Aussie Abroad

I found the Australian Breastfeeding Association was a good way to meet other Mums too. You don't have to be breastfeeding either to join and most groups I have found are accepting of all parenting styles. https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/

They are called Maternal and Child Health Centres in Victoria. http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/CommunityServices/ForMyFamily/MaternalChildHealth/Pages/CentreLocations.aspx

After living in Asia for nearly 3 years, I'm dying to get home and get back to my Aussie tv! Guess it's all relative.

Not quite the same, but we moved to Malaysia from Brisbane and found it really useful to not think about it as a forever thing, but to put a time limit on it. We decided that if, after 3 years we still weren't 100% happy here, that we would move home. So, while we've had a great time living in Asia and travelling all over the world, we've decided to move home next year. I know things aren't great in Ireland at the moment, but things will eventually pick up again, and in a few years moving back might be a real possibility. In the mean time, this http://www.brisbane-australia.com/free-stuff-to-do.html is a bit of a list of free stuff to do in and around Brissy, so it might help to try and get out and do some things and see what is great about living in the Sunshine State. :biggrin:

Nah, chicken salt has been around in Aus for eons. Horrible stuff.

Were you only there during winter?

Considering you are so set on what you want, have you thought about using a car broker to do all the ground work for you? They can usually get a much better price as well.

I never had any problems taking bottles filled with sterilized water on the plane either, usually they just have a quick look before you put them through the scanner. I always pre-measured out formula at home into a formula dispenser, so I didn't have to worry about scooping from the tin on the flight. Made it heaps easier to prepare bottles. http://www.bigw.com.au/baby/feeding/bottle-feeding/bpnBIGW_0000000067931/nuby-formula-dispenser?utm_source=GoogleProductFeed&utm_medium=cpc&origin=%7Badtype%7D&id=%7Badwords_producttargetid%7D

Oh ok, that sucks. I know a friend used that site to find somewhere to live last year after his house was flooded. Good luck!

What about http://www.flatmatefinders.com.au

I think Pampers are the more popular brand in the UK, rather than Huggies. Huggies in the UK are different to the Aus ones. The NAN formula is made by Nestle, maybe give them a call in the UK and see if they offer a similar product there? Otherwise I would just pack enough tins to see me through, I'm sure your sister would be able to take it in a plastic shopping bag as carry on.

It's strange, my husband and I are both Aussies and are prepared to move OS for work as we get to live together as a family unit, but we are not prepared to move to WA and have him FIFO. FIFO just wouldn't work for us, especially not long term and the money isn't enough to compensate for all the sacrifices we would have to make as a family. I suspect a lot of Australians feel the same way.

Mmm love a good lamington with jam and cream. Kiwis like to lay to the lamington though, and don't even get me started on the pavlova!

All this talk of cake blatantly highlights the lack of research undertaken by future migrants to Australia. It's all about the pumpkin scone down here, dontcha know?? :laugh:

Definitely Aus for me, I hate the cold. We are moving back to Brissie next year after living in Malaysia and one thing we really aren't looking forward to is the cold Australian winters :biglaugh: We were tripping around Europe and the UK in February this year when a massive cold front came though, -10 when we landed in Paris. Brrrr. Never visiting Europe in winter again.