Linni

Hi,

We’ve been in Perth for 6 months now and really implore all of you back in the UK to think seriously and then think again about making the move to Australia.

Please read Wilf’s posts and take into account what he is saying, because if we had taken off our rose coloured spectacles and more closely considered postings such as his, we could have saved ourselves an awful lot of stress, time and money.

Please don’t just think we are being negative - while waiting for our PR visa we also thought that the “don’t worry about it, sit in the sun & stick another prawn on the BBQ� attitude would conquer all. For us the reality has been that although we could make it work, we now don’t believe the long term happiness is here.

My husband has travelled all over Australia looking for work and has been offered what could be considered good jobs here, only to find that they are crap, poorly paid and offer no real career prospects.

Basically the Australians we have met in a workplace environment are very reluctant to give a Pom the same level of respect and we have the distinct feeling now that there is a genuine fear of new blood together with resentment due to the number of migrants trying to fill Australian jobs. We have heard the expression “ Pommies stealing our jobs� so many times and even though mainly in a humorous context the expression “many a true word said in jest� springs to mind.

The other point on employment, which is hard to imagine from the UK, is regardless of your experience and qualifications, many Australians are convinced that you would not be able to do the same job purely because you’ve not been working in Australia. For example having worked in London for the last 17 years in a technologically advanced field of HVAC my husband was asked if he could do the equivalent of flicking on a light switch! When he laughed and said “really?!� the interviewer reassured him saying, “Don’t worry mate we’re not trying to catch you out�
He was actually offered the job and they mentioned it would initially be on a contract basis for the first couple of weeks, subsequently as they were chatting on the way out he asked when my husband would be able to start as some of his staff were on holiday for a couple of weeks! Long-term prospects?!

Sounds ridiculous to all of you waiting for your dream envelope to arrive but we really wish our visa had been refused!

Yes the UK has bad traffic and is overcrowded, but now having experienced our dream (nightmare!), the so-called negative points in the UK translate to business going on and good opportunity with good prospects and choices for your children.

We have noticed on this site that when someone posts points which don’t quite fit in with the idea of “how great it’s all going to be when we get to Oz� people in the UK are keen to slate them for being negative about Australia. Yet there are so many people posting the bad points of the UK, a country, which gave us the education, upbringing and opportunity to be in a position to leave it and chase a dream.

Sorry if this is painful to hear but if we can save one family the misery we’ve been through it’s worth it.

tinaj

Oh great, this has really cheered me up New Years Day and we are leaving in 4 days


It is a bit late for most of us!!!!

Pollyana

So Linni, are you heading back to the UK?
What encouraged you to move here in ths first place?

Linni

Yes we will be moving back to the UK as soon as we sell our car.

Unfortunately Greed was probably the main reason, the thought of not having a Mortgage or a very little mortgage coupled with the lifestyle which we thought was here.
As mentioned we really only have ourselves to blame we were desperatley unlucky with the exchange rate, also house prices have really shot up in the last year. So the financial advantage we'd hoped for evaporated very quickly.
This means that earnings are much more important and when you need to work in a much more menial and lower paid job for the same disposable income as the UK the novelty of warm weather rapidly wears off. As you are aware work is such a large part of your life and happiness is a total package. I would not be content living in a mansion whilst out of the house 8 hours a day cleaning toilets!
This has also given us many sleepless nights as to our sons future employment prospects, although he is only two we now feel we would be depriving him of a good career.

Jirrupin

Hello Linni,

Have you only just found us? My hubby and I are also in Perth and I can fully relate to what your experience has been. I hope you are able to pick up things when you return to the UK. Whereabouts in perth are you?

Donna

podgypossum

i am beginning to wonder if there is a real problem with Perth...there seems to be a higher percentage of the "unhappy" expats in that area.
I can honestly say, i have not had one single anti pom sentiment or remark since arriving in Oz...maybe i'm just lucky!!..my husband is a kiwi and he has had no problems either. I couldnt say the same for NZ, which, in my opinion is going through a real "anti pom" phase.

How about trying another part of Australia first?

owieb

I've never had any; maybe it's to do with the type of work/jobs people are doing?

I've found everyone to be really friendly and helpful and I've found that having the experience from working in the UK/London has been an advantage.

Well podgypossum, at least that's two of us who are having some luck!

Jirrupin

Linni probably came out of the airport using the same backdoor we used

I think her post just reflects that it works for some and not for others. You have plenty of Expats over here telling you how wonderful life is for them.

It all comes down to what you want. I think for us we thought we knew what we wanted in Oz and when we got here it just wasn't achievable. That is probably more about us than Australia. But the point is that you can't really know what it will be like until you are here.

I think people who want to migrate will do so regardless of anything negative that is posted on here. But hopefully the balance of all the posts will give those waiting a little food for thought and at least when they get out here they can't say "No one told us it could be like this"

I think I should go into Rose tinted glasses manufacturing, I could make a bloomin fortune

podgypossum

I think we must be Oweib!!

But it does still make me wonder about Perth...maybe its isolation to everywhere else makes the natives a bit isolationist (ooooh..thats a big word!!) ... it sure does in NZ!!

Pollyana

I haven't come across any anti-pom comments either, (except when the Bloke is trying to wind me up!) - I've had nothing but welcomes from shop staff, bank staff, police, and work-wise. I went to several job agencies, who seemed to treat me better than I would expect them to treat me in the UK (due to my lack of temping experience) and the interviews I've had were not anti-pom in any way at all. In fact during the interview for the job I have just got my nationality wasn't mentioned at all - except in passing, using examples of previous work. Maybe PP is right and its more of a Perth thing?

Earnings are less important to me here, and I am happier than I was in the UK for many years, but I guess my circumstances are different, having come out to marry an Aussie. And personally I would rather bring up a child over here than over there, but I guess everyone has their own reasons for where and how they would want their child to grow up.

Jirrupin

There was a recent thread on this very subject

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...hreadid=199151

podgypossum

Yes, i remember reading that thread Jirrupin.. maybe Perthites dont like ANYONE!!

Jirrupin

I think it is probably a natural instinct to protect their own first. They are a long way from anyone else. We are personally intrigued by the other States because living here it is difficult to imagine the rest of Australia being any different.

Some Easterners we have met think Perth is wonderful. They say life here is so relaxed and the people are much friendlier than the Eastern States. they tell us we will find it busy and humid in the North, they describe Perth a a big country town in comparison to Sydney, Melbourne etc.

We wonder if WA is indeed the 'best' State for many Brit expats, because of the climate etc, but I wonder when we travel around how what we will think about the other States in comparison.

podgypossum

I shall be very inteested to hear your opinions... especially Adelaide

Nibbs

Hi Linni,

Thanks for your post, a fine example of a so-called negative post being put in a balanced and considered manner.

I'd say things here are definitely not all I had hoped for but still considerably better than the UK for us.

Jobs are tough to find and a lack of Aussie experience is a real handicap. Having said that I always reckoned it would be tough and planned for up to 6 months out of work.

We like the place. It's clean, safe enough, less crowded and has all the facilities we need. There again we've only been here 3 months so what do we know.

House prices have shot up since we initially applied. Couple that with a downturn in the exchange rate and the financial argument goes out the window (along with my dreams of a boat ).

Generally costs are not what I'd call cheap in comparison to the UK. Cars, electricals and furniture seem roughly the same, not that I'd know what a fridge costs. Banks charge like stuck bulls and there's a tax on everything.

I'd echo other posters views, think really hard about comming out. If you decide to go for it grab it with both hands.

All the best