stm1971

Hi all,

Well we’ve been back nearly 4 months now and thought I’d do an update and share our experiences. Although I don’t post I do still come on and have a read occasionally.

We’ve been back a few months now and it still feels fantastic to be here and I can say without a doubt that the only regret about moving back is that we didn’t do it sooner.

We came back in April and after looking around chose an area just outside of Maidstone to rent. We chose here for a number of reasons, close to (but not too close!!) to family, proximity to amenities such as work, good schools, transport, access to a decent town and countryside and affordability for a decent size house. Good rental properties are hard to find but we got lucky and managed to get a nice 4 bed place in Weavering after just 2 weeks of looking and although there was no problem with the application we did have to pay 6 months up front to secure it as there were other people interested. It feels like the best of both worlds as we have a town on one side of us and countryside on the other.

Schools were a bit of a challenge, the first 2 primary’s I went to were full but we did get a place in the third which turned out to be a lovely school with an outstanding Ofsted report. DS settled in very quickly, he’s enjoying the work and has made some good friends. Secondary was a bit harder, all the goods schools were full and many had already started their GCSE courses. This was one thing that threw me a bit, I didn’t realise that many schools now start GCSE’s at the beginning of Year 9, so something to be aware of if you have kids of this age. The school the Education department gave us was to put it mildly was rubbish. Kids in corridors swearing while lessons were taking place as the Deputy Head showed us around, we knew our DD would not be going there even before we left the building. After many phone calls to the Ed dept and the schools we wanted direct (one that hadn’t started GCSE’s yet, which was my main bargaining tool with the Ed dept) we were offered a place at our second choice. My tip here is to just persevere in a calm but firm manner and not accept what the Ed dept give you if you are not happy with it. DD has settled in well too, made some lovely friends and taken to the curriculum well. She has said the work is harder here but more interesting and she is enjoying school much more than in Australia. Both have taken the move in their strides and say they love it here which I’m sure is a lot to do with how welcome they’ve been made at school but I am very thankful anyway as they were my main worry in the move due to their ages.

My OH managed to get a good job 20 mins from home after 1 week of looking on a very good package which we are extremely grateful for. There are jobs around but it is dependant on what you do obviously. We are lucky that my OH is in an industry that is in demand. I haven’t been looking yet as I’ve been busy with all the logistics of setting up again but will start in the next few weeks with a view to starting somewhere after the school holidays, there seems to be jobs in my field so hopefully I’ll be OK too.

As for logistics, the first and most important thing to do as soon as you get here is register on the electoral roll as it can take a while for it to show. If you are not on it it’s almost like you don’t exist. We found a GP easy enough and also managed to get accepted as NHS patients with a dentist which I know others have found hard. It must really depend on the area you are in. Also put your form in for Child Benefit asap as it can take up to 3 months for it to come through. As we had been away for so long I had to go to a HRMC office to be identified but it was straightforward process.

As to life here, well all I can say from our point of view is its great. We have been busy catching up with family and old friends who even after 10 years have treated us as if we were away on an extended holiday. Weekends have been spent going out and about, we’ve been down to the Sussex coast and up to London a few times. Last weekend we were in Hyde Park listening to a free music festival and paddling in the lido followed by dinner on the Southbank. We’ve also been exploring the gorgeous Kent countryside (and pubs ) which has been as glorious as we thought it would be and are really pleased with where we have chosen to live and are looking forward to being here a long while. We are struggling to fit in everything that we want to do atm but making the most of it as come winter we probably won’t be able to get out as much. We are off to the continent for a few days next month as well, taking advantage of our close proximity to the Channel Tunnel. There is definitely a buzz and a purpose here that I never felt in Perth and I am finding that I really don’t miss much about Perth at all, the 10 years spent there almost seem like they happened to another person.

To maintain some balance I will say that it’s not all sweets and roses here, the recession has hit some people really hard and the country has a long way to go regarding its debts and social problems….…but everywhere has these problems to a certain extent including Australia. There are also things here that are worse than Perth, the drive through South East London for example was an eye-opener for the kids but it’s ying and yang and on balance we are finding that there is so much more on offer for us as a family here than there was in Perth.

If you’ve got this far, well done. To anyone who is seriously thinking of coming back, just go for it, don’t waste time in limbo. I won’t pretend it was an easy decision, it’s not. We had lots of worry and feelings of guilt towards the kids and it was very stressful for a while when we were still in Perth but once we actually got to the UK it all fell into place. I don’t regret going to Australia, it was an itch that needed to be scratched, but I do regret letting life, worry about “what if’s” and other peoples opinions (you must be mad, what about the kids etc..) get in the way of our decision to return. Ideally we would have returned when our kids were a bit younger but don’t let that put you off, kids are very adaptable and I think the whole experience has made ours more rounded individuals.

Although Australia is a beautiful place I can’t even imagine visiting at the moment, I think I’m all Australia'd out . I expect we will make it back for a trip one day but there are so many other places to get to first. One thing we all agree on though, is the UK is our home.

Good luck to all of you who are on your way back, I really hope that your experience is as positive as ours.

theyoungs

What a lovely post and congratulations on your successful return home.

We ping ponged back to Australia and have now returned for good and yes it is a wonderful feeling to be finally settled and happy with our lot.

May it long continue for you and yours.

alipally

So glad that you've settled in well and that things are looking good for all of the family...

Jay Bird

Another Happy Returnee! Isn't it wonderful to feel that Life is so great....I feel so much a part of this country, which I never did in Canada. Wide open spaces are all very well, but it can be a little overwhelming at times. I always felt (in Canada) that I never had a say in anything that affected my life, and whilst I'm not involved in politics at all, I don't have that feeling of not being involved and not even counting for anything.

I must confess: I've even developed a liking for English rain!

I hope it all continues to go well for you.

Wawa

A very interesting post, thank you for sharing your adventure and the best of luck to you and your family. All has worked out well for you, everything has fallen into place and you sound really happy.

If I may ask what industry is your OH in? We are returning soon, but worry about the job situation more than anything else.

Jay Bird

Hello Wawa
OH was originally a self-employed auto-electrician. We both work on a large country estate for a really lovely couple. I'm the housekeeper and OH is the groundsman/chauffeur/handyman; he loves to fix things so loves it when any of the machinery breaks down as he gets to fix it!

It's not work we'd done before...I'd always worked in an office....but it's something we really enjoy. Might not suit everyone, but it is absolutely perfect for us as this stage in our lives.

stm1971

Thanks for the lovely replies.

My OH is in Industrial Refigeration, he's actually trying to recruit for a sales engineer atm but the candidates are not out there. I think anyone in a good job is staying put so there's not much movement around. The available jobs really do depend on what you do, if you got a visa though then you are skilled so hopefully you'll be OK on return.

Your jobs sound great, it's so nice when you actually enjoy what you do for a living.

charleygirl

I just love reading these posts........... jealous as heck but love it.
Best wishes for your continued happiness.

quoll

Great post, so glad to see that it is all working out for you! The education question is always one that raises its ugly head when you have kids in HS so it is encouraging to hear that kids can go back in HS and fit right in. Good to hear that there are "nice" kids there too as opposed to the usual rhetoric that they are all cast iron bitches, old before their time!

Hope it continues to go brilliantly!

lilybilly101

I know an AMAZING sales person, fantastic person, loyal, devoted hubby and father..... who was recently made redundant. He worked for Sony for 14 years and was one of their best. He left on a venture that didn't really work out......anyway.....it's a long shot......but if you want more info? Who knows...he's super smart man......

And congrats on the move. It's so fantastic to hear.