What is your name?Billy Hill
What is your current age or age range?
45 +
What country are you native to?
UK
What area of South Australia do you current live (Providence, City, general area etc.)
Adelaide Hills
How long have you lived in South Australia?
19 months.
When you moved to South Australia, did you bring your family? What do they think?
Children like it, though currently would be happy to go back. OH could take it or leave it. Me, could happily leave it.
Did you leave your family behind? How do you handle the separation?
Yes. I handle it badly, but cheap phone calls help.
What made you decide to relocate to a different country?
We came to Australia, including Adelaide as backpackers 16 years ago, and loved it.
We had been living in Northern England for 14 years, and really had got fed up with dreary winters followed by dreary summers. Also OH's job was not really going anywhere.
We always said that we would like to come back. My OH was 44, and once you are 45 its very hard to get a visa. Then he applied for a job in Adelaide which he got (which sounded great). We did a reccie,liked Adelaide, and it just felt like it was one of those now or never moments.
Why did you choose South Australia, or what factors helped you to decide to choose South Australia?
We have friends here, who love it. Also it was the only place we could get a visa and OH got a job quite easily.
What other countries did you consider? Why didn't you choose those?
None
Was it difficult to get the documents you needed to live and/or work there? (residency and/or working permit)
No not really. A bit time consuming.
What was the most difficult part of the transition?
Gut wrenching homesickness. Worry about family back home. Worry about making the wrong choices about everything. It is harder when you have children, because you have to settle and make a life for them.
What was the biggest mistake you made in the transition to living in South Australia?
Buying a house too quickly. Once you have bought a house, it ties you to an area, which we found after a few months probably was not right for us.
What was the easiest part of making the transition?
My children, they settled surprisingly well, which was a relief.
Do you plan on returning to your home country? Why or why not?
We want to, but it might not be possible at the moment, just glad OH has a job.
Do you miss your family, friends or old home and habits?
Yes very much. More than I thought I would.
How easy has it been to make new friends in South Australia?
Quite hard. But keep trying.
Do you have many friends from your home country in South Australia?
A few.
What are your favorite activities that are available?
Cycling. Camping, Walking (although this is not easy with a dog). Swimming in the sea.
What are the top ten things you miss about the place you left behind?
Family, Friends, Countryside, pubs, footpaths, TV Radio (podcasts help), British sense of humour, Better clothes and shoe shops. The fact you can drive to loads of interesting places in less than a day (even with bad traffic).
What are the top ten things you DON'T miss about the place you left behind?
The weather, Traffic jams, General overcrowding
Do you speak the language of South Australia?
Yes - Money
How do you earn your living in South Australia?
OH is an engineer.
Do you generally earn your income the same way, or in the same profession, as in your home country?
OH does, I have yet to get work.
How did you go about finding a job in South Australia? Was it easy or hard to locate work and get a job?
Job websites. OH is an engineer, and it was not that hard (but that was pre credit crunch).
What types of sources did you use to find a job there? (agency, newspaper, website?)
OH used websites, before we came out.
Are there local customs that would make it difficult for foreigners to fit in?
Being from the UK, I have not found it that hard. But people from elsewhere might.
What are the top ten things you like about South Australia?
The weather. The sea, The scenery, The wine, Bigger houses than UK. Less crowded Cleaner city
What are the top ten things you DON'T like or find strange about South Australia?
Its a bit boring after a while, and its too far to drive anywhere else, and flights are expensive when you have a family.
I hate that I can not take my dog on long walks (like an hour or so), off the lead, like I did in England. There is so much space here, but no where to go.
Very few public footpaths.
Did you buy a new home or did you decide to rent?
We rented first, then bought.
What is the average cost for housing in your area?
For a 3/4 bed family home, it is around $560,000+ mark.
Was it difficult to find housing in your new country?
Yes, finding a suitable family rental was not easy, also having a dog limited our choices. That was one of the reasons why we bought a house much quicker than we should have done.
Is the cost of living comparable to what you experienced before? Explain the difference.
It is more expensive. With a lot of hidden costs, like school fees, kids dental fees, no child allowance (for us on a visa), doctors fees etc. Tax on house buying is exorbitant (and I thought the UK was bad).
List some things that are less expensive in South Australia
Petrol
What is the best thing about people in South Australia?
People on the whole are nice. In fact most of the locals I meet have been very friendly (on a superficial level).
Do you have any suggestions for people who are thinking about moving to South Australia?
SA is not for everyone.
What are the good or bad things about living in South Australia?
Its great for a holiday. But its a cul-de-sac for most professional people. Also it is too far from anywhere. Most families here, find their older children have to move out of the state to further their careers, many older parents have sons and daughters all over the country (and abroad). Internal airfares are relatively cheap, but it does make it hard for everyone. And of course its even harder for expats.
There are some lovely parts to South Australia, but most of it is vast nothingness, beautiful in its own way, but you can not live off a view.
Where we live is beautiful (Adelaide Hills), the kids love their school,and made friends easily, and we have a lovely house, much larger than we could ever have afforded in the UK.
However my OH works much longer hours here, its just expected. The laid back Aussie lifestyle thing - is a myth. He also gets less holidays. So him spending more time enjoying family life, (which was sort of the plan) just has not happened.
I have also been unable to find worthwhile work, that is viable, with 3 primary aged children. I have also found it hard to meet other mothers, as people just drop off and pick up their kids in their cars.
Do you think you will stay in South Australia, or it is not suitable for the long run?
To be honest I do not know. There are much, much worse places in the world to live, if you can manage to get a good set of friends around you and have a decent job, you may be able to develop some roots, and it may be worth a go. However, at the moment I feel it is not somewhere I want to be permanently, but that's just me.
