saz71

Beechworth



Wine making in Cornella


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Glenrowan


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Echuca


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Echuca


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Echuca


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The Murray at Echuca


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We're in regional Vic so some costs may vary but -

Mobile phones/internet - I've got an iPhone 6 Plus and husband has a Sony Ericsson with Telstra on contract and for them plus adsl2 home internet 500gb we pay $275 per month all in. Loads of minutes and data on the phones so never pay over that.

We budget $200 a month for gas and electricity combined.

No rates. Our water usage is included in our rent so can't help with that cost sorry

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We've been here almost 2 years and rent our U.K. house out. We're really enjoying it here and considered selling when our first tenants gave notice a couple of months ago but decided to stick with our original plan of keeping it until we get citizenship at the 4 year mark.

Luckily we've secured new tenants who hopefully move in next week (electrician dependant!) after only a couple of weeks it being empty so we're happy we've decided to keep it for a bit longer.
It is stressful keeping it though and we managed the let ourselves for our last tenants but this time have engaged an agent to do it all. So I'd encourage you to use an agent.

We brought the dog with us when we came over though as with not selling up couldn't justify the cost of travelling back and to.

We settled pretty quickly even with keeping our place, but that is because we have no intention to go back even for a visit for at least another year or so (emergencies excepted)


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More info from apple here

https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT207021

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But if I remember correctly, on an iPhone, only if your phone is not locked (I certainly would not advocate leaving your phone unlocked).

I have had considerable trouble trying to find the next of kin while we resuscitate a tourist or local on several occasions in ED.

I am aware of only one app (and only available on Android) that permits the rescuer to access essential contacts on a locked smartphone, and then call using the victim's phone a preselected list of numbers: In Case of Emergency by appventive.com, also on Google Play.

While not perfect, for example it does not permit linking images of medicine boxes. It would save so much angst of having unknown people in ICU, while their smartphone has the essential information locked away.

Disclaimer: I have no association with any app developer or phone provider.

 

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If you use the health app the details can be accessed through the emergency link which is available by pressing the home screen (and before you enter your access code)

Click on emergency. Then medical id

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We paid $600 this year for eldest in state primary (grade 5). As we'll need to make a decision for high school for him in the next couple of years I've looked at the local catholic high school and fees are $3k per annum including laptop. The other private school (Anglican grammar) is closer to $7k. State high fees I'm not sure of as not checked there yet (my preference is the catholic school in any case)

We're in regional Victoria.

Edited to add. The primary fees we pay include all excursions including a Grampians camp this year. Only things to buy separately are uniforms (polo shirt and shorts so not too expensive) and iPad which they get cheaper and you can pay over a period of time.

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Ah but you have the magical Murray! I like Echuca, it has a good vibe. Much prefer it to,say, Ballarat. Except for the mozzies after the recent floods of course!

Yes, we do love being by the river. Flies and mozzies aside [emoji23]

And the town is great, all you need and if not you can get it from Bendigo or Shepparton (or do the 2.5 hours to Melbourne). Big enough to have stuff going on but small enough to have the community feel. We've been made to feel very welcome here.

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Go into the health app and there's a section for medical id

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If you set it up in the health app they can get to it from the emergency screen. Apparently emergency services know to check this

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I just wish people would stop claiming that the health service is not in crisis just because they personally have had a good experience. I fear for the future under this government, and that is not me being negative its me being realistic.

 

I am planning to move to Australia with misgivings because I love my country and in many ways I think it's one of the best places in the world to live - certainly my corner is. We live by the sea, we have beautiful mountain views, we have wonderful neighbours and enjoy being able to spend much of our time outside because it seldom becomes so cold that we need to stay indoors.

 

I believe our education system is surviving the constant attempts to reform it and is in the main efficient and effective. Taxes are fair and reasonable, and I am happy with public transport, apart from the odd hiccup. (Of course if I lived in the south I would probably feel differently.).

 

But the health service is failing.

Coming here from north Wales too we had the same misgivings. And I still miss the view of Hope Mountain from our uk house [emoji22]

And where we are couldn't be more different, flat, dry, landlocked by 3 hours [emoji23]. But we actually feel settled and happy. Not to say I wouldn't return to north Wales one day (and we're fortunate we've kept our house there) but we love both places equally and financially, for us, here is better for now.

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I've set up my medical ID on my iPhone with contact details of husband, father and sister in uk but also kids school and daycare. Our will states who we want to have the children (and my sister has a copy of the will).

