KazzE

Thanks for your replies, I will look into your suggestions had thought about the small business ABN thing and I am going to speak to my accountant about the implications of different options. :yes:

Hi - if this is the wrong place for this post I apologise and understand if it is moved by mods we have a large house with rooms we hardly use so we were thinking of renting a couple out as tempory accomodation for when people first land which would give them a week or two to find their feet and find a longer term rental. We are thinking of using airbnb or similar for deposits and payments. We would be able to offer separate access to guest area, exclusive use of a bathroom, furnished bedrooms x 2 and a 'living/lounge' room and shared use of a kitchen and laundry, outdoor area with BBQ. We would be able to shut off our part of the house and would not want house guests accessing this area at all. Possible issues We have two dogs who share our home and would need to share kitchen/dining room as that has access to the outdoor area - for this reason we are thinking that we would not have any young children but would consider older children who are used to dogs. We are in the Western suburbs of Melbourne so opinions from . . People who think they might use this type of accommodation - what would you expect/hope to have available to you? what would you expect to pay? how long do you think you would want this type of accommodation for? People who already rent out property What would we need to think about? What pitfalls, problems do you think we would encounter? any constructive advice or opinions about this idea are welcomed thanks in advance:wubclub: Karen

Probably the four year option. Have a look at the acecqa website http://acecqa.gov.au/educators-and-providers1/qualifications ACECQA is a national body that guides Early Years Services I don't think they list overseas qualifications you would need to get your qualification assessed. if I was you I would try and ring their info line and talk to someone. Hopefully you will get someone who knows what they are talking about. I would also suggest speaking to someone from the teaching board for the state you are hoping to move to. good luck with your studies :wubclub:

We'll done, great choice, but the I am biased as we have two! we we mad enough to get two bitches from the same litter, not recommended but we put the work in bonding with them and lots of separate walks and training. they have calmed down, a little but still 'springy' great characters Do not have a clue why the photo is sideways ??? they are 4 now and great company and sooky la la's as you can see, they jostle for pole position next to hubby and this is what one does if she misses out LOL i think we need more photos of your gorgeous pup

Where are you? Maybe someone could recommend a good clinic. The one I use has most things on site including pathology, specialist nurses etc Yes this is all normal and all designed to ensure the school are well informed about your child's health and how to manage any medical conditions. Aussies do seem to find it hard to understand a Scottish accent I don't know why but they do. Was the Doctors first language English? could you go back and see another Doctor and maybe write out exactly what it is that you need? maybe go to a different bulk bill clinic? it probably will not take that long to get sorted out but it is coming up to Xmas so I would try and at least get appointments booked in and it should all be done before he starts school. hope you get it all sorted out soon.

I would say the weather in Melbourne is similar to the UK (we lived in the south) but generally better, warmer, longer spring/summer and shorter winter ( although this year winter seems to have been colder and longer!) with a few more extremes. hotter days in summer stronger winds - all seasons heavier rain at times I disagree that 'it can be overcast for weeks' it can be overcast but not for long. one of the things I like about the weather is how often it changes, hot days end with a cool change or followed by a cool day, rare to have more than a couple of hot days in a row without a cool change. i love the heat but hate humidity so don't think I would cope anywhere else. i was not prepared to feel cold in Australia but you certainly do feel it more here which is mainly to do with most houses being set up for the heat, draughty through lack of insulation, tiled floors and the fact that most houses are bigger just makes them harder to heat. But you do get used to it. Melbourne weather - four seasons in one day - A very true statement!

I have fair skinned, that burns easy, freckles and blue eyes and hubby is fair skin that tans easy, blue eyes. he cooks himself and aims for a tan and I avoid getting a tan, slip slap slop etc wear sunscreen in a moisturiser every day we have regular skin checks and one in 2010 picked up a melanoma on the inside of my arm - it looked like a tea stain, flat, light brown - but I noticed a slight change. now I have check ups every 6 months, next one coming up. it really is not worth the risk not to use protection when it is needed - I look like an idiot in a hat but I always wear one if out in the sun during high UV Get the sun smart app from sunsmart - would you believe that today protection was needed from 9:40 to 4:40 UV high was 8 even on an overcast day the UV can still cause damage

What job have you been offered? Is it as an Early Childhood teacher? you may need to look at ACECQA which is an independent national authority responsible for all early childhood services. http://acecqa.gov.au/Early-childhood-teaching-qualifications. You may also apply to ACECQA for approval of your qualification if you are: A person holding an international qualification who has arrived in Australia outside of the skilled migration program An Australian citizen who has studied at an institution overseas, or An Australian citizen who holds a qualification not listed on the list of approved qualifications. The application form, criteria and guidelines are available here. - See more at: http://www.acecqa.gov.au/ACECQA-applications#sthash.boLm67uy.dpuf otherwise you would need whoever registers teachers which would be http://trb.wa.gov.au

Great to hear a good news update, sounds like you are settling in really well, will be great to have your visitors with you or 3 months. good luck with the PR process

66 for me and hubby 110 quid per week but would it have been frozen when we moved over in 2008?

Ah I do feel for you it must be so hard with young children and very little support. try to separate the stresses about getting a job from how you feel about being here. I know not it will not be easy. remember why you made this move, what made you excited? I don't know about Sydney but Melbourne has lots of things to do for free or very little money, pack a picnic and go exploring your new city. I think that what you are feeling is very normal for new immigrants. You feel out of place, every thing is unfamiliar, similar but different, simple errands can take an age because you don't know where to go or what to look for. This will get better in time. getting a job will definitely take the pressure off and help you start to settle, as will getting the children into child are and a routine. maybe try and meet up with other expat mums, talking to someone who knows what you have gone through would help I am sure. Check out your local council, there will be play groups and other activities for kids that will be free or low cost. Wish I could give you a big hug and some practical help. Good luck

I sort of agree with the sentiment that the workers are just doing what they can to make ends meet and it is the company's that are shonky. last year after getting several of the 'Windows support' calls trying to get access to my computer and telling me I had a serious virus, I asked the next caller for the company name (in a calm, chatty way) asked for their address and contact number. then phoned them back and asked to speak to the person in charge - told them I was fed up getting calls and that I was reporting them to Consumer affairs for harassing me. Then I phoned consumer affairs and passed on the details I had. last week I started getting them again, after the third one I asked where he was (he had an Indian accent) he told me St Kilda, he gave me a phone number and an ABNORMAL when I asked for them. Then I told him I was going to report the company, that what he was doing was a scam, he begged me not to report him, said he was sorry, almost crying, said he needed the money etc etc I told he he needed to find another job, any job because I was going to pass the info on and Ended up hanging up on him still begging me not to report him. could have been a genuine low paid worker terrified he would lose his job or could have been a heartless scammer, I don't know. I reported them to consumer affairs then reapplied to the no call service and have not had another one since.

Now this is one of the great things about the forums, sounds like you have some sensible advice and suggestions to follow up. I hope you find an answer, it must be so frustrating to get conflicting advice. I have found physios to be a great help in my recovery after years of osteopathy treatment that did not appear to help, but other people have found that type of treatment helped. recently I have found a physio who is taking the time to actually understand my particular issues and work with me rather than go for the 'usual' approach ie working both sides of the body equally - she understands that the left side needs strengthening more than the right - when I saw a different physio in the middle of treatment she had me do something off the original physios treatment plan ( she did not agree with it) and I ended up over extending myself and was set back. sounds like you need to speak to a specialist, hope you can find one, good luck and take care x

Just remembered one of the exercises I do on my Swiss/exercise ball. sit up straight with feet flat on floor and lift heels, then lower, repeat 10 times. For me this has lead to me being able to now sit on the ball and lift each foot off the ground, hold for a sec or two then lower. also gentle squats pushing the ball back against a wall. is a session with a physio a possibility? As suggested one with experience working with people with issues?

