newjez

3 hours ago, Parley said:

The correct woke answer would be to point out WA's history goes back 40000 years.

Does it though?

You know those traditional dot paintings that you get? You know they aren't traditional don't you?

49 minutes ago, Blue Flu said:

Thanks for replying. We were looking at possible relocations to England in recent years (along with other countries) and Bournemouth  came top of the list. Pricey but less so than Brighton, a place I knew well and liked in the past. (Boscombe more affordable, but obviously more problems) Amazing how difficult a task that proved to be. But Australia proved much the same for me anyway. Did look at many cities and Southampton came out very badly for  anti social behaviour and easy to dismiss. Thing being so many UK cities have severe social crime issues. They label it chav's, but in my view this is a product of austerity that has engrossed the land over recent decades, impacting mostly on the disadvantaged. Drugs as here way out of control, but at least the scourge of meth  (ice) is not frequent in UK. 

But I digress. One city, still cheap, apparently not so youth crime ridden is Sheffield. Supposedly  very friendly and safe. Newcastle came out good as well. But for places without the problems one would do better across The Channel (especially if retiring ) where the culture is not yet experiencing the levels of youth crime and alcohol abuse of too many English cities.

Great you found Melbourne so much to your liking. Probably the only place, for people looking for certain cultural traits in Australia. That's one city that picked up their game in the latter decades of last century. I suspect you would need to chose well though. Many of those suburbs look 'disheartening' to say the least. Trust your hubby has adapted to live there with equal enthusiasm as yourself?  

Sheffield is nice, but I wouldn't call it cheap. A lot of housing in the north has gone up alot. 

54 minutes ago, HappyHeart said:

I disagree! I've designed our new home just as I want it. Would not have found all of those features for the same price in the same location. True there's compromises along the way but if you plan well, take your time and have reasonable expectations (champagne tsste/beer money) you can end up with something you're very pleased with. 

Never thought we'd build but here we are. 

 

You're not living in it yet are you?

Give it a year. 

There's not much we regret in our current house. But we should have put solar panels on the roof and air conditioning upstairs. 

On 24/04/2021 at 14:15, MaroubraAndy said:

Well  things have been ‘interesting’ for the last few months since my post so I thought I’d provide an update.

Essentially we opted for sydney with view to me flying out alone to basically set up a bunch of stuff like, house, schooling etc but the flight ended up getting cancelled. I then started working remotely for my new company in Oz and we booked tickets for the whole family to travel out on May 3rd. Between these times things got a bit crazy, The job was/is going wonderfully but we oddly seemed to be settling even more into our U.K. life. Essentially I/we seem to be even more conflicted around the situation made worse by the impact Covid will have on our family’s ability to travel out and see us. In tandem the stress of the situation has resulted in some pretty big issues surfacing with my side of the family. All of which means we’ve basically just put our heads in the sand..

We’re now a week out from departure date and we’re no way ready to leave, physically or emotionally.

The options we have now are I either go out initially by myself and we cancel the three other seats. I get back to sydney and remember what it was like to live there for 6-8 weeks then if everything feels ok, the wife and kids follow. Or we can the whole thing completely.

We’re essentially both completely frazzled and seem unable to resolve the best path forward.. uggghhh!

 

Can you stay in the UK and work for the Australian company remotely until things settle down? Home working is becoming a thing. I've been with my current company nearly a year and I've yet to go into the office.

3 hours ago, Tulip1 said:

My aunt and uncle used to live in Southampton. I agree with you, definitely not the best of places to live. 

When I worked at hursley I lived in Winchester and loved it, although it wasn't cheap. 

Many lived in Southampton because it was cheap. One guy had been in Southampton for a week and came in with a big black eye. Apparently he had been mugged after going to the pub.

A local told us a story of a mate moving a load of stuff into a new flat in Shirley. He went back for a second load and found he had been burgled in the meantime.

My son had an opportunity to attend the university there. It is quite a good uni, but I'm glad he chose not to.

It's a shame really as it's beautiful in parts. Lovely green parks, good walks. Good shopping centre. It's just a shame there are a few bad areas that let it down.

