Why Australia???????

[Guest Guest75]

Why choose Australia to emigrate to??????

 

I have to admit that this has been bugging me over the last few years.

 

No criticism / argument intoned.

 

It's just that the exchange rate is rubbish so no financial gain seen (unlike the late 90's and early 00's)

 

Work is harder to find here in most sectors now.

 

The cost of living here has increased a lot in the last few years

 

A lot of people coming from the UK now have a lot less start-up capital due to the lousy housing market in the UK - or even cannot sell their house.

 

On the plus side (in Adelaide at least) ,

 

It's a great environment to bring up a family.

 

Housing still fairly affordable.

 

Why not Canada?? The States?? Some small island off Vietnam where the cost of living is pennies and the weather perfect??

 

What attraction is bringing you to Australian shores???

 

 

There does seem to still be quite a few making the move here ,just got me wondering.

 

[Riponian]

Go out on the boat and ponder this with the fish lol

 

Seriously though everyone's reasons will be different and I guess it is getting harder to choose with the negatives you have just mentioned.

 

The way I look at is I am up for the challenge and willing to give anything a go, as Mr Gump would say "life is a box of chocolate, you never know what your gonna get"

 

For us we could have easily stayed in the UK but then that would have been the easy option it's uch more exciting trying something new. Can honestly say it's the best thing we ever did - of course I have my moments but I just love it

 

What ever your reasons for choosing Adelaide over other cities and countries is your reasons and it works for some but not for everyone. I always try to remember those original reasons when I have my itchy feet days it really helps.

 

Good luck to everyone

[Guest Guest75]

Go out on the boat and ponder this with the fish lol

 

Hopefully doing this a lot in the next few weeks, Mrs Tyke off up to the UK for a rellie visit. :cute:

[coolerking]

I've wanted to come since I was 21 and that was many years ago. I could give many reasons why we moved, but some include loving the beach & sea. We thought our kids would love it here and that has been the case particularly with our older two. I spent 7 years as a kid in HK so I think that it's always been in me to want to move to somewhere different.

 

Our youngest two had a few problems from birth and the climate here, is much better for them. We would have had hospital visits in the UK if we had stayed - mind you, we did have to visit one when youngest boy got a 'tech deck' wheel stuck in his ear! I love that you can see blue skies, even a little patch somewhere.

 

Money wise, we lost on our house but decided that was the best way for us. It allowed us to have a fresh start in here without having to rent out. The exchange rate was barely better that now, but in for a penny, in for a dollar. I have a job I enjoy and my wife retrained as an Enrolled nurse last year and has a permanent job at the RAH - which she loves.

 

I loved the UK, the main problem there is that many people don't seem to appreciate what they've got. I don't miss it though, you have to move on and embrace the land of footy - Go Suns!

 

Lifestyle, we go out to the beach now, walking the dog and the kids play out far more than in the UK. Mrs C and I both want the do our Bronze one day and do some lifeguard duty at Moana where our kids are at the Surf Club. Living near the sea in Sellicks Beach, well, just visit and you'll know why we love it.

 

Canada, not viable with my job so that was out of the question. Also, the weather was not as suitable for our youngest two.

 

Many people move for the climate and some say don't do it just for that. I reckon whatever your reason(s), it's worth it for you. Just remember to come here to live and not holiday as the bills still need paying.

 

Cooler

[mummytummy]

I first visited Australia as a singleton had a great time, met some lovely people and felt comfortable there so much so that on my return home i did my nurse training intending to return.... but, met dh, settled down, had children.... 20 yrs later returned with family and straight away felt i was "home" dh felt the same which surprised him, boys loved it and so here we are on the rollercoaster ride trying to return on a permanent basis in the next couple of years....

[Guest taunton]

We never struggled in the UK the first time round we decided to emmigrate and since being back for over 2 years we have good jobs and never struggled even though the ressession is here....exchange rate first time round was just fantasic, 2nd time round crap....

 

So many different reasons to emmigrate....

