Scozzie

Best of luck Louise, Give me a shout for a beer or coffee when you get here. S x

Hi Louise323, We managed to get a rental in varsity lakes. Kids start school ay varsity college soon. Been here over a week note. People are very friendly here and driving is a joy compared to sydney! Leaving the uk was easy as it wasn't rushed and we'd psyched ourselves up for it. This time we had to do it to quickly and i started work the next day which was way to soon! I think for you the hard part is getting a place to stay. If was hard getting a place from nsw as most places want you to view the property first. We signed a form that stated we'd take it as is. The lake is really nice and I've jogged round it a couple of times. There's a park run there every Saturday plus there's a kayaking club there too. S x

Great news! We moved 6 days ago and are now exploring the area. Went to sea world today. Have to say this move from Sydney was bloody hard going and worse than our one from the uk. Glad to be here now and hoping to get the kids in school quick. They get bored very easily! Best of luck with your move louisej323. S x

Hi All, I am due to move to the Gold Coast next month. I'm thinking about playing again after having a year off last year. I was playing in the over 35 B grade in Sydney. I had a look at football clubs in Gold Coast but they don't seem to have very many for us older blokes? I'll be looking around the Robina or Burleigh area as that's where I'll be based. Not sure how old you guys are? If you're up for a game or a beer PM me. S

The very best of luck to you Sawsand! We are likely to be moving to the Varsity area in a month's time. I am just waiting to get the go from work. I will be moving with a 7 and 5 year old. We were up there a couple of weekends ago and it looks really nice. I hadn't been before but we were totally skunnered with Sydney's prices. Been in South Sydney for 3 years after moving from Edinburgh. Hoping to buy next year near Varsity in Robina where the blocks are a bit bigger. Houses in Varsity are like a lot of new areas and so close together as to be able to hear your neighbour fart with the window open! We like the Varsity College and Palm Beach Currumbin High Schools but they are both large schools. S x

Hi Heather, We are thinking about moving up to Varsity Lakes or Burleigh in the near future. I have an interview by phone on Thursday. I am in Sydney just now but it's ridiculously expensive here for a house. We will be coming with a 4 and 7 yr old and we'd be up for a wine/beer and snags! Fingers croossed. Hope you are settling in nicely to the lifestyle. S x

Hi Ambrose, there is a mobile shop in the airport. It is slightly more expensive than other places. You can get a sim and credit there on arrival or as mentioned above grab one in any supermarket. S x

Thanks Daxx2! That's ideal! s x

But I was sure that the UK did have a reciprocal agreement with Australia as I was here on a working holiday visa in 2003 and I was given Medicare then but my other half wasn't? She is Australian but as she had been outside Oz for the previous 2 years she wasn't entitled. Has there been a change? Sx

Hi All, I am a General Nurse but I found that AHPRA aren't all that bad, 6 months is a perhaps pessimist timeframe. If you are applying they run from May to end of April so we all have to pay the same amount for even part of the year. It isn't all that expensive though and you can claim it back from your tax return for that year after July along with any training expenses and laundry, shoes purchased etc. The local health care providers (NSW Health) are really slow at getting back to you. I was told that I didn't get the job 3.5 weeks after the interview and only after I phoned them daily. My other half had a similar experience. She started her job 5 months after applying. Perhaps some of the job fairs or agencies may be able to provide something a bit more concrete for you. It is not easy doing everything and it is expensive so if you are going through all of this for 6 months I'd say it's not worth the expense to be completely honest. I'd say a 2 year trip would be more worth the outlay. Also your employer would perhaps be willing to allow you a 2 year leave of absence but I know that is very unlikely to be an option for you. Most houses and units here are rented unfurnished. Gumtree or a house swapping /house sitting site may be an option for you. The very best of luck to you! S x

Hi MRMR, I'll PM you with more detail. Lambethlad you are correct. It is very expensive for what you get but you are at least near to some culture. I've been elsewhere and as much as they are nice areas I have just felt that something was missing. I am not one for a big city but I do need to have access to good schools, hospitals, museums and inspirational architecture. I do love the Opera House too! S x

Hi Callie, I am not sure what you would get but as a temporary resident you would have access to medicare but likely to have to pay for any schooling which can be around $14k per year (I've seen quoted elsewhere). Some schools here you pay for anyway like the Catholic system schools. http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/dhs/centrelink the above link will take you to the centrelink website that can give you more info. As a Permanent resident I know I am not entitled to any benefits until I have been here for two years. I do not know what rebates you will get for childcare as I get some money back against my kids childcare costs. Sorry not much help but hopefully someone else will be on that visa who can help. Best of luck! S x

Hi All, I live in the Shire and don't know much about your area..... but: It is Sunday morning and I am finding myself with some tie on my hands so I thought that I would revisit one of my old cost of living calculations that I did prior to moving. I opened two windows and looked at the Tesco grocery shopping site and the Coles site, I find them similar ish in terms of place in the market. I was surprised to find that Australia is less expensive now than when I moved in 2012. When I did my weekly shop I found Australia to be about double the price of my UK shop. Today my shop was nowhere near that expensive. The £ has improved against the $ so now we get $1.83 per £ (35 cents more than when I moved) but the cost of a basic shop was only perhaps 20% more than if I were buying it in the UK. The main thing is that my wage is 60% higher here. It appears that costs of living have increased substantially in the UK as well as the currency improving. Think it may be useful as an exercise to see how your outgoings would be once you are here. Hope this helps. S x

Hello All, Thought I'd post again to give it a bump in case anyone has any more suggestions. I read somewhere online recently that Mike's Pub in Sutherland is the best for pub food in the Shire. Never been myself but another option. I believe there are some good spots over the water in Beverly Hills or San Souci. S x

South is good with great schools. I live near Cronulla and there is definitely a community feel here. Domain will tell you the prices of rentals which don't stay on the market long here. Better education website will rate the schools by naplan results. S X

Hi, we sold all of our stuff and gave it away to family. The sales are really the best times to buy. Kogan online will give you good deals usually. I went into Harvey Norman and haggled as that is still viable here apparently. Got a good deal as I got tv, washer and fridge the same day. I also bought a new dvd player. Some of our dvds didn't play on the UK player and the laptop kept changing region but has a finite amount of changes. Dick smiths, the good guys, harvey norman, kogan and Big W could all be good places to do some research on prices. Things here are more pricey but so is the shipping. Bets of luck! S X

Hi All, This is something that I have been wondering about for a while and asking my workmates etc for a while but was wondering what you guys thought on the subject. is I live in the Sutherland Shire and am looking for some new places to go for food with the kids. Can you recommend anywhere? So far my suggestions are as follows but as my kids are 6 and almost 4 they are quite demanding and still need trained in how to behave when out, otherwise it is not exactly fun for me and Mum! I would love a Buffet Chinese like Jimmy Chungs back in the UK where the kids can try new stuff, as google seems to have only recently moved to these shores the web is less than helpful! Best so far I think is: Taren Point Hotel - has a kids soft play that is small, it has a nice menu, fairly reasonable, has a shuttle bus but is a bit out of the way and not near anything else. Tradies Gymea - small menu but nice place. Not as cheap as I remembered (was there last night and underwhelmed) they have a great kids club which is $5 for an hour and three quarters. Not been to the one in Caringbah as it is Chinese and my family won't go unfortunately. Caringbah Hotel - Ok food and reasonably priced, They serve pints! El Sol - was nice for the family although not much to occupy the wee ones. Mexican is not everyones cup of tea as my three yr old told me by pushing her plate off the table. Suggestions very welcome! S x

I live near Cronulla and the rent isn't cheap, I have a 3 bed house and pay almost $700. Nice area though with a large garden. Units are cheaper and we are not close to the train station. There is no direct train to Parramatta so you'd have to drive but you could always move to Engadine which is nearer the road to Parramatta via Liverpool or Menai which can take you via Alfords point out that way. Engadine is on the train line for you and is about an hour to Central. It is lovely here but for a population of 250k I expect there to be better services and pubs. It is a bit barren but in terms of the great outdoors it's great, the beach, the bush and parks all nearby. Best of luck! Sx

Begin Rant: I find the papers here awful, just opinion and heavily biased stories quoting soundbytes with little fact. The TV is far worse though. I get mad as the media no longer let us make up our own minds and use other journalists as experts instead of actually interviewing experts in their field as they used to do. I am sure the UK is getting the same. The Australian is the best of the bunch that I have read so far, not that I get much chance to read them these days. S :Rant Ends.

Fit like Lads! I am an Aberdeen fan but don't get to watch the games. I think the Liverpool fans go to Cheers bar too. I doubt that there are any Aberdeen fans going to a pub of their own. Poor Rangers, Hibees and Jambos can't watch many games this season, not sure if Setanta will show many games. I live in The Sutherland Shire and I doubt that there are many places here that I can say will show the games. I have 2 kids so I am ready for bed by their bedtime so unlikely to get to watch the games with you. I do play football though and can recommend the Shire soccer comp. Good fun. I know what you mean about the making friends thing, it takes time and effort. You have to put yourselves out there and do what you wouldn't normally do back home. I haven't really made many friends here other than my workmates and soccer team mates. I am thinking that it will take a few years. Best of luck guys, if any of you are near me I'd be more than happy to meet for a few pints or smaller measures! S

Hi all, I live in Caringbah. Better education.com.au I think is the best website to compare school results based on hsc and naplan results. Not the only thing to consider of course. I know engadine has had to tighten their catchment area as it is a good school and a large area. I play for one of the soccer teams in engadine. I wish everyone all the best with their choices! Not easy! We looked as far north as Newcastle for somewhere for our kids. The Shire has very good schools. Woolloware and port hacking are my choices for my two if they don't get into the selective Caringbah school. Mine are only six and three though! Lived here for 19 months now and happy! Need a decent pub in the Shire though! S x

Hi Marie, we moved 19 months ago now from Edinburgh with my two kids. I am Scottish with Aussie deaf to spouse. We had the citizenship by decent prior to leaving. May be a good idea to get an Aussie passport for the baby although showing the citizenship document when you get into Australia May be enough for customs. We had Australian passports for the kids and my visa. Nightmare getting a picture without my hands in the shot or the kids moving! Your newborn hopefully will sit nicely unlike mine. The best of luck! s x

My kids are citizens by decent. We had to apply for a certificate of citizenship and after that we could get their passports. http://www.citizenship.gov.au/applying/how_to_apply/descent/ I think this link will take you to their page. The kids passports weren't cheap though! Best of luck! Sx

I was told when I applied that I'd be getting a Permanent Resident visa as I have 2 kids with my De Facto Wife, 4 and 2. I applied in October and it was all done in February I think, I had a couple of corrections to make but they contacted my by e mail and it was all remarkably smooth to be honest! I hope you all find it the same! Best of luck and Congrats to you all who've get theirs! We move 8 weeks today! S x