Gees,
After reading the posts from MYway or the Highway and Another Number, I might as well slash my wrists now!
Just for some balance.
I own my own house, I salary sacrifice 2 new Hondas (Jazz and Civic), and both my kids go to private schools. I live 50 minutes drive from the Gold Coast where I surf with my mates. I never have worries about being murdered when driving around this sunburnt country (although of course it can happen, just ask Peter Falconio when you see him!).
I have travelled to UK, Ireland, and Europe. I've been to NZ, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Malyasia. I'm very happy here living and working as an ATC in Oz. Sure the management types are often seeing the world of aviation differently to me, but I get paid well to do what I do and I have a great lifestyle.
I work with many ex-pats from the UK and Ireland. They all love Oz and are glad to have made the change, and I'm a better person for knowing and working with them.