2 hours ago, Parley said:

Yes. Of course.

I consider myself to be Australian.

I've spent equal time in both countries, but I grew up in Australia, and I don't share a cultural history with the UK.

But I think English people consider me Australian because of my Australian accent, and I think Australian people consider me English because of my English accent.

You can't win sometimes.

On 28/04/2021 at 14:07, Parley said:

I was simply pointing out your incorrect statement. That is all.

But yes, I plan to wait for Pfizer.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/30/figures-on-covid-deaths-post-jab-show-vaccines-success-scientists-say

There has been a study that says Pfizer isn't that effective until you get the second jab. Although that shouldn't be a problem in Australia if they are three weeks apart. More of a problem in the UK with twelve weeks apart.

I'm not sure if I should get my kids to jump the queue. As I'm vulnerable they are eligible because they live with me. But they aren't really going out much, so I don't see the rush. Plus the youngest isn't old enough yet 

6 hours ago, HappyHeart said:

I don't look at it like that tbh. I'll give an example, a few weeks ago we were at Cape Leeuwin. (Most southwesterterly point in WA) Big old lighthouse there. Since our last visit they'd made one of the 3 old keepers cottages into an interpretive centre. We spent an hour or so exploring it. Absolutely fascinating. That's 100 years old. I don't link the value or interest level of history to how old it is. 

In Greenbushes WA there's a mining museum. They mine lithium now. That was an interesting one. Looks at the history of the timber industry in the South West. 

A lot of places have a 'historical walk or trail (our own suburb included, we even have a small museum which I love to spend time in.) Early settler towns like Bindoon, Gingin, Guildford etc. (Love the little museum there, the old gaol and settlers cottages) There's so much cultural stuff of interest if you want to look for it. Even in Perth! It's all relative. 

Beyond recent history we've of course the Indigenous history. So much history! Don't tell me Perth is boring! Oh my word. I need a cup of tea. 

That's a fair point.

I guess something doesn't have to be really old to be interesting.

11 minutes ago, Tulip1 said:

That’s good.  My brother had his second one two days ago and has been fine, no side effects at all.  He was waiting for them as with the first dose he had a bad night of chills and headache. This time nothing.  Hopefully many that felt poorly with the first dose are much better with the second. 

Touch wood, but day two and I feel fine.

1 hour ago, Tulip1 said:

I didn’t need to take anything with me. I was just asked a few questions, one being was I on blood thinners.  In the very beginning people here in the U.K. were asked to wait 15 minutes afterwards but very quickly that was done away with.  I was back in my car driving home within a minute of getting my jab I reckon. 

Same.

Felt a bit under the weather today, but not as bad as the first one.

4 hours ago, HappyHeart said:

That doesn't sound like the Perth I know...I might be overestimating but to me it feels like nearly every suburb has a pub, both inner and outer suburbs. (You may not want to spend time there but that's another topic!) I live in the northern suburbs and my suburb has a pub (2) and there's a choice of 3 within a 5-10 min drive. Lots of cafes but agree they all cater for early birds and mostly closed by 3pm. There are at least 4 restaurants (in addition to the pub ones) open in the evening locally and countless take away joints. Average large suburb. 

I remember going to the Dianella hotel where the old men would drink ponies very slowly while watching the horse races, crawling off to the tab ever now and then to place a bet.

I remember a tavern in the maylands peninsula where you wouldn't stand still for too long before the carpet stuck to your shoes.

I liked the maylands hotel actually. Used to play pool there when I lived on East Street before it burnt down.

Ellenbrook was supposed to be like an English village with a central pub. Doesn't quite work for me. But it's ok.

I prefer the pubs around the hills areas with the big beer gardens. Nothing better than sitting out in a beer garden having a pint on a warm day.

The Inglewood was a nice pub. Queens hotel too, although I never got allowed in as my brother refused to remove his bandana. Cat and the fiddle mt lawley. Steve's hotel nedlands, cottesloe hotel. Happy days.

Not sure if most of these pubs are still there. I'm getting to an age when I prefer a good cafe.

5 hours ago, HappyHeart said:

Have you researched any local.history? I find the place I live to be quite interesting and plenty going on if I wanted to engage with it. Personally I don't spend a lot of time 'in the community....I'm happiest out and about further afield or at home. I was the same in the UK though and talking about soulless I found the areas I lived pretty depressing. Inner city. I couldn't move, we couldn't afford to. It's better here for us. 100%. I would like a country pad in the English countryside to holiday in though. Very different vibe that I do miss somewhat

I remember my father took some friends to see tranby house in Perth 1839 I think it's the oldest house in Perth. The friends were polite to my mum and dad, but I asked them later on their own as they didn't seem Impressed, and they said their house in the UK was older than tranby, and there was a barn down the road from them that was 1000 years old.

There might be some historical spots here and there, like the battle of bunbury, where some white people decided to slaughter lots of aboriginal men, women and children, but by and large you don't go to Perth for the history.

There is a bit more history in the eastern states. But WA really isn't very old.

6 hours ago, MacGyver said:

Attempted? Did you accidentally urinate privately instead?

No. Spent the night down the pub with my mates. Stopped for a slash against a wall on the way home, but I couldn't go. Turned around and there were two coppers standing there 

I was done for attempted urination in public once.

5 hours ago, Parley said:

Sad News today. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/two-nsw-men-die-after-receiving-astrazeneca-covid-vaccines-20210429-p57niu.html

You did read the article didn't you parley?

They said they do NOT think there was a link to the vaccine.

It is sad, but no more sadder that all the other deaths that occurred last week.

3 hours ago, jimmyay1 said:

I feel for may British people who were thinking of emigrating to Australia and for whom even the cheaper states and areas are probably now forever out of reach in terms of buying a house. 

For anyone wanting to move to Aus the high cost of housing is going to become a real disincentive to bothering if they already live in a reasonable but better value area overseas. 

House prices are doing pretty well in the UK at the moment. Not sure what will happen after the stamp duty holiday, but for now they are chugging along nicely.

14 hours ago, MacGyver said:

I think the Pfizer deliveries are expected to increase slowly through until the last quarter of the year, at which point there will be a significant increase of delivery (if it goes to plan) and a ramping up of vaccination hubs. All Australians will supposedly have been offered a first shot by end of year (give or take).

Given the bulk of Pfizer won’t arrive until October ish, if I was in your shoes I might be tempted to move flights to March/April 2022 rather than late 2021, to give time for borders to possibly start opening with vaccinated countries (UK/US etc). It’s still all a bit uncertain but I’d be very surprised if much had changed by December.

Hopefully, if the UK continues to get things under control there might be some concessions for vaccinated people from the UK. Hopefully. I'd like to see my parents again.

On 26/04/2021 at 03:42, Parley said:

How many Bitcoin do they own ?

If you want to expose yourself to the risk of bitcoin, why would you do it via Tesla? Why not just buy the Bitcoin?

9 minutes ago, Parley said:

I'm more worried about the South African variant which AZ does not protect against.

 

I would be worried about the Indian variant.

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

We have no covid because the borders are closed.  They will start reopening at some point.  Look at Victoria, talking about starting to accept students and key workers again soon.  Then there will be more breakouts from quarantine and remember, Melbourne's big outbreak started with ONE family.    

If there was another "escape" in Melbourne today, where few people are wearing masks or bothering to socially distance, it would spread like wildfire.  Then all those people who waited for Pfizer thinking "there's no rush", will be swamping the vaccination centres and struggling to get an appointment.  And remember, you need two doses 90 days apart.

It's a bit like those anti vax MMR mum's, who are the first to queue outside their doctors surgery when there is a measles outbreak.

Personally, having seen what this virus can do to fit 50 year olds, if I was over fifty I would get a jab. Any jab.

Under fifty in Australia, I might take my chances. But I would be careful.

11 hours ago, Parley said:

Tesla is the most valuable car company in the world ?

Tesla is worth about the same as all other car manufacturers in the world combined.

If you can justify that to yourself, then buy Tesla.

On 23/04/2021 at 19:30, robins_jessica said:

Hi thank you all for your help all very helpful. We've done the research and we know it's going to cost us with the kids education,  we could get free education in WA but the course in more expensive there so I guess it's swings and roundabouts in that respect.

