3 Years in Australia: What We Learned Returning to the UK (10 Things) 

Speaking from personal experience, after you have lived in Australia for 7 years, you are for all intents and purposes, an Aussie. Albeit with an English accent. I'm an Australian and a Canadian accent. I've been back to Canada and the United States, (I have family in both countries), and although it's great to catch up with relatives, and Canada is a spectacular country for scenery. I don't fit in there anymore. Don't get me wrong. I'm proud to be Canadian. But I'm also proud to be Australian. Canada is the country I come from. And Australia is the country I belong to.

As a teenager I went to the uk and lived with an Aunt and Uncle for six months. I visited several more times over the years. After my uncle died my Aunt who was 80 did her first overseas trip and came to visit….for 3 months. Sitting at the airport with her when she left, she said I’m pleased I came, I now understand you and why you’re are the way you are.😂

The other thing I noticed on visits back to the uk, you’d ring someone and say hi, I’m here , invariably the response was when are you coming to see me. I had travelled the first 12000km, I thought you could come the last 20km. The last trip I did, I didn’t bother telling anyone I was coming😊

I agree, the colours here are vibrant. We went back to the UK last July, shocked at the rubbish and weeds in the streets, not wanting to go back for a while. Makes you appreciate this beautiful country. ❤

Australia is very lucky to have you. Thank you for you kind words about our country, we welcome you with open arms.

Having had a 5 year contract in the UK I will never complain about Medicare and our health system. Paying $20 co-payment to my GP when I can get an appointment in 24 hours is well worth it. Recently paid nothing for a 3 day hospital stay in a small hospital which hsd all the latest kit

Myself and wife left Manchester 37 years ago, the inspiration your giving to your generation is admirable, we did it with no internet. So the help you give is fantastic.

Welcome back, you’re a brave person traveling that distance with two toddlers. I’m with you, was not impressed with Emirates, (for me, airline of choice is Singapore Airlines). It takes a while but you will reach a point where it’s great to go for a visit but you’re glad to get home. I was returning from a military deployment to the Middle East after 6 months. There were about 50 of us, we landed in Bahrain waiting for boarding on a Hercules. There was a massive window looking out over the airfield, as we were standing there, in the terminal, a Qantas 747 took off……I can assure 50 military personnel standing there with a tear in their eye……guess we didn’t realise how much we missed home. 😊

The LIGHT in Australia is different to that in the Northern Hemisphere. The early painters of Australian scenes could not correctly paint the colors of it because they were not understanding that the light was different. If you visit an art gallery and look at those early paintings you will understand.

i married a girl from Gillingham Kent we had a baby and my mother in law decided to go back to England with my younger sister in law . it lasted 6 months and they were back.

Next holiday, pack up the four of you and head south, stopping at camping grounds at various towns along the coast. The weather will be a bit cooler and every town is different with lots of local treats and sights to see.

When my nieces were babies our family traveled on Gulf Air (based in Bahrain) as there was a ‘nanny’ service onboard. From memory there were a couple of qualified nannies available to help parents with children. It made flying with little ones so much easier!

When my husband and I make the move (hopefully within the next year), I have no plans on ever returning to Trinidad, not even to see family, there's facetime for that.

It took my mother nearly 20 years to see Australia as “Home” after leaving Germany in 1960

We went back to the UK last year to visit my 89 year old sister-in-law. We found driving the narrow streets particularly unnerving with the confident local drivers not giving way and driving at speed weaving in and out because of parked cars. We were honked at quite often by drivers behind us for giving way on the narrow streets to cars where cars were half and even totally parked on the footpaths, some even parked on the opposite side of the street facing oncoming traffic, weird to us but totally legal in the UK. The mega gyros/gyratory system (roundabouts not food) were terrifying because the route numbers were painted on the lane surface but required a fresh coat of paint. We ended up going around these gyros a few times in order to change lanes to enter or exit the correct road. I was disappointed with the kids selections at M&S Summer 2023 and didn’t buy any clothes for my grandchildren, for the first time!

