New Life in Australia

It might be your first experience of things feeling opposite here in Australia. It was our first real experience of celebrating something that we were used to celebrating in cold weather in the UK while it was really hot weather in spring in Queensland. It’s a strange experience getting used to events being hot and sunny rather than being freezing cold! Welcome to episode 8 of the New Life in Aust...

We had access to a car and a 4-bedroom home with pool for three and a half months. We reckon we saved $25 to $27,000 by housesitting in those first few months...We didn't have to pay any bills or anything like that. So basically, apart from putting petrol in the car and paying for our phone access, there was nothing else.  Welcome to episode seven of the New Life in Australia podcast In this...

It breaks my heart every time I receive a message from somebody who has lost money because the migration company they chose blocked them, went under or didn't even exist in the first place! It's really expensive to set up a new life over here, and you really want to make sure that the services you are booking and paying for are going to deliver the value that you need because it just wou...

Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. It's essential to respect the sun and begin with healthy habits from day one.  Welcome to episode five of the New Life in Australia podcast In this episode, Karen is sharing 11 tips to stay sun safe in Australia. Being safe in the sun is something you need to build into your life from the day you arrive. If you're moving with k...

When you leave all of your friends and family behind, it's totally natural and normal to feel homesick! You can still love where you live and enjoy the adventure while missing what you've left behind - both of those feelings can exist together.  Welcome to episode four of the New Life in Australia podcast In this week's episode, Karen is talking all about homesickness and ways to sh...

What would happen if you moved across the work to a city in Australia and then discovered it wasn't for you? That's exactly what today's guest experienced... Welcome to episode three of the New Life in Australia podcast  In today's episode, Karen chats with Tracy Collins from the UK Travel Planning website and podcast to learn all about her move to Mackay in Queensland from the...

Did you know that Karen spent eight months backpacking searching for the world's best beaches, or that one of her favourite things about living in Queensland is never having to de-ice the car?  Welcome to the first episode of the New Life in Australia podcast!  In this introductory episode, you'll learn: Who is Karen Bleakley and what inspired this podcast What to expect from the New Lif...

Waiting five years to decide whether to move to Australia almost cost Karen and her family the opportunity to move altogether.  Welcome to episode two of the new Life in Australia podcast.  In this episode, you will learn more about Karen's story of moving to Australia and how it took her and her husband five long years to finally make the decision to relocate to Brisbane from Hampshire in th...