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Living overseas

Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

moving to Oz possibly.

8 replies

lemonsherbet · 25/11/2010 17:00

My husband has been offered a job in Sydney. This came as a bolt out the blue. He does have cousins over there but is a UK citizen.

A few questions. I was hoping someone might answer.

a) What is it like? Any regrets? What do you wish you had known?

b) How does the health system work? We are thinking about having a baby in the near future?

c) How easy is it to make new friends?

Thanks for any advice.

OP posts:
BonzaBlue · 25/11/2010 19:35

Hello - I am here. I really enjoy it. We moved to the Central Coast as DH works in Newcastle sometimes and sometimes in Sydney so it is central btwn the 2.

No regrets - just wish the house has a pool, saving up to have one put in !

You have to register and get a medicare card, you do pay to go to the drs ... not sure of all the ins and outs (sorry!)

I am struggling to make friends - have a few knitting friends who meet up sporadically. But as my 2 catch the bus to school I don't meet mums and I am a SAHM too which doesn't help !

Not much help - but shout out if you want a chat !

chloeb2002 · 26/11/2010 08:06

Dont live in sydney.. brisbane but...
a) No regrets.. great place to live and work!
b) I had ds here 6 month after we arrived. Great health service. reciprocal health with the uk so you dont pay for required treatment.. like maternity care and drs. I pay up front for my dr sometimes and other times they bulk bill so they get paid directly and i dont loose the gap! normally drs cost about 40$ and i get 30 ish back.
c) Best way to make friends is to have a job. Wel thats my experience as most women in aus work..just like the uk.. even a couple of days a week will get you out the house and into civilisation!

ninedragons · 26/11/2010 08:15

Without wishing to be overly blunt, what sort of level is your DH's job?

I am in Sydney and seriously considering moving to Hong Kong, because Sydney is so mind-bogglingly expensive (and we earn what would be regarded on MN as excellent money). Melbourne is quite a bit more affordable, if your DH has a choice.

If he's on a huge salary, you'll have a blast. If not, life could be a lot less fun and carefree than you imagine.

Health system is free at point of use and excellent.

BonzaBlue · 26/11/2010 08:43

That is why we live on the Central Coast - DH commutes on the train ... so he does some work on the train too.

Would not be able to afford the suburbs of Sydney !

Eralc · 26/11/2010 09:59

We have been here in Sydney 9 months now. As the others said, it depends on the salary, and also on the visa you will be moving over here on.

We are here on a temporary visa (a 457), which means that we are not really regarded the same as citizens or permanent residents, and so the answers to some of the questions may not be true depending on what visa you would have. We are also only here for 2 years, rather than forever.

a) I would be lying to say we had no regrets - I really miss being able to visit family easily, which is probably made worse by it being the run up to Christmas. However, with skype and cheap phone calls, it's nowhere near as bad as it could be. Other than that, we love it here - if I could move all my family and friends out here, we wouldn't ever go home. It's a really nice city, and if you choose your location carefully, the transport isn't too bad either. There's loads to do and see, which means that you can be really busy if you want to be! It is very expensive - both to rent and to buy (there's no way on Earth we could afford to buy in the city),but it depends a bit on where you are used to living in the UK - if you have been living in London, the house prices probably wouldn't seem too awful. General cost of living (for food etc) is quite high, but eating out and petrol are cheaper.

I wish we had know how ultra competitve the rental market really is - findign somewhere to live was a bit of a nightmare, and you really do have to compromise if you want to find somewhere within a reasonable time. It's also quite strange being so far from anywhere that isn't Australia - I know that a lot of people find it hard that they can't just pop on a plane for a few hours and end up somewhere very different.

b) We are entitled to reciprocal medicare because of our visa, which means that any immediate or essential healthcare is covered. Because of this, my current pregnancy has been free through the public health care system, and so far, I can't fault them at all - they have been brilliant despite some complications with the pregnancy. When we go to the GP, it's $60 an appointment, and we can claim $30 of that back through medicare. If you aren't entitled to reciprocal medicare, then whether or not you get medicare cover depends (as far as I know) on how much you earn, and most people seem to have private cover, which I know very little about (we have private cover, but it's not Australian, os will be different)

c)I have found it a bit slow to make new friends - it's getting better now, and I am meeting people more through playgroups etc, but it has taken a long time. Having said that, I am quite a shy and quiet person - I think if you were more outgoing, it wouldn't be so hard.

gregssausageroll · 28/11/2010 15:37

I can't add much to the above but if it is a 457 visa you will be applying for please make sure your decision to go is not clouded by moving to Sydney. A 457 is a very unpredictable visa class and please remember, if your husband is made redundant or anything happens to his role you have 28 days to find another job or get out of the country.

Do have a decent lifestyle you need to have a look at all the costs from rental to bills and food etc. You will be surprised how expensive it is.

Not trying to put you off but is isn't as simple as 'moving to sydney'

sunnydelight · 29/11/2010 03:55

We've been in Sydney over 3 years now (we became citizens a few months back) and my only regret is not coming sooner. We have three kids who are all really happy here, they would hate to have to move back to the UK - hence the citizenship so they never have to unless it's their choice. As others have said it is VERY expensive - you really need to be looking at senior level jobs to "live the dream". I'm guessing if your OH has been offered a job you would be coming on a 457 - if so make sure LAFHA (living away from home allowance) is part of the deal. It will make a huge difference to your take home pay but it is individually negotiable and not all companies offer it.

Have a look at the british expats website - you will get a lot of specific info there.

It is an amazing place to live and raise a family. We've just built a pool and when we were all swimming on Friday night in water of 29 degrees while friends and family in the UK froze, it is hard to think why you wouldn't want to live here if you can. I miss the proximity to Europe, but I certainly don't miss living in England.

Indaba · 29/11/2010 07:24

Used to live there...now on another overseas posting elsewhere.

Its easy to get into the financial aspects of an overseas move and in someways let that cloud your decision. Am not saying that it is not important....but

I'm a great believer in giving an overseas posting a try....whats the worst that can happen?....you go back.

My kids are living overseas and have a breadth of experience and global understanding way beyond anything I ever had at their age.

As family we are much much richer for our experiences (though financially much worse off). But we don't care.

If you are moving with kids its so much easier to make new friends because you have the childrens schools as a network. In some ways its easier for the non-working spouse than the one in employment. But if you are doing the kids thing soon you'll get it via mums clinics etc (hopefully).

There will be ups and downs and on occasions when it'll be really tough......but, never try, never know!

Good luck with your decision.

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