GOTTY

Seriously expensive ... I've just paid $330 for a clean, then $1000 for 4 deep cleans, $400 for filling and now need a new implant down the line $4400 ...... that's about two months wages gone!!

How much would you be wanting for it Wendy?

Yes bring as much money as possible cos Canberra aint cheap ...... Kaleen and Aranda and not that nice to be honest (hope I haven't offended anyone on here) - I have a friend lives at Kaleen and it's really not that nice - she is looking to move. Forde is one of the new areas and there are some nice houses there, still a bit sterile as not much greenery etc but its nice enough, Bonner much the same. I live about 5 mins from there in Nicholls which is absolutely stunning, all set around the golf course, very green (bright red trees at the moment), 5 mins to Gungahlin shops (your main shopping area), Library etc and IMO knocks spots off all the new estates.

Seem to remember its rained a lot over the last few months in Sydney ... my friend lives there and had visitors for a few weeks and they had crap weather

We brought our staffie and our westie with us (wouldn't have come if they didn't) and I seem to remember we used Petair ..... Alfie our westie was fine but Gus our staffie struggled with the flight (chewed out of two cages) and hated quarantine but they are fine now, they are our family here and not sure if we could have got through the last few years without them as no matter how crap you feel, you come in and they are all over you with their big smiley faces, you can't help but smile .... I adore my boys (as you can tell) and if you can bring your pets then do it, you won't regret it. Aussies don't have the same attitude to dogs as we do (well none of the ones I have met do) .... lots are outside dogs (which bark all sodding day usually cos they never get exercised) and some are kept in awful conditions (tiny cramped back yards full of poo and wouldn't know a walk if it hit them) so be prepared for sayings like 'you brought your dogs over, god what for you could have got new ones' .... pillocks!!

We had all our best friends to our house with lots to eat and drink .... fab day but oh so sad, lots and lots of tears but saying goodbye to my mum was another matter .... it was the most devastating thing I've ever done

I lived in Pimpama for a year (yuk) but worked at Hope Island .... nice spot and close to everywhere

We've had quite a few of the whites, vodka, sparkling, german beer, magners and stella - all fine plus we do all our shopping there now, save a heap.

yeah sent xmas pressies to my friend in the UK plus extras for her little girl - never to be seen again - gutted!!

We live in Nicholls right on the golf course and it's bloody beautiful ... IMO one of the best suburbs in Canberra.

Canberra aint cheap .....

It's gross and barbaric and there is no place for it in this day and age .... have horse racing by all means but on the flat - no need for those gigantic jumps

My daughter moved to Alice in January this year (she is 30 and single) - she is a nurse at the AS hospital and she LOVES it!!! She has made so many friends already and she says everyone is so friendly, its got a real community feel about it ..... she has been over to Uluru, climbs the mountains nearby, goes to the gym, out every weekend with the girls (she lives in the hospital accommodation) - all in all I would say go for it - if you do I can give you her name etc, she will welcome you (another northern girl)!! Do it ...

Where abouts in Cumbria are you from Woodsy16? We're from Kendal - we live in Nicholls and totally agree with you about the radiators and double glazing, bloody freezing at the moment having just moved back from the Gold Coast!!!

Joking apart buy as much stuff in the UK as you can - the prices and choice here are appalling - I don't have kids but I buy 90% of all my clothes and shoes from the UK and have them delivered here, still works out tons cheaper. No we didn't get double the wages either unfortunately!

We're from Kendal and our friends (also from Kendal) live in Adelaide too - they love it. We have other friends who live in Perth and they love it there too - sorry we're in Canberra - miles away from all of them!!

Yeah agree with perthbum - the UK is ALIVE!!!!

Anyone out there with Dodo? I have just signed up for the mobile plan plus a buddy box - having a few dramas with the BB, spent hours on the phone in the last week to them (had all this crap with Telstra in the past) - just got my landline number now but I can't make any calls out so having to take the phone into town tomorrow to ask someone to plug it in and try it out for us (only just moved here so don't know anyone as yet). Hope I've done the right thing!

I live in Nicholls (north side but slightly older suburb) and it's blooming beautiful - very leafy, most houses back onto the golf course, 15 mins to civic, 5 mins to the one and only english pub and nowhere near some of the druggy flats/houses in the inner north/south, brand new college, brand new library, leisure centre currently being built, hospital coming one day and the Treasury Dept relocating to Gungahlin so I reckon it's not a bad place to be oh and 20 mins from the airport too.

Spain will be tons cheaper to shop Oz, it's ridiculous here it really is, plus the quality is not that good either I hate to say!!

Yeah I agree - try the career break if that's an option, we wish we had done that!

We lived in Canberra for 3 years before moving to Queensland (lived there for a year). We have recently returned to Canberra (long story) and have to say we are seeing it through new eyes and whilst I am not saying I love Canberra there is something to be said for feeling safe. Our year in QLD was scary to say the least, armed robberies and shootings were the norm, the shops in our little suburb were ramraided 3 times in the year we were there, machete attacks, fatalities every single day on the roads so to come back here to be able to drive around without being stressed up to the hilt all the time and not opening the paper every day to see how many people had been shot or attacked is actually quite nice. Yes I do find it very boring here as I am not really into the arts etc and I would like the coast to be closer but for now it will do us fine. We have bought a beautiful house in a gorgeous suburb, I open my back gate and I am right on the golf course which is just glorious especially at this time of year. The weather like another poster said is absolutely fine, yes it gets cold in winter but we're English we are used to it but it's usually bright blue sky every single day, not a lot of rain, no humidity and the summers are glorious and really gets quite hot at times. I flew to Sydney last week - it took 22 mins and I was there for 8.30am so can easily do a day there if we wanted (not that I would want to that much)!

Take no notice, they're only jealous cos they're not going too! All our friends back home are still having a great life ..... none of them wanna come out here either!

She obviously hadn't chewed out of her crate like one of mine did!!! Mind you we were delayed a week coming as he had chewed out of it at Heathrow too and was nearly on the runway! They had to send for an indestructible crate which took a week, lo and behold he was loose in the cargo hold when they opened the doors! Apparently he had to sit on the front passenger seat on the way to quarantine as they had no crate for him! He also chewed out of another one on the day we went to collect them from Sydney, they were sat on the grass with ours, all the rest were in crates! They've cost us over $20,000 since we got here as they've never had so many problems but we wouldn't swap them for the world! Enjoy having your baby back with you xxx

When we moved here 4 years ago we brought over money over and opened a term deposit, we had to pay $18,000 in tax! We were getting 6.01% on our latest term deposit but it has just gone down last week to 5.something.