with Karen Bleakley
Helping UK families
navigate their way
to a dream life
in Australia.
Anything in life worth doing is tough…
otherwise everyone would be doing it.
Thinking about moving your family from the UK to Australia? Packing up and moving to the other side of the world is daunting, terrifying and exciting. As an experienced project manager, I found the best way to tackle it was by breaking it down into chunks and tackling it one step at a time.
Life’s full of opportunities and the only
thing limiting them is you!
I set up Smart Steps to Australia to help families who are interested in moving to Australia. Whether you’re at the difficult decision making phase or you’re already headlong into the Australian visa process, this site will walk you through everything you need to know about emigrating to keep your stress levels to a minimum.
“We contacted Karen for advice about a move from the UK to Australia, particularly regarding the logistics of making the move with children! She provided excellent guidance and support and as someone who has made the move already was able to draw on her experiences to help us have a smoother transition for us.”
– Jen & Shim
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Top Blog Posts
Christmas gifts and leaving gifts for someone moving to Australia
I remember our last Christmas in the UK. It was SO difficult knowing what to buy each other as we knew whatever we gave would need to come with us to Australia in our shipping container. Our family had real trouble deciding what to get us too – we ended up with mostly chocolates and booze as people knew we’d be able to consume those before we left the country! READ MORE
Plan your Australia themed party
If you’re leaving for Australia, you’ll probably already be thinking about how you’re going to say goodbye to your friends and family. Our farewell goodbye party was on my mind from the moment we decided we were going to make the move abroad because I knew our Australia leaving party was going to be one of the hardest things I was ever going to have to organise and attend. Organising your Australia themed leaving party feels like an impossible task. READ MORE
How to emigrate to Australia in six easy steps
Dreaming of moving to Australia for a new life in the sun? Stop making excuses for why you can’t emigrate. You can migrate to Australia in six steps. READ MORE
Want to know the best way of transferring large sums of money to Australia?
When you are going to transfer large sums of money abroad, it’s essential that you not only get the best money transfer deal but also that you get a great service as some money transfer companies are definitely more reliable than others. Moving abroad soon? Have you organised your one-way travel insurance yet? READ MORE
Recent Posts
6 things to look for when choosing your Australian bank account
Your finances play a huge part in your move to Australia. Making the move is expensive, and so is setting up your new life. When you …Read More
Changes to wait period for welfare payments for new migrants – proposed from July 2018
There has been a lot of talk in my Facebook group about the government’s proposed plans to introduce a four-year wait period for certain benefits for newly …Read More
What is the cost of living in Brisbane, Australia?
Something I’m constantly asked is how much does it cost to live in Australia? Now I can’t tell you about the cost of living in …Read More
About Karen Bleakley
Karen is a beach-loving travel writer, non-fiction author, experienced project manager, online marketing junkie and Founder of Smart Steps to Australia. She moved from Hampshire to sunny Brisbane with her hubby and three insanely energetic kids under five in September 2014. READ MORE
LOOKING TO COLLABORATE?
Visit the Work With Me page for details about ways you can work with Smart Steps to Australia.
Blog Topics
Recent Travel Posts
O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat: Family accommodation in the Gold Coast hinterland
We recently spent two nights at the O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat at Lamington National Park in the Gold Coast hinterland. We had the most incredible Gold Coast family holiday. O’Reilly’s Retreat had everything that we love – scenery, wildlife, peace and quiet, family activities, great food and wine, fresh air, amazing views …Read More
The best beach cart 2018: Ultimate guide to buying the best beach wagon with big wheels
If you love going to the beach as much as I do, this guide of folding beach wagons and pull along beach carts with big wheels is for you. I have three little kids and when we go to the beach, we take tonnes of stuff with us – our beach …Read More
Top tips for attending Oktoberfest Brisbane with kids
In October 2017, I shared some photos from our family day out at Oktoberfest Brisbane. I had so many people messaging me what it was like for kids, so I thought I’d write an Oktoberfest Brisbane review full of my tips for Oktoberfest Brisbane on Oktoberfest family day, especially if …Read More
Byron Bay With Kids: Things to do in Byron Bay for all the family
Byron Bay is one of my favourite holiday destinations in Australia and I visit whenever I get chance (you can read about one of my previous visits to Byron Bay here). My editor at Australia and New Zealand magazine just has to mention the word ‘Byron’, and I’m already grabbing …Read More