Wendy Thorp

Hi, if you put tax calculator for Australia into google, there is a calculator that works out tax and other levys I.e. Medicare etc... That gets taken out and gives you a clearer idea of what you will have to work with each month, good luck w xxnx

Hi phillip, yes i have seen your friend request and accepted it, we will be there if we can, hannah actually works on saturdays at jettys restaurant at hillarys boatyard, should warn you is getting madly busy there, now the weather is getting better, unsure where you would plan on meeting, as the boatyard at hillarys has a small beach area within it with a play area, but i would imagine in november it will be standing only seen as it was crackers last weekend, ( i left the girls to pick something up, and couldnt find them again amongst everyone!!) would suggest it may be better for you to plan to meet your friends on the actual beach which is next to hillarys boatyard, more sorrento really? look forward to meeting up when you get here w xx

Sorry by the way Hannah also,likes singing, has done dancing, loves shopping!! And loves books and photography, should also mention that north perth, is an actual place over here, so you tend to say north of the river or north of perth, just to confuse you!! Wendy

Hi Phillip, me ( Wendy) my husband rod, and our two girls Beth (11) and Hannah who is 15, have just moved to ocean reef from Lancashire, in the middle of July. The girls are at ocean reef primary and high school, and love it. Hannah is happy to make friends on Facebook, with your daughter, as am I, with you and your wife. Hannah, is Hannah thorp and has down ocean reef perth, I am Wendy thorp, if you can't find us, let us know you full names on Facebook, and I will try and find you. In the mean time if there is any help I can give, just give us a shout and I will do my best, good luck it is very exciting, and hope to see you all soon, once you get here w xx

Thank you for suggesting it Maria, was lovely to meet you all, would be lovely to do it again, mornings are good for me, as I pick my daughter up from school at 1.15, but other than that can pretty much fit around the rest of you. Wendy

We need a poms in oz sign! XXnx

Hi, I will be there too, hope I find you, will start singing Maria Maria, I just met a girl named Maria!! Hopefully someone will respond lol!! Wendy

I'm coming, and can prob say Ali will too!! Lol, I won't be bringing kids as lucky enough to have a live in baby sitter, otherwise called my eldest daughter!! :biggrin: 11 is fine, just need to know where? We could meet at a dome? Nice one in mullalloo, there is also a kids park opposite? Wendy x

Hi, can i join in too? i am in ocean reef not far from any of you, have hubby and two kids, girls 15 and 11, can fit around you at the min during the week, but spend weekends with family, been here a couple of months, looking forward to the better weather, can manage the friday, or the thursday, or any day really at the minute as not working yet! :jiggy:

granted i have only been here a couple of weeks, but really i think back to what did i do or go so far back in england, except for holidays and the odd weekend when the weather actually enabled it, we tended to live in a 2 hour drive radius of our house, so things are still repetitive, and having done those for the last 30 odd years, happy to move on and see something else, as beautiful as they are. i have been to the tourist info here and listed at least a years worth of adventures, things i want to travel to..... again probably a 2 hour radius of our house, so not that far to see and experience, and that would be if i was doing something every weekend, which is impossible with all the people i am meeting up with, dinner parties i want to do, relaxing on the beach with a picnic i want to do. i get more excited the longer i am here. So would take a good 10-20 years for all those to get repetitive. All the new people and there stories to hear, experience camping in australia, and seeing sights, there is much more to perth than fremantle mandurah and hilarys, just need to open your mind, we went to amaze the other day, just lovely, lots of mazes, animals, was quaint and so peaceful, felt i was out in the outback but in actual fact took about 15mins drive east out of joondalup. Espcially love that what you do go and visit, is not crowded, that you can really experience the atmosphere, as there are no throngs of people altering the 'real' atmosphere and feel of a place, and your not rattled before you even get there as not being able to find a car parking space,so have already had an argument with your other half, and the kids are now grummpy as you have been going round in circles for the past 20 mins! that is exactly what used to upset me in england, used to go around some beautiful paradise, wishing everyone else would go home so i could really experience the peace and feel of the environment. Of course there is also more to australia than perth, and the east coast and the topical rain forests and hundreds if not more waterfalls, are so stunning it is untrue, had a cocktail moment in one of those with my hubby, with no one but us.....and the kids around....so soooooo much to keep me entertained for the next 30 odd ish years, but what do i no, just a newbie!! but then again, maybe looking around with a fresh pair of eyes is what we all need, think we all can miss things that are on our doorstep, right in front of our nose be it here or elsewhere, life is what you make it, and think it will be great making life fun, with the added extra of weather on my side for a change!! just my opinion dosnt have to be yours w xx

