NickyC

Totally agree. Weather is everything, actually.

The weather is the reason I came here 35 years ago.
The weather is the reason I'm still here.
The weather is the reason that Australia is the way it is (fantastic locally-produced food, masses of outdoor cafes and restaurants, good sporting facilities, laid back lifestyle etc).

brits1

I agree Quoll. Girls schools are private in Perth and can be very expensive and that does not always mean they are the best either, plus a completely different education system. If I had it "good already" I would say you really need much more than the weather to make the move a "better" one. Ground Hog happens anywhere really when you have to have a routine ie work, schooling, cooking, cleaning etc. Good luck whatever you decide

juckky

Well here is my update. Since posting this, I have had a few interviews and am waiting on a decision from a bank in Sydney. The agent is quietly confident it is mine.

I had given up on going to Aus, as I was not going to take the family out without a job lined up. The role is an interesting one and pays pretty well.

I am having a lot of restless nights at the moment regarding my Daughter's education. We have said, that if we make the move we are going to go for at least 2 years as I am concious it can take that long to adjust.

I feel we are ready for a change. Life has stayed the same for the last 10 years here in the UK. I feel that if I get offered a good job in Sydney with a reputable bank, only to turn it down then I will really kick myself for not having tried it.

I would rather look back and think "we tried it, but it wasn't for us" than "I wonder what if ...", but ideally not at the expense of my Daughters's education.

If anyone can advise, please post or PM as I am not sure what direction to turn now

mikelincs

The most important thing at the moment is your daughters education, as has been pointed out the Girls schools in Oz are likely to be expensive private schools, and she would have to start a new curriculum, with totally different emphasis.

Personally if I was in your shoes I would NOT do it, wait till she has completed her education, as you say she is in a great school now, and you just don't know what the quality of the schools in Sydney are like.

quoll

Leave your daughter behind to finish her education in UK, dont bugger about with it - you cant just pop in to the UK system effectively once they are in their teens. If you're going to commit then you're going to have to commit until the end of their education (ie Uni) by which time they may well have partnered with Aussies and not want to leave. Personally I wouldnt do it - unless I left a kid behind with family/friends to ensure stability with their education (we almost did do that at one stage but it never came to pass).

In Sydney you're going to have to fork out $5k pa for education before you even start and that's just a bog standard government school, nothing fancy. As you're only (as I read it) going to be temporary residents you really dont want to risk it IMHO.

juckky

Leaving your Daughter behind is a big decision to make. She is only 13, and deep down a kid at heart. I don't think I would want that to happen, and we don't have anyone / family to leave her behind with.


So in a nutshell. If we do decide to make the move, and now is as good a time as any to go. We will need to be thinking longer term than 2 years and most likely until she is 18?

brits1

If you do hope you make the move I really do hope it works out for your daughter it would be awful if your life becomes what you want it and your daughters life gets totally messed up that might sound like I am being pessimistic here but in truth I have seen it happen quite a few times while we lived in Aus.

Kapri

Renth, I agree 100%
If you like hot or warm, sunny weather (which I do) then Australia wins hands down.

Also agree re: schools. And you know what, a bright child will do well in any reasonable school.

OP - I stressed so much about schools. I needn't have bothered. My two are happy and achieving. What more can you ask for!

juckky

I agree, and think it is a modern day issue. When I was a kid we just went to the local comp. There was none of this league table nonsense and worrying about it. It was a great example of how the child not the school dictates the outcome. I flunked and left with nothing (only to go back and do it all again when I was 20). My younger Brother got straight A's and went to study theoretical physics at Cambridge!

quoll

No, until she's 21 and finished Uni, if she hasn't found an Aussie boyfriend by then and has no intention of leaving "the one"

The issue here really is that you are going to be on a temporary visa I should think. You could be forced back with only 90 days notice well before she's done with education. Wait until she's 18 and done her A levels then she could do Uni in either country.

juckky

No. I have a PR Class 175 visa which expires in 5 weeks time. Applying for a new visa is not viable due to my age.

scrubbedexpat020

I think that you will know within 3-6 months of arriving whether Australia is for you. Could be something you don't like, or you are missing friends/family.

Focus on trying the experience, then if you decide to go back daughter will still be young enough to start her GCSEs.

juckky

Nope. I made the decision yesterday, and turned down a job I had secured in Sydney :-(

Aus is now on the back burner until my daughter has finished GCSEs / A-Levels here in the UK. Fingers crossed they don't change the requirements for securing an RRV. The job offer I just turned down was secured through a recruitment agent and all done over the phone. Luckily, I am in a specialised role which means I do not need to be in Aus to get a job, so hopefully I should be able to secure another role in 4 years time in the same way.

Rather disappointed, but at the same time relieved. My daughter was distraught at the thought of going to Aus. She never did give a valid reason why. She is settled here and her well being comes before my own agenda.

Pollyana

If you are still hoping to move in the future I honestly would recommend visiting Aus, at the very least, before your visa expires. The more ongoing interest you can show the more likely a RRV is in the future. If you don't visit, and have no ties to the place, between now and when your daughter leaves school in 4 years time then you may struggle to get a RRV even if they don't change the rules. And the best you could hope for is a 3 month one, I reckon.

juckky

Hi Pollyana, thanks for posting this. I last visited in Feb 2014, but my wife and daughter was Oct 2010, so I too was wondering whether we should all fly out for a couple of weeks before April 27th just so we avoid the 5 year rule. Even if I was not outside 5 years since I last vistied and I had a job offer in the hand, could the risk be that as my wife and daughter had not visited for more than 5 years that they would be denied?