boganbear

hahahaha! Yes there are loads of them so you will have no trouble finding business and I think its great you are thinking of coming here and setting up a business so don't say you are freeloading because you are not. There are lots of dog washing and pampering businesses as well. Our local car wash has a dog wash next door so you can get your car and dog done at the same time which I think is funny. There are probably more people with dogs here than in the Uk and there are great parks and spaces for them to run around in. We have a local dog beach as dogs are not allowed on most normal beaches. We don't have a dog but it is great to see owners and dogs at the beach enjoying the water and playing with each other (dogs that is!). Dogs are chilled out and happy and I've never heard of anyone being attacked by a dog here.

If you use Moneycorp and mention that you are a member of pomsinoz then you do not pay any fees. I transferred our last money from the Uk last night. All very easy and you can set up an account online and pay with your Uk debit card stright from your bank account.

Just the type of immoral selfish scum that Australia needs! I wonder how long it will take them to try to scrounge every cent they are not entitled to off Centrelink? as well. Please shop them. If they are buying stuff now, then hopefully they will get caught out by Customs as their stuff will be less than 12 months old.

Don;t forget that they only issue a specific number of visas per year so once the quota is full you effectively go on a waiting list until the next year. We submitted in June so probably got to the top of the list from July and got the visa in 6 weeks. However, I understand that its taking a lot longer anyway now.

We were both on average wages in the Uk and OH was on contracts so there was long periods of being unemployed so we couldn't save much at all. Fortunately my salary has doubled but OH hasn't worked for about 18 months. Even so, my salary is about double what it ws in the uk so can save $750-$1000 a month which includes me paying all of the bills. When he is working we share the bills so I can save $1500-2000 a month and he does about $1000 so we can save a lot. We are definitley much better off financially here, so save up for about 3 holidays a year. We did without a car for 2 years and saved up for a new one paying with cash. We are moving to QLD in a few weeks so we won't need to spend much on holidays and we are looking to buy a house in the next year with about a 30% deposit. Lots of people complain that Oz is very expensive and in some ways it is but if you care careful with money, shop around and get a bargain its no more expensive than in the UK which seems to have gone up a lot since we have been here.

We had a great leaving party with about 100 people turning up and BBQ. No speeches but plenty of booze and burgers, and friends still say it is one of the best parties they have ever been to. Try and keep it simple and fun

Yep it really gets on my nerves, especially being a bloke looking for clothes. The easy way to ignore the shop assistants is to wear headphones and pretend you cannot hear them. It works! I also refuse to show my bag on the way out. As soon as I pay for the goods they become mine so unless they have reasonable suspicion or evidence that I have nicked them they can bugger off. I am a customer, not a shoplifter.

That's great news. The Aussie dollar has fallen loads this morning and I am sure will fall even further once the Greek election is decided so that our money stuck in the Uk for nearly 4 years will get a better rate transferring it to Oz. Got to love the socialists for ruining an economy!

What planet are you on? The best beer I've ever had in Oz comes from Tassie and the range of ciders is getting much better and is certainly as good as what you get in the UK. We visited some great pubs in Tassie with amazing food too so you probably have been looking in the wrong places.

My cousin owns a cafe and pays her staff about $35 an hour at weekends and more on holidays. Waiting staff are not poorly paid

Regarding the NHS reforms I don't know the full details but as far as I am aware, the Tories have never said or proposed a system where you have to pay for treatment like in America. It will still be free at the point of use. Its not going to be like the AUSTRALIAN Healthcare where you have to pay to see a GP, prescriptions differ in price depending on what you are prescribed or which chemist you use, or have to pay high prices for dental care or some hospital procedures. It seems to me that the Tories are making a pigs ear of many things which doesn't help but the UK is dire financial circumstances although not as bad as Greece, Italy, Ireland etc. The Uk has been living beyond its means for many years, there are too many people on benefits and people expecting a free ride and compared to the private sector, civil service pensions are very generous. I remember 20 years ago my company pension scheme was changed from a reasonably generous final salary scheme to a crap one and the country will not be able to afford to carry on with the current civil service scheme. The state pension in Oz was effectively closed to everyone many years ago, My mother in law will be one of the last people to get one so you will have to live off superannuation which will probably not be much given the poor performance and growth of super schemes.

