It was on the short list Bob but eventually discounted for several reasons.

Certainly almost AUD2.5/1GBP is attractive but the distance and the transitional year or so with "home" seeming a huge distance away, as we do have a small, but not very close family, this is a potential settling-in failure. A 4 hr cheapish flight to our chosen destination is attractive and means we'll have a flow of visiting friends; 5% tax on pension income is handy too

There are very strong reasons to stay within the EU system too as it would now work for me as I cannot beat it! I can hold all my pension investments in Euros too when I want so there are no money changers chipping away at it. Even my pussy cat gets an EU pet passport and would fly out with us.

Strangely, the UK govt will not pay the state pension index linked in the Commonwealth except in Canada and the handy top-up of winter fuel allowance is witheld too.

The plan is in its initial activation, for you Hams out there, in a couple of years we'll exchange G3 for 5B; that's given the game away!

R.