Roaming Brit - Blog

From a new life in spain, to an old life in britain, 'roaming brit' documents uncertain times!

On 31st January 2016, my partner and I left Southampton to start a new life as Expats in Gran Alacant, on the Costa Blanca. This blog will document our journey, as we navigate the Spanish system, travelling a path untried and untested. With Brexit looming, political turmoil in Europe and an unpredictable future, harsh decisions have to be made. Illness, family bonds and a Change of heart all make for challenging times in a life of a 'Roaming Brit!'

Christmas, Home or Away? James Anton De' Margio!

3/12/2022

As much as I hate the cold, this is an easy one for me. My mother and I always planned to see northern lights from South Iceland, staying in a log cabin type accommodation, with that Christmas feel; log fire etc. I was my dream for me and her. One day I will do it and raise a glass to her memory.

James

Christmas, Home or Away - John Hibberd!

2/12/2022

I would like to spend Christmas in Rome or New York!

John

John Forrest National Park and Mundaring Weir!

1/12/2022

John Forrest National Park

On Monday, Darrell and I took a trip to Mundaring via the John Forrest National Park. This area isn't too far from where we are living temporarily, situated in the hills surrounding Perth. When we reached the summit, we were able to take a look-out across the bush, towards the city itself. The views were stunning, and I was able to see for the first time, just how vast this tiny part of Western Australia is.

The bush itself is strangely beautiful, although in the blistering temperatures, it is difficult to appreciate it, in its full glory. Staying outside for longer than just a few minutes, does take it out of you. I was of course dosed up on factor 50 sunscreen, but even then, it is dangerous being outside for too long.

It is also snake and spider season, to my absolute dread, so walking through the bush can be hazardous, and I am learning pretty quickly where and where not to go. The news reports are constantly reminding us just how big the spiders are going to be this year, and if I wasn't paranoid already, I certainly am now. That said, I haven't seen any yet, although unlike the last two occasions I was in Australia, I am not going out of my way to find them.

Mundaring Weir

After the John Forrest National Park, we drove to the pretty town of Mundaring. This looked very much like a traditional small American town, the similarity was truly stark. Stood in the high street, I felt like I was in the deep south of The States. This was an area unlike Perth and the suburbs. Mundaring is rural, and as one drives through this town, one is struck by the colonial houses, large open plains and outback living. In many respects, it also looked very 'English' and wouldn't have looked out of place in the Hampshire countryside, where I grew up as a boy. Surprisingly for me, I liked it; the laid back atmosphere, appealed to my current state of mind and I could quite easily see myself living here.

There is of course a major downside to living in the bush; the wildlife is very different to back home. Mundaring may well have conjured up images of the countryside back home, but in reality it is nothing but. Someone once said to me, 'the trouble with Australia, is everything is trying to kill you.' Well, that's the feeling I get, especially when I am away from the city centre. I am literally looking over my shoulder, everywhere I go, just to make sure there is nothing lurking in the shadows.

In all honesty, I am probably being too careful; once I have been here for long enough, I'm sure my unsettled mind will calm down, and I will live happily, side by side with whatever is out there. For now, I am just making myself aware of my surroundings and getting used to the foreign nature of this land. I long for the day, spiders and snakes never cross my mind again, for now that's a way off yet.

The next stop, before we made our way home, was Mundaring Weir. This striking monument to Australia's water shortage was pretty impressive, although certainly not as big as I imagined. As we drove up to the dam, I was struck by the huge pipes littering the forested landscape. Darrell told me they were used, to transport water to Kalgoorlie, 700 km away. This mid-Australian gold mining town is where Darrell was born and has little to no water of its own, so Perth pipes this basic human requirement to the community, at great expense.

The weir itself provides a great vantage point for the outstanding views across the region and with the sun beating down, it did feel distinctly cooler. It was good spending time relaxing in a part of WA I haven't been too before. These aren't the spectacular views we experienced in Croatia and Thailand, but they are still markedly different from the UK and provide an insight into a part of the World I hope to call home; only time will tell if that happens or not. At the moment, I am happy to keep exploring and enjoying the biggest state in Western Australia. In a few months I may well have no spare time on my hands; it's guess work as to what happens in the future, but at least we have each other, no matter what happens down the line.

Sunday Morning Catch Up!

27/11/2022

Christmas, Home or Away? Joanne Hurst!

26/11/2022

Exactly where I am. I know that I am quite probably in the minority, but I love England.

Joanne

Christmas, Home or Away? Denise Dunkley!

25/11/2022

If I could have an Xmas anywhere, it would be right here with friends and family xx

Denise

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back!

22/11/2022

These last few days have been something of a rollercoaster, one minute we get some good news, the next nothing but. Sitting here today writing this blog, I have literally given up on predicting the future, because it is so bloody difficult at the moment.

After being told by The Commonwealth Bank that we could both get a mortgage, we decided to start looking for properties to buy. Within a few short days, we found a one bedroom unit not far from where we are now. The tiny house was small but perfectly formed, offering everything we needed and more. It was freshly decorated, had a sizeable garden and security shutters back and front. Situated in a small cul-de-sac of seven similar properties, well maintained and looked after, it would have been the perfect bolthole for us. When travelling, we could have just locked up and left, knowing the unit would be secure in our absence. To say I was quite excited would be an understatement; this was a home I wanted for us both, so we did our very best to secure it, without delay.

This was Sunday afternoon, but I duly emailed our Mortgage Advisor at the bank, and he said he would do some figure work for us when he returned from a Barbecue later that evening. In the meantime, the Real Estate Agent came over, and we made an offer of $229,000 on the property, after filling out pages and pages of paperwork. All going well, we should have been in within a few weeks - yes, that is how fast things are done here.

The next morning, I awoke with bad news; Darrell had not been in his job long enough to secure the Mortgage we wanted. He was told to submit payslips over the next few months, so they had more of an idea of his wages, and then they would think again, hopefully making us an offer for the full amount. This was not the answer we wanted, and we were both pretty deflated as we headed for a day out in Perth. Immediately we pulled out of the deal and will just have to wait a little longer before we find somewhere else to call home. In many respects it was our own wishful thinking that got us here, we were so focused on getting out of my Mothers-in-law's house, that we didn't really think about how long we had been back in Australia. It was after all only two months ago we were travelling around Thailand. The fact they offered us a Mortgage at all was a surprise. For now, we will just take one step at a time!

It wasn't all bad news yesterday. While sitting on the train to Perth I received a message from my lawyer, who said my partner application had been lodged with the Government and I needed to pay the $8085.00 (£4511.43) fee to ensure the application would not have to be resubmitted. Yes, that was a shocking amount of money to lose in one day, but I was finally on the road to residency and within a year I should be able to call Australia home. It is great news everything has started to move in the right direction, despite the high costs involved.

Within a few weeks, I should hear about my medical examination and will have to spend yet money to have it done. I was also told I could apply for my Medicare Card straight away, which I did this morning, at Centrelink in Midland. I suppose I was expecting it to be hard, having dealt with the official side of Australia before, but it was actually straight forward. After booking in at the front desk, (oddly I had an active Centrelink account) I waited no more than ten minutes to be seen, by Darlene, who spent most of the appointment coughing her guts up, to my horror. With COVID on the rise here again, I just got on with it, what else can you do now. I asked if she was alright, to which she replied (I hope so), which didn't instil much confidence in me.

She took my details and immediately told me I already had a Medicare card, and I just needed to reactivate it. This card was from 1997 and my second trip down under. I couldn't actually believe how easy it was to reinstate it. After a lot of questions about my marital status, I was good to go with immediate effect. She duly wished me luck and politely asked me to return to the office once my bridging visa kicks in, so they could make 'everything permanent,' whatever that means. Anyway, by that time, I just wanted to leave; her coughing was just getting worse and worse and I thought it was best to take my leave, no matter how chatty and agreeable she was!

With my Tax File Number also being processed, and the Bridging Visa now activated, but remaining inactive until 28th December, I am hoping the process of getting a job will be more or less pain free. The biggest concern for me now is the impending medical. As someone who tends to suffer from health anxiety on occasion, I am understandably worried about the outcome. At my age they could find anything wrong, but the hope is, I've done enough to avoid any difficulties obtaining a visa on health grounds. Putting all worries aside, I hope to live a relatively normal life until my permanent residency is granted. Then I will have the freedom to leave and go as I please; I am counting down the days until this happens, after all, travel is my life. In the meantime, it's sit tight for now, keep my nose clean and follow the rules, to ensure my transition to Australian life is as trouble free as possible. I have done as much as I can to make sure that happens; the hard bit comes next!

