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And if it has been set alight in the last few days or not. Wondered what all the sirens were on Sunday in Bendigo.

All good if staying with friends, just wondering how long you’d be without furniture in Aus

I think the main issue is timing. Sometimes it can take longer for a container to fill with part loads thus delaying shipping.

Yes i believe most people do have a good experience when using a shared container, i am personally unaware of anyone who has had issues (stuff missing) with a shared container and that includes all the years i did Relocations. But one thing i will say to avoid any confusion is, if customs want to inspect something in a Movecube , it is unsealed just like any container. Its not like Movecubes never get unsealed as portrayed in an above post. Cal x

I'm sure you and @calNgary both had a good experience. Most people do. But just because most people drive on motorways and don't have an accident, doesn't change the fact that lots of accidents happen on motorways. Same with shared containers. The risk is higher than with a dedicated container or Movecube. It's up to the individual to balance risk vs cost.

Same here. Shared container there and back, nothing missing, nothing damaged. And no hassle of having to try and juggle things to pack them in the movecube.

Converting 173 to 143 is really quick. Your place in Australia is already guaranteed. Immi is processing March 2024 at the moment. Bridging visa only enter into effect when 173 expires.

Came here at 14 with younger brother and sister. Wish we’d come earlier..

Nearly everyone I know adopted their dog from the local dog homes. Most are mixed breeds of all shapes and sizes with rescue greyhounds also high on the list. I feel sorry for the little pugs and French bulldogs on a warm day as you can hear them snorting and wheezing when they're out on their walks. Yes the doodle types are popular. They are generally lovely natured pooches.

It has been hard I won't lie, especially for our now 15 year old, who was about to turn 13 when we arrived. She did 1 year of high school in the UK then we moved. Social media means they know exactly what their friends back in the UK are doing - ie what they are missing, and schools can of course be cliquey especially for girls. That said I am glad we did it, and she is doing better now

Genuine animal lovers don't care how "cool" their choice is. Choosing a dog because it's fashionable is for posers.

We used shared containers twice and didn't have a single issue either time. I wouldn't hesitate to use one again if the need arose. Cal x

I moved to Australia a few weeks before i turned 14. Worked out great. Although i did miss my previous best friend of course.

Most of those stories come from people who book space in a shared container. And yes, that does happen, and it's inevitable if you think about it. Your stuff is loaded into a huge container with stuff from three or four other families. The shipping company has processes to keep them all separate, but the container is likely to get unpacked and packed again a few times before your shipment gets to you. Customs may decide they need to inspect something in the middle of the container and your stuff is at the front, or the company might unload the container onto smaller trucks for final delivery. The more handling, the more chances of things going missing or getting broken. That's one of the reasons the Movecube became so popular so quickly. You get to pack your own stuff into your own cube, which gets sealed up. Having said that, I think you're doing the right thing. I recall you're likely to be in the country, and the cost to ship your goods from the arrival port to a country destination are likely to be eye-watering and not worth it.

Look at the 189 and 190 visas. Find a job on the list you feel matches your skills and qualifications ( there may be more than one ). Look at the assessment to see if you can provide the evidence and recent experience. Work out your points. both these visas are PR and once you have them do not actually require you to work in the field you applied under so you can look at anything. Some jobs will require additional licensing depending on the state like teaching.

TBH, from your previous comments, I think you'd be better off with a shared container. Movecubes are best if you have a lot of boxes and small to mid-size items to ship. If you're shipping large furniture items like beds or sofas, they'll fill the cube inefficiently and leave you with odd empty spaces that you can't fit anything into. If you've looked at examples of how to pack the Movecube, the whole reason it's worth using is that you can use every inch of space by packing all the crevices and gaps with small items. However here are some considerations when making the comparison. Firstly, make sure you're comparing like for like. Different shippers deal with the arrival charges differently. NO ONE can tell you what the customs/port charges will be when your shipment arrives in Australia, because it depends entirely on customs/port authorities. Some shippers don't mention them at all, some mention them but say, "we can't tell you what they'll be". Movecube usually includes an estimate of those costs in their quote. If you check the small print, it will say it's just an estimate. Therefore, I'd be going back to Movecube, and ask them to clarify what that customs charge is. Remember that with the Movecube, you're paying for extra security: your goods will be shipped in a sealed box which will be opened only by customs. A shared container may be packed and unpacked several times during its journey, (as partial shipments are added and removed), increasing the chances that your stuff will get lost or damaged.

Petair -- run by vets.

Round my way (in Melbourne), some kind of -doodle is compulsory, or a French bulldog. Greyhounds are still 'in' but not sheepdogs so much.

Hey, so we are on the journey AGAIN! Third time lucky, due to personal circumstances each time we’ve had to put our Aussie dream on hold. the first time we were 28 and 34 with 2 kids a baby and 3 year old. It seemed the perfect time. the second time we were 36 and 42 kids were then 8 and 11 Now we’re 38 and 44 kids are 10 and 13 it really seems if we don’t make it now we never will. I need success stories that were not mad at our ages to up root and start again! The way I see it is if we lived to 80 we’ve both got almost another 35 yrs plus to make some wonderful memories and give our kids opportunities they wouldn’t have here Has anyone brought over a teen, did they adapt ok? My daughter will be almost 14 probably of all goes to plan, I worry I’m taking her away at a pivotal point in her teenage years of making those friendships and connections.

Thanks Peach, I guess that ‘overwriting’ is what I was worried about, but at fairly short notice I think it’s my only option for a quick travel visa. Will have to consult with an agent to get a definitive answer.

Hey welcome back. Has been a long while since I thought about visas, but pretty sure the wording is that "PR visas don't expire, only the part that allows you to travel into Australia does". Hence you can be in Australia as a PR 'forever' without needing a visa or to become a citizen. However if you want to travel you need a new visa -- this is where the RRV comes in. From past posts, immigration can be quite generous with RRVs i.e. if this your first time of asking for one they will likely grant you one and getting a job offer would be sign of a commitment to Australia (which is one of the criteria). Not sure how true it is, but was often said that applying for an evisitor/visitor visa is a terrible idea, as the risk is your overwrite your PR status and are left in a worse state than before you started. Is prolly worth getting some agent advice, to not stuff it up.

Thanks for the reply Paul. Will get on it then.

Honestly I have looked into it as well and I don't think it's worth it. I did a mock shop on Harvey Norman and other places and all the main items weren't as expensive as I thought. Unless you've got reasonably new/high end or sentimental goods I wouldn't bother. Personally I'm going to upgrade my flight to business and get the included 2 x 32kg bags, stuff in as much as I can then just buy new when I'm there. I also don't know that I trust these removal companies. I've read stories of things going missing or coming up broken. That's assuming they turn up when they say they will as well without delays.

You talk about what visa you would be offered, doesn't quite work like that, you have to work out what visa(s) you are qualified for and then apply for that visa. Start with a good read of the Immigration website https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing

Still checking out quotes for moving over to Australia in August. We did have our sights set on a medium movecube but we do now believe that they are not worth it. We did put a deposit down on a medium movecube (107 Cubic Feet/ 3.04 cubic m) costing £1126 for shipping, however, we have to pay £1044 on the other side for customs. That second cost seems insane. We then looked at a large movecube (216 cubic feet/ 6.14 cubic m) which would cost £2154 and then a whopping £1581 on the other side for customs... Am I missing something? I've now asked John Mason for a quote and given them 216 cubic feet as a reference and they have come back with £1317 and a £220 AQIS charge for the inspection of goods in Perth. PSS Removals have come back even cheaper...... are these quotes fishing me in or are there hidden costs the movecube covers that these other companies don't stat?e