indooroopilly88

Purple

Hi,
I'm very new to this site only having discovered it by accident when looking for a removal company to send stuff from the UK to Australia.

My husband and I have been living in the UK for the last 4.5yrs. We are originally from Brisbane/Sydney and plan to head back to Brisbane - at least initially.

We are perhaps in the reverse situation to many people on this site, but in a way similar. You see, we are nervous about moving back!! We have really loved the UK, but now we have a 17mth daughter and in a few weeks a son. Our London house is already small and getting smaller by the day. It's coming down to a "quality of life" issue for us as we already have a house back in Brisbane to return to that's about 4 times bigger than where we currently live.

However, we are nervous about fitting back in. Every time we've gone back over the last few years, we've cringed at many of the Australian ways and customs.

I'd really like to hear any comments from people who have gone from UK to Australia and now end up coming back to the UK. Why did you come back? Was it more than family?

Our salary over here in the UK is (obviously) better than what we'll get in Australia. But we're getting to the point in life where money isn't the only issue. Do people think the UK schooling is better?

Any tips, hints or ideas would be greatly appreciated. We are planning to move back around mid-2005.

K

Hels

Hi,

Not sure if you know this, but there is a "Returning to the UK" forum also? You might get your questions answered there a little quicker and more thoroughly???

Hope this helps

Hels

moneypenny20

They should be useful, but don't let a bit of negativity put you off. They have all come back for different reasons and whilst some will be very keen to help and give an honest response others hated it for personal reasons and you may not get what you ask for.

All the best with your decision.

JAJ

Out of interest - what's your status in the UK? Are you British citizens or permanent residents (with Indefinite Leave to Remain)?

Jeremy

indooroopilly88

Hi Jeremy,

Both my husband and I hold dual citizenship i.e. Australian and British passports.

k

JAJ

So your child is British by birth, assuming you had British citizenship or permanent residence when she was born (almost certain given timescales). I presume you have registered her as an Australian citizen by descent?

Jeremy

mlbonner

Hi there K,

So would I be right in pressuming you're from Indooroopilly???! I worked in Milton for a while, there's buildings going up all over the place in that area, well in all of Brisbane really

As someone who's spent all but 18months of their life in England, I find a lot of the Aussie things "different" still. The whole 'nanny state' gets to me a bit. I also miss the variety and choice of certain things in the shops (though obviously, there are more of some things (seafood for one) as well)

I moved here for my Australian partner, not for the country per se. While I do really like it here on the whole, I do find myself wondering if I were be happier still in the UK with my partner - that is though more to do with family & friends than anything else.

The overall consenus seems to be that UK schooling is ahead in the early stages, but levels out and all 16/17year olds leave on a similar level. People who have primary school children in the UK and have brought them over here, have found they are generally at the top of their classes.

Making sure your children have dual passports if possible would be a big one

ABCDiamond

I think you may find that many of the people planning on moving here are the same as you; "Nervous about it", but also looking forward to it.

I am one of those that came over to Australia, then moved back to the UK, but then returned back to Australia again. If you follow my example, and you originated in Australia, then you may end up returning to the UK again

I reckon a lot of people just want something different for their lives, and a change of country certainly gives them that.

Regarding schooling, I have an 8 year old daughter here, and an 8 yr old neice in the UK, I could let you know how they compare against each other if I could work out a definitive, unbiased way
I am however, pretty happy with the comparison so far, but then I may be biased .

indooroopilly88

Hi again,

Yes, my daughter holds a British passport. She is also registered as an Australian citizen by descent. Also New Zealand as my DH holds the trifecta of citizenships ... not that the NZ one is any great advantage.

I have heard a lot of people say that the UK primary school academic programme is superior to Australia. However, Australia is more "physical" in its education. I would agree with that ... however it doesn't seem to be making much of an impact with the problem of obesity in children - or adults.

Every time we have been back to Australia over the last 4.5yrs, I have been astounded at the growing size of the average Australian. Also the all-consuming nature of American culture. Like last year, we were in Big W and there was this family (Mum, Dad and 2 kids). They obviously were having some sort of party and there were at least 20 x 2 litre bottles of COKE and FANTA passing down the checkout. Along with mega-size bags of chocolate, chips etc. etc. The entire family was overweight. The parents were obese. I felt so sorry for them ... but sadly this wasn't the exception!!

My husband and I looked emancipated compared to the other people in the shopping centre. It was a REAL eye-opener to see that the obesity epidemic that they talk about in the press is in fact a reality.

So, the theory that Australia encourages more sport in school children ... well .. what difference does it make?

My childhood was spent in Australia and my primary school years were very, very active. Lots and lots of swimming, netball etc. Everyone walked or rode a bike to school. There were very few "fat" kids. Now, most kids are driven to school.

In Brisbane, everyone drives everywhere. Yet in London, my DH and I don't even have a car. We walk or catch the tube/train ... but everyday there is lots of walking. Neither of us belong to a gym. Neither of us diet. Yet both of us are "underweight" compared to our Australian compatriots.

