Merlot

Sorry Rosie no such words Just people that move to where they will be happy.

Best of luck with your return, the weather is getting nicer here, lots of beautiful flowers around and even people with T-shirts and no coats today :scared: .

Merlot

Rosie n family

Its quite tough, especially as I have never fallen in to the 'love/hate' UK/Oz thing. Both have good & bad and It would be easy to stay here - Of course we miss friends & family but they can visit, I could have easily stayed but it was talking to the cleaner at school, the one at work, the child-minder - all expats (of their own countries Greece, UK and Lebanon) all have stayed because their children are now Australian. Now though, They all miss their home lands - 2 burst into tears telling me what (even now) a wrench it is and that they could never go back. (also finding it HARDER as they get older as their parents etc. cant visit) Critically though, they cant afford to.

It is so great for the kids, schooling is less pressure, it is friendlier and more 'scruffy'/laid back Maybe Im going back because they enjoy it too much and I dont want them to get too entrenched?

Me, Im Looking forward to riding my horse on a Bridleway only 40 minutes from London with livery on land thats worth a bloody fortune but that no-one is allowed to build on it (green belt) and getting away from these ghastly sprawling suburbs of Sydney with their fibro-shack architecture, with Utes (worth twice as much as the house) parked outside. Despite that, there's so much that is fantastic here, beaches & National Parks are amazing- and Ill miss it.
Yes, Badge I'd rather own my land, and could do that here in OZ - but I'd prefer to have my childhood friends and family -UK TV & humour, and rent a muddy field for the horse! Same goes for the house Give me a character terraced house in the UK and you can keep your characterless bungalow in its deadly suburb. I could put up with it, but not forever.....

Pants

Hi Rosie

I remember you just coming over to Oz.I was just heading back I think. Has it been 1yr yet???
I am sure so many reading your post can relate to it. I remember one woman telling me that had there been a road out of Oz back to the UK she would have walked it..her family went out there in the 60's but since then she had her own family so would never upheave them back to the UK.
There is good and bad in both and only those who have done it can truly understand that.
I have had many people comment on why the hell did you come back conversation.I even question it myself sometimes but for now this is home and this is where I am happy. We have just brought a house back here in East Sussex. My aussie hubby is determined that this is where we are staying "put" for max 7yrs....!!
All I can say is be happy Rosie and good luck with the return trip....and as for Uk humour you cannot beat it. Peter Kay is number 1.....brilliant !!!

callé

Hi Rosie,
Let me tell you , this does happen. My parents came to the USA with me and my two sisters. We grew up, had children and got stuck. Thank God my husband and children want to go back with me now. But I will have to leave my elderly Mum, and my sisters now have a few grandchildren so they have extended out past the point of returning. (at least without breaking up extended families.) I have lived here for so long and yeah, have dealt with it but its not where I want to stay. We are losing half of all we have to return. But I am greatful that I finally getting the chance to go home. I do think that when its possible you should stay long enough to give it a chance but if you really know you want to return, dont leave it to late. It can have some heartbreaking consequences.

Irish Guinness

Hi Merlot, I have just returned after a long holiday in Queensland and have to say the heat was awful and sooooooooo humid. I loved the place but could not live there.

I live in a beautiful part of Adelaide 17k's from the city in a village called Stirling,it's about 10 degs cooler in summer than in the city, mind you it is quite cold in winter, we have had snow here, not ever year of course !!!!

So why not give Adelaide a go, the homes are not as expensive as some other states. I also like Melbourne, but still perfer Adelaide.

