North to South

Hi, I wish I'd booked some tickets when Qatar started operating again into Adelaide because Business Class flights were around £2,800 now they are around £7,500 which is just ludicrous. I think at the moment you can enter SA without additional quarantining if you're travelling from QLD which makes flying to Brisbane more attractive on price, but less attractive logistically - Please correct me here if I'm wrong. Thanks

Hi, thanks for these replies. We have Perm Residency Visas. I'm just clarifying the CGT in the UK if I'm no longer a resident, but I believe we will still be exempt because it's been our main residence for 5 years and if we sell within the first 12 months there is no CGT, but have to declare the sale within 30 days or face a penalty. My preference is still to sell, but personally I'd rather just do the quickest thing to get to Australia because our daughter is due to start school in Jan and don't want to risk her missing too much of the start of Y10. Thanks :)

Hi, Just wondered if anyone else has recently booked flights from London to Adelaide because they seem to have rocketed in price and I just wondered if more people are now electing to fly into Adelaide versus Melbourne which is filling the capacity and limiting supply, hence pumping the prices up. I'm moving to Adelaide so would prefer to do the Quarantine there, but looking at other destinations, Brisbane flights seem to be almost half the price with Ethiad which is what I'm now leaning towards. Any thoughts/comments would be most welcomed.

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone out there on PIO has any knowledge on the tax rules on rental income on your main residence in the UK whilst living in Australia. Due to the Covid impact we are struggling to sell out main residence in the UK and are thinking of renting it for 12-18 months until things hopefully settle down and then sell the house and transfer the money at that time to ourselves in Australia. Whilst I know from the UK tax situation in the UK, I just wondered if we would be liable to pay any tax when the money is transferred to Australia after the sale. Any guidance would be most welcome. Thanks.

So glad you've managed to get through the past month and now I'm sure it's a distant memory. I love the beach, particularly West Beach and up to Henley. As someone who's itching to get there, here's a few places I like. There's a lovely little cafe at Halllet Cove that does some great pizza and sliders and it's just a nice spot to sit any time of the day watching the ocean. Henley Beach South is great and there's a greek restaurant there called Estia. It can get busy, but the food is great. Port Noarlunga South has a great beach and probably my favorite in Adelaide. It's a bit of a drive from the CBD, but my daughter loved it when we were there last. The Tree Climb is worth a visit and they do a smaller one for the little ones too. Adelaide Central Market is amazing and one thing I can't wait to get back too. Getting into the Hills is lovely - Stirling is really nice and Mount Lofty Botanical Gardens is great too. My daughter loves the slush from McDonalds and at 99 cents always keeps the small ones happy I have always found IGA supermarkets good as they have local produce along with the basic essentials. Effectively, anywhere is great and whilst it may not have the glamour of Sydney or Melbourne, it has everything you want with a certain charm too and I just wish I could get on a plane tomorrow and get back there, but sadly I have a few things to tie up here before I can do that... Do enjoy and keep everyone posted on how you're settling in :)

Hi, not sure of your budget, but I stayed at Sea Gem in Henley Beach which was a good property. There’s also one in Fulham Gardens called Coastal Beauty. Also try Elite Accommodation who manage accommodation throughout Adelaide and should be cheaper than Homeaway/Airbnb because you don’t pay any fees. Hope this helps.

Thanks for this. I hope that the new lockdown in Melbourne won’t impact your onward plans when you do leave quarantine.

Hi, Just wondering if you know if you’re a family of 3 with a teenage daughter if you all have to be in the one room, or can you request two rooms and pay for the extra ? Do you have opening windows for fresh air ? Hope it continues to go well there.

Currently with the UK having open borders you can still fly to Aus, but if the gov’t in the UK implements quarantine do you think the already limited options of flying to Aus will reduce any further if people aren’t flying into the UK making the airlines cut flights ?

Hi, I just checked on a random date from Manchester to Adelaide in July and it was about £200 more expensive than the same date, but with a return in November. I honestly don’t know what Qatar’s policy is, but I’m not planning on booking any flights until about 3-4 weeks before we leave as I feel now you are potentially paying higher fares because of the reduced flights. I have to believe if Singapore/Cathay/Emirates start operating some flights then availability and prices should become closer to normal unless of course they have to operate at a reduced capacity then I can see prices close to what we see now.

Hi, I know some airlines are showing availability, but that's not a guarantee they will operate those flights and not sure if I'd still want to travel through any far-east hubs. I'm travelling (hopefully) in July/August to Adelaide and will more than likely use Qatar. I'd also look at the price of return flights as I noticed with Qatar when looking at one way business class flights they were over £1200 more expensive than a return which to me made no sense. If Qantas are operating by then I will go for the London - Perth direct flight to avoid any stopovers. I know it'll mean quarantine in Perth, but I'm happy to do that if it reduces one of the risks on flying.

