Once upon a time... 12mth ago

[Riponian]

Well exactly a year ago we packed up all our belongings and headed round the world to a country we had never visited!

We arrived to a very grey, cool Adelaide and wondered had we come to the right place! Feeling very bewildered with our 7 large bags, 2 small children and headed through the airport to greet our new lives.

 

First impressions.... why is it so cold? looks nice? when can we stop travelling?

 

We were met by Tyke at our short term rental in Woodcroft and it was lovely to finally meet and be met by someone you felt you knew. Tyke was amzing to us in those first few weeks guiding us through the do's and don'ts of Adelaide live. Pointing in the right direction to buy cars and furniture but most amazing was his dedication to making us welcome and looking after us especially when my son got bitten by one of the not so friendly locals!!!

 

The first week is a bit of a blur of lack of sleep as it took my children some time to settle into their sleep patterns. We brought a car, looked at rentals and started buying the things we needed. Good guys supplied us with a washing machine and fridge freezer and looking through the specials (junk mail) we picked up other things we needed. We spent the next few weeks sorting out bank accounts, TFN and Centre link payments etc etc etc the list was massive and we took our time at it.

 

Finally we found a rental that ticked all the boxes and we moved in six weeks after arriving by now the heat wave was in full swing. We had a 40+ heat wave and everything went from green to yellow in the matter of days. We spent a lot of time at the beaches and quickly bought a sun shade to hide in.

 

It took a while for my husband to find a job in the run up to Christmas but we got there had a fantastic warm Christmas, new year came and the kids got settled into their daily routine and everything was great. The I got some bad news which we knew was coming but still hit me hard. My dad had terminal cancer and went for a check up and that was it he had months left to live.. It was still in shock knowing that it would happen did not make it any easier so I decided to fly back on my own leaving the kids and husband here so I could spend some time with him. It was really hard leaving the kids here but was glad to have spent 2 weeks with my Dad and family in March. He died in June after his 2 year battle with cancer..

 

We decided to get some kittens which are brilliant and are part of the family Rolf and Harris lol. I have been studying for my certificate IV in photography which is great doing something I love, and slowly building up a business. My husbands work has been tough although he has work it is not as well paid as we are used to and living here is expensive (you can't but a price on happiness) but all in all we are doing ok.

 

You may have seen a post a few weeks ok about us possibly moving to Brisbane as there is a lot more work for Phil there. At the moment we don't want to move up there we love it here despite the cost.

We made the mistake of telling our landlord that we might move in the new year and refused us an extension and withdrew the previous 12mth extension so we are in the process of house hunting again! We are not ready to buy just yet as we still have a house we need to sell so looking at rentals is not great at the moment trying to find the right place is difficult as the demand is high.

 

To sum up our lives here is great hence why we are trying to stay and make it work. I know many who are worse of than us, but there is something about living here that makes it all worth it, my eyes anyway.

 

I would say to anyone considering coming if you can try it, at least you can say you tried. This forum has been fantastic for advice about the big things and the small things so I like to give something back when I can and try and help others who have been in my situation.

A friend of mine says "the only stupid question is a question that is not asked" so if you unsure about anything ask, we all will have thought and asked it before.

 

I still miss my family and friends back in the UK, but the life I have here is so much better. I have a good circle of friends get out more than I ever did, life couldn't be better. (unless my family moved here you)

In a strange coincidence my in laws arrived today exactly a year after we did...

 

Good luck and thanks everyone. I count every single one of my Adelaide friends my extended family, could not do it with out you

[Guest The Dimmocks]

Great post Michelle, really glad you decided to stay in Adelaide. Heres to many more happy times. Enjoy your hols with the inlaws and cant wait to see the photos.

 

Michelle xxxx

[DAVID.CHRISTINE]

very touching story you have had just about all that could go wrong ,out of the way

so good luck on your next years in aus

chin up x

[Guest katsmajic]

Congrats, onwards and upwards xxx

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

Well exactly a year ago we packed up all our belongings and headed round the world to a country we had never visited!

We arrived to a very grey, cool Adelaide and wondered had we come to the right place! Feeling very bewildered with our 7 large bags, 2 small children and headed through the airport to greet our new lives.

 

First impressions.... why is it so cold? looks nice? when can we stop travelling?

 

We were met by Tyke at our short term rental in Woodcroft and it was lovely to finally meet and be met by someone you felt you knew. Tyke was amzing to us in those first few weeks guiding us through the do's and don'ts of Adelaide live. Pointing in the right direction to buy cars and furniture but most amazing was his dedication to making us welcome and looking after us especially when my son got bitten by one of the not so friendly locals!!!

 

The first week is a bit of a blur of lack of sleep as it took my children some time to settle into their sleep patterns. We brought a car, looked at rentals and started buying the things we needed. Good guys supplied us with a washing machine and fridge freezer and looking through the specials (junk mail) we picked up other things we needed. We spent the next few weeks sorting out bank accounts, TFN and Centre link payments etc etc etc the list was massive and we took our time at it.

