Hi Everyone.... Our Story

[sparksy]

Hi all..

We are Jules and Paul from the South of England and we thought it was about time that we told our story as it was always helpful to read other peoples adventures... get ready for a long read

 

Our story begins back in July 2010, we had the leaving parties, the tears and most importantly that much sort after PR visa. We headed to Brisbane without having ever visited the city before and without jobs.

We had been to Australia on 2 previous occasions both times to Sydney but we discarded Sydney as too expensive and just plumped for Brisbane because it looked and sounded nice.

We stayed in the city for 4 nights and nothing could have prepared us for the shock and emotional turmoil we would go through. My OH did not sleep the whole time, the shock of arriving in a new city and leaving behind your old life and close family was a bit much for him to take.

We had booked a holiday rental on the Gold Coast for a month and decided to go there, take it easy and see how things went. On arrival on the GC we instantly cheered up as the rental place was amazing and was on the beach. We instantly went into holiday mode and visited all the touristy places.

During that month we decided we wanted to go back to the UK, this was due to various things one being pressure from parents (they were skyping us every day to discuss what they’d had for dinner and telling us to come home!!). We didn’t want to go back immediately so decided to take a holiday to New Zealand. We had been to the South Island before and so wanted to explore the North Island this time.

We had a fabulous time skydiving, white water rafting and staying with old friends. We still didn’t want to go back home so my OH started looking for jobs back in Oz and after a few applications managed to secure an interview with a company back in Brissie.

So after 3 weeks in NZ we headed back to Oz, back to the apartment we stayed in when we first arrived. OH went for the interview and was offered the job on the spot. We then managed to secure a rental on a week by week basis in Bulimba but after 3 weeks we decided Oz wasn’t right for us, I found it hard to get a job and OH’s wasn’t what he’d expected and the pay just about covered our rent. My sister was also really ill, and so in October 2010 we decided to cut our dream short and head back to the UK.

After 4 months back in the UK, we knew we hadn’t given Oz long enough. It took us 1.5 years to get our PR visas and we felt that after all the effort we went to we should give it another go. Our biggest regret was that we’d shipped our furniture to Brissie and then had to send it back, we should’ve just kept it in storage in the UK.

I was offered a job in the UK but it fell through at the last minute and my OH hadn’t found anything, it was also a really cold harsh winter and we missed the sunshine and to top it all we were living with parents! So after Christmas OH started looking for jobs back in Oz.

He managed to secure 2 telephone interviews, 1 in Brissie and the other in Adelaide (OH is an IT Project Manager). After 3 telephone interviews (1 failed Skype attempt) over 10 days he secured the job in Adelaide!

We were both really shocked how quickly everything was progressing but were sure that we were doing the right thing and our families seemed a bit happier this time as they realised we were struggling in the UK, and so in March 2011, with no sad goodbyes and no leaving dos, we landed in Adelaide and were raring to go. OH’s new company put us up in a hotel for our first week and then somehow we managed to find a fully furnished rental and moved straight in. We were lucky that friends of friends lived in Adelaide and invited us out immediately; they even helped us move into our new place.

We have been here 11 days now and have already been to the Fringe Festival and Soundwave; we are heading for the vineyards this weekend and planning to join the local tennis club in a bid to make friends.

I haven’t found a job yet and so am busy doing all the admin stuff. I have started to register with a few agencies so hopefully it won’t be too long. We are happy living in Glenelg and if there are any other like minded people out there who would like to meet up, please let us know. We’ll keep you posted......

Jules (and Paul)

[Guest Roo1]

Thanks Jules for taking the time to post your story.

Wishing you both a successful 2nd time round! Good on ya.

Judi x

[stringfellows]

Hi Jules and Paul,great post.I need to read posts like this on the bad days when I feel the need to run back to England!Sharon.x

[Guest billway]

Great story! Jules and Paul, wish you all the best.

 

My family and I will arrive in Adelaide on 31 March. Looking forward to our new life there...

[Guest The Broadheads]

Thanks for sharing and good luck guys We arrived the 8th December 2010 so just a few days after you Sharon (we have a Maisie too! hahaha)

Nicola x

[Guest Squareman]

What strikes me the most is how lightly some people seem to take the whole emigration thing. Perhaps my circumstances are different because I have come from Johannesburg and my reasons for emigrating are down to the fact that Johannesburg is a horrible, dangerous place. I battle to relate to tales of people being given a visa, then coming to Aussie for 3 weeks and then deciding to go back to the UK! I cannot tell you the anguish I went through to get my 457 visa and how EXTREMELY grateful I am to be given this opportunity. I feel so indebted to this country! The sense of relief I felt in being able to take my family out of hell and into heaven is very intense and the thought of ever having to go back to South Africa keeps me up at night.