Hi, I'm just trying to get a sense of whether fellow PIOers who were planning to make the move this year are still hoping to, or whether you've postponed the move until next year. We were due to move to Adelaide in mid July, but not sure how realistic, if at all this is now, but we don't want to delay too long as it will impact our daughters schooling. If you were looking at going, it would be good to hear how other people are changing / shifting their plans in light of what we're all facing. Looking forward to some interesting comments.

My suggestions would be Noosa/Sunshine Beach but it very much depends on your budget. I also like Tewantin and Peregian Beach as they have most things close to hand. although I think out of the two I'd choose Tewantin for it's proximity to Noosa River which is a lovely place to wander on a warm evening with plenty of coffee shops and restaurants to choose from. Although I'm a few years away yet, this is the area that I would like to retire as there are a great selection of properties across all budgets and whilst Noosa is very popular and over busy at times, you can always find somewhere to escape and just relax. Places slightly inland like Doonan are also nice and offer great properties on large plots and it's only 14 mins from Noosa.

Same - Our 190 visas have been activated, but we’re not residing in Australia and scheduled to move in July and not sure if we’re covered under the PR statement. Hoping a visa expert might be able to assist us all.

Most full service carriers are being very flexible. We had flights with Qantas booked on 5th April and got a full refund. If you booked with Flight Centre I’d speak with them and get some general advice. I’d also check with Travel Insurance company before you do anything. I’ve submitted a claim for flights and hotels to NY before cancelling to know if I’m covered, and ultimately Australia have put the same restrictions as USA, but the FCO hasn’t stated yet to ‘avoid’ travel which is the key. But if they’re not granting entry I’m sure they’ll have to.

Hi, I’ve read it says Perm Residents, but are they distinguishing between those who have already resided in Australia and returning versus those who are about to enter and take up residency ?

Hi, ‘With the announcement that Australia is to close its borders to all non residents, does that mean people with perm residency who are not yet resident, but about to move will be denied entry ? i know this is new news and is a solid step to fight this virus and protect us all which we shouldn’t question, but would appreciate any guidance as I’m sure this will impact more than a few people, me included.

Hi, Appreciate some advice on how car insurance works for newbies and whether they take into account any no claims bonus/driving history from the UK or whether you are starting from scratch again. Thanks

And best of all some vineyards.

And of course some sliders.....

Hi Clare, Congrats, now the fun starts And to put you in the mood here’s a couple of nice Adelaide beaches

Hello, I just would like some guidance on whether you need to bring all your medical records with you, or just prescriptions for existing medication. Any comments would be most welcomed. Thanks

Hi, I honestly don’t know how the zoning works, but we looked at Marryatville High School for our daughter and the zoning was very specific. I’ve also seen that on some other schools we liked, but regardless of the zoning they were not taking any new students. We’ve made the decision to go down the private route as it takes the zoning out of the equation and gives us more flexibility on where to live and with most schools having bus services it makes the school run that much easier. I would recommend finding a couple of schools you like then seeing how the enrollments work. I know it’s difficult from the distance away, but most schools we contacted were very helpful and very welcoming when we visited them.

Hi Clare, We stayed in Henley Beach for a week in October and it’s a lovely place, much quieter than Glenelg, but still with some nice cafes and a gorgeous beach. We’re moving in July and whilst we liked the coast are planning to settle in the Eastern Suburbs or around Stirling as we’ve selected a school for our daughter (14) in the East. I spent a lot of time researching areas online before I went the first time and once you’re there you realize how far some areas are out of the city. In October staying at Henley Beach took about an hour to cross time at peak time to Glen Osmond which really forced us to decide on the East to be nearer the schools we liked. Take a look at Bettereducation for schools and I’d contact some of them to see if they have specific catchment areas as a lot of the best schools we’ve seen do which does limit areas you could live. Most important for us is schooling so that’s what we researched first and found all of the schools we contacted very helpful and provided more guidance than just education. Take a look at Stayz/Homeaway for places to stay as I prefer them to Airbnb. I wasn’t sure about Adelaide at first over Melbourne or Sydney, but having been there twice now it’s a lovely place with everything you could want on your doorstep. Someone described it to us as the Manchester of Australia and that’s probably true. It doesn’t have the glitz or glamour of London, but makes up in charm, friendliness and for us a much easier way of life. After all, why would you want to pick the same life up as you might have in the UK and have a long commute to work, longer hours and higher cost of living. We met some recruitment companies whilst there and again they were quite open and honest about the challenges in finding new roles, we’re both Accountants, but having those discussions reassured us that it’s not as bad as some people portray jobs in Adelaide, so I’d maybe contact some local businesses just to try and get some insight into your specific roles. I’m no expert having only spent two separate weeks there but happy to give any help I can. Enjoy

Hi, I know there are many restrictions on taking food into Australia, but just wondered if anyone knows if you can take old wedding cake that’s been kept sealed and for sentimental reasons. It’s 15 years old and is a rich fruit cake and whilst it’s never going to be eaten I’d hate to see it thrown away before we move. Any thoughts / comments would be more than welcome. Thanks