Wanted down under Adelaide today!

[Guest mOZzy]

Wanted Down Under Revisited

The Bristows - Revisited :

Nadia Sawalha catches up with the Bristow family who were considering a move to Adelaide in South Australia

 

Today at 09:15 on BBC 1 London

[Guest graandjac]

:biglaugh:Thats a shame ive got my VAT return to do today so i might have to stay at home and watch it.....oh no Cheers Graham

[Guest Leanne & Mark]

Bloody gutted !!!!!!!! Can't believe they came back, oh well .........another one bites the dust.

 

I wonder if they'll ping pong back again.

[Guest graandjac]

:shocked:Bit of a shock that one, just when you thought they were loving it they came back....not sure to be honest if they gave it long enough....but i guess if they both felt that way then why not. I can see them being ping pong poms after all the reasons for us all going are still here. Cant wait to get there still, but not looking forward to the goodbyes:nah: Cheers Graham

[Guest Django]

Was there an edit? One second they were saying its the best thing for the family, they were settled, they were happier, etc. Then the very next scene they were dead set on returning to the UK. Very strange.

 

Pete

[Guest bookworm64]

yes i thought a quick edit had occured as one minute they were up for it then a second later he had jacked his job in and were on the way home!

still, it was nice to finally see Adeaide on this show cant wait 24 days to go and counting.....

[Hazel M]

Yes - quite perculiar that one. Shame they changed their minds after only a month. Im expecting it to be quite tough going for at least the first 12 mnths. Homesick and missing family... still nice to see the kids settled in happily to their school and the family made friends easily. It was nice to see the positives, and the Fleurieu Peninsula - cant wait to be there next year!!

[Guest louiesmum]

Yes I was suprised at that, they seemed to be happy one minute & then home the next!! I suppose the show is only 45mins. But they both made the decision together so its prob right for them. Personally speaking I think I/we would give it longer than a month or so it is a massive move, no getting away from that & I hope we can give it a bit longer than that, I'd hate to go through all this just to come back so quickly. we hopefully are aware/understand the rollercoaster journey we are on. However we all try and do the best for our families for some thats UK & others, hopefully us OZ, bring it on

[Guest cunnah10]

Sat down 9.15 with my cupa couldn't wait to watch "Down Under" today as we stayed in Victor Harbour last june and loved every minute.We sat on that bench,ate those chips, sausage and squid and we even met Lee their new buddy(the dark haired guy on the beach with Jaimie)Was really strange watching it all again!I started getting really excited and thinking positive thoughts about our move in a few months and then they went and spoilt it by coming back to UK!Then had my parents on the phone crying because they had watched it and started on with a guilt trip and telling how the grass isn't always greener and what a big mistake i was making and that there was more to life than the sea and sand..........etc....

Wish i had gone out for the day now and not watched it and not answered the phone!

Seriously Victor Harbour is amazing but a long way down which is why not many head there to live as too far to travel to work etc..

Hope they haven't put too many doubts in your minds(i am having a very " wobbly" day must admit).

[Guest graandjac]

;)Have to agree with you , we visited Victor Harbour on our reccie and what a fantastic place, we could maybe see us living there but after making lots of contacts in the Noarlunga area thats where we want to start, but could see us ending up in Victor Harbour.....still dont know what to make of todays show:nah:

 

Cheers Graham

[Guest nickey and neill]

hi guys,

 

i too am having a very wobbly day after watching the show!!! it looked absolutely beautiful but am so scared that the pull of family and friends will be too much for me.

 

my main concern is when they said that for them, being fairly Young there is not much for them to do there. that surprised me and would be gratful for any opinions.

 

we are looking to be further up near to chisties beach or onkaparinga area..... will there be enough for us to do and not feel lonely with no where to go!!

 

it was a real dilemma of a show but still my heart says we have to try, plus we will be working so hopefully make friends that way!

 

we have had our house valued but still waiting for visa to be authorised but getting so scared as decision time is really becoming a big reality now and feel life is at a major crossroads!!! HELP!!!!!

