Australia catch up VLOG. Living in Sydney for 6 months - Something needs to change.
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- Опубліковано 22 лип 2024
- We've been in Australia almost 6 months now, and it feels like the right time for a little update on how we are all feeling, settling in and what we wish we had done differently. you can also watch as I receive some very special birthday messages from home 🏴
Our first time looking for rentals in Sydney • Finding a family house...
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Timecodes
0:00 - Intro
0:25 - Update
03:53 - Looking for a new house
05:25 - How we are feeling
07:17 - Is Sydney for us?
10:15 - House viewing
14:40 - Applying for a house
16:18 - House update
18:29 - Birthday messages from home
#movetoaustralia #emigrate #culturaldifference #australiavlogs
Awww Happy Birthday Kim 🎂❤️ I’m so pleased you have got the house that you went for x
Thank you lovely ❤ excited for what's ahead x
Happy belated birthday Kim ☀️🧁🥂🎈 I hope you had a wonderful day!
Congratulations on your new home! I hope it brings you all lots of joy & helps you feel more settled! Xo
Thank you lovely, im excited for whats ahead! hope you are well :) x
Happy Birthday Kimmie 🎂🧁🍷, Good news about getting the home you were looking at, things are looking up for you and the fam.
definitely! looking forward to whats ahead :)
Happy belated birthday ❤ loving your videos. Glad to hear you got your house. Big relief. Keep on keeping on. X
Thank you so much for your support! x
Hi Kimberley. Check out the northern part of the Sunshine Coast around the towns of Cooroy and Pomona. Great area to live. Close to beaches, rivers, lakes, mountains, forests, hobbyfarms etc. Its a wonderful area for children to grow up. We moved up here from Brisbane 16 years ago and bought a hobby farm where we bred Miniature Galloway cattle. Love the quiet country life!
This sounds bliss!! 😂❤ definitely keen to be near the beach so I'll have a look here. Thank you so much
what about Sutherland shire southern sydney closer to Cronula beach
this is a good reccomendation @@kimberleylucas sunshine coast too but have a few tips as you have to consider work with hubby having a hubby who is a A1 company engineering surveyor i could have a few tips for you just reach out
Aw Kim your wee gran had me crying too, hope you had a wonderful birthday and congratulations on the new house xx
Thanks lovely - it was an emotional one! miss her loads. Thank you, i hope you are all doing well :) xx
Happy birthday Kim🎉🎂🎈Hope you have had a lovely day. Great news on your rental. Winter looming here in the UK so at least you will be moving in the sunshine! Sending love x
The uk winters are the worst! Definitely keen to avoid those 😅
@@kimberleylucas Haha to be honest they are bliss compared to the QLD summers!!!! We were housebound with the terrible heat and humidity !!! We do so many more outdoor activities in the UK without the dreadful heat!!! I don't think though Sydney gets so hot though!!! Lol xxx
Happy birthday Kimberley, so glad you have good news on your birthday about you getting the house
Thank you so much ❤ excited for what's ahead! X
Cried along with you there, hope you feel more settled soon. Congratulations on the new house 🎉
Sending you a hug ❤ x
Congrats on the house!! The area looked lovely, you will be much happier there. Best wishes for your bday. I hope you will get some visitors from home. It will fill your cup. Wishing you much love from Perth.
i agree - i'm excited for whats ahead. we have family coming over at christmas and i cannot wait! thanks for your support :)
G'day! Have a great birthday!!! I feel so much for you guys...I was 7 in 1958 when my parents brought us to OZ and back then they didn't have the distracting reminders of "back home" on FaceTime or Skype etc...Not even international phone calls since phones were a rarity here and in the UK. Jet travel hadn't't started either but hang in there and maybe when you get settled and do well the same thing as happened with my parents when a number of relatives and friends also made the move down under... Cheers! and stay safe!
totally agree times are much better for now for staying in contact! i dont know how people done it back then!
Congrats on the house. Happy birthday 🎉 I got emotional too cried with your grandmother's message. It's been almost 1 yr now my Nan has gone. 😢 Good to see you and family are doing well.
Oh I'm so sorry, sending you huge hugs. They are just the most amazing precious people aren't they ❤ x
Happy birthday 🎂🎂🎂🎂
Hi, Kimberley, great vlog. Your heart will guide you over time as to where you want to go and be. Brisbane ticks the boxes for what your looking for in terms of family life and lifestyle (friend lived there for 12 years). Hope you venture in Oz is a good one!!🤞👍
Thank you for your comment - will have a look into Brisbane, so far i've heard a lot of good things!
Really great vid! The realism and editing are superb! 👌🏻
Happy Birthday! May you have many more to come
My encouragement, keep going. 6 months is very short time to achieve all you have and restart life. Give yourselves another 6 months to adjust. You’re all likely going through a bit of subconscious shock as you adjust.
I’d say it takes around 3 years to feel somewhat “settled” and homesickness will still come and go, esp during celebrations and festive times of the years.
Set small milestones and enjoy the present moment:
You are working & living but you’re also tourists:
- enjoy Sydney now
- 1.5 years PR
- move up to Sunshine Coast (or wherever it is you decide)
- buy a home, if possible and watch kids grow up
Remember reasons why you moved and make adjustments.
Your kids are going to be so grateful as they grow up.
The unsettled feeling, the feeling where you’re in the middle of an ocean and not sure where to go takes time to get through.
Main thing is to keep swimming. Make those small milestones and reflect on all you’ve done, learnt and accomplished.
Build into your family and husband. Take time as a family to relax and enjoy the small things. Have patience and try relax.
As encouragement, I’ve got cousins living in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney. They’ve all gone through this and made it work.
Don’t let Sydney determine your view on Australia. It’s like letting Berlin determine your view on Europe. There’s loads of space and you’ll find what suits you and your fam.
For me, Brisbane area/ Sunshine Coast looks incredible - yet I’ve heard Jan/Feb can be very hot.
I’ve never been, but watching That Johnston Life and The Bamfamalam on UA-cam give insights into those areas.
- - -
We moved from South Africa to UK(South England) 2 years ago. Never been to UK and we just went with it.
Financially:
UK salary is 2-3x what was earning in South Africa, yet just making ends meet. We earn in pounds but spend in them too.
Rental is crazy here, paying close to $600per week (£1200pm) for tiny 1 bed place which was the cheapest we could find, living close to Reading, 1 hour outside London.
Not sure how we will manage to get anything bigger to have a fam.
Thankfully schooling is free UK.
Culturally:
Still finding it hard to get used to the volume of people here and how compact everything is. Everyone around here seems to be on their own mission and no time to relax.
We’ve come to terms that we are outdoor people. Enjoy outdoor walks, fresh air, quietness and nature.
Still get homesick, esp for sunshine and outdoors. And wildlife. I’ve never known such long dark days. Such extreme cold and snow. It’s all so new to me.
Then have to remember why we moved to UK:
- to try something new. What’s life like outside of Africa
- South Africa is in massive decline
- no electricity, terrible water, infrastructure collapsing
- countless crime, daily murders, rapes, etc
- - -
We enjoy watching your vlogs as we’ve been thinking a lot about Australia and will see what one day might come of things :)
Keep going and take it one step at a time!
Waw what a very interesting read, thanks for sharing. A close family friend is also from South Africa and moved to Scotland - his stories both shock and surprise me about how hard it can be to live there. He's also just moved to Slovenia from the UK as like you he was missing the nature/wildlife and slower pace of life. Like me, you maybe just havent found your happy place yet - the world is huge and has a lot to offer. You're rent is crazy, but also no surprise due to where you are living. Australia might just be for you you know! ....
As a fellow 🏴, I can highly recommend brisbane for a family. I have lived here for many years and had 2 kids here. I personally can't stand Sydney! Brisbane is very different, such an easy going life here with so much for kids. I still get very homesick even after all these years....not sure that ever goes away. Look forward to seeing where u guys end up!
I'm starting to feel like that with Sydney too. maybe worth taking a holiday to brisbane and getting to see it all first! :)
@@kimberleylucas the only thing I would say about Brisbane is that the humidity is high and there are mosquitos
Dear Kimberly,happy birthday!!! So sad to see you so homesick. It took me 4 years to feel at home here in Australia and that's 50 years ago. What happened was I went home after 4 years and when I got back here ,that's when I don't get homesick anymore. All the best and sending you my well wishes!!!
Thank you so much, so kind of you. Really miss my grandma, i think knowing that she can never come out here eats me up a little, however its lovely getting messages from her, as hard as they are. Lovely to read that you are still in Australia and got through this difficult stage im currently in, sending you a hug! :)
Happy birthday 🎉
Thank you :) thats very kind!
Happy Birthday Kim! Lovely to hear, see and read the messages from home! It is hard to be away from family and usual routines around birthdays, especially if you are already feeling homesick. Just try to remember that they all hold you in their hearts and minds even if you are not physically there, as you do them.
I think it is especially hard to migrate here on a temporary visa with two young children as you cannot access childcare subsidy to enable you to look for even part-time work. Then Sydney rent is very high. Also, if you want permanent residency, it is difficult for your husband to change jobs to go to an area you might like more.
When you spend quite a lot of your time in your house/garden with your children, your world narrows down somewhat and your immediate environment becomes very influential on your overall feeling of well-being. Hopefully your new community will help you meet more people of a similar age and interests. I do not know that area well at all but it would be great if they had a community centre or other meeting place where you could go to do crafts for your children or yourself as you seem to have a real bent for this. It is very important for your well being to feed your creative side too.
Best wishes with it all! ❤
Thank you for this lovely comment. Its definitely a tough stage but i really believe if we can get through this hard part then the future could be really good here. Excited for the new community - hopefully its as good as im hoping x
oh and Happy Birthday 🤪
Thank you ❤
Hi Kimberly. There are playgroups for the kids that you can join and meet parents. Also libraries that have events for kids too.
yes we attend 2 playgroups currently and love them!
As you said it got your foot in the door and now you can find what you like and dont like . I think the though of being so far away with your Birthday approaching might have been effecting you also .So a couple of funny stories about my parents experiences when they moved from Aberdeen to Melbourne . The first one was they rented a flat in Fitzroy street they were happy as it had off street parking very secure and not too far from the beach and parks ect . They did notice a lot of cars travelling down the street slowly and wondered about it until one day my mum and Auntie (identical twins ) got propositioned and they discovered at the time Fitzroy street was more or less the Melbourne redlight district lol !! they moved out fast .They moved to a small place just outside Frankston (Frankston is about 1 hour by train to Melbourne ) where they moved to was about 15 minutes by train from Frankston or maybe 10 minutes by car .So it seemed all good back then a 1hr 15 minute train ride to work on Melb seemed reasonable , well the station that they had to use to get to Frankston was a bush station and to get there was a couple mile walk on dirt roads (i still remember helping mum push the pram with my brother or sisters in it ) and the first time they tried to use it the trains didnt stop just kept going it wasnt till a local turned up and went to the side of the station shed and pulled out some flags that they realized you had to flag the train down .There is some footage of mum waving the flags somewhere on an old 8 mm film i wish i could find . Now keep in mind they took all of this in good humour most of the time usually laughing at themselves .One of the highlights for me looking back on their old 8 mm movies was the first time they had to empty the dunnycan (toilet can ) my uncle and grandfather were roped in to help and they dug a hole apparently about 20 feet deep to empty this toilet can and there is movie film of all three of em with hankies over their faces trying to push the old wheelbarrow all at the same time (they had flush toilets in Aberdeen back then ) .there is plenty more stories but i see i have already written a wall of text So hope you have a Very Happy Birthday and the new place brightens things up for you guys .Btw my mum is still living close to where she started in Frankston she is 93 years young and doesn't regret one minute of moving here .
Thank you for your comment and watching my video. i'm definitely in a tough stage just now but i'm sure it will pass. Those stories made me smile - its the memories that we all cherish - even if it is emptying a toilet! haha thanks for taking the time to write them :)
Yeah, Huppy birthday Kimbo. I really hope the wee hoose works out for you and your lovely family. My Great Great Grandmother was sent to Australia for life. She was not allowed to take her three little girls. Things ain't so tough these days mate. Keep on keeping on special lady. ❤❤❤❤ one each.
Thank you ❤
@kimberleylucas HI Kimbo and family. It Is a big big decision you and your better arf have made made to uproot and mooove your fumly way around the Wuld. Think of your little ones darlin.
Wishing you and your Family the best from Tassie. Long way from Home, but hang in there.. 😊👍
Thank you, it sure is. definitely going through a hard stage but im sure im not alone in that. its good that we have facetime and can see people when needed :)
Hi Kimberley, you are such a sweetie, You know there are great opportunities in regional areas close to Sydney. Wollongong is only an hour south of Sydney, a good train service into the city, fantastic beaches, national parks and a thriving local economy. And the best thing, much cheaper to buy or rent than Sydney.
That's very kind thank you. It's really hard to find places when you have never been here so I really do appreciate it. ❤ I'll have a wee look around here 😊
Hills is very good for family I have house in Bella Vista and love this areas ! Hills have also good schools 😊 Kellyville is more affordable or Ruse hill😊 don’t worry to be away from family is not easy especially when things go difficult but time is the best medicine and as we all eventually we adopted to new life ! Happy Birthday 😊🎉
Rouse Hill has a beautiful town centre - really surprised me. Thank you for your kind words x
Hills district is over priced for what’s on offer. Public transport relies on buses with bottlenecked drive down to Parramatta. It’s an older area and so far west which makes it a long drive from the beaches.
I’d have recommended The Shire out in the southern beach suburbs. It would be the most inexpensive of all Sydney’s beach suburbs/areas and extremely family friendly.
It’s close to The Royal National Park with some gorgeous scenic drives and many secluded beaches. A short drive down to the south coast beaches and a direct train line from Cronulla to the city which would have been convenient for your husband. 👍
I do agree! We looked at Cronulla and Caringbah but unfortunately too expensive unless we were keen to live in an apartment. However I do agree, gorgeous area!
@@kimberleylucas I grew up in Cronulla area so that’s where I learnt about the ocean and swimming in the surf. All my family still live there except myself as I moved into the inner west years ago to be closer to work as I had to travel around the state.
Mum’s at Caringbah south in a 3 bedroom 2 bath Villa. It’s got a huge courtyard and separate front yard, no shared walls and a double garage. 5 minute drive to Cronulla beaches.
My sister is renting a 3 bedroom townhouse at Caringbah for less than $700 with huge courtyard and garage. There’s lots of great preschools and primary schools.
I’d have loved to have seen you all move closer to the beach suburbs to enjoy the full Sydney beach experience rather than a long drive. Especially since you’re yet to spend a summer with us here. Fish & chips at the beach on a hot summer’s week night is just a part of our childhood. It’s beautiful in the evenings.
The Shire has some more affordable suburbs with some houses renting for the same as your new one!
All the best to you all xx
i found a renovated old house in Cronula $950 a week
@@coopsnz1 they’re certainly there to be found. But even townhouses and Villa’s are aplenty in the area and great for two small children. It’s just a shame to be so far out west when being near to the coast is what Sydney is all about.
I’m not sure why Cherrybrook was suggested to them, other than family friendly. But other than the inner city EVERYWHERE is family friendly. The Hills is in the sticks! lol 😝
Sorry Hills residents but I was based out there for work for 3 years and it’s really on the outskirts. Kellyville used to be rural.
If you can, get closer to the beaches, you won’t regret it 😉
Hmm now you’ve changed it to $950. That’s a huge difference.
Still less than their overpriced $1,000 p/week out far west!
Brisbane is a great place. Very underrated city.
Happy to explore it for sure, im thinking Gold Coast purely for beaches - would this be best place to start?
@@kimberleylucas Gold Coast is very crowded and high density living being more suited for family holidays, rather than living at, these days.
@@kimberleylucas I suggest you take a good look at the Sunshine Cost, not as commercial as the Gold Coast, and only around 1 hour north of Brisbane.
Mansion 3.8 million close to Cbd
Sydney Rental prices seem carzy , probably the most expensive in all of Australia, I am in Melbourne and certainly not as high as that, also you might find Gold Coast appealling given close to the water/beaches and nice weather, good luck with it all, have you thought about doing a colaboration with othe UA-camrs that have come from the UK to settle in Australia ? ThatJohnsonLife and TheBamFamalan to mention a couple might be good. cheers
Sydney is the most expensive for EVERYTHING! haha its wild. yes i follow both their channels! that would be good! :)
G'day Kim I'm happy you found a new house i hope you settle in quickly , i really like your vids but i admit i have to use the subtitle button lol sorry 😁
haha this made me laugh! I didn't think i was that hard to understand but i do get it - the scottish accent can be difficult!
Its all in good fun keep the great content coming ! @@kimberleylucas
Sydney is not all of Australia and a lot of Brits fall of the trap of going to Sydney thinking it’s the best place to live. There are more livable cities like Melbourne or Brisbane. Sydney definitely has its charm if you’re a tourist but can be challenging to live in as well.
try Perth mate beautiful down there , i live in Darwin but i dont think you guys would handle the heat up here
Haha I don't think we would! Perth is somewhere I definitely would like to try. Seems much more affordable and lovely beaches!
