Huntersmummy

If you want burnt black holes in your knickers and frayed towels, be my guest! lol! It would save me getting my battered old titties out!

Pomsqueen, we're on a 489 skilled visa. We wanted the 457 but Immigration2Oz said thats the worst one especially with a family as if you lose your job, you go home. Hindsight, I wouldn't of minded that! hahahahahaha Ah you know what guys, as much as I'm a moaning bumhole, its not all bad. Days spent with kids feeding the fish, picnics, husband being home at weekends instead of working, even just having a beer in the garden some days have that little ray of light. Haha and yeah, the sense of humour helps! Cant take life too seriously. Gonna make a shitty situation into a good one and look at some courses and volunteering. Even put an AD on gumtree for ironing. I can't iron for **** but ill give it a go! Thanks for the advice guys. Love love love xxx

You guys are like the great big brothers/sisters i never had growing up. xxx Really do appreciate your advice! When I say OZ, i mean here, where i live, DARWIN. Im not bashing the rest of OZ because i haven't been there so i can't comment so relax! We can't get help (benefits or help with childcare) because we have to be here 117 weeks??? Not that i came here to collect benefits! Theres a lot more personal problems too that I'm not mentioning in my situation but being here in DARWIN, not the whole of OZ, is the main problem. Yes i am set up to go home but the suggestions you guys are offering, maybe i will look into them before going. Doesn't mean to say I'm not asking for help... Ive read a lot of threads where people say "i hate it here" and are met with "Well f**king leave then!* Jesus christ....thats what I'm getting at. Some people come here, find friends, work, house, car, LOVE IT....some people move here and struggle soon hard and are met with "f**k off home then" Its almost like stepping off a plane and being forced at gunpoint to love being here! ANDDDD before anyone gets on their high horse, I've met a few aussies who said this exactly to me. "Go home then you pommie bastard" ARGHHH f****k! Ive growing up in a british way of life, its very hard at the age of 29 to change that perception of life and embrace a completely different way of life! For me anyways. Like i said at the beginning, this is my own personal experience that other people might be in after moving here and seeing what advice other people have written, might help them instead. In the meantime, i have a spider to beat to death. xxxx

You know what would help everyone a little bit? An annual pomsinoz therapy group! Sorca, have an internet hug xx My husbands a brit but hates the UK due to immigration problems. Which is ironic considering we are immigrants now.... Theres a hell of a load of lovely people on here so you always have us lot to rant too How about a trip back home on your own for a few weeks to think it over? Being home might just be the nail in the coffin for you. This bit is purely down to experience so sorry if i type this wrong, I'm a bit of a thicko......maybe he's not the one for you? My first husband was a *$&££ and it hurt at first, but us wanting different things, i knew it was the right decision leaving the bastard. You have to think of you! xxx

Ah thank you kindly for all your sweet words. Right now, I'm in the "Bollocks to it mood, I wanna go home" Maybe its the heat scrambling with the ol noggin?? Husband has suggested moving after the 2 years but having such a crap experience here, I don't really wanna. My mind is UK UK UK UK....Primark....UK UK UK. Oh and Paul, we don't pay $1000 for childcare. We WOULD have to if i wanted to do full time work. Unless i start shitting goldbars.... Sigh.....this thread is mainly for others who feel in the same boat and feel **** to admit they made the move and don't like it. I have nothing against aussie folk, just, I don't like it here. And for the volunteering side of things....quick story....bought a car off a woman off gumtree, i had to sell it 3 months after due to needing the money etc etc, it caught fire with me in it! And burnt......so no car, stuck in the arse end of no where with two small kids. Oz is like that fit guy at school who you have a massive crush on then you get to go out with him and realise he's a massive dick.

