Taylors4

It's with a heavy heart I post this, but our story is we are now 8 months in (I know it's not long enough), but even though we love the lifestyle here, we are now beginning to realise it's not everything. We had an itch to scratch and have done just that. Our main worry is our daughter who is about to turn 14. She is really missing her friends, although she's made lots of friends in school, none seem to want to socialise out of school, so she's very lonely. At home we had an excellent stables 5 mins away, where she spent most of here weekends and holidays helping/working. If we stay here we will have to put her into private school as her present school is crap, for want of a better word. We are conscious that in the UK she would be starting year 10 in Sept and really need to get her back into it before then. We feel so guilty for bringing here her now, even though she begged us to come, we truly though for her horse riding there would be more opportunities. My son who is 11 loves it here and had made some really great friends. I've struggled to get a job, am working in a supermarket, not really what I had planned, but it's a job, but 12 hours a weeks isn't enough. Being on a 489 visa doesn't help, as I'm sure I could get work if I could work closer to, or in the city, but we knew that before we came, so only have ourselves to blame for that. My OH is bored out of his head at work, he's very experienced at what he does, but his skill level isn't really required here. He's a builder, and whilst he had worked on new builds before, he is more into meatier projects, such as barn conversions and generally working on older structures, which require a completely different skill set to what's used here. Whilst I cope with loneliness quite well. He's struggling, along with my daughter. We had a very good life In the UK, but wanted to try Aus as we do love it, but don't feel as though it's our forever home. We did come to ride the waves of the UK recession, we have worked extremely hard over the past 5 years, and got a bit fed up with the constant battle to try to keep the family business going, last year we had no work from Dec to March which was the deciding factor of coming here. We are lucky to be mortgage free and our renting our UK home. Our tenant is leaving at the end of March and are now thinking of going home. Our aim was to always give it a go, but if we didn't have a UK income we would be very poor living here on just what we earn here. If we sold our house and moved our money over, as we had planned, by the time we got a similar house and paid for schooling for our 2 kids we really would struggle here financially. Has as anyone returned with a 14 year old and how did they cope getting back into the UK system after being here? If my daughter wasn't at such a critical stage in her schooling, we would stay here, but realise if we put them both through the Aussie system it will be 7 years before we return to the UK, and realistically we are not sure we could last that long. Well enough about us, can anyone recommend shippers from Perth to UK please, we would really appreciate any help as I don't know where to start.

My OH brought his hand tools in his suitcase, the sthilsaw came I the container, still sat in the garage, not been used yet. He sold everything else back in the UK. So far although he is self employed, who ever takes you on provides everything, profiles etc. Thats all they use here, profile mad. My OH has not had to buy anything. However, as and when/if you go it alone, well yes then you would need your own mixer, profiles etc. That's only my OH's experience and of course others may have had different experiences. Hope this helps.

Real chippy chips with fruity curry and peas Chinese Indian Pork pies, although coles deli ones are ok Gammon New Cheshire potatoes sausages and bacon Cornish rattler cider

If it makes you feel any better, my mum has recently flown from Liverpool UK to the Isle of Man on her bus pass, as she doesn't have a passport!

We came to perth for a holiday 3 years ago, we flew with KLM, stayed in bali for a week, got a cheap flight with pacific Blue and flew out from perth, as KLM let you depart from a different destination. Then it was cheaper than a return flight to Perth, not sure if it's cheaper now though. The advantage of this for us, was only 15 hrs flight to Bali, then we could relax and enjoy the pool, and sights, which helped with jet lag. When we got to Perth, we were recharged and ready to go from the outset and I believe we got a lot more from our trip by doing this. Also, if you meet your friends in Bali, you can all have a great holiday together first. Hope this helps.

Apologies, please ignore my previous post, I misunderstood, it's early here lol!

Pretty sure you will have to prove by way of payslips really, they may not accept just a letter. We too have to prove this and payslips and letter is the evidence we are gathering.

Yes this was my train of thought really, if we gave up our 489 for a 457, but then applied for PR straight away, would this be a way forward. Anyone know how long you wait for a 457 to PR when u have your skills assessment?

No, hence the 489 visa, which is a skilled state sponsored visa.

Yes after the 2 year qualifying period. However, if we could gain PR before then, I could then look for work outside of a regional area and hopefully being PR may stand more chance of getting interviews and being able to apply for jobs, it's surprising now many ask for PR. I though I'd get work easily in a cafe or office or something, but no.

We are here in a 489 visa, been here for 5 months all is going ok with work for my OH so o reason to suggest we wouldn't qualify for the PR once we have spent 2 years here. If he was to be sponsored on a 457, as he's got a recent skills assessment could he apply for PR straight away? Not sure if this is possible, but just wondering really. Obviously we have paid a lot of money for our 489 $3600 I think it was, and for a short time would leave ourselves exposed, to the downside of the 457 visa but is it possible to do this? I personally think it's a bit too scary to give up our 489 status, but just wondered what anyone else thinks. the 489 restrictions are fine for my OH's job, which is what we came her for, but I really would like to work and regionally there is little work, which we knew might be the case, but I really did think getting a simple office job would have been easier. Nightfill at coles is doing my head in. Any advice would be great, I know the pitfalls of the 457, but can applying for PR be done on a quick turn around?

