1. I wish I’d brought over my warm woolie NEXT jumpers, I happily gave them away to grateful chums, thinking I was heading for year-round sunny weather, the reality is that it does get chilly in winter in Oz…

2. I wish I knew that ‘Manchester’ meant bed linen…(huh?)

3. I wish I knew not to look for a rental property in January, there is such a great demand for rentals at this time (parents frantically to get their kids into good school zones ready for the new school year) and so you might end up with property less grand than you’d imagined.

4. I wish I had known that I didn’t have to take a theory driving test…. especially as I failed it so many times. If you hold a current UK licence, you simply have to get it changed over to an aussie one within 3 months of arriving.

5. I wish I had known that UK childrens car seats don’t adhere to aussie standards. Unless you have a new improved version that bolts into the rear of the car with great big straps everywhere, they won’t be legal.

6. I wish I’d known how to convert miles into kilometres and pounds into kilos.

7. I’m glad I didn’t know, that homesickness is enevitable, but glad I didn’t give in… Australia is absolutely amazing once you are over it!