Well, here's what I did:

Ange and I hadn't been outside Aus before (unless you count Tasmania?) but decided to move to London. So I quite my job, Ange's parents came to look after the kids and Ange and I went on a holiday. Thailand, Italy, France and then to London.

I got myself some cheap accomodation and started job hunting. Ange went back to sort out the rest of the house stuff, sell the car etc. Got my first contract within 3 weeks so 2.5 mths later Ange and the kids came over and we settled in London. Been here since April 2002.

Now I want a career change and have started looking into equities markets, specifically technical analysis of markets at the moment. Ordered some more books on techniques etc .... would love to work from home and trade for myself for a while.

I would love to do something outside though, SCUBA instructor, offshore fishing charter etc ...

[Edited on 9-12-2004 by tp-996]

It'd be fun to just go, then send all yourfamily and friends a change of address card... spehly if it's another country!

So lily, you're not considering leaving us are you?

kind of did a couple of years ago...left a 30k plus retail managers job for a 18k sales rep, took me a couple of years to get the ££ back but I now have weekends, bank holidays and flexible time!! Well worth it.

Also, been trying to persuade my better half that we should move to NZ (so tempted just to apply and see what happens). Doing a degree course at the mo so, when I qualify, I can make a final decision to up and go or stay and change career completely - next 3 or 4 yrs should be fun!

wow, thats pretty off the cuff i guess.

I contemplate the career change, but not certain if any of the things i fancy would pay me enough money...

I came pretty close to moving to Aus a few years back, but some of the teechnicalities of the contract put me off. Glad i didn't go now, but still wonder where it wouldn have taken me if i had.

Probably to Australia :D

We'll go back there one day ... when that is I don't know.

Tony, you oughta come down sarf and do some scuba instructing - plenty of good diving areas around here. Or buy a Sunseeker and charter it out?

JUST DO IT!!!!! you know you Wanna""mav

Well, I've got some courses and a lot more dives to log if I was to become a DiveMaster.

But it's not practical. It's not going to pay me what I get now, it would be time consuming doing whilst still contracting. And it's cold :D

I nearly went in on a yacht in the Whitsunday's, 60 footer that was kitted out with a bunch of rods, a dive compressor etc ... but we came over here.

doesnt always work out tho - member of my family wanted his own business for 30 years, finally did it 2 years ago with another guy, went well until 6m ago, now on verge of losing both their fully paid for homes:( and this is a industry he has been in all his working life!

Yeah money is always a factor. I could head south, stay in the same career and get paid more, but i doubt it would make me happy.

Or I could move to California and do something totally different.... :eureka: