'I moved from the UK to Australia and it's not as great as you think'

A lot of people in the UK have dreams of moving to Australia to start a new life in the sun. However one woman who used to live in London and has now re-located to Sydney has shared a word of warning to Brits who are planning to do the same.

Emily has been posting videos of her new life Down Under on her TikTok account @thediariesofemdownunder, and she admits in one recent video that she often wonders 'what the hell she's doing in Australia'.

The clip sees Emily speak to the camera with her hand on her head as she asks: "Anyone else who's moved to Australia just think 'What the hell am I doing here on the other side of the world?' on a daily basis?"

She then adds: "I've been here a month and a half now and honestly, that is the thought that crosses my mind every single day."

Following up in the caption, she wrote: "Moved to Australia and everyday questioning why??? #sydney."

The video seemed to resonate with people, as it racked up more than 9,000 likes and nearly 2,000 comments.

Someone else in the same position wrote: "Yeah I wanna go home," as Emily asked: "How long have you been here?" The girl, named Katie replied: "6.5 months. Gonna give it a few more months see how I feel! Wanted to be here a year but it’s not worth staying to prove a point."

Another person agreed: "I’ve been here 4 months, realised it’s time to go home, no shame in not staying the whole year."

While someone else said: "I did a world trip solo for 6 months and Australia was part of my itinerary, genuinely, I couldn't wait to leave, it had the weirdest vibe, plus I was still pining for beautiful Asia at this point, but yeah, I don't get the hype."

Despite some people agreeing with Emily, others told her to stick with it as one person wrote: "Irish, been here 15 years. June, July, Aug is hard. You have to switch off from the fun goings on of the northern hemisphere (or go back to see everyone). Once Sept hits, you'll feel totally different! Just hang in there. It’s a 9-3 month ratio of goodness. Instead of all the fun being in a quick 3 months at home!"

While another added: "I have been here 12 years. The first 5 years are a rollercoaster of wanting to go home – then going there for a holiday and being desperate to get back to Aus because you just needed that reminder why you moved. Also to check in with family etc. my advice would be never to make a permanent moving decision without a holiday back home first. Work opportunity is soo important too."

A third chimed in: "I lived there for about 4 years. I was also very unsure I'd made the correct decision at first. However; 20 years after returning to the UK, I still miss the extraordinary wildlife and country. I miss the smell of eucalyptus trees after it rains. I miss the jacaranda trees. I miss the colour of the sky and the noise of cicadas in the summer. I learned to love it when I started to let it in and it creot under my skin and stayed. It is an extraordinary place and the people are great. Give it time."

Others also couldn't see why she wanted to leave at all, as one TikTok user said: "Australia is an amazing country," while another person who had moved there added: "Not me. Haven’t looked back. Australia is beautiful."

However, even people from Sydney themselves could see Emily's point, as one person said: "For someone who has lived in Sydney my whole life, THE LAST PLACE ID EVER WANA GO." Another added: "I’ve was born here and I think the same."

Many others were confused about people 'being sold them dream' online of living in Australia, while others reminded Emily that a country can't change your life.

One person wrote: "Not gonna lie, as an Australian I’m so confused by the amount of people selling the idea of moving to Aus online without any of the realities of living there... so I get you girl!"

While another added: "I am so tired of hearing from people who come here expecting the streets to be paved with gold only to find out that it is just like any other country. Research first people then decide."

A third chimed in: "Genuine curiosity and I mean this so respectfully, what was the expectation and why? It just seems to be a common experience for people from the UK and I’m confused what the narrative is and who’s pushing it? Especially as a girl born and raised in Sydney."

While a fourth added: "What made you leave the UK... You are the only one that can change your life. Not a country," to which Emily replied: "Could not agree more."