and this is my story :-D

[Guest charlot]

/ / message edit / /

[Mini2005]

I can relate to a lot of things in your story. Me and my family have been here for almost 5 years and have just booked flights back to the UK for the end of July.

 

We got jobs relatively easily when we arrived but over these few years we have seen that Australia isn't for us for lots of reasons. There is an awful lot of "who you know" rather than "what you know". It is a wonderful place but only if you love it enough to make up for it's downsides.

 

The UK had lots of faults when we left and will still have them when we return. It will also still have all the things we like about it. Don't know about you, but we didn't run away from the UK because we hated it - we came to Australia because we had the opportunity. We've given it nearly 5 years, we have citizenship and Aussie passports and we are going home because we think it's the best thing for our family.

 

Don't beat yourself up about your decision or worry about what everyone else thinks. Only you decides what's best for you. Wish you all the best for the trip home.

[foxychick]

sounds like you are having it hard, I think it takes a long, long time for some people to settle in and if it hasn't worked out, it is not the end of the world, as you say, you can return to Europe. Don't worry about feeling distant from friends, I reckon you will slot straight back in like you were never away when you return, thats how it felt to me when I went back at Christmas after 2½ years here.

 

I don't know where you are based, but we run a playgroup in Reynella every tuesday at 1pm, people without kids are most welcome and most of us are around 30 - maybe mid 30's If you fancy a chat, feel free to pop down one week, kids just play and ladies stand and chat with a coffee!

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

Sorry to hear that it didn't work out.

I meet a lot of new migrants and the some people do experience real difficulties getting a job. My OH is a perfect example. He's a professional with 25 years work experience and British qualifications but they mean nothing here. Sending away countless job applications that vanish into cyber nowhere is just so soul destroying. He works at a local store and even that job wouldn't have happened if we didn't know someone there.

I think that there's a real need for a job agency that specialises in job placement for new migrants. Through work you meet people and the pieces start to fit together.

 

I hope that the move back works out for you and that your time in Adelaide is chalked up as one of lifes experiences with your good times remembered as well.

[Pesty650]

Sometimes you need to move away to fully appreciate what you had. It doesn't mean it was a wrong decision, you make decisions based on facts & feelings at the time, but sometimes things just don't work out as you'd expected. You gave something you wanted to do a good go for which you can be proud. Better this than spending the rest of your life wondering what if.

We didn't get rose tinted glassed with our visa either. It's bloody hard sometimes I agree.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do

[Guest me123]

Hi sorry things have not worked out for you ...you should have come on here and said earlier..i'm sure someone would have offered some support/beer/BBQ an ear to bend...i came on here when i was first here and feeling very lonely...and i met a lovely family..although we live a fair way apart we had them stay at ours and we stayed with them..not looked back since..you got to get out there and grab em!!Good luck for the future..

[Guest electrofreak]

hi sorry things didnt work out i understand what u say about freinds here seems like auzzies dont want to make new freinds weve found a few good freinds here but not many i hope everything works out for u in the uk least you got of your behind and tryed it respect to you 2

john

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

hey,)

I read some people's comments and I would like to share my experience with you too..

 

We arrived in adelaide 12 months ago. First we were freaking out.. from the outside Oz looks like a holiday place, well done for marketing campaigns :-)

from the inside Adelaide is a big village with no 'cultural traditions', sorry to be so harsh..

 

Luckily we found a nice flat and my husband got a job quickly, he tried really hard and he got one. I waited for 2 months to make myself comfortable with new environment first, and then I started looking. I sent about 200 applications, every week about 5. I was determined, got some interview, but after the interviews there was always a rejection.. I started thinking it was my accent that people are afraid off.. I have a degree and experience and Im not a freak so I didnt understand.. anyway I started volunteering and I found a part time job that is crap and totally not in my field but I thought at least I would meet some people.. I also made an effort to go for drinks with people, I went to galleries and never rejected any invitiations to bbq.. 2 bbqs in 12 months lol.. joined the gym...

