junellew

I knew there was a magazine but couldn't remember the name, thanks

its live in hospitality work on the Isle of Mull at a castle tearoom

Yes it's live in hospitality, will check work about out thanks and see what I can find on Facebook!

Bit of a random one but I was wondering if anyone knows what websites the Aussie backpacker generation would use to look for UK work these days? (eg Aussies or Kiwis on working holiday in the UK) I'm wanting to advertise for jobs we have going over in Scotland and I'm a bit out of touch. I would just use gumtree but not sure if Aussies/Kiwis still use it to find UK work or if there is a more well know site now? Any ideas?

Great thanks for the info again Bungo. Just lodged my 'residents return visa" for a hefty $360. Ouch!

Great thanks for all the confirmed info. I'll get on to my right to return now. I also don't trust immigration much so glad you guys have my back!! Off topic but ....... if I'm a permanent resident still in their eyes would I have to start the 4 years again for citizenship when we return or will it still be accumulating? Finally did anyone know about having to go to London for passports or is there closer? Same as the lady above when we renewed our British ones in Australia they were just posted out...... Thanks again

One more question.....is the only way to get the boys passports by lodging them in London???? We live on an Island off teh Noth West Coast of Scotland - it's going to be a huge mission. I thought there used to be an embassy in Edinburgh?

Family of "ping pongers" here going back to Australia for a holiday in November after 2years back in UK. Previous to this we were in Australia for 4 years. Kids are dual citizens and I was a permanent resident. i didn't get a "right to return visa" when I left so wondering if it's ok if I enter on a holiday visa and if this will cause me any problems? (We have return flights booked). Also my 2 eldest boys Australian passports have expired so wondering if they will have problems just entering on their English ones or if we are going to look like we are trying to "break back in" to Australia?! Could do do without expense of re-needing the boys passports right now but will if we have too. More worried about my entry and exit as don't want to stuff up being allowed to return in future! Thanks for your help in advance ?

Hey all, Been a while since I posted but moving back to the UK for a while and hubby needs a medical done before we return so he can get his provisional bus licence ready to do his test when he returns. The form for the medical states that we need a "GMC" registered doctor, not that they actually have to be in the UK. Anyone have any suggestions or experience in this? Surely there must be some UK or EU registered doctors over here that can do this? We have a real short time frame when we move back to get the proper bus licence so we really need to get the medical done here if we can so we can apply for the provisional! TIA!

Yeah hadn't thought about them getting renewed over there - might have to do that thanks. I have had to get an Australian name change certifcate to get my visa changed to my new passport as I came over on my maiden name in my passport/visa as I was too lazy and cheap to waste a few years on my passport and get my nae changed when I got married - wish I had now for all the trouble I am having. Just waiting to hear from immigration as to what they want me to do with the damn thing now I finally have it! It is crazy that they would not except my English marriage cert as proof of a name change!

Thanks, I thought that would be the case but didn't want to complicate things at the airport. Both their aussie passports are valid until 2015 so that will be fine. Should save me some money and time not re-newing! Already struggling to get my visa put into my new passport!

Hello all, Quick question on passports. We are going for our 1st holiday back to the UK after nearly 3 years in Oz - YAY!!! My hubby and boys are both dual citizens however one of the boys English passport has completely run out and the other will have less than 6 months on it. My hubby will have both UK and Aus passports, I will have UK and we will have a new baby on Aus passport only as don't think we will have time to get the UK sorted (8 weeks old when we fly next April!). Do you think we will have any trouble with the boys just using their Aus ones or should we get new UK ones for them? Don't want to get turned away at UK....we are also doing a few mainland European countries so the less issues the better! Any advice greatly received! Thanks guys !

