Slean Wolfhead

5 hours ago, Bulya said:

It certainly isn’t quiet. We have a guest from Sydney and he’s amazed at all the ‘stuff’ going on. Also It’s 40k and expanding top to bottom.  North Canberra was the fastest growing area in Australia last year, that’s a downside.  

To be fair, when we came 8 years ago it was extremely quiet.we couldn't find anything open the night we arrived from Sydney except a bottle shop and an Indian resturant.  The change since then though has been stunning.  I think 70,000 more people, with projections of a gradual increase of another 300,000 before i drop dead.  A lot of people who haven't been here since a school trip would be shocked.

The big change for me, apart from all the change in the North, is the CIty and the economic change. It was already rich, but there weren't enough people living in the middle and so why would any businesses setup and bother to stay open past 9.30pm?  In the next 10 years it will be unrecognisable.  I probably can't think of anywhere else in Australia that is going to change as radically. Certainly nowhere in the UK.

On 06/02/2020 at 22:51, shy_guy said:

Hi All,

I'm a brit thinking about moving to Oz and I have a potential job opportunity at ANU. Unfortunately I get the impression Canberra is not that great a place to live, as it can be quite quiet, quite cliquey, and just generally difficult to make friends. Can people give me a low-down on life there - both the good and bad points!

To give a bit of background on me: I'm 38, I live in Reading (as a reference town) and if I pursued a job over there I would be moving on my own. I'm not a huge fan of massive cities, like London, but Reading is about as quiet as I can handle. Ideally I'd like to live somewhere on-par with say Bristol or Edinburgh. In terms of interests I enjoy the outdoors, and I'm a big fan of rock climbing, but I hear climbing is a bit limited there. My clubbing days are long gone too, and I prefer a chat with friends in the pub, cafe, or small house gatherings. I am a little shy, which I understand will make things difficult anywhere, but my impression is it's especially difficult to meet people in Canberra. It would be good to get a realistic expectation of life over there, the likelihood of building a good social life, etc...

Thanks in advance for any information offered!

This is worth a read regarding liveability ratings.

https://www.oecdregionalwellbeing.org/AU8.html

ANU is a town within itself now, massive investment.  You sound as if you're made for Canberra.  Lots of outdoors stuff, lots of cultural stuff, almost too many cafes and coffeeshops, and enough pubs and clubs (not like UK nightclubs) now....but you can do as much or as little as you please, it's very relaxed.

The City is expanding at a very fast pace, cranes everywhere and they're building higher.  Apart from that, it's very spacious and spread out.  It'll never be Sydney or Melbourne...but living in a place of 500,000 is more intimate than 7 or 8 million.

The good thing about ANU is that there are thousands of new residents every year, so they're well setup for integration. 

The Costco wagyu eye fillet is really good, but it's rocketted from about $50 to $78.99 a kilo in the last 2 years.   It looks so fatty but it melts away at 300 degrees and we grill 4 mins per side for med rare...pretty much no fat left in it but the taste stays.

The Japanese stuff is amazing, but they've banned export of the best bloodlines now, because if Australia and the USA got hold of the sperm they'd take over the market and shut the Japanese down.  I think the American version is crossbred with black angus?

I even saw they have it in the UK now and tried to get some for Xmas, but the few wagyu farms were restaurant supply only and asking stupid prices.

3 hours ago, Bulya said:

Hit 42.7C at 3:00 pm and conditions deteriorating with a State of Emergency declared for the ACT.  

we had an open home at lunchtime today and one of the split systems packed up at 6.30 last night, so we grabbed a load of fans this morning.    Real estate guy looked like a beetroot when we got back about 2pm....he'd had 27 groups through in 45 minutes.  Just hoping for a cool change tonight but don't think we'll be getting much of one.

On 24/01/2020 at 16:24, Irish83 said:

should have said its for the last week of our first honeymoon (long story) so im thinking of leaning towards thailand. 

ideally would like a resort that is all inclusive but also able to leave to and do activities a few of the days.

I'd go Vietnam or Cambodia.  The Thai baht is very strong right now and it's not a cheap place anymore.  Vietnam are spending a fortune on their coastline with new hotels all the time, Cambodia is still quite 3rd world in places, but you have the attraction of Siam Reap and Angkor Wat.

If you're set on Thailand and want beaches I'd look at Khao Lak or Samui, some great resorts resorts and lots to do, but not as er,....."busy" as Phuket or Pattaya. 

If you don't need the beach/snorkelling or diving and can handle a pool, as Whey aye says...Chiang Mai is brilliant. 

