giggle

Thanks for that info, I'll look into it.

Hi, please can someone who recently did the Citizenship Test say what they used to practise the questions? Did you use the free online test? Someone told me they heard there's a DVD you can get. Also, is it true if you fail you can re-sit the test the same day? (We live in the Gold Coast and due to apply for the test next month). Thanks

You made some good points there, thank you, something to keep in mind.

My concern is more to do with whether it would be a straight forward process for the children to be allowed to leave Oz to return to the UK. Obviously that would be common sense but??

Hi, we are looking to see a solicitor to write a Will. We're permanent residents. Can anyone advise whether we can stipulate, in the event of both of us dying at the same time, that we want our children to return to live with family in the UK. There is no other family in Oz and I don't want them ending up in foster care. We will be speaking to a solicitor about this but was interested to hear if anyone has heard of this type of thing, thanks.

Good question! No, I was just glad to get out of there. One place I stayed one day, another I stayed two. I just assumed I wouldn't get paid.

I had a couple of call centre jobs, first time in my whole career that I didn't go back after the first day. Bonuses are only usually paid if a customer does not change their mind after set cooling off period (think its a few weeks). There are in my experience unethical practices going on eg calls made to elderly, vulnerable people living in nursing homes (to sell holidays to!). My supervisor refused to delete phone no. despite customer clearly asking for this to be done. In short, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is and there is a reason why the staff turnover is so high.

Hi there, we have lived in the Gold Coast just over a year. My middle son who was 9 when we arrived, was very homesick for quite some time (lots of adults don't realise that children get homesick too) and parents, me included, assume that 'kids fit in quickly'. Like adults, of course, every young person is an individual and everyone's experience is different. Also, the culture and words people use here is different and takes time to get used to. We live on a complex with a shared pool and that has helped my children make friends. My son used to sit in the library on his own at play time because he found the heat hard to cope with and that meant he found it hard to make friends. This year he has got used to the heat and has lots of friends -all of this took time. Why don't you tell your Mum, too, that as a family, we joined an ex-pat group called Brits on the Gold Coast, everyone is very friendly and welcoming. We have family meet ups where you can meet other kids who have also emigrated from England. There are all kinds of social events going on, lots of stuff going on at Christmas! You can both meet people who understand exactly what you're talking about. Your Mum can PM me if she wants to join Brits on the Gold Coast. And well done for being honest about how you're feeling, its normal to feel anxious and like you don't fit in at first. Hope things improve for you soon.

Hi there, we have been living in a gated complex on the Gold Coast for a year. I had no prior experience of this type of thing but am very happy here: we have use of a gym and large pool/spa pool which are always quiet even though lots of families live here. I feel 'safe', having been used to semi detached houses in UK. Its very sociable, particularly if you have kids, as you meet friends at the pool etc. I have lovely neighbours and if you have any complaints, the manager deals with it i.e. its not your problem. My kids aged 7 and 10 are very happy living here, the only downside for us is you can't have a pet although that can be true of any rental. Something worth mentioning is, ask other families who actually live there, what they think of the manager and the rules. Some places do have mainly older people and complain if kids stay inside all day or if they play out! If there are signs up saying kids can't ride their bikes, don't just ignore it and then moan if your kids can't ride their bikes like some people do. We live 5 minutes from a park so my kids ride their bikes there instead. On the whole, I would recommend this type of accommodation. Good luck with your decision.