Hi Kay, nice reading your story, shame you are not at this end as we could meet up, but put posts on here there will be lots of people over there wanting to make friends to, i loved sydney when i first came over here for a visit, just stunning. i am lucky to have had a very supportive family, however your immediate family you your husband and children are your priority and the most important, as much as your family will miss you they have to understand that if they care for you they would want you to be happy, and they are not living your life over in england where you are shattered and and feeling you dont get the best out of life, dont get time with you husband and kids, hopefully seeing you more happy relaxed and living, will make them realise that you made the right decision for you and yours, goodluck wendy xx

Well my story, not good at short stories, so prepare yourself!! lol . I was originally born in germany as my parents were in the army, and so also moved around alot, as a consequence i never completely felt anywhere particularly was 'home' other than where my mum was happening to live, and always felt the need to move on and see somewhere else, my mother always thought that i would live abroad at some point. Although i had never been there, australia always appealed, and i would mention it alot to my husband who would dismiss it as 'one of my fads' in 2011 we were both turning 40 and worrid that everyone would try to throw us parties, so decided to miss our summer hol and go to australia in the dec for our 40th's a once in a life time holiday, i think hubby chose the summer to make a point to me that he could never cope with the heat! and it was meant to just be a holiday and to pacify my urge for australia. I should also point out we have two girls, 15 and 11, our youngest has CFS, and so this journey was not going to be an easy one with her, she gets extremely tired very easily, (only attends school part time) and this leads to chronic pain, and this is a very generally view on her symtoms, which the list is extensive and chanagable constantly. It basically in a nut shell means if the body does not have enough energy it will not perform properly and choose areas of the body that it can not work (much like a computer with not enough memory etc... only able to open up certain things) which can lead to loads of issues. well we went for a month, planning to take things slowly for beths sake. we went up and down the east coast, flying between citys. I felt at home immediately, i had never felt so relaxed, and calm, in my intire life. I kept saying i could live here, my eldest kept saying she would not move and would move in with granny, my husband kept quite! and my youngest was in the best health for a long long time, able to achieve more over in australia, before symptoms showed up, all the medication we brought with us for her, was hardly used, and my husband who has been asthmatic his whole life, did not use his inhaler, once the whole time we were there. when we got on the plane at sydney to come home, after the best time of our lives, i really wanted to just run off the plane it made no sense that i was going back, this was early january 2013, we had seen the new year in overlooking sydney harbour and the fireworks, memories to last a lifetime. we got home, and i immediately wanted to go back, funnily enough it only took my eldest weeks of being home for her to also want to return, we knew that for our youngest it would undoubtably be the best decision for her health, and i could see my husband was definitely thinking about it, although he would not commit to anything at that point, he was happy in the UK and loved his job, but he was definitely wavering, so australia had also got to him. Then valentines morning i got up and there was his white board, where he had written before going to work: 'roses are red, violets are blue, but do you give a toss? pack your bags we are off to OZ!!!' i kept reading it, and then the kids saw it and we were just all jumping up and down, I had to phone him to confirm he was serious! so then the hard work started, eltecs, skills assessment, medicals which were a nightmare due to daughters illness, etc.....etc... we applied for a 176 state sponsored visa, to perth, although we had never actually been the the west coast, but rod had work contacts there that would make it easier finding a job, and also ready made potential friends. We got our visa in the september 2012 after starting the process in march 2012, and started sorting out moving over. The house on the market did not move, so we ended up renting it out, my husband went over in the following may to have interviews etc...when he got back after a week he had three job offers, even though we were only going over in the july. they were happy to wait for him..he is amazing at what he does The last week was horrendous with goodbyes, we left our house in a taxi with all our family there in tears, except my mum who i knew was putting on a brave face for me, as she knew i wouldnt cope if she was upset, but she has booked her ticket to come over in march already, so that made it easier, knowing when i would see her next. close friends were there, including my eldests best friend for the last 13 years!! who was sobing her heart out! and all the neighbours came out to wave us off!! it was a very quite journey to the airport, with the radio playing olly murs...miss you!!!!!! which is now offically our leaving song!! We have been over here just two weeks today, my hubby starts work on monday, we are in a holiday let at the minute, which we booked for 2 months, but have manage to secure a rental already and we pick up the keys, next friday, (wont move in until out stuff arrives) and we pick our dog up on friday at perth airport. Feeling hopeful and excited, have spoke to all family/friends on skype and facebook, and feels like i am still there, dont really feel i am at other side of the world at the minute, we all lived at least 45mins from each other anyway, so were not in each others pockets, but spoke to them all the time, which still do...the hard time will come when is important days, as we would always get together for birthdays, mothersday easter, christmas etc..... so will have to see how that goes, will be there but just on skype.........thank goodness for skype and facebook, not sure i could make the move without it, not sure how they coped years ago? We have left a heat wave to storms over here!! which feels odd at the moment, but meeting up with friends made on here!! although never met them. so feel that everything is coming together!! i wish you all luck with this exciting adventure, life is about experience so experience as much as you possibly can! w xx

