Hi folks
Sorry, I hav'nt been on PIO much lately, but the time seems to go even quicker here in Australia, I guess that means I must be enjoying myself!!!!
So, to all the visa grants, tra's and good news Ive missed..... well done and to all those who are just beginning the whole process, good luck and keep at it!!
So, we've been here nearly 6 months now, and its been the most exciting, stressful, emotional, happy, sad, longest and the quickest 6 months of our lives ( if that makes any sense!!) I can feel a bit of a story coming on, so I hope your sitting comfortably......
We had never been to Oz before, so I spent many hours, weeks and months on this site trying to find out as much as I could and made some great contacts and friends along the way. FNCC was the best !!!!!!!!!
So much has happended since we left England in December and some of its a total blur. We were all so excited about coming our here, me mostly, and nothing prepares you for the feeling of shock & panic that hits you when you arrive. The realisation that you've sold up, chucked in jobs and left loved ones to make a life in a new country that you've never even been too, with no jobs etc., we must be bliming mad!!!!!!!!
I was'nt prepared for the painful goodbyes and how upset my kids and their mates/girlfriends would be either.... I felt so guilty and hated seeing them upset and felt awful.
We have had a sturuggle with work as my husbands a plumber and its a right pain trying to get registered and licensed here, and found out the pay is really low if you dont get registerd, so we new the first few months would be tricky, I think people take advantage of us newwies waiting to get the qualifications recognised and offer really low wages, and obviously sometimes we have to take it, out of desperation.
We settled in the Mornington/Mount Martha area of the Peninsular and we fell in love with it straight away. Its really beautiful!!!!!!
The kids are all settled really well now and have made loadsa new mates, both English and Australian and there is always something going on for them, they have a great social life now.
My eldest has struggled to get an apprenticeship in Plumbing and was turned down by the local college for pre-apprenticeship course as they were over subscribed but he has just started work in a wood factory and happy to have some money in his pocket for a bit.
Hubby is working up in the city on industrial sites (about an hours drive) and is doing very long hours but obviously we need to recoup some of the money we have spent relocating and being out of work for 4 months. He's settling in OK and learning the Aussie ways and now travels in with some Aussie mates to share the cost of petrol etc.
Im still a lady of leisure (not for want of trying... believe it or not) My NVQ's admin skills arn't recognised out here, and will have to take a course or two, but all in good time, I dont want to rush into anything !!!!!!!
We have made lots of new friends too and seem to socialise much more than we did in the Uk....... and we're even having a knee's up next week to celebrate our 1st 6 months in Oz!!!!!!!
Things we have been surprised about
Food: Much more expensive than we thought and the prices have gone up recently. Although the quality is fantastic. Meat is still cheaper. You have to shop around too. Because we're in a well off area, the supermarkets charge more than other areas, which is a bit cheeky to say the least, so some people drive out abit to get there shopping and there is always an Aldi near by.
Petrol: It was about $1.20 when we came out here, its now $1.59 this morning and set to rise to $2 per litre by the end of the year.
Houses/land: All gone up alot in the last year in this area. You have to pay a big premium for living beach side. The plots of land for sale are getting smaller too. Lots of housing developments springing up everywhere and the locals have moan about it as more people coming into the area makes schools, roads, shops, doctors over stretched, so fair comment I suppose. The interest rate is getting higher and higher. We will now have quite a large mortgage, as ther is 6 of us and we need a big house, but boy what fantastic houses they have out here.
Culture shock: It depends on where you settle. People have had trouble adjusting. This area is modern, trendy, laidback and funloving. We have been to the city a few times to see bands with no problems and they have late night buses laid on to get you all home. Theres a marina being built locally too, so very fashionable. No check shirts and mullets to be seen here luckily!!!!!!!
Driving: Nutters.... all of them!!!!
Australian pride: The Aussies are sure proud to be Aussie's. I personally hav'nt got a problem with that atall!!! They promote Australian goods, fly the flag with pride and dont care what they say. Good luck to them...... if you moan and groan, they simply tell you to bugger off back home then. Pitty the English ar'nt like that any more or may be we would'nt be here in Oz now!!!
So 6 months in now and would we do it all again........ YES!!!!
At the end of the day you still have to do the same old things, day in and day out, like work, school, housework etc., but its the quality of life thats important and the surroundings here are breath taking and priceless. My kids have much more freedom here, their future is much brighter here and we are all generally much much happier. You just have to make the most of it........... life is what you make it where ever you are in the world. Our only regrest is, that we wished we had done it sooner......... !!!!!!!!!
Sally-ann xxxxxxxxxxxx
Nearly 6 months in Oz and I cant believe it....!!!
