Jill Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 We also chose to have no one at the airport and felt it was better that way. We had a huge lunch at the spurs with our friends, said goodbye to what family was left in SA the day before we flew and took a taxi to the airport. It certainly helped...I was just sitting here remembering that day, almost 5 years ago now...wow... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammi Posted July 9, 2012 Report Share Posted July 9, 2012 Hey guys! Well our visas have been approved, we will be arriving in Brisbane @ the end of August, I am in two minds about who I want @ the airport to bid the final farewells! HELP!!!!!! ( this has got to be the most heart wrenching decision ever!!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaS Posted July 9, 2012 Report Share Posted July 9, 2012 I travelled alone with the kids to Sydney, as my husband was already here. In my opinion, it was way better to say goodbye to family and friends the night before and then we caught a shuttle to the airport. A work friend joined me for lunch at the airport and helped with luggage and handling kids. It was far less traumatic and made it more of an adventure for the kids, rather than a "snot and trane session. Good luck to all the new arrivals, its hard but worth it in the end x. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAD Posted July 10, 2012 Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 Thank you AAAZR, that is so kind of you to offer to be the Welcoming Committee but alas we are flying to melbourne. Deroche our family have also always seen each other off whenever any of us fly off, so like you I know it will be difficult but I would not have it any other way.To those of you who disagree, I understand what you are saying but I want the mayhem of having many people around. So if anyone is flying off on 9 Aug from ORT, I apologize in advance for "the mayhem crowd" lol....Sure there will be lots of tears but Linda, sweety, I don't think it would traumatic ( oh and btw, Welcome to the Forum). Anyway with our families we could not stop them even if we wanted to....lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAD Posted July 10, 2012 Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 Ooops, sorry Sammi and Jaques, Welcome to you two as well.....I am sure you will find this forum as insightful as I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammi Posted July 10, 2012 Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 Hehehe thanks RAD! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Voogt Posted July 10, 2012 Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 Thanks RAD and thanks for liking my my post.The Big 3 0 Party spot is booked and invites are out. It is in October... still so far.I might take AAAZR up on her offer when we do our LSD later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisd Posted July 12, 2012 Report Share Posted July 12, 2012 Holy moly, we are saying good by to my mother in law,mother and Nana in 4weeks time as she leaves to go back to the UK, ahead of us, and in 8 weeks time we do it all again to my family and friends this time its us leaving.Im sure my wife is going to have a heart attack.Whats the best ,go it alone to the airport, or have everyone there.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slabbert Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 I had just my immediate family (parent and siblings) at the airport. I cannot remember anything as by that time I was on autopilot from so many emotional goodbyes over the previous monthbut according to my teenage sons I sobbed the whole way from getting out the car to taking my seat on board. So a trail of my tears lay through departure & customs(almost like breadcrumbs to find my way home?)I would not have done it any differently for my own personal reasons - my family has always seen eachother off when one of us was emigrating or going travelling (2 brother have emigrated previously)and they needed the final step ie physical airport departures area to make it real for them - so sometimes its not so much what we feel is best for us but rather what is best for those we leaving behind.Plus my kids were fine with all the emotional scenes (they had seen several over the previous month anyway) and being that bit older they could appreciate that I was saying goodbye to my family and that I was sad. It also prepared them for all the tears they saw the first 3 months of settling in when I was so homesickSo its a very personal choice - should be based on your and your family needs as a whole - either way you gonna have that big emotional farewell scene so good luck to you all who are leaving shortlyPS/went back last year for our first visit and when we left SA we had big smiles on our faces knowing we were coming back home to aussie - so very different departure area scene 4 years on 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynnie Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 Hey guys! Well our visas have been approved, we will be arriving in Brisbane @ the end of August, I am in two minds about who I want @ the airport to bid the final farewells! HELP!!!!!! ( this has got to be the most heart wrenching decision ever!!!!!Hi Sammi,We have been in Brisbane for more than a year now and loving it!!! It is a personal choice what to do at the airport - we did not have anyone there except for my brother in law who drove us... would have been too emotional for us and my parents in law... Let me know when you arrive in Brisbane and we can get together if you like? Pm me if you are keen :ilikeit: Good luck for the final stretch, it is SO worth it!!! :ilikeit: :ilikeit: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammi Posted July 13, 2012 Report Share Posted July 13, 2012 Hi Lynnie, I am so looking forward to it, although I am sad about leaving family and friends behind I know we are gonna be ok! Are u on facebook? Wanna add as many friends from Brisbane as possible! Meeting up for coffee will be great, gonna need all the support once we there! Someone to show us the ropes hehehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisd Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 Well the 4 weeks have come and gone,my mother in law/friend ,mother, Nana has left us, she has finally arrived in the UK after 42 years in RSA, man it was hard, there were tears for africa, the rain we had on the way home seemed a drop in the ocean,my wife leaving her mother and my kids Nana leaving us, it seemed all ok the 1 hour before but then nana decided enough was enough and wanted to go thru customs, thats when the heavens opened. my wife and I have made the decision it is going to be a NO FAMILY FRIENDS ZONE, sounds selfish, I could not go thru that again, we are off in 4 weeks to Gold Coast so anyone leaving from OT airport lets hook up for a coffee at the airport, 7/8/09/2012 date still to be confirmed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miraclebabycaw Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Awww shame Chris, I can imagine how sad that was for you. It's been a very heart wrentching time for us as well with my mom because she lives with us and is totally dependant on us both emotionally and financially. We had to make the hard choice not to put her on our visa when we did the