Ozinoz

Lol Groceries are fine but if you want petrol... that is another story entirely! 

On 25/07/2021 at 09:02, newjez said:

That looks fantastic. Do you empty it?

No it mulches as it goes so finely that you do not see or smell it... my Husband is severely allergic to grass and it does not affect him at all. It is truly amazing! We did try a cheaper no name version but put it back in the box as soon as we took it out. Bought the house for it but sent it back as it was not very good so will just simply store it in the shed in the winter months. It can go over paving and even do 2 different areas. We got the 500 model on offer at Amazon but are yet to work out what the actual difference is as the contents of the box are the same... we are figuring it may be the battery life but are not quite sure lol

On 29/07/2021 at 04:02, newjez said:

At least if you lived in Australia you can vote for the green party and still make things count. Not sure how that is relevant to BBQs though.

It was not my pivot... just replying to a comment lol

On 25/07/2021 at 09:20, Robert Dyson said:

They get what they vote for, and they'd vote for it again tomorrow.  Feel very sorry for the way they've been led by the nose and set up for what's going on now, all very predictable.  I just can't see it getting better unfortunately, it's easier to keep fooling someone than to convince them they've been fooled. C'est la vie.

 

For many years I have lived in the UK thinking Australia was miles ahead... now I am glad I am living in the UK and my husband's family here have all been fully vaccinated. This is no longer a political debate... this is about saving lives. Strangely enough in my workplace the only people that have refused the vaccination are from the EU. No one has been fooled... everyone has the choice to vote and the choice to be vaccinated. You can walk into a vaccination centre or testing centre the same day in the UK and order testing kits online for next day delivery for free. I also voted Green for the election just because I believe the bigger picture matters but I am not unhappy now with the way the UK has dealt with Covid with multiple very complex matters.

On 19/07/2021 at 13:22, Cup Final 1973 said:

Yes, we’ve ordered a Bosch lawnmower and just received an estimated delivery date of September 16th.  Going to rethink….

We got a Flymo EasylifeGo robotic lawnmower... would never look back... it (we have called it Nemo lol) is amazing and you never have to pick up grass as it cuts so fine it mulches as it goes. The only thing you do need to do is trim the edges or just plant borders.

On 18/07/2021 at 03:53, Wanderer Returns said:

I know it's going a bit off topic but I'd be interested to see how much groceries are in the UK now. When I arrived back in Australia 18 months ago, I couldn't believe how much more expensive most food items were compared with the UK (with a few notable exceptions). For example, a little punnet of tomatoes is about $4 over here (c.£2.15), whereas back in Tescos they were 69p! Tescos fresh orange juice was about £1.20/litre, whereas you'll pay $4/litre here for an equivalent product.

Prices are rising for various reasons but essentials including fruit and veg are staying low or discounted due to price matching with Aldi at the moment and also the supermarkets selling their own branded produce much like Coles and Woolies do and to be fair the quality of fresh produce is getting better in the pre-packed packaging recently and I have never quite got used to not being able to pick my own produce.  Petrol/Diesel prices are rising rapidly and plaster and wood are on limited sale at the builders merchants (if even available). Fortunately Amazon tends to be able to source a lot of stuff on bulk purchase and we managed to buy a  6x6 shed today at a really good price when everyone else is out of stock.

When I first came here 8 years ago Salmon was my saving grace... the price of that has gone waaay up in recent years but you can always get bargains if you go to the discounted sections, even in Waitrose 

Everything here in the UK is getting more expensive by the day including outdoor stuff due to Covid, Brexit and the cost of materials. If you love it... bring it home!  Being yelled at to watch the penalties now lol 

Hi Guys

 

I have trawled through the forum but cant find the exact answer i'm looking for.

 

I am travelling to Sydney arriving on 1st May 2013, and i'm trying to make sense of what medical cover or insurance i need for my year in Oz.

 

I've read about the reciprocal agreement between the UK and Aus but what does this cover me for? I know I need to register with Medicare on my arrival but do I need any further cover?

 

Sorry if this is answered somewhere else.

 

Thanks

 

JB

It is a condition on your WHV application that you must have Private Health Insurance, if you have been issued a Visa, then you have stated that you have cover. Reciprocal Medicare covers general doctors visits & emergencies but if you do not get covered for dental, ambulance and lots of other stuff, it is provided by the Government and unrelated to complying your Visa conditions.

The thing is that it will save someone money if they can do it themselves, so no harm in trying.

 

=> I disagree. An example: over the years I have seen situations where applications have been lodged, the application has been refused, and the regulations have altered so the pathway is closed. The Australian Government is raising the bar all the time - there can be a real issue if an unrepresented applicant gets something wrong - eg overclaiming points on the EoI - and is then unable to apply for a visa because the migration legislation or Departmental policy has changed.

 

I strongly believe that an intending migrant's visa risk profile is raised by not instructing a competent advisor. We are looking at migration work and are handling a caseload every day. You cannot reasonably assert that an individual who is lodging unassisted is across the salient issues - he or she doesn't have the time or perspective over (say) visa strategy and evidentiary requirements that a competent advisor will have.

