Tina2

Appreciate that every case is different but that has not being my experience to date. My case is ongoing so I live in hope. Maybe it is just the judge in my case but I have sat through other cases (when waiting to be called) and IME, Mum can do whatever she likes without regard to consequences. Whatever she says is accepted as truth and Dad has to prove everything. there are some horror stories on mensline where these "mothers" have destroyed relationships for their children with their Dads.

 

Back in court next Monday after Mum is refusing to obey a court order for next Feb and has told lies to the court. Will let you know how I go.

Hi Colin, it is the judge I am sure of that. Our judge is known to associate with members of the mens rights movement and I can tell you he has put one mum in jail for 3 days becasue she could not find enough money for fuel to take the kids on access and dad refused to collect the kids. I feel for you I really do as our case is the exact same as yours only in reverse. I really believe the only way things can end up fair is if a different judge is allocateed when you return to court. Sort of a fresh look approach.

Some good points on this thread if it did head for a family court you would be required to attend mediation to try to work things out for the benifit of the kids so why not give counselling a try and see if you can make things better here in Aus first

The whole thing is about lining the pockets of lawyers, it's disgusting.

Yep you got that right, time something was done about it but who would be game to take on a lawyer ? Not the average person thats for sure. We got totally ripped off .

My ex relocated (interstate but still a long way) just before the birth of my daughter. She is obstructing my daughter having a proper relationship with her Dad (me). Going through the hell that is the family court system at the moment which is very pro-mother by the way (even when Mum is nuts). ... Reference the case where the Aussie mum left Dad (in Italy) and took the kids to Brisbane "on a holiday", then told him she wasn't going back. It took a couple of years but the kids were forcibly removed from Mum and returned to Dad in Italy (rightly so IMO). There was a follow up story recently where they are doing great and happy as living with Dad in Italy.

 

Colin just feel I have to jump in here. The Family Court is not Pro Mother it depends very much on the judge you are allocated. Some are pro mother but many are pro dad I know that first hand.

So far our court costs are over $250,000 and the situation is worse than when it started. Daffodil there is a whole thread on here relating to trying to take children back to the UK try doing a search under Family Court.

What ever you do avoide the Family Court you have no idea just how bad it is. Once you get involve in family court they take over your life and you have no way out.

If your OH did agree to return to the UK but then decided he wanted to return "with the kids" the family court of Aus would fully support that becasue the kids are Aussie. As others have said you are stuck and that is so so bad my heart goes out to you.

Good to see some people starting to look at different areas to the normal, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane. You get so much more for your money if you are willing to consider regional living.

Moved to Toowoomba 11 months ago, have had some medical issues and as retired cant really afford private health care. It has taken just 4 weeks to be seen by a specialist at the local base hospital, which I might ad is huge. Health care here is first class, education excellant and housing half the price of the capital cities. Wish you well with your move.

I am interested to see what happens next year when the new "coding and robotics" is supposed to be introduced to every state primary along with an asian language.

Kids are not coping now, teachers cant fit in everything the kids are supposed to learn, some schools are already cutting out PE so as to fit other things in. Where are all these new teachers going to come from ?? What will happen at private schools where parent struggle to pay fees, if all the private schools dont also introduce Coding and Robotics into primary ? Will they move there children over to state education ? If so how will state schools that are already bursting at the seams cope ?

Interesting times ahead.

If looking at state schools you need to live in the catchment for that school. To start actual school the child needs to turn 5 before July to start school the following year in what is called prep.

Have heard good reports about Helensvale Primary. Yes primarys schools are getting very large some with 2000 students prep to year 6. You need to show proof of where you live before you can enrol in a state school. Best bet is to rent a place short term have a good look around and go visit a few schools then decide where to settle.

No problem, the flying snakes are Asian so shouldn't bother you

Serious ? how do they fly ? Never heard of such a thing. Lets hope they stay in Asia and dont get a lift to Aus.

Oh yes, many species burrow, most can climb and some can even fly lol

Oh that is just great thanks heaps LOL

Snakes BURROW ??????? !!!!!!!!! Oh dear I had no idea of that either.

We do have dense shade cloth across the back fence just to stop our dog barking at the dog behinds us so hoping that may put off the snake if he has easier access to "someone elses yard"

No, afraid not. They might avoid direct contact but you would need to build a wall out of moth balls.

They are also very Poisonous so a concern if you have pets or small children if left lying around.

People need to be aware of the basics, dont go in long grass with out boots, use gloves in the garden, be aware they live in wood piles that sort of thing. Read up on snakes and spiders and learn the dangers just like learning the dangers of flood, bush fires, and cyclones. This is Aus and this is what we live with.

Beaches are a favourite place for snakes unfortunately as it brings gs them into conflict with humans and it rarely ends well for the snake.

The problem is we are clearing more and more land for houses and that just pushes the snakes and other animals out.

Agreed then the animals all move into the few areas left and then they are killed due to over population. Very sad really

The average person will have very little interaction with snakes unless they try to kill them and then they deserve what they get.