Hope that you get back to OZ soon, as you do sound as though you are ready. all the best for the future

little miss c

I guess I my family and I must have done the quickest turnaround ever! Came to Melbourne Sept 2004, (never been to Oz before) with two boys aged 12 and 15. Wasnt sure we wanted to settle in Mel, so travelled upto Brisbane and the Gold Coast, for about a month, then back to melbourne having made the decision to return to the UK, my partner was very homesick, booked flight and went back on 27 Dec 2004. After being back for 1 week, we knew that we had made a huge mistake, all the reasons for leaving in the first place were still there, and we realised that we only missed a couple of real friends and family, so we flew back to oz on 26th Jan, back in Melbourne, very happy! Kids love school have made friends and find kids at school much friendlier than in UK. Partner has a job and loves it, just me to get a job, I'm sure it will be soon, still early days but we have done what we felt is right for us as a family. Still miss things but looking forward to friends and family coming to visit hopefully at christmas.

HiddenPaw

cripes, what a 6 months you've had!! Glad to hear things are falling into place in Mel. Good luck for the next 6!
Whereabouts are you? We're going back to Mel in Nov (we think.....).

little miss c

Thanks....we are in Ringwood North. Where were you before?are you heading back to the same place?

melaniee

wow-great story. Sometimes it takes time out of the place to realise it was for you in the first place

Merlot

Nicely put.

M

lee/jane

Very interesting reading, it is great to take on board peoples views.

My view is: anyone on this forum (any of them) are in limbo land, and are not settled no matter what country. The happy settled people do not need this forum, so I am a bit suspicious of someone going on about how happy they are back in the UK if they still feel the need to be on here. This also works the other way, if your happy in Aus : no need to listen to people on here getting all up-tight.

I am on here, because we, 2 adults and 2 kids, are off in August to Brisbane. I like reading all of the forums to give me the good and the bad. I hope and pray that we will be happy out there, and I am sure I will miss things about the UK, but if I am happy, I am dame well not spending my time sitting on the computer. So if you are on here, you have seriously got to ask yourself WHY.

Jane

heading downunder 2002

I'm afraid I don't agree, I have been a member of this forum since 2001 and actually still come on this forum even though I migrated and then came back, been back in the UK 2 years now and have no regrets at all. I like to see what others are up to, I follow peoples stories and believe it or not sometimes I can answer some of the questions that people ask. I never have a downer on people for wanting to migrate and I am so pleased when they love it out there, sometimes it doesn't work out and I know how that feels. The only time I have ever been in limbo land was waiting for the visas to arrive.

I am very happy in my life and have no wishes to return to Oz or go anywhere else however I am interested in people and that is why I for one still come on here.

Susan

Merlot

Jane

I agree with heading downunder 2002 and a little with yourself.

I come back on the Forum after a return to the UK to research my trip back to Oz.

Like HD2002 it is nice to share stories and support. Some people are in difficult situations or are feeling very lonely where they are in their lives, this Forum is very important. I was surrounded by great friends in Australia, husband, lived comfortably and had a job I enjoyed but felt very alone inside.

I sincerely hope you are happy in Oz but you may understand the thinking of those that unhappy, wherever that is. It is a horrid feeling and really until it happens to you it is hard to empathise.

Try not to knock people that come on the Forum, with respect I have seen you refer to folks as "sad" or "saddos" for doing it, not a nice thing to say.

Merlot

callé

I'm afraid I have to disagree with you as well. That might be true for most but some have found this forum wanting to migrate or return home or other reasons. But There are a lot of really helpful people on this forum and its hard not thinking about them as friends of sorts after a while. I have been helped a lot and being away from my homeland so long its so nice to get some advice and read the opinions of other Brits. I cant imagine after returning that I would just forget about this forum. I have found out about others lives and I want to know that they find happiness. And to repay I would like to think that one day I may be able to help others on here trying to return home or maybe just answer someones questions about the whole process.

jad n rich

So your quite happy to take useful info from the forum and when you arrive you wont be bothered to give any back, why dont you bog off now then

Plenty of people post on here who are happy and I can tell you plenty arrive and dont post because things are not going at all how they hoped, I really respect the ones who post things havent worked out, it must take a lot of guts.

Youll find after a few months of intital newness you like anyone else will have plenty of use for a computer, especially when you discover OZ TV and the latest its light is 7pm even in summer