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?

I am Australian so I love it. I tried to live in London and the constant grey of London was depressing. Tell us more about what you like or want to do in Oz.

Friends went a couple of years ago and have zero regrets. If I were younger and had a required skill I'd be considering it too. They are on Northern Beaches, outside Sydney, and the wildlife isn't an issue even with a dog.

You will have all the Little Englanders on this thread fuming, before they start on snakes again.

People playing the racism card against Australia? Are you blind to it in the UK? It’s rife and not even that well hidden anymore.

Do it. A colleague of mine did it for a year, supply teaching and farm work on vineyards (I think so many hours of farmwork is a compulsory thing with the visa but I could be wrong).

She had a fantastic experience, met friends for life, came back, met her now DH and settled down near her family, but she got that ‘what if’ bug out of her system while she could. You’re young with no ties at the minute - go and live your life!

What is wrong anyway with being the main character in your own life?And I’ve lived in Oz since 2013 and only seen a couple of Huntsmen, none of them in my house.

Re: my comment about Australia lacking history which I found was important to me - I'm talking about the built enviromnent. Of course Australia has ancient history but it's the environment you walk through on a daily basis, I'm talking about.

I would add, if you have the option of trying it for a couple of years I'd go for it -definitely!

I haven’t read all the comments but remember you can always come back if you don’t like it.

I spent a year in Oz in my twenties and it was one of the best years of my life. Been back a few times since on holiday and I always love it. I have a lot of Ozzie friends who are some of my best friends.

Maybe say to yourself you’re going to go for 2 years? (I think you can get a young person’s visa for 2 years tho you may have just missed the cut off). Then it’s not permanent move for ever.

The kind of work you do is important and will help your quality of life as it’s not cheap in the east coast cities in Australia. And if you’re an outdoor person - don’t even mean long hikes - but just walks, the sea, boats, being in the garden - you will get more out of it in the long term than if you like museums, art galleries type way of life. Tho there is theatre culture shows and amazing food.

a few of my friends’ children have recently emigrated on medical visas as Doctors and they’re loving life too.

wishing you luck whatever you decide!! X

I do just love the self-absorption of so many PPs who assume that, because they are babies who can’t handle the sight of perfectly beautiful snakes and spiders, no-one can.

Most people aren’t reduced to quivering messes at the sight of small creatures just trying to live their lives without bedwetting humans carrying on like wallies.

Me too in my late 20's after returning to the UK from backpacking there. Took a year to get processed for residency on the points system back in the UK. I went again to 'activate' my visa and came to the conclusion that it's great to be on holiday there but living there no. Suburban Australia dreary and homogeneous, think Kath and Kim in a soul-less shopping centre. Antique shops had stuff from only a few decades ago, Out of town shopping warehouses and cinemas. More like America than the UK. Miles from any interesting countries, No European city break weekends etc. Take the weather away and it seemed was bland. City life might be better if you can afford it and that's your thing. Or alternatively an outback life for a complete change. Like everywhere it has its own problems. Go, have a great working holiday but don't be confuse that holiday feeling with how it would be if permanently there. I have 2 sets of relatives of different ages who did migrate there permanently in different decades for different reasons, Both with some permanent regrets and longings for the UK but away too long to up sticks, return and start over.

It was the best thing I ever did. Do it! I went to Sydney. It’s like a dream in comparison to this utter pile of poo that is the UK.

Go for it, it doesn't have to be forever. We only regret the things we don't try if you don't like it come back

Definitely do it. The big life change will be invigorating. Now's the time for you so grab it.

I can't advise on the Australia part but I think that travel/living abroad is never a waste of time or money. You will change and grow and learn no matter how it turns out. My only caution is to not make the move impulsively or in an effort to outrun difficult emotions or experiences, because they will only follow you there. Also I am sorry to hear about your breakup. Good luck!

We do walk through our history on a daily basis. Ancient land that's been preserved since before the Ice Age. Because the people who lived in it for 99% of history only used what they needed to live, and took care if it for the next person. They didn't fence it all off, give it to the rich then build on/plough every last inch of it for personal profit.

Pretty much every Australian is no more than a short trip away from a piece of land like that. To spend time on it, imagining how it was used tens of thousands of years ago and seeing the traces of that life, understanding the wisdom and stories (good and bad) of the people who cared for it so well for so long, is something really special if you choose to open your eyes to it.

A different life in an English-speaking ex-colony? Different?

I say do it. I moved abroad in my early 20s for 15 months (not Australia). One of the best experiences of my life and I have so many happy memories of that time. I left home with the attitude that I'd give it 6 months no matter what to give it a chance. It was never going to be a permanent move, just the opportunity to experience something new.

I naively thought I'd have more opportunities in my late 20s to live abroad - including in Australia, where I have a lot of family. But life quickly got in the way. I could have tried to move at your age (career getting established by then, was single) but the move down-under which had seemed so desirable in my 20s felt too far by 32. Partly this was realising that my parents were getting older combined with me hoping to meet a partner at some point and not wanting that to be in Australia (like a PP I didn't want to be 'trapped' abroad).

Having a lot of family there (aged from babies to in their 80s) I don't see the country through rose tinted glasses, but I still think it could be a great place to spend some time. (And in my 3 visits - totalling 5 months in total - I only saw one truly huge spider!).

I've lived in both countries (DH Australian). A year passes quickly so I wouldn't worry too much but visit both if you can before making a decision. For a longer term move, I would advise against NZ. For us, quality of life is far better in the UK than either of those countries though, so remember that the grass isn't always greener. Good luck and have fun!

Give it a go. I wouldn’t go on an all out permanent move initially, but you can go for a while and see what you think.

I went out there in my late twenties to check it out as I had a desire to move there. I decided it wasn’t for me but I’m glad I visited and made a proper, considered decision, so there were no regrets.

I think the poster was talking about architecture and historic buildings.

If you don’t want to settle there, and do want a family, then I think it’s bad timing. In a year or so you’ll be encroaching mid 30s so you’ll be looking to TTC. So when will you meet someone? If in Aus, then you’ll need to stay there.

Australia isn’t a magic bullet - do you just need a change/challenge?

Are you serious? Of course it’s different, and thank god for that!😁

That's quite easy. Just move to the UK first before having a baby.

I have been and i have several family members that live there. I have also moved overseas, albeit with kids in tow.
I always say you will never regret travelling, but you could regret not giving it a go.
You can always move back if you dont like it.
I absolutely love auatralia.
One thing to note is that you think everyone travelling, backpacking and moving kverseas for work are going to be 21 years old in reality people are doing this in their 30s and 40s and even 50s and even 60s now.
When I went I did a backpack route around thailand and then went to sydney and travelled around australia from there.
The cities and climates are really different as the land mass is so big, so its worth exploring a little first.
My cousin has just moved back after spending 20 years in London ( she was born i oz and moved to london when she was 23). She ljves in sydney by the beach, morning swims with turtles is her thing atm. I get daily updates :))