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Last Friday, my little Lahsa Apso, Chlo, died at Age 15. On the following Monday, I went to the Mackay RSPCA shelter and adopted two 2 year old fox terriers. When I contacted my “daughter”, Katie. She told me that when she was talking to my wife, Jo that when Chloe died, , that Jo hoped for a foxy for our next dog. We have not been without some make of dog since we mwet, over 48 years ago. My new mutts, Titch, in the red harness and Shorty in the blue one. Jo died 7 months ago… Providence? Cheers, Bobj.

Iknowcb... 15 days until we fly!! Have been unbelievably busy. Finished up work now, getting rid of a few more things and arranging things for my new job in Aus (not so much though as most of it I can't do until I'm in the country). I start 2 weeks after we land so not a lot of time to relax, actually no time to relax haha. We are in an air bnb for the first month so we can use that time to look for a place to live. I know some people secure a place to live before they arrive but we want to be there in person to make sure we pick the right place. Have a goodbye party this week too, definitely going to get emotional! Been getting upset at the thought of leaving everyone but it is what it is...still very excited for our journey I also got engaged a few weeks ago

I did it as I felt a force to get another dog. The 'mourning' period seems the best way when young, but I don't think I will see the 100th year, which is 18 years away. The remarkable thing is the amount of vigour I have chasing after these two little mutts. Cheers, Bobj.

I think one of the great things about this forum is the fact that so many posters have stuck around for so many years, offering advice and opinions based not only on their own life experience but on information shared by and with other posters. And when it comes to the emotional aspect of migration all sorts of thoughts and feelings are explored and shared in Aussie and UK Chat threads. People can read, skip, ponder or ignore that stuff, but in reality those of us that have been part of the forum for a long time know that while some doubts are probably just a wobble, other worries could be key issues the poster would be well advised to weigh and consider carefully. Migration is not an an exact science, as demonstrated by the fact that while life is truthfully very grim for many in the UK just now, other people such as the OP live in a nice place, with a decent income and a network of good friends. Gambling all of that to move from one first world country to another is a big decision and one that is hopefully helped by the shared thoughts and experiences of others. Particularly those who have been there/ done it. Tx

We live on the Northern Beaches and the answer to your question is 'no', although there is certainly a lot less crime here than in other parts of Cairns. I would think long and hard about moving here if you like overseas travel because it's a bit of a cul-de-sac. You nearly always need to fly to Brisbane, or sometimes even Sydney, before you can fly abroad. Mind you, if your idea of paradise is sun, sea, sand, and it being blinking hot nearly all year round, then Cairns is the place for you! Two minutes walk from our house...

I do tend to agree with you Cherry Thistle about negative and incorrect advice given to prospective immigrants who post on PIO, even though I am one of the oldies who does post, I never give immigration advice. . I think if anyone who seeks advice from a public forum, should realise that most replies will come from other posters, who however well intentioned are not M Agents So the advice might not be correct, but I also know how much help and support I have had and been grateful for over the years of my and my children’s immigration journey. The problem that occurs is that sometimes, potential immigrants take offence at the replies or at the tone of the reply to their questions, respond accordingly, and that doesn’t help anyone. Long term members of PIO who stay around to help new posters, including me, do it to genuinely try to help. If we had all left, or never replied, there would be no point in PIO continuing, as not many new members who have been helped bother these days to stay around to help.

If meggsie has her way, he will. Cheers, Bobj.

I admire that you see the good side of people @HappyHeart. I can tell that you are a people person. Unfortunately I'm not. I'm not terribly fond of my fellow human beings. Not much patience for a lot of them. Poor old Harry and Meghan as far as I'm concerned are a couple of narcissistic grifters. I look forward to them proving me wrong.

The two are brothers from the same litter. The RSPCA did not want them to be separated, which was fine by me. It is amazing how quickly one can get attached to a dog. Cheers, Bobj.

Old father Thames like a mill pond this morning.

