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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think those on wanted down under

146 replies

Thefishewife · 04/08/2014 20:06

AIBU to think many on wanted down under have no intention of moving to Australia and just want a free jolly

Just occurred to me watching it today after a couple who would be 700 in oz would be worse off were still struggling weather it would be a good move

OP posts:
echt · 05/08/2014 07:28

Clearly the programme is based on professed (or real) ignorance, as a quick look on domain au would give any sentient being the heads up on property in au.

We wrier amazed at the number of friends who said we'd need to ditch our winter clothes on moving to Melbourne, when a quick check on Lonely Planet says no. < and that's before you get to lamentable heating in so many Aussie rentals>

Itsjustmeagain · 05/08/2014 07:38

Dh and I always laugh watching this . We have literally no one who would make a sad video for us , the closest we would get would be my dad (who I see maybe once a year) going "do what you want " That would be it.

We have an average 5 bedroom rental here we'd probably get the same there, we don't really like beaches which puts us at odds with 99% off wanted down under families.

I wouldn't mind moving abroad simply because we have no major reason stay here but at the same time /- we have no reason to go either!

I'm also not sure we are catch of the day for Australia em either, in our 30s with 5 kids to drag with us and software developers which I'm sure Australia has many.

LetsFaceTheMusicAndDance · 05/08/2014 07:47

I know it's carefully edited but she was a real piece of work. I was willing him to grow a pair. So very manipulative. It beggars belief that they came up with a money left over figure if nwarly 2k per month and then appear to accept this as fact when it was based on so many what ifs.

TrendStopper · 05/08/2014 07:56

I can't remember if they went in the end. I think someone on the Wanted down under thread found her on facebook but I could be mistaken.

IsabellaofFrance · 05/08/2014 08:05

I think that too Trend, but I cant remember either.

She was horrible, really, really sly and mean.

lbsjob87 · 05/08/2014 08:45

different I wasn't for one second suggesting everyone who moves to Oz is shallow, in your case it makes sense and I'd do the same.
What is shallow is when they turn their back on relatives and friends who clearly love them and see them all the time, just so they can make new friends with strangers who have a pool in the garden.
There is always one family member on that show who isn't sure - I think it's quite sad to watch sometimes.

Only1scoop · 05/08/2014 08:49

I always seem to think this....you would think they would at least be in the know geographically and have done a little research if they were serious but this seldom is the case.

Always think on that escape to the sun also....they seem to search in country's where they have never even holidayed??

echt · 05/08/2014 09:01

lbsjob87
What is shallow is when they turn their back on relatives and friends who clearly love them and see them all the time, just so they can make new friends with strangers who have a pool in the garden.

Has anyone actually done this?

Or have they rather wanted to make new friends. And have a pool. And this decision means leaving relatives and friends?

Just because someone loves you and sees you all the time does not mean your wants are shallow.

ipswichwitch · 05/08/2014 09:05

It is pretty ridiculous what people expect from emigrating to Australia. I don't know where they get the idea that they will have a massive 50 bedroomed house for the endless parade of visitors, a pool, on the beach, with only one of them working 10 hours a week.

Mind you, escape to the country fucks me off too. John and Barbara want to downsize with a budget of £20 million. The house must be in a small friendly village in the middle of nowhere, right next to a big city with every possible amenity, but no actual farms nearby cos the mooing cows will be too noisy. Then the get shown an amazing, huge property with a bathroom bigger than my entire downstairs an they say "oh it's a bit poky". Yes, that's called downsizing you fuck nuggets! Then it transpires that after the programme they bought an even bigger house in Central London. Aaahhhh!

minibmw2010 · 05/08/2014 10:09

I've just had a look on the FB page for Wanted Down Under and it says they haven't moved yet, but have their visas and planned to sell the family home this summer .... Hmm

NewtRipley · 05/08/2014 10:14

ipswichwitch

I agree

DBIL and SIL went to Oz to work (nurses), with a possible view to staying a long time. They are about as outdoorsy as it gets, and really gregarious, but in the the end they came back after a year. They felt stranded there, within the country itself. They missed us, and they encountered more racism and sexism they had ever encountered before, too.

echt · 05/08/2014 10:25

Not sure that was ipswich's point, newt, but hurrah and huzza for the first citing of sexism and racism on a thread about Australia.

