Metoo

I just googled paper wasp, no i don't think its them. These ones were just black on the body whereas the paper wasp has yellow stripes. its more like Caramacs picture

Yes that could be it, ugly things. Are they paper wasps then?

Hi, can anybody tell me what these are please? I was cutting the hedge back from the drive and they swarmed at me (didn't notice the nest) anyway it bloody hurt. Feels like wasp stings, both arms Well that just put me off gardening :confused: Thanks

Can anyone give specifics outside of personal reasons how you think the uk has changed since you were gone

Bloody hell Stacey, that was brave, well done!!!! Glad you are enjoying your travels. So many stories to tell when you get back home. XX

Ha ha ha yes, terrible tv here. I actually watched farmer wants a wife for the first time ever and I get excited when Count Down or Letters and Numbers as it's known here, comes on. I never watched those programs in the UK but there is not a lot else to watch here. oh and the advert breaks drive me mad, every 10 minutes. :rolleyes:

Make sure you cancel your TV licence early. You will likely be paid up six months in advance. The buggers don't like giving you your money back.

We started getting stressed for the last few weeks before leaving. We recognised this and we made a pact. Anything untoward, said or implied, whilst getting through this, would not be held against the other. When it all got too much, we just strolled down to the pub and forgot about it all for a couple of hours. I remember spending a full day clearing the remains of the loft and garage. We made several 'tip runs' through the day, we were so tired, and on the last run, 10 mins before the tip closed for the night, the Landrover refused to start. The guys were ready to lock the gates so we had to leave the car there and walk home. We were dressed in the most scruffy clothes, we were covered in dirt and dust from the loft/garage and OH had ripped the back of his t shirt during the day. Then it started raining!!!!! OMG I thought I was going to cry but we must have looked so pathetic suddenly we were laughing. We laughed all the way home, God knows what our neighbours thought when we came down the street looking like two tramps in ripped clothing. When it all gets too much, try and turn it around, look for the humour in it. You will come through this, we all do in the end. By the way, you get it all in reverse at the other end. Just as hard and just as stressful, but nobody said it would be anything else. Good luck, I'm sure you will get over it all soon enough.

We we were told that animals must NOT be sedated before a flight. The animal must be alert enough to cope with air turbulence should it be a rough flight. A sedated animal would be falling about all over the place and more likely to be injured.

Thats ok Keith, I wasn't talking about you. It's the 'dog with a bone' attitude that gets on my t12s

I was enjoying this thread until it turned into a "racism" post. Lost interest in it now. Shame people can't stick to the matter in hand ie "what do you ENJOY about life in Australia" Some people can't help themselves.

All good wishes coming your way Tink, hope the little fellow is soon on the mend. metoo xx

We forgot the charger units for our cameras. They went dead within 2 weeks and we had to wait till the container arrived to recharge. Also, take a spare mobile phone. One of our iPhones wouldn't accept a new sim even though it was unlocked. Was a pain to get sorted and we had to share one phone between us for a couple of weeks till it got fixed. Packet of wet wipes for freshening up on the journey. Chocholate, lots and lots, and drop it off at my house on the way past :laugh: Try to relax, hope you have a safe journey xx

Yes @MARYROSE02 Glenmore Pk is a very pleasant area to live. A nice safe family orientated area, wild life in the reserve on your doorstep and a short drive into Penrith for Westfield shopping centre. Also handy for the Blue Mountains, Sydney Olympic Park and Wet n Wild. It is a bit of a drive to the CBD but by train you can get there in an hour.

Wow, congratulations. Hope you have a fantastic life in your new home. So glad you made it. Metoo xx

Maryrose, you wouldn't believe what we did when we stumbled jet lagged from the plane at 6am in Sydney. First we went to the car hire desk and hired a car there and then for 8 days. From there we drove straight to a car sales place which was just 15 mins from the airport to look at a Mercedes that OH had already researched online. As it happened, the car had just been sold but they had another (better one) which he liked the look of. Anyway, after a short test drive we said we would think about it and come back tomorrow. Just across the road there was a really nice cafe where we had some breakfast. After that we drove to Manly, had a look at the beach and strolled around the shops. By this time we were relaxed and wide awake so we drove around a bit more taking it all in and finally arrived at the B N B at 6pm. Our host showed us our room and we had our own little bathroom. He said, go and settle in, have a shower and a lay down and I will cook you some dinner. Well after the shower, we lay down on the bed and slept like logs until 10.30pm. We emerged from our room feeling very embarrassed to the aroma of home cooked Thai food and delicious French apple tart. That was the start of our Aussie dream. Oh, next day we went back and bought the car

Hi Ramot, I think he must still be hiding in here somewhere :laugh: He he wasn't in any of theses

Hello everyone. We are now 8 weeks in. I thought I would do a quick update. We are settling into our house now, all our furniture arrived on Friday in 42 degrees heat. We packed a 40 ft container in the UK and it was delivered to our door in 2 x 20 ft's tagged together. Hats off to the guys who unloaded it all in that heat. It it was so good to see all our stuff coming down the ramp. I could have kissed my washing machine after doing the washing in the sink for the past 7 1/2 weeks lol. Anyway, everything arrived safe and sound except for a few minor mishaps. Now it's a case of changing all the plugs over. Our cat cat arrived in good shape but I think he is feeling the heat. He sleeps most of the day and when he's awake he moves very slowly. We kept him indoors for 2 weeks and then let him outside in the back garden. It is all fully fenced and he is not interested in trying to climb over. Oh and we had to get him registered at the council offices for his licence. The car and caravan arrived 2 weeks ago. We collected them from Botany Bay and drove them home ourselves. There is a guy in Penrith who certified them for blue slips. It was all easy and straight forward. The caravan is now in storage about 7 minutes from our house. We we are still firm friends with our Air B n B guy who lives a couple of streets away from us. In fact we are going round on Saturday for a party at his place. Mr MT started his new job yesterday, he had to jump through many hoops before starting. He needed to have a medical, a police check, psychological test, aptitude test, references from last 2 employers, and Thursday he has an advanced driving test and he has completed a health and safety course. He has a nice company car though, a Ford Ranger :smile: We have signed up to Foxtel for TV and Internet. The internet is extremely slow but we expected that. It it took me a while to get used to the rubbish collection/recycle palava. We have 3 wheelie bins and a slop receptical. For the slop bucket you have to use special green bags supplied by the council. Because I didn't have any green bags I kept getting things mixed up. There was no slop bucket either, the previous occupants must have taken it so I had to go to the council office and buy one. You even have to put the cat/dog poo in with the garden waste, yuk. Anyway, I've got the hang of it now, in fact my red lid and green lid bins are out for collection today, yellow lids next week. Since we arrived the time has absolutely flown by. I think it will take a bit of time before we feel settled. Closing down your old life in the UK is hard work and stressful. Starting a new life in a new country is a whole new ball game lol. Not having the computer and printer on arrival was a major pain in the backside. We ended up buying another wifi printer and using that connected to the iPad over a mobile phone hot spot. This was so Mr MT could complete all his tests for work. We far exceeded our broadband allowance in the process but we are ok now we have signed up to Foxtel/Telstra. Interestingly, we brought 2 unlocked iPhone 4 with us. One worked straight away with a new sim but the other wouldn't connect. We ended up going to the Apple shop for help, the guy had to reset the phone from scratch before it would work. We had to go to a camera shop to download the 400 odd photos to a CD disc at a cost of $30 beforehand so we didn't lose all the pictures. For this reason, I would recommend bringing a lap top instead of an iPad and make sure you have the necessary leads and memory sticks. We we are learning that most things are surmountable and if you really can't find the answer to something then just ask for help. Most people are willing to lend a hand or point you in the right direction. Oh well, I'd better get cracking now, still got many boxes to unpack.

Yes I think you're right, we offered 3 months rent up front. We got the house but the 3 months rent wasn't taken. Just paid 2 weeks plus bond.

Another vote here for Golden Arrow. We just collected our cat from Sydney quarentine station on Saturday. Our cat cat is an 11yrs old nervous, arthritic, with absolutely no sense of humour :laugh: We did worry that it would all be too much for him but Golden Arrow have looked after him brilliantly, including a month in their kennels before he was flown out. As you can see by the picture below he has come though unscathed and has even staked his claim on my chair. We only have two until our container arrives lol.

It took them 4 days to pack ours as we had so much stuff. They had to force the door shut on a 40ft high top. The container was already half full when that picture was taken. Even our garage was full of boxes lol. Even then we had to leave some stuff behind. The guys lived with us for 3 nights/4 days. They were marvellous.

This is what your lounge looks like when your stuff gets packed up ready for the move. I guess that's what my lounge will look like when it all arrives too lol. Ours has left Singapore and is now headed for Hong Kong apparently before it comes to Australia. We can't wait to see it all again Metoo

No explanation, no compensation, no apology and they were delivered at 7.30 am to the B n B that we left a week ago. The guy was still asleep in bed and his new guest opened the door as the courier was putting our bags back in his van. So only just got them phew

Woohoo our bags arrived today, only 19 days late :swoon: won't be doing that again in a hurry.

Hi Elven, We would love to meet up when you arrive in Glenmore Pk. I will PM you. metoo x