Sunshine Coast Settlers

Thanks so much for all of your great replies. Seasider, I have to admit that in a way this is a form of market research. We are considering the feasibility of adding reccie trips to our list services but we're just not sure it's worth it yet with the way things are going financially in the UK but if general opinion is that people really find them valuable then we'll run them but I was generally interested anyway as I (stupidly? naively? bravely? or prudently?) came out just based on research I'd done on the internet & luckily I made the right decision and I was wondering how many others did that too. I'm sorry there wasn't an option for you Machiavelli but the poll boxes aren't big enough to fit all that in . You didn't come on a holiday or reccie though so you came out without either too. I thought most people would say they came after a reccie but like you say Emelems; it's still very close at the moment! We'll wait & see....

bigAPE

• 38% had never visited before emigrating
• 65% had been at least once

Not that close. Emigrating blind can be a costly, financial and emotional, mistake if you have unrealistic expectations.

The percentages I would like to see are, out of 100% of each (had visited or emigrated blind) what number want to go back or feel grossly unhappy. As there are far more who have visited before emigrating raw numbers wouldn't work but I would suggest that there would be a higher percentage of unhappy peeps in the "emigrated blind" group.

sprintman

You don't get to do a reccie when you are a kid, you go along with your parents. Thank god they moved!

Wendy

We did a poll a while back and it was actually the other way around I'll see if I can find it.....might be a while

Kooky.

So I just typed a long post and thought, ah bugger it, you want stats not opinions. Voted "holiday" although really we'd had a few here but they weren't related to migrating. The recce came after we'd signed the contracts, too. I just like to be different.

asprilla

I tend to agree... you would expect that a far higher % of the "emigrate blind" group would return to the UK, in comparison to those who have visited or lived here beforehand.

But on the flip side of that argument, the "emigrate blind" group kind of strike me as more adventurous and more willing to "make it happen no matter what".


Just been looking back through some old threads.....here's a good quote:

Wendy

Grrr! I can't remember who started it or what the thread title was so it's going to take a long time....I am going out for a girlie get together so unless anyone else can find it I give in

Maybe do another? as it was a loooonnngg while back anyway

bigAPE

That could also be a factor. Good point

sasbear

me too please - never set foot on Oz soil before I came as a perm resident

comet555

We'd never been before we got our PR and came over.

We just decided we wanted something different for a couple years and we'd see what happens. Knowing up front that it was not likely to be a permanent move has actually made it easier for us to settle, because we know we'll be sticking it out for a couple years so we might as well make the best of it. We got PR because we wanted the option to stay as long as we wanted if we really liked it here. It turns out we love it!

ABCDiamond

I have a feeling that is a very valid point.

Even though I did two trips of 4 weeks each, before I migrated, I still gave up on Australia at one stage.
Living here never was quite the same as being on holiday here.

Toe Dipper

I went over for a long hol with girlfriend to see if I wanted her to be my wife!!!

Also to see the future MIL & how my wife would look in 30 years time. History says I was impressed

TD

Sunshine Coast Settlers

Glad you were impressed Toe Dipper!

You could do a whole psychology thesis on this, just working out which of those groups returned home and which of those used an agent e.t.c. It still seems that each of the groups are fairly equal though like you pointed out bigAPE there are far more people who came over before emigrating than those that emigrated blind.

Kooky.

You'd have to categorise the migrants, I think. With or without children, moved with a suitcase or a 40ft container, etc.

I've moved blind with a suitcase (albeit to Singapore), and well-clued up with a container and 3 cats. No kids.

comet555

We moved with to a country we'd never been to with two little kids and 5 suitcases full of clothes, that was it!

Mind you we are a bit crazy , and we still have a few things in storage with our inlaws back in Canada.