No one can actually fill out the personal information except the applicant, so they have to do most of the work themselves anyway.

 

=> That isn't "most of the work" with an application. As I have said elsewhere, form filling isn't where an advisor's value add comes from.

We were told stories by the staff when we went to Immigration that would put anyone we told ever using an Agent. You can get FREE advice anytime so there is no harm in enquiring.

=> That's made me smile ... while I don't doubt there are anecdotal tales of questionable advice from advisors I could regale you with tales of inadequacy and moving the proverbial goalposts on the part of DIAC. Have you tried using their IT systems recently? Do you think the details provided on the SkillSelect website are easy to understand? Have you seen the postings on this forum where applicants lodged EoIs, were invited to lodge a visa application, paid the VAC of over $3k, and were then refused because they have overclaimed points on the EoI?

 

As for free advice - if its verbal it is worthless. Get advice in writing so you can rely on it in the event of need.

Applications are not difficult if you speak and write English fluently and I would encourage anyone to at least research the possibility of doing it themselves before they pay an exorbitant fees to people who will simply submit what you have given them.

 

=> If an advisor is simply submitting what you have provided I would agree with you. However, I don't expect that to be the case for most of the agents who are recommended on this forum.

I understand that is your business but your fees are not always affordable especially with the Visa fees being so high in the first place. People should not have to pay to be together.

 

=> I can't comment on personal financial circumstances. However, I take issue with the observation that people should not have to pay to be together - that is a rather idealistic and unrealistic assertion, in my humble view.

 

Best regards.

It wasn't questionable advice at all... it was a complete ripoff... the Visa agent was charging the person to renew their visa every month when they did not need to at all. I don't know why that would make you smile. Australian Immigration are more than happy to help & will provide free advice so that anyone can assess if they do or do not need help with their application. I had a Visa refusal clause in my application, I just made darn sure that it would be accepted before I submitted it.

I am comparing shipping my existing furniture, against buying new furniture at Ikea in Oz. I'm not saying that secondhand furniture is 3 times the price, but new is!

But if you are shipping furniture it is secondhand already plus it could get damaged so you can't compare new for old.

We have had quotes from PSS, Doree Bonner and Anglo Pacific. We've had 2 quotes from each company, one for the bare minimum furniture (king size bed, bedroom furniture) plus clothes, linen, sports equipment and a bike, and then another quote for pretty much everything in a 2 bed flat including a large corner sofa. These volumes are approx 310 and 440 cubic feet respectively. At the moment PSS is looking like the cheapest (£5.62 per cubic foot) however we're also considering cutting down the amount we're taking and using a large move cube instead. I would be happy to pack it myself, and it works out at £5.62 per cubic foot.

 

Regarding getting rid of everything and starting again in Oz, we've done a lot of comparisons between the cost of basic furniture in the UK and Oz, and the cost of shipping it, and it really makes sense to take as much of your own stuff as possible. Even basic ikea furniture can be 3 times the price. We decided to definitely not take our large corner sofa though as it will be an extra £500 to ship it!!

The problem with self packing is that the Insurance premium is higher and you are more likely to be inspected by customs.

I have no idea where you are all looking to say that secondhand goods are more expensive in Australia, they are not. People literally give furniture away here or you can pick it up for a song on ebay or Gumtree.

Did you read the posting to which I was responding, as your comment doesn't follow ...

 

 

Best regards.

Fair enough I was reading down at your other put people off doing it themselves reply.

The thing is that it will save someone money if they can do it themselves, so no harm in trying. No one can actually fill out the personal information except the applicant, so they have to do most of the work themselves anyway. We were told stories by the staff when we went to Immigration that would put anyone we told ever using an Agent. You can get FREE advice anytime so there is no harm in enquiring.

Applications are not difficult if you speak and write English fluently and I would encourage anyone to at least research the possibility of doing it themselves before they pay an exorbitant fees to people who will simply submit what you have given them.

I understand that is your business but your fees are not always affordable especially with the Visa fees being so high in the first place. People should not have to pay to be together.

Err ... nope (as a rule). :-)

 

Best regards.

Actually I did both of ours successfully myself with absolutely no assistance... so I have to completely disagree with you.

Some if us have furniture that isn't antique or irreplaceable or purchased from Ikea. Our furniture is a combination of older cheap stuff and newer good quality solid stuff. It is possible to buy similar things in Oz but it certainly doesn't make good financial sense to get rid of everything and start again rather than shipping it. £4k to ship it or around $20k plus to replace everything like for like? I know which I would go for.

 

Obviously if everything you own is falling apart and needs replacing then it wouldn't make sense to ship it.

Well I am selling everything up at the moment and I can promise you that unless it is irreplaceable or someone else is paying for the shipping, it is not worth it. We also have bring out your dead here where people leave their goods on the verge for anyone to pick up. You can get loads of good stuff, including sofas, desks, chairs etc etc for nothing, we have even picked up stuff that we have sold Also there is Freecycle.

