Jun 30, 2025 | Uncategorized

From Surrey to the Gold Coast: Charlotte’s Journey Moving from the UK to Australia with a Family

Charlotte is 42, she’s a mum of three, a dog lover, a wife, and somehow still manages to pack three school lunches before 7am.
She’s also just made one of the biggest decisions of her life: moving from the UK to Australia with her family — three kids, two dogs, one husband, and one big dream.

But this wasn’t just about chasing sunshine. Charlotte wanted more than warmer weather.
She wanted more life — more space, more time together, more freedom.

This is her story — and the story of many UK families relocating to Australia.

If you’re dreaming of doing the same, this guide is for you.

Why Families Move from the UK to Australia

Every year, thousands of families choose to move from the UK to Australia. Some are drawn by lifestyle. Others are after better work-life balance, outdoor living, or a fresh start.

Charlotte’s reasons were a mix of all three.

Her family had outgrown their life in Surrey — the cold weather, the tight routine, and the sense that they were always rushing but never really living.
When the opportunity came to move to the Gold Coast, they jumped at it.

But moving from the UK to Australia with a family isn’t as simple as packing a few suitcases. It’s a massive emotional, logistical, and relational leap — with everything from visas and healthcare to residency and driving needing to be considered.

If you’re just getting started, the UK Government’s guide to living in Australia is a helpful overview of what to expect.

And while resources like these are useful, they don’t always prepare you for the personal side of the move — the decisions, the uncertainty, and the emotional weight of uprooting your life.

For Charlotte, the dream was clear. But the path to get there? That felt anything but.

Step 1: The Overwhelm — And Finding the Right Help

As soon as their visa was approved, reality set in.
Excitement? Absolutely. But also… overwhelm.

Charlotte suddenly found herself navigating:

Unfamiliar rental processes: Applications, references, inspections, and forms she’d never seen before
School systems: Trying to understand zones, enrolment timing, and what schools would feel right for her children
Kids’ emotions: Dealing with tears, resistance, and the pressure of making the “right” decision
Endless decisions: What suburb to live in? State or private school? Which mobile plan, bank, car?
Logistical overload: Flights, timelines, pets, packing, utilities, health cover — it all needed sorting before they even arrived
Emotional exhaustion: And under it all, that quiet fear: “How are we going to manage this?” and “How am I going to do this all whilst saying goodbye to my family?”

She did what most people do in that moment — she Googled.
And she found us.

Exploring Tools, Quizzes & Booking That First Call

Before picking up the phone, Charlotte browsed through our resources.

She downloaded our UK-to-Australia Relocation Checklist, ticked a few boxes, and realised just how much there was to organise.

Then she took our Relocation Readiness Quiz, and that was the moment she realised:
She wasn’t behind. She was human — and brave for doing this at all.

Next, she booked a free consultation.
It wasn’t about committing on the spot. It was just a chance to talk it through.

That conversation changed everything.

Step 3: A Relocation Partner From Start to Finish

At Claymore Thistle, we support families like Charlotte’s every day.
We’re not just relocation agents — we’re family advocates, logistics experts, and calm-in-the-chaos professionals.

Once Charlotte decided to work with us, we moved at her pace — building a personalised relocation plan that met her family’s needs.

Here’s what that looked like:

Getting Set Up: From Suburb Shortlisting to School Zones

Charlotte wasn’t sure where to begin — but that’s exactly what we’re here for.

Together, we explored her lifestyle preferences, daily commute, school rankings, and what kind of community would feel like home.
Based on those chats, we created a shortlist of suburbs that ticked every box.

Next, we walked her through the schooling options — from application timelines to key requirements — making sure nothing important slipped through the cracks. (Understanding Australian school calendars was also part of the puzzle. If you’re wondering when school holidays happen across different states, this school holiday guide by Australia.com is a great resource to bookmark.)

While Charlotte focused on preparing the family for the big leap, we handled the practicals:
We searched for long-term rentals, attended inspections, liaised with agents, and made sure lease terms were clear and suitable.

In the end, we secured a home in the right school zone and arranged a few key furniture items for hire — just enough to bring comfort and calm while they waited for their belongings to arrive.

Most importantly, Charlotte was never left wondering. We kept her updated throughout the process, helping her feel informed and in control every step of the way.

Arrival: That First Breath of Relief

When Charlotte and her family landed in Australia, they didn’t arrive into chaos — they arrived into calm.

There were no inspections to rush to.
No scrambling to find a place to sleep.
No last-minute stress over school enrolments or furniture.

Instead, there was quiet certainty:
The home was ready.
The kids had beds.
The dogs were on their way.
And a brand-new chapter was beginning.

Over the first few days, they walked barefoot along the beach, letting go of months of pressure.

Of course, there were still things to figure out. School drop-offs on unfamiliar roads. Adjusting to the Queensland humidity. And standing in Woolies asking, “Where on earth is the Weetabix?”

But those were the small things — the kind of things that meant they were already living here.
For the first time in a long time, Charlotte could simply breathe.

Family with young children walking barefoot on beach after relocating to Australia from the UK UK dad and kids playing at the beach after moving to Australia with family

Beyond Logistics: Supporting the Whole Family, Emotionally and Practically

Uprooting your life isn’t easy, even when it’s the right decision.

We continued to support Charlotte after arrival, walking alongside her through those first few weeks.
We helped her with everything from school calendars to sourcing uniforms, and we stayed in regular contact to check how things were going.

As new routines began to form, we offered guidance when needed — and encouragement when it mattered most.
Because settling in doesn’t happen all at once. It’s made up of many small moments.

Eventually, Charlotte found her rhythm again.
There were morning walks. Sunday beach days. Facetime calls to loved ones back in the UK.

Standing on the balcony one evening, she took a moment. The chaos had passed. They were settled.