Bianca’s teacher story – finding balance through teaching jobs in Australia
- SA-Recruitment
- Sep 25
- 3 min read
For Bianca, teaching has always been more than a career — it’s a way of life. After several years teaching in Abu Dhabi, she and her husband began to feel the pull toward something more permanent. They wanted stability, a safe place to raise their two young children, and the opportunity to put down roots for the future.
The decision to move to Australia was not taken lightly.
Bianca had just welcomed her second child a few months earlier, and the logistics of moving across the world with a young family were daunting. But Bianca is a true go-getter — determined, resourceful, and motivated by the desire to give her family the best possible start in life.
Their years in the UAE gave them valuable teaching experience and the financial means to make the move. Australia, with its balance of lifestyle and opportunity, felt like the right fit: a place that reminded them of home in South Africa, but with the long-term security of an Australian passport.
With SA-Recruitment’s support, Bianca secured a teaching position in Victoria, where she now enjoys the professional respect and healthy work-life balance that had been missing before.
Here, she shares her experience in her own words.
Why did you contact SA-Recruitment to assist you in securing a position in Australia?
I’d heard about them from a friend who had a positive experience, and the current recruitment company I was using did not deliver results.
What were some of the initial challenges/feelings when you started on the journey of this move to Australia?
The first challenge was admin! Getting proof from the university that you did your practical teaching hours, applying for teacher registration in Australia, etc.
What were your initial thoughts/impressions of your new Australian school?
Reassurance. They value teacher well-being and work-life balance. You do not need to change your career; you just need a change in environment.
How about work-life balance – do you feel you are able to manage this better at all?
YES! At previous schools and countries I worked at, the expectation was either unrealistic, or teachers were just spread too thin and forced to do more than you humanly possibly can without burning out. In Australia, or at least at my school, the workload is fair and manageable.
What have some of the challenges been for you in settling into a new life in a new country and also adapting to a new school?
New systems, like the traffic system, medical and payment system. For example, we are used to making appointments directly with medical specialists. In Australia, you need to go through a referral process that can take months.
South Africans cannot exchange their driver’s licences anymore in Victoria, Australia. I have to do my driver’s licence again.
You get paid fortnightly, so every two weeks you just get paid for 14 days of work and then need to keep track of making weekly, fortnightly and monthly payments to respective accounts like rent, utilities etc.
At school, it takes time to adjust to the culture and social norms.
Living in Australia, what have been some of the rewards so far for you and for your family?The feeling of experiencing what we consider to be “normal.”
The landscapes are breathtaking — you literally see kangaroos as you drive, the sun shines bright, and the air is clean. You can barbeque in your backyard and children can cycle in the street.
Also, Australia is a very multicultural country, and we have been accepted and welcomed instead of being treated as intruders.
How does the cost of living compare to South Africa?
Things are VERY expensive, yet affordable at the same time even if it makes no sense.
Do not convert prices to compare, look at the percentage of your income that that item takes up to decide if you can afford it.
How do you feel about safety?
Not AS great as we wanted to feel. Victoria especially is facing an increase in violent crimes.
But overall, Australia is a safe country, and the animals are more dangerous than the people.
What is the best advice you can give to teachers considering the move to Australia?
Do it sooner rather than later IF you are doing it for the correct reasons. It is a good opportunity, and it might not come along again.
Conclusion
Bianca’s journey highlights the resilience and determination it takes to uproot your life and move across the world with a young family. By taking the leap, she has created stability, balance, and opportunity for her children while finding renewed joy in her teaching career.
For South African teachers considering teaching jobs in Australia, Bianca’s story shows that while the transition has its challenges, the rewards of a supportive school culture, better work-life balance, and the chance to build a future in Australia make the journey worthwhile.
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