Unless your furniture is antique and/or irreplaceable I would not recommend shipping it at all. We have IKEA in Australia and you can pick it and all your other stuff up for a song on ebay. It is a complete waste of your time and money sending it unless someone else is paying for it of course Everything else is personal and most likely can be fitted into boxes.

I always fancied myself as the packing queen but when the men came to pack our stuff a couple of days ago and 3.5 hours later looking on with a lot of great conversation and laughs, I can honestly say it is not worth doing yourself. We booked 30 Tea Chest Boxes and thought we would go over as we calculated it and taped off the area that it would fit in... but no... we were at least 10 boxes under and I had to run around finding more stuff to pack which was very easy but completely unexpected. The other brilliant thing if you don't self pack is that the company deals with customs on your behalf. As 30 tea chest boxes is considered a small, not only did I get charged a very small packing fee, the insurance was also reduced.

As my stuff has obviously not even been loaded onto a container as yet, I cannot recommend the company until I receive it, however if all goes as it has so far, it will be pretty much a faultless move. Obviously some things may get damaged but we didn't put anything in that we were willing to forgo.

The only thing that is bothering me now is that I swore I was going to become a minimalist... not chance of that now *sigh*

Why not try it yourself, even if you don't complete it, most surely the Agents fees will be reduced by the amount of work they have left to do if you get stuck

If they are definitely just stains and are all clean, just use black tyre paint on them to put your mind at ease

Damn thats crap! I want some chicken salt! I think i saw it on the internet, wouldnt be suprised if they sent me a tin of something else though lol

Chicken Salt is AMAZING but the most amazing is actually done by KFC which you sadly cannot buy You always know a good KFC Employee when you ask them to double salt your chips and they give you a bright understanding smile of acknowledgement

Enough of the Indian desserts already.

Erm... Tiramisu is Italian

LOL Stacey they are made from cottage cheese & syrup... better than any Doughnut including Krispy Kreme. I adore Indian desserts, they also do like a rice pudding one, it is amazing with a capital A. On another note... did I mention that I make a killer Tiramisu... food for thought

I love a good Triamisu, how do I get one of yours?! Indian deserts are fantastic but really sweet. My absolute favorite Indian desert has to be Rasmali, yum!!

Mmm... I love all Indian desserts I have ever tasted

Here is the recipe I use http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/8677/tiramisu but substitute the Marsala for Tia Maria and grate real cooking or any chocolate on top. Also make sure you use the savoiardi biccies as other Italian sponge biccies are too big. If you can completely resist... 1 or 2 days in the fridge before eating makes it oh so much more delicious and it is completely freezable for a rainy day

Thanks for the replies. How easy is it to get a mobile phone contract? I thought this was very difficult - is this right?

You can do it online... just visit Optus, Telstra or Vodafone .com.au, they may need you to complete a 100 point ID check but there are plenty of stores that you can go into when you get here. Virgin are also a mobile phone company here but they are an Optus reseller and anyone else is is a reseller of Optus or Telstra.

 

Authentic gulab jamun are fried doughnuts in sugar syrup no cheese made with a kind of milk - hubby is Indian but south Indian maybe they use cheese in north? you can pick up a mix to make them in Asda

Fair enough... the wiki says cheese curd too which is made from milk but hey who cares... they are YUMMO!!!

Sorry, from your OP I thought you were talking about bulk lot of stuff.

Here are the Australian Civil Aviation regulations for carrying personal items:

http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:STANDARD::pc=PC_100515

Hairspray?? Its not that dangerous! I've travelled within europe many times with hairspray and nail varnish in my suitcase. I dont think I know a woman out there who hasn't! But thank you anyway!

It really is that dangerous if it has the flammable symbol on it. They won't just confiscate it, they will fine you big time as well. Nail varnish not so much but anything in bulk could cause a catalyst under pressure. Anything you carry on board is OK as long as it has a lid on because it is a pressurised cabin but anything in the hold is not so safe

'It is truly amazing that you have lived your life with absolutely no help from anyone. If you are in such a good situation then perhaps you could contribute positively to this thread by letting the OP know how it is you live such an amazing "self funded" lifestyle, which is so very amazing you have decided to cross not only a continent, but the entire world to live it elsewhere.'

 

It's not so amazing - many people go through most of their adult lives without asking for help. I think its amazing luck to have never had to ask for help, but there is often a lot of hard work in the mix as well! Why shouldnt someone living a 'self funded' lifestyle not choose to cross the world and start again elsewhere?

 

 

Why should anyone be afraid to express their own opinion, as long as it is done politely? Expressing an opinion can be a very positive contribution because it makes people think and consider options.

 

What I find a bit negative is when people begin attacking others on a personal level - eg 'how it is you live such an amazing self-funded life style' is a bit agressive really don't you think?

 

Someone wants to know how to get what they are entitled to (if anything) other people have differing views about whether they should be entitled to anything.

 

Gosh, wow, shocking.

I doubt the OP would have posted here if she had "options". I am not being aggressive at all, I think it is very easy for people to come along and say I did it all on my own and so should you but the OP quite obviously is struggling to do that and was looking for help, not an opinion on how she should have lead and/or lead her life.

A little kindness goes a long way.