chels

Not sure how much my life has changed...I think I'm less active, but do more housework.

Australia:

Work from 8.00 to 5.30 Mon-Fri. Short commute now of 20 mins by bus, but used to drive from Bondi to Ashfied which took up to 1hr 20 mins if traffic was bad. Window shop at lunch time, and meet other half for lunch occasionally - if the weather is okay we'll go to the park.

Back home, cook dinner, do housework, watch TV, work on computer, go to bed. Go to the cinema on cheap Tuesdays.

Weekends - clean house, do washing, do weekly shop. Might have drinks with work colleagues on a Friday evening. If weather okay (not raining, or too hot) will have a wander over to local farmers' market or be talked into doing something active like going for a walk in a national park, going to the beach. But not keen on outdoor things during the day in summer. And don't like getting sand over me when I've got sun cream on. Get DVD and takeaway in the evening.

New thing - HOUSE HUNTING. Spent most of Saturday driving round Maroubra, and then rest of the day recovering. Envisage next 6 months doing this.

Back in the UK:

Work from 9 to 6 Mon to Fri. Commute of 30 mins by train. Lunch time spent in park or watching outdoor entertainers if weather okay, or at desk if raining.

Back home, would heat up meal for one or make toast (OH had moved up to Nottingham for work, so would only see at weekends). Wouldn't worry about cleaning etc because I don't make much of a mess. Phone up / meet up with a friend. Or watch TV and go to bed.

Weekends - renovating house or commuting up to Nottingham. Often went for long walks in the local countryside (either Kent or Notts) because it was on our doorstep and we didn't have to drive for ages to get there. Also easier to visit historic houses / castles / villages / boot sales / waterfalls / etc.

A factor in why I was more active in the UK was that I didn't need to put loads of suncream on whenever I stepped outside - walked up the local high street here in Sydney on Sunday and the winter sunshine was enough after an hour to make my skin feel tight and hot.

Socialise a lot less here because most people I meet are through work and haven't really clicked with anyone yet. After 2 years.

If you're in the lucky position to be earning more and/or working less/not working at all and still have a good lifestyle, and you're into your outdoor pursuits, you don't mind putting on suncream whenever you step outside for more than five minutes (same goes for insect repellent), and you get turned on by seeing the sea (and more sea) or big expanses of nothingness, then Australia definitely gives you more opportunities for doing that kind of thing.

gjs

The main diference for us is that Graham doesn't have to leave so early in the am to get to work,and is home around 6pm every night whereas in the UK it would be anytime from 7.30pm onwards.In fact is was after a horrendous commute home that we decided to emigrate.We had a new baby, and because of train cancelations etc.(london Transport,need I say more...) he got home around 10pm.Was severly pissed off and said "I've had enough................want to emigrate?"Don't know if it was my hormones or what-but here we are.Since then we've had another baby and it's great for the kids to spend more time with their dad.
We spend more time together as a family and get out and about more-it's so much easier to get around .

iPom

There's lots more to Australia than the beach and big expanses of nothingness.

NickyC

So you stay home to avoid putting sunblock on?

The moisturiser I wear has an inbuilt sunblock. The only time I ever put sunblock on it I'm going to the beach or going to be out in the open sun all day. Never been burnt, ever.

And you don't really need to wear insect repellent walking around in Sydney! Sure you have it handy if you're going on a picnic or a bushwalk, but there's not a lot of flies around right now...

JenJen

I'm not there yet but for those of you over there can you tell me how much you think mylife will change???

My days are taken up normally ferrying kids to and from school
Playing with the baby
meeting up with friends (not every day)
Have only recently started working for Partylite over here so i'm a consultant
have to do some prep work with that some days and then demo's of an evening.

I just can't imagien what my life will be like over there

Jenxx

iPom

Depends on where you're headed and what you want out of life, Jen.

JenJen

Melbourne
Think we'll be on the west side.

I won't be working til baby is old enough to go to school, would like lots of friends i can meet up with in the day and weekends, take teh kids out to places that'll keep em interested (currently 8yrs,6yrs and 11months)and bring them home knackered ???

I guess the trouble is my life here is quite mundane and boring really.
I always want to be doing stuff but don't really have the confidence to trek off on my own with the 3 kids, I like going out with friends and family and obviously we're leaving those behind

Hubby will be ok he 'should' be on permanent nights during the week when we get over there which will be quite lonelt i thin as here i have friends or family pop over soem evenings for soem company after kiddies go bed, i'm worried i may be spendign the evenign playing try and kill or remove the big spider with 10 inch fangs?
HUbby will obviously meet ppl through work and do things with them, the kis will hopefully make friends at school and hopefully have a circle of friends where tehy go to play and bring they're friends round etc.....

Unfortunately I do like the Uk in a way cause i know most the local roads I don't have to try and avoid tolls lol
And i dont' have to worry about bloody great spiders hopping on your lap if you open the visor - if that happens i just know i'll crash the car

Jen

whoever

Hi,

I definately did a lot more active and outdoors things in Australia compared with here in England. In Australia the weather allowed me to go to the beach most days and be a lot more active and enjoy the outdoors more often. In England over winter time I would simply get home from work and it was dark and there wasn't much to do except chat with friends at home and then go to bed. In Australia I was able to live closer to a beach and I had the freedom to get in my car and drive somewhere to go hiking or sailing or surfing all year round.

In London this isn't possible even if I did live closer to a beach (because usually it's too cold).

JenJen

But do you ever think that if the weather in the UK was better Australia wouldn't be so appealing?
I mean naturally when its dark and gloomy cold and horrible here you want to stay indoors, But in the summer everyones out and about with the good weather?

Jenxx

iPom

Have you ever read the book 'Feel the Fear and do it Anyway?'

I think you should.

PS - I don't know of any spiders with 10 inch fangs.

whoever

Nah... I grew up in Australia so I love the beach. Australia's beaches are so much better and there's waves to surf. For me that's more appealing.

Also, I find the attitude to the outdoors is different, in OZ everyone was much more geared for the outdoors life (because of the weather). I usually walk all around London like from Acton Town to north London etc. My English mates think it's crazy but my Aussie ones do similiar things.

There's more space in Oz to do dirt bike racing and when I was younger we were all encouraged to skate board. The only skate boards I see in London usually have a an Aussie guy on them.

I think if the UK had good weather then there'd be more active people. But I do prefer the space in OZ. Everyone has a backyard, and in Darwin where I am from everyone has a swimming pool so we usually spend our weekends in there playing Mermaids or Marco Polo.

I went to school in Yorkshire when I was younger and we lived on the Moors so we had heaps of space to run around but I still do prefer the ocean.

JenJen

But dont' they have big sharks waiting to eat you ? Or crocs waitign for you to take a dip so they can have a snack ?

PeteY

EXTREMELY rarely.

The thing you really need to worry about is the big ball of fire in the sky.

Mid Lifer.

How do you play Marco Polo? I saw it being played on telly by The Soprano's one episode.I might get the kids and the OH playing it..

JenJen