Hello, I am Danielle Duffy, an American citizen currently living in Melbourne Australia with my family. We moved across in September 2008 for my husband’s job and have been so happy living here for the past three and a half years. There were of course many challenges that we faced during the move, especially since our sons were 18 months and 3 years old at the time. I always think back to “the big day” and what a sight we must have been at the airport: 8 massive suitcases, a stroller, 2 little boys and 2 car seats. It was quite a feat for us to manage everything! We also didn’t pack a lot of the things that I wish we brought along and had to go buy duplicates, as 90% of our belongings are in storage in the States. I think we went to IKEA everyday for the first two weeks to purchase items that we forgot!

We were lucky enough to find our suburb at the recommendation of my husband’s co-worker, we are really happy living a quick tram ride away from the city and across the street from the beach.   more ...

My name is Sami. I am Portuguese by birth, but have lived in South Africa (20 years), Germany (6 years) and Portugal (12 years). I moved to Perth to accompany my husband who had been offered a job. We came in January 2007. Although we were happy in Portugal, there was always a wish to go somewhere else where we could provide our children with a better future, and to an area where we could eventually explore the Asian countries.

What challenges did you face during the move?

We were lucky that the company that sponsored our move/visa paid for a removal company, so it make our life easier. We had to give away a lot of stuff as not all fitted in the container. Of course leaving family and good friends behind is heart wrenching but we had made the choice!   more ...

My name is Stella Hartley, a police woman from Barnsley, UK.

I needed a change, simple as that. I wanted a better lifestyle and quality of life and was in desperate need of some sunshine. It really was all about me. I had no real commitments in the UK, and although the decision to leave my family and friends was tough, it felt right.

I knew that when I wanted to move I would stay in the police force. I saw that the South Australia Police was recruiting at the time and I had seen some TV shows about Adelaide and it looked great so that’s where I set my sights on. Prior to the beginning of the recruitment process I had no particular links with Adelaide, let alone Australia; I had never even visited the country.   more ...

I’m Sarah Husselmann, a British freelance writer, who moved from London to Sydney in January 2010. I relocated with my husband and two preschool children. Whilst settling the children into their new home, I’ve created a blog and website providing help for mums moving to Australia- Mum’s gone 2 Aus. I’ve been thrilled with the following it’s received and I’m happy to be helping families from all over the world with their relocation or visit to Australia.

Our decision to move to Australia took some time. My husband and I obtained permanent residency shortly after getting married but I got cold feet and didn’t want to leave the UK. I was concerned about missing my family.   more ...

My name is Suzer, an expat originally from the US. Initially, I moved to England for post-graduate study. While I was there, I went on a backpacker tour of Ireland for Christmas, and met a bloke from Australia, who ended up becoming my husband. We spent a year in New Zealand before settling in Adelaide, South Australia. That was about 3 years ago.

The biggest challenges for me were that my husband was from Adelaide, and already had his social circle / support network / family and interests here, and I had to start from scratch.


How did you find somewhere to live?

That was the easy part, as my other half already owned a house here!   more ...

I'm Russell Ward, a thirty-something expat living on Sydney's northern beaches in New South Wales, Australia and the writer of an expat blog, www.insearchofalifelessordinary.blogspot.com. I divide my time between government consulting, travelling the world, enjoying a bit of cooking and gardening, and writing whenever I can.

I lived in the UK until 2003, before emigrating to Canada (Vancouver and Ottawa), then most recently to Sydney, Australia (my wife's home city). I moved abroad in search of a life less ordinary, different to the hum drum of the 9-5 routine and the weekends spent in shopping malls or spent nursing a never-ending hangover from the night before. I went in search of the great outdoors and a more positive way of looking at, and living, my life... and, to be perfectly honest, it's worked.   more ...

[Expat Focus: Sheila has kindly shared her sad story with Expat Focus in order to make Expats living or considering moving to a Commonwealth Country aware of what may happen to their UK State Pension.]

"On receiving the Age Pension, it enabled me to live in Australia. What I wasn't prepared for was the fact that it was 'frozen' at that rate for the rest of my life, simply because I had decided to live in Australia with my only immediate family. Had they lived anywhere but a Commonwealth country, my pension would have been indexed as it would have been had I lived in the UK..."   more ...

My name is Jennifer Tice – Former Marketing Manager and now travel blogger at www.jennifertice.com. I decided I needed a big change in my life, sold all of my belongings and headed overseas for an indefinite period of time. So far stops include two weeks in New Zealand, one year in Australia, and then off to Asia.


What challenges did you face during the move?

I found that once you really commit yourself to the trip things seem to fall into place. At first it was difficult to sell all of my belongings, but after a while it became a very freeing experience, and a good way to get some extra cash for traveling.   more ...

My name is Lesley Snell. I live on the Northern Beaches in Sydney with my husband and three children. I am a UK trained primary schoolteacher and Director of a small business on the Northern Beaches in Sydney, Australia. I have been very lucky to have moved around a fair bit. Over the past twenty years I have lived in New York City, London, Sydney, Washington.D.C. and Miami. We have moved because of my husband’s job within the airline industry. We became Australian Citizens a few years back and we are now settled here on The Northern Beaches.


What challenges did you face during the move?

Lots!!   more ...

My name is Gordon Dolan; for many years I wanted to migrate but had cold feet, until a recruitment team from HM Naval Base, Auckland, visited Plymouth where I worked in the Devonport Dockyard; being selected for migration with costs paid was too good to pass up, my partner Diana agreed and off to New Zealand we went, when I was 30.

We were 'sponsored' by a Naval Base employee and after a very unsettled period (missing family & friends) managed to get over the separation. As usual my partner suffered most as I had my work to distract me from homesickness while she was alone with two children, yet she showed determination to see it through. After 6 months we were up & running, she started work and we did very well for the 7 years of our stay. Diana ran a very successful business manufacturing and selling custom knitwear at premium prices until the Finance Minister of the Lange government killed the economy by removing tariff barriers overnight, giving no-one a fair chance to adapt.   more ...