Jude

Definitely agree with Rupert - in fact the state sponsorship may take longer as there's an extra hurdle to jump to get it. If you have the points go for the 189. Or do an EOI for both and see which one comes through first....... Good luck!

You have to get the rabies jab done and then a blood test to check the antibody levels a month later - they are allowed out of quarante 5 months after the successful blood test......So its an idea to do it sooner rather than later in case you're one of the unlucky ones that needs to repeat the vaccine.

Thanks for all your replies - its made me feel a bit happier! Hadn't even thought about private health cover as yet but I probably will go for it......especially if it ends up saving me some tax. Is there anything else I've forgotton about!!?

Officially you have to have owned something for over a year otherwise you have to pay import tax. Saying that I've just bought a new sofa and dyson and mattress so need to make sure they look used but really clean!! Shipping my stuff mid September. Not sure about toiletries .....

I do ultrasound scans......I have a job lined up offering $55 but hoping for a better offer!

Ok guys... So if I get a job paying $55 an hour (excluding super) and work a 37.5 hour week......what comes out in tax etc? About what would I bring home? And how much rent could I afford? It's just me and my dog..... Would $600 a week leave me hungry?

You're only allowed 2 visits a week at Spotswood. My dog and 2 cats will be inmates from 13th September. Flying with Golden Arrpw who've been great so far. I'm still not sure whether to visit or not because I know I'll feel absolutely gutted leaving them and they'll probably pick up on it. 30 days isn't so bad so everyone says..........:confused:

I'm arriving in Melbourne mid September and looking to rent for a year before I buy a place. I have some friends in Richmond so am tempted to live close to them as I'm on my own. But I'd really like to live close to the beach........ Another consideration is that I have a dog and 2 cats so want to be close to a somewhere where I can walk the dog so I'm not too keen on a really busy area of the city. I know my rental options may be limited with my pets as well..... Any advice?

I've got a labradoodle and agree with Candygirl. Got him at 9 weeks and the first week at home put him in garden at least once an hour and said "go pee". I think he only ever did one pee in the house but that was because I was too slow opening the door - when the need to go they need to go! I have 2 cats which were 10 when I got the pup. They weren't happy at all. The best thing is to make sure your cat has a pup free room they can use as a refuge and make sure pup knows the cat is not a toy or something to chase. My cats came round eventually - but I took around 4 months before they felt they could relax around the dog. Now I often find them all curled up on my bed........

"Experts" who tell people that letting a dog sleep on their bed is giving up their "alpha" status need to take their heads out of their backsides! The " pack leader" mentality is such a load of absolute garbage yet it seems some otherwise fairly intelligent people fall for it. My dog sleeps on my bed. He also walks off the lead for at least an hour a day and spends most of this time socialising extremely well with other dogs. He's never been in a dog fight or shown the slightest bit of aggression. He is extremely obedient to my commands and we regularly compete very successfully in agility. When we walk to our local park - wait for it - I actually let him walk IN FRONT of me!! When we return- surprise surprise - he is usually behind me. This isn't because he's a dominant "alpha" dog on the way to the park and submissive on the way home. It's because he likes being in the park.

They're both the same except you get an extra 5 points for state sponsorship with the 190. If you don't need the extra points the 189 is probably better because you don't have to apply for state sponsorship and you can live anywhere. Timescales seem to vary -I applied for and got my 189 granted in close to a month.

Just got my import permits for all 3 so panic over. It only took a couple of weeks and that included the hiccup with vets correction on the form! Now just need to exchange on my house and can book flight and quarantine.......Good luck with yours I'm sure you'll hear soon x

I've been waiting on mine for a week but there's a problem with one of my cats rabies reports. The vet made a correction on the microchip no. they're not happy with. He's written a letter begging forgiveness but they're probably going to say it needs doing again :arghh:

Hello all My two cats and dog will be checking in to Spotswood Melbourne in September. I'm worried for the cats as they're fairly timid and at home they like to sleep in a "cat cave" type bed. My dogs pretty spoiled too! Does anyone know what the bedding is like in Spotswood? Not sure whether to provide my own.........:arghh:

Ok - thanks for the info