Lucysdream

Hi all, my partner is in a similar situation. He had bad news today and will need to apply for an emergency travel document, thanks for the address of Adelaide terrace to take the application to as that's one thing I couldn't find on the website. His passport has expired and we are still waiting for his new one. My question is our PR visas are valid until 2016, so do we need to do anything else if applying for the travel document? Is the current visa linked to the emergency travel document? Thanks in advanced.

Hey we recently moved to Morley and its a good area. I have colleagues who live in Dianella and that's a really good and nice area too. We use to live SOR in the Cockburn area but i had to drive into the Northbridge area to get to work which could take up to an hour. Now it only takes me 15 minutes. Takes my partner even less to get to his work place in Bassendean, he does it in about 7 minutes. Unlike the freeways there never seems to be any bad traffic, it just flows and only stops for lights. There's a big shopping centre here too with a cinema, swan valley isn't too far or Whiteman park. we much prefer living here. You can also get rentals at reasonable prices here. There are buses that run but there is no train station in Morley or Dianella. Doesn't bother us as we both drive and my partner can give me lifts to nearest station which is between 5-10 mins away or you can get a bus to the station. Some stations have parking too. Depends what part of Morley but some buses will run direct to city. We live the top end of Morley so would have to catch 2 buses or get a bus to train station if relying on public transport alone. It's not far from the city so taxis won't be too expensive either. From Dianella I know you can get a bus directly in but not sure if that depends on location too. Hope this helps.

Hi, my partner is a first class welder or boilermaker as its called here, he works in South Guildford on 7/7 shifts for 12 hours, alternate day/night shifts. We live SOR and he can get to work within half hour, he does need a car as no public transport to where he works. He got his job through the seek.com.au job site. He posted his cv on there back in May after we arrived and within 24 hours his phone was ringing non stop. He works for a very good company and is currently a contractor so slightly higher rates then the permanent employees. He should hopefully get a permanent contract this year. He earns 3 times more then in the UK and he loves his job here. We found seek to be best site for both of us and just add your cv so employers/ recruiters can find you too. Lucy

6 weeks in........ Well we have now been here for just over 6 weeks!!! It feels about 6 months but not in a bad way! We are loving it here in WA, its amazing! We are still in our holiday let in Beaconsfield which is 5 mins down the road from Freo. We are here until Monday 2nd July. Over the weekend we applied for two houses, and yesterday we were offered both! You hear all these horror stories about the rental crisis and 50 people going for one house. However, we have found it pretty easy seeing as we got the first two we applied for! It may help its winter now so it may be a better time of year to get one. It's different here as there are a lot of open viewings but it can be a good thing as you can see what has an open viewing and just turn up. They can be during working hours but we found they were mainly at the end of the day between 4.30 and 5pm. We decided to go for a house in South Lake. It's lovely and modern as has recently been renovated, and has a large garden. In fact it had two separate yards out the back! It also has a lovely undercover alfresco area.....it's going to be great! We plan to get an above ground swimming pool too for the summer. Job wise; Well finding a job here is like finding sand at the beach! My partner is a welder/fabricator (or boilermaker as they call it here, but no he does not make boilers!), he has secured work with a major mining company. He is earning over 3 times more than in the UK, plus unlimited overtime. He loves his job. I am currently temping but have had no problems getting the work. I work in accounts/Finance and walked into Hays recruitment one Friday afternoon after being here for a couple of weeks, they then called me up on the following Monday to start my first temp job that day! I was at my first temp job for two weeks, as soon as that ended on the one Friday I already had my next temp assignment arranged for the following week. I am still at my 2nd temp job and should be there until at least the end of July. I love it, the office is so relaxed and flexible. We have even enjoyed a glass of wine on Friday afternoons. Plus they all go out for lunches and every Friday is also dress down day. There is plenty of permanent work in my sector too but I have not been a temp before so I want to do this for now so I can try different places, plus I love the flexibility and the fact I do not have to commit to any one company. I was also not sure where our long term rental was going to be. Both my temp jobs have been in the City. Meeting people; Since we have been here we have met up with quite a few couples, mainly through perthpoms. It's been great meeting new people and I have also been meeting up with another girl whose boyfriend works FIFO. I have also met people through work. You do have to put yourself out there and make the effort to meet people. I enjoy meeting new people so it's no problem for me. Also for the women in Perth or moving to Perth I have just joined this group which another girl introduced me to at work, they have social events at least 3 times a month. They have hired a cinema for this Saturday so I am going to go along with the girl from work, here's the link http://www.meetup.com/Young-Women-in-Perth/ Night life; Well guess what....WA does have nightlife! Plus endless beer gardens to enjoy with heaters for the winter, and great restaurants with great views. Drive through Freo on the weekend and the cappuccino strip is packed! There is always outdoor entertainment on the streets, and just a general good vibe. I went to Villa nightclub in Northbridge on Saturday with another couple from pomsinoz who I met in the UK before we all left, and we saw DJ Ian Carey. It was amazing, in line with Ibiza if not better! Such a fantastic vibe and the music was amazing. Getting around; Transport here is very good. You can get the last train from Perth City at 4am on all lines on a Saturday night for those who like to party, plus at that time it's free to get everyone home. Trains in the day time are very regular, clean and cheap. Buses also seem pretty regular where we are based currently. Taxis are not bad, but you have to direct them or give them the address for their sat nav. Do not expect them to know where they are going, you’re expected to tell them. This has proved difficult for myself after a night out without my other half....I get a bit confused as I have not driven on the Aussie roads yet so I guess I now understand people at home who don't drive who find it difficult to direct! My partner had his car imported and it arrived last week, it can take 4-6 weeks to go through clearance. We currently have a car hire from backpackers car rentals in South Fremantle. It's only $175 a week and that's with insurance waiver etc... They are not new cars but they have character! Keeping in touch; The hardest thing about leaving was saying goodbye to family at the airport; I have never been through such emotion in all my life. We were both so upset going through departures and I think the first week here was the hardest. Likely because of jet lag, the emotions of the airport, oh and catching a bug just before I left so I was not feeling 100%. However, once you get here it gets pretty easy and the sadness at the airport just passes so quickly. To be honest I don't really miss family and friends now I am here. We probably talk more now than we did when I lived back in the UK! Skype and facebook make everything easy etc... We brought iphones since arriving and they are fantastic for keeping in touch. We got pay as you go sim cards from Woolworths with Optus. They are brilliant, $29 and you get $250 to other Optus networks which a lot of people here seem to be on, plus $250 to any network. You also get 5GB of data. It lasts 45 days before you have to top up again. I can't seem to use it all up! Great value. In a nutshell; Generally....well on Sunday it was a lovely sunny day even though it's winter. Dan and I drove up the coast. We stopped at Cottlesloe beach first and then took a drive up to Hillary's boat harbour. Everywhere looked so beautiful and we just say to one another we can't believe we live here and how lucky we are. Life here for us is really good and we have opportunities here we never had in the UK. For a youngish couple who are wanting start up in life.....our future is looking very bright! :jiggy: Lucy . X

6 weeks in........ Hey all, it's great to hear all the updates. Well we have now been here for just over 6 weeks!!! It feels about 6 months but not in a bad way! We are loving it here in WA, its amazing! We are still in our holiday let in Beaconsfield which is 5 mins down the road from Freo. We are here until Monday 2nd July. Over the weekend we applied for two houses, and yesterday we were offered both! You hear all these horror stories about the rental crisis and 50 people going for one house. However, we have found it pretty easy seeing as we got the first two we applied for! It may help its winter now so it may be a better time of year to get one. It's different here as there are a lot of open viewings but it can be a good thing as you can see what has an open viewing and just turn up. They can be during working hours but we found they were mainly at the end of the day between 4.30 and 5pm. We decided to go for a house in South Lake. It's lovely and modern as has recently been renovated, and has a large garden. In fact it had two separate yards out the back! It also has a lovely undercover alfresco area.....it's going to be great! We plan to get an above ground swimming pool too for the summer. Job wise; Well finding a job here is like finding sand at the beach! My partner is a welder/fabricator (or boilermaker as they call it here, but no he does not make boilers!), he has secured work with a major mining company. He is earning over 3 times more than in the UK, plus unlimited overtime. He loves his job. I am currently temping but have had no problems getting the work. I work in accounts/Finance and walked into Hays recruitment one Friday afternoon after being here for a couple of weeks, they then called me up on the following Monday to start my first temp job that day! I was at my first temp job for two weeks, as soon as that ended on the one Friday I already had my next temp assignment arranged for the following week. I am still at my 2nd temp job and should be there until at least the end of July. I love it, the office is so relaxed and flexible. We have even enjoyed a glass of wine on Friday afternoons. Plus they all go out for lunches and every Friday is also dress down day. There is plenty of permanent work in my sector too but I have not been a temp before so I want to do this for now so I can try different places, plus I love the flexibility and the fact I do not have to commit to any one company. I was also not sure where our long term rental was going to be. Both my temp jobs have been in the City. Meeting people; Since we have been here we have met up with quite a few couples, mainly through perthpoms. It's been great meeting new people and I have also been meeting up with another girl whose boyfriend works FIFO. I have also met people through work. You do have to put yourself out there and make the effort to meet people. I enjoy meeting new people so it's no problem for me. Also for the women in Perth or moving to Perth I have just joined this group which another girl introduced me to at work, they have social events at least 3 times a month. They have hired a cinema for this Saturday so I am going to go along with the girl from work, here's the link http://www.meetup.com/Young-Women-in-Perth/ Night life; Well guess what....WA does have nightlife! Plus endless beer gardens to enjoy with heaters for the winter, and great restaurants with great views. Drive through Freo on the weekend and the cappuccino strip is packed! There is always outdoor entertainment on the streets, and just a general good vibe. I went to Villa nightclub in Northbridge on Saturday with another couple from pomsinoz who I met in the UK before we all left, and we saw DJ Ian Carey. It was amazing, in line with Ibiza if not better! Such a fantastic vibe and the music was amazing. Getting around; Transport here is very good. You can get the last train from Perth City at 4am on all lines on a Saturday night for those who like to party, plus at that time it's free to get everyone home. Trains in the day time are very regular, clean and cheap. Buses also seem pretty regular where we are based currently. Taxis are not bad, but you have to direct them or give them the address for their sat nav. Do not expect them to know where they are going, you’re expected to tell them. This has proved difficult for myself after a night out without my other half....I get a bit confused as I have not driven on the Aussie roads yet so I guess I now understand people at home who don't drive who find it difficult to direct! My partner had his car imported and it arrived last week, it can take 4-6 weeks to go through clearance. We currently have a car hire from backpackers car rentals in South Fremantle. It's only $175 a week and that's with insurance waiver etc... They are not new cars but they have character! Keeping in touch; The hardest thing about leaving was saying goodbye to family at the airport; I have never been through such emotion in all my life. We were both so upset going through departures and I think the first week here was the hardest. Likely because of jet lag, the emotions of the airport, oh and catching a bug just before I left so I was not feeling 100%. However, once you get here it gets pretty easy and the sadness at the airport just passes so quickly. To be honest I don't really miss family and friends now I am here. We probably talk more now than we did when I lived back in the UK! Skype and facebook make everything easy etc... We brought iphones since arriving and they are fantastic for keeping in touch. We got pay as you go sim cards from Woolworths with Optus. They are brilliant, $29 and you get $250 to other Optus networks which a lot of people here seem to be on, plus $250 to any network. You also get 5GB of data. It lasts 45 days before you have to top up again. I can't seem to use it all up! Great value. In a nutshell; Generally....well on Sunday it was a lovely sunny day even though it's winter. Dan and I drove up the coast. We stopped at Cottlesloe beach first and then took a drive up to Hillary's boat harbour. Everywhere looked so beautiful and we just say to one another we can't believe we live here and how lucky we are. Life here for us is really good and we have opportunities here we never had in the UK. For a youngish couple who are wanting start up in life.....our future is looking very bright! :jiggy: Lucy . X

