australia94

Thanks for all the replies. I think what threw me so much is having parents of the children thanking me for all the work that I have done over the years and the impact they feel I have had on their children. Also had my Grandad in tears today as it was my daughters birthday. He's 85 and has always supported us going. He gave my daughter her present then took himself outside. I went out to see if he was ok and he was sat down crying, before saying that it is probably the last time he was ever going to be able to do this. It was heart breaking to see a man that was and still is a father figure to me so upset. Sat down and spoke to my wife this evening, she's kicked my butt so I'm feeling more positive again. Going to make sure that the next five weeks are action packed and have already invited my grandparents and parents on lots of trips so that my girls have loads of fond memories of them.

Can't believe I'm writing this post. Since I first went to Australia in 1993 I have wanted to move and live in Perth. Despite a few hurdles I was granted my visa along with my wife and kids 2 years ago. We went out last year to validate the visa and loved it. I handed in my notice back in February and left my job as a teacher yesterday. At the end if the day I had the rest of the staff and kids were in tears and I had so many parents thanking me for all the work I had done with their children. It struck home just what I am leaving behind job wise. With only five weeks until we leave I should be excited and full of joy but instead I am full of dread and worrying about whether we are doing the right thing. I've just left a job I love, I'm taking my kids and wife away from all our family and friends. Our parents and grandparents are all beside themselves, and I feel like a regular A hole. I don't know if its just after 20 years of trying I am finally nearly there or if it's something more. I feel like I'm stuck on a roller coaster travelling up waiting for the drop.

Jack, I have just read the thread and I truly worry that you won't make it as a Primary teacher. If one little comment that you don't like causes an outburst of "get of my thread you rude insolent girl", then heaven help you in a class. If you talk to people like this face to face then you'd not last a day in a school setting. A class of 30 children would eat you alive. If you continue in that vein that you'll quickly find that you have neither the attitude or temperament to be a teacher. Have you even been in a class since leaving school. Have spoken to a teacher or asked to go into a local school to get an idea of the environment. I guess you know about the hours of extra work that you are expected to do after school has finished. Preparing for lessons, marking, levelling, writing reports. Sometimes working until gone midnight just to make sure that you are ready for the next morning. I have been a Primary School teacher for the past seven years and taught in secondary before that. Its tough but brilliantly rewarding, seeing a child succeed in something that they could do before. Hoping that you've made a difference to their lives. Being a teacher is a vocation and not just a job. Also doing a PGCE is a year of hell. All the teaching, marking, preparing, levelling, whilst also completing Uni work on top. You will have not a second to yourself for nine months. I wish you luck but if teaching is just a means to getting you to Oz then I'd probably go with the hairdressing.

Arriving in Perth on the 1st September with the family. Fingers crossed its forever but who knows.

Any shark attack which results in either an injury or death is tragic. But if you swim in their sea and you run the risk of becoming lunch. They are the apex predator in the ocean. However I am all for killing sharks, but only if they start jumping from the water and chasing me down the street. Then it becomes a whole different story.

As well as the Western Force, there is the Premier grade which includes Cottesloe, Nedlands, Subiaco, Wanneroo, Palyra, Associates, UWA, Kalamunda, Rokingham, Perth Bayswater. Most have the usual 1st, 2nds, Vets etc. so depends on where you are going to live. Not out there myself yet but I'll be looking to get involved once I migrate.

I was meaning why was the SAS involvement only reported at the exact time the movie was released. Could it be in order to raise interest in a trashy movie based on a book written by someone who had no clue about the relationship between Diana and Khan. He has never and continues to refuse to speak about his relationship with Diana. The book and movie is a complete fantasy made up from hearsay and is nothing more than a fairy story. As for SAS involvement in killing Diana. SAS are one of the elite regiments in the world, simply shining a light at driver in order to assassinate an ex Royal is too hit and miss in my opinion. Have to agree that if the Queen had wanted he bumped off she would have ordered it during her relationship with Khan and not Dodi.

Strange how the story of the supposed SAS involvement in Diana's death was sensationally released at the same time as the movie about Diana's relationship with the surgeon Hasnat Khan.

Little bit old as it has information on the 175 visa not the 189. But I've just found this. Don't know if it'll help you Kooky http://www.immigrate2australia.com/Immigrate2Australia/vault/ausImmigration.pdf#page80

If its payback for the sins of the past then we had better go and bomb Italy because they invaded us 2000 years ago and all but wiped out the Celtic natives. Oh and the Germans had better watch themselves, pesky Saxons coming over from the 6th century. Next we had better have a go at seeking retribution against the Scandinavians for allowing their Viking ancestors to rape and pillage the coastline of Eastern Britain before settling our fair shores. Lets not forget that its was Vikings that settled Normandy and gave rise to the Normans, and the problems of the French nobility.

Last time we flew Emirates I'm sure all drinks except champagne were free. Flying with them again in four weeks to validate our visa's so they'd better not have changed.

Saw this in the West Australian today. Seems the Government are going to overhaul the 457 visa. http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/16214799/rorted-457-visa-scheme-to-be-tightened/

Despite not having a degree in economics or politics I am sick to death of the Tories and George Osbourne continuing along the same economic path blindly. Its almost as though they can't bring themselves to say admit that they got it wrong, They should be changing tact and invest in creating jobs. They seem so obsessed with paying off the debt that everyone is paying for their hardline stance. They should hammer the bankers for all they are worth, whilst also building new factories, kick start building housing. Creating jobs or starting community projects with full pay so that no one is able to just sit at home and claim benefits. However I can not believe that Wallace and Gromit (aka Milliband and Balls) are crowing on about any of this. Their governments ineptitude over saw a massive increase in our national debt. They are as much if not even more to blame for this mess. They didn't invest in industry, they did nothing to re-regulate the banks. I am fed up with Labour coming out with the excuse of the Global Economic Crisis, other countries did not borrow money at the rate they did to pay for their policies and projects. They saved during the good times or paid off debt, instead we spent, spent, spent. No more boom and bust was the bull that I remember Brown spouting. The two combined has lead to an economy that is going now where, a generation of people that seem to think that they deserve something for nothing. I lost count of the times when I worked as a careers adviser, that I would have a 16 year say I am not working in retail for that amount. I can get more sitting at home. Looking back it seems to me that successive governments whether Labour or Conservative have overseen the demise of this country. The failure of Labour to control the Unions in the 60's and 70's leading to massive strikes, leading to the closure of much of the manufacturing industry, and its loss overseas. Followed by Maggie's campaign to smash the Unions and selling of the nationalized companies in the 80's has meant that we have very little industry left in the country that lead the industrial revolution. All the parties are as bad as each other, can't trust any of them.

We've looked at selling out house but at the moment with the exchange rate so low, we can't justify it. We've decided to stay in the UK a little longer and save before moving. At the moment the idea is that qe are going to rent out the house which will cover the mortgage and also ensure we have money in an account for any repairs or problems that may arise. If the exchange finally moves in the right direction in however many years time, we'll look at selling.

Just to echo the previous posts. We did it ourselves from start to finish, took some time to get everything together but didn't find it that hard at all.

Labour got it wrong on lots of things not just immigration. No more boom and bust (really, oh yes and labour say its not our fault but the global economic crisis), deregulating the banks, the illegal war in Iraq, selling gold reserve off at record low, spend spend spend rather than save money for when things go bad, billions spent on education yet kids thousands of leave school and still can't read. Spin, Spin and more bloody spin. I remember in 97 how hopeful I was when Labour came in full of promise and in 13 years all I saw was more of the same from the grinning Cheshire cat and Jabba the Hut. Now Cameron, Clegg and the rest of the Tories and Lib Dems just screwing it up even more, whilst trying to cut the debt that the previous idiots left behind. Labour lie, Tories lie. Lib Dems lie. All as bad as each other, full of promises and none.

Thanks for the help. Bayswater is coming out at $722 for a Toyota Corolla with 2 kids seats with no pick up until 8am. So would need to get a taxi to North Beach, just had a look and iIve found a quote for $58 for the taxi. I've been looking for a couple of days but Hertz still seem to be the best at the moment.

Just checked and unlimited mileage/ kilometerage included in the price. Also just checking and seem that if I choose gold membership I will also get free additional driver.

I've been looking for a better deal, but so far I've been unable to come close. Hertz are coming out the cheapest without adding on the cost of a taxi or the inconvenience of having my Aunt pick us up at stupid o'clock. I've looked at some of the outside rentals like Mindarie and Bayswater that others on here have recommended but they can not beat it so far. As we are flying through Emirates they offer free gold membership to Hertz with a 20% discount, which is why its coming out cheaper I think. Also means that they leave the keys and agreement in the car for me on pick up. I have found an annual worldwide CDW insurance through the AA for £60. If I added on the Super Collision Damage Waiver that Hertz and the rest all seem to offer then Bayswater is cheaper. Has anyone ever rented through Hertz before, good or bad? Just seems too good a deal at the moment. Sure I must be missing something

Hopefully someone can help with some advice. My wife, two kids and myself are flying with Emirates to Perth at the end of March to validate our visa's. Our flight lands at 1:20am, so by the time we get off the plane, collect baggage, go through immigration and customs it going to be pushing 2:30am. I have been looking at hiring a car both at Perth International and outside the airport for the 16 days we are in Perth. We are going to be staying with my Aunt in North Beach and after looking at the logistics we are leaning towards hiring a car from the Airport. I have looked at Redspot, Europcar, Budget but I can only find Hertz that are open at that time, all the others look to be closed. They have a sale on at the moment and I have a quote of $677 for a Toyota Corolla for the 16 days car hire with 2 kids seats. I have found annual worldwide CDW insurance through the AA for £60 to try and keep down the excessive CDW insurance charges that almost every company seems to try and add on. I know that Bayswater car hire have a good rep but even they are coming out at $815 for the same cover and aren't open until 8am. Can anyone shed some light on whether there are any other companies that could match the quote and that are open at that time? Also does anyone have any experience of Hertz and what they are like?

Pablo my conscience is my own not a weapon for Government or indeed Unions to exploit and use. As a person I have the ability to listen to the rhetoric being spouted by both the Government and the Unions and am hopefully able to come to my own decisions. I choose not to strike and won't just follow the decision made by a union. Striking is a right that has been hard fought for and whilst I respect everyones right to strike I do not think that it is the right course of action for me. My own view is that striking can have the effect of turning the public opinion against the strikers and their cause.

I'm a teacher and have seen the Government tell me that I have to work longer, pay more but get less for a pension. Whilst slightly peeved (to say the least) I refuse to strike, I don't see that it really affects the Government. However if I strike it inconveniences parents forcing them to have the day off. Some will say that this is the point, and that by causing this disruption the Government will sit up and take notice. I get paid to teach children and thats what I'll do, not annoy parents and turn them against me.

We did it ourselves, it wasn't difficult at all. Took sometime to get everything together and check it was alright. Got lots of great advice from people on here but its down to each individual. Money saved has paid for me and the family to do a reccie trip next year, so worth it for me

Congrats, now the wait begins in earnest

Really insightful Thanks