I’ve been approached for a job based in Australia, either Melbourne or Sydney (I have to go through the usual interview’s etc). I’m quite tempted to try it for a few years but family are a little unsure.

Family consists of me, my wife and two girls (age 4 and 7). I’m thinking that the girls are in primary and have time to settle in and if they don’t like it we can come back before they start secondary school.

My wife has a job which she isn’t really that into and there are a few other issues which might mean being out of the country for a few years could be a good thing.

They are thinking that leaving all their friends behind and starting somewhere willbe too hard. They are thinking that they won’t make friends as easily as they have here when we moved to the area.

We’ve also been told that the cost of living out there is much higher than here so our money wouldn’t go as far. Ideally we’d like to rent out our place in the UK and rent over there.

So, my question is has anyone else made a similar move or considered it? What were your pros and cons? Anyone know what the work ethic is like out there (I have quite a good work life balance at the moment)? Is the riding good?

Considered it yes, but it’s just the 2 of us so it’s a very different proposition. I actually went to school in Sydney for a brief period and loved it as a child.
I worked in Sydney for 3 months a couple years ago and would definitely like to do a longer stint some time.
Cost of living in Sydney is crazy at the moment especially with the exchange rate at the moment, but it might seem different if you are earning dollars.

As far as riding goes they don’t have the same rights or way, so I think it will always be a trip to trail centres. The maybe someone else can comment. But there’s loads of other sports to do instead for a while so don’t worry!

I moved out here in August for work (western Australia). Cost of living is high especially over west. Looking at $200-400 a week for a house in Perth. A Pint is about $9. I reckon living costs are about 3 times that of the uk approx. Fortunately Im working out in the desert so my accom and food is paid for.

Ive pretty much come to the conclusion that Im going to work in Australia for 9 months of the year – cash the cheques and live in the uk for the other 3 months.

Also It might just be the industry I work in but its the most casually racist country ive spent time in.

However my experience of Oz has pretty much been 3 months in the desert and a few days in Perth, Freemantle, Broome and Brisbane (Brisbane was nice)

I believe there’s a semi-regular poster on here who moved out to Aus with family a few years ago and then moved back here again when his young children didn’t settle. I’m sure he’ll contribute to the thread should he read it.

australia or new zealand i’d be out like a shot if the wife would let me, nz especially. i love the uk in the summer – but today, cold, windy and wet, as i’m just about to put on waterproofs for a 40min quick blast, you can have it esp as the worst of winter is yet to come.

Spent a year there working with our oldest daughter when she was two. We loved it and if we were not so involved with things here and in India we would have stayed. If you like the outdoor life then its great, if the positives of the UK mean a lot to you then maybe not.

I’m moving out there when I’ve got through the current wedding season. Our biggest issue is selling the house at the moment.

My partner is Australian so I’m going out on a partner visa which I’m activating when I go on holiday in Feb 🙂

What I’m hearing is that the cost of living is sky high and we probably would have a similar lifestyle over there unless I get paid a shed load more.

Lived in Perth for a few years moved with wife and son when he was 2 and had our daughter out there…… Stayed and got Australian Citizenship + Passports then moved back to the Highlands

Lot’s of Pro’s but also negatives

It is very expensive but there are good wages to be had if you hunt around or work in the resource’s industry.

I had a good job and enjoyed the work ethic but I guess that depends where you work and what you do.

Great outdoor life style but you can get sick of the sun and putting lotion on the kids is a chore.

I have days that I would jump on the plane and go back tomorrow….

I would say take the chance and do it!

If not you will always be left thinking what if????

Have a look on Britishexpats.com

My wife and I moved out to Adelaide 18 months ago. The most difficult part has been the distance with friends and family – the time difference is the biggest pain because you can’t just pick up the phone.

Costs are more expensive, but salaries are generally higher. WA and Perth are a bit of an exception in costs as the resources sector dominates the WA economy and pay disproportionately high wages. Given the distance we live from the city centre, and the ‘burb we live in, we’d be in a shoe box for the same money in Manchester. I guess it depends on what costs of living you’re used to – just as with the UK, in some areas you could live twice on money that you’d struggle to make ends meet with in others.

