toon williams

Having read many threads about settling in to your new life in Oz both on this forum and others, I just wondered why do you think it is that some settle better than others??

I am sure that everyone no matter how they feel have good and bad days, but I was just wondering why some simply "Love it" from day one and others are "Counting the days to go back to the UK" from day one??

Those that want to go back, did you come on a rekkie or did you come blind and that is where the shock is?

Not trying to belittle anyone and understand that different people want different things out of life, I suppose having not yet made the move, I want to know the answers if there are any so that I can make sure I am a "I love it" person!!

Hutch

There is no simple answer mate. That said, I've lived abroad in both the US and Oz in the past and I think you just need to be adaptable and prepared to accept the fact that whilst things might seem similar on the surface, they're actually very different. I think people who've lived all their lives in the same part of the UK, with the same network of friends and family, will also suffer. There again - they'd probably suffer if they moved to another county - let alone another hemisphere. End of the day, you just have to suck it and see ...

shiels

Reccie visits have to be the best way to at least give you an idea whether you might like it or not.....that's why both yourselves and we are both doing that in August...... C x

ElshaUK

I have no idea why some people settle well and other's don't - my family moved to Australia when I was a child and then my Uncle, Aunt & cousins followed. Out of 8 of us....only myself and my Cousin (same age) wanted to return to England. Mind you, I'd lived there for 16 years when I decided to move back to England.

Now, I am ready to go 'home' to Australia! I think with me, it was that the grass was always greener on the other side - I might be looking at Australia now with rose tinted glasses but I am aware of that and am prepared for it. (btw my cousin left last year to go home)

It boils down to family - my immediate family are in Australia - so that is where I am emotionally drawn back to. I love England - am tremendously proud to have a British passport, but so too am I proud to be an Australian citizen.

My parents didn't see Australia before they moved there, and they agreed to give it 2 years to settle and then if they weren't they would decide to move back. I think, it's giving it time.....learning to live with the differences, establishing a home, job, lifestyle. Making new friends and setting up a circle of aqaintances.

I really admire all of you who are taking this brave step - especially those of you with Children. From someone who grew up (from 8) in Australia, I can tell you that my childhood was amazingly different in Australia and something I will always remember!

shellyoz

Hi All

We have only just sent our application off to Oz.
Never been to OZ, we have four children 16,15,12 and 4, my eldest doesn't want to come, he will be starting college in September, and wants to stay and finish that so he'll be staying with his nan, and the fact that he has a girlfriend didn't help. He has agreed to have meds etc and when !! we get the visa he'll also come out to validate it. Hoping that he will love it so much he will not want to return to England.
Luckily my other 3 can't wait to go, it is a lot easier when both my parents and OH's mum say go it's a once in a lifetime oppurtunity and it will only be in later years "what if", so I think that helps when you get positve feedback like that. We just can't wait to go.

Shelly

toon williams

I did a poll a while back on the amount of people that go to oz without a rekkie against those that do go for a rekkie and it was about 50-50, which did shock me!!

I am not saying that there is a right or a wrong, but whilst this whole experience is a HUGE step for us, I couldnt even get my head around selling everything and going without having been to take a look!! Saying that we have friends that moved to Perth 18 months ago and they had never been to Oz and they are totally loving it!!

I didnt think anyone would come up with just one answer suppose I was just curious, as to what people felt!!

Arizona Wurzel

When we moved to USA in 1973 we had seven children,four girls and three boys,we were from beautiful Somerset and had many,many friends there plus a lot of family.My sister had moved to Auckland New Zealand in 1972 and we had the chance of a sponsership to Newport News Virginia.We have never ever regretted moving to the USA.We had to more or less forget about the British way of life and start living our new life here.If you keep worrying about what you left behind then i think this has a lot to do with your homesickness.We had to forget about the Mucky Duck and the Rose and Crown etc,these did not put bread and butter on the table so we had to knuckle down and bust our behinds and now it has paid off for us.We have never ever been homesick and dont miss anything from our native country.All the children have done well and now have families of their own and have good jobs.I feel so sorry for the families that cannot get over their homesickness,many do not give it enough time to settle down in their new countries,you have to work at it,it does not come easy and you will not get it handed to you on a plate,just my 2 cents worth.

YoSemite

I'd been to aus 3 times before i moved here, so I kind of knew what to expect.

