Ali B

Exactly right Pablo. And good on ya! We are the same in our family. You have to do what you can, because sometimes your 'little bit' is an enormous amount to someone else. We have boycotted that nonsense Cost-Co just opened down the road. What a monster. Who ever invented a $50 membership fee to go to an effing SHOP! And all the profits go straight out of Oz to USA! So we shop locally wherever we can. Pay a little more but it keeps the small 'locals' going. We support regularly 8 charities because I believe every wage earner has a moral obligation to help others, our kids are now the same and do fund-raisers. And that's why evading paying tax back to a country is morally wrong. It's cheating people who need support when they are down. And yes we know there are dole cheats who get publicity in the Daily Mail, but there are far more who aren't. We've brought our kids up to ask questions and not just take what you hear at face value. That's the single biggest thing - information - hunting out the truth and if you don't like what you find, write to MPs and get others informed too. We have so much information at our fingertips now there is really no excuse for apathy.

Pretty much, yes. Nobody in power wants to lose it... Cynically, 100 yrs ago the poor were part of production of goods/services. That has now passed to robots and we have millions around the world who quite basically have "no purpose" anymore. Even in the industrialised developed world, unemployment is rising because the number of real jobs is falling. In production, robots and computers are more time efficient, don't get sick and take time off and don't argue back. We should be very afraid of technology. It's taking our jobs and dumbing down swathes of our youth. At a certain, ruthless and very cynical level, it would be useful to the powerful and their fawning governments, if ordinary people died or were killed off in wars. Populations fall and industrialists get fat contracts to build up destroyed cities again. They win all round, money in the bank and fewer pesky poor people to support with taxes. I'm actually quite a happy person but very realistic these days. Don't be fooled into thinking for one minute that governments run countries anymore, it's fat-cats in banks and business.

Pablo and Danny. You two have more in common than you both realise. You are being divided and ruled... (See Danny I can use dots too!) Danny, read a good up to date government website http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/uk_defence_spending_30.html and look at different sources of information. Poor wealthy and people in between rip others off. It's immoral. It harms others and the only difference is that when the wealthy do it, it's more, much much more than the poor. The bankers who brought down the global markets in 2008 were not from council estates in Manchester. Evasion of tax is a small step from stealing. And it hurts others. So whether or not it's legal isn't really the point. There are some things people do that are just wrong. I have a family member who legally buys bombers (in the country she lives in) that kill civilians in others. We at some stage all of us need to be better than what's happened before, and change what we do and think. Arguments evoking "right wing" "left wing" are sometimes muddling because i don't think anyone on this planet can really define this anymore... Hitler was right wing and an ordinary working class soldier. Pol Pot was a left wing communist tyrant who had a privileged education studying electronics in Paris. Just two examples I know but personally I think people need to see beyond a label and look at the policies. We HAVE TO start watching out for each other - at home and abroad - and if that means I pay tax to provide homes, education, medicine, clean water, food, SAFETY to human beings around the world, then bring it on. We deal with the ones who abuse the system. We don't quote them as a means to NOT do the right thing. Because the bottom line is one day it might be me or my sister or mum that needs someone watching out for them and I hope someone will be there with a safety net if I'm not around. We all have two very very simple choices: we stick together and help. Or we split and walk away.

Went to the Bulleen centre (the Arty Crafty one on the left as you head to Darebin, not the posh one on the right) loads and loads and loads of beautiful plants. THANK YOU for the tip Suzukiscottie. We have two fab apple saplings $39 each and a forsythia, blueberry, two hollyhocks, herbs, plants for the tubs and beds. The staff were really helpful with advice too about how to start off the espalier. Said it was a good time to plant out. They had heaps of fruit trees: apple pear plum apricot nectarine peach fig kiwi orange lemon. A beautiful Japanese corner with some great ideas. We'll go back...

Yes. And in this world nowadays there are a frightening number of nasty things happening (environmental, political, social, religious, biological) through poverty, ignorance and lack of access to some basic human needs. We are rapidly getting to the point IMO where we will ALL be affected and suffer unless we can all start watching out for one another, irrespective of income. An ebola virus won't give a stuff whether you are a streetbum or a kardashian...

Our nearest Bunnings (Blackburn) only had lemons last time we checked and we have a lemon tree already. Bulleen isnt far. Thank you. So Blossom do you have espalier experience? Should i just put the apple in for now and leave it to settle till pruning next autumn?

Does anyone know of a nursery where I can buy a decent apple tree to start an espalier. We're in Melbourne Eastern Suburbs. We know some great ones around Ringwood but none sell fruit trees.

