One Year On - and still lovin' it!
Jan 5th 2007, 10:37 am
#1
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: North Wales > Manly, Brisbane > Gympie!
Posts: 530
One Year On - and still lovin' it!
Hi Everyone
Just thought I would update as we have now been here a year!! We left on NY Eve and arrived on 2nd Jan. I found that a very emotional time to leave but the fares were cheap and there was 6 of us!!
Hubby loved it as soon as he stepped off the plane and nothing has changed! He has never felt homesick once, he doesn't miss anything about the UK at all. Once he was really pushed for an answer and after a long thought he said the Chinese food wasn't as good as the UK!!! He has started his own gardening business and luckily always seems to have work. Nobody has said they wouldn't use him because he's British - in fact one old lady once paid him in advance and then said she wouldn't have done that if he'd been an Aussie - and yes she was an Aussie!!! He can count on one hand the number of days he has gone without a beer and he definately loves that part of it!
I was expecting to be very homesick and miss my friends but I waited and waited for it to kick in and it never really has. I have the odd day when all our friends have gone on a night out but I speak to them regularly on the phone and a lot on MSN!! I work 3 days a week (which I love) as a Home Loan Consultant for a bank and received fantastic training as I had never done it before. It feels very weird advising Aussie's on home loans but again I have only had one 'Get back the UK' comment and that was only after the bank had refused his application. I was also worried about the heat in the summer but it is not that bad and you do get used to the flies and the mozzies however the cockroaches are taking a little longer!!
The children love it out here and it has been great watching their confidence grow and having a more outdoor life. Even our eldest, who was 15 when we came and only agreed to do 2 years if we let her go back to the UK to go to Uni, is looking at Uni's in Brisbane now so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! They have all made friends and settled well. I'm especially pleased for my son who has Aspergers. They still want to go back to the UK but now they just say for a holiday!
We have made some good friends - mainly from this site but a few Aussies and some Kiwi's. It definately helps you settle when you have friends you can talk to who are in the same boat. I read a lot of posts on this site about people who hate it and people who love it and I have no idea why some settle and some don't but we definately didn't come over here expecting anything other than an adventure and if they took our visa's off us tomorrow I would do it all again because it has been an amazing one!
To everyone waiting for their visas, hang on in there 'cos I think its worth the wait!!
Jo
Just thought I would update as we have now been here a year!! We left on NY Eve and arrived on 2nd Jan. I found that a very emotional time to leave but the fares were cheap and there was 6 of us!!
Hubby loved it as soon as he stepped off the plane and nothing has changed! He has never felt homesick once, he doesn't miss anything about the UK at all. Once he was really pushed for an answer and after a long thought he said the Chinese food wasn't as good as the UK!!! He has started his own gardening business and luckily always seems to have work. Nobody has said they wouldn't use him because he's British - in fact one old lady once paid him in advance and then said she wouldn't have done that if he'd been an Aussie - and yes she was an Aussie!!! He can count on one hand the number of days he has gone without a beer and he definately loves that part of it!
I was expecting to be very homesick and miss my friends but I waited and waited for it to kick in and it never really has. I have the odd day when all our friends have gone on a night out but I speak to them regularly on the phone and a lot on MSN!! I work 3 days a week (which I love) as a Home Loan Consultant for a bank and received fantastic training as I had never done it before. It feels very weird advising Aussie's on home loans but again I have only had one 'Get back the UK' comment and that was only after the bank had refused his application. I was also worried about the heat in the summer but it is not that bad and you do get used to the flies and the mozzies however the cockroaches are taking a little longer!!
The children love it out here and it has been great watching their confidence grow and having a more outdoor life. Even our eldest, who was 15 when we came and only agreed to do 2 years if we let her go back to the UK to go to Uni, is looking at Uni's in Brisbane now so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! They have all made friends and settled well. I'm especially pleased for my son who has Aspergers. They still want to go back to the UK but now they just say for a holiday!
