10 months in with UPS & Downs

[Guest tom n marie]

Hi everyone

I or we I should say haven`t really wrote a lot on this site since signing up and moving to Adelaide in June 12. We found a lot of info on the site which helped us a lot and some conflicting answers but we still decided to jump in with both feet so to speak.

We arrive on 26^th June 12 on a 176 SS visa and been here around 10mths now.

After many days sorting out all the necessary paper work, car purchase, Medicare etc, started looking for a rental house but kept losing out as we had no reference of being in oz etc. I then found work within 2 weeks and was shocked to find work that fast so grab it & started working, my partner carried on sorting the boys and house out. We got one in the end after being in our hotel for 3 weeks we moved into our new home. We then sorted our 2 boys into school (6 + 8 Yrs) We started getting furniture etc after work and found it strange that most places closed at 5 ish apart from Thursdays late night. I had started to enjoy my job hours as I was only 20 mins away from my work place now in the house and worked only 40 hrs a week instead off 70-80 hrs in the UK with commuting. My work here seems to be back several years but I understand different place and different way of doing it. My partner then found a temp job which then went to a permanent position.

Our dream had started out perfect, enjoying our weekends at the beach and having plenty of family time WHICH WAS THE MAIN MOVE FOR US as a family. We had our ups and downs, then the company I was working for went into liquidation, So I lost my job $$$$ in unpaid SUPER, birst and wages. I tried for weeks to find work but nothing was out there. So as I look after our kids & turning into a house husband I had a lot time on my hands I couldn`t help but think of moving back to the uk and I was in a dark place at times with stress and worry. I had been asked to go back to my job in the uk, plus we had only rented our home out due to the housing market was slow. But said we would give it the full 2 years.

So if you have a high paid job in the Uk be careful when you come to Adelaide as wages aren`t the same (a lot less in my trade. I earned £60k+ & only $55k here) and job security isn`t too good a lot of new friends have lost jobs.

Living here you understand that a lot of things you have read or seen before arriving here are through rose tinted glasses Sorry to go on.

I have now just got into employment and we as a family are looking forward .The kids & misses love it here and I wouldn`t want to take it away from them just because I had a taste of unemployment, as I was lucky in the uk to be always working so finger crossed. I know a lot of people who are coming here don`t want to hear things but I feel everyone is different and I’m just passing my experience on openly. Life is a rollercoaster

Kind regards

Tom

 

 

 

Tom (32) Marie (31) Boyz Thomas (8) Jake (6)

[Guest vikkiann]

Great, honest post Tom.

 

I'm glad you've got another job and thinks are starting to look up for you.

We also moved here last June and its the biggest, emotional roller coaster ever!

 

You are right in what you say about rose tinted glasses. Things are tough here and my hubby earns less than he did in UK but back there he had his own business. Where as I earn more so it kind of balances out for us as a family.

 

​Vikki

[Guest ColinOz]

Nice post Tom, hope you find a job soon, I know how is to be unemployed, I've been unemployed for 4 months now, and is really hard

[Guest laura coldwell]

Hi everyone

I or we I should say haven`t really wrote a lot on this site since signing up and moving to Adelaide in June 12. We found a lot of info on the site which helped us a lot and some conflicting answers but we still decided to jump in with both feet so to speak.

We arrive on 26^th June 12 on a 176 SS visa and been here around 10mths now.

After many days sorting out all the necessary paper work, car purchase, Medicare etc, started looking for a rental house but kept losing out as we had no reference of being in oz etc. I then found work within 2 weeks and was shocked to find work that fast so grab it & started working, my partner carried on sorting the boys and house out. We got one in the end after being in our hotel for 3 weeks we moved into our new home. We then sorted our 2 boys into school (6 + 8 Yrs) We started getting furniture etc after work and found it strange that most places closed at 5 ish apart from Thursdays late night. I had started to enjoy my job hours as I was only 20 mins away from my work place now in the house and worked only 40 hrs a week instead off 70-80 hrs in the UK with commuting. My work here seems to be back several years but I understand different place and different way of doing it. My partner then found a temp job which then went to a permanent position.

Our dream had started out perfect, enjoying our weekends at the beach and having plenty of family time WHICH WAS THE MAIN MOVE FOR US as a family. We had our ups and downs, then the company I was working for went into liquidation, So I lost my job $$$$ in unpaid SUPER, birst and wages. I tried for weeks to find work but nothing was out there. So as I look after our kids & turning into a house husband I had a lot time on my hands I couldn`t help but think of moving back to the uk and I was in a dark place at times with stress and worry. I had been asked to go back to my job in the uk, plus we had only rented our home out due to the housing market was slow. But said we would give it the full 2 years.

So if you have a high paid job in the Uk be careful when you come to Adelaide as wages aren`t the same (a lot less in my trade. I earned £60k+ & only $55k here) and job security isn`t too good a lot of new friends have lost jobs.

Living here you understand that a lot of things you have read or seen before arriving here are through rose tinted glasses Sorry to go on.

I have now just got into employment and we as a family are looking forward .The kids & misses love it here and I wouldn`t want to take it away from them just because I had a taste of unemployment, as I was lucky in the uk to be always working so finger crossed. I know a lot of people who are coming here don`t want to hear things but I feel everyone is different and I’m just passing my experience on openly. Life is a rollercoaster

Kind regards

Tom

 

 

 

Tom (32) Marie (31) Boyz Thomas (8) Jake (6)

 

Hi Tom and Marie,

 

Please can I ask what it is that you both do for jobs? My husband and I are having trouble finding perm employment. x

[Guest sianburton]

I feel i need to give the other side to Tom's story.

 

I really think it depends on the job/industry you are in as too how much you earn and job security is most definitely not any better in the UK at the moment.

 

I work as a marketing manager and have enjoyed an $11k pay rise (not including super) from our move out here. My husband is a carpenter and has gone from being self employed and earning $53k minus expenses (fuel, tools, vehicle etc) obviously with no holiday either to earning $62k plus 4 weeks holiday each year which is like us having another $3800 a year on top.

 

Yes things are more expensive and the wealth of festivals, events and activities means you spend more but we are currently saving twice what we could in the UK and are still living the same lifestyle.

 

So my advice is to check out what the salary is for your position as not all roles pay less out here.

[Guest tom n marie]

I`m a roof plumber (Metal) and the misses works for chubb fire & security. I only gave figures for income as for us it was around $30k aus less not implying every job will be like this

Tom

[Guest tom n marie]

I have found a job got 3 months probation as pre but I relate to you with work all i can say is chin up m8

tom