Finally a video where a woman is admitting to her husband that he is a big help, brought tears to my eyes.

We had a Japanese exchange student in my teens. They kept taking photos of the sky because of how blue it looks.

KMART has really stepped up their game now. They used to be crap but lately it has really improved and I rarely have to return anything whereas before I was always returning things.

Enjoyed the video, thanks. But I would have liked to hear more about Sam's observations, especially those that had changed, about the UK now that she's had a 3 year space to be objective. Also more about how she may now even view Australia differently. Travelling with little kids isn't easy, I'll give you that but I didn't expect it to be (what felt like) 90% of the video. Cheers.

Well done Sam really enjoyed hearing all about your trip .

That was very interesting; thank you. Congratulations mate - she came back for you 😁😁

Such an honest and candid insight into your travels back to the UK. Thanks for sharing 😊

Love the sincerity of this video. So much respect for both countries presented in a honest fashion. Will be over soon 😊

Not long back I looked at my old home town in Scotland on Google maps. It was depressing. Everything looked dull and rundown with dingy little $2 shops everywhere. Talking to an old mate, he remarked that I was lucky that we left when we did because he reckoned the Thatcher era was brutal and a lot of the UK's problems are from that era. Life here can be tough but I'd rather be here than there.

Loved this video, thank you very much for making it! Great to hear how Sam managed so well and also I found it encouraging that she's still very content living in Australia after going back and staying in the UK again. Makes me feel like when it's my turn to move to Australia, it'll be the right decision! Thanks for the vids Ross!

A very honest account. I admire you.

Great interview Ross. Sam it was lovely to hear about your experience. I was a single parent for 14 years, so I do agree with you that it is exhausting

I've watched you guys on RU-vid for about a year now today I pressed the subscribe button 😊 as an Aussie born I truly believe in multicultural Australia and you and your family are a shining example of what it's all about , living your best in Australia 🦘 keep the videos coming . Cheers from North West Tasmania

Really interesting video. We have lived here all our lives and had no family support, building up friendships that you can have reciprocal help with baby sitting makes so much difference. Having family as you know, doesn’t always mean there is help.

Australia loves having good folks who fit in with we Aussies and enriching our lives as well.

Welcome home Sam!!!! Great to see you again and you had a great time, well done for traveling such great distance with 2 kids.

This 'not knowing where home is' is very prevalent. I got it bad after travelling for a long time, I felt homesick for places that weren't home. It's weird, hard to explain. But it doesn't take that long to adjust.

Great insights guys... I am sure this is good info for people considering an international move 🙂

Love watching you videos

Hi Ross and Sam. That was a great video. I’m Australian born and bred, so I watch your videos for a totally different perspective. I was really interested to hear Sam’s thoughts about her trip. Wow, what a journey. You did well 👏👏👏. Adding to your thoughts about “home”, I wonder if things might change once you get your Australian passport. It’s just a thought. Anyway, thanks again and stay cool. I’m in Central Queensland, so I totally get the heat (and the humidity, ugh.) I come from Canberra and normally live in the Blue Mountains. I miss the cold weather too.

I was a “single mother” for a few years as my husband was away for work 90% of the time and the thing I learned was it’s hard, there was NO “me time” when you’re playing 2 ppl. I had all my family in another state just had a few friends who had their own work to do so pretty much no support for years. If I needed help, I had to ask, people can’t read minds, they do want to help they just don’t want to impose themselves. So the worse that can happen is they say no and then you know. I just had to make peace with it or I’d lose my mind. It is what it is, no matter how hard it is, the more I sat in the drama the worse I was as a mother. Once I let go and just took on the whole situation, I was able to say, it is what it is, “me time” won’t exist for a few years. Best to get on with it.

It's strange I lived in New Zealand for 10 years. Lovely country and people. Had two children there. But I badly needed to come home. It wasn't so much because I missed family as the fact that it felt so isolated. I came home and never regretted it. I felt alive again and in the thick of everything. Now one of my children lives there so I do vist which is great but after a while of being there I remember why I wanted to leave.

Not a comment on this video as it was a great watch, but I can't help feel irked when expats talk about the UK as if it is the worst place on earth. There are loads of beautiful places in this country, as there are in Aus (I went last year and loved it). Yes, we don't always get the weather, but it does also rain in Aus! What I'm saying is there are pros and cons to both

We came out to Australia at the same time as you guys and we went back for the first time last April and I also found it so grey!!!

I totally understand that motorway feeling. It made me laugh because i noticed that excact sense on a trip from Australia to Preston in the 1990s.

My wife was in Brisbane last weekend and couldn't stand the heat and humidity. We live in the Blue Mountains in NSW so are used to it being a little cooler. When we first went to the UK and Europe we really noticed how filtered the light was compared to Australia. It was like there was a dimmer switch.

I have dual citizenship with aus and Uk. A requirement of dual citizenship is that you exit and enter the country with the citizenship of that country. Aka you need to exit and enter Australia on the Australian passport. And exit and leave the Uk on the Uk passport. It’s a legal requirement. It’s why they didn’t like her leavint Australia without the Australian one.

When it comes to having other kids over, most times it’s a lot easier because they go and play, rather than siblings trying to kill each other. That’s what it was like in my house growing up & I had 5 younger sisters, the youngest 3, triplets, we each had our own friends over & most times all at the same time. I found the same with my 3 kids too, it was easier to deal with 6 kids of playing happily than just my 3 on their own arguing.

As an Aussie living in UK almost twenty years ago, one thing I noticed was no one on the Motorways cares about the speed limit. Several times on the London Orbital M25, I was keeping up with the traffic, looked at the speedo - 100mph (160 kmh). I was very surprised. Speed limit signs said 70 mph. Can't remember seeing any highway cops the whole time I was living there, only the cops who look after you if your car is broken down on the motorway - yellow and blue squares all over their car. usually a volvo or range rover back then. Got to know an English lawyer, who told me with the last fifty infringement fines he had defended for clients in court, the result was not guilty every time! - he simply looked for the mistakes made by the prosecutors. He said, every time he examined their 'full disclosure' he always found mistakes fatal to the prosecutor's case. In the UK every speed camera was required by law to be signed to warn drivers approaching the speed detector. Not here in Australia. Cops are much more pleasant in the UK, probably cos the average bobby is not armed and on a more equal footing with the public - though I do recall Transport police (at rail stations) were armed with assault rifles - H&K G36 rifles at Victoria and Waterloo Stations. Regular traffic jambs on the motorways were tiresome. We in Australia measure a country journey in hours. Not in the UK. For instance, a drive from London to Portsmouth might take you say 1 hour or might take two hours depending on traffic. A drive of 25 miles in England is considered a big day out for a Pom! Not in Australia. Poms don't seem to have taken on Aussie drive through grog shops, though, I noticed petrol stations in the UK sometimes sell grog. Walked down the grog aisle of a UK supermarket, long aisle with one side wine all from Australia, the other side, wine from the rest of the world! Made me feel proud!

Your description is 100%. I get it!

I loved that. Thank you guys. True brisbanites with an English twang I would say 😂❤

That was excellent.

Some years back my wife and I decided we wanted to spend at least one christmas with her mother in the UK ... so off we went with our two teenage children. Well, I cannot describe how depressing it was. The sky was the expected grey and cloudy with drizzly rain. The most depressing thing in the town was the dirty brown snow. No winter wonderland! The people were neither friendly nor helpful. There was rubbish everywhere. My wife only goes back to the UK see her mum and almost collapses with joy when her feet touch Aussie soil.

I fly internationally a lot , never seen any airline vounteer assistance, but seen it given when its needed. They aint a child minding business.

Will always love the beaches and weather here 🏖🏖

Awesome video 👍👋🇦🇺

Home is where the heart is. Single mother of five. Not everyone copes the same, because we all have our own battles and conditions to deal with. Just because I made it through, doesn't mean it was easy. It was very difficult with multiple debilitating chronic illnesses on top. I still cooked good meals and snacks mostly from scratch. I washed and tidied more than cleaned regularly, but I still cleaned thoroughly. I sewed and mended. I helped with homework and then home-schooled for those who needed it. I did volunteer work regularly and yes, I was on a sole-parent pension at the time. Life has not been a picnic, but we made the best of it and we never felt like we missed out, because we had each other. Family is your treasure. Ozzie born and bred.

Although your journey was difficult, you seemed to have done soo much. I’m a grandma and I never like to impose, but I’m up to help if I’m asked. Well done hope you enjoy your life in Australia. Xxx

Very interesting comment about feeling at home!! I moved to wales 40 years ago, and I feel the same!! Strange!!😊

I traveled once with my 14-year-old daughter on an Emerites flight, being 14 years old I paid for an adult airfare , they wanted to feed her a child's meal. I told them she was intitled to an adult meal.After a long discussion they gave her an adults meal. Tight bastards,

Glad to have you.

Just pop down to Tassie for the seasons. I found the same in QLD with basically wet & dry season.

Welcome back Sam and the Johnston sprigs! I’ve kinda missed your contributions to the talks. How many immigrants did you recruit? 😂😂😂

@2:55 sorry to hear about the poor immigration and Emirates experiences. I'm Aus-born with a UK Passport by descent. I didn't realise the UK document lists my 'Mount Gambier' birthplace. It may be troublesome if an infant's birthplace is that of a town/locality/suburb name found in both Aus and the UK!

Kmart is my go to shop for the family because I'm from a large family..enjoying your content.😊

Listening to both of you! was quite funny as I live in New Zealand both off us are English and I have 3 children. I went back to England with three small children oldest being 5. What a nightmare it was went by United no one helped me. I felt for you big time! Also we went at Christmas big mistake it rained everyday we were there plus I felt it was dirty grey and miserable. Not been back I have now lived in New Zealand for 30 years and it's beautiful . Been to Aus quite a few times love it and now one of my children lives in Melbourne. Take care 🌻

Interesting perspective… You two are so cute. ❤

I love visiting the UK, I do it often, I usually travel with quatar and decided to go with Qantas once which was disappointing, my best experience was with American Airlines, they were the friendliest

Sam you’re such a natural… we do like to see more of you! Lovely to hear you’re living your best lives in Oz! I started following you guys since you stepped on that plane! ✈️ thanks for sharing!

a lot of this hits home. I'm in the UK and in the process of understanding visas etc. I got an "urgent" appointment with a specialist for March 2025..apparently thats the earliest date they can do in a 60 mile radius (and I can't go somewhere else in the country for some reason..not that im sure it would make any difference). The NHS is totally screwed and one of the big factors thats triggered me looking at doing something that gives us a better life.

Surprised with the vibrant colours as, when I travelled to NZ from Brisbane years ago, I felt the same. Wonder if you went there (Christchurch) you would notice?

What a great couple. Thoroughly enjoyed this story. I'd love to have you as my neighbors.

Really enjoyred the vid.. Had a few giggles, too.. Like, how to alienate the family by telling htem they all sound rough ;-) And, Australia could use a Lidl? Nah mate.. better off with a Waitrose and maybe a Sparkies.

As a Tasmanian, I completely understand why you struggle in Queensland Summer. I went there at Christmas time one year, Its not for me either. My Partner is from QLD and we are both expecting our first Child soon, so we will be travelling with Childern in the near future, even though it won't be as far nor as much of a headache, I'm really interested in some "Travelling with Childern" Advice including the facebook group you mentioned. Cheers.

If yoi look at your daughters UK passport, it has not come from the UK. It was issued by the British consulate in Australia 😉 The airport people lied to you about the pram - you could have checked it in together with other baggage (2 pieces of baby equipment are FREE btw - buggy AND car seat). Or you could have driven her in her buggy all the way to the plane and they would have taken it in just before you sitting boarding.

I recommend 'taking shape' nice quality not cheap but last.

Can’t believe you did that without your husband or that he didn’t go with you! Emirates are terrible for service - completely agree. When we travelled with our kids the same age with Emirates, we were surprised and grateful for the kindness of strangers on the flights.

Sounds like you were being a dad. I would to head home to Czechia but kids have other things that come first. Born and raised in Aus but I lived there when I was 16. They are both homes, It's not weird the Mrs referring to U.K and Aus as home.

We flew with emirates here and they were absolutely shocking!!! No one was remotely interested in providing customer service of any type and at one point they lost my baby’s bottle which they’d taken to put in a jug of hot water for 20 minutes! By the time I got it back from them it was literally scalding hot. I was furious and they couldn’t have cared less. Never again!

The best airlines for parents (both or alone) travelling with children in my experience over the years (between UK and Oz) were JAL and Singapore Airlines, who seem to take the children away from their parents once they reach cruising height and stash them away in the crew sleeping quarters with crew acting as babysitters. They return the child for feeding, but otherwise allow the parents to relax on the flight.

Left continental Europe when I was 23 to move to AUS. Didn't know too much about the place but also didn't have great expectations. I twas meant to be an adventure. 56 years later I am still here. After a few years I recognised that Australia was a land of opportunities. I concluded that in AUS I could get twice as far with half the effort required in my country of birth. I managed to achieve the important goals I set myself. Australia is far from perfect but it suited me and what I was looking for in life. I have traveled to all continents and have seen many countries but I am always pleased to come back to my home here. I guess the fact that a married a local woman made adjusting to life here much easier. My country of birth I visit every 17 or so years but I have never had any regrets that I had moved on. I never compare because I know that I made the best choice I could have made. I think the circumstances in AUS allowed me to develop myself better than it would have been the case where I was born. Life was not just plain sailing and had its challenges , I am a widower now. It doesn't matter where you live, life is sequence of up and downs and one has to manage in good and not so good times. My advice to anyone who thinks of moving here is do not come with unrealistic expectations and you will not be disappointed.

Welcome back and also so much trouble :) .. its too hot in Australia also its too wet in England.. No place is perfect :)

Well done you. My son's first flight was from Sydney to Perth at 8 days old. I also had a 3-and-a-half-year-old daughter with me. Yes, it is a little traumatizing. Especially the first flight. Moved to the Middle East for ten years and had many, many flights. Both into the UK and Europe and back to Australia. I become fastidious with a child routine. Onto the plane into your seat. You can watch the in-flight entertainment until the meal. Then you go to the toilet, settle back into your seat, blanket on, and sleep. When you are awake you can in flight entertain yourself again. They always told me they didn't sleep, yeah right amazing what a dose of drugs with your meal can do. Always take the aisle seat for you. Lessens the chance of an escapee. Sorry about your experience with Emirates we always found them fantastic.

Fly with China Eastern next time if you can!! I flew as a single mother with 2 boys, 6yo and a 2yo from London to Shanghai, the crew was beyond fantastic! Helped me in every way they could!

I’m an Aussie living on the Gold Coast and I think our summers go on longer and it’s hotter. Feels like summer is six months long. Bring on some cooler weather. 🥵

1st thing Sam actually said when we met up in the uk "why would you want to live here" haha Not even a hello. I mean I totally agree.

It's weird that you are upset the airport staff and cabin crew didn't help you with your kids until you asked. It's not the responsibility of strangers to care for your children. If it's too much to travel internationally with two little ones on your own, then you shouldn't do it.

