Maruska

Thank you, I think I will just check out some local ones but thank s anyway. I'm guessing prices can vary quite wildly then? Is it worth getting a dental plan/insurance? Do children get free treatment? Thanks

I paid for both kids dental care. I think there is a scheme that allows for free dental care for children but we weren`t eligible, the dental office checked at first visit.

Just to give you a price idea. I went last week, had checkup, 2 X rays and cleaning. My insurance paid 145$, I paid 250 $ out of pocket. Not cheap but fortunately I don`t need to have anything done. We have a pretty basic insurance, you can get a higher level ( higher fee per month) based on what you are expecting you`ll need.

Congratulations :wubclub:. Beautiful baby girl !

Hi there,

if you`re about to move in now or during the winter ( June, July, August), it`s a great timing.There are more properties available at this time of year. I don`t think you will need to offer higher amount for rent or 3 months upfront. We moved into the Sutherland shire almost 2 years ago and the only thing required was our bank statement ( as a proof that we could pay the rent) and some form of reference - we had a bank statement of paying our mortgage on time back in the US. The only thing that I would suggest is that once you find a place you really like, sign a lease of 1 year duration. We weren`t sure so we signed up for 6 months every time, after that period our rent was increased. It shouldn`t increase from the initial amount for the duration of the contract ( as the rental agent informed me).

My nephew posted photo of figure "8" shaped pool in I think the RNP.

 

I keep meaning to do the walk to Manly from The Spit. I did it a long time ago early 90s, maybe even late 80s

 

I did walk as far as Clontarf for a swim left year, loving it so much I left it too late and walked back to Spit in the dark.

 

I'm due a nostalgic drive to Narrabeen and maybe further

 

Looking back I lived there twice in the 80's but I never really put roots down the way I have in Surry Hills. I wish I'd been brought up from a kid in Narrabeen.

 

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Figure 8 pool isn`t really such a great swimming spot but it`s a great hiking destination. The pool is only accessible at low tide. It`s in RNP, walking from Garrawarra farm to Burning palms beach.

My favorite swimming spots are : Wattamola in RNP

Darook Park in south Cronulla

Shelly beach in Manly

Bonnie Vale, Hordens, Jibbon - all in Bundeena

nice swimming and kayaing spot is between Bundeena and Maianbar on the walking track

Winnifred falls, RNP

It`s fairly obvious that I live in the south :wink:

Hi there,

we moved to Sydney in June last year and this is what we found :

IKEA - for furniture, kitchen items, bedding

fantastic furniture - got living room and dining room furniture, have to say the quality of the dining chairs especially isn`t great but the rest of the items ( table, couch), are fine

appliances - http://www.2ndsworld.com.au/ , these are items that are last year`s model, end of the line, in a damaged packaging etc which kicks the price down while you still get a well working appliance ( got fridge and washer)

for small stuff like kitchen things etc there is IKEA again, Kmart, Big W, Target

Got a nice set of cast iron pots from ALDI, they still work very well after 10 months use

It`s going to be quite a chunk of money. If you don`t mind used furniture or appliances, there is always www.gumtree.com.au

A couple of encounters of the close kind...First was when I was clearing up a big clump of calathea plants, 3 huntsmen spiders ran across my hand then, as I was taking them to the weed bed I stepped on a snake, luckily it was a common keelback. Still, it gave me a moment, or two.

 

A common keelback, harmless and about 60 cm long.

 

 

Cheers, Bobj.

I would probably pass out if a huntsman ran over my hand :swoon:. Nice snake though :biggrin:

That sound wonderful Runslikeafish :yes:

Wow that`s beautiful Petals .......

My grandad said that you can't touch baby birds because you rub their scent onto it, once you do that the parents abandon it because they know it's been near humans.

So either keep the baby or don't touch it at all.

And I thought I was doing the best thing... it didn`t even have feathers yet :frown: . I seriously need a manual about caring for abandoned/injured animals. I`ve got the post where Kate ( Pom Queen) described in detail how to check roadkill kangaroo for a joey in it`s pouch saved in my inbox.

What happened to the baby sunbird? Did they parents still feed him outside the nest? I put a baby bird back to the nest once, looked it up the next day and it was dead :sad:. Not sure because it was injured in the fall or because it wasn`t fed.

Chickens are chooks.

 

Not all eggs are free-range

Not all tuna is 'dolphin friendly' (since that's all that available in the major supermarkets in the UK it caught me out)

 

Tipping is not customary ( and bar staff, waitress etc get paid very well)

 

Wogs are from Italy, Greece etc. and it isn't nearly as offensive as in the UK - there is an Australian movie called the Wog Boy (& 2)

Coon is a brand of cheese

Durex is sticky tape

 

Important for parents - there is no Calpol - Panadol for children is the same - phew

:chatterbox:

:elvis::swoon:

For real or just kidding ????? http://www.durexusa.com/?gclid=CKu42b_33rcCFRDl7AodRVwAjw&gclsrc=aw.ds

I'm just starting the application process myself, and as you will know well it's extremely baffling!

I have my uni transcripts from my nurse training (it has on practice hours, setting etc). I've gathered together my birth cert, drivers licence, university qualification certs and i have a letter from my secondary school stating when i was there and that i was taught in and assessed in english.

