I popped back to England last week and thought when I got to heathrow how bloody awful it must be for someone arriving there for the first time. It's the biggest, busiest airport with thousands of people everywhere, and when you see the surrounding area you must thing 'what the hell have I done!"
It's hardly a welcoming place to arrive, unlike the Aussie airports which as least seem relatively sane and calm .

My main thought was how long can we last before my eldest starts crying again 2 hours I think it was

Was it being married to you that caused the High Blood Pressure???

We both said that when we left the UK, no house keys, no car keys, just a silly little key that would open the locks on the suitcases!!

Same as most posts, didnt feel anything really, wanted a shower, knackered, glad no more travelling, little dissapointed that there was no "Welcome To Adelaide" fanfare, just a miserable looking bird obviously in need of a major personallity transplant!!

glad to get off the plane, DD was sweet sleeping baby on the first leg, but not the 2nd.
Then, can we get all this stuff (suitcases, baby stuff & us) into a taxi.
Then it was to admire the wonderful harbour views from our 5star hotel room, and think this city is now our home city.
I would have then gone to the lounge for a drink, but instead flopped out on the BIG plush bed given the jet lag & early stages of pregnancy tiredness.

If you can, then I would recommend the bit of luxury upon arrival - see it as a reward for getting through all the stresses of visa/moving and chance to appreciate Australia before the mundane reality starts

The prospect of it probably

I wouldn't mind some actually, I could do with some help down there

Very much s##t what have we done (my thoughts not Hubbys)

Apart from the physical symptoms....being grimy and dirty, ridiculously tired and fantasizing about lying horizontal ....I felt this immense sense of responsibility towards my children....taking them away from all they had known....whatever their future was to be was because of what we had decided for them (still true if we had stayed in the U.K I know but somehow so much more poignant at that moment) I felt alone...we were a relatively large family (3 kids) in the U.K, but suddenly we were insignificant.

The key thing is a really weird one and I'm rather impressed that you've 'imagined' the feeling as it wasn't something I'd really thought about up until a week or so before departure...having no keys makes you feel like a nobody almost weird feeling

When we arrived (possibly whilst in mid-air; speeding further and futher away from 'home' at an alarming rate) I realised just how REAL and vast a thing emigrating was. I was scared, so scared. I didn't want to be the adult with all the decisions...I wanted my comfort zone back.

That was 3 1/2 years ago now but that day is etched forever in my memory. I have grown as a person (maybe even grown up!) as a result of this whole experience, but I'm not honestly sure if I'd do it again if I had the time over