Fantastic!! Tina you go girl!! You are so absolutely right in all aspects.
I'm new to this forum and I sometimes come onto this site and read the posts from people who are obviously not having it easy out in Oz, and I just wonder what the hell are we doing? We must be seriously out of our minds to even contemplate this.
But then, when I'm feeling all daunted by the whole scenario, someone like you... who obviously tells it like it is.. comes into the forefront and makes me feel not quite so alone and reassures me that most of us have the same doubts and fears but above all we have the drive and the 'need' to make this drastic life change.

So, thanks all of you lot... the ones who talk some sense and have a grasp on reality!!

Keep using the word "dream" Billy - its been my dream too, and the only things that mar it are things that would happen whichever country we were in..... like "who gets the clothes off the line!". Then - when I reluctantly went out to do it, I found myself thinking, hang on, in the UK, there is no way that I'd be bringing in DRY clothes off the line late on a November evening.....!!!
Its not paradise - but its pretty flipping good!!

Wot, is it not raining in Brisbane, its totally peeing down here!!!!
Sky is a black as an army boot. Went out left windows open, now have soaked carpets and furniture, tropical shower I think its called.

:

It poured here last night dotty, for about 3 hrs, only stopped about 5am, but so far this morning its dry, albeit a little overcast. No rain yesterday either, well not down on the Broadwater anyway, we took the boat out & apart from it being a little bit windy it was lovely. Saturday we had a fair bit of rain.

The rain is certainly welcome though, its been so dry even though we had those couple of days of rain a few weeks back.

nipper, tina put it so perfectly. Ignore the posters who seem to have such a downer on the country. Thats not to say ignore the negatives only the negative posters! Lots of people post things that arent all glowing & rosy at times but certain people cant see past the end of their own noses & are miserable gits

I cant think of any totally negative posters on here now, apart from the occasional angry type person who pops up now and again

Most people are posting a combo of good/ realistic / negative / informative info.

Theres a couple of its overenthusiastically (bet the spelling critiques like that one )" OZ is gushingly good posters" but they usually have a vested interest or been here 2 days types.

No most people seem pretty fair now dont think the forums that negative at all really. Perhaps if I was reading from the Uk and the dollar was not going my way it would look differnt tho.

Lots of cut and paste posts made it very negative, now there are more people just talking about real day to day stuff here.

I am replying to your post, from the standpoint of someone who appears to, despite not seeing beyond the end of my nose, upset and aggravate other posters on this site.

I think the concerns that you mention are real, and there are many difficult decisions both financial and emotional to make on the road to migration.

A) Some people who post on this site haven't migrated.
B) Some people have migrated and have had fantastic stories
C) Some people have migrated and have gone back.
D) Some people have migrated and things haven't yet fallen into place and their still trying.
E) Everyone who has migrated will have different ideas and opinions on what is worth giving up to achieve their dream.

I am in group D trying to get to group B. I do think you have to decide your financial basis first, if you haven't been to OZ before, i think you really need to look around. We spent the weekend visiting other small towns to see if that is where we would want to live, and it is not for us. I can see why some poeple would want to live in some areas but its not for us, and the areas we do like, have a decreased job market and are very isolated, and we still couldn't esily affod a house there. We are coming closer to the decision that WA is not for us and we are thinking of travelling in the New Year to try the Eastern States.

The current exchange rate will leave lots of people with less funds than they expected to have and the continuing increased housing prices here will leave lots of people in a less favourable position.

Migration isn't a decision to be taken lightly, we do not regret coming over to OZ because we were careful about what we gambled. Only gamble what you are indeed prepared to lose because there is no guarantee of success.

That being said I will reiterate that people are successful, there seems to be an element of luck that comes with that too. I personally belive in fate and I have no idea where in the world I could be this time next year, it could be OZ, UK or somewhere else. What I do know is that I will be hppy with my bloved, and if I am really a glutton for punishment I will still be posting on this site.

I must admit I've asked myself these questions a lot since getting my visa. The answer at the moment is "I'm not sure anymore, don't think it's worth it!"

