Hannah, a Brit now living in Perth, has taken to her TikTok channel to warn others that there is a big difference between taking a break in Oz and moving to Australia there full time
A Brit who recently swapped the drizzly UK for sunny Australia has urged others not to follow in her footsteps.
After one of the rainiest, coldest winters in years, it is easy to understand why more than one million people born in the UK are currently living Down Under. Not only does it have thousands of miles of beautiful coastlines and sunshine, the music and sports scenes are vibrant, as is the backpacking scene.
So long as you can stay out of the jaws of Australia’s many deadly animals, then heading on holiday is a no brainer, if you get the chance.
Hannah, a Brit now living in Perth, has warned that there is a big difference between taking a break in Oz and moving there full time. “I would like to de-influence you to move to Australia,” she said in a TikTok clip.
The world-weary expat urged others not to get fooled by influencer videos exclusively showing the beautiful, sun-drenched side of the country and not the reality of setting up a life there.
“Because the girls on TikTok just make videos of them running on the beach at 6am having an acai bowl, enjoying the sunrise it is not like that. Maybe it is once you’ve got settled, but the amount of times I’ve cried in the last three weeks, the amount of times I’ve wanted to go home,” Hannah continued.
“Like, I still want to stay here, but it is not easy. The travelling part, that’s fun, that is easy. That bit can be romanticised, but it is amazing. The whole living, trying to find a job part, it is tough. I’ve never found it this tough to find a job before. So maybe in six months I will be running on the beach having an acai bowl. But right now, no.”
A huge number of people flocked to the comments to agree with Hannah, including one who wrote: “I went to Aus in Jan and really liked it but struggled to find any vibes. It made me realise even more how much London/the UK has to offer!!”
Another added: “I completely agree. If I do get a job then Any money I earn will just be covering expenses and if I’m lucky, give back the money I lost from looking for a job.”
They are far from alone from having struggled to fit into Australian society. While the promise of good wages and great weather is very tempting, finding new friends and a positive work situation can be difficult.
One woman recently wrote on Reddit how hard she had found it to be happy Down Under six months after moving.
“I think this stems from two main things: homesickness and hating my job. The homesickness I can somewhat handle. I lived abroad for a year before and know it comes in ebbs and flows. But combined with feeling completely insecure in my job, due to toxic management, is making me feel so sad and alone,” she wrote.
“Even finding a new job would be super difficult as I only have seven months left on my working holiday visa and I only envisioned myself staying for a year anyway. It feels like I’m crying on the daily and my mental health is doing horribly.
“I’m tempted to pack it in and going home. Honesty, what’s stopping me is the fear that I have failed if I go home after six months and also the fact that my whole family have spent money on the trip of a lifetime to come and visit me in September (which would be a bit hard if I’m not here).”
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