A COUPLE who had no trouble falling into the Aussie way of life are Bill Gasston and partner Fay.
A visit to an aunt in Brisbane some years earlier prompted them to think about ‘trying some of their sunshine on a more permanent basis’ and to emigrate in 2003.
‘We didn’t really emigrate, more fall into the way of life,’ explained Bill, who used to run Gasstons’ sports shop, in Halkett Place, with brother John (now Earth, Wind and Water).
‘Fay had an aunt who lived in Queensland and she hadn’t seen her for 20 years. While we were touring New Zealand in 2001 we did a little side trip on a cheap air ticket to Brisbane from Auckland just to see Auntie Connie who was an absolute delight.
‘Queensland felt so warm and welcoming compared with New Zealand that, a few months after our return to Jersey, we thought we would like to try some of their sunshine on a more permanent basis.
They were able to enter the country on ‘410 retirement visas’, but these are no longer an option – and Bill says anyone thinking of emigrating has to do their own homework on the best way to proceed.
‘Do your homework first via the internet or a reputable migration agent (this will cost you) or others who have emigrated.
‘You will need some kind of visa to get you into Australia and to be able to work. Visas are easier to obtain if you have skills that are needed. There are tax and health insurance issues as well as things of a legal nature if you are leaving for good or for a long period.
‘The best way to do it is to try it for a year or two and keep a foot in both camps if at all possible. Also, rent a property at first for a year and study the property market where you want to settle. There are issues with exchange rates which need to be addressed and if you have this interim breathing space, you will probably save a lot of money, certainly enough to cover the cost of a year’s rental.’
When the decision had been made, their biggest problem was ‘what to do with a lifetime’s worth of possessions’.
‘You can crate them up and ship it a la Captain Cook at vast expense or you give most of it away to friends and charities, said Bill. ‘You could try a car boot sale but the prices you get will just break your heart. Another alternative is to store your chattels locally and decide what to do with them at a later date. You realise pretty quickly that most of what you have accumulated is a pile of junk.’
As far as settling down was concerned, the hardest bit, as for most people, was leaving family and friends behind.
But, he added: ‘Two hundred years ago it took three months to get to Australia and three months to get back. You can fly there in 24 hours at insignificant cost now so although it IS the other side of the world, it’s no great drama to come back if you don’t like it.’
The couple chose to live on the Gold Coast in Labrador next to Surfers Paradise about an hour’s drive south of Brisbane. ‘If you equate the map of Jersey as a smaller Australia, that’s about Archirondel,’ said Bill, who has run a mobile coffee shop with a friend for the last few years.
‘Brenda and I have had a mobile coffee van for three years now,’ he said. ‘The Aussies are great coffee lovers and we trundle around Warner Brothers studios making flat whites and cappuccinos.
‘Warner Brothers studios are situated right next to the three big theme parks on the Pacific Motorway which runs down the length of the coast from Brisbane to New South Wales.
‘The film industry is obviously very lucrative to Queensland Tourism and the government are keen to offer incentives to film makers. We are quite busy – not so much on the film sets but more with the administrative, props and special effects people, although we do get to see the odd star or two. Brenda has bumped into Paris Hilton and Donald Sutherland, just to namedrop a couple.’
Bill and Fay, who each have a grown up son and daughter from previous relationships, have plenty time for their hobbies of tennis, golf, music films, the beach, picnics, watching cricket (not Fay), and have no regrets about moving.
‘The air and sea temperatures are nigh on perfect,’ said Bill. ‘The outdoor life, the sheer energy and can-do attitude of the Queensland people, entertainment, dolphins swimming by…..the list is endless. The cost of living is much much cheaper.
Things they do not miss are: ‘Being cold. Being wet. Traffic jams, parking fines, the expense of going anywhere off Island. Mucky skies criss-crossed by vapour trails. Being told how much someone’s house is worth.’
The list of what they do miss is shorter: ‘The odd classic St Ouen’s beach day. Views from the north coast and the good old Jersey potato.’
Bill in the days when he ran Gasstons’ sports shop with brother John
