joh117

I guess there was a number of things, we found a home before jobs on the Mornington Peninsula then had to commute to the CBD which was 3 hrs round trip per day. Not ideal

We had our first child and the guilt kicked in regards denying her access to her extended family.

We missed our social life even more so once our daughter came along.

Now 3 yrs on we realise that a lot of it was to do with location and also adjustment to parenthood. We now rarely go out and the family thing didnt work out as we had hoped in the UK and it was pipe dreams.

So not really a problem with Melbourne we enjoyed it. We are going to Brisbane as hubby has landed a job there but we would have returned to Melbourne if the job came up there

Jo

Olibeneli

Yes I will be spending GB pounds and also earning GB pounds........what makes you think people in aus are not also spending huge amounts more than they used to ?.......interest rates for starters have jumped enormously.........

........ I have learnt a lot about what makes me happy.........and I won't be paying for schooling that teaches my kids how to colour in pictures.....OK petrol has gone up and so has food and much else........those costs have also gone up here in Australia and it's hurting a lot more. I never had a pay rise for two years and when you are earning AUS$ and paying for these increased things in AUS$ it hurts just like in the UK. Fortunately my new role will be paying me a great deal more than when I left but money aside, my brain will be fed stimulation and that has been seriously lacking here. I would pay a bit more on anything rather than go brain dead.

On a lighter note I also will not encounter pyjama clad shoeless people in the supermarket!

Olibeneli

Perhaps if they shut the whole of Stocklands down we might have a reason to stay..........their places are shite.....and I know a member of their board of directors....no wonder their places are crap.

Olibeneli

Hi there

I went back to the UK last year....that's one year ago exactly. I experienced the traffic and the pubs and yes it's different to here.....some things worse some things better.

As for the IT industry.........my cousin here is in that industry. He cames out here 13 years ago and back then he said it was 10 years behind the UK. He now says it's 20 years behind. I know a great deal about financial systems and ERP implementations like SAP and Oracle..........most places here are seriosuly behind the UK.

I had interviews at Qantas and Bluescope Steel....big industries with big budgets and what I was told about their set up really opened my eyes. They are very behind period.

Olibeneli

Hmmmmmm...that's what we thought.

You need people to do the menial jobs you know.....if a english person wants 500 quid a week to collect your rubbish but the council can get a legal Polish person to do it for 200.......and save you on your council tax what would you want the council to do ?

Turn that question to Aus where you seemingly need a degree to collect rubbish.....going to make for expensive council rates....

The education system here over the last 10 years has led to an epidemic of generation Y kids (kids that just say WHY all they time and have no drive in them 'cos they want everything now).....so to ensure employers take on intelligent kids they only want educated people.....and first theing they want is a degree.

My mate had 4 interviews to be a floor stacker in Bunnings....he was asked to go back for a 5th interview but told them stuff it.......how much can you interrogate someone over 5 interviews to do that kind of work ?. I had less interview time for a job as a finance dierctor of a large company responsible for a team and a budget. No disrespect to that sort of work but come on...being organised and getting the skills criteria for the job assessed can be done in 2 interviews, may be 3............but 5 ???

Olibeneli

I'm not speaking for me, but my wife certainly is..!

copa

I'd enjoy working somewhere that was "behind" in my field. It would mean great opportunities everywhere ...

Olibeneli

That's what I thought too.

bcworld

You might think that, but often you'll find that people aren't open to the new (or recycled) ideas and way of doing things you might bring. They might pay you lip service, but trying to make a change is nigh on impossible.

As an example the OP mentions big IT projects. Those vendors he mentioned provide well established methodologies for running projects & implementations. It's not a case of "well, in the UK we did this and so should you" - these are globally adopted standards. I find as a general rule they aren't in the slightest bit adhered to in Aus, companies don't know or use them, and customers aren't prepared to pay for them. The result is poorly run, inefficient projects where invariably everyone gets burnt.

If it falls on deaf ears for long enough you'll give up trying to make a difference and accept the status quo.

Olibeneli

You are 100% DEAD RIGHT

What you describe here is so spot on its untrue...exactly what I have found.

Wollongong council was going to implement SAP..........wasted a few $Million then said nope it can't do what we want..........utter bollocks. What they meant to say is we didn't do our homework and to implement SAP is too expensive for us and we don't have the resources to do it in a sustainable way. If you research what went on in that debacle it's amazing the head of IT is still employed at the council..........but then again it was a council with its head up its arse. Thank god they got rid of the councillors and the old GM left before he got found out .........he's as guilty as those that got kicked out.

Hutch

Always sad to see neighbours go - but pleased you've arrived at a conclusion you're all happy with. All the best back in the UK - whereabouts are you going to live?

Olibeneli

Somewhere in the country in west sussex where I can walk to shops, walk to a pub and have a wide selection of decent restaurants within a 15 minute drive for the social scene. That kind of things just does not exist around where I have been living in Aus....oh yes...and pubs without the circus lights of pokies....

Aus grew up on the american urban sprawl model based on cheap fuel for cars so people could drive everywhere.....those days are gone. Who wants to spend/use a litre of fuel to go buy a litre of milk......'cos aus also grew up on totally unnecessary 4.0 litre V8 family saloons.

Hutch

With all due respect guys - I'd take issue with your assertion that 'Aus' grew up on the sprawl model. Yes - there are parts like that - indeed I'm very familiar with Shellharbour, Warrrawong, Wollongong and Albion Park - and what you've described is my idea of hell. But it sure as hell isn't all like that. I take it you drove down to this neck of the woods? Did you have a drink in the Berry Hotel or the Southern Cross? Or the Friendly Inn in Kangeroo Valley? Did you explore the Southern Higlhands - Bowral and Robertson? They couldn't be further removed from the sprawl you've mentioned. I respect your views and your desire to return for work reasons, but please don't suggest that the whole of Australia looks like Shellharbour.

Olibeneli

Yep......did all that:

Bowral, Robertson, Berry, Gerringong, Berrima, etc..........nice places to live if you are a country gent (and in some cases don't want broadband at home) but useless for commuting to a job like mine and my wifes that is only going to exist in a major CBD area........and the next person that tells me Shellharbour or Wollongong is a city I will ....smack !....hence we should have done more homework on where to live for our work needs

Thanks for you words wishing us well...........was not an easy decision to reach to go back, but I can't go brain dead. Remember I had 23 interviews with no joy and Aus is supposed to be crying out for accountants......I must be shit is all I can conclude.

Hutch

All the places you list have full ADSL access at 8Mb down and 600kb upstream. I don't see myself as a country gent - all the ammenities I need are close to hand, north or south of here. But as you've pointed out - work is the big one and if you need to live near your job then you're stuck with certain areas.

Yea - they have strange definitions of cities here - apparently I live in the city of Shoalhaven. Oooh the bright lights. But then I used to live in Bath in the UK and that's classed as a city when in reality it's just a large town that did much of its sprawling during the Georgian and Victorian eras.

You're clearly not shit at your job as proven by the one you've landed back in the UK - but somethings just aren't meant to be. You're clearly disaffected with Australia beyond the job situation - you mention schooling and urban sprawl - so it's clearly the right decision. My sister-in-law lives down Surrey way - nice part of the world.