[Guest cunnah10]

My computer playing up so sorry as my messages are popping up twice!Keeps freezing up then a get impatient and next thing it's gone through too many times!I do apologize!

[Guest Lulujim]

Yes it was a bit disappointing I must admit.. They looked so happy, great rental home, good houses (and very cheap - is that because it's quite far from Adelaide??), job sorted, kids happy..but I guess everyone's different!

We are in the process of applying for our Visas and hope to go at the end of the year...have wobbly days too, and today's programme didn't help!!

Please can someone just say whether the property/rental prices shown were typical of Adelaide - or whether it was that region being about 80km from the CBD?

Many thanks!!

[Guest stufi1997]

Couldn't believe they didn't stick it out for longer...surely something influenced the decision that we weren't shown on the programme.?? after all she had a sister out in perth, i know it's still a long way away but at least in the same time zone for phoning etc.

I just felt that there must have been something happened to change their minds so completely in such a short space of time, don't know if it's just me but the programme makers seemed to be happy that they "failed" to make a go of it, seems to go along with the theme of this years series....did i already say i couldn't believe it

[Guest mOZzy]

very strange indeed!!!!

 

what i don't understand that the 'family/friends' can pull you back.

didn't you think of that in the first place?!?!?!?

if you do depend on a helping network don't you consider that??!!

 

i guess in that sense we are 'lucky' - we don't have anyone so won't miss anyone helping us. we can only gain some helping hands

 

and with 'having nothing to do' - eh?!?!?! how about exploring the new surounding? making new friends? taking the kids out?

 

but then again: less 'poms' to take our places

[Guest The Wise Family]

We watched today and we were so excited and then so disappointed. Remembered them from last year when she was heavily pregnant. Something must of happen because one minute everything was rosy and the next they were going home. Did you notice that the company that he got a job with had blotted out their name this time round. And another thing that we noticed was that when they were suddenly going home we didn't see the couple together at all. She said she was staying with her sister in Perth and we only saw her on the beach and he was only seen on his own moaning about how much it had cost to send all their "rubbish" over. Something was definately not right.I do hope that we get on better than that. We will certainly give it longer than a month or so. We just want to get on with it now so we can make up our own minds.Gina x

[Guest Libby1971]

Victor Harbor is absolutely gorgeous - we go there for days out and the odd weekend. At about an hours drive for us, its accessible.

 

BUT it is a small seaside town where many people go to retire. Therefore there is very little for kids to do and even less for older kids. I heard on another forum that the lady liked it very much here but the husband didn't. They went to Melbourne for a couple of weeks to see if that worked after being in VH for a month but that didn't (it would be like going to London after VH) so they went back.

 

WDU tell the audience that the programmes have job offers for you but in actual fact it is just spending a day with an employer, there is no job.

 

Also the programme like to interview people seperately and will take you off in order to get that done. For our programme they came to our place really early while I was at work in order to see Bob while I wasn't there and then when we went to the beach, told Bob and the girls to play somewhere so they could talk to me.

 

I think the fact that they communicated with each other and expressed how they felt to each other, whether staying or not, is a strength. I also think it takes a huge amount of courage to come here after all the expense and emotion and then say it isn't for them.

 

While I am terribly sad it didn't work for them, I do so wish them well and hope their life has settled a bit more.

[The Monaghans]

