daisymoo

I have just been reading about people coming back home from mainly perth or surrounding areas, i'm quite amazed, there's us all here desperate to get out there but the same applies to all of those there. Our friends have been gone 5 weeks and are loving it, they've bought their new 4x4 they've bought a house near perth and are renting in bunbury because they have to stay there for a certain period for their visas. They are having barbies, swimming in the indian ocean when it's pi**ing down here, what more could we want. Seriously i know that these are not the right reasons for wanting to go but i hope these people realise how bad things are here, the cost of living is horrendous, we work to exist not to have any quality of life, the incomings are nowhere near as much as the outgoings, council tax is ridiculous in fact it's tax, tax, tax for more than is necessary, my husband works sometimes 7 nights a week just to try and keep on top but of course we are not. The youngsters just starting out have absolutely no chance of getting on the property ladder.
I know OZ will not be the be all and end all of everything but surely when the sun is shining or the sky is blue not black, you can feel better equipped to cope with it.
Good luck to everybody coming home
carol

TraceyW

I'm not having a dig at you, I'm just telling you as it is. THIS IS NOT UTOPIA. IT IS JUST AS HARD TO SURVIVE OUT HERE. Like the old saying goes "never judge a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes"

moneypenny20

You will find that there are various reasons for moving back to the UK. Some people suffer such homesickness, they are physically ill, others, who have never been to Aus, or even if they have been here on holiday, find that living here is totally different and not what they want. Others just can't find work and so can't afford to stay. With these reasons, no matter how hard the sun shines, it is just not worth it.

There is no way of knowing if you are going to suffer home or people sickness until you have been away, with no prospect of getting back regularly.

For some reason Perth and Adelaide seem to have more than their fair share of returnees, but people from other places go back as well. You will also find that however much they hated it, or it didn't work for them, they are grateful they tried it. Quite a few get back to the UK and decide that Aus was what they wanted afterall and head back again.

Please don't judge others. We are all individual and have different wants and needs.

Jim n Nic

[QUOTE=daisymoo]I have just been reading about people coming back home.....


You will never know whether you will love it or hate it or just simply put up with it, until you actually do it.
We all have the intention of coming to Oz for a better life, but sometimes it takes that move to realise what you did have back in the UK.
That is certainly the case for me. Am I going moan about the cost of getting there and getting back and bring up all the things I dislike about Oz? NO. It was an experience, glad I tried it, not for me thank you.
If anyone asks me about moving to Oz I would say "Do it".
Also anyone in the process of trying to get visas, just about to make the move, I wish you all the very best and good luck in the future.

annqldau

Have found talking to others who emigrate that some people just come with unrealistic expectations.

Some people (the returnees) are surprised when they get here and miss family...der didn't you expect that but all your family expect you to rush back but they are not rushing out to see you.

Some people don't seem to allow for the fact that people may not want to employ you at first, we tried to think of lots of alternative jobs as well as our UK jobs but in the end ended back up in the UK jobs at similar levels and pay.

Some people come expecting to have all Aussie mates and for some reason are vehemently opposed to having any British friends. They don't seem to realise it's the other immigrants on the look out for new friends as all the Aussies already have theirs from years back so are willing to be friends but at a lot slower speed.

We avoided Peth for the very reason there is only mainly Perth (no offence to people who chose Perth as you chose it because you liked it). We wanted the option of other cities nearby to go to on holidays etc. NZ is closer to us than Perth.

Last reason I can give is think the returnees spend to much time thinking of UK and only looking at bad points of Aus and not getting on and enjoying the fact it's sunny, less vandalism and pub binging hassle, nice sea, lots of free pools where the bbq's haven't been stolen and quite family orientated except the no kids in pubs after nine rule.

Nobody forced them to come if they don't want to stay let them go back and the rest of us will enjoy ourselves... .

BadgeIsBack

Because that way, you'll be a mile away, and you'll have his shoes.

hawk2005

People have a bigger comfort zone than they thought, but only realise it once they have stepped outside of it

Recreating a new one is sometimes a thing which some returnees could not do sufficiently quickly or just were unwilling to do full stop.

The thought of ever having to return to that cold, grey skied, alcohol sodden, badly managed, dirty, overcrowded country sends shivers down my spine

ionaskye

I agree with you and it is all about stepping out of your comfort zone , its a hard thing to do, I have been away for over twenty years and i still long for haome but for the reasons that you stated I would have a hard time comming back . My friend's son always tells me when I am back that "I'm or your just trying to fit in " its tough

TraceyW

sassenach

It really boils down to what you are inside ,you wont find that out untill you come to australia its an expensive way to find out your value system but nevertheless worth it .I think personally most brits wouldnnt want to live in anew beaut housing site of say several thousand homes with very little infrastructure and night life but they seem to jump at the chance if it means living in the sun

joh117

Carol

It is not all you dream it to be over here!! Don't get me wrong each and everyone of you have to give it a go. We have been very successful here well hubby has I however have gone backwards career wise.

But Hubby spends 3 hours a day commuting whereas in the UK he was home in 15mins. Oz charges you for everything it costs to see the doctor, there are as many taxes, it may seem cheap here but you wait till you are earning the $ then it is all relative.

We do not get the lifestyle we were looking for. And so what if the sun shines everyday you get over it and it becomes the norm. When it is really hot everyone is inside with the blinds shut and the a/c on with the lights on hardly what you could call enjoying the great weather!!

Anyway we are happy here but are returning as we feel our daughter is missing out on knowing her family. But then we never left the UK cos we didn't like it we just fancied a change. A change we have had and now we are returning.

We have not had a holiday since we arrived beg 2004 and in the UK we could go abroad at least twice a year.

Annual leave is 20 days a year sick leave 10 days a year and maternity/parental leave well you will be lucky.

Jo

Oh and as for property it is the same here house prices have gone up so much that youngsters can't get on the ladder either

Luma

But lots become ping pom poms. Sometimes you have to go home to realise that actually it wasn't so bad over there afterall

blowers

You will see a lot of people making comments like :"same sh*t, different bucket" or 'what you gain on the swings, you lose on the roundabouts". I won't go on and on, but this just about sums it up really. So, perhaps council tax is extortionate in the UK, but my monthly phone bill from Telstra (who practically have a monopoly out here) or the cost of my flight back home on Qantas (who practically have a monopoly out here - bit of a pattern here) could make you cry. And young people here can't get on the housing ladder either. But yes, you got sun, and you got warmth, and you got the beaches, and to be honest if thats what makes you happy, you'll be happy here. Unfortunately, a lot of people, myself included think that this will make them happy, and realise that actually, given the choice between beaches and their friends and family back home, its the friends and family they want. This is very common!
Most people here, even if they decide to go back, would agree this is a great country, just that some of them would prefer maybe to visit it, rather than live here.
Others come here, love it from day 1 and 20 years later are still loving it - so good luck to you, and hopefully you'll be happy here, but its good to have an open mind.

jlkk

We are one of those ping pong poms.
We are on our way back although we are not returning to the same place as we were, I do think that was a big problem for us. We did not settle in Adelaide and put it down to homesickness, but the reality is, we did not like Adelaide that much. (our opinion).

All I will say to those returning to the UK or anywhere else is, (like it was said to us plenty of times)...try somewhere else first...believe me its an expensive way of testing what you do want. If that does not work then at least you know either way.

LibbyX

Mrs JFW

Where are you off to next time Libby?