I wrote a non-fiction book

On moving to another country

In common with my children, for they did it first, my wife and I moved from the UK to Queensland Australia. Not once, but twice. Making us entry-level

ping pong Poms. By the way, I love the cover so much. I mocked it up and a nice lady in Pakistan I found on Fiverr created it for me. I think it qualifies me to comment on the experience and the process.

There is a lot to learn in doing this. Australia is not New England. It's a parallel universe where they drive on the same side of the road, and speak a similar kind of language, and there are cultural connections from being a colony and the constant influx of British people still being one of the higher groups moving to the country. We have contributed, paid taxes, paid visa fees, and even bought and sold a house. We have been nothing but a positive force since we arrived, then went back and then returned, again. Hence the ping pong Poms tag. I have sold millions of dollars worth of products in my industry. I have driven 300,000 kilometres in my time here, caused two brand new cars to be sold, flown internally maybe thirty times, and contributed to the growth of a company that once employed five people and is now employing closer to twenty, with maybe ten more who have come and gone in that time.

Immigration works, as Australia is still growing, despite its government's shortcomings from a three-year term, either disappointing Rupert Murdoch, as currently, or making his day, as for two previous terms. I'll get to the knifing of political rivals in the same party later. It applies to both main parties.

Some things have changed post Covid. In the eight years leading up to 2019, our departure, I saw perhaps two homeless people in the River City. Now there are many in Brisbane, which reminds me of being in St Kilda, Melbourne, in 2011. There are even working homeless.

Now, we live in Cairns. We're in the North of Cairns, Northern Beaches to be precise, and it's nice. There are mountains with clouds on them a lot, a Scenic Railway, the Coral Sea, and a string of beach suburbs going North once past the conveniently placed airport. We never go South of the city centre. The road North, the Captain Cook Highway, we have used to go to Port Douglas three times, even going to Mossman, the furthest North we've been. You'd still get another ten or more hours in before you get to the pointy bit.

Twelve months on from self-publishing "Move to Australia - Start to Live," am I still as positive about the country as I was before? It's a qualified "Yes," more because the world has gotten tougher. The causes are external, as are the solutions.

But while it is tougher here than it was, life for ordinary folk is far better than in the UK. That was the target market for the book. People who have been ground down by the UK-ness of the UK now. As they start week two of a six-week election process that will change the rulers but nothing else, bar a minor adjustment to the Titanic's deck chairs, I thought I'd reach out to those of a certain age, with a degree of the adventurist in them.

Get out while you can.

Work out your skills and seek a path to Australia. Ask around to try and network, friends of friends, second cousins, anyone who can help you when you arrive. You will be surprised to find you have skills that are in demand. I know I was. Both times.

My book tells of our challenges here. But life has been bigger and better than it would have been in the UK.

TV here is awful, but you can stream your entertainment, and if that's the sum of your disappointments, imagine all the benefits waiting for you to discover.