MicheleW

Most definitely a healthier lifestyle for me. I eat a lot more salads and less stodgy food and so have found the energy to exercise more. We were fortunate enough to buy a house with a pool, so almost every day in Summer I am swimming or at least outside playing around in the water. I also spend a lot of time in the garden, one of the best workouts you can get weeding, mowing etc. i am very happy to say that though it has been slow, I am losing the weight that I gained whilst living in England and I hope by next year that I will be in the right weight range again.

Another site: https://usafl.com/

We used to catch a game on ESPN every now and then, I love the excitement of the game. It wasn't totally unexpected to find it on UK tv, but when I was in the US it was pretty surreal to turn on the tv and see Aussie rules showing. Apparently the game has a growing following in the US and a number of leagues are popping up with increasing numbers signing on to play.

I so agree with you.

Nothing wrong with being a total pain in the arse, it is your health and wellbeing after all.

As Cal said, I would have thought that they would have fitted you in straight away if there was anything to be really concerned about. My OH has been unwell for a couple of months and has been undergoing a number of tests and her last lot of blood tests finally revealed the problem and she was called in immediately so that he could sort out her treatment.

I know we were doing that sort of work in year 7 way back when I was at school and my nieces did them around that year as well.

The is a caravan and camping show in Cairns at the end of May, which might be a great way for you to check out options. They often have great show specials as well.

I could be tempted along, as long as I am not expected to wear heels :wacko:

There is always the option of a mobile Wi-Fi dongle such as this: https://www.telstra.com.au/online-shop/mobile-broadband.cfm?tc=G|B|D|TP|tprebb|PP3gUsbWifiProduct&mqp=spnKmfnIY_18297379955_mobile%20internet%20wireless_b#/prepaid We have the $39.50 one for when we travel so that we can have multiples devices online at the same time. It does come with 5gb for 30 days, so might be ideal for visitors.

We have one, but we bought it here. They can vary a lot in price and size so a lot of research is needed. We have ours all packed up with all the essentials so all we have to do is throw food and clothes in the car, hook it up and we are ready to go. It really is a great way to camp with a bit of comfort and really doesn't take long at all to set up or put down at the end of the trip.

No they won't need to get it unlocked, as ipads are not locked to any network by design. Our ipad was bought in the UK, and we have used it in the UK, USA and Australia, just swapping out the sim card each time.

Would a solar blanket be a viable alternative? We thought abou this as a cheaper option.

We would love to get solar heating for our pool but we may not have enough room on our roof due to our solar panels. An extra 3-4 months of swimming would be great. ​I will definitely keep an eye on this thread.

Well said.

We have just got back from a lovely lunch in the West End at Tukka, 2 courses and drinks through a Scoopon deal for $40, followed by a pint of beer at Archive, which was only $7 for craft beer. The West End is a great place for fab restaurants at great prices, live music and cheap beer.

Are you talking Indian curries, because they are very different here, less English I find but still really good. Though we much prefer Asian food other than Indian.

I have rarely had an issue with the quality of restaurant food in Australia, it is certainly comparable to restaurants I have been to in different cities around the world. Sure there are some bad ones but as a rule the quality is great. One particular thing we love is the brilliant Thai, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese food you get in Australia, which make sense given the Asian make up of the country.

We have an all in one PC which is getting on towards 6 years old and it has been really good. Just recently we have started to see issues being highlighted with the HDD so we are swapping it out. Not difficult to do ourselves and pretty cheap. Personally I would not have a Mac as I believe they are way too expensive for what you get. I also find them counter intuitive and awkward to use. On the flip side my OH says the opposite.

Apparently you can use an overseas permit: http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Travel-and-transport/Disability-access-and-mobility/Disability-Parking-Permit-Scheme.aspx#overseas

I remember going out for drinks on 4 April 2008, and we were sitting outside in beautiful weather. On April 6th it snowed down in London. My OH had just been admitted to hospital and I had a great time trying to get in and out of city because public transport was severely restricted. Sometimes weather does stop you getting where you need to go, and all the warm gear in the world won't help. To the OP, I hope your DH can get his IELTS rescheduled at no cost.

You are very fortunate with your leave, I have family over there and the most they get is 3 weeks a year, and that is after 5 years with the same company. Personally I would live in the US if I could, but unless they change their stance on same-sex partner immigration and sort out the health care costs, we will be staying in Australia.

I was curious as to the source of this information. Whoops, found it - thanks

The area itself is quite lovely and transport to the CBD is good via the buses. I live further out in Chermside and I can be in city in less than 30 minutes during peak times. For housing, avoid the main roads, and realise that a lot if the houses are older but are generally pretty good.

A couple of colleagues of mine worked out there for awhile and loved it, though they did say security was very tight and they had armed guards around where they lived and worked.