scarletteve

hi, just to let you know my eldest daughter has now been allocated a place at her preferred school! Didn't go to appeal in the end, a place came up, although this may of been due to my daily harassment of the local council! My younger one will start year 7 at the same school in September. I did it from oz because she wanted to return ahead of us. She is in the air as we speak!! I would also say hat if you can wait until you are home I would of done that too. It's a very stressful experience and when you are waiting on emails all the time it's very frustrating. Don't give up! You will get there in he end x

Definitely not the dream everyone thinks it is we have been here 10 months and it feels like 10 years! I honestly preferred our life in the UK. We are heading home in the summer (UK summer). Just trying to sort school places out which is a nightmare in its self! Its ironic that we brought our children here for 'a better life' and they have admitted that they prefer life in the UK I'm in a similar situation to Kerry, hubby is talking about staying on for a while, just for financial reasons really and the fact that the kind of work he does he will probably struggle for work in the summer months so he may stay on here and come back at Christmas. It's going to be tough but we will make it work. I can't bear to see my children unhappy any longer. Guess its just not for everyone and its not for us. its hard to come out to Australia but even harder to get back home. I don't care what anyone thinks. I would rather admit that we have made a mistake than to live a false life here pretending to be happy and doing what everyone else thinks we should. you only get one life and its too short to be unhappy and lonely. good luck to everyone and keep us updated when you get back Kerry would love to hear how you get on x

Had some good news yesterday! My middle daughter has been allocated a place for year 7 in September! Such a relief. now waiting to hear about my 14 year old but hoping now one is in it will help her gain a place.

Hi I'm having the same problems at the moment! We are planning to go home in June/July and I want to enrol my 2 girls in high school for september. My eldest already attended this school before we came to OZ. we have missed the deadline for the youngest who is due to start year 7 so will be classed as a late application. They have told me that the year group hasn't filled for the last 2 years so hoping she will get a place we. will find out on march 1st. my elder daughter is due to start year 10 and to be honest I really didn't think it would be a problem getting her In and I have been more worried about the younger one. However Yesterday I received an email saying the year group is currently full for the intake due to start year 10 in September!! They have said we can't apply for a place till the term before which will be after the 15th April so just going to have to hope someone leaves in the meantime! does anyone know when they say a year group is full is that it or can they still take 'extras' we still own a house in the catchment area.

Has anyone seen the Peter Kay DVD when he is taking about the same things at a buffet reminding him of a scooby doo cartoon when they are running down a hallway past the same things all the time clock..... plant........picture......clock.......plant........picture this sums up how I feel about living here Beach........BBQ..........beer.........beach........BBQ.........beer..........

people that say you are mad are more than likely the same people who have never spent more than their "2 week holiday abroad each year" away from home. Until they have lived it they can't really comment!

Hi, just in the process of doing the same thing! My eldest is due to start year 10 in September and wants to go back to her previous school. Have been told by the admissions it won't be a problem and waiting to hear from them.......BUT my younger daughter is due to start year 7 and we have also missed the deadline!! They have told me we can apply which we have, but it will be classed as a late application and also out of area. We too have a property still which is in the catchment area but as others have said because we are not actually living their yet it doesn't count. I have looked at the 2 previous years and neither filled so if this year is the same we should be fine. Keeping our fingers crossed! Good luck everyone

Thank you

Hi we are on a temporary visa, how do you claim it back? Do you have to wait until you are back living in the UK? Do you know how much they tax you on it? I have looked at the companies we are with but they don't mention anything about temporary visa holders. I am guessing a lot of people go back to the UK and never claim it back.

I knew after about 3 months. We have been here for 9 months and my feelings haven't changed. Think it's very overrated and honestly think we had a better more fulfilling life in the UK. You are not on your own

I can't wait for the day we land in Manchester airport! Hopefully another 6 months it will be us x

Thanks for the info! Just looked on the oz cyclone chasers Facebook page, really interesting. Looks like we are in for the worst of it on Thursday

Hi we are in mackay, where are the alerts? thanks

Hi everyone, new to the group so thought I would post our story! been in oz nearly 9 months now. Our decision to come out all happened pretty quick it's not something we had been planning for years. The opportunity presented its self and we thought why not give it a go, nothing to lose....... 6 months from the decision we were here. We are a family of 5, 3 daughters 13, 10 and 2 9 months in I really don't think OZ is for me and to make things worse I have a very homesick unhappy 13 year old. I miss my friends and family but that's not the only reason. i find OZ very isolating, 1 thing that really surprises me is that nobody walks anywhere! I walk my 10 year old to school and don't pass another person! I think the kids are a lot younger for their age here. Not saying that's a bad thing but when you have a 13 year old trying to fit in think it can be a problem. i also find it very old fashioned although we are in a regional area so maybe that's why? i think it's boring! Only so many times you can go to beach, BBQ s etc before you get bored! I think unless you have got very sporty kids there's not much else to do without it costing a fortune! i think the schools are way behind. I know on the main forum people go mad if you make a statement like that but IMO they are. My 10 year old has gone into the year below here due to her birth month and the work she was bringing home in the beginning was stuff she had done when she was 6/7 at home. I had to ask for harder work for her! basically I just feel I don't fit in, don't belong here. i suppose it depends what you have left behind. We had a good life in the UK ,decent jobs, schools, house (which we still have thank god!) really questioning why we came. hubby thinks its OK but doesn't want to stay forever. He would like to do a bit longer to save some more money but looking very likely that we will return to UK. i have contacted my daughters old school at home and they have said if she is back by September the start of year 10 she will be fine. our lease finishes in June so saving up until then. I am crossing the days off the calendar! Its great being able to post what I really feel to people who understand without fear of being slaughtered for it! I work with a couple of English women who think I am mad! "Why do you want to go back? Your mad! You'll regret it" etc etc NO I WILL NOT!

Ha I said this too but actually I really miss it! Don't get the same laughs and banter here in OZ