Brisben

You were strong enough to up and leave the UK, give it a fair chance, you spent a lot of time money and effort to get here, soak it up, nothing in life is forever, so don't treat it so.

The gold coast is an awesome place as is Australia, give it a chance.

wanting to go home is fine, but after six weeks, I don't think you could live with yourself if you returned without giving it a fair go.

Good luck, chin up and be strong, like you already have been, get out there, see what is on offer.

Heljinder

Hi

I'm returning from Perth after one year. I pretty much felt unsettled from day one and the first 3 months were dreadful. Once the summer kicked in and things became familiar and easier then I started to enjoy it. But, I always knew deep down, that for many reasons, Aus was not going to be permanent. We toyed with the idea of staying another year (purely to extend the holiday that we now viewed it as), but because of jobs, schools, house back home, it wasn't feasible.

It was difficult making the decision to go back home because, like I said I was enjoying it more. But for us as a family, returning is the best thing all round and I'm very happy about our decision. Go home next Friday.

Brisben made some good points. You've come along way, so maybe relax a bit and look upon it initially as a long holiday, experience new things and enjoy your surroundings. The first couple of months are hard in so many ways. Things will most likely become a lot clearer over the next twelve months and you may very well know by then in which direction your headed.

Good luck to you, and enjoy the summer!

Cape Blue

What he said

desperatehousewife

Thanks guys!

Feeling a bit better today, I know 6 weeks is far to soon to know, i think maybe I've just been so busy sorting things out now we're actually here i'm a bit lost.

So thank you, I'm going to enjoy the sunshine with the kids this weekend and then there a few people from the forum I'm going to meet up with next week and take things from there...........

Lindsayx

Maz1

I never got that buzz feeling when I stepped off the plane in NZ, and still havent nearly 3 years on. A friend of a friend got off the plane in NZ went to where they were staying, didnt even unpack and was on the next plane home (UK). with no regrets. I dont believe in all that cr*p about the 2 years stint, saying that I'm still here. But for us to go back to UK would be suicidal. My OH has a good job here but when the recession lapses in the UK he will be applying there without hesitation (as I say with crossed fingers).

stevecarr@firs

Hi There

Its great to know that Im not alone in feeling this is the biggest mistake of my life.. in terms of time pretty much straight away.
our situation is different to most i suppose, we i mean me wanted to move to australia for over fifteen years been here six or so times to visit, as my brother lives in melbourne.
we went the nine yards as they say! brought land on a previous visit under FIRB rules then had a house built on a other trip we moved furniture dog even my beloved ski-boat, i retrained hard to qualify for a 176 visa we moved around back home to make money for this dream or shall i call it a nightmare over a great number of years to become mortgage free always believing that auz was the right place to be!
even lady luck seemed to be with us when early in january i took voluntary severance from the company that i worked for some 22yrs my wife had given her highly paid job up in december and even though both myself and wife had secret doubts we ploughed on!
Well we have been here nearly five months i am out of work applied for all sorts of work even packing birthday cards in a warehouse. The wifes cleaning for 18$ a hour part time. we have recently taken the step of visiting the vet in order to make plans for our dogs pet passport and right now we are talking about marketing the house towards christmas if both of us feel as we do. we are frightened to death that we may lose money on the home and be stuck here! its been a expensive lesson to learn that friends and family mean the world and home really is were the heart is!

Heljinder

That's the conclusion we came to.

Also, the thought of flying back and forth visiting family and friends for years to come wasn't a pleasant thought. We'd probably never get to visit other places because we'd be going back to England all the time! It would be our choice, but nonetheless I'd much rather be within spitting distance of my F&F's and be able to go wherever I please on holiday without feeling guilty.

Moving to Aus was great in theory, but in practice, a completely different monster!

Desire

Hi,
I knew within the first few months it just didn't feel right.
Been here 4 years now, had family out many a times for a visit. Went back to the Uk xmas/New year 2008 and loved every minute of it (i knew i would)
Everybody kept saying to me "oh it takes 2 years etc to settle....give it time"
i did just that and now have a hubby and eldest daughter (14) who love it here and don't wont to go back to the UK. So where does that leave me?
Ask them to go back and make their lifes miserable?

Heljinder

I always said that if my boys and hubby were very happy here and didn't want to go back, then I would definitely stay. I'd have to satisfy myself with frequent visits to England instead.

quoll

Welcome to the sacrifice table. Someone has to do it and I guess it gets to be you if you are outnumbered. No magic answers really just try and get some sort of compromise deal going that you can live with while you live here. I guess it often comes down to the least worst option - there without him or here with him? For me it's a no brainer and I kid myself that it really doesnt matter where in the world I live as long as I am living there with the people I love. Compromise position for me is that he keeps working a bit although retired so I can go home every year for a month or so. His compromise is that we stay in Canberra where I am assured of a flush loo and broadband (he wants the bush and self sufficiency) Doesnt mean I have to like Australia and some days I loathe it but I can live with it.

You can do it, you are a strong woman! Put your case but if they say no then just practice all those positive thoughts and mantras that get you out of bed every day and hopefully go home for nice holidays either with or without them. {{{hugs}}}

quoll

Oh Steve, so sorry that this has turned from dream to nightmare for you - one small point in your favour is that at the moment you are both on the same page at least so I hope that your move forwards is much more successful than the one you just made to come here. All the very best! If you are together and determined then you wont get stuck!

clairemoir

I can only give you my story and hope it helps! We moved out having never even visited and went to Melbourne. I knew in the first week I had made a mistake and hubby did too but we made the decision to give it 6 months before we did anything drastic and treat it like a working holiday.
6 months down the line we were both unhappy and even though returning home would cost us a huge portion of our savings (not to metion paying for dog to fly home again) we decided enough was enough.We saved as much as we could and then flew back after 8 months and I have never been happier that the moment i got off the plane at heathrow.

We both feel that we had to try Australia and we believe we have learnt a lot about ourselves, and had an exciting experience but we know we love England even with all its problems at the end of the day we love our home!

I think that our decision to wait 6 months was good as we now feel that we have no regrets and our decision was not on the spur of the moment.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do

Claire x

!

TraceyW

Hang on a minute... hubby and kids happy? Can't move back because they don't want to go? Heard that somewhere before....oh yes, that was my life from 2004 to October 2008 stuck in Perth, miserable as sin and desperate to go home but feeling incredibly guilty about even contemplating it because I too had the happy hubby and kids. But here we are, back in the UK and the hubby and the kids are as happy as pigs in the preverbial! I've asked them if they would like to live back in Oz and they all say absolutely no, they love being home.

I was lucky, me and hubby made an agreement before we went to Perth that if one of us was unhappy then we'd return home and my OH (being the wonderful man he is) stuck to that.

You are important too you know. Ask your kids and your other halves how they feel about making you stay in a place that makes you so unhappy and I'll bet they feel as shi**y as you do at the prospect of making someone they love so miserable. It's a really difficult situation, I know, and everyone's situation is different but I believe the woman is the backbone of the family and if she's unhappy it will have a ripple effect on everyone within that family. Well, that's my reasoning and I'm sticking to it

TraceyW

That's because you knew you were heading for Devon

TraceyW

You'll get home, one way or another you'll manage it. The cost of peace of mind? Priceless!

Good luck xx