Hi there,

We've been in Brisbane for 8 months now, and dont hate it, but not 100% to live here for the next 10 years and to buy a house here.

The trouble is my old company in London has offered me a job and for a bit more money as well. I could start at the end of January.
The main issue is that even if we stay here say another 3-4 years there is no guarentee in the future I can get a job before we move back to the UK and thats what I need. As I have credit cards to pay etc, I can't afford even a month off, I just need a continuation.
I'm in I.T and in coming here I was able to get the job in Brisbane before coming to Australia via two telephone interviews and a video confencing interview, but it doesn't appear to work the other way. Most job agencies in the UK say "When will you be back in the UK?". My answer is I'm not coming back until a job is secured before moving back.

A lot of UK companies want face to face interviews, so it would mean I would have to fly back on my own just to have an interview and leave my wife and two kids and even then no guarentee of getting the job. Also I've applied for lots more jobs and no one seems to be barking.


So thats my fear for the future is when we would want to come home, we can't as I cant secure a job before leaving Australia.

Thats why I'm considering my old company which has offered me a job.

On top of all of this is that my wife if we fly back will be 24 months pregnant.

Airlines says its fine as long as its not in the 1st Trimester, or after 32 weeks, drink plenty of fluids, and walk around a lot in the plane. But you can't sit near the exit door for safety reasons and you can only try and book the bulkhead seats for exit leg room, but priority is given to women with small babies as they need to use the baskinnets. Airlines dont seem to care if your pregnant. Business Class and 1st Class are out of the question being so expensive, there is preimum Economy class which has a better seat on the A380 but not much leg room.

So do you have the risk of you can't come back, or the get on the plane with my wife pregnant. Also the old company was very highly paid and with 2 kids, its all about the money at the end of the day.

Alistair.

Not quite sure how your typo should read but if 2 to 4 months pregnant then I would say that wouldn't be a problem flying or being too uncomfy etc.

Did you move to Australia for the money?

Would you seriously move back to UK for the money? What about the cost to get here, and get back?

I agree with you ... I wouldn't move without a job but the jobs only a small part of life (well for us anyway).

Good luck!

If your not happy here (enough to settle and make it your permanent home) AND you've got a good paying job to go back to (that presumably you'd be happy with) then GO! Obviously your previous UK employer thinks highly of you, and you're starting a family. The more secure you can make your world, the better.

Good luck and keep us posted

If you arent convinced that you want to grow old here then take the money and run! It wont be an awfully comfortable experience for your wife but maybe you can break up the journey with a couple of days stop over. With a new bub on the way too, your wife might be grateful for a better social support network than she has probably been able to garner here in Aus in her relatively short stay.

I'd be on the plane tomorrow if it were me but, then again, I know this isnt the place I want to stay in but am trapped here because we didnt take the opportunities to return when they arose.

Qantas Premium Economy has loads of legroom....it's pretty much what business class used to be like years ago. However it will cost you at least double the cheapest economy ticket. If you do book it, make sure you don't end up on any codeshare flights operated by BA - World Traveller Plus is definitely not as good a product. If you really want to go business there are ways at the moment of doing so for far less than the cost of PE ticket!

Take the offer and go! One of the biggest worries about moving back is how easy would it be to get a job, so if you are toying with the idea of going anyway, and now there is a job being mentioned........I'd be on that plane

If you want to go, go. Nobody on here can make up your mind for you. You sound as if you know what you want and are expecting to have it verified by total strangers. Questions such as yours have come up on a number of occasions and the usual replies are posted but it must be yours and your wifes alone, especially with baby on the way. I don't intend to sound harsh but what does anybody elses opinion matter. You do what you think will be best for you family and I wish you the very best in whatever decision you come to.

I would think it would depend on you deep down reasons for not being settled.

We've all seen some people at 8 months who are not settled but later love it....we also see people who stay unsettled.

Some ping pongers post that they were just out of their comfort zone and retreated back to home familiarity before realising they should have worked through those feelings. Others report staying but regretting it later. So I guess your real deep down feelings are what counts as it seems the truth pops up later if you ignore it.

24 months pregnant
Bloody hell, what's she carrying in there???????????

So can anyone remind me why they would even contemplate moving back to the uk......?

The baby must like it in there or does'nt want to face the outside world

Go man go home !!!!!!!!

Because, contrary to what you may have heard, Australia isn't God's gift to mankind and not everybody likes it. The stats seem to suggest that a quarter of all UK migrants to Australia return home, for whatever reason that may be.

Because for some its not what they want in life. Although I would not pee on the UK if it were on fire personally, I can completely respect why some people feel its better for them given personal circumstances.

Australia has a lot of down sides to it. Its a question of balance against your own needs no matter which country you live in around the world.

I returned yesterday from a short trip to London and spent a great 6 days enjoying the central London lifestyle. Restaurants, bars and an urban lifestyle which make Australian cities look like deserted social wastelands. I would not however want to live there again. Horses for courses.