ancient brits

I have just booked 2 weeks ago to go back in Dec and got a flight with Cathay Pacific for $1460 return Brisbane to Gatwick. Gatwick suits me but could have gone Heathrow for same price.  I am able to go early 11 th Dec and leave New Year's Day.  Had been looking for a while with price alerts and that was the best deal.  Sure it will go up as it gets nearer to Dec.  I do prefer to book early and not have the panic / rush later.  Looking forward to my first UK Christmas with family in 10 years.  Hope you find a good deal

Rita

Having been a Store Manager for Argos for many years prior to comming to Aus, I am so pleased there is no Argos here. After 16 Christmas with them I can live without Argos (although I do get a pension from them, so not all bad.)

Rita

im a true believer of you get what you pay for.... ' pay cheap pay twice '

I love people like you as they keep me in business. I manage an Op-Shop for a private Local charity and everything we sell is quality at low prices. Our profits go back into local community and over the last 5 years we have given moey to many worthwhile causes. Examples are, $60k to local special school for outdoor play equipment, portaloo for local riding for disabled, 6 months salary for nurse for local hospice, purchase of mini bus and had it converted for wheelchair access for volunteer hospital transport, portable cold room for local soup kitchen and many other projects. So please continue to buy expensive and donate what you dont need as it helps others and we believe in "buy expensive donate when no longer needed" and help twice.

Rita

Hi Geoff,

 

 

 

i have the same dilemma, I am going with option B. except we will be using the money as our going home fund, so instead of transferring it to Aus we will save it all up in UK bank account until we come back for a visit and then draw it all out. Spend what we need to for our holls and bring the remainder back with us in cash.[/QUOT

 

That is exactly what we do as I draw a final salary pension from when I worked for a very large retailer in the Uk. We also pay for our flights from this too and use it for buying Xmas presses online for family in the Uk.

Works for us.

AMVL seem to think differently. At least two of their RMA staff are members of this forum...

 

From their website http://www.australianmigrations.com/visa_citizenship_rrt.htm

 

In order to be eligible for Australian Citizenship, applicants must meet a number of residence requirements, including;

 

• 12 months as a permanent resident; and

• Being lawfully resident in Australia for 4 years immediately prior to lodgement; and

• Absences from Australia of no more than 1 year in the last 4 years and not more than 90 days in the 12 months immediately before applying.

 

Lawful residence does include time spent on temporary visas (i.e. Student, Working Holiday, Tourist, Bridging Visa) prior to grant or permanent residency.

Just to confirm that I came to Aus on a tourist visa 21st September 2008 pending my CPv143 pr visa being granted. Cpv 143 pr visa was granted Feb 4th 2009.

I became eligible for citizenship on 22nd September 2012. This was because the time spent in Aus on tourist visa prior to my PR 143 bring granted counted towards the 4 year residency needed. During this 4 years I made 3 trips back to UK to visit family totalling 11 weeks out of Aus. I also had a trip back between getting approval after test and having citizenship ceremony.

Myself and DH put in application for citizenship in January 2013 and after taking test in May 2013 We both have now had the ceremony and became an Australian citizen on 11th September 2013. DH has never been back to UK yet.

I hope this info helps you with your dates query

Rita

Myself and OH landed in Aus Sept 2008. Been living in Tugun since June 2009 and loving it. Live in Tugun and work in Currumbin and became an Aussie citizen 2 days ago, and couldn't be happier.

Thanks for the information ..

Can you remember how long it was before you started feeling normal again after first starting to take the tablets .... My memory has been terrible recently, not so much things that happened years ago, but things that happened like now ..... I have had a terrible tingling sensation (on my left side) fingers ... toes ... and part of my leg since September last year, when I presented at the doctors, and was diagnosed with depression .... my ears are also buzzing but not sure if that is something that is totally different ... I got a cold a bit ago and it came then ..... and I have suddenly started to feel so old and frumpy, always been very youthful, trendy, interested in keeping up with all things modern ... my GP said that the meds will make me feel young again and relieve my symptoms .....

I have been taking Thyroxine for under active thyroid since 1983, currently taking 150 mgs daily, was once up to 200mgs daily.

The symptoms you describe are classic for underactive thyroid. The thyroid gland is the body metabolism controller. When it is under active and not secreting the hormones as it should then you will feel different. Your metabolism does slow down and this is why you need to suppliment your own bodies lack of Thyroid hormone with the Thyroxine. It takes a while for the medication to make a difference. You are started on a low dosage and usually blood tests are done after 6 weeks of starting Thyroxine. Depending on results determines whether to iincrease the dosage, again in small increments. This adjusting and testing goes on till correct levels are attained and then it is simply a matter of a blood test every 12 months to make sure things are ok. The reason for the 6 weeks figure is because It takes time for the Thyroxine to accumulate in the body as it has a daily half life. It is not like taking an aspirin type medication where by the effects are immediate, it does take time to build up and to attain the optimum dosage. It is also important not to take too high a dosage to begin with and to build up slowly as the Thyroid is the controller of your body metabolism and taking too high a dosage straight away is not recommended.

Just remember you will start to feel better just give it time. At least you now know what the issue is and that it is easily dealt with once meds are optimised.

Hope this is of some help and reassurance to you

Rita