ramot

2 hours ago, InnerVoice said:

Yes, fair point - apples to apples and all that. I'm a real ale person too, but it doesn't cut through your thirst when the weather (or you) are really hot. The biggest thing I miss about UK life is real beer in real pubs. Although we'll never have the real pubs over here we at least at have a decent selection of craft beers these days, albeit at a hefty price tag I might add.

The Duke of York in Sydney is as close as you can get to a real pub feel, beer on tap and fittings sourced from the uk. Voted the best Sunday roast in Australia 

apologies have taken the thread away from original thread about Glasgow, but thought it worth a mention

11 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said:

I have enquired with a few people living in Brisbane at the moment and getting conflicting reports. A couple of people have had their kids treatment started in the UK and managed to find Aussie orthodontists to take them on. Not sure it’s really worth the hassle for us. 
Also, not everyone gets them ‘free’ in the UK. You only get them free if it’s deemed to be a ‘medical’ case. I put ‘free’ in inverted commas, as those of us who work do pay for healthcare in the UK via fairly hefty NI payments. There is an underlying current in some forums that somehow the UK population are freeloaders who expect to get everything for nothing which is just a wee bit irritating. 
A friend of mine has 2 teen boys and one of them has been waiting over a year to be assessed by an orthodontist. 

My 14 year old grandson in Bristol is facing an almost year wait to be assessed by an orthodontist, don’t know if it will be free, didn’t ask

9 minutes ago, InnerVoice said:

Have you seen the Southern lights? They are visible from Tassie on occasions.

Not yet

1 minute ago, Cheery Thistle said:

We will. After all, I don’t want to end up an old lady not able to do it and wish that I had when I could. 

That advice was from an old lady! Who hasn’t many regrets from a life well lived, apart from probably never seeing the Northern lights now..

6 minutes ago, Cheery Thistle said:

It’s the same for Sydney and the harbour bridge and opera house - they are synonymous! I don’t think you can really compare the price for the bridge climb and going up the tower. They are totally different . I think we paid about €75 for the 3 of us to go up in April 2022. Waited in a queue for over an hour in interesting weather. Then the whole thing is over pretty quickly. I think it’s quite expensive for what it is, especially if you have a couple of kids. But I think it’s a must-do at least once. I’ve done it so many times because I used to lead annual senior school Paris trips. Have done the climb on foot a few times (to cut waiting times) but wouldn’t do it with the 10 year old. I prefer the Tour Montparnasse. Not as iconic but has better views - you get to actually see the Eiffel Tower lit up from there if you go at night. 
To be honest if I went back to Paris I wouldn’t do the Eiffel Tower again unless I was with someone who hadn’t done it. 
 

Re: Bridge climb - my $, my bucket list, I’m not asking you to pay!! 

Go for it

8 hours ago, DrDougster said:

Based on your plans, Taronga is a poor option that will take a lot more time than Australia Zoo where you can marvel at Forest: the tallest giraffe in the world! Taronga was great when I went 25yrs ago but much less so last year. If you're researching where you might live, a trip up and down the river from New Farm in Brisbane would be better than spending time on the water in Sydney. You could use that saved time going to Whale/Palm Beach and the lighthouse, on your way North, as suggested.

If you're not going to consider living in Sunshine then ignore Caloundra, go to Noosa, go directly to Noosa: Sunshine Beach, do not collect $200!

As a local, we rather laugh about the snobby appeal of Noosa and the extra price of housing.  There has been so much organised for school children locally here to have fun over the Christmas holidays and most of it free, which is why the Buderim, Mooloolaba area of the Sunshine Coast is so popular with families. Sadly the work opportunities are not so good.

Cherry Thistle I wish you all the best for your trip and hope it helps to make your decisions clearer, but importantly have fun and enjoy it.

18 minutes ago, Ausvisitor said:

Management consultant is one of the more difficult Vetassess categories to satisfy.

They almost always (as Paul Suggested) expect a management consultant to be working with external clients.

Similarly with no actual consulting experience you will struggle to make the proof points needed

There are loads of other similar anzsco codes that would probably be a better fit.

 

I also find that the biggest test of if someone is actual a management consultant or not is if they are handling their application without help from an agent.

