Nats

Just had another thought, does the airline know that your wife will be ~7 months with twins when travelling?? They can refuse boarding, at the very least she will require a letter from specialist stating that she is 'safe' to fly. Not trying to be all doom & gloom, but better to be prepared. As I said before, despite your wife being healthy & the pregnancy going well.. twin pregnancies are treated differently as they can be very unpredictable. nats

A twin pregnancy carries greater risk of pre-term labour, amongst other things. A twin pregnancy, however healthy is not treated same as singleton pregnancy. Obstetrician is pretty much involved from the get go, unlike for example, the 'birth centre' /midwife route I chose when giving birth to my little boy, simple things such as this are not a 'choice' here when carrying twins. The flight in itself may put strain on the pregnancy at such a late stage. Can't you fly sooner?? What the others have said before is absolutely true, you are entitled to reciprocal care from the moment you arrive, I had my baby in Brisbane and the care was exceptional. A friend of mine gave birth in Sydney and again, couldn't be happier with the care she received. Much like the UK, you will get mixed reviews depending on person/time/maternity hospital & circumstance. If you give birth to your little ones here in Australia, being residents already the children have citizenship outright. That in itself is an incentive to have them here, but I'd be wary leaving travel so late. Make sure you register with a GP as a matter of priority & get an obstetrics referral ASAP! best of luck with everything x

Hi Danni we made the move from Perth to Brisbane over 3.5yrs ago, my husband & I are both Scottish. For up to 20mins travel into CBD during peak hours I'd recommend living in any of the inner city suburbs. As a young couple you might enjoy Bulimba/Hawthorne/Balmoral and surrounding suburbs south of the river, Paddington/Rosalie/Milton to the West, Hamilton/Newstead/Teneriffe/new farm north, East Brisbane, Kangaroo Point to name a few. Most are dotted along the river with plenty of wining/dining options. Im not overly familiar with south Brisbane suburbs, having always stayed north due to work. Northside suburbs within 20mins that I would recommend looking at include, Ascot, Hendra, Clayfield, Nundah, Albion, Newmarket, Windsor, Kelvin grove.. include surrounding suburbs when searching via realestate.com.au. Unlike Perth there are an abundance of pubs, I'm sure you & your partner will settle well in Brisbane. It has a lot more to offer a young couple . happy moving nats

So not much came of this thread...almost done cooking this bub & about to embark on the next chapter. So I guess I'm now looking for any new mums who would be interested in a mummy's group? Obviously I'm keen to meet others going through the same experience as myself ie, non experts new to parenthood but happy to meet other mums even if the kids are a little older. Nats

Hey Sammy, if you google Ahpra you'll find their website & links to the application form & info relating to necessary documents. As mentioned previously your docs all need to be certified by a justice of the peace. I have found the best way to get jobs is to contact hospitals directly. Most have websites with recruitment links there are also an abundance of agencies to choose from and these pay well. It helps that you already have a visa (your parents) and are therefore eligible to work, include this in your covering letter as well as when you are available to work. Good luck forgot to add...in regards to when you should apply - sooner rather than later. As with the NMC the whole process can take some time. Plus, it's better to have registration prior to applying for jobs, 2 reasons...if you are lucky enough to secure a job & your registration is delayed by start date you run the risk of losing the job offer and 2 - it shows you are genuine, numerous people from overseas apply for jobs but for various reasons don't end up moving, to have the registration and work rights demonstrates you are work ready & less of a gamble.

Yikes, up to $6000!!! Don't know why that surprises me actually. I have private insurance but not eligible to use obstetrics as yet (added it less than 12months ago) tbh, even if I could... I still wouldn't have used it. Having worked in both private & public sector here in Oz, there is very few services I would prefer to use private over public. I'm very happy with my hospital & team, wouldn't want to birth anywhere else but it's a very personal choice... every woman wants/ expects different things from their birthing experience & with public maternity care - you have to fall under a catchment zone. Dunno what that may be for west Brisbane...Mater probably?? I haven't paid a cent for any of my maternity appointments, bloods or scans. The only thing that I have had to pay for is GP apts, referrals & requests etc. but as of next week I'm under the complete care of the midwives & I won't need to see gp anymore! Yay...she irritates me lol

