Our Australian adventure is over…. And so early!!
May 6th 2010, 10:53 pm
#46
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Tasmania!
Posts: 2,414
Re: Our Australian adventure is over…. And so early!!
Sounds like the OP has had a really tough time and you have to just do what feels right for your family.
When we are sat in the security of employment and our own home in the UK, we know it will be difficult when we arrive in Oz but NOTHING can really prepare you for the reality.
For most people it is very hard to secure a job before you are actually here in person, my OH had made active enquiries which sounded promising but until he was here, no one was going to make a firm offer. It seems very harsh to criticise others for not securing a job first when it is only a lucky few who manage that.
As for missing home, friends and family, again you have no idea how it will really hit you until you are here, on top of job worries, finding schools and somewhere to live, it can all be just too much.
Good luck with the move back to the UK and I hope you are all happier.
Sam
When we are sat in the security of employment and our own home in the UK, we know it will be difficult when we arrive in Oz but NOTHING can really prepare you for the reality.
For most people it is very hard to secure a job before you are actually here in person, my OH had made active enquiries which sounded promising but until he was here, no one was going to make a firm offer. It seems very harsh to criticise others for not securing a job first when it is only a lucky few who manage that.
As for missing home, friends and family, again you have no idea how it will really hit you until you are here, on top of job worries, finding schools and somewhere to live, it can all be just too much.
Good luck with the move back to the UK and I hope you are all happier.
Sam
May 6th 2010, 10:57 pm
#47
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Canada->WA->Melbourne
Posts: 1,612
Re: Our Australian adventure is over…. And so early!!
totally impossible for a sparky
you cannot even apply for a licence untill you arrive in australia
then you will have on average 3 to 12 months ( depending on which state your in ) before its granted
no licence no job simple as that
ps just looked at your previous posts and you already know this as you are a sparky too so why the "get a job before you come commet" when you already know this cannot be done ?
that coupled with the fact you came out and went home yourself dosnt make sense to have a pop at some one else doing the same?
you cannot even apply for a licence untill you arrive in australia
then you will have on average 3 to 12 months ( depending on which state your in ) before its granted
no licence no job simple as that
ps just looked at your previous posts and you already know this as you are a sparky too so why the "get a job before you come commet" when you already know this cannot be done ?
that coupled with the fact you came out and went home yourself dosnt make sense to have a pop at some one else doing the same?
Maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket...
May 6th 2010, 11:15 pm
#48
Oiiii.. You slaggg!
Joined: Feb 2004
Location: Brisbaneshire
Posts: 5,209
May 7th 2010, 3:02 am
#49
Just Joined
Joined: May 2010
Location: Melbourne Australia
Posts: 6
Re: Our Australian adventure is over…. And so early!!
To all of you thinking of making the move please please please think hard and read on for some hopefully helpful advice.
I’m not going to tell you that Australia is a nasty place or that the Aussie people are horrible both my youngest daughter and I both love it here and would love to stay; unfortunately my eldest daughter and the wife just cannot settle and have longed to return home since our arrival.
We arrived in Secret Harbour, Perth in the middle of January 2010 and initially stayed with friends. (By the way Secret Harbour is a beautiful suburb and from what I hear has big plans for the future. It misses a local Train station (Nearest station Warnbro is approx 10kms away)
We then spent the next 5 weeks finding a good rental.
TIP 1: Make sure you find a good rental, we thought we had, it looked nice enough, freshly painted 4 bedrooms nice family room etc. but with hindsight we should have waited a little longer for somewhere better.
TIP 2: Sign up for 6 months at a time, unless of course you are 100% sure you’ll be staying for at least a year; and when I say 100% better make that 200% - we were also going to give it at least 1 to 2 years here in Oz before returning to the uk… seems like only yesterday that we were saying that!!
I thought that I had a perfect plan; get a home sorted out, then get the girls into schools and then get a job. Big mistake; my plan of 2 weeks to find a home turned into 5 weeks, by week 4 my original plan was to have the girls in schools… this turned out to be nearer 6 weeks and as for the job!!!
I have been an Electrician for 21 years and have experienced most types of electrical work; in recent years I have also gone on to run large jobs (2 years on London Underground in charge of up to 70 men). I have my City & Guilds parts 1 & 2 and only 3 years ago took and passed the City & Guilds 2391 Testing & Inspection course. Also quite recently, I attended and passed a HV Authorised person course. And here’s the bit I don’t get… I had received a Skilled 175 Visa after being assessed. However, once in Australia you then have to apply for an Australian Recognised Trade certificate - I did kind of know about this but for the life of me I didn’t expect as much hassle as I’ve experienced – I sent off all of the information to their office in Melbourne only to receive an email the next day to say that the certificates were not certified copies – huh they were exactly the same ones that I’d sent to their office in Canberra and they were happy with them!! Anyway the guy at Melbourne told me that they would retrieve the info from their Canberra office but that this would take longer so I’d be better off sending new copies again… which I did… only to discover that it still took them 30 days to decide… and what did they decide??? “We are not entirely satisfied with your case, however we are willing to give you the opportunity to convince us via a Technical interview!!!
After more waiting I was contacted by the assessor who told me that I would receive a call in 3 more weeks time to conduct the Technical Interview.. I asked if I could carry out the interview earlier as I was eager to progress to the next stage but was assured that the interview would be conducted in plenty of time before the panel next got together to assess cases.
The Technical Interview day came and I had an interesting Interview… Not quite sure how many electricians can still remember the different components of a fluorescent fitting and just how this is part of being an electrician but hey what do I know! Anyway the assessor said that I’d passed the interview and that it would be his recommendation to award me the Electrical Mechanics certificate when the panel next met… he also said that I would hear the result around the 23rd of April……. You’ve probably already guessed this next bit but….. Wrong; no result, I contacted the TRA who informed me that unfortunately my interview had not been conducted early enough for my case to be heard in time and that they would hope to look at my case again on May the 11th and hope to close out my case by mid May!!!!! Almost 12 weeks after first receiving my documents!!! And this is just the first hurdle, once – sorry IF – I receive the certificate I then have to apply for the License, only then can I go on a 2 week course to actually qualify for the license… doh!!! Don’t forget all of this means more expenses too.
So TIP 3: Find jobs quickly; I applied to about 10 adverts – explaining that I was in the process of applying for the license but would be willing to work as a Trade assistant until such time.
I got a job as a TA but I feel cheated that my boss is getting a fully qualified, well experienced and with an extensive amount of tools for the price of a mate. Life sucks sometimes doesn’t it!!!
TIP 3.1: Make sure the wife gets a job; my wife has now spent so long out of work that she has no interest in getting a job here; she was a carer for 9 years in the UK before coming here and was hoping to do the same but got put off by “Have you got a resume” and the lack of local work that she now has no intention of getting a job…. She just wants to go home.
TIP 4: And this is the most important one – Make sure your partner is fully behind the move and that he/she is sure that they can move so far from mum. This has been the main reason for our return; my wife had never been more than 5 minutes away from her mum; I suppose taking her to the other side of the world was never going to work really. Just wish I’d known that before we moved.
When we left the uk, we were doing really well in the uk; good jobs, kids doing well in school, good friends, great pets and no financial worries etc. (Same as many of you probably!!) “Why gamble” I hear you say; well we were (And still are) saddened/worried by what the UK was - and is - becoming. We decided to emigrate for what we hoped was going to be a better life for our daughters.
Our eldest daughter was approaching 15 years old and did not want to go to Australia so we thought, “Better go now before she’s 16 and refuses”. Unfortunately we have found that the education system is not as good as we were getting in the UK and our eldest just seems to cry a lot and pines for home; she made it in to the schools extension classes after impressing the teachers but still hates it.
I just hope that we can resume where we left off in the UK; our house will still be rented out till mid January 2011 but my old boss has promised me my old job back.
Not so sure how I’m going to feel if we bump into our old Dog either; we had our Cocker Spaniel for 9 years and decided to find a new home for him in the UK rather than bring him out here as he didn’t enjoy the heat.
And please don’t say “you need to give it longer” or “Give it a year at least” or “It will get easier” as I know that it does not make any sense going back so soon.. but unfortunately we have no choice…. Another month or 2 here could split the family up beyond repair. I cannot take any more tears; seeing my wife so low is crushing me.
All the best to all in Oz and for those to arrive,
I’m not going to tell you that Australia is a nasty place or that the Aussie people are horrible both my youngest daughter and I both love it here and would love to stay; unfortunately my eldest daughter and the wife just cannot settle and have longed to return home since our arrival.
We arrived in Secret Harbour, Perth in the middle of January 2010 and initially stayed with friends. (By the way Secret Harbour is a beautiful suburb and from what I hear has big plans for the future. It misses a local Train station (Nearest station Warnbro is approx 10kms away)
We then spent the next 5 weeks finding a good rental.
TIP 1: Make sure you find a good rental, we thought we had, it looked nice enough, freshly painted 4 bedrooms nice family room etc. but with hindsight we should have waited a little longer for somewhere better.
TIP 2: Sign up for 6 months at a time, unless of course you are 100% sure you’ll be staying for at least a year; and when I say 100% better make that 200% - we were also going to give it at least 1 to 2 years here in Oz before returning to the uk… seems like only yesterday that we were saying that!!
I thought that I had a perfect plan; get a home sorted out, then get the girls into schools and then get a job. Big mistake; my plan of 2 weeks to find a home turned into 5 weeks, by week 4 my original plan was to have the girls in schools… this turned out to be nearer 6 weeks and as for the job!!!
I have been an Electrician for 21 years and have experienced most types of electrical work; in recent years I have also gone on to run large jobs (2 years on London Underground in charge of up to 70 men). I have my City & Guilds parts 1 & 2 and only 3 years ago took and passed the City & Guilds 2391 Testing & Inspection course. Also quite recently, I attended and passed a HV Authorised person course. And here’s the bit I don’t get… I had received a Skilled 175 Visa after being assessed. However, once in Australia you then have to apply for an Australian Recognised Trade certificate - I did kind of know about this but for the life of me I didn’t expect as much hassle as I’ve experienced – I sent off all of the information to their office in Melbourne only to receive an email the next day to say that the certificates were not certified copies – huh they were exactly the same ones that I’d sent to their office in Canberra and they were happy with them!! Anyway the guy at Melbourne told me that they would retrieve the info from their Canberra office but that this would take longer so I’d be better off sending new copies again… which I did… only to discover that it still took them 30 days to decide… and what did they decide??? “We are not entirely satisfied with your case, however we are willing to give you the opportunity to convince us via a Technical interview!!!
After more waiting I was contacted by the assessor who told me that I would receive a call in 3 more weeks time to conduct the Technical Interview.. I asked if I could carry out the interview earlier as I was eager to progress to the next stage but was assured that the interview would be conducted in plenty of time before the panel next got together to assess cases.
The Technical Interview day came and I had an interesting Interview… Not quite sure how many electricians can still remember the different components of a fluorescent fitting and just how this is part of being an electrician but hey what do I know! Anyway the assessor said that I’d passed the interview and that it would be his recommendation to award me the Electrical Mechanics certificate when the panel next met… he also said that I would hear the result around the 23rd of April……. You’ve probably already guessed this next bit but….. Wrong; no result, I contacted the TRA who informed me that unfortunately my interview had not been conducted early enough for my case to be heard in time and that they would hope to look at my case again on May the 11th and hope to close out my case by mid May!!!!! Almost 12 weeks after first receiving my documents!!! And this is just the first hurdle, once – sorry IF – I receive the certificate I then have to apply for the License, only then can I go on a 2 week course to actually qualify for the license… doh!!! Don’t forget all of this means more expenses too.
So TIP 3: Find jobs quickly; I applied to about 10 adverts – explaining that I was in the process of applying for the license but would be willing to work as a Trade assistant until such time.
I got a job as a TA but I feel cheated that my boss is getting a fully qualified, well experienced and with an extensive amount of tools for the price of a mate. Life sucks sometimes doesn’t it!!!
TIP 3.1: Make sure the wife gets a job; my wife has now spent so long out of work that she has no interest in getting a job here; she was a carer for 9 years in the UK before coming here and was hoping to do the same but got put off by “Have you got a resume” and the lack of local work that she now has no intention of getting a job…. She just wants to go home.
TIP 4: And this is the most important one – Make sure your partner is fully behind the move and that he/she is sure that they can move so far from mum. This has been the main reason for our return; my wife had never been more than 5 minutes away from her mum; I suppose taking her to the other side of the world was never going to work really. Just wish I’d known that before we moved.