Welcome to Aus , don’t get discouraged NSW is very expensive as is VIC I nearly died when you said you paying 1000 a week lol 😮 yes best beaches in the world in WA when it’s cold it’s cold when it’s hot you can fry eggs on the footpath lol straya is a wonderfull place lol , oh and your kids are the most well behaved children I’ve ever seen lol wish my grandkids were that well behaved
@@garthwaters5756I know it's crazy isn't it. We're actually 1050 per week and it's just ridiculous. Glad we've made the decision to move. Haha don't be fooled!!! 😅
@@kimberleylucas Perth and WA are stunning and cheaper. I’m in a 4x2 5mins to beaches $520 p/w. Though I’m expecting to go up to $600. Heaps of parks etc.
Sydney is the most expensive place you could pick, I know employment is the main driver at first but don't be afraid to go bush to some of the bigger towns like Bathurst or Orange etc. and get away from the big cities.
Thank you. i know, i appreciate that however the offer seemed too good to turn down and its 'got our foot in the door' so to speak! Just need to stick this bit out. I've heard Orange is lovely - need to take a visit there!
Perth is not cheap on the up cycle of mining ...... boom/bust city ..... Brisbane is getting hard to find accommodation
Well, thats right you cant do much to a house while renting. On his wage as a civil engineer, it's pretty high compared to most people in Australia. Go to the bank see how much you can borrow then buy a house , how can you lose ??? with myself as an example I built my own home 10 years ago cost me $186,000 plus land which was $42,000 . Now it's worht 880,000 if it was in Sydney it would be worth $2.2 million dollars , the land where I live will cost you $460,000 a block .My advice commit yourself to buying a house and getting a loan and on a civil engineers wage you should not be complaining , I am on a pension and do just fine.
Finally someone has realised the true costs of living in australia
people look at wages not taxes in Australia
The six month thing works both ways. I’ve commented on one of your videos before to say I moved from Edinburgh to Sydney and came back two months later for various reasons (mostly homesickness). I’ve found in the last month especially I’ve been questioning my decision to come back and Australia is popping into my mind more frequently than I expected. That said, I wouldn’t rush back, but I do think within the next five years I’ll be back over. I just need to be here for now, the next few years at least.
In regards to trying other places. I have a family friend that moved from Edinburgh to Perth and she said that Perth is more suited to people from there. She said she’d tried different areas in Australia, struggling with Sydney the most, but settled happily in Perth. What I would say too is that I met multiple Scottish people in Perth, including one from Glasgow who I was in contact with about a job. Obviously nationality doesn’t matter, but it was a comfort to hear a familiar accent. Though, as I’m sure comments will state, Perth is not for everyone. It’s a trial and error for where to decide to settle.
When I go back (which I’m almost certain I will), I’ll be heading to Perth for sure.
Yep. Lots of Scots in Perth😊
Thank you for your support - its definitely a hard time but i agree that if i were to go home i'd most likely want to come back again! haha Perth seems like a very good option - especially if there are home comforts... ie scottish! :)
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Rajvir Singh
It sounds as though you are finding it too tough mate. Please don't be unhappy in life. 😢😢😢😢
Things will get better 😊
@kimberleylucas Things sure will get better Kimbo. One step at a time mate. Cherrybrook wasn't built in a day mate.
Renting huh? You can't do much with houses that aren't yours. There is nowhere in the Sydney area that is "cheaper" living. Shame with work putting you on the treadmill. I live in Port Macquarie which,since arriving 8yrs ago,has become a fair bit busier but compared to Sydney,Melbourne & Brisbane.......heaven. Work your networks with school & mothers groups.....always ask other people,they'll be pleased to help &/or advise you. Good luck & keep smiling.....it drives others nuts ! When you go to viewings have a word to the agent & lay your cards on the table as to your long-term goals. Sometimes they can influence the outcome.
northshore , inner west ' Eastern suburbs all have old homes ! there 3 bed house in five dock in inner west $880 a week
my co worker lives in Kellyville and Rouse hill mall nice
Rouse Hill is beautiful, great shopping centre!
Sutherland shire 3 bed town house newish Caringbah $850 a week your closer to Cronula beach 6 min ) 3 bed old home but renovated in Cronulla $950 a week . it an area underated same distance as castle hill to Cbd could be an area to look at
Shittest place in Sydney in South west Campbeltown in Airds & Claymore 60km out it has 87% public housing ! 3 bed house sold $915000 that nuts something liveable in a high crime area . In Brisbane that buys you 30km south of Cbd
Sydney would be the last place id live in Australia
It's been great for getting us to Australia and understanding what we like and what we don't