Not so sure about that, finding one in the sand dunes on the gold coast is a bit of a concern. Of course man is clearing there habitat for housing so they are looking for food, water and a new home, as are many of our wildlife.

They are not horrid things, they are a very important part of the ecosystem.

Well you are very welcome to them, LOL.

Some poor chap got bitten by a Brown Snake today in the sand dunes at a "gold coast beach" keep your eyes peeled everyone these horrid things are definatly on the move.

we know the reason Bob - Lantana Beetle. How you stop it is the problem and how many other trees is it now going to attack. They say spray every 2 weeks for 6 weeks but we are going to spray every week in the hope of saving them

A bit of an update. Despite spraying with confidor the fiddle wood and Geisher Girl Trees continue to loose leaves and have branches die. Now the people next door are concerned about there Liquid Amber trees. Both mature trees, and on the other side of the boundry fence to our fiddlewood trees. Now all there leaves are turning yellow and starting to fall with branches rapidly dying.

Grow azaleas and rhododendrons!

 

Cheers, Bobj.

Dont do well here bob have tried. 7 km up the road the soil changes to brown and they have wonderful displays of Azaleas and Rhododendrons. I have a lilac tree that is "alive" very suprised by that. It is very much trial and error here. Even bottle brush trees struggle.

"So annoyed as where we live we have awful soil and to get anything to grow is so hard and takes years" Get a few samples from the block of land and get them analysed at QUT, the Toowoomba branch...That way, you can put in the missing nutrients and save any 'trial and error' mistakes. Cheers, Bobj.

Hi Bob

OK thanks for that didnt know QUT would do that. I checked the PH levels and it is pretty much Just edging towards acidic around 6.5

Very interesting re the beetle. In the 70s in northern NSW, some species of eucalypts in the old growth forests, notably The Gibraltar Range National Park area, were being killed off by a type of beetle eating and infecting the root systems. I had a 5 acre property and all the redgums were killed off. It was just called 'die-back' until some boffin decided it was a type of christmas beetle.

 

Cheers, Bobj.

The tree doc asked for photos before he came out and at first thought it was a "root bora" beetle ! We are not only spraying but pouring confidor around the roots in a bid to save the trees. So annoyed as where we live we have awful soil and to get anything to grow is so hard and takes years and if we loose these trees it will wipe out all the big trees which give shade to the garden and house

Hi Tina

 

I hate snakes myself too and had 3 'encounters' in the first 4 months of arriving in Brisbane! I have been told by locals if you have a red bellied black around its a good thing as they kill brown snakes!….the lesser of two evils, what an option!

That is correct. We had a small farm in NSW and breed Alpaca. We had a red bellied Black living in the pump shed. They are pretty passive and one snake I dont mind because they will chase Brown Snakes out of the area. We never had a death from snake bite in the herd unlike many other local breeders. I could walk past it ( well it was about 20 foot away from me and it would either slither away or just watch and ignore me. Brown Snakes are a very different matter, they are very agressive and scare the you know what out of me.

We are now well into spring. Then a strange thing started to happen. We have 4 mature beautiful Fiddlewood Trees in the back garden that give us shade and privacy, but we noticed some of the leaves turning yellow. Its dry here so we assumed lack of water, so we started to give extra water, but the yellowing quickly turned to leaves falling just like Autum. Then the bare branches started to die.

We called a Tree Doctor on Friday and he told us back in about 1996 a beetle was released to kill off lantarna, the fiddlewood tree is a member of the lantana family ! Sadly those involved in the release of this beetle didnt think to test if it would attack fiddlewood trees. The tree doctor told us that to start there was only a couple of trees on the list that might be effected by this beetle, but now that list is growing ever longer. There is now concern for Jacarandah, hibiscus, the Geisher Girl Tree to name a few. This beetle hates heat so if you are in a hot area you should be OK. Treatment is Confidor, both pouring 1 to 100 liquid around the base of the tree, and spraying the leaves. You need to act as soon as you see leaves turning yellow, as this beetle will kill the tree. We have lots of dead branches but are fighting to save what green branches we have left. It is also known as "over wintering"

Just thought this might help someone else.

A new business venture for you maybe?

 

Selling snake soup, snake sausages and snake stew at local farmers market

 

http://www.wikihow.com/Cook-a-Snake

 

Now you just have to catch the blighter.

well YOU are very welcome to come and catch it LOL, I am now checking the back garden 2 or 3 times a day looking for the rotten thing.

The crux of the matter is and you will have to trust me on this is that snake repellant don't work, it really is that simple. You might as well stand out in your garden and throw some money around because that's what you will be doing anyway.

The only thing you can do is let the snake move on or if you see it again call a snake relocator. I know that isn't what you want to hear Tina but it is better than giving you flash hope and telling you to use snake repellars.

Thank you for this, well they hate vibration so running the ride on along the fence every day may at least move it from near my fence to another part of next doors yard. Thanks for everyone's help and advise. Anyone out there who wants a snake you are welcome to come and get it LOL