We flew with ours twice so far as littleies. 1st time 3months and 17 months, 2nd time almost 3 years and 20 months. 1st time was easier despite having to get bottles as little one just wanted food and sleep. We spent heaps of time walking up and down isles 2nd times. People gave us looks but I just ignored them. We did all we could to keep them quiet so what more could we do?! Flew Emirates 2nd time who were fab as others had said. Def recommend getting spare seat if you can. We booked our 3 seats on the "4" rows both times with a gap in between us hoping the single seat would not be taken and the 1 time it was they were happy to swop rather than being stuck in between a family! It was a good plan! Also got bulk head seats for extra leg room so kids could play on floor. It wasn't fun by any means but we made it and same as you we were heading to family so could unload when we got there.....best thing is they slept for about 17 hours in a row the night we arrived - bliss! My best tip that got me through (although some may think it negative) was having it in my mind that it was going to be the WORST 26 hours of hell I had ever had......then anything that wasn't like that was just fab!! A vino or 2 helped to Also keep their usual routine....we did pjs, stories and milk at bed time as usual and let them lay in the seat/on us with a blanket and their teddy. Good luck. Hope it goes well. We are out in the Longwarry (south east towards Warragul) if you want a friend when you arrive!!

i agree....your children spend most of their time and do most of their learning at home not at school...i'd think more about living in the best area for the kids....safe, friendly, affordable so family not stressed out as they can't pay the bills! i went to average schools....don't think people even thought of catchment areas back then and I turned out fine as I had great parents to encourage and guide me!

Nope, definately not. Sleeping in my socks at the moment....when will it end?!

Thanks all, yeah looks alot when it's written down doesn't it! Davina 35 I could not wait to get back and then I realised I was missing out on the last bit of my boys as babies. They will be at school soon and i'm missing out on fab trips to the beach and park and watching them grow and learn.... And as much as I thought I was doing a rubbish job as a mum and childcare would be better for them I actually wasn't.....I was doing an awsome and rewarding job and it took my that long to realise it. Plus childcare was a fortune and we are only marginally worse off with me at home! Would recommend the big trip round the country with or without kids - such an amazing country. Hope to get the east coast done one day soon

Yup its bloody freezing and I moved from Scotland! Accliamtised or what!

Hey guys - bit late in on this thread but we did the reverse journey last year in July/August and it was amazing. We have 2 young boys aged just 3 and just 2 at the time and they had a ball. Loved nothign better than dirt and some toy cars. I freaked about Crocs and snakes but just need to be vigilent. We were also in 4wd and it lets you see so much more amazing things. Definate recommendation if saving money is to by the "camps australia" book. Recommends all free campspots and whats at the, by the road, water, good scenery etc. It wa slike our bible and has full maps of oz in it too - great for the next big trip! Kakadu was ok in personal opinion but Litchfield to me was alot more beautiful and worth spending time in. Gibb river road was a walk in the park and no where near as bad as people make out, especially the end you will be going from....just a bit rutted. Shame you can't come the other way though as that section form the Broome side was stunnign and less "touristy". Hope you have a fab time, PM me if you want more details and I will try get my camp australia book out and recommend some stops for you that were good. Very jealous!!!

Well its been some time since I last posted as life has been crazy but I have been roaming when I can spare a few minutes and will endeavour to get back in to contributing! We have been in Australia over a year now (arrived May 5th 2011) and I cannot believe what we have seen, done and achieved in that time and the varied emotions that have gone with it! We arrived in May and stayed with the inlaws (husband is Ozzie) whilst we bought a car and camper trailer and set up for a big trip around Oz. We set off in June last year and headed for friends in Perth. Saw the most amazing sights along the way even though it was bloody freezing and had a substantial amount of rain! From Perth headed to Darwin to see more friends where we settled for 3 months. This part of the trip was just amazing with the most beautiful sights and weather I have ever experienced. I often dream of the 6 long beautiful nights we free camped by the beach at James Price point just above Broome.....life was simple and care free....alhough I have to admit travelling in a camper trailer with a 3 and 2 year old was pretty challenging at times. We also travelled with some pommies from home which brought along its fair share of fun and arguments in equal measure! Darwin did not work out for us as my father in law became ill and we headed for Melbourne to be close to family. I loved the NT, like stepping back in time. The heat however was pretty oppresive for me in the build up but the dry season was just perfect......I also often dream of a glass of fizz by my friends pool in Darwin (most days, beacuse the weather just lent itself to it!) So we headed back to Melbourne with an awsome whirlwind trip down the centre visiting friends at Ayres Rock Resort on the way down. We lived with inlaws and I got a job after a couple of weeks as an employment consultant for people with disabilities. This proved to be a huge change in circumstances as I had been a stay at home mum other than a bit of part time work for almost 4 years by then! HUbby was meant to stay at home and be house hubby but got offered 4 days work so boys did child care and a day with nanny and one with daddy! So we saved and decided to buy our very first home! We settled on May 15th almost a year to the day we moved here. We didnt go for a new build and have moved out into the countryside in a lovely weatherboard home on a big block in a small town. I have now decided to give up work as I miss my kids....as a woman I am obviously entitled to change my mind after begging to go to work coz the kids did my head in! Ha ha.....the grass is not always greener in many situations! I am going to study to be a fitness class instructor and waitress a couple of nights a week to make ends meet. SO thats the low down....... Life has been a crazy rollercoaster of emotions. I miss home ALOT and have had times when I have felt so lonely and wanted to go back. However I have gotten through them and am glad we are here and have done what we have. We left a very different life in the UK as we lived on a remote scottish island. People come to oz for the laid back life but we cannot get more laid back than what we had there. In comparison I feel like we have been thrown right in to the middle of the "rat race" as life is so different in the suburbs of melbourne to the isle of mull. Thus the move to a country town to try to get a little more sense of community back. I have had to learn that as most people say on here not to compare oz to uk, i should DEFINATELY not compare it to my Scottish Island as that was such a unique place to live and cannot be recreated here (especially the cold weather!) talking of which I have well and truely acclimatised and am finding these 15c days freezing! Need a trip back to appreciate it again! My eldest boy will start pre school in January...if he was in the UK he would of been at school half a year. More things that are so very different here and have taken alot of "getting over" and excepting that you just cannot compare the 2 countries. The main thing I have learnt in my year is that Australia is about as close to a British culture as Spain is. I feel stupid to have made so many comparisons along the way, even with my hubby being Australian I am still shocked at the culture differences here. I am also trying hard to embrace them....whilst holding on to my heritage and identity (which funnily enough lies in Scotland for me not the England I lived in for 19 years!) Who knows whether we will live here for 1 more year or 10 more years. We are so privaleged as a family to have the options to swop between the countries but for now we are happy and homeowners, an opportunity we would nevr of got right now in the UK so we feel very grateful. Hope this low down helps anyone just moved or about to move......and as its my birthday today I'm off to pour myself a very large glass of lovely cheap aussie vino!!! :smile::smile:

HI, where abouts are you based? It's hard making new friends isn't it! I am near Pakenham but happy for a trip out for cinema or drinks!

What a great thread....it has really hit home for me my feelings of Australia after only 10 months. When I came here to travel 5 years ago and hen a brief 4 week visit in 2010 it was all chilled out, great aussie lifestyle, bbqs and relaxation. Fast forward to 2012, the obvious extra strain of not holidaying or working holidaying but things have changed for sure. It seems to me Aus has caught up with the "rat race"...something i despise......i'm not sure what has happened and I know the sth eastern suburbs of melbourne is not any comparison to the rest of it. A previous poster talked of the huge estates being built in Uk, changing the landscape...well welcome to cardinia....in the 5 years i have known the place it is not recognisible. In the UK there is an excuse for small blocks being that land is scarce, who knows what the excuse here of having wall to wall houses other than money. It totally reshapes the aussie ideal of land and big houses. I spoke to a lady today who was well off financially but has downsized as she does not have enough time to look after her house with work and kids etc. she has got rid of the garden as the don't use it, all they do at home is sleep. Anyway, without being hugely negative....because i really do love this place but i am sad it's becoming like the rest....it makes you wonder that is all....

Hi, I used sevenseas worldwide and I had no problems with them. Best price I could find and no extra cost for collecting from an Island either.

Thanks guys - would be great to catch up with you both being just down the road....yeah sorry need to update my profile don't I ! We were meant to be in Darwin for a year but moved backed to Melbs for family stuff....i like to confuse people! I love Berwick by the way, a drink would be fab - will pm you both my number.....thanks for saving me from my lonely life! ha ha!