Wise words as ever Lib! Obviously haven't seen the programme in question but am surprised that the family have gone back to the UK after only one month. That really isn't long enough to form any kind of informed opinion about a place. For one thing jet lag lasts about two weeks (well it did with us anyway) and time passes in a complete blur. We were very down for the first two weeks, tiredness and stress knocked us off our feet and yes, we could quite easily have given up and run back to the familiarity of the UK but we'd promised ourselves to give it time. We'd dragged our children to the other side of the world and it would have been cruel to drag them straight back again after such a short time. After two weeks the world swam back into focus and we started to pull ourselves together. Richie found work, we bought a house and a car and generally started to live the aussie life we'd been looking for. Yesterday marked our six month anniversary of beng in Adelaide and we're still really happy here. There's loads of things to do, we haven't even scratched the surface yet. You can be busy every single day of the week if that's what you want, my children go to a couple of playgroups, they have swimming lessons, go to a child care centre and my daughter goes to ballet lessons. At weekends we do family stuff, go the beach or go to see friends. Australia isn't paradise, most of us will have to do exactly the same here as we had to do in the UK. You'll have to work, pay taxes, do the weekly shop and sometimes (usually when you've just checked your bank account...) you'll wonder what in God's name you're doing here. But then you look out of your window at the ocean, or the hills or your children splashing about in the pool and you remember. You remember you came here for a better quality of life for you and your children, you came to get away from the rain and the grime and the crime or whatever your own personal reasons and suddenly it all makes sense again. Yes, it's hard leaving family and friends behind but with emails, phone calls and skype you can stay in touch quite easily. You HAVE to get out and make the effort to meet new people though, if you stay at home thinking about what and who you've left behind you'll be back on the plane before you've unpacked your suitcases.

 

Gosh, that went on a bit didn't it! Sorry!

[Guest Libby1971]

Brilliantly said Liz! Wholeheartedly agree.

 

And there is such a thing as holidays in UK...

[scooterdan]

Brilliantly said.... i second that! Those are the same reasons i have to 'give it a go'.... ( minus the kids... )!!

 

Some people have said how it almost feels selfish, but for everyone comes a time when you have to put yourselfs and your family first and do what you feel you have to. Must of us would never get this chance again.... personally i say grab it with both hands and hold as long as you can.

 

For some the the pull of close family is too much to bear and they have to journey back in a short time.... For those people, they still tried it...much respect to them..... but i think in that time THEY knew what they needed for them to be happy. I can understand their money reasons, many people take a pay cut to work in Oz, and that can be hard i imagine, not realising what we have here till we leave. I have an average job, on average wages, so not alot to lose really..... i know i have to work, get a mortgage and pay bills....but also reap the rewards of what Oz can offer life style wise!!!! I know we will both miss our families and friends....but we will see them again...thats what made us try at this age.

 

I understand the first month, 2 months, could be overwhelming, but personally i dont think 1 month is long enough.... but we are all different and going for different reasons.

 

Right im off now....! Cheers

 

Dan and Steph

[Guest nickey and neill]

you are so right guys ( scooterdan, libby, the monaghans)

 

your comments certainly help and i know none of us ever believed it was gonna be easy. it is reassuring in a way to know that when we get the wobbles others are feeling the same!

 

 

feeling more positive today and still determined to go for it come what may!!!!

 

thanks all!

[Mr & Mrs Taz]

Totally agree with Nicky & Neill

 

We were feeling pretty disillusioned after watching the programme especially as we are just about to put the house on the market and due to arrive in June.

 

But after reading everybodys replies we feel a lot more positive and agree that this is something we must try as we dont want to be forever saying "but only if".

 

We also have have the problem of emotional blackmail but it is slightly different than most as our families keep telling us that we better stick it out in Oz as they have all planned holidays in Adelaide over the next 2-3 years.

 

Cheers

 

Derek & Jak

[Guest cornish Busdriver]

i agree with you.

We were in Adelaide last June and paid a few visits to Victor Harbour mainly for the penguins and see some whale (no-show)

Love that chipshop there but to much for me.

[Guest homewardbound]

I'm sure they would have settled in better if they'd moved nearer to Adelaide. Victor Harbour is lovely but it's a long way from anywhere and probably a bit quiet. If they didn't know anyone there when they went, there's probably not so much going on there in order to meet people and make new friends. I felt a bit down after watching the programme and also a bit wobbly, so, again, it's reassuring to know everyone gets the wobbles from time to time. On another note, we agreed a sale on our house yesterday, so it's all getting a bit more real now. Scary, huh?

 

Veronica

[Guest julianh]

It's Adelaide again tomorrow - set the Sky+/Video.