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Hi, I have been resident and working in Melbourne since July 2012 and am returning to the UK January 2013. Should I complete a tax return before I leave? If so roughly how much does it cost to get an accountant to do it for you? Thanks

We used Golden Arrow to ship our dog from Heathrow to Melbourne in July this year. They made us a wooden crate and used qantas. We now want to use the same crate to take our dog back to London in January next year and Dogtainers are telling us this wooden crate does not meet IATA standards. Dogtainers are also using qantas. I have checked with Golden Arrow and they assure me the crate is good to come back in, they provided an excellent service and I have no reason to doubt them. Can anyone suggest how I prove this crate is OK to fly back with? Thanks

Oh Kellymoo my heart goes out to you. Please don't be ashamed or embarressed you have no reason to be - your oh is a toad and he should be feeling this way. I'm sorry I don't know the answers to your questions but i just wanted to offer a big hug xxx

Hi, We have had to change plans due to unforseen circumstances and cancelled our booking for a furnished short term rental in Perth. I know people are struggling to find accomodation so I thought I'd post and it might help someone. If you look on stayz the property is in waikiki and is called Oakwood house, the owner is really helpful.

I will speak with HR again tomorrow and explore this further. Well done to those who have got career breaks, it must give you great peace of mind knowing that should you return you have a job.

I have enquired about a career break (NHS) and HR have told me I can only have one if I do not work for the period of the career break. As my manager is supplying references they know I'll be working so I haven't pushed this - should I? Have any of you who work for the NHS been told this?

Thanks for this info I will check out both these options.

Hi, I am sure that when it's time to fly we will find that our suit cases will be well over weight as I'm struggling to decide what we need to send in the container and what we need to keep to use. If the container has already left how do you get around this. I think I have read on here somewhere before that there are companies who send parcels over for you and that this is cheaper that excess baggage payments. Does anyone know any companies that do this? Thanks

Thanks JK2510 and and Bob1 - my 16 yr old son is doing cartwheels around the living room. He is very fit as runs daily on our treadmill at home but is totally rubbish at footy and rugby and was worried that he would get laughed at/teased. Its one less worry for him.

Hi M2M, Is this the case for any other states or just Melbourne (interested particularly in Perth). Thanks

Hi Lancashire Lass, I'm so sorry to hear this. I can completely understand how you feel as my husband has just been diagnoised with a benign brain tumour. Although it's non cancerous it will continue to grow so he to will have to undergo major brain surgery at some point it the future. We are due to move to Oz in July and now don't know what to do. My husband is desperate to continue with the move but I am worried about lots of things. I PM'd Petals who was very helpful. All the best, if you want to PM me to share thoughts and just generally off load please feel free to.

Thanks for all the advice. I will certainly look at Rockingham as an option. Are there any areas I should avoid there? I have done some research today and there appears to be some beautiful areas. The job I have been offered is fantastic. It's with Silver chain, the ladies that interviewed me were lovely, and I am really looking forward to working with them. I am a palliative care nurse in the UK and feel so lucky to have the chance to continue this in Perth. I have been reading about the trouble people are having getting a rental and am not looking forward to this. I know it will help that I have a job but we are bringing our little dog so this may make it harder. Do you think a short term rental of 4 weeks will be long enough for us to get sorted, and have you got any suggestions of where to stay? Thanks

Hi, I would be grateful for advice from people who have made the move to Perth or visited. We have PR and have been to Melbourne twice and were intending to move there in July, however I've found it very difficult trying to secure a job (I'm a nurse) the only people who seem to be hiring are private hospitals and this is not my ideal. However I have been offered a fab job in Perth with an excellent package from a large charitable health care provider. The employers seem to want to help us make this move as smooth as possible and help us settle in. They asked me if I want to live NOR or SOR as they have several bases around Perth (I will be working in the community). I have previously looked at Baldivis so said SOR, do you thinks this is a good choice? We have 2 teens 13 and 16yrs. We live in a small village which doesn't even have a shop but want to live in an area will more, perhaps a few shops, on a bus route and with a train station, within 30- 40 Mins of CBD and 20-30mins of a beach. Daughter is mad about horses so riding is very important and will need a decent high school. 16yr old wants to be a science teacher so will return to High school so hopefully he will be able to go to Uni. My base will be Jandakot, oh will be looking for unskilled work such as warehouse, forklift driving. What areas do you suggest I look at? I have a hundred questions as have spent years researching Melbourne but now have 3 months to research Perth. Ahhhhhhh! :arghh: Thanks

I am glad you are feeling better today. I can understand how you feel. I swing from excitement to terror about leaving, this emmigration buisness sure is a rollercoaster! We plan to leave for Melb in July but I am having serious wobbles this weekend. I have had a lovely couple of shifts with some lovely colleauges at work and wonder if I will be so lucky with a new job. I also keep looking at my faithful old dog who will have to go to live with my Mum as she can't fly due to health reasons and hating myself for leaving her! I am wondering at the moment if I am strong enough to leave all I love!

Thanks for your responses Blobby 1000 I am a palliative care / cancer nurse. Bordy I have PR but it is proving tough to get a job offer from the Uk. People have said just arrive in Melb and you will be OK, a job will follow but I find this approach very scary. I have a good job at the moment and am afraid of being unemployed for a length of time. What is your experience of the job market in Melb for nurses recently?

Thanks Petals

I have recently had an interview for a post as registered nurse in a private hospital. The interview went well and I am waiting for feedback. I have always worked for the NHS and assumed that I would work in the public sector in Melbourne. However if this job is offered I will accept it as it will mean that I can start earning as soon as I land and as I have PR I will be free to look for something else if this doesn't work out. Can anyone tell me what the differences are between working for the public or private health care sector in Melbourne please?

Thanks again guys. I have sent a few more resume's out and have had one interested response so am feeling more positive now.

Thank you all for those helpful links

We are moving to Melbourne in July. I am a nurse with experience in palliative care and oncology. I have PR and am already registered with APHRA. I hope to secure a job before arriving or within the first few weeks of arriving. I am becoming increasing worried about getting a job because of the following: A couple of posts on here from a nurse currently in Melbourne who has stated that there is a lack of jobs due to cuts in budgets etc. An agency I have registered with has told me that Melbourne is saturated with nurses, therefore to maximize my chances of getting a job I should also look at different states. I have contacted many hospitals directly, some have said to contact them again nearer july, others have not replied. Now another agency has told me that if I just arrive and apply for jobs I should get one easily. Which information is correct? We do not have vast amounts of money and I am unsure about taking the risk of arriving jobless. Thanks

Thanks for all your replies. It is helpful to read your stories. GilreanH - We have PR visa's (I was the original applicant). We have already validated and I understand that once they are in your passport we can come and go in Oz in any order whilst they are valid (I hope I understand this correctly). Josetann - It is encouraging to hear your story. I think I panicked at the weekend when I sat and made a full list of outgoings involved in moving. I keep getting these moments where I wonder if we are insane and if this move is worth all the stress and hard work. I must stay focused and chill out a bit! Melbournegirlinny- I have registered with one agency and am waiting to see if they can muster up a job before I apply with others. I have also made some contacts with Barwon Health and have been invitied to attend the skills migration evening at Australia House next week so fingers crossed. I wish you all well with your future plans.

Hi, I will be at the health evening Tuesday. I am taking the smart casual approach.

Hi. We are a familiy of 4 moving to Victoria around July. Like a lot of people, because of the economy we are renting out our house and going with limited funds (Approx £32,000 which needs to pay for everything including flights, shipping dog and furniture etc). Now I accept that one of us needs to be working within weeks of landing and hope the other can get something quickly as we don't have enough money to keep ourselves for months. I am a nurse, oh works in a warehouse and will take whatever job he can get initially. I will try and get job sorted from UK. I have allowed for approx £3000 to pay for short term furnished accomodation when we land and hope to sort out rental in this period, but would like to find a cheaper way of doing this. Options I can think of are: 1. I come over before others, sort out job if haven't been able to do so in Uk, stay somewhere fairly cheap whilst arranging a rental that others can move straight into. Pros:- Will be the most peace I have had in 16yrs! Cons: Will miss the kids like mad. 2. Oh comes out way before us and tries to get job (could be wrong but I think it will take him longer than me). Pros will be certain before we follow we will both have job before I give up home and job here. Cons: don't think we can rely on him to get a rental we approve of - his main motivation will be how big the garage is! Can you think of any other options? How did you coordinate the move across? What options are there for cheapish places to stay in the Western suburbs for a single adult? Thanks

Thanks for these replies, they are very helpful. Northernpommy I would love to hear more about how you arranged things upon landing as this sounds perfect. I am just off to work (sunday late shift, yuck) but will pm you later.

Hi, We are moving over in July at which time my children will be 13yrs and 16yrs. On our reccie we have previously looked at Geelong and High schools in that area and were very impressed with them. However I may have to work in the CBD and feel it's to far to commute from Geelong every day so we are now looking at Altona, Point Cook and Sanctuary Lakes. Are there any members with high school aged children in these areas who can recomend (or not) their child's high school. I have read poor reviews in the past about point cook high school, is this still the case? I think I read on here that someone living in Point Cook sends their child to Williamstown school. Is this possible? Also does Werribbe High School take out of catchment. Thanks