[Aussiebound2015]

Hello lovely peeps.
Hope this finds you well?

We are finally being processed after four years of hearing nothing.. Jippe..

But...
So many things have changed by now. We got married, moved house, changed jobs, had a child. Although I am excited that we will find out at some point whether it's a yes or a no, I am also scared what a 'yes' would mean.

A 'no' would be simple. Things stay as they are. And after 4 years of hearing nothing we had given up hope alltogether. We were just waiting for the official 'no'. We'd get on with what we have...

But now that we are getting processed there is this mixed bag of feeling: nerves, excitement, being scared. I am not sure where to put my thoughts.
All of a sudden I wonder what it would be like to live in Australia. I don't want to get my hopes up, but the way I deal with stress is to play through all scenarios.

Because I studied in Australia many years ago, gosh by now it's been 10 years!, I have friends spread all over the country. I loved my time in Australia and always look back of it fondly: the people, the landscape, the life style, my uni days.

But now I am a boring grown up, who has to go to work 9-5. The lovely uni days are gone, of course... And we now also have a son. For the first time Australia seems far away: no grandparents nearby. (Not that they were "near" - One set in Germany, us living in the UK and the other grandparents on Tenerife Island (spain) but off the coast of Africa.), no easy trips to Germany for my son to learn of his heritage. Those two are the only reasons 'against' Australia.

Our live in the UK has been nice enough. But since we've had our son, London has become almost impossibly expensive. We'd be struggling to get by. I don't need luxury but I want a life for my son, where he gets to see his parents, and where his parents aren't always stressed about money.

So... there may be this amazing opportunity to go back to the place that I remember felt like home once. That put me in a good mood almost every day. That is stunning in its landscape. Where I do have friends, even though spread out...

Are there any families on here who may have had similar thoughts? What did you feel like once you arrived? What were your thoughts on the above? Did you just go for it, or really had to think about it? What was your main "selling point" to move in the end? Was it all you had (realistically) hoped for? Or was it just the same only difference being in Australia? How did you settle? Did you make friends quickly? Were you accepted into the society?

Sorry that this got a little long...
Cheers, Anna

 

[jnix]

What line of work are you both in? Australia is much more expensive than 10 years ago, especially housing. Personally I think it would be a bit questionable to move from Germany/EU all the way to Australia when you have no family ties there unless there was just more opportunity career wise. Germany is a great country, better than Australia in many ways but probably not as scenic which is what you seem to be longing for, but honestly I think it would be a mistake to move your family there in isolation just to recapture some of that uni-days magic unless there was another factor such as higher pay, more opportunity, etc. UK suburbs are cheaper than Australia to live too.

 

[Aussiebound2015]

Thank you for your answer!
That's exactly it: It's not like it used to be and it won't be like my memory. That's why I wrote that I am aware it's not those carefree uni days any more.

However, we spent years working towards returning to Australia, and it took a lot of blood, sweat and tears getting the points together, let alone money. Perhaps it's been a coping strategy to put it at the back of our mind and just get on with life, rather than longing for something that might never happen. Waiting for Gordot...

I've not actually lived in Germany for over 15 years. I know the economy there is excellent. But because my husband doesn't speak German we wouldn't live there. (I know from experience it takes years and years and years of studying and practicing a language until one is fluent and feels happy expressing oneself in more than superficial chit chat, let alone work level language.) And by now I have less friends in Germany than I have in Australia. Germany was pre-uni days

It's not like we have family nearby living in London. One lot in Germany, the other in Spain - but obviously it's closer to visit. Day to day help therefor isn't available either. Our parents would actually be quite happy to spend 3 months at a time in Australia to visit, rent a place and "live" there for certain times of the year. - That's new info, and it's nice to hear them say it. Still, of course it is a whole long way away.

If we did get jobs in marketing (husband) and graphic design/ photography (myself) we would be earning more money than in London. And to be quite honest, I don't want my son growing up in London. The amount of underage stabbings and shootings has soared in the 9 years that I have lived there - and we were lucky enough to live in nicer areas, too. Good schools are hard to come by unless you can afford a private school, which we can't. So that, too, is something we need to address.

I believe these kind of thoughts and doubts are all valid and very important. No one should just uproot and migrate on a whim. Although people do, with far less experience of having lived in their country of choice, just do exactly that.

We may not get a choice in the matter if the application gets rejected. If it doesn't then we will have to continue doing some serious soul searching. Thanks again for taking the time to reply, you have valid points which will keep me thinking.

 

[jnix]

I'm definitely with you on not staying in London, and it seems like Germany is not an option. If you still have connections to your friends in Australia it may make the transition much easier. Which city would you go to?

Just be aware that the job market is not great in Australia right now, I would definitely try to correspond with some employers in Australia to gauge interest in hiring you before making the move.

