1. What made you first think about emigrating?

OH was offered a great job (step up the ladder, more $) out of the blue, i was working part time after being made redundant a few months earlier. No kids , just a flat we semi-rented to family.

2. When did this happen?

offer in July 2009 , arrived october 2009 with just suitcases.

3. Did (do) you intend to stay permanently or go back after a few years?

We're going back to the UK without a doubt. We're on a 4 year 457 but may get citizenship stay a while longer. No firm plans being made til autumn 2013. We're at child having age now and want to raise them around family and friends and with all the cultural access advantages Europe has.

4. Did (do) you know what you are coming to?

Not a clue , never even thought about the place. Once the novelty wore off we saw it for what it is. A first world country with first world problems.

5. Do you think you made the right decision?

Yeah, why not. The timing was good on a financial front.

Well, always a childhood dream as had family here.
Forgot about it really when married and children arrived.
Life then got pretty chaotic, husband and me working to keep our heads above water.... hubby in good job and earning well above average wage, cost of living getting out of control....happen to see advert in one of his trade mags about expo in london so decided to go along....(funny cause hubby was hunting for workers from Oz) spoke to chap about work and he took hubbies resume and sent to company looking for staff, this was early nov, had interview early Dec, offered job, late dec. Wasn't completely aware of all that we were coming to, however family were able to help with info.
Have been here 4.5 years now, not regretted at all, yes miss family, but life is better for us.

Adventure.
See another country.
Outdoor lifestyle.
Plan things because of the great weather.
Meet new people, make new friends.
Job opportunities, for us and our kids.
Fantastic new houses.
The beaches and warm seas.
The barbecue lifestyle.

I hear painting in pastels is a good one.

Good post Jad - if I understand or guess correctly, your 10 ten years has probably set you up for life financially.

Me - (I've lost the copy and paste questions).. was on the verge of settling down after a whirlwind 20s living in a few places, not just the UK. I got redundancy and decided to have a sabattical here. The only downside in the UK for me then were the house prices, and a sense of burn-out.

Things evolved -I loved Australia. The sabbatical turned in to a PR application and then a wife came along as well. Initially, it was also a get out of London ratrace, but now we're living a cheaper/slightly different version of what our lives in the UK might have turned out to be after all - living in the country on the edge of a city and I commute in to a 'proper' career - (which we weren't sure about initially - would I retrain?).

Risk? I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole now. Too expensive, especially if for many, all you get is a bigger house and a BBQ.

1. What made you first think about emigrating?

Had a two week holiday in Brisbane in 2002, love it and thought 'let's apply'

2. When did this happen? (Obviously the drivers are different now to 50-60 years ago!)

Took ages for us to get our shit together and due to personal circs, it was not straightforward. After finally getting everything, we applied in Jan 2006.

3. Did (do) you intend to stay permanently or go back after a few years?

This is our home and no, we wont be going back to the UK.

4. Did (do) you know what you are coming to?

Nope, never been to WA

5. Do you think you made the right decision?

Yes, both of us doing OK in our jobs, got our first home and have a better lifestyle - it suits us, no regrets.

1. What made you first think about emigrating?

We had been back in the UK for 8 months after Bermuda (which I hated). I had been dying to get back and thought I would never leave the UK again, we had bought a house which I had renovated whilst taking a break from the workplace. With renovations completed I had too much time on my hands to watch daytime TV and Wanted Down Under came on...

I think I was just looking for an adventure. I had always wanted to experience living overseas and I think just wanted to try again.

2. When did this happen?

February 2009.

3. Did (do) you intend to stay permanently or go back after a few years?

After I had started the process, I wished I had not bothered many times, it had never been a dream of mine to move to Australia. But Mr BS was keen by the time (he always was) so I thought it would be an adventure for maybe 5-8 years. Now we think maybe we will stay longer.

4. Did (do) you know what you are coming to?

Yes I think so. I never had rose tints on. Never thought Australia would give me a better lifestyle, make me more sporty, outdoorsy or anything else. I probably was slightly negative about the move and whilst looking forward to the adventure, was worried it might be another Bermuda. Because I had low to neutral expectations, they have been exceeded in a positive way.

5. Do you think you made the right decision?

Absolutely.

1. What made you first think about emigrating?
I never intended to migrate, came on a WHV in 1989 and due to my skills I was asked to stay.

2. When did this happen? (Obviously the drivers are different now to 50-60 years ago!)
Came in 1989, but got PR in 1990. Due to the Tiananmen Sq massacre it was easier to return to the UK to have my application processed to avoid the backlog from Chinese applicants in Oz. It took 2.5 weeks and costs £90.

3. Did (do) you intend to stay permanently or go back after a few years?
Because I was asked to stay, I didn't give it much thought, I was still in 'adventure mode' and thought Oz was different enough to stay for while. It was only when I got married and had kids that it felt like a life changing thing. And after my divorce it felt much more like i was 'trapped' somewhere I didn't want to be.
4. Did (do) you know what you are coming to?
N/A as I was already there (kind of)

5. Do you think you made the right decision?

Yes, no, maybe, probably not. I've lived in 4 other countries and like Oz the least out of all of them, but now I'm re-married and Mrs TB likes Oz, we will inevitably return to Oz at some point. I'm good with it, but not over the moon, but am so happy with Mrs TB that love conquers everything and all that She is my country now.

Financially, it's a wash, we are no better or worse off in the % of disposable income available to us (which IME is the only meaningful comparison you can make) here or there. We can both pretty much walk into well paid jobs in Oz due to our experience, skills and more importantly, contacts.