I can sympathise with that. I've spent time in Oz previously so no one was really that surprised, but my mum kept saying, well you won't be there that long as your OH won't settle. In fact he's the one that has settled right away, but think that's prob more to do with work, as he's a work mad and can't just sit around, being unemployed doesn't suit him. One friend even brought my sons school report to my mums and said, oh don't post it to oz! just leave it here for when they come back! Since being here one of my brothers has totally ignored me, Facebook etc, he posts crap but can't even acknowledge that we are here. His departing words were I could of emigrated to Oz you know! So why didn't he!!! It drives me mad, why can't they all just be happy that you are trying new experiences and are trying to keep out of a rut! Rant over ....... So yes can see where you are coming from

Cornish pasty, can't beat it. Last time we went to Cornwall I asked my mum if she wanted anything, all she wanted was a real Cornish pasty, so we bought a fresh out of the oven., put it in the back of the car and I can tell you, for the 7 hour trip back home towing a caravan it was murder smelling that all the way home! The next day I took it round to her and we all sat there watching her eat it drooling ...... So no you can't beat the real thing!

We brought our kids here on holiday at a 7 and 9. We were only here for 16 days as we also had a week Bali, but we ran out of time to do a lot of stuff, but what we did do, as others have mentioned, which our kids loved were Penguin Island, Rotto (of course). As our family members lived on the Mandurah canals and had a boat we went all round the canal system, so maybe hire a boat take a picnic and away you go. We we did a boat ride up to Freo and back, but found it a bit much and a bit boring for the kids, but think in peak season they do shorter trips. Peel Zoo is also a good afternoon out, and not too far, we saw all the indigenous animals, petted and fed the kangaroos, stroked a Koala and had our pics taken, handled a snake, and they have lots of Tasmanian devils etc. Lake Clifton and visit the winery perhaps. Even an afternoon on mandurah foreshore, couple of drinks. Don't forget, you've been here a while and sometimes forget what it's like from a tourists perspective. I know my family commented that they take what's on their doorstep for granted really, when we came think they started to see it again through our eyes. Also, what about a day in Bunbury, we've not been yet bit hope to go to the dolphin discovery centre. Pick up loads of leaflets from the mandurah information office and maybe let them choose what they fancy seeing/doing? Hope this helps.

All I wanted to know, is that like the UK, are you entitled to say family allowance, didn't know what it was called here, as never looked into it as I thought I wouldn't of needed it. You know like all other Tax paying PR get, that's all. I certainly don't expect the Australian government to pay for a private education for my children, we earn our money just like the next man. Hope that clears it up any confusion I see to have created! As I said We are not a scrounges, the only time I've ever been unemployed is here in Aus and believe you me that's not for the want of trying!!

Thanks to everyone else who has replied, I'll check out centrelink and see what they say, just trying to forward plan and see if we can realistically afford it.

Unhelpful replies like this is what puts people off this forum. No of course benefits aren't paid to fund a private education, we all know that. I won't and don't have to explain myself to anyone on here thank you, for your input which I'll chose to ignore.

Before I start, we aren't scroungers. But can anyone just let me know realistically what we may receive once we gain PR. We have 2 kids aged 13 and 11 and are looking into private education for them. We don't earn a lot here prob $65K between us, we are very new! We also have an overseas income. After the 2 year period what can we expect to be able to claim? It would just mean the difference of putting our kids into a private education as opposed to secondary. Just weighing it all up really. Any constructive advice would be great thanks.

Lorraine, that's soon come around, good luck and have a safe journey, sure the doggies will be just fine. Just want to wish you well on your new life!

Incidentally, we used John Mason coming here, their partners in Perth are Wridgeways, not sure where you are, but the were brilliant, not one thing lost or damaged. They took a lot of the stress out of it, having had a nightmare being ripped off by a con artist previously. You could always google them and find their partner where you are, just thought. Good luck and hope you are getting sorted out.

Just make sure you give yourself enough time, we booked the flights first when we came out here, but in hindsight it wasn't such a good idea. We totally underestimated all there was to do, although we had to wrap up a business too. It didn't help my OH was still working 2 days on it 2 days before we left. Challenge Anneka wasn't in it. Really wish we'd given ourselves more time. Such stress, we were still packing whilst family sat around us trying to sip champagne with us, and all we wanted to do was pack! Good luck with it, I'm sure it's probably easier going home than it is coming here.

Just put your temp address, I just bought a local sim from Woolworths and had an Aussie number straight away, so when the shippers contacted me to pay for the AQIS I gave them my mobile number then also. Don't worry about it though as you will have their contact details too and they should tell you when your shipment is due in. Wait till you do the house viewings, some of them are unreal the amount of people that turn up. We've been seriously looking now for a couple of weeks, some are awful, but you know the goods ones, when about 15 cars turn up and you can't park anywhere. Last night we were all waiting outside in a line just to get in and view one. Its hard as you can't really look round properly. We're in Mandurah and its not supposed to be that bad here, but I'm guessing it is, the estate agent told me it was a lot of media hype, but not applied for any yet ......

Stop stressing out, don't worry! I just put TBA on the forms but had my AOL e-mail on there, they contacted me (via e-mail) to let me know the shipment was on its way (its expected 19 June - hopefully to clear customs by 8 Aug) I can just let them know either the delivery address, or ask them to store it until we do have a delivery address. Good luck x

Well I asked John Mason to explain the charges and this was their reply. "Our tariff shows a charge of A$30.00 plus GST per cubic metre for AQIS inspection. Your shipment is 22 cubic metre. This charge covers the quarantine inspection fee by AQIS officers and for Wridgways staff to be present during inspection to re-wrap any items unpacked by AQIS officers". Hope this helps, but seem very expensive to me, but hey ho!