Originally Posted by Geordie George

I get that it's all different and exciting (we've all been there at least once!), but the reality is much more humdrum than the anticipation. Life, in all likelyhood, will be just like it is now - except 10,000 miles from everything that's familiar and everyone you love. Same shit, shinier bucket as the expression goes.

For fun, we kayak as a family (we have a couple of double kayaks, so our children - 8 and 6 - can hop in, too). We have annual passes to just about every museum in Sydney. We have zoo passes, too. Our corner of Sydney is a little shy of 30km from the CBD - it's perfect for work, but a PITA for weekend entertainment (Sydney traffic is bad). My husband and I don't head out too much as a couple - the going rate for a babysitter here is $20 per hour - it makes a dinner or movie night pretty expensive. Many an evening is spent doing committee stuff for school/Guides/Scouts/netball. Everything is run by volunteers - you will do your bit. I hate committees, so have managed to limit myself to just 3 this year (band, out of school hour care and Guides). Family time?! I drop my children off at OOSH (out of school hours care) between 7.30-8.00am and collect them between 5-6pm - that's four days per week, as I only work part time. Like Quoll said, you work hard in Aus - you'll likely do long hours. Work life balance? The scales tip towards work for lots of families. Part time jobs are like gold dust and it's often a case of who you know. Holidays are expensive - Aus is a long way from anywhere! Family in the UK might well expect you to use all your holidays to visit them. Last year we went to Vanuatu, this year we went to west NSW (Dubbo - how exotic! ). We're planning a trip back to the UK in September - that's at least $12K we'll need to budget for the four of us. It's enough to make you miss Europe and Easyjet. Food aint cheap, but there's a good variety. Particularly lots of Chinese and Japanese ingredients and restaurants. As for outdoors lifestyle - do not underestimate the weather out here. For example, my children are kept inside by school when the temps hit about 38c. The UV levels can be scary.

I love Aus and it's a beautiful place to live. But it's just another first world country with all the usual first world problems. Imagine your day today and imagine doing that here - the washing needs doing, dinner needs making, groceries need buying. It's just the same tedious stuff, just somewhere else.

Originally Posted by Beoz

Just picked up some flights on Cathay for the family to visit the UK in June. Total. $3403. Bargain. The sale says it ended last night but worth checking out.

Originally Posted by moneypenny20

Whatever you do, do not move over without seeing the place for yourself.

Just because your husband will be the one earning the money does not give him the vote where, if any where, you go. (Whether that was in jest or not). He'll be working long hours whilst you'll be trying to live the life you live currently but in a very different country knowing no one and finding that the simplest things are done completely differently from the UK. It can be very very hard and a minor blip can become a major nightmare.

If he wants to come, you have to be 100% behind the move, not be a bit 'yeah it'll be fine'. From 13 years experience on BE, that can be the recipe for disaster.

However you may love it, have a great life and not regret a thing so good luck with it.

Originally Posted by Tanja87

Yeah, I guess that's very true! Bit risky going without having visited before...
We've just had a bit of a spanner thrown in the works as well so everything's a bit uncertain now... Turns out, as hubby doesn't have a degree, we might not be eligible for PR outright after all so, in Oz, our options now seem to be either a work sponsored visa or a family sponsored visa (he has a cousin in Oz). So there would really be no more security as it'd still only be a temp visa to start with.... So many things to consider! Xx

Originally Posted by Tanja87

That's what I was thinking - surely his work experience should be enough...?! And the fact that he'd have a job waiting for him?! He's waiting to speak to a migration agent about it but he thinks his lack of a degree might be a problem in terms of applying for PR. Like I mentioned earlier - he's the one doing the research, so I can just go by what he tells me. And even if it is a problem we do still have options for temp visas, it's just deciding where, when and how we're gonna do this I guess but I know he's a bit worried about moving us (anywhere) on a temp visa due to the risk of being sent back to the UK with nothing if things went wrong somewhere down the line. He's on his way back to the UK now so I think he'll want to get on it asap...! I guess we'll just have to go with whatever happens and hope for the best lol xx

Originally Posted by Tanja87

That's what I was thinking - surely his work experience should be enough...?! And the fact that he'd have a job waiting for him?! He's waiting to speak to a migration agent about it but he thinks his lack of a degree might be a problem in terms of applying for PR. Like I mentioned earlier - he's the one doing the research, so I can just go by what he tells me. And even if it is a problem we do still have options for temp visas, it's just deciding where, when and how we're gonna do this I guess but I know he's a bit worried about moving us (anywhere) on a temp visa due to the risk of being sent back to the UK with nothing if things went wrong somewhere down the line. He's on his way back to the UK now so I think he'll want to get on it asap...! I guess we'll just have to go with whatever happens and hope for the best lol xx

Originally Posted by Beoz

A degree? Why is that important? He's had years and years of experience. Shouldn't that take precedence over a degree, something that may or may not have been a stepping stone 20 years earlier?

Last thing I look at when hiring is a degree, unless the candidate is in their 20's. Most come through with a degree completely unrelated to the job.

Originally Posted by moneypenny20

Whatever you do, do not move over without seeing the place for yourself.

Just because your husband will be the one earning the money does not give him the vote where, if any where, you go. (Whether that was in jest or not). He'll be working long hours whilst you'll be trying to live the life you live currently but in a very different country knowing no one and finding that the simplest things are done completely differently from the UK. It can be very very hard and a minor blip can become a major nightmare.

If he wants to come, you have to be 100% behind the move, not be a bit 'yeah it'll be fine'. From 13 years experience on BE, that can be the recipe for disaster.

However you may love it, have a great life and not regret a thing so good luck with it.

Originally Posted by Tanja87

Unfortunately, relocation costs would not be covered by the company as we are wanting to move. It's not like they're making us... We've been looking online at houses in the sort of Richmond area - anything within a 1h commute to Sydney (where the office is located) would be good.
Is it quite similar to the UK there? I mean, going to TX was literally like stepping into another world lol! I'm concerned that Oz might be like, how do I put this... just like the UK but with nicer weather and happier people lol. I'm yearning for an adventure, a change (but obvs stable and secure enough to raise our little family). Don't get me wrong, the UK with great weather and happier people would still be a great prospect, just not quite the adventure I am hoping for (she says about moving all the way to the other side of the world..... ) xx