Emma2

Hi Mandy, I got my nursing qualification through the OU and worked for 5 years as a nurse in Queensland. It was a bit of a faff getting registered and took about six months but they definitely recognise it. (Well they did 7 years ago!) Good luck.

Hi there, We just moved back and had our 2 cats and 2 dogs flown back from Brisbane to London. If if I recall the rabies jab only needs to be done about 6 weeks before, maybe less? Ours had theirs in October and flew in January. We used Jetpets and they were absolutely brilliant. I couldn't fault them. They were really friendly and very helpful, I had to change the date of the animals travel but they did not mind at all. The man who collected our babies was lovely and even sent me a photo of them all just before they boarded and let me know that they were checked in with no issues. I had told him that I was concerned that my old dog wouldn't pass the vet check and I didn't want to get on our flight without knowing that my babies were safely onboard there's!all the animals arrived safely at Heathrow, they were all relaxed and happy, even our very nervous cat. The pet carriers they use are really large, they had far more room than we did in our seats ?. good luck with your move. Emma

I could have written this! This is exactly how I feel! We're making the move back in December. It's actually my husband who is the GP in our family and I have to say that the whole returners scheme is driving us mad and seems utterly ridiculous but if you time your return around the exam/simulated surgery then hopefully you wouldn't have to spend too long on a low income. Unfortunately we only worked that one out after we had booked our flights home!! I do worry about missing the weather but to be honest I find it far too hot here in the summer anyway and the fact that incomes are much lower in the uk is also hard but money isn't everything. I can't wait to be back near my family (my 9 year old can't wait to be near his grandparents again) and be around like minded people. I know people will disagree with my thoughts but we're all different and whats right for one person is not necessarily right for another. you have to go with your heart. Emma x

We're booked with Jetpets too, they've been great so far! We're paying $6200 for 2 medium dogs and 2 cats which I thought was pretty good.

Thanks for your input. I think maybe I'll aim more towards the Cheltenham area rather than Gloucester as this is what I've been hearing in general that Cheltenham is gorgeous, Gloucester docks are lovely but the rest of the city is not so hot! There's a really good school in Cheltenham that I'd like to try and get my son into so that would be perfect. I think really it's better to have a smaller house in a nicer area than a big house in a place that you don't really want to be. Its great thinking about our new adventure, never thought I'd be so excited about moving back to the UK! Thanks again Harpodom and H283

We're moving back to the Uk at the end of 2015 and are just trying to decide on areas. We moved out to the Gold Coast four years ago from Devon but would like to move to a different area when we go back. Devon is beautiful but a little bit quiet so we are thinking about moving a bit nearer to Bath and London. We narrowed it down to the Cheltenham/Gloucester area we think but are flexible. We would just like to be within an hour isn of Bristol and two hours (by train) from London. Would really appreciate any feedback from those who know the areas and any recommends. Thanks, Emma

Hi Wilson26, Thanks for that. We brought our two dogs out here four years ago and they were absolutely fine. I was worried sick about them travelleling and then they had to do 30 days in quarantine too but they were absolutely fine. I paid someone to visit them as soon as they arrived and they seemed really happy and relaxed and when we got them home they settled really quickly. I think that in relative terms they are not in transit for that long, bearing in mind that they sleep a lot and once they see you again at Heathrow all will be forgiven!! Emma

We also need to move our dogs back to the uk so would be very interested if anyone has recommendations.

Welcome, we moved to the Gold Coast 4 years ago. Husband is also a GP, we have kids and brought out 2 dogs so if you want to ask anything PM me and I'll try and help! Emma

Will miss: - Earning more money - Kangaroos and Cockatoos at the bottom of the garden - Trying to think of another one! Won't miss: - Australians - Mosquitos - The feeling that I just don't belong here

Not going back just yet, probably in 4 years time but good luck with your move back home. Edinburgh is such a gorgeous place to live. :cute:

Hi Annaliese, I'm an adult Community nurse and have been on the Gold Coast for a year now with my husband and kids. Firstly, nursing is a little frustrating here, definitely not more autonomy! It's not too bad in the community but I have friends who are hospital nurses and say that you're not allowed to use your knowledge & skills in the same way as the UK. I think basically you are restricted as to what you can do. A friend who works in ICU says she's not even allowed to put the blood sample in the blood gas machine and I don't think that you're able to make any decisions about the management of patients without discussing it with a doctor - and I'm talking about decisions that nurses would be expected to make in the UK. I have to say that this information is second hand but in my experience as a Community based nurse I am definitely restricted. In the UK I managed the Flu Vaccination Program for our area but here you have to undertake a course which costs at least $1000 to be able to give vaccinations without a doctor having seen the patient first. Of course you may find that it is quite different in other areas/states? It depends whether you are coming for career satisfaction or a change in lifestyle? Our kids love it here (15yrs, 13yrs & 6yrs) and have settled really well. The school which they go to is lovely but do push the kids a lot. My 6 year old has 2 different reading books every night and at least 1.5 hours of other homework a week! Having said that he absolutely loves it at the school. I have not found any negativity towards us for being English, to be honest there are such a large number of immigrants here that it is probably quite normal to see people from different countries move into the area. I think that it is one of the great things about Australia - meeting people from so many different places. One thing I would say about Australia(or at least the Gold Coast) is that it is not a cheap place to live. Food is expensive, clothes are quite expensive, make-up is ridiculously expensive! Water is expensive, so is the internet, rent and electricity! Don't mean to be negative but just something to consider. If you want to know anything else just ask and I'll try to answer. Emma :biggrin:

We've only been here a year and are on a temporary visa so would probably be ok for health care in the uk but I hadn't really thought about getting ill during transit! That is a good point, I don't really want to have to pay for the plane to be re-directed! or healthcare in HongKong and we are going to Paris for a couple of days so I guess I'd better just stop being tight and cough up for travel insurance!! I'll check out some of the recommendations. Thanks for your replies. Emma :biggrin:

I was just wondering what type of travel insurance people use when they return for a visit to the UK? I was looking up some prices and it seems really expensive for comprehensive insurance especially as we don't need medical cover for the uk as we are still uk citizens. I just really want to cover our possessions for when we're travelling. Any Ideas? Emma :unsure:

Yeh, I read that too afterwards. It was my vet that told me that they did not need to be treated for fleas and ticks if they were kept indoors. I think that the lady you are talking about had an outdoor cat as well so maybe he picked it up from her? Still it's better to be safe than sorry I guess?