I think you did the right thing to visit WA, as otherwise you may have always wondered what if. From your comments it seems maybe it's not for you and you seem very happy with your current lifestyle, but only you can decide that. I have always wanted to live in Oz, I visited the East coast in 2009 and I knew on that visit when I stood on a beach and just breathed in the air that one day I would be coming back to make Oz my home. The fact you did not have this same feeling that many of us have could be an indication it isn't right for yourself. We now live in WA and love it! I find it funny when people call it 'dullsville', since we have been here it's been anything but dull! It's been the best move of our life's and to be honest I need a rest from all the partying and meeting new people! To think it's winter and we drove along the coast today and stopped at the beach, and visited many beautiful areas. My partner and I look around and we both say to one another we can't believe we live here and we feel so lucky. It's also nice at the weekend when your not working to be able to go outside and not be stuck indoors with grey sky's outside. My partner and I are much better off here financially too, so I think for people our age when you have many working years ahead and are setting up in life it's far better with far more opportunities. I don't understand why people convert either as it not relevant when your earning dollars. So unless your living off a UK retirement fund once here it's pointless. It's suits us but it won't suit everyone. I don't see the point in slagging it off because the grass was not greener for you, it is what it is so you can try it and if it doesn't suit you then just leave!! Simples!

Hey Alex, Yes we should all meet up for a drink. Mark contacted us to say he is on night shift's this week so maybe when he is free we can all meet up? Lucy x

Hi Mark, we are a childless couple who moved to Perth one week ago today. Lucy (age 25) and Dan (age 29). We are living in Beaconsfield close to Fremantle. Dan said can we switch the coffee for a pint? Feel free to message us.

CONGRATS MATIMAGE!! :jiggy: Enjoy it!

Hello WA!!!!!!!!!!!! We arrived late last night and today was our first day. Lots of heavy rain for our first day!!! We brought UK weather with us. It wasn't cold though. Sun did come out for a short while too. We are staying in Beaconsfield near Fremantle. Not too much to report yet as not seen a lot, didn't go out until the afternoon as didn't get to bed until 5am from our flight. Thanks to PIO member SaraB for lift from airport. Did a small shop in Coles today....it is expensive but once we start earning dollars should be in line with salaries and costs in UK. It still feels so surreal to be here! Lucy xx

Yes the shipping guy is now just removing four boxes from our living room. We are only taking four boxes and we also put stuff in the car. We have 40kg for flying too. We had our leaving party on Saturday, it went so quickly. I can't wait to get there.

Well done again, it's a great feeling isn't it? Are you going to crack open a bottle today? I can't believe we fly this Saturday. The shipping company are at our house right now to pick up my oh's car.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :jiggy::jiggy::jiggy::jiggy::jiggy: I am very happy for you!!!!!!!! Now enjoy it! I was right thought wasn't I?! I said on our other thread we use to talk on that you would have a visa in 3 or 4 months and that was the end of January. Congrats again! When do you plan to make the move? :cool: