Simonrbh

Hi Tina I hate snakes myself too and had 3 'encounters' in the first 4 months of arriving in Brisbane! I have been told by locals if you have a red bellied black around its a good thing as they kill brown snakes!….the lesser of two evils, what an option!

Hi Ggs I think you and I seem to think on the same wavelength. What was I thinking! You're right, everyone is so busy with their own lives and work, plus being the paternal taxi too. My OH's S-I-L is forever running two teenagers here,there and everywhere. So people say you shouldn't look back and only look to the future but having the analytical mind I do, IMHO unless you look at why you are unhappy, which means comparing the present with the past, and to some extent your possible future without changes, then you're never going to resolve the cause of that unhappiness! My OH was born and brought up 5kms down the road and lived on a pineapple farm until she left to go to UQ in Brisbane to study, so I think it's inherent that she adores the set up we have. Top of her 'wish list ' when we were deciding on a property was 'not to be within spitting distance of neighbours'! Back in the UK we were also rural, backing onto a forest, but with neighbours close by and also a market town 4 miles away where you could get everything that I now have to travel 5 times that distance for! We also had several pubs that stayed open until 23:00hrs or longer. To add to that there is also the friends and family factors and to be honest, I truly believe that Brits are, in general, more friendly and have more meaningful relationships that antipodeans. There are obviously contributory factors to this, not that I'm going to analyse it here and now. Having only bought in Dec 2014, and having paid over $20K in stamp duty, you're right, to sell would mean losing quite a bit of money when you factor in the real estate fees, buying, selling, moving costs and taxes! If we do anything in the immediate future it may well be to look at renting our property out and renting somewhere closer to the things I'm looking for in my existence. Simon.

Hi Elena Thanks for your reply. I love Redcliffe! I'd be interested in meeting up for a bike ride if you'd like to pm me personal details. Cheers Simon.

Already have one, Tiger 1050SE. I brought it over from the UK and use it to commute to work most of the time. Shame you're not closer for a ride out!

Whoops, well spotted the 'deliberate' mistakes! …………... *October 2014* & *Dec 2014* !

Has anybody got advice? SOME BACKGROUND:- I migrated from Cheshire, UK in October 2014 with my Australian partner. I migrated on a partner migration visa, which I activated on a recce trip in May 2014 and have permanent residency status since that date. If I'm correct I can get my citizenship 4 years after my visa was activated, which is 15th May 2018. I've been to Oz about a dozen times in 15 years and about 5 of those have been with my partner. I've been to every state and travelled quite extensively. I'm in my early 50's and took a redundancy package after 23 years with a large multinational company, but unfortunately not old enough to retire and not enough in the pension pot either to live on after the penalties if I was to draw it early at 55! We live close to Dayboro, 50km North of Brisbane CBD. I have 3 siblings back in the UK, including an identical twin, my parents are no longer around. My partner is late 40's, has dual citizenship after living in the Uk for 12 years and has 3 brothers (and their families) all within 30kms and another one 5hrs drive North of Brisbane too. My partner's parents have also passed away. My partner works full time as a vet. We bought our property in Dec 2015 and live on 2.5 acres, which is quite rural and can't even see our neighbours houses, never mind socialise with them! We have no mortgage, no children either and a reasonable amount of savings. I've managed to secure a one year contract for 24 hrs work per week after 9 months of applying for anything and everything. To get a full time job that is more a 'natural fit' would likely mean a 200km round trip daily and 12hr shifts too! I work earlies (06:30 -13:00) and late shifts (15:30-22:00, later at weekends). I get up early (04:15) to commute 50km to work, to try and miss the kamikaze tradies that want to run you off the road. THE DILEMMA:- I have a constant feeling of loneliness and isolation and feel I've made the biggest mistake of my life by moving to Oz. We have a lovely view to our property but there is no real community and Dayboro is a ghost town once everyone gets in from work. Nobody goes to the pub as they work long hours and get up really early to commute to work, so the pub is shut by 19:30 most nights. It is so difficult to make friends with people. If you don't have children then you seem to not even exist in most peoples eyes! For the majority of the time, the only social contact we have is with my partner's siblings and their families and that is going to visit them at their homes. I keep telling my OH "I didn't come all the way to Oz just to go from our house to someone else's"! I've no friends to 'chew the fat' with here and my unhappiness is a major cause of arguments. My OH is 'as happy as a pig in ****'. She is close to her siblings after so long away from them and has a job she generally enjoys. In the UK I really enjoyed hiking, cycling, motorcycling, scuba diving, swimming, having a beer and eating out with friends I've still got from as far back as school days. My partner on the other hand is less of a social sort and is happy to just stay at home, read her Kindle, play a game on her iPad, knit, or just watch TV. I've looked at things like MEETUP.COM to try and fill the void but all the groups are too far away with my working hours. Men's Shed I'm too young for really, it's more suited to retirees (no offence intended). I also feel that if I don't move back in the imminent future then I'll never get a job again in the UK full stop! We spent a lot of time, effort and money making this move and after 12 months all I want is to go home but that is likely to mean by myself, with no partner (of 10 years), nowhere to live, no job and the likelihood of me being in a similar dilemma to now if I only have enough income to exist and not enjoy an active social life. Has anyone had similar experiences? If so, how did you overcome it? I feel I'm in a really dark hole! (Big) Si.

