W have not read any of those "Dailys" since we have been in Aus...so why do you advice not reading them? after over 9 years of just really having The West Australian to read it would be nice just to have the choice even if we do find the "rubbish" then we would not read them.....not having a go just interested in why you said to avoid them....unlss you are the Editor of say.....The Guardian....The Times ha ha
Jackie

The Daily Mail is full of crap. It spreads doom and gloom around the nation and is responsible for the 'england is crap its full of immigrants and crime' mentality that a lot of people have.

What it reports is nevertheless true. Perhaps selective, but true nonetheless.

If you really want to get a balanced view with best quality journalism, read both the Guardian and the Telegraph.

Dear Lucy,

The Grass is ALWAYS Greener! But "ping-ponging" - especially when you have kids - is not really an option. You need to make a firm decision and stick with it. And the only way you can make that decision is with your HEAD not with your HEART. Your heart will always remind you of the things you are MISSING. Your head will remind you of the things that you HAVE - and have to lose.

You always want what you can't have - it's human nature. So while in the U.K you lust after the "good life" in sunny climes. When in these sunny climes, you suddenly forget the rainy U.K days, yob-culture etc etc, and long for the comforts of home.

Where you are going to live for the rest of your life is too big a question to be left to the emotions. Sit down with a sheet of paper and clinically and honestly address the problem. Only one heading on your sheet of paper - Advantages. UK or OZ. List all the things that make up the average life - and put under the appropriate country:

For example UK OZ

Contact with loved ones
Financial Security (Job Opp's)
Children's Education and prospects
Safety
Lifestyle
Health Provision
Etc Etc

Once you've 'ticked the boxes' this should give you a real unemotional assessment of where your future lies. But there's one other thing to do. Assess WORST POSSIBLE SCENARIO. Again, only two headings: Staying in OZ. Going back to UK.

It may be that the cost of returning to the UK now will mean you can never afford to come back to OZ if you eventually decide that coming home was a mistake. But STAYING in OZ for now, might not rule out going back to the UK in the future if you are still hankering for home. So why close your options?

Make your lists. Make a decision - and then make the best of it, sure in the knowledge that the decision you made was well thought out and completely justified - whether you later regret it or not!.

Yes maybe but how many of the folks slating the UK actually have the issues impact on their daily lives. They just see it in the papers or on the news and jump on the UK is crap bandwagon.

hi
why dont you just go back to the uk for a holiday,when we first moved out here we got very homesick and wanted to go back so we went home for a holiday to see how we felt,the first day home our opinions changed and we both looked at each other and said what are we doing back here,we wished we had moved out here 20 years ago,just go home and see how you feel put your stuff in storage,we know people like yourselves who sold everthing couldnt wait to get home and within 5 weeks were back out again so as i say go for a holiday first

Hi

I went home for a holiday last year and it felt as if I'd never been away. It felt very familiar and felt as if I'd never been away. I didn't think oh my god what am I doing here, it just felt great to be home around familiar people and places and yet coming back to oz felt the same as well.

I've had a lot of thinking to do and I feel really happy to be going home. It might not be the right decision, but how do any of us in life know if we are doing the right thing. I just have a gut feel that it's going to be ok and everything will work out ok.

I cant' wait for my baby to meet all his family and for us to have that support that we desparately don't have here.

Sure, I'll miss a lot of great things about oz: the weather, that big blue sky, never feeling as if you have a winter, the easy going laid back attitude of aussies (will try to hold on to this!), great cafes, food, scenery.

But there are so many things to look forward to at home now that all of the above fade into insignificance:

Family
Friends
Great supermarkets!
Great clothes
Seasons
Media
British humour
Accessibility to Europe
Christmas!

I appreciate the UK so much more now than I did when I lived there, it's true the grass is always greener, one of the reasons why we ended up here, but I think the secret is to appreciate your life in the here and now, not yearn for the past or hanker after a better future but take it a day at a time (oh my, I'm getting very philosophical in my old age!).

AT least we have citizenship if it all goes t***s up back home. Not sure where we'd move to next time if we did come back , but at least we have that option should we ever need it. Plus our baby is an aussie citizen too, so if he ever wanted to move out here, we could follow bub if needs be...

This is such a great forum, I've found it so helpful over the years, great to hear from people in the same boat!

These 2 newspapers(especially the Daily Mail) are possibly the most negative newspapers in the world.If you read the Mail on a regular basis you will soon become convinced that Britain is on an endless downward spiral-in the throes of a crime wave,flooded with foreign criminals and immigrants,terrible education etc etc.In fact,you could soon believe that Britain is the worst hellhole on earth (as you know its not-its actually great).

All countries have their good and bad side but I wonder how many Brits who 'flee' Britain for France and Australia are aware that both those countries have higher murder and suicide rates than the UK.

http://www.mailwatch.co.uk/

Yep must say you do get that impression and that's from expats who live here and not been back home for years...I wondered where they got their info!!! we did not find it any different from living in Perth...in fact my sons said at times...look how many "white" people live here....we live in Canning Vale which has just been identified as being one of the most multi cultural suburbs in Perth....at my sons school there are so many different cultures you would think we were in either Asia/Middle East or Africa!!! but that has never bothered us...it's just that some people here in Perth would tell you the exact opposite...and that we only mainly have white Europeans living here....might of been like that some years ago but not any longer. We certainly felt safer back home than here but then again some people will tell you otherwise so we have always gone on our experiences and never by paper talk...but my sons loved The Sun....page 3 boy oh boy did that open their eyes!!! but they also loved the sports pages (no AFL) and star gossip etc.....
Jackie who really has to get ready for work...gulp..!!!!! oh for a lottery win....

Agree 100 and 10% we even went for 9 weeks this time and not really for a holiday...we did shopping...drove around...took local transport...went out at night..my hubbie even helped his dad with some work (not paid!!) and even more so this time it just felt like home....we really wish it did'nt as it would be easier to stay here but you have to be where you are happiest...some people say you should give here longer than 6months or 2 years, well that goes for people returning home...you should give it longer...just because you have lived there before does not mean you will not have to "settle" in...I have also known people to go back home then come back....years later (they stay for money or children usually...and some because they do like it)they say they wished they had given in longer at home!!!! I know some friends who have been here 17 years (this time) and 3 before they went home and they are so unsettled...they say oh we may try Queensland...or one day we may go back. but they have two children here and one now living back in Londonthey are in their 50's, we don't want to "end up" like that....this family are very British, they even by most of their food from the local U.K shop...cost's them a fortune but do not like most Aussie food!!!! we don't want to be like them and it does happen to a lot of people.......as I have always said...it's great if you come out here and love it....wish we could feel like that...but we never really have....given it a great go....some good times....but now we would like to go home...I just feel though that when you say you want to go back home people knock you for it...start slagging the "old country" off.....I would never do that to Aus....and to people coming out here......how come they feel they can though!!!
Jackie who will now be late for work if I don't turn this computer off...but it's my fix for the day....as I am surrounded by Aliens that have abducted the bodies of normal looking people...Iam sure I am an "extra" in the Invasion of the Body Snatchers!!! the remake!! I am not that old!!!!

Agree 100 and 10% we even went for 9 weeks this time and not really for a holiday...we did shopping...drove around...took local transport...went out at night..my hubbie even helped his dad with some work (not paid!!) and even more so this time it just felt like home....we really wish it did'nt as it would be easier to stay here but you have to be where you are happiest...some people say you should give here longer than 6months or 2 years, well that goes for people returning home...you should give it longer...just because you have lived there before does not mean you will not have to "settle" in...I have also known people to go back home then come back....years later (they stay for money or children usually...and some because they do like it)they say they wished they had given in longer at home!!!! I know some friends who have been here 17 years (this time) and 3 before they went home and they are so unsettled...they say oh we may try Queensland...or one day we may go back. but they have two children here and one now living back in Londonthey are in their 50's, we don't want to "end up" like that....this family are very British, they even by most of their food from the local U.K shop...cost's them a fortune but do not like most Aussie food!!!! we don't want to be like them and it does happen to a lot of people.......as I have always said...it's great if you come out here and love it....wish we could feel like that...but we never really have....given it a great go....some good times....but now we would like to go home...I just feel though that when you say you want to go back home people knock you for it...start slagging the "old country" off.....I would never do that to Aus....and to people coming out here......how come they feel they can though!!!
Jackie who will now be late for work if I don't turn this computer off...but it's my fix for the day....as I am surrounded by Aliens that have abducted the bodies of normal looking people...Iam sure I am an "extra" in the Invasion of the Body Snatchers!!! the remake!! I am not that old!!!!