(Is) Migration for 'Dummies'?

Having moved from the UK to South Africa at a very young age, I grew up with a decidedly observable South African outlook in spite my so-called British background.

Frustrated by the growing number of lockable devices needed to survive each day, my SA-born wife and I decided to explore emigration options as early as 1995.

I feel compelled to say that for most this is no easy decision as your entire life journey has been "built" over many years and that to simply "clear off" is pretty scary. (I emphasise this because we had neither family nor friends at any of our target destinations.)

I guess most people try to do 'the right thing' and busy themselves with various LSD (look see & decide) trips to countries of choice or of migratory ease. We went to the USA and Canada.

Only one problem! Trying to absorb a country's culture in a "coupla" weeks is like trying to brew beer in a hurry - it might sound cool and intellectually challenging, but the reality is that it just doesn't work.

Believe me, only after you've actually had to re-start your life in another country will you understand what "alone" really feels like. And here's the rub; without a support structure of business colleagues, friends or relatives, no amount of quick LSD trips will adequately expose the "glue" that holds the seams and fabric of a foreign community together.

So we continued exploring (albeit on the internet) and after 'e-visiting' both New Zealand and Australia, more or less decided in '97 that Oz was the place to be.

By '99 it is fair to say that our career prospects were looking decidedly "iffy" under the new 'Affirmative Action' rules and so we finally decided to quit SA.

Now it was a simply case of time and money.

We decided to exercise my birthright and headed to the UK to await the expected 18 month Oz immigration "queuing period". We figured this would also be an opportunity to complement our career experiences and skills, whilst allowing time for the renewal of long lost family connections.

Unfortunately, some of our migratory assessment answers must've been wide of the mark as things took a whole lot longer than expected and we wound up stuck in the UK for just over 4 years!

During this time, Oz successively decided that they needed two of everything 2 medicals, 2 Police Clearances and clearly 2 x 18 months judging by the timeframe to assess!

Fruitlessly, I wrote many, many letters during this time and all I can say is: "never in the field of migratory contest has so much been examined by so many for so few " (apologies to Sir Winston).

Finally, early April '04, we were advised that we had been accepted, but there was a catch!

Despite all the delays since applying, Oz was now in a helluva' hurry and wanted us to be "on-the-ground" by the end of June failing which our 'rite of passage' would be irrevocably cancelled.

We had waited 4 years in the "queue" and then got told our "sell-by date" was a scant 2-months away! Take a minute to digest that : 8 short weeks to tell your boss, arrange shippers, secure air tickets and maybe even sell your house! Impossible almost ?

"No worries mate" as they say in Oz, we had to; so we did!

But wait, there's more!

Just before Anzac Day (in Oz), we received a message from immigration saying that sadly they had made a mistake - our Police Clearances had now expired (again!) and we couldn't go.

Fortunately, sanity prevailed and the assessment was justifiably, rescinded.

So be warned - with migration, expect the unexpected!

And so we arrived in Oz having no real idea where to begin and intensified by not having anybody to meet us. We called a cab and headed for a B&B selected at random from a decidedly unhelpful tourist display board at the airport... !

Having now begun settling in Oz, we naturally have started building a new network of local friends and business contacts. Without sounding disparaging, most of the contacts we met "fore-warned" us of the huge culture shock we were sure to experience. Given our family connections and lifestyle, we were sure to get homesick - this to be measured by the size of our phone bill.

Another dilemma for us was now having two "back homes" in that half of my direct family had left SA and were living in the UK.

In fairness though, we can say that our move to OZ was easier than the move from SA to the UK.

Not so much because we're getting used to international re-location, but much more to do with the fact that day-to-day living in Oz isn't so vastly different that you'd feel as if you'd dropped onto another planet. Don't get me wrong. I'm not pretending that there aren't differences, but what I am saying is that apart from lifestyle adjustments - which are mostly personal and subjective - generally the differences are not that severe and certainly most are in the positive. Missing family and friends aside, there isn't a whole list of things that will keep you awake at night.

Sure, the climate is different and generally far, far better than almost anywhere in the UK. There are mountains, streams (called creeks), lush green forests and PLENTY of wonderful coastline. And over here, there's real sand on the beaches - not garden pebbles!

The upshot of all this good outdoor environment is clearly evident: in Oz there are visibly a lot less teenagers strolling around with pushchairs and the dominant free-to-air TV stations seem more intent on pushing advertising material than program content (just an observation, not a statistically proven fact).

As for infrastructure - this is much more like UK than SA.

Admittedly the roads and parking spots are bigger (they should be, after all there is more space!) but the way in which things get (or have to be) done is quite British; perhaps due to a strong influence over the past century or two? An example is car licensing : simple and uncomplicated; just study the local rules, write the test and collect your new driving license. Job done! By the way, arriving on a UK license, gets you a 90-day "grace" period.

Want to 'Rego' your car as its known locally (i.e. Road Tax in UK)? This follows a very similar process and the formula is : "proof of MOT (called safety check) + proof of insurance (called CTP in Oz) = Rego".

As in most countries, anything to do with the government attracts a charge and like the UK, you can change your address details on-line when you move. Couldn't be simpler. On a slightly different tack - in both countries the government seems hell-bent in waging an unofficial war against the lay motorist. So here's another "cautionary" - be watchful of not only your driving speeds, but also your social drinking. WHEN (not if) you get stopped in a Random Breathalyser Test (RBT) you'd better not be on the "expensive" side of the legal limit ( .05% blood alcohol content).

And be alert - the coppers often set up camp amongst the bushes so they can spot you long before you spot them!

The Medicare system seems to run along similar lines to the NHS and seemingly appears to be almost as "broken". Like the UK, your eyes & teeth don't feature as an integral partof the human body and are excluded from this health care 'net' so you will need private insurance or funds. It follows that if you suffer from DVT ("Dodgy Vision or Teeth"), get these sorted before you step on that plane.

Based on what I have seen, many of the IT systems and 'on-line' services are a tad behind.

In the UK, broadband internet access is now 'de-rigueur' even in private homes. Clearly the Blair government's desire to have all sectors fully on-line by 2005 has had farreaching benefits both at a political and commercial level and with home broadband market penetration estimated at 33% sometime during 2005, 'e-business' is fast becoming the norm.

Here's an example; you can fully search, name and register a private company on-line in under 30 minutes and at very, very low cost (£50). In Oz it will cost you many, many times that amount.

Having now met quite a lot of people all over Oz since arriving, we can readily say that most Australians are very friendly, quick to help and have a "relaxed" attitude to life. Yes, sometimes their parochialism "sucks" and this may be due to a staunch "keep it Australian" type patriotism (generally not an issue in the UK probably due to a steady influx of worldwide migrants). As a result, you will probably find it quite gruelling to find employment quickly (certainly in your current role) and most local people will tell (expect ?) you to take a step or two back - which is fine if you are 21, but isn't so easy at 41!

As in the UK, ageism is rearing its ugly head here despite apparently being illegal but hey, so's speeding and almost everybody does that at some point. So get creative and find a way around it.

In summary, the vastness of OZ never ceases to amaze us and it's a real challenge getting used to distances where travel time is measured in days rather than in K's!

We are delighted with our new homeland and certainly aren't homesick. Nor do we intend to go back to either continent... unless of course, 'they' disown us being 'persona non grata ' after this little exposé!

We truly hope not.

Article submitted by M. Walker, formerly of Jo'burg and London now happily settled in Brisbane since June 2004.