Steve & Gina

<p>That's very good news then. Hope both the jobs go really well and keep us posted. All good here but it's been busy, just hoping this year is a bit more relaxing. Still enjoying life here and hope yours continues smoothly and happy. </p>

<p>Don't know regarding John, pity we didn't click too well while here so don't keep in touch with them. You are likely to know more than us.</p>

<p>Take care and chat soon, Gina & co.</p>

<p>Hi John and Lisa, good to hear from you. How are you both?</p>

<p>So pleased all is going well and best of luck with finding a good job for Lisa.</p>

<p>Yes I believe John is back in UK.</p>

<p>Sorry for delay ... busy busy busy ...</p>

<p>Best wishes x</p>

<p>Hi John and Lisa,</p>

<p>Congratulations to you both. Great to hear you have your visa.</p>

<p>How's it going ? Hope you've been enjoying all the celebrating as there's lots of busy and fun times ahead.</p>

<p>Take care and very best wishes</p>

<p>Gina & Steve xx</p>

<p>Great news about selling your house and say congratulations and well done to Lisa for passing all the tests and stuff. Hope it all goes smoothly and as planned for you both. Good luck.</p>

<p>Are you still going to Essex meet-ups ? and making lots of friends also going to the Gold Coast ?</p>

<p>I agree with you about Sam and John, think they should give it a good try before returning to UK but I believe Sam is missing family and wasn't too keen from the start ... perhaps this wasn't the best place in Oz for them to settle. Perhaps they can fill you in on their reasons better.</p>

<p>We said we'll give it 2 years minimum and loved it from the moment we landed. We still feel very lucky to be here and can't imagine feeling differently although I suppose things can change but hope not.</p>

<p>Hope you both find your dream place too. Very best wishes. x</p>

<p>Hi there John and Lisa,</p>

<p>Hope all is going well for you both. How close are you now to coming over here ? How are you both ?</p>

<p>We're very happy here, still loving the place but shattered quite a bit lately as there's been so much happening. We've been struggling to get on here much but expecting things to get a bit easier soon so we can enjoy the lovely summer.</p>

<p>Keep us posted.</p>

<p>Wishing you lots of good luck and best wishes,</p>

<p>Gina & Steve x</p>

<p>Hi Jools, thanks for the visa updates and so pleased your house problem has been sorted out.:smile:</p>

<p>Roll on lots of good news for you.</p>

<p>I'll PM you in a moment.</p>

<p>Take care,</p>

<p>Gina. x</p>

<p>Great pictures and enjoyed your recci report too.</p>

<p>Chat soon.</p>

<p>x</p>

<p>... It's very nice hearing from you and please keep us updated, it'll be great to keep in touch. We've been really struggling here with our body clocks and new routine. I think the jobs great so far and I think its getting me fit ... hopefully :-) but struggling to fit everything into the day at the moment. I'm sure it won't be too much longer 'til we get sorted though, else the bills and housework may suffer ooops. Sorry I haven't replied to your other mail yet, I will do very soon and hope your house problem sorts itself out, sounds a bit of a nightmare ... but this visa process normally gives you these along the way ... all worth it in the end though.</p>

<p>Just feeling sooooo tired and never had so many early nights, past my bedtime now though so time to snuggle up in bed.</p>

<p>Take care,</p>

<p>Gina. x</p>

<p>Hi Jools,</p>

<p>Good to hear your TRA apps in and keeping fingers crossed for you that it all goes smoothly and you can get your main app in asap. What does csl stand for ? I'm either brain dead from tiredness so being dopey else I haven't come across that term before. .. cont ...</p>

<p>Hi Jools,</p>

<p>Keep us updated with how it all goes and hope to see you in Yanchep one day and you're very welcome to come to our park meet-ups too, the bunch are very friendly. Do you have a visa application in at the moment ? Yanchep is still pretty in winter and you'll love it even more when you're here in the summer :-) Watching the kids have their swimming lessons at the lagoon felt like I was in heaven.</p>

<p>Very best wishes,</p>

<p>Gina. xx</p>

<p>Hi John & Lisa,</p>

<p>Good to hear you're finally getting the ball rolling with the visa process, best of luck with it all.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>We're having a lovely time, no regrets and all seems to be going smoothly enough so far. We've been busy with sorting out for building our house aswell as fitting in some fun stuff. </p>

<p>The weather has been gorgeous with loads of blue sky up until a few days ago. I guess we need to have rain now and again. </p>

<p>I believe the only thing that could improve things more is some more choice of work but the credit crunch will ease eventually.</p>

