Where is the best place to live? The good & bad as we are relocating from Australia

silverchair

I forgot to add that I am a British citizen who married a Canadian, but immigration was stressful & a nightmare. So Dont think just because you are Australian & part of the Common Wealth that it will be smooth.

kriss_boy

Having travelled a lot of the east coast of Australia and I cannot understand why anyone would want to leave.

Its such a better quality of life over there. We loved the relaxing in South Bank in Brisbane, with the man made beach and lovely picnic areas. We had a few BBQs, met lots of people, it was incredible.

You realise that over here in the UK none of that exists because it would be abused and vandalised.

gsbikerboy1970

GO NORTH MY SON.............................. CHEAP and great pies!!!! I should know i ate most of em lol.
Try Cumbria or Northumberland, tho Staffordshire is VERY cheap, property wise, centrally located and cheap. oh i already mentioned that didnt i?
phil

kriss_boy

How about Scotland? Beautiful country and cheap property!

barrybarryr

Stay where you are.

Don't bother relocating to this !!!!! country.

silverchair

I'd also start looking at the average wage he can get for his job over here & compare it to the cost of living (how much electricity & gas bills are over here, food shopping, entertainment etc) . He might be getting a much higher wage over in Australia for the same job than over here. I've no idea what it pays, but something else to think about as he will need to support all of you as well as paying uni fees for your kids.

davetrousers

barrybarryr wrote: »

Stay where you are.

Don't bother relocating to this !!!!! country.

Why not do a swap?

This person obviously doesn't want to be here!

PasturesNew

On the telly programme where they take a family down under and get the bloke a job for a week, show them round houses, take them shopping, take them out meeting people, then show them a video of the people they've left behind, the main reasons people choose to stay in the UK seem to be:
- we don't have poisonous snakes/spiders
- they'll miss their family/friends (especially grandparents)
- the wages are lower in Aus for most of the people in the programme (only a few jobs paid the same as here)
- if they are selling a house here and buying there they can buy a nice house, but on the wages they can't afford the lifestyle
- food shopping is pricier in Aus

The things they preferred about Australia were:
- how big the houses were, especially with pools. This was ONLY for those selling here and buying there, those who hadn't got a house here couldn't afford a big house on the Australian salary.
- the weather/outdoor lifestyle

puddy

well i love the UK, yes there are lots of things wrong with this country but overall, i would prefer to be here with its faults than anywhere else

have you thought about Thanet. Its in the south east of England, in East Kent it comprises the towns Margate (bit sh1tty), Broadstairs and Ramsgate. They are seaside towns. the beaches in Thanet are sandy, wide and theres surfing and sailing to be done. property is v cheap.
however, it has areas of deprivation which (its said) would be 'sorted' by 2014 due to government initiatives.
the county town is Canterbury, property there quite expensive. its countryside all around, there is Canterbury university. however, its 2 hours by car and 2 hours by train to London, but 40mins to the continent via Ramsgate, or Dover or Folkstone.

the county town of Kent is Maidstone which I personally dont like, too bland, no character, but this whole area means you're within distance for London, the coast, country side, reasonable property, theres also a catering college where Gary Rhodes attended, so it has high esteem

theres lots of cycling routes, small kentish villages and the best sunsets

couldnt tell you about the automative industry here though, sorry

LydiaJ

I understand why you would want to wait until a convenient time for your son's education before moving, but I'm not sure DS17 and DD15 is the best time to move, educationally. 15 is about the worst age for your DD to move.

Over here, kids do major exams at 16 - they're called GCSEs. These come at the end of a two year course - or sometimes they are modules throughout the 2 year course. This is the end of broad education, and the last year in which they do lots of different subjects. At 17, they do AS exams in 5 subjects (at least, the ones who are academic enough to want to be doctors do) and then at 18 they do A2 exams in either 4 or all 5 of the subjects they did at AS.

If your daughter wants to train as a doctor in this country, you'd be much better off moving when she's 14, so she can begin GCSEs at the beginning. Or, if you're happy to continue paying for private education, you could move when she's 15, but let her drop down a year to start GCSEs - although dropping down a year is unlikely to appeal to a bright kid such as you describe. State schools are unlikely to let anybody drop down a year because it messes with their statistics, but private schools are more flexible, usually.

It depends, of course, what time of year you move, and what part of the year her birthday is. Over here, the academic year begins in September, so the kids beginning GCSE courses in Sept 2014 will be those who are aged 14 on 31st August 2014. If you can possibly move in the middle of the year, so she can start the school year in September, it would make life easier for her. Perhaps your son could stay with a friendly family to finish his education while you all move? Or if you're intending to send your daughter to private school, perhaps you could send her to one that offers boarding, and she could start in September, and be followed by the rest of you at Christmas?