Our journey to Australia

I was asked in a recent comment about my journey to Australia and decided to raise it to a proper blog post.

Hi,

we left South africa Originally to go the USA as we felt it had a lot of racism (as we are a mixed couple). Also we felt we had a better future in country with less internal problems etc. We came back from the USA as we were taken over on a visa which only allowed us to work at one company for three years and the salary was quite low - so we struggled and on top of that we missed home very much. it was the first time we left South Africa and it was the hardest. When we got back to South Africa we were there for three years and the old problems cropped up. The south African economy was crashing a bit due to various factors. The interest rates went up to about 19% at one stage and I watched the price of things in the shops double in about 2 Months. - My mortgage more than doubled in about 3 4 months. This and various other factors made us look to find a better future elsewhere. The only place I could go was the UK. We spent 5 years there and it was a shock to us as the UK was definitely very strange in many ways. The culture, the cold weather, the lack of warmth and sunlight. We were then able to get a australian visa which came through at about the time of the global credit crunch and as I was a contractor and on a visa which gives no support I had to find work elsewhere. Believe me I tried hard to get work in the UK, but at the time the market was flooded with several thousand out of work computer professionals. It was like a door closed and a door opened in Australia. This is a greatly simplified version but really we could and we did.


hope this helps a bit?

I think australia has less help for its citizens than the UK on the whole. ATM the UK feels like home. Australia is too expensive for me. If you are both working, willing to live cheap then you will make it in Australia. The UK is in a recession atm, Australia is not. I cant comment on New Zealand apart from the fact I like the the few New Zealanders I have met so far.

I have met people here from Europe who work as drivers etc and they complain bitterly and in fact relate the same stories as every where else - if you are a labourer your life sucks :)


Anyway hope that helps?

If you  go somewhere it will take 5 years minimum for it to become home.

Or go somewhere really light -take little get a job and have the mindseet that you are trying it out - so you can go home with feeling like your trip has failed. moving coutnry is ok for some, others its not.

Thanks for reading! - please leave a comment on your experience too - let me know about your life here plz

My most commented post on the blog is here - Why do immigrants leave Australia?




Hi,  Immigrating to Australia?, why not use our community forum - all about living, working, playing, moving and studying in Australia.



How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney

Cheap medical costs in Australia - what a nice surprise for a change

Well my son did something to his foot and ended up limping around for weeks.

We took him to a foot specialist on a Saturday(take note UK), expecting to pay through the roof. He only charged us $20 over the medicare limit. Sent us for x-rays (the place was modern and in line with private hospitals), which were charged on the medicare rate.(so free).

Holy crap, all I needed to pay was 20 dollars for the whole morning!

Where I come from you pay for everything as there is not government medical aid so its quite a nice surprise.

later peeps


How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney

Australian medicare - easy easy

Hi all,


Well, we finally got listed on medicare. We found it really easy. Just go to your nearest medicare office with your forms filled in. (damn dog keeps licking my fingers,how am I supposed to type?)

Anyway, make sure you bring the proofs of address and identity and so on with you, your valid passports (you cant do them with expired passports).

You also need to bring everyone with you (ie your spouse and kids if you have them).

Its quick and its free. I was shocked because everytime I go anywher near anything in Australia it costs money..

The cards came in the post a week later and sorted.

Now to find all those old doctors bills for claiming. Wohoo money back!!!

later peeps

How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney

Bonus letter day

Not sure if this is a Sydney thing but there seems to be a big excitment and festivity around bonus time where I work.  Along with bonus's come promotions and everyone is congratulating each other. I guess this only happens in large institutions like banks.

I think its called "letter lunch" or "letter dinner" or "letter day"

All of sudden there were lunches, gatherings, drinks, restaurant bookings and so on.

Seems quite nice, I never saw this is the UK or South Africa.

How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney