rosiew

Your other option is somewhere like the corridor between Ringwood and Mount Dandenong - it gives you access to plenty of greenery at the outer end as well as good access to roads, good schools, community and the Eastlink which will have you on the Mornington Peninsula in around 30 -40 mins for beaches. So, the outer East. But I think the Templestowe option is wise - also Donvale.

That is not a "toilet in a laundry room". It is a bathroom with the laundry appliances in it. In the absence of a dedicated laundry would you prefer that they were in the kitchen? This is pretty common in renovations of Victorian homes in Melbourne where a bedroom is sacrificed to bring both a bathroom and laundry inside. The laundry appliances are often in a large cupboard in the bathroom. This is because laundries were built as separate out houses to stop any potential fire risk from the copper used to boil the clothes

Free university, no fault divorce, land rights for Aborigines, out of Vietnam, national health service, funding for non government schools - he was the making of my generation. It all cost a fortune that we didn't quite have, but still the big ideas were there. Not sure where they are now.....

I would have thought quietly getting on a plane and leaving was the best option..........

Or move to Sunbury. Metro train to town or 30 minutes freeway drive. Established town with a good choice of schools, infrastructure all there, countryside on the doorstep and plenty of modern 4 bed houses at and under $400,000 with back gardens.

Before you rush into the house and land package have a look at what a second hand house in the same area costs. For two reasons - check the capital growth. These houses tend not to go up so fast as there are always new shiny ones coming on the market around the corner. The other reason is that the ticket price can include pretty basic floor coverings, window frames, tiles etc and no curtains, blinds, big sliding doors across the back, decks etc. So you should probably add 20%- 30% to allow for all that. If you go to some display villages make sure you asked what the houses costs "as displayed" so that you can see how those extra things that make it look so great really add up. It all depends how long you want to hold it I guess. Moving in Victoria is expensive because stamp duty and estate agents' fees are very high. If you know that you will stay on the outskirts until it is well established and going up in value then enjoy a shiny new house.

I've never had an issue. I know that a few schools frown on it, but it is not a fining issue like it is in the UK. At the end of the day the teachers tend to think that travel is educational.

It's not visa fees, per se. But the economy relies on building population numbers, and those numbers might as well be skilled ones who are also willing to cover the costs of their application through visa fees. Heaven forbid that we should take a few less people with skills we can't actually use right now and replace them with a few more of the world's 15 million refugees!

A job has just gone up on the forum for orange and mandarin pickers in Mildura, which is on the Victoria/ NSW border. There is public transport to get you there too - bus/train combo. Click on "new posts" at the top of the page and it should appear if it has not already. That's a big area for citrus and grapes so there should be some hostels or grower accommodation available. Good luck!!

You will have to go much further north - nothing much is harvested in the Victorian winter! Queensland may be the answer, but someone will be along shortly with more accurate advice.

http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/jobs-careers/204248-teachers-oz-32.html

There is no real shortage of teachers here, so it is rare to get a job before you have arrived. There are several threads on this forum regarding teacher registration, looking for jobs, relief work etc. They should give you the information you need and a lot of helpful hints too. A quick search should do the trick.

I use banlice which is basically insecticide in a foam. Yes, it is a chemical but is like aerogard. Use a good amount, massage in well and put on a shower cap for half and hour. Rinse out in the shower followed by conditioner combing. Do it again in 7 days so that you kill anything that hatched that was missed in the combing. I have a daughter with very very thick hair who was plagued by them - and the banlice seems to do the trick.

What these answers did not tell you was that on a 457 visa you could well be up for additional fees in NSW, ACT and WA (I think) that are beyond what everyone in the general community pays to go to state schools - they are between $5 - 10,000 per year. If you come on a PR visa they will not apply.

The minimum wage here is about $17 per hour. Most people working in an office would not be paid less than the low $20s. Obviously it varies by industry and experience, but you certainly would be paid more than in the UK. $22 per hour comes out at about $43,000 full time plus 9.25% superannuation in the retirement fund.

You may need to cast your net a bit wider than just school jobs - they are pretty highly prized because of the holiday flexibility.

While at the same time saying that they are moving for more "family time"...

There's a good chance that you will start off on contract positions and you will have breaks in between. After a while 20 days paid leave might seem quite welcome :wink:

And you can buy Yorkshire Tea at Coles, so I think you are sorted!

In March 2014, 52 suburbs in Melbourne had a median over $1 million. That is a significant amount of houses.

The standard leave is 20 days per year. This is at all levels and in addition to public holidays and sick/ carers/ personal leave which is usually 10 days and accumulates if unused. Some people negotiate more leave, but this is often unpaid. Other benefits differ from job to job. If you need a phone for work you are often given one. As it is on the employer's plan personal calls are often OK as it may not be billed on a call by call basis. Same with computers. Other benefits are subject to fringe benefits tax. A car will often be provided if needed for work purposes, otherwise the tax applicable can make it not worthwhile. It is unusual here to have your medical benefits costs paid by your employer. Your employer may offer salary packaging to make it worthwhile to pay some of these expenses from your income and save a little tax. That will depend on your applicable tax rate as it is often not cost effective for those on average wages. If you work in the health or community sector your employer may be subject to a different tax regime that allows you to spend a percentage of your wages on cars, health insurance, mortgage etc in a tax effective manner. If this is the case you will find that the headline wage offered may be lower (as you will be paying less tax). If your employer is able to offer this, they will let you know as it is a selling point.

Ranking sites of schools are not always the most reliable things, but here is a link to one that seems reasonably sound. The top 4 schools on this list are selective entry at later years. Bentleigh rates well on the list and that is next to Mc Kinnon - same quick run down North Road to the beach at Brighton, but the housing is a bit cheaper. As an area it is very well resourced for sporting clubs, facilities and not far from Chadstone Shopping Centre (which I swear you could see from the moon!) http://bettereducation.com.au/school/secondary/vic/melbourne_top_government_secondary_schools.aspx

What I suspect Quoll is trying to do is NOT give you false hope that there is a way around this. You require the same qualifications to teach in any school - unlike the UK. I know you feel like you are banging your head against the wall, and I hope you can resolve it quickly.

Also if you move out of the zone of a tightly controlled school like Mc Kinnon, your children will be expected to move schools. In answer to your question, yes there is a limit to how many children will be enrolled. So, hypothetically, if they have space for 100 year 7s and 103 apply within the zone, they do not have to set up a class of 3 pupils - particularly if nearby schools have spaces. My daughter goes to a school with incredibly tight zoning and once they reach the ceiling, other children in the zone must go to nearby schools and join a waiting list for places. Those who live closest get the spots. Most schools like that have a get out clause saying that the zone is indicative only. The areas you are looking at are all middle class suburbs with good schools and I wouldn't lose much sleep over it. You will be here in good time to have a few tours and find a good fit. Quite a lot of children change schools for year 11 and 12 once they have a good idea of what they are after post school as different schools have different strengths. You will also have the John Monash Science School not too far away in Clayton which is selective and I think starts in year 10. So that is an option down the track too, along with Melbourne High which is selective and starts in year 9.

Point Cook is a fair way from the airport as you are relying on the Western Ring Road, which can be very congested. It is a drive that perhaps looks better on paper. However, if you will be working shifts or irregular hours it may work well for you. Unfortunately a large house near the water in Melbourne will really cost you. Depending on budget look at Altona perhaps as houses in Williamstown will probably be beyond your budget if you are looking at Point Cook.