Stay in London or move to Sydney?

[Jen2023]

Hi everyone!

I would like some advice from fellow parents and carers who have moved from London to Sydney.

We are a family with a boy aged 5 and a girl almost 7 years old and we are thinking about moving to Sydney. My husband and children are Australia citizens but have only lived in London. My husbands family is from Sydney, they all live in the Inner West.

1. How one earth did you manage move all your things to Sydney? (If you used a container- what size, how long until your things arrived, price)
2. I am a British citizen, any idea on what visa I would need. Is it true that I would need to leave the country every 3 months. My friend said I would have to fly to NZ every three months, until a partner visa is granted! Which can take years apparently.
3. Is it true no expats live around Ashfield, Summer Hill and Dulwich Hill? Would we feel isolated if we moved to these areas…as I have heard it’s difficult to make friends:( My husband’s family (which I don’t really get on with) are in the area so he was thinking the family help would be great.
4. Is it difficult to get into a higher performing public school? When would be the ideal time to move to Sydney and for their schooling to be less interrupted? I read schools start End of Jan. So is it correct I should think of moving at the beginning of Dec. So I have time to apply the school etc before school year ends?
5. What has been your experience in moving to Sydney? Was it hard for you to make friends? Were the parents at the school friendly? Are play dates popular? Do children go to parks after school? Have you seen lots of huge spiders and cockroaches? I have a fear of these, but have only seen one huge huntsman in Palm Beach and my husband spent ages catching it to release outside! If you have children similar age- how have they settled? did they make friends easily or were they seen as outsiders? How did your children find the school work and were they behind or ahead academically? Is it easy to find extra curricular clubs and join? Or are there long waiting lists? If your child has eczema, how have they coped in the summer? we only go for 2-3 weeks and my daughter does get a little flare up.
6. Are there things you would recommend we buy in the UK and ship over?
7. Do both parents generally work? Would I be looked at weird if I am a stay at home mum?
8. Do you know if there are activities during the daytime that expats or parents attend around the area?

Thanks for reading! I’m open to any advice!:)

hey - wow that is a lot of questions 😃 I lived in Sydney for 10 yrs so I’ll tell u what I can.

visa wise u should be fine cos ur hubby is Aussie citizen - I’m sure there is some family visa. If not they are plenty of skilled visa gaps.

it’s quite easy to move stuff out there but it takes a long time on ship approx 3 mths - most rental flats come completely
unfurnished so that is a pain. Buying a place is quite tricky as market is red hot and most places go to auction which is nightmare even rentals are like a 5 min walk through max.

no idea about schools but majority of ex pats live in eastern suburbs or manly. There is a good community there and it’ll be easy to integrate with kids as they all go to surf nippers.

The lifestyle is SO diff from London - very outdoorsy, very sporty, always outside, not v artsy / diverse and quite cliquey.

food and accom is v expensice out there and the cost of living is high but salaries also high. Transport is rubbish ! Everyone drives.

we dont have family out there which was main reason we moved back - it is a LONG way away and everyone gets home sick

personally in your situation with youngish kids and family out there I would give it a go - more to gain than lose !

good luck 😀

Stay in London

Cassiatwenty, why would you suggest I stay in London?

Does any know of any expats living around Ashfield, Summer Hill, Dulwich Hill, Croydon park or Burwood? Is there a expat community around these areas?

Moving from London to Australia and end up in the suburbs you mention would be quite a shock I think. They are not exactly what one associates Australia with. They are far from the beaches, national parks or other outdoor area. Ashfield has a big park, but as a suburb and the ones around it is a bit run down, but if you have visited before, you already know what the area is like.

You ask about expats using it as a synonym of immigrants, and the dominant ones in Ashfield will be of Chinese origin. Traffic can be quite heavy too.

Those suburbs are a cheap area of Sydney. Summer Hills or Burwood is maybe better. I would be terribly isolated there.

1) How one earth did you manage move all your things to Sydney? (If you used a container- what size, how long until your things arrived, price)
Our removal was paid by my DH's job, so don't have many details, but it was roughly 6000 euros for container shipping and warehouse. The container can't leave until you are physically in the country so you will have a couple of months of wait. Which is a pain, because you have to buy/rent stuff.
Funnily, we paid more to move between two house here, then from 17000 km away!!

I am a British citizen, any idea on what visa I would need. Is it true that I would need to leave the country every 3 months. My friend said I would have to fly to NZ every three months, until a partner visa is granted! Which can take years apparently.
Not sure for this one, my Dh works for the Swedish government, they organised everything.

