Mum's gone 2 Aus

Last winter we spent a very enjoyable weekend in Canberra and shared our Canberra discoveries in A weekend in Canberra – excitement and education for kids. We recently had another short break in Australia’s capital city and had more fantastic family fun.

Many Sydneysiders we chat to are dismissive of Canberra, but we’ve been impressed with the things to do and places to see, and it’s very easy to get around. Yes, the grid-style layout of the city isn’t exactly … Read more

Adelaide is the state capital city of South Australia, and a city that regularly wins liveability surveys. With a much smaller population than other of Australia’s state capital cities (for example, a quarter of Sydney’s population) people we have spoken to say Adelaide is a great place to live because it’s “easy”. Getting around the city is quick and all activities and attractions are within close proximity of the city – in fact South Australia’s official tourism site calls Adelaide … Read more

Continuing our series on Australian relocation: State capital city links and websites, today we’re sharing the love for online resources that help families who are relocating to Perth, the state capital city of Western Australia.

Perth has always been a popular location for relocating Brits – known to be Australia’s sunniest city, the contrast with the UK climate is stark. Being a relatively short flight from South Africa it’s also a popular destination for South African immigrants.

Here is … Read more

Today we’re continuing our series on Australian relocation: State capital city links and websites; so far we’ve covered useful online resources for families moving to Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart. Next in the series, we’re providing useful links and websites for families moving to Brisbane – Queensland’s state capital.

Mum visited Brisbane before having children and enjoyed the laid back vibe and river-side setting. The man made beach and pool along Brisbane’s South Bank has always stuck in … Read more

Since moving to Sydney we’ve gained the perception that Australian families have more children than their counterparts in the UK, or elsewhere in Europe.

When we lived in London the number of families we knew with more than two children was in single figures. This might be because we had just started a family ourselves and our mingling with other families wasn’t comprehensive or, as Mum suspects, it’s because couples in London have fewer children than they do in Sydney.… Read more

Next in our series of articles on State capital city links and websites for families relocating to Australia, we are covering Hobart. Tasmania, and its state capital city Hobart, is high on Mum’s list of places to visit.

A little known fact is that Mum’s Great-Great-Great Grandfather was a well-known British convict, sent to Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) in 1834. Research into my family history has revealed locations in Hobart where he resided; when we finally make it to … Read more

Last week we published Family relocation to Sydney: Useful links and websites, today we’re continuing our useful links and resources series with our post on the best links and information for families relocating to Melbourne – Victoria’s state capital city.

When we planned our relocation to Australia we considered Melbourne as a possible new home. After a short trip to Aus and a brief stay in each city we opted for Sydney but we’re sure Melbourne is a great … Read more