As far as taking a car back, you might want to check on any import duties/taxes. It might also have to go through a test to make sure it meets UK vehicle standards. I brought my Triumph Tiger motorcycle out here to Brisbane as it had loads of extra stuff fitted and would have cost another 50% to get the equivalent in Oz. I had to get import permit documents from the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure before it was shipped, then have an engineer check it met Australian Design Rules before it could have a roadworthy and then get my rego from Queensland Transport! It's the same for cars too. It might be the same/similar to take a vehicle to the UK. The big factor though was I only did it because I could change my LCD display from mph to km/h and odometer too by pressing buttons. Don't forget you'll most probably require an mph display back in Blighty. Not all cars have have both readings on their speedo, my 2014 Subaru Forester only has km/h on the dial.

Hi Shaun & Hannah I'm the reverse of you and I'm here in Qld on a 309/100 Partner Migration Visa as my OH is an Aussie. We did ours from the UK and started it about 2 years ago and it took about 7 months to get it cleared. Bullet Points of our visa application:- We had lived together for 6 years Mortgage in both names Joint Bank Account Utility bills in both names Cars insured for both of us to drive Travel/holiday bookings in both names Hotel bookings in both names Wedding/Birthday Invitations in both names Personal declaration of support may by my OH Personal declarations of our relationship made by both of us Personal declaration made by OH's best friend that it is a genuine relationship (She is also an Aussie) Greetings cards in both names Christmas letters in both names Main beneficiaries in each others Wills and death in benefit schemes from work I hope these are of some use to you. Good luck. Simon.

My first Aussie summer, after migrating in Oct '14. Like people say, humidity not heat is the issue. We bought a 12year old Queenslander in the Dayboro area with a large open area underneath and not in a hollow, so catches some breeze. It has air-con in the master bedroom only and is 4 bedrooms, 2 bath and a living/dining/kitchen area with a vaulted ceiling in the living area……….. no pool unfortunately! We also have ceiling fans in 2 bedrooms. We moved in Dec '14. Summer for me was horrible and with all the insects too it made it worse. By Jan '15 we'd invested in a couple of large floor standing fans for the living area, which helped quite a bit. There were 6 nights when it was that humid I needed the air-con on all night in the bedroom, with it kicking on low in when it got above about 22c. We've been quoted $14,000 to have a 13Kw zoned and ducted air-con system put in, which is the most economical way to cool the whole house apparently! I would say that the worse months are Nov through to March. A storm is a welcome break from the humidity…….but it's only a brief respite! I visited my mate in Perth last November and it was a pleasant 25-28c, whilst in Qld it was 46c and humid as hell!

Hi Kellie I've only just read your post (21/07/15), I hadn't spotted it before! It's surprising that my feelings pretty much mirror your own! We are based in the country, about one hour North of Brisbane CBD, close to Petrie, Samford and Strathpine. My OH is Aussie and arrived Aug 2014, having had a telephone interview and securing her job before she left. She is a senior vet and found her job through a specialist agency. I came out in October, once I'd sorted the house move and worked my notice. I took redundancy. I worked for a large multinational chemical business in the UK for 23 yrs in various roles. We moved for a lifestyle change. I've struggled up to the end of June '15 to find work since the move over and have only just got a 12 month fixed contract on 24hrs a week, not ideal but at least its some work and gets me out of the house. Some of the companies that would be a 'natural fit' for me are just too far away. It would mean a 90km+ trip each way and with the highways being so congested what is a 75 minute journey(each way) on Google maps is likely to be 105-120 minutes in reality! Also, a lot of the jobs are advertised through recruitment agencies, which means having to register with them, attend their offices to complete mountains of paperwork, watch safety videos, have an interview and complete other online assessments at home, etc. Personally, I have found that if I do get a response from an agency, it tends to be one's that have a Brit working there. They have seem more helpful as they've 'been down that road'! Also a lot of jobs are contract to start off with, with the possibility of becoming permanent, but not all though. The amount of driving about, train journeys etc to just get a run of the mill, make ends meet job is crazy. Aussie unemployment is on the rise, Campbell Newman slashed local government positions dramatically, nationally, the mining boom has finished, Ford & Holden car manufacturing are finishing in 2017. Even Toyota is also rumoured to be reviewing its' Aussie operations. All this means there are more people looking for less positions! We sold our house too and bought within a couple of months of my arrival, something I would recommend anyone to think about long and hard before jumping in like we did. With us being rural and myself not working up to last month, it has been hard at times. I really miss social contact (have family and great number of friends back in Cheshire) as I don't even see our neighbours due to being on acreage, but to move would also mean that my partner would also have to find another employer, and having only recently bought a house we'd lose a huge amount of money in the sale costs etc. The other thing is, my OH is really happy to be back after 15+ years away. We live close to some of her family, so that's quite unsettling for me, as I'm sure she won't want to return to the UK, the longer we are here. My general feeling at the moment is that if you have kids it's a better place to bring them up than the UK. As my mate says, who has been in Perth for 12 years, 'Oz is not always better, just different'. After what is a relative short time, I'm pretty sure that Australia is not where I want to be in the years to come. I miss everything you've listed and I've recently discovered that if I move my UK company pension over then you can't move it back, if you ever decide to head back. It's lucky I left it in the UK, at least if I do decide to head back I can draw on it at a reduced rate from my 55th birthday, something that I could never do over here if I put it into my Australian Super. There's also been an announcement, which has been posted on here somewhere, about some change in the pensions transfer arrangements between the UK and Oz, which means you could lose a huge amount in tax if you transfer. I originally thought that the 5 years to be here to get my citizenship would pass quite quickly, but to be honest its dragging like hell. I really wanted to get the dual nationality but currently, now I'm not that concerned. All these things create quite a depressing picture, but there are great places to see and it's great for my OH to be closer to family….although we don't see them much at all, they're busy with their own families! I could go on for ages but just to say, you're not the only one who feels like you do! TTFN Simon.

Hi Brooke22 There isn't one answer to your questions that applies to everyone, it's very dependant on the people you are, your likes and dislikes and where you can get jobs or start a business. To put things in perspective, Australia is twice the size of the whole of Europe, although the majority live relatively close to the coast in Oz. It has varying climates depending on the latitude. Some places have seasons, including snow, others never see temperatures anywhere near freezing and have only a wet and a dry season and energy sapping humidity. Do your research, both the internet and travel guides such as The Lonely Planet. You've already made a great start by asking on here! Some states are keen to attract skilled or wanted professions and will sponsor you and do so due to their location being less attractive than other places. If that was an option you took you'd be tied into that state for a period of time on your visa conditions. NT (Northern Territory) is one such state. Another source of information are Aussie expos that are held in the UK in various major cities throughout the year, Google it. They have representatives from various states, removal agents, shipping agents, visa agents, banking, schooling, etc etc. There is usually an entrance fee but it's not massive. A recce trip first would not do any harm. I've been here a dozen times on holiday and my OH is an Aussie. I've visited every state and they are all surprisingly different in their own unique ways. We only arrived in October 2014 for a permanent move to QLD and whilst she is very settled, being close to family, I'm not. So be prepared for a roller coaster of mixed emotions, you may feel very isolated being so far way from family. Skype and FaceTime help keeping in touch but IMHO I think my social life was and always will be better in the UK. We don't have kids but I do believe it is a better place to bring up kids than in the UK. The weather can be better but seasons can also be something that you miss. My friend since school, who is in Perth WA and has been in Oz 12 years sums it up as 'Oz is not necessarily better, just different'. Another consideration is the economy and cost of living. If you believe everything in the news the UK economy is on the easy up whilst in Oz it's the reverse. If you are going to struggle to find work this can be very tough on top of everything else you have with moving over. There are far more informed people than myself on here and this is only MHO. Others may disagree with what I have told you and everyone has different advice to give, so it's important that you gather a lot of information from different sources to be able to make an informed decision. Good luck Simon.

Hi Miacattv I know all visas are different prices so can only tell you what I paid. I did a 309/100 visa (Partner Migration Visa) as my OH is Aussie. I got my application in just at the end of 2013 before the yearly increase on 01 Jan, it cost £1400. My medical was £250 including X-rays and this has to be done at a registered clinic on their list. The police check cost £35. (A point to remember is that if your visa is granted it will be backdated to when your medical or police check took place and that means the 12 month limit to move can work our as little at 6-9 months). We did everything ourselves and it was a bit daunting to begin with due to the amount of paperwork, but nothing to be worried about at the end of the day as Australia House (London) have a helpline you can call if you have any queries. I don't see you needing an IELTS test unless your first language isn't English. Good luck with it all.

I went to North Lakes yesterday, the butcher near Coles is called Meat Tiny. The butcher reckons pickled pork is what we would call ham and they sell it for you to roast or boil. The bad news is they are having a 4 month refurb (looked perfectly okay to me Westfield) and close within the next week or so (depending on stock). So, there was no pickled pork and no black pudding! I look forward to their return from visiting family in Tassie to sample their gammon. I used to love my trips up to the Lake District and we always treated ourselves to a grocery shop in Booths Supermarket. I say 'treated' because they are similar to Waitrose, but IMHO better, the black pudding and bacon from there are amazing. Great selection of beers there too.

Thanks Boganbear. It sounds great seeing as they do black pudding too! I was speaking to the owner of Chumley Warners a few weeks back and he told me he gets all his pies from a guy on the Gold Coast who used to work at Melton Mowbray, I think that's where his black pudding comes from too. I'm hoping pickled pork ain't pickled!

Does anyone know where, on the Northside of Brisbane, you can get UNSMOKED sliced ham or a full joint to make your own ham? I'm not bothered if its roast ham or boiled ham but do miss not being able to get it unsmoked…...….but there again I love smoked bacon and HP sauce, but that's different! Located in Dayboro, so anywhere like Narangba, Burpengary, Kallangar, North Lakes, Redcliffe, Strathpine, Warner, Albany Creek, Samford would be good. Thanks in advance.

Great idea Matt. I don't log on here that often so missed your May get together post but would love to meet up with fellow poms and 'chew the fat'! I only arrived Oct 2014 and I'm based Dayboro (North Brisbane).

Hi Teejams I'm sorry to hear about your negative response with regards to your OH's job application experiences……...I've also just picked myself up off the floor after reading about your $13K course fees! I moved from Cheshire UK, Oct 2014 to Brisbane (Northside), with my Aussie partner, for a lifestyle change, having worked for the same UK company for 23 years and wanting to see the back of shift work. I've been applying for jobs ever since I arrived and have had knock back after knock back. What I'm also finding is that when I ask for feedback it is ignored 95% of the time and if I do get feedback it's along the lines of 'You were outplayed by a better candidate'! Very informative huh! It seems to be the norm here. I've looked at options for vocational courses etc and like you, have been shocked at the cost. After seeing an expose on TV I've also become aware that these training providers, along with employment help companies, get fees from the government for every person that is 'signed on'. They don't tend to give a stuff really and the support is non-existent generally, the fee from the government is their driver!. If you go to Centerlink you are directed to their 3rd party employment services and unless you're deemed 'special needs' then its a waste of time and easy money for the 3rd party for doing diddly squat! I think you will find that the majority of prospective companies will not be wanting to keep a job offer open for very long, and this may be where the problem has been previously. I do think it is extremely unprofessional for the two companies not to respond to your enquiries and it's very frustrating, I've been there myself loads of times since moving here. The way I've started to look at it is by asking myself 'Do you really want to work for a company that appears to have such a disregard for its employees'? On the visa front, it can be a drawn out process and there is the option of using a migration agent, but this will obviously cost you. We did it all ourselves and most probably saved over £2K by doing so. Just be aware that the clock starts ticking once you've had your visa medical and police checks, not from when you get your visa approval. Good luck

Like it has already been said on elsewhere on PIO, Aussie unemployment is on the rise. I can't say about other states but in Queensland, the last premier, Campbell Newman, slashed local government positions dramatically. Nationally, the mining boom has finished, Ford & Holden car manufacturing are finishing in 2017, Toyota is also rumoured to be reviewing its' Aussie operations. All this means there are more people looking for less positions! The fact that you were here in 2011 you'll see a big difference with regards to jobs. Prior to 2014 we were last here for a visit to OH's family in 2010 and things are rather different to then and with all the current news I think things are going to get worse for quite a time! We are based in the country, about one hour North of Brisbane CBD, close to Petrie, Samford and Strathpine. My OH is Aussie and arrived Aug 2014, having had a telephone interview and securing her job before she left. She is a senior vet and found her job through a specialist agency. I came out in October, once I'd sorted the house move and worked my notice. I took redundancy. I worked for a large multinational chemical business in the UK for 23 yrs in various roles. We moved for a lifestyle change. I'm struggling to find work since the move and some of the companies that would be a 'natural fit' for me are just too far away. This would mean a 90km+ trip each way and with the highways being so congested what is a 75 minute journey(each way) on Google maps is likely to be 105-120 minutes in reality! Also, a lot of the jobs are advertised through recruitment agencies, which means having to register with them, attend their offices to complete mountains of paperwork, watch safety videos, have an interview and complete other online assessments at home, etc. Personally, I have found that if I do get a response from an agency, it tends to be one's that have a Brit working there. They seem more helpful as they've 'been down that road'! Also a lot of jobs are contract to start off with, with the possibility of becoming permanent, but not all though. Be prepared for lots of driving about, train journeys etc to find what you want. If you decide to head back at least you have prior knowledge, which should help big time! It is worth considering where you want to be based in relation to the areas that will be easiest to find work. With us being rural and myself not working, it can be hard at times. I miss social contact (have family and great number of friends back in Cheshire) as I don't even see our neighbours, but to move would also mean that my partner would also have to find another employer, and having only recently bought a house we'd lose money in the sale costs etc. My general feeling at the moment is that if you have kids it's a better place to bring them up than the UK. As my mate says, who has been in Perth for 12 years, 'Oz is not always better, just different'!

I've had loads of stopovers in Asia, including Thailand. I had 3 days there and stayed at http://newjoeguesthouse.com just off Khaosan Road (Backpackers area) in Bangkok. I got a twin bedded room to myself with aircon and a small bathroom/toilet for less than £5 (2004). The staff are very friendly and there's a cafeteria (amazing food) and a bar. Whatever you do ignore the Tuk Tuk drivers, it's a well known scam on the pretext of getting you to temples etc….via jewellers where they get commission! They will come out with all sorts of things like the temples are closed for lunch etc etc etc. Monorail system is great, as is travelling on the river by small ferry boats. Fit in a trip to Chanthaburi (River Kwai) if you can, road trip there and train back. Sleazy area is worth strolling around just to see the street parades that are put on. It was very entertaining seeing a dozen Thai guys in orange hot pants and vests dancing to 'It's raining men'………not as good as Kylie in her hot pants though!

Hi Rach Reading your original post certainly made me realise that it's not just me that feels a lot of the things that you wrote in your post. I'm sorry to hear you are not enjoying life on the Gold Coast. I'm glad to hear that you think counselling might help with the predicament. I don't have any answers for you, but wanted to let you know you're not alone in the way you feel. If you want to chat anytime and get things off your chest then feel free to message me, 'A trouble shared……...'.

Hi Jilldesp I wish you all the luck with the pair of you getting jobs. We are based in the country, about one hour North of Brisbane CBD, close to Petrie, Samford and Strathpine. My OH is Aussie and arrived Aug 2014, having had a telephone interview and securing her job before she left. She is a senior vet and found her job through a specialist agency. I came out in October, once I'd sorted the house move and worked my notice. I took redundancy. I worked for a large multinational chemical business in the UK for 23 yrs in various roles. We moved for a lifestyle change. I'm struggling to find work since the move and some of the companies that would be a 'natural fit' for me are just too far away. This would mean a 90km+ trip each way and with the highways being so congested what is a 75 minute journey(each way) on Google maps is likely to be 105-120 minutes in reality! Also, a lot of the jobs are advertised through recruitment agencies, which means having to register with them, attend their offices to complete mountains of paperwork, watch safety videos, have an interview and complete other online assessments at home, etc. Personally, I have found that if I do get a response from an agency, it tends to be one's that have a Brit working there. They seem more helpful as they've 'been down that road'! Also a lot of jobs are contract to start off with, with the possibility of becoming permanent, but not all though. Be prepared for lots of driving about, train journeys etc to find what you want. It is worth considering where you want to be based in relation to the areas that will be easiest to find work. With us being rural and myself not working, it can be hard at times. I miss social contact (have family and great number of friends back in Cheshire) as I don't even see our neighbours, but to move would also mean that my partner would also have to find another employer, and having only recently bought a house we'd lose money in the sale costs etc. Like it has already been said on here, Aussie unemployment is on the rise. I can't say about other states but in Queensland, the last premier, Campbell Newman, slashed local government positions dramatically. Nationally, the mining boom has finished, Ford & Holden car manufacturing are finishing in 2017, Toyota is also rumoured to be reviewing its' Aussie operations. All this means there are more people looking for less positions! My general feeling at the moment is that if you have kids it's a better place to bring them up than the UK. As my mate says, who has been in Perth for 12 years, 'Oz is not always better, just different'. If I can provide you with any more pointers please message me.

In the modern, hectic world that we live in today, the need for mobile communication is greater than ever, particularly when work loads are stretched more and more and people end up doing the work of 2 or more as companies strive to keep costs down. People who are studying in further education and need to do research during a break period is also another example where mobile communication is a distinct advantage, perhaps even a necessity. The same can also be said of people who are travelling and need to access bank accounts, emails etc on the go as they have no base. All these are what I deem as permissible uses in the 'public arena'. This is totally different to people who, when it comes to being attended to by serving and waiting-on staff or at a counter, insist on answering a call on their mobile or continuing a conversation that they are already part way through. That, I agree, is plain rude but I do not consider the forementioned examples to be so too. Mobiles are a totally different scenario to wi-fi internet........imho!

We are heading over to Brisbane Sept/Oct 2014 and want to sell our car before we go. Is there anyone returning to the UK who is interested, or knows anyone in the UK who would be interested? The car details are:- Volvo C30 'R Design Sport' in Dark Met.Grey '59 Reg (25/11/09) 1.6Lt Petrol engine 5 speed Manual gearbox 38,000 miles Road Tax 30/11/14 MOT 25/11/14 Extras include metallic paint, upgraded stereo with 40W output, 6 speakers & USB connectivity (works with iPhone, iPad or iPod), load space mat and protective rubber trim. The car is in excellent condition and has loads of 'goodies' with it being the 'R Design' model, including electronic climate control, cruise control, audio controls on steering wheel, leather seats, carpet mats, alloy wheels, electric windows, electric mirrors, dynamic stability traction control (DSTC), ABS, space saver spare instead of puncture sealant, alarm. It is Volvo technician serviced and has been owned from new. PRICE - £7500 Photos can be sent to serious potential buyers, private message me with/for email details if interested. We live in Cheshire, UK.

My OH got an Aldi SIM card for her mobile whilst we were over in QLD last month, recommended by her S-I-L. They seem okay for mobile coverage and costs, it was only $15 for PAYG and that credit last 365 days unlike others where it expires after 30 days! Does anyone use Aldi for their mobile coverage and 3G data?

Thanks for the replies everyone. I would have thought free wi-fi was goof for businesses as it means people can do business etc whilst they sit and have a coffee or hold a business conference call.