Shigella

It’s now 5 years since hubby’s partner visa came through, and 4.5y since we made the move. I haven’t really been back here in this time, but I got a notification about an updated thread and it prompted me to come back and browse the forums. One recurring theme is the high cost of living, and the challenges of securing and/or affording a house (regardless of whether you’re renting or buying) and yet at the same time, almost all the questions are about the major cities, usually Sydney or Melbourne. I realise most people live in major cities, worldwide, but I wanted to raise the profile of the regional centres and let people know how much can be gained by looking outside the major cities to the regional centres. In Australia, regional centres often punch above their weight: they serve a much wider geographical area and a much higher population base than their published population size suggests. This means that facilities and services can be very generous, while at the same time cost of living can be MUCH cheaper. After moving here we weren’t really sure where we wanted to live, so we bought a caravan and set out to travel the country for two years. We stopped to work when we needed money, often in regional centres, and when it was time to settle down we resolved to accept the best job offer that wasn’t in a major city. That job turned out to be in Mildura, a regional centre on the Murray River in NW Victoria. Hubby works in healthcare and secured a package as good as any he could get in a city, but our house cost about a third of what the same house would cost in the city. While property prices are falling in the cities, our town had the biggest increases in property prices in the state last year (12%). There is a housing boom happening here, with a massive housing shortage driving new development all over town. Our British family came to visit 6m ago and were very impressed with our house, saying that their whole house could fit in our front room, and we also have a huge backyard. There is a large selection of schools. And the zoning is not tight, so if your preferred school is outside your zone there is a good chance you’ll get a place. Even if it’s on the other side of town, that’s only 15min away, tops. Sports and activities for kids are abundant (our kids chose to do BMX Racing, but there are all the other options besides). If you like the culture and atmosphere of city sporting or arts events, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide are an affordable 1hr flight away. If you’re a builder, tradesman, or have the skills to run your own construction-related business you can pretty much name your price. Healthcare services are short staffed, and job offers are generous to secure staff and the expanding population means there are many opportunities in education too. If you are concerned about the cost of housing or opportunities in the cities, I urge you to look at the regional centres in whatever state appeals to you. You can find superb lifestyle opportunities for a fraction of the living cost if you are willing to step outside the major cities.

Thanks for your reply. It's this one. http://www.ampeg.com/products/classic/svt610hlf/

Bit of an unusual request! We are looking for anyone who is shipping goods from Devon to Adelaide or Melbourne. Hubby is a bassist and has a electric bass cabinet (speakers) at his Mum's in Devon. He wants to bring it out here, but obviously it's quite awkward to bring it on its own. If anyone is shipping their furniture and belongings and wouldn't mind including the cab we'd be very grateful (and will obviously pay you for the shipping of the item). Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

We tried to rent for the first time in over 10 years. It was ridiculous.. We ended up buying - it was easier and cheaper. Last time we rented 10 years ago in the UK it was much easier. Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

I have the SnS Platinum SICT Isofix (which can also be belt mounted). But if my kids were younger I would buy the Grandeur, I think, as it will save buying a type G when the A4 is outgrown. Son is now in a SnS MaxiGuard type G. If you're able to, it's worth going into a few stores and trying the different seats with your child as sometimes a child sits lower in one seat or another. Australian retail employees are highly ignorant and uneducated so do not listen to them as they'll probably try to tell you to turn your child FF. There is a Facebook group called 'Child Restraints - is your child restrained correctly?' and they will give you solid info on type A4 seats (there are professional fitters there too). There are many people there who will understand your concerns coming from Swedish ERF seats. Good luck! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

While technically true that you can't legally use your Swedish ERF seats, Australia is not as far behind as it once was. Look for one of the new Type A4 seats. These are height based and our son was RF to age 5y3m and our daughter still RF in the same seat at 4y7m and will hopefully get similar usage from it. If you want Isofix, look at the Safe n Sound (Britax) Platinum SICT Isofix, or if you want to get the longest use get the Infa Secure Grandeur which is a TypeA4/G combination. The type G seats are FF 5 point harnessed boosters with a top tether and far safer than any European FF seat. They will easily fit the average 7yo and there are quite a few 10yos still in them. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Hubby called Singapore Airlines re extra baggage allowance for migration to Australia. They told him the visa had to be completely unused - ie. you can only get the extra baggage allowance on your activation trip, not when you actually migrate. This was a bit of a surprise to us. So it is really only helpful if you migrate and activate in the one trip. If you make an activation trip and then migrate a few months later you can't get it. Anyone else run into this?

