mumomonty

Yes quarantine from the UK to Oz is correct - 30 days currently.

Get the dog a rabies shot - here then if you still want to go home you will only have to wait 7 months to fly him or her again and no quarantine as it woudl be under the pet passport scheme which going back in to the UK insists upon rabies vaccs and other things but if you dn't get the dog done for rabies, he will have to do quarantine in the UK. ....and by that time you might like Aus. :-)

flip

Hi

Sorry to hear you're not enjoying it over here. Just a few suggestions:

1. I understand you can't replace your dog, at least I know I couldn't replace my kids, but is there any way you can get a "quick fix" - help out at the local animal rescue, get a new pup that if you go back to the UK you could take with you, offer a dog walking/sitting service?

Part of the reason I settled so quickly was because of the many ways you get chatting when you have kids, at sports clubs, through school, when they're driving you mad racing round the supermarket. I thought it may be similar while dog walking down by the river? And especially if you had a new pup at training.

2. Do try other locations, keep an eye out for suitable vacancies in other states or other parts of New South Wales - this will depend on your reasons for the move - obviously if you wanted the weather then go West or North but if it's city life then Melbourne's great, beach life - well there are a few thousand kilometres to go at, friendliness and relaxed way of life, outer suburbs where big business isn't so much the thing.

We're in the North East suburbs of Melbourne and it couldn't be friendlier - I've got talking to Aussies in Supermarkets by asking for advice on the best brand of blackcurrant or the yummiest dips (my husband despairs of me) or in coffee shops where they hear the English accent (not that it's rare) and ask what brought us here. Also the meet which Bordy organised was excellent and brought us some lovely friends in other areas.

3. Returning to work should give you a taste of normality with the interest and friendships that often evolve.

Good luck whatever you decide but try and keep it going that bit longer if you can and if you can't - don't beat yourself up about it just enjoy the UK that bit more.

Shellfish

Sydney is not Australia...if you aren't happy there then I would strongly recommend trying somewhere else (and by somewhere, I mean Melbourne ). People assume that Sydney is the best place to go for working and living forgetting that with it comes a pretty soulless place which is expensive, difficult to get around, unfriendly, overwhelming and pretty much overrated (imho). We know too many casualties of Sydney, some have left to go to other parts of Aus and some have left Aus altogether but they are all a lot happier where they are now.

Linda Lushardi

And in stark contrast, i find Sydney the total opposite to you.
I have lived in 6 different cities and Sydney does it for me more than any of them. I certainly havent found it souless and unfriendly. Quite the opposite!! But as is said so many times, different strokes for different folks and we all have different experiences. Mine have been great up to date.
I think it is very unfair to dismiss such a large and diverse place in one sentence. It is a huge city and there are many different angles to it. I guess it depends on where you live within it and what floats your boat socially.

Shellfish

(imho) stands for In My Humble/Honest Opinion which is what I have stated, I have no doubt that there are people out there who absolutely adore Sydney but I am not one of them.

NickyC

Sydney is not the slightest bit soulless! It has more character and more going on than most other cities. No doubt the far-flung suburbs are lacking in character but that applies to any new developments, whether in Sydney, Melbourne or Perth. I've lived here for 26 years and LOVE it.

Housing costs more (because it's a more popular and desirable place ) but all other expenses are on a par with other cities. Food and other household items cost no more than they would in Melbourne.

40% of all overseas migrants come to Sydney - they can't all be wrong.

chels

The problem with moving to another country is that, before you leave your old one behind, you rarely hear about the problems people have settling in, homesickness etc and even when you do you're too excited about the idea of the new adventure to really take these issues on board.

I don't think this move was a reality until I landed in Sydney. Saying goodbye to friends wasn't that hard because I really hadn't thought about the fact I'd be miles away from them and a time difference away. It wasn't until I got here and realised they were no longer just around the corner that it sunk in.

Work has been and continues to be a nightmare, I am still doing contract work and miss the stability of a permanent role. Unfortunately we are still on a 457 visa so when permanent opportunities do come up - like at my current work place, the NSW government - I can't apply for them. My work, I've come to realise, has a lot to do with what defines me as a person. I was proud of my career at home and well-paid job, as I don't have children etc. So being in my current situation is definitely depressing.

I still feel 'foreign' despite having the same language. The cultural differences continue to surprise me. As do my feelings of pride in being English and lack of desire to become Australian.

I find it frustrating - rather than a fun adventure - not to know how things work ie property auctions, super funds, banking products, tax returns. And although I've found out enough to get by day to day, sometimes it just feels like a huge effort I'd rather not have to do.

Ramble over. My point was to say I've been here 18 months. I still feel homesick and I still miss a lot of things from home. I haven't made any 'special' friends yet, though I do have friends through work etc. On the plus side, I don't cry every weekend any more (just once a month when I feel hormonal), things certainly haven't got any worse, and hopefully when our permanent residency comes through we can put down proper roots.

One of the biggest things we did that has had a huge effect on my happiness was to move from our unit in Bondi Junction to a little old house in Rozelle. Unit life wasn't for me, and the Eastern Suburbs weren't for me. So maybe you don't have to leave Sydney, just try a different part of it.

Final (!) point - the poster who mentioned helping the local dog rescue home by fostering or walking dogs had a great point, though you'd have to check your unit lease lets you have pets.

(I lied) V final point - good suggestion re expat meets. I've only been to one due to conflicting demands on my time, but it's good to meet up with other Brits

soapy©

the last couple of post on this thread have been great. well done nickyc and chels

shellfish, i think i know what u were trying to say.......when u dont feel that people are friendly then thats how it was for u ! i can see how it would feel that way. when things arent going right it all feels like the nothing can go right.

chels it was really nice to see u posting again and what a great post. its just a shame u feel that way once a month. but i do have to one point that i would argue with and here it is
"I haven't made any 'special' friends yet"
oh is that right lassie???? i must just be a friend
heres a wee pic to cheer u up.

beebopaloola

hi guys
we are here in Brisbane and have been here since sept!! i know it is not long
but my husband also hates it.. he hates the lack of` culture and all things in general.
he is finding the same anti pommi at work and hates to go in every morning.
on the other side i like it so we are in a dilema stay or go?? it isnt everybodys cup of tea!
he is up at 5am and doing 50+ hours per week!! so anyone thinking the hours are less here are mistaken..
i understand how you feel and wish you all the luck in whatever you decide
B

Breezey

I don't mean to be nasty, but I wonder about those that complain about the "lack of culture" , but cannot spell.
I must say that I disagree anyway, there is plenty of culture and cultured people in Sydney and Melbourne.
Overall I find Australians more cultured than Brits.

beebopaloola

you don`t mean to be nasty, but you are.

arkon

LOL, My wife and I have just been watching location, location, location, they were in York or Chester or somewhere like that. After the show finished my wife said that she really misses Britain and all the culture and interesting places. She then went on to say the only culture in this country is bacterial, which I thought was very funny. Just thought I’d mention it as you were all talking about culture or lack of it.

As for picking on someone’s spelling and grammar to score points in an argument that’s a bit lame IMO, It’s very easy to mistype when you’re trying to rattle out a post and a persons spelling and grammar has no bearing on the content or sentiment of a post. I for one now have to type my posts into word first to try and avoid silly mistakes so as to avoid silly replies.

Auspom

This is to the people who think Australia has no culture......
"WHAT IS CULTURE"
When i say this it's not meant to be harsh but the English are selfish and a little pompous when it comes to thing's like Culture and History.
there is a hell of alot of culture in Aus than in England but on the other hand English culture is different than Australian.
Wat u also have to remember is that Australia is only two hundred years old so the history is completely different so if you wanted culture like in England you should have moved to Europe.You can't come to a country without studying the history and there way of life b 4 you start branding them of having "No Culture".
I'm Australian married to a English lady living in england and there is a hell of alot of things that i like here that we dont have in Aus like Castles,history that dates back over a thousand year's,been able to go to Paris or Spain without taking a 24hr flight be forehand or America in 8hrs,going to a museum and looking at all that history and artifacts just to name a few.
I could quite easily say that the English are Thugs,Lazy,Selfish,Rood,and just a punch of Toss pots,But i want cause that's your way of life.......

So before you Brand a country without "CULTURE" please look back at your country and see some of the stuff u have that we will never.
from Born and Breed Aussie,hope the spelling is ok ha ha

arkon

Now that’s got to be a wind up, you ask what is culture then go on to list all the things that make it up. No ones saying a 200 year old country doesn't have culture and history but it doesn't have nowhere near the amount the UK has and that’s what I miss. Here everywhere is the same and the differences are only superficial and minor, even the beaches all start to look the same. I think the British coast line is far more interesting than this one. The shops are all the same, the houses and architecture are all the same....God its depressing, its like being married to a stepford wife....

Breezey

The give away is when words are misspelled reflecting the way a Chav would pronounce them.
For instance 'povity'(poverty). I think that poster was complaining about culture.
Its all very well being polite but sometimes you have to be honest. People go off to 'arse-end' parts of Oz, that most Australians would never live in and complain that the local yobbos arent cultured.
In truth they are giving themselves away as Chavs-for not understanding the different segments of society and not even being able to percieve that different Australians exist in the bigger cities.
Half of Australia lives in Syd or Melbourne, and there is plenty of culutre in both these places.