Eclipse

Hi This will all depend on our job situation, we currently live in NSW, although we are happy here and have jobs, there are issues that we are unhappy with and have decided on a new start on the Gold Coast/Brisbane area.We are busy applying for jobs, as soon as one of us is successful, we will move, I am hoping it will be Gold Coast rather than Brisbane as I detest commuting. Once again, a good school is priority as we are very unimpressed with the one they are enrolled in just now. Unfortunately we are not of religion and cannot afford private education.If you have any advice on areas to avoid etc, that would be greatly appreciated Ozellis. The information already recieved has been very valuable to us.

Really appreciate your replies, thank you,, this gives me some more information to go on and places to avoid Pamela

Thank you for your reply, I will have a look, Helensvale is a nice area ! Pamela

Hi Jac2011 Hope someone can help us soon! We moved to NSW over a year ago, we moved close to my OH's work which was a mistake as the school designated to the area is really bad,don't want to make that mistake again! Pamela

Hi I am looking for some advice on High Schools on the Gold Coast. I have two girls one in Y8, the other Y10, would just like to know which schools to consider/avoid etc.. This may be a stupid question but do they have air conditioning in classes?, the reason I ask is, we currently stay in NSW and the girls sometimes struggle with the heat when it gets extreme and their current school has no air conditioning, not even fans!! Oh and, are there any public schools where the kids don't wear their skirts as belts! Thanks Pamela

Hi mackay My OH is a joiner/cabinetmaker, where he works has a high turnaround of joiners, why?, because the pay is rubbish, the company knows that as soon as someone leaves there is someone else looking for work, he has been there a year and seen so many come and go (mostly foreigners like ourselves). We are in NSW so may be different in Western Australia. I think you will find it near impossible to find a sponsership Wishing you all the best x

http://visa-go.com/ from Edinburgh

I would agree with Rupert, Central Coast is lovely but can be difficult to find work unless you commute to Sydney (not something I would like to do!). Lake Macquarie is beautiful and being closer to Newcastle more likely for you to find work.

We are in Killarney Vale (next to Bateau Bay) we love where we live on thelake and Terrigal is only a 15 minute drive. Terrigal is lovely, we often gothere. There are good bits and bad bits around here, Long Jetty is what I wouldconsider one of the not so good bits, The Entrance is nice but the Australianlocals tend to steer clear of it as it is full of the foreigners that theydon’t like (I don’t want to use offensive language and call them what theOzzies do!). There are plenty of shopping malls, Westfieldin Tuggerah, Stockton Bay Village in Bateau Bay and Erina Fair only a 20 minutedrive. The train station is also in Tuggerah. As I said before we love it herebut the schooling has become a huge issue for us. We are not fortunate enoughto afford private schools so my two daughters go to public school. This is onlymy opinion and I know public schools vary but I feel sometimes that they arethe bottom of the pile. We moved here half way through the school term, my eldestdaughter was put into year 8 (in the UKshe already started 3rd year- Oz equivalent to year 8) so she wasway ahead in Maths, French etc.. Because she started half way through a termthey only took into consideration the work she’d done since she started theschool so basically for 6 months instead of a full year and put her in lowerclasses. She went from being in top classes in UK to near bottom classes here,even though on her school reports from the UK they seen she was getting “F” foreverything. I phoned up the school and basically they done nothing. She nowcomplains that she is not learning anything because of the classes being rowdyand teachers not controlling their classes. Their homework doesn’t get marked because half the classdon’t bother doing it. My eldest finished her history assignment, teacher saidit looked good but won’t mark it as nobody else finished so she has to sit withnothing to do in her class until everyone else catches up, what is thatteaching her? I think you know it’s time for change when your child asksto go to another school as they want to learn! If you look at: http://www.myschool.edu.au you will find a lot of useful informationabout schools.

Hi Maggs Do not put you daughter into any of these schools, I have two daughters that attend Berkely Vale and am in the process of trying to get them out. I have so many issues with the school, I will only give you one example: my daughter is not a sporty person and took walking as her choice of sport, this, "walking" consisted of walking to the local chip shop where they were allowed to purchase chips, ice cream etc.. shocking!

http://www.stayz.com.au/

Hi bennyboy We are with NAB, we opened up our account in Uk then when we arrived went to the bank and got our cards, we have been into various nab banks for one thing and another and always found staff to be very helpful and internet banking is so easy to set up too (hope this is what you are looking for) best of luck :biggrin: x

We live on the Central Coast due to OH getting a job in Tuggerah, we have been here for nearly 7 months and I cannot get a job (admin). I have decided to look towards Sydney for employment (something which I really have tried to avoid), we may have to upsticks and move again which will really upset my kids having to move schools again but impossible to live on one wage here, it may be cooler, it may have great beaches but if you can't get work all those things are meaningless...

Been a joiner for 20 years now, now thinking of moving to Brisbane if $30+ is the going rate !

$18 an hour for joiner working in a workshop, having to work overtime to make a decent wage :arghh: in NSW - like to know where a joiner can earn $30, wasn't even offered that in Sydney !!