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Finding it very difficult to figure out how to get the best deal for these things! I text loads, and want to be able to text UK mobiles too, I don't really use internet on the mobile much and call quite rarely. I don't want to be locked into a contract either. Broadband is more difficult to find without locking into a 24 month contract, can't seem to find a telstra one that doesn't (many have said they have the best coverage and are reliable). Moving to a rental on a 6 month lease at a time near Geelong. I would really like to know what most people have opted for as soon as they have arrived?

Any idea what conversion to LPG would cost?

They only enforce it for the under 7's apparently for those moving to Australia. I will be interested to see if anyone has had their child refused entry immediately too - I have a 5 year old and a 7 year old. One will be starting school and the other kindy.

I hear that ford may be cheaper for parts etc but they are dearer than Holden to actually buy. We are after a station wagon sized car that will be doing approx 120 miles a day. Also any opinions on gas v unleaded. Thanks

Lots of sites seem to charge a fortune in AUD to book Australia to Uk flights - from the UK. Is there a better way of doing this? Any good sites you can recommend please? Wanting a one way flight for my daughter so don't want a long stopover flight on an uncomfortable airline :smile:

We are desperately looking for a house to rent in Ocean Grove but when my husband turns up for the inspection days they have already gone...one time he turned up on the scheduled day and people were actually moving in!!!!!!!!!!!1 The real estate agents don't offer any mid week inspections late enough for him to get to after he gets back from work and they seem to be going sooooo quickly. I have made a portfolio up with our details, references etc but haven't even got to the stage of showing it yet as the houses keep being snapped up from underneath us. Does anyone know how to get these properties early. Every time we ask the agent they say we have to wait until the official inspection day and then they give it to someone else earlier. Grrrrrrrr, running out of time, only got two weeks before our shipment arrives:arghh:

scan and email them to yourself, at least you will have a copy of them available at all times

Ours was the opposite way round and the cheeky devils have refused to give us a refund! Funny that! Hope you get sorted ok, the chips do seem always stacked in their favour though

No UK car seats will be legal in Australia unless base only booster seats. They tether to the chassis and use the seat belt too. The age brackets for the different type of seats differ too so best check these out.

The car seats in Australia tether to a point on the chassis of the car by a strap with a metal clip on, very different to how we fix them here in UK. We bought ours in target and they were both on offer at the time so quite reasonable and comparable to UK prices. Built in speakers for ipod in the youngest's car seat, pretty nifty!

Sorry, no info, just jumping on this thread as we are moving in Sept and have a 4 and 7 year old. Interested in this as I haven't heard anything about it so far!

My husband is in Melbourne now and myself and two small children are moving over at the end of September. My 22 year old has already decided on staying to do teacher training in UK. The 18 year old has just received her A level results and after being pooled has been offered a place to study law at Cambridge. Obviously she can't turn this down. She wanted to defer so she could come out to Australia with us, but this may not be likely now. We had the flight booked for her and she was contemplating going to Melbourne university. Plans all changed now though! You have to be flexible in life as you don't know what is round the corner. We talked a lot about all the possible scenarios and so we were fore armed with all our options. It is hard to leave your children behind and it will be extremely sad for me when the end of September arrives but we have made a choice that will hopefully benefit our younger children and the older ones are old enough to make their own choices now and we need to respect that. Our older two have validated their PR visas so they still have the option of joining us in the future if they so wish. It is better to try it than to live with the regret. We can move back to the UK if we feel the decision is wrong. Maybe your son has the option of deferring his place so he can see if Australian life is for him?

We found Big4 to be too costly. Went with Stayz and found a superb very large house to rent cheaper. They provided bottle of bubbly and food for first day as well as basic food in cupboard ie sauces, flour etc. Really lovely experience.

Can anyone advise me which of the Ocean Grove Primary schools they prefer? Will have two girls starting in new year.