Is it true no expats live around Ashfield, Summer Hill and Dulwich Hill? Would we feel isolated if we moved to these areas…as I have heard it’s difficult to make friends:( My husband’s family (which I don’t really get on with) are in the area so he was thinking the family help would be great.
I have replied above.

Is it difficult to get into a higher performing public school? When would be the ideal time to move to Sydney and for their schooling to be less interrupted? I read schools start End of Jan. So is it correct I should think of moving at the beginning of Dec. So I have time to apply the school etc before school year ends?
Schools are closed between 20-22 December and 26 January, so you can't enrol them between these dates. You would have to do everything before the Christmas break. Everything depends on the type of visa. As Australian citizen if you live in the catchment of a high performing school, they have to take you. Out of area, it is to the school's discretion.

What has been your experience in moving to Sydney? Was it hard for you to make friends? Were the parents at the school friendly?
I am not British, so maybe I found it hard because I am from another culture.

Are play dates popular?
Not really, everyone has a zillion after school activities .
Do children go to parks after school?
Again , not really. Parks are quite basic compared to European parks. Very small play area.
Have you seen lots of huge spiders and cockroaches? I have a fear of these, but have only seen one huge huntsman in Palm Beach and my husband spent ages catching it to release outside!
Yep. I joke that I am a snake magnet. Fucking hell, some of my friends have been here for 20 years and never seen one, I have them in my garden and hitting the window with their head as if they say hello.

If you have children similar age- how have they settled? did they make friends easily or were they seen as outsiders?
Kids make friend very easily
How did your children find the school work and were they behind or ahead academically?
Compared to the French system, Australia is wayyyyyyyyyyyyy behind.
Is it easy to find extra curricular clubs and join? Or are there long waiting lists?
There is plenty, at least in my council, the Northern Beaches.
If your child has eczema, how have they coped in the summer? we only go for 2-3 weeks and my daughter does get a little flare up.
N/A
Are there things you would recommend we buy in the UK and ship over?
Wool! Sydney is freezing and you can't find wool here. Nice knitwear or blankets.
Do both parents generally work? Would I be looked at weird if I am a stay at home mum?
Mostly both work.
Do you know if there are activities during the daytime that expats or parents attend around the area?
I don't really know the suburbs you mention. I drove through but never lived there.
There is stuff for younger kids with mums, but for school aged kids, unless you enrol in a gym or tennis club, I wouldn't be so certain. There is more in the city, at the art gallery or at the beaches some walking clubs.

People do a shit ton of volunteering here, so there will be plenty of opportunities in school or out of school.

Hey @Jen2023 i lived there 10 years and travelled all over but I basically have never heard of those areas. 99.9 % of Brit expats live in eastern surburbs, balmain or some in northern beaches…maybe a couple in north Sydney like manly. It is a wonderful life out there - Sydney is notoriously cliquey …people are v friendly but groups are v established from school ….but with kids you’ll make friends no probs but if you get home sick at all or love Europe then I probably wouldn’t move…. It is a pretty one dimensional kind of life without lots of diversity both peoples and cultures (compared to Europe that is) but amazing none the less. We also weren’t surfy or beachy - lots of friends have stayed but I would say they aren’t close to their parents. I am so glad I did it and do in jan / feb long to move back but it just wasn’t right for us long term. Hope this helps :)

Jumping on the thread! My hubby has a job opportunity in Sydney, we have a 4 year old and a 7 year old. As much it would be a great opportunity I'm worried about the kids and the move itself.

Me and hubby have both said that IF we go it won't be for permanent. But more to experience something different, travel that side if the world and give the kids a taste of something different (and better weather) different lifestyle etc.

I was looking at rentals and I couldn't believe how expensive places are there! So I'm trying to do some research into areas where hubby could easily travel from to go to work etc. We aren't still 100% if we are going or not. It's a huge decision and I'm pretty nervous about it!

Good luck!

@MKD1 it’ll be great - the kids will love it. My experience is that it is the adults were get homesick or need to be back close parents. Yes rentals are expensive and they go fast but I would keep an open mind it may be permanent 😀 good luck !

I lived there for 20yrs, and pre-covid went back every few years. I don't have children though.

Fashion is behind and tends to me less formal. Its too hot to for say a heavy suit, so generally workwear and day to day dressing is more casual. I'd take a some nice jackets, blazers, trench coats etc for when the weather is cooler.

