I would have done it younger too

coz then some of my family may have joined me out here, but being the youngest (and 37) my siblings are all too old now (baring 1) and then my mum could be here too

That could be a part of it...working for yourself and then working for a 'Boss', plus counterparts is never the same.

The taste of autonomy might have you annoyed...

Do you hope to have your own business again?

Yes, but I will have to wait until my Wife can/wants to return to work, we have young kids and although we have nothing against people who drop very young children off to day care we dont feel it is right for us.
Will have to start the business off slowly, however as you are in no doubt aware there are a few hoops to go through with licences and such in QLD before I can do it.

Don't have to tell me about licences

I took 5 years off with my youngest, and it was great. I was never in a position to stay at home with the other two, and I can see a difference in the closeness of me and my youngest and the other two.

It's good that she has that choice, and if it means you need to work for someone else for a while, then good on you.

It will all fall into place, just take it one step at a time.

If we could turn back the clock we wouldn't have done a single thing differently. Our children got to know their grandparents while they were (are) still alive, they got to experience the culture and life in our home country, my husband got to progress from a very low level job up through the ranks of his former company to a management position and I spent a lot of years doing a job I really enjoyed. We came to Australia, Adelaide first, and experienced what could probably be viewed as hardship, but it was a great experience. We made some really fantastic friends there including Wendy and my best friend and her husband. We've now relocated interstate to WA and are very happy here. My husband has a dream job where he travels all over the state working for a huge international company with the future prospect of moving to Europe in a few years as a company transfer. I have not been out of work since 4 days after our plane touched down in Adelaide and I've never felt so appreciated and useful in my entire career. Our children have made really nice friends in SA who still keep in touch with them and are making some nice friends here in WA. My son has Tourrette's syndrome and in Canada was teased constantly about his vocal tics. Since we got to Australia his tics have all but disappeared. I think he's just so much more relaxed that his little body doesn't feel the need to be constantly moving. Whatever the reason, he's a happy healthy normal 11 year old boy now.
As for the original question of would we change anything? Not a chance.

We would have liked to move years before we did but circumstances were against us. We came to aus as early as we could and in hindsight I have no regrets.

We would never have come: but that said I'm glad we didnt know/think through all the negatives cos we are enjoying life out here despite the "downsides"

Thats how we feel, now we have seen glimpses of a better life we cannot leave plus the fact we now would certainly struggle to pick up where we left off. And I sincerely believe that we did not realise how good life was for us in the uk.

What you gan in one aspect you lose in another, for example we had lots more money in the uk however, we found that life in the uk was hard to enjoy as not enough time.

Here in OZ its harder to earn decent money, and the costs of living are dramatically increasing and we feel its becoming similar to England in the respect of cant do what you want because the cash is too tight even though we have more time

Definatly not.

I knew from the moment I got off the plane in Melbourne I had made the biggest mistake of my life I hate it here. I have been in Melbourne for 3 years now. I still know no one what so ever, and am spending yet another Saturday night at home.

My relationship is about to fall apart, my family in the UK have fallen apart.
The worst thing I ever did was come here.

I wish it had never happened.

Without a doubt, only thing I'd change is that I'd have tried to get here when I was a lot younger.

On not too frequent visits back home ......I couldn't believe how much my old friends had changed

Andrew Flintoff's dad Colin was my best mate ......... or rather I was his best mate; we were plumbing apprentices together in Preston........... we did Karate, shared guitar lessons......... had the same musical interests, used to go fishing together. Colin never drove in those days...... always used my car.

I scored a job in Bermuda and Colin came round to our place on Brookfield to see us off. Later that year I was 'home' on holiday and in a position to offer him a foot in the door re going over to Bermuda........ but he declined as he was set in his ways at Courtaulds.

We kept in touch over the years. I offered to put him and his wife Sue (we were in the same class at Holme Slack Primary school) up at Carramar rather than them waste money on hotels if they were coming over for the Ashes. No response.......... didn't want to know us. At the time my dad worked at the same school Sue taught at and he had watched young 'Freddie' grow up over the years.

I had a reunion a few months back in Preston with a few other former apprentices who worked with Colin ............ they said the same thing; there is an arrogance about him and he doesn't want to know them either.

Never forget where you have come from......... my old man once drummed into me!!!!!! Doesn't matter how successful you become......... never forget where you come from.

Interesting reminiscences Bobcat. It's a shame when folk forget their roots.

That is so sad. I can't imagine how hard it must be for you. Hope you don't mind me asking but presumably there are major hurdles in the way of you heading back? I am interested (nosey actually) as to why your UK family have fallen apart because you're not there, or maybe you didn't mean that, just one extra thing added to the burden of being somewhere you don't want to be.

No its got nothing to do with me, its more of an "even if I went home everything would be different now" sort of feeling.