I miss waking up, dragging my fatty out of bed, working hard for minimum pay, stopping off at asda's on the way home for milk and reduced bread, getting home, wrestling out of my wet clothes, slobbing on the sofa, watching eastenders, listening to the rain outside, drinking british tea and ordering a decent indian. I miss the humour too. I'm gonna lose the plot if i see another "Barbie pic with shrimps on it" with the caption, "Only people in Oz will understand this" God do I miss, "An englishman, irishman and scotsman walk into a bar" joke.... Primark! Boots! Charity shops! I even miss the shitty customer service at McDonalds.

Hiya sweet. Welcome to pomsinoz. Im in the exact same position as you apart from I already have kids. Husband loves it here, I don't. I wanna go back, he doesn't. Things are a trillion billion GAZILLION times hardly when kids are involved. My kids love it here and that, in a way, sucks balls because the guilt of 1: Taking the kids away from their dad and 2:Kids have settled here and taking them away from that. If you have doubts now, what would they be like after kids are here? You wanna go back and want to take the kids but then you'd be taking them away from dad, hence a broken up family. I properly worded that wrong but hopefully you'll see what I mean. You could give it a chance without bringing kids in to it and if you feel in a years times? But with your age being a concern to you, maybe its better you go your own ways? My husbands a right stubborn old git who always gets his way and its always the case, one of you has to lose. You lose yourself being unhappy away from home, or he loses and moves to the UK. Sometimes, you just can't compromise. Look, if you want to chat more, you could PM me and we'll chat over FB or whatever. Always welcome another matey! xxx

Yes I've noticed it seems to be a tread.....but it always seems to be the one living in Oz that wins. Especially when kids are involved. Its a trillion times harder. Id like to give the rest of Oz a try before throwing in the towel but 2 years in Darwin before we can move, ill be a nervous wreck and you'll see me on a made man dingy in the middle of the ocean, trying to get back to the UK.

lol, its fine my love. I did laugh too. Id feel sorry for the clients having my post pregnancy sagging nips on their chests. They wouldn't pay $20 thats for sure!

Hello my british lovelies living DU! *****Ok so I just want to point out before I start that this thread is based on my OWN experiences. Ok?? I know a lot of Brits/Aussies are extremely proud of OZ and can get the arse up if someone says something bad BUT lets not forget, it doesn't work for everyone! This isn't a PomsinOz.com/Positive Reviews Only or You'll Burn In Hell site.....everyone is entitled to their opinion, bad or good. And I'm not out to cause offence.***** Right, I've posted threads before about moving here, not liking it and wanting to go back to the UK. "If you hate it here, then why don't you F-O back to the UK" So I've been told... I would but my husband won't budge. He loves it here and we have kids that he won't let me take back to the UK. SO THATS WHY!! Plus, due to visa restrictions, we can't move out of the NT for 2 years and we're staying in Darwin due to our housing contract so we just can't up and move. Ive posted before on here about the difficulty finding a job. Ive only ever had "jobs that pay the bills" I did get a job offer a few weeks ago. It was working as a massage therapist. Ok, I thought, I haven't got training but they might train me. So I called her and she said you would have to wear a tight uniform and be prepared to do extras. Now me being stupid, asked what extras they would want? Foot rub? Clothes washed? Nooooooo, extras as it rub my boobs over them and "handy extras"....So i put the phone down. Im not reducing myself to being a hand whore for $20. Im not completely stupid. I don't do sick days. I work hard and want nothing more than to provide for my family as I've worked since i was 16....im nearly 30 now. So after many talks with the husband, crying, pleading to go back and pointing out I just CANNOT get a job, he says give it more time before I throw in the towel and go back to the UK, on my own, without my kids as Im not able to take them with me. (Thats a personal matter) Ive tried to like Australia. I really have but the fact after 4 months and STILL no job, battling with the horrible heat, expensive food shopping, rude, racist darwin locals, expensive child care ($1000 per WEEK) getting eaten to death by flies everyday, I really fail to see why people would give up their life in the UK for the "aussie dream" I can't go on not having a job as things cost money and money I don't have. Savings won't last forever. I understand people have to work to make your house a home, fit in and make friends. Now before I get a new butt-hole ripped for expressing my own personal opinions, OZ isn't all bad. Children here are very polite, especially with my kids at the park. We've had some lovely days out with the kids too. We lived with my in laws for 2 years, saved, worked all hours, never seen each other, sold everything, moved here for what? Not to be able to find work to provide a lifestyle for our kids and be sitting on the breadline???!!! So, yes, maybe its a rant post that not everything is as wonderful as it seems over here. Ive very jealous for people who do come here and love it! Id love to make it work, but deep down, my heart belongs to the UK...where I can get a job!

