Naomi from Manchester

If you apply and get granted a visa, would it be worth asking your current employer if they would allow you to take a year off, and hold your job for you? That's what we did 8 years ago (both worked for NHS). We were lucky in that we both secured jobs in Australia before we came - my partner is a nurse and he just applied for jobs on the NSW health job website and had a few telephone interviews. He was happy to take a step down in terms of responsibility given our potentially temporary circumstance, and so didn't find it difficult to get a job at that time. We rented out our UK flat and made a decision to stay in Sydney once we had been here a year. I'm not sure how old your little ones are and whether a 'test year' would be more beneficial or traumatic for them.

Try this website: http://www.ethicaljobs.com.au/ NGOs also advertise positions alongside businesses on https://www.seek.com.au/ and also http://www.applydirect.com.au/ Community health and local government positions seem to be mainly advertised on their own websites, with a few adverts cross posted to Seek.

You can buy a nice 2 bed unit with a garden within your budget in the inner west. We live in Erskineville and its only 20 mins on the train to Wynyard. There's lots of interesting suburbs on the train line into the city to consider. Lots of character, infrastructure and stuff going on in the inner west, and it only takes me 23 minutes to drive to the nearest beach.

Have you seen this? https://www.speech-language-therapy-jobs.org/jobs/5671654/speech-pathologist-speech-and-language-therapist.asp

I think SPA want to know that you're an 'autonomous practitioner' when it comes to dysphagia, and don't require a great deal of supervision/support.

Ok, I'm glad that things are a bit clearer now. I only have experience working in Sydney and I'm not sure how things differ from state to state, but broadly speaking, you can either work for community health (equivalent to NHS but much longer wait lists and more competition for jobs in bigger cities (not so in small towns), mostly with kids with delay and disorder), work for a not for profit NGO (previously funded by the government but now that NDIS is happening, people with a disability recieve funding from the government and the families choose which service provider to spend it with), or work privately (lots of private jobs going but coming from the NHS, you may not favour this service delivery model, and many private therapists also work on literacy and accent modification). I believe in QLD there are also state funded school SLTs, but not in NSW and I'm not sure about other states. Some special schools in NSW have their own therapists, but most don't, they just have visiting therapists For specific children. This is a good website for finding jobs: http://www.applydirect.com.au and you can also look at community health websites such as this one for NSW: https://nswhealth.erecruit.com.au and the Seek website has lots of private jobs and agencies advertising. In terms of assessment for little ones and school age, people use the CELF (but pronounce it as SELF which makes no sense as C stands for 'clinical'), PLS, Pragmatic Profile, DEEP, Rossetti ... Same sort of thing.

In terms of differences working as a speechie in Aus verses the U.K, it depends. What's your caseload?

Hi Louise, the process may have changed since I came over several years ago, but my understanding is as follows. SPA and RCSLT have a 'mutual recognition' agreement, which means that they agree that undergraduates from Aus and the U.K are trained to a similar level and can therefore work in either country. However, they don't really agree about this, as SPA seem to think that Uk graduates don't know as much about dysphagia as Aus graduates do. In order to work as a SLT (known as a SP) over here, you need to be 'eligible' for membership with SPA. (You don't necessarily have to be a paid up member). Being eligible for membership just means that SPA recognise your qualifications and think you're as good as an Aus trained SP. They may ask you for post grad evidence of your competency in dysphagia (whether or not you intend to work in that area). They asked me for evidence of that I had the skills and experience to autonomously treat babies, children and adults (head & neck and stroke) with dysphagia!!! (I only had post grad dysphagia experience with school aged kids with disabilities and with ALD, but I managed to get my eligibility in the end). However, I've heard that some people have successfully got their eligibility without having to provide any evidence of post grad dysphagia related competencies. I suggest that you phone SPA. I found phoning a lot more useful than emailing. You need to get your eligibility before you can get your visa, since I think that you need to have eligibility in order to get through the skills assessment, but the visa application process has changed in recent years, and I don't know whether you can start the ball rolling before you have eligibility or not - hopefully you can.

If you have the deposit, you could get a really nice 1 bed flat (with a big entertaining type balcony or yard if it's the ground floor) in a great Sydney suburb close to the city for around $750,000. Or you could get a reasonable 2 bed flat. Im in Erskineville and the prices seem to be around this here at the moment. Expect high service charges for a flat in a good residential complex with a communal gym, pool and well kept shared gardens etc though. (Flats / apartments are called 'units' over here).

you'll be looking out for them now!

Parramatta centre has a surprising number of barber shops, every other shop seems to be for men's hair.

