Originally Posted by exvj

Good plan, good approach to it. Nearly all the other 60 million are making it ok so it'll be all right in a few months. The 'not knowing' is the worst bit and it comes right. I overcame some real hurdles here so the UK will be a lot easier.
Driving licence doesnt run out til you are 70 for a start !

Originally Posted by shelley748

My Dad sent renewal DL from UK for me to sign, but I was worried because you had to sign to say that you were a resudent of UK, which of course I am not right now. So I have held onto the forms until I do go back.

Originally Posted by betsyboob

Hi all, Not sure if you will all be familliar with me as i also go under the name 'tuppins' - set up so that i could be honest without offending any of my Ozzy/ Brit mates.
Anyway, we returned from the sunshine coast in QLD 3 months ago and i felt that it was time for an update, as we found this forum very useful when we were making the decision to return.

We moved to Australia for the common reasons, we have 2 young children 18months and 4 at the time and felt that they would have a better future in Australia than the UK, that the weather would be better and so enrich us with a better quality of life, that the roads would be less cluttered and therefore we would be less stressed. So, we sold our house, all our furniture, packed our 8 boxes for shipping and off we went to Caloundra, sunny coast qld. We had never been to Australia before but we felt it was a risk we needed to take.
We arrived in Brisbane and spent a wk in the Gold coast at a child friendly resort, which was awful. The flight had completely done us in, the kids were all out of sinc and we were really stressed. To top it all off i hated it straight away, i just could not believe that we had sold our life away to come to this place, OH seemed to like it OK, but it is much more americanised than i had thought, but hey, this is for the kids and their future, right? so i got on with it. A wk later we arrived in Caloundra, which was much more preferable to GC and we had splashed out on a really lovely apartment for 3wks so we were all much more settled. To begin with we enjoyed the beaches and the weather, not much else really, moved into a beach house which was pretty basic but had a big garden and driveway and best of all was 2mins from a lovely beach, we didn't stretch ourself as neither of us had work.
Time went on and OH had real difficulties getting work (he's a plumber) he had 2wks and then nothing for 5months. I however, had 2 different jobs lasting just over 6months in all, despite the fact that i hadnt worked for 4yrs, i mean, where is the logic?! The problem was that OH kept getting rejected when they heard that he was English! We got our visa on his skill and then he couldn't get work. He did eventually get work in March (after 7 months!) but the jobs weren't coming in and there was talk of the business being shut down. I would come back from work to OH in bed sometimes, he was getting so depressed staying at home doing nothing, now you might say "why not enjoy the time off down the beach" but after months of it it does get pretty boring. He would be down and i would be up and then i would be down and he would be up, what a mess! The whole time we were struggling - like nearly everyone we had met, but we were lucky that we weren't too frivolous and didn't lose too much.
We rented a fully furn place as we didn't want to buy furniture, first of all this was for convenience, but after time we renewed our lease again and again as we just didn't want to buy any furniture as to do this we felt we would be committing ourselves to staying, which neither myself or OH felt we wanted to do. We were careful with money as we felt we would need it when we returned - as that was on our mind all the time.
We were lucky as we had made lots of lovely friends (nearly all brits) and enjoyed seeing them but we still didn't feel settled.
We would go out for the day and all we could think about was how we wished we could share it with our families. We could have a big house with a pool but really what is the point if you can't share it with the people that really matter to you? We would drive for hours to visit a beach only to find that it is exactly the same as the one that we live right next to, it all felt so manmade, samey lacking in culture and quite frankly boring. We felt as if we had nothing to look forward to - we knew that our it was unlikely that family could afford the time or money to visit and that it would just be sad when they left anyway. We knew that every holiday from now on would be in Australia, i mean, it's not like you can just pop over to Europe to one of the many countries that is completely different to your own.
We couldn't stand another drive down the Nicklin Highway, another sh*t curry that we had to take a loan out for, pick up ourselves and order before 7.30, another trip to Kmart, another night out at the RSL as that is the only place in town to go, another pitch black evening (it gets dark at 6pm ALL year around), another awkward conversation in the local shop as they don't understand our humour, yet another day where the only thing you can wear are shorts.

