Petals

I just like my life wherever I live and make the most of it. I liked it in the UK I like it here in Aus and I make sure I do. I would not return to the UK to live now though. However if for some reason I had to return then I would be happy and make sure of it and seek out the good things.

Happiness is down to us I believe if I am unhappy nothing will make me happy until I decide to make a fist of things.

Others, things, places are irrelevant in my view.

Of course I do not like freezing cold weather so Aus suits me down to the ground, however do not like it too hot either so live in Melbourne which for me is perfect weather.

I lived with parents who searched and searched for that special place and did they find if of course not it does not exist.

In one hundred years we will all be gone and forgotten so make the most of what you have every day of your life.

kporte

for us, better by a long, long way. Christmas feels weird though

NickyP

Yes!
We live in country Victoria so nowhere near the sea but we have swimming holes and snow in the winter all nearby. We live in a old rambling house which although it is a bit of a shed we could never have found anything like this in the UK even if we paid several times the cost that it was here. The kids love the slower pace of life and love their small country school (education is really not the problem for us that some people seem to have). We love the community, I teach at the local high school and Ian has an excellent job. Our social life is better than it ever was in the Uk as people are less rushed here and have more time to just get together for a coffee.
I love the sunshine but do find the really hot parts of summer a bit much at times . We have cats, chooks and dogs, the kids are real country kids and it is great.
To be honest though it is really what you make of it. We have found that if you throw yourself into the local community and have a go people are really friendly but this might be something to do with the country rather than the city.
The kids' asthma is far worse here though as we are in one of the worst places for asthma in Aus . The doctor suggested that we sent the oungest boy overseas for summer .The shopping is also far worse lol but you get used to it.
Nicky

NickyP

Still not happy about the summer Christmas thing . Although I am happy to have a long summer holiday after teaching for the year so I can get over the wierdness.
Nicky

hevs

In many ways yes...

In a few ways no...

But we are staying and have been here for 5 years if that helps...This Christmas was the first I have really really enjoyed...

Cheetah7

OMG thats a bit drastic, what are you going to do? (about his asthma)

My asthma has got heaps better, Ive been really lucky.

lerato

NickyP, sorry to hear the kids' asthma has not improved. Part of the reason I myself am moving is b/c the winter here is v. bad for my lungs as they are damaged due to a lung condition, so hoping the warmer weather will help.

When you say the shopping is far worse, do you mean food shopping or other shopping or both? When I was there briefly for an interview I was surprised how few supermarkets (brands of stores) there were in Sydney.

lerato

NickyP

Joseph's asthma is pollen related and he will struggle here every spring/summer. Each year he gets a really bad cough which won't go away until he has a course or steroids ontop of his inhalers and short of moving or napalming the countryside there isn't much that we can do. He is great during the end of the summer and the winter and at the moment we are waiting to see whether he grows out of it a bit. He will also go onto hayfever meds earlier in the year to try to stem the problems before they get too bad. The doctor was only joking about seding him away but it is the only way to avoid it all together so looks like we will have to just see how it goes.
I am glad that yours is better here.
Nicky

NickyP

We live in a country town so our shopping is very restricted compared to the city. Generally the supermarkets are crap compared to the UK but you soon get over that and stop comparing when you have been here for a while and we manage finenow. We have a Coles, Safeway and Aldi here and you would expect there to be some price competition but Safeway and Coles are pretty much the same.
Clothes shopping here is really naff but we manage and head into the city every now and again to get our fix. However after 3 years here in the country I find the city a bit busy and irritating now especially when I am driving I am used to having very few cars on the roads lol and I crave it less and less.
I need my trip down to IKEA every now and again though even though it is a 3 1/2 hour trip each way I know I am very sad.
Nicky

roobush

hi

sounds like the overall concensus is a resounding YES!!!!!

Due to:

great weather
relaxed lifestyle
more outdoorsy
better and bigger housing, more affordable

these aren't superficial things and they can make a real difference to your quality of life. I find the weather in the uk so depressing and being able! to let the kids play outdoors every day (weather permitting) must be fantastic.

wish I was in oz already!

Cheetah7

I used to be really allergic to dogs and I desensitised, then when my dog died it all started again, I noticed it when I got my kelpie puppy in October, I was sneezing and wheezing.

Now I am OK again, but I bet if my dog went away for a few weeks, I would have to get used to him all over again.

So perhaps your son will get over it, hayfever meds can be brilliant for that, when my asthma was bad I went on antihistamines and it made a huge difference to my allergic responses.

sa2uk2oz

Re: Do you have a better quality of life in oz?

without a doubt!!!

NickyP

I hope that he will be OK and he does only seem to need the steroids once every 18months or so when things just build up too far for his system to recover on its own. Plus the chooks and dogs are doing a great job of destroying any offending plants in the garden .
Nicky

Cheetah7

Changing the subject Nicky, is that your own cat in your avatar?

If so, that is a gorgeous cat, such a fat chunky face - I love cats with fat chunky faces.

NickyP

Yep that is Omo our rescue cat. He is currently slobbing about outside as he won't lower himself to share the house with the dogs lol. He isn't scared of them but they try to be far too friendly for his liking. Our other cat is thinner and a blue/grey tabby (very cute but very blonde).
How is you kelpie going? Is he keeping you busy?
Nicky