That's really good that you have parents here, they'll be very useful to you around the birth. We're a bit panicked being that we're alone out here but we'll manage, we have no other option lol. Im going public - in the hospital where I work. Hoping for the 'au natural' experience, midwife led...we'll see how that goes hahaha i've heard wonderful stuff from all my friends re: maternity services here compared with the UK so I think you'll be in good hands wherever you choose to go. Given that you have private cover you have more options, but I'd recommend making enquiries sooner rather than later. If your out west at Indooropilly you might want to look at the Wesley or Mater mothers. The Mater is very popular with birthing mums so you'll want to get a referral way before the move. I've got my 20week scan next week...so excited!!

Hey Scotsmum, Congratulations!! I'm due in June so it would be great to be bump buddies...can you get here sooner than April??lol jeez, your doing it all backtofront lol you thought about where your going to have the baby? Do you have insurance?? I'm sure it will all work out fine, my friend moved from Perth to Sydney just a few months (if that) prior to arrival of her little one...it's challenging but I gather you (like her) wouldn't be doing it if you weren't up to the challenge!! I'm originally from Airdrie, a fellow Scot...although I'm pretty acquainted with Oz now, just about to lodge application for citizenship!! keep in touch x

Hi Husband and I have been in Brisbane for just over 2.5years and are expecting our first child. I would love to meet other new 'mums-to-be' to share in the journey and offer each other support leading up to and beyond the birth of our little bundle. If you are in the same situation I would love to hear from you. Nats

Hey, Scotsmum, I'm another Scot that's made the move from Perth to Brisbane... rather than risk sounding like a broken down record, here are a couple of threads I've contributed to that may offer some useful advice. Lots of people with different ideas as to where the best suburbs are. That of course is a very individual preference, where might you /your husband be working? As for house with pool...rarely see then come up but that may just be due to the areas I search in and/ my budget. http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/queensland/195470-perth-brisbane.html http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/queensland/179076-help-brisbane-suburbs.html Good luck with the move. nats

In response to the question posed in the title of your thread, Yes, we moved from Perth to Brisbane, but not for the reasons you are considering a move. You may be onto something, Perth does seem to have a bigger UK expat population, but you only have to look to areas such as Northlakes and Cleveland in Brisbane to find greater expat communities, therefore you don't necessarily have to move interstate in order to surround yourself with compatriots. I would think long and hard before uprooting solely for the sake of creating new friendships when you've already highlighted that you love Brisbane, own your own home in a nice suburb & have a good school lined up for your child. Just as you hear lots about the curse of 'ping pong poms' or the expats that simply can't settle due to one foot in either country the same torment can be faced when you've invested 2 whole years in one city and relocate to another. I often ponder a move back over to WA, the pull is for the wonderful friends I left behind there and the beach lifestyle, in reality...I doubt I would last there now, I wouldn't have the freedom to visit other major cities as cheaply or as readily, shopping is dreadful by comparison and on the whole cost of living is much higher, but, having sampled both lifestyles (and believe me, they are very different) I am in a constant state of indecision, find it really difficult to commit to an area to settle down and buy a house. I reckon I might move up/ down the coast in the next year or two just to reach a happy medium. Need some of that beach lifestyle back. Like you, we've been in Brisbane 2 and a bit years, and in that time made very little friends. By comparison, in Perth we had a very busy social life and many friends - all of whom were expats. You really need to be prepared to 'put yourself out there' as you'll have heard time and time again if companions are high on your list of requirements. This is exactly how I made lots of friends in Perth, I was new to Australia and motivated to meet lots of people and make a success of our migration. I realised before touching down in Australia that I was going to miss my old friends, nights out, girly stuff and a lack of this would be the one thing most likely to make me homesick so I threw myself into meeting people via PIO, attended all work functions (it really helped that my workplace was full of expats) and of course through going out you are introduced to others, the key is actually going out and interacting with people. Your not going to gel with everyone you meet, and after a while I had no interest in meeting any more people, became more of a chore than anything else. Since arriving in Brisbane I guess I kinda lost all gusto for it, was lucky enough to know a few people already in Brisbane from back home and haven't really bothered making any attempts to establish new friendships. I too would like to have a few more friends sometimes, but its not really a priority...I figure it will happen when kids come along. I'll make more of an effort then to attend toddler groups etc and with your little one going to school next year, that will put you into contact with more people. If you could find a part-time job too, I reckon I'd be climbing walls if I didn't have work to go to, and I have made a few friends at work too. Have you heard of 'Meet up'?? You should register on there, sounds corny but when your not working /coming into contact with others how else are you supposed to interact with others?? If you go on there you will find hundreds if not thousands of other people on there in the same predicament, or people just wanting to meet others to share a similar interest. My hubby found a 5 aside football group using meetup.com He's always on my case telling me to get onto it, I'm keen to get into running or some other form of fitness group so I might well do that at some point, certainly when we are about to start a family I'll want to meet other new mums. Have a look on it, there's an abundance of groups, from coffee meet ups to divorcee meet ups and everything in between. It covers all areas and all age groups, expats as well as Aussies which I think is very important, surrounding yourself entirely with expats isn't exactly immersing yourself into the Aussie way of life, particularly with young children, its good to be involved more with community events etc. Best of luck