I recently read a report that said that within ten years, Australia would be the most obese nation on earth. Sadly, I can see that this is very true.

--
I don't know ... guess you can see that I'm not quite ready to go back to Australia! Yes, the weather is great most of the time. However, my aunt died a few months ago at 61yrs old from a melanoma (skin cancer). My sister had a melanoma removed from her leg (when she was a teen). My husband has had a growth removed from his neck.....

And my little girl (17mths) is as fair haired as an albino with blue eyes and skin that belongs in Scandinavia. Queensland is skin cancer capital of the world. I have lost count now of the people that I know with skin cancer.

Crime? Well, there's plenty of that in Australia too.... mainly gang rape .. if the press is accurate.

--
1. There are good things though ... the fruit and vegetables are much better than what we can get here at Tesco/Sainsbury in London.

2. It is nice not to have to rug up with so many clothes all year.

3. Hot days and dramatic summer storms.

4. Bowen mangoes, cheese twisties, musk life-savers, "The Financial Review", lorrikeets, kookaburras ....... and that fresh, fresh air !!!

But is it enough to go back permanently?

Well, I think that if my DH and I were say working as teachers, postmen, nurse or something like that .... we would definitely have a better quality of life in Australia and there would be no question.

But we run a business and the UK has better attitude to savings and tax than Australia. The Australian medicare system is turning into a USA system where only the rich can get good care. Not the Australia I grew up in.

How many people reading this realise that most doctors in Australia will now charge you around 10 pounds per visit? That might be okay if you rarely visit a doctor ...... but what if you have a chronic condition?

--
Mmm... I could go on and on....

k

ABCDiamond

14 May 2004 - ABB061/04 - March quarter bulk billing figures:
Bulk billing rates have increased by 1.8 percentage points during the first three months of this year to 68.3 per cent. This means that that two out of three visits to the GP are bulk billed (=No Charge).

The bulk billing rate for Australians aged 65 and over has also increased. In the March quarter the rate jumped 2.9 percentage points to 76.9 per cent, compared to 74 per cent in the December quarter. This means that more than three out of four visits to the GP for people over 65 are bulk billed.
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wc...-ta-abb061.htm

The national average cost of seeing a GP who does not bulk bill is $15.37

Sophie Louise

I'm moving to Brisbane with my boyfriend in May/ June time, and he is in a similar position to you, in that he is originally from Brisbane, moved to the UK in March 03, and will be 'going home' again.

He also has a few concerns about the move home, but is convinced that we will both have a better quality of life in Brisbane than here (Hampshire). I'm taking his word for it - as March will be my first visit to Oz!

The things he tells me he'll miss most about the Uk include:

Convenience - everything being so near. If we forget something while cooking then it takes 5 minutes to go to Tesco, get it, and come home. (Not so easy in Oz).

Charm - we have old pubs and villages here in the UK, that (he says) are unlike anything in Australia.

Job market - the ease of getting a job in the UK compared to in Oz.

But the things he assures me he won't miss are -

Traffic - we're way too over crowded for him on the roads and in shopping centres!!

Winters - we both ride motorbikes, and they've been off the road for most of the winter... (fairweather riders I know!)

Cost of living - we won't match our salaries in Oz, but they will go further.

Small houses - doesn't really need an explanation...

Not being able to go outside as often due to bad weather, or postponing outings - sometimes seasonally. (I start lots of conversations with him by saying things like "Ooh, in the Summer we'll have to go here...")

And the main reason is that we both want children in the long term, and the UK doesn't seem such a great place in comparison to Oz for this, simply down to lack of space and ability to be/ play outside. He also thinks children grow up too young in this country (UK) - that children are children for longer in Australia.

Not sure on the obesity front, as we don't walk much in the UK, but we're both pretty active with going to the gym/ badminton, etc. so I don't see it being much different in Australia.

I guess it's swings and roundabouts to an extent. I'm repeating a lot of things that my boyfriend has said, but I can't personally be much help as I haven't been yet!! Wish you all the best with the decision making, anyway.

Sophie

indooroopilly88

Hi Sophie,
Just reading your comments and have to say that I agree entirely with everything you've written. Are you going back to Brisbane? Sorry, you might have written that in your post ... but as I'm only a few weeks from giving birth to a baby and have mild anaemia .. my short term memory isn't what it was!!

We are definitely going to go back to Brisbane. Most likely this year (2005). We'll live there for a year and then make a decision on whether we move to Sydney or even Melbourne.

Our London house is too small for us as well as two little children. But we've had a great time over in the UK. It will be very sad to leave as we've come to love so many things about the UK.

I know that we will suffer from reverse culture-shock as we did this on our last holiday back in Feb 2004. We kept wishing to go "home" to the UK, which is something neither of us ever thought we would feel..... especially my husband who is a very outdoor person.

Although at the moment (Jan 05), he is desperate to go back to Australia as he loathes the British winter. For me, I don't really notice the weather that much any more as I'm too busy chasing my toddler daughter.

