ChrisH1

I moved from the north of England to Melbourne in the 80's, having grown up in the south of England. You will never have the access to culture, history of the UK in Australia. You will never have the access to European countries and all that, that entails. I think only you can choose. For me it was easy, I could afford to feed my family buy a house and buy a car.

While Kennett did some good things. for example changing the left turn priority rule at intersections, I struggle to think of anything else. I worked in the Victorian health system when his government was in power. Ambulance and state health care was decimated, it took many years for both to recover. So much data was "lost" we will never know really what happened.

It would be a Medicare office, not CentreLink. Assuming you have a visa that entitles you to a Medicare card, the Medicare number can be provided at time of registration (that is all you need). The card can take upto 21 days, possibly longer during holiday periods. If you have UK nationality, and have not resided elsewhere in transit, emergency care in a public ED is free under the reciprocal rights agreement anyway. As it is for about another dozen countries. Some locations will require you to provide proof of nationality with a passport. In Queensland I think all public sexual health clinics are also free (certainly Cairns is) without any evidence of entitlement to healthcare. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

So i so I would suggest you consider: Freshwater, Stratford, Edge Hill or Whitfield. They are all mature inner suburbs. Each of these suburbs have better areas than others though. So I would suggest personally visiting, rather than renting off the internet if possible. The Steiner school provides a bus service from these suburbs to Kuranda, where it is located. See: http://chss.qld.edu.au/ Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

In the second paragraph that should be: "...beaches suburbs are lovely." Editing is problematic when using Tapatalk. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

We love Cairns. For us it is the perfect climate, lifestyle and professional opportunities. We have chosen to live in the urban suburbs, as it is <10 minutes home after an evening shift. Rather than the 20-40 minutes to the beaches or outer southern suburbs. Or 40-60+ minutes to the Atherton Tablelands. We feel that we are also better protected from cyclones. While some of the suburbs are lovely, I think that it will mean that you both will need motorised transport. Buses are not so nearly as well provided in Cairns, as the urban UK. Scooters or motorcycles are a real every day option here though. It is not so much difficult, but rather will take some flexibility and speedy responsiveness to get accommodation that is very good value for money. I would suggest that you start emailing, or even phoning real estate agents from the UK, so that you feature in their mind when something is coming on the market that may suit. I know hardly anything about schools on the beaches. Both our children are in an alternative Steiner school in Kuranda. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

There are several good caravan parks around. But stay away from Cairns Villa and Leisure. It has the reputation as one of the most frequently visited locations in Cairns by the police due to violence. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

I live in Cairns. We have a six year old and a four year old. How old are your children? Do you want to live in the city, on the beaches or in a more rural location? Rental property is not cheap in either Cairns or Townsville. Try http://www.realestate.com.au to try and get an idea of what you are likely to pay. But good properties generally have gone before they get listed on the web, so a relationship with a couple of good real estate agencies is the best way to get access to the best property. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

To answer your question directly, such information should be kept by the practice you attended. However, if you are looking for historical data, you may well require boosters of various immunisations to satisfy the educational institution you intend to stay at. See: http://www.immunise.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/content/Handbook10-home~handbook10part4~handbook10-4-11 as an example of decay in immunity over time. I suggest you go with best guess on what and when, and then consult a health professional with particular skills in immunisation practice. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

I have been here since 1986, settling first in Melbourne, and now living in far north Queensland. I have never been happier in my life. But, I think that it is time for you to go home. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

See: http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/biosecurity/weeds_and_pest_animals for an extensive list of prohibited plants and animals in SA. Alternatively, enter "prohibited and banned plants in South Australia" into Google for several PDFs. Every state has banned fauna and flora to protect the native environment, agriculture and horticulture. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

Generally speaking, flights booked with fixed departure date and time are cheaper than flexible options. In view of your father's age and depending on his overall health he should consider whether he should break the flight to permit sleep and some recovery. I suggest that he also talk to his GP about DVT prophylaxis. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

Best wishes, and welcome to Australia and Queensland. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

Best of luck. Melbourne in summer is wonderful. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

Dental care indeed is a private contract between patient and dentist. So cost is as negotiated. Private health insurance can be very selective on whether it covers all or some dental care. So look around if you plan on paying for private health cover. However, in some states basic dental care for children is covered via the school dental service. Also, for those with a very low income and a current health care card public dental care may be available via the public dental service. Lastly, some universities who offer degrees in dentistry also have outpatient dental clinics for the public. These are to offer clinical practice for the undergraduate students, and are overseen by lecturers in dentistry, and are obviously dentists. This is at a much lower cost than private dental care.. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

The award specifies the shift duration. We currently work under EB8, but EB9 has just been completed. There are strict rules on shift duration and how many can be worked without days off. There are also rules on how many weekends can be worked in any month. It is possible for employers to request for shift patterns to be altered, but the employee has to agree in writing. There are also strict rules on break frequency and duration. Put "Queensland eb8" into Google to read the PDF version. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

The current Queensland Health public pay rates are at: https://www.health.qld.gov.au/hrpolicies/wage_rates/nursing.asp These basic rates would be supplemented by unsocial hours loading, eg. evening and night shifts, weekend rates, and public holiday (bank holiday) loading. I have no idea about the private system. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

The awards that govern remuneration are state and territory specific. Which area are you considering living? Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

Sounds to me as if you travelled in grey nomad season. There certainly is such a thing. With the risk of taking some flak, grey nomads can be quite aloof, and as a massive generalisation may be disinclined to tolerate children readily. This is only for a few months of the year. About now (September) we have a much greater preponderance of European backpackers in smaller camper vans. Next will be the families. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

You mention that your wife will be visiting the hospital. If she is registered health professional she will need professional liability insurance. The easiest way to do that is through the relevant professional college, union or association. This is extra to that offered by Queensland Health who run Cairns Hospital or Ramsay Health who run the private hospital a few blocks down: Cairns Private Hospital. She will also need to factor in the AHPRA registration costs, and the inevitable delays in registration due to the difficulties in communicating with AHPRA. And while on the subject the cost of annual AHPRA obligatory continuing education - but mot of that can be done at a very low cost via the online resources available via Clinicians Knowledge Network (CKN) if working for QH. Chris

Oh yes, and if you have school age children, or soon to be: If visa does not cover access to children's education, school costs Preschool school and after school care costs Other child care costs Private education is much more common in Australia than UK, I gather, so private school fees (public school here means the largely free state system). Chris Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

A quick list of additional things off the top of my head: Transport costs from the area you plan to live in to proposed place of work. Vehicle purchase costs Vehicle registration and insurance costs Vehicle fuel costs Driving license costs when you need to transfer to a Queensland license Utilities costs for accommodation Health insurance if your Visa does not immediately allow for Medicare card Home and contents insurance in a cyclone prone area Chris Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

I don't have one, but see: http://www.productreview.com.au/p/gardenline-aldi-petrol-mower.html Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

I have lived in Cairns for 7 years with my wife, we have a 6yo daughter and 3yo daughter. I have also lived in Melbourne, Ballarat, Gold Coast and Merimbula. I have travelled extensively throughout Australia with work. Cairns is a regional city in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. Boring I suggest is a state of mind. If you are looking to pursue the Australian obsession of sport (for which I have no time) then you would need to be in a capital city. If you have interest in European renaissance art then you won't find any here - try Florence. Alternatively, if you are interested in a regional local music scene, with excellent regional size venues and artists to match Cairns could be your place. If you are looking for surf - there isn't any. If your looking for wonderful diving and excellent sea fishing Cairns is your place. If your looking for wonderful bush, it surrounds most capital cities, but Cairns does tropical, eucalypt and rain forest in easy driving. 16% of Cairns population is indigenous. The disadvantage certainly creates more homelessness and concomitant violence. However of urban areas, the most dangerous parts of Queensland are Fortitude Valley in Brisbane and Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast. I do not think that Cairns has any more violence then a typical regional city in Australia, but I don't have stats for that. I would strongly suggest that you visit any location before you commit your family to settling there. The difference between an English town or city and Australia can be stark and confronting. Many things are the same, yet many things are very different. Everyone has a different set of criteria for those aspects of their life that have to be satisfied. Feel free to list them here, and those of us who live here can give you our highly subjective opinions on how and why we live in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. Personally I have no plans to ever leave Cairns. Regards Chris

I have a wonderful life. I live in far north Queensland, where everyday I see people who have travelled half way around the world to see where I call home. However, I know several people who also lived here, but with different expectations and aspirations have decided to return to the UK. So I think it is very important to have a very clear understanding of: what you want; what you are prepared not to have; and what different experiences and opportunities in Australia will successfully replace those that could have been realised in the UK. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk