jayne+doug

Hi everyone

The reasons we are going to Oz is mainly down to family. My sister married and moved to Oz 11 years ago and although she visits reguarly (every 2 years) I still really miss her. I have never been there as I.ve never been able to afford it - 3 kids. My sister was last here in July 2003 as a surprise for my 40th birthday. And since turning 40 I.ve realised life is too short. I want to spend the rest of my life with my sister and my family. We've always thought about going to live in Oz and it's now or never. I'm trying to be realistic about the move and know it won't be easy but I think having family support is a great bonus. I hope we do settle and like it there. I don't want to leave Scotland because I hate it or anything like that I just think that I'm in a position of being able to emmigrate so why not? I know they'll be things I won't like and things I'll miss but hopefully they'll be things there to compensate. I know I can give my 3 boys a better life out there and that myself and hubby can spend more time with them. I intend to stay there for the rest of my life but know that if it doesn't work out I can say at least I tried!

Good luck to everyone and follow your dream.

Jayne

NickyC

I think that self-reliance - that you and your family obviously have - is an important key factor in making migration work.

If you're not used to having family support/in-built babysitters/Mum around the corner then you won't miss those things when you get here.

Good luck to you, I hope you make it.

Simone

Aha!

Um, yes, why are we going?
Cos we're mad!
And we want a bit of an adventure(but not too much)
And if we decided to stay, I'd like to live in the country and have chooks and goats and dogs (like we did when I was growing up in WA)

But, for right now, I can't use the reasons many use:
Better weather? No, cos I know I'll be cold in winter, and hot in summer. In between will be nice though.
Less crime? No, cos I'm going from a VERY quiet town, to big city Perth.
More space? No, we're going to start of living in a unit probably, near the CBD.
More work? Nope.

So, why are we going? We don't have much to lose!
We don't have kids, don't have friends(not good ones), I don't even have a job(nearly finished uni), Pascal could even eventually go back to his if need be, we don't have a house(renting) and have hardly any money.
Only thing we can lose is the good relationship with our parents and brothers, and a bit of that money.
But my parents and brother might be coming back to in a while(or a few years, if we stay).

DollyDaydream

Thanks everyone who has replied to my post.

Special thanks to treefrog for the very honest reply.

I just needed some positive feedback to kick start me back on track and you've done just that.

DD

Bordy

I lost my job in Scotland after a Big American company bought us over, took the order book & closed us down.
I used some of my redundancy money to come out to Melbourne for two weeks holiday, the thought of immigration had never crossed my mind.
It was November, the weather was fantastic ( yes even in Melbourne ) everyone seemed to be so nice & happy compared to back home where I left wind & rain & temperatures into the minus at night.
I just loved it out here & once I saw they had drive in bottle shops that was me sold. Luckily my Mrs is a nurse & had no problems getting Permanent residency. A few years down the track I still love life in Melbourne & that redundancy turned out to be the best thing that could happen to us.

treefrog

hi DD,
I'm glad my post was useful to you! Actually it had an unexpected effect - I sat here all morning thinking how difficult it's going to be and wondering if we shouldn't stay here! But on reflection, I know my reasons for wanting to go are sound, I really believe we can have a better life over there, and I'm confident that having done it once I can do it again! I hope. Looking at what people have written today, I think that most people have good reasons for going. It's important to have a realistic idea of what to expect, but it's even more important to have hope for the future!
Good luck, y'all!

robertd

Hi there
Its really good news to hear that you might move over to Oz. We moved last July and have settled on the Gold Coast. Life here is fab and always busy with three kids (18,15 and 10) after reading your thread I felt I had to drop you a line. We put off coming over because our eldest son was doing his GCSE at school, so we thought it only fair on him, to wait till he`d finished them, and thats why we moved last July. However, GCSE`s arent reconigsed as they are back home, and we were told that he`d either have to go back to school here to get an OP rating or go to TAFE and resit his exams there. Imagine our horror, we could of come over a whole year earlier if we had known. Just make sure you find out as much about the eduction system and exams as you can before you arrive. I wish we did. Things have sorted themselves out now, about he has got himself a fab job as an apprentice shopfitter.

dracupg

The birth of our son in 2000 was the biggest factor. We got sick of trying to go out at the weekends to parks etc and it pouring down with rain. Weeks and weeks of mud to deal with – ok a couple of times for novelty value with wellies etc, but when it becomes the norm it gets annoying.

Job wise, working in IT for financial companies in Edinburgh and London, but increasingly the work was pulling towards London. We agreed that we didn’t want to move to London and bring up a young child.

Sydney seemed the logical place to go – fair sized financial sector, English speaking, reasonable climate. Didn’t consider Brisbane as it was too hot for us and IT opportunities a bit thin on the ground. Considered Melbourne, but we had never spent any time there so didn’t know what it was like. Having said that, we would have moved to Melbourne or Canberra if we had been offered jobs there. Luckily we both got jobs a couple of months after arriving.