I have a pretty good standard of living here and my original motivation for emigrating was to have either a better lifestyle or a mortgage-free home. Since doing some research into life in Oz (including two trips over) the mortgage free-home isn't going to happen (not enough funds) and I doubt if the lifestyle, although different, would be any better. So, my original motivation for going has now gone. Although Oz is a very nice place, right now I don't think it (or anywhere else for that matter) has enough to offer to make it worth uprooting and starting over again. I don't think the effort/hassle/energy invested would be balanced out by what I'd gain. Sure, I could go anyway and come back if I don't like it (minus a home and a few thousand ££) but I prefer the alternative - stay here until I'm more positive about emigration. If I went with doubts I wouldn't give it my best shot, and I think I'd need to to make a go of it.

Bottom line - maybe I don't want it badly enough, maybe I'm not very adventurous, maybe I'm happy here - I'm not really sure which one. Still, four years left on the visa so plenty of time to change my mind

Hi Stotty,

It sounds like your hearts not in it at the mo, probably because you're really enjoying what your up to (college etc). I've also realised that Australia isn't the dream I had imagined, but for me and my family, I still believe that it is the right thing to do and that we will have a better family life over there. House prices are really expensive in Melbourne and IT jobs are pretty scarce too, but no different than here. I want to sell up and put everything into making a go of it, even though, as you know, I've had my doubts. Recent events within my family have helped spur me on, can't wait to say bye to most of them. Terrible, but true. We are a rock solid family and I know if it all goes wrong, we'll still be happy together.

Chill out and enjoy what you're doing, you don't know how you will feel in a couple of years, and you'll still have a valid visa if you change your mind. Good luck.

Noodle.x

Hi Noodle,

You're probably right - the more good stuff that happens here, the less incentive I have to uproot! I think I'll give the music career a shot here before I go anywhere

Sounds like you're more determined than ever to go now - good old families eh?

Good luck & take care.

It is worth all the stress and more. I thought that when I went to Holland then I thought it when I went to Oz. Now I can look back and think it was all worth it. I would never have met the friends I did, had the experiences I have and saw the sights I visited. I am going back to OZ in April next year and can not wait. Life is full of exciting things and I have yet to experience a lot more. At least when I am old and grey i can sit with my grandchildren and tell them about those things. If things do not work out for you, well you can always go back and pick up the pieces and start again, but you may never get another chance to do that something different.

thanks to everyone for their replys, i know there is a lot to consider and it wont be a bed of roses but ultimately id prefer to regret the things i have done, rather than the things i havent. at the end of the day we are all a long time dead!!!!!!!!!!
i do believe that oz will provide a better enviroment and lifestyle for me and hubby certainly for the kids and their future.

hiddenpaw, we will be living in the Illawara region, wollongong initially as we have family there (i found it to be a beautiful area contary to a negative post recently)

thanks again

feeling upbeat!

The worse part of the whole process for me has been the waiting. I'm an impulsive person who tends to make decisions at the time and go with the flow, this has always worked out in the past.
All this waiting around is dampening my enthusiasm.
I think it gives more people time to pick apart your reasons for going. Also to keep reiterating that we're moving to the other side of the planet!
This might sound weird, but my attitude is that the world is constantly becoming a smaller place and the distance doesn't matter. We could live in the same street as our family and freinds and never see them, it's up to us to keep in touch and do longish trips back every 1-2 years.
Also the fact that my attitude was **ck it, only live once. For me there are some things in life you shouldn't scrutinise too much otherwise you over analyse and spoil it.
What is keeping me going however is the fact that I have wanted to live in Oz since I was about 10 years old, and to have a passion for something that bloody long I might as well go for it!
I'm also in the midst of stresses and strains of organising the house, cats, finances, jobs, and stressed out rows at home.
The only thing that is keeping me going at this point is the fact that we have wanted this for years, and finally have our visa, so we might as well bloody use it!
Part of me thinks we'll have a ball, the other main part is completely numb, as the emphasis people place on the distance is beginning to get to me. I know when I'm there a while it'll be okay as I did a year before.

Right that's my waffle finished, sorry for going off on one!
I'm a nightmare when I get going!
you can wake up now!