<p>We're very happy with our new life and where we've chosen to settle but I'm sure we'll miss family and friends more as the year goes on but can't imagine ever wanting to move back.</p>

<p>Keep us updated with your news. Have you decided on an area to settle on The Gold Coast ?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Best wishes,</p>

<p>Gina & Steve.</p>

<p>Hi again,</p>

<p>We think the weekly shop is a bit more expensive than in England, not horrendously but we're still trying to compare shop prices to decide on best places to buy items. Fruit markets for fruit and butchers for meat. We're still trying to improve on our weekly spend at the moment so we may know more in a month or so. Steve's wage is less than he'd expected but things are looking hopeful that it may improve.</p>

<p>We also spent more than expected buying stuff when we first arrived but luckily it hasn't worked out too bad as house/land prices are cheaper now.</p>

<p>Not too sure about costs of bills yet either. </p>

<p>Also petrol's cheaper during the week than at weekends. Think we were told there's a cheap Tuesday for petrol on Sunshine Coast. </p>

<p>Don't know much more yet.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Good luck with all your plans and keep us posted,</p>

<p>Gina.</p>

<p>Hi John & Lisa,</p>

<p>Nice to hear from you.</p>

<p>How are you both ? Have you put in the visa application yet ? Any other news ?</p>

<p>Steve's jobs going well, people are nice, work is fine but money could be better. I haven't looked for work yet, need to fit it around Rachel's Kindy but I may start looking soon. </p>

<p>Yes it's an excellent move. We're loving it and so pleased we chose to live here in Yanchep. Everything's going so well so far, feels like a dream come true and we're very lucky.</p>

<p>The food shop is a bit expensive but we're trying to improve on it.</p>

<p>Very pleased with the land and house we've signed for though. We've paid better prices than expected mainly due to credit crunch so this has helped out quite a bit.</p>

<p>The house we're renting is very nice and we love our car so need to avoid all the mad and drunk drivers on the road.</p>

<p>Keep us posted with how things are coming along at your end.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Take care and speak soon,</p>

<p>Gina & Steve.</p>

<p>Hi everyone.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>All going well at the moment, we'll be in touch properly as soon as we have an internet connection.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Thanks for your messages and speak soon.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Steve, Gina and family. xx</p>

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hope everyone's well. Haven't managed to get on here much lately.</p>

<p>Container day was really hectic, didn't sleep much the night before. The house is nearly clear now and gave 2 van fulls of good stuff to charity today. Steve never seemed to be up for a bootsale, the charity were very happy and we are so pleased the house is almost empty ready for Friday's completion. Scary part over and it's getting very exciting now.</p>

<p>Flights booked to Perth for 15th Jan :yes: WOW nearly there.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Just to say to everyone have a very merry christmas and a happy new year :emoticon-signxmas:</p>

<p>We will try to check PIO when we can but won't always have an internet connection.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>We'll keep you updated as best as possible and don't forget to let us know how it's all going with all of you.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Take care and very best wishes to all,</p>

<p>Gina, Steve, Michaela, Danny & Rachel xx</p>

<p>EXCHANGED !!!!!!:yes:!!!!!! at last, </p>

<p> </p>

<p>WE'RE ON OUR WAY.:wink:</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Best wishes to all,</p>

<p>Gina & Steve x</p>

<p>Thanks for the update Craig. </p>

<p>Perhaps we'll have to do a bit more comparing of the real estate land prices ourselves. For Perth these prices are reasonably good especially considering they're quite big lots these days and they're very close to the coast. For our budget we can only get close to the beach if we go as far North as we can manage (and its so so pretty there too). Burns beach/Jindalee etc and closer to Perth are loads dearer. Going slightly inland can help out quite a bit. South Perth may have some better prices but we don't like the industrial part so trying to avoid it. We now need to find a cheapish house to build on the land so we're having fun looking through all the tons of paperwork we bought back from the rekkie.</p>

<p>I guess at least there's so many places to choose from all over Oz, all lovely, again trying to avoid crocodiles, so just need to invest loads of time searching for best value for money.</p>

<p>Definitely want to have a nice happy life over there (limit money stressing) so we're not planning to get carried away with buying more than we feel comfortable, scary enough being in a strange country. </p>

<p>Ooooops sorry if I've waffled on a bit. Anyway, have a nice day.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Don't forget to keep us updated with all your plans.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>All take care and speak soon,</p>

<p>Gina</p>

<p>Yanchep/Two Rocks share quite alot and are close so you weren't too far off. </p>

