Rallyman

11 hours ago, Loopylu said:

It is the LNP (ie Scomo) that is in control of who gets the vaccine first. Albanese and Bandt were going along for the ride.

I am apolitical, don’t vote and my views about how we should treat the stranger and those less fortunate than ourselves are based on the teachings of Christ. I have no faith in mankind, and socialism fails because of the inherent selfishness of people. However, in my view, it is the closest political theory to what God requires of true believers.  

I am sorry to hear that your two mothers who I am guessing are in SA are isolated from you and live in a dangerous environment. Maybe you could pay for contributory parent visas which is the quickest way of getting them to Australia? 
 
I had not seen my parents for over 2 years as their annual trip to see us in 2020 was prevented by the Australian lockdown. Sadly my children will not see their beloved grandad in person again and I AM angry and sad about that and blame Australia for that. 

 

 

Who should get the vaccine first?  

somebody will always feel hard done by , somebody had to start  first and then work through list , this is not a easy roll out , but unfortunately it’s far easier to complain than praise the good job done to keep our numbers down in the first place. 
 

some of us lost our parents at a young age and would be grateful  to even face time them. 
As said before people going through far worse than yourself. 
you must have realised when you moved to the other side of the world the family implications involved . 
 

2 hours ago, Paul1Perth said:

Or exportation, otherwise WA wouldn't be in such good shape.

Yes trade continued, problems we have is China holding onto shipping containers 

Who can afford a electrican to come out and Chang a plug

16 hours ago, Marisawright said:

I said that the UK could have closed its borders back in March, like Australia, because it's an island.   Jon pointed out that there is a difference - goods arrive on the ships to Australia via container, whereas goods arrive on the ships to the UK in trucks.  It wouldn't be practical to change that, so the thousands of truckers would have to be allowed exemptions.  

Trucks bringing in supplies have always been classified as essential workers and given exemptions   governments around the world have not stopped essential workers it’s not a rational comparison, I do agree that the uk should have closed airports etc to non essential travel, I think Spain introduced first lock down in Europe but by middle of summer it was a free for all travel wise , lots of people I know on holidays across Europe, Turkey, Greece, Spain , France to name a few , while we here  in Australia had very strict travel embargo’s placed on us. I think we all know which ones turned out the best, 

5 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Yes, that’s what I said. But nw there are restrictions in the uk on who can leave etc, to restrict non-essential travel. If there was no point doing that earlier why are they doing it now?

Trucks bringing in supplies would be classified as essential work ,what was said about stopping trucks is simply not true in either country. 

20 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

You're right, fair point about the trucks, that does mean they couldn't have replicated the full shutdown declared by Australia and New Zealand. However, if stopping all non-essential travel is such a useless measure, why are they doing it now?     

The uk never stopped trucks coming into the country, Australia has never stopped importation of supplies , 
you can’t drive a truck supplied with food into Australia like you can from mainland Europe to uk

We opened bank ac with Anz which upped our baggage to 50kg each with Emirates’s but don’t know if this is still available also with covid it’s a lottery. 
good luck 

5 minutes ago, Loopylu said:

Two months is not a short visit and I may stay longer depending on my father’s health. Are you implying that I should not be allowed to see my dying father? Unbelievable!!!!

I don’t think Mw implied that at all. 
These are unprecedented times normal has been thrown out the window , there are many people suffering around the world doing it far tougher than yourself. 

6 minutes ago, Loopylu said:

I regularly posted on here way before my father became terminally ill about the illegality under IHR law of arrivals caps. So, no my gripe is not about my personal situation per se. I just happen now to potentially be in a position where my return date to Australia could be uncertain due to the travel restrictions. It will be hard if my husband starts dialysis before I am able to return. It’s just another reason why I rue the day that I agreed to move to my husband’s homeland....

Sorry you are not coming across like that in all previous posts in this thread . 

Have you tried to book a flight as by your post you have not done it ? 

sorry but I am happy we have restricted flights into country to prevent the mess that uk and eu find itself in with death tolls and overall cases. 

14 minutes ago, Loopylu said:

4 days versus 12 months and still continuing. Hardly comparable!

Macron still closed the border
you have been able to get to uk 

is your gripe that you can’t get back to Australia? 
 

10 minutes ago, Loopylu said:

And there was a transition period until 31 December 2020 when the free trade and movement of persons continued as agreed as part of the leaving deal.... 

Closing border was down to covid nothing to do with free trade etc , 

11 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

That is simply not true.  If the UK did what Australia did people would literally starve to death and die from lack of medications. We are fully integrated with the European supply chain.  Thousands of trucks with drivers have to come in on a daily basis.  We literally don't have enough trucks, drivers or other means to import essential goods without this.  Imports to Australia are basically all containerised in one way or another and the domestic supply chain manages all the Australian logistics.  

That is not to say we could not have limited flights from say Brazil earlier, but to imply this would have enabled an AU or NZ style zero covid strategy is simply a lie.

Australia never stopped importation of goods , 

3 hours ago, Loopylu said:

I don’t see any UNHCR citations of fundamental human rights law breaches for the UK in your post.  The UK does not lock up genuine refugees indefinitely. 
The UK is not perfect but the fact you could pull up those reports shows that issues are not swept under the carpet as they are by the Australian media. People in Australia (including British immigrants) have no conscience and so long as they are OK, they wash their hands of their responsibilities towards the rest of the world and those less fortunate than themselves.
As for me relocating to the UK, I would love nothing more but my children are at uni/late high school and my Australian husband is about to start dialysis. Hardly the time to up sticks or are you suggesting I abandon them? It’s typical Aussie to just trot out the ‘if you don’t love it, leave’. 

How did you feel when Macron closed the French border to returning French citizens from uk I think for 4 days last year , people tried to pin that on Brexit but was totally a covid decision. 

The world is totally upside down with  covid we are not living in normal times. 
 

9 hours ago, Loopylu said:

You are exactly right.  Also, when Covid started the UK was still part of the EU and it would have been illegal to close the borders to people from Europe. Unlike Australia, the UK abides by its international and domestic legal commitments.  The UNHCR regularly cites Australia as being in violation of human rights treaties it has signed around treatment of refugees, freedom to cross borders and charging foreign residents for accessing public education.  Australia is a law unto itself, which as a lawyer who has a duty to uphold the law, I find deeply disturbing.

Uk had left the eu , first case confirmed in uk 29 jan , 

14 hours ago, Quoll said:

So sorry this is happening to you Loopylu - I've seen quite a few posts of people who have been allowed out on compassionate grounds so it's very sad that you arent getting the same leeway.  I missed my dad's funeral - c'est la vie, only 15 would have been allowed to have been there and the thought of a couple of weeks quarantine at each end wasnt going to make it worth it.  Easy for me as I didnt know he was going to die, he just popped off quietly like he always said he would.  I hope you get back to see your dad and maybe get to his funeral - pancreatic cancer is not a good way to go and so hard for everyone around him.  

She has stated she is back in uk 

That’s Australia for you 

no real explanation. 
some of radio stations tell you where the cheap fuel is , ok if passing or in area but not worth it if you have to go out your way imho

Had Foxtel but got rid of it waste of money 

8 hours ago, tonks said:

Hi everyone, 

We told our family yesterday of our plans and were pleased everyone responded positively and even said they'd visit (still not convinced they will)! Husband's skills assessment goes off today to and he's booking his English test. I know that everything is so uncertain with Covid but it makes me feel better that we're actively doing what we can!

I have a few 'random questions' though if anyone would oblige, posting here as the topics are quite broad

• Beds - we have 2 double and a king size bed, can we ship our mattresses/bedding and is it worth it or are the bed sizes completely different? We are getting a container anyway as have just bought beautiful sofas so not worried about using the space, just practicalities. 
• Air B&B - anyone have success with a 4-6 week let whilst waiting for container to arrive/house hunting?
• Spiders (sorry!) - realistically, so I can prepare myself, are we likely to be encountering large/dangerous spiders on a daily basis/weekly/monthly? Do we need to sleep with one eye open? Are we going to have to inspect each room before we enter it for the rest of our lives? Basically, is it as bad as my UK friends are making out? 
• How you make it safe to leave furniture/play equipment outdoors? Is that not a spider trap? Will we need to bug spray/inspect whenever we want to use our outdoor items?
• Finally, clothing - as a fashion conscious 30 year old, am I better off stocking up on warm weather clothes and taking them across in the container? Or will I have access to enough up-to-date (English standard) shops? 

Is there anything else you wish you'd have thought of that we should be thinking of? 

Sorry, I know it's a few things at once, I'm a worrier! Thank you!!

On the spiders was on radio yesterday more people are hospitalised by bee stings 

You friends are winding you up. 

you can get sprays for them so don’t worry 

you can buy most clothing on line today next ship out here 

On 09/02/2021 at 08:29, Metoo said:

That’s a shame about the concreter, I have heard that there is a shortage of concrete at the moment.  I think with the travel ban, everyone is having work cone on their homes and concrete is in big demand.