I never really felt like I migrated to Oz, because I never really did. Just found myself subject to Swiss Cheese Theory and fell through the holes. I used to rail against Oz as I really didn't like t, still don't but at the same time am in a good place with it as I just worry about it a whole lot less than I used to. I'm sure that's where the majority of my life will be spent, 21 yrs there so far.

One thing that has crept up on me since being back in the UK is how very entrenched my life was in Oz with regards to the cycle racing and triathlon community and how much effort I've put in to staying in touch with everyone. Going back to those friends make me realise that living in Oz was very worthwhile for me. But in all other aspects, Oz offers me nothing I can't find equal happiness in elsewhere.

What a fab thread - thanks!

Yes it's a really great idea.

I think the thing about coming to Australia that made the most difference to me was the fact that I had no job to come to, and had to make a completely fresh start. In the UK I had gone from school to a student apprenticeship with a large engineering company, then four years with the CEGB, then 9 years in an engineering factory in Slough. Came to Australia and had to find a new career, and quite by chance ended up in oil and gas pipelines which has taken me all across Australia and around the world, which would never have happened had I stayed in the UK.

After 13 years here I went back to the UK for the first time and visited the place I used to work in Slough, and found the same people doing basically the same jobs as they had been doing 13 years before, and thought "Thank heavens I went to Australia".

I suppose the point is that I could have dumped my job and started out afresh in the UK but it would never have occurred to me to do so. Emigrating gave me the push I needed to make the whole lifestyle/career change.

You don't have to come to Australia to change your life, but it makes it easier.

[QUOTE=KJCherokee;10284400]

1. What made you first think about emigrating?
2. When did this happen? (Obviously the drivers are different now to 50-60 years ago!)
3. Did (do) you intend to stay permanently or go back after a few years?
4. Did (do) you know what you are coming to?
5. Do you think you made the right decision?
/QUOTE]

1. I had always wanted to move down under, although originally, New Zealand was my dream. But it was always a like dream as I never dreamt I would have the opportunity to do it. My parents had planned to be £10 poms in the 60s but due to their own circumstances, weren't able to come and I think for me, there was a bit of 'what would my life had been like' (even though I probably would not have been born if they had moved)
Then I met ROMFT and from very early on, it transpired we had a mutual dream.

2. When we first met, he still had 10 years left in the Navy, which seemed aaaaages, but then about 3 years ago, we realised time was fast approaching. He put in an expression of interest to the RAN, but they didn't want him, so a year later, starred the GSM visa process. We were expecting a processing time of around 18mths-2 years, so were absolutely astounded when it was granted in just under 12 mths. We validated in Feb and have now been here 3 weeks today.

3. Our plan is to stay permanently.

4. ROMFT had been to the east coast a few times with the RN,but my first visit was our validation trip, so no, not any real knowledge other than what we had researched. But then, we have no amazing expectations either

5. Don't believe in right or wrong decisions. Each decision we make is a learning experience and forms the people we are.

We are not expecting our lives to radically change. Our lives will pretty much continue as they were before. The biggest change and challenge for us, is having ROMFT at home

1. What made you first think about emigrating?
Finished my Masters in the UK and my Australian supervisor suggested I consider where I wanted to end up - more opportunities for my career in Australia and much better paid, so I packed a backpack and got a WHV.

2. When did this happen? (Obviously the drivers are different now to 50-60 years ago!)
August 2001

3. Did (do) you intend to stay permanently or go back after a few years?
After 4 years on a student visa I had made my life in Australia - great job, good friends, enjoyed my life in general - certainly don't hate the UK, it just doesn't offer me what I have here. For a start my disposable income would be more than halved (I have colleagues in the industry in the UK and some are still house-sharing into their 30s).

4. Did (do) you know what you are coming to?
Nope, never been here before but felt 'right' immediately.

5. Do you think you made the right decision?
For me, yes, without a doubt. As with everything in life it's horses for courses. I always read the 'UK v Aus' discussions with a smile - it's such an individual thing and each (and every) country offers different things, but for me and my life, Australia has more to offer.

>> Why did you emigrate?<<

Simple. The weather and the space.

There's no other reason, quite honestly.

Same here, maybe not the fantastic new house as we have a fantastic new house at home. We will go back home one day though. The wife misses her parents too much and doesn't want to take their grandkids away forever. I could stay here forever myself though! But that was the deal, she gives it a go, but I come back if she really wants to after 5 years ish.

1. Always wanted to come but first long wife had to live within 30 minutes of didsbury and her parents. When she got the chop I worked all over the place but my eventual skill wasnt on the list for oz. Then it was but I was too bloody old. Always 10 astray. Then out of the blue comes a phone call in the middle of the Oman dessert with offer of a 457. Deal done. I should add I was only happy when overseas as I hated the grey weather and grey people in the uk

2. Happened this year so 2 months in and loving it though in my field the ozzies are 15 years behind the developed world

3. Wife no3 only wants 2 years, I will never leave if PR comes

4. We were used to expat life so change is without drama. The union position I hadn't bargained on being as bad but I spent 11 years in a highly unionized workplace in my late 20's so remembered the ropes and how to play the game, just like BL in longbridge

5. For me and the boys yes and hopefully the wife will learn to love it. BCF is my second home, trail bike coming next month, HC test in 2 weeks then MC a year after just for a laugh cos it's on the bucket list, great meat pies and no grey people, just a majority of welcoming ozzies, maybe it's a sunny coast thing. Managed to volunteer myself into a museum already as a restorer and will volunteer up country when on swing as it does seem to flood up there a bit
Would be perfect it it wasn't for the trailer trash messing up the streets but I guess they get everywhere. They do seem to breed at a frantic rate and their kids first word must be f$$k