Give us a shout if you want more info – happy to oblige. There are a few STWers out here in different parts of the country.

i was there in june,u only get $147 fof £100,im from london so hi prices are nomal to me,well,il be having my winter break in perth,see u next spring

Got really goofriedns who moved out 3 years ago, they have one child a boy who is sports mad. They love it and have just moved from Canberra to Sydney. Very very happy and thriving.

I lived in Perth for 2 years back in the 80s an wouldnt go back. Australians aren’t the nicest people IMO. Look up what Boong means to them and you will get my drift.

Brother moved to Melbourne a couple of years ago. Similar aged kids plus one slightly older. They are in Mornington which is pretty European and full of ex-pats so not a big change. Weather isn’t that different either, not as hot as you might think (Perth is a different matter). The kids absolutely love it. Always playing with the neighbours, happy wander into neighbour’s houses, they don’t need to worry about the kids at all. With the exchange rate the cost of living is similar to here, probably the upper end. Quality of life seems great. If they come back it’ll be a big wrench for the kids and if they leave it too long the eldest might want to stay which will be a big issue.

Australians aren’t the nicest people IMO.

Yeah, and all Brits are stuck up arrogant snobs too 🙄

Pillock.

I can understand the attitude as there are quite a few insular racists happy to share their views. I was surprised at many peoples staunch anti-immigration views and continuing assertion that the country is full given that they were recent immigrants living in a mostly empty country. This was just the locals making conversation to a couple of tourists. This mostly in Western Aus which did seem a bit behind times but mostly in a nice way. Very friendly people, generally.

Look up what Boong means to them and you will get my drift.

I did that, and one of the links mentioned that you’d be most likely to hear that word around the boguns 😉 Just out of interest what kind of people were you working with? It’s possible that there’s more casual racism in australia than here, but I’ve got plenty of Australian relatives and have spent about 6 months there. Never once heard that word. I’ll agree that they’ve got big problems with the indigenous population, but my experience is that the younger generation might deal better with the situation.

My parents moved there with my little sister when she was 10, and never looked back. We did have plenty of family there already though, so friends were easier to make. The exchange rate is shocking at the moment, but my casual financial knowledge leads me to believe that they’ve had high inflation for quite a few years so things aren’t as brutally expensive when you’re earing $. My mum always says that certain things, like cars, are very expensive.

I’ve never worked there myself, but the families I know there seem to have a good work/life balance and certainly live well. Perhaps there’s a bit less emphasis on material things because you can be outside having fun a bit more often. Biking wise, there is not the same fantastic network of ROW as we have in the UK. There is PLENTY of land around, but lots is privately owned. You’d just need to hook up with some locals to find the best spots. I’ve ridden in the Blue Mountains and around my folks area and there are lots of great opportunities.

there are quite a few insular racists happy to share their views.

Plenty of those here as well, sadly 🙁 I don’t think that having an established lineage in a certain country should give you any extra rights to abuse immigrants.

living in a mostly empty country

The empty bits are often quite inhospitable though!

I don’t think that having an established lineage in a certain country should give you any extra rights to abuse immigrants.

Absolutely, I just found it an odd attitude from someone sat in a bar in town that wasn’t there 100 years ago, whose family immigrated only a few generations ago.

The empty bits are often quite inhospitable though!

Its far from full and far from over populated. A thing I heard stated quite a lot. The wilderness areas are fantastic and I’d love to see stay as they are but it would be possible to create loads of habitable space.

I came the opposite direction NZ > AUS > UK due to marriage, and family. To sum up with HUGE generalisations, nz is still pretty innocent, huge diversity of nature, strong family values unbeatable lifestyle.

Australia, I like them / it, they have the confidence of the yanks, without the annoyance, very patriotic and rightly so. On the whole they love life, and have the environment to enjoy it. Cost of living is high, but wages tend to reflect. Good salary for a young family circa $100k, higher in Sydney lower in the likes of Adelaide.

Things like cars are expensive, $20k will get you a 5-8 year old with mid mileage. European marques dont feature. Tax’s are also quiet significant so don’t forget to factor in, plus healthcare top ups and insurance.

Like anywhere there are yobs (boguns) who are not the voice of the nation. I found the poms can struggle with things, the in your face nature of Aussies doesn’t always sit well, plus the locals just tend to get on with things … And complain less 🙂 (I warned about the generalisations).