You generally find that food is much better and spicier outside the big hotels, and the luxury resorts tend to be a bit isolated so you're a captive audience for paying their sky high prices for beer and food and excursions.  Do some research on Tripadvisor for great quality hotels, but within areas where other businesses thrive or you might be bored senseless.

Time of year is also important, monsoon seasons are not at the same time on either side of the gulf of Thailand.

On 25/01/2020 at 21:47, Bulya said:

Won’t get assessed for months, let alone payout 

A woman at work who got done the last time in a much smaller storm, said in the end they were transporting cars to Sydney and it was still taking 6 months.   It actually boosted the economy because these guys were flooded out with high value work being paid on the insurance, so the tax was pouring in and the premiums pushed up bringing more money into the system. 

The fires will do the same for the south coast construction industry, but the environmental impact will take a long time to re-create the habitats.

I was with a builder watching the hail smashing these cars to pieces on London Circuit and he pointed to his own old Izuzu ute getting bashed, totally unconcerned.  He said that's why he has an old heavy one with no sunroof and tough windows, so he doesn't give a f when anything happens and he'll scrap it when the engine packs up in about 20 years.  

9 hours ago, Quoll said:

Was Mr Fluffy an interstate franchise or did he just infect ACT? I hadn't heard of mass  demolitions elsewhere or have they just let them alone? 

I think it was into NSW and down the coast...but i think only ACT eventually took it seriously.  I don't know if they have a register of what was outside ACT. 

4 minutes ago, Quoll said:

I’m really surprised that the emphasis is on getting people out of cars, doesn’t seem like that’s working too well. I have seen light rail thing though - twice - since we’ve been here and

It doesn't work well in the neglected South where they have no tram , but then the South is pretty much filled apart from the doubling up on knockdown rebuilds. Much lighter traffic.

The better houses in the North are really good but you're paying 1.2 million+ for a good one on the edge of the bush 30mins from work, when you might be better of paying 1.5mill in Hackett/Downer for a good old one and a better location. 

Civic govvy car parks will all be going around London Circuit.  The Wilson one by the QT was shut the other month and is now a massive hole for thousands of apartments, on the other side the new hotel and Govvy block has taken the Assembly car park....and the ones opposite both Sydney/Melbourne are going to be a bus turnaround interchange in the next few years, when the tram comes around the corner off Northbourne.   The only way it can work is if they force people out of their cars by removing the parking.....hence living in the City Centre suddenly looks reasonable and why they're forcing the apartment builds.  It's a constructed economy all contrived with the builders and pollies.

On 31/12/2019 at 02:11, MACBETH said:

Hi everyone

 

We had a very happy 2 years in Canberra in 2012 before moving further overseas for 2 years and then back to the UK for the past 3 years...... There is a slight possibility that a return to Canberra may be on the cards....eeek. I just wondered how life was in Canberra now a days? Has anything changed? I heard about the light rail system...very fancy....does it work?

It works but it's full and is espoecially useful for those living within walking distance of a stop.  Those that do, love it.  Those that don't have a use for it, bag it.   The next stage is starting soon around London Circuit, then should reach Woden in about 5 years.

It's more like a proper city since 2012 when i think they allowed them to build higher than 4 storeys,  the scale of apartment building is stunning, which has vastly improved the restaurants and small businesses opening up on the ground level.  Lots of Chinese students, better Chinese food and a more ethnic feel to the City on the ANU side.  The economy is being shaped deliberately to get people out cars, which is a big ask.  Jobs are still great with very high pay if you have skillsets.  It's the easiest place to live, but not the cheapest.

On 09/01/2020 at 19:19, Juditta said:

Yes, some years ago I owned a property with a small amount of asbestos in it, and had lots of problems when I wanted to sell it on, which is why I am so wary of it now.   But I am amazed how many houses are full of the stuff here.   

It was cheap and mined here, and it protects against heat.  Non-friable asbestos is a fabulous product and you don't have to remove it if you don't need to.  Just don't smash it with hammers.

Loose asbestos is a different matter, such as in old roof cavities..

2 hours ago, Wanderer Returns said:

Is it true that you can access the whole lot completely tax-free when you get to 60? It just seems too good to be true!

yes, tax free at 60.  You can take a lump sum, and then buy your actual regular pension with the remainder. Or you might want to leave it in there a bit longer to grow more, if you're happy at work !

You'll probably want financial advice before then as to how best structure your income.

