imo2oz

We got loads in them, much more than we reckoned, and like you we mapped out the dimensions in the garage and stacked up the gear in the area we measured out. We didn't take beds, sofas or table/chairs, but pretty much everything else we had. We fitted 6 bikes in too...washing machine, fridgefreezer, dishwasher, tumbledrier etc. But every single item (including dishwasher, freezer etc) was rammed with gear. We have 4 kids so we took a lot! My OH spent a lot of time carefully using up every inch of space, but that meant things didn't rattle around en route. The delivery man will advise you regarding how to load it so the weight is in the right spot, but that was fairly easy. I don't think there will be any problem with overloading it as long as you put the heaviest items roughly where he recommends. It was hard work though! You get between 2-4 hours to load it which was quite strenuous for the two of us. We did enlist some help from our teenage boys for the heaviest stuff (washing machine), but they didn't hang around for long! So it is useful to have another strong adult around if you can.

We used two large move cubes so the arrival of our stuff was staggered and I can honestly say we were very impressed. We had a great service both ends, no breakages despite the whole lot being unloaded at customs; in fact we only realised this had happened because there was a customs sticker right in the back of the cube, they put everything back exactly as we packed it! I thought they were great value at just under £2000 for the whole lot. Also, they were happy to re-route our first cube from Brisbane to Melbourne after it had left, as we got a job offer in a different location. So all in all, I think they were a great budget option. Interesting how everyone has a different experience though.

We came over with relatively little cash (£8000 as far as I remember), but my OH had a job lined up with a much bigger salary than his job in the UK (although it definitely isn't loads over here!). We have 4 kids and I am not working at the moment, but we have managed ok. Things have been very very tight at times though, and we have had to budget very carefully; we still do having been here a year. So I would say it is possible to do the move on not much money, but as others have said, you will have to accept a possibly lower standard of living for a while, until you 'find your feet', which may take years. Having said all this, we do feel better off here, and feel optimistic about our future here.

oh yeah, i agree wattsy, i forgot Portishead, a nice place too, especially if you can get a view across the estuary to Wales. Nice pub there too if i remember rightly...

My OH worked in Bristol for 14 years prior to our move, and my sister used to live in a nice fat in Clifton. Bristol is a lively place with a good atmosphere, lots going on and some nice architecture and history. You are right, Clifton is probably the nicest area, but all around the Uni is very nice eg. Redland. Some of the outer suburbs are pretty rough, personally I would avoid Knowle West and that general area. If you need a largish house and a limited budget I would live in Long Ashton, or somewhere out that way; it's quite villagey, but an easy commute to the South of the city. TBH I am not so familiar with the North of Bristol. We used to live in Weston Super Mare and my OH caught the train into the South of the city, which was a good commute. Bits of Weston are nice (up on the hill), some are average and some is pretty rough to be fair! But housing is much cheaper than in Bristol. If you want to ask me anything else feel free, we are still renting out our house over there so still feel in contact with the place.

we had two large move cubes to move over to Melbourne last year. They were great, £1000 each, good value and no damage to anything. We didn't take sofas or mattresses, but we did fit absolutely loads in them, more than we thought we would even though we had the area mapped out on the garage floor with the stuff assembled and waiting, so we could pack it in within the time frame. We fitted in 6 bikes, fridge freezer, massive sideboard, washing machine, dishwasher, gardening equipment, loads of boxes etc. So I would definitely recommend them personally. My sister used one too and I am sure she brought a sofa and 3 beds with mattresses in hers.

I was 44, OH 45 and the kids were 13, 11, 5 & 3. In retrospect it would have been easier when the older two were a bit younger...but you make the move when you can, no good looking back with 'what ifs'

Eltham is just down the road from us, and yes I agree, very nice area. Lots of trees and hills, it feels rural despite being accessible to the CBD by bus or train. My kids go to school there and we are quite happy

I would not embark on the plan that you are proposing either, just would not be able to cope, it's been hard enough with all of us together! But that isn't to say that your family can't do it, just my opinion. As regards schools, my second son started secondary in the uk, and we left in May, then he went back into primary school here for 6 months, and re-started high school in January this year! But, it has not been a disaster at all; he made some good friends at the local primary and now is doing really well at high school. In fact i think that because he had already made the transition before he dealt with it a lot better, he wasn't phased by the hub-up and amount of kids, and was already used to changing classrooms for different subjects too. One thing that you should bear in mind is that here they don't really have 'feeder' primary schools where the majority of pupils go on to the same high school. I asked the head where most kids go when we arrived and she said there were approximately 8 high schools to choose from! So don't count on her moving up with friends she makes in primary (although that may happen...)

thank you for all these helpful replies, and thank you Andy for some professional advice. How exciting Rallyman, that's great that you can actually build for yourself at last. Thanks for that sensible word of caution, vstormy. I had gathered that we should expect to pay more than quoted. The plot is on a gentle slope, and the next door house is built on stumps that are higher at the back. This is partly to do with the slope, but also because the very bottom of the garden occasionally floods (the plot is about 80m deep). Does anyone know a builder that is able to build on stumps but wouldn't charge loads?? In NE suburbs of Melbourne

I wonder if anyone can help with this.... We have been in Melbourne for just over a year and are contemplating buying a plot of land in an area we like. We currently own a property in the UK which we would need to sell in order to finance a new home build, but we would like to buy the plot now as they don't come up very often. So, our plan would be to arrange a short term loan from family to provide the deposit and get a small mortgage to buy the land, and then once the UK house is sold we can extend the mortgage to begin building. The land does not have planning permission yet, but is being marketed as residential and the similar plot next door has a newly completed home on it, so I am presuming planning permission should be fairly easy to obtain. Is this feasible? I am unsure how the whole process works here, particularly with regard to getting a mortgage for land and then either getting another one to build, or extending the original one. Has anyone done anything like this? Where should I start?? Thank you

If it's a permanent residency visa the validation visit is, as you say, within 12 months of the police check and medicals, but it just means you have to enter the country. You will then have until the visa expires to actually make the big move, so with PR that would be 5 years from the visa grant date. Some people actually emigrate when they do their visa activation, but others (like us!) leave it until the last minute, eg. 4yrs and 11 months! before actually emigrating. I hope that's helpful.

It may be simplistic, but IMO if you love her you've got to give the UK a go. Feeling trapped anywhere is a very bad place to be, let her know you both have choices about your future and nothing is written in stone.

I an very envious of Cairns Kate, it looks gorgeous, especially as that's where we originally wanted to go We are settled in Melbourne instead, but the OH had a great job offer, so a big change of plans. Melbourne weather is sunny but cold, which is ok if you have got a stove or a properly insulated house...how I miss my new double glazed centrally heated house in the UK! When we put the heating on here it all escapes though the walls and windows (mental note, make sure the next house we get here has a coonara wood burning stove!)

Thank you for that encouraging reply Johndoe. It is the process of getting registered to practicein the UK that I am concerned about,particularly this page of the NMC page regarding overseas registration http://www.nmc-uk.org/Registration/Joining-the-register/Trained-outside-the-EU--EEA/ where it says "The minimum thresholds which must be met for any consideration to be made are 1000 hours of theory and 1267 hours of clinical practice from their original training. Applications that do not achieve this level will be rejected". But, I do agree with you, there are Aussie nurses working in the UK, so there must be a way around this problem, I just don't see how though when their standards are so much more rigorous in the UK (or so it seems)