5hrs drive from Sydney, you could be skiing in the largest ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere- many people are unaware of this! (Perisher ski resort)

When I was last there, the internet was slower than London, but also painfully expensive. Postage and home delivery costs are also might higher

I don't know the suburbs you mentioned that well, but they are predominately family houses with small gardens, or high rise flats in some areas. Some parts are rather run down too. Anything close to the beach will be more expensive, but cooler in the summer. The further west you go, closer to the Blue Mountains, there are some newer suburbs, generally better value, but can be 5+ degrees hotter than Sydney city. The eastern suburbs and northern beaches where Manly is, tend to be VERY expensive.

Would your DH be working? If so, where? Public transport is nothing like London. There are busses and trains, but a train might be every 10-15mins or longer! I didn't know anyone without at least 1 car. Roads are congested and even a short journey can take ages, so I'd plan carefully if DH needed to commute daily.

Many community colleges are around to learn new skills and meet people. I attended a few and they ran a vast range of things. Languages, cooking, dancing, basic DIY, car maintenance, massage, proof reading and SO many other things. Some were just for fun, whereas some are longer courses or you get a certification for them. This might be a way to meet new people in your area. I've added some links so you know what I mean.
www.sydneycommunitycollege.edu.au/
www.sgscc.edu.au/

Eating out, I found food generally healthier and lots of South East Asian influence. When I moved to London, I was shocked that fish and chips is ONLY deep fried. You don't have the choice of it being grilled.

Have you thought about applying for 'wanted down under'?

Would you be able to rent your UK home? That was you'd have something to return to, IF, you wanted to in the future.

Lots of really good advice here. I live in Melbourne so can't be useful.

Try this as well: www.pomsinoz.com

I forgot to add re spiders etc.

As said, I lived in a Sydney suburb for 20yrs. I did see the off huntsmen and whitetip in the house. I saw a red back in the garden once. A friend in another part of Sydney used to see funnel webs, but I never saw one where I lived. I also NEVER saw a snake in our garden.

I travelled extensively in Australia, and the only times I saw a snake was on a friends remote farm and when driving in remote areas. There are areas in Sydney backing onto national parks where people might get more wildlife in their gardens- but this isn't near the suburbs you mentioned.

• ODD huntsman, not off huntsman 🙄

Hi. Lots of good advice already. I grew up adjacent to some of the suburbs mentioned. When I was little my English mother struggled because she was seen as an outsider by locals. Over the last 40 years these areas have changed beyond recognition in places. Now she feels very much out of place in different ways.

If you are of roughly British extraction and coming from England, I think you may find it hard in the suburbs you suggest, though having family near should help. I'd say, don't worry about getting the schools perfect straight away, plan to rent somewhere near family / where you can, then get a feel for options and be willing to move. I agree that your children should fit into schools comfortably at their ages. If it hasn't changed, the absolute youngest starting school will be 4 turning 5 by about June, commonly with May/June birthdays (and probably earlier) they will start a year later. To be absolutely honest, when ours were about the ages yours are now there was some consideration of whether we should move back for my husband's work, and education was one of the reasons we stayed in the UK - however we're not in London and I've always been glad when I hear about the pressures of London schooling!

Shipping - shipping costs post covid have gone up a lot. My mother is finally selling up (after more than 50 years in the family home, following my sister and I back to the UK). She's waiting for a quote at the moment. We understand it will be 2-3 months shipping time roughly. You'll need to think carefully what to ship that you can manage without for a while.

Oh, and another thing that's changed post covid is that lots of properties are being sold without going to auction, from what I can see easily 50%+. That's a huge change as auctions have been the major way to sell property since probably the late 80s as far as I'm aware. Hopefully if you're used to London prices Sydney will be ok for you ...

Wildlife - what you'll encounter in your garden / local parks will depend a lot on where you are. Spiders yes anywhere (and cockroaches I'm afraid), but the truly dangerous ones less common in central suburbs and anyway they mostly prefer to keep out of people's way. Snakes etc would be a real rarity in the Inner West; but might be not uncommon if you were in a north shore suburb adjacent to bushland. But again, the dangerous snakes just want to be left alone, as long as you keep alert and don't step on them they are rarely an issue. I've got great memories from bushwalks in the blue mountains as a child, occasionally having to wait for a snake sunning itself on the path to decide it was ready to move on.

Did you make the move to Sydney ?