Thanks, I'll wait until the TFN application/enquiry form arrives. I have to take kids birth certificates in anyway and I'll try to take all the paperwork. The other bit of silliness is that it said the system will use the Medicare card to check whether kids are vaccinated, which of course will come back negative as they were vacs in the UK. So hopefully they'll accept the records in the Red Book. Anyone else had this?

Apparently not :err:

The online application is saying I have to show that we have made a TFN application or enquiry form for hubby by 7 October. I have asked for the form to be posted to us. Totally ridiculous. I checked the box that said we're not able to live together at the moment for work reasons. Those reasons being that hubby is still working in the UK until 30 November to serve out his notice. Surely they know you can't get a TFN for someone who is not in the country?? Maddening! Has anyone else experienced this??

I am trying to apply for Family Tax Benefit. I am in Australia and the kids are in Australia, but hubby is still in the UK. I have a Tax File Number, but because hubby is still in the UK he does not have one yet. I am an Australian Citizen, hubby has a PR spouse visa. It is activated but he will not move here physically until 30 November. I cannot proceed with the application because hubby does not have a Tax File Number. Is there any way he can apply for a TFN now, before he moves here physically?

We are officially now of no fixed address. Flying out to Oz a week today in a move of a slightly different kind. http://www.travelatthespeedoflife.com

Do I need to clean children's toys, like Lego?

Just curious how people manage their move logistics. We're hoping for a contract on our house in the next couple of weeks and are starting to think about the timeframe on completion that we'll want. 4 weeks would be ideal because it would give us plenty of time to book international removals, airfares and say our goodbyes, but there's the possibility the buyer will want a shorter time frame. I can't see us managing everything in less than 3 weeks. We are starting to pile everything that's going with us into the dining room ready, and we're not taking quite a lot of stuff, but it still has to be sold/got rid of. Shippers have been telling me July is a busy time for them. Flights might potentially be more expensive closer to departure date too. Though of course we don't want to book anything until we have a contract, either. Would love to hear your experiences and how you managed the logistics of selling a house and arranging shipping, airfares, and other admin and how much time you had between contract and completion.

My Mum sends us money via PayPal (and vice versa).

We're going as soon as the house is sold. We've accepted an offer but the uncertainty of the crazy house buying process here is doing my head in. Kids and I are going out to Oz to sort out some things while hubby continues to work here for another 3 or 4mo to give us a little pot of money to work with.

Go couchsurfing! It's the best way to get to know some like minded locals, find out some priceless local knowledge and have somewhere to stay. I travelled all round the world for 7mo and couch surfed pretty much all the time.

As far as I can see the only reason to do the P85 is to get a refund of tax for the year (if you haven't worked a full financial year)?

We're hoping to move back to Oz sometime in July. Hubby is the sole income earner for the family and I know he'll have to complete a P85 form when he leaves. Do I have to complete any government paperwork for leaving the UK? I was made redundant 18mo ago and have not had any income since then.

Well, hubby has got his visa and we are just back from the activation trip. Are now beginning to put into action our plans for the move. We plan to use a Movecube and take barest minimum of everything. That means we've just started on a HUGE clear out. What general paperwork should we be taking with us? What do Oz authorities, insurance companies, utilities, landlords, banks require? I'm thinking of things like utility bills for a certain period, most recent insurance certificates showing NCB's, bank statements maybe. Anything else?

I can't live without my Thermomix. Use it several times a day. We have a teeny-tiny kitchen and just don't have room for much else so this makes a HUGE difference.

Anyone flown the QF1 A380 from London Heathrow to Sydney via Dubai? I was just wondering whether there are any charging points near seats in Economy class? I am not looking forward to that flight with a 2yo and a 3yo once my iPad battery goes flat (and my fellow travellers even less so!)

Thanks for checking that for me. In the end I phoned the London office and that's what they said. When I went through the online booking process it did give me an option of apply the charge in AUD to my credit card but the exchange rate was rubbish so might have to rethink the best way to do it.

Does anyone know if there's a way to book a flight out LHR-SYD and return SYD-LHR on Qantas in AUD using an Australian credit card. All the sites I look at (including Qantas' own) recognise that I'm currently in the UK and want to charge me in GBP. However, it's beyond ridiculous to pay exchange rates to see the charge in GBP then pay exchange rates plus foreign purchase fees on the Australian credit card to convert it back to AUD. Hope this makes sense and someone has suggestions! Thank you!

A month of nice weather is the only one of these that has any actual impact on our daily lives. The other things are of no more than passing interest and even a short stretch of nice weather is not a reason enough to change life plans. We still can't afford to live here anymore, we still have to make radical changes to our lives if we are to survive.