Simo429

Although were very early in the process all the talk with my OH is to move near her family in Melbourne.

Do people think this is the best option to help you settle more easily, the fact that you have a safety net already out there or does moving near family mean that you dont make as much of an effort to make new friends in new situations and sort of get in a rut as soon as you get there?

medwaymark

Hiya,

We go to Sydney in just over a week. We chose Sydney because I have family there....I don't think we would be making the move if it wasn't for their support and advice, so for us I think it's a good thing.

Ask me again when I have been out there a couple of months

JoolsB

Family (providing you get on well with them of course) will be a huge help as regards making your move easier and settling in faster.

All my family are in Sydney or Adelaide but we moved to Melbourne as Sydney is too expensive and Adelaide too quiet for us.

I have found it hard to settle in a strange city with no familiar faces and I feel it would have been very different had my family all been local. My aunt from Adelaide came to stay for a week recently and I felt so much more at home whilst she was here.

You dont have to hang out with them all the time of course & can still get out to meet new people but it's nice to know they're there!

Bix da Boss

It must be lovely to have some family close to where you are going in OZ. It will not stop you making new friends if you take the effort to do so. I know its hard to imagine until you are actually here but, rest assured, if you grab Australia for all it can offer you then your life will never be the same again Melbourne is a bit city and so much going on getting into a rut will not be on the agenda

At the end of they day, everybody has their own lifes to get on with but to have a family safety net over here must be a bonus for most people. Familiar faces and all that!

Go for it

quoll

Interesting question. I would actually opt for somewhere different. I married an Aussie and sometimes I feel there is a real disparity because he has his family here and I dont - not that I am envious but some days it seems really unfair because his mob are here and mine are not. We live a 10 hour drive away from his folks so it is not like we live in each others pockets but even with that distance between us I still get ticked off that his family support network is much closer than mine.

I know that may sound highly irrational but there are times when you do feel like the rank outsider. So I would go somewhere where the OH's family are not - more equity for both of you and you do then develop your own support network as a couple rather than one of you having it already done for them.

Timber Floor Au

Just a two penneth word of advice, possibly no interest to this thread...

We have had family in Bondi since late 60's ( ten pound poms )

Under the nominated sponsored portion of migration, they could have sponsored us...

However, we would have needed to reside in sam postcode as our sponsor ( possibly changed now )

Still havent got my head round that , but we chose not to... been here 4 years, never spoken, emailed or contacted them, or vice versa.... mind you I have never met them in my life.

Ste

Dorothy

My sister lives in Brisbane. There's a reason we live in Perth.

aussielot

Given the choice i would love to have family in Australia but it is strange how independent you become once you have settled without them and to jump back into a large family life i find difficult.

I miss them dreadfully when they are not hear but once we have got over the welcomes at the airport it is important to have the space you had before they come, i would recommend that if family move over or you move where family live then at least be in another suburb as you will make friends or feel that you are invading there space.

Initially you may feel alone but to make it here you have to be a little selfish and think of what is best for you in the long term.

Good luck

PoppetUK

We moved to WA one year ago. My husbands sister has lived over here for many years with hubby and 3 kids.

We mad the decision to live closer to them south of the river and I am glad we did. We don't see them every week but we do get the chance to have dinner at ours and really enjoy the company and having that "family" feeling so far away from all our other relatives. Definately made a difference on the kids birthdays, Xmas etc

For us its been good. It hasn't made a difference to making friends either.

BrisbaneBound2008

I have an auntie, uncle and 6 cousins in Brisbane and we are moving near them when we go. We'd visited Brisbane far less than Cairns or Sydney, but we fell in love with the place, and on our reccie had a good look round lots of areas, and actually found that where my auntie lived was great and would suit our lifestyle. They moved out there 2or
yrs ago, so they did all the looking about and obviously picked a good area! Saves us lots of the looking around that they did. We all get on well, and oddly enough we have seen more of them since the emmigrated (moved to NZ 8yrs ago) than when they lived in UK!

We will stay with them for a few weeks when we first arrive and help like that plus knowledge of paperwork type things will be invaluable. I don't think it will make us any less independent, but will proabably help widen our contacts!

If you know Melbourne would be good for you then go for it! Like other posters have said, you don't need to see them everyday!

Mazza12

My OH is from Sydney and although it is expensive and I may struggle to get a teaching job we will definitely be going there. I believe that having his family and friends close by will make a huge difference to me settling there. I don't think it will stop me making new friends, I expect to do that through work. So my opinion is that unless you really don't get on with your OH's family why not try Melbourne in the first instance and see how it goes.

tawkins1

My sister lives in the hills in Roleystone Perth and we have made the decision to live south of the river so we don't bump into her. (sister from hell!)
We are staying with good friends when we arrive in Oz My sister hasn't even congratulated us on our visa or asked about the move except that she doesn't want us popping in un-invited!!! (didn't say it to me direct but said it to a family member!) CHEEK!!!!!
We probably won't even tell her when we arrive (not that she'd wanna know!)

Bix da Boss

Brought a smile to my face reading your post
Family - dont you just love em It takes all sorts eh!
You just enjoy your new life in Australia

Geelong Gent

Personally I don't think making a location decision based on family would make the migration any easier.

Unless they are going to support you financially and provide a roof over your heads the benefit is more for moral support. That moral support can also be found amongest other expats and between members of your own family immigrating.

If your location and the family already resident are similar I would take that as a bonus, but not a necessity.

PS Glen Iris is a nice place and worth checking out

seanandmaria

We chose melbourne when we first arrived as OH's sister and her family lived there, i figured it was a support network to get us started and the times i'd met her both in aus and the uk we got on well.
However, she turned out to be a bitch from hell,
we moved to Adelaide 9 months later and wish we'd come here first

Maria