Long Time No Type.....so A Little Update For You All....

**THE JONEZYS** · 24-01-2008, 01:06 AM

Well not been on here for a long time so would like to start by saying welcome to all newbies, congrats to everyone granted their visa's recentley and for all those still waiting.....hang in there it is sooooo worth it!!
We have been here almost 14 months now and love it.
We are currentley renting in Mornington ( Victoria ) whilst our house is being built in Mount Martha.
We are so pleased with the area we have chosen to live. Its so beautiful and the people are so friendly. There is so much to do, especially during the summer as its a tourist destination.
Both us and the boys have made many friends and we have just had a fantastic christmas and new year, spent at pool parties, barbies and the beach with many of them.
Its hard to believe that we have only been living down here since feb last year.......it took us 2 1/2 months to find a rental but luckily we were staying with family so it wasn't too much of an issue.......In december we had a party to celebrate our 1 year anniversary and had about 40 people at the house, some of them pio'rs!! None of these people we knew 10 months ago so for all of you out there that who have just arrived and struggling with the homesickness and loneliness it just goes to show what you can achieve when it comes to making friends if you put yourself out there. Some of the people we have met, we know will be friends for life BUT you are not always going to get along with everyone, which is always a gamble you take when you meet up with someone you have only ever chatted to on line. When this happens, just let it go, you tend to know instantly if you are going to make a friend of someone or if they are going to just be an acquantence. It is hard, especially when you are feeling lonely and desperate for a friend but its not worth forcing it as you will have the other person running a mile!!
So let me share with you some of the things we have found and please remember this is only our opinion and everyone will find things different.
People in general here are very friendly and will always say g'day when you pass them on the street. As soon as they hear the accent, they want to chat and hear your story, amazed that you have moved to the other side of the world and proud of the fact that you have chosen their country to live in.
Schools in our area are pretty good and much more relaxed than in UK. I'm sure they are not all good all over Aus as with any country you will get good and bad. We are lucky enough to live in quite an affluent area and rightly or wrongly the stanards here are higher than in some of the poorer suburbs. Our youngest is in state school at the moment but they are building a new private school near us which he will be joining next feb' when he starts in grade 5 the fees for this will be around $5000.00 pa. We are not unhappy with the state school, we are just fortunate enough to only have one child still in school, making it possible for us to give our son this opportunity.....something we never could have done in the UK.
House prices and land are pretty expensive around here and have gone up a lot in just the year we have been looking. The block we bought has gone up in value $100.000 in the space of a year.
Sport in Aus is BIG, especially in Melbourne. They love their Ausie rules and the state came to a standstill last september when one of our teams made and won the grand final. They also love Football here, both of my boys play in teams. The older of my sons at 19 is playing for one of the best teams in the area and is on a wage, which is fantastic as he is still at college and means he doesn't have to work in Safeway or Macas as most of the other kids do. Our youngest at 9 is also a member of the local athletics team and has represented Mornington in the 4x200 m relay at Olympic park in the city.
On the work front.........I'm still a lady of leisure and Paul is working bloody hard!! He is a bricklayer and travels all over, sometimes working half hour up the road sometimes an hour and a half away. The wages are pretty good, conditions ok.......he describes them as 20 years behind the way things are done in the UK. He has been lucky enough to get in with a good crowd of blokes with plenty of building site banter going on.
Life in general is slower, more relaxed. We do much more as a family, we do things in the evenings, we cram lots into our weekends and we socialise lots.
We have all been lucky enough to not get homesick. The only thing I miss obout the Uk is my eldest son and a good curry. Our 19 yo went back for a holiday over christmas and all he had to say was "yea same ol', same ol', nothings changed" At least now he has got it out of his system and realises hes not missing out on anything. He misses his mates like mad but loves what he has got here. He is doing fantastically well at college getting 4 distinctions and 4 higher distinctions.
Australia is not heaven on earth and for many it is a big challenge moving here. We have been lucky enough to have come here with a decsent profit from our Uk home and at a time when the exchage rate was good compared to now......$2.52 to the pound. For the average Ausie family life here is hard, interest ratesare high, wages low and property prices increasing at a rapid rate. This is not a country I would want to be poor in BUT if you ask most Ausies they wouldn't want to live anywhere else on earth.....and why would they.
Everthing here is done at a much slower pace and in general things can seem very disorganised when you first arrive from the UK, people never phone back when they say they will and tradesmen and the like often just dont show for appointments and really dont see what your getting so streesed about when you call and complain.
Driving here is dangerous beyond beliefe, its the only time you ever see an Ausie in a hurry. Crime here dose happen, especially the closer to the cities you get. Drug use is common place as is alcholism. Gambling addictions are common place, food prices high but if you shop around you can soon work out the best places to go for a bargain. Petrol has gone up about 30 cents a litre since we have been here and changes 3 times a day. The best time to buy is tuesday or wednesday around mid morning!!
Taxes are high and if you have to be GST........like VAT.......... registered it cuts into your wages even more. Medicare is probabley on a par with the NHS but it dose seem cheaper if you pay and go private!!
We do not regret our decision to come here one bit, we just sooo wish we had done it years ago!!
Right, hope this helps some of you waiting for visas or thinking of applying. If anyone has any other questions pm me.
Good luck to all.
Lesley x

**monty** · 24-01-2008, 01:20 AM

What a lovely honet post Lesley, I really enjoyed reading it we've only been here 10 weeks but hope I'll be as content as you are this time next year when I'm celebrating my first year.

Montyx

**dizzy blonde** · 24-01-2008, 02:19 AM

Fab post lesley, really pleased to hear that is is everything you had hoped for and more!

Lynne

**samozsoon** · 24-01-2008, 03:26 AM

Thanks for that Lesley.
We have only been here for 3 weeks so early days yet but really pleased that 14 mths on you're still happy.
I would like to ask you about College please but I'll pm you if thats ok.

Hope it continues to go well for you.

Sam xxx

**minlady** · 24-01-2008, 08:16 AM

Great post Lesley... very honest and from the heart.... really enjoyed reading it...thanks for that x

min x

**FamFive** · 24-01-2008, 08:17 AM

Yes, good on you lesley for being honest.

At the end of the day I certainly know that wherever you live it has it's good and bad points. And you still have to work hard for what you want out of life.

We have just been granted our visa's and can't wait to get to aus. All anxious and excited at the same time LOL its mad.

Ellie,LeeNFam

**sideshownat** · 25-01-2008, 12:09 PM

your story of your life in australia sounds great me and my family are thinking of moving to australia while my children are still young 4 and 7, the only thing that i worry about is the spiders my mother has said that i would be constantly having to check the loo for them is she overdoing it a bit?

**THE JONEZYS** · 29-01-2008, 10:13 PM

Thanx all.
Have tried not to post thro' rose tinted specs as all of you here know........that just aint the way it is!! BUT in saying that we are lovin it and this really is home for us.
Sam.......I have pm'd you.
As for spiders........you will have far too much else to worry about believe me!! If Jo n Sally-ann have survived this long then anyone can!
Good luck all.
Lesley x

**Studan** · 31-01-2008, 07:58 PM

Hi Lesley, great post...lots of questions already answered so thanks.....but,

Myself, my wife are starting to think about a possible life in Oz......more for the opportunity it will bring our two boys (both under two) in their growing years. We are at the very first stage of seeing how the immagration process works, diff. visas, point system etc etc.......It seems at the moment we wouldn qualify as im a Fireman and oh is a hard working housewife(not on any skill shortage list that i can see!!!!!)However she has recently done a distance learning course and has passed as a teachers assistant. So im thinkin of re training on a part time basis and have considered brick laying as a career change. How long had your oh been in the trade and how many years experience did he have to prove on the application visa stage?
There are training courses i could go on to gain a City n Guilds qualification but im fully aware that any aquired trade is something that has to be worked on a daily basis and not just a fancy certificate as proof. I guess an option for me is to start labouring for a firm a nd gradually start to pick it up from there?? But any help or advice your oh could give would be soooo much appreciated!!....take care , Stu

**THE JONEZYS** · 31-01-2008, 08:10 PM

Hi Stu & family.
My oh has been a brickie for 25 years and completed an informal apprentiship.
Cant help on the visa front much as things have changed since we got our visa.....136 skilled independant......I dont think this exists anymore.
Have you looked at a way in via the fire service??
If I were you I would have a chat with an agent to get a clearer picture of what your choices may be, there are a couple that post on here, Alan Collett being one that springs to mind. Most charge nothing for an initial assesment or general chat.
Good luck.
Lesley