but people are wearing jumpers and coats on the train to work!!!

Some are wearing flippers and snorkels in south Blighty.

we are well aware of flood catastrophie and we have to deal with bush fires also... Almost every home has either a flood or fire emergency plan... Some need both.

Hope no one there is hurt.

If I knew 30yrs ago what I know now I'd be in Aussie land in a flash.

never too late to make a sea change I was 48 when we made the move...

54yrs of age,37yrs so far in the mining game I'm afraid my career is coming to an end for change.

I thought there was a 45 years old age limit to emigrate to Aus, if there's a way around that I'd love to know it

get Headhunted... Works a charmicon_biggrin.gif

Had chance to go when in my 20s but like an idiot turned it down, im 66 now still having to work but maybe ill get over when i retire(if i ever do retire) for holiday. Any young uns out there if you get chance just go for it.

A word of advice, it's not for everyone with far more coming back than staying.

At the age of 40 or above you really need to think - Australia is not a welfare state with no NHS - good care is on offer but it costs good money. If ever there was a country where what you earn total dictates your quality of life Australia is it - being poor in the sun despite what you might think is even worse than being poor in the cold and damp.

The heat after a time becomes utterly destructive and you will find yourself yearning for English weather.

Of course no one will listen to me even when the stats back me up and of course you'll always find someone who will tell you it's wonderful - and for them it is.

Still if you must then give it a go I say, but lower all expectation and then you should be ok - if they let you in of course

Have right go abode that's even easier

Vasty I have a friend who lasted 6 months out there - he said the exact same things.

After two weks the "holiday heat" became overbearing ad made his wife really ill - they then paid out a fortune for health care and had to scrimp and save enough for a flight home and start again with nothing.

Like you say, it's not some kind of nirvana

I know a family and two girls who have each (independantly) gone to oz, loved it and stayed.
You could tell each one of them were exactly the right character for making it work.
I also know some just like Vasty and Dave describe who came back by 1-2 years.

For me, its a great place to holiday and I love the sport, but I love England more.
I like a country with seasons, with hardly any poisonous creatures, apart from the occassional flood, or strong wind (no disrespect intended) there are no natural disasters. There are buildings here 100s of years old and an extensive history. And whether it could be better or not, we have the NHS.

Australia has a heck of a lot going for it, but I like it here better.

PS......and if you just want to go meet some Aussie girls (or boys) we have loads of them here too!?!?!

I've spent ths week in central London, and I am absolutely in love with the place.

I always say, everyone in the world wants to be in London - it ain't the capital city of the world for nothing.

Often the grass is greener, we don't appreciate what we actually do have in merry old England.

I have to say, I don't offer much sympathy that go and come back - my friends had no idea about the lack of a health service until they were made painfully aware - so some of the time I think ignorance plays a big part in the negative experiences (not always, just occasionally)

I,m starting to feel better about not going now, (all you young,uns forget what i said, think twice before deciding).

Thanks for the advice Vasty and Dave

I've had two cast iron offers to go in my life so far, one in my early 20s and another when I was 34. On both occasions the offers were superb but I just didn't feel like my own circumstances were right.

I now have an open ended offer to go and do a dream job and I'm considering it seriously

I'm alreyt advising on lifestyle changes - I'm 23 and live with my mam n dad

Eldest daughter (27) moved to Oz in January 2013 on her own and lives on the Central Coast and absolutely loves it, soon made friends through her interest in Rugby League and doing some reffing and touch judging. Got a nice flat, even got an RL playing boyfriend.
Went out there to see her last August and can see why it is unlikely she'll ever come back to the UK. We miss her a lot but Skype helps and we're lucky that we can afford to go there once a year to visit. Going again in November this year already ticking the days off.

If that is true you are probably the richest you will ever be.
You will have more money but less available spend for the rest of your life

I'm the richest in Normy, no doubt about it. Well, I will be when Jinjer gives me that fiver back...

I don't believe I was advocating emigration... I like it, it's worked for us, but the first year plus was tough... very tough!

Most people leave in the first twelve months, when the stark reality of moving to the other side of the planet hits... I knw loads of people who have gone home... To all sorts of countries... And many more who have found a new home here.

Australia is not the worlds greatest place... It has it's faults, problems and pitfalls... The move should not be made lightly, or on a whim... But also, if you think too much about it you would never make the move.

That said AUS is also a beautiful, and diverse continent with a lifetime of exploration to be had.

Down side... I had to remove a spider the size of a small dog from the bathroom on Sunday.

Bloody I Pad.

Agree wth everything you said here. I've got family over there that Ive visited on a number of occaxions and and a few friemds have emigrated over there. Like you say it's great for holiday, or even a few months like when I went over. But to be honest I hate the heat, any longer than a few weeks and it begins to become tiresome and claustrophobic. Also the
distanes between cities is crazy as well. Over here we can be in every other major city in GB with in a few hours, it's plane journeys over there most of the time.

Having an afternoon stroll 12 miles out of Cairns,Australia,at Crystal Cascades, a group of waterfalls and swimming holes in a wood, on the 9th of December 2013 and came across Sam Obst and Semi Tadulala with 3 other Northern Pride players who had been for a swim.Had a good chat and a photo taken,but no idea how to put it on here.Now back home to the cold and wet.