Tasmas

WOOOHOOO!!!! So today is the day for me and my husband to finally get the "YES" we've been waiting for!! It's been a very very long road for us, and I (like Blossom) bear the scars from coming over on a Student Visa. It's not an easy route, it's hard, stressful and very disappointing at times. I had a couple of months left on my course when Immi changed the list and my study area was removed. I couldn't get a full time job where we lived (regional Queensland) never mind Regional Sponsorship. Whilst waiting for our Graduate Visa my hubby got a job offer in Melbourne with a view to sponsorship after a year. It never happened so we started looking elsewhere and a job for him came up in Perth and we stipulated that we wouldn't move unless sponsorship was on offer. Anyway that's the short of it - 3 states - 4 and a half years - and more money than you can imagine.....but we are finally allowed to call this home and not a place where we are just visiting... my timeline is below....keep the faith everyone! 16 March 2009 Student VisaGranted 16 December 2010 Bridging VisaIssued 16 December 2011 Graduate VisaGranted 14 March 2013 RCB Applied for 12 April 2013 RCB Approved 12 April 2013 Nomination lodgedwith Immi 21 April 2013 Applicationsubmitted 17 May 2013 Aus police certssubmitted 28 May 2013 UK police certssubmitted 8 October 2013 Nomination andRSMS 187 Approved :biggrin:

I'm sorry I can't remember (!) how long it took to feel better - not very long, I think you start to feel a bit better every day. I know how you feel, it's like your get up and go has got up and well and truly buggered off. I felt really miserable and completely frumpy with no interest in anything. But, the meds will work and you'll start to feel human again very soon.

Hi - I have hypothyroidism. I've had it for maybe 6 years, I take a tablet every day. They start you on a very small dose i.e. 25 micrograms and they keep testing you till they get it right. I take 100 micrograms daily. The tablets have to be kept in the fridge and taken at least half an hour before food - so I take mine as soon as I get up before I shower. My main symptoms were memory loss and aching legs (so bad I couldn't walk). Anyway, those problems are now gone but I know if my legs start to ache my thyroid is off and I need to get tested or maybe I've forgotten my tablet for a couple of days! Sorry I don't know the ins and outs of the condition... this is a quick and easy lesson in Thyroxin http://www.yourhormones.info/hormones/thyroxine.aspx Hope you get sorted soon, good luck xx

Hiya - we have our contents insurance through the NAB bank (I think it's through Allianz), we have lived in a 4 bedroom home in Queensland, Melbourne and now Perth and the payment has not differed more than a couple of dollars. We are insured for $40000 and we pay $12 a fortnight.

Me and Hubby were both Prison Officers in the Uk for 17 years. Moved to Australia, and I now do admin at Curtain World in Perth. Hubby has done lots of things - he worked in The Good Guys for a while, he taught First Aid, he taught Sport in Correctional Centres, he did drug testing at large companies, then he got a job as an Orderly in a hospital, then a Theatre Technician and now he's an Orthopaedic Technician which he absolutely loves. It's a new life, but you've got to plug away and push yourself into jobs, the more people you know the more likely you are to find work - we've found that it's who you know not what you know!

1) - I wish I had gotten rid of some luggage! 2) - Cry, get upset, mourn on the plane, I did and it sent me to sleep, when I got off in Australia I took a deep breath and never looked back 3) - Get organised - paperwork etc, ready to look for rentals straight away and to buy a car Tracy x

Hi - I submitted last documents to Perth for RSMS 187 on the 28 May so non-drc.....heard nothing so far.

Interesting....I'm in the same situation, and I have applied for another post but have just put "references on request" on my resume. I believe asking for references is the last point in the interview - however I don't think any of my references have ever been contacted when I've applied for jobs over here. My boss is great and I don't want him to have to start looking for other people to replace me until I'm more or less sure I've got the other job.

Awhhhhh....I feel for you....been there, it's absolutely heartbreaking. But if he looked happy then that'll put some of your worries to the back of your mind. I had to put one to sleep a couple of weeks before I rehomed the other one and I can say rehoming the dog broke my heart more than letting the other one go......funny that. I wanted to just go pick him back up, but you've got to focus on other things...busy busy busy....

She's a purebred English Staffy! But she has a fault according to breed guidelines, her ears are pricked - meaning that they don't fold over at the top like other staffies you might see... but, she is as cute as a button! LOL...just had to come back and edit, good job I checked the spelling - I put stiffies instead of staffies....ha ha ha!!! Sorry...filthy mind.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Fantastic news.....timeline please! :biggrin:

I'm from Durham and I think it's freezing! I think it's cause the summer was so hot, it's like from one extreme to another. Granted it's not North East UK winter, I do remind myself that if I'm not out shovelling snow or throwing salt down on the drive at 6am then it's not really a "winter".

That may be true of Great Danes born here, the change in temperature was only one factor to consider when deciding whether to move a huge dog to Australia. There's the cost, the travelling, the quarantine etc. I agree with ScottishStacey, it's the owners who suffer, not the dog. After a couple of days, the dog adapts and gets on with living. There's a reason the dog is your best friend, it's cause you feed, walk and love it. And it would be the best friend to the next person who feeds, walks and loves it. I'm not saying that the love you get from your dog isn't real or everlasting, I suppose I shouldn't have used the word "forget". What I was trying to say to the OP is that her dog won't sit at the window staring out looking for her, maybe it'll be miserable for a few days but then it'll get on with living. And as long as she chooses a great home and a great family she'll be able to relax and enjoy the move (after the initial sadness).