As you have a full week... you could stay in Brisbane, visit Gold Coast & Sunshine Coast?! Prob easier if you hire a car, but trains run regularly up & down to goldcoast...getting to & from sunny coast by public transport is a little trickier but doable.

You can't mistake a Scot/ Scottish (whatever) person as being British, Scots ARE British. You were quick to first point out that you are an Englishman, Scots deserve the same right to identify as Scottish. I often get asked where I'm from...in Ireland /England /Wales (more rarely) ...it doesn't offend me. Gets a bit tiring having to explain all the time so sometimes I don't even bother. Australia is a long way from the UK, just because I've migrated here I don't assume everyone I come into contact with here has visited the UK and even if they had, I wouldn't expect them to be as attuned to the various accents. Scotland is a very small country and hard as it may be for some to believe, there are others throughout this huge big world in which we live that have never heard of Scotland...chances are they know of England, London, Britain, therefore if a 'Scot' identifies with being Scottish over Britosh then so be it, we have a rich cultural heritage & want to celebrate it. What harm is that to anyone. If you don't like it, then I would take reflection before accusing proud Scots of having a chip on their shoulder. And while I'm at it, I find your sporran; braveheart, haggis gobbling comment to be very derogatory, not even witty enough to merit sarcasm, bordering on racist. Your clearly just jealous of our national dress! I might add, I'm totally against Scottish independence, but that shouldn't mean Scotland is overlooked. signed proud Scot who happens to be British

Aghh, same boat. Haven't been very successful so far in securing accommodation. I'd prefer self catering apt as 4 adults travelling. City is a bust. Be happy to stay elsewhere within reasonable commute of the harbour but I don't know Sydney that well &/ what suburbs to look out for? Most places won't consider bookings <1 week during peak season. I only got my flights a few weeks back when work confirmed time off so unfortunately not all of us have the luxury of booking WAY in advance.

Sometimes it can be amusing, the happy drunk that's maybe just knocked out their shoulder or ankle on the dancefloor, or fallen over at a birthday party...but the abuse we often have to take is disgraceful. People can become very aggressive & spit & fight...I remember back home (and I know every hospital is different & their management strategies vary) if someone was brought in by the cops, requiring cuffs, the police would remain, and if the patient became abusive they were charged. In my current hospital the police bring in these louts, kicking & screaming, often requiring sedation (which I am against - but that's another issue) we treat their injuries (if they have any) wait for them to wake up, if they awake & are still aggressive, they get sedated again until the rouse peacefully. Usually when they sober up, they are discharged home. No regard or questions raised as to how they ended up in A&E. we clean up their vomit, faeces (yip, often they **** themselves) they urinate on the floor, if they even manage to get their trousers down, they assault staff & spit at us...and we just wave them off when they're sober. Zero tolerance does not exist. I feel they should leave in handcuffs.

