Latest news with #BrentOrwell
News.com.au
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘We're done': Queensland influencers' huge call about living in Australia
A pair of Queensland influencers and their two children are leaving Australia 'for good' – a decision that an increased number of people have made in recent months, no longer able to hack our nation's soaring house prices and cost of living pressures. Brent and Molly Orwell, who rose to social media fame by documenting their two-and-a-half year trip around Australia in a caravan, shared the news with their followers this week. 'WE'RE LEAVING AUSTRALIA. FOR GOOD. (Not for a holiday. Not for a break. Not for a visa. We're done),' they wrote in a lengthy Facebook post. 'We've sat with this decision for months … years!! Wrestled with it. Played out every scenario. Listened to every doubt, every judgement, every 'what if'. But deep down, we know what's right for our family, our business, and our future. And it's not here … in this country. 'Australia will always be home. But it's no longer where we're meant to grow and raise our children. Because when you're: Taxed to the eyeballs no matter how much you make or 'write off', slammed by (the) rising cost of living no matter what state you live in, crushed by the weight of tall poppy syndrome if you dare dream bigger, seeing policies and laws change faster than you can adapt, watching our cities struggle to keep up with decisions we didn't vote for, watching systems shape your kids in ways you didn't choose … and watching opportunity for entrepreneurs get smaller, not greater … You realise you can either stay silent and conform … or do what's best and make a move. 'We chose to make a move … This isn't a flex. It's a call to anyone who's ever felt like they didn't belong in the system. We have given ourselves approx (sic) 8 weeks and we are out! 'We have so many emotions right now as we pack our first few boxes, but there is no point living a stagnant and truth be told – unhappy life where we are currently at in Australia.' The Orwells are yet to disclose where they will be moving to – instead, urging their followers to guess. But migration data has shown they aren't alone – with many other Australians seeking an alternative, and potentially cheaper, lifestyle. According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures, migrant departures – people leaving Australia to move overseas – increased by 8 per cent to 221,000 from 204,000 between 2023-2024. Since the coronavirus pandemic, the only major demographic group to consistently leave the country is Australian-born citizens, with a further 57,100 leaving in 2023-2024 and just 35,590 coming home. The median age of those moving overseas was 31. Many who have left the country have taken to Reddit, where they blamed high property prices as the sole factor for their departure. 'I'm one of those Aussies who left. I moved to Japan. The job pays about the same as I'd make in Australia but the cost of living is way lower. Got a loan and bought a home only 20 minutes from two capital cities,' one Redditor said. A second one wrote: 'I moved overseas and won't return unless the housing prices go down or become accessible. I literally will never afford a house back in my home country until it does. I've purchased a 2 bedroom apartment overseas in a city with fine living conditions (although I miss the beaches) for a good price.' 'Wish I could return, but it's not worth it to live in poverty or without prospects of a future. Congrats, Boomers,' they added. 'Crazy' place Aussies aren't heading to The Orwells' move comes just months after fellow Queenslander Kat Clark – who has a combined TikTok and Instagram following of more than eight million – announced that she, her husband and youngest daughter would be relocating to the US. 'We have had some opportunities come up in America and we are going to give it a go,' Ms Clark explained, adding her family intends to stay in LA for the next two years. The 38-year-old's announcement came as a surprise to her fans, many of whom questioned why the popular influencer and businesswoman would ditch Australia for America, particularly given President Donald Trump's increasingly controversial – and concerning – government policies and strict border stance. 'Moving to America in this political climate is crazy,' one follower wrote, while another added, 'She thinks living in America will be like visiting America for a holiday. Can't wait for the 'we're moving back' video.' Addressing the backlash in a subsequent episode of her Basically Besties podcast, Ms Clark said the family's relocation had been in the works for at least a year, and had been prolonged by the process of securing a visa. 'I didn't want to tell people where we were moving until we got confirmation, but I also didn't want to tell people because I knew (they) would get mad at me – which happened,' she said. 'I understand where everyone is coming from. Living in Australia, we get a lot of negative media about the US – you see all the US shootings, you see crazy people that live in America – so, I get it. 'But a lot of people don't understand with our jobs and what we do, there isn't as much opportunity in Australia than there is in America – and that's one of the main reasons we are going there, for our work … If it's the biggest mistake I've ever made in my life, I am going to come back home.' Australian travel businesses have seen bookings to the US drop significantly as Australians, Canadians and Europeans choose to holiday elsewhere, amid experts' warnings and cases of tourists being denied entry on arrival (and, at times, strip searched and thrown in prison) spooking travellers. Earlier this year, US International Trade Administration statistics showed the number of visitors from Down Under had plummeted 7 per cent in the 12 months to March 2025 – the steepest decline since the same time four years ago, when the coronavirus pandemic was at its peak. Flight Centre CEO and founder Graham Turner told it was an 'unsettled climate' impacting business travel, while tourists worry about passport control or simply don't want to visit the States 'because they don't like what Donald Trump's doing'. The President's trade and entry policies were a 'significant' contributing factor to Flight Centre revising its 2025 financial year profit guidance from $365-$405 million to $300-$335 million. Mr Turner said it was also the one major factor that is 'outside (Flight Centre's) control'. Mr Turner said he hoped Australian and global travel to the US will start to recover between now and September 'depending on what Trump does'. 'It depends a lot on what actually happens to these tariffs … which obviously we can't predict,' he said.
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Australian couple spark uproar after revealing the five reasons they've decided to leave the country for good
An Australian family have decided to leave the country 'forever', saying they can no longer 'stay silent and conform'. Content creators Molly and Brent Orwell, along with their two kids, announced their move from Queensland to a secret overseas location to over 100,000 of their followers on Tuesday. 'We're leaving Australia for good. Not for a holiday. Not for a break. Not for a visa run. We're done,' they wrote. 'We've sat with this decision for years and we finally made the call. 'Australia will always be home but it's no longer where we're meant to grow or raise our kids.' The couple and their two children will pack up in eight weeks and cited five main reasons they no longer want to live Down Under. 'We're done with sky-high taxes, insane cost of living, tall poppy syndrome, a system shaping our kids in ways we didn't choose and shrinking opportunity for entrepreneurs,' they said. 'You realise you can either stay silent and conform… or do what's best and make a move.' The couple don't face the same obstacles many expats do when moving overseas as their business is online-based. The Orwells sell online courses on 'high-ticket affiliate marketing, how to build a personal brand on social media and promote premium digital products'. While they wouldn't share exactly where they were headed, the Queenslanders listed a series of perks they're expecting. 'Beachfront living, 350+ days of sunshine, global education, organic food year-round, more time with our kids, a wellness-based lifestyle and a community that actually gets it,' they said. Many commenters believed the family would be heading to Bali, Thailand or another popular destination in Southeast Asia. However, the couple ruled those areas out. Others suspected the family's recent trip to Mexico and the US could have been a secret house-hunting tour. 'My guess is Cabo,' one wrote. 'I say Mexico or Portugal,' another said. While the couple's videos typically focus on their family life, they shared several posts related to their tour of North America in June. In particular, they highlighted their 'love' for Cabo San Lucas, on Mexico's west coast. The announcement left the couple's large following divided, with many refuting the couple's critiques of Australia while others applauded their decision. Many pointed out Australia's safety, healthcare and education systems were second to none. 'Cost of living is not bad, tax rates are fine if you're smart enough. I have travelled all over and prefer a lot of places compared to Australia but when it comes to our health care, schooling, and overall safety not many compare to us,' one wrote. 'You pretty much just described Australia (in the list of perks of their new location),' another said. 'White privileged family moving to a poor, hence cheaper country… International school, maid, gated communities… what's wrong with their public schools! Do you speak the language or are planning to live with the Australian expat community!!' wrote another. 'Personally I think you'll find out pretty quickly that the issues you highlighted are largely global issues and comparatively we are a very, very lucky country and our citizens are pretty spoiled here. But hey, you don't realise how lucky you are til you don't have it,' one commented. 'They will be back,' said another bluntly. Others commended the move. 'Will be watching to see where you land! My family is living the expat life and never looked back from leaving Australia,' one said. 'Don't blame you. Australia isn't the country I grew up in. The violence and crime in Melbourne is insane,' another chimed in. 'Can you take me with you I hate this place too,' another comment read. The Orwells said their kids had a spot at an international school already, and the family would be selling their house and all their belongings. 'We're not chasing normal,' the couple said.
