bungeeman

That's a good point cal... It would be our own place which we would no longer be using. We were thinking along the lines of 6 monthly rentals- by which time the pets would arrive and then people could start looking for something longer term? just an idea at this stage though.

Hi everyone. Been a long time! Hope you are all well! We just wanted to put something out there to all prospective migrants... Wife and I are considering renting out a property for those migrating who are in need of furnished accommodation which is PET FRIENDLY. As migrants ourselves, we struggled to find anywhere when we first migrated that had everything we needed when we arrived (as all our things were in transit) and allowed dogs. Things like ironing boards, kids cot, cutlery, pots, pans, iron, kettle and toaster etc. were all things we needed and had to buy when we arrived. We figured by having a place that was a short to mid-term lease that had all essentials, with bills included, Internet etc. plus allowed pets would take a lot of stress off people who are making the move. Just wanted to know people's thoughts and whether this would be something in demand? Look forward to your thoughts

Oh dear I think some people have missed the satire within my post here. If you read some of my previous posts here you would no doubt realise that my words here are meant as a lighthearted read and nothing more. For those that seem to have taken a personal offence to my witterings, you have my humblest and sincerest apoligies that we don't share the same sense of humour. It is unlikely, I'd suggest, that we would share a a pint down the local brew hole- but I guess that's what makes this world all the more interesting to live in. For those whom have previously read my murmurings and enjoyed them, there will be another post-in-jest towards the end of the month/start of October as the aforementioned parents in law return to us from their road trip- and I start my new job. Tatty bye for now.

Ship her off to Sydney a week after she arrives! Simples!! Ok so the last week spent with my over-bearing Mother in-law wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. I survived. And more importantly, so did she. So in what should have been a week of relaxation as our first break away from work since moving to Oz turned out to be one of the most tiring weeks I have had yet! Aside from stepping out of my everyday work shoes and into those of a bloody tour guide, I was also a designated driver for the majority of the time as, coincidentally, the dates of their visit to us also fitted in nicely with my wife's birthday week. Yes, week. Aside from her reverting back to her methods of teaching my 23 month old son - she was ok in the scheme of things (and that's as much of a compliment as I'm willing to give). That said we did revisit some of the things my wife and I did when we first came over together on holiday 4 years ago. Caversham Wildlife Park being the highlight as my son got to molest many kangaroos and very nearly stole a lizard from the hands one of the volunteers hands (I guess it looked tasty to a sub 2 year old?!). He even made friends with a hugely overweight wombat. The temptation to throw the old lady in with the dingos wasn't as great as I would have anticipated - although it did cross my mind at the time. And as we sat watching the farm show with a true outback stockman cracking his whip, I couldn't help but think of the cat-o-nine-tails on board a pirate ship as being a well thought out punishment. We did take advantage of the free babysitting service whilst we could, and I treated wifey to a night out at the cinema on her Birthday. I did say free babysitting, however the cost of the cinema more than made up for the saving. $230 later, we had watched the film of my missus' choice. I'm sorry, did you say $230?! Yes, yes I did. And no, I wasn't financing the film in Hollywood. This is the price of a night out at 'Gold Class'. A once in a blue moon occurence I would suggest. But she enjoyed it, as did I, so I don't really mind spending out that once in a while. Maybe. Ouch. So one week after arriving, the set sail- well flew- over to the eastern states to inflict themselves upon the poor unsuspecting Sydney-siders and Brisbanians(?) for a coupe of weeks. They are driving up to Brizzy from Sydney and have no planned itinery for the way ('Wolf Creek', anyone?). Then they are heading back to us for the 23rd, which nicely fits in to my plans for my wedding anniversary. If I had any plans. I best get onto that. How to solve a problem like a hubby unprepared for his wedding anniversary.....?? Watch this space. Bungee

Thanks mate. I try to be as down to earth with it all as I can be. As I said previously, I've always wanted to live in Australia since I was very young I knew that. I've spent many hours watching documentaries, relocation programmes, looking at realestate websites, online food shops like coles and woolies to guage prices and researched loads of jobs for an average wage figure for the industry I work in. I know a reasonable amount about the history of the country and have dedicated a lot of hours researching places, people facts and figures. I would almost say I was possible one of the best researched ex-pats to move to Oz (maybe) - certainly one of the most well informed. And yet, even with all that preparation and planning- nothing really prepares you for living and working in a place, leaving all you know behind and starting afresh. It's hard enough to move between counties in the UK (which I did in my youth) let alone the other side of the earth. That said, it is only a 20 hour plane ride away!

Hey all, just spotted this in the news today and thought it would be useful info for those coming over on a 457 Visa... http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/18877591/wa-premier-defends-457-visa-school-charge/ Bungee

The uniform isn't that exciting anyway - although it did look good on at my fitting- even if I say so myself!

Of course.... here you go....

For being AWOL for so long. It has been almost one whole year since my last observational piece of writing about our lives in Perth- and I can't apologise enough for that. I appreciate that (judging by comments of the past) a few of you enjoyed reading my news & dilemmas of our adventures here since moving to WA but I assure you, I haven't forgotten you! I have attempted to immerse myself in this country's lifestyle, and seem to be more and more comfortable with the social side of things here. I have taken to wearing a wide brim Akubra almost everywhere I go (with exception of the gym- the damn thing won't stay on whilst I'm bench pressing/ jogging/ admiring the guns in the mirror) so on such occasions my beloved hat remains in the car (I say car, I mean Ute). Now whilst this might be a more unusual fashion accessory to be permanently nestled on the top of ones head, it does also serve a very valid purpose of preventing my pasty, white and somewhat reflective skin from becoming more of a 'sausage sizzle-esque' tone. For those not in the know a sausage sizzle is a barbecue selling, wait for it -sausages - in rolls to the general public in a bid to raise money for their chosen charity/ sporting club etc. Usually based outside of a local DIY warehouse on a weekend. A good idea I feel and have enjoyed one or two myself. And at $3 a pop -not a bad price either. And it seems they are untouched by health and safety pencil necks who would otherwise do everything in their power to close it down in the UK. Plus I walk away feeling like I have made an impact in supporting a local communities' cause. But I digress..... the hat. So the hat is a firm favourite of mine and it is worn everyday without fail. Not only does it keep the sun off the bonce, it also keeps the rain from going down my neck when I am out walking the dogs. 'So one year on and how are things?' I hear you ask...... pretty damn good actually. You may recall around this time last year, I was about to enter into a job which I thought would be job of the century. Turns out it was not and I turned it in after 3 months and moved into another role in security for a different employer. Since August I have been with 4 different employers in the security industry, and the one thing I have learnt from each of these roles is that..... the security industry is sh*t. Which if I'm honest, I knew all along. Don't get me wrong, there are some good areas to be working in and I know some people are very successful within the security world, however, having befriended a couple of directors of such companies - it turns out you are on call 24/7 should any of your staff let you down. I am currently working as a supervisor at a University here in WA. Still in the security game, but the people who run the department... well, to coin a phrase, couldn't organise a shag in a brothel. And to be honest, my mind has been elsewhere since applying to re-join the career I left behind in the UK- a Policeman officer. My application has been in with WA Police since last year, and after many hoops being jumped through, and many months of agonising wait, I finally have a start date of 30th September. So, whilst after leaving the UK force- no service - I thought I would try other things and see how I get on. Turns out I would rather be rolling in the gutter with drunken idiots than sitting with my thumb in the proverbial non- sun shiny place. In all honesty, I have missed it. I am hoping after my 3 month transitional training at Joondalup academy I might be posted into the arse end of nowhere- way out in the bush (or country as it's known. There honestly is more the this singular 'bush' Australians speak of in the outback). So here's hoping for some red dirt action soon. The wife and Son are both doing well. She's postponed her catering business thingy at the moment and is working admin for the time being, but we still hope to purchase a café in the not too distant future. We figured lets get ourselves our own house first - which we are indeed doing as we are building a new place in Yanchep which will hopefully get started before this year is out. My son has taken to kicking a 'footy' about the house and enjoys sport very much. He is scarily good at it too. Very accurate and powerful nearly took out one of daddy's beers in the lounge (disaster afoot as that is a heinous crime in these parts - to spill a beer) - and not even two years old yet! Could daddy retire in a few years time?! And now the mother-in-law. I'm sure those of you whom have read my previous posts would be looking forward to an update on the old witch. Well seeing as the only interaction we've had with her is via Skype, she is far beyond my reach and as such is in good health. However, one week today the in-laws will be joining us for their first visit to Australia. I'm considering moving out for a while. They're over here for a month in total, but they have friends in Brisbane, so I am desperately hoping they visit the eastern states sooner rather than later in their trip, so I don't end up going all Chuck Norris on her ass- and I don't mean growing a manly beard and bouffant hair. And the police don't allow facial hair anyhow. So in a nutshell that's the past 12 months for us. We are settled in now and enjoying the fruits of our move- literally I eat grapefruit and fresh orange everyday! And even with some ups and downs, side to sides and a bit of whinging, crying and sleepless nights - the wife still snores - we are 100% happy with our decision and wouldn't change it. I know it doesn't always work out for a lot of people and I have read such stories on this site, but all in all we are living a great life here! Take care y'all. See you next time

We're building on the new golf estate!

Well guys just a quick update from me but it's nice to see you're all doing well. Sorry I've not been on much but it truly has been a manic year and 4 months since moving to Perth! The family and I are loving things in WA and are living in Jindalee at the moment. Taken a time to get settled but we're well underway now and about to build a house in Yanchep. I've been doing a few security based jobs to tide me over until my police application got processed and finally, after many hoops and 8 months of waiting, I start with WA Police on 30th September! Things have progressed well for us and we have no regrets whatsoever. Even have my inlaws coming over next week so I may even get back to writing comical anicdotes as a stress outlet for me dealing with the mother-in-law!!

I guess the obvious things would be family, close friends etc. I personally haven't found it as hard as my wife did as she had a closer relationship with her family and 4 really close friends which I know she misses. That said- to put it all into perspective, being older, married with kids etc. it's not like they used to meet up that often anyway - even when they lived just an hour away. No amount of preparation can get you ready for a complete life turn around- and you can't just take 30+ years of life you've built and plonk it on the other side of the planet and hope to continue- it doesn't work that way. You are literally starting all over again- relationships, friends, work colleagues, new jobs, new places, new homes. Which is also the exciting part, but it is also very daunting for most people. I have been very lucky as I've wanted to move here since I was very very young, so for me I'm living the dream I've always had. One of the biggest differences to the UK I would say is lifestyle. It can be a lot more sociable here - depending on your standard of socialising at the moment - but the weather certainly enables you to be more outdoorsy which was a massive selling point for us. Don't get me wrong, weather is no reason to up sticks and move alone- but I'm happier knowing that we're not inside every night watching the tv and my son will feel more inclined to play outside rather than playing playstation or similar. They have a lot of parks and open spaces here and a lot of them have public barbecues overlooking some really beautiful spots including beaches. Christmas day last year was spent round a friends house relaxing drinking, eating and playing in the pool and all of our families loved it! It was a great day topped off with champagne on the beach at sunset! People on the whole I would say are happier here. And we're better off both personally and financially but you really have to weigh it all up. It's not been an easy ride -not by a long shot and it's not all beaches, barbecues and surfing. That certainly exists, but you have to work hard as well. The absolute biggest difference though is that here in Western Australia it really is work to live attitude as opposed to live to work that the UK seems to have adopted. Yes, you work hard, but most employers here that I have come across promote family life & a work/ life balance. Another difference is distance. You cannot gauge the vast distances in this country until you're here. To put it into perspective, Australia will fit the whole of Western Europe and Britain into it, with room to spare. And WA is one third of the entire country. ITS HUGE!

Yeah we love it here. Did you reccy WA when you came to Australia? So you have an idea on where to live if you make the move? It's never the same working as it is holidaying and nothing can prepare you for the move in reality. All the prep and research and we still found things hard. But it's all been worthwhile in the long run and both my wife and I agree we would never return to the UK.

Hi Jenny, As I mentioned I moved here on my wife's Visa (chef) and applied from here, so the questions I faced may or may not be similar. But essentially in the panel interview they will be looking to draw on your husbands experience (particularly looking for answers relating to front line issues and how he would deal with them). One example I can think of is consider a scenario that a burglary has taken place at a shop in an area which has been subject to a lot of these crimes lately, one man has been caught, the other has run away- what are your next steps? So in my experience it was practical working based questions but there wasn't that many to answer. They also sat me in a room on my own with just a desk and I had 15 minutes to write a mini biography about myself and had to mention competency based stuff and other personal skills and experience that I would be bringing to WAPol. There will be a psychological interview where they may probe into some of the answers given on the psych test. I will reiterate also that the fitness test can be the thing that catches a lot of people out. Firstly the shuttle run is over a 20 METRE course here as opposed to the 15 metre they use in the UK forces. However the main thing that catches people out is the agility test as like I did - people think 'it's just running in and out of some cones'. Which I agree it is, but there is a bit of technique to it which can save you valuable seconds when doing this run. All but one of the applicants on my test that failed on the fitness test, failed on the agility side of things. As I say it wasn't because they were unfit- on the contrary one of them was a marathon runner - the other ex military- it was just the technique failed them- so I would urge your husband to set up the course in a park and run it with someone timing him. The other big piece of advice I can give - and forgive me as I don't know your personal circumstances - but research everything you can about moving here. Houses, areas, jobs, cars, prices of everything etc. The police will provide your husband a job if successful on this side, but they don't pay moving fees (shipping, flights etc) so research is a real biggie and most of the answers can be found from the helpful folk on here. I know someone who fell foul when costing up the move as his wife struggled to get a job and the initial outlay in moving here can be expensive- we ourselves absolutely haemorrhaged money when we got here - and we both worked full time from the off. Cars, renting, deposits, travel, food and bills are all things to consider. That said, it's a great place to be and your husband has already done well to get this far in the selection as the criteria is very competitive. I wish you both good luck with it all and If I can help with anything else, give me a yell!

Hi All its been a very long time since I've posted on here but a lot has happened since my wife and I moved to Perth with our son in May last year. We came on my wife's visa as she's a chef, and I was a police officer in the UK. Despite waiting years for another WA police international recruitment- it didn't happen so we opted to move out here and then for me to apply and join WAPol once we got settled. That didn't happen straight away as I had other opportunities. But now I am in the final stages of a 'lateral entry' application having passed all assessments I am just waiting on a start date. firstly let me tell you that the wheels turn very slowly in WA. My application went in back in November 2012 and I'm only just heading towards a start date- which will likely be September or October. For those who were unsuccessful, there may be a number of reasons. I know that there was over 600 applications for 250 positions so competition will be high. Anybody who has less than 3 years or more than 10 will most likely be unsuccessful as this is the target period of service they want to recruit for. Also if your application had any alterations, tipp-ex, mistakes or crossing out, you would most likely be unsuccessful. There are a whole range of things they could be critical of, but you will not be told. Those who were successful, I would strongly recommend practising the agility test. Doesn't look like much, but has caught out a lot of people and a fair few failed on my physical assessment. When you turn up for the interview- be clean shaven as beards are a no-no in WA Police. The assessment isn't overly taxing but the beep test is a real test of one's fitness. If you haven't taken one in a while I recommend practising and doing some training to improve on it. Bear in mind the WA bleep test is a 20 metre course as opposed to the UK standard 15 metre course- and believe me, that extra 5 metres makes a difference to the pace. If you were unsuccessful, they may well be holding another international recruitment in the not too distant future as they are trying to increase numbers here with the rapid expanse of the metro area. As per the last recruitment they may well invite applicants to attend Perth for assessments (which can be done over 3 days) as opposed to WA Police coming to London for the testing. That way the expense is on you, but I met 2 guys on my physical who did just that! If anyone has any questions on this I am happy to answer what I can from someone who has gone through it all. Cheers Bungee UPDATE: - Start date with WAPOL is 30th September!! Very happy indeed!