Never Been to Australia?
 

Hi I'm new on this forum. I wondered if anyone has applied to emigrate to Australia without actually ever having been (or has only been on a short holiday/business trip).

This may sound a crazy question but my other half has mentioned moving overseas (she is a nurse) - we've been to Australia on holiday but I certainly don't feel like we know enough about the place to move there!!

Is anyone going 'blind'? What helped you decide you want to live there?

Paul

I'm going - blind as a bat!
I'm from India, my wife is a Malaysian. Neither of us gave in, and we had to settle for a neutral territory. The upside is no in-laws, from either side :D
Flip of the coin ruled out Canada, so Ozzie it is.

Me too - with my other half being 34 in a weeks time we thought we might as well apply for residency without stepping foot out there. What the hell - you only live once. We want a better life for our 20 month old son and at this age he would adapt easily. If it doesn't work out then at least we won't be sitting in our rocking chairs mumbling "what if's"!! We know loads of people who have been out there and they all come back saying that they would live there. That was positive feedback enough for us.

Re: Never Been to Australia?
 

Hubby, me and 2 kids are going without ever visiting. They way we figured it was that you could go for a holiday, but would you really experience day to day living that way. We're starting the venture without any pre-conceptions and looking forward to it. Only snag in the grand plan at the moment is the house (non) sale.

Re: Never Been to Australia?
 

If you go blind make sure you have a get out plan as it is harder financially returning. If the kids are small you are at the right time to make the choice and give it a go. I am not saying do not do it with older kids just that it is harder to take older children out of a school they know and away from their friends and put them in a different education system.

How you make your choice depends on your lifestyle. Debates go on 24 hours here so there is no definate answer.

Are you outdoors types, cultural types, foodie types etc etc?

What did you like about Oz on your trip and what sparked the emigration thoughts?

Thanks for your replies guys.

Talk of moving overseas has come about through general chit-chat - things like "I bet they don't put up with this s*** in Switzerland/Norway/Australia" - and a few lenghty discussions of actually doing it.

I hear a lot of people say they are going to Oz for the lifestyle and to escape the gloom of the UK (a couple of colleagues have upped and left for 'a better life'). How did they know it was better?- That's the part we differ on. (I mean, for starters, why does Australia need so many nurses? Is the health service so bad that no one wants to join the profession? Or is everyone in Australia incredibly sick?! Or is it something genuine like population boom? (I'm not looking for answers by the way - I've told the missus to do her research on that one!)

I'm not against going. No kids, no ties, - just that I wouldn't move to Scotland without doing a reccie, so why would I move to Australia (no offence to those who are going blind....I've already been told I have no sense of adventure!!!)

Paul

As 'Is it better?' is such a general and subjective question only you can answer that. The general answer has got to be, "For some it is, for some it isn't". You may get closer to your answer by identifying the things that worry you about the possibility of setting up in a foreign land.

In your thread you've outlined the questions that first popped into your head when debating whether the big move is for you (well at least the questions that first popped into your head when writing this post). Of all four questions that popped into your head, I'm struggling to see which ones would have been answered by visiting first.

You can get facts and figures off the internet; you can read about people's experiences off the internet (always anecdotal); you can see pictures on the internet.

The practical advice given on this forum, and experiences shared by those who are glad they moved, and by those who aren't, mean that I don't feel quite so 'blind' (a little deaf maybe) by moving without visiting.

None of the information I've viewed, however, is a good substitute for experiencing it. Some may feel they get a sufficient idea of experiencing it by going on a two week recce.

Myself and young_lass had to ask ourselves, "Would a 2 week recce be 'experiencing it?'" The answer for us would be 'Hell no - nearer 2 years would be", and then we'll be better informed to answer the question, "Is it for me?"

Re: Never Been to Australia?
 

Hi
I did the same when I moved to Holland, went blind but fell in love with it and stayed 4 years. Then I went blind to OZ, again loved it then came back to the Uk after 4 years. Never regreted it and would do it again. New that if I did not like it I could get on a plane and come home. I am back off to OZ next April very excited at going .

Hi We too are going completely blind:eek: and completely mad:mad: I am also a nurse and am being sponsored for my visa.
we figured it would be like a working holiday, nothing to lose

HI Guys,

Me, my husband and our two girls are off to Oz in the new year. We,ve never been before, but that is half the adventure.

Claire:D

We've never been before either. We did the same thing when we came to Canada in 1995. Canada has been great, but coming from South Africa, it is too cold for us here. So we're off to Brisbane, and having done it "blind" once before, we're not too concerned. I don't think a Look and See holiday would have swayed our minds about coming to Canada. We have enjoyed the experience and the diversity, but realized after a few years that we would prefer to live in a place with a warmer climate.

Hi

We are going as possibly worse than blind - wearing rose tinted glasses!! only visit was our 3 week honeymoon last year...if you can't love a place from your honeymoon then there's no hope !!

But the point is you just have to ignore all that as no reccie for any short period will ever prepare you for living in Oz. I am sure anyone would love the place after visiting once.

Read the Sydney Morning Herald online at www.smh.com.au or other newspaper and you will get a feel for the city you are going to. Sydney seems to have many of the same problems as England re education, health, crime etc etc but in a funny way that's quite comforting as it helps with the transition.

But who cares as long as the sun shines ???!!!!

You only live once :cool:

we spent 3 weeks in Australia and decided to emigrate for a lifestyle change and were going to just pack up and go, but now i found this forum and spent a few days reading some really interesting posts my wife and i have now had second thoughts and believe a further fact finding mission will make more sense before disrupting the harmony of our family

Hi,

I know people who have gone blind, and loved it and others who have hated it and are now back in the UK. I think the only advice I would give is - do your research over and over, make sure about job prospects etc.... otherwise you might be very dissapointed.

Suz

There was a poll done recently and I am sure over 50% of people on this site have never visited oz before emigrating.

Lots of people do it, I personally couldn't. We went for a reccie visit before we applied just to make sure I wanted to live there. It is impossible to find out what life will be like out there from a holiday, but at least you get a feel of the place.

It also gives you a chance to decide which area you want tolive in. The cities seem to have very different feels to them.