We have made some good friends - mainly from this site but a few Aussies and some Kiwi's. It definately helps you settle when you have friends you can talk to who are in the same boat. I read a lot of posts on this site about people who hate it and people who love it and I have no idea why some settle and some don't but we definately didn't come over here expecting anything other than an adventure and if they took our visa's off us tomorrow I would do it all again because it has been an amazing one!
To everyone waiting for their visas, hang on in there 'cos I think its worth the wait!!
Jo
Jan 5th 2007, 10:43 am
#2
Jedi Princess
Joined: Jun 2006
Location: Melbourne,Australia
Posts: 2,089
Re: One Year On - and still lovin' it!
Hi Everyone
Just thought I would update as we have now been here a year!! We left on NY Eve and arrived on 2nd Jan. I found that a very emotional time to leave but the fares were cheap and there was 6 of us!!
Hubby loved it as soon as he stepped off the plane and nothing has changed! He has never felt homesick once, he doesn't miss anything about the UK at all. Once he was really pushed for an answer and after a long thought he said the Chinese food wasn't as good as the UK!!! He has started his own gardening business and luckily always seems to have work. Nobody has said they wouldn't use him because he's British - in fact one old lady once paid him in advance and then said she wouldn't have done that if he'd been an Aussie - and yes she was an Aussie!!! He can count on one hand the number of days he has gone without a beer and he definately loves that part of it!
I was expecting to be very homesick and miss my friends but I waited and waited for it to kick in and it never really has. I have the odd day when all our friends have gone on a night out but I speak to them regularly on the phone and a lot on MSN!! I work 3 days a week (which I love) as a Home Loan Consultant for a bank and received fantastic training as I had never done it before. It feels very weird advising Aussie's on home loans but again I have only had one 'Get back the UK' comment and that was only after the bank had refused his application. I was also worried about the heat in the summer but it is not that bad and you do get used to the flies and the mozzies however the cockroaches are taking a little longer!!
The children love it out here and it has been great watching their confidence grow and having a more outdoor life. Even our eldest, who was 15 when we came and only agreed to do 2 years if we let her go back to the UK to go to Uni, is looking at Uni's in Brisbane now so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! They have all made friends and settled well. I'm especially pleased for my son who has Aspergers. They still want to go back to the UK but now they just say for a holiday!
We have made some good friends - mainly from this site but a few Aussies and some Kiwi's. It definately helps you settle when you have friends you can talk to who are in the same boat. I read a lot of posts on this site about people who hate it and people who love it and I have no idea why some settle and some don't but we definately didn't come over here expecting anything other than an adventure and if they took our visa's off us tomorrow I would do it all again because it has been an amazing one!
To everyone waiting for their visas, hang on in there 'cos I think its worth the wait!!
Jo
Just thought I would update as we have now been here a year!! We left on NY Eve and arrived on 2nd Jan. I found that a very emotional time to leave but the fares were cheap and there was 6 of us!!
Hubby loved it as soon as he stepped off the plane and nothing has changed! He has never felt homesick once, he doesn't miss anything about the UK at all. Once he was really pushed for an answer and after a long thought he said the Chinese food wasn't as good as the UK!!! He has started his own gardening business and luckily always seems to have work. Nobody has said they wouldn't use him because he's British - in fact one old lady once paid him in advance and then said she wouldn't have done that if he'd been an Aussie - and yes she was an Aussie!!! He can count on one hand the number of days he has gone without a beer and he definately loves that part of it!
I was expecting to be very homesick and miss my friends but I waited and waited for it to kick in and it never really has. I have the odd day when all our friends have gone on a night out but I speak to them regularly on the phone and a lot on MSN!! I work 3 days a week (which I love) as a Home Loan Consultant for a bank and received fantastic training as I had never done it before. It feels very weird advising Aussie's on home loans but again I have only had one 'Get back the UK' comment and that was only after the bank had refused his application. I was also worried about the heat in the summer but it is not that bad and you do get used to the flies and the mozzies however the cockroaches are taking a little longer!!
The children love it out here and it has been great watching their confidence grow and having a more outdoor life. Even our eldest, who was 15 when we came and only agreed to do 2 years if we let her go back to the UK to go to Uni, is looking at Uni's in Brisbane now so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! They have all made friends and settled well. I'm especially pleased for my son who has Aspergers. They still want to go back to the UK but now they just say for a holiday!
We have made some good friends - mainly from this site but a few Aussies and some Kiwi's. It definately helps you settle when you have friends you can talk to who are in the same boat. I read a lot of posts on this site about people who hate it and people who love it and I have no idea why some settle and some don't but we definately didn't come over here expecting anything other than an adventure and if they took our visa's off us tomorrow I would do it all again because it has been an amazing one!
To everyone waiting for their visas, hang on in there 'cos I think its worth the wait!!
Jo
Jan 5th 2007, 10:45 am
#3
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: From Scotland to Brisbane
Posts: 1,604
Re: One Year On - and still lovin' it!
Hi Jo a great read. Many thanks for taking the time. It is so good for us 'still in the uk' to hear how things have faired for you guys who have already taken the leap. We are patiently awaiting word re our visa but fingers crossed hopefully we will be in Brisbane by the middle of the year. 
Many thanks again for sharing. Best wishes
Donna & Neil
Many thanks again for sharing. Best wishes
Donna & Neil
Jan 5th 2007, 10:47 am
#4
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: North Wales > Manly, Brisbane > Gympie!
Posts: 530
Jan 5th 2007, 12:06 pm
#6
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Gold Coast
Posts: 652
Re: One Year On - and still lovin' it!
Hi Everyone
Just thought I would update as we have now been here a year!! We left on NY Eve and arrived on 2nd Jan. I found that a very emotional time to leave but the fares were cheap and there was 6 of us!!
Hubby loved it as soon as he stepped off the plane and nothing has changed! He has never felt homesick once, he doesn't miss anything about the UK at all. Once he was really pushed for an answer and after a long thought he said the Chinese food wasn't as good as the UK!!! He has started his own gardening business and luckily always seems to have work. Nobody has said they wouldn't use him because he's British - in fact one old lady once paid him in advance and then said she wouldn't have done that if he'd been an Aussie - and yes she was an Aussie!!! He can count on one hand the number of days he has gone without a beer and he definately loves that part of it!
I was expecting to be very homesick and miss my friends but I waited and waited for it to kick in and it never really has. I have the odd day when all our friends have gone on a night out but I speak to them regularly on the phone and a lot on MSN!! I work 3 days a week (which I love) as a Home Loan Consultant for a bank and received fantastic training as I had never done it before. It feels very weird advising Aussie's on home loans but again I have only had one 'Get back the UK' comment and that was only after the bank had refused his application. I was also worried about the heat in the summer but it is not that bad and you do get used to the flies and the mozzies however the cockroaches are taking a little longer!!
The children love it out here and it has been great watching their confidence grow and having a more outdoor life. Even our eldest, who was 15 when we came and only agreed to do 2 years if we let her go back to the UK to go to Uni, is looking at Uni's in Brisbane now so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! They have all made friends and settled well. I'm especially pleased for my son who has Aspergers. They still want to go back to the UK but now they just say for a holiday!
We have made some good friends - mainly from this site but a few Aussies and some Kiwi's. It definately helps you settle when you have friends you can talk to who are in the same boat. I read a lot of posts on this site about people who hate it and people who love it and I have no idea why some settle and some don't but we definately didn't come over here expecting anything other than an adventure and if they took our visa's off us tomorrow I would do it all again because it has been an amazing one!
To everyone waiting for their visas, hang on in there 'cos I think its worth the wait!!
Jo
Just thought I would update as we have now been here a year!! We left on NY Eve and arrived on 2nd Jan. I found that a very emotional time to leave but the fares were cheap and there was 6 of us!!
Hubby loved it as soon as he stepped off the plane and nothing has changed! He has never felt homesick once, he doesn't miss anything about the UK at all. Once he was really pushed for an answer and after a long thought he said the Chinese food wasn't as good as the UK!!! He has started his own gardening business and luckily always seems to have work. Nobody has said they wouldn't use him because he's British - in fact one old lady once paid him in advance and then said she wouldn't have done that if he'd been an Aussie - and yes she was an Aussie!!! He can count on one hand the number of days he has gone without a beer and he definately loves that part of it!
I was expecting to be very homesick and miss my friends but I waited and waited for it to kick in and it never really has. I have the odd day when all our friends have gone on a night out but I speak to them regularly on the phone and a lot on MSN!! I work 3 days a week (which I love) as a Home Loan Consultant for a bank and received fantastic training as I had never done it before. It feels very weird advising Aussie's on home loans but again I have only had one 'Get back the UK' comment and that was only after the bank had refused his application. I was also worried about the heat in the summer but it is not that bad and you do get used to the flies and the mozzies however the cockroaches are taking a little longer!!
The children love it out here and it has been great watching their confidence grow and having a more outdoor life. Even our eldest, who was 15 when we came and only agreed to do 2 years if we let her go back to the UK to go to Uni, is looking at Uni's in Brisbane now so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! They have all made friends and settled well. I'm especially pleased for my son who has Aspergers. They still want to go back to the UK but now they just say for a holiday!
We have made some good friends - mainly from this site but a few Aussies and some Kiwi's. It definately helps you settle when you have friends you can talk to who are in the same boat. I read a lot of posts on this site about people who hate it and people who love it and I have no idea why some settle and some don't but we definately didn't come over here expecting anything other than an adventure and if they took our visa's off us tomorrow I would do it all again because it has been an amazing one!
To everyone waiting for their visas, hang on in there 'cos I think its worth the wait!!
Jo
Where abouts in North Wales are you from?
All the best.
Jan 5th 2007, 12:35 pm
#7
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 757
Re: One Year On - and still lovin' it!
Hi Everyone
Just thought I would update as we have now been here a year!! We left on NY Eve and arrived on 2nd Jan. I found that a very emotional time to leave but the fares were cheap and there was 6 of us!!
Hubby loved it as soon as he stepped off the plane and nothing has changed! He has never felt homesick once, he doesn't miss anything about the UK at all. Once he was really pushed for an answer and after a long thought he said the Chinese food wasn't as good as the UK!!! He has started his own gardening business and luckily always seems to have work. Nobody has said they wouldn't use him because he's British - in fact one old lady once paid him in advance and then said she wouldn't have done that if he'd been an Aussie - and yes she was an Aussie!!! He can count on one hand the number of days he has gone without a beer and he definately loves that part of it!
I was expecting to be very homesick and miss my friends but I waited and waited for it to kick in and it never really has. I have the odd day when all our friends have gone on a night out but I speak to them regularly on the phone and a lot on MSN!! I work 3 days a week (which I love) as a Home Loan Consultant for a bank and received fantastic training as I had never done it before. It feels very weird advising Aussie's on home loans but again I have only had one 'Get back the UK' comment and that was only after the bank had refused his application. I was also worried about the heat in the summer but it is not that bad and you do get used to the flies and the mozzies however the cockroaches are taking a little longer!!
The children love it out here and it has been great watching their confidence grow and having a more outdoor life. Even our eldest, who was 15 when we came and only agreed to do 2 years if we let her go back to the UK to go to Uni, is looking at Uni's in Brisbane now so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! They have all made friends and settled well. I'm especially pleased for my son who has Aspergers. They still want to go back to the UK but now they just say for a holiday!
We have made some good friends - mainly from this site but a few Aussies and some Kiwi's. It definately helps you settle when you have friends you can talk to who are in the same boat. I read a lot of posts on this site about people who hate it and people who love it and I have no idea why some settle and some don't but we definately didn't come over here expecting anything other than an adventure and if they took our visa's off us tomorrow I would do it all again because it has been an amazing one!