 

People in europe are so hard working, it is so stressful there too and people are working long hours.. that is why we came to Australia. To get a life. What happened is that we do have a life in a sence of walking on a beach anytime we want to, we do watersports swim and joined the gym.. we go for trips every other weekend.. and we are so f**** lonely and frustrated.. How can I chill like an Aussie? :-)))

 

Before we came here, we wanted to start family.. there we go a year later.. I feel like I am loosing touch with friends at home, the longer we are away the worse it gets.. In Europe you can at least get a decent job and not through a friend, it's not who you know, but what you know and can you do the job...

 

It is just such a shame that we do not get opportunities here, because there are jobs, but these are only for Austalians. Also coming here when you are 30 when you want to start a family soon.. thats not a good timing. People already have friends and networks and we would have to go out with 20 year old teenagers to get friends..

 

So, this week I am booking my flight home. I ve been thinking about these pink glasses people talk about and considering pros and cons for about 6 months now.. People say that when they get back to UK or South Africa or Europe or anywhere they came from, they want to come back to OZ..

 

My husband has a job here, and going back to EUrope will be hard, because we will be looking for jobs again there, but we will get jobs quite soon there, it's not like in AUstralia where people first have to do all kind of crap things to get to where they want to be... I dont know I just dont want to hang on any more I am a professional I like to work hard.. I would rather get stressed at work back in Europe than sit on a beach in AUstralia unemployed :-)))))

 

and I must make this tough decision to go back now.. because I am so dissapointed. It's not anybody's fault, it's just a lesson to appreciate what I have back at home, how lucky I am to have what I have in my home country and not to follow any superficial aims and just be happy about little every day things. And I also dont want to be someone I am not or try to change what I like about myself.

 

I made 1 friend in Adelaide in 12 months

and I had 3 job interviews in 12 months

 

Anybody with a story like me?:-)

L

 

 

Great post, honest and truthful......

 

Some people take longer than others to settle here and some people just dont settle.

 

No-one can say you didnt try, you can go back to the UK with your head held high least you had the guts to give it a go....

 

Good luck in whatever you do and whichever path you take when you get back....

 

Please pop back onto PIA from time to time and share how you are finding it when you are back......

 

Good luck and all the best...

 

 

HG

[Guest cornish Busdriver]

Hi Charlot.

Sorry to hear bout your misfortunes here in oz and wish you all the best when you return back to the UK.

I and loads others on the other hand have had a great start to life here and found the rich diverse culture a real breath of fresh air.

I now only work about 35 to 40 hrs pw instead of around 60 and missus has dropped down to part time and works 4 days per week.

We have found it so easy to make new friends and have made to many to list through work and just out meeting new people down the beach.

There is plenty of work out there if you are willing to try new things, i have 1 mate who was a manager in the uk and now works in hungy jacks as its a job until he finds a job thats he want to do, think it just depends how much and how far a person is willing to go to make thinks work.

Australia suits some people and not others.

Anyways hope thinks work out better for you in the UK.

[Guest lize smit]

Well, 8 more days for me before I get back to South Africa !

 

Oz is not for everyone. I agree ,for some it is heaven, but then for some it is hell.... and as long as we all respect each other's view and reasons it is OK to be different-cause that is the way GOD made us!

 

Godd luck from me to all of you that are staying as well to all of you that are going. May everyone find his own peace....in his own place....

[Guest guest3462]

Your story is so very similar yet so different to ours. My OH had a job to come out to and I made the decision to stay at home until the kids started school, giving up my new career as a qualified health visitor. Rich has had a terrible time as his UK medical qualifications count for nothing in Aus and he has been told he has to redo all of them....only 12 months from consultancy in the UK........

 

I thought life was great for us, that he loved his job and everything despite the setbacks was going well, until Rich dropped the bombshell that he was really unhappy and wanted to go back.....in 6 weeks!!!! He hadn't told me as he knew how much I love it here, so away we went marching round like idiots in the middle of the night sorting stuff out for our return to the UK and last week we had flights arranged, sorting out a UK rental, Rich had a job to start in August at the LGI in Leeds, and I got my old job back at the hospital; we told no one (not even family in the UK) it was the most awful few weeks. Actually, it just added to a really crappy recent time here. Everything we seem to do ends up in rejection or disaster kind of a 0ne step forward three steps back kind of feeling...all the time.