Looks great, thanks very much for the info and uploading those book pages. Can't wait

Hello, Wondering if anyone can advise on the best pace to base ourselves in the shoalhaven area for 4 nights. We would like to be walking distance from a beach which would suit a 2 yr old, as well as near a few cafes / restaurants. I guess we'll visit Hyams beach whilst we're there since that's the famous one. I can't work out if the town of Huskisson is near a decent beach or not. Anywhere to snorkel down there? Thanks.

Thank you All for sharing info and diverging opinions ... Hmmmm!

Hi Everyone, I'm wondering whether it would be prudent or pointless to get my child a British passport and keep renewing it so that it's always current. She was born in Australia to British parents and has an Australian passport. I heard that I shouldn't assume that a child born outside the UK to British parents will always be able to get a British passport in the future, since eligibility criteria does change from time to time. (I understand that changes have been made in the not too distant past, but I'm confused about what these changes were exactly). What are the advantages to keeping a British and Australian passport? Thanks.

Hi Baggo, Mosman and Sans Souci are dramatically different. Here's my very personal view: I think the Sans Souci area is quite scruffy, and not in an interesting edgy sort of way, more in a bit of a drab sort of way. The beach at Brighton Le sands is not that great (flat water, view of the airport), certainly nothing like Balmoral at Mosman, which is the sort of beach you'd take overseas visitors to. Kogarah and Mosman are both quite bustling with all the infrastructure you'd want close by, but Mosman is very white and up market, whereas Kogarah is a lot more affordable and multicultural. There are thriving Mummy groups all over Sydney, and the Mummies at Mosman are of the Yummy variety.

Thank you to Everyone for your responses, I appreciate the info and advice.

Maybe you qualify for the National Disability Insurance Scheme? It's intended for therapies, equipment, personal care etc. https://myplace.ndis.gov.au/ndisstorefront/people-disability/access-requirements.html

Thanks for your responses. I'm an Australian resident and I have a 2 bed flat in the UK with no mortgage which is rented out. That rental income isn't doing anything useful in the UK, so I was thinking of just plonking it straight into my Super. I suppose I'd just transfer sums across once they've grown to a reasonable amount. Does that sound like a good idea? Thanks.

Hi, Please could you advise on what the tax implications are (or any other penalties) for transferring money from a UK bank account straight into a Super fund? thanks

If you do end up in Zetland / Green Square, don't live in one of the apartment blocks across the road from East Village that surround a huge slide. I take my daughter there occasionally and at the weekends it fills up with screaming kids - I feel sorry for the residents! http://www.sydneymedia.com.au/childrens-adventures-at-green-square-park/

Also consider suburbs on the 'Bay Run' - popular with runners. http://www.leichhardt.nsw.gov.au/Recreation/Walking-and-Cycling/The-Bay-Run

I sometimes pop to East Village in Zetland - it does feel a little small after a couple of visits and isn't quite a one stop shop for everything you need, but I think the Coles is open til midnight. I agree that Zetland is conveniently located (the area is classed as 'city fringe'), except it isn't on a train line and trains are better than buses, I reckon. Also, there aren't any bars, pubs or music venues in walking distance that I can think of. I don't agree about the 'quality' of apartments in Zetland - they're being thrown up pretty quickly and I certainly wouldn't buy one, but renting would be great. If a modern apartment is more of a priority to you than living in an area with established character and community, then Zetland could work for you. I wouldn't live there myself. Why not explore the Inner West a bit more, there are lots of new unit blocks (most with pools and gyms etc) amongst the cottages and town houses.

You'll find local health authority jobs advertised at www.applydirect.com.au If you're interested in working for a non-government not for profit organisation try their websites (e.g. Novita Children's Services ... Sorry I've never been to Adelaide and can't name any other allied health service providers over there). Also have a look on the Job Board on the the Speech Pathology Australia website (there never seems to be a massive number of jobs advertised on there). Many private practices advertise on the Seek website. Use 'speech pathologist' (rather than 'speech and language therapist') as a search term if you're looking for a hands on therapist job.

If there's any chance you could work at home part of the week then you may not mind a longer train commute on days when you do need to be in the city, in which case, could you consider buying in affordable places like Austinmer? It's beautiful down there and I expect your wife would find it easier to get work with NSW Health around the Wollongong area than the Sydney area. If you were to buy closer to the city I think you'd end up in a pretty quiet suburb anyway. I don't especially rate Wollongong itself, but I wouldn't mind living in some of the little beach suburbs down that way. I have no idea about schools though.