Hi - I rehomed my great dane when I left the Uk. We went back to the breeder who we got him off and she found us a fantastic home for him...we get cards and updates from him (well from his new owner - he's not that clever) on a regular basis which is very nice. I'm not going to say it was easy, cause it broke my heart. But the flight and the heat over here would have made him so unsettled and I believe we did the best for him. I did some research before we rehomed him and apparently as soon as you have been away from them for a couple of days they forget you. They concentrate on who feeds them, walks them and shows them affection......only until they hear your voice again and their brain will trigger the memory of you. This helped me a little, I kinda feel he wouldn't have stressed over me too much after a while and it's nice that all those memories of me are just waiting in his brain to spring to life when he hears my voice again!

Is it possible for you to move over and leave the door open to move back if things aren't good? Never move over here thinking life is definitely going to be better. Move thinking it's going to be an adventure, it's going to be different and it's going to be a challenge. If we hadn't done it I'd always be thinking "what if".

Having lived in Hervey Bay (Qld), Melbourne and now Perth I can safely say I love Perth..... it's exactly what we've been looking for

I'm beginning to think that every time I check my progress on IMMI website they put mine to the bottom of the pile....but still I have to check a couple of times a day....don't you just love waiting? And it's only been a couple of months for me, I feel for those still offshore and waiting for a year or so....

Congrats on your new pup! I crate trained my staffy till she was about 4 or 5 months old. I would put her in there at various times of the day and during the night. Praise her when you put /him in but don't make a fuss when you let her/him out cause they'll get excited and think being out of the crate is more fun. Don't scold for peeing indoors, just as soon as you see them squat, a loud "arghhhh" in a deep voice should be enough to make them stop short, pick them up and take outdoors, and then wait and wait and wait until they pee and praise a lot in a high voice, act like it's the best thing they've ever done! Even if it takes half an hour, don't go back in till they've done the business. I always say "go have a wee" (keep repeating it). And even now at 3 yrs old she will go wee as soon as I say it. When doing any sort of training always praise in a high voice when the puppy does something right....and just ignore bad behaviour or give a throaty "arghh". They soon click on. I've had 3 great danes and now a staffy and all have been toilet trained within a couple of days. Persevere and be tough, you're the leader of the pack, and they need a leader. If your dog does something wrong and you shout at them they still see it as attention from you, ignoring them or even turning your back on them is more effective. Good luck and enjoy....

Hiya - good luck with your move! I've rented in Queensland, Melbourne and Perth. We booked holiday accommodation first and searched for a rental as soon as we arrived. The rental agents are obviously concerned on how you're going to pay either 6 or 12 months rent. So if you can show bank account statements that show you have the money that'll be good. If you can pay a few weeks or even a few months up front that'll look even better for you. We always do a little front cover letter, just giving a bit of info about what we do and how we are respectful of other peoples property etc. We also do a little letter from our dog aswell, including her training certificates and how good she is etc. Look at it as if you are applying for a job. Make a little document file up to hand in. The more professional the better. At the open house they will hand out application forms and this will include a list of things you should hand in. You'll need copies of your passports, bank account details, mortgage or rent statement from the UK until you get settled here too. Hope this helps - feel free to ask anymore questions :-) Tracy x

Me too.......I agree.

We've been here since August 2012, only seen one and that was up at Two Rocks (further north of the cbd). Lived in Melbourne for a year, didn't see one, but when we lived in Queensland saw quite a few. Like others have said they soon slither off when they see you!

Hi! I've been in Oz over 4 years now. I've lived in regional Queensland, Melbourne and now Perth since August. My husband keeps getting better job offers and we're chasing PR so we go where the sponsorship was offered so that's why we're in Perth. Anyway, I digress. I have worked in all the areas we lived and I can honestly say that only now that I've found a fantastic job with fantastic people for the first time I am feeling settled. Good jobs with good managers/staff are hard to come by, and I've had some really terrible ones. If you have to spend 8 hours a day doing something you hate with people you don't get on with it makes everything else seem crap too. We rent too...I hate it. Every house we've been in has ended up being sold so we've had to move, I feel I can't relax in someone elses house, so I know how you feel. When things are getting me down I tend to look at the Uk through rose tinted specs. It's not easy for me to make friends either, so socially it's just work colleagues I see on the odd occasion. Please PM me if you want to meet up with me for a coffee and a chat/moan!! I'll come to some meet up gatherings too if you like! Tracy

We drove over from Vic to Perth with our Vic registered car. Was told by the lady in the Rego place that you should register your car in Perth within 3 months - if you have owned it (and can prove it) for a year. If you haven't owned it for a year it has to go over the pits, however, she said no-one ever checks and if you get stopped there's no way of the police knowing you haven't just shipped it over. So, we waited till we'd owned the car a year and then just went in and registered it. No probs. We drove around with vic plates on for a bout 7 months....no questions asked.

Hi, we drove from Melbourne to Perth last August (2012). It may be good if you have a caravan and make a few stops along the way, but driving it in 3 days was the most boring drive we've ever been on. The Nullabor Desert really is miles and miles of absolutely nothing apart from suicidal Roos and Eagles. We had to stop at a Roadhouse at the SA/WA border cause of a huge dust storm....not nice. But it was an experience, one we'll never forget, if I had to do it again....I would defo fly! Good luck with whatever you decide. Tracy x