malpjc

earlier tonight (GMT) i went on the "returning to uk" forum to try and understand why people from the uk would want to leave australia and move back.i have to admit i have been wearing my rose tinted spectacles when thinking how life in australia would be,some of the things i have read have filled me with dread.i posted a thread on the other site explaining what i have here and asking am i doing the right thing.my wife has just gone to bed totally distraught about the fact that moving to australia will not be how we imagined.we were looking at moving to adelaide and a lot of the negative posts were about the cost of living in perth.
i am not asking anyone to make the decision for us or anything like that but it would be really nice if we could have some positive feedback from those of you that are still glad you made the move,if i am totally honest i have to say that going by what i read on the other forum it makes me think we would be better off staying here,my wife has got her heart set on migrating so any small positive stories would be very much appreciated .
thank you very much

Megalania

All will be bearable to good if you can generate an acceptable cash flow - ie a good job. I suggest concentrating your immediate efforts on securing that before setting off.

jad n rich

Try this, take all the posts, the good, the bad, the honest, the realistic and the very hopeful shake them up and pour them out, somewhere in the middle you will find the answer, neither place is perfect, both have very similar problems but very different bonuses. Emigrating thinking England is all bad and Australia is all wonderful is the only recipie for disaster.

Siren & Brian

Cost of living. Is that the only reason your coming to OZ.

Really think what OZ has to offer than other places around the world/UK.

Of course the other site will be all negative, as they have all returned, but i think people have to give it a real go in OZ before heading back. Some people will not earn the same amount of money in OZ as they did in the UK. They have been in that job for 5, 10, 20 years and had pay rises etc to go along with that experience. Should they just start at the top when arrive in OZ?

I know heaps of poms that have come over, and its the lifestyle the time spent with family that has enriched their lives.

Siren's better half

Simone

I think one of the major reasons to move back is homesickness.
And there really isn't a way to tell if you're going to get that or not (well, you probably will, but how bad is the question, or how long).

I say, just try it (well, research first), but don't burn any bridges that aren't necessary, like family ties, friendships, jobs, house.....

Good luck


Yeah, and what meglania says: try and get a job (easier said than done sometimes!!!!).
I think keeping busy(like with a (good) job), could also help keep homesickness less...

Bix

Mal,
Utopia does not exist other than in books and dreams - but you know that don't you ?
The decision you have to make is will Aus offer you more than the UK does ?
Not easy is it ?
Weigh up the pros and cons as you see them. You can never be sure as you know the answer to UK but Aus (or anywhere else) is somewhat hearsay.
The very large majority on here have done this, maybe subconsciously, and decided that Aus is for us, or at least we just have to find out by trying it.
Yes, it's a gamble for many but one they just must take.
Read the good and the bad and learn from both. Remember the adage "one mans meat is anothers poison".
Because someone in the returning forum disliked Aus doesn't mean you will - but the reverse is also true.
It really does depend on what you personally are looking to achieve but forewarned is forearmed.
Continue weighing it all up

Elaine M

For what it's worth, my view is that you have to explore and validate your own reasons for wanting to change your lives to decide whether emigrating, and to Australia, is the right thing for you and your family.

As some of the returners will no doubt tell you, living elsewhere for a while can make you appreciate better what you had in the UK; you may decide that is what you really want.

Cost of living alone isn't necessarily enough of an advantage to keep you in Aus, though it can be cheaper to live from what others have said, depending on where you come from and go to.

You just have to try to be realistic about the pros and cons as you see them (not anyone else) and see which way the balance tips.

Then once the decision's made, put aside any doubts and throw yourselves wholeheartedly into making it work.

Sorry, just my thoughts...

Good luck whatever you decide to do.

Elaine M

scoobydoo

Hi there.

I've been through so many emotions since we emigrated. I have come to the following conclusions about the whole thing!

1...if you can don't sell your house or burn any bridges, this gives you choices and options for the future.

2...try to see the whole experience as an adventure and take each day as it comes.

3...keep in very regular contact with all friends and relatives.

4...expect to be poor for a while as you set up your life in a new country.

5...use liesure time to explore and enjoy the area just in case u decide to return then at least you've done lots!

6...as a family keep talking so everyone knows how each other feels and can be given support.

7...enjoy it!

Jessie James

I remember doing this too a few months before we were due to leave the UK in the hope of gaining a more balanced view on what to expect / not expect from the whole experience and it reinforced all the reasons my family were giving me at the time not to make the move (you'll miss this about the UK, you'll miss us too much etc., etc.)

However, after 14 months of living in Australia very few of my fears and worries have actualised. I'm not saying that we haven't faced problems - just not the ones I had predicted!

I guess what I am trying to say is that worrying too much about what others say and the problems they faced can be a waste of energy. It is a huge step and there will be problems but with hindsight I wish that I had not focused so heavily on potential problems and more on the actual ones (which were far less scary than what the stressed mind can cook up!)

Of course you need to research as much as possible and not burn bridges in the UK but I'd say keeping a level head and not paying unnecessary attention to the problems/worries of others is equally important.

All the best,

Jess

podgypossum

Hi Malc

If you are specifically interesrted in Adelaide, pop over to our site and ask some questions.

http://s2.invisionfree.com/Adelaideb...ex.php?act=idx

Contrary to some beliefs, it is not all rose tinted stuff, but you will get honest and specific answers to any questions you might have. We also like to have a bit of a giggle too. If you register and join you will have access to the chit chat section so you can get to know us all a bit better. There is also a very in depth FAQ section which has a whole heap of useful information from jobs, facilities, kids stuff, schools, places to go, and suburbs in Adelaide.

bondipom

Having read your post in the other section I can see you have a lot to lose and I am not sure how much to gain. Younger emigrators have the advantage of no or a young family. Your kids may want to stay in the UK and frankly at your age getting a new job can be a challange.

If there is a way you can give it a go without throwing away your lifes work in the UK then do so.

A holiday is a good investment for what will be a major change in your life. It still won't prepare you for the emotional aspects and certainly won't show you what it is like to live here.. You also have to look at how the move could disrupt your childrens education at such a critical time. HSCs and A-levels are not compatible. Schools vary widely and Oz universitys are currently hiking fees by up to 25%. Your eldest may decide to stay in the UK. I believe that has happened to a few here.

You may find a better life for yourself but I think you'll just find that the UK is not all that bad.

I enjoy life here but I was enjoying myself in the UK.

Maybe you are after a change. Try a new job in Britain. Might be all you are after. At least your rose tinted specs are off. You got one stage further than some.

renth

I take it you've not visited Australia?

You need to come over for a few weeks and have a good look around.

Otherwise you might end up like the group settlement scheme migrants who signed up for assisted passage & free land after seeing pictures or rolling green meadows only to end up living in sheds deep in the old growth forest.

On asking "where are our lovely green rolling meadows?" thew were given a saw and told to get on with it.

podgypossum

But there ARE rolling green meadows near Adelaide...heaps of them...they just turn brown in the summer!!!

renth

The difference is, those pastures weren't the ones handed to the group settlement migrants.

podgypossum

That is very true.... but plenty available now.. just need the wonga to buy it.