We paid $9,500 for 4 months rent plus bond of $1,800 up front. Car cost $3000 Crap for the house....pots, cutlery, bog roll etc etc cost US $1000....$200 here and there at K-Mart soon adds up! Phone, internet etc...Husband had to pay $300 up front for his iPhone as he had no credit rating and with internet, house phone it costs $200 per month. We came over with $27,000 and we have just over $14,000 left. So that it the exchange rate is $2 to the £....about £15,000 you should be fine. Also, noticed your a community worker? Beware.....I am too but not been able to get a job unless you have an NVQ2 otherwise they won't touch you with a barge pole (Darwin at least) Or you could pay $1300 for the NVQ2 course....or Aged Care as it is....then you have to pay $60 for your Ochre Card. As my husband says, Australia is like having a very expensive mistress, she costs a fortune and doesn't put out at the end of it!!!

I would Quoll but he's very much "anti UK" and I have a better chance of growing a third boob than getting him on UK soil again.

Ah thank you sweet. We both knew it was a risk when moving, which is sad to think its coming to an end but.... I'm glad it works for some but unfortunately not for me at least. And i will vent thou thanks. I hope the forum doesn't mind if i turn the air blue!! xx

If you don't have a "career" kinda job.....its f-ing hard to find work! I'm on job interview 39 and I've been here 4 months. I find it very much, its not a "CV" kinda place (Darwin anyways) but who you know that can help. Also getting an interview and explaining your situation Also, personally for our situation, if you fall in the trap of one person loves it and the other hates it, the chance of going back is like opening a can of satan's worms! Our marriage is hanging by a thread and we practically hate each other because he loves it and I want to come home but kids are involved etc etc etc.... So yeah, emigrate with your EYES wide open! Its not all barbies, sunshine and G-Day mate!

I'm glad this thread is here as I'm glad I'm not the only one who isn't in love with Oz. I moved here thinking, VERYYY naively that it was "Home and Away"...I couldn't be more wrong. But its an experience none the less! I miss my life in the UK. Id even go as far as Ebaying my first born to wake up on a cold morning! ;)I certainly wouldn't knock anyone who moves here and loves it or hates it. But deffo agree on you should do what makes your family happy You only get one life after all!

I apologise for the racist word, maybe politically incorrect? Im just thick with words.....I didn't do well at school. So I had another one today and hand on heart, I did ask why I didn't get it and he said....."belly laugh".....because i couldn't pronounce FANTA properly and it might confuse people. I didn't know whether to laugh, cry or slap myself. Yeah some of the excuses I gave were feasible. Others ones I didn't list were pretty much, "English women......yadda yadda" The ABN idea, we thought about it but money is as tight as a ducks butt. We literally count every penny and clasp our fingers like Mr Burns. I believe darwin is VERY hard to get employment. Regardless if you explain your situation. Im an old fart, I'm 29, two kids, a husband.....I'm not a backpacker. Thank you for all your kind words though. When the job lands me in big money, I'll have a drink for all of you! xxxx