 

Better future for the kids

 

Better weather

 

Better way of life

 

Negative side, no family (big big negative)

 

The future is the kids, and they have to have every opportunity you as adults can give them, sadly the UK (my opion and husbands, so don't shoot us down) does not hold that opportunity....but equally who's to say in 10 years time Aus will hold the opportunities...

 

My opion and my husbands (mike), you don't want to be sitting somewhere in 10 years time and saying , 'I wonder where we'd be now if we'd took the opportunity to emmigrate?'

 

Life is full opportunities, you grab them and take them when it is right for you and your family, how sad to leave this world with a life full of regrets and never full filling a part of your dreams.

 

Exchange rate doesn't really come into any equation if it is what you really really want, you can always make money if you have a mind to.

 

Life is for living and taking opportunities, not for regrets and thinking 'IF ONLY'....

 

Wend & gang

 

Landing 3rd July in Adelaide

2nd time round, this time for good.... :D:D:D

[Diane]

We're pretty shallow! For us it came down to weather alone to pick Australia, and work for OH to pick Adelaide.

 

Not sure if I'd do it nowadays with the exchange rate and increasing cost of living here - was just saying to OH the other day that if we were in the UK today with secure jobs we'd probably not even consider giving that up. Have to say I still miss my UK house (my "forever" house!).

 

Since we've been here we've seen other plusses - mainly concerning the kids, schooling, and lifestyle - but we didn't really consider them at the time!! All happened pretty fast for us as I have dual nationality and OH was sponsored, so we just got on the rollercoaster and didn't really think about it too hard! Thinnk it was about 6-8 weeks from "Yeh, ok, we'll do it, let's put the house on the market" to "Bye bye Britain (bye bye lovely forever house <sob>)"!

[Sears Family]

We never struggled in the UK the first time round we decided to emmigrate and since being back for over 2 years we have good jobs and never struggled even though the ressession is here....exchange rate first time round was just fantasic, 2nd time round crap....

 

So many different reasons to emmigrate....

 

Better future for the kids

 

Better weather

 

Better way of life

 

Negative side, no family (big big negative)

 

The future is the kids, and they have to have every opportunity you as adults can give them, sadly the UK (my opion and husbands, so don't shoot us down) does not hold that opportunity....but equally who's to say in 10 years time Aus will hold the opportunities...

 

My opion and my husbands (mike), you don't want to be sitting somewhere in 10 years time and saying , 'I wonder where we'd be now if we'd took the opportunity to emmigrate?'

 

Life is full opportunities, you grab them and take them when it is right for you and your family, how sad to leave this world with a life full of regrets and never full filling a part of your dreams.

 

Exchange rate doesn't really come into any equation if it is what you really really want, you can always make money if you have a mind to.

 

Life is for living and taking opportunities, not for regrets and thinking 'IF ONLY'....

 

Wend & gang

 

I totally agree - we wanted to move to Jacksonville first of all, then New England (due to having proper seasons) but the States is a nightmare to get into - you cant get a job without the right paperwork and you cant get the paperwork without a job!!

 

We decided we wanted a change, was simply the right time for us, we thought - where can we get guaranteed sun!?

This put Oz on our radar and decided to investigate my profession here after asking a couple of agencies one put me forward for a position (I just accepted out of interest and feedback) Now just over a year later I've been with them 6 months already

 

We simply took the opportunity as it came - would hate to think 'What if..' even if we decide somewhere down the line to move on and try somewhere new - life is for living.

 

Besides the difference we've seen with the kids - being able to go out more often, is wonderful.

I am also happier to be commuting 40-50 mins a day and taking the odd flight, instead of having to drive at least 3 hours for meetings. I am getting my life back and have a hobby for the first time in 10 years!

 

Loving the journey so far - wouldnt dream of looking back as that's when you trip yourself up!

[Guest guest3462]

We fell in love with Australia 10 years ago while we were newly qualified in our professions and pondering where life could take us. We decided to move to Sydney for 6 months then onto Wellington for 6 months and had it all arranged through an agency that specialised in medics and nurses and both got really excited about the prospect of the adventure. Then Rich got offered a really good training post in Manchester which at the time was perfect for him and too good an opportunity to let go so we put Aus on hold and went to Manchester.

