stay or go

[Guest tooeasy]

I agree too easy. As most of you would know by now I am very pro sa but the weather is one of the things i dislike. I never dreamt it would get so cold and I am constantly looking at the gold coast area to live at this time of the year!!

 

 

 

me too SA just got up and its freezing I wanna go back to bed

[Guest Guest75]

me too SA just got up and its freezing I wanna go back to bed

 

I've never known it as cold at this time of year.

I think it's improving this week though.

[bill]

I've never known it as cold at this time of year.

I think it's improving this week though.

I've been here for 20 years, and have only known about 2 nice Septembers. Regard it as the 4th month of winter and you won't go far wrong! Brrr!

[Guest jorose]

can any one give me one good reason to stay in this country!! we came out here for a better life which i have yet to see, this being our 3rd year here. My self and my 3 yr old have had nothing but ill health since being here. Every thing is so much more expensive here.You have to renew your car licence, whats that all about!!!! It just seems that all we are ever doing here is paying out to live a life which we could have back in England for free!!! I know the weathers better but is that all???? I actually find life quite boring here. Nothing for the kids to do. I wish my husband could see it from the same way i do instead of through rose coloured specs.

 

IMO if you can't find one reason of the top of your own head then it may well be time for a trip back to reassess and get it out of your system then make a decision. I haven't been here long but at the moment I hate it more than I enjoy it, nothing to do with the lifestyle, just the loneliness and lack of a sense of belonging. However, I can still come up with reasons to stay. Only when I can't would I ever consider moving back. Good luck.

[Guest karen davies]

Hi donna i know what your saying!!!! it is more expensive here we never manage to save any money..... you have to have a license for bloody breathing as for the aussies i thought they would have more of a sense of humour than they do....we've been here now nearly three years and we still have'nt made any real aussie friends they only seem intetrested in the friends they were brought up with and family....we have a few english friends...thank god for that!!!1 i think i would go mad otherwise.

 

yes there is more to life than hot weather!!!! mind you weve had a ****ty winter,,, the next time i hear anyone say we need the rain i will chin them!!!!

Like your husband mine loves it here...don't get me wrong i like it here..but i think it's a bit over rated...thank heavens for foxtel(stii watch coronation street and other brit stuff) anyway keep on smiling. x

[Guest graandjac]

Come on you wooses.......:pwe have come from a country that went to minus for days on end ....how can 13 deg and the odd 5 deg at night be cold....??, put another jumper on and stop all your winging:biglaugh:. Have had shorts on all winter at work and Iam a roofer.

[Guest tooeasy]

bah when it was cold in the uk the houses had central heating and were built better to withstand the cold lol i just got used to the heat now and its freezing lmao:biglaugh:

[Guest Philip]

You need to go back to the UK. It's known as the "$10,000 experiment". I was the same, for the first 3 years I was like "This place is ****! Food is crap, nothing to do except go the beach, it's small, no decent pubs etc etc..." Then I went back to the UK for a 4 week Holiday, took my then Aussie wife and Daughter. The minute I got off the plane in the UK I wanted to get back on and just go back to AUS! In the car to my folks I just looked out the window and remembered what it REALLY was like to be back in the UK, how everything looked droll and grey, and was tiny. You need to experience that before you can really begin to appreciate Adelaide. If I had a choice tho, I'd probably live in Melbourne. I love the culture in Melbourne, it's a bigger City too. Still it's only a $50 plane trip away...

[Guest SA Great]

Hi donna i know what your saying!!!! it is more expensive here we never manage to save any money..... you have to have a license for bloody breathing as for the aussies i thought they would have more of a sense of humour than they do....we've been here now nearly three years and we still have'nt made any real aussie friends they only seem intetrested in the friends they were brought up with and family....we have a few english friends...thank god for that!!!1 i think i would go mad otherwise.

 

yes there is more to life than hot weather!!!! mind you weve had a ****ty winter,,, the next time i hear anyone say we need the rain i will chin them!!!!

Like your husband mine loves it here...don't get me wrong i like it here..but i think it's a bit over rated...thank heavens for foxtel(stii watch coronation street and other brit stuff) anyway keep on smiling. x

 

Whoa! I like a girl that speaks her mind!

[Guest SA Great]

bah when it was cold in the uk the houses had central heating and were built better to withstand the cold lol i just got used to the heat now and its freezing lmao:biglaugh:

 

OK lets all move to the gold coast, we can hire a bus if we get enough interested!

