Hutch

You're entitled to your opinion of course - but I find it reaaaaaaaaaally hard to believe that in all your time in Oz, the *only* thing that's impressed you.... is a birth certificate. Ah well - good luck with the move back.

arkon

10 months now Banjo. And we've had the whole gamut of experiences here from dog importing to having a baby, starting a business, buying a farm etc. As a result have experienced plenty to write home about.

arkon

Ok Hutch, I must be missing something out here, in your opinion what should I be impressed with out here, and don't mention the weather and pre paid postage as I've heard those ones before. Also put it into context for why its so good that I should have given up a very good life and job in the UK.

Mrs JFW

Flippin heck! whats so bad about it that you didn't know before you went?

Must be a nightmare for you.

Hutch

Haha. Hmmm ... no I don't think I'm about to justify *your* decision to move to Australia - like I said - everyone's entitled to their own opinions. I just feel that if the afore-mentioned birth certificate is the only thing that's impressed you in 10 months, you must surely be an incredibly negative person. Did you visit Australia before buying your 50 acre farm or was it an episode of New Life Down Under that inspired you?

aussie73

Are you moving back to the UK?

TopCat3

Arkon, I feel for you I really do. I know what it's like to live in the general area that you are living in - it did my head in, honestly. I couldn't get work, I really didn't want to anyway because then I'd have been committed to the area, (committed full stop, more like), the people had a very different outlook from city people and it didn't gel with me, they were very nice, but there was no buzz, no chemistry. It was very, very conservative, "ordinary" and kind of dumbed down, boring, no intellectual outlets. It's a family area or a retirement area. I am in neither category and until your kiddy reaches school age, neither are you in the sense of having acitivities structured around him and his friends/school etc. ( I think you said it's a boy forgive me if I'm wrong)
There just isnt the population base or the infrastructure and dollars there to support the variety of everything you need/want in life.

Don't give up on it yet, you might consider cutting your losses and finding somewhere that is a better "cultural fit" (horrid expression but best I can do at the mo) before you up sticks and return to UK - which also might not suit you. This is meant to be supportive, not lecturing, hope it doesn't offend.

Mid-north coast area is great for a visit/holiday but not necessarily everyone's idea of paradise to settle.Can be frustrating and hard work, I know.

So let's give Arkon some breathing space folks, esp those of us in cities - the divide between city/non-city Australia is a yawning chasm.

Mrs JFW

Why did you give up such a good life in UK? or did you not realise how good it was until you had left it behind?

banjo

we also had a baby here (2 mths after arriving) but too stingy to fork out for the better birth certificate.....kind of regret that now. I'm wondering what we missed. Oh well. Whereabouts in the country are you?

One of the things I love about Oz is the wildlife. We have two crimson rosellas that fly into the tree right outside the kitchen window a few times a day. They've been coming for months, and no matter how much they come I don't get tired of seeing them. Then last night we had a possum come down the chimney. He was running around the house trying to find a way out while my husband was trying to catch it in a sack with his gloves on.....very funny.

There's lots that could annoy me about Oz....but surely you like the wildlife??

Badge

good on ya Top Cat - for what's it worth, I had one of the best times there - mid coast. good on ya arkon keep us posted with your adventures

Badge

Amazulu

Being done already. We paid £5 & got a really nice 'presentation' birth certificate.

Hutch

Yea that's cool - was merely trying to get at the fact that somewhere along the line *something* impressed him enough to sell up his worldly posessions in the UK and move 12,000 miles around the planet to start a new life. Maybe focusing on that original reason would help. Maybe not. I'll go back to me cage now....

OzTennis

Get back in your Hutch anyway!

OzTennis

arkon

Why did I give up such a good life in the UK? Top question, and one that I've thought about a lot over the last 10 months or so. Partly doing the same job for 20 years meant I was desperate for a change. Yes the new live down under programmes played their part and an excellent holiday here in 2001 helped. Also I have a fatal character flaw, No I’m not negative like some on here would have you believe, but once I spend an significant amount of money I always see it through to the end rather than waste money! I know daft it might sound, but the agents fees and Australian and dog fees all added up to a ‘I have to go now’ figure. The wife also wanted to go and you men out there will know how much this will figure in any decision. Then that was compounded by a series of can’t turn back now events. Company sold (can’t go back now), House sold (can’t go back now), etc. So here I am. I think I picked and was hasty in buying here on the mid north coast but the wife found out she was pregnant within a week of landing so we panicked a bit and made a few rash decisions that will make it 10 times harder to go home anytime soon.

Mrs JFW

I think someone else mentioned before, is it possible you could perhaps try a different state ? it would probably be alot of stress uprooting again especially with a new baby, but might it be more pleasant somewhere else in the country. I wish you luck and congratulations to you and your wife on your new arrival.