Saying that i was meant to be going to melbourne to be closer to family, but OH insisted on brisbane. I didn't really know brisbane that well having only spent about 2 weeks here on holiday - but brisbane was the right decision

I couldn't move somewhere and not have gone for a visit, especially when it involves chucking everything in and starting again... but I've also got friends who've done just that, both in aus and canada; and both sets are loving their new lives!

mand8002

I think how well you settle depends on a few things. If you have very strong family ties in the UK then that will make it harder, but I think if you are adaptable and accept things for what they are then it makes it easier. I do not compare things here to things in the UK and accept that things are done differently.

Centurion

I think its a simple case of attitude. Really - everything else helps but its easy to say that you have a good attitude quite another thing to be positive most of the time. The right attitude and realising that life has hiccups along the way that ultimately there is no point getting angry about and smiling instead will see you right. Most of my family are convinced that I've been bodysnatched or something when they come to see me - a completely different attitude to the rat race one I had in the UK.

We visited Australia a few times before the decision to migrate. I'm not one of those people who could leave my family, friends and career in the UK on the chance that I might like another country. It was too bigger a decision to make. Many people do and best of luck to them. Statistically (ABC posted this a while back I think), people who have never been before stand the most chance of settling, something to do with just getting on with it and returning to the UK usually not an economic option.

Sandra

Before we moved to Australia 4 years ago I had travelled the world including Australia. I lived in England, not Belfast where I was born, for 14 years. I did not see coming to Australia as anything other than a huge adventure to be enjoyed. I believe I had the right attitude the attitude that said I would get on with it come what may.

I have 'homesickness' I suffer dreadfully from it - I still have really bad days even four years on. I was shocked at how strongly I have reacted, I fly back every year and it is only this that keeps me sane. I am hoping to last two years after the trip this summer to Spain but will not think I have 'failed' if I only manage 12 months before I fly back to Tescos/Asda/M&S etc etc.

My hubby has settled here easily for someone who was English born and bred and for 38 years never lived more than 5 miles away from the village he was born in. He has only been back the once and swears he see no reason to.

So in answer to the OP question - I do not know why some people settle more than others and I wish there was a answer/solution cause I would first in the queue for a fix

moneypenny20

We had been to Perth 20 years ago and I hated it. Our move came about because we were renewing hubby's Aus passport, realised the girls had dual nationality, got that and it just rolled on from there. I started on the Spouse Visa route and researching the country Neither of us had been to the East Coast and to be honest couldn't justify the reccie money. In the end I had to validate because the house hadn't sold in time and from the moment I landed (came alone) I felt as if I had come home whereas when I landed in Perth, I just wanted to get straight back on the plane - immediate dislike .

We have only been here seven months, but it's home, we haven't suffered "homesickness" or "peoplesickness" except first born but she is 13 so had we moved five miles down the road, she would have been the same.

I had never lived anywhere other than the town I was born in, Hubby moved there when he was five and had never moved anywhere else.

I think a big part for me, was I wasn't leaving the UK because I hated it or thought it crap, just thought "why not"? Not sure we could afford to move back, and if we did definitely wouldn't be able to afford moving back to birth town so not much point.

Never say never, but can't see a move back happening.

sel

We came out partially sighted rather than blind as I had researched until my fingers bled. So far this has served me well in that I havn't had any moments where I have felt unprepared and/or stressed out.

I am lucky that family and friends backed us all the way and can't wait to visit and I feel very much for those who get the emotional blackmail from family as the guilt would eat away at you and would definately hinder the settling process. If I'd had a large network of support / close family unit I would maybe of not even entertained the idea ... but who knows until they try ....

We have always looked upon it as an adventure and are enjoying exploring our new surroundings very much

jad n rich

Attitude, realisitc attitude is what makes people settle.

Have very real expectations of what goes on here and you will cope, it may not be forever, you may not totally love it but you wont go into shock/panic like some poor people do.

Dont build it up too much, its a different country not a different planet, all the same stuff goes on. And be very up to date on news/events/costs etc. And dont expect the first place you land to be 'it' it may take a few moves before you find the right place for you. And because its a different country dont expect what applied in the UK to be the way things work.

Never just imagine education, health, crime, Cost of living etc will be better just because the UK media slags the country off, because some find what the UK slags off is actually better than what they get here, NHS would be a good example.

Research visit, a lot cheaper than a family and worldly posessions playing boomerang after a few months

ljj

Not all the time Hutch, Id always lived within 2 miles of my parents. I could walk to both sets of grandparents with the kids. We settled so easily. Been here 3 years and it is home.

Totally agree you have to be adaptable though. Approachable, friendly and willing to try new things.

Just had to put my 2 penneth in incase people who have lived all their lives in the same part of the UK go into panic mode and change their minds about moving!

LJJ