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I love Dubai. If we'd moved overseas younger, with no ties, (kids or dog!) we'd have certainly tried to work there first even if the end plan was Australia to settle.

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I'm a Prince2 practitioner and yes it's recognised.

I was a PM in the U.K. in the public sector. I'm capital works coordinator at a regional council here so work in the program office and we have a team of PMs that deliver road and other capital projects.

The council uses PMBOK methodology and AIPM accreditation so I've just completed my Reg PM with AIPM too. Even though they use a PMBOK me having Prince2 was seen as beneficial when I applied for the role and I secured it before leaving the UK. Also, we're looking at project mgt software at the moment and all the demos I've seen cater for either PMBOK or Prince2 so it's definitely a recognised methodology.

I just need to decide whether to fork out the money to do my Prince2 renewal as it's due in August [emoji30]

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When you spend time and money studying to become a Chef, because you choose Hospitality as a career. Get treated like a dispensable bit of oil in a money making machine time and time again, it becomes tiresome. We are now focusing on ways of moving away from the kitchens, but it is hard when you are 35 and that is all you have done.

Agreed. But my husband is 45 so unless we bite the bullet and get our own place not sure what he'd do [emoji17]

He had a fantastic head chef job in uk for 11 years working for a reasonable, fair employer and has worked as head chef here for 18 months. Money is about the same as he was getting in uk but less of a commute so that's a bonus.

It's a nice venue and he was really happy there until the new boss decided they'd be open all Christmas (previous year with different owners they closed public hols) and not pay anyone penalty rates. Plus they're refusing replace a sous chef that left so OH hasn't been able to take any leave he's owed. Not unusual for chefs during busy times, I get that, but it's resulted in us having to cut a trip short on one occasion and me having to take unpaid leave on another when we had no childcare and I had no leave left. Both times this was for leave on days the restaurant is usually closed and are just kitchen prep days and he'd booked the time off well in advance. They'd then subsequently 'forgotten' and booked a private function in last minute. He's is happy to do the double shifts and work extra during summer (we're regional and it goes quiet here in winter so his hours will be better then) but to not even get what's legally yours is more than disappointing [emoji35]

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Thanks saz.

 

Main areas we actually looking are just outside Chester ( Kingsley and its surrounds ) which I am more familiar with, but good to get pointers on other areas close by that we like.

It's lovely round there too. Good luck, are you back in the uk now or still in oz?

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A little bit off topic but could you people who have good knowledge of Chester give me some good areas/streets even to look at, ideally within walking distance of good primary schools. Budget is £3 - £450k. Reply here or pm is fine. Thanks.

My parents are in Westminster Park and the primary school there (Belgrave) was rated outstanding by ofsted. Lovely school (I attended) but in all honesty the estate isn't my cup of tea - not a fan of dated 60's houses [emoji23]. Lache Lane and Hough Green are close and are older, bigger houses.

St Mary's in Handbridge also scored well. Queens Park is a nice area there but likely over the budget (very expensive). Handbridge itself has some good and not so good areas.

North of the river Upton, Hoole and Boughton are nice areas. If you want further out and more village like, Mickle Trafford, Mollington and Guilden Sutton are all lovely.

The Mickle Trafford primary school is on the list as outstanding. And there are a few houses in that budget on rightmove. (Bit 60's in era again though [emoji23])

Link to the high scoring schools-

https://www.google.com.au/amp/www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/chester-ellesmere-port-schools-rated-10693270.amp?client=safari

Born in Liverpool moved to Chester and then North Wales with family. Three years in Bangor, then Birmingham, Luxembourg, Brussels and back to North Wales. Hoping to be living in NSW by the end of this year. (Fingers crossed the house sells) :wink:

Another from Chester / north Wales!

How's the housing market ATM Fisher? We kept our Caergwrle house and rent it out currently as made the move to Vic in 2015. We may sell in the future so always keen to see how things are over there

Good luck with the sale and move

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Buckley

Ah not far from us then

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A few from the Chester area I see, spent many a night out there from just over the boarder in north Wales, London for couple of years then back to north Wales. Then to sans souci, mona vale and now in Hunter valley

Where were you from Rallyman? We were in Caergwrle (still rent the house out there)

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Grew up in Chester but lived just over the border in north Wales for 16 years before coming to country Vic in 2015

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