judyq

Hi , we booked a holiday rental for three months before we arrived just to take the pressure off! There are several good holiday rental agencies and they had no problem booking us in, only issue was paying up front of course but it worked well and gave us time to look for a permanent rental once Holiday Mooloolaba were quite uncomplicated and Norm Martin in Cotton tree were quite reasonably priced. Just be aware they go up a lot in school holidays !!

We looked into Redcliffe last year when my partner was doing an hour commute daily from Mooloolaba. I thought it was nice but would have taken thirty five minutes to get into the cbd compared to the hour from Mooloolaba so didn't move.Nice little place but much better beaches on the sunny coast. good luck.

Hi, Just saw your post so thought I must reply. My daughter goes to Mountain Creek and although early days she is very happy. She managed to get on Zenith which is good as seems to be working her hard although she does find it less challenging than her English education, which she is delighted about !! It is a huge school but they have separated the kids into different attendence for junior and senior which helps. Our younger two go to Mooloolaba state School. It gets a bad press but they love it and we are very pleased with it. The head is excellent and it has a great culture. Kids can do very well there. I have heard Mountain Creek is a great primary school but very big and often over subscribed so hard to get in out of catchment. If I can be of any help please let me know. We have been here since 2012, not including a short ping pong back !!! Very happy and settled now. Good luck with the move

Thank you all for your replies, Alot of this happened last year,I have just been meaning to post something as I would hate for any families to be in the same situation. Sadly some of it was because I was too honest,O.K with the G.P and dentist but hospitals very different.I do understand why, totally as used to be a nurse but it was a shock. I did appeal the DLA /PIP decision but got refused,with that as well as no payments comes no access to the other things that help people out with disabilities,blue badge,bus card, mobility support etc. unbelievable when you think nobody even set eyes on me. When family were unable to help out we were living in a caravan with three kids, all young. when my partner could not get work or any financial help we presented as homeless ...something I thought would never happen !!!! we were interviewed and deemed not english enough.....again went to appeal but thank heavens my o.h got a job in time and we secured a rental. Truly shocking. All ok now but just wanted it out there so people coming back can do their own research and be prepared ! Thanks for listening

Good evening, Just wanted to inform any poms who are coming back without alot of money that things are quite different now. We were away just fifteen months and returned because of family illness....long story ! Prior to going to uk I received Disability living allowance and with it help with bus fares, trains,mobility etc. On return despite appealing have been told cannot reapply till i have been back two years. All this without even seeing me !! We got no assistance with any thing and we are not ,nor ever have been scroungers !! I was very ill and was told I had to be billed for my NHS treatment as had been out of the country over a year, I also was told I would be billed for an out patient appointment. We have never been in this position and had a naive and misguided idea that our country of birth would help us a little. Jus t wanted to put this out there.Been a rough year and would hate anyone to make our mistake.

Hi, prior to going to Australia I had been on disability living allowance for eight years D.L.A is now being replaced by p.i.p ,personal independence payment. I applied on my return to uk this summer and have been told that I cannot apply until I have been back in uk for two years. Sorry its not more positive. Good luck in your move back.

I am blown away by all the wonderful advice, help and honesty on here.I had forgotten! Absolutely there is anger but mainly at myself, As somebody said we need to get our heads down and plan for the future, we have to put this right or will regret it forever, as some other wise soul said will be guilty either way so need to do what is right for us! The finance, as always is an issue, the money was loaned by mum in law so will need to pay a substantial amount back before we go again. I really want to live in the moment but it's hard, we have some time and our kids are still young so I want us to be happy and enjoy our time here.Trying not to live with one foot on the other side of the world. I totally agree that if we stayed beyond our visa we would regret it forever and feel trapped and resentful. It is our time though, particularly my long suffering wonderful partner and brave choildren. Thank you so so much xx

Been awhile since i have posted so bear with me, wanted to tell our story and also to know what other people have done in our situation. We left the u.k for the sunshine coast in Spring, myself, partner and three children. The usual massive trauma and effort made including selling house,shipping everything we owned, selling stuff, farewell parties etc. Any person who says it is easy is lying,I think we were a little, naive,unprepared in many ways but we got on with it and slowly made a go of it all, my partner getting a good job, kids settling and my eldest daughter in particular embraced the sporty healthy life style and was so happy. After just a year the call came, my father seriously ill I came home within a few days, he was so ill I thought maybe even wouldn't make it. I have a sibling but my parents were struggling.I did all i could in three weeks then returned. When I look back now I have no idea why we did it, guilt, feeling we had no choice, i don't know but we made the decision to come back to support the family. Being so expensive the other way we borrowed alot of money, sold just about everything and returned this summer. I think we thought we had no choice but should have listened to our gut.All we did for the last month was cry, our eldest daughter devastated. To this day I don't know why we didn't look at other options, but we didn't and arrived, knowing almost immediately that we had made the biggest mistake of our lives. My father now home was and is well cared for, will never be the same but safe and warm and well supported. My family , on the other hand have been through hell. My partner could not find work,because we had been away we were unable to access any support and had to live in a friends caravan.Everywhere we went they were asking us to prove our right of residence despite being british and only away 14 months. We were desperate and nobody, including my parents seemed to have any idea what we had given up.Then you could say why would they, nobody asked us to come back although I think an expectation was there. We had nowhere to live, in three months going from employed in a nice rental and comfortable to homeless with no income, we had just had to present as home less when thank goodness my o.h got a job and we were able to secure a rental. Six months later we are miserable,bordering on depressed and my daughter skypes her friends in Australia every week.We have a wonderful relationship of near;y eighteen years but at times I have feared for it. We feel totally let down by friends, family, u.k everything. And it s all our fault !! Sorry for the rant but now the hard bit....my parents obviously think it for good and to be honest already take us for granted. I am torn between my family and their needs.I feel torn, a terrible daughter if i return to Australia but a terrible wife and mum if I deny my family a life they loved so much . It isa condition of our visa that we must return by 2016 or my partner would lose the right to enter Australia. There is no easy answer,we have to go back and want to like a physical pain but obviously have no money,now owe alot to a family member and have to leave aging parents who will be devastated!! What a mess!! My first regret is that we did it at all....we lost so much and will never be the same...we were quite content before we left.My far bigger regret however is coming back and sacrificing my family to be a 'good daughter'. Thanks for reading this, know there are no easy answers but would love to hear any input or if anyone has had a similar experience. xxx

oops, sorry. Just read back and saw who it was. thanks again x

thanks for that, sounds perfect. Please could you tell us who you used, thay sound excellent. Thanksx

would you mind p m ing me the shippersdetails. thanks alot

hi, would you be able to say how much you were quoted for that little lot. Many thanks, trying to decide what to take and leave !!!

Thanks Alaska, will have a look !so much to look into !!

Hi, the job is in Kedron.

Hi to all.we are currently on the sunshine coast and looking to move to the redcliffe area . Looking at Scarborough as my other half has a job in north Brisbane .would be great if anyone knows the area or even lives there to give us the heads up on areas to live or not live, school and so on. I am Judy,my partner is Ann.Marie and we have three kids aged 9,6and 3 Any help or advice greatly appreciated and once we arrive would be great to meet us with any other New arrivals - Judy

Hi, can anyone point u in the right direction to get a loan? We have tried NAB (our bank), but they have to verify where the money is going, but we need it for to move house...covering removal fees, new bond and first months rent etc. Alot of other institutions seem the same, and we don't want to go down the road of some dodgy lending company with stupid interest rates!! We are currently on the sunshine coast, and my partner has been offered a job in Brisbane, but we do not have the savings to move.

hi, what a strong post. Just wanted to add that I have psoriatic arthritis, very similar to Rheumatoid, and i havebeen very disappointed in how i seem to be worse here !! Not sureif its the cold, unheated winters or the atmospheric pressure but have been worse than for ages ! Goodluck to you x

hi,have you included photo's? We did , i personally got the idea that it was the whole evidence together rather than any one section. As Cass said they want reassurance that you won't split up.we included cards we sent toeach other and from other people.

hi, we did a same sex defacto as well, sounds like you have loads of stuff . As far as the commitment thing we did our statements and also got friends and family to write statements about our relationship.That included our mums. wishing you lots and lots of luck .

hi,if you put into the search sunshine coast ex pats it should come up. good luck and hope to meet up in oz !

Hi, we have booked a holiday let at Maroochydore. I found Stayz quite expensive. As people on here have said the real estate agents are good, we have booked with Norm Martin real estate but also very reasonable was http://www.takeabreak.com.au and http://www.homeaway.com.au. I also found the tourist information centres websites to be good...and i have spent HOURS on the internet ! Where are you heading?

hi to all, myself and my partner are off to the sunshine coast this april with our three kids! Seema nice bunch and meet up quite regularly! See you in april !

HI, yes we have just joined sunshine coast ex pats and they seem very friendly. Have been so helpful re all sorts of things! Hope to meet up when we get there, think it is very important..especially for the children!

Hi, sounds good..I used to live and work in Sydney and loved it but when we all went back on a reccie in feb last year it was way too busy!! No we are certainly not travelling light! Have three kids 8,5 and 2 and are sending a container out. Currently trying to chuck the rubbish out but it is hard! we will be staying in cotton tree.

Hi mrspotatohead! We are off to the sunshine coast in april! Where abouts in the sunshine coast are you based ? We are starting in Maroochydore but not sure where we will end up due to where the work is! How is it up there compared to Sydney ? Quiet i bet!