I have got a funny feeling the legislation regarding non-residents buying property in Oz has changed in the past 2 yrs or so. A lot of hyper-wealthy Chinese were buying up property from China a couple of years back and renting out, just as you proposed. I heard the government has tightened up the process in the past year or so. Maybe check out recent legislation.

Take as much as you can squeeze into your cube. Australia is becoming incredibly expensive and replacing items is frustrating when you had perfectly decent stuff in UK. All garden equipment MUST be washed down or they'll probably confiscate at customs. Our xmas pine wreaths were ripped apart and destroyed! Bring a few toys in suitcases You'll also need to bring with you: birth, marriage certificates and get multiple photocopies that you can get certified over here (at chemist or police station) school reports for kids immunisation records for kids (some schools insist on seeing these before enrolling) references for rentals (either from UK estate agents OR from neighbours who can say you were lovely to live near) references from employers transcripts / college statements of any qualifications you hold, Oz employers don't tend to go on "i have 4 yrs experience" they like to see the paperwork. good luck!

Also put an OZ contact address and Oz email on the CV. looks more solid than a UK one.

This reminds me of when I grew up in Surrey in 70s during the Troubles. Travelling to and from London with sealed letter boxes and rubbish bins. We knew there was danger, but it can't make you a prisoner at home. These Islamic State thug sympathisers are no more true Moslems, than the KKK and so-called "God-fearing" rednecks are true Christians.

It's the opposite meaning Carmac. (See screen shot below) Students who come from secondary schools, with overall lower average scores, at time of starting uni (tertiary) do better than those students from secondary schools who produce the high A level/AUS Yr12 scores. Government schools always have lower overall results because they teach the full span from the very weakest to the most academic, so their results look poorer ON AVERAGE. Private schools pick and choose and they do sometimes take dyslexic or Aspergers or refugee kids - but almost never. And they don't have to. Government schools do have to. So you will find in an average class of say 25 there will be 2-3 kids with issues. Private school parents (some who struggle on low wages) wouldn't pay big money for a class with a blind boy, an Apergers boy, a refugee girl and 22 bright beautiful kids, because they are paying for just "bright and beautiful" plus with career contacts. And they want results. i obviously know there are goodhearted, highly committed parents & teachers in Private schools. But I know the teachers are also chastised for giving low grades, so many are compromised into massaging grades so they don't get fired. Private schools are businesses. Government schools are social services. When you get VCE results back from the examining bodies, it has a breakdown graph of how the school grading matches the final result. Anecdotally, for two years I was paired with a private school teacher in cross moderation. The post examination chart absolutely showed that she was over grading course work by 10 points. I was shown to be under grading and if anything giving harsher marks than their subsequent final result. Please understand this is high level research (http://theconversation.com/state-school-kids-do-better-at-uni-29155) that is not anecdotal - so it's not "my daughter is fine and happy" and "My son's mates haven't dropped out" "we are happy with our school". This research looks at 1000s of cases and analyses them according to strict academic criteria. I'm glad a lot of children of parents on this thread are happy. But please read the research.

Yes, this research pretty much says it all. Its current from July 2014.

Thanks Quoll I'll check it out. My old uni (Keele) had great Science faculty too, maybe I could pull a few strings!

That's very interesting Katie. I also know German Unis don't charge fees at all but don't believe many courses are in English plus they too may take a different line for EU citizens like us who have not lived in EU ... Needs a bit more research about EU unis and international status.

Where to live Brisbane and Sydney? Like trying to compare London with Bournemouth? Dublin with Limerick?

This looks like a job ad for a spouse! Not much missing :wacko:

What about the validity of Oz qualifications alongside A Levels?

Thanks guys. Thought that might be the case...

We also lost a top kid from yr 11 who was told at a Military Officers recruitment interview that he wouldn't be considered unless he could have a private school on his CV. He moved for his last year of schooling which was highly disruptive for him. Not everyone can do that. Another example of how employers are losing potentially golden candidates.

Yes Ramot and therefore there is a huge amount of potential talent in govt schools that is not being tapped because employers are only considering their mate's kids. What a waste. People often say "cream will always float". My husband says "**** does too"...

How easy would it be for our daughter to get into a uni course in England with Victorian VCE qualifications if we decide to move back? Does she have any chance of being seen as UK applicant? Or would she be considered as an overseas student? (We all have dual nationality in our family) has anyone been through this?

You also said This is unbelievably offensive on every level Peach. You appear to be saying government schools are often full of spongers, lazy thicko's and criminals! Apart from being ABSOLUTELY wrong it's a very bigoted thing to say. I'm not going to comment anymore as I don't think you and I will agree. We're in opposing camps on this one.