Diane

Facebook groups are a lot easier to moderate/administer than a forum like this. Also I haven't moved back to the UK, am still here and try and post honestly as I see it from being here, having been here nearly 13 years, and having read hundreds of posts and contributed to this and the Adelaide forum many times over the years. But apparently if a poster is just posting for confirmation that everything will work out well for them, they'll get visas easily for their whole family, parents, grandpareents, friends, and friends of friends, all of whom will be met at the airport by immigration with a big suitcase of money, keys to a big house, a job for them and everyone in their family and someone begging them to live here forever, and I don't give that, then I'm trolling! Ho hum....

Have a great holiday :wubclub:

I don't get the big hype about fireworks - what's so special about flashing lights, fire and loud bangs? It's just burning money as far as I'm concerned (which could probably be much better spent on something with a more lasting effect). We went to the cricket on NYE, so for us, Adelaide were definitely the winners over Sydney - quite convincingly too!

Excuse me if this is offensive to anyone, but I have a 19 and 22 year old and if I wanted to move to a different country, I would make the decision based on the fact that they are now adults and independent - or should be working towards that aim - and wouldn't expect them to move with me. I know maybe I'm a bit less dependent on them being near me than some parents obviously are, but for goodness sake, they are adults, they make their own choices, if they end up living in a different country to me either through their or my choices, then they can visit for holidays, or I can visit them. If they wanted to move to the same country as me at some point in their future, then it would be up to them to train or apply for a visa in their own right, not constantly hang on my apron strings. If being in different countries than them was such an issue for me, then I wouldn't move to another country, but stay in the one that they have a right to live in already. I wish agents that push the 457 visa would make it really clear to applicants that this does not give them permanent rights to live in the country, and if they choose to bring their children and their children have all their friends in Australia, then at some point they are going to have to leave those friends and make new ones in the country they DO have permanent residency in, because they don't have rights to stay here forever and that's something they should go into with eyes open.

Coincidentally this came up in my newsfeed this morning:

I think he already has one - and his wife Victoria got some honour this year for services to fashion. About time Robbie Williams got something though. Oh, and some guy who put David Cameron and his wife up when they moved out of No. 10 got something - that's just tacky imho

If you are not too worried about being near a beach, then the Eastern suburbs are generally considered to be the best, in terms of schooling, accessibility etc. As far as private schools are concerned, bear in mind that even if you are not religious you can still attend a religion- based school. My two went through a good church-based school and successfully emerged as confirmed - albeit with an educated knowledge of the alternatives - atheists! The education here I think is as good as - if not better than - the uk, so don't be put off by negative comments by those who may not have had success here.

Off to the cricket at the Oval, then may hang around for the fireworks after, or may just come home using one of the free busses. New Year's Eve is probably one of my least favourite holidays - such a huge build-up for such a letdown! Kind of like the Strikers in the BBL this year though, so should be a good match!

Totally agree - would far rather get rid of the overpaid federal pollies!

This is a lovely edition of Desert Island Discs that he was on - worth a listen if you have the time http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008006s

Likewise (re being the soundtrack of my youth). I was at college with a girl who was Pat Fernandez's best friend so she spent some time with him through that connection, and I remember her saying what a lovely man he was - although obviously troubled at the time by not being able to be open about who he was.

Wow! What a nasty spiteful thing to say about a talented, generous man who died from natural causes as far as anyone knows. Did your mother never tell you "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"?

I'm sure the police are doing a great job, but... how many have now been released without charge? And I can't help thinking that scares like this seem to come at convenient time to distract the population from bad government figures... When they charge someone with evidence that sticks, I'll perhaps be a little less cynical.

Merry Christmas from a very hot (but quite pleasant at this time of the morning) Adelaide! xx

Welcome to the forum and good on you for learning something new! Have you considered doing what a couple of people I know do, which is spending half the year in Australia (on a tourist visa) and the other half back in the UK? I have one friend who has a house here and rents in the UK when she is there, and another couple I know have a house in both places, but you could probably rent in both maybe, or keep your house in the UK and rent in Australia when you are here... Hope it works out for you anyway, one way or another.