Thomaz

Thanks, especially for the offer to look into furnished accommodation for us – any information would be greatly appreciated.

Our trip up the East Coast was more of a holiday than a fact-finding mission and we actually spent most of the time when we were not in car at the Gold Coast – had a great time there as you can imagine with two kids. With regard to the journey I was a little apprehensive about making such a trip with two young children - Shellharbour to Brisbane is around 1200 Kms - but I have to say the kids were great. I feared the worst however when not more than an half-an-hour into the journey my five year old daughter started the “Are we there yet daddy?�…. Now as parents we try to be as truthful as possible to our offspring but I could only manage my usual “Won’t be long now darling�. After about the tenth time of asking I resorted to “Ask your Mum!!�.

After two nights at Surfers Paradise we drove to Nerang mainly because we had seen it on the ABC TV programme “A New Life Down Under�. Our favourite family on it, the Singletons, moved there so we thought we would have a drive around the suburb. Never spotted them unfortunately (I guess by now there is more chance of seeing them in Blackpool) but did stop off at the high school which the children on the show went to and took photos of ourselves posing outside it. Sad eh?

From there we drove to Brisbane. After a drive around the City we found ourselves in Paddington. After stopping at a newsagent to buy a map, we headed for Indoorophiily. Someone at work had mentioned it as a nice suburb to live. We liked it although found the property prices almost on a par with Wollongong/Shellharbour (it is very close to the City though). My wife also has a preference for newer rather than established suburbs so after spending a couple of hours at the big shopping mall (which was an experience after five months sampling the little Wollongong has to offer) we headed North East and got as far as Brighton before time ran out and we started on the return journey. Never found any new developments but we saw enough. Really did like the feel of the place and I don’t think the humidity would be too much of an issue. My wife and I both love the fact that Brisbane has a sub-tropical climate and the feel at least reminded us a little of Durban, South Africa where we lived for a short time back in the eighties.

Anyway to sum up - it was a good trip and exactly what I needed after five months in Wollongong (really sorry if I have upset any people from the South Coast area - there really are some good things about it but it's just not for me).

Phew, managed a post without mentioning the words ‘scared’ or ‘trapped’ (that doesn’t count ‘cos they’re in quotes). Yes, I am feeling a little more position about things – and even the exchange rate has picked up a bit! Could there be a new trend I wonder? (I’m not holding my breath in case it’s yet another false dawn of which there have been quite a few during the last nine months). Come to think of it, I suppose I’m alienating a few people going on about my desire for the pound to strengthen against the dollar – importers and certainly anyone reading this planning to return to the UK soon and will be wanting a strong Aussie dollar (and I could be doing the same thing in six months time only the exchange rate will not matter to me by then…no dollars left!). Yep, there are always winners and losers in everything and I guess the thing I have been trying to fight against most is that I’ve been feeling like such a big loser since I got here.

Thanks to everyone who has provided words of encouragement - it really has helped.

Who knows, maybe the tide has turned?

Roll on April.

ABCDiamond

I know the feeling well, we did the trip a few times, and my daughter would have been 5 and 6 at the times. We tended to leave Sydney at about 8pm, after she fell asleep. I'd carry her to the car, and she would wake up when we were half way there, so we'd stop for MacDonalds, and then promise her another one a bit later, she'd then go back to sleep. I think we were very lucky with her.

Until the last trip that is !! Because we left late in the morning after our removalist had finished, we ended up having to stop overnight at Coffs Harbour, because I knew the constant "are we nearly there" was going to kill me !! My wife and daughter went down to Sydney just before Christmas, but rather than drive them this time, I suggested they fly ! Much easier

Thomaz

Thank’s for replying to the CGT questions Don.

I'm no expert and you have given better advice than I could have but I would just like to say something with regard to returning after spell in Oz having rented out your UK residence whilst away:

I was under the impression that you would be liable for CGT (to the Inland Revenue) on any capital gains made on the property whilst it was rented. The advice I was given was to have it valued prior to renting it out then on your return have it re-valued. The amount that the property has increased in value during your time away is the amount that is subject to CGT.

I could of course be completely wrong.

Don

It depends. For example, there is a 3 year concession, ie if you rent it out for less than 3 years and the propertyit was your principal private residence first, then you re-occupy it as your ppr, you should normally escape CGT.

Amazulu

I've been through this, you are mostly correct, but you don't need to re-occupy.

helenmaine

That's interesting. We have already rented ours out for 2 years, so if we were to rent for more than another one and then sold it, for example 5 years later, would we be liable to CGT on any gain for the whoel period, or just for the time past the 3 years?