They seem to be reasonably clear of the economic issues hitting the rest of the globe. If / when commitments here end, will be back there in a heartbeat so I’d say go for it. Learn to love Skype, and plan an annual / bi-annual trip home to stay in touch.

Proved my point nicely Zokes cheers

He might have proved his point, but not yours Pigface 😉

Proved my point nicely Zokes cheers

Seeing as I’m a Brit, how have I demonstrated that all Aussies fit into your derogatory stereotype? I’ll happily accept that some do. But there’s plenty of casual racism in Britain in all ‘classes’ of society. I’d put those stones down before throwing them in that glass house if I were you.

plus the locals just tend to get on with things … And complain less (I warned about the generalisations).

Erm – were you about in Oz during the Ashes? You’d hear less moaning if you tried to confiscate a bunch of teenagers’ mobile phones and Facebook accounts! 😆

Zokes you really are one of the funniest people on here, simply priceless 😀

Well, thankfully, as you’ve already stated that you won’t come back here, I won’t worry too much.

As a rule (more stereotyping…), I’ve found Aussies from all walks of life who we’ve met here to be some of the nicest people in the world. Always friendly and helpful, with little if any snobbery. 3 days into being here, my wife managed to lock her keys (and mobile) in the car and didn’t even know where she was (she’d stopped to ask for directions!). In tears, she was quickly helped by a local who took her to a locksmiths and sorted it out.

There just seems to be a more laid back, less uptight feel to the whole place really, which just seems to make life a lot more relaxing and a lot less stressful.

Keep going, comedy gold 😆

Tax’s are also quiet significant so don’t forget to factor in, plus healthcare top ups and insurance.

There’s a basic tax calculator on the federal government’s website so you can easily get a rough estimate of taxes. I have actually been quite surprised how low tax is. GST is only 10%, petrol is cheaper, and whilst income tax is similar to UK levels, there’s no extra 12% for NI on top. Alcohol and tobacco (if that’s your vice) are indeed taxed to extremes though. I recently did the tax calculator here and on the UK government’s site. I certainly get taxed a lot less in Australia (married, no kids).

As ever, your personal situation can have a big bearing on what benefits / surcharges you come under. As a middle-income couple, we’re probably taxed more than if we had a kid or two (they seem to throw money at you for having kids here). You’d also be surprised just how much is covered by Medicare (Aussie NHS) – we certainly don’t feel vulnerable not having health cover. Perhaps if we have kids that might change, but I don’t see an immediate need to.

Keep going, comedy gold

Dick by name, dick by nature, it seems 🙄

I loved living in Oz. Great people. Best thing I ever did for my family.

Only back here because of widowed FIL’s dementia (wife is an only).

But I also love living in Scotland.

Sometimes people move to escape something. If that something is yourself and attitudes, you’ll still have the problem in Oz.

Just remember that it’s a foreign country that just happens to speak English (well, almost English).

Mt wife had friends who moved to Oz. For a year we kept getting irritating emails with pictures of the kids frolicking in the surf, having barbecues etc. Then it all went quiet. Next thing she heard they were back in the UK and living in the Lakes, only the wettest part of England.

Turned out someone they knew had been scoffed by a great white and they had realised that Oz is full of animals that prey on humans and they actually hated it.

Zokes a bit below your normal high standards but still gave me a laugh on a dull Monday morning, thanks 😆

Zokes a bit below your normal high standards but still gave me a laugh on a dull Monday morning, thanks

In what way, in that I’m trying to contribute positive advice whereas your initial comment seems to have been needlessly offensive?

Calling me a dick when my name is Richard you are truly gifted, 😆 hey it was only my opinion formed by the people I met working in places like Meekatharra and Kalgoorlie. Dont worry about it I didnt when you called me a pillok but you have amused me greatly and I hope you carry on. 😀

Moved the family out to new Zealand last year. Four boys (7,5,3 and 2). They had the same anxieties as yours did. My kids made new friends fairly easily and are loving it. My significant other has made a decent group of friends via the kids. Here there are a lot of ex-pats which does help settling in a lot easier.
I must say though the first few months we really great, kinda like a holiday really. The rest of the year has been a bit normal just on the other side of the world but the work life balance is better here but now the hard graft of getting settled is over we’re only now getting out more and enjoying life.
The cost of living is also slightly more in NZ but it may have been because we hadn’t quite got around to behaving like the locals in terms of our shopping habits etc….

