Lifestyle question
 

On the 'life will be better when we get to Oz' theme. Is this necessarily true. We have a pretty OK existence here in the UK and are happy with our lot. We have no urgent need to leave here but are desperate to get there. Will life only be better there if you feel you need to leave here and are looking for something better? Is it still reasonable to assume that as long as you make of it all you can life will still be as good or better over there?

I am just having concerns that unless you really hate this place living over there will not be the same.

Blegs

Re: Lifestyle question
 

It entirely depends on what you are into. I have English friends here in Sydney who absolutely adore it here, even after many years, and swear they will never ever go back. You could never meet happier people and if they posted to this forum I think you guys considering coming over would be hailing a taxi to the airport. They are professionals who had a very comfortable existence in the UK and thoroughly enjoyed their lives there too. I don't believe you have to be running away from something to enjoy it here. In fact I think if you are it may be a hindrence because you'll be bitter if coming here does not solve all your problems. The people who seem to settle here are those who were happy in the UK and come with an open mind.
We were chatting about it the other night and what it boils down to for our friends is that they are obsessed with sailing and fishing, hobbies they had in the UK but which were much harder work to enjoy and made them cold, a lot! They brought a nice lump of pounds with them from the UK and have a very very high standard of living, far better than most locals, including owning their own yacht and they are both only 30. For them being able to do their favourite hobbies in the sunshine and being a cut above the average in the standard of living stakes is far more important than being 'just average' and near their families (which to be fair they described as a real "irritation" when they were nearby, so I guess they are not as close as some families). My wife and I are wired very differently to these guys, are from much closer/happier families and are generally far less passionate people when it comes to hobbies. We have had a good go at getting into sailing, boating, fishing, surfing and bushwalking and the like. We've had a great deal of fun doing all these things but fundamentally can't get obesessive about these pastimes like our friends. Hate to portray us as weedy pasty people as we are not, but we are both have fair Northern hemisphere skin and the sun here is too strong for us. We went sailing last Sunday for 3 hours on an overcast day with hats and factor 30+ and I've got sun blisters on my nose. This tends to dampen our enthusiasm for pastimes that involve being under a blazing Sydney sun all day long. Our friends are both quite dark skinned and sun tan obsessed so for them its absolute heaven here. They do literally describe Sydney as their "heaven on earth" and they never ever stop smiling, which is fabulous to see and makes them great people to be around.
For us being near our families, proximity to Europe and being able to go outside without getting third degree burns are bigger priorities than outdoor hobbies. For others its quite the reverse and I dont think you can really know what type of person you are until you get out here and have a go.

Re: Lifestyle question
 

Have you applied for your PR? If so, and you are having doubts, why not rent out your home in the UK for a year and rent in Oz. Get some casual work (or permanent if you can find it) and treat it as a "working holiday". That way, you will be able to integrate fully into Australian Society and Culture, find out if its for you without burning all your bridges. If you love it (and many do) then you can always sell up in the UK and make the move permanent. If you don't feel it's for you (and many don't) then you've lost nothing, had a life-enriching experience, and will return to the UK far more settled (hopefully).

Personally, life over here is not "better" for us. It is "different".

Re: Lifestyle question
 

Bleg, the key to it all is not to come here thinking you are moving to Paradise. I love OZ (I am one), but if you come with too high expectations, you will probably feel let down. Australia is a great place to live, but you have to come with your eyes open and give yourself time to settle in and make some new friends. I have found the key to enjoying another country is friends - they sure help. Only you can decide if it is the place for you. I have been fortunate with the place I have lived in (other than India and Bangkok)I loved them all. It took time to settle in, but have enjoyed my time learning about different cultures and ways of life. You don't have to hate your place of living to move away from it, it is all a learning experience and if I had the chance I would still be travelling to other countries to see what they are like :)

Re: Lifestyle question
 

Blegs, nobody can tell you if you're going to like it here, or dislike it. Only you can do that.
For everyone who hates it , there is another who likes it here, and vice versa.

I can not boil it down simply, to why I dislike it. There are numerous reasons. I loved Wales, but I also loved Asia (so that dosen't fit in with your definition if you love the Uk, you'll hate other countries) but I dislike Australia, I won't say hate, because that isn't true, there are some good points which I enjoy. it just isn't for me that's all.

I think if you're looking for something better, you will not find it. Life is what you make out of it. If you're unhappy in the UK, you will be unhappy anywhere in the world. Each country around the world hold different things. There is no easy way to define why some people like a country and others don't.

You need to decide for yourself, like others have said, don't burn your bridges. Take a long holiday out here, or rent your house out in the UK.

cheers:)

Re: Lifestyle question
 

Ceri, I agree with 95% of your post. Maybe Blegs will like it better in Australia. You can be unhappy in one country and be happy in another, which you have found out :) and so have I

Re: Lifestyle question
 

yip, it's not easy defining something. there is no rhyme or reason... no hard rules to why someone likes it, and another dosen't. Each person needs to decide for themselves. Plus you've got the added thing it really does depend where you go in Australia. I've said before I do dislike Brisbane, but I liked Newcastle in NSW

It really does depend on only you, nobody can really tell you if you're going to like it.

cheers :)

Re: Lifestyle question
 

Can you not move back to Newcastle or somewhere else in OZ?? Maybe then you will grow to like it again. :)

Re: Lifestyle question
 

It's the company, we originally came here to Aus to move to Brisbane... setting up a branch. But, ended up the first year staying in Newcastle, because things were not ready, a bit of an unplanned stop :).

If the company was there, yes I'd move back down that way, maybe Newcastle would p*ss me off after a year... who knows, I was only there for a year, but much preferred it. We were also thinking of moving up to Gladstone, to open a branch there... gawd knows, just find Brisbane is utterly not what it's cracked up to be.... too many points to actually go into at the moment.

cheers:)

Re: Lifestyle question
 

We had a chance of moving to Brissie, but didn't do it. After what you have said maybe be better off......but then again after listening to what PB said about Perth wouldn't move there either. Just goes to show. I love Perth, but I am a local :D All people like different things, I think I would probably like QLD as well, but maybe not as much as Perth :)
Maybe one day they will transfer you to Perth and you can prove PB wrong.......I'd like to see that :)

Hope you are reading this PB:)

Re: Lifestyle question
 

I have a mate from Perth, and he say's the coastline is beautiful... further up from the main city area, further up the coast, good fishing too.cliff drops.

Actually perth is not such a bad idea, I've never been there.....PB, got a drink set up on the bar for me too? I'll have a pint of kilkenny(if you can get them in perth)... none of these schooner measures thank you:D.. lol

Cheers... I've really got to go, and shift my ass! I'm skiving off here :)

Re: Lifestyle question
 

I gotta go too it is after midnight here.. Night night or dayte day..whatever :D

Thanks for all the replies guys. You have put some thought into all this and it is invaluable for me to hear from you.
We have no illusions of moving to paradise. We have spent quite a bit of time in the last 12 months in Adelaide where we have family and now friends. I agree with the importance of friends to intigrating into the new surroundings. We are in the process of applying for a 457IE. When this is through we will sell up and move with a view to not returning. If it does not work out well at least we gave it a go.

The attraction for us, which echoes a little of what Herman says, is not the outdoor actvities, sports etc, but with 3 toddlers it is the attitude of the people we have met over there, the space, the chance for a higher standard of living and, of course, the wine.

We intend to burn all our bridges by selling the business and house and starting again. This was my problem. We have it pretty good and will be giving up a lot. But to us money is not everything. Spending time with the kids and helping them grow up in a safe and stimulating atmosphere is paramount. I may be wrong and I may be ignorant of the facts but if I strongly believe that I can get this by selling up and moving to Oz then Iam certainly going to do it. If we decide to come back and the bridges are burnt we will build a raft.

This may be seeing things through rose coloured glasses and it may be expecting too much but what an advenure it will be and even if it does not work out the kids will surely have had a valuable life experience.

Thanks for your time guys, it was nice to talk to you.

Blegs

Re: Lifestyle question
 

Geez Blegs, you shoulda said you have already been here, we may have not prattled on so much :)

Looks like you are going to move, so keep in touch and let us know how things are going :)

All the best and have fun :D