2 hours ago, Wanderer Returns said:

I’ve paid 25 years of the 37 years I need for a full UK state pension, so if I never worked again in the UK I’d still get two thirds of the UK pension at 67, which would be a pretty decent top up even without any annual increases.

When you reach Australia and as you're starting work immediately, you can then apply to the UK to make Class 2 NI contributions to make up the shortfall of your UK state pension, up to the 35 years for a full pension.  Class 2 is much cheaper than Class 3, and is allowed when you're leaving a UK job immediately before you emigrate, and provide the details of your first job in Australia.   I think the contributions are around £2.50 per week, so a few hundred pounds per year, for each extra years entitlement.   If you live past about 81,  it's a very good investment and a high return on what you paid in as payments in the UK obviously continue until death.   That can form part of a safety net as well.

You don't have to apply for this immediately on the UK GOV website, but keep the details of your last UK job safe somewhere, and your resignation letter, confirmation from employer, P45, and last P60, just in case you need it one day..  

1 hour ago, Wanderer Returns said:

I was very interested to read the opinions about pensions/super. This is quite a big deal for me as I don’t have much of one, but then we paid the mortgage off early so you can’t have it both ways. If I have done my homework correctly, I can pay up to $25k/year into my Australian super and only pay 15% tax on it. I worked out if I did that I’d still have about $60k/year to live on after tax, which seems pretty good to be honest. Is it true that you can access the whole lot completely tax-free when you get to 60? It just seems too good to be true! In the UK you can only get 25% tax-free.

Yes, the employer pays a minimum of 9.5% of your salary and then you can top up yourself to a maximum of 25,000 per annum at 15% tax.   As a teacher, you may get a little extra off the employer (10,11,12%) , especially if you contribute some yourself via your pay packet. 

The employer must set you up with their default superannuation fund on commencement of your job and start paying their own share into it, so it takes a weight off your mind.  You don't have to start paying any personal contributions into it immediately...you can take your time and fill a form in when you're ready.

The thing you can do with your British pension is ask them to provide you with a "cash transfer value" for information (if you haven't already).  As a teacher, I guess you may have been funding this yourself through a LGA scheme at around 6% maybe, with additional contributions from the employers?  The value is what you may be able to transfer out as a lump sum, and it may be a decent lump although not enough to sustain you as a life pension.

Currently you cannot transfer this to Australia during your working life, but you could transfer it on retirement and purchase a pension annuity in Australia.  Transfers were allowed up until a few years ago but the UK blocked it and removed Australian superfunds as "QROPS" registered.   This was partly because Australian super funds allow you early access to your fund on the triggering of certain conditions, including illness and financial hardship.   This goes against British superannuation rules which do not allow any early access whatsoever. The risk being that British people might move their pension fund to Australia, get early access, spend it, then return to the UK penniless and live off the state....so they have stopped allowing transfers to Australia until you've stopped paying into your superannuation and reached retirement age.

9 hours ago, Paul1Perth said:

We went to a retirement talk from my wifes work. Guy from super was telling everyone how many millions they needed to retire, then showed a case study. Retired lady, couple of cruises a year, holidays abroad, renewed her car every 2 years. Me and the wife were both working full time and weren't doing that. 

The super guys are just after your money like any other business.

I guess if you're working, you can't go on cruises and too many holidays anyway...we certainly can't.  It's about hitting that sweet spot where you can retire early enough and still have the physical mobility to do interesting things. 

What swung me was looking over the shoulder of a 22yr old trainee at work one lunchtime, and he was looking at his super account online.  Still living at his parents, he had over $200,000. At 22?  His grandparents had gifted him 100k when he started work, and he'd saved about 80k himself in 4 years.  That puts him on course for about $4 million when he retires, but he'll probably be out of the workforce long before then. 

The free symposiums that Super companies run for members are obviously designed to get you to save more into their funds, but they are still very very useful.  We went to a similar one about 3 months after we emigrated when we had joint Aussie super pots with a balance of about zero.  No idea about the Aussie super system, not a clue how it worked.   I remember them saying that for just a comfortable lifestyle (then $40,000 tax free for a couple), you would need a superannuation pot of $1 million on retirement, as well as a paid-off house..  Bit of jump, from zero to $1 million, when you think you've got F all.  

They helped us with our UK-funded, defined benefit pension schemes, who were actually unable to tell us what our pension balances were for about 4 months while they worked it out.  It was archaic and like walking through treacle, but we got our money out of the UK before they changed the pension rules to prevent overseas transfers. 

