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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!

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

Hi we have been in oz for 8 months and I am struggling to settle. My 13 year daughter is also very homesick and has been for months. We have leased a house till June this year and we are considering a move back home in time for my daughter to start year 10 in the uk in September. Has anyone experienced this? I'm just worried about what she has missed and if she will be able to catch up in time to sit her GCSE exams.I want to go back but don't want to ruin her education.

Sorry for spelling mistakes! Bloody iPad!

Yes I can understand that, I think that's why my husband would like to stay longer to justify the money and effort we have put in. How long have you been in oz? I now many people say 6 months is nothing but I think when you know you 'just know'. I totally agree about the limbo thing aswell. I am battling with myself everyday but I honestly don't think we will regret it

Thank you for all your replies. We are now 6 months in and she still wants to go home! The crying has stopped but every couple of days she will ask me if we can go. She has friends here but says they are not the same as at home. The problem is I also now feel like I want to go back!!! (I haven't told my daughter this because I don't want to give her false hope) but I am struggling to see that our lives are better here. Yes the fact that you can be outdoors a lot more and the weather is a big plus, but for me that's about it. I know everyone will say I'm mad and I've been given a golden chance for a life out here but being honest I think I preferred my life in the UK. We both had good jobs and a good lifestyle, we just fancied giving oz a try as a few friends of ours have done it and loved it here. My husband says he won't stay here forever but would like to stay a few years and get the most out of it but it feels like a life sentence for me! I know it sounds pathetic and most would say to just get on with it but I miss my family so much and every week feels like forever

Hi, i am trying to renew my 10 year old daughters passport. i have completed the forms from the embassy but don't know what to do about the countersignatory? it says it needs to be signed by a British or Australian citizen that has known me or my husband for 2 years. we have only been here 6 months! i have asked the post office for advice but they said they dont know???? can anyone help? it expires in january thanks

can anyone give advice? we are currently living in Queensland on a 457 visa which i am the primary holder. my husband has been given the option of a sponsored job in perth and obviously if we wanted to go he would be the primary holder. how would this work? would i have to cancel mine and then be nominated for a new one in my husbands name? are we allowed to do this? confused.com!

Hi Kiera, we moved to Queensland in may this year. My daughter was in year 8 in Uk she had turned 13 in the April before we came. She has stayed in year 8 and will start year 9 in January. Just a few months behind her old pals in the uk. However my younger daughter was in year 5 in the uk and she is in year 4 over here she was 10 in August. The cut off point is the end of June for the year groups so I think your son might be in the year below out here. It can be worrying, my younger one would of been in year 6 now in the uk and she won't even start year 5 here until January. But saying that she is really happy and I think you have to look at it like they are not going back, they are just in a different system email a few schools and ask, I did this before we came out and they were very helpful all the best with your move

Thanks Linda, I have told her to try and enjoy it and we will she how she feels after Christmas. Think if I give her a smaller timeframe to concentrate on, it won't feel as bad

Hi, we have been living in Queensland for 3 months. Although we really like it not sure if we will stay long term. My 13 year old daughter is really homesick, crying at night saying she wants to go home. I am hoping she will settle in time but wonder if anyone else can give advice. I know it's early days but it's breaking my heart seeing her so upset.

We moved to Mackay 6 weeks ago and would like to give anyone who is making the move also a bit of insight. our move over happened pretty quickly from us deciding we were coming over 6 months later we were here! The flight over was good, no delays and kids coped really well. My job gave us accommodation when we arrived and despite what we had heard about getting a rental property being a nightmare we managed to get a lovely house in 9 days of being here. our 2 oldest girls 13 and 9 have started school and love it, they have both made lots of friends already. Jobs are going well and myself and hubby have been made really welcome by everyone. People have lent us bits of furniture, tv etc all we need now is our shipment and will be sorted! The first few weeks are hectic and we felt like there weren't enough hours in the day to do everything but you get there in the end. We are enjoying it so far and hope it continues. We tried to come over with no expectations and an open mind. if anyone one else is a Mackay newbie would love to hear from you

Thanks Sioban, I really hope so! We have roughed it for 6 weeks now and with 3 kids ive had enough now, I want our stuff!