When we left the uk, we were doing really well in the uk; good jobs, kids doing well in school, good friends, great pets and no financial worries etc. (Same as many of you probably!!) “Why gamble” I hear you say; well we were (And still are) saddened/worried by what the UK was - and is - becoming. We decided to emigrate for what we hoped was going to be a better life for our daughters.
Our eldest daughter was approaching 15 years old and did not want to go to Australia so we thought, “Better go now before she’s 16 and refuses”. Unfortunately we have found that the education system is not as good as we were getting in the UK and our eldest just seems to cry a lot and pines for home; she made it in to the schools extension classes after impressing the teachers but still hates it.
I just hope that we can resume where we left off in the UK; our house will still be rented out till mid January 2011 but my old boss has promised me my old job back.
Not so sure how I’m going to feel if we bump into our old Dog either; we had our Cocker Spaniel for 9 years and decided to find a new home for him in the UK rather than bring him out here as he didn’t enjoy the heat.
And please don’t say “you need to give it longer” or “Give it a year at least” or “It will get easier” as I know that it does not make any sense going back so soon.. but unfortunately we have no choice…. Another month or 2 here could split the family up beyond repair. I cannot take any more tears; seeing my wife so low is crushing me.
All the best to all in Oz and for those to arrive,
Good Luck to you all.
May 7th 2010, 3:47 am
#50
Worongary
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: GC hinterland
Posts: 10,288
Re: Our Australian adventure is over…. And so early!!
But it's not totally impossible, as my previous post pointed out. My husband had a job waiting for him when we arrived, and he didn't have his license, he worked under supervision. This was MY condition on emigrating. We would not go unless there was a contract in place...we have two little kids to feed. Surely, he can't be the only electrician in history of ever emigrating who had a job lined up before getting here. Maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket...
Maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket...
Ok its almost impossible to secure a job in sparking form the other side of the world with no licence
, happy now ? and the point i was making was that the poster having a pop at the OP should know better been in the trade himself
May 7th 2010, 4:12 am
#51
Account Open
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 4,298
Re: Our Australian adventure is over…. And so early!!
you are lucky but i reckon it is black and white it has to be. I have got two young children to support which i have moved away from their family and friends sold the family home and there is no way i would have sacrificed all that if i had not had a job to come to. There happiness and security for my dream.
However, some people are prepared to take that risk, and that's their choice. Some will succeed and some fail. In an ideal world, their success would simply be down to how hard they try, but we both know that it doesn't always work like that.
Yes, it's true that the OP's wife certainly doesn't appear to be trying too hard to get work. But there are other factors at play. Most of the time it is black and white, but not always.
May 7th 2010, 11:16 am
#52
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2009
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 192
Re: Our Australian adventure is over…. And so early!!
totally impossible for a sparky
you cannot even apply for a licence untill you arrive in australia
then you will have on average 3 to 12 months ( depending on which state your in ) before its granted
no licence no job simple as that
ps just looked at your previous posts and you already know this as you are a sparky too so why the "get a job before you come commet" when you already know this cannot be done ?
that coupled with the fact you came out and went home yourself dosnt make sense to have a pop at some one else doing the same?
you cannot even apply for a licence untill you arrive in australia
then you will have on average 3 to 12 months ( depending on which state your in ) before its granted
no licence no job simple as that
ps just looked at your previous posts and you already know this as you are a sparky too so why the "get a job before you come commet" when you already know this cannot be done ?
that coupled with the fact you came out and went home yourself dosnt make sense to have a pop at some one else doing the same?
Last edited by mark wool; May 7th 2010 at 11:19 am.
May 7th 2010, 11:48 am
#53
Jan4kids
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: Hertfordshire - Adelaide - now Gold Coast.
Posts: 1,156
Re: Our Australian adventure is over…. And so early!!
Feeling invisible when you walk round the shops knowing you are not going to bump into a single soul who recognises you is a very tough one to overcome especially when all you need is a familiar face-not just a 'new' friend but someone with whom you have history, who knows the real you.
Spot on Squeezzii.......surrounded by people yet very alone, a very unsettling feeling when you have lived in the same area all your life. I remember it well
May 7th 2010, 12:01 pm
#54
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,809
Re: Our Australian adventure is over…. And so early!!