 

Yet, so many others seem to be granted visas who are still in two minds about leaving the UK and who then come here, only to return to the UK because they can't find a local beer to match the one they liked back home or because they can't watch live football on the telly.

 

Sparksy, please dont' take offence to this because as I said, our circumstances are entirely different. I'm just getting stuff off my chest (apparently this helps :-)

 

I am desperately trying to find a way for my family to come over here (sister or brother first, then parents) so that they too can benefit from living in a sane, safe and productive society. I am just envious of how some people seem to get visas and then pass up on the opportunity without really giving it a go. I woudl do slave labour for ten years to get my family here.

[jim and adel]

Yet, so many others seem to be granted visas who are still in two minds about leaving the UK and who then come here, only to return to the UK because they can't find a local beer to match the one they liked back home or because they can't watch live football on the telly..

 

Really? Who's done that?

 

Many people find the emotional side of moving so painful they move back 'home', and some later go on to make the move back to their new 'home' again once they've had some time to get used to the idea of leaving the familiar behind. I doubt very few put themselves and their families through the trauma of moving again for the trivial reasons you've mentioned (although trivial stuff can take on far more importance when other pull and push factors are at play).

 

I suppose it also depends on how you feel about the place you've left behind. You refer to Joburg and its problems, and to me it seems like a no-brainer to be in Adelaide instead of there, but not everyone has such a view about the place they're leaving behind (I certainly don't feel that way about the UK and while I (we) enjoy it here, would have no hesitation in returning should that situation ever happen).

 

Jim

[Diane]

Great story and thanks for posting.

 

@Squareman - I see where you're coming from; we were looking at a rental once on behalf of some people coming over here, and the landlord was saying that he thought migrants from places like Italy and Greece (in the recent past) actually settled much better when they came to Australia because - having a different language to learn - they came prepared for it to be a 'foreign' country, whereas many Brits came over expecting it just to be "England with sun" and were thus (understandably) disappointed once it turned out to be a bit different, and when they get here they actually feel like "foreigners" which they are not always expecting!

 

Good luck to the original posters on settling in Adelaide, I think you'll find it a bit less "holiday-like" than some of the other places you've been, so hopefully you'll start to feel at home here really quickly.

[Guest Squareman]

As I said, my circumstances are different. Thankfully, I could also go to the UK if it didn't work out here.

 

As for the trivial reasons I mentioned, I have seen many, many posts on here from people moaning about such things. I don't like EVERYTHING about Adelaide, but I am so grateful to be here that I would never contemplate moaning about it on a public forum.

 

But hey, I don't want to turn the tone of this post into a reflection of my feelings on emigration. It was remiss of me not to thank Sparksy for the enlightning post and to wish her and her family the very best of luck here. Perhaps my 'refugee syndrome' will dissipate over time - hehe

[Guest Guest1435]

what strikes me the most is how lightly some people seem to take the whole emigration thing. Perhaps my circumstances are different because i have come from johannesburg and my reasons for emigrating are down to the fact that johannesburg is a horrible, dangerous place. I battle to relate to tales of people being given a visa, then coming to aussie for 3 weeks and then deciding to go back to the uk! I cannot tell you the anguish i went through to get my 457 visa and how extremely grateful i am to be given this opportunity. I feel so indebted to this country! The sense of relief i felt in being able to take my family out of hell and into heaven is very intense and the thought of ever having to go back to south africa keeps me up at night.

 

Yet, so many others seem to be granted visas who are still in two minds about leaving the uk and who then come here, only to return to the uk because they can't find a local beer to match the one they liked back home or because they can't watch live football on the telly.

 

Sparksy, please dont' take offence to this because as i said, our circumstances are entirely different. I'm just getting stuff off my chest (apparently this helps :-)

 

i am desperately trying to find a way for my family to come over here (sister or brother first, then parents) so that they too can benefit from living in a sane, safe and productive society. I am just envious of how some people seem to get visas and then pass up on the opportunity without really giving it a go. I woudl do slave labour for ten years to get my family here.

 

wtf ???????

[Guest Squareman]

What is it you don't understand? Everyone else seems to have managed

[Guest kangomik]

Squareman I think your right, it has taken you a long time for your visa to come so you have seen a lot of the forum post's, and i think also on the other forum too.

Many people have vented at far less (and gone back for far less), and still do complain about little things, the quirks that Australia has. ( Like it's a different country!)

Your right mate, it's a blessing that not everyone is granted.

Don't get wound up with people putting silly comments, you voiced yours with good argument behind it.

 

To the Original OP, or should that be "ping pommer" thankyou for sharing your story, it's good to hear your story regarding the family back home. It it a real mind game on Skype at times, just those little things or comments can get your mind racing. I have picked up on certain comments over the years and I can see the kids start thinking!

Have fun in Adelaide, make the most of this time of year there is sooooooooooo much to do before winter comes in, I don't know if your going to Barrossa or Mclaren but they are both great, take time to speak with the people, you may find out some interesting things.

