I left Scotland to start a new life with my family in Australia less than two years ago… we’ve already had enough
A Scottish family who moved to Sydney less than two years ago have revealed they are packing up and returning home after struggling to adapt to Australian life.
Mother-of-two Kimberley Lucas has opened up about the financial and social challenges she and her family have faced since moving to Australia in early 2023.
In a recent video shared on TikTok, Ms Lucas further explained why the Australian lifestyle isn’t for them.
She explained that the family was shocked by the long hours expected of workers.
“My husband works crazy hours here compared to Britain,” Ms Lucas wrote in a montage.
‘He works in construction and works at least 50 hours a week, sometimes 60+ hours.
“He’s gone before we wake up and usually gets home just before the kids’ bedtime.
‘His contract hours are 39, but everyone works longer without overtime, that’s just insane.’
Kimberley Lucas (pictured with her husband) and her family have decided to move back to Scotland after spending just under two years in Australia
Ms Lucas and her partner are also struggling to keep up with the high childcare costs being passed on to non-permanent residents.
‘Childcare is so expensive. “We don’t have a permanent resident visa, so we don’t get any help with the costs,” she said.
“Public school costs us $7,000 a year and childcare costs $23,700 a year for three days (per week).
‘In Scotland, education is free and we receive 30 hours of childcare allowance every week.
“Permanent residency lasts eight to 10 months after application, which means we would have to pay $31,000 for childcare alone next year.”
Mrs Lucas also worried about the family connection her children would miss if they did not live in Scotland.
“It seems like an obvious one, but I miss my family so much,” she said.
‘Just drop by for a cup of coffee while the children are being spoiled with their grandparents or having a sleepover with their aunts.
“Some of my best childhood memories were with my grandparents, and I hate that my children can’t experience that.
“People come to visit, but it feels so bittersweet knowing they’re leaving and you won’t see them again for a year.”
Ms Lucas said her family struggled to adapt to many things in Australia, including the cost of living, social life and distance from their family in Scotland (stock image)
The mother struggled to ‘make friends’ and maintain a close relationship with her husband while living abroad.
“People love to talk to you, but that’s as far as it seems to go,” she wrote.
‘A lot of mothers seem a bit older, which means I don’t have much in common. I may be a mom, but I like to go out every now and then and let my hair down.
‘I miss quality time with my husband. Because he works crazy hours here, I am so limited in time with him without us both being tired and exhausted.
‘I see him so much less here and without family support we sacrifice a date night, go out together or even book a last minute city trip to Europe.
“I felt like we were happier in our relationship when we had time for each other.”
Several social media users agreed with Ms Lucas that expat life is not always the desired one, and applauded her for putting her family’s happiness first.
“As a Kiwi living in Aus, I agree with the friends thing. It’s so hard to make friends here!’ said one.
‘Life is not linear and when things no longer feel right, we need to make changes. No regrets, it’s just a new chapter in your story,” wrote another.
“I can relate to the making friends part and this only happened for me when the kids went to school,” wrote a third.
‘I discovered that people already have their friends and family, so they have little need for that.’
“All the best, love, at least you tried!! We are from NZ and have been here for 11 years. The cost of living and work-life balance has become difficult lately!” another wrote.
In other messages, Ms Lucas explained that while her family was “incredibly grateful” for the opportunity to live in Australia, it didn’t “feel like home”.
‘There is no doubt that it is a beautiful country. But there are a lot of people who come there and don’t have the same ‘love’ for it as many others, and that’s okay,” she wrote.
‘I constantly feel like I have to explain to people why I don’t feel the same way. While the reality is, it’s just not at home.”