We were surprised at how much we'd got for 20 years of UK payments but it gave us a better starting point than we'd hoped for....re-invested it over here, learned about it, took charge of it, and have ploughed surplus money into it taking every tax concession going.  We hit that financial target after 7 years and the house is paid off in another 3, now we have another 15 years to reduce the age we can retire at and try and hit that sweet spot where we have more than enough, but can do it 7/8 years earlier, all self-funded and hopefully never relying on the Aussie state pension as a benefit.   The sacrifice is that you work overly hard when they're throwing money at you, but you know you're going to have to cut back one day before you burn out. 

We also purchased the gap in UK National Insurance payments as Class 2 contributions, a brilliant deal to max out the UK state pension.  If we live to 93, then the Aussie state pension is projected to kick in...but realistically, we'll be past caring anyway if we're still alive.

9 hours ago, Wanderer Returns said:

@Slean Wolfhead I'm sure that would be something that those of us with a significant UK pension entitlement would welcome but given there are a quarter of a million British pensioners in Australia, I think the chances are pretty slim. There are only a few countries which have reciprocal social security agreements with the UK. All the other countries where the UK state pension is index-linked are part of the EEA. When the UK leaves EU (which now seems likely), it’s quite possible that the UK will freeze the pensions of those retiring to these countries too. It wouldn't be surprising as there are three times as many Brits retiring to Europe’s sunnier climes than there are Europeans retiring to the UK, so an nice little saver for GOV.UK.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/investmentspensionsandtrusts/articles/pensionersintheeuanduk/2017-09-05

I'm not sure if the chances are slim.  It'll just come down to cost, and how much the UK wants a deal with Australia.  When Australia issued industry consultation on what they wanted as a national benefit from a potential post-Brexit FTA, this was pretty high on the agenda as a precursor to allowing more UK exports and services inside.  Whether that compensation is directly attributable to the pensioners themselves, or the UK makes an ex-gratia payment each year....who knows what will happen?

The question to ask would be that would the removal of index-linking pensions prevent people retiring overseas, especially those who rely mainly on a state pension to supplement a fairly cheap life in the Costas or the rural areas of France, and then the Europeans start imposing charges on UK immigrants who are not EU members anymore and are not paying their way into the system.

The calculation would be if the UK wants to end up funding the growing age crisis and extra medical/social security costs rather than just the weekly pension payment.  As most people are living longer and in the UK especially, don't have adequate super balances on top of the state pension entitlement, they're getting more illnesses that they would previously not have lived long enough to develop.  There's a huge ongoing cost attached to this as the rising cost of medical care/social housing is outstripping the value of the existing systems that fund it. 

Index-linking their pensions abroad might be the cheapest way to ensure that elderly people don't return to the UK which would put more pressure on the UK system.  Stopping existing index-linking might exasperate the problem and force pensioners to return to UK when they'd otherwise be happy to retire overseas and remove themselves from the home system altogether.

It'll be interesting to witness the overhaul that's coming for the NHS.  If Johnson gets in and allows America to start expanding its health industry principles into the UK as part of any FTA requirement, the financial cost will rocket.  It's obvious that NI and supplementary grants don't cover the cost of existing treatments being delivered and there is no published plan to say where the extra money will be coming from to cover the existing and expanding aged population, who are also living longer, even before they reform the system and offer more to private companies who need to make a profit for shareholders. 

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

There is a social security agreement with New Zealand so I think you'd be able to get your pension there (there isn't one with the UK which is why you can't claim your Australian pension there).  

Fixing the various pension anomalies is a juicy target for Australia in a potential FTA with the UK, as is the need for the UK to index-link UK pensions in Australia the same as they do in other countries.  The pressure of British retirees on the Australian benefits system will only grow if the value of a British pension is ever decreasing. 

The last time it was discussed publicly (in the early days of UK austerity), William Hague admitted it was unfair but that the UK had no extra money...end of conversation.  They might be minded to find that money now if the UK holds a weaker hand in negotiations, both economically and politically.

4 hours ago, Wanderer Returns said:

Hi everyone,

I've always found POI great for advice, and also very supportive when folks are in a bit of a quandary. I just wanted to put this out there and see what those currently living in Australia have to say based on their recent experiences. Especially if they're living in South East Queensland.

I'm an UK/AUS citizen and my wife has AUS PR.