 

Finally we found a rental that ticked all the boxes and we moved in six weeks after arriving by now the heat wave was in full swing. We had a 40+ heat wave and everything went from green to yellow in the matter of days. We spent a lot of time at the beaches and quickly bought a sun shade to hide in.

 

It took a while for my husband to find a job in the run up to Christmas but we got there had a fantastic warm Christmas, new year came and the kids got settled into their daily routine and everything was great. The I got some bad news which we knew was coming but still hit me hard. My dad had terminal cancer and went for a check up and that was it he had months left to live.. It was still in shock knowing that it would happen did not make it any easier so I decided to fly back on my own leaving the kids and husband here so I could spend some time with him. It was really hard leaving the kids here but was glad to have spent 2 weeks with my Dad and family in March. He died in June after his 2 year battle with cancer..

 

We decided to get some kittens which are brilliant and are part of the family Rolf and Harris lol. I have been studying for my certificate IV in photography which is great doing something I love, and slowly building up a business. My husbands work has been tough although he has work it is not as well paid as we are used to and living here is expensive (you can't but a price on happiness) but all in all we are doing ok.

 

You may have seen a post a few weeks ok about us possibly moving to Brisbane as there is a lot more work for Phil there. At the moment we don't want to move up there we love it here despite the cost.

We made the mistake of telling our landlord that we might move in the new year and refused us an extension and withdrew the previous 12mth extension so we are in the process of house hunting again! We are not ready to buy just yet as we still have a house we need to sell so looking at rentals is not great at the moment trying to find the right place is difficult as the demand is high.

 

To sum up our lives here is great hence why we are trying to stay and make it work. I know many who are worse of than us, but there is something about living here that makes it all worth it, my eyes anyway.

 

I would say to anyone considering coming if you can try it, at least you can say you tried. This forum has been fantastic for advice about the big things and the small things so I like to give something back when I can and try and help others who have been in my situation.

A friend of mine says "the only stupid question is a question that is not asked" so if you unsure about anything ask, we all will have thought and asked it before.

 

I still miss my family and friends back in the UK, but the life I have here is so much better. I have a good circle of friends get out more than I ever did, life couldn't be better. (unless my family moved here you)

In a strange coincidence my in laws arrived today exactly a year after we did...

 

Good luck and thanks everyone. I count every single one of my Adelaide friends my extended family, could not do it with out you

 

I reallly love posts like this.......pick yourself up dust yourself off and get on with it...great attitude...

 

HG

[Guest jorose]

Great post. I remember meeting you at the Glenelg evening meal last year. You hadn't been here that long so it's great to hear that your first year has gone so well.

[Guest PhilC]

I'd just like to add a few thoughts of my own to my wife's post, although she's got the sentiment right. We didn't come half way round the world to whinge and moan and then go back to blighty - we're not that easily beaten!

 

So on the whole, it's been the right move for us, our quality of life has improved as has the weather. I no longer work away during the week and my kids get to see a lot of me which you can't put a price on in my opinion. I've taken a fairly drastic cut in pay compared with what I earned in the UK, but I'm paid well above average here and was on stupid money in the UK, but money can't buy you everything.

 

I remember in the first few weeks getting fairly anxious about the wildlife, particularly after Nathan got stung by a scorpion on day 3. I know most people have this worry when they are thinking about coming over, but after a year - seriously don't worry about it, it's not a big deal if you know what the animals are and most can be dealt with fairly easily. We had 3 large red backs living in the bbq earlier in the year and I remember thinking - I must let dad see them when he comes over and left them there for about 4 weeks so he could take a look. In that four week period, none of them moved from their webs.

 

The weather wasn't that much of a surprise, yes it's bloody hot in the summer and you need to treat the sun with respect on very hot days, but you get used to it after a while. The only draw back of an Ozzy summer is it makes 10 degrees feel like minus 10, so the winter felt colder than I expected.

 

I get on fine with the locals, I work with them every day and play squash with them several times a week. After playing sport with them you can see how they win so much, they have a different attitude to winning and none of this namby pamby 'it's the taking part that counts' - they do not like to loose and that's about all there is to it! At work they're pretty laid back, Adelaide in particular you may find the pace a bit slow if you're used to working in a high-pace corporate environment - some of them would border on what I call lazy, but that's just the way it is here.

 

Phil

[Guest css]

lovely reassuring post x

Well exactly a year ago we packed up all our belongings and headed round the world to a country we had never visited!

We arrived to a very grey, cool Adelaide and wondered had we come to the right place! Feeling very bewildered with our 7 large bags, 2 small children and headed through the airport to greet our new lives.

 

First impressions.... why is it so cold? looks nice? when can we stop travelling?