Given an MC is an expert for hire if they can't see the benefits in getting an expert involved they probably aren't very successful as a consultant either

My son’s visa was for Management Consultant, had a good agent George Lombard, older posters will remember his reputation 

1 hour ago, Jon the Hat said:

My old employer was on level 41 of the Gateway building so I am familiar with the amazing views from up there.  Lovely area to potter about as well when on a business trip; Opera bar; wander round the botanic gardens; grab a beer or three around the Rocks (The Glenmore ; Fortune of War, The Orient); Market on the weekend. Hyde Park for the Anzac memorial; QVB; Darling Harbour; Barangaroo; Hop on the Ferry to anywhere!  I love Manly (where I stay now visiting our office in French's Forest) for the morning walk to Shelly Beach for a coffee;  Also Watson's Bay for a beer at the hotel and walk up to South Head.  Ah Sydney.  Not been for a few months now!  Always glad to come home to Perth though!  If I could afford to live anywhere around these places I would like a shot.  I never will unless I win the Lotto.

Hickson House cocktail bar and has the only distillery in the Rocks, well worth a visit and gin tasting 

2 hours ago, InnerVoice said:

On reflection it probably was a bit harsh. I've visited Newcastle a few times over the last 30 years and seen the gradual gentrification steal away the character of a place, but if you've never been there before then you'd think it was pretty nice. The median price for a 3-bedroom property is currently around $1.5 million, so unless you're moving there with a bucket-load of cash, you're going to need to be on a decent whack. There can't be too many jobs in Newcastle commanding those kind of salaries, but that's becoming the problem Australia-wide in the more desirable regional areas.

 

My son lives in Eatons Hill, north side of Brisbane, very spacious 4 bed 2 bathroom, large rumpus room, open’sh kitchen living dining room, large covered outdoor area, double garage, large block, no pool, price probably still under 1 million. 
Just to give 1 example for Brisbane 

56 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

I think that's very unfair on Newcastle.  It used to be a boring place, but these days I know several people who much prefer it to Sydney -- better access to great beaches, wineries on your doorstep, dolphin-watching and dune-riding close by, housing half the price, good schools, more laidback lifestyle.  It may not be an exciting place to visit but it's very liveable.  

For me, it would be like when I lived in Stirling instead of Glasgow or Edinburgh.   Easy enough to take the train to access all the big-city amenities when I wanted it, but I didn't have to put up with the hustle and bustle and expense.  That didn't mean Stirling felt like a compromise or second-best to either of those cities, far from it. 

I agree that a week is a long time to spend in Sydney.  The harbour is spectacular but it's the only tourist sight worth seeing.   Aussies make a big thing out of the Blue Mountains but coming from Scotland, @Cheery Thistle would be wondering what the fuss is about.   The best thing about Taronga Zoo is the great views of the Harbour, but otherwise it reminds me of Edinburgh Zoo, only with better weather.  

Again, Sydney is a great place to live (if you can afford it) but once you've seen the harbour, there's not much to see.  The beaches are lovely, but they're no better than all the other lovely beaches all the way up the East Coast, and the ones outside Sydney aren't nearly as packed!

Australia zoo a much better zoo

1 hour ago, InnerVoice said:

I'd spend a day less in Newcastle and a day longer in Byron, or somewhere else on the way up like Coffs Harbour.

I don't think it will take you long to scratch that itch. Newcastle is a nice enough town but it's mostly folks who can't afford to live in Sydney, yet can't bear to be too far away from it. Australians are a little odd in that respect. Traditionally they don't like moving interstate, particularly New South Walians who believe their state is better than everyone else's. That attitude has waned somewhat in the younger generation, with many from NSW and VIC having moved up to SEQ for a better lifestyle.

A week is a long time to spend in Sydney considering you don't intend to live there. If I'd been in the situation where I needed to spend a night in Sydney before flying home then I'd have stayed there at the end of my trip, and done the whole thing in the opposite direction. Chilling out on the Sunshine Coast for a few days would be a much nicer way to start your holiday than the hustle and bustle of Sydney.

You're going to miss all the school holidays so you shouldn't have any difficulty booking accommodation. I know some people like to book everything in advance, but I think it's good to have a spare day for contingencies. You never know what the weather is going to bring at that time of year. Two years ago SEQ and northern NSW had phenomenal amounts of rain at the end of February, with many roads cut off for several days. If your internal flight to Sydney is from Brisbane, then bear in mind that the Bruce Highway between there and the SC can get flooded.

