to just not understand 'Wanted Down Under'

[AtYourCervix]

All these people wanting to move 'To improve the quality of life'

but every one has older children refusing to go, partners with 'major concerns' and extended families devastated at the thought of families so far away.

Why? I don't get how this could Improve their lives.

Enlighten me.....

Yes, we are extremely lucky in the UK.

I agree. It's like they think their life will be like Home and Away. Surely they could move somewhere else in the UK. I would say 90 percent or more do it for the weather. I never forget one guy who said having a pool was the deal breaker to going over there or staying in the UK! !

I know MrMuscles....

Well said giddyaunt, well said indeed! I'll borrow that next time my Kiwi family needle me about life in 'Coronation Street'. They are particularly smug at this time of year so that little ditti will do nicely, thank you.

I'm glad it's not just me that hates this program.

It's sets up unrealistic ideas of this dream country with perfect jobs, perfect weather I'll give them that perfect people and you can maintain family relationships via the Internet not

It smacks to me to the grass is always greener with knobs on

I'm from NZ and it is a bit like 1950's UK, although to be fair I can't say that for sure as not having been alive then. Or in the UK.

I would tell anyone moving to NZ to think carefully, and not sell their house here. Living costs are huge, salaries are low and career advancement can be difficult due to low options.
And there's no Waitrose. Or Radio 4.

Maybe not the weather after all as it gets to 40C in some areas and you get wildfires

But hey, if you love talking about rugby and how much your Auckland house has shot up in value over the past 5 years with men gathered around the BBQ in shorts swathed in sunscreen whilst wifey is tossing the salad inside talking about how well Jonny is doing at school....you will LOVE it!

Plus so many people seem to come back. I watched a wanted down under and one family had moved back and fourth from the UK to Oz. Insane! I'm sure a lot think life is like Home and Away and having a pool. I suppose the reality wouldn't make for good tv.

Wanted down under does shock me a bit.
The sheer ignorance.
But also, the predictability.
I don't think I'd leave my family for anything blah blah blah.
Oh this is a nice house.
so much fun being outdoors.
higher salaries.
My family would miss me terribly I can't go
a few grand a year better off after you take into account the cost of living,
Money is shiny, Lets go!
Basically every episode summed up well.
When you move abroad you take risks, so you have to research and plan the best you can.
What if employers don't value your UK experiences due to differences in job roles?
What if your qualifications aren't worth the paper they're written on?
What if you can't find a sponsor after being stupid enough to book 4 grands worth of flights for your visa, if applicable?
when you get there, what would happen if a family member in the UK fell ill?
If you're going over via a partner visa, what are you going to do if you split up in the application period?
If you buy a house, what if you all want to come back after a year or two...?
What if you can't find a job for 6 months?
What if you're injured on the first few weeks/months you're there and are unable to work - how would you live?
What if your wife/husband/children are very unhappy and will not settle?
So many things to take into account and thats without the thousands you'll need for flights, visa applications (a partner visa alone is about 7000AUD if memory serves me well), any money you're required to have to live on? So many overlook this, if you live in a rented 2 up 2 down and earn 25k a year how on earth will you raise the amount of money required to emigrate permanently with your family?
Its easy enough if you go out on a working holiday if under 30, but a bit useless if you're over 30 and have a partner and children. Thats when it gets expensive.
I know my x IL's (live in QLD from UK) plus 3 kids, saved 30,000GBP for the whole process, by the time they got to australia, they had about 14k left to live on until they found employment after the cost of visas, shipping their furniture etc etc.

Family member has moved to Oz because her boyfriend wanted to and she doesn't want to lose him. Never visited, the 4 of them go (inc kids), it's lovely scenery but money doesn't go far and beaches are an hour or more whereas they lived on the coast here. Can't understand why we're not all flying out to visit asap.

My family live in Queensland. The don't sun bathe, they always seek the shade, they wear rash vests/wet suits in the sea. The only people in the sea in bikinis or sun bathing are tourists. They never sit around their pool in the day as sun too dangerous. Jump in after work when it's 35c+. Watch TV most evenings in air conned house , bed by 9 as sun is up v early and work long hours. No old houses or palaces of interest etc. I love our seasons, yes even winter, makes me appreciate spring and summer even more. Not one bit interested in Australia.

wow stayathomedaddy46 have you been to NZ by any chance? LOL

Yeah, that exactly. And having to go to New World and fool yourself it's a decent supermarket.

But I do miss the beaches, but South Island ones thank you very much. And some of the food. But not the prices.

The "Doing it because our kids deserve a good life" mob annoy me. What's so wrong about the UK? Are all our children in some kind of dystopic hell

My relatives family have all been sunburnt many times already, despite sunscreen. Don't even ask about the puppy they bought here before they went and the cost of shipping her and her older sibling on a plane!!

The "Doing it because our kids deserve a good life"

Yes, a 'better' life, better opportunities'. No - just different ones.

Even if the cost of living comes out as more, they still vote Australia. Even if they can't afford it or they'd be killing themselves to break even, they're still giddily thumbing up Oz. Each to their own and all that but I don't really see it. I think half of them just use the show as a free holiday.

Its a harsh land and can be very oppressive. That is the reality.

i got to go sailing and diving every summer and play out back in fields etc in NZ. But here we can do that too, and I can take them to see actual real history and fab science museums and all the cultural things I could only dream of in NZ.
If you want to move to NZ, go to north norfolk. Good coffee, remote and lovely beaches. Better pubs too.

Is gay marriage illegal there?

This is quite cathartic. Also, the TV is very poor there. The news very insular, not really concerned with world news unless it affects Australia. Radio only plays the latest music. My sister in law commented on a recent visit that Radio 2 played so much from 80s and 90s. She said you just don't hear it there. Sounds very superficial to me. Sorry to any Australians reading this but I do feel the balance needs to be redressed.

Everyone on this show thinks they are going to buy a mansion for £3.50 and get change.
Years ago the exchange rate was very good for anyone selling a house in GB in pounds and buying in Aus in Dollars but it's not the same now and nobody seems to have looked at that before coming up with their plan to move.

It is a "show" i.e. made for entertainment, and terribly formulaic. I can only watch it on catch up so as to fast forward through the dross including the patronising twaddle from the presenter.

My favourite bits are the "whinging relatives back home" video - they are always so small mindedly predictable; also the inevitable squeals of delight and girly giggles from the wife character upon discovering the walk in wardrobe like she's something off a Paris catwalk who's got a shed load of gorgeous clothes to store (none of which she appears to have brought with her on this trip).

to be fair my now DH went to NZ and bought a house for one years salary (shite house though), we managed to sell for 3x the value 5 years later because the house prices sky rocketed.

It used to be a cheap place to live. No longer.

And yeah, the TV is shite. Crap USA shows.

Flownthecoopkiwi, New World was always a tiny overpriced place ay!
Watched 'Boy' last week. The East Coast of the north island in the 80s...you gotta be Kiwi to get it.