We caught up with Deepali Behar who moved to Perth, Western Australia with her partner in 2009.
An Interview on Living in Australia
Why did you decide to move abroad?
We had been living in Australia for 6 months on a Working Holiday Visa which soon changed to a Sponsored Visa, then Permanent Residency Visa and finally we received our Australian Citizenship this year. We originally came out here for a bit of a holiday and adventure. However soon feel in love with the lifestyle and weather!
What is the best thing about living abroad?
As the weather is fantastic throughout most of the year it allows you to do more outdoor activities.
What is the best thing about living in Australia?
We live 40 minutes south of the CBD. It’s lovely and laid back, living on the coast allows us to take in the beautiful beaches of WA and the wonderful sunsets over the Indian Ocean.
What advice would you give to someone moving abroad?
It is beneficial to spend some time in the country prior to finally moving as it is a big commitment, especially when leaving family behind. However, you must think about the future. For us, we knew our future family would have a better quality of life here in Australia.
Do you have any tips for searching for a home in Australia?
Things to consider would be work and family. I didn’t want a very long commute, however, due to the nature of my job I found myself travelling between two jobs at one point that were 2 hours apart. Our preference was to live near the beach, which suits our lifestyle. We researched potential areasand average house prices, then arranged house viewings before arranging finance.
What are the pros and cons of living in Australia compared to the UK?
The pros would be weather, lifestyle and employment opportunities. We never thought at 31 years of age we would have our own business and building our dream home overlooking the ocean. However, the cons would be family, we left all our family behind in the UK and miss them every day. It is particularly hard with the birth of new members and the passing of our family members.
With the benefit of hindsight, is there anything you would do differently if you were starting the relocation process again?
So far there is nothing I would do differently if were to start the relocation process again.
Do you have any other general tips or advice with regards to moving to Australia?
Travel as much as you can. Australia is a huge country. If you have the opportunity to work in different states then try to. Before making a large commitment make sure it’s the right decision for you and your family.
Useful Links
You can find out more information on moving and living in Australia on the Australian Government’s Immigration Website here: www.australia.gov.au/information-and-services/immigration-and-visas/migration-to-australia.
