After 2 and bit years in Perth things are coming to a head. Much as we love it here, the total dearth of software development work makes it a hard place for us, and me in particular, to live. I've thoroughly enjoyed doing my own thing and picking up bits of contract work here and there, but it's been obvious for some time that the situation can't go on forever.

I've kept a close eye on the IT industry situation across the world, and the UK in particular, and it's been apparent for some months that things have been picking up. A few months back I contacted an IT recruitment agent who I've known for years and he confirmed things were getting better - lots of work appearing in all sectors of the industry. Tina and I discussed the situation then and concluded that if things kept on the way they were, we would have to consider returning to England to a) pick up my career, and b) get some money in the bank. I phoned the agent last week for an update and he was even more positive than last year. Work abounds. He can't get enough people to fill the development jobs he has available. Rates are rising back to the level they were at 5 years ago. Hmmm....

Plenty more discussion between myself and Tina, and we came to the rather obvious conclusion: we have to get in on this. Living in Perth doing very little is a fine way to spend a couple of years, but it can't go on indefinitely. The money will run out sooner or later, and we both agreed we'd rather be in control of the situation, as opposed to waiting until we find ourselves backed into a financial corner. So, with somewhat heavy hearts, we accepted the inevitable and decided that we had little choice but to take the opportunity: we're going back to England for a while. We're aiming to be there for the English summer, so that means May or June time.

The object of the exercise is to earn and save enough money to buy a house in Perth. Given a house here and the one we have in England, we'll be a little closer to our goal of being able to live comfortably in either place. Things are still a bit vague at the moment, but we think we'll be in England for at least 2 years, maybe 3.

We love it in Perth, and we have some great friends here who we will be sorry to leave. We'll miss the lifestyle, the beach and everything else. But we must move on. We're viewing this move back to England as a trip, the likes of which many Australians make. It hurts to leave, but, as we say, "Onward and Upward!"