Guest chezzle Posted September 10, 2011 Report Share Posted September 10, 2011 I'd love to hear how people found the move? Was Australia all you hoped it would be or did you have your regrets? Did you find the cost of living expensive or good value? Does Perth suit families or can you recommend surrounding areas that are? Is it lonely went you intially get our there and how do children find settling in to a new school, new country etc... Any comments good or bad about immigrating will be greatly appreciated.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshie Posted September 10, 2011 Report Share Posted September 10, 2011 Hi We love living here and the only niggle that we have, is that we wish we would have made the move before our eldest daughter started school in the UK. Thats been our only struggle here as she had a year and a half of school under her belt compared to her classmates here. The only thing that bothers me, is that we did move here for a better lifestyle..yet my husband works far more hours than he did in the UK. We dont really have the time that we thought we would have together, but thats the choice we made. To enable me to stay home with the children and for us to own our new home, he works his backside off to compensate for only bringing in one wage. It's all swings and roundabouts. The cost of living over here is increasing, but depending on your occupation, the wages can be insanely high. No regrets from us at all! We had a fab day today, at a child's birthday party down by the beach, then at a friends house for a BBQ and even a swim in the pool (by the kids...was wayyyyyyyy too cold for me!) and i thought to myself...this is the life! I'd love to hear how people found the move? Was Australia all you hoped it would be or did you have your regrets? Did you find the cost of living expensive or good value? Does Perth suit families or can you recommend surrounding areas that are? Is it lonely went you intially get our there and how do children find settling in to a new school, new country etc... Any comments good or bad about immigrating will be greatly appreciated.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Give me a break! Posted September 10, 2011 Report Share Posted September 10, 2011 Is it all I expected......NO......Id been on too many forums listenening to too many really negative contraversial posts and quite frankly this place bore no resemblence to the one they were griping about. Come with an open mind, things will be different but different doesnt mean bad its just different. We love it here and like Welshie we wish we had done it years ago when the children were younger and the houses in the UK hadnt lost their value and the houses here hadnt taken off and when the exchange rate was 3-1 but we didnt so now we make do with what we have and what we have is a hell of a good life. My OH misses the local pub, and his beloved Bristol Rovers but other than that he says he is happy. I really am in seventh heaven here and personally I thinks its impossible not to make new friends, Ive found Ive even had to start being selective about invitations now because in the beginning you accept everything going. I would say be careful of forcing your children to make friends with your new friends children because I know families who have and it has backfired. Let them make their own friends in their own time, they are far more likely to meet kids with more in common with them. I would also say dont rush into the sleep over thing with other kids because quite frankly it scares me how quickly some families do that here, and just because we are in a different country doesnt mean you shouldnt be concerned about where you child spends the night. Just be sensible, be realistic and you will be fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 I agree, come with an open mind be sensible, be realistic and above all enjoy the new experiences. When you arrive it feels such a whirlwind for several months. We love it here - it suits us and the lifestyle we want for ourselves and children (until they decide they want something else). My daughter is considering WA uni's rather than going over East, so it's not true that all the kids flee the West Coast at the earliest opportunity. We've been here 4.5 years now and feel that we've now established a 'real' friendship group rather than a lot of aquaintences. We haven't yet returned to the UK for a holiday and really can't imagine doing so at the moment, although we have been lucky to have a number of visitors so the pull to go back to see people hasn't really been there. Sometimes reading the posts of people wanting to go back is really helpful - it was for us, it provided a discussion of "if that happened to us what would we do" ... my hubby said "Aus is a big place - we'd try somewhere else" lol Put those posts into your perspective, are you a couple/family who will decide you don't like it on the journey from the airport? (I read that on one forum) and returned within 2 weeks? For us, we knew that we wouldn't make snap decisions and would give something time, look at what was wrong and if there was a way of changing it .... it's how we are (not saying that the people who returned after 2 weeks were wrong - as it was right for them - but that just wasn't us ... so we could dismiss that). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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