Steve_23

Hi

I am wanting to move to perth Australia but I'm struggling to convince my wife it would be the best thing for our family especially our 2 children who are 4 and 6. We have been to Perth twice and even got married there 3 years ago, we all loved it but living somewhere isn't the same as just a holiday. I just feel it would be a great place to bring up our children, any info, pro's on lifestyle, schools and work etc (and cons I suppose) would be greatly appreciated.

I am a refrigeration and air conditioning engineer so hopefully would be able to find work easily enough one I got all my tickets and assessments.

Steve

teza

With a wife unwilling to move to a city full of unemployment due to mining boom over, I'm sorry to burst your bubble. Emigration is hard on the best of relationships, so think hard if it's worth it. And you're right, reality is nothing like holday.
I wish you best but you are wanting to move to an area that had great boom and that's over now my friend.

quoll

Unless she is busting a gut to go, you aren't doing her any favours browbeating her into acquiescence. No, not an inherently better life just a different one and one in which you (and she) will have to be very independent and self sufficient and quite firmly selfish. Your kids shouldn't be disadvantaged in the long run but neither will they likely be advantaged. Perth - not such a great option these days and people seem to be moving in the opposite direction more than anything.

Bottom line, if she doesn't want to go, don't make her.

Kapri

I badgered my husband to come here for years and he really didn't want to.
Now he loves it here, has gone native and would never go back to the UK to live.

A word of warning though: in my experience, men generally settle more easily than women. If your wife has family and friends that she is very close with and sees regularly, she may struggle.

Ultimately though, no one knows until they try!

the troubadour

A recipe for disaster if one part of a relationship hasn't there heart and soul into the move. Relationship breakup being very common among those that move.


Australia is going through a bad patch with little end in sight and Perth in particular.
If both are not on the same frame for future issues that will likely arise, proceed with caution.


You are correct in saying it is far removed from being on holiday.

Bermudashorts

You cannot possibly know whether it will turn out for the best. I think that children are greatly deprived by the absence of extended family and you have to weigh that up against more sunshine or whatever it is that you feel is better in Australia. I am the daughter of migrants and have always been sad that I did not know my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins and I get more conscious of that as I get older, I am 46 now.

I think it is ok for one person to be a little more keen than the other, but to make this work you both need to be willing. If you are struggling to convince your wife then don't do it. Not if you value your marriage. If your wife came o here with her side of the story, I would tell her not to move under any circumstances as she could get trapped because of the children.

the troubadour

The feeling of ' being trapped' , is an all too common comment from those with kids that migrate. Remember depending on age the kids will more likely become ' Aussie' or even known in one instance both the kids relocated to Europe, leaving their aged parents here in Perth on their tod.

verystormy

I have just spent 8 years living in WA and recently returned to the UK.

The first thing is I would agree with the others that I would not go down this unless you are both 100% for it. I have seen a LOT of marriages break up as a result of attempting is without.

Next, it is a good place to bring up kids, but no better than the UK. Just different.

People think the weather is wonderful, but, mid summer can be just too hot and people find themselves pretty much hiding from the heat. I reached the point that I dreaded summer.

It is a very expensive process and a lot of people, like us, find they end up back in the UK, but having to start again from scratch.

I certainly wouldn't say employment is a given in the current economic climate - WA has some serious issues, including employment, at the moment due to the end of the mining boom

Amazulu

As you say, it's a great place to live but the economy is struggling at the moment and work may be hard to come by. It won't always be like this but right now, it's tough

Some points:

You've both got to want to do it or it may not work - then again, it could. We're all different

Come for the pull factor (which is kind of what you posted anyway)

Perth is a great place to raise a family, one of the best available in the western world IMO

Good luck