Living the dream down under

FORMER Warrington resident Steve Griffiths is now living the dream “down under” but keeps in touch with his home town via warrington-worldwide.
Steve, who played for Warrington Rugby League Club in the 1990’s, contacted warrington-worldwide and asked to share his experience with other readers, providing a fascinating insight into “living the dream” and taking that big step into the unknown.
Here Steve explains in his own words how he embarked on his Australian adventure.

I brought my family out in late Feb 2007 to work for a medical supplies company based in Sydney.
My wife Jo and I did a two week “reccy” the previous year and decided that Sydney was a place to holiday
but not the best to bring up a young family. To afford to live in Sydney meant living an hour away from the beaches….we were nearer to Southport than Bondi!
So we packed our bags for the Gold Coast with our two children, Harriet who was 11 at the time and Harvey 6. We left behind a very cold and wet February to arrive at Brisbane Airport to temperatures in the 30s.
Prior to leaving the UK I had spent months on selecting locations to live, work, school and play and found the northern Gold Coast ideal. I had arranged a months accommodation at a resort on the beach so Jo and the kids could acclimatise while iI settled into work. During that period we were then searching for a home to rent long term whilst we adjusted to Aussie life.
We are here on a long-term 457 visa … which for anybody looking to get to OZ is a far less expensive and time consuming exercise. I was fortunate that my company were prepared to pay our fees and transport over along with the container with all our worldy goods. All migration and visa issues were handled by the company. Next year we can then convert it into a permanent visa.
It took approximately eight weeks for the container to arrive from the UK. We had heard that if containers fall off the ships then the ship owners have a responsibility to shoot holes in the container and sink it to the ocean floors so as no other vessels run into them on the high seas. Thankfully ours arrived all safe and sound and Jo made good time in making our rented home like home.
In the first week we got the kids into state school – I had been in dialogue with the school before we arrived. In fact the school appeared on the BBC show “Wanted Down Under” prior to our departure.
As we departed the school I managed to pick my first speeding points up, as unbeknown to us there is a curfew period between 2:30 and 4pm each school day when the road speed drops from 60kph to 40kph. I was doing 49 and got myself three points and a $225 fine. A great policy, which could be utilised in the UK.
We live in a fantastic part of the world now and I have always said if I ever won the UK lottery I would set up a home here in this wonderful part of South East Queensland. The Gold Coast is a city in itself. Its most famous suburb is Surfers Paradise, which is a huge commercial district for tourism and the beaches. The beaches run the full 35km from the state border with New South Wales at Coolangatta to the Northern end where we have set up home. We rented for six months at beautiful estate called Coomera Waters which has two leisure facilities and pool, tennis courts and a tavern along with its own marina. This area is part of the ever growing housing developments that are being built in this SE corridor as families from across the globe and other Australian states flock for the lifestyle being offered.
The style of houses on offer in Australia are just amazing. We have since purchased a house that offers 4 beds (all en-suite), a study, a rumpus room ( a kids play room) a parents retreat with walk through wardrobes and a lovely family sized pool we had built for our first summer. You get a lot more “bang for your buck” is how we describe it. All this for around 300k GBP and just 6kms from the beautiful ocean.
When we walked through the passport control at Manchester Airport that cold and wet Sunday evening we were heart broken about the people we were leaving behind. Mums ‘n Dads, Grandparents and lifelong friends were there to say goodbye. We had had a few leaving parties over the final weeks which were also tearful. But I never expected it to be so hard to say goodbye.
Jo turned to me and said “Dont you ever put me and the kids through this again.” Words that still live with me now. A couple of months later as we stode down a deserted beach with the kids chasing Kangaroos I turned to Jo and said the same back. Its true that we miss our families dearly and there have been times where we both have almost gone back “home.” We have had a few arguments along the way some which have really tested our love for each other, but we have survived these and as the old saying goes “What don’t kill you makes you stronger.” Without family close by little problems become big ‘uns.
I have had a boat and a now a jet ski as we love being on the water. You have to have a license for both of these. As for driving you can simply obtain a Queensland driving license by showing your UK one. Transferring your funds from the UK was easy. I used the Commonwealth Bank who made the process simple.
As for new friends. We have made some great friends here now. Most weekends we are having BBQs either at the beach, at our place or at our friends. There are many English families here who are also enjoying their new life DownUnder. A fellow Warrington family whom we knew briefly before we came out are also settled here now. Our children are best friends with theirs.
As for teenagers, which Harriet now is, we have 4 theme parks within 5 kms of us so annual passes for the WaterParks and Adventure parks are a must at really affordable prices.
My earnings are not as high as in the UK but its a small sacrifice for the quality of life we now have and the opportunites that are available for our children to grow up into.
Picture shows Steve and his family preparing for Christmas down under.