It must be very hard building your walls in the summer heat, but, just imagine, once the water is in the pool you can jump in any time and cool off, bliss

Whenever we are working in the garden, our reward is always a cool drink and a dip in the pool at the end.

 

Yes that’s what we are focusing on , it’s been very mild heat wise this summer compared to previous years, 

Will post some photos when it’s finished 

On 04/02/2021 at 23:17, Metoo said:

@Rallyman how is your pool coming along

 

(sorry, I only just saw your post)

Got the shell concreted 3 weeks ago after original Concreter let us down the night before he was going to to it. 
Getting on with some retaining walls while concrete cures (6 weeks in total) then render and tile . 

4 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

Saints are my local side! I've been to the Dell far more times than White Hart Lane. 1976 yes. We Spurs fans are still raging about our pathetic performance at Brighton (They beat Liverpool at Anfield overnight too).

I take my mind off Spurs by engaging in mild (by comparison) sniping on PIO.

Think you lost 3-2.to my team in the league cup that season at white hart lane , wrexham by the way

I had been here 8 times on holiday before moving out , felt the GFC was going to be tough for us ( wife had a good job) but construction took a big hit in gfc which effected us so when opportunity to come over we decided to give it a go   Nothing ventured nothing gained . He we are nearly 11 years later , achieved far more in that time than would have stopping in uk , certainly enjoy weather more over here, 

We looked at various locations across Australia as wife had a number of interviews , but chose sydney as   It also offered me good job prospects, 

started off in Sans souci , then across to northern beaches to Mona vale , all to suite commuting to work , then after lots of visits up to Hunter we moved and built our own home. 
feel quite settled now we have our own home. 

52 minutes ago, MARYROSE02 said:

Covid-19, or more specifically experiencing the lock down on my own. My brother had already moved up to Surfers Paradise in February, and I was thinking of following up but I had to get some vaccinations  - flu, pneumonia and shingles, spaced out over a few weeks, and the border was closed. Then it opened in July and, after dithering, for a few days, hiring a car for a one way rental, but not leaving, packing the car, but not getting it out of the garage. I bit the bullet and crossed the Rubicon (mixing my cliches up there).

I'm used to living on my own, preferring it in many ways, but during the lock down, everything was closed, other for takeaway, no cafe, no pub, no restaurant, no  beach except for a swim and go, if it wasn't closed. Walk in the park permitted but no just sitting down. You were there for exercise and nothing else.

I had another option too - going to Perth to stay with a friend there but the border was closed all year. It is closed again to Queenslanders I believe since the Brisbane lock down. To be fair, in the six months I've been here, life has been almost normal, bar having to sign into places.

My brothers were trying to get me to sell my flat in Sydney and I was half tempted, but dithering is my modus operandi. Life is better up here to be honest. I can see the sea from where I'm sitting now. I think maybe I need to get a more permanent home even though it is pleasant enough living with my brother.

But, Covid is the dark cloud hanging over everything, every plan.

Understand where you are coming from , maybe cash in on your home in sydney and buy up there ? 
who knows where covid is going to take us all very depressing at times

A few more twists and turns to come imho 

Stay safe 

43 minutes ago, MARYROSE02 said:

I have probably already contributed to this thread when I was living in Sydney and could not imagine living anywhere else. I may have talked about moving to Perth though?  I've now been in Surfers Paradise almost six months after driving up from Sydney in July when the border was briefly opened. 

The six months have been largely free of the shadow of Covid-19, with zero lock downs but now Brisbane is in a three day lock down, and I'm wondering if "IT" will reach Surfers Paradise. There is still plenty of toilet paper in the supermarkets but I saw a few people wearing masks today, including one guy wearing a curious plastic visor but he wore it at an angle. I get people wearing masks but I don't get them taking them off to eat and drink or talk.

The shadow of Covid-19 probably contributes to a slight sense of uneasiness. What if my brother suddenly moves? It's only Covid that is preventing him from shooting off to China.  If that happens would I still want to stay here or would I feel the need to return to Sydney?  I don''t miss Sydney but I left my flat there, albeit with a mate house-sitting and feeding my cat.

Perhaps this is all part of the migration trajectory, although in this case it is moving from Sydney not Southampton. I can't see myself going back to Soton but  I still have a house there - another "loose end".  These loose ends need tieing up or whatever it is you do with lose ends? !

What was the reason for moving MR you always seemed very settled in sydney.