[Guest tooeasy]

OK lets all move to the gold coast, we can hire a bus if we get enough interested!

 

 

already booked my place :biglaugh:

[Guest covfan71]

Interesting to hear all your thoughts, both negative and positive. We are just a medical away from our Visa being granted (delaying a bit as i can't finish work til next Sept) and are actually having doubts / second thoughts a to whether we are doing the right thing. We both know the ideal situation would be to move over and be able to settle in straight away and make loads of new friends. Kids settle into school ok and we find a nice house etc. All of the negative thoughts we are having at the moment are being mentioned in this post. i think we will end up coming over regardless because if we don't we may regret it for the rest of our lives. A very big step and stressfull move but i's got to be better than living in the UK under that idiot, Gordon Brown. I would hope though, that after 3 years we will know where we stood.

[Guest cazzie]

Come on you wooses.......:pwe have come from a country that went to minus for days on end ....how can 13 deg and the odd 5 deg at night be cold....??, put another jumper on and stop all your winging:biglaugh:. Have had shorts on all winter at work and Iam a roofer.

 

 

Ohhh, a real man, that's what you are Graham!

I wonder if Donna is reading all these posts and what she thinks? I guess if you really want Adelaide to work, then you will really go out and make an effort to make friends, join clubs, adopt the lifestyle etc. It's definitely not all bad here - I am really looking forward to the summer - bring it on. Good luck in your decisions Donna.

[Guest angiestaff]

[i think we will end up coming over regardless because if we don't we may regret it for the rest of our lives. quote]

 

 

hi,

 

the amount of people who said 'ooh yeah we were gonna emigrate to aus but never did due to family/work/money etc..., wish we had done it now!'

 

me n hubby were determined that we never became one of the 'wish we'd have done that brigade'....so what if we come all this way and move back to uk in 5-10 years time......AT LEAST WE GAVE IT A GO!!!! (by the way we have NO intention at the mo' to go anywhere lol). yes emigrating is hard work, and expensive but you have to believe it'll all come good in the end!.

i've had days that i hated everything here (ususally after a row with hubby! ) and i've cried driving to work but it doesn't last, sometimes it helps me to look at clips of birmingham on youtube and then that reminds me why i left!! ....when ur down n sad allow urself to have a 'pity-party' and a cry but then pick urself up again and go and do something positive...walk on the beach/in the hills etc.. as someone said on here you have to make urself go out and do stuff and remember why you came in the first place!

i know it's not for everyone but if you can look urself in the mirror and hand on heart say that you've tried everything to make it work and gave it time and then you decide to return to the uk......AT LEAST YOU GAVE IT A GO!!!!

 

big hugs to everyone, ange xx

[Guest skoobzz]

I love Australia, I'm so lucky to be here and I REALLY want to stay cos life is genuinely great..... however, after 10 years away, I also miss my Dad cos he getting older and I've only seen him twice since I left the UK. It's very difficult feeling torn between 2 places. I definitely don't want to live in England but I definitely do want to be near my family. I never thought I would feel this way but now I do and it's really, really hard. Anyone got a magic wand (or a private jet!) they can give me, lol?!

[Guest cunnah10]

Think this is the case sadly for a lot of us.....AND always will be...some cope with it though better than others!

Personally I have returned to Adelaide to give my 4 kids a better life...BUT I will always miss my lovely parents & family in the UK...& feel so much guilt deserting them (for the 2nd time).

It is just something we have to learn to live with I suppose ... must be very hard for you...10 yrs here & only seen your dad twice in that time!!!!

[Guest covfan71]

Think this is the case sadly for a lot of us.....AND always will be...some cope with it though better than others!

Personally I have returned to Adelaide to give my 4 kids a better life...BUT I will always miss my lovely parents & family in the UK...& feel so much guilt deserting them (for the 2nd time).

It is just something we have to learn to live with I suppose ... must be very hard for you...10 yrs here & only seen your dad twice in that time!!!!

 

You mention that your kids have a better life. What about YOUR life? How do you have a life? My wife and i have not had a social life since the kids were born and havn't been out on our own for nearly 3 years now. (because of my work we live away from family and friends). We wanted to come to adeliade to have a better life as well but are now concerned that our marriage will be no better off in Adeliade as we will not have the support from family when we want. what do parents do? It must be hard because you can't just drop the kids off with the grandparents.