NewtRipley · 05/08/2014 10:27

echt

The I agree bit was to echo

The second bit was what they told us. Sorry if you've heard it before.

NewtRipley · 05/08/2014 10:28

That made no sense1 Try again:

The first bi, about agreeing, was to ipswich.

Stinkle · 05/08/2014 10:32

I'm just watching yesterday's WDU on I player.

Horrible woman.

I'm always amazed by these people who pin all their dreams on moving to a country they've never been to.

Some friends emigrated a few years ago. They had all these plans for this amazing new life. In reality they still have to go to work, take the kids to school, clean skid marks out of the toilet and go to the supermarket. Same shit, better weather.

They came back last year and have said that while they enjoyed their time there, it wasn't what they thought it would be

thecageisfull · 05/08/2014 10:33

They all start off saying they want to spend more time as a family outdoors and have a bigger house, then they find out that they can only afford a smaller house and will have to work longer hours and still be worse off but they still spin their flags around to Australia because Nikki has sent them to a park for the day and they've had a barbecue and 'this is what it's all about', because there are no parks here Hmm

The BBC should commission Wanted On Top. Sheila and Doug are looking to spend less time together and more time indoors
That would be worth the licence fee on it's own.

IsabellaofFrance · 05/08/2014 10:44

Escape to the Continent and A place in the sun are much worse.

Half of them have never even been to the country they want to go to. The other week a couple wanted to emigrate to Portugal, even though they had never been, the guy took one look at the apartment building and said it looked like something from East Germany. Thats what the apartment blocks look like in Portugal, and if you had ever been you might know that!

Or the couple who wanted to move to Spain because the weather would be better for her Arthritis, and then fell in love with a second floor apartment.

echt · 05/08/2014 10:46

Too true, cage.

I think this show should really be like "Life Laundry", and deal with the underlying issues.

I've flicked through about 6 eps and the spending time together as a family comes through every time. WTF. Sort it out in the UK. So much cheaper than coming here and finding it's the same old same old that you could have done before.

IsabellaofFrance · 05/08/2014 10:47

Actually my favourite ever one was one of the Home Or Away APITS. The Husband wanted to move to Portugal and the wife wanted to move to Wales. The Husband couldn't come on the house hunt so he sent a friend who didn't do a very good job of representing him and just kept liking everything.

VodkaJelly · 05/08/2014 10:47

I can never understand why people want to emigrate to a country they have never even visited. Madness

Some people do have good reason to want to emigrate - family who live out there, no ties to where they live now and want to move, better jobs etc, but to have not even looked it up on line? Or even realise that housing in Australia is very expensive and has been like that since the late 80's? The houses you see in Neighbours would cost an arm and a leg!

IsabellaofFrance · 05/08/2014 10:48

I do despair of people who move to Australia for an 'outdoorsy' lifestyle, because you can get that here you know!

thenightsky · 05/08/2014 10:54

The only RL person I know who moved to Australia went there to get away from her toxic mother Grin

sashh · 05/08/2014 10:54

I thought that when it was a family's second time on the show. Three years ago they decided to stay but now they are thinking of going again.

Yeah right.

Although I have just thought of a MN bingo game involving MNers getting on the show and getting points for

Looking for a house with a pool
Looking for a p/t job where you earn f/t money
Having a BBQ
Doing something outdoorsy like surfing that you can actually do in the UK
Leaving the oldest child at home

RabbitOfNegativeEuphoria · 05/08/2014 10:55

My DH emigrated to Australia when he was in his 20s. There was a freeze on academic recruitment here in the 80s and he went where the work was. He stayed about 5 years, qualified for residency and everything. Then he came back because he missed his family (who he doesn't even like that much these days). In retrospect, despite meeting me, having the kids etc, it was probably the worst decision financially he ever made (going, and then coming back). The original decision was made in haste. He has had a long time to repent at leisure.

PerpendicularVincenzo · 05/08/2014 10:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.