We planned on the worst case, so we had an escape plan in case it didn’t work out. Our son was young enough so that we could afford to spend a few years in Oz, decide we didn’t like it and move back without interfering with his schooling/settling too much.

Touch wood, we are enjoying it so far with no plans to move back.

nikkers

Robert I've sent you a PM

Nikki

Alborg

Cheese.

RAG62

DD,
Your question was av ery valid one and is one that I have been mulling over the past two days. Like you I am starting out on the process but got cold feet when I read the pages from expats who are returning home.

Reading your thread has given me some comfort that going to Oz is the right thing for us to do. I dont feel that there are always specific reasons to do something - it can be a combination of many things - it is in my case, not least that I'm 42 and want to do something major. So long as you do it whole heartedly and put your heart and sole into making it succeed when you are there then I am sure it will work.

I dont think it is negative to stop and think about what you are doing before you go and to check that you have both feet on the ground and are aware of all the potential problems that you may face. However once you are there dont look back otherwise you will not succeed.

Sorry for the sermon but just had to get it off my chest.
Time for bed

markeh

Hiya, DollyDaydream,

it's a good question "why are you emigrating?"

I've read some of the replies and I think it's a mix of several.

It's definately a bit of escapeism, the promise of a new life. deep down I know that it's probably just the same old shit, bacause I'm the same person, but in a bit better surrounding.

The climate, it's something you begin to appeciate when you see other places that arn't wet all the time. Saying that I miss green when in Western America.

The future of Oz looks better, the Government in the UK are content for us all to work at Asda or sell insurance to each other.
I feel as if manufacturing is a dirty word! It's a but shite when you work in a manufacturing industry.

I won't my children to have a better life than me and I can't see it here in the UK, being working class and having nothing, but getting screwed all around by work and the Government. In the UK it seams that the state will pay for all those migrants or good causes, the only problem is it's me that foots the bill, Mr Tax payer. We've just started our family with a little girl, only 2 day's old and now this one seams so much more important, what life will she have in a crime ridden area with no high payed jobs?
(Oh I forgot the only growing industry seams to be prostitution, they are springing up all ove rthe place, but that's not a career!!)




At the moment I live to work, not work to live. (I remember telling the Phsyiciatric nurse at work that a"I love my job" she told me I needed treatment and she was right.) The worst thing is that alll my hard work goes to a company that views me as just another number.

LIFE IS FUN.

But on a pluss side, I have a visa for Oz, a wife that loves me and a beautifull baby daughter. A new life awaits, when we finally decide to go and I'm looking forward to it.


Bye
Mark

markeh

Hiya, DollyDaydream,

it's a good question "why are you emigrating?"

I've read some of the replies and I think it's a mix of several.

It's definately a bit of escapeism, the promise of a new life. deep down I know that it's probably just the same old shit, bacause I'm the same person, but in a bit better surrounding.

The climate, it's something you begin to appeciate when you see other places that arn't wet all the time. Saying that I miss green when in Western America.

The future of Oz looks better, the Government in the UK are content for us all to work at Asda or sell insurance to each other.
I feel as if manufacturing is a dirty word! It's a but shite when you work in a manufacturing industry.

I won't my children to have a better life than me and I can't see it here in the UK, being working class and having nothing, but getting screwed all around by work and the Government. In the UK it seams that the state will pay for all those migrants or good causes, the only problem is it's me that foots the bill, Mr Tax payer. We've just started our family with a little girl, only 2 day's old and now this one seams so much more important, what life will she have in a crime ridden area with no high payed jobs?
(Oh I forgot the only growing industry seams to be prostitution, they are springing up all ove rthe place, but that's not a career!!)




At the moment I live to work, not work to live. (I remember telling the Phsyiciatric nurse at work that a"I love my job" she told me I needed treatment and she was right.) The worst thing is that alll my hard work goes to a company that views me as just another number.

LIFE IS FUN.

But on a pluss side, I have a visa for Oz, a wife that loves me and a beautifull baby daughter. A new life awaits, when we finally decide to go and I'm looking forward to it.


Bye
Mark

treefrog

Many congrats on the birth of your baby daughter! Here's hoping she will make a great Aussie! Best wishes for the future.

PS - any chance of seeing a piccie?

DollyDaydream

Mark,

Firstly congratulations on the birth of your baby daughter. There is nothing more special in this world than the arrival of your first child. Hope your wife is OK & the birth not too traumatic (sorry if that sounds a bit personal but when you're a mum of 2 you empathise totally with a new mum!).

Life for you seems great and it sounds like you've got the right attitude to make it over in Australia (lucky you with your visa - when do plan on going and where?).

Good luck to you, your wife and your daughter (by the way, what did you name her?).

Take care

D D