Our only saving grace has been that we have the most amazing friends here who we love dearly, as much as to class as family and we have a beautiful house by the beach that the girls adore and they enjoy a wonderful life here. And when we walk along the beach and watch the most amazing sunsets, the crap does, even if it is just for a moment, disolve into a feeling of pure happiness and contentment.

We were sat waiting to finalise things with the job in Leeds when Rich just said that he didn't want to go back and was willing to give it his best shot, for the long haul. So here we are again, flights cancelled, jobs declined and back on track here in Aus.....this time for the long haul.

 

I want to wish you all the very best of luck in your return to the UK, I understand how difficult these times must be for you, you have given it your best shot here and you can return home with your head held high, proud that you were brave enough to take the plunge and try out your dream. Go back and start your new dream of making your family and see where you end up in a few years time.....

All the very best of luck to you all

JC

[Guest Alipally]

Bloody Hell Julia... What a ride you've just had! I only hope that it doesn't get worse again for you both.

 

To the OP. I feel your pain, the whole not being able to get a job thing is devastating to anyone, esp. when you apply for jobs that you know that you can do and do really well.

I'm hoping for you that the return trip will turn out to be everything that you wanted... including a baby!

 

I too will probably be going back in the next couple of months. (nothing is finalised yet) I have to say that my life feels easier already. I don't have the weight of the world on my shoulders and my life will be back to normal very soon...i.e., I will be living with my husband rather than conducting our marriage through the medium of Skype!

 

Good luck in your endeavour.... Hey at least we can say that we've been here and bought the t shirt. So many people just dream about it. I find that you only regret what you didn't do.....

[Guest scmercer]

Hi

 

I know exactly how you feel and can completely understand your feelings for wanting to return home. My husband secured a job here quite easily but I really struggled. I never even got to interview stage and finally I gave up looking. I had never been out of a job before and because I had always worked in finance I was told my qualifications were not recognised. Luckily I have family here and managed to get a really flexible post working for the family company, however I know that it if I didnt have this I would probably still be looking.

 

It is certainly not as easy here as it is made to look. In Adelaide especially it is who you know and I really do not like this when trying to apply for jobs that I am qualified to do.

 

I am a bit put off returning to the UK at the moment incase we cant find jobs as we have a family, but I wish you all the best in securing a new job and your new life back in the UK.

[Guest kfoley0681]

hi we can toatally see where you are coming from we have been here nearly 2 years and had lots of ups and plenty of downs!! my husband is a plumber and has found it easy to get work but hey the wages are a fraction of what he earnt back in the uk. to top it all he was nearly killed 4 days before xmas but a great south ozzie driver was in hospital we spent all our saving trying to suvive thankfully hes still alive but still 6 months on not fully recovered! its a weekly thing with the downs to but we dont want to give up and we are not going to yet! we were fortunate to travel around for 5 months first with 3 kids hard work! but saw some wonderful places and although many people love adelaide we found the further south we came the more we thought what have we done!!! we stopped here as i found out i was pregnant so got a house had the baby etc etc but for us now we are seriously considering its time to move on and upto qld. i do feel for people having bad experiences but hey what doesnt kill you makes you stronger! but have you considered trying somewhere else in oz? all the states are so different and have different things to offer? coming to adelaide and saying oz isnt for you is like going to france and saying europe isnt for you! good good luck with what ever you do in life.xx

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

Your story is so very similar yet so different to ours. My OH had a job to come out to and I made the decision to stay at home until the kids started school, giving up my new career as a qualified health visitor. Rich has had a terrible time as his UK medical qualifications count for nothing in Aus and he has been told he has to redo all of them....only 12 months from consultancy in the UK........

 

I thought life was great for us, that he loved his job and everything despite the setbacks was going well, until Rich dropped the bombshell that he was really unhappy and wanted to go back.....in 6 weeks!!!! He hadn't told me as he knew how much I love it here, so away we went marching round like idiots in the middle of the night sorting stuff out for our return to the UK and last week we had flights arranged, sorting out a UK rental, Rich had a job to start in August at the LGI in Leeds, and I got my old job back at the hospital; we told no one (not even family in the UK) it was the most awful few weeks. Actually, it just added to a really crappy recent time here. Everything we seem to do ends up in rejection or disaster kind of a 0ne step forward three steps back kind of feeling...all the time.

