toandfro

ditto

Englishmum

That was *very* interesting reading.

I lived in Singapore for a few years and volunteered at the offices of ANZA (the Australian & New Zealand Association - it was more fun than the
sedate British Association LOL! I noticed that they loved their sausage sizzles though!). You would not believe how many Aussies and Kiwis were working there; all of Down Under's brightest and finest. Hundreds and hundreds of them in banking, insurance, manufacturing, oil & gas etc. There is an Australian International School (NSW curriculum) in Singapore and in Hong Kong for the children of the expats.

I now live in New Jersey, husband commutes to work in Times Square, NYC. Yet again, I've encountered so many Aussies and Kiwis. They all say they're here to make money and will go home again...but to be honest, they keep finding another excuse to stay. I do know of one family who are planning to return to Canberra next year after securing US passports, but when push comes to shove I reckon they will either stay here or will end up back in the States.

I've just been in London....again absolutely everywhere I heard Aussie accents; ok a lot of them are on the 2 year working holiday makers visa (whereas Brits going to Oz only get 1 year visas) but some of them told me they were trying to find ways and means to stay in England. Also there are loads of highly paid professionals from Down Under working in London too. A Kiwi friend of ours from Dunedin has actually just left his job at the United Nations in NYC to return to London (which he prefers) to secure his permanent UK residency and eventually citizenship. He has no plans whatsoever to return to New Zealand.

I've e-mailed my various Aussie mates the article from "The Age" and it will be interesting to hear their comments about it.

We're spending Thanksgiving Day on Thursday with Aussie friends who are in their mid 40s and have a six year old and 7 month old twins. Now they have spent the past dozen years living in Singapore (where they met), Pattaya in Thailand, Penang in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore again, Leeds UK, briefly back in Oz and the last three years in New Jersey. They want to do another expat posting (hopefully in SE Asia so they can have a maid to help with the children) before going back to Oz for good. They plan to live in Perth (she's from the Gold Coast). I honestly can't see them settling in Oz, I think the boredom will drive them crazy!

I honestly think that Australia and New Zealand are facing a serious brain drain.....all the expats bitterly complain about the high rates of income tax and it's one of the factors preventing them from returning other than for family holidays.

At one time when we lived in Singapore we mused about my husband transferring to his company's Sydney office in the financial district (he's a manager)....but he soon put the dampers on that idea. He said that not only were the taxes too high (47c in the $AUD) but it would be the end of his career as there would be severe limits on career progression and opportunities compared to working in Europe, Asia or the Americas.

Interesting links for Aussie expats:

http://www.americanaustralian.org/

http://anza.org.sg

jayjd12

Excellent article stating what most expats already know but are afraid to say.LOL

I was ammused to find the word 'Wan*er' within its paragraphs, I rarely get to read such words in the UK media, has Australia gone the extra mile to provoke reaction or is it just to keep us interested?

Cheers

LouiseD

I agree with this 100%. We’ve had to cancel Christmas this year (our first in Oz) because we simply can’t afford Christmas presents at all. For the past seven years when we lived in the UK, we’ve had a two or three week holiday in Florida just before Christmas, done all our shopping there, stocked up on clothes and had an absolute ball. It’s totally ridiculous to get into your 40s and not even be able to buy Christmas presents

Lord Pom Percy

Remember the more Aussies that move to the Uk the more the UK is going to become like OZ. With global warming affecting the UK and all the Aussies moving there because of the brain drain , in 20 Years the Uk will be just like OZ.

TraceyW

How I agree with you! I've changed so much. I am full of self doubt, constantly questioning myself, driving both me and my hubby nuts with all my thoughts The one thought that plagues me daily "what do I do for the best for all my family?" I sometimes get so overwhelmed with it all I would just love to lie down and let the whole world pass me by.

Old William

Unlikely, since the majority of UK males aren't uneducated chauvinistic pigs.

Now what the UK is becoming is what Oz wanted to be but failed dismally to achieve...a vibrant, multicultural, world leading society full of buzz where professionals can excel and familes can achieve....only with a nice pleasant climate that wont kill you or fry you.

LouiseD

An experience like this certainly can change your personality. I used to be so decisive - now I don't know if I'm coming, going, been there or just on my way! And when I get there I don't know why I'm there. I'm sure I'm going crackers!! Or maybe I always was and didn't realise it until now

TraceyW

you and me both girl!!! You know what I reckon it is? Desperation. It's like being a caged animal, pacing and going completely bonkers with the frustration of it all!

I've got two more years left to serve, at least you'll be free soon....lucky sod!

LouiseD

I know - can't wait, I'm getting so excited now just thinking about living again - the pubs and nightlife, the pretty villages, the lovely scenery within driving distance, the choice in the supermarkets, the rugby, the humour, talking to neighbours again, up-to-date TV programs, world news, Europe on the doorstep, proper holidays (for two weeks - in a hotel) and most of all...... Money!! I can't wait to be earning money again

Sorry I'll shut up now - it's all that pent up stuff inside me, sometimes I just have to get it out

Wendy

I'm quite intrigued at this. I've met quite a few brits where I am, counting them roughly I'd say 25 to 30. Only one of them wants to go back, and they are going for two reasons. One is because her Mum is ill and isn't expected to live more than a year and the other is because her daughter isn't happy here. They've been here for 11 months and go back to Portsmouth on the 11th December.

All the others love it here, they range from being here from 6 months to 30 years.

Really is weird and I wonder if it's to do with where you first settle, what you expect when you get here and the experiences you have when you first arrive.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Just as an addition to the original link... in 2002, for the first time in Australian history the number of native born Australians leaving the country passed the number of ex-pats returning home...

One of the figures listed in this report for New Zealand is staggering. 21.9% of New Zealanders live overseas. :scared:

http://wopared.parl.net/Library/pubs...-04/04rn54.htm

TraceyW

I agree with the 'where you settle' bit, that's a biggie. The other two, well, we've had great experiences since being here, met lovely friends, no hassles with OH job, built a home (pretty hassle free) and I've been lucky enough to go to uni. All good.

One big problem; I still don't feel I 'belong' here. Someone tell me how the hell I can make that go away, or do any more to settle than I already have done? I'm tired of trying now.

Wendy

Was talking to my Aunt at cricket on Sunday, she said it's quite strange because she doesn't really feel like she belongs here, but also feels she doesn't belong in the UK either. Maybe it always feels like that for some, I really don't know.

She has been here just under 26 years, they did go back to the UK after 18 months originally, but came back before their visa ran out. She did say that she loves both places, but prefers here.

sassenach

I dont know really to be honest wendy ,maybe the guys on site just want to go home but i have employed backpackers in the past they were predominently british and irish and the greater majority always seemed to want to go home ,even though they were enjoying their hoilidays here they just couldnt invisage working in 40 degree heat and dealing with the flys every day .
There major gripe was the pub life and nightlife is shit especially for single people and often found themselves just pissing it up with their backpacker mates in the backpackers hotel beacause they reckon the atmosphere was better .
There is something to be said about where you live as well because when i go into deepest darkest suburbia in perth and go for a drink with a few lads at the old bailey in joondalup ,i can honestly say i never hear one brit say he\she dislikes aussie ,maybe it is something to do with not wanting to voice an opinion OR it could be they are deliriously happy .