application because she has emphysema. It's not too bad but we could just not run the risk of them denying our application because of this. We have since then been sitting with choices on how/what to do with her to get her to Oz (I'm an only child so that makes it easier for us). She is British as well and said that she would go back to the UK. She has also been out here since 1964 and is 75 years old. It killed me inside. We have hopefully come up with a plan for her to come with us, but still not sure how it is all going to work out so we might still be sending her back to the UK for a while to live. It's really sad for them when they have no one else. My dad died when I was 3 and there has only been her and I since then, so it's extremely hard. Will your MIL not be able to move to Oz with you at some stage?We also have made the decision no family. It will definitely be hard enough and we will have a lunch for all friends and a big early birthday party for my son on the 24th Nov (we leave the 4th Dec) but that will be it. I know I will be in tears at the airport as it is, but don't want to prolong the agony and also let the kids see how "sad" we are to be leaving the family. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynnie Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Hi Lynnie, I am so looking forward to it, although I am sad about leaving family and friends behind I know we are gonna be ok! Are u on facebook? Wanna add as many friends from Brisbane as possible! Meeting up for coffee will be great, gonna need all the support once we there! Someone to show us the ropes heheheHi,Hope you are doing well and looking forward to your new adventure here in Oz :ilikeit: Let me know when you arrive, we must definitely meet up :ilikeit:Good luck with the final stretch... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisle Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Damn post natal hormones. I cried after reading all these posts. I am dreading the goodbyes and I haven't even applied for my visa yet lol. How pathetic am I??? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLockie Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Damn post natal hormones. I cried after reading all these posts. I am dreading the goodbyes and I haven't even applied for my visa yet lol. How pathetic am I???HI LisleYou not pathetic. I also feel so sad at the thought of leaving loved ones. This is probably the reason why my hubby (and me partially) have been pfaffing with the idea of immigrating and just not getting it done. but thankfully, we are now determined to acquire an OZ visa, i wish you well with your application. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizM Posted August 16, 2012 Report Share Posted August 16, 2012 Lisle I feel the same - and my family are in Oz! The thought of saying goodbye to my in-laws (including brothers & sisters-in-law), nieces, nephews, friends and our wonderful wonderful nanny. Her saying goodbye to the boys is what makes me the most teary in fact Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisd Posted August 16, 2012 Report Share Posted August 16, 2012 holy moly 3 weeks to go,Shona,let your mum go back until you are all settled, then apply for her to come over , she will be safer there than in RSA, well that was our thought behind our move, leaving to defend for herself while we are over there, was not an option.She has been back for 10 days already got her pension travel pass and her pension money has gone up and housing people are going to visit her to arrangea house or some type of accomodation, wow.....Still got things to do,and they seem to pop up all the time, things we thought need not to be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChantelTHL Posted August 17, 2012 Report Share Posted August 17, 2012 I am also dreading the good-byes at the Airport. If all goes well, we will be flying to Sydney in the last week of December. Hopefully most pple will be on leave or on holiday and will ignore us. I have planned a huge farewell party to coincide with my 39th Birthday in December and hopefully that will please very one.Unfortunately, does not matter what my wish would be for the final goodbyes, some pple won’t respect that and WILL pitch at the airport. Maybe I should give them the wrong date …. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisd Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 Hi everyone,so much has happened in 3 weeks,we have just put our little loved ones in a safe, caring enviroment at Keringa, awesome place,clean and friendly, we unfortunaely had to put our old fellow Stinga down today, what a heart renching moment, it was the hardest thing that I and my wife had to do ever, we felt so guilty, but we new in our hearts that it was for his best being and not ours, he was old and frail,keeping him alive for ourselves was not fair, he will never be forgotten,"you go boy"-I love you.Anyway come this weekend its all goodbyes to the other side of the family and friends, that will be another sing song, thats why no family at the airport.Only 10 sleeps as a friend has reminded us.Any one flying on the 7 September see you at OT airport on the SA7700 flight.Regards Chris 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miraclebabycaw Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Shame Chris, not nice when you have to have them put down. I understand how you feel. We have had to have 4 of ours put down over the past 3 years due to various illnesses. We have one more old lady that is still with us. Come end November we are going to have to make a very hard decision. She's 16 already and could go to my MIL for the rest of her short life but is already going blind and deaf and I think she will pine terribly as she follows me around all the time. You have to do what is best for them as sad as it is.Not much time now...Hope the next 9 days fly by and you'll soon be on that plane saying goodbye to your old life and hello to your new life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JellyTots Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 My sympathies Chris, we had to put our Labbie (she was over 12 and had had a few strokes) down about 3 months ago and then our Jack Russell (she had cancer) a month after that. I was heartbreaking!All the very best with your move, hope the goodbyes are not too bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyHaggett Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Had a good cry when reading Chris' post . My labbie has throat cancer and epilepsy and we were going to put her down before we left but fortunately a wonderful family has fallen in love with her and she will go there once we pack up. They fetch her every weekend for walks and visits to their house so at least by the time she goes it will be familiar for her but still heart breaking for me.!! Our Jack Russell left for his new home a month ago and is very settled and happy I still cry every day as I miss him soooooo much. We felt it would be too loney for him on his own in quarantine. It has been the only con about our immigrating. Saying good bye to family will be the other. We have decided we wont have anyone at the airport as its just so emotionally draining.Thinking of you Chris and Tracey we are not too far behind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.