Our only saving grace has been that we have the most amazing friends here who we love dearly, as much as to class as family and we have a beautiful house by the beach that the girls adore and they enjoy a wonderful life here. And when we walk along the beach and watch the most amazing sunsets, the crap does, even if it is just for a moment, disolve into a feeling of pure happiness and contentment.

We were sat waiting to finalise things with the job in Leeds when Rich just said that he didn't want to go back and was willing to give it his best shot, for the long haul. So here we are again, flights cancelled, jobs declined and back on track here in Aus.....this time for the long haul.

 

I want to wish you all the very best of luck in your return to the UK, I understand how difficult these times must be for you, you have given it your best shot here and you can return home with your head held high, proud that you were brave enough to take the plunge and try out your dream. Go back and start your new dream of making your family and see where you end up in a few years time.....

All the very best of luck to you all

JC

 

 

 

Crikey talk about riding the roller coaster eh? we should have a get together and write a book.....hope all settles down a bit and you can start to really enjoy life down this way.....we will be down Aldinga Beach later this year....

 

Keep the faith Julia keep the faith...x

 

 

HG

[Guest shed end col]

Totally agree with your post,been here two and a half years and could quite easily go back to the UK. Maybe a trip back to catch up with friends and family could be the answer, also to reinforce why we left in the first place. I like Adelaide but can't see me spending the rest of my life here. Col.

[ian mc]

I been here nearly 13 years and not a week will go past that we talk about going back to the UK still have good weeks and bad weeks. I went back Xmas 2008 and when I came back could not wait to go back. Went back in October 2009 just to get it out of my system seems to have done the trick but cant wait till the next time

[Guest lize smit]

Gee, so many people wanting to go back to their home country have come forward in this week . For some it is financially possible and for others not.

 

I say: Feel how your heart feels in the country you have emigrated to-does your heart feel happy... content.... peaceful.....?

 

If not-then maybe take a trip home if you can and feel your heart's rithm again....is it happier now? Even knowing the facts of why you have taken the decision to emigrate from your home country? If your heart is happier in your home country, then decide on a plan of how you will cope with the things that made you leave your country in the first place....AND THEN GO FOR IT !

 

There are some things that can only be decided by listening to your innermost soul and heart-and then using your head to make it happen!!

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

Gee, so many people wanting to go back to their home country have come forward in this week . For some it is financially possible and for others not.

 

I say: Feel how your heart feels in the country you have emigrated to-does your heart feel happy... content.... peaceful.....?

 

If not-then maybe take a trip home if you can and feel your heart's rithm again....is it happier now? Even knowing the facts of why you have taken the decision to emigrate from your home country? If your heart is happier in your home country, then decide on a plan of how you will cope with the things that made you leave your country in the first place....AND THEN GO FOR IT !

 

There are some things that can only be decided by listening to your innermost soul and heart-and then using your head to make it happen!!

 

 

Yes well put.......

 

HG

[Guest Andrew Family]

Thank you to all the PIA who have given their honest accounts and shared their ups and downs. It does go to show that the grass is not always greener. Good luck to all of you for the future.

 

I will definately be posting a 'friends wanted' on PIA before I arrive to ensure that I have a few friendly people to point us in the right direction as it does appear that without a sound foundation of support life will be even harder and that is without the other ups and downs along the way. Hopefully a few of you will take pity and reply!!!!

 

Dawn

[Guest Guest75]

Thank you to all the PIA who have given their honest accounts and shared their ups and downs. It does go to show that the grass is not always greener. Good luck to all of you for the future.

 

I will definately be posting a 'friends wanted' on PIA before I arrive to ensure that I have a few friendly people to point us in the right direction as it does appear that without a sound foundation of support life will be even harder and that is without the other ups and downs along the way. Hopefully a few of you will take pity and reply!!!!

 

Dawn

 

Hi Dawn

 

It is definitely a good idea to be active on PIA.

Look out for the meets and do shout up if you are feeling friendless,there is often someone out there who will meet up with you