The rain was so bad on Tuesday, verging on monsoonal, almost 6 inches in less than 24 hours, that we made a really hard decision that it was foolish to drive to Brisbane and missed out on a special family celebration, and as several live out of state it will be a while till we catch up again.

The floods in late February in North NSW (Lismore Byron area) last year were horrendous, closing so many roads, so the unpredictable weather at that time of year, should be factored in to your plans of driving long distances.

10 minutes ago, Cheery Thistle said:

Great thanks. Will give that some thought. 3 nights not long enough in SC but something has to give! Trying to cram a lot in. Eek. Daughter is 10. We are almost discounting SC as an option for living in, mostly due to the lack of job opportunities really. So it’s more of a fun visit than a reccie. But you never know.

10 minutes ago, Cheery Thistle said:

Great thanks. Will give that some thought. 3 nights not long enough in SC but something has to give! Trying to cram a lot in. Eek. Daughter is 10. We are almost discounting SC as an option for living in, mostly due to the lack of job opportunities really. So it’s more of a fun visit than a reccie. But you never know.

My son would move back from Brisbane in a heartbeat if there was more work here. I know you want to look at Newcastle but you would save so much time if you flew to Brisbane or the S Coast. or Newcastle to Brisbane? Just a thought, as  it’s quite a long drive.

4 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said:

So, flights are booked and have been for ages, fly in to Sydney 25th Feb and back again 16th March via Doha. Starting in Sydney and driving up to Brisbane/Sunny Coast.

Rough itinerary: 

25th Feb - 2nd March - Sydney. Have booked Coogee as we prefer it more chilled and want to recover from jet lag etc. Plan on doing Taronga, the bridge climb and just chilling and recovering from travel. Also allows a day or 2 to catch up with hubby’s cousins. 
2nd March - 5th March - Newcastle. Want to rule this in or out as a potential destination for living in. Feel it’s an itch we need to scratch! 
5th - 6th March - Byron? Need To break up the journey to Brisbane. 
6 - 11th March - Brisbane 

12th - 15th March Sunny Coast (Caloundra?)

15th - internal flight back to Sydney, stay in city centre for last night before flying back on 16th. 
 

Sydney is not on the list of possible places to settle but we’ve never been before and conscious that we will be jet lagged so need to chill a bit before the driving. 
 

Any glaring disasters in there or anything we have really missed? Not staying in GC but will likely day trip it to one of the theme parks whilst in Brisbane. 

 

3 days on the Sunshine Coast isn’t very long . Caloundra is fine, Noosa is popular good beach and shops, but Mooloolaba would be my choice,  has a better beach, than Caloundra, can’t remember your daughters age? Underwater World is there, and if you have time you should go to Australia Zoo. Montville and Maleny on the range in the hinterland about 25 mins from Mooloolaba are worth a visit, I prefer Maleny. Takes about 1hr 15mins from the centre of Brisbane to the S Coast on a clear run, but there are lots of road works which can affect the time. 
Theme parks from Brisbane doable, Recommend The Outback Spectacular, it’s a great fun show, you could spend a night near the Theme Parks and Outback Spectacular before Brisbane.  
Have fun whatever you do.
It will take about 7hrs Newcastle to Byron, and 2 hours Byron to Brisbane, we tend to stop in Port Macquarie, can let you know where if need it.

48 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

Aren't Ipswich having an amazing season?  I'm a Leicester fan so quite relieved you have dropped off a bit but hope you make it back to the Prem with us!

Nottingham Forest sad supporter 

53 minutes ago, rammygirl said:

Costco will put new lenses in frames too.  I got some multi focal, transition lenses put into a pair of rayban sunglasses I had. Was cheaper than spec savers too!

Husband got his all singing dancing hearing aids from Costco at a fraction of the regular cost. Still has selective hearing though?!! 

3 hours ago, Marisawright said:

No, you won't ever need 'proper' specs if you only need them for reading and close work.   For that, the ones you get at the chemist are absolutely fine, and I've been told that by a Professor of Opthalmology.    He said that some opticians will try to tell you the chemist ones will harm your eyes, but they're just trying to sell you expensive specs!

The only reason I got reading glasses from Specsavers is that they're a lot sturdier than the chemist ones, and I got the whole cost refunded by my  health fund.

 

My husband also gets a free pair of reading glasses annually from our optometrist though his health fund.

4 hours ago, ramot said:

As I really like my frames, I have new lenses put in them, much cheaper 

I paid just over $600 for multi focal transition lenses, so no need to buy sunglasses as well. This is the 3rd time I’ve used the frames. No point buying new frames every time, but I admit they are good quality frames.  

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

Specsavers is good if you just need basic glasses.  Just wait for their special offers and you can get great deals.  I got two-for-the-price-of-one reading glasses there last year, and that was fully covered by my health insurance.  However if you need something more complicated, the price shoots up.

I needed new multifocals and I waited until they had a "multifocals for $199" offer. All seemed well until I sat down with the 'consultant' to complete the order.  She told me the special offer lenses were very basic and wouldn't be suitable for me as I'd be annoyed by the blur (???).   I would need the next level lenses, plus a few other 'essential' features.   She did the sums and hey presto, my $199 glasses were suddenly $850.  I walked out.

As I really like my frames, I have new lenses put in them, much cheaper 

11 hours ago, Toots said:

We had a very nice time over the Christmas period.  The weather was lovely.  Back home for the New Year.  Sons and partners arriving today.  

Enjoy their visit 

3 hours ago, Skani said:

My commiserations.  Queensland has really been through the wringer in the last few weeks.  Not "a storm" but violent storms over  days.  And the temp. passed 38 C in Brisbane today, with humidity.  (Yuk!).  Not to mention the effects of the cyclone further north.  One place near Cairns had over 2 metres of rain in 5 days - more than the annual rainfall for Cairns.

Dare I say that the Sunshine Coast has got away lightly so far, fingers crossed as storms forecast for tomorrow, the humidity and temperature has shot up the last 2 days,  but we have spent plenty of time under cover outside for most of Christmas. Son & wife came up to the coast today, as it was slightly cooler than Brisbane,  32’? here. went to the beach first, then back here to use the pool. 

On 28/12/2023 at 17:43, ramot said:

Sending a hug, I don’t think I have had it as hard as you, because everyone did pull their weight this Christmas, but I’m shattered. Definitely think it’s time I retired from Christmas at our house, famous last words.  Family here for 5 days, unexpected bbq for 9 on the 23rd, as a good friend and his family of my son and daughter were  visiting family in the area so were invited here for a bbq. My daughter told me she had asked friends to bring some food with them, whoops she hadn’t. Mad dash to Woolworths for extra, as they arrived. Next an unexpected  guest, SiL’s niece, on C Eve, for a quick meal. 10 people for full UK Christmas lunch on C Day, whoops one doesn’t eat meat, was told beforehand, and yes did bring a salad, but I provided extra, but not sea food as highly allergic. Busy next 2 days and last visitors left this morning. So after tidying up and a hundred loads of washing, yes I’m exaggerating and husband has helped in between watching cricket!, have put my feet up.

Having written all that, I really must count my blessings, I wouldn’t have missed any of it for the world., especially as a friend has just telephoned to suggest lunch out tomorrow, her husband died last year, they didn’t have children, has no siblings or close family, and had to be honest a fairly sad Christmas, so sometimes those of us who do have family to spend Christmas with, sometimes need reminding how lucky we are. 

Son & wife decided to come back today!! Cooler on the coast, and we have a nice pool. I was going out out, told them to help themselves, my fault not to specify as in a hurry to go out, they ate my supper. As I have a very restricted diet, not amused, no wonder I don’t put weight on. Have cobbled something together without cooking.

On 27/12/2023 at 16:57, Jehwal said:

Unfortunately i don't have an answer for but i do understand. Christmas is an absolute nightmare for me. It has gradually got worse as the years have gone on. It seems my family just expect me to do everything. I was burnt out before xmas and we had 12 here boxing day as well as Christmas day. Today i could not get out of bed until 2pm i was hurting from all the dishwashing , shopping etc. never again!!

Sending a hug, I don’t think I have had it as hard as you, because everyone did pull their weight this Christmas, but I’m shattered. Definitely think it’s time I retired from Christmas at our house, famous last words.  Family here for 5 days, unexpected bbq for 9 on the 23rd, as a good friend and his family of my son and daughter were  visiting family in the area so were invited here for a bbq. My daughter told me she had asked friends to bring some food with them, whoops she hadn’t. Mad dash to Woolworths for extra, as they arrived. Next an unexpected  guest, SiL’s niece, on C Eve, for a quick meal. 10 people for full UK Christmas lunch on C Day, whoops one doesn’t eat meat, was told beforehand, and yes did bring a salad, but I provided extra, but not sea food as highly allergic. Busy next 2 days and last visitors left this morning. So after tidying up and a hundred loads of washing, yes I’m exaggerating and husband has helped in between watching cricket!, have put my feet up.

Having written all that, I really must count my blessings, I wouldn’t have missed any of it for the world., especially as a friend has just telephoned to suggest lunch out tomorrow, her husband died last year, they didn’t have children, has no siblings or close family, and had to be honest a fairly sad Christmas, so sometimes those of us who do have family to spend Christmas with, sometimes need reminding how lucky we are. 

19 minutes ago, Ken said:

The OP is moving to Brisbane. Ambulance cover isn't necessary in Queensland.

I mentioned it as general information 

what happens if you live in qld but are visiting another state and need an ambulance, are you still covered?

2 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Firstly, medical insurance companies in Australia offer two different types of policy. Their main policy, which most people think of as 'health insurance', is actually "Hospital Cover" -- it covers ONLY treatments in a hospital.   Their other policy is "Extras Cover", which covers dental, optical, physiotherapy and some other services depending on the company you choose. 

There is no insurance that covers medical treatment or prescriptions outside a hospital, e.g. visits to the GP (more on that later).

Because of the 'extras' name, many people think you have to take both covers together. You don't.  As a new arrival with kids, I'd recommend you to take Extras Cover as soon as you arrive, so you're covered for dentistry as soon as possible -- it is VERY expensive here.  Eye tests are covered by Medicare, but spectacles are not, and they're also expensive. 

As a new migrant, you've got a full 12 months from your arrival, to decide whether to take Hospital Cover or not (if you don't take it out within that time, there may be tax implications).  I'd advise you to take that time -- you'll have enough to do in your first few months here anyway.  

Coming from the UK, you may struggle to understand why Australians take Hospital Cover.   If you don't have it, you'll be treated in a hospital exactly like you'd be treated under the NHS.  Hospital Cover can let you skip the waiting list for elective surgery, and you'll get a private room instead of a bed in a big ward -- but if you didn't feel the need to go private in the UK, why would you feel the need in Australia?

As InnerVoice says, the main reason most people take Hospital Cover is that it lets them avoid the extra Medicare levy. Also if you don't take Hospital Cover while you're young, you'll be slugged a surcharge if you take it out when you're old.  But like I said, I wouldn't worry about it right now, you've got 12 months to work that out.  Bear in mind that if you have an accident or need emergency treatment in a hospital, that will always be covered by Medicare anyway (you just won't get that nice private room or get to choose your doctor).

Now for your day-to-day medical treatment.  It is covered by Medicare, which is Australia's equivalent to the NHS.  However, Medicare doesn't cover 100% of the fees.  There is usually a difference between what the doctors charge and what Medicare will pay, which is called the "gap".  Like I said, there is no insurance available to cover that gap, you just have to pay it.    The gap can be anything, it just depends what the doctor decides to charge ( doctors aren't employed by Medicare -- they have to run their own business, so it's up to them to decide how much to charge, like any self-employed person).   Depending where you live, some GPs may "bulk bill", which means they don't charge more than Medicare will pay. 

There is also a 'gap' when you get prescriptions.  For instance, my preventive asthma inhaler costs me $40.  
 

 

Suggest ambulance cover straight away depending on which state you live in, you can be charged a hefty fee otherwise if needed without cover. 
We have an emergency Dr service locally now, it’s attached to a separate surgery, but separate Drs as it’s walk in and there if you need to see a Dr quickly and your surgery is full. I had to go recently, it Cost about the regular charge, then  had an ultrasound  at the same place and follow up consultation later, both of those were no charge. I don’t know how many of these places exist, but can’t fault my treatment.

7 hours ago, Toots said:

Was that that at Christmas?

I can remember a handful of white Christmases when I was a young child but none for years after except for the Christmas I worked in Norfolk in 1970.  We had deep snow then for a few days.  One Hogmany back in my home town we were all out in the street wishing everyone a Happy New Year and the snow was falling in huge flakes.  It was a lovely atmosphere.  I think that was 1975.  A long time ago but always remember how nice it was.

Could have been late November or  dec 2010, can’t remember if it snowed at Christmas.

I have memories of very bad snow I think 1962/3? We got totally stuck halfway up Kingston Hill in the car