Geraldine

LonToBris, I'm so sorry about your accident. Do you use a bulk billing GP, my OH is one and no-one is charged for a consultation. I see his colleague and today booked in for my repeat medication, referral to the hospital for generic testing due to family history, ultra-sound scan and blood tests. I don't yet have private health cover and I'm not paying for any of these services as they are covered by Medicare. It's all a bit new to me too, and for the first time in 20 years just paid for my prescription for Thyroxine. This is free in the UK as I have an underactive thyroid. So the consult was free but the meds weren't . Good luck

David Lonsdale (David off Heartbeat) is my next door neighbour in UK...and my first UK visitor to our house in OZ this week is his daughter....really wonderful family and nothing like his character off the TV. :biggrin:

Hi Katescott, we also brought one of our sons with us who should have been in the second year of A-levels in the UK. He wizzed throughout his NVQ3 before we left but we didn't even put that qualification on his application for his uni foundation degree. Check the uni websites about their entry requirements. Quoll is right the kids do a yr12 qualification for uni in Oz but there are other options for kids who don't/won't/couldn't do their A-Levels or equivalent. My son was accepted on the foundation degree starting this June with only GCSEs as We have four kids and trying to get the timing right for them all is tricky indeed. Good luck with it all.

Really feel for you, our beautiful cat Beth is 10 years old and she has gown up with my youngest daughter. When the insurance company said they wouldn't insure her. It made us think that we might be putting her under too much strain. We've been lucky in that my oldest friend and cat fanatic wanted her and this allowed us to say goodbye a few months before we left. Just this weekend I've had more tears from my youngest whilst staying with a friend who has a cat. Yesterday we also had to negotiate the pet shop with a couple of ridiculous Persian fluff balls. We are in rented accommodation and not allowed pets . I have promised once we have our new home and understand any rules of pet ownership in Oz then we may find ourselves a new personality to join us. Nothing replaces a loved pet, I can see that we can love another. I hope you find a way to either bring yours over or maybe look to find a new addition to your family. Best of luck ...

Can only comment on our family experience, other posters have mentioned the stats re obesity, just another first world problem for Oz like many other first world countries. We however are trying to buck that trend. We've all lost weight, are all fitter and this morning in Brissy I dragged my two sons out of bed for a breakfast cuppa on the patio in a cloudless blue sky. On a glorious sunny day in the UK I would have been able to do the same but over here the good weather helps our family create new healthier habits as the weather is more consistent. You have to know however that my OH and I are particularly pathetic when it comes to the weather so it's no surprise that we prefer our days to be sunny and warm.:biggrin:

Don't let others cloud your view. Only you and your family can know if its for you. We all have so many different things we love in life. We have been really lucky, been here since March and we are enjoying a beautiful time of year for the weather . Met some really helpful folks, made new friends both Oz citizens and poms. The only thing I'm missing being a Liverpool girl is a bit more glamour but I am on the look out for venues and folks who enjoy the same lol

Hi jac2011, although my son is only 18 he has applied to uni as an international student, he doesn't have A Levels. He has been offered a place today on a year long foundation course and following successful completion is guaranteed a place on a Business Degree at QUT. What we need to establish is whether we are liable for the full 4 year fees as an international student. We are applying for PR and don't know if we would be allowed to change to domestic fees once PR is granted. He had to have a letter from his school stating that he was taught in English for 5 years. It may be that the Uni is thinking along foundation degree lines. I will be ringing the Uni tomorrow before my son accepts the offer. I would speak to them and then get any advice followed up in an email. Good Luck. :smile:

We used JM in the UK and the guys they used in Brisbane were fine both dismantled and re-erected our beds even though we thought they wouldn't. It's a shame you've had a bad experience, I hope the company are trying to put things right for you. :unsure:

Well I'm gutted that I'm not there to cheer in the paddock this weekend and say a big thanks for what he did for us at Everton. My uncle is using my season ticket so he can go with my Dad and say goodbye to an era. I always knew once Fergie went Moyes would be in the running for the job. At the end of he day if Fergie thinks Moyes can do it then there is no better accolade. You are right Man U could have got anyone for the job but they took Fergies advice. Anyway for us Toffees the future really is unknown, depending on who we get may make a difference as to who we keep in the squad in the summer. All I can say is COYBS for the remaining two games ...

Agree Rupert, will only be taking it out for tax reasons, although OH tells me the waiting lists are quite long here in the public system so who knows if we may need to use it in the future. Feel for you M2M, last thing you need is to be worrying about paying for healthcare whilst recovering, sending best wishes that it all works out for you :smile:

Hi Jules2409, my OH is a GP we owned our own surgery in the UK with me as managing partner, over here he is contracted to work for a 100% bulk billing practice. So in effect self employed in both countries and these are common methods of working as a GP. Just because you are self employed doesn't mean you leave your ethics at the door. Whilst GPs are well paid following many years of training you would only need to have worked with me behind the scenes for one day and you would have been amazed at what is expected of them. In the UK at the moment there is a survey being undertaken on burnout for GPs. It doesn't matter what our opinion is of GPs and how they are paid . When i am ill what I want to see is a doc happy in his/her job with brill communication skills, lots of compassion and up to date with the latest treatments.... er just like my OH. :biggrin:

Been here a couple of months in deepest Brisbane suburbia, havent seen anything other than a couple of spiders outside (no idea what type they are but one is hanging from the lampost across the street with a very impressive stash of flies) No snakes so far, do keep seeing Kangeroos in the park and little lizards near the lake. I will be honest before I came I thought the snakes and spiders might be a deal breaker. Now Im here I dont really think about them. Of course I am waiting for a huntsman to crawl out of my bin/post box..or sun visor in the car...If that happens I might be on the next plane....:laugh:

If like my 18 yr old son you can sleep on board, then brill, he managed Dubai to Brisbane asleep. I on the other hand didn't sleep for 24 hrs as the youngest (9) got sick on the plane so spent most of it with her head in the sick bag. However the mood was lightened a little by the folks next to us who managed to argue all the way and at one point even split up on the plane only to be reconciled before landing... Now that's what I call inflight entertainment. Flew with Emirates and they were great. Next time round think we may book a stop over as we've never seen any of the countries that you can stop over in. Best of luck :biggrin:

We did both, a big party before we left our house for family and friends (this was two months before we left UK) it was December, had the local butcher do a BBQ and a free bar for everyone by the local wine merchant. Brill party all round. The difficult time was the trying to give our friends quality time before leaving and for my mum it was just awful. In some ways because I have four kids I think I went into brave mum mode ( you know don't let the kids see your fear or excitement) so infact I was a bit of a zombie just going through the motions and just wanted the pain of the goodbyes and brave faces to be over. We softened the blow to everyone by booking return flights for Christmas time. This has helped everyone as they know we will be back soon and helps us not to feel trapped in a new country. I know not possible for everyone but that's how we did it . Sometimes the party isn't really for you, it's for your friends and family to celebrate how much you mean to them. It's not a bad thing to experience how much you are loved, take strength from it, it may give you courge in your new adventure. Very best of luck :biggrin:

We are a family of 6, had 6 cases, 6 carry on cases, 5 laptops and one camera bag. Our good friends took us in their two cars. Although we didnt need to ask them they really wanted to take us. If we had gone under our own steam I suppose we would have gone on the lugga bus to the airport. It tends to fit everything in. Wish you lots of luck

Automatic every time, I am far too lazy to drive a manual car he he..

Was more than happy to give them a tip when the total bill for shipping is coming in at more than £6,000 giving the lads £50.00 for a pint didn't seem like we were giving them too much. As I am addicted to tea...the kettle was pretty much on all day. I'm just one of those people who always thinks that it could be one of my relatives doing that job and I would hope folks would be kind to them. Our stuff has arrived in Brisbane and we are just waiting for it to clear customs.....I so cannot wait to see a sofa. Sitting on garden chairs has well lost its novelty lol. Good luck with it all.

It was indeed, the very same purse they have contributed to all of their working lives.... Lets agree to disagree on this one.

Thanks for that, will add another thing to do on my list, when we come down from Brissy

My parents remain grateful that as working class citizens they were able to buy their council house. They had paid rent on it for years. They don't own much, worked hard all their lives I just cannot begrudge them that opportunity.

I took my own 18 yr old son to look around QUT in Brisbane last week. Have to be honest was real tempted to look up some courses...it's been a while since I was last at uni but what great places they are ... Just don't think my son would appreciate his mother on his course so might look,at a different Uni. I'm 42 and I still think I can change career or retrain if I want. You are not too old if you are determined enough to see it through. Good luck ...

Irrespective of her politics I admired her tenacity in a male dominated environment. RIP

I would recommend getting an agent once you are ready to rent it out. We've just found out that someone has taken our front wall out back in the UK. Drove off but thankfully was daft enough to leave their number plate behind. Our agent is handling the fall out liaising with the police, tenants and insurance companies. I cannot begin to think what a hassle it would have been if we had tried to sort this all out ourselves. Lived in that house for 10 years had no problems . Have been in Oz a month and this happens...just glad we are only talking about property damage and nothing worse... Good luck with sorting everything out.

Born and raised in Liverpool, lived in Southport on the coast about 20 miles north of Liverpool for the past 10 years. Been in Oz 3 weeks. I will have no hesitation in returning to see all my lovely family and friends at Christmas. Liverpool is a fab city, there are so many things to do and I love our scouse sense of humour . We tend to see the funny side of most things and always have the kettle on for a cuppa and a gossip. Like most cities, some parts need a bit of investment some have affluence written all over them. My eldest just finished uni there and had a brill time. Going to stop now otherwise I will start making myself homesick.

We recently used East Coast rentals, they collect you from the airport and take you to their office to collect the car. No problems at all, just make sure you have their number to ring them when you arrive . Oh and if you are arriving in the middle of the night make sure they know and will have someone to pick you up when their office is closed.