Tod

Hi Guys and especially to those who've taken the time to reply to our dilemma - big thanx.

Have actually cancelled the flights today. Neither of us are in the right head space to make such a huge decision at the moment - no decision should be this hard.

We both feel gutted, but relieved at the same time.

I don't know if we are the lucky ones cos we've experienced a life in Aus or if everyone else are the lucky ones cos they know no different!!!

This is Tod's wife Lynn by the way, the one with the issues. Hope this is not going to sound too 'whinging pomish' but a problem shared and all that and I've no-one to ask other than you guys ... well you're there ... if you've never lived in Aus how can you help.

Perhaps if I just list a few things, well I've nothing to lose have I, you'll either think I'm completely bonkers or just maybe you'll know exactly what I mean - can't and won't accept I'm the only one - ok here goes.

noise: barking dogs / hoons screeching around the streets late at night / thumping music & some wildlife, does no-one else out there hear that annoying little bugger they call the 'storm bird';

heat: found that really, really hard at times - well ladies how many of you struggle to simply pull your knickers up due to constantly sweating and damp clothes. No point in moisturising or hair drying / then you have to try to sleep, fans constantly whizzing or air-con buzzing;

cane toads / white ants / black ants / spiders to a degree, never saw those described to me as being as big as a saucer, probably just as well. Does anyone else check their bed before getting in it, has anyone else been told horror stories of red backs coming through ceiling spot lights?

pest control: although I have to say we did finally get used to cockroaches, I encountered the biggest one ever just 4 months after arriving, he decided to have a sticky in my handbag. Needless to say the bag went in the bin and that was truly the start of my 6 plus years of becoming a nervous wreck and although I write this with a smile on my face right now, my anxieties whilst living there were no joke;

freakish weather: drout / floods / hail / cyclones / bush fires OH MY GOD !!!

That aside I loved Australia, loved the people, loved the casual way of life, loved my Havaianas (thongs), loved being part of such a wonderful, stunning country - simply hate the issues, my issues.

Biggest fear of all, SNAKES - experience, others' stories, news on TV - SNAKES (I've said it) ...

Enough said, going to have a cigarette now. Night time now here in Blightly and the beginning of another glorious day in Oz, hey ho ..........................

Pollyana

So many things there that sounds all too familiar....... Just remember, not all of us on here think Aus is glorious Saturday will be a far more glorious day than today, cos I will be in London not Brisbane
If it doesn't feel right, stay put, maybe another time it will feel like the right time, at least you have experienced life here and hopefully got a few happy memories

commonwealth

i hope you enjoy my wedding this month. many will be watching.

Pollyana

A couple of people at work actually believe I am in London specifically for The Wedding - I told them I had an invite, and they believed me

commonwealth

i dont remember inviting you gatecrasher witch! although i am willing to share private photos of my future husband...

Pollyana

Now there's a tempting offer!!! Don't worry about me gatecrashing though, I think I can find somewhere slightly less formal and more fun to spend the day

ponyrama

My horse will be there. On duty! Yayyy!

barney41

Lynn I could have written all of your dislikes for myself, well apart from the stories of the redbacks that is real life for me . However, we are planning to go back probably in September for a second go and hopefully gain citizenship if we manage to stay long enough this time.

We (I) acted rather hasty on our return from Australia, we struggled to get a decent rental, I was pregnant and I just flipped. I decided to get the shippers in, dog's flights sorted and our flights booked and all to leave within 14 days. Luckily we had decided if one wants to go back so does the other, but maybe that made it too easy!

Anyway, this move back to Australia is something we have talked about for nearly a year now, nothing rushed this time. Not sure you would contemplate this but we are thinking about putting our furniture into storage for 6 months and getting a fully serviced apartment when we get to Australia. Then if we don't like it we will use the return portion of our flights and not have the cost of shipping the furniture again. Obviously if it works then we will have everything shipped out.

Good luck.

quoll

Pollyanna's right. Not all of us think Aus is paradise on a stick so much of what you said resonates.

Our bloody koel (your storm bird I think) has finally migrated north after making our lives misery since October (it arrived as I left for UK for my last holiday and has been shattering the nights pretty much ever since) - that alone is enough for me to pack my bags but my DH wont join me. Add to that the dawn cacophony which woke me this morning - how can 200 cockies make more noise than a jumbo jet?

I hope you can find joy in your lives in UK - once you get the job stuff sorted it will be much easier I should think.

I have to wait until September for my next sanity hit (How does that witch manage it so often? magic broomstick or what?!) and the wait is killing me, I am going stir crazy!

Rambi

I think they use syncopation. But it does take some practice for them to get it right

Centurion

Your husband must be a saint !

That would drive me nuts.

koalakim

Hi Mrs Tod

If they are the things you don't like about Oz then why not try a different part of Oz? We have hardly any of those things down in Victoria!

The Oz thing is hard, sometimes it is better not to have known. The Oz thing consumed so much of our life between our first visit and eventually moving - about 9 years. 9 years of can we, can't we and then when we got the visa it was shall we, shan't we...arrghhhhh. When I used to get back to the UK from a holiday I couldn't settle for weeks but when we moved here I missed familiar things so much.

However, after 4 years going back to the UK is a holiday now. I think I see it through tourists eyes, it's nice, everyone is nice to us, it's not real anymore! I'm still not 100% settled here but it's real and everyday life now.

It is hard tossing up which country to live in but if you love Oz but hate the issues of QLD then don't give up and maybe visit another area without so many of those problems.

Good luck!

KK

carolinephillips

If you don't like the heat, why not try Tasmania? Or Melbourne?(tho it does have warm days in summer) No cane toads down there either. You also have to choose your location carefully with regards to hoons etc. I live in a cul-de sac, with the only hoon being next door's grown up son, who comes round sometimes at the weekend on his noisy motorbike (he races it) but it is only the occasional bit of noise. Yes, I agree with you on the bloody cockatoos. I am supposed to live in an area where there are snakes, but I've never seen one in my garden- pity really as I'd love a python to come and eat the rabbits which spend the night excavating the lawn and flower beds. I did see a red bellied black snake while walking in the bush, but I just went the other way, no worries. We have our house sprayed each year and that takes care of most invaders.

It ain't all bad!

TiddlyPom

Stay in England.

moneypenny20

I'm assuming you were in FNQ because I don't recognise the majority of the stuff you've dealt with but rest assured, If I'd been there I'd have lasted about five minutes.

I don't think anyone thinks Aus is paradise, it's just that for many of us the postives outweigh the negatives. Either stop where you are or try Victoria or Tasmania but be happy wherever you are.