lulu2008

Hi there, happy australia day weekend to everyone! I have a question, has anyone renewed their uk passports from Australia. We are now citizens in Australia and have our aussie passports but also want to keep our uk passports up to date! Ive heard the post office can help out with this but just wondered the best way to go about it. Our uk passports expire next month. Also just to add to it, since my last uk passport i have got married so my surname has changed. I haven't changed anything in the uk as yet to my married name, but everything here in australia is now in my married name! Help please :err: Thanks in advance!

Thanks so much everyone for all the messages, it certainly helps so thank you. I think sometimes things happen like this to make us realise where we should be or what we should be doing. I do think we will be moving back to the uk, maybe this year but if not then next year! :hug:

Are you in Cairns too? I go to clifton medical, they're great there. thanks for your reply :biggrin:

Good morning everyone! Anyone else out there had this horrible mozzie virus? I live in Cairns and got bitten by a mozzie about 8 weeks ago and have been suffering pretty bad since then. It affects the joints, so its very hard to walk because of swollen painful ankles and knees, there's no strength in my hands as its also affected my elbows, wrists and fingers. Its not a life threatening virus like dengue thank goodness, but it's not very nice at all. It also produces flu symtoms with fever so im feeling really unwell with it. Ive had it confirmed by the doctor and im doing everything possible to help my immune system, herbs and eating healthy but it still hasnt budged. It can take up to 3 months but sometimes even longer. Im usually very active so im finding it all very depressing and also feel very alone with it. There's nothing the doctor can do and i dont know of anyone else who's had this so really its just rest up and wait till it goes. My hubby is worried sick as he sees me trying to walk. Im unable to work and feeling really miserable. Ofcourse this makes me very homesick and we are again thinking of going back to the uk. Being ill here makes us realise just what a lonely place it can be! :unsure:

Hi there, dont worry you're not alone in feeling like this! We have been in aussie for 9 years this year and although we love it and have so much fun, i still feel the same as you regarding missing friends, family and the uk life. Its always worse when parents have been over, im like that every time, it takes me so long to get over it. My hubby is like yours, he's a tradie and the money here is so much better than the uk. Being away from family and friends is the hardest, especially when the little ones are growing up so fast. We don't have children but my cousins and friends had littlies when left and we've missed all that growing up part and its so expensive to go back that we've missed out on special times over there. In saying that, im really glad that we gave it as long as we did, we've moved around a bit, adelaide, ayers rock and now have lived in cairns for 6 years, its been so great and an experience never to be forgotten. Hang in there a bit longer if you can, give it a chance and see how you feel once you've settled back into life there after your parents leaving. Enjoy your time here and treat it as an adventure!

Thanks for all the interesting info, we'd heard about the lack of rental accom there in perth. Its pretty expensive here in Cairns, we pay in the $400's per week for a townhouse here. So i guess we'd be looking at that or more for our budget. We've decided to come over to Perth and have a holiday first to have a good look around rather than just up and leave as its very expensive getting our furniture over there. Freemantle is sounding like a good place. Whats Rockingham like? Do any of you live near there? Sydney seems pretty hard to get anything near to the beach or cbd, and melbourne not sure yet...seems a bit like the uk weather there!!! lol! Dusty road we both worked at Ayers Rock for a year....amazing experience, we loved it! and we loved Adelaide too and Cairns just need another move...its all part of the big adventure of moving downunder! Let me know if there's anything else! Thanks again :cute:

This time last year we were thinking of making the move from Cairns to Perth, but we stayed another year. This time its definately going to happen, we just need some advice please! Me and my hubby moved from hertfordshire in England in 2004, lived in Adelaide for 18 months, then Ayers Rock for a year and now we've been in Cairns since 2007. Its gorgeous here, almost perfect in one way ie the beaches, tropical climate etc but we're missing city life, mainly concerts, choice of restaurants that sort of thing. The dilemma is.....we've never been to WA! So are a tad confused as to where we should live, i researched into Freemantle which looks a bit expensive with rental accomodation and also Rockingham which looks lovely and seems more affordable for us. There's just me, my hubby and our cocker spaniel pup! We're looking for a beachside suburb or at least not far from the beach, so we can walk our dog and about half hour out of the cbd....as long as there's train line in. Please can you all give us some advice on the areas....where's good, where's not etc etc. We will be wanting to rent rather than buy at this stage. We havent got jobs lined up as yet but there seems to be lots of trades opportunities there. I look forward to you comments...thankyou :biggrin: