Rudi

We only ever saw this as a one way trip......10 years on and we still feel the same! Love Rudi ​x

Yep - plenty of gymnastics clubs around! My daughter has a part time job coaching at one of our local clubs - it's a small club but they get some great results - she loves her little level 1 and 2 squad! Great part time job for a teenager to have - beats tossing burgers at Maccers any day of the week! When you decide where to live, go onto the gymnastics queensland website and use their club finder - you just put in your postcode and it lists the clubs within a certain distance of where you live. Love Rudi x

LOL - well yes, Redland Bay is also lovely - and I can tell you ALL about this area.......but I read the OP's post and I just thought that if they were happy to be 2 hours from the airport, then they could have real and beautiful beaches......which is why I think the Sunny Coast might suit them more!! Love Rudi x

Ah - that's interesting Mummy Mann because I have always recommended them to clients!!! I obviously don't want to be recommending them if there are issue with them - can you PM me with what the problem was with them please? Thanks Love Rudi x

I agree that the Sunshine Coast sounds like it might be the best place to look. I don't really know the area well, so can't offer advice on suburbs!!! Love Rudi x

Hi Jen Oh my goodness!! What a muddle!!!! Can't believe they gave your hubbys job to someone else!!! If you want to send me a PM or fill in a form on my website with your dates I will see if I can help you. The link to my site is in my signature. Good luck! Love Rudi x

It very much depends on the area you are looking in, whether you are looking for a pool, whether you have pets etc etc. As above - 3 - 4 weeks is probably enough time........but I have had clients who have booked in for 4 weeks, and had to extend their stay...... but then I have had others who have booked for that amount of time and found something in 2 weeks!!! Love Rudi x

Well the good news is that it's a much easier process over here in Queensland to buy and sell houses!! I hope everything goes through smoothly for you! Love Rudi x

You won't have to pay in Brisbane either....unless you choose to send your children privately! $9000 sounds very expensive though - the charge in NSW is $4500 Love Rudi x

Nah - let him stay. OK, so when he was young he was an idiot and did some stupid stuff, but it sounds like he's made good..... Love Rudi x

I agree with Quoll in terms of schooling. I would talk to the school about it too, because a lot of kids seem to do a kind of half school and half TAFE thing in years 11 and 12. It is not an option where my kids are in school, but I know other kids who are doing this. It kind of gives him the best of both worlds - being with kids his own age, but also being able to study through TAFE Love Rudi x

Have a good flight! I hope the airport is clear of snow! Remember to put some shorts and t-shirts in your hand luggage.....it's hot hot hot here!!! Love Rudi x

AWWW Honey, I am so sorry to hear your news. Around this time last year I lost my beautiful Charlie cat who had been with me for 16.5 years, so I know exactly how you feel. Big hugs to you. Love Rudi x

I think bills can vary A LOT!!!!!! Our electricity bill is rarely under $1000 a quarter for a family of 5. Our school fees are $26000 a year at a private school for all 3 children No Gas Rates - $2500 a year - which also includes water Private Health $4200 a year Love Rudi x

It really depends on where you are moving to and how picky you are about a long term rental! Some people find somewhere to live very quickly - within a couple of weeks, others take longer. I Sydney, the competition for rentals is much more fierce than it is in Brisbane, so you might need longer! Love Rudi x

You might be better in a holiday home rental rather than an apartment. They tend to be a bit bigger. Good luck finding something Love Rudi x

Traceypie It may not be such a simple situation for you. Unfortunately you cannot bring your children here to live without the permission of their father. I am not sure of the situation, as you have validated your visas, but I know the other way around, British people are prevented from returning to the UK to live with their children. It is something you would definitely need to check out before leaving the UK and having a potential "kidnap" case. Love Rudi x

You have a fairly healthy budget for accommodation, so you should have a good choice of where you might light to live. It really depends on what your priorities are. I think the Bayside area was mentioned and we love living here! It is probably at the limit of your stated commute time. Lots of good schools locally and very family friendly. We love the fact that we are so close to the water. Love Rudi x

I have never lived in Perth so can't do the comparison, but I love the climate here in Brisbane. It is less extreme than most of the other states. It's warmer in winter, but we don't tend to get the extremes of heat in the summer. The end of February / beginning of March is usually the worst time of year due to the humidity. Love Rudi x

It's far more serious that over staying on a visa! Even if she has a visa which will allow her to stay, I assume she does not have the permission she needs from the father of her child and therefore what she would be doing would be considered as kidnapping. She could loose her child as a result. Please insist that if she wants to come and live here, then she does it the legal way. Rudi

I would go onto Yahoo Groups and have a search around there. I would have a look for "Australian Expat adoption" or "Australian adoption philippines" and see what comes up! Good luck! Love Rudi x

As others have suggested, it's very easy!! You can rock up to the school one day and your children could start the next day! If there is a particular school you are interested in, it's worth emailing them and checking out how strict they are on their catchment area. If they are strict you will have to have proof of address to enrol your child into that school - which obviously means waiting until you find a rental in that area and producing your rental agreement. Love Rudi x

I've not tried the Fish and Chips......but the Balti house serves AWESOME curry! Love Rudi x

Well I hope it stops raining for you by then so you see it at it's best!!!! Love Rudi x

Birkdale is very much a family orientated suburb. There's a small shopping centre etc. Probably the most notable points of Birkdale are Spice Avenue - the authentic British Balti house and Chumley Warners - the British fish and chip shop! I think if you are looking for nightlife you perhaps need to look closer to the city. Love Rudi x