My wife had been living in Australia for 3 years (not quite long enough for citizenship) when we moved to the UK at the end of 2014 to help take care of my elderly mum. She has been absolutely amazing, and I couldn't have done it without her. Mum lived for another three years, by which time my wife had already obtained her second temporary resident UK Visa (called 'further leave to remain' here). Having missed out on Australian citizenship before we left Oz, she's been very keen to obtain British citizenship before we left, so we've stayed here another two years. Our long-term plan has always been to return to Australia for a better life. I should mention that my wife is Malaysian, so travelling anywhere outside Southeast Asia has always been problematic and expensive on her passport. Fortunately we are almost at the end of this journey and she’ll be able to apply for 'indefinite leave to remain' (permanent residency) next month, followed by UK citizenship straight afterwards.

Now that my mum’s gone I no longer have any family left in the UK, and three of my closest friends have also died in the last five years (two from cancer and one from a heart attack). That said, we've adapted to life back in the UK, even though we both hated it at first year. My wife rather likes it because she found it too hot in Australia, but then we were living in Cairns. I am more fond of the pub than the weather, to be honest!

I’m a secondary schoolteacher and I've been keen to get out of the British school system before it drives me mad. I also enjoyed teaching a lot more in Australia. I was offered a job back in Cairns at the start of the year, but I knocked it back because neither my wife nor I were keen to go back to FNQ. Yesterday I was offered a position at a school between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. All the time we lived in Cairns I wanted to move back to Southeast Queensland, but there was never an opportunity to do so. I haven’t given them my decision yet (I said I would let them know by the end of this week), but now I’m feeling strangely ambivalent about going back to Oz. Maybe at 52, selling up here and shipping everything over to Australia doesn’t have quite the same appeal it did when I was 32 - the first time I came to Australia as a backpacker. There's also the fact that we have Europe on our doorstep here and once my wife has her British passport we can go whenever we like, whereas overseas travel from Australia costs a fortune, unless it's to NZ.

I haven’t really been following what's been going on Down Under for the last five years, apart from the various changes in government etc. To excuse the 'how long is a piece of string question', is Australia still as good as it was? I can see that the price of property is now very expensive compared with when we left (at least it is in South East QLD). For what we'd get for our house here (£250,000) it looks we'll be struggling to buy anything in Brisbane or the Gold Coast without a sizeable mortgage, unless it's way out in the suburbs. One of the things I loved about Australia is that there didn't seem to be any real social problems – at least not by UK standards – and I am wondering if this is still the case? I’m guessing that the cost of living is still a fair bit higher, but then I’ll be earning more than I am here in the UK so that’s not really a major issue.

Anyway, please excuse my extended ramblings - I'll leave it at that!

Cheers, Martin.

I know a few Brits around your age who've moved from Canberra and Sydney to new northern Gold Coast suburbs, where they're building a lot of new communities at more reasonable prices (4 bed - $700k?).  Some of these areas have social problems with hoons, but not on the scale of the UK. Just a case of picking the right part of town.  At your age, you're probably able to choose a different environment than some of the younger families who need to be right next to everything....maybe far enough away so you don't see them, maybe even a townhouse nearer to the GC beaches and then you get the easier traffic flow both morning and afternoon ?

As a teacher at 52, you could probably expect a longer career than in the UK with better comparative pay and conditions?  My dad was a teacher they started trying to force him out at 54 and he'd reached the top of the pay grade in the UK.  Not that sort of pressure in Australia yet.

On 03/11/2019 at 04:41, Jameo said:

I have never divulged details of dual-citizenship on any form I've ever completed, whether in Australia, the UK, or anywhere else for that matter, and I don't believe I am breaking any law in doing so. Why should one country have the right to know if I am a citizen of another? These questions never existed until a few years ago, and in my opinion it's just an extension of the SnO0pers' ch4rter they are so big on in the UK these days - i

Try getting a VISA to China.....your one passport might be clean but your other one might be hiding a lot.  It's a right PITA.

https://www.avon.uk.com/306-354/toiletries/skin-so-soft?pn=1

33 minutes ago, Toots said:

Coles sell this bacon - smoked or unsmoked.  I don't eat it but OH says it's far better than other bacon on offer.  It's also thinly sliced, again he prefers that to the thicker sort.

