Why Australia?

[Candshow]

*sigh* my husband & I are at loggerheads about where to emigrate to.  His company has offices in both the UK & Australia so he has choice in terms of where to be transferred - they need his skills in both countries.  My skills are also sought after in both countries.  

 

He has a British passport so it's a no brainer that the UK would be easier.

 

My mother in law indicated that if we choose Australia, we may as well say "goodbye" forever - hmmm!!!   But she will happily visit us in the UK.  So of course now my husband is worried about the long distance & elderly parents 😞 

 

Why did you choose Australia?  Any regrets to those who have already left?  I just cannot fathom living the rest of my life in the UK - so any input would be greatly appreciated.   I need some ammo - LOL!!! 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 14, 2018 by Candshow

[FingersCrossed]

Hi @Candshow

 

Wow - not a nice decision to make especially since family is already trying to get you to move to the UK.

Personally, I have visited the UK and Australia and depending on where you go in Australia, the weather in Australia is fantastic. If you look at the gold coast, the beaches are fantastic and we personally loved the atmosphere.

 

https://www.experienceoz.com.au/en/top-10-beaches-in-australia

 

I think you and your husband need to take the family emotions out of it and decide where you both would be happier. While it is good to respect the opinion of your mother in law, this is your life and your marriage and she has lived hers and it is now your turn. It will be impossible to keep everyone happy so you need to do what works for the both of you. 

While the UK may bring easier access to the rest of Europe for travel, you really need to ask if you can live in that cold weather.

 

Good luck in this difficult decision - I am sure that individuals on this forum will give you lots of reasons why Australia is way better 🙂

[RYLC]

1 hour ago, Candshow said:

*sigh* my husband & I are at loggerheads about where to emigrate to.  His company has offices in both the UK & Australia so he has choice in terms of where to be transferred - they need his skills in both countries.  My skills are also sought after in both countries.  

 

He has a British passport so it's a no brainer that the UK would be easier.

 

My mother in law indicated that if we choose Australia, we may as well say "goodbye" forever - hmmm!!!   But she will happily visit us in the UK.  So of course now my husband is worried about the long distance & elderly parents 😞 

 

Why did you choose Australia?  Any regrets to those who have already left?  I just cannot fathom living the rest of my life in the UK - so any input would be greatly appreciated.   I need some ammo - LOL!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay so for me the MIL's use of emotional blackmail would make it an automatic NO from me.  If this is how she handles her closest relationships then I would stay as far away as possible (but that's just me who has gotten to an age where I won't take cr@p like that any more...)

 

We can tell you all the wonderful things about Australia but you probably already know that it is as similar as you can get to South Africa - weather, beaches, sunshine, pursuits, lifestyle, outdoors, did I say sunshine...

 

From a pragmatic view point, there is too much uncertainty with Brexit in the UK for my liking. You won't be moving to the UK of old.  Brexit has changed that and not for the better no matter how things eventually work out with the EU. If both of your skills are needed in both countries then I would want to bank on the sunnier, more certain future. 

 

[ottg]

 

So it seems if your MIL is the real reason that makes your decision difficult.

1st: ask yourself, if MIL didn't set that ultimatum, what would have been your/hubbys 1st choice? Ignore the fact that he has a b/passport

2nd: Ask MIL why did she say that? What is her real reason for hating Aus that much that she won't even want to visit the grandkids?

Ask her "why" 5 times on every answer she has given. You need to know the real underlying problem.

 

What is it? Is that insurmountable? See if you can resolve that issue first? Remember, most issues are surmountable.

 

There is no "next step" until that has been done; because, in the long term, it may become between you & hubby.

[RYLC]

2 hours ago, Candshow said:

I need some ammo

 

Just thinking about this some more...

 

Getting a visa to Australia has an age component whereas having a British passport means that you can turn up in the UK any time. So if you went to the UK and then decided after some time that the weather just was unbearable and you wanted to move to Australia after all, you wouldn't qualify for a visa anymore because you don't meet the age requirement.  So I would suggest Australia first for that reason with the UK as a plan b if you really needed one.

 

[TamTam]

All very good points listed above.

 

My two cents - ask yourself what kind of lifestyle you currently lead and will the UK facilitate this. Can you imagine 7 months of winter where at the height of the season the sun rises at 9:30 and sets around 16:00. It's one thing to visit and spend some holiday time there but Seasonal Affective Disorder is a REAL thing. The weather affected me on a very deep personal level. It may seem trivial - I mean who cares about a little bit of rain - but imagine not seeing the sun for weeks on end.

 

There is a great video by Andrew St Pierre White who moved from SA to UK and then to Australia - but I can't find it now - will look some more.

 

I would also get in touch with @Piet1234 who is moving from the UK to Australia. Or ask @renebo she recently moved from the UK to Australia.

 

 

[Candshow]

Thank you all so much!!

