..but unfortunately the lifestyle I so enjoyed in the UK is un-obtainable for me in Brisbane.

Well try somewhere else...I did. Like I said, there isn't just one Australian lifestyle...thankfully!

Why would I want to Google ?

Most of my info is already on my websites

But I don't have anything on Kerfuffle and bunff.... yet..... now let me see... http://www.abcdiamond.com/kerfuffle-and-bunff

Swings and roundabouts though...you'd never have to worry about topping it up!

Which I why I wrote Brisbane rather than Australia. I think something like the lifestyle I would like might be achievable in Melbourne if anywhere in this vast space. I'm not in a position to move as here specifically because of a job in Brisbane. I feel quite ungrateful in some ways because it's not a hardship here - it's just not the "lifestyle" (yawn) I want.

Never have to worry about swimming in it either.

Ya big jessie!

Guilty! To think I swam in Iona bay one New years day!

My boss has recently come back from Scotland....he went swimming in the Forth! Reckons it wasn't too bad.....but then he's used to Port Philip Bay.

Thing is guys, dollar is high because Oz has apparently escaped the recession, living in a recession is tough and people are generally depressed. Also it went even higher today because Australia added jobs, where as other western countries are still losing jobs, higher unemployment equals higher crime.

Financially it would have been better for us if Australia did go into recession and the dollar dropped. I'm glad it didn't because I value living in a great and strong country over wasting time and living in gloom for some extra cash.

we're toying with going back and also planning to sell up house anyway - as we will move anyway either in Oz or back home. we have a pretty low mortgage and some good equity in the property - thinking it would be worth borrowing up to our max and exchanging the money - if it goes back up then we make anyway - does this sound sensible or is there something obvious I am missing - if we compare the rate we moved over at 2.50 then we're set to make something like 50K (pounds) profit.

Talking from a purely financial perspective, if you do this, at those figures...and I've considered this as purely a financial exercise, if you dont get a similar job to what you have here, within 6 months, then you lose what you gain, in living costs etc. Thats not taking into consideration selling, buying and shipping. I doubt I would even get a job after 30 years out of the country and being 50+ .... My wife would though as she is a Psych nurse.




It would have to be a hell of a lot more than that for me to even consider the possibilty. Personally I'd start seriously considering about it around the 230,000 quid or 500,000 dollar profit mark...... then there's the kids. So probably not.

Besides I've only got to wait just over 5 years and I pay no tax on 35 years worth of government super, so I'd be daft to muck around with that.

Lets see what the financial gods bring.

Not really. Normally in this type of trade people borrow low yielding currencies to invest in high yielding ones. The AUD is likely to be one of the highest yielding major currencies in the immediate future.

Just thinking from a purely financial perspective rather than as an incentive to move back - as we dont technically need the money here - could be an opportunity to make a profit for a change.

Yes on day one of the move back for sure. After one month though that profit is no longer 50,000 pounds it's 46,000 quid, as it surely would cost you 4,000 pounds a month to live.... costs us circa that here..... again no set up costs in that figure.