Can you believe at the end of this month we’ve completed our first year in Australia? It feels like we’ve been here for way longer, yet it also feels like yesterday we said tearful goodbyes to our family and friends back in the UK. It has been the busiest 52 weeks EVER.
The first three months were taken up sorting out all of the admin, finding a suburb we liked, looking at rentals, buying cars and picking a school for the boys and daycare for E. Then it was Christmas already! The kids started school, I did some big work projects and then my MIL came to visit for a few weeks. Next we started house hunting for our own home. 30 days after putting in an offer on our dream home, we moved in! When I say out loud all of the things we’ve achieved, I’m so impressed. We did it!!! We survived the stress, and the mayhem and we made it.
Life here is just incredible. It’s more than I ever expected. Here’s a peek inside our new house. I guess you could probably fit two or three of our old house in here. The space has transformed the way we live as a family – not only are we not falling over each other any more, but it’s such a great layout for a family where we can spill out onto the deck from the big sliding doors and it just flows. It has five bedrooms, so plenty of space for visitors, and like all houses seem to over here, it has a laundry and two bathrooms. I LOVE it!
Of course, we miss everyone back home. We’re missing new babies, and birthdays and get togethers which is really, really hard. But here feels like home for us now. The boys have dropped their ‘t’s (they say ‘sweedies’ instead of ‘sweeties’ now) and they love playing ‘soccer’ – not ‘football’ – E wears thongs (flip-flops) everywhere and all three have developed a love of the water (in the UK they were always pretty scared of the water – mostly because the sea was so cold). I can’t wait to see how their swimming develops now we have our own pool.
Summer is coming and it’s time to get stuck into the lifestyle we moved her for. Happy days.
If you’re interested in moving your family to Australia too, check out my new website – Smart Steps to Australia! You’ll find plenty of advice, information, inspiration and support.
Your house looks great, love the looks of that pool! I wonder how much longer it will be before the kids have complete Aussie accents? Surely it will happen eventually…
Thanks! Actually it’s hubby that is sounding more Aussie than the kids so far, although they are adapting their words so they fit in with their classmates. It won’t be long before we don’t think calling bedding Manchester is weird. Although scrap that – I think that one will always sounds strange 🙂
Happy Australiaversary! I’m so, so pleased to hear you guys are doing well. I can’t believe it’s been a year already since you moved either though – it honestly does feel like yesterday that I read your first few posts about the move. Your new house looks fantastic, I can’t imagine having that much space! Well done to all of you, you really did do it x
Thanks! How have things gone with your big move? It feels like we’ve been here for so long now – I guess it’s because we’ve crammed so much into 12 months. More space does just seem to equal more places for the kids to leave their toys and more time spent cleaning and tidying but it is lovely!! xx
Hi Karen, just stumbled across your blog, and was a lovely read. My husband and I are currently in the process of getting our visas and will be emigrating to Brisbane with our two children (7 & 4). I hope that life is still good in Brisbane..? We have never been before, so excited and also nervous about getting us out there, finding somewhere to live and the transition for my eldest into school life there! xx
Hi Laura, Thanks for your message! Yes, life in Brisbane is still awesome. Although we’d travelled around Australia before we moved here, we hadn’t really spent any time in Brisbane so it was all new to us too although we were lucky to have some friends out here who were a huge help. I’m just in the process of setting up a new website aimed at supporting UK families who are interested in moving to Australia – http://www.smartstepstoaustralia.com – it’s a few weeks away from launching. Feel free to drop me an email if you have any questions about the move or about Brisbane karen@smartstepstoaustralia.com. I can also link you up with a great Poms meet up that takes place every three months at North Lakes when you get out here – that has been a great support for us and we’ve made some really good friends through it. Good luck. You’re kids will love it out here!