Hello, not been on here for a bit, packing and moving strangely seemed to take up allllllllll!!! of my time!! but we are here!! it is hard to believe, especially since alot of you who i went through the dreaded visa process with are also here, soo it works, dreaded or not! only been here a week, and spent much of that time, looking at houses, so not seen much of perth as yet, hubby has got a job, yeah!! he came over in may for 10 days for interviews etc... and got offered three once he got back... would say home, but that would now not be acurate! so we headed out here and are staying in a holiday let in quinns rocks, until we find a permanent rental, were that will be is anyones guess, alot is dependant on schools for my two girls. planning on meeting up with everyone i can, feel like i know so many of you on here personally from being on here, even though could not pick you out if stood in front of me! lol! i am sat in garden, looking at pool which as inviting as it looks given the sun glistening off it, is hugely diceptive, and will probably remain untouched, but in the sun writing this coffee in hand,,, well it is sunday morning,,,give it a few hours! in the middle of winter... cant be bad!!! ali have sent you a pm, can't wait to meet up lambchopsy we have friends who are in mundurah, actually friends of my mum, who i think my mum is planning on them keeping there eye on me!! so will have to go down and see them at some point once we are settled, so will let you know when do and we could meet up too! Its great this huge adventure especially being able to share it with others...good luck to everyone, i will now try to do updates as much as i can, as know how it feels at the other end and litterally looking for people give info once they are there wendy xxxxxx

hi thank for all for the replys, the info is of great help, and again shows how priceless pio is......husband has got back and come with lot of school prospectus's so will be wading through them... and yeah blimy, would have loved to have done avaiation at school thats amazing, not sure they would have wanted me through it took me 6 times to past my test for driving a car! let alone a plane, but then again chances of crashes have to be smaller, less planes up there than cars down here....lol.... :wink: thanks si would be great to meet up when get there, but you may regret the offer of answering questions! as i have loads!!!:chatterbox: Clare, thanks looking forward to meeting you when you follow, very soon hopefully! x :yes:

nice to hear some positive, great update, you do get down with hearing alot of the negatives, and i am aware that most people who go, then do not stick around on pio, as they are out living and enjoying, so you do not get a very balance outlook of life in perth, it is then great if people do make the effort to come back and update on the positives of perth, very much appreciated. We are coming out there in july, my husband is just on his way back home after being over there for 10 days job hunting, he is also an accountant, but cima and role over here is a commercial director. we have booked a holiday let for first two months in quinns and are looking at mindarie and that area for living as want my daughter 15 to go to mindarie college if possible, while husband has been over there alot of people seem to suggest private schools? unsure as to why, and whether they are so much better than the state schools,. i am of the same oppinion that if they want to learn they will, and yes parents do have alot to do with that, my eldest is a high achiever, and in top 5% gifted and talented over here, while my youngest daughter has cfs and only manages half days at school. however they both have the willingness and want to learn, so even my youngest against the odds is still an average student, even though she only attends 50% of the time. my husband had a brief look around kinross school and also duncraig, which he says both look good? any info on schools in area would be great, it is my biggest worry getting them into schools that fit there different needs so that they start to make friends and fit in sooner rather than later. concerned about the bullying thing? is this around alot? my youngest is not equipped to deal with that given her illness, which affects her endrocine system which effects emotions, one of the many things it effects, that along with being in pain and exhausted most days, i need a friendly understanding school. also si where abouts do you work, if it is in the city how do you find the commute from mindarie? alot of people saying for us not to be so far out? any info would be great, thanks wendy