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

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!

Thank you all! I do appreciate your comments and am very pleased you find my musings entertaining. I do think of myself as very fortunate and hope that my postings really do give a realistic picture of life here, which I hope helps people make informed decisions about their futures here. Especially as this move takes its toll in many ways it's not just the cost implications there are many other things that you may not even think of... @candygirl- no the shark idea hasn't come to fruition yet... However if they do decide to come out for 3 months I may be tossin myself into shark infested waters!!

Haha! Well I like to entertain! More to come soon...

You're very welcome. Rest assured we will not be one of the 60% statistic of the poms returning!

Thank you. So far (mostly) so good. Just keeping it real!

Well I've got Christian Bale sat in the corner of mine dressed as Batman. Oh. Wait. No I haven't. I. WANT. THAT. IN. MY. HOUSE!!!

G'day (means hello) hope you're all having a great weekend! I write this whilst enjoying a tuna sanga (means sandwich) whilst working out my final week in my current role as a security gopher-come-floormat. As you can tell from my new found linguistics, my time sat 12 hours a go behind some desk of a bank in the CBD has not been wasted. And I hope to be fluent in Australian very soon. And you thought they all spoke English didn't you?! However the days of 12 hours shifts and 60 hour weeks shall be short lived (less than 10 weeks to be precise) as I have landed myself a rather good job- still within the CBD area but for a lot less hours, more responsibility and more money. So when asked would I like to accept the role- the answer was swift in coming, and a complete no-brainer. So as of Monday 13th August I shall be in security management! Which is brilliant as it means Monday to Friday on the whole so more time with the wife and Son- which, let's face it- was our main motivation for moving here! It also means that I may command a little more respect than the turd on someone's shoe treatment, which I get from a lot of the workers here in the bank (thankfully not the people I work with). But bear in mind that, in the age of technology, where the entry and exit into this building is controlled by swipe (or proxy) cards (yes, CARDS), you'd be surprised of the number of "brains" in this institution, who have tried to swipe themselves in or out with a PAPER visitors pass!! And yes, these are the intelligent folks with degrees and business diplomas blah, blah, yawn... perhaps more worryingly- your money is in the not-so-capable hands of thse very people!! You'd also be surprised at the number of people who come to me complaining "someone's parked in MY bay"- meaning they've had to walk an extra 10 feet to an automatic elevator, to step onto an automatic escalator. Boo friggin' hoo! Like I give a sh*t. These people would have a travellator belt like the airports do all the way to their desk if they could! Does this happen the higher up in management you get? I best be careful in my new role then, or else I'll be applying for a zip line from my bed- 30k into the CBD! I don't think the architecht behind this building was none too clever either. As I sit here typing this, there are 3 guys contracted to apply flooring to the walls of the lobby... Maybe it's art?! And- when it rains, there is a delightful indoor water-feature, or leak as it's commonly known, which would quite nicely soak any visitors seated in the waiting area of the concierge. Genius really. Speaking of art.....just last weekend, the curator of the bank hung, what is alleged to be art, on the walls behind me and the walls up on the first floor. 95% of which is utter, utter poo. The one directly behind me looks identical to a piece I did as a 5 year old, blowing paint with a straw. But hey, I'm no art critic. On a separate note, and taking a breath here, my wife has also scored herself a Monday to Friday job in the catering industry which again means more family time for us which is great news! Since my last post, my son has now entered into day-care (means nursery) with more frequency and is enjoying a stable diet of chalk and sand whilst participating in many activities including throwing, slapping and synchronised crying. I think the latter should be an olympic sport! He could easily win the gold! (Hey Australia need them eh?) *ouch And talking of the Olympics (am I still allowed to use that word or has it been trademarked by the IOC? Now rendering me use of the term 'large sporting event taking place in London for 2 weeks and causing chaos that I don't really give a monkey's toss about?') from this end of the world it looks very glamourous and seductive does London..... although from most shots of the main Olympic Stadium in Stratford, if you were to go about 10km directly behind it's a right royal shi*hole! Oh East London, how I miss thee! Although I must say I have caught the vast majority of the opening ceremony on repeat here (ahem, and in 3D I'll add) and I am impressed. No, seriously. Left wing, Right Wing blah blah blah I don't care. The ceremony was good I thought. My favourite part being the musical eras from 60s through to the noughties! Loved it. Well done Mr. Boyle (although I still can't bring myself to watch '127 hours'. I'd have to skip straight to the arm-sawing-with-a penknife- bit as, let's be honest, it's what we all came to see). The G4S security farce has been well documented on this side of the water too- much to my mild amusement as this is the same company which the government over there is (or at least, was) looking to privatise some of the police force (I know 'service' blah blah "Ben we think you need a diversity course" blah blah). Now I hope that this monuental cock up has safely placed the G4S becoming police officer thing to rest in file #13- aka the bin! But more about our antics...... We have this week just gone purchased a second car-well UTE (means pick-up truck) which I am very happy with. It now means that when the dogs do arrive, rather than getting covered in tumbleweeds of Husky hair blowing through from the rear of the car and no doubt swallowing some along the way forcing a gag reflex and potentially life-threatening driving conditions, we can now seal them away in the rear tray of the double cab ute, and just brush and/or hose it out when it gets covered in crap and hair, without any danger of hair transferrance (should that be transFURance?!*) to the cab! *Thanks I'm here all week On the downside, our other car seems to have started mis-firing whist the wife was coming home having finished early on Friday! she needn't have bothered as the fannying about collecting her from the garage she stopped at afforded us no more time together. Not her fault I know. But a bummer for us! And the car thing is not such good news in light of the fact we've only owned it for just over 2 months! But thankfully it's still under warranty, so anything more complex/ expensive than new spark plugs is covered. Thank God! But things seem to be coming together very nicely for us. I even managed to find time to see the new Batman film with a mate of mine. And it was fantastic! Not just the film- but the night out which is a first for a long time! And I consumed what can only be the biggest frozen Coke ever! MMMMMMM mmmmmmm! And yes, I do feel very lucky because- all joking aside, a lot of people come here and struggle to find jobs, homes etc and don't have the start we have had since arriving. And yet this is only our 12th week in the country (which we tend to forget now and again) and we've been welcomed with open arms and we've had opportunity land at our feet. That's not to say we haven't worked for them as 8 years in each of our chosen careers has afforded us the experience which has given us an edge in the jobs we applied for. So really, to reach these places we are at have been a long time coming. That said, it really hasn't been easy for us. Verity has had an emotional wobble here and there and bouts with feelings. Not so much home sickness, but when you move to a new place and you're husband/ patner isn't around for a lot of the time, it makes it harder to settle and feel at home. Plus not having a routine as you're used to it, seeing people as you were really puts your karma out of balance. But now with the time we'll get together -she'll be sick of the sight of me and will attempt to smother me with a pillow whilst I snore- soundly asleep. The work schedule for us also means we can spend more time socialising with some good friends we've made since our arrival here and we are looking forward to this beyond belief as we haven't socialised in any great measure simply due to our working lives being at total opposites! So for those moving here or hoping to- VERY IMPORTANT.... Firstly, seriously think about why you want to come to Australia. What's motivating you to get here and what you want out of it. But be realistic. You won't necessarily buy a mansion on the beach and surf and BBQ everyday. That's not real life. And we've always known that. Do your research and ask advice from those who are actually here in the country now and get advice from more that 1 perspective. When arrive and start work get yourself a routine and make time to see friends. As we've found it can be difficult to make time, but it really will make the whole transition that much easier for you. We're now arranging BBQs, days out etc. Even just to visit them and watch the footie of an evening will be brilliant! I still maintain that this is a great country, with great people and a fabulus lifestyle, but you will get out what you put in. A little effort goes a long, long way! And for us, we just have remind ourselves where we are, why we came, and what we want out of life. And that far out-weighs any doubts we've had in our minds. Right I must go and clean off my jacket which is now plastered in tuna fish. I bid you farewell. All the best

Hi we are doing very well thank you! To answer your question- looking at the very top of my post- it seems that post I submitted on the 8th December 2011. Our medicals were finalised on the 2nd December 2011 following the submission of our form and our Visa was granted on the 12th-so ours took 10 days to come through. I wouldn't by any means read anything into our timeline though, or anyones for that matter as they are all different and as such everyone has different circumstances. Ours for example was delayed by a few months 1) because the state sponsorship occupations in demand list was updated and the procedures changed (which I think has happened again since we got ours) and 2) we had a baby during our application which further delayed things as we had to wait for him to be born before we could complete the medicals. And of course processing times will vary month to month and state to state. As it turns out, we contacted the health undertaking who informed us we need do nothing in relation to the referral. Which was a bonus! I hope this answers your question Cheers Ben

So as it turns out, they're not. And apparently working shifts- especially night shi*s- I mean shifts, ages people. Now that's a side effect I can ill- afford! I already tell people I had a tough paper round. Convincing them it was delivering the daily sport to troops in the Gulf war I don't think is gonna hold weight. Still it's money at the end of the day. And I work in the CBD which isn't half bad. As central city districts go it's quite a good looking one. On a score of 1 to Nigella Lawson (yes, I think she's attractive) I score her about an 8. Hong Kong was nice albeit a bit smoggy. But you couldn't fault the cleanliness on the ground. For example the underground train system, before I could register we'd arrived at our stop and engage my smog-ridden brain, there was some dude in a face mask, ushering me out of the way and wiping down the handrail I'd been holding. Presumably with some kind of disinfectant, as if I was harbouring bubonic plague! Maybe it was a racial thing- white Westerner = disease. And maybe he had a point.... Mad cows, bird flu, swine flu......mad chicken soup! And many other infections the British tourist carries (they should head to Thailand once in a while. I'm sure many British tourists in Bangkok have different forms of infection that would drop a chinese train cleansers jaw or two). Still there was no litter that I remember and I never felt so safe. Oh and I must tell you- we've moved to Jindalee- a suburb which is Ocean Side of one of the main roads. Fantastic. Walk to the beach in 10 minutes, there's a gym, childcare, shops etc almost literally on our doorstep. Great place albeit a bit far from the city but it's a comprise worthwhile I think. I've been successful at an interview for another job which would be a 38 hour working week (yes,38) which is quite a bit less than I'm on at the moment- and for better money too. Oh and no nights! So whilst I knew a job, any job was a must- we just needed to get the dollars rolling in. And don't get me wrong I am very grateful for being able to work as I know lots of people are struggling both in the UK and from stories I read on here, Australia too- it will be lovely to secure a role where I can look forward to weekends off, get more time with my wife and Son, and have a routine again. And in all seriousness I think that's what a lot of people crave. When you leave to UK as well as everything else- you also leave your routine behind- and that can be a tough thing to get over as that's the familiarity, the comfort zone that causes a lot of home sickness I reckon. My wife had a spat of homesickness the other night she said- but now we've settled in our new house, we've both got better jobs on the horizon with better working hours, we can then find that piece of Australia we moved here for- the family life. Having said that- my desire to continue my surf lessons has somewhat died a death since WA has seemingly become a haven for man-eating sharks. 5 fatalities since September- one last weekend- Western Australia is now officially the deadliest place on earth to be in the water. Except maybe the Thames. Pretty sure that's toxic. Some poor guy was surfing and got bitten in half! And whilst I genuinely have every sympathy for his family and his girlfriend- I think that anybody who goes in the waters here is fully aware it's a risk, and one I'm currently not willing to participate in. Before we came to Oz I was trying to convince the wife you'd be more likely to be hit by lightening than bitten by a shark. Now I wouldn't like to place a bet on either- there's been some pretty spectacular storms here of late. That said the water is Sharkey's domain. So if we stay on terra firma I'm pretty sure we'd be safe. Unless the sharks evolve and start attacking shoppers in Joondalup mall. Although judging by some of the clientele that could be a blessing. Every cloud. So on the downside both wife and Son are snotty (bloody flu's set in good and proper over here- I've had it) So I'm not sure how much time I want to be near them both currently! The boy sneezes and it's like a snot filled Russian roulette! Just don't be holding him when he fires- or be able to duck at lightning speed! Every sneeze is a snail trail at the moment! Poor thing! Oh and he did projectile vomit over my poor wife (haha!) last friday just before bedtime- I was at work, so I guess night shifts can be advantageous! Walls, sleeves, carpets! Nothing was spared! As for the wife herself -Well a blocked nose just amplifies her snoring a few decibels! Good job we're now in a detached property! I hope this message finds you all well and shall provide a full, in-depth update of our goings on- including, snot, teeth, vomit and any other misplaced bodily function we happen across along our way! All the best Ben

You're very welcome. Glad to be of service. Now enjoy your tuesday!

Well I'm in security at the moment. Well it's more of a concierge role in the city. It's not a complete change of career per se, but it's a job for now and the money's not bad either. I am keeping my ear to the ground though and am hoping to complete a course to obtain a diploma in security and risk management in due course with a view to having my own company down the line. I think I need to make more contacts to embark on a complete change of career, which will come in time I think, mainly because most occupations here require experience and/or a certificate and/or qualifications in that field. One thing I have realised in my current role (which does involve night shifts) I would dearly like to work Monday to Friday with no night shifts so I can look forward to weekend with probably 85% of the population here and the time with the wife and kid. The unfortunate thing is the industry I worked/ work in dictates that it's a 24/7 operation. Bummer. I still hope to become a famous actor in time too- however the company I applied to never got in touch with me (despite more attempts by email on my part) so for now that's on ice. But like I say- I will keep an ear out. If anybody can think of a career for me- and someone who's willing to take me on- I'm open to offers.

Well I try Bob! haha! I definitely know the differences with quality and price of baby products now! Unfortunately deep pockets and short arms prevent me from buying my dream TV at the mo. Well that and the wife saying a house and food is more important- pffft! What does she know anyway! I seem to remember you like your fishing? We, well she, has just bought a fishing rod. And we've no idea what we're doing! haha! It's good fun though. Just trying to live this lifestyle the way it should be! 'No worries' as they say!

No sadly not.... first you have to do a course to get the recognised qualification. Cert II in security operations= $1500ish then you apply for the licence itself $415! Unfortunately, nothing like this is free. I was lucky due to my background that they RPL'd (recognition of prior learning) my skills so I didn't have to physically do the course as all my experience was satisfactory. I did have to complete an Australian first aid course though (UK qualifications in this area are NOT recognised). It takes around 4 weeks for the licence to arrive.