Do you know if there is any way to get round this?

Timber Floor Au

Just cum bac mate ,

if the SUMIT of ya problems is exchange rate ffs, get out !!

sorry sounds hard but , im sure wen jacques villeneuve gets in a F1 car he dont think about its RESIDUAL VALUE, get on with ya LIFE !! concentrate on makin ya kids happy !!!

Thomaz

Tfn although I suppose my original post asked for a response like that.

Then again at that stage I wasn’t asking for opinions on whether I should stay or go so I’m assuming you are giving your advice after reading the rest of it. Strange how you think therefore the exchange rate is the ONLY thing I’m concerned about.

If money was a major factor in my decision to come to Oz I would never have spent out thousands on shipping, flights, car rental, furnished accommodation etc. etc. or given up a job for one paying over a third less than I get here for longer hours, less annual leave and more stress.

But I did and I’m here and trying to make the best of it. Not easy.

And what has Jacques Villeneuve got to do with the price of bread? (pretty high here as it happens).

Nice analogy... I wish I could relate to it.

Florida_03

I'd just like to know why???

Thomaz

Why do you ask?

Do you think the only reason people are in Australia is because they were SENT here against their will?

If you really want to know, why don't you start a new topic entitled:

"Why do people with good jobs and happy lives give them up to come to Australia?"

I'm sure you'll get lots of replies.

Florida_03

No...I don't really care, thanks...you on the other hand obviously had something in mind when you moved here. I was merely trying to stimulate you into reconsidering those thoughts as they may have got lost in the fog of misery.

Thomaz

You say you are trying to stimulate me…

Do you really think after reading my posts that there isn’t a minute of the day goes by when I’m not re-thinking my reasons and agonising over what to do next?

I said right at the start I feel that I screwed up by emigrating but I did what I thought right at the time. Some things I could foresee and some I couldn’t. My main reason for coming to Oz – although you say you don’t really want to know – was because I felt that my children would have a better future in Australia. I still feel that to be the case but I also want to provide for them the best I can – e.g. a decent home, visits occasionally to see their grandparents and later on, assist with their college fees. So the money is one aspect of all that - most of all though they deserve happy parents – something my wife and I have never had a problem with but are striving to achieve at the moment. Nevertheless, I thought I had shaken off the ‘miserable’ tag with some of my later posts. Obviously not.

You sound as if you are genuinely trying to help so thanks for that but if you really don’t want an answer then please don’t ask the question.

Don

Re-occupying may lead to extra relief. Anyone keeping their UK home to rent out, and who may sell it and move back to the UK before they have completed 5 tax years as a non-UK-resident, should read IR283 http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/pdfs...ains/ir283.pdf

HUP

Nah I don't think F03 was really trying to be helpful. I think they were just trying to get a rise out of you (A bit like the Aussie rates later this week.......maybe)

steve & dee

Dont know if this will help, but the thing is, moving country is not a cut & dry situation, this I realised myself after living there for 8yrs & then coming home, unable to settle here so hoping to go back again. I came back home( u will always call where u r from HOME by the way), cos I really missed my family, but when I got here I realised I missed tonnes about Aus. aswell. What I wish someone told me is , that where ever u decide to live, here or there, u r sacrificing something!! What u have to figure out is which is more important to u. I know I will miss my family like crazy, especially as my mam is ill right now, but they wont be here forever, so I have to get on with my life, thats not as harsh as it may sound but you do have to do your own thing & my parents & family give their support on this. I also tell myself that they can visit too. I think you are being a bit hard on yourself saying that u have screwed up, for one, I'm sure you did not make the descision to go on your own, & u did it for all the right reasons. You must give the whole family a chance to settle. What makes u think u or your wife must find your dream job straight off, why dont you get jobs that pay the bills but that wont stress you out for now. The children are probably unsettled cos they can see ye are stressed out. We have struggled for the last few yrs about whether to go back or not & we've decided to go, I still hope to god we are doing the right thing. It was only when we got on the plane to come home 6 yrs ago, did my husband realise that he did not want to leave, so he refuesd to talk to me for the next 8 hrs!! We are talking again though!My final feeling is, that you dont know unless you try it, but you must give yourselves a chance to settle, & stop being so hard on youself. Moving country is tough eneough as it is, let alone with your wife & kids to think of, but I think you should take credit for been brave eneough to make that move in the first place. I certainly do not envy your predicament, & I wish you lots of luck Deirdre