<p>Just sorting out enrolment for the kids in the school Yanchep DHS so its getting very exciting now, at last. </p>

<p>$255K for a 810m2 plot!! Is nuts cheap or dear ??? I think its cheap from what we've seen in Perths northern suburbs - we have our eye on 700m2 for $290K and loads of the lots are smaller and not much cheaper - need to fit in the pool too - went to a pool shop and found one we like already - looked so tempting just wanted to dive in all of them :yes: ... and it was raining.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Do you think you'll buy land and build ? , I think its slightly cheaper around Brisbane, probably quite similar. </p>

<p>By the way, where do you live now ?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Speak soon</p>

<p>Gina</p>

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Thanks for the nice reply. It's good to hear you have a sister building a house in Yanchep, hope its all going well for her there. It is likely we will do this too. We have seen lots of building work going on when we drove around all the lots for sale but haven't seen much on PIO of other people going to settle in Yanchep.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Its been lucky for all of us that we've been able to go to Oz first and have a good look round. Its lovely seeing different areas and to be able to compare and choose the best most suitable location. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hope all goes smoothly for you so in a few years you're happy and settled on the east coast of Oz. My cousins are from South Africa, they've moved here to the UK and I believe they too are hoping to live in Australia in the future.</p>

<p>I'd imagine you should be ok selling you house by 2010/11, its not fun going through the visa process and then selling the house in this market - just pleased the exchange rate helps.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Very best of luck with everything,</p>

<p>Gina, Steve & co</p>

<p>Hi Craig & co,</p>

<p>Pleased you liked our pics, just seen and enjoyed your rekkie pics too. Just can't get enough of Oz, its so lovely. Not sure if you saw our Sunshine Coast photos, they're on our daughter MichaelaK's profile page and not got round to adding the Sydney ones yet.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>All of Oz is great and hope to see lots more in the future, crocs are a bit scary though. </p>

<p>Anyway I believe we've finally decided our best place to settle is near Yanchep/Butler in Perth. Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast is a very close second. Perth just feels right for us, its lovely and we think we'd settle there the easiest. We initially went to visit in 2004 and even then it just felt like we'd be back one day, hopefully not too long now, just need the bloody house sale to go through this time.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>How are your plans going ? Where have you chosen to settle ? When do you hope to go ?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Gina & Steve</p>

<p>Are you on here again ?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hope things in Perth are improving for you. Can't wait to hear all about your trip when you return.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Best of luck and happy travelling,</p>

<p>Gina, Steve & co.</p>

<p>I think I've heard Freemantle prison is pretty good and I think there's creepy night viewings too if you think this sounds fun. Not sure where the place is where you're staying though, hopefully quite central so you can see lots.</p>

<p>Hi John & Lisa,</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Very happy to hear you enjoyed the Gold Coast, pity not such good feelings for Perth though.</p>

<p>At least its a good idea to see both.</p>

<p>Places to live in Perth : we like Yanchep, Butler, Caramarr, Tapping, Quinns Beach (possibly too dear), Somerly. </p>

<p>Silver Sands or Medora Bay in Mandurah have pretty beaches too and are areas I believe have some good prices but we definitely prefer north.(Too industrial on south side, that was a bit of a Yuk for us.)</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Perth - Kings park, Yanchep lagoon/beach, Two Rocks beach, Butler and lake, Mindarie marina incl 'The Boat'(drinks a bit expensive though) and beach, Hillary's sorrento quay (lots there incl. food,aquarium,boats to Rottnest Isl.), Rottnest Island, Scarborough beach, Mullalloo beach, Mettams pool, Burns beach, Ocean Keys shopping centre, Hogs Breath Cafe, Butler show homes, Sunset coastal drive (road near beach), Iluka suburb (expensive but pretty), Mandurah marina, Silver sands beach, Medora Bay and Perth city (especially near Swan Bells). Other people recommend Freemantle. Personally didn't rate Secret Harbour much.</p>

<p>You can see our Perth pics to see if there's anything you like the look of.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>We found there was quite a bit of glass at parks near Mandurah beaches and the toilets were not as good as others.</p>

<p>Hope this helps.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hope Perth improves for you and look forward to hearing all your stories and findings soon,</p>

<p>Have a lovely time,</p>

<p>Gina, Steve & co</p>

<p>Hi Lisa & John,</p>

<p> </p>

<p>It says you're on PIO at the mo. Aren't you in Oz yet ? or if so, are you having lots of fun ?</p>