Clacfart

Aaahh lucky for him and his wife are Australian and some of their children live over there still.

Still, quite a stressful process to go through

Ozziechris

You might be surprised then just how many Australians choose to make the UK their home. There are a surprising number that have no love for the bush and the beach and look for something deeper. Australia isn't some sort of paradise, believe me if it was we would still be there

Clacfart

Haha, fair point!! To be fair I am not moving to Aus because of the beaches.... I dislike sand! I can't fully express my reasons, just a yearning I've had for a long while.

sr71

The UK is a fantastic place to live, the centre of the world for many things.

I’ll ask another question. How many genuinely wealthy and successful middle to upper class people emigrate from the UK to Australia?

Clacfart

What is your definition of wealthy and successful?

I see myself as successful, but by definition of others that could differ. I mean I have a masters degree in my vocation. I have a career that is highly unlikely to go un-needed

As for wealth, I'm not wealthy by any means. Although I am pretty set up money wise (I won't need a mortgage for what I want anyway). However, wealth to me isn't about money. Of course it plays a role but I consider wealth having a strong family, have a good job etc

Ozziechris

Yes I get what you are saying, it is almost always in the opposite direction for those people as the UK just offers so much more.
Look at the Australian 'stars' that have moved here permanently, the list is long and distinguished.

Ozziechris

OK, when you first made the decision what one thing was the light bulb moment ? The thing that started you off on the journey to getting your visa ? It can't be a whim like it used to be because it's an expensive process.

Clacfart

It was when I was a first year student (so quite some time ago). I was speaking to a midwife who had just come back to the UK after having spent 4 years on a temp visa as a midwife. She absolutely loved it. The midwifery is the big driver here. I'm quite stumped on furthering my career over here in the UK. Australia has better midwifery ethics albeit a little more obstetric when in a hoapital (just based on research by myself and speaking to midwives who have worked out there).

The homebirth teams are incredible (the ones who have made contact with me in regards to work experience).

Don't get me wrong, I'm under no illusions that 'the grass is greener', everywhere in the world has their own issues. I could stay here, go onto do my PhD (I've already looked at universities in adelaide).

Australia appeals to me on a personal front too (well, lets be honest... California would have been my first chiice having spent months of this year over there)
I am an outdoor person. As I've mentioned before I love to skydive. This year in the whole year I've done 52 skydives in the UK which is a little pants. I managed to do nearly 30 in one week when I was in California. I believe this is when the penny dropped and that I was going to start looking at moving away.

In the UK it's hard to get out when it's gails and low clouds the majority of the time. Seeing as I'm an outdoors person, it often leaves me feeling a little down. Furthermore to that statement as proud as I am to be British, I just don't enjoy the big cities like London.

Ozziechris

OK, well I kind of see where you are coming from. Don't ask my wife about her experience of giving birth in Australia
Gails and low cloud the majority of the time, really Don't forget you are talking to someone who lives here not a gullible Aussie
Thats fair enough though if you are an outdoorsy type, none of us really are. Well I am but not is a sporty way I just like looking for wildlife.
I'm with you though, don't like cities anywhere. I have a thing about sitting in traffic.

Clacfart

Okay, okay. It feels like most of the time when I'm off work and waiting for the cloud to clear before I can skydive haha THAT feels like forever.

Traffic too, that's a pain here. Don't get me started on the M1 (Although I'm grateful I don't have to use the M25)

Ozziechris

I live rural, a traffic jam for us is 3 cars and a tractor. I was reading a few days ago about our old local freeway in Brisbane, a 60 km tailback, I do admit to a sly smile
Where are you thinking of in Australia, Adelaide did you say ?

Clacfart

Aaahhh, I used to live rural. Gone are the days I only sat behind a tractor.

I'm looking at the surrounding suburbs of Adelaide. I wouldn't be able to handle the business of Sydney or QLD. Perth is a little tricky job wise but the quietness sings to me and I have friends there. However, work must dictate where I go x

Ozziechris

I couldn't imagine living anywhere with traffic again, Brisbane used to drive me mad, awful drivers didn't help.

I wouldn't live in Perth for all the money in the world. Same for Sydney but the surrounding area is nice. Adelaide is nice, stinking hot in the summer. I grew up in Victoria but don't know if I would live there again. Spent 12 years on the Southside of Brisbane and generally liked it.

the troubadour

Around a quarter of UK migrants return at some stage. About eighty to ninety thousand Aussie born emigrate every year. So lots of people leave Australia for a host of reasons.


In the case of Australians, better professional aspects abroad, far cheaper housing in say USA, where a number go.


It's not some Lotus Land you know. I've encountered Aussies living all over the world. I've a friend now a leading light in the Aussie Cambodia living community. She was back in Adelaide recently for medical reasons and couldn't wait to return to Cambo. There's a whole 'gang of them up that way living a life very different and far more affordable than Australia.


More Aussies are retiring in Bali. Near Australia and the pension goes far further there than in their former home. Still close enough for easy access.


Quite a few are kids of migrants that returned to their ancestral homes and seem to prefer it. I know a few in this category now living in Germany, one in Denmark , and even more in UK.


One Aussie fellow a knew many years back in London, moved due to problems with sun exposure. He and wife loved UK. A former colleague of my partners moved to Ireland and found it liked the craic so much he stayed on to where he remains with an Irish family now.


The worlds a rather small place these days. It's not that all don't like Australia, far from it, they have just found different lives with preferable opportunities elsewhere which is how it should be.

Clacfart

Quite a humbling post if I'm honest. If I turn up in AUSTRALIA and find it's not for me. At least I have tried it. Life is valuable so why not try. The UK will always be waiting for me, as will my career in the UK (my plan is to keep my UK registration as my Australian work hours count!!)

But as I said, it's an eye opening thread. Everyone is different. We all want different things from life. Happy New year by the way