janeyray

Just had a heart to heart with hubby and have decided that we will give Perth 'a go' for a couple of years and then go back to the UK.

Now that we have decided this I feel like a massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders!!! I can't explain how it makes me feel!?

For me living here forever would mean a life away from our family and friends and having not given that much thought before we left, feel now that our life is with family and friends that we have grown up with.

We thought that our daughter (who was nearly 6 when we arrived) would be at the age to be adaptable to a 'new life' but how wrong we were. She complains daily about missing her grandparents, doesn't have any close friends as school and is generally not the happy, pleasant little girl that she was back in the UK. The other day she came to me and said that she wanted to live here forever because her mama (my mum) hadn't called in a while and didn't want her any more!!!
It makes me question what is going through her head to say such things and saddens me that she feels like this.

We live in a lovely house in a lovely area in Perth and it would be nice to have a house like this back in the UK, but the house doesn't make it a better place to live, nor does the beach or the sun.

We have decided that we will live here while my husband gains more qualifications and make the most of what we have got here, save hard and go back to the Uk when we have enough money to return.

We have made some lovely friends here and that has certainly helped us feel so much better. The lifestlye is great if thats what you want but for me it's far to slow and even a bit on the boring side!?? For all those coming over though, I don't really regret what we have done and I see this as an opportunity that many may not have.

Loopy

Hi Janeyray,

Two years is a long time in a little girl's life, who knows how she, or any of you for that matter, will feel when the time comes. How would you feel if after two years you think right time to go back now & she turns round and says she doesn't want to go? Something to think about.

I think a lot of us find Perth wasn't quite how we imagined it, for many reasons, it takes time to settle in & evaluate. We've decided to give it two years and then think about it. I can see a possible split decision of one of us wanting to go back & not the other, another thing that would be difficult. But, for now I'm not going to think about it and am going to continue enjoying my new home!

Loopy

DianeOZ

jane - sent you a pm.

By the way did Karen have the baby okay

d

dotty

Once you change your plan and make it a couple of years overseas instead of emigrating permanently, it does feel better. I too know its not for so much longer now and it does make it easier, for a start I can now laugh at all the little annoyances and bits I dont like. Since deciding it had an end, I actually quite enjoy my life here, doing the things I wont do in the UK. Its just a phase of my life that has taught me heaps and made me appreciate very strongly where I come from and how much my family mean to me.

As for your little girl, some kids dont adapt, if they love there family in the Uk, why would they, kids dont go "Oh the big house makes up for it", not like us adults at times. Kids are more honest, tell her its now a long holiday and she will have no trouble going back either.

Good luck to you and your family.

Ceri

There's a moral in your story for other people. Don't burn your bridges as Aus may not be for you. Holidaying here and living here are two different things. Also make sure you get citizenship before you leave here.. burning bridges works two ways too.

Have you thought about trying another part of Aus? You'd be surprised at the difference between different states/towns. I loved Newcastle in NSW but I thoroughly dislike Brisbane.

cheers

Wilf

I think one's marriage and family are the most important things and so I always do what is best for those first. I could live in a rabbit hutch, as long as it was with my dear wife and she left me half a carrot and didn't crowd the water bottle too much.

In my opinion, the UK is by far the greatest place in the world. You've got to maintain an interest in life to enjoy it and want to lead it and that is something that is easy to do there but hard to do here in this isolated place where the rest of the world does not exist. In the UK, your daughter would be able to become anything she wanted to be because the reality is the complete opposite of what people from the UK believe. Oz is a place with a limited outlook and choices are very limited and likely to become more so. It is the UK that is the true land of opportunity.

I think your 2 years policy is the best one for all immigrants here. Like Ceri says, that approach stops you from burning your bridges and I can assure you that something like half of the poms who end up staying here are not as happy as people like to think, and are often sort of trapped by fear, age, lack of money having earnt Oz wages for years. Two years is plenty of time and I would also agree that in that time you should do some travelling around Oz. Now that you are thinking it is just for 2 years, I bet you will get more out of the place than you would have done before and you seem to have started already.