I'd also recommend a "light move," don't bring all your belongings, perhaps lease out your home or put things in storage in the UK then go to Australia and give yourselves 6 months to a year to try it out and see if you can get jobs... you definitely want to keep your relocation costs down in case you decide it's not going to work out...

 

[pomwantingtomove]

Hi Anna,

I enjoyed reading your thoughts and feelings about such a big move. My husband and I are planning to start our visa application at the end of the year. We lived in Oz in for a year in 2010 and have spoken about moving ever since, but now we're starting to get things ready for the application it's feeling much more real!

We are planning on starting our family towards the end of the year and potentially moving next year, then all the 'what about Grandparents' questions pop into my head.

I really do think Australia has a lot to offer children and I always try and keep that at the forefront of my mind. I personally think you should do it, or you may always wonder 'what if' and if you really can't settle, you can always return. It won't be easy but it's do-able.

We only have one life and we should life it to the max. Good luck x

 

[jnix]

I really do think Australia has a lot to offer children and I always try and keep that at the forefront of my mind.

I hear this a lot, can anyone provide insight into this? What are the reasons Australia is good for children? (I know things like financial safety and support, education make it easier on parents but are there things that children particularly enjoy?)

 

[Aussiebound2015]

I hear this a lot, can anyone provide insight into this? What are the reasons Australia is good for children? (I know things like financial safety and support, education make it easier on parents but are there things that children particularly enjoy?)

A fair few of my friends in Australia have young children. They are all very active. People seem to be a lot quicker to whip the kids in the car and go camping or bush walking for a weekend. Other friends take their daughter climbing outdoors. And she loves it. I think that because everything is geared to outdoor living, there are more people out in parks or national parks, bring a picnic and letting the kids run around. Obviously it depends on the type of person. A couch potato in the uk won't turn into an outdoor monkey through a move to OZ.
I've never had a friend complain about bad schools or stabbings in schools. But I might dig some deeper and see what Aussie friends say about bringing their kids up and what they feel are the good and bad points.

However I know what you mean. It is easy to see a move like that through rose tinted glasses and think everything will be amazing once there.

 

[MarkHoath]

Kids love australia because there is something for everyone.

Firstly their is wildlife here that just doest exist anywhere else. Koalas, kangaroos etc... Either in the outback or in zoos kids love seeing then.

Also lots of different spotting codes.. Afl, nrl, union, basketball, soccer, cricket.

For the most part its sunny alot. That means kids can be outside running around, going to beaches or swimming in pools.

Major capitals are near to national parks so camping/hiking is also good.

Hope that helps

 

[hallitosh]

This was very helpful, thanks

 

[TheCoolKoala]

if you have been planning and dreaming about this for years and now you don't go because you are hesitating, you may regret not going forever. especially if things get worse where you are, if you lose your job or something.
you would always be blaming yourself for not trying your luck overseas.
start looking at what the job market is like.
it's tough to get a job in this market. Build a backup plan for the case where things wouldn't turn out too well after moving over here.
Measure all the risks involved with your decision to move, and if you do move, convince yourself you had to come with a decision anyway, and thus you will never regret your decision.
I have thought almost everyday for over a year whether or not it was the right decision to move before I finally did. Now, whatever happen, I convinced myself I won't regret my decision.
Also, be aware that whatever problems you are running away from in the UK, it is very likely you will meet the same problems here. Don't assume everything will be better just because it's so sunny, and there are nice beaches everywhere.

 

[Quinnaroo]

it's tough to get a job in this market. Build a backup plan for the case where things wouldn't turn out too well after moving over here.

This is great advice. Having moved countries several times I think just knowing that somehow things will work out is a big advantage. backup plans help with this.

There is also lots you can do on the jobs front before you arrive and depending on what you do this is more important that ever.

If you have skills in high demand you can get feedback directly from employers and recruitment consultants before you arrive. However, if you have great experience (even in high demand), it is not just a matter of sending a CV - you have to be proactive like picking up the phone and asking for feedback - telling them when you arrive and the visa you are on. You have to make it easy as possible for them. Start by sending a CV and getting a response of some sort - a name is all you really need - then call.

If your skills are not in such high demand that you can get a response easily - do not fret - this is the case for most people, but be prepared to treat getting a job like your first job.

It is an adventure without equal - enjoy the adventure if you choose to accept.

 

[anvs]

There are a lot of obstacles that confront someone contemplating a move to Australia - access to family, getting a job, distance from friends, housing costs, ... and more. These are all significant considerations and should be considered against personal preferences.

Despite these obstacles, there is nowhere else that I would contemplate raising a family or calling home.

 

[jamcobbled]

Hi, I have been reading all those thoughts here about migration and I should say that they are correct. Migrating is not an easy way, you have to thinks it over and do some planning with your family ahead of time. In my own opinion, the best thing to do is to know about the location you will be heading to in order to be sure and before you finally decide. With that matter, I heard that there are professionals nowadays who are well versed to assist you in such cases like moving to another place.You might as well try to contact them to settle all your worries about migration.