Originally Posted by birdynumnum

WAFC

Just saw your christ knows.....like it

Hope alls clear as a crystal after your trip back.

Originally Posted by jobrabin

by the way, are you from Wigan ? i'm originally from Bolton, but we were living in Chipping near Preston. You'll be missing the pies HEE hee, dont be offended bt that please ! the pies here arent as good xx

Originally Posted by wafc

Yep we're from sunny Wigan! lol. Definitely missing the pies!!

We do like Oz a lot for many reasons but we just dont know if its right for us. If only you could get citizenship after 6 or 12 months! lol.

PS - Bunbury is nice, we went down there for a visit a few weeks back.

Originally Posted by jobrabin

sorry im new to all this expat stuff, i havnt read the whole thread, wat did u guys do bak in wigan and are you working here ? darren is a joiner but doesnt earn anywere near wat he did in UK and im a dental nurse, about the same $ but im gonna try a complete career change and trying to get into the travel industry. Daz has thrown himself into Aussie life and goes to the beach almost every night after work, 4.30 finish, lucky bugger. he misses the pub, but does other stuff and we do miss havin friends around just hope in time we'll make some. Looking forward to friends coming over at xmas and next feb also. My parents will come but Darrens wont ever !! they dont fly. Say hello to sunny wigan for us. have safe journey, hope its an easy decision one way or the other x

Originally Posted by birdynumnum

Best of luck.
How long were you our here for initially?
Where I am it rains ALOT and have tank water so on a personal level the drought hasnt affected me, cant use it quick enough. I went to Tweed today though and the hills are looking somewhat parched. Although for the future its a huge concern.
I'm a pinger who went back, came back here and am now thinking of going back again. Not definate as I swing like a pendulum but am definately leaning to UK.
Do you know the gold Coats well then?
Any particular area you're heading to?

Originally Posted by johull

I was initailly out there for 9 months, then got really down. Now back home an novely worn off, I miss the Gold Coast alot. We lived in Robina, and I liked to go to Broadbeach for dinner with my family - very child friendly. Alos the shopping malls, didnt once encounter groups of chavvy thugs or any aggresiveness, and Pacific Fair shopping mall is HUGE!!!

My friend lives in Tallai and missesUK - but not enough to come back. I think its friends she misses. Now I am back I miss people there!!!

I have spoken to quite a few people who have been, got homesick and returned to UK, only to go back again.

Are you thinking of coming back? Where are you from and how long have you been over there? Its good to know I arent the only one

Originally Posted by birdynumnum

Hi

No you arent alone which is always good to know isnt it.
Moved out in 2000.
Was here for 2 years then went back on holiday. Came back for just under 2 years and then moved back to UK for 14 months. I decided to come back as I hadnt lived in the area we had meant to.
I missed alot about oz when I moved back once the initial novelty had worn off. However, I've heard that it takes a year to resettle back in. In some ways I'm glad I came back, in other ways, now wanting to move back AGAIN makes me think if I had stayed I wouldnt have to be starting all over in UK AGAIN (bonkers or what).
I'll definately miss all my lovely lovely friends if I move back, met some top people. I'll miss alot - the climate, easyness etc but although I'm not 100% sure and am going back to see how I feel, think its the right move, bloody hope so bit scared though...

Hope if you move back its brilliant, you settle in and are happy here

Originally Posted by johull

Thanks for that - its reassuring to know that it isnt just me. When I came back everyone said 'ar you crazy!!' after about 7 months I began to ask myself the same thing. Are you coming back for a holiday or to live in UK again? Which part of Oz are you in?

Do you have a family and if so - have they settled in fine? Work was a problem for me as well, I struggled to get any. I found the system of emailing CV's and not hearing anything back very frustrating. Wish I had given it more time now though and battled the home sickness
Where are you from in UK?

Originally Posted by wafc

Like a few other members of the forum I'm also going back home to the UK, in June.

It was hard work, stressful and costly moving to Perth from the UK and it will be similar going back but we all feel the need to be close to friends and family and just to be back in England in general.

I dont really have a bad word to say against Australia (apart from maybe the house prices as we couldn't afford anything), its a lovely place and I think its a great place to bring up children but like others have said, I could spend a few months at a time here but I dont think we could live here permanently. I would've liked to have tried Adelaide but we can always visit there in the future.

I've no doubt we'll have many regrets about returning and will have fond memories of the Australian lifestyle. I may also regret not sticking it out for 2years to enable me to return in the future but we have 5 years in which to make up the 2 year residency in Australia so it can always be done if we feel the need to, but I dont think we will. At this point I'd rather spend those 2 years in the UK.

If this experience has taught me one thing its that I will look on the UK differently and I will appreciate the things we have there such as friends and family etc.

Now that we're off we have 3 cars to sell so if anyone's interested please see the links in my signature below for details.

Good luck to all those going through this process, wherever in the world you may be.

Originally Posted by wafc

Yep we're from sunny Wigan! lol. Definitely missing the pies!!

We do like Oz a lot for many reasons but we just dont know if its right for us. If only you could get citizenship after 6 or 12 months! lol.

PS - Bunbury is nice, we went down there for a visit a few weeks back.

Originally Posted by cranni

Bunbury is beautiful, we live in Dalyellup.
Good Idea going back for holiday, then just see what happens.
I was very depressed the first 6 months, but that was mainly because my older kids where over in UK, and it seemed so far away. One they came i settled, just my older one to get here, then i will have all 6 here, he has just got a spomsor.
Mum and dad have been on 2 long hols, but that really sets me back when they leave, they are coming back in Nov. for 3 months.
It is hard some days and i do miss my family, but we have made this decision, been here 2 half years, got citizenship, and this is our future. I would not turn the kids lives upside down again.
Good luck to you whatever you do, if you do decide to give Bunbury a try, give me a call.
Denise

Originally Posted by johull

Hi Denise

This is my fear - we came out with all our 3 boys, since we came back to UK, the older one has started to see his estranged father and doesnt want to go back to Oz. We have been back for almost 2 years and I want to give it another go, for my husband and I and the other 2 children. My only fear is missing him. I only see him once or twice a month now - he is 16 and out with his mates all the time - but at least he is near. I also know that if he moves away with his father - he has property overseas - I will kick myself. I met other people whose older kids are in UK and they manage.

One lady I met had two older kids over here, she missed them so much, cold up and came back and now hardly sees them. She is going back to Gold Coast.

I could kick myself for coming back, but I had to know 100% it was where I wanted to be.

Originally Posted by Wendy

My 19 year old son is still in the UK. You do miss them but you have done your job of bringing him up and now it's time to let him live his own life. You have to do what you think is right for you, your hubby and your other kids.

I talk to my son on SKYPE, and also phone him as well. He's coming out for a visit in 3 weeks. It's not the same as having them near you, but you learn to live with it.

If you want to talk it through, feel free to PM me.