Very sad about the lack of help, how shameful. You did great with your girls. Good on you 👏 👍

I went to England in 1984 with my mum to meet my grandad in Chesterfield, I was surprised by the accents I could understand everyone with no problems, however, they couldn’t understand my Australian accent and found myself either having repeat myself or mum had to interpret for me. 😃

I'm with Sam - I hate the heat in Summer. I'd never be happy with that. I'm fom south coast NSW and moved north to Lismore but after 2 years came back down south again...nice place but the heat was too much. I love the cool Winter and day trips to the southern highlands - Bowral etc I have heard that Towoomba in QLD has a nicer mild climate. Do you think that the heat and humidity makes it hard for Sam to really be happy ?

My advice is if you’re not happy, go back. Having said that, remember immigrating and adjusting to your new country takes time so you do need to give it time. Well done Sam on travelling on your own with the girls, not easy. but you did it 💪

Sam, before you know it both your girls will be in School, and you’ll finally get your time. But in the meantime, I hope you’re getting at least some me-time on the weekends where you can have a date with yourself. Important for mental health😊

Home is where the heart is

I flew Emirates last year and was really disappointed with their service. I was pleasantly surprised by how courteous the drivers were in England, despite all the mad traffic 😂 - I feel we could learn from that here in Oz.

Hi Ross. Perhaps your lovely wife now sees both the UK and Australia as home. That's kind of cool, having two homes!!!

I’m not fond of summer here either, but thankfully I live in Victoria. I have experienced summers in Queensland, and as much as I like many aspects of life there, I couldn’t stand the climate full time.

So dangerous to put a child to sleep on the floor of an aircraft. Imagine unexpected clear air turbulence, the child could easily be very seriously injured or killed. The flight attendant may have worded it better but was correct. They ARE there for your safety. Ask the passengers on the JAL A350 at Haneda recently.

TBH expecting the world to drop everything because you chose to travel with two very small children on a major long haul flight is a bit optimistic. You are responsible for them - not the crew, not other passengers. As a single mum I appreciate it's difficult sometimes but would not have done the travel I did with my son from the age of 4 had I had two. Because I could not have looked after more than one in an emergency. And that is what you need to think about. You are responsible in an emergency. And BTW you'd be bonkers to move back to the UK from Australia. I know Australia has many of the same problems the UK does re globalist agendas etc, but AU has SPACE - loads of it. And more sunshine.

Now you have been back do you think you will go again sooner rather than later?

66 yrs after coming to Australia I still call the UK 'Back home" and when I go back for visits, I say 'Back home" referring to Australia. Its fabulous to catch up with family and friends in the UK but Australia is my home and I wouldn't live anywhere else. UK is great for a holiday though.

Fly Singapore and they smash into you if you have an aisle seat and throw the food at you for good measure. Trying to chill on Singapore Airlines is like trying to relax in a cage full of Lions.

Totally agree about Emirates. Worst flight we have ever experienced. We are very easy passengers maybe asking for a drink of water on each leg of the trip to UK but apparently that is a huge effort. They seem to spend a lot of time hiding and making sure they look good 🤦🏼‍♀️

Mate im not going back unless luton get to the cup final! that place isnt my country anymore. 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

yes passports bring back memories; I worked in China and my boss was my nephew. His daughter was born in Guangzhou in mid November and they were going back to Australia for Christmas. I casually said you did well to get an Australian passport for her in time. My nephew went white! oops. Fortunately he was on good terms with the Consul in Hong Kong and managed to get a passport for her within three days (you can't do that now as the Embassies/consuls can't issue full passports any more). I lost my passport in China and has to get a temporary one so I could leave China and come back to Australia to get a new one and that was an interesting exercise.

Uk is not the country it used to be … I mean world wide is the same I guess … but my friends complained that when they went back it resembled more like the Middle East Pakistan or any other country rather than the uk …. They felt out place and out love with the place they grew up with 😢