Thats such a horrible feeling. I spent a long time hoping it would go away but it never has.
May 7th 2010, 12:04 pm
#55
Crazy Cat Lady
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 65,493
Re: Our Australian adventure is over…. And so early!!
May 7th 2010, 12:08 pm
#56
Cad and bounder
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,080
Re: Our Australian adventure is over…. And so early!!
It does get better though. I remember the first time I walked into our local for a pint. Everyone stopped talking and looked me up and down. It was like a scene from a western when someone barges open the saloon doors.
A year later i'm on first name terms with most of the regulars and bar staff, and love going there for a pint and a craic. It takes time and it won't happen overnight
A year later i'm on first name terms with most of the regulars and bar staff, and love going there for a pint and a craic. It takes time and it won't happen overnight
May 7th 2010, 12:23 pm
#58
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2009
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 192
Re: Our Australian adventure is over…. And so early!!
Why not? Did you see emigrating as a temporary / short-term option then? I don't mean to pry, I'm just curious as we're still considering it (lack of points and house prices putting us off at present!) but if we went I think it would be for good - particularly as I don't think we'd be entitled to any kind of pension or state care if we returned to the UK later in life...?
I feel so sorry for the OP and his wife - homesickness is the one thing that would keep me here and prevent me from emigrating anywhere. It's weird really because when I was young and single I lived abroad and never missed a soul, but since being married with kids I've grown much closer to my family (mum in particular) and the thought of her not being 25 mins' drive away anymore scares the hell out of me, tbh.
If we do decide to emigrate (and can get in) - whichever country that may be - I'm hoping missing my mum will be a temporary thing that will fade in comparison to all the positives about our new country, but the worst thing is that I know they'd never visit (they don't do long haul - unfortunately my outlaws do and this would be even worse if the MIL visited and my mum didn't, lol!!) so we'd have to spend thousands of pounds every few years coming back to visit (using up all my husband's holiday leave too).
Sorry for rambling, I just wanted to say I totally know where your wife is coming from and I don't think she should be slated for having left in the first place, knowing she'd be homesick. Fact is, she was selfless enough to put her own feelings aside for the benefit of her family (to give her kids a better life) and at least give it a go. Whether or not she's given it long enough is her call and her call only, but it must be a horrible situation for the OP to be in - torn between wanting to save his marriage / family and yet wanting to stay because he's convinced it's the right thing for them long-term.
Good luck sweetie with whatever you decide to do
I feel so sorry for the OP and his wife - homesickness is the one thing that would keep me here and prevent me from emigrating anywhere. It's weird really because when I was young and single I lived abroad and never missed a soul, but since being married with kids I've grown much closer to my family (mum in particular) and the thought of her not being 25 mins' drive away anymore scares the hell out of me, tbh.
If we do decide to emigrate (and can get in) - whichever country that may be - I'm hoping missing my mum will be a temporary thing that will fade in comparison to all the positives about our new country, but the worst thing is that I know they'd never visit (they don't do long haul - unfortunately my outlaws do and this would be even worse if the MIL visited and my mum didn't, lol!!) so we'd have to spend thousands of pounds every few years coming back to visit (using up all my husband's holiday leave too).
Sorry for rambling, I just wanted to say I totally know where your wife is coming from and I don't think she should be slated for having left in the first place, knowing she'd be homesick. Fact is, she was selfless enough to put her own feelings aside for the benefit of her family (to give her kids a better life) and at least give it a go. Whether or not she's given it long enough is her call and her call only, but it must be a horrible situation for the OP to be in - torn between wanting to save his marriage / family and yet wanting to stay because he's convinced it's the right thing for them long-term.
Good luck sweetie with whatever you decide to do
May 7th 2010, 1:35 pm
#59
Gutter Gob!!
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 13,098
Re: Our Australian adventure is over…. And so early!!
I am relieved I was a forces child and an oil and gas wife. Never being somewhere for more than 3 years has its benefits. In fact I have lived in Perth for 5 years now and it is the longest I have stayed in one place in my entire 40 years. I think this is what made it easier for me to settle. Nobody and nowhere to miss. I don't think enough thought is given to this when people make the decision to move away from familiarity.
May 7th 2010, 1:48 pm
#60
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,809