Good luck with your move too. K

PS. For the other post about medicare .... the experience we had in Brisbane was that it cost us $25.00 EXTRA per visit to the GP. We tried to shop around and all of the clinics were charging this extra fee i.e. 10 pounds to see the GP.

It may well be true that in parts of Australia the rate of bulk-billing is higher ... but not in the part we were in ... that's for sure.

Plus, how long do you really think that bulk-billing will stay for the average person? Most GP's are supposed to be getting only around $100-150K per year. Considering that middle managers in Australia are on this kind of money, it's a bit pathetic for all the training they have had to do. My sister is a GP and her attitude is that within five years, the concept of bulk-billing with no gap to pay, will exist only for the poor.

Australia's population is aging rapidly. Something has to give ...

JAJ

On the other hand, the rate of multiple sclerosis in places like Queensland is apparently much less than in cooler climates (even compared to Tasmania).

Jeremy

jad n rich

I was so determined not to answer any threads for a while (we have 2 lots of Pom visitors at the moment and trying to retain normality with a house load of 13!! ). However your thread is brilliant, I dont think we give anywhere enough thought to what we will be sacrificing to live here as well as what we gain.

Some of your points hit home so hard, we have an albino boy the original milky bar skin hair so white even his eyes are more silver than blue, and at eight hes about to have his second skin cancer removal. And we must be the most sun smart people in australia, to the extent that I am now wondering just how safe is it to constantly cover yourself in sunblock, anti insect sprays, live with so much pest control neccessity, we are surrounded constantly and constantly wearing chemicals!!!!! I never thought of that, 5 years on I do. I dont agree kids are always outside in australia, much of the time its too hot and they dont want to be outside, even when they are they have to be decked in chemicals and clothing to protect them.

We both have australian and british citizenship, we like you moved back here for the bigger house, and I have come to the conclusion there is much more to life than that, the trend here is for big airconditioned homes with big tvs, its the american factor you talk of, and yes the diet is appalling I thought australia had indeed now been named as the fattest nation in the world? The diet is appalling with the cost of greasy muck! cheaper than one of fresh food.
And the car thing, does anybody have legs anymore.

We have followed this forum for 6 months, I read avidly both sides of the argument, I still dont know the answer, at the moment I am watching carefully the reactons of our visitors from the UK, its interesting, the climate for a start is definately a problem for them even tho they are dedicated spain florida bahama holiday poms they cant cope with our heat and its NOT hot this year its been really a mild summer Cost of many things has been a shock to them and the availability of many things or the age of them has given a slightly surprised "oh I thought you would have that here response" and there is total shock at the laws, endless speed traps, the smoking bans, waitresses asking them to butt out has not been received well I think all of the guests see a real "nanny country" not what they had invisioned at all. Theres been quite a bit of comment that apart from the forced how are yous at the shops no aussies have actually made much effort with them, again a real shock given the slap on the back aussie image portrayed in the UK.

Your comments on medicare seem fair to me, exactly what our doctor says actually. We pay $20 above the rebate to see a doctor every time, our private insurance is $2200 a year and we are usually $3000+ above that from our own pockets for doc and dentist visits, thankfully nobody has been real sick just the kiddy virus stuff dental prescripitons etc, plus we have already paid % of total income as our medicare levy. Do add the cost of healthcare as a real cost of living here its not free, and education costs the majority of poms we meet have needed to go private to even compare.

Dont underestimate the cost of travel in comparisom to wages, family of 5 $10000 for a trip home thats just the airfare, are you going to get a job with holiday pay, many jobs are casual, we have affored one trip home in 5 years, we earn very nice money compared to most here tho. Forget the trips to UK, USA, and the 20 quids jaunts to spain, most family holidays here are camping, a bit of a come down when you were used to frequent travel.

I'm not getting into the things that make us cringe god that made me laugh, lets just say after 5 years they really begin to grate.

I dont know the answer yet, I think we gave up far too much in comparisom to what we gained, and some days I look at our luxury home or the pool and wonder why that does not make me happy its what we came for, I think its probably because there are so many things that are more important.

I wish you luck, think carefully, I think the material possessions for most will improve its just up to the individual if that will be enough to compensate for so many other things, I admire your candid honesty

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On the subject of fatties. It's one that comes up from time to time on this forum. It is depressing I suppose, but, I have never let the fatties in any country get me down. In all honesty, other people/kids being fat - doesn't effect the fact I can still run a 5.5 minute mile. (And before anyone says that's not exactly fast, it's not bad considering I am an allrounder. OK I'm not county class, although I can keep up with them over short distances - but then those athletes couldn't carry a 15kg rucksack long distance..so it all balances out)

I only see fatties at the mall. For example, you see it walking around Kmart, bigw, my wife and I call it the "KMart Feeling" - its a new word we have, actually.(!)

Where we live, people walk/jog exercise along our lane, ride, they're physical. So keep fit, and encourage your kids, and I can't see an issue - anywhere.

My wife and I are professional, or have been professional sportspeople, or people who have had to be fit for our work or profession and we aim to instill that in our kids.

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