Thinking of starting a new life abroad?

Thinking of starting a new life abroad but not convinced it’s as good as it looks? To help you decide, we asked Stella Hartley, aged 31, single, who swapped Barnsley for Adelaide, if aspects of her new life in Australia have turned out as she expected.

"I moved to Adelaide to join the South Australia police force.  I had no particular links with Australia or Adelaide and until I started the application process to join the South Australia police force I had never visited the country. I chose the South Australian police force because they were recruiting at the time and I had seen some TV shows about Adelaide and it looked great!

What I expected

"The decision to move was not easy. I chose to move for a change in lifestyle, quality of life and some sunshine. The economic doom and gloom of the UK economy was also looming and at 31 years old with no commitments, it seemed like a good time for a change.  It really was all about me! I went along with the recruitment process like it was any other job interview at first without alerting my family and friends to my intentions in case I failed at the first hurdle. Then all of a sudden it became a reality and I had to consider if it was the right thing and the right time to do it. "

What it’s really like

"I moved to Australia on my own so it was a big step.  During the recruitment process I met another girl who was in a similar position to me at a SA police open day in April 2008.  When we found out that we had both got the job, we decided to travel together.  We stopped off in Singapore for 5 nights on the way to Australia which made it even more of an adventure."

My home in the UK

"In Barnsley I lived in a 100 year old, 3 bedroom, end terrace with a nice back yard, overlooking allotments but close to the M1. My house in the UK was packed up on August 28th 2008 and I knew that was the last I would see of my "things" until November. Relocation experts, Crown Relocations organised my emigration and packed up my belongings. They were great; they really looked after me and my possessions. The team from Crown Relocations were very experienced and totally understood how I was feeling as I packed up my life. I was a bit choked when I saw my house totally empty with all my belongings packed on the Crown van. I was left with two suitcases for the trip and although I felt like my left arm had been amputated because I had nothing, it was also quite liberating."

My home in Adelaide

"Arriving in Adelaide in September 2008 was interesting, I decided to house share with the girl I travelled with initially to share living costs and for a bit of moral support  while away from our families and settling into our new lives. We found a rental house quite quickly, although with no rental history or Australian references it was a bit difficult. My belongings arrived, as promised, about 13 weeks later and nothing was damaged.  It was all unpacked by the people from Crown Relocations in Australia who again, were great! So far I have lived in a couple of places in Adelaide, renting initially.  We are currently living in a one floor; air conditioned 3 bedroom house with a garden, pergola and outside entertaining area.  Best of all, it’s a 5 minute walk to the nearest beach. We are moving again soon to a 3 bedroomed house overlooking a lake with its own private pontoon.  It has a big outside area for entertaining and it’s much bigger than my house in the UK was."

My lifestyle in the UK

My family are all based in the UK and I only really knew friends of friends in Australia apart from one ex-colleague from my police station in Sheffield who had transferred to SA. I miss my family a lot. I only have a small family but that meant we were all pretty close. I have a 2 year old niece who I speak to on Skype via my webcam. I miss her a lot. My parents have changed from being technophobes to being at the forefront of technology. We speak on the phone or webcam most weeks. I had a large circle of friends in the UK who I miss terribly but speak to regularly via email and who watch for updates on my Facebook page.

My social life in Australia

It takes time meeting new people and making new friends but that will all come with time. It can be a bit lonely unless you immerse yourself in the Aussie culture and embrace your new lifestyle. I have joined a local hockey club - I played in the UK for many years with Barnsley Ladies. I am competing in the South Australia Police and Emergency Services Games in May this year with a view to go to the Australasian Police Games in Tasmania in early 2010 and the World Police and Firefighter Games in New York in 2011.....and I have only been here for 6 months!

My working life then

I had been a Police Officer in the UK with South Yorkshire Police for 7 and a half years but I became aware that South Australia and Western Australia police forces recruit direct from the UK so I explored the possibility as an opportunity for me to develop and for the chance of a change of scenery. I was excited about the prospect of doing a familiar job in a completely new environment. I couldn't really see myself growing old in Barnsley and I saw more to life than working in Sheffield City Centre for the remaining 23 years of my career!

My working life now

Things in Australia are the same but different. The job is the same but different. The Aussie ways of doing some things are much more logical and the lifestyle is far more laid back. When it's a hard day at the office, I can go and patrol the beach. After work, I walk or cycle along the beach to relax or have a nice glass of wine and watch the sun go down. It's so great to still have fab weather to do things before and after work starts. Days off are still being used to do the touristy things - exploring locally, wine tasting in the Barossa, cuddling koalas and feeding kangaroos at the local wildlife park, going to the many local beaches or travelling up into the hills. I feel like I am on holiday all the time.

Cost of living

The cost of living is comparable. When I first arrived and the wages were lower, I thought everything was very expensive, but now I know where to go to get what, it's very similar. Buying fruit and veg that is in season is a key, same as in the UK. Using the butchers and green grocers rather than getting it all from the supermarket is also pretty wise. I go to the central markets in the city when I get the chance as they have loads of local produce which is fresh and better priced than the supermarkets. The UK is spoiled by big chains that make things so cheap. They don't have that so much in Australia. Alcohol is really expensive though, Australian wine is more expensive here than in the UK because of the quantity that they import to the UK. A crate of beer (24 bottles) is about $40 which compared to the UK supermarkets who might do three crates for £20 at Christmas makes it an expensive night in!

My most valuable piece of advice for other emigrants:

My advice - give it a try. It's not easy but it's better to regret what you did do and not what you didn't.