We stayed only for a year, didn't really like it though we made loads of great friends and had a fab social life (pre kids!) We then moved back to yorkshire, bought a house and Rich decided to follow his dream of becoming an intensivist anaesthetist. Aus went on the backburner again.....

Rich took some time out and went on a self dicovery trip across the Great Silk route (Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and India) in a converted fire engine and I met him to tour India where we had a ball and began seriously thinking again about moving abroad.

We thought about Spain, where I had a great idea of opening an ice hockey themed sports bar in Magaluf (!!) God knows where the idea came from but it was to be called the Steel Shack and I really fancied it for a while, then we spent some time there and decided it was ok for a cheap holiday, but a ridiculous idea to set up our stall for good. Just after this, my sister went backpacking around Australia and we flew out to meet her and travelled the length of the east coast.

From that moment onwards we knew that Aus was definately where we wanted to be and we set about starting research more seriously. The following year we were thinking of moving to Sydney and we honeymooned again travelling the East coast, fell out with Sydney, fell in with Brisbane and started looking at hospitals within the CBD region of Brissy.

Then we got pregnant and like buses 2 came along at once so within the space of a year we had 2 kids! Aus put on the backburner again!

I was nursing on a really busy MAU ward and really couldn't handle the shifts with 2 kids under 2 so I retrained as a health visitor and was lucky enough to be offered an exchange placement in Perth. So off we went to Perth to stay with my uncle for a month and while we were there we decided to come to Adelaide over the easter long weekend to visit our best friends from uni who had moved here 6 months earlier.

We arrived, they took us to Brighton caravan park and to the show house they were building and to the block of land near the most beautiful beach and I was hooked. I had not even been into the CBD or anywhere really! Rich went to visit a renowned professor of anaesthesia at the RAH and a Dr who had recently written a book that Rich liked at Flinders and was offered a job with a 457 visa from both hospitals we couldn't believe it, we had only come for a visit lol!! So, sat round Lindseys table in Seaford over several bottles of wine we wrote positives and negatives on the back of their gas bill as to why we should come. We didnt get any negatives (holiday mode in full thrust!!) then we started adding up our finances, not a good idea after those several bottles of wine and decided it would be cheaper to build a house than rent (doh!!) I still have that gas bill in my keepsake box. Rich looked in the paper and found a lovely block of land, we went to look at it and just bought it! We then went to the show houses and picked a house just like that OMG what had we just done- no FIRB, no visa and NO MONEY!!!

You can imagine that phone call home to my mother!

We had to complete the sale in Perth on our way back to the UK, and the post master had to countersign our documents to purchase the land! What a mad rush it all was. We had 8 months then to sort out the visas build the house and save like crazy to pay for it all, needless to say we arrived and then our rollercoaster really began......but thats a whole other story that we've all heard too many times lol!!!

We love it here and consider us home, couldn't even imagine moving anywhere else now.

[Sallyh]

Purely because half of our family live here. We are a 50-50 British / Australian marriage so we either live here or there. Did there, now we're here.

 

For us personally as a family there are more opportunities for us and for our children. I've chosen not to work but originally my profession - lawyer- I'd have been massively better off here because the Australian legal system isn't as stuffy as the English one and far better for women to succeed in.

[Guest Becster19]

I have really enjoyed reading this thread and the various reasons that people have given for getting on the rollercoaster of emigration. For us, we have a variety of reasons, but it mainly boils down to the fact that Adelaide has been our favourite place to live in the past 10 years. We originally came to Adelaide back in 2006 whilst travelling on Working Holiday Visas. We decided to come and work in Adelaide for a while as we wanted to save some money for further travelling. Well once we got here we loved it and ended up staying 9 months. We both ended up with great jobs and met some of the nicest people I have ever met in my life. People that we had known only a few months and went out of their way to help us in some way. Whilst we were here and enjoying it, I decided I wanted to do my Teacher Training. I had wanted to do it for a while but had seemed impossible in the UK as we couldn't afford for me not to work for a year. We ended up saving up in Adelaide and moving to NZ for me to undertake the teacher training. We would have stayed in Adelaide but there were restrictions on working hours on partner student visas, which didn't exist in NZ. So we said a sad good bye to Adelaide and headed to NZ. Well long story short, stayed in NZ for 2 years then home to sort some things out and we are now ready to head back to Adelaide. Since 2003, we have on average lived in a house a year! We have moved a lot and lived in a lot of different places but its Adelaide and what it offered us when we were there last that ticks most of our boxes. I like to be somewhere relatively busy, but then to get the plus of beaches and weather as well as a good paced city life. This ticks all my boxes. Once our daughter came along, we decided the time was right to make the move as we had said that we wanted to stop moving by the time she was ready to start school. So i suppose for us, its the whole package that Adelaide offers rather than one thing in particular. Of course the proximity to some absolutely wonderful vineyards doesnt hurt either!!

[Guest Angie12]

We're moving over as soon as we've tied up a few loose ends , with businesses and house, and can't wait !!!

We've never been over to oz but we choose to migrate 3 years ago , as it was just an idea we gave it time to grow , not just on us but all our families too.

We have had some fab holidays in other countries , and knew everytime we came back that there has been something missing for us , and know that there is soooo much more to life than work !!!

We hardly spend time together because we are so busy , when we do manage to snatch some time we always go out regardless of the weather and most of the time get drenched !!!

Our pull for us has got to be the lifestyle,

Oppurtunities for kids to do outdoor sports,

Spending quality time together,

Exploring the beautiful country , that oz is

And also its got to be the weather , yes i know its not always great but it couldn't be any worse than what we're experiencing at the mo , sooo dull and dreary that i think we had our summer over the easter and may hols

Also the laid back attitude is so us , we don't what our boys stressing over unnessesary stuff , when life is stressful enough.

We know its gonna be tough but its worth a go, lifes too short to worry about what if's and could be's , we're just gonna grab the bull by the horns and give it a go .

[snifter]

Well aside from the obvious of its my hubby's hometown, we both feel its where we want to bring up our son for his school years. To give him the chance to know all his family there, know Australia, know his heritage. He has had his early years in the UK and we pondered moving to New Zealand rather than Aus but felt end of the day we would be happier all round in Adelaide.

 

US was never an option for us. Mainly as having spent a summer there in my younger days, while its a lovely place (in places) to visit, it really isn't somewhere I could settle and be happy. Also to get in there as a UK citizen is blooming hard work and near on impossible.

 

Canada - Lovely but again, not for us. New Zealand was about as close as we had to call it and while we hope to spend time there and maybe move there once son is older, well, we shall see.

 

Personally, if we were going to live anywhere it'd probably be somewhere like The Netherlands. I lived there for many years in my 20's and loved it. Hubby has also visited and could see himself living there. However, while we could easily make the move we won't. I had my time there and to go back and try to start over, I don't think I could now. Also we'd be futher from family and many friends than ever and it defeats our wish our son knows his family, on both sides. Italy, certain areas also hold a special place in my heart but the Gov. there is so ruined and the economy is in dire straits, living there isn't a viable option unless we had pots of money

 

I love Adelaide. Hubby had a good life there growing up and we are both looking forward to it. I am looking forward to seeing more of Australia also in the years after we move. Since reading some Australia childrens books as a child I've been captivated by certain parts and hope to see them all. Also travelling to New Zealand and a few other places.

 

The only things I'll really miss about the UK are the small things. The smell of summer after rain, oak and horse chestnut trees, Waitrose, village cricket (ovals dotted around Adelaide are not the same, however you look at it), the shades of green we have in spring, summer and then the colours changing into autumn. Those things.

 

Missing certain family and friends is a given but I know I adapt well. Besides, I have the two most important people moving with me and together we make a great team

[Guest SusieOR]

I think a lot of people, including ourselves, travelled previously in Oz (backpacked / WHV!!!) & we just loved the atmosphere of the place!!! The outdoor lifestyle makes it a perfect place to bring up our young children!

