I regret moving (back) to Australia

[GreenestGrass]

DP and I are both Australian. We did the typical young person thing of living in the UK and had the opportunity to extend our stay through work sponsorships and make it a more permanent move. For various reasons we decided to come back home to Australia, but as time goes by both of us feel increasingly regretful of our decision for a few reasons:

-Lower cost of living. I'm not saying living in the UK is cheap but my goodness, Australia is expensive. It really hit home for us when we moved back and were hit with prices for things.
-Lifestyle - we absolutely loved being able to travel easily and the access to different parts of the world. Australia feels so far away from everywhere and again, travelling internationally from here is super expensive. Cities in Australia also feel quite 'samey' and lacking character in comparison to the UK.
-Professional opportunities - with the much smaller population size, professional opportunities here in Australia just can't compare to what we had over there.

These are just a few of the reasons but overall we just preferred living there to here, and now there's not much we can do about it as it's unlikely we'd be able to start over again and also get the work permissions we'd need to legally work in the UK again.

Has anyone ever felt similar regrets? I'm doing my best to enjoy the things life in Australia has to offer but it does feel like we missed our chance a bit here :(

colleague from NZ says exact same reasons as OP, about why he settled in UK not NZ

Have you thought about getting a bit more outdoorsy? Skiing, camping, travelling around Australia in general (have you been to Tasmania? Absolutely stunning!) lots of different hobbies too.

Getting really involved in life there and what is has to offer could be the next great adventure. That’s what life’s around right?

The obscene price of housing and rent is not coming down but wages are not going up

I agree, gingerhills, but this is the case in loads of places - property in Sydney, Toronto, San Francisco is very expensive.
Our friends in New Zealand never stop complaining about the cost of housing.
In Seoul many young people (unless rich) live in tiny bedsits no bigger than a prison cell.

I'm pretty sure the convict migration program ended over 100 years ago.

The obscene price of housing and rent is not coming down but wages are not going up

Is there anywhere, certainly in the developed world, where this ISN'T the case right now? Covid has had a global effect and so now will sanctions on Russia. Cost of living is going to be tough everywhere.

Our Aussie friends went back and lasted 6 months. They're back here in London now and much happier.

I suppose it depends on what you prefer, I am an outdoorsy person and love warm weather, I can’t tolerate the cold that well, it gets me down, so Australia sounds like a dream to me. I work in healthcare in the UK so the salary is very low for my skills and experience, we could earn a lot more in Aus. I don’t live in London and don’t visit it often, so the cultural side of the UK is not something that would keep me here. Love travelling, but travelled across most of Europe already, prefer south east Asia which is much closer to Australia and cheaper.

I think there’s not one country that’s better, they’re just different. Cost of living is rising hugely in the UK and wages are stagnant, so all things considered Australia is somewhere I’m seriously considering emigrating to in a few years.

@strugglingwithlife

I'm pretty sure the convict migration program ended over 100 years ago.

That was just the pp making a joke about 'I'd kill to live there '. I had to read it a couple of times before I twigged!

@FlowerArranger I'm intrigued, what was,wrong with California? We're going out there on holiday this year so hopefully will love it as much as you did, but what were the downsides you discovered when you moved?

OP, completely understand how you are feeling. I lived overseas (not the UK) for quite a few years. Back home now but desperately miss the life I built there. No option for me to return so just trying to make the most of being back in Aus.

Nothing wrong with California as such. The great outdoors is fantastic, but where we were was culturally very boring compared to London. Also, the weather is insanely hot from May till September - moving from one air conditioned space to another. People can be very straightlaced and interactions are often quite superficial.

But basically it boiled down to missing London.

Also, the weather is insanely hot from May till September

We're going in August! 😭

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

Also, the weather is insanely hot from May till September

We're going in August! 😭

Just be glad you're not going to Mississippi

Strugglingwithlife I think when we are on holiday though it always seems wonderful.(Not saying it isnt) but 6 weeks away in a different country with friends /family is always going to seem preferable to working ,HW and so on .I felt the same when we visited Canada to see relatives . We take a lot for granted in UK 3 or 4 weeks AL in Canada is normal and seen as quite good! Private health care is needed normally and the universities are not the same standard as ours are.

I have nothing useful to add but it's very interesting to read these perspectives.

I often think about the "what if" in terms of moving to DH's native country (not Aus) due to the better weather and regretting it as too late now (DC in secondary).

Seems grass isn't always greater but maybe when DC have flown the nest we can do 6 months in each country. Spend their inheritance 😬

It's Sydney that has the crazy high cost of living, though, isn't it? Other cities like Brisbane, Perth are much more affordable and nicer

Woukd New Zealand be an option. I have heard its a great place to live.

Have you thought about contacting an immigration consultant to see if there is any way you could come back to the UK?

I’m from New Zealand but have lived in the UK for over 20 years and would never go back to live. I have family in Australia too so have visited there countless times. I can go back to NZ to visit but look forward to coming back ‘home.’

I read an article years ago and it described returning to NZ/Australia after being away for years as a ‘culture shock’ even though it’s technically your home country. It will take time to reintegrate, although for some the feeling will never go away.

Most people on here will think you are mad because they all hate the UK: on what do you base that ex cathedra remark? Presuming to speak for everyone is quite obnoxious.

To a rather silly poster on page 1.

@midsomermurderess

Most people on here will think you are mad because they all hate the UK: on what do you base that ex cathedra remark? Presuming to speak for everyone is quite obnoxious.

Because most people on here haven't got a good word to say about the UK.

I said most, not everyone.

People on here seem to love Germany eventhough they have recently have demonstrations supporting Putin!

They think that they UK is the worst place to live.

@Ccharlotte

It's Sydney that has the crazy high cost of living, though, isn't it? Other cities like Brisbane, Perth are much more affordable and nicer

It depends what you like. Brisbane is nice enough but for me, way too hot and humid and not enough going on. Perth is absolutely miles from everywhere else and a pretty small city - which presumably is the very thing that people who live there like about it. I love Sydney as it has a great mix of people from all over the world, lots of events and things going on, beautiful beaches and bush land, great schools, a pretty reasonable climate and a large selection of jobs. It is expensive but so are most big cities. Equally, other people will prefer other places - it’s nice that we all like different things.

Is Melbourne not a great vibrant spot for arts and culture? I would love to visit someday.

My DH and I would swap places with you tomorrow. I have been reading about Australian history and geography for decades, know all about the flora and fauna and the different places and have many friends from Australia who came here to be teachers, when Australians wrote and spoke better English than the actual English.

I would go tomorrow and never come back here. It's crowded, cold, expensive and dog eat dog here. A horrible pall has descended after Covid. All the lovely green country where I live is being built on. I could do without all your stinging creatures and them giant salt water crocodiles but I would go - Just to have s-p-a-c-e and jolly people!
Hope you can make a wonderful life wherever you are.

@ContemplativeFriday

Is Melbourne not a great vibrant spot for arts and culture? I would love to visit someday.

Yes, it is. Fizzing with life. I've been here since 2006.

I can never understand why posters say Australia is boring, and they rarely say why, though I suppose if they're away from the capitals, the arty/entertainment stuff is harder to access.

OP, while I can see your problems with getting back to the UK, what about long service leave? Most companies have it, and while it's a wait, it's a fabulous perk.

@Ccharlotte

It's Sydney that has the crazy high cost of living, though, isn't it? Other cities like Brisbane, Perth are much more affordable and nicer

I think all the capitals are bonkers for CoL, if by that you mean housing, except possibly Darwin. I've just checked, you get way more bangs for your bucks there.