Working in a busy Emergency Dept on the weekend we see more drunken accidents, injuries and assaults than anything else...most of them coming to us via the watch house. Picked up by police on the beat, taking to the 'drunk-tank' to sober up until the police can't cope or the drunkard somehow 'acquires' injuries that need medical attention. From my point of view it doesn't work very well, just gives the ED dept more work. That said, I don't know how many are held at the watch house, maybe they are full & therefore they are keeping lots of drunks off the street & out of harms way, just infuriates me that we get 'dumped' a lot of unnecessary patients from the police. More cost involved, waste of resources etc now if the ED had a padded room to throw them in...let them vomit, urinate etc until their hearts content, let us get on with looking after the truly sick patients... I don't think there is a good solution to this problem. More education I suppose, discipline. I have been drunk numerous times, too many times to count.. like truly legless & vomiting (in my earlier years might I add) but not once have I ended up in an ED dept, police station, in a fight...nor have any of my friends for that matter. People who fight, damage property, assault others, are disorderly need more than somewhere to sober up, they deserve a record and due punishment. They are a minority, getting drunk & vomiting is not the same as being drunk & destructive.

Whereabouts are they holding it? I assume early bird catches the worm? My birthday Sunday, might get my husband to drag his ass out of bed for it - seen as its my special day haha

No, haven't been to Kalinga Park before, will have to investigate it. Really like Albion, cracking Indian restaurant/ takeaway. Sitars I think it's called, it's a chain but very good al the same. Never see rentals coming up in Albion.

im not fussed on wynnum either, but I'd say I prefer it to Redcliffe. That said, my colleagues are keen to show me a different side to the northern beaches...I look forward to that! There is no contest as far as I'm concerned in regards to Perth v beaches in South Qld. Perth beaches are stunning! Having lived in Perth CBD for 6 months however, I'd have to say Brisbane wins hands down. They're both pretty rubbish compared to the UK, but when westfield is your only alternative, I'm so glad they exist. I agree with your comments re: the man made beach in southbank, it doesn't really appeal to me but my friend has a baby & it's ideal for them. My aunt visited recently & she loved it - the grandkids would enjoy it. As for surfers, not my cup of tea at all, the beach itself is lovely, especially on a cloudless sunny day - it looks spectacular..and at night when it's deserted (closest thing to the endless white sandy beaches of WA) but I loathe surfers. Backpackers paradise. Gold Coast has so much more to offer. Are you in WA que sera sera? I've seen your name here & there over time.

Lastonealive we're going to be practically neighbours! I'm moving to Wavell Heights as I said. Got lost enroute to the viewing - oops! I am so going to miss my current rental, but our new street looks lovely & the house is so homely. Sooo quiet, no busy roads! The neighbours have a pool, 1st task is to befriend them!!! Was gonna do a drive around today as I was at Chermside, but I've got 12 months to get my bearings!! So Wooloowin is opposite kedron then?? Think I'm gonna be about 9k out now...close to chermside? So long as I'm not past carseldine...that's my limit. Driving up & down that gympie road...I'd lose my licence in a week!