Calling me a dick when my name is Richard

You were acting like one. Your name was just convenient.

You two, calm down!!!

Cheers for the comments, wife and I keep rolling from one extreme to another.

Could be a really exciting adventure for the family, but we are really settled in our town and love living here, however we know this could be a short term change and like to think we’d come back eventually to our friends.

The main challenges are leaving our comfy existence in the UK, having to commute (currently work from home) and strangely the bugs / creepy crawlies / sharks are causing some challenges to our thought process.

Money only comes into it as a veto – ie if it isn’t enough then we wouldn’t do it.

Pigface – Member
…I lived in Perth for 2 years back in the 80s an wouldnt go back. Australians aren’t the nicest people IMO. Look up what Boong means to them and you will get my drift.

I spent 20 years working closely with the indigenous population. They have much worse words for each other, and what they call us is unmentionable. 🙂

We were initially thinking a short-term change. 18 months in and it’s looking more and more permanent. We might move back one day, we might not, but the “might not” gets stronger every time we look at the job situation in the UK!

The amount of commuting depends on where you live – this will be much worse in Sydney or Melbourne than Adelaide or Canberra. We live in Adelaide, and we’re both 10 mins by bike from work.

Sharks are very rarely an issue (though granted, they’re a pretty major issue if you’re lunch!). In reality, there are very few encounters, they’re obviously well publicised however. The creepy crawlies really aren’t that much of an issue unless you’re in the habit of sticking your fingers in holes. The concept of snakes still scares me somewhat, but in 18 months of tramping about in long grass I’ve not even seen one. On the plus side, there are lots of very cool animals, that still seem weird after having come accustomed to them somewhat.

As regards money, depending upon where you choose, you’d be surprised how far a decent wage goes. I think the national average is about $60k, though you’d probably want considerably more than that for Syd, Mel or Perth! As a dual-income family with no kids we are laughing all the way to the bank most weeks 🙂 (This is another issue with returning, I’d never earn anywhere near as much as I do now back in the UK). Our one problem is getting anywhere near the bottom rung of the housing ladder, having spent a lot of our savings getting a new home set up here (we are young and were in furnished accom back in the UK). That said, renting is cheaper than a mortgage in a lot of cases, so it doesn’t matter too much.

As I said, I’m happy to write at length about any specifics you have 🙂

For having an opinion that you disagree with guffaw 😆 Zokes you are fantastic what a brilliant mind you have. The good people of South Australia are so fortunate to have you living among them, their days must be full of such joy now. Please come home and cheer us all up
🙂

If family are unsure, maybe a quick visit to experience as a holiday? I live in Canberra (just a bit of mtb here…) and love it. When I come to the UK I love to visit relatives, but enjoy getting back to Australia – it has a completely different feel and pace. Have a look at rental costs etc as they can be steep – but as some have said – depends on where you choose to live. Commutes can be savage in Melb and Syd – I used to have a drive of 20 mins on a Sun afternoon take between 40 mins and 2 hours depending on the traffic/weather/idiots on freeway. Now live in Canberra and my commute is 15mins by car or 20 by bike – guess which I choose. You really need to find out where you will be working and it’s surrounds as this will influence where you live…and you may or may not want to live with the people who live there! Burbs can be very varied in residents. There are quite a range of people here – as in most places – best to inspect the area to see how many wrecked cars in the front yard!! Strange beasties really not that bad – just don’t pick up stuff without looking carefully and don’t poke fingers down holes! Sharks…I saw them at the aquarium a couple of times…but have enjoyed the beach many times. I love it here – do some homework and see if you do too (but don’t tell too many people 🙂 ) I’ll organise a spin if you want to come to Canberra – see the Berm website.

I had a friend who moved out to Australia over 20 years ago, and they’ve never looked back. They’ve had a much higher standard of living, but were actually quite homesick at first. Quite a long holiday back in England soon cured them of them, and they could see their lives were much better in Australia.

PS: From the Australians I’ve met they’ve all seemed nice, reasonable people. And England has it’s fair share of racists – does no-one here read the Daily Mail talkboards?