karawara88

I am new to this board and have read with interest many of the posts, so decided to add my own experience of migrating to Perth.

I first emigrated with my partner (now ex) three and a half years ago, she was an IT project manager earning £30k a year, I was an IT contractor earning £40 an hour. !!

We both had new cars, mine was a peugeot 406 coupe top of the range, we had two houses (which we rented out). So we had a very good lifestyle. Sorry if this is boring but I need to paint the picture.

Emigrated to Perth in July of 1999. On bad advice we rented a place in South Perth paying far too much rent. Work situation was not brilliant, the ex managed to get project manager role at $60 an hour, exceptional for Perth. I was offered positions paying $25 which was average for Perth.

BUT

I wanted to be earning stupid money like UK, I wanted stupid cars like UK. We arrived in July it was wet, rainy and miserable, UK was hot and sunny (well for UK). Over the next 3 months I became depressed I hated the place. I started reading BBs similiar to these, started reading the negative comments and that made me more negative about OZ, I hated it with a passion.

The situation got so bad that I emailed a place that I had worked in UK asking for contracts, on the Friday I received an email offering 3 month contract paying £40 an hour if I could start on Monday. I was back in UK on the Sunday. !! Within a week I thought what the hell am I doing sat on the thelwall viaduct in yet another traffic jam with it chucking down with rain, stressed out.

Anyway during the 3 months the ex gf (of seven years) was knocking off someone else, took me to the cleaners. etc. I returned to Oz after the 3 months to collect personal stuff etc.

Tried to find work and situation was much the same.

BUT

My attitude was different, the flash cars were long gone, the material stuff was gone, and needing to earn stupid money was gone.

I was enjoying the lifestyle, the sun, the people, the change of pace and I met some fantastic people who were very positive.

Strange how when you feel negative you always meet people who want to bring you down more.

So for those of you thinking of going to Perth or wherever the only advice I can give you is read the BBs read the negative stuff, but bear in mind that some of these people went out with the wrong attitude, thinking Oz owed them a lifestyle, or thinking it was the answer to all there problems, maybe even to save a failing marriage.

Some posters like PB have given it a fair wack and found its not what they want and although the posts can be cutting and negative, take on board those comments.

Australia has its problems same as UK, job situations are not always good same as here, wages are pitifull (in most cases). But depending on what you do here its no better, Gone are my days of earning mental money, I have not been able to secure a contract paying more than £15 an hour in two years.

Its easy to read all the negative stuff and get disheartened and start to go through the process of why are we going, are we doing the right thing, what if, supposing, etc. Go to Oz with those doubts and you will fail. That was me three and half years ago, your typical whinging pom.

Think about why you are going, follow the dream, live the dream. Its better to say I gave it a try, rather than join the "I had the oppurtunity to go to Oz" brigade.

So how come I am sat here in rainy Cheshire. !!!

Well came back to sell the house and take up a three month contract, tidy up loose ends etc.

Met the girl of my dreams, got married in Vegas in two months ago and we are off to Perth before Jan when my visa runs out, Donna my wife applied for independant visa which is why I have had to wait two years to get back. !!

Should you stay or should you go. ? GO

Feel free to contact me with comments good or bad [email protected]

Kath

Thanks for taking the time to post your very interesting story - all the very best to you and your new wife for the future.

We arrived in Perth 9 months ago and it's been difficult, the biggest challenge of my life! But you are right about the positive attitude, I found it hard making friends initially - probably because I had an expression on my face of 'I don't want to be here'!!

BUT I have mellowed a bit now, stuck with it and made a few friends and I probably smile alot more now!

Money isn't everything, material wealth is not important - enjoy life and every challenge. I recently heard some terrible news that a friend back in the UK has terminal cancer, a young friend with 2 small children - what are we all complaining about?

karen and andy

Its nice to hear the full story of people who have been there done that. Just recently this forum did get a bit of a slanging match between posters. So its nice to get back to some real good threads.
Wishing you lots of luck
cheers
Karen and Andy

brox

Its great to hear from someone whos been and done it. Thankyou for you honest view, and for your honest opinions of why you did not like it in the beggining. We hope to move to Perth in May and I,m sure there will be parts of life that I hate, but I WILL give it 2 years to settle in. Luckly my parents have lived their for 8 years so I feel as though I will allways have a shoulder to cry on !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mrs Brox

r.bartlett

fair play to you...

life's a real ding dong ain't it?

last few yrs we were earning near 100K, I was working about 2-3 hrs a day, baby on the way..

baby arrived and the shite really hit the fan..could go on and tell the story but I'm not here as a cure for your insomnia..;-)

cheers

richard

denhim

ive not or doubt i`ll ever will earn that sort of money being quoted on here. i drive a mk2 golf and currently rent as ive only been out of my apprentiship a few years and have no real money to go out and buy a £80,000 house.
so i guess when i do move to oz my lifestyle should be no different to what it is here.

i wont miss what i never had.

brox

Too true.I wish I was earning as much as some people quote!!
The house I'm selling, I couldn't afford to buy!!
Got offered a job in Oz last time we where there and I'm gonna be better off!

denhim

if i take up the job i was offered in melboune i think i could be better off just. but its melbourne and the area wasnt the best. so i`m in 2 minds at the mo.
move to perth which in my eyes is a much cleaner city with a better climate but the wages a poorer or move to melbourne which is the total opposite.

karawara88

Just a quick update, the money quoted in my post was for year 2000 boom time, IT contractors were being paid mental money.

As a result of contracting through that time, losing skills etc. I have almost become unemployable in the IT sector and as a result am currently unemployed. .

I dont have suitcases of cash, I have a mortgage, drive a second hand car. Etc.

For those that sent emails I will answer them later. Thank you.