I'm also in the process of compiling my cv and my ward manager is putting together a reference letter for me.

Next on my list is my APHRA application, which im dreading as i've only heard bad things about it! I'm planning on going to Sydney as i have family there, and going on a working hol visa. I've read on quite a few threads that the Sydney office has a huge backlog of applications and can take over a year to process apps. Some people are advising folk to apply to different city offices in order to quicken the process. Do you know anything about this?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated :-)

Jo x

You can send your AHPRA application to any office and when you receive your Letter of eligibility you can present to ANY AHPRA office to get your license. Lately it seems people had good experience with Adelaide and Darwin offices. Good luck!

I don't know about the US but here I have a supervision file which includes monthly meetings, reports etc, I also have a compulsory KSF appraisal which states the competencies under the Agenda for Change Knowledge Skills Framework that I am required to have for my post/role and how I measure against them. I must reach certain levels at 'gateway' appraisals so I can move up the incremental payscale.

 

Did your hubbie have annual appraisals? Does he have payslips or would the HR department confirm he worked for that employer between the dates you are asking to be allowed? Would a statutory declaration help if accompanying any of that information.

 

Someone told us here on the forum that the ANMAC staff were really approachable and even read the forum, could you ask them in person what would satisfy?

 

Good luck Maruska! :biggrin:

Thanks,

he sent them the explanation together with his managers email ( where she states why she can`t give reference AND the number to call to confirm employment) but ANMAC sent us a "copy and paste" article with the requirements for the reference pulled from their website:mad:. When we left Saudi we canceled our bank accounts, people in that area are constantly on the move and none of the managers - his or mine- is in there presently. The HR are the only people really to confirm that he worked there ( they gave him the employment statement in the first place).

My worry is that it`s enough for ANMAC but to miss the extra points for DIAC is really a bummer:frown:

.

Hi ,

just wonder if anyone has any advice:wink:. My husband has 10+ years of experience but was only able to get 1 reference in the format required by ANMAC ( from his most recent employer). The previous employer in the US doesn`t give out references due to privacy laws and he sent the email from his manager explaining the situation to ANMAC. ANMAC says that unless they have the references they will only count 5 years of experience ( enough for ANMAC but not enough points for DIAC). He has all his employment statements of course proving he indeed does have the experience. We used to live in Saudi in the past, now it`s impossible to get any "fresh" references because the manager has moved on just as we did:eek:. The reference that he has from there is not in the format required by ANMAC. I can`t help it but it really seems dumb to me:mad:, official statements prove the experience but they need a personal letter ?!!!!

Did anyone encounter this situation ( especially I need to know what happened with DIAC and how many points were you awarded)

will appreciate any advice

Hey Maruska, Its nice to hear from you I sent it to Adelaide, I posted it from the UK on the 25th and it took a week to get there so really it took them 8 days!! Have you sent yours yet?? Anything I can do just let me know xxx

You remember me that`s nice:wubclub:

. No I didn`t send mine yet, waiting on (hopefully ) positive assessment so we can lodge the visa, our target is of course the July 1st deadline:wink:

.It`s 175 or 176 so we will have plenty of time to apply to AHPRA when our visa is processed.

Congratulations:wubclub:, can`t believe that either:biggrin:. Did you send yours to Adelaide? Sorry I can`t advise you about the extension, don`t have a clue:nah:.

Good luck and may everything be as smooth as AHPRA !

Hi,

Iam planning to apply for skill assessment,my skill code is taxation accountant,do you which body i should send my skill for review,also how much

time they take to review

do i need to do IELTS before sending skills for assessment,my code is 221113

Hi,

try to post your question under the Migration issues as a new thread. Alternatively you can also search the site by key words. It seems there are only medical professionals likely to look at this particular topic.

I haven't actually sat either test but after reviewing much of the test material for both, OET seems more straight forward as it is field/profession specific. I did however speak to Bronwyn at the Visa Bureau today who said that IELTS is the universally accepted standard but OET remains little understood as there is little if any legislation to support OET as a straight substitute for IELTS for health practitioners even though it states exactly that on their website; it seems as if OET is a little explored avenue, but it's there for a reason so who knows?

 

I've contacted the DIAC directly and have asked whether there is actually some legislation to support OET as a substitute for IELTS and await their reply.

 

That said, I'm starting to entertain the idea of a Work/Employer Sponsored 457 visa as the requirements seem more obtainable, i.e. a job offer.

My understanding is that OET is only good for AHPRA registration, not for immigration. If you need a language test to gain extra points for DIAC it would have to be IELTS. I think you are not obliged to do language test if you prove that you were educated in English. Hope this helps.

I did OET in 2002, at that time I`ve only been living in an english-speaking country for 1.5 years. I got 3 B`s and 1 A . A and B levels are acceptable to AHPRA. I did find the IELTS much more difficult, especially the reading section was weird ( and I do read a lot, english and non-english books). Still waiting for my results , it should be available on friday. I only did the IELTS because OET was much more expensive and not available in my city.

OET has the advantage that the content of articles and listening is familiar to a medical professional. The writing was the easiest really, I had to write a letter endorsing a patient to another nurse.

For me, OET is a piece of cake compared to IELTS.:wink: