To go for a Reccie or not???

[Guest jill wright]

Hi everyone

 

My hubby was deadset on having a reccie first while we wait for the visa however taking into account airfares,accommadation etc he has now come round to my way of thinking that having parted with money for visa etc thats a commitment in itself and we should just go for it. Out of interest how many of you have too decided to go out blind so to speak?

 

Thanks in advance I think its just the reassurance that other people out there are thinking along the same lines is what we're after

 

Jill,Phil,Lucy,Daniel and Thomas

 

 

[Guest Django]

Hi Jill,

 

The furthest south I've ever been is Ibiza, which is some way further than Tracey.

 

We like you believe our money would be of better use when we get there for good. Each to there own but we have done loads of research :GEEK:and are confident the area has all we want.

[Guest mOZzy]

same here - no reccie for us!

 

and again mostly so we can use the money we'd have to pay for 3 weeks holiday - for settling in and going that bit further quicker!!

 

 

good luck!

[scooterdan]

Hey!

 

We are going blind.... money plays a big part in this game and i need the lot to get set up!

 

Good luck with your journey!

 

Dan and Steph

[Guest soggy]

Hi, we have not been on a reccie, we thought about it but decided for us a short visit without having to go to work ect would not tell us if Adelaide or Australia would be where we want to settle. I know a couple who went on holiday to Melbourne and liked it, so then went on a 4 week reccie to check out housing and work with a view to moving, they still liked it so got a visa and went, 9 months later they were back in the UK.

 

I'm not saying a reccie is a bad idea, just it may not make any difference to if you settle long term, I do understand not wanting to move to somewhere you have never been, but at least the saving you make on not haveing a reccie would pay for your flights back to UK:D;)

 

Simon

[Guest Richard & Amanda]

Hiya,

 

We never bothered with a reccie either.

Had we had more time then we may have thought about it. Given we only started the process last August/September and got the visa in January there wasn't much time!

 

I don't regret going on a reccie and am looking forward to the challenges which lie ahead!!!

[Guest caoimhe]

Hi Jill

I have been to Adelaide to visit family a few years ago so I feel at least I've seen the place but a few weeks hols doesn't give you an insight into living there. My OH has never been so he is going out blind. With the costs of the agent, visa's, meds, selling the house, shipping and airfares to get there we couldn't consider a recci so we tried to do lots of research online and save our money to allow a bit of breathing space when we get there to look around and get the feel for the place. Everyone is different though so it's up to you. Just think the money you will spend on a recci will probably finance a car when you get there for good

[Guest CARMEN]

hi - if you can afford a reccie then go for it but personally i can't cos i cant afford it, but if you read loads and gen up on the place it wont be so strange. Get on google earth, its fantastic and you can see everything there. Not the real thing i know but at least its free!

:v_SPIN:

[Guest sarahsmartiepants]

We didnt reccie, and with hindsight we still wouldnt reccie. I personally think coming for a lookie is just that. You dont know a place till you have truely LIVED there and WORKED there. We have been here almost 2 years and are still finding things out!

Save your money I would say!

sarah

[Guest nicolette]

Hi Jill, we got our visas beginning of December, after about eighteen months of waiting! We visited Australia last September and loved it, although didnt feel we found the right place for us, but didnt get chance to look at Adelaide and we decided we were just going to go out there when we got our visas and the money we considered on spending on a reccie we thought we would save until the big move and just travel around a bit and settle wherever we felt best.

Since then we have received our visas and the reality of it all is quite daunting and my other half seemed to be worrying about everything, not knowing where we were going, work etc and we decided we needed a proper plan as it is such a big move and we have two children to consider also so we have decided it best to go again in May and make some final decisions from there and see what the work situation etc and for the extra few grand if you can manage it it could save you a lot of money in the long run as it is such a big move you need to make sure it is the right one! Hope this helps you make the right decision! I cant wait to go but i understand my other halfs worries as he is the sensible one whereas i would catch a flight tomorrow, but thats me! All the best Nicolette

[Guest dglamoore]

We came over last April with no reccie - never even been to OZ

 

I am glad we done it this way - a reccie or holiday is nowhere near the same as living here plus the money we saved went on more important things when we arrived. In our minds we knew we really wanted to leave to UK, had little expectations, were not looking for a paradise and were determined to make a go of it so here we are!!!

 

Cannot say which is right or wrong about having a reccie or not - it is down to how confident you feel and if you are the sort of person that can just take a deep breath and jump!!

 

Lisa:cute:

[Guest sarahsmartiepants]

In our minds we knew we really wanted to leave to UK, had little expectations, were not looking for a paradise and were determined to make a go of it so here we are!!!

 

 

 

Lisa:cute:

this is the attitude that is needed. I think far too many people come with high expectations, only to find this is just another country with some of the same probs as the Uk and some different ones!

sarah

[Guest Rob and Clare]

We did a reccie, well kinda, spent 3 weeks driving from Sydney to Adelaide, spent 2 days in adelaide in total, and only in Glenelg and the City. This is possibly the worst way to visit, as we only saw the fantasic city and the best / busiest beach town. So we had rose tinted specs, we arrived in July, it was cold and wet, and it could never live upto those first impressions.

 

After that I have to really agree with Sarah, lots of problems here, some similar to the Uk some different, but you settle get a job and move on, and love all the benefits Australia throws at you, and get used to the niggly things.

 

I think the only benefit of a reccie is if your not sure where to live then have a look round, the south with the open and empty beaches, the west with the trendy beach side living, the north with it's more manicured suburbs, the east, well the east is the posh bit.... or finally the city, with it's city living....

[Lazy Cow]

We didn't have a reccie either.

 

We don't regret it and have never regretted coming here.

 

I don't really believe research necessarily helps an awful lot either* as I think that it is easy to believe -for some bizarre reason- that SA is definitely the place and see everything with rose-tinted glasses, then come over and be shocked!

 

IMHO, I think that luck plays a huge part in successful migration. That and an open mind, willingness to get on with it, and a desire to blend in with the community. I'd put luck at the top of the list because no matter how much you visit, reccie, research or pray, you can't know how you are going to feel until you get here. The people that I know that have gone back, have done/are doing so because they miss family/friends/environment more than they could ever have guessed...or have found that their particular skill doesn't bring in the money they need -despite research to the contrary.

 

So, we were glad to save the money but I suppose if you do have the money to spare or any concerns that photographs might just show the wonderful side of SA excluding warts , it might not be such a bad idea.

:wubclub:LC

*Is that contentious or what? I'm not for a minute suggesting that you shouldn't research!

 

 

[Guest macu68]

Agree with all the previous replies. A reccie can't prepare you for what you are going to experience in the future. Our attitude is to get out there and get on with it. We know that we are going to hit some problems but will deal with them as we hit them. We understand that we need to be flexible in our approach, especially with work. Saying that we do have a bit of a plan..... Get over there, rent, research then ?buy/?build. We know that if its really not what we want we can return to UK at any time knowing that we have given our family a positive life experience. Saying that we have no intention of returning to UK, but we know its an option.