Hi Kate, that does sound like a bit of a challenge, have you spoken to physios? I wonder if one of those vibrio machines would help? You only do 10 mins per day. I have weakness in my left leg due to a back injury, I find it difficult to do my excercises some days but I can use the vibrio machine even when my back is sore. good luck, hope you find a solution x

Thanks guys will check those out and hope for some good offers in August our DD is a primary teacher in the UK so we are sort off tied to school hols or at least part of them and hubby refuses to visit the UK in the colder months. thanks again :notworthy:

I find it a bit backward in a lot of ways, in a good way, I like how it feels a bit "70's" I still chuckle to myself when people say they are "stressed" or flat out at work and the work load is actually about a third of what I was used to in UK. deadlines somehow seem to be more flexible, if they pass then things get reassessed and a new deadline agreed. in my current job we are being pushed to the limit with some unrealistic expectations but I find that people speak up and expect things to change, and us usually they do. i like that on public holidays most businesses really do close- this seems to be changing and I find that sad I like that there is a public holiday for a horse race lol trades can be a bit slow to respond and turn up for jobs Buying houses seems easier. I am sure there are many more that I cannot think of at the moment.

I am looking to book our next trip back to UK next year. I always end up booking my DD flights from UK to Aus through Dialaflight or Austravel - I always have a trawl through the airlines and places like Amadaeus or webjet but end up getting frustrated with the websites and not being able to just look at say July/Aug and find the best time to fly. So . . . . . . . Suggestions for finding and booking flights please When are the cheap flights to UK? ta :wubclub:

Have a look at the acecqa website there is information on there about equivalent qualifications Early Years teachers are going to be in higher demand due to regulations so it would be a good qualification you could probably teach 3 and 4 yr old kindergarten with that but not sure about older children as Petals says each state is different you need to check out acecqa for qualification for Early years and the state you are moving to for teaching good luck

Do you have a fear or phobia? Or are you just after general info? you really do not get many 'pests' in the suburbs most wild life do not like humans and tend to stay out of their way. we have been in Oz for 5 years and I have seen two white tails - one landed on hubby when he ( stupidly IMO) pulled a tarp of boxes we had stored in a garage and one that was walking up the wall. This was in an old weather board house that had not been treated. the only red back I have seen was in a friends garden and he had to go looking under pots and things to find it. have never ( touch wood) seen a huntsman - my sister had one in her house, which was an old weather board and someone had been pulling the roof apart - oh and she had one climb up a chair leg while sat around a campfire out in the bush. cockroaches are probably what you are most likely to see but (touching wood again) never seen one in our houses. geko - don't think we get them in Victoria ?? the only thing we have ever seen in our house is mice - we had one in Deer Park and we had one here in Werribee a few weeks ago. mortein is your friend LOL you can get ' bombs' to set off that get into all the nooks and crannies and protect the house for a few months and surface spray for outside to spray a barrier around windows, doors etc which kills on contact so the most you will see should be a dying bug. We had the house we just moved into professionally sprayed as it is so big and we are a bit more country than suburb and right on the edge of housing area before farmland. hope this helps, don't let a few smart Alec's put you off asking more questions, you can bet your boots more than a few other people will be wanting to know the answer. btw before we moved here I was convinced I was going to find a poisonous spider under the toilet seat or hiding in a toilet roll tube - and I still have the odd fleeting moment when I think I am going to see find one there. :confused:

Theme hospital! Knitting! Spending too long on here! Sorry you are having such a hard time but unfortunately it is par for the course, there are not many who have a smooth and easy ride of it. it took us (me!) two years to get ours, some of it because of decisions made and some of it bad timing and changes to the process. like my decision not to use an agent - a friend going for same visa at the same time, with similar quals and experience got her visa a year before me ! And we are both still here :0) like my skills assessment body changing from from TRA to vetassess the day I posted my TRA! Resulting in a delays and a little bit of incompetence from a vetassess agent in her last week who basically did not read my application properly but we got there in the end, and we are still here almost 5 years later, got citizenship this time last year and feeling very settled. hang on in there, hopefully it will not be too much longer :wubclub: if you can do something about it - do it :biggrin: if you can't why cause yourself stress worrying about it ? ? Hard to do I know.