 

@RYLC, you are so right - I actually had that thought last night....the UK will ALWAYS be an option for us but Australia we have 7 years to get visas & PR etc....totally agree too about the MIL using emotional blackmail - it is sad as I wish she would focus on her granddaughter instead of herself 😞

 

@ottg, very good questions - for me Oz is first choice 🙂 She keeps saying that so many of her friends & friends family have decided Oz is not for them as the people are rude etc so a few people have come back.  If I am honest more of my friends have come back from the UK than Oz.  I said as much but she is stubborn - LOL

 

@TamTam - I have heard of that seasonal disorder - I love the sunny weather & find winter in CPT really depressing - I agree wholeheartedly that the UK is a holiday visit not a permanent decision.  I am going to google that video.....hopefully I find it - if you do, please share the link 🙂

 

Thank you all so much.  I have already said to my husband that I don't think UK will offer us the life we are used to....my husband lives for the beach & surfing etc....he wants our daughter to learn to surf etc....when I said you can't really do that in West Yorkshire his response was we could always make a weekend of it at the beach - in my opinion that is all fine & well to say now but life happens & we will not make it 😞

 

[ottg]

2 hours ago, Candshow said:

many of her friends & friends family have decided Oz is not for them as the people are rude etc so a few people have come back

 

Explain to me (and to yourself) how the above statement and your original statement below gels??

 

23 hours ago, Candshow said:

My mother in law indicated that if we choose Australia, we may as well say "goodbye" forever - hmmm!!!   But she will happily visit us in the UK

 

It doesnt. There must be a much deeper reason you need to find.

[Candshow]

@ottg - very true!  Sometimes it really helps to be outside the conversation to understand what is really happening....

[Maz]

I've lived in SA for over 40 years, then the UK for 13 years and soon I will be immigrating to Australia forever!

Personally if I had children I wouldn't hesitate and would choose Australia. UK to me is not what it used to be when I first immigrated here in 2005. I live South of London and have to be honest in the past 3 years I have started to get nervous walking home from the station at night. The crime rate in the UK is ridiculous with the acid attacks and knife attacks (I know there is crime everywhere) but lately it has escalated to a ridiculous rate. I have to say as well I have a dislike for school kids between the ages of 10 and 17 on public transport they are rude and have the worst manners ever. I know it all depends as well as to where you live - I have friends who live in Basingstoke and have a wonderful life with their kids so its just my personal experience. For me London has run its course and I can't wait to get on that one way ticket to Sydney! And the weather in UK is cr*p I've  experienced all 3 countries.

 

Also wanted to add - I have family in UK, family in SA and family in Australia and I never expected them to visit me where I moved to as it was my decision to leave South Africa so I go once alternative years to visit my mum and brothers in SA and my other daughter and grandkids in Australia.

 

Edited November 15, 2018 by Maz
addition

[Candshow]

@Maz, thank you - I really need my husband to read all these comments 🙂  All the best of luck with your move to Sydney 😉 

[Hunts]

@Candshow @TamTam here’s the link to that video: 

 

[Candshow]

@Hunts, thank you 🙂 

[ottg]

@Candshow Notwithstanding all the points mentioned above, in your decision where to stay, you also need to compare apples with apples. Perception will differ from person to person. What part of the Western Cape do you need to compare with what part in the UK to what part in which state within Australia? What criteria will you use?

This is a tall order but to help you, here is a summary report I mentioned in another thread where regional areas in Queensland (SEQ) were compared to different (but similar) areas across the world).  Those regional areas where 12 local governments: Brisbane City Council;  Gold Coast City Council; Ipswich City Council; Lockyer Valley Regional Council; Logan City Council;  Moreton Bay Regional Council; Noosa Shire Council; Redland City Council; Scenic Rim Regional Council; Somerset Regional Council;  Sunshine Coast Council; and Toowoomba Regional Council

Those are compared to Cape Town Metro; Metro Vancouver; S Holland (Rotterdam); SE Florida (Miami); Fukuoka Prefecture; Hamburg Region; San Diego County; Barcelona Province; 

https://seqmayors.qld.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/SEQ-benchmarking-report.pdf

 

On page 5, (note no numbering on pages) there are 42 criteria used. Note those where SEQ under performs mostly, Cape Town still under performs SEQ (or weren't measured). The 3 cases where SEQ came last is about export volumes, international broadband connectivity & travel time/distance to nearest neighboring area. The latter is due to extreme vast distances in Australia.

 

Just a comment on the above video. Australia is 4x4 country with extreme distances and extreme temperatures which varies from area to area. Recently also had my 1st outback experience which was a real eye opener. They should make that compulsory for all migrants  :-) But, like anywhere in the world (I did stay in the UK too) any country and area has its own challenges which changes over time. Its all about how you impose your understanding of the world, based on your past experiences, onto other areas that gives you a perception of a place. The report provides factual information.

 

 

[renebo]

Hey @Candshow Now forgive me for being so hardheaded, but it's your time in life now to make your own decisions and not base it on what your MIL or anyone for that matter wants.  

