How long did you leave it before you went back to the UK for a visit?

Jo

As long as possible! Coming up to 3 years and not even close to going back at the moment.

2 years. In fact I hadn't left Aus in 2 years.....talk about cabin fever!

We're looking at going for a trip back in 2009 - probably July/Aug, which will be, ermmm, three years after arriving here. Excited about it from my son's point of view as he loves travelling and will enjoy seeing family and friends. Personally I couldn't give a tom-tit if I go back or not - would rather spend the money on a boat.

I had to go back for my sisters wedding in the first year. I hold the UK in such high regard that I spend 4 days there and flew back home, and thats only because the airline ticket condition was a minimum 4 days there.

Have to go back in Sept, 3 years on for a reunion thing. Again am spending a couple of days in the UK and then bogging off to Madrid to spend 3 days with friends before flying back home.

The mere thought of Heathrow makes me depressed

We are also thinking 2009.

My parents have just come out for a visit which was lovely. A trip back to the UK is now further up our priority list. We've been here 18 months and wonder if we should leave a trip until we've been here a lot longer.

I've been here nearly 4 years now and not been back yet.....it would have been too unsettling for me I think. I am due back in the next year or two, just my youngest son and I, although all 6 of us will go if it ends up being for my Mums' funeral

Rather expensive when earning dollars too .......

Been back five times in 4 years. Each time, we've been so excited to go 'home'. Spent time with family and friends, filled suitcases with goodies, bedding, clothes, etc., and then been VERY glad to get on our flight back HOME!

Keep promising ourselves that 'next' time we will book a holiday in Greece, maybe next time.

We are lucky in that we can afford to fly back whenever we want to, a lot of people can't. It's make or break for them.

Personally, I think that everyone should go back just once to see 'what they are missing!"

From our first visit 'back home' we felt that we had made the right choice to come out here. It was THE most settling thing we could have done.

M

First went back after just over three years. Found it extremely unsettling and took me a while to settle in again back here - before that I had not really been homesick much at all. That was Xmas '03, been back twice since and going back again for Xmas this year Can't wait!

Would go back a couple of times a year if I could afford it but as we all know it's extremely expensive for a family of four.

I had been here for 17 years before I went back...and then remembered why I came to Australia in the first place ...I was soooo glad to get back home to Australia

Australia has been a good move for us, and we've been very fortunate to be able to go back on a 'whim'.

We've never gone back because it was what we wanted to do, just that our circumstances, or our family ties, took us back.

If we had the choice, we'd never go back, but we have family there who we will always return to support.

Our preference would be to pay for them to come here for a visit/holiday.

We are older, and, I think, miss less, because we have "DONE" the UK as some others have done Spain or Portugal.

Maybe, in 20 years we will want to go back of our own accord and see what changes have taken place.

M

7 years away............no intention to return.

We had money banked for 3 of us to go back. But for the 3 week trip we decided to fly the inlaws (8 weeks). My parents (4 weeks). My son to visit them for (6 weeks one xmas) and i have got my decking put down for the same cash. Pay for family to come out if you can they enjoy the weather and you get more quality time (with the inlaws, the drugs are just wearing off) Dale

Three years the first few times then a period of incredible poverty and it was much longer between visits Now I can sort of afford it and need my sanity hit every year so it ranges between 10 and 18 months. Hopefully this year it will be July and December so I should be home for Christmas.

We arrived in February this year and werent planning on going back until Christmas 2009, unfortunately a death in the family sent us back after 10 weeks.

Was nice to be somewhere "familiar" but it did really unsettle us for a few weeks after we got back to Perth but we are settling back into things now.

Got family coming to see us this Christmas so fingers crossed we wont be going back to the UK until Christmas 2009.