situation? Family is often cited on the forum as a pull factor. And knowing not one single person in a country can be a kinda scary thought.

Zan

All my family are in Australia (mostly Sydney). but dh who will be the one emigrating has no family there, though gets on well with mine.
When I moved to the UK my brother was living here at the time, which I think helped (and sort of what put the idea in my head) but think I probably still would have come over even if he wasn't. (but then that was at 19, with no ties, children, etc).
Zan

Perthforme

Got a few mates in Aus and a few rellis, and while it will be great to see them ,i would say it has made no difference to my choice to move .
Just want to get out there and enjoy the ride

pako

Oh to clarify I have friends that I've made in London in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide...they are not my reasons for going but are a definite plus point..my decision is made and 100% happening, I just wondered about other people..

KatieStar

I would have been tempted to go in your position but would have found making the move harder esp with us having a baby on the way. It would have been far scarier. It was reassuring to know there would be rellies waiting for us at the airport.

I think you are very brave.

68MEVY

My inlaws are in Queensland. Hubbys mum is in Runaway Bay on Gold Coast, has been for 11 years. Hubbys sis and hubby and 2 kids are in Mooloolah on Sunshine Coast, they used to live in Brisbane and prior to that they were in NZ, they've been in Oz 7 years now, she met her hubby in NZ. Also hubbys bro and wife are in Labrador on Gold Coast, moved there 18 mths ago.

I'd never thought of emigrating before then I met hubby and we had a hol over there and loved it. He always wanted to go as the majority of his close family are there (his dad is here in Sheffield) but always thought it'd be a bit later in life. However I loved it, agreed to move over if we could so we looked into it and 2 years later decided to go for it. So here we are, with our flights booked in Sept but no visa as yet (she says with fingers crossed)

As it happens a cousin of my hubbys and her fiance are looking at going to Oz, they've just submitted their TRA. They come on here occasionally but I can't remember their user name.

A friend of ours has also convinced wife to go so they're looking into it now. They have 2 young 'uns and he joined this site a couple of days ago. My minds gone blank as to his user name aswell but he started a thread on Mackey yesterday ( I think )

By the time we get there I think everyone I know will be coming, everyone keeps asking how they go about it.

As for me, leaving my family has been a very hard decision but me and hubby have an understanding. There will always be enough money for atleast me to come back to the UK, it will be kept in a seperate bank account and never touched no matter how skint we are. There's also MSN and webcams of course. I don't see my family a great deal but we talk alot so that won't change, I just won't be able to pop over to see anyone if I happen to have the time.

Look at me writing a bloody essay, I'll sign off now.

Marie