 

I got a job offer in the UK in 2015 and got a work visa which as valid for 3 years, then there after was going to extend it for 2 more years, eventually ending up applying for ILR.  HOWEVER Brexit has not just impacted the EU people, the Home office decided to make changes to all other NON-EU country rules as well, which then impacted us negatively in terms of Salary and wasn't able to renew.  We started our Aus application in Marc 2017 and got in Feb 2018. Came here in May 2018 and currently living in Melbourne on Vic SS.

 

When living in the UK we where situated in Wales, very beautiful place and the people are great. The weather was very wet, every day, got snowed in and couldn't go to work or school for a week, grey skies and dark in winters....I didn't enjoy the weather at all.  Mind you, being in Melbourne, on some days I feel as if I am still in the UK.......(probably gonna get banter now from other people). Since we have to stay here for 2 years, I am already now exploring where in Aus we want to move and settle down in.....originally from Pretoria I am not sure where is similar weather...Perth was an option but jobs in IT isn't in high demand.

 

Based on what you have said about hubby having a UK passport, why do you guys go to the UK, start the Aus process from there (as it might take up to 1 year) while earning GBP and when it comes through go to Aus.....give MIL the taste of you being away and maybe she will realize UK or Aus same diffs......long distance relationship lol

 

Good luck!

[ChrisH]

I'm just going to leave this here: 

 

[Fidjet]

On 11/14/2018 at 10:30 PM, RYLC said:

Okay so for me the MIL's use of emotional blackmail would make it an automatic NO from me.  If this is how she handles her closest relationships then I would stay as far away as possible (but that's just me who has gotten to an age where I won't take cr@p like that any more...)

lol. I'm the same, you gave me an ultimatum, thank you. I will now do what I want without considering you, and if my decision hurts you then BONUS! But I'm not a nice person and that part of why. 

 

They are both the first world, so most of the reasons for moving (safety, education, the future for our kids, a public system that works) you will get in both. There is so much we love about being here, some examples are:

- The fact that the buses run, not always on time (you must hear the locals complain if it is 5min late) but they work,

-Dealing with banks and stuff like that is hassle free (not always, but when compared to what we had in SA it is amazing

-Medicare, you go to a bulk billed dr and after seeing him smile at the reception lady and walk out
- We love the fact that it is safe enough for me to be able to walk alone or take my bike to the shops and have a bike when I get out, obviously use some comen sense here is still a crime but again compared to what we had in JHB it is nothing. Last week there was an announcement in our Bible study group, one of the guys there was mugged and his phone was stolen, he is fine with a small bruise under his eye. The whole group came to a standstill, people were shocked and upset by this, clearly, it is something very uncommon to them.

- People are nicer and care about each other, they talk to strangers and say hi to ou at the hops.

- Beginning of Nov there was a bushfire close to where we live, it was pretty serious. We were put on high alert and told to be ready to evacuate if need be. The wind changed direction and after a very stressful day, or two the fire was downgraded. But what I loved was how the community came together, the local community boards and Fb was flooded with messages from people offering guest rooms if we needed to evacuate, or offering to help move people and animals. some people offered to take in pets since most hotels and shelters don't allow them. There are big some big horse "stables" and schools close to where the fire was and stables on the other side of Canberra offered to help move and board the animals for free until the fire is under control. This is just two of many stories I have of "faith in humanity restored" since we moved here, It still feels unreal I would never have imagined people could care about strangers like that. 

 

I don't mean to hijack your post so I'll get back to the point. The biggest difference I think in Auz and the UK will be the weather. So how are you with cold and grey and wet? Some things to think about when you decide, what kind of things do you like doing on weekends, and what kind of holidays do you like. now witch location will allow you to have those. If you like outdoor stuff and sunlight I would say Auz if you like European travel, snow and castles then the UK. Do you have kids, or do you want if yes look at the schooling and see where and how you want your kids educated? 

We went to Scotland for a holiday and loved it there, it is so pretty and we both like castles and the history in the place. we like the people and how "rural" it is. But we went in May (start of there seposed summer, and some of the locals were complaining about it being too dry, heck the grass was even starting to look like winter grass at places) and thought we would die of the cold. We wouldn't be able to live with there winter and the constant wet and grey weather, it would make us so depressed. We will go back for a holiday and earning in $ helps with that but we wouldn't want to live there. 

[Piet1234]

Sorry @Candshow very late to this party, didnt see the question to me.

 

I lived in the UK for 10 and a half years and been in Oz 7 months now. 

 

Hard question to answer which is better as it is very subjective. 

 

For me personally I preferred the UK, but then again I am comparing my 11th year in the UK lifestyle versus my 7th month here..

Maybe in a few years time once we are settled I would prefer it here who knows. It took me a about 3-4 years to adapt to the UK but after that I loved it. So I would need to give aus a few years as well before making a judgement.

 

But in short, either one is fine and coming from SA either one is a massive step up and the correct decision.

[new2forum]

On 11/23/2018 at 3:03 PM, Fidjet said:

they talk to strangers

a smile costs more than the average house price at times, especially in capital cities