russ&jackie

Hi, we too brought a load of stuff over with us and to be honest I wish someone had said not to bother ! We moved to the Sunshine Coast ( Buderim ) QLD and while we waited for our belongings to arrive on the container ship we rented a house, bought a 2nd hand bed advertised locally, a TV and fridge/freezer from Joyce Maine ( cheap superstore ), sofa from Gumtree, etc etc. We`ve since bought furniture from the local market and from garage sales. When our old stuff arrived from the port there was only the personal/cherished items that we really needed so could have saved a fortune on transporting it all and maybe sold it in the UK for a reasonable amount. I know we are lucky that where we live there is a big choice of stores and OP shops ( charity stores ) but I honestly feel that we wasted a lot of time and money ( not to mention all the stress and worry ) getting a houseful of old rubbish sent over.

Hi just read your thread. Guess what ? I`m a chippy too and live in Qld 100kn north of brisbane on the glorious Sunshine Coast. Work here is pretty slow just now but you do make good contacts when you`ve been in Oz a while. We only arrived last October and I found work easy to come by initially but there are quite a few tradies who have had to travel out west to get decent work. As for the power tools, I sold all my 110v stuff before I left UK and only brought my nail guns and battery tools as well as hand tools. I`ve since bought 240v replacements and I think thats the best option. One other thing you`ll find when you work here is that chippies are expected to use different materials ( other than the usual UK ) and quickly develop new skills such as plastering, concrete finishing. Don`t be put off though, I`ve found everyone to be pretty helpful plus its warm here. All the best.

Hi, we flew to Heathrow via Hong Kong from Brisbane with Cathay in June and I found the long 2nd leg was pretty uncomfortable. This leg was on a 747 and it was by no means new so maybe you`ll get a newer one with better seats. We came back with Singapore Air on the A380 and that was more comfortable. The best thing to do is get as much exercise at Hong Kong as possible and try and sleep on the plane. Good luck Russ

Thanks for all the replies. I`ve done the commuting to brisbane, north and south, and am really trying not to do that any more. Anyway since I posted this thread on Monday I`ve picked up some work in Noosa ( good old Gumtree ), Brisbane, and Hervey Bay so theres a lesson in patience. All the best to everyone who reads this post. Russ

Hi ALL, we`ve been living on the Sunny Coast QLD since Oct 2011 and absolutely love it here. HOWEVER it has taken my wife over 6mnths to get a job ( she is now a facilities officer for the council ) as each advertised job gets an average 200 ! applications. I have been very lucky and got work with a builder soon after arriving but he has run out of work as the building industry in this area has suffred a major slowdown, so I find myself looking for carpentry work wherever I can find it. It is great being able to fish everyday but that won`t help with the bills ! Any expat here on the coast need a chippy ?