I am sure that you will have no problems at all. Sydney and Melbourne have large immigrant communities from the middle east, particularly from Lebanon and you will probably both be viewed simply as Americans. Racism does occur but it is rare and only comes from stupid people. Aussies do like to make jokes with foreigners, often teasing them which you just need to give as good as you get. I've received a few comments about "whingeing poms" and teasing about cricket but just laugh and tease them back. Fortunately at the time England had just won the Ashes against Australia so a sarcastic comment back about that soon shut them up and we laughed it off together. I see that you live in Texas so I am sure you can host an impressive barbeque which will go a long way. Aussies do say what they think and it can seem blunt sometimes but it is refreshing to have a conversation where you don't mince your words.

Before making the move to Oz I talked a lot to my Oh and friends who had made the move to the Uk from America, NZ and my old flatmates parents from India and mother in law who emigrated to Oz 30 years ago to learn about their experiences. The thing that struck me is that initially things might be worse than life in the Uk. One friend owned their own house in NZ and had a share in a family batch (holiday home), earned pots of money and had a very good lifestyle. In the Uk she had to share a house for a long time, do some crappy jobs for a couple of years and had to be more careful with money. My old flatmate's parents from India were quite wealthy there and had what was effectively a small mansion with a servant. In the Uk they had to scrimp and save, had none of the luxuries they were used to and live like ordinary people. So I was under no illusion that the dream life we all hope for can be obtained easily or from the moment you land. It takes time, effort and hard work to make your dreams come true but with perseverence things do get better. I was fortunate to get jobs easily and the pay was about double I earned in the UK. We had no car in the Uk but saving hard we could buy a new one with cash. We couldn't save in the Uk as all of our money went on bills so there was no hope of buying a home. After nearly 3 years of saving and watching the pennies we have no debts and enough money for a sizeable deposit, so are looking to buy in the next year. Unfortnately for the OH work has been almost non existent but we have been able to cope financially without any stress and now have plans to completely change our lives by starting all over again by moving from Melbourne to Queensland and set up a business. However, it has not been a complete struggle. We can afford 3 holidays a year to see the wonders of Oz, we get out and about as much as we can and are now financially secure. We are much happier as people, closer to each other, live less materialistic lives and our dreams are no longer dreams but realistic goals. Life hasn't always been easy but in many ways it has been better than what we could hope or achieve in the UK. I don't see our future being in the Uk and am very grateful to Australia for what we now have and we are both looking forward to the future.

Doing as much research as you can will be a help but it still won't prepare you for everything and you just have to learn as you go along. We sold everything we had in the Uk except for a few things that are still stored at my dad's and came with just 2 suitcases. Its quite liberating selling everything and starting again and a lot less hassle than shipping it all around the world

Hello, I got my partner visa quickly and easily in about 6 weeks, although I know that things are taking longer now. I wouldn't worry about the medicals as it is nothing that your doctor would probably do. It would be best to get the police checks and medicals done a couple of weeks before you send the application off to speed things up a bit but don't do it too soon as it will reduce the time you have to get to Oz. I found the process fairly stright forward and no hassles. Its just the waiting that is frustrating. Get your daughter's passport sorted first as that will be one less hassle. I;ve only been to Tassie on holiday but it is truely wonderful and is very much like Devon or Cornwall with a more laid back and country atmosphere. The longer nights in summer are also a godsend. As far as I know there are very few snakes and spiders and nothing like those in NSW or Queensland which can be scary more than anything. Bushfires are rare but can be frightening but the warning systems have improved a lot since the Victorian fires in 2009. It is something you have to be aware of if you live in the country but I don't think it will be a problem in Tassie. They mainly happen when it is extremely hot and in Tassie you won't get the extremes that exist on the mainland. Good luck with everything. Tassie is a wonderful place. I would move there tomorrow if I could get a job. I'm jealous!