Typical media spin to get everyone in a tizz that glosses over the reality. They never question the circumstances leading up to why a person died in custody, which is either due to extremely violent behaviour or the suspect trying to escape a crime scene. Living in Cairns we get to see this on a regular basis, and it's become one of the main reasons we now want to leave. I know two people personally who've had their cars stolen by indigenous youths breaking into their house at night and taking the keys. One, a single lady, was threatened at knife point when she confronted the attackers. She was unbelievable strong given the ordeal, saying that she was just relieved that she wasn't physically or sexually assaulted. Most people who live in the cities have no idea what the police up here are dealing with, and the level of violence and abuse they are subjected to on a daily basis. There are many things this government could do to improve the lives of First Nations people, which in turn would benefit the wider community, but holding a meaningless referendum isn't one of them.

Yes, apparently mental health only matters when it's his and hers - not anyone else's.

Load of rubbish. The hospital system is absolutely NOTHING like as stretched here as in UK. Appointment times are much shorter, beds are much more readily available and ED wait times dramatically lower. Schooling options are better, class sizes appear smaller and yah de yah... You're quite a contributor to unhappiness you know Blue Flu. I'm not sure you actually help anyone with these comments despite your assertions that you "give the other side".

Fortunately our antiquated (yet accurate) view of the world will soon be classed as disability, which should get us back up the ladder.

Did he need to meet Meghan to do any of that? Not really. Did he need to meet someone he loved and respected enough to gamble his position and place in the family? Very possibly, in which case he could have stepped back, produced a documentary, wrote a book and moved anywhere in the world with his wife, be that Meghan or whoever he chose to marry. But we live in a fast news society where celebrity sells and we are regularly provided with heroes and villains because those are the stories make the most money, especially when sprinkled with glamour and wealth. Not so long ago it was Diana and Camilla, now it's Kate and Meghan. Whether we can trust the constant drip of negative headlines and spin is debatable, if only because it seems that the narrative can turn on the spin of a coin. T x

He does seem to be struggling mentally ..................... can't let go at all so comes across as very bitter. So much for his years of therapy. I've lost all respect for him. He is exactly the same age as my elder son and I'd cuff my son round the ear if he carried on the way Harry does. All that whinging and whining and the sneering attitude toward his family is just nasty. He has everything that should make him happy. A wife he adores, two lovely children, a more than comfortable house and plenty of money. I just wish he'd shut up.

I think we've got all the detail we need. It's been stated several times that it will be a purely advisory body. Its job will be to comment on how government policies affect Aboriginal people. They won't have any power. I'm still against it. Just window-dressing to make it look like they're fixing Aboriginal issues. All the money that's going to be spent on the referendum, legal advice on the constitution, not to mention all the expenses of the advisory body when it's created -- trips to Canberra, junkets etc. It would be so much better spent fixing the problems that have ALREADY been identified many many times.

It's got much worse in recent years with the crime no longer restricted to the 'M' suburbs. To quote one of my colleagues when we were discussing this the other day, "They've already got a voice. You can hear it at 3am to the sound of breaking glass!"

If I'd attempted that book I wouldn't have been able to go past the bit at Ludgrove School where he makes sexist and disparaging comments - which he thought were funny - about the disabled matron . The fact that he let that remain in the book reveals him to be not just immature but plain nasty. And he has the gall to lecture other people about mental health and "being kind". The hypocrisy of those two is unbelievable.

Didn't really mark your card as being a "Yes' man? More a subversive self styled 'hit' man of the Right. Just shows how easy it is to get it wrong.

Harry is 5th in line and not a "working" royal so he can pay for his own security.

Aboriginal Activist Richard Bell agrees with you and will be voting No. https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/why-acclaimed-aboriginal-activist-richard-bell-won-t-vote-yes-20230521-p5d9yk.html

I wouldn't have minded either way. Just glad he's happy

I think this is the big concern, we don’t have enough details Albo sitting on the fence which seems to be the norm can’t get a straight answer even the top legal experts are saying it’s going to roll on for years with legal cases. I will wager with anybody that it’s not going to sort the issues out we have seen in media this year