TraceyW

Had a lovely chat, over our shopping trolley's in Woolies, with crystal23 this morning and I happened to mention why I came here. So, I just wondered why you lot did it?

My reasons: I blame Shirley Valentine!!! Honest I do. I reckon I was having a bit of a mid life crisis, stuck at home with two littlies, bored out of my tree and yearned for adventure and a challenge, you know "Christ Trace, you're only 38. Get out and live a little" so I did, and now I'm here eating my words! I should've looked for a challenge a tad closer to home don't you think?

Oh, and I was seduced by the big house, the pool and the blue skies. Stupid, stupid woman that I am.

So, there's my excuse, what's yours?

mattmc

We always wanted to live in another country and we had friends over here. The house, pool..etc was an after thought because we had already decided to start the visa process before we realised that we could be better off financially. Well that's what we thought until we found out how expensive it is. You are right about the seduction of the house and pool. It is very strong but if you stay for these reasons then you need to look a bit deeper at yourself. I wish/hope I can settle and then the superficial stuff will be a 'Brucie Bonus'.
I said that to an Aussie last week and he just stared at me...god I miss English sayings..

Nu-Shooz

I have relative's here in Perth who sold us the dream. They rang us constantly saying how crap our life's must be compared to their's. They got under my skin!!!! i was vunerable and hubby begged to go. 2 years later we came.
1 week after we arrived i knew the terrible mistake we had made. Perth seems to be for those who want a big house and pool and that's it. I got neither, so i lost both ways
But i am still young enough to make up for our losses. Life's a bitch then you die, but not before i get back to UK

kez81

It was hubbys thing always his dream he got a chance to travel with a mate years ago but didnt do it so always felt the need to come here i agreed but never ever thought it would be so hard!!


I feel like im getting old before my time here im 26 hubby is 34 and im totally starting to see the age difference he likes the quiet life out fishing/jetsking he's happy were i love a good night out but dont get any here with 2 small kids.

i do think my hubby has his regrets about coming here and is unsure but will he admit it will he hell he still states to love it!!

Fleaflyfloflum

Never had any yearning to leave the UK. In fact it never crossed my mind until i met, fell in love and married a kiwi. Then it was a case of him needing to go back to NZ as his father had cancer, so after long discussions with my grown up kids it was decided it best we come down here for a while. I didnt settle in NZ as it was too quiet, then after we had been in NZ 2yrs, OH got offered a good job in Aus. We thought why not give it a go seeing as we are already down here.
It has all been a bit of an adventure for me as i had kids very young, so i guess in a way I had my youthful exploration of the world a lot later than most, but I am sure as hell over it now!!


This is why i get quite irritated with the barbie crew who go on and on about a certain "type" of people who emigrate and are somehow dumb, inadequate or lacking becuase they set their hearts on a new life and it went pear shaped. Our case doesnt, and never did fit that category.
Just as there a endless different people in the world, there are endless different reasons why people move countries andnot all because they hated Britain and thought they would have the grass greener somehwere else.

rabsody

Had been over for a working holiday and partied my a*se off for a whole year LOL!

When I came back six years later with Aussie hubby and two kids I finally realised it was not going to be one long, fun party anymore! I'd always been up for a bit of adventure and fancied living abroad. I wanted a "better life" for my kids. I suppose I found my family a bit suffocating (ironic that they are now the thing I miss the most).

Despite the things I don't like about Aus, I do still think it offers the children a freer childhood.

pommybird

Ditto for me Tracey - definitely had Shirley Valentinitis!! Definitely felt the drudgery of being stuck at home with 2 young kids (lovely as they are!). Craved a bit of 'adventure'

Thought Oz was going to be the UK with less yobs and better weather

Stupid? Maybe, but at least we'll never wonder 'what if'.......xx

happy4

Hi Tracey, Came over with our two children, then 2 and nearly 1, as OH was offered a job here, in the UK he works away a bit, here it meant the job would enable us to see him every night at home. I can still see myself back then, arriving, at the serviced apartments, with two tired children and my mum, of course OH had arrived 3 weeks before us, by Business Class, alone, to 'settle in'. Our daughter was 1 year old a few days later, in some crappy apartment, all our friends at home, I cried the whole day.

