Adelaide?? I'd rather be in Peckham!

[snifter]

James, you raise some valid points. I do often think a stumbling block for people migrating to Australia is the misconception that because they speak English then it'll be easier to adjust and settle. Its still a different culture and often things like sense of humour can be markedly different between the nations also. Just the etiquette in day to day life can be disconcerting to new arrivals and take time to adjust to.

Going for English speaking countries to migrate to is often seen as easier than having to learn a language to move to a non English speaking one. In fact, its going to be pretty much the same struggle just you'll be able to communicate with the locals from the off. Still new laws to learn, new way of doing things you've done for years back in the UK (even parking a car on a street is different), new forms to fill in, new home to find. People are doing all this in once short burst when they migrate and its a daunting thing.

So anyone not doing research into many of the basics the OP seemed to miss is pretty much bringing it on themselves in terms of things going spectacularly wrong for them. Not even knowing what kind of visa you are on just strikes me as plain daft. How can you not know or be bothered to not find out what sort of visa you have been given? Would you just put your blind trust in a visa company and then assume you can simply move to Aus and stay there long term? I don't think I've come across anyone who has done this other than the OP. Same with regard to the ambulance cover. Where was his insurance? How did he not know about insurance for this sort of thing. Again, surely its something you do some reading up on, medical and personal insurance, when going out on a temp visa to another country outside the EU. Coming from the UK its easy to find out what is covered and what isn't and therefore to know what to get covered for. If I can find out with 5 minutes on Google then anyone else can.

If you are wanting to move the other side of the world and start a new life, you surely won't be so ignorant to leave your potential future life solely in the hands of a migration agent and place blind trust in them and never ask about your visa for starters. Surely you would read your paperwork informing you about your visa and note the type it is and what restrictions etc apply? And you'll do research, more research and research after that. At least I would and am. I'd never move somewhere with the misconceptions the OP seemed to have. He was poorly researched in many areas of his move and alas once he got here he had a crappy time of it. With better research he might have had a very different experience and one he actually enjoyed.

I personally came to the conclusion that this OP was on a bit of a wind up but as I can't prove it I accept it as genuine, but do feel its rather OTT in some places in terms of believability.

[Ryan T. Lion]

Still new laws to learn, new way of doing things you've done for years back in the UK (even parking a car on a street is different)

Amen to that - I got a $56 ticket a few weeks back cos my car was parked facing the wrong direction....!

Got it downgraded to a warning though.

[James]

I agree to not know the visa is silly and I hope it was just a wind up for this chap's sake but one day I will bore you with my full story which has a fair few rip offs with non returned bonds, car accidents, airline tickets etc. I have concluded as we move across the world some people fare well and others do not, may be we just have to accept that! You are right though it is just as much a foreign country as France or Italy and in many ways more we just share some of the same language. I think I thought it was England in the South my mistake! Personally I think I may have done better in France/ Italy! My own error though

[Diane]

My friend who has a resettlement company here in Adelaide and has therefore met and dealt with loads of migrants over the past 8 years or so actually wrote a really good book called "The Same Difference" all about the pitfalls and joys of emigrating to Australia, specifically South Australia - I think it's available from their website www.h2h.com.au if anyone wants a copy (sorry for plug!). One of the phrases I remember from reading it was the misconception that Australia is just "England with sun".... those that come with that thought in their head are probably those that have the biggest shock when they get here and find that Australia is a different country, and you will occasionally feel like a foreigner in so many ways...

[Rachiegarlo]

Yep you are a foreigner... the locals can tell from a distance you are different.... hair, clothes and that's before the accents are heard..... walking around in the midday sun without shirt/hat.....only mad dogs and englishmen go out in the mid day sun...... (This is a bit tongue in cheek this post so don't be offended anyone)... spotted frequently down at Glenelg families with UK soccer shirt and cropped hair on the boys. Girls wearing clothes not bought in Big W, Kmart etc and everyone looks hot......

[charlie]

The guy will be snapped up when he gets back by "The Peckham tourist board"

[Lizzy]

Hi

hope you are settled back in britain, we've only been here a couple of months & although you do seem to have been unlucky, alot of what you said , rings soo true ! we are in a country town surrounding Adelaide , so so far the saving grace is the people - genuinly nice ! Wish us Luck !