To everyone waiting for their visas, hang on in there 'cos I think its worth the wait!!
Jo
Just thought I would update as we have now been here a year!! We left on NY Eve and arrived on 2nd Jan. I found that a very emotional time to leave but the fares were cheap and there was 6 of us!!
Hubby loved it as soon as he stepped off the plane and nothing has changed! He has never felt homesick once, he doesn't miss anything about the UK at all. Once he was really pushed for an answer and after a long thought he said the Chinese food wasn't as good as the UK!!! He has started his own gardening business and luckily always seems to have work. Nobody has said they wouldn't use him because he's British - in fact one old lady once paid him in advance and then said she wouldn't have done that if he'd been an Aussie - and yes she was an Aussie!!! He can count on one hand the number of days he has gone without a beer and he definately loves that part of it!
I was expecting to be very homesick and miss my friends but I waited and waited for it to kick in and it never really has. I have the odd day when all our friends have gone on a night out but I speak to them regularly on the phone and a lot on MSN!! I work 3 days a week (which I love) as a Home Loan Consultant for a bank and received fantastic training as I had never done it before. It feels very weird advising Aussie's on home loans but again I have only had one 'Get back the UK' comment and that was only after the bank had refused his application. I was also worried about the heat in the summer but it is not that bad and you do get used to the flies and the mozzies however the cockroaches are taking a little longer!!
The children love it out here and it has been great watching their confidence grow and having a more outdoor life. Even our eldest, who was 15 when we came and only agreed to do 2 years if we let her go back to the UK to go to Uni, is looking at Uni's in Brisbane now so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! They have all made friends and settled well. I'm especially pleased for my son who has Aspergers. They still want to go back to the UK but now they just say for a holiday!
We have made some good friends - mainly from this site but a few Aussies and some Kiwi's. It definately helps you settle when you have friends you can talk to who are in the same boat. I read a lot of posts on this site about people who hate it and people who love it and I have no idea why some settle and some don't but we definately didn't come over here expecting anything other than an adventure and if they took our visa's off us tomorrow I would do it all again because it has been an amazing one!
To everyone waiting for their visas, hang on in there 'cos I think its worth the wait!!
Jo
Jan 5th 2007, 1:09 pm
#8
Ok this isn't so bad
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Dundee (Scotland) now Bayside Brisbane
Posts: 4,824
Jan 5th 2007, 3:37 pm
#10
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Ellenbrook WA
Posts: 809
Re: One Year On - and still lovin' it!
Lovely post, thank you for sharing. May your life continue to get better and better.
Nicky x
Nicky x
Jan 5th 2007, 3:43 pm
#11
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 4,918
Re: One Year On - and still lovin' it!
Hi Everyone
Just thought I would update as we have now been here a year!! We left on NY Eve and arrived on 2nd Jan. I found that a very emotional time to leave but the fares were cheap and there was 6 of us!!
Hubby loved it as soon as he stepped off the plane and nothing has changed! He has never felt homesick once, he doesn't miss anything about the UK at all. Once he was really pushed for an answer and after a long thought he said the Chinese food wasn't as good as the UK!!! He has started his own gardening business and luckily always seems to have work. Nobody has said they wouldn't use him because he's British - in fact one old lady once paid him in advance and then said she wouldn't have done that if he'd been an Aussie - and yes she was an Aussie!!! He can count on one hand the number of days he has gone without a beer and he definately loves that part of it!
I was expecting to be very homesick and miss my friends but I waited and waited for it to kick in and it never really has. I have the odd day when all our friends have gone on a night out but I speak to them regularly on the phone and a lot on MSN!! I work 3 days a week (which I love) as a Home Loan Consultant for a bank and received fantastic training as I had never done it before. It feels very weird advising Aussie's on home loans but again I have only had one 'Get back the UK' comment and that was only after the bank had refused his application. I was also worried about the heat in the summer but it is not that bad and you do get used to the flies and the mozzies however the cockroaches are taking a little longer!!
