I am 31, and considering moving to Australia…

[WhereamIgoing25]

So, as the title says: I am 31 years old, currently living in London, single (actually just been dumped by someone I was dating for a few months!), no dependents and a bit fed up with life here / in the UK… and thinking of moving to Aus for a year or so.

Don’t get me wrong - I have a pretty active social life, and I am close to my family and friends - but apart from that I don’t feel like anything is keeping me here. Especially not my job / career! It wouldn’t be a permanent move (I don’t think) but I am ready for a change.

Thought I would turn to MN for some advice! I’ve never been to Aus / NZ but I’ve always had it in the back of my mind to visit / move there.

Pros? Cons? Did you do it? Would you do it if you could? Best cities to move to? Are there really spiders and snakes everywhere?

Do it! Amazing place.
I spent a year there working and travelling. Never wanted to leave! Very envious you now get 3 years!!

My top tip; don't book return flights. See where the adventure takes you. I was advised this... didn't listen as seemed too scary at the time. Should have listened!

Given your situation, I think you have very little to lose trying it. I have several friends who have done this. Some have stayed and made a life there. Some stayed a few years but ultimately came back. None regretted going.

I think as long as you don't go to Australia expecting the UK with better weather you'll be fine. Australia is a big country with its own culture which varies across the different cities and towns. And it's a long way from Europe. If your definition of culture is European you may be disappointed.

I’m in my 60s. Two of my DC’s good school friends have moved there as well as the children of two old friends. They all seem to have a great lifestyle and have progressed faster in their careers than their contemporaries in the UK.

On the downside, the desire to see family and friends absolutely dominates their holiday plans and finances as well as the plans of their families. Once you’ve factored in 2 or 3 weeks of family time a year there isn’t a lot of time or money left for seeing the rest of the world.

The other thing that seems to becoming an issue for the 30-something ex pats I know is that because the populations are smaller the dating pool is also much smaller. One very successful young professional is thinking about coming back to the UK because there are so many more outward looking, open minded potential life partners there.

I emigrated to Perth aged 43, having never set foot in Australia. My husband was born there but left when he was seven (to his eternal regret!). Anyway, it was the best decision I ever made, my only regret was we didn’t move sooner. I am not going to waste my breath even responding to the lack of culture and racist bullshit that gets trotted out every time on these threads, suffice to say my quality of life here is far better then it was in the UK and Ireland. I am going back in August for a month and wouldn’t even bother if it wasn’t for family, I don’t miss it at all.

My friend, a nurse, moved to Sydney with her DH. She’s so happy with the life they now have. She works at Sydney hospital and says that they treasure their staff. They have access to a free gym and pool. After work it’s BBQs or the beach.

My son went to NZ, intending to stay for a year, but he came back to the UK after 10 months as he said he’d done what he wanted to do, and it was enough.

he stayed in a room rented by a woman in her house and he worked as a waiter in a hotel. He found he didn’t like customer service, he’s an engineer so he quit, looked around the country a bit before heading back. He’s glad he did it.

England is so beautiful. You will be losing the national trust, the equivalent doesn’t exist in Australia.

That's a bit rich on a thread where someone (presumably British) has already showed that they think history = white European history.

My favourite 'Australia is racist' bollocks on MN came on a previous, similar thread where a poster visited briefly to see her relatives and couldn't believe the awful things they said about indigenous people. Yes her own, British expat family's racism somehow ended up being an Australian thing.

It's bushfires not wild fires btw, clearly you don't have much if any personal experience.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/
Except of course Australia's National Trust?

Nah that’s not even remotely on par.

The point was that you said it didn’t exist. It does.

Just do it! Have an adventure! I've lived in Perth 10+years and I love it - the climate, the lifestyle, the people, the healthcare, beautiful beaches.

And no, spiders and snakes are not everywhere! That really is not something to hold you back.

Search hashtags like traveloz on insta for inspiration.

Ignore all the miseries on here - go have some fun!

I moved out at 30. Lots of people come out in their 30s so you’re not alone. Will I return to the UK, who knows?

I rarely see spiders and have only seen 1 snake.

I’m Sydney based.

Come out with the idea of staying 1 year. If you hate it, go home. If you like it, you’ve got 2 more years to find a way to stay.

Do it now whilst you can still squeeze in 3 WHVs before the deadline age of 35.

No history? Backward? Sexist? ... then let's look at the historical data for Australia... There's a few world first in terms of progressiveness...

World's first universal suffrage of all adults regardless of race, sex, religion, class and property ownership - South Australia - 1894! (*)

World's first full federal suffrage for women - 1902 (NZ had voting first, but Australia included women running for office as well as voting)

World's first woman elected to parliament - 1921

World's first 8 hour day - 1856 - gave women as well as men the right to only work 8 hours per day, unbelievably important.

World's first disabled and old aged pension - 1908 - for all.

World's first universal health insurance system - 1970s (Norway made employers do it first, but this was by a government).

World's first women's hospital staffed by women doctors and surgeons - 1890s, at a time when most countries didn't even allow women to study medicine.

(* Unfortunately it took until the 1960s for Aboriginal people to get the vote in all state, federal and city jurisdictions in Australia, but they could vote in some areas from 1890s.)

And some more recent data....

Australia has the highest number of foreign born citizens of any nation that is not a tax haven, 30% - and the highest of western nations.

Australia's population is 17% Asian, highest of western nations.

UN always rates Australia as either number one or a top ten nation for:

Safety for migrants.

Nation where migrants can reach their potential.

The safest country for international students - with a special mention for African students (by UN)

The world's highest participation of immigrants in politics (by UN)

One of the best places in the world to be a woman (UN)

and one of the least corrupt countries in the world (again, UN).

So yeah, Australia has its share of dickheads, and backward, racist, sexist morons, but as a nation over all? Not worse than elsewhere in the west. Just look at the government it elected in 2025 - landslide to the Left running on a very-pro women agenda.

Melbourne is the best place to live but very expensive - Geelong or one of Victoria's other regional cities might be a good alternative.

I think I said the equivalent? That’s what I meant.

We were 31 when we moved with all our kids to a whole new country. It was the best thing we ever did. 31 is a great age to make a change and try new things in your life so just do it! Also, so is 41, 47, 53, 67, 112....it's never too late to try anything!

Admittedly, 112 is probably a bit too late to decide to emigrate. But, other than that!

Apart from the National Trust of Australia and all its equivalents in each state and territory, you mean?

It is true that Australian has been tremendously lax in preserving all its medieval castles, though. Outrageous.

Many of us would prefer to surf, sail across the Great Barrier Reef, and go dragon boating across Broken Bay every Thursday morning than look at old castles though.

Yes, Australia has a ‘National Trust’ but it’s not a ‘National Trust’ like the UK. The two are not even remotely close in terms of quality and quantity of the property and grounds you can visit - not to mention cafe/ gift shops attached.
They are simply not the same. Mottisfont, Sissinghurst, Fountains Abbey etc, endless examples of gorgeousness you will not see in Australia.

Well there is your definitive answer! You must stay in England for better gift shops!

Yes, I suppose we'll never know why Australia didn't keep its ruined monasteries from 1132. A mystery for the ages...

Pro - your english accent will add class to any gathering you attend.

It's a different country with a different culture and history. Why would it be like the UK on?