 

We were met by Tyke at our short term rental in Woodcroft and it was lovely to finally meet and be met by someone you felt you knew. Tyke was amzing to us in those first few weeks guiding us through the do's and don'ts of Adelaide live. Pointing in the right direction to buy cars and furniture but most amazing was his dedication to making us welcome and looking after us especially when my son got bitten by one of the not so friendly locals!!!

 

The first week is a bit of a blur of lack of sleep as it took my children some time to settle into their sleep patterns. We brought a car, looked at rentals and started buying the things we needed. Good guys supplied us with a washing machine and fridge freezer and looking through the specials (junk mail) we picked up other things we needed. We spent the next few weeks sorting out bank accounts, TFN and Centre link payments etc etc etc the list was massive and we took our time at it.

 

Finally we found a rental that ticked all the boxes and we moved in six weeks after arriving by now the heat wave was in full swing. We had a 40+ heat wave and everything went from green to yellow in the matter of days. We spent a lot of time at the beaches and quickly bought a sun shade to hide in.

 

It took a while for my husband to find a job in the run up to Christmas but we got there had a fantastic warm Christmas, new year came and the kids got settled into their daily routine and everything was great. The I got some bad news which we knew was coming but still hit me hard. My dad had terminal cancer and went for a check up and that was it he had months left to live.. It was still in shock knowing that it would happen did not make it any easier so I decided to fly back on my own leaving the kids and husband here so I could spend some time with him. It was really hard leaving the kids here but was glad to have spent 2 weeks with my Dad and family in March. He died in June after his 2 year battle with cancer..

 

We decided to get some kittens which are brilliant and are part of the family Rolf and Harris lol. I have been studying for my certificate IV in photography which is great doing something I love, and slowly building up a business. My husbands work has been tough although he has work it is not as well paid as we are used to and living here is expensive (you can't but a price on happiness) but all in all we are doing ok.

 

You may have seen a post a few weeks ok about us possibly moving to Brisbane as there is a lot more work for Phil there. At the moment we don't want to move up there we love it here despite the cost.

We made the mistake of telling our landlord that we might move in the new year and refused us an extension and withdrew the previous 12mth extension so we are in the process of house hunting again! We are not ready to buy just yet as we still have a house we need to sell so looking at rentals is not great at the moment trying to find the right place is difficult as the demand is high.

 

To sum up our lives here is great hence why we are trying to stay and make it work. I know many who are worse of than us, but there is something about living here that makes it all worth it, my eyes anyway.

 

I would say to anyone considering coming if you can try it, at least you can say you tried. This forum has been fantastic for advice about the big things and the small things so I like to give something back when I can and try and help others who have been in my situation.

A friend of mine says "the only stupid question is a question that is not asked" so if you unsure about anything ask, we all will have thought and asked it before.

 

I still miss my family and friends back in the UK, but the life I have here is so much better. I have a good circle of friends get out more than I ever did, life couldn't be better. (unless my family moved here you)

In a strange coincidence my in laws arrived today exactly a year after we did...

 

Good luck and thanks everyone. I count every single one of my Adelaide friends my extended family, could not do it with out you

[Guest garlic--bread]

Absolutely brilliant posts. I'm hoping to move out there next year (the earlier the better) all being well. I may speak to my sis virtually every day but I've missed her and her family. Like you say, lifes full of ups and downs and here in the UK my life seems to have more ups than downs, from losing my dad in 2002 to losing my mum in 2008 and you think they'll be here forever

 

I have quite a good job here that I've been in for 10 years and although it scares me to think I'll be starting afresh, somewhere unknown, with new people and possibly a few rungs down the ladder so's to speak, I just feel it's time for a change. At least my sons are willing to give it a shot with me. I don't expect Adelaide to be perfect in every way, nowhere ever is, I'm a realist so I've a fairly good idea what to expect but I know it'll totally throw me when I get there.

 

So I take my hat off to you both, you're an inspiration to people such as myself who have yet to climb aboard the rollercoaster. Thank you

[Riponian]

Absolutely brilliant posts. I'm hoping to move out there next year (the earlier the better) all being well. I may speak to my sis virtually every day but I've missed her and her family. Like you say, lifes full of ups and downs and here in the UK my life seems to have more ups than downs, from losing my dad in 2002 to losing my mum in 2008 and you think they'll be here forever

 

I have quite a good job here that I've been in for 10 years and although it scares me to think I'll be starting afresh, somewhere unknown, with new people and possibly a few rungs down the ladder so's to speak, I just feel it's time for a change. At least my sons are willing to give it a shot with me. I don't expect Adelaide to be perfect in every way, nowhere ever is, I'm a realist so I've a fairly good idea what to expect but I know it'll totally throw me when I get there.

 

So I take my hat off to you both, you're an inspiration to people such as myself who have yet to climb aboard the rollercoaster. Thank you

 

Thank you I am glad I have helped and you have the right attitude (like most) give it a go and see what happens. Hope you make the move soon.

 

Thanks to everyone who replied I am really glad you like the post.. thought about it over a few days to make sure I got my point of view over.

 

Michelle