 

Sx

[Guest helene73]

For me it started when I turned 35 a few years back I think I had a mini mid life crisis, I looked at my life here and I have achieved more that what I ever thought possible, and looked at what I could do now as I had reached all my goals so I needed a new challenge. A lot a friends had talked about going to live in oz so I did some research saved some cash and off we went to Perth you know when you buy a house and you walk in and know this is the one it's home I felt like that in oz, and so the adventure has begun

Looking back I wish I had done this a lot sooner, but I guess the time wasn't right. The weather is definitely a huge draw as I suffer with numb hands and feet in the winter here

And the biggest bonus of oz is no in-laws seriously that's a huge bonus

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Guest Guest75]

Some interesting answers there.

 

Helps the people who are considering the move here an awful lot.

 

Our own reasons for choosing Australia,in particular Adelaide......................

 

 

Both of us have always had "thing" about Australia. At the very least - a lifestyle change move to another country.

 

Mrs T lived in Melbourne for a few years with ex hubby <spit> , loved Adelaide when she visited.

Never thought we'd come here though.

 

But one day Mrs T's friend and neighbour met a visiting Aussie from Christies Beach,they ended up getting married and living here.We were invited over, loved the place,went back applied for the visa and started to sell up.

 

We could have stayed in the UK but our paths seemed already carved and walked.

We were on exceptional money from our business but the stress was horrendous!

 

We needed to get off the treadmill and have a totally new challenge.

 

Boy, we got it in spades here :notworthy:

[ajford]

We started thinking about living in australia about 4 yrs ago. But things were not right for us, we lost a baby, I lost the best dad in the world to cancer, then 6mths later my mum had to go into a ressie home with dementia she just seemed to give up when my dad died (they'd been married 60yrs). so oz was put on a back burner. My parents new we wanted to emergrate to make a better life for ourselves and the children and were behind us 100% so we decided to give it another go, then we missed the dead line last year for general migration by 2 days after the system was shut down, so had to wait for statwe sponsorship to open up again. But after the rollercoster ride we finally got there, just have to complete on the house sale then over we will be.

It is really scary but I know that deep down we will have a better life over in oz and the children will too.

we don't expect an easy ride of it but it will be worth it when we are settled.

 

Lisa

[Dawn]

We looked at Canada & the USA - weather put us off the former & the gun culture the latter ! We came on a Regional sponsored Visa - looking at Geelong Victoria first - but decided against because they wouldn't say if we'd have to pay full school fees. Pleased with Adelaide though - it's a great place to live.

[Guest moviemummy]

Thanks to you all for sharing your reasons.

 

Ours are much the same as many of you. Better weather, outdoor lifestyle, opportunities for our kids.

 

We have always done the 'safe' thing. This was one of those 'well why the hell not' moments for us. Making the decision to go was the real challenge looking back, once we had that sorted the rest was just a process. Longer than we first thought but now we are almost there, worth the wait.

 

We have been to Adelaide and fell in love with the place. I know living there permanently and being on holiday are two very different things but we saw enough to know it was worth doing.

 

L x

[Guest cables]

I've wanted to come since I was 21 and that was many years ago. I could give many reasons why we moved, but some include loving the beach & sea. We thought our kids would love it here and that has been the case particularly with our older two. I spent 7 years as a kid in HK so I think that it's always been in me to want to move to somewhere different.

 

Our youngest two had a few problems from birth and the climate here, is much better for them. We would have had hospital visits in the UK if we had stayed - mind you, we did have to visit one when youngest boy got a 'tech deck' wheel stuck in his ear! I love that you can see blue skies, even a little patch somewhere.

 

Money wise, we lost on our house but decided that was the best way for us. It allowed us to have a fresh start in here without having to rent out. The exchange rate was barely better that now, but in for a penny, in for a dollar. I have a job I enjoy and my wife retrained as an Enrolled nurse last year and has a permanent job at the RAH - which she loves.

 

I loved the UK, the main problem there is that many people don't seem to appreciate what they've got. I don't miss it though, you have to move on and embrace the land of footy - Go Suns!

