Julesvdg

Hi, I moved over from the UK in January, with my husband and youngest son who is 13, we are living in the Hills district and loving it. I work full time but always looking to meet new friends and enjoy a cuppa on my days off:)

Hi, it's difficult but it's early days. I too am a midwife, I moved with my family to Sydney in Jan 2014, so barely here a month and one thing I've realised so far is that it ain't going to be easy, it's going to take time to settle and along the way there are going to be many obstacles thrown in the way. But I think the key is to remember why you came in the first place? With regards to PR visa, I'm sure there will be a way and a good agent will definitely help, will your wife's employer sponsor her for PR? Where abouts in Sydney do you live, maybe other forum users may know of appropriate schooling for your boys, I know finding the right school is such a worry and the fees don't help on a 457!

Thank you LKC for your reply, we won't have any nursery fees thank goodness, although sometimes wish our eldest who has now finished school was back in nursery because he was so much nicer when he wasn't in miserable teenager phase! Your costings for utilities etc have been a great help, we are trying to work out a realistic a budget has possible so we don't have any big surprises when we get here. I should imagine the the first couple of years will be hard enough without struggling money wise, I've become obsessed with trying to cover every eventuality!

Hi Ange, Im not there yet but we are hoping to land in Sydney at the start of Jan, myself, a very spritely 42 year old, my husband, 18 year old and 12 year old sons. I'm worried about the lack of opportunities to socialise when I'm leaving all my friends behind, I will really miss my veno lunches! Also would be great to be in touch with someone whose son is of a similar age, think my 18 year old may go stir crazy (and drive me crazy) if he ends up staying home lots due to lack of friends. Anyhow, would be great to be in touch before we land, and you don't even have to buy me a drink:-) jules x

Hi Sam, im going to Nepean hospital, still undecided about where to live! X

Thankyou Samc, I've spent all afternoon searching the Internet and phoning round with no luck. Thanks for the link I will get straight on to them tomorrow, I'm in Halifax so not too far away from Horsforth. Congratulations on your job in Sydney, where abouts are you going to? Jules X

Hi everyone, I have accepted a position as a midwife in at a hospital in NSW, they have requested that I have a diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough vaccine before I leave the UK, problem is they state it can only be one of two brand name vaccines, Boostrix or Adacel. My GP has no knowledge of these vaccines and has tried but failed to locate either of them, I have spoken to numerous travel clinics with no success. just wondered if anyone here has had either of these vaccines and if so where did you get it done? jules X

Update: my 18 year old son has spent his weekend mulling over his options, I think he has had lots of long chats with his friends etc, my husband and I have completely left him to it and not mentioned Oz or uni to him. Today he has told me his decision is to come to Oz with us, spend a year there and defer his uni place until 2014:-) From now until Jan when we go he is going to attend a local college full-time, and I am going to get the ball rolling for the PR visa and apply for it alongside the 457 which is already going through, I believe I can do this and then when the PR visa comes through the 457 just discontinues? But if anybody (Rupert) knows otherwise I'd appreciate your advise. Jules x

Newjez, i completely understand where you are coming from saying the above, and my biggest worry is just how often will I see my eldest two boys, but my boys have grown up with a father that has worked for long periods all over the world and they have been lucky enough to spend time with him in some of these places such as Singapore, so they are well travelled young men. They have both made it clear to me over the last 2-3 years that neither of them intend on staying in the Uk full time, I suspect the eldest will travel at some point maybe working alongside his father, my 18 year old is one of the most independent people I know far more so than most young people I know, I am have absolutely no doubt that he will travel to and settle somewhere other than the UK, I was hoping by moving to Oz he would find more there that would make him want to stay around for a bit longer, everyone who knows him as always said the same of him that as soon as he can he will be off exploring the world and that was from being a little boy! I think what I'm trying to say is, even if I remained in the Uk to keep my family together I know without a doubt that we would still end up living in different countries to each other, and as much as I would love to I can't follow them around the world. I will always be there for my boys wherever in the world I live, and they know that, my 18 year old biggest worry at the moment is that I won't go if he doesn't........think he was looking forward to coming out for long holidays in the summer, funded by me, so I can pamper him a bit, and do all his washing!

Hi Rupert, No because of my start date for my job I've had to go for a 457 visa, and I am completely aware of the pitfalls with this visa, because of this I am applying for a PR visa as soon as we get there, my 18 year old was going to go into full time education in Oz so I shouldn't have had a problem putting him on the PR visa. Obviously I'm not sure where I would stand with that if he decides to stay in the uk, although when he has finished uni he would be able to apply for a visa in his own right likewise my eldest son who has completed an apprenticeship in welding/fabrication would be able to come in his own right if he chose to. Jules

Once again thank you all so much for your thoughtful, sensitive and very sensible replies:-) LKC what your grandma said to you was really beautiful and so true:-) After a day at work today and talking it through with my lovely colleagues I've got a little more perspective on the situation and my initial panic has subsided slightly. I've spoke to my son and he says he would like to come and defer for a year so he can see what Australia has to offer, but on speaking to him and more importantly watching his face when he said he wanted to come, I believe he is saying it so not to upset me and actually isn't sure what he wants to do. So I've asked him not to make a decision yet, to think it over through the weekend, and let me know his decision on Monday then I will support him either way. So come Monday I will either be helping him fill in the dreaded student finance forms and frantically searching for student accomodation for him or I will be speaking to the uni to see if he can defer for a year. After a sleepless night I've realised I will be incredibly sad if he doesn't come with me just as I already am that my eldest son doesn't want to come but I would be far more unhappy if I thought either of them were doing something that made them unhappy. The last twenty years I've spent my whole time trying to make sure they were happy and sorted, so if that means to be that they have to both live in a different place to me then that's something I need to come to terms with. Looks like I need to keep saving as much money as possible to fetch them over for as many holidays as possible!

Thank you all so much for your replies, although reading them as set me off crying again....my eyes will be a complete puffy mess at work tomorrow! I completely agree with everything said, that they are grown up young men now, they are happy and independent, and I know also that my 18 year old especially will move countries and could be living anywhere in the next few years. They have their dad here for them and him and I have always remained good friends so I know he would be straight in contact with me if he had any worries, their step mum is fab, and I know she would always dish out any cuddles that may be needed in my absence. I just wonder if I am physically capable of leaving them, my stomach hurts thinking about it

Hi everyone, Up until today me and my family were all set to move to Sydney, I've secured a post has a midwife, everything going through nicely and was hoping to be there by January 2014. Myself, my husband, my 18year old son and my 12 year old son. I also have a 20 year old son who moved out 6 months ago, has a good job, friends etc and doesn't want to move to Oz. it's already taken me months to get my head around leaving my eldest behind but now my 18 year old has just received his A level results today ( they were much better than he or I was anticipating) and he has been offered a place at university. This is where the problem lies, I was already struggling with leaving one son behind and I now face the prospect of leaving two! He hasn't totally decided if he wants to accept the place at uni because he was keen on going to Oz, but I think I already know that he will choose to stay and go to uni here because his friends are going to either the same or nearby uni's. we are all set to go, work know, family know, we have started sorting the house etc, my 12 year old really wants to go and so does my husband as do I, I'm 43 this year so our chance of going to Oz is slipping away. I've been so upset all day, mixed emotions, on one hand so pleased for my son that he got his uni place but then devastated at the fact that neither of my two eldest sons might be coming with me. Any advise, ideas, wisdom or anyone been in a similar situation would me much appreciated:-(