Christmas, Home or Away? Janet Belcher!

22/11/2022

Anywhere away from here, probably the Swiss alps, with a nice hunk for company of course !!!

Janet

Staying Healthy, Keeping Fit!

19/11/2022

With my medical examination to live in Australia looming, it is more important than ever for me to keep as fit as I can. Since October last year, I have been on a very strict diet and healthy lifestyle programme; that was way before Darrell and I decided to migrate to Perth. For that reason alone, I am in a fantastic place already, having done everything I can to stay healthy and active.

When I look back to September 2021, I weighed an astonishing 98 - 100 kg in weight and wasn't in the best place health wise. My eating habits were terrible and I NEVER, repeat, NEVER did any exercise at all. These were not the best signs for a 50-year-old on the wrong side of life; I suffered from various ailments, aches and pains, that have now disappeared. I no longer find exercise a chore and always make sure I walk at least 10,000 steps per day. This was a target I set for myself back in 2021, and I have religiously stuck to that regime, even walking when I really haven't felt like it.

My desire to finally do the right thing and look after myself has become obsessional in many ways, but that is all part of my psyche; I have always had OCD to some extent, and all I have done is channel it into something good. This is the first time in my life I have successfully lost and maintained that weight. Today I weigh 74 kg, losing a quarter of my body weight during the last twelve months. This was slow, sustained weight loss and not drastic, quick or medically dangerous. I am pleased with what I have achieved so far, but I still have a little more to do yet, before I am totally satisfied with my endeavours.

I have about 5 kg still to lose, slightly more than I anticipated, before I left the UK on my lifestyle break on 3rd September 2022. Back then I weighted 72 kg, so I have gained a few more pounds on my travels, which is understandable, and consequently have a little more to do than I expected. 5 kilos doesn't sound that much, does it? However, when you have lost as much as I have, you get to a point, where it becomes even harder to achieve. Nevertheless, I am working hard to reduce my waistline even further, so by the time I have my examination in a few months, I should have finally met my target.

I am still on a low calorie, low carbohydrate diet, and although I have increased my calorie intake from 1700 a day at the beginning of my weight loss programme, to 2100 a day now, I still think it is important to limit the amount I am eating. This has been the hardest part of my weight loss journey, trying to get the balance just right.

I eat very little fat, although I should probably eat a little more, which is the same for my protein intake; this is slightly below what it should be. My carbohydrate intake is slightly above what is recommended, and this is what I find difficult to control; I do after all love my carbs. Protein bars and yoghurts are a great way to supplement my protein intake, and they actually taste great too. In order to reduce the carbs in my diet I am reducing what I have to; For a while I was eating too many bananas each day, which are extremely high in carbs, so I have replaced these with more citrus based fruit and a generous helping of unprocessed wheat bran each morning with a bowl of porridge. Both fill me up just as well and are a little less heavy on the calories.

Due to the high cost of living, I have started to buy vegetables, blanch them and freeze on the day of purchase. I have done some research on the best ones to eat, so have bought some red cabbage and avocados to supplement my diet, while continuing to reduce my carbohydrate intake. Thankfully, I eat well over my fruit and veg allowance a day, which helps to fill me up and gives me all the essential vitamins I need.

With a reliance on 'Lean Cuisine' for my evening meal, I am well aware it isn't the healthiest option when cooking, but I still find it difficult to cook from scratch, recording calorie information on 'My Net Diary' app. This is already a time-consuming process, without adding each individual ingredient in a meal as well; it would take far too long and if I am honest, life is just far too short.

So I am in a happy and positive place where my health is concerned and doing my best to reach goals and targets, while having a day a week when I can do and eat what I like. This way of doing things is working for me, and that's what counts. I just hope all this hard work pays off, and my health continues to improve, leaving me in perfect shape for what comes next... Only time will tell!

Christmas, Home or Away? Lorraine Dale!

19/11/2022

'I would love to spend Christmas with all our children and grandchildren in a lovely big house in the Cotswolds!'

Lorraine