jennlx

I got about 6 quotes in Jan 2012 from London to Melb, 20ft @ £3,300 from the usual suspects (PSS, John Mason etc.). Every company was about the same. I think they're ripe for haggling, even for a bit. So, sounds about right.

My husband has an uncle who had an Australian girlfriend back in the dark ages. She asked him to return to Australia with her and he didn't. He's 60 and he's STILL harping on about it and crying into his beer. Best of luck!!

Come to Surrey. £1k gets you diddly squat. We're looking at 2-bed flats for £1,100.

Sorry, didn't cut & paste very nicely!

Ooh, good thread. Am doing my finances now! And yes, I did copy and paste it from my 'expenses' spreadsheet, haha! Monthly [TABLE=width: 128] [TR] [TD][TABLE=width: 192] [TR] [TD]Rent (SW London)[/TD] [TD=align: right]£1,100.00[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Gas[/TD] [TD=align: right]£50.00[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Electric[/TD] [TD=align: right]£50.00[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Water Rates[/TD] [TD=align: right]£25.00[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Council Rates[/TD] [TD=align: right]£120.83[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Travel (husband)[/TD] [TD=align: right]£83.33[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Travel (me)[/TD] [TD=align: right]£178.00[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Mobile[/TD] [TD=align: right]£30.00[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Internet [/TD] [TD=align: right]£15.00[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Contents Insurance[/TD] [TD=align: right]£12.50[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD=align: right][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]TV Licence[/TD] [TD=align: right]£12.25[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Car Tax[/TD] [TD=align: right]£12.50[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Car Insurance[/TD] [TD=align: right]£50.00[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Services 6 months[/TD] [TD=align: right]£29.17[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Repairs[/TD] [TD=align: right]£20[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Fuel[/TD] [TD=align: right]£50.00[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Food for 4[/TD] [TD=align: right]£650.00[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Nappies (x 2)[/TD] [TD=align: right]£50.00[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Childcare £1,350[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

In Australia, never kept outdoor toys inside. Never gardened with gloves. Never used a barrier spray. ALWAYS outside, mucking about happily. Saw plenty spiders and snakes, as educated to be able to identify them from a young age (along with blue-ring octopus, box jellyfish etc.) and AVOID. Number of bites? Zero. I have never known ANYONE who was bitten by a (deadly) spider or snake. Try not to worry - if the very worst happens, take them to hospital. But chances are, it will never happen, if educated and reinforced.

Sometimes a bad experience can turn you off a place, I agree with this, and I'm sorry that you have had such a hard time of it. When I arrived in the UK from Australia, I worked in the pubs and got dragged down by it all: I got so depressed with dirty old men constantly offering to buy me drinks in order to feel me up, racist jokes, stupidly lending people ('friends') money and never seeing them again (and I was earning £4.10 gross an hour!), alcoholics and their interaction with their family (heart-breaking, especially when young kids involved), backstabbing (it's sad how many people would pretend to like the landlord for a free drink) etc. etc. etc. And this was in Surrey! It really made me feel down about the country as a whole. Anyway, I changed jobs and look back on the 'old days' in astonishment that they even existed. And it feels like I'm in a completely different country! Anyway, that's my roundabout way of saying: I know how you feel and it's horrible but remember, bad experiences can be had everywhere. But good on your for taking the plunge and leaving - why stay miserable? Good Luck!

I don't know if this would help you, but what about a Working Holiday Visa first? One of my friends was wildly excited about living in Oz, migrating even, then did a WHV and had a FANTASTIC two years, but felt like he'd had his fill by then, and has since returned home. Teaching is tricky - it is a very popular career choice is Australia and competition is very high. I have Australian friends who are teachers in Melbourne, who got very good degrees at the 'right' universities, and most of them had to start teaching somewhere fairly rural to begin with. I think that many people from the UK struggle to get going - hopefully someone will be along soon with better advice!

Holy moly, you leave the house at WHAT time?! Please tell me that the day finishes early! 5.30am is middle of the night for me!

I'm really unlucky then - no one came to see us when either of my two were born, I had to haul myself to Oz with a baby and toddler in tow. Moral of the story: No two families are the same and how lucky you are - can you adopt me please?

Ok, I had it the other way around - am Australian and gave birth in the UK (with no family). Your first baby is HARD. I wish to god I had someone to call at 10pm at night when I was worried about their breathing/bump on the head etc., rather than NHS Direct. Think about when you've been up ALL night and your partner is back at work and you just want 15 mins to have a shower, make a cup of tea, wash 25 babygros etc. - how handy would it be to ask someone to pop over to help? I think having a baby is a wonderful experience and their first year is magical (sorry if I sound like a hippy) - you don't want to spend that time in a place you detest with no support, especially if your partner is also working longer hours. If you have loving supportive friends and family back home in the UK, then that's where I'd be. To add to it all, you're in Mornington! Good lord, I'm too wimpy to live so far out and I'm from Melbourne! I think Quoll is correct, Australia and UK are much of a muchness for baby groups and the like. I gave birth in UK at the same time as my friend in Oz. I literally went to a different baby group every day, whereas she went once a week to her allocated group and spent the rest of the time bored, mooching around shopping centres with the air con. I actually felt sorry for her, not the other way around. Of course, Australia does offer a lot for the mother and baby, but I certainly don't consider all Brits to be unfortunate, deprived souls who missed out on my superior Australian upbringing. I would personally make a decision and try and make it quickly - being VERY pregnant and in limbo is not fun. I've been there. Best of luck!!

Thanks for your responses - no, Freckleface, totally agree with you about advertising fulltime job so wanting fulltime employee. Hmmm....all food for thought. Maybe I will apply direct to companies and see if anyone is interested (rather than applying for advertised jobs), then take it from there.

Wow....! Australia is looking better and better....

Try this website: http://www.firsthome.gov.au/ (need to know which state you're moving to). Good luck! We actually think the rentals are OK priced, but I think that says more about the price of rentals in London at the moment than anything else.

I currently work 4 days a week in the UK (well, I will be once I end my maternity leave). Now, I appreciate that the best way to negotiate part time is after having a baby, but with Australia being so family friendly, is it possible to get a part time job straight off? Obviously it depends on trade (I work in financial services), but just wondering what sort of experience you have had out there. I would find it really, really hard to make the move if I leave working 4 days to have to take up a post 5 days a week (I have a toddler and baby so they're both still quite young). Thanks!

I'm from Oz, hubby from England/Ireland. To be honest, I personally think it is a huge advantage. It's a hell of a thing, to move to the other side of the world and I really commend those who do it and don't know a soul in Australia. The family in Australia is a huge factor for us (but we don't really have much here). I wouldn't think it would keep us from socialising - there are very clear demarcations between friends and family with us! My husband has only met my family a couple of times, but he is already considered to be very much part of the family. SAYING THAT, I would never EVER live in the same suburb as them...we want to start a new life as a family, not pick up from where I left off when I lived there/live in the pockets of the family. I'm pretty much of the same mindset - Australia really doesn't hold much appeal for me personally, but with kids...

Stop it you! It's the other critter I can't stand...snakes. Bloody snakes in our garden in London! (We live next to an alley/lane which is not tended to very often). Eek.

For every bad story, there is a good....my mother took ADs while pregnant with my brothers (there was not a chance in hell they were going to take her off them - she was quite a bad case). All normal births, normal babies and now very normal men. Good luck!

I quite liked Bill Bryson's book on Oz too - easy read. Maybe not so much a history, more historical anecdotes.

Very, very sad. RIP.

I don't know if you can still get these type of tickets. I certainly did when I came over the to UK, but when I enquired about this recently was told it doesn't happen anymore. If you can get an open return from a particular airline, please do advise!

Singapore - we booked direct with them, then changed both inbound and outbound flights, no probs. In bound date change limit of 12 months from outbound flight. Obviously you pay the difference if the flight increases - we changed ours by a few months and incurred no charge.

I agree - Autumn in England is beautiful.

When we went to Melbourne in May, we went to the beach as it was blue skies and sun. Then the heavens opened up and we rushed about to collect children, pushchair, toys with the intention of rushing back home. By the time we were packed up, it was over - back to blue skies, sun. This happened a few times - I had completely forgotten what Melbourne weather is like (if anyone mentions bloody Four Seasons in One Day, I'll lamp you ). It kind of freaked me out a bit, but that's my sort of winter rain! But apparently will be 25 degrees and sunny on Mon here in London. All is not lost.

For my sins, I too work in insurance - I contacted some Melbourne insurance recruitment consultants from here in the UK, and a few actually answered and were helpful! I'm sorry I didn't keep their names, but I just got them from google. There was also a rep from Stirling Andersen on here recruiting for insurance awhile back, so maybe try them. Hays in London expressed an interest too as they were in involved in placing individuals in Australia. Good luck!