Right, I feel like I'm taking over this thread now but, if I were to offer you some advice, take it or leave it, this is it... Look on it as an adventure... give it 6-12 months, if you don't like it/ prefer Perth, nothing to stop you going back. Relocating to Brisbane, if even only temporary allows you to visit your brother, see the east coast, sample a different lifestyle. Your children will have SO much to see & do, from theme parks, the endless wildlife parks, national forests & hinterland. Be open to experiencing everything QLD has to offer, I spent the first 6-12 months longing to go back to Perth not appreciating everything qld has to offer. That was a very miserable time for me/us stuck in limbo. Embrace the adventure. Give it a chance, get out and about...with kids this shouldn't be too hard. The worst thing you can do is compare, when you stop doing that you find new things, things that Perth lacks. I could get shot down for this but I'd avoid moving too far out of the city ie to suburbs such as North Lakes. My rationale...most families, my friends included never venture out of North Lakes, why should they, everything they need is on their doorstep. The traffic lights, commute, train journey to the city is too long, and of course there are beaches nearby, 1hr from sunny coast - great for families. Not to be ruled out but I'd recommend living closer to the city to start out. I made the mistake of moving to currumbine when in Perth, don't get me wrong, it wasn't all bad...I had a pool, burns beach just 10min walk away but I rarely got out and about around the city, was too much effort. Cut me off from friends. North lakes is same distance to CBD as joondalup to Perth except traffic is worse! North lakes is like a version of joondalup. Houses are new, modern 4x2 as you'd expect, cheaper, lovely. Who doesn't want a spanking brand new house...I for 1 still play the WA MS Lotto, I'm not gonna turn down a McMansion...who would?? We fully intent to build your standard modern 4x2 but not in one of those master planned communities (similar to ellensbrook)...greater Brisbane has much more to offer, & bigger blocks. Unlike Perth, your not cut off by moving further afield for bigger blocks. My husband is adamant we're renting & buying NEW aka Iluka standard, and I'm happy for that, just not in a suburb akin to Clarkston, Butler...sorry, I know that always offends people. But it's so not for me. I should say, north lakes is not another Clarkston or butler but the thing is, you tend to stay in the area you first arrive in. I, personally feel that if you spend some time around 10k radius of the city in an established suburb it's quite enriching. You really feel a part of the Aussie community. Kids are always at the centre of focus, most suburbs have a community pool (which you can use practically all year round) every wknd there's markets, just so much going on. You'll still do all the beach trips even if you don't live right beside it...you'll just do more! When we look for rentals, priority is a modern kitchen & bathroom...it's as simple as that, try something that isn't the new thrown together 4x2 and you get in exchange a house with a beautiful mature garden, possums, lorikeets, gallah's, lizards etc you might pay a little more but you'll save $100+ p/w on commuting not to mention the time commuting. I live <5k from the city yet NEVER (or at least rarely) go into the city. But I'm near everything, southbank, newfarm, the valley, paddington etc I should add, Brisbane CBD has a lot more going for it than Perth - not difficult. We're renting a converted queenslander atm, moving to Wavell Heights in just over a week...so funny, when my husband saw where we were moving he was like "a treehouse...your moving us into a treehouse" it goes against the grain for him, growing up in the UK and the thought of buying a 'wooden house' but at the end of the day, it's not ours, we don't have to worry about the upkeep/maintenance...what we've got now is an amazing spacious light & airy home in a beautiful green suburb we could never afford to buy in. It's been a wonderful experience & we are both gutted to be leaving. The landlord sold! Most of my colleagues (Aussies) grew up in & around the inner city suburbs, or rural, they have a distaste towards Northlakes etc too...they've grown up very differently, very full enriched lives. I find north lakes a bit like keeping up with the jones' but as I said, I have friends there & in mango hill. They have lovely houses & it's safe for kids to play, but many of them have never heard of mount glorious or been to the botanic gardens...

Can I also say...this sub tropical climate is amazing for growing pretty much everything!! I am a complete novice when it comes to gardening, lived in a flat in Glasgow and never had a garden. Well, I am growing so many tomatoes I cannot give them away! I have every herb imaginable, limes, chillies, capsicums...how I long for the day I have my own place, I'll be growing veggies galore! Such small things, but it has made me so contented & I find it very therapeutic. And I'm doing really well not to kill anything (touch wood) all thanks to the climate! My friends think I've turned middle aged, but I love it...next I'll be getting chooks!!!