[Guest Zoot]

Being a fellow Saffer squareman I certainly get where you are coming from.

 

Thanks Jules and Paul for your story I found it so interesting - one of the things that people often say when people return is that people need to do their homework better - but as this shows even having been to Australia, researched Brisbane and done what you figured was sufficient preparation the whole migration business is a huge shock to the system and when family pressure is added it all seems so much easier to just give up and head back to the known. It was very brave of you to decide to try it again and lets hope that Adelaide can help you feel more settled and more at home.

 

Was wondering do you think that people find it easier to settle if they have never been to Oz before as they have no preconceived ideas and maybe are prepared a bit better as they know it is an unknown? And those who have been before say on holiday and have fond memories of it as a holiday destination may find it a huge shock when you cant do the fun things cause the daily living stuff e.g. looking for a rental, sorting out schooling, transport, jobs etc (the un fun things) takes up so much of your time when you first arrive? From my perspective I had been to Oz many times before mainly visiting Perth as I had friends there but have found it a huge battle to settle here in Adelaide.

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

What a great truthful post.

 

Persevernece really does pay off in the end....glad you are loving all that SA has to offer....it is mad March when it does all go off....

 

We went to Future Music last year and saw some pretty amazing DJ's and groups.

 

We love it here...and coudlnt think of being anywhere else....

 

Well done to you guys....:jiggy:

 

HG

[Guest Guest75]

wtf ???????

 

WTF??? :eek:

 

 

Where's The Fish??? Must be the only explanation??

 

In my boat on Friday I hope!!!

[Guest Squareman]

LOL @ Tyke

 

Tyke, I sent you a private message a while back. Did you get it?

[Guest Guest75]

LOL @ Tyke

 

Tyke, I sent you a private message a while back. Did you get it?

 

Hiya

 

Don't recall a message??

I'm normally pretty good at replying

 

Have to dig through my Hatemail........... errrrr.......... emails and PM:cute:

 

Unless ya want to send again?

 

 

Another thread totally off track.

 

Thanks and apologies to the O/P

[sparksy]

Wow, a lot of interesting replies .

 

No offence taken at all from our side... what we probably didnt articulate was the main driving reason for heading back to the UK was my sister developed a serious illness which made things really hard being so far away.

 

Anyway.. thanks for the lovely messages ... we are loving Adelaide so far and our outlook is completley different from the 1st time. You learn from experience as they say. We loved our life in England which perhaps didnt help... we wanted to come to OZ for life experience. I totally get where people are coming from and for us now we really do appreciate that we are v. lucky to be here.

 

We wanted our story to help other peeps who are struggling and inspire them to stick at it.

 

Good luck to all

[jim and adel]

As for the trivial reasons I mentioned, I have seen many, many posts on here from people moaning about such things. I don't like EVERYTHING about Adelaide, but I am so grateful to be here that I would never contemplate moaning about it on a public forum.

 

That's rather different from stating that so many people 'come here, only to return to the UK because they can't find a local beer to match the one they liked back home or because they can't watch live football on the telly.'

 

I maintain I've never read any post on here or other discussion boards where these have been the reasons for leaving. Happy to be corrected...

 

If everyone kept quiet about the things they don't like about Adelaide, it would be a very one-sided forum (and it isn't necessarily moaning, although the rose-tinted brigade do like to make anyone who points out a fault with Adelaide feel guilty for doing so).

 

Jim

[Guest kangomik]

Crackers, give a dog a bone!

[Guest Squareman]

[Guest Nick11]

If everyone kept quiet about the things they don't like about Adelaide, it would be a very one-sided forum (and it isn't necessarily moaning, although the rose-tinted brigade do like to make anyone who points out a fault with Adelaide feel guilty for doing so).

 

Certainly have to agree about the above statement.

The old ..if you don't like it you know where the airport is..or whinging poms spring to mind!!!

As a wise man once said...Adelaide....same s****..shinier bucket!!!!

[Guest Westies]

Hi Sparksy

You came, you saw, but you didn't conquer (not first time round anyway) hope it works out this time.

If you fancy meeting up PM me, any excuse to visit Glenelg

Take care

[Guest SA Great]

Great story and thanks for posting.

 

@Squareman - I see where you're coming from; we were looking at a rental once on behalf of some people coming over here, and the landlord was saying that he thought migrants from places like Italy and Greece (in the recent past) actually settled much better when they came to Australia because - having a different language to learn - they came prepared for it to be a 'foreign' country, whereas many Brits came over expecting it just to be "England with sun" and were thus (understandably) disappointed once it turned out to be a bit different, and when they get here they actually feel like "foreigners" which they are not always expecting!

 

Oh Diane, this is one of the truest statements I have ever read on this website. Absolutely spot on. Nice one.