We arrived Christmas 2003. We've made one overseas trip back to the Old Country, and my wife has previously made a trip to N America/California.

Do we like it here - yes very much. Are we settled - yes. Background, we are both from London, although my wife was born in N America initially but has been in the UK all her adolescent and adult life. I have an ex military background and am now an office worker for my sins, she is an ex-dancer and now mother of three. The story is that I spent 12 months here on my own: I jackerooed on horseback and bike in QLD and NSW, did some flying and worked as an off-sider in the Goldfields in the middle of WA. I saw the real Australia and got bitten by the bug in what was supposed to be a sabbatical year. Then we met and I asked her to return with me.

More by luck than design, we settled in a village about an hour SE of Melbourne overlooking Berwick. Despite all the new growth to the S and E of Berwick the village retains it's sleepy feel. We bought a small 3 bed, 2 bath home on an acre, cost ~AUS330k, at the end of a dirt road in a valley.
We consider ourselves lucky as most homes are on several acres and average well over 700k and million-dollar properties are not unusual - infact there are several estates in the road. Did we buy the worst house in the best street, in keeping with that old advice of real-estate? Probably.

The village is well appointed with a supermarket, general store, milkbar, hairdresser and baker, and 2 restaurants. It has a community centre, fire station, pre-kinder (age 3) and kinder (age 4) which feed in to the excellent primary. I am a volunteer firefighter with 5 years service. In my time I have attended car fires, motor vehicle accidents, house fires, bush fires and hostage situations. It keeps me off the streets and out of mischief! I got into the Herald Sun newspaper just after Black Saturday.

We like Melbourne and the mixture of city and country life and the long stretches of unspoilt country to the E including the Dandenongs and Yarra Valley. We are at home as much in the country as we are in the city and am more than happy to flit between the two. We also have access to a under-used holiday home on an island in the back bay thanks to the generosity of a family. We would live in the inner city as easily as we could buy a small farm so we're not sure what to do in retirement - but it's a long way off! I keep my hand in by farm-sitting for a bloke in NSW. We're busy with a bit of maintenance of course and we've done some minor renos. I'm also building a studio on the boundary with views out to the valley.

I am on my 4th job in 6 years, (1 hr commute) one of which was a 6 month contract. We are not wealthy by any means but we have got to the point where money is not an issue and there's been no financial stress since we arrived.

I still love 'my' Australia as I did my first year and whilst it's not fashionable to get overly excited about this amazing country less you get acused of being a Godzoner, I still feel it in my heart. (There's a litmus test - would leaving make you pine?) We don't like suburbia or shopping malls. Note to the board - Australia has a 2-tone (not necessarily 2-tier) society. Sort of City and Country - with the suburbs in the middle. (If you're not sure what you want - think carefully - and then ask yourself - can you afford it!)

To be honest, the real star of the show has been my wife. Perhaps we are all guilty of not mentioning our partners. My wife was asked to shift from a London girl to an amazing mother of three. She has made a calm impact in this setting of ours and she is universally loved by all. She is very popular and wins people over with her tact and charm. She has also made some amazing contacts in the city. Unlike some people who transferred children with them, we've gone the home-grown route and have 2 girls and 1 boy. We had all three in a public midwife-led hospital and she was a real trooper through all pregnancies and labour - she did not complain once. She gets asked to attend pre-natal classes as a returning mother and now she wants to train as a mid-wife. I still get excited by her 'wins' which make mine seem minor.

Children : we're glad we haven't had to compare the the systems of two countries which might lead to grumbling, but are happy with the after-care, nursing and educational setup. The local primary is excellent. They are bright, happy children and we get a lot of compliments on their personality and nature. They are so at home on the block and potter around quite happily. They take for granted that which many a UK child (or Australian) child might find alien.

Advice - my only advice to a prospective migrant is to ask yourself what sort of person you are. You need to be able to find and maintain a niche life in Australia or drastically improve your lot to bother with the move. It might be that you are a ex-competitive sufer, boat-handler, or a farmer, or a European city slicker who knows exactly what they are doing. You might be bored with provincial UK life. All good reasons to come. However, I suggest that people who are just bored, are moving for political reasons, or am close to family and friends (even that dreaded mother-in-law will be missed in all likelihood) not bother. It's also not as cheap as it was here, and the FX rate is not helping. Having said that, I will also say for middle to higher income earners that the cost of living is about the same. Despite a lot of grumbling, a lot of the day-to-day costs and essentials are cheaper here (utils, transport, council rates, parking, servicing, some labour rates, fuel) and the things that cost a fortune are things like books, white goods, and some quality goods. It's no disaster. It's possible that in real terms people will not command the stellar salaries they could in say London (some will) but many other things more than make up for it and a sizeable deposit on a house might mitigate a cut in salary.

Cheers!

B

I have just looged on here for first time in years, and saw ur update, i think I remember you from when I used to come on here in 2003. Glad to hear it has all worked out so well for you and ur family :-) . I'm back in the UK since 06 but possibliy returning to oz this december!

congratulations on the 6 years ... bloody hell, have i been stuck here in the uk that long!???

keep up the good work ...



sue

It's strange isn't it?!

Thanks guys! And for the karma too!

Nice update, obviously know you're very happy with your lives but a proper update helps so many people.

I'm sure your wife is fab but really, this ain't normal

If you cut a finger you say ouch, if you push a bowling ball out of a small hole you need to point out that it bloody well hurts.

!!I meant she didn't fuss about the pregnancy nor take it out on me during labour - like I've heard some women do. And I thank my lucky stars... she is amazing. She has midwives staring in disbelief at the way she conducts herself. Pain is one thing, the way you get through labour is another, I suppose.

Well done on the 6 years, your sentiments hit a chord

Alot of good advice for those embarking or considering the move. Nice to see the mention of OH success, being a mother and housewife is not an easy task.

Look forward to more success posts in coming months/years

Depends on the type of labour you have I guess. Didn't complain toooooo much with the second, the first was 24 hours of unmitigated hell and everyone knew about it, there was no way on this earth it could have been endured peacefully.

Thanks mate.

I wanted to make sure that this wasn't just a drag the Missus over to the other side of the world plan (or outcome) whether she wanted it or not. Of course, it all started out as my plan and idea, and she was willing, but as time has gone on, she has grown into her role and new life. Obviously we came over as a newly engaged couple which sort of helped in a way. New country, new life. But this is her success as much as mine. She is a natural and people comment on that. Only today someone commented how happily married we seemed to be.

Well they were all different but she approached them the same way with a dancer's self-discipline. In each, at one point she ordered everyone out of the room so she could focus(!)

- thorougly enjoyed reading that B and many congratulations

p.s - still pmsl at MP's comments

Congrats Badge. Wise words.

Badge my old mate I was jsut about to do my 6 year update. xx

Labour is the easy part.Its the next 16 years that is the painful bit.

Try conception with sunburn


then again nurse

You have picked a nice place to live my brother has lived there for the last 15 years now only probl he has is the traffic getting to work.

Good update.