Well in that case, you can't really go wrong. Everyone I know with kids are in good schools & thriving. Lots of after school & weekend activities, sports etc. I'm currently in Alderley, an older - somewhat affluent suburb (under 5ks from the CBD, but very much residential - too expensive to buy for us unfortunately lol) have a school right across the street, my friends kids go there, 1 in Kindy the other in primary it's lovely to see the kids all running around in the oval & on school breaks they put on outdoor cinema for them - a bonus as we can sit in the verandah & watch lol. It really all depends upon where you work & how far you wish to travel. Lots of expats choose North Lakes & Mango hill north of the city (not for me, but that's a very individual choice) which is near Redcliffe beach if you really need to be near the water - but don't expect it to be anything like Mullaloo, Sorrenta et al or you'll be very much disappointed. To the south, around Manly is another 'pommy' hotspot near the bay, I'm not as familiar with that area but I'd say it has more character, I really love more established, tree lined suburbs in favour of the very new estates but as I said before, that's just me, it's an individual thing, many of my friends (with kids) live there & love it. By living nearer the city I feel less cut off, but that means sacrificing the beach lifestyle. Bribie island is pretty nice too. As you've already worked out, you get more house/land for your money here than in Perth. That kinda swings it for us. Brisbane offers a lot more diversity, there's too many lovely suburbs to choose from, N,S, E & W. I've fallen in love with Samford, a little country village but very close to the city. I can't afford to buy there just yet so have been looking around Dayboro (a bit further out but worth it for the country lifestyle) but I wouldn't rule out buying in Bulimba, Indooropilly & many more places. Even if you don't live in the bay areas, there's so many wonderful day trips on offer, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Stradbroke Island, Moreton Island, Rainbow Beach, monteville, Maleny...the list is endless. We've seen & done everything Perth has to offer at least twice! Sorry, that was a bit exhaustive. Back to your questions... I've been back to Perth twice since leaving, just to visit friends, when I returned I was shocked by how expensive things were. I'm referring to eating out, having a couple of glasses of wine. Extortionate, and not a lot of choice in terms of dining out. Pretty sub standard. Been a long time since I had to do a grocery shop in Perth to compare the difference but I'm inclined to think its more expensive. Having said that, I'm yet to find the equivalent of Drovers here which was pretty cheap for buying meat. There's a lot more choice here - in pretty much everything from coffee chains, restaurants & clothing. A flight down to Sydney takes 1hr & is very reasonable...it's akin to taking the train or bus, unlike the 5.5hr ride to Perth! Day to day is hard to say as again, it's down to however you spend. All I can say is I've done more (in terms of travelling) than I would have afforded in Perth, managed to furnish my house with entirely new furniture (still paying for storage in Perth) go out often, shop as I please (no kids) wknds away regularly & still manage to save, not as much as I'd like/need to I might add. Qld nurses are the highest paid in Aus, I earn at least $13 more p/h than I did in Perth, but I went from private to public & I have gained more experience so it's not like for like - if I were to return to Perth I would likely drop $10 p/h. So that's another thing we have to take into account if we were to return. I don't think we will tbh. I really miss my friends, haven't made many friends here but that's down to me, I can't be bothered, whereas in Perth I threw myself into meeting people & settling in Aus. I'm sure by the time kids come along that will all change anyway. I look back on Perth with nostalgia at times, the wonderful summers, lots of friends, gorgeous beaches, the swan valley...but the reality is, life goes on, things change - as do people, the beauty of Perth will always remain but I'd become very fed up and feel suffocated after a while if I went back. It's a simpler life, and better than the one I had in the UK, but Brisbane offers much more, can have a simple life here too, but your not restricted to it. Plus, your alot less likely to be eaten by sharks, that's a huge bonus!

Can't help you there I'm afraid, as yet, don't have kids. That being said, I did take an interest in this topic whilst in Perth as our whole reasoning behind the move down under was to start a family & provide a better life for our offspring. I can only think of 2-3 schools in Perth that stood out as places I'd 'like' to send my child, but I guess when you ACTUALLY have kids, you'd do more research. I also have many friends in Perth who are teachers & can give good insight. I'd be prepared to put my neck on the line and say Brisbane has probably got better options for schooling. The area is larger, not just North, South and the hills. Suburbs in general are more established whereas Much of Perth is still in development. Working as a nurse, in a large tertiary teaching hospital i come into contact with a lot of young Doctors and find it very refreshing that almost all are local, ordinary people who went to school in the same suburb or surrounding suburbs to where I reside. There are lots of universities and colleges in/around Brisbane making it possible for kids to get an education and find work in the capital city, which is even more important. Academia aside though, I truly believe a good school will only take a child so far, and a fantastic school doesn't automatically ensure good grades, parenting is fundamental to a child's development & motivation to do well. Whatever you decide, I'm sure it will all work out.

If, by the watery playground you mean Southbank? Husband & I don't have much use for it. Perhaps when we have kids... I do enjoy a meal or alcoholic beverage down at Southbank as well as the wknd markets but haven't as yet been 'on' the beach or 'in' the pool. It's lovely during the festivals & river fire mind you, nice grassy areas for picnics. I must say though, I love how the river is utilised in Brisbane. The city cat is a fab way to get around/ commute stopping off at new farm & Bulimba being my favourite. Gorgeous views of the city. I enjoyed South Perth too from the barrack Street Jetty. Anywhere near a body of water floats my boat lol.