Good afternoon my beauties. (Below is MY experience and not meant to offend) Now being in darwin for the best part of 6 weeks. Im sick to death already and want to go home. I try not to be a defeatist but COME ONNNNN!!! So I've been rejected 8 times in (6 weeks) and had some absolutely brilliant excuses why people won't hire me: "You don't look pet friendly" (This was applying for a dog walker) "You can't name the Top 10 games at the moment, we're not interested" (I applied for a games store assistant) "English speaking women just flirt and drink and don't get on with the work" (I applied to make pizzas...) "I even applied for a cleaner but got rejected because "I might drink of the job" !!!!! WTF Now the hubby is the qualified one, i just work my arse off doing "jobs that pay the bills" NO ONE is interested and I'm genuinely convinced, its because I'm a scot, with a dodgy english accent. :cool: All jokes aside, we can't live off hubby wages. Even then he had it tough getting a job because he's english. We might have to come back home. Now in the UK, the line "No jobs available in the UK because of the foreigners" is chucked around a lot. Now the shoe is on the other foot, I know what that feels like having that line chucked at me.

Well if you google Immigration2Oz, give them a ring and you can chat over with them and ask your questions about the qualifications. Just please be aware if you DO decide to do it on a 457 visa, if you or your hubby doesn't stay in work, you get sent home. Which is dangerous if you have a small baby! My husbands a chippy. After he got qualified, he only had 3 years experience and it was enough to get 60 points. So if you hubby stays and gets qualified, I know the NT are looking for trades all the time! At least then, he'll have experience AND qualifications. Plus my husbands a lot older so you have age on your side! But deffo phone them up and have a chat. Asking questions is a good start to a long journey to Oz!

Woooooooooo! Go get that job tiger! Let us know if you got the job and the next rounds on you

Hiya Katie! Welcome to PIO! I just started a thread actually as we just moved and I outlined all our costs and who we went with etc etc. If you search "So you wanna move to OZ?" You should find it. I can't recommend Immigration2Oz enough! Google "down under centre" in london, its like a big ex-po and you get to meet them there and ask any questions and John (the main guy) does a presentation and sweats a lot.... We got our visas and stuff sorted in 7 months.....came out with $30,000....about £15,000 and that sorted us a house with 4 months rent, 2 cars, furnished the house and filled the fridge with beer!! Good luck!

Im very sorry for the term "abbo" if used incorrectly. Ive heard it used a lot since being here and thought, naively it was a well used term to describe the locals. Like "pikes" or "chavs" back home. And yes I've read that over and sounds politically incorrect but I'm not being racist! Just a bit thick with words. And yes Coles has the "international section" that has cadburys, irn bru, tetley teabags. But I don't like paying $10 for 40 teabags.....although i might succumb as being british, good tea is like sex.....hot, delicious and voluntary in the mornings! And as for the cat reference, my cat is fat, heavy and stupid and struggles in the british summer so over here, he'd struggle big time! Although the in laws have finally kept him so he's happy, I'm happy, everyones a winner. OH i also forgot to add, when you go to rent or buy stuff, you can barter. Got myself $50 off a washing machine today all because I asked! Got $30 a week off my rent too. AND AND AND I FOUND SOREEN!!!! *happy dance*