 

Lifestyle, we go out to the beach now, walking the dog and the kids play out far more than in the UK. Mrs C and I both want the do our Bronze one day and do some lifeguard duty at Moana where our kids are at the Surf Club. Living near the sea in Sellicks Beach, well, just visit and you'll know why we love it.

 

Canada, not viable with my job so that was out of the question. Also, the weather was not as suitable for our youngest two.

 

Many people move for the climate and some say don't do it just for that. I reckon whatever your reason(s), it's worth it for you. Just remember to come here to live and not holiday as the bills still need paying.

 

Cooler

 

Wow, what an amazing post! Thanks so much! We're heading that way soon hopefully! x

[Guest cables]

We're moving over as soon as we've tied up a few loose ends , with businesses and house, and can't wait !!!

We've never been over to oz but we choose to migrate 3 years ago , as it was just an idea we gave it time to grow , not just on us but all our families too.

We have had some fab holidays in other countries , and knew everytime we came back that there has been something missing for us , and know that there is soooo much more to life than work !!!

We hardly spend time together because we are so busy , when we do manage to snatch some time we always go out regardless of the weather and most of the time get drenched !!!

Our pull for us has got to be the lifestyle,

Oppurtunities for kids to do outdoor sports,

Spending quality time together,

Exploring the beautiful country , that oz is

And also its got to be the weather , yes i know its not always great but it couldn't be any worse than what we're experiencing at the mo , sooo dull and dreary that i think we had our summer over the easter and may hols

Also the laid back attitude is so us , we don't what our boys stressing over unnessesary stuff , when life is stressful enough.

We know its gonna be tough but its worth a go, lifes too short to worry about what if's and could be's , we're just gonna grab the bull by the horns and give it a go .

 

We echo everything you say, doing it for all the same reasons! awesome post!

[Guest cables]

For me it started when I turned 35 a few years back I think I had a mini mid life crisis, I looked at my life here and I have achieved more that what I ever thought possible, and looked at what I could do now as I had reached all my goals so I needed a new challenge. A lot a friends had talked about going to live in oz so I did some research saved some cash and off we went to Perth you know when you buy a house and you walk in and know this is the one it's home I felt like that in oz, and so the adventure has begun

Looking back I wish I had done this a lot sooner, but I guess the time wasn't right. The weather is definitely a huge draw as I suffer with numb hands and feet in the winter here

And the biggest bonus of oz is no in-laws seriously that's a huge bonus

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I too am waiting on the July 1st changes - Grr! Hate Standing still!! Good luck with your application! x

[Guest karyn1]

We started thinking about Australia not long after we married, 7 years ago. We both decided if we were to have children, we would want them to be born here, so would re-think the situation again after that. Whilst pregnant with my youngest, we decided to start the ball rolling and sign up with an agent. Seeing where we live going down hill rapidly in 5 years sealed the deal for us! Reasons we chose Adelaide are - cooler winters (I lived in Florida years ago, and remember getting fed up with constant heat all year round) outdoors lifestyle - mainly for kids, and finally - weather! After a gruelling 8 month long winter, I have seriously had enough of Scottish weather! Oh....and, it's the most far away place from the Mother in Law :biglaugh:

[Guest cables]

We started thinking about Australia not long after we married, 7 years ago. We both decided if we were to have children, we would want them to be born here, so would re-think the situation again after that. Whilst pregnant with my youngest, we decided to start the ball rolling and sign up with an agent. Seeing where we live going down hill rapidly in 5 years sealed the deal for us! Reasons we chose Adelaide are - cooler winters (I lived in Florida years ago, and remember getting fed up with constant heat all year round) outdoors lifestyle - mainly for kids, and finally - weather! After a gruelling 8 month long winter, I have seriously had enough of Scottish weather! Oh....and, it's the most far away place from the Mother in Law :biglaugh:

 

Sooooo Jealous!!!!!! x x

[AussieRob]

Came out chasing a dream of a less stressful life, not being ruled by money and warmer weather.

 

Even lived the dream for a while, then realised the dream was boring and unchallanging. So got a stressfull job, enjoying having money again but still wanting warmer weather.

 

Strange thing is, I'm as happy as I've ever been.