All the best, Wilf

Kath

Good for you Jane! We've been through exactly the same process, Wilf is right get out there and see the country, we've been going through Lonely Planet etc. planning all our weekends / trips away as we know we'll be back in Blighty in a year or so!

janeyray

Thanks for all your 'kind' replys. I don't need to stay for 2 years to get citizenship as I was born in Sydney but will stay as long as we feel we can so as not to have 'wasted' to much money!!!!.

Wouldn't consider living in Sydney as I lived in London for a while and they remind me of each other!? Also the house prices are way out of our league!! Not really sure about other places to live and my daughter would feel just the same?

Before we do go back though we will try to see a lot more of this country as I'am sure it has many amazing places!
Thanks again!

rachels

Hi Ceri

Just out f interest, why do you "thoroughly dislike Brisbane" ?

We are due to arrive there very soon and it woud be good to know your thoughts

Cheers

Badge

It seems that family is the big thing that make people regret.

as my parents are divorced family will never be an issue for me.

My mother has been badgering me for years to buy her a house etc as she is skint as well so for me the further the way the better..

out of sight out of mind(!).The half of my family in Aussie are much nicer so for me it will work.

Also once more Perth seems to cause problems - a move to another state capital may be the thing.

Grwing up in a 2 bed council flat means that a rabbit hutch will never be enough for me. And that is all I can afford in London and the SE.

Badgers

suz

Hi Jane,
Yes, I understand where you are, we to think allot about wether we should make this move or not, someone the other day asked me what the worst case senario was, actually when I thought about it there was not one, we are happy here in UK and obviously have all the family and friends support, but I think we have to go to Perth and give it a go either way even if we end up coming back to the uk is fine with us, we are treating going to Perth as a big adventure (whats life all about without them?) if it works out for us then fine if not that ok to, Sasha and Sophie cant wait to meet your daughter we may not end up next door, but certainly they would love to meet up. Dont feel to badly, kids are so much more flexible than us. I have just sold my small business here, am hoping to start something similar up there, so if you are bored I'm sure I can find something for you to do.

Keep smiling,
All the best
Regards
Suzanne

WannabeWallaby

Hmmm, maybe I am a little bit more pragmatic than most having lived outside of the UK for eight years now but moving to Oz (or anywhere else for that matter) isn't a death sentence!!! It is not the one-way convict trip it used to be! I hope with all my heart that I will settle in Oz and stay forever but if it isn't to be then try something else. As it has been pointed out Oz is a big place, so if Perth is too dull then check out some other states before you chuck in the towel. I'm lucky (!) that I don't have any kids and my family in the UK are not that close so the distance is irrelevant although I realise that for someone for who those things are important it would be tough.

I don't mean to be harsh but I sometimes think that migrants are convinced that other places in the world is like Britain but with a different climate - THEY AREN'T - and are shocked. (My sister was like this when she came to Florida for a holiday - I think she expected Bournemouth with palm trees!).

I wish you all the best Janeyray, I too was born in Oz and consider myself very lucky to have this opportunity.

Wannabe Wallaby

whisky

I know that if I put the word 'forever' into this move, it would scare the pants off me. I have decided to think of it as the next phase in my life, and if it doesn't work, then I will come back.
I had this conversation at work yesterday, and forwarned them that I could quite easily be ringing up for work. I work on the hospital bank. I have already decided that I won't take my name off the list when I go to Oz, until I am absolutely sure that Oz is where I am going to stay.

Whisky

Zebra4

We said we'd give Perth 2 years. If it didn't suit us, we'd move on to another part of Australia or wherever. 2 years came & went and we're still here.

Why? Have been so busy! Got jobs OK but took the chance to try something completely different. There are so many opportunities here and you get buoyed up with the positive attitude of go for it, good on you, you'll be right. Always find people generally interested in you and very friendly & supportive. Everything is possible. Dare to dream and you'll find support here.

One thing is the multi culturism. You make friends with people from diverse backgrounds. Have lost track of how many nationalities we've met. You get a Swiss chalet built beside a Greek marble effort beside a Japanese house.

It's different, it isn't Britain. It's laid back, nothing's taken too seriously. It's easy to fall for the attitude here. Stay 2 years and Enjoy!

shania20

What a great message! Just when I was starting to feel doubtful about Perth, you restored my interest!
Its always great to hear from someone with a positive attitude.

Where abouts are you in Perth?