Good evening my british chums! Well after 2 years, we arrived in Darwin a month ago........I used to look through threads to try and get answers, Are there snakes? Is it hot? Price of accommodation? Is it like "Home & Away"? *rolls eyes* So heres a guide on how much dolla dolla cash your gonna have to spill for a life down under! So heres a rough guide for you novices wanting a better life in OZ. We went with Immigration 2Oz. Go to the DownUnder centre in london. You can meet John, Warrick and Bianca and Tiffany. First step we done is £200 to start the process off. They do things in 5 steps, you supplying documents with each step. Another 2 payments of £400. Two payments of £800. One payment of £1000. In-between these steps was the IELTS Test. (Hahahaha it sucked!) DONT expect to pass first time, its like your driving test. Do it once to get used to it. Husband done it 3rd time. Now we came on a 489 skilled visa. You have to work for 1 year out of the 2 years then you can apply for residency. We got told 457 visa, you lose your job, you come home. Tough Boobies. My husband is a chippy and needed to change his qualifications to aussie qualifications. You do that at a centre in dartford. Cost £800ish. Whitecard. £140ish. YOU NEED IT IF YOUR A TRADE! Visa cost husband £1850. Me £1200ish. Kids 2x £480 each. Last stage is done, you get your visa. HURRAY! Actually no, now the BS starts. Medicals, we went to the spire centre in brentwood. You CANT go to a pupa or your own doctors. It needs to be a immigration doctor. £350 each. £80ish for each kids. Police checks you can do online, £40 each ish. We went with PSS movers. £1400. That was based on 270 square foot. We had to pay a clearance fee of $160 when arrived at OZ. Everyone has to pay that no matter what company your with. So we got told. Don't bother bringing big furniture. You can get stuff off gumtree. Big W, Kmart and Target do nice new stuff for cheap. Its better to take the personal stuff and save money than bring everything and pay a fortune! Flights cost us £2800 one way booking on CheapOair. Apparently they don't do "open returns" anymore. So its cheaper buying a oneway. We booked a months accommodation for £985.70 for 2 adults, 2 kids at the travelodge mirambeena in darwin city. Hotel club.com! Look for "KIDS STAY FREE" Cuts costs down so much! Getting a house took us 1DAY! No lie, if you go prepared, we took copies of our previous landlords reference and bank statements showing we paid rent. We went with Ray White. Swapping your drivers license is easy and cost $26. You go to the aussie "DVLA" pass a simple eye test, take a photo and get it there and then! DONT SPEED! Today i went 5mph and got a $200 fine. Not happy. But yeah, watch your speed. Childcare is just.....bloody hell. *heart attack* Goodstart centres charge $101 for under 2's and $89 for over 2's. A DAY! For 1 DAY! We buy gas bottles, electric is 3 monthly, 1 water bill is 3 monthly. No council tax if you rent, no tv license. Petrol is cheap. Food is ASTRONOMICAL!! We easily spend $300 on our big shop. $100 every week. Buy a BBQ and shop locally. You'll see loads of stalls at the site of the road. Clothes are stupid expensive. Stock up on Primark clothes before you come! We haven't actually seen any spiders or snakes. We have tons of lizards and frogs in the garden. Its just about being careful. Mozzies are f&^%ing awful! So are the flies, so buy a citronella candle and a load of fly traps! Aussie folk are nice. Very blunt and to the point. I kinda get they don't get sarcasm. I wouldn't personally bring my cat. Its too hot. We've only seen one cat......and it was dead. Or the kids got told it was sleeping, with its eyes out on the grass.....they seemed ok with that. Homesickness hits you hard. I miss irn bru. I miss soreen cake! I miss my local take away! Even thou chinese and indian food is awesome here! Thats it. If I have anything wrong, please say. This is only my personal experience. Oh, IM not meant to be racist but the local abbos can be so racist. I got called a "white racist shitbag" on my first night because I never gave him a dollar. I didn't have any money on me! LOL.

Hiya guys, just a update. Clive is STILL a debate. Husband is more letting him go to cats protection. Thought thou, is taking a bank loan out to cover him stupid? £5000 is a lot of money and as much as i bend over and try and pull it out my tooshie, its just not happening! How have other people coped/done?? Love to all my cat/dog lovers who are in the same boat! xx

Good evening my beautiful folk. So, we booked our flights, 13th oct, wooooohoooo, buggering off to darwin! Anyways, i had a thought, my mother, who is a typical, angry, scottish drunk....when I was having a conversation with her about this and that, that, we talk in slang, dinnae, toon, dauner, mucker, wud'nae etc etc that I thought i would brush up on my "aussie slang" to ease me in gently so I wouldn't struggle. Fast forward to another forum, after a disagreement, this aussie bloke called me a "woos pommy quid bastard" What???!!! I must say I was stumped. After calling him a "scaffy bawbag" It was quits. But really, am I the only one who is seeming going to struggle with the aussie tongue? How have you all managed?