Leaving Canada for Oz

[Beach bum]

My wife and I left South Africa in 2003 and have been in Canada for almost three years now. We left to join family in Canada but our first choice would have been Australia. We have two young daughters (5 and 16 months) and are loath to return to South Africa, as we feel the reasons we left are still there. Since being in Canada we have really found it very difficult to get used to the climate and very long WET winters. We are currently staying in Victoria B.C. which is apparently the best part of Canada to be in as it doesn't get the extreme winter conditions, although we still find it very difficult being cooped up and indoors for 9 months of the year due to incessant rain!!

Since finding the website we have done quite a bit of reading and have also found that there is quite a lot of negative feedback about Australia from ex-South African's living there and we are worried that we are chasing our tails (so to speak) and will end up being unhappy there as well. I must be honest and say that from a weather point of view and lifestyle, Australia is much better suited to the South African way of life. We both enjoy the beach and outdoor lifestyle which is really lacking here and would really like our girls to enjoy what we did growing up, in terms of being able to swim/snorkle in the sea or just being able to run outside wearing shorts and a T-shirt.....

We have unfortunately never had the opportunity of traveling to Australia but have gone onto a lot of the websites and it looks very inviting, especially the Gold Coast, as it looks a lot like Durb's.

Would anyone know if there is someone we could contact in Australia who could guide us as to what visa we would need to apply for and with regards to the Electrical and Nursing examinations? Is there a lot of work in Australia for Electricians? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

The Beach Bum family

P.S. Haven't forgotten about the Presidential Pardon, just need to scratch through records to find out all the information. Will get onto it and get it out A.S.A.P.

Edited October 15, 2006 by Beach bum

[Allie en Urs]

HI, Beach bum & Family

Can you expand on the bad news you have read about. We are also on our why to OZ, but leaving from SA.I have read about the OZ small town problem, but coming from CT we know and understand this problem. Most people seems to have only good things to say about Perth

[Beach bum]

We have just noticed a trend that people often complain about "not fitting in" or not being accepted and battling to make friends but this could be the same in any country. We have been in Canada for the past three years and I have met a lot of mothers through my little girls school, but I can honestly say that they are friendly at school but that is where it ends - they are not very fourthcoming in socialising out of that environment. We have probably made one really good Canadian friend, other than that we tend to meet ex-South African's and socialise with them or family.

My husband and I also worked in the UK for two years and found the English a lot friendlier and easier to get on with than the Canadian's, in that we had so much more in common. In Australia I think the way of life and common sport interests etc are very similar to those in South Africa and at least it is something we have in common, whereas Canada is more geared towards winter sports and indoor activities - things we are not accustomed to.

I really feel that if you go to Australia with a positive attitude and embrace the change in lifestyle, you would be happy - it will always be very difficult to leave SA (we still have family there and miss the country tremendously), but can never see ourselves going back at this point.

We are also currently trying to get across to Australia - perhaps we will see you there!!

We wish you the best of luck and happiness in your venture.

Regards,

BB

[Queensland Girl]

Hi Beach Bum Family

It is all so personal -this fitting in business- so I can only tell you about MY personal experiences.

The Gold Coast is the fast growing area. MOST of the people who live here come from somewhere else.

To find a born an bred Gold Coaster is like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Most of my Ozzie friends come from down south (Sydney/ melbourne)

As I said-huge SA community, most of my friends are from Durban and Pretoria. Funny that?

Ozzies are VERY friendly. They only get upset when you compare their great country to your great country of origin . They are accepting of you as long as you are accepting of them. If you are a "when we" they will not be your friend. They feel that you have made a choice to be here, you have been invited in graciously, so if you whinge and compare-well- "mate-go back!"

They love whinging-and you are allowed to whinge-but not to compare.

We have been here for five years and we are very happy. The lifestyle is Durban . The weather is very Durban. We have areas here exactly like Shongweni, Bothas Hill, Kloof. Also areas like Umhlanga, Ballito, Durban central. You will immediatly be struck by the familiar.

Schools are also similar to SA. Uniforms, 4 terms, school sports.

Rygby, Cricket, Athletics, Swimming, Cross Country, Rowing, Touch, Soccer.

[Guest Sunshine Sister]

Hey there Beachbum,

- On your question of how to register as an electrician, I have managed to find you some QLD specific information please click here.

From a forum on electricity and related issues I also found the following :

For Tradespeople moving here from the UK or South Africa, trades-people need to provide evidence of their qualifications, pass a Regulations Exam and a Practical Assessment.

Also, to get a Practicing Licence, you have to do Refresher courses in First-Aid and Testing.

- For work as an electrician in QLD I have managed to find the following jobs.

Or click here for more jobs

As we do have qualified nurses on our forum, I am going to leave the nursing questions for them to answer.

I'm sorry that I am not really knowledgeable on electricians nor QLD but hope the info above might help a little.