Looking for a secondhand car in Geelong area, can anyone recommend a good place to go. Wanting a reliable station wagon type car but need it to be cheap to keep and run. What are the best makes to buy for reliability and cheap parts etc? Only used to a cheap ford fiesta in UK! Also can you advise me what the process is when purchasing a secondhand car with regards to registering it and insurance etc, getting a bit confused with it all. Thanks:rolleyes:

Thanks Quoll. Do you know if you need to get an equivalent of a CRB check done off your own back before applying or is it like the UK where your employer puts it through for you free of charge? Would I need one initially to help in the school voluntarily?

I am moving to South Victoria in a couple of months and will be looking for work within a school. Can anyone please advise me if there is a website or a flyer equivalent to the one in the UK that advertises just these school based jobs or do the schools advertise individually? If so, what is the best way of finding these jobs? Preferably looking for teaching assistant work as I have experience in this field but do they require any specific formal qualifications?

We shipped our stuff and to be honest the kids haven't missed a thing! The stuff left here 8th July and won't get to Melbourne until 19th September. Living very minimalist lifestyle here at the moment on borrowed stuff and it is really easy! Wishing now that we had sold the lot and started anew. Would have just filled the suitcase with Clarks shoes for the kids and that's all. Clothes we normally just buy from Asda and the clothes in the cheap outlets in Aus seemed equivalent in price and quality when we did our rekkie last year. Unless you have something you are really attached to I would sell it and start again. We got a quote for shipping and they over did it by a third of a container the removal men reckoned, cheeky devils are not prepared to refund a penny of it though. Make sure they get the amount correct before you hand over your hard earned cash, despite any guarantees they offer. Don't worry about the kids, mine couldn't remember what they are missing at all!

Just to give you some idea, our container is going from Dartford to Melbourne and shipped yesterday, delivery is estimated on 19th September. To be very honest I am now feeling like I should have sold the lot and started again! We are a family of 6 and I thought that the kids may settle better if they had familiar items around them once we got to Australia. We have lived in our rental in the Uk for the past 5 weeks with a borrowed table and chairs and sofa and little else! And do you know what.....none of us has missed anything but the potato masher!!!!!!! It cost a couple of grand for the shipment and because we went groupage it has sat at Dartford for the past month waiting for the rest of the container to fill up. We shipped less than they quoted us but didn't get a refund (30 cubic metres less in fact) rip off - they soon would have asked for more if it was over! Honestly I would go back and do it over and just go with a suitcase each and enjoy buying new bits out there from target.

My 18 year old daughter has a test booked before we move to Melbourne at end of September but wanted to find out in case she doesn't pass: I have read that you need to have 120 hours of driving lessons to apply for your test in Victoria, is this still current and is it transferable from Uk if the driving instructor here verifies how long she has had tuition for? Also does she need to do another theory test (she has already passed that in UK). Also concerned about her passing a manual test instead of automatic only so that she is covered for Uk when she comes back - are there many teachers for manual in Victoria?

I am looking for work in the Geelong area as a carpenter or trainee cabinet maker. I have permanent residency and am available for immediate start. Would appreciate any feedback, thanks :biggrin:

Can anyone please tell me what is the best insurance to get for an on site carpenter? I know public liability is a must, but will I need anything else; for tools, etc. anyone recommend a good firm for this insurance? Thanks

The one our daughter's are going to teaches phonics. I don't think that Australian schools are behind, they just teach differently. In the UK emphasis is put on reading and in Australia it is put on comprehension. There are many children reading but not understanding what they are reading in the UK. Neither way is better, just different. Jolly phonics are used (a,a,ants up your arm etc. to those familiar with the teaching). Children seem to remember this system really well.

My husband has arrived in Ocean Grove - near Geelong, Melbourne and is looking for carpentry work. He is a skilled carpenter with 19 years experience on site and specialist carpentry work and is looking for work. He has a PR visa and will have white card through in a couple of days. Does anyone know of suitable jobs available in the area or could advise him on his best course of action in finding a job. He would prefer to work for an established company initially. Thanks in advance for your help

we have used Doree Bonner and wondered if we will get any money refunded as the packers said we have less than half a container when they have charged us for 2 thirds of one, any one else got a refund?