We are moving there next month and have not heard of anything. I know Burpengary and Narangba are going to expand but this will be over the next 20 years. I doubt there will be much room for expansion in Petrie as some parts of it are a flood risk and it is near to the lakes but the local council website should have details.

I can apply for citizenship in November this year and have started to revise for the test. Whilst times have been tough in Australia, life has been much better than in the Uk and I have no intention of going back. I certainly feel let down by the Uk thoughout my adult life, being conned by self-interested politicians who have done nothing for me over the last 30 years. I now see the Uk as a society more interested in tearing itself apart than doing something for its people. Australia has given me more opportunities than the UK has and we are about to embark on a new opportunity in Queensland. I see the future as being here, even if things don't work out.

I wouldn't worry about it too much but it is something that you need to show you have thought about and have rough plans on what you are going to do in your first year at least. Things to mention or consider are obviously money, jobs and housing as you would not be entitled to some benefits so you need to prove you can support yourselves. As an Aussie your partner is entitled to work (so will you) so mention what you plan to do to find work asap. With regards to money, state how much you are bringing with you and how long this would last you (rent, bond, living expenses, who will pay bills). If you are going to be near their family state how they can assist you - living with them temporarily, help with setting up a home (where to get furniture, places to live etc) and emotional support too. In our case, I had the bulk of the money which we considered "shared", stayed with OH's family for a couple of months and he knew which parts of Melbourne were nice to live in. I managed to secure more work and more well paid than the OH so I became the main breadwinner. What you have mentioned is the right kind of thing and you only need to write a few sentences on it.

When I left the UK T mobile were very good and cancelled the contract with no penalties

It depends what you want and what you can afford but personally I would prefer to live near work so save on commuting time and expense

As others have said, different people want different things. For us the pull of family is very strong. The OH's family are in Queensland and we miss them and having the support they offer. We have come from the other side of the world and yet we are thousands of miles from them still. Every time we see them there is a joy in us that family brings in addition to the sunshine. I have a very good job that pays well and enables us to save more money than what we could in England but it is boring as hell so its time to try something new. It is like emigrating all over again. Melbourne is very nice but it is a big city that could be anywhere. We've had some good times here but there is nothing to keep us here. Its like a prettier, laid back London and the parks and countryside are lovely but has some of the same problems as London (as any big city would). Its expensive to live, takes ages to get anywhere but crime is relativley low. I lived in Lodnon for 10 years and getting out of it was like a breath of fresh air and I should have done it sooner. I think we are just over the city life - rush, rush, rush - and want something simpler. Whenever we have been outside Melbourne I feel that's where the "real Australia" is. Even the supermarkets seem to have fresher produce, are bigger and have more choice. The air is cleaner, and I love the smell of the bush and although this sounds a bit silly, we are not going to see much Aussie wildlife in Melbourne apart from the odd possum. I think we are turning into a pair of hippies as it would be nice to have some chickens, grow our own veggies, do up an old house and not have to wear a suit all day and do something different and not the same crap we did in England.

It used to be the case that getting foreign car parts in the Uk was expensive but it hasn't been the situation for about 20 years. Ford, Holden (GM), Toyota and I think Hondas are made in Oz so parts are easy to get and cheap. You also see a lot more Japanese and Korean cars than you do in the Uk and parts are cheap. We see so many Suzuki Swifts wherever we go we count them. You don't see many French cars and ythey seem expensive here but you do see a lot of luxury cars - BMWs, Audi, Land Rover, Mercedes and Lexus. 4WD and utes are more common than in the UK too. My car insurance is about the same as in the UK. Cars also hold their value more than in the Uk, partially because the weather is better for them

Dont know at the moment - still getting quotes. The car is going to cost about $750 for a small car.

We've just come back off holiday in Noosa and it is lovely. We passed a small camping place on Lake Cooroibah but didnt notice any permanent caravans. It only took 15 mins to drive back to Noosa so it is not far and also found the rather strangely named "Morning Glory Drive"