Will get back to you later on the fitting in and making friends in Australia question.

Enjoy your day and good luck with the rain !

Love

SS

[Bob]

My wife grew up on the beach, shifting when she was 5 yrs old to the house that her Dad built a few miles away from the farm, where her family had lived for many years previously.

It seems that those born and brought up by the beach have a hard time in their lives to live away from it.

Ginnie loves to get into her wetsuit and snorkel around the rocks and seaweed. We often go to a reef, looking at the multi-coloured fish in their hundreds that make it like a gigantic aquarium. The fish seem as curious about these two clumsy monsters swimming into their backyard as we are to look at them. On land, she is delving into nooks and pools to see what the tide has washed up and left behind . . . . starfish, snails, etc.

Give her a beachside feed of crab or crayfish (lobster) and she picks at every little piece she can crack open.

I am a gypsy at heart, always wanting to keep shifting from one spot to another and wanting to try life in one town or the next. Whenever I suggest we stay a week or three in an inland location, there is some subconscious objection to the idea. If I were to suggest a stay on the beach for a week or fortnight, she is in the car . . . . and waiting!

Australia offers beach bums more than one choice of Ocean. There is the Pacific Ocean which is like the Indian Ocean off Sth Africa . . . . a warm current, moisture laden leaving the inland areas green and verdant.

The other choice is Australia's Indian Ocean fed by the Benguela Current which is like the South Atlantic . . . a colder current, drier and leaving its hinterland sunny and dry for most of the year.

The Pacific washes Australia's eastern seaboard and the beaches of Queensland and northern New South Wales would be excellent choices to surf, swim and paddle around in for kids.

Western Australia gets washed by the cooler Indian Ocean and has some stunning beaches . . . . pure white sands for as far as the eye can see! You can surf, swim and snorkel to your hearts' content there like most Western Australians do!

Ok . . . . enough raving about the wet stuff!

Electricians and nurses are both in short supply all over Australia. You'd just about be able to pinpoint which suburb you would enjoy living in with those two skills under your belts.

Approach the Nursing Registration Board and the Electrical Registration Board of the respective State or Territory that seems to suit your lifestyle after you've done your homework on the cost of living, schooling, etc. there.

As far as fitting in goes, Aussies are sports mad like Sth Africans and host barbeques occasionally after cricket matches, pub evenings after Rugby games (usually Rugby League, that is!). Get involved in the local community by volunteering in the local voluntary Fire Brigade, St.John's Ambulance, Surf Life Saving, local school Parents & Friends, Rotary club and, especially, the local Church.

If you don't come across one or two Aussies that welcome you, I should be very surprised.

You have to remember that you are the ones "gate-crashing" the party and Aussies already have their network of mates and family set up, so friends won't come knocking at your door from Day One. Good friendships are about experiences and times shared together, so time is the factor here. It can take years to form the sort of friendship that is really deep and close, but only by shared experiences is this possible.

That is the basic discontent of South Africans in living in Australia, and I suspect, everything else in life gets coloured accordingly.

Others might disagree, but this is only a personal finding.

[Riekie]

We had the conversation about being happy where you are just yesterday. I personally found that you basically get 3 kinds of emigrants (actually, more, but these are the most common from what I've encountered):

You get the "let's go for it, come hell or high water" ppl who will make a decision, go for it, and make it work. They are usually very determined and realistic ppl who can deal with anything coming their way. They'll stick to their guns and bite the bullet. Seldom will they admit their doubts or moments of regret and will only share them with the ppl close to them. They realistically acknowledge that no place on earth is perfect and that they will have to contribute to creating their own happiness and eventually will live & experience that happiness.

You also get the "happy go luckies". No matter where in the world they are, they could not be bothered. Happy as can be, no matter what their circumstances. They tend to be very care-free and often borders on being too naïve about the reality of their lifestyle. Whether they choose to stay put or move on, they take it in their stride and see everything as an adventure! These ppl can deal with whatever comes their way by simply ignoring it, laughing about it, or jumping on the wave and riding it! They are true citizens of the world!

Then you get the "les miserable's"….. No matter where in the world they are, they will always find something to complain about. They can never be content or satisfied. They always wonder about the grass on the other side of the fence. Seldom do thy even see the positives of their current situation or make an attempt to contribute to their own happiness. They will either not live in one place for long or, if forced to do so (due to circumstances) will make no secret about their feelings and are very verbal in voicing their opinion on all the negatives. They will very seldom find happiness anywhere.

All of us have different reasons for emigrating (not only from RSA, but from wherever we come from, to wherever we're going to). Be it business reasons, education for our children, employment, crime, the weather, the culture – whatever – there's nothing wrong in living in a number of countries until you find the one you can call home – even if "home" is back in RSA. The vital thing to remember is that you can not expect to go anywhere in this world and be served happiness on a gold platter.

The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love and something to hope for (Allan K Chalmers).