It's been really helpful re the climate, I knew it was hot and humid there but I've now researched and have read about the build up is that right ...?

I'd also read some news articles about taxi drivers refusing to go to certain areas so I kind of guessed there's issues in places the same as everywhere, I'll just need some help not to end up living in the wrong neck of the woods.

My husband I think is too old to go down the mines (56) and tbh,  he's worked his socks off so I really hope he can avoid the mines (unless of course it would lead to residency ha ha)

We do have alternatives to Darwin, I am still waiting to hear from Adelaide, but I do have an offer from Perth,  we were put off that offer though by the sheer size of the city ...it scares me ...if anyone has comments on any comparison between any of the locations that would also be helpful.

That's great though, at least no ones told us not to do it thank you all

 

I would second that the Perth hills are probably as close to UK country living as you can get. 

2 hours ago, robins_jessica said:

Hi, I've posted on the Darwin pages and had some great help, so thought I would try here too. i have the option to do my masters in early childhood at either Perth, or Darwin, or possibly Adelaide (not confirmed) We are a family of 4, two girls 4 and 6 (will be 5&7) husband skilled carpenter builder but aged 56. We currently live in the country with chickens and live miles form anyone. on this basis, we selected Darwin, as Perth seems soooooooo big.  However, I want to know if I am writing Perth off too quickly. We have the funds for around $400-$550 rental and we can have a car. I wouldn't want to live in the city,  I would need to get to UWA, but would like to have schools close to home for the kids. Hubby is going to find part time work probably self employed  so it can fit around me. If any one does have experience of living in any of the Cities, Perth specific experience or just any general advice I would be grateful. it's so hard trying to make such a big decision without being able to get on the ground and have a look. Start date for me is hopefully 2022 Feb, so some time away yet, if it can come together....

Do you get a parking permit at uwa? Parking is very restricted and public transport is sparse. Also, the surrounding suburbs are very expensive. One of the other unis, Murdoch or Curtin would be easier to get to.

Inner city living in Perth does exist, but is rare. But you amount of rent wouldn't give you many options. Perth seems to be going through a rental shortage.

Perth is a bit marmite. Don't know much about Darwin, but many people don't seem to like it.

5 hours ago, DukeNinja said:

Evidently, the underfloor hot water heating is the better option. Hot water is directed through a dedicated underfloor labyrinth of pipes, instead of having radiators. This would allow you to run a lower heating temperature, and have a better heat distribution when compared to isolated radiators. 

Or you could have a smart heating system. I had a Honeywell Evohome installed in the UK, with each radiator having a smart TRV. I had different schedules for weekdays/weekends. I'd often have to leave the house before 5, so I'd set it up so that the master bedroom was comfortable for when I woke up. Then the bathroom was warm in time for my shower, followed by the kitchen, for me to have brekkie.

And you could set it to heat the kitchen during cooking and dinner time, followed by heating the lounge, and then getting the bedroom warm enough for bedtime.

The system also allowed IFTTT integration and geolocation activation (it would start heating the house as soon as I was outside a pre-set radius around work).

It also had Alexa integration, so I could say (Alexa, set bedroom to X degrees).

I loved it. We had a Victorian end of terrace, and the house was never cold. Then I rented the house out, and the tenants wrecked it.

Never had underfloor, but from what I've heard the major drawback is it works like night storage heaters, heating up the slab. You can't just turn it off if it gets too hot. Even so, it does appeal.

1 hour ago, Toots said:

A lot of people both here and in the UK love to shop 'til they drop.  My SIL in Hertford is like that.  I will NEVER go shopping with her again.    She can literally spend hours browsing then buying.  I just don't have the energy for it anymore   ..............  I never had even when a lot younger.  I was always the odd one out.  Mum, my sister and friends all enjoyed shopping - sometimes for hours but I missed out on that gene.  I'm not talking about supermarket shopping though -  mainly clothes and shoes.  I would spend hours in bookshops and record stores though.
 

 

Can't stand shopping.

But I did tend to hang around the freezer aisle during the heat of a Perth summer day.