Got to say, there's lots of unsmoked bacon around.  I only buy that British stuff when it's on offer, it seems to have a high water content and you get all that white fat on it.  The Piallio Irish bacon is really good, that's won awards in the UK.

https://www.pialligofarm.com.au/collections/bacon-1/products/traditional-dry-cured-and-smoked-bacon

On 23/09/2019 at 21:15, mppc said:

Hi I'm looking for some advice on building up a resistance to mosquitos. I have been living in Australia for 9 weeks and it does not seem to matter how careful I am I still get bitten. The bites are really bad resulting in having to use stroid cream. It's so sore and itchy I'm really getting down about it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

If you do get bitten, you can buy these things called Zap-Its, they send a small electric shock to the bite and it removes the urge to scratch. It prevents the release of histamine which is what makes you itchy, so you then don't need to apply anti-histamine.  We take it everywhere.

https://www.easypestsupplies.com.au/zap-it-mosquito-bite-relief

Aldi sell these in the UK occasionally for about £2, but they're $20 here.

On 21/07/2019 at 08:24, Eera said:

I had only one reason - I was doing fieldwork in the sleet and my fingers were too frozen to hold my pen - one of those "screw this for a game of soldiers" moments.  I was a citizen, single, had nothing to stop me and got on an aeroplane 6 months later.

For a lot of people it really is that simple.  If it's in the back of your mind that you'd take the opportunity and you know you have the gumption to act, the decision has already been made before you think of the question.

In our case it was 1.) Weather 2.) Continuing decline of the UK's identity, politics and awareness  3.) Inability to improve standards of education and living 4) Lack of reward and increased job insecurity. 5) Lack of national investment in infrastructure across the UK north of Watford.  6) A feeling that it was going to get a lot worse and our potential would be restricted.

One night the wife held up an industry magazine that was advertising for work in Canberra, with a PR VISA and relocation expenses included.  We'd never been to Australia but i remembered the funny Bill Bryson chapter from "In a Sunburned Country".  Even though for him it was a very boring place, he had described very well the positive side, the climate, the wages, the free time, and the environment.   Because we were very streetwise and had lived in busy Cities all our lives, this was the combination lifestyle that did not exist in the UK .

It literally took 30 seconds to decide, if that.  We never wavered, never regretted a second since.  What we didn't know, we've learned.  What we did know, has proven very useful and is far more rewarded in Australia to the point that we were stunned.  The work ethic that was ingrained on us in the UK is much more respected here.  We should have come 10 years earlier. 

If we go back to the UK at some point we'll be able to live in a far better place than we came from, but in all probability we'll probably travel the world, then live by the coast in a warm country, visiting the UK to see family and friends only. The main difference is that we've been able to take control of our own lives and futures.

9 minutes ago, Amber Snowball said:

Ah yes. I read the article quickly in the paper today. The 2010-2014 part showed improvements from the original 20 year study results. Still lagging behind even so. The government reckon stuff has been done more recently but not sure they are an unbiased opinion! There are definitely bottlenecks in the system. I think treatment has had investment like the proton beam radiation therapy but it’s diagnosis that seems to take a ridiculous amount of time and that is a major indicator in survival rates.

declined since 2014, which isn't surprising.

https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/resource/cancer-waiting-time-targets

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/06/11/nhs-trusts-missing-cancer-targets-waiting-times-soar/

 

 

 

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On 03/07/2019 at 09:00, Itraf said:

in UK people are always talking about money, mortgage, pensions, the weather, tv, here the people talk about the price of sheep, super, the Footie, the weekend camping, beer, barbique and the weather!

 

You haven't been to Canberra then....at lunchtime they log onto super to check their millions and see what investment properties they can buy, and their education is on a par with the UK surpassing it in a lot of places.  Because of the European heritage of a lot of them know a lot more about Europe than I do and I travelled a lot round Europe, but I guess not as somebody who's family roots are in Italy, Slovenia, Holland, Ireland, Greece or Germany etc...   It's interesting to listen to their perspectives although they're all "Aussies" now.

On 06/06/2019 at 01:26, Phoenix16 said:

I know I’ve been totally burying my head in the sand here but I left UK with a local government pension (27 years of contributions) that at the time was a final salary based pension final salary being 40K PA.  That was 10 years ago, never thought about retirement, never notified them of my change of address,  nevertheless thought about transferring it here?. Is it’s still worth claiming? S it worth anything?? Maybe I should let them know where I live first of all!!

 

It could be worth an awful lot so i would definitely tell them and see if you can get a current valuation.  You probably can't transfer that into your Aussie super until you retire since the rule changes a few years ago.

Also, with 27 years contributed (and assumedly 27 years of NI contributions as well) , with the current UK full state pension being raised from 30 to 35 years required NI contributions, you could apply to backpay the 8 years of NI contributions to be eligible for a full UK state pension from 67.  If they allow you Class 2 rates, that's around £1200 for the extra 8/35 portion.  It's a very good investment if you don't die !