The children love it out here and it has been great watching their confidence grow and having a more outdoor life. Even our eldest, who was 15 when we came and only agreed to do 2 years if we let her go back to the UK to go to Uni, is looking at Uni's in Brisbane now so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! They have all made friends and settled well. I'm especially pleased for my son who has Aspergers. They still want to go back to the UK but now they just say for a holiday!
We have made some good friends - mainly from this site but a few Aussies and some Kiwi's. It definately helps you settle when you have friends you can talk to who are in the same boat. I read a lot of posts on this site about people who hate it and people who love it and I have no idea why some settle and some don't but we definately didn't come over here expecting anything other than an adventure and if they took our visa's off us tomorrow I would do it all again because it has been an amazing one!
To everyone waiting for their visas, hang on in there 'cos I think its worth the wait!!
Jo
Just thought I would update as we have now been here a year!! We left on NY Eve and arrived on 2nd Jan. I found that a very emotional time to leave but the fares were cheap and there was 6 of us!!
Hubby loved it as soon as he stepped off the plane and nothing has changed! He has never felt homesick once, he doesn't miss anything about the UK at all. Once he was really pushed for an answer and after a long thought he said the Chinese food wasn't as good as the UK!!! He has started his own gardening business and luckily always seems to have work. Nobody has said they wouldn't use him because he's British - in fact one old lady once paid him in advance and then said she wouldn't have done that if he'd been an Aussie - and yes she was an Aussie!!! He can count on one hand the number of days he has gone without a beer and he definately loves that part of it!
I was expecting to be very homesick and miss my friends but I waited and waited for it to kick in and it never really has. I have the odd day when all our friends have gone on a night out but I speak to them regularly on the phone and a lot on MSN!! I work 3 days a week (which I love) as a Home Loan Consultant for a bank and received fantastic training as I had never done it before. It feels very weird advising Aussie's on home loans but again I have only had one 'Get back the UK' comment and that was only after the bank had refused his application. I was also worried about the heat in the summer but it is not that bad and you do get used to the flies and the mozzies however the cockroaches are taking a little longer!!
The children love it out here and it has been great watching their confidence grow and having a more outdoor life. Even our eldest, who was 15 when we came and only agreed to do 2 years if we let her go back to the UK to go to Uni, is looking at Uni's in Brisbane now so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! They have all made friends and settled well. I'm especially pleased for my son who has Aspergers. They still want to go back to the UK but now they just say for a holiday!
We have made some good friends - mainly from this site but a few Aussies and some Kiwi's. It definately helps you settle when you have friends you can talk to who are in the same boat. I read a lot of posts on this site about people who hate it and people who love it and I have no idea why some settle and some don't but we definately didn't come over here expecting anything other than an adventure and if they took our visa's off us tomorrow I would do it all again because it has been an amazing one!
To everyone waiting for their visas, hang on in there 'cos I think its worth the wait!!
Jo
Excellent post ....may you continue in your new happy lives
Jan 5th 2007, 4:01 pm
#12
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: The Gold Coast
Posts: 3,069
Re: One Year On - and still lovin' it!
Lovely post. It's great to hear positive stories like yours.
Tracey
Tracey
Jan 5th 2007, 4:10 pm
#13
on the Goldie
Joined: Sep 2006
Location: 4226.au
Posts: 12,364
Re: One Year On - and still lovin' it!
yes what a great post. we have just got our visas and so i love reading these x amount of time in threads. x
Jan 5th 2007, 5:45 pm
#14
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Darwin, NT
Posts: 380
Re: One Year On - and still lovin' it!
Hi Everyone
Just thought I would update as we have now been here a year!! We left on NY Eve and arrived on 2nd Jan. I found that a very emotional time to leave but the fares were cheap and there was 6 of us!!
Hubby loved it as soon as he stepped off the plane and nothing has changed! He has never felt homesick once, he doesn't miss anything about the UK at all. Once he was really pushed for an answer and after a long thought he said the Chinese food wasn't as good as the UK!!! He has started his own gardening business and luckily always seems to have work. Nobody has said they wouldn't use him because he's British - in fact one old lady once paid him in advance and then said she wouldn't have done that if he'd been an Aussie - and yes she was an Aussie!!! He can count on one hand the number of days he has gone without a beer and he definately loves that part of it!
I was expecting to be very homesick and miss my friends but I waited and waited for it to kick in and it never really has. I have the odd day when all our friends have gone on a night out but I speak to them regularly on the phone and a lot on MSN!! I work 3 days a week (which I love) as a Home Loan Consultant for a bank and received fantastic training as I had never done it before. It feels very weird advising Aussie's on home loans but again I have only had one 'Get back the UK' comment and that was only after the bank had refused his application. I was also worried about the heat in the summer but it is not that bad and you do get used to the flies and the mozzies however the cockroaches are taking a little longer!!
The children love it out here and it has been great watching their confidence grow and having a more outdoor life. Even our eldest, who was 15 when we came and only agreed to do 2 years if we let her go back to the UK to go to Uni, is looking at Uni's in Brisbane now so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! They have all made friends and settled well. I'm especially pleased for my son who has Aspergers. They still want to go back to the UK but now they just say for a holiday!
We have made some good friends - mainly from this site but a few Aussies and some Kiwi's. It definately helps you settle when you have friends you can talk to who are in the same boat. I read a lot of posts on this site about people who hate it and people who love it and I have no idea why some settle and some don't but we definately didn't come over here expecting anything other than an adventure and if they took our visa's off us tomorrow I would do it all again because it has been an amazing one!
To everyone waiting for their visas, hang on in there 'cos I think its worth the wait!!
Jo
Just thought I would update as we have now been here a year!! We left on NY Eve and arrived on 2nd Jan. I found that a very emotional time to leave but the fares were cheap and there was 6 of us!!
Hubby loved it as soon as he stepped off the plane and nothing has changed! He has never felt homesick once, he doesn't miss anything about the UK at all. Once he was really pushed for an answer and after a long thought he said the Chinese food wasn't as good as the UK!!! He has started his own gardening business and luckily always seems to have work. Nobody has said they wouldn't use him because he's British - in fact one old lady once paid him in advance and then said she wouldn't have done that if he'd been an Aussie - and yes she was an Aussie!!! He can count on one hand the number of days he has gone without a beer and he definately loves that part of it!
I was expecting to be very homesick and miss my friends but I waited and waited for it to kick in and it never really has. I have the odd day when all our friends have gone on a night out but I speak to them regularly on the phone and a lot on MSN!! I work 3 days a week (which I love) as a Home Loan Consultant for a bank and received fantastic training as I had never done it before. It feels very weird advising Aussie's on home loans but again I have only had one 'Get back the UK' comment and that was only after the bank had refused his application. I was also worried about the heat in the summer but it is not that bad and you do get used to the flies and the mozzies however the cockroaches are taking a little longer!!
The children love it out here and it has been great watching their confidence grow and having a more outdoor life. Even our eldest, who was 15 when we came and only agreed to do 2 years if we let her go back to the UK to go to Uni, is looking at Uni's in Brisbane now so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! They have all made friends and settled well. I'm especially pleased for my son who has Aspergers. They still want to go back to the UK but now they just say for a holiday!
We have made some good friends - mainly from this site but a few Aussies and some Kiwi's. It definately helps you settle when you have friends you can talk to who are in the same boat. I read a lot of posts on this site about people who hate it and people who love it and I have no idea why some settle and some don't but we definately didn't come over here expecting anything other than an adventure and if they took our visa's off us tomorrow I would do it all again because it has been an amazing one!
To everyone waiting for their visas, hang on in there 'cos I think its worth the wait!!
Jo
Sue
Jan 5th 2007, 8:47 pm
#15
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: North Wales > Manly, Brisbane > Gympie!
Posts: 530
Re: One Year On - and still lovin' it!