[Guest seekingsunshine]

You mention that your kids have a better life. What about YOUR life? How do you have a life? My wife and i have not had a social life since the kids were born and havn't been out on our own for nearly 3 years now. (because of my work we live away from family and friends). We wanted to come to adeliade to have a better life as well but are now concerned that our marriage will be no better off in Adeliade as we will not have the support from family when we want. what do parents do? It must be hard because you can't just drop the kids off with the grandparents.

 

 

we worried about this too but we're extremey lucky as my parents are emigrating out here in a years time (oz citizens anyway) and aso i have relatives in adelaide i could call if desperately wanted a night out!

 

alternatively my mum (who lived in brisbane for four years with us four kids in the 80s)) used to either use babysitters or /and she was a member of a group of poms and australians (all with kids) who used to have token system - and take turns baby sitting for each other! the token system ensured that one parent wasnt doin all the sitting

 

i think thats a really good idea - someone you know, someone kids know and someone who has kids themselves!

[Guest skoobzz]

You mention that your kids have a better life. What about YOUR life? How do you have a life? My wife and i have not had a social life since the kids were born and havn't been out on our own for nearly 3 years now. (because of my work we live away from family and friends). We wanted to come to adeliade to have a better life as well but are now concerned that our marriage will be no better off in Adeliade as we will not have the support from family when we want. what do parents do? It must be hard because you can't just drop the kids off with the grandparents.

 

I don't have children, but my two best friends are single mums and they manage to have a great life. They get a baby sitter if they want to go out on their own and we all go round each others houses for a Barby and a few drinks. They take their kids on road trips or to the many different social things on offer in Adelaide throughout the year. And all this on a tight budget as well.

 

It's also a matter of priorities. If you make spending some time away from the kids a priority, then the chances are, it will actually happen. If you don't, it doesn't matter what country you live in cos nothing will change. Plus, if you think life is difficult, then it will be.

 

If you put yourself out there and meet up with other people in the same situation, they become your support network - like an extended family. Adelaide is a very friendly place and I'm sure that you would have no problem making friends once you get out there and do it! )

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

We have had some seriously cack times since we have been here, our close friends will vouch for that, many a time we could have said nah, not fur us we could have lived this way back in the UK.

 

We have 2 teenage kids who have been terrible since we have been here, but we also have two lil kids who love it out here and to see them laughing and smiling enjoying the beach, enjoying school, in fact enjoying everything that Australia is offering them that makes us feel we are doing the right thing.

 

Sure it gets old but as the Aussies would say HTFU !!! pmsl...i say to the mrs put a jumper on or blanket....maybe i am just heartless hehehe...

 

Sure it IS a big massive change in virtually everything, but IMO its so worth it and compared to the way we lived in the yUK we are far far more better off and have a better lifestyle here...

 

If you want something bad enough the few negatives are worth it....we have been through the mill this last 17 months or so.....i wouls love some people to take a walk in our shoes....were still here loving it and fighting away.....long may it last.

 

HG

[lorluc]

We have had some seriously cack times since we have been here,

 

Sure it IS a big massive change in virtually everything, but IMO its so worth it and compared to the way we lived in the yUK we are far far more better off and have a better lifestyle here...

 

If you want something bad enough the few negatives are worth it....we have been through the mill this last 17 months or so.....i wouls love some people to take a walk in our shoes....were still here loving it and fighting away.....long may it last.

 

Blimey...you could have been writing this for us as well!!!!!

[Guest cunnah10]

You mention that your kids have a better life. What about YOUR life? How do you have a life? My wife and i have not had a social life since the kids were born and havn't been out on our own for nearly 3 years now. (because of my work we live away from family and friends). We wanted to come to adeliade to have a better life as well but are now concerned that our marriage will be no better off in Adeliade as we will not have the support from family when we want. what do parents do? It must be hard because you can't just drop the kids off with the grandparents.

Very good comment "what about your life"....And I often have this conversation with my husband!

I must admit in the UK my parents lived really close & if we didn't see them each day ..we would speak to them over the phone...they were a BIG part of our lives and they would often have the kids...take them for a day out & spoil them or have them sleep over...as did my lovely mum in law!

My dear dad would do the school run ..drop of a hat if needed ...whatever the weather..which was a lot to ask with 4 young kids (but he was always there willing to help).

But as I said we have come back here to Adelaide to "hopefully" give our kids a better life....and more so hopefully a better future (no guarantees though...we can but try our best)

And yes most things revolve around the 4 kids....BUT us parents do NEED some time for "us" too...so i hear what you are saying!