Oh dear, I just want to give you a big hug. It sounds like your problem is more about sleep than jet lag. what has helped you sleep in the past? Can you replicate that here? This will not help you know but may in the future, this is what we do. We try and get on 'local' time for where we are going as soon as possible. Eat lunch at 'lunch' time sleep when it is night time (where we are going) drink lots of water, moisturise loads and eat small meals, I never eat the whole meal, as I said I try to eat as if I was at my destination. the best I felt on arrival in Oz was when we stopped over in Singapore for a couple of days. And the worst was my first trip, I did not sleep on first leg, did not drink enough and felt ill before I even got on the plane for the second leg and then hardly ate or drank and did not sleep at all. I felt like crap for a week. It must be so draining if you can't sleep. hope you start feeling better soon and get some help with your sleep problems.:wubclub:

Hi charlie67 'childminding' or family daycare as it is called may not be seen as a skilled profession and will not be found on any of the skills lists for a visa but the qualifications required in the UK and in Australia are the same as for a any child are worker. Minimum qualification for an educator (childcare assistant) and family day care educator in Australia is a certificate 3. NVQ3 is equivalent to a 'qualified' or diploma trained educator- there are always jobs around for diploma trained staff but I don't think you would get sponsored or get a skilled visa as one. However I was talking to someone in rural Victoria who is seriously considering sponsoring diploma educators for their centre because it can be very difficult to find good qualified staff in the rural areas. it looks like your qualification is equivalent to NVQ3 in child care and early years? I got a skilled visa 'Childcare coordinator' with NVQ3 and a lot of different experience including one that was considered to be a management position. you need to look at the skills in demand lists and see if there is anything you can match your skills to or aim for. I am have no knowledge of what is on there now, things have changed since I applied for my visa. i know that there is still a demand for Early years teachers and for that you would need a four year degree ( or equivalent) which must have Early years modules. Check out these web sites and think about speaking to an agent for further advice. http://acecqa.gov.au/home/ you will find information about having qualifications assessed as equivelent here - my NVQ3 in childcare and education was deemed equivent to a 'qualified childcare worker' in 2008 but there have been a lot of changes so best to check out this web site which should give you the most up to date information. Also http://www.education.vic.gov.au/chil...s/default.aspx and http://www.familydaycare.com.au and good luck:wubclub:

All very usual and understandable feelings. Millions have gone through this before you and survived :0) as somebody said keep thinking of why you are doing this, look on it as an adventure . . . . . . of course your boy won't be lonely, he will still have you and the excitement of the move, you can take him to playgrounds and play centres to play with other children. where are you moving to? Maybe you could research what is available or ask on here if anyone knows what child are options are available? just keep taking deep breaths and know that there is an end to how you are feeling and a new life waiting for you :0)) good luck with your move:wubclub:

Hi We lived in Strathmore when we first arrived here, I loved Scully's IGA and Napier st it is a clean and tidy, well established area. I don't know anything about the schools, sorry but it is fairly central and easy access to trains and trams not too far either. yes you will probably here planes but you get used to them, the noisiest are the flying Docs and Elvis in brushfire season. you will be close to my favourite big supermarket Lamanna, very fresh food at Airport West kielor Road has some good restaurants and Glass Street has a great Mexican good luck with the move Karen Petals is right it will be very different from Cornwall and you may find it too busy after a while. We have moved further out and would go even further if it was not for work.