Originally Posted by dugongs

And don't tell them that the shark nets off all the swimming beaches actually only run 25 metres or so with gaps of 100 metres in between. that explains why people get taken from the beaches despite the nets.

Originally Posted by wombat42

..... l have been swimming at the beach almost every summer day for the last 30 years and have never even seen any dangerous creature, except for being bitten by someones crazy dog on the beach.

Originally Posted by Merlot

I think on what you and others have said, it is not always black and white.

It could be great for a few years in a place then for whatever reason you want to move on, same as you may hate a place initally, make plans to move but it then starts to get better.

Life does not have to be static and if you want to move for whatever reason, just do it.

M

Originally Posted by chocaholic

Do you think I could go into politics or the diplomatic service....

Originally Posted by dunroving

Must have been a wombat-hound.

Originally Posted by shade8

Been living in Perth 6 years and yes its a great life style that we have.And a beautiful home that we would never be able too afford back in the UK.And yes we have wonderful friends.

But once you settle in life is pretty much the same anywhere work paybills etc.Friends are great but they arn't family.
There are things back in the UK that i miss,this is something i never thought i would hear myself say.
This was my d ream for 16 years and yes it is a dream come true.But not sure if taking the kids the kids away from relatives was the right thing too do.

Originally Posted by neverland

Everybody has different priorities. If you love travelling, UK is a better base for you. If you prefer the seasons over heat, the Uk is a better base for you. I can tell you how I lived in Europe and Canada:

- a nice house, almost no crime, I hardly ever locked my house or car
- plenty of things to do, winter and summer activities (starting from skiing, scating to swimming in the lakes, climbing, hiking, etc.)
- a great job
- plenty of friends and family
- i could ride my bike to work every day
- I went on a holiday to Greece, the States, Canada or where ever at least
twice a year
- great health

And now how I live in Australia:

- a secured apartment (with drunk Aboriginals in front of the house and sometimes drug user needles), a lot of crime, just last night our car got broken into (again!). We have double locks on everything. Of course I could move into a house in the suburbs (but then I have to commute to work forever)
- Hardly anything to do, far too hot for 7 months of the year. Best thing you can is swim in the sea, apart from that not much to do outdoors
- no family here
- took me ages to find somebody who wanted to talk about more than sports, beer and BBQ
- 2 years of job struggle, temp, casual, part time being on the rise. Full time permanent seems almost non-existing anymore...
- as far as holidays go: have not been out of this town for ages. Can't afford it. Everything is far away.
- health: allergies (mould), also constantly rashes from the heat, developed some very nasty moles here (got 9 cut out since I am here)

I have lived in many countries and have never be so bored in my entirely life as here. I am not leaving, because I am homesick. I don't miss anything from my home country. I am leaving because I know that for me there is better places out there. Everybody to their own liking though.

Originally Posted by janeyray

This was my worry when we were in perth, the fact that the longer we stayed the harder it would be for us ever to move back. You, unlike us have stayed and are enjoying your dream life there, well done.

I do agree that taking children away from family cant always be the right thing to do? During our 16 months in Perth my parents came over, hubbys parents came over and our best friends visited us too. Each and 'every time' they came to leave it was heartache all round. I wouldn't have wanted this to be a permanent thing and cant see it as improving a childs lifestyle if something so loved is taken away, time and time again. Maybe our daughter was an exeption but I'm sure there are lots of children out in Oz who feel the same as ours did?

Originally Posted by wombat42

Is it worth going back to the Uk just so your kids can visit their granny once a month or some Uncle or Aunty, will depriving them of this really ruin their lives, won't they develop new relatonshps or friendships with people in OZ.

Originally Posted by Pants

where has that thread now gone...??


Do you have family Wombat??Now don't jump down my throat I know how tetchy you wombats can be.....just ask Bill Bryson..!!

I brought my daughter over to Oz when she was 5mnths old and took her back to the UK when she was 21/2yrs old. She had no real relationship with her cold grandad and nanna in Oz or her cold auntie and cousins in Oz and now she is here in the UK she hasn't even seen one of her aunts and rarely sees her other one. The only person she sees much of is her granny. I have moved back to another county here in the UK and to be honest don't have much time to go upto Surrey to see my mates/sister except for weekends.

You see I belived my sisters would love to be around my daughter and me and make effort to see us once we came back but the truth of it is Not on your nelly...one is too "busy" even in school holidays to make any effort and the other one god knows what her story is.....!!!so you see what I "thought" would happen has not worked out and I am tired of trying to make it happen.Still that's life as they say!

Originally Posted by kath n kim

Hi Pants, sorry to hear your move back has not turned out quite as you were expecting Family relationships and reactions can be unexpected sometimes.
Do you regret your move back to the U.K?
This is also another quandary of mine....Do I have unrealistic expectations of life if we did return to the U.K?
I wonder will my family and I turn into another one of those "Boomerang Poms" statistics!
As you say- "That's Life"!
Do you have any plans to return to Australia?
kath n kim

Originally Posted by Pants

Hiya K & K

As I said thats life...you know it just made me realise not to have expectations and sometimes what people say when you are the over side of the world can be different when you are in the same country. I don't dwell on things like that just move on with my own little family. I don't regret coming back but it is different even in the 21/2yrs I have been away.

You know I think when I grew up I had an excellent childhood full of many happy memories and the feeling of freedom. I know this has changed for each generation and what I wish for my daughter is a childhood like mine but I really don't think I can give that to her here. Maybe that doesn't exist in many places nowadays..still lets just say I don't see myself growing old(er) here....

For now this is where we are living so we we make the most of all that it has to offer....live each day...sorry I know its a cliche but I have heard so many sad life stories recently and it does give you a nudge to make good of the the things you do have....so many lives taken too young !!
Be happy K & K don't fret about what others may think....

cor dear I really come across as a happy soul...NOT

Originally Posted by Mercedes

You're not alone there Pants, when I came back to the UK I thought it would be happy famlies as well.....ha ha ha. I now live my life for myself and my friends become my extended family wherever I am. I learnt to make my life where I am to what I want it to be and not have any expectations of anyone else. That way there is no disappointment, so now I don't live my life around family or friends but make it around me and those who enter it however long they remain in my life.