We are really lucky that we do have some really lovely genuine friends here in Ad ... and we know we could ask them for help if we needed it ...even to just mind the kids whilst we went out for the odd meal...(and vice versa) so i suppose they are our family network as such now!!

BUT if you are NOT lucky enough to have this...it could be very hard...and yes your marriage could well suffer (and many do)

[Guest covfan71]

Very good comment "what about your life"....And I often have this conversation with my husband!

I must admit in the UK my parents lived really close & if we didn't see them each day ..we would speak to them over the phone...they were a BIG part of our lives and they would often have the kids...take them for a day out & spoil them or have them sleep over...as did my lovely mum in law!

My dear dad would do the school run ..drop of a hat if needed ...whatever the weather..which was a lot to ask with 4 young kids (but he was always there willing to help).

But as I said we have come back here to Adelaide to "hopefully" give our kids a better life....and more so hopefully a better future (no guarantees though...we can but try our best)

And yes most things revolve around the 4 kids....BUT us parents do NEED some time for "us" too...so i hear what you are saying!

We are really lucky that we do have some really lovely genuine friends here in Ad ... and we know we could ask them for help if we needed it ...even to just mind the kids whilst we went out for the odd meal...(and vice versa) so i suppose they are our family network as such now!!

BUT if you are NOT lucky enough to have this...it could be very hard...and yes your marriage could well suffer (and many do)

 

We don't have any support now so it wouldn't be much different for us. But that's the problem. We want a life. I know we will make good friends etc but some people are not comfortable leaving kids with people you have only known a few months. As you have probably heard you can't even trust Nursery staff with your kids anymore. i suppose the changes to the Visa priorities is a blessing because when i leave my job inthe forces next year we can move back home nearer family and then see if we would really miss it if we finally make it to Oz.

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

Very good comment "what about your life"....And I often have this conversation with my husband!

I must admit in the UK my parents lived really close & if we didn't see them each day ..we would speak to them over the phone...they were a BIG part of our lives and they would often have the kids...take them for a day out & spoil them or have them sleep over...as did my lovely mum in law!

My dear dad would do the school run ..drop of a hat if needed ...whatever the weather..which was a lot to ask with 4 young kids (but he was always there willing to help).

But as I said we have come back here to Adelaide to "hopefully" give our kids a better life....and more so hopefully a better future (no guarantees though...we can but try our best)

And yes most things revolve around the 4 kids....BUT us parents do NEED some time for "us" too...so i hear what you are saying!

We are really lucky that we do have some really lovely genuine friends here in Ad ... and we know we could ask them for help if we needed it ...even to just mind the kids whilst we went out for the odd meal...(and vice versa) so i suppose they are our family network as such now!!

BUT if you are NOT lucky enough to have this...it could be very hard...and yes your marriage could well suffer (and many do)

 

We found that you have to build your circle of friends pretty damn quickly, and we have made some great friends whom we know call our family out here ( thats Oz folk too) , that has helped us lots, someone to talk to and help you thru all the bad times, and boy have we shared some bad times with our great friends.

 

All you have to do out here is reach out and soemone will be there to listen and offer some form of advice.

 

I spent 4 days last week away with work @ Paskeville on the Yorks and i met some really really great people, all Aussies might i add, i knew before that these people were nice but being there with no-one but my boss that i knew really cemented the fact that guys are genuine.

 

They say what they want, and be who they want and if you dnt like it then it aint their problem....

 

 

From a very loving it here in SA Heaps Good !!!!

[Guest cunnah10]

We don't have any support now so it wouldn't be much different for us. But that's the problem. We want a life. I know we will make good friends etc but some people are not comfortable leaving kids with people you have only known a few months. As you have probably heard you can't even trust Nursery staff with your kids anymore. i suppose the changes to the Visa priorities is a blessing because when i leave my job inthe forces next year we can move back home nearer family and then see if we would really miss it if we finally make it to Oz.

Just noticed your little uns are VERY young still AND I would NOT (AND never have left them with anybody at that age apart from grandparents ..and then maybe only for an hour).

My kids are just 5,8 10 & 12 ... AND altho we have LOVELY people here we don't actually leave ANY of them whilst we have nights out!!!

Besides the fact our kids wouldn't LET us (lol) ... we are not big "NIGHT OUT PEOPLE" thankfully...and so our socializing is over to friends(Or them to us ) always WITH a brood of kids (lol) for a bbq or buffet & a few beers!

And we are really happy with that...