OH's job involves him leaving at 7am, returning at 7pm, oh and saturdays too till 12!!! I love a challenge, but I never expected it to be so hard, when your low, it's quite hard to get out there, I found it all very superficial and my support network had literally been pulled out from beneath my feet. i have never felt myself here, OH loves his job, the 'lifestyle', I have to laugh as we never see him!! I have gone from a bright, bubbly girl, into a train wreck, I am up and down all day, I feel like a work horse, washing, ironing, cooking, yes, a necessity, but I just found my mind was on overload all the time, and my hair, once shiny, had started to fall out through stress. I would wake up in the night, in a blind panic, worrying about our children's development, did they feel ok, imagining what they would be doing in the UK, what they would be doing with their friends there, what would I be doing etc....I felt absolutely exhausted all the time, just nothing left to give really. All for my OH's job here. Oh, and a better 'lifestyle'...don't get me started!!!!! Heading home thank goodness, it's a nice place, but no thanks. ann x

Nu-Shooz

You need to change your name i think

happy4

yes, 'happy 3' are out of here, breathing a huge sigh of relief, the other 'happy 1' is now renamed 'unhappy 1', dragging him home, I can only put up with so much!!! happy ann!! x

Nu-Shooz

Good luck. I'm sure your hubby will be fine. Although my OH likes it here, he's the one trying to rush things so we can get back quickly. Deep down he know's he was wrong to bring us here, it's just male pride.

happy4

Absolutely, only in the last few days has OH said the same, that he shouldn't have brought us here, it's made me so unhappy and I think the little ones too, I've had to nearly have a breakdown mind, but at least he recognises it, men and bloody pride. Let's just say, he's doing his own ironing now. I'm in Sydney, having a well deserved hols with the little ones, Manley is just beautiful, ann x

Nu-Shooz

Ah Sydney we were there this time last week, i loved it. We went to Bondi beach which was great. The weather was fab and caught a lovely tan in 3 days we were there. It was so refreshing being in a massive city with loads to do compared to the life i have led for the past 2 years. Enjoy your hol, you deserve it

quoll

I met DH (an Aussie) when I came on a working holiday during uni. Had a long distance relationship for 3 years and then we got married in UK and immediately left for a couple of years in PNG. We then returned to UK so he could do a degree and just as we finished we had DS1. After his degree he applied for a few PhD scholarships while he made jam for Robertsons and the ANU came up with an offer which was too good to refuse so we packed up, sold the house and left within about 8 weeks. After that we just sort of stayed here - when his scholarship ran out he got a job in the public service, I got a job in education, DS1 had been joined by DS2 and was heading to school so we just sort of stayed. I dont think either of us thought we would end up here but DH is happy in Aus and, being an Aussie, he wont leave. We almost went back to PNG when he finished his thesis but the job fell through. I think if we had moved home earlier we would have been happily retired in UK now.

crystal23

In between MissW ogling some bloke with fat arms

Well we came because we wanted an adventure and I have always had the travel bug since I was 7. I lived half in NZ and half in UK as a kid and have lived and worked in other countries including Oz before moving here. I also travelled extensively with my job in the UK so I thought I would be the one to settle easily but that hasn't happened.

We came to Perth with no expectations and no rose tints having been kept pretty grounded by our friends who have lived here for 18 years and also by me reading the MBTTUK forum before we left the UK.

We weren't seduced by the big house, pool or blue skies - in fact we used to feel sorry for the gullible people on Get Ripped Off Down Under who truly thought they could come to Oz, make a fortune and be mortgage free.

I've been thinking about this all afternoon and I can honestly say it really isn't just one thing about the place I don't like- it is 'bits' of lots of things that niggle me. In fact I think Perth is actually quite nice - the trouble is nice just isn't good enough for me. I need more. I just don't like living here and I do think that had we gone East in the first place we would not be moving back to the UK.

I know the UK has major social issues but then if you scratch the surface so does Perth (and probably every other city in Australia) but I was happy in the UK and will be again.