We longed for our old life back, our little victorian terrace - might not be as big as an oz house but it had 100 times more character than their houses will ever have, a cold day where we could wear a jumper boots and scarf, a walk into a quaint town rather than having to get in the 4x4 to go to concrete heaven.
For us the decision was an easy one to make, after a year in Oz we came to the realisation that the sun can't make you happy, that we want our children to be English - not Australian; have our values and sensibilities, that family is just SO important, that feeling like you belong and having things to look forward to is a great feeling, that being able to be free and open without wondering how it will be received is liberating, having grandparents to share your childrens birthday with, looking forward to christmas and spending it with the special people in our lives, not dredding it....and that having changes in weather is visually inspiring.

So we headed back to the UK after a year in Oz.
We were lucky as we made the decision to go to Oz together and made the decision to come home together, which i think is fundamental to our success.
We both have no regrets whatsoever and we both feel that we have done the right thing for our family unit.
I won't lie, the first 3-4wks was awful, living with the inlaws was really stressful and it took us time to settle back, but boy, was it worth it?!
OH has got work that pays really well, there is more work than we thought there would be, although for OH most of the jobs want Gassafe which he is working towards now. We found that the initial fees for renting are expensive (be warned!) but we are now in a wonderful rental - a 2 dbl bed victorian gf flat with lovely front and back gardens, feature fireplaces, high ceiling with roses in a lovely tree lined street. It has been a great stepping stone in getting settled back in, and we are now proceeding with the purchase of a house at the moment that it substantially bigger than the one we left behind. Getting a mortgage hasn't been a problem but we have gone through the bank that we have had 3mortgages with before, we also kept a bank acct and loan open with them whilst we were away and had a 25% deposit, although we were also offered a 15% mortgage but the repayments were higher(some good rates at the mo, fixed at 4.5%).
My oldest son (now 5) has started school, and is struggling a little as he has missed reception - thank god we didn't wait another year before returning! The only thing is, there were no spaces in a local shool for his year group so i have to drive him to school, so, if you can, apply for a place before you return through a relative's address (i know you're not supposed to, but it will make things a lot easier when you return).
WE have seen a lot more of family and friends since we have returned and it feels great to be a part of it all again. It is a wonderful feeling seeing the boys with their grandparents and they are getting spoilt rotten!

So basically, we are really glad that we are back (OH so much so that he won't even talk about Oz - he hates it) We are so glad that we went away as it has given us an appreciation of our country that we would never have had. I think that the weather that i used to moan about is probably one of the best climates in the world as it is so varied, i have really enjoyed autumn with all the little squirrels, foxs, bare trees with crispy leaves under foot and i can honestly say that in over 3months back we have had wonderful weather, and when it does rain it doesn't burn holes in your skin!
I also believe that the UK has the best positioning with Europe on its doorstep, all those wonderful countries that are all well within our reach.
The roads are very busy, which would be my main gripe, but i would rather be in a traffic jam here than driving down the Nicklin!

I hope that this post, if anyone has got to the end! will help someone in their decision to return. I knew deep down all along, and i think it gets harder the longer you leave it. Goodluck!

Originally Posted by Caimas

Hi BB,

Read your post with much interest: we moved to Caloundra in 2002 and returned back to the UK later that year. I can identify with much of what you say about the Sunshine Coast, and Caloundra in particular. Your comments about the darkness at 6pm in QLD, Nicklin Highway, crap curry - and the RSL club brought back many memories!!! In fact, I dragged my husband over to the PC to read it!

I have to say, in all fairness, that I wasn't in a good place before we left. We experienced a very traumatic time trying to emigrate in 1999, and by the time we did in 2002, I was seven months pregnant. Our son was born in Caboolture hospital, but it was a very lonely time for all concerned, and we returned soon after. Unlike you, I had been to Australia twice before: first in my twenties on a working holiday visa, and then a disastrous trip to activate our residency visas.

We have been back in the UK for seven years and have almost come full circle. After an unsettling period of 'what if' and 'itchy feet' because of our bad luck, we always thought that we hadn't given it our best shot. Australia no longer did it for us, but we still love the country - it just isn't for us.

To cut a long story short, following a visit to Brantford, Ontario to see a cousin, we looked at moving again and applied for Canadian PR. Last week, we received our 90 day letter, requesting further info two years after our initial application. But after much soul-searching and reading the Canada forum almost every day - we have decided against it. After all this time, we have decided that we don't have the energy to go through it all again and take the risk. I know it works out for some and that's fantastic, but when I read other people's experiences - my heart goes out to them. It's a horrible feeling when you just don't feel at home and at peace with your lot. The UK has many problems, but like you, we grew to appreciate what it can, and does offer. It's home.

Btw, the weather factor always tickles me: we always moan about it, but I like our climate! Endless sunshine is monotonous and the reality is, come 9am it's too bloody hot to go outside during an Australian summer; then when it cools down out come the mozzies! Winters are beautiful though...

Bloody hell! Sorry I'm at risk of hijacking your thread. Got a little carried away there. Just to finish off - glad you are back at home and feeling happy with your family. Despite feeling unsettled for a while, we think that going to Australia was one of the best things we ever did. Good luck to you all. At least you won't feel like you have retired anymore!!!

Jo-Anne
X

p.s I thought the RSL club was just a little bit weird - awards or not!!!

Originally Posted by fific

Very interesting post thank you - I am currently living on the Sunshine Coast and despite being told frequently that i live in paradise - I have not felt settled here at all. Its been over 2 years now and the longer it goes on the more flat and boring it seems. Even going out to dinner is a flat experience most places are half empty and packing up by 8.30. I hate having to change myself to try to fit in - I have made some lovely friends - one or two I hope will be keepers, but I always feel like I am a little odd - I have an opinion (not about other people, but about the world in general and an interest in social issues), I like my work and have a career and my kids are smart, study hard and have ambition. The Sunshine Coast is an easy place for a cruisy life, if you love the water and already have an income or can manage on low wages then good for you - but its not for us.
We really do wonder though if it is our attitude - but we have worked hard for years to achieve a certain standard of living and build careers that we enjoy - only to find on the coast that our skills are not required. That the Aussie way is the right way and that we ought to be quiet for fear of sounding like a show off know all or genuinely offending someone. The truth is the UK is ahead in many areas - we have been working in that arena so therefore have acquired some advanced skills. We think we need to call it a day and head home - but I do so with some trepidation - I dont want to go back to the life we had before ( although i was pretty happy with it)- but feel like we are moving forward to a new phase of our life - so we will move to a new area ( but not too far away from the old so we can still see out frineds and family).
We have the kids school and uni to sort out which will be a challenge - work will be pretty straight forward for both of us so that's fine. Just got to do it now and face another phase of upheaval - the word settle has started to have two meanings for me - being settled means feeling at home , starting to settle can also mean settling for what you have even though its not what you wanted and I am afraid we've started to do the latter - so its now or never I fear.

Originally Posted by exvj

I was worried that when I hit 70, my licence would expire and my address would be out of date etc - and I had a fear of taking my test again (I passed it in March 1965). In the last couple of years I have passed American car and motorcycle tests after a crash course (Brit humour) - but they are ....erhum... not quite as demanding as the UK

I called the Driving licence people and was assured on all points - no problema - just send in the forms as soon as taking up residence and a new licence will be issued

Originally Posted by ottg

An Australian view on migrants. These views are not often displayed in our 'over correct' society but form the basis of much Australian thinking. Thus one could go for years and never be told to your face what people think of you.

As immigrants it is in our best interests to know what the host country people think about migrants and how the different groups of immigrants are viewed and treated.

My friend Bob has worked with immigrants all his working life and travelled enough of the world during his work to be able to give a considered, educated opinion of the way many native born Australians view immigrants and immigrant groups. I have asked him to write a synopsis of his impression of immigrants and this is his interesting response. He just wrote a book with comments about it: See our website http://www.perth-sa-migrant-support....an-culture.php

Originally Posted by exvj

Everyone is different and everyone's circumstances are different and we should just be honest with what fits our thinking and our circumstances - then nature takes it course.

... as they grow older and what they vigorously defend today will be something to avoid like the plague in 30 years time.

But I know that things change so I never say never and I concentrate on analyzing my own feelings and making sure it's what I really want - for now.