JoolsB

Yeh-me too re preferring cooler weather after experiencing 40 degrees minus the cocktail & hotel pool.

Hutch

If you could find me a four bedroom detatched house with pool and DLUG on a 900sqm block within spitting distance of seven miles of stunning beach and a wide unspoilt river for £180k (or less obviously) somewhere like Cornwall or Dorset, with cheap rail to London ...

... then no, I'd still make the move.

Kapri

The weather is the main draw for me. I hate it when it's cold and wet.
Last week was lovely here in the U.K. it was sunny and warm and we had a great (cheap) weekend going for a picnic and walking round a country park.
I would like to live somewhere we could experience more weekends like that.

When we started the process the fact that the cost of living was cheaper was a huge plus but of course this is no longer the case.
In fact that is making me rethink. My OH's qualifications aren't recognised in Australia and I'm now worried we will struggle financially. he will either have to get a low paid job or spend a couple of years retraining.
I know money isn't everything but if we are struggling that won't improve our quality of life so we have a lot of thinking to do.

The Woodcutter

Very interesting question. Would certainly have immigrated but not sure whether it would have been Canada or Australia.

owenj

I believe that the cost of living is still much less than in the UK. This may be variable person to person as it is relative to income. Those who are paid less in Australia than in the UK may not see as much benefit.

If you were to equivilate income in UK pounds to Australian dollars then you would definately get far more for the same money.

The climate is a definate plus for us, but it is not top of the list for reasons to be in Australia. However, replace it for a UK climate and many of the other aspects we enjoy may not be as attractive as before, so indirectly it does play a major role.

brissyboyds

Oh yes

Betty Boot

We are planning to move back to Oz after 2 years back in the UK - mainly because of the Weather I stupidly thought the cold, grey, dreary weather wouldnt bother me but it really does:curse: After 2 long winters its time to get the hell outta here and back to some sunshine where we can start enjoying family time again without spening a fortune and dodging the rain

Bit to answer your question, No, Australia wouldnt even be a consideration if the weather was the same as the UK.

Bazza Boy

In a word no.

The weather was a huge incentive. Which is why we only looked at Perth and Sydney up to Brisbane.

I don't think people put enough emphasis on the fact that 4 1/2 months of the year in Britain is pretty much wiped off the calendar.

With a young family, in terms of getting outside and enjoying ourselves I'm so glad we're leaving the UK weather behind.

Baz

vanessandave

quoll,
Every time I read your posts I feel depressed, no matter how good I felt before. If life in Australia is so awful why don't you just move back to the UK and let somebody who might appreciate the opportunity of experiencing the Oz lifestyle a chance. Or do you intend on being miserable, and bringing everyone else down, for the rest of your life?

I do believe in free speech, and everyone is welcome to their opinion but I am sick of yours. Is there a way of blocking out a particular posters posts???

rabsody

vanessandave - Quoll has been married for many years to an Aussie who refuses to move back to UK (and would not be happy there if he did). You may think that's a cut and dried situation but until you're in that position you have no idea.

For those of us who are stuck here for one reason or another - can't sell the house, can't move because of children in a dual national relationship (even to an ex husband, like me) or where both partners want to live in different countries - you cannot understand the turmoil involved. I sincerely hope you don't find yourself in that situation ever. You might be a little more empathetic if you did.

Nu-Shooz

Put them on ignore, or don't read it. Some people do appreciate Quoll's posts.

deryans

No, would have stayed in Northern Europe.

CaptainMerton

Why would anyone move to Australia for any other reason than the weather? Its has no culture, very little natural beauty, higher taxes than the UK and far fewer career opportunities.

vanessandave

I think you are missing my point. It is not that I don't have any empathy with her situation, if thats the case she has my sympathy. BUT, she has made her decision and needs to deal with it. Is there any need to drag everyone else down with her.

Vanessa and I are in a dual national relationship (UK and Canada) so we do know what issues this brings, and even if one of us didn't want to live in a particular country we would try and make the best of it, rather than wallow in self-pity.

Dave

Vash the Stampede

I am frankly disturbed by the number of people who rate the weather so highly as a motivation for their decision to emigrate nearly 20,000km to a foreign country on the other side of the world.

As an Aussie who's lived in the UK for more than 4 years, I cannot understand why so many people complain about the British weather. It is nowhere near as dreary as they claim; the sun is much softer, the UV Index is much lower; the summers are much gentler, and the overall climate is very mild.

To hear some people talk, you'd think that the entire place was inundated with hail and blizzards for 5 months of the year. In reality, the UK has a very pleasant climate, which I actually prefer to the blistering heat of Australia.

If people just want better weather, there are better options than Australia - and much closer to the UK. There is no way in hell that I would emigrate just for the sake of some sunshine.