Joob joobs

I was sponsered by the same company I worked for in the UK so started nearly straight away. O/H took 6 weeks to find IT Manager position, although that was over Xmas and New Year too - think that was pretty quick considering a lot of places were running on skeleton staff over the holidays.

Great photos and looks like you had a fab family day out. )

There isn't a quarantine station in Brisbane so Oakley had to be in Sydney. He was absolutely fine and we had Dogwalks go in and exercise him, it was great getting facebook updates and photos showing how happy he was. Then we had Jetpets fly him up once he was released from Sydney. Although I felt awful leaving him for that length of time, I would have no doubts about doing it again if need be. It gave us time to get organised, find a rental and it was a great Xmas pressie getting him home at the end of December. He was also a rescue dog and I was scared in case he thought we had sent him back to the SSPCA, but he survived in one piece (despite losing a tooth somewhere along the way).

Scrap that.... I was getting mixed up with the Medicare Levy and the Medicare Levy Surcharge... Just ignore me! :biglaugh:

The two tvs we brought over were Sony's and they work no problems with a T-Box.

I still order my big boob bras from the UK. I recently ordered 6 bras (including a shock absorber sports bra) and 4 pairs of knickers for £117 from this site: http://www.brastop.com/ They were doing free delivery if you spent over £86 or something too. Bargain! And they all fitted which was even better!

It's definitely do-able to make the move to Aus still having some debt in the UK. When I moved over here in December I had quite a bit of credit card debt but when I make the payment this month that will now be cleared! I still have my UK bank account and transfer money to that every month to pay the bills. The credit card companies don't even know I have left the UK. They are still registered to my old address (which we are renting out) and I have a 1yr mail re-direct in place. It will be a day for celebration and *happy dance* once this one is gone and I cut up the cards! ) Good luck sorting yours out, it really is worth it once you pay them all off and get that feeling of accomplishment. Some people consider upping and leaving, defaulting on their payments... but that would eat away at my conscience.

We were told no wicker by Crown. The dog's wicker toy basket was accidentally packed... complete with dog treats in there too! The box was opened on arrival, the dog treats were taken but nothing at all was said about the wicker basket they were in! Gutted, cause I gave all my other wicker baskets to my mum and would have loved to have brought them too.

I have fine hair that looks greasy if I don't wash it every morning. I can sometimes get away with a skoosh of dry shampoo on the second day if I'm lucky. I also used to use the Aussie haircare stuff in the UK. Got mum to bring some over with her and it just wasn't the same here. Think it must be the different water here.

Heading to Mareeba, west of Cairns on Monday so hopefully I'll be able to add some more pics when I get home after a VERY long day on Monday!

:hug:

We used Pet Travel Services as they were recommended by my vet and a colleague and were located in Scotland. They were also competitively priced. My second choice would have been Petair.

We don't have to pay any rates/council tax, however we have to pay for water consumption. I think this varies though so make sure you know if this is included in your rent or not.

Mt Coot-tha lookout - the view is amazing. Lunch & ice cream in the cafe is highly recommended too! Sanctuary Cove Curtis Falls, Tamborine Mountain - I had to work but o/h took him mum and they really enjoyed the trip to Tamborine Mountain. It's definitely on my hit list. Hope you liked my snaps and I look forward to seeing everyone elses recommendations of places to see.

Tourist route round Somerset Dam, Wivenhoe Dam and Mt Mee Ocean View Estates Winery - Very friendly and delicious wine. I haven't tried it yet but the restaurant looks lovely. Looks like a lovely wedding venue and they have self catering cottages on the grounds too. Edited to add photo but 5 is the limit... Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary - very interactive. I got to pat a dingo!

I couldn't resist popping in here when I was up in Bundy for the day with work. Didn't get a chance to do the tour, but did explore the gift shop. :wink: Stopped of at Hervey Bay on the way back down to Brisbane. Wet 'n' Wild - Amazing! I'd thoroughly recommend it. There is something for everyone, whether you want the adrenalin rides or to sit by the pool and relax.

Camping at Gordon Country - near Warwick.. one tip though... stay away from the ridge 4x4 track unless you have experience and balls of steel... scariest thing ever! And the dog can go off-lead too! Everyone loves a trip on the CityCat!

You're almost guaranteed to see wild roos in the grounds of Wacol prison. And while you are there you can drop in to the RSPCA centre and superstore across the road. ) Longreach Stockmans Hall of Fame Qantas Founders Museum - it was closed by the time I got there but looks to be worth a look if you are interested in aviation.

Surfer's Paradise Coolangatta Sea World - I absolutely loved the dolphin show... but did feel a bit sorry for the polar bear who looked miserable.

Bribie Island - I love the atmosphere here. So laid back and holiday like. Red beach is a great dog beach and definitely worth the drive up from Brisbane. Not in QLD, but I'd definitely recommend it - ferry to Manly, Sydney. The view is amazing! City Beach, South Bank Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

So, I've already done a wee 6 month update thread with some photos taken during my time here.. I thought I'd stick up a few from trips in and around Brisbane and places I've been lucky enough to visit with work. Hopefully this might give some folk new to QLD ideas of things to do and places to see. Please feel free to add your own if you have places you would recommend visiting. :wink: Point Danger (QLD/NSW border) - you can stand with one leg in QLD and one in NSW. Rocks Riverside Park - one of my favourite parks so far. Rocklea Markets - you can find all sorts there! Not the greatest of photos, but Sirromet winery has good food, entertainment and you are sure to see some roos stealing the grapes from the vines!

Does anyone else on here ride at Wattle Creek?

I'd definitely recommend waiting until you get here before getting a dog. We brought ours because we'd had him for nearly 2 years and he was part of the family. We had no idea we'd be moving to the other side of the world when we got him. If I had known we were going to make the move then I would definitely have waited. There are plenty of animals over here waiting for someone to give them their forever home: http://www.adoptapet.com.au/

We found it to be exactly as Cal says. You don't have to get a QLD licence, however it is a huge help to use as ID. Plus when we wanted to hire a ute from the petrol station they told us they only hired out to folk with QLD licences.

All the photos should be working now.