Fiooooona

I'd agree with most others and say the Harbor Bridge Climb if that type of thing is up your alley? I'd be too scared to do it but I have quite a few close friends who've done it and they all loved it. When we we're in Sydney we did the touristy thing of Opera House/Harbor Bridge sightings and had a lovely morning taking it all in and then on the next day we walked from Coogee Beach to Bondi. The most beautiful scenery I've seen while here- Tamara Beach (I think that's what it's named) was the most stunning by far and we all agreed that Bondi was a very over rated- we only stayed 15 or so minutes. The Blue Mountains are said to be beautiful but we didn't go. Will you only be doing NSW? It seems such a long way to come to only see some of it. I can highly recommend the Great Ocean Road in Vic I never get over the sights of the cities all lit up at night.

Honestly, last time I will respond- I promise. Seriously, I understand we're all trying to help and I haven't actually been very annoyed by any of your replies yet as I know we're all been in the same boat at some point or other. You don't know how old I am, nor do you know my background/reasons for being here/education- that's the thing that has genuinely insulted me. It doesn't matter if I'm 10 or 100, I was providing a comment, made in good will. That is just genuinely spiteful, and I don't value spitefulness highly in anyone. You don't know me and I don't know you, so can we leave it at that, please? And one more thing, wouldn't you double and triple check education entitlements before you moved? Noting on this website can be taken with 100% accuracy, it's all just opinions after all and people make mistakes. Everyone should take what ever is said here with a grain of salt, as I'm sure most do, you don't move to the other side of the world on one person's experience there that you read on a website. No one person here knows all there is needed to know about the Aus school system. Advice is what is needed when posting a thread, and advice is what I initially offered, however due to the fact that I forgot to put three little letters in my post (Vic) I am actually being accused of being A) young B)ill informed (I have spent years in the Aus school system) and C) just plain insulted for no good reason what so ever. Just let it go, I have.

Hi, for our school the voluntary fees are usually between $100-200 per student per year but I've never seen them above $180 or so. They are voluntary but it is with these funds that the school is able to provide your child with a better education, and it is expected that if you can afford it, you should pay, however no one will question if you can really can't. The voluntary fees are generated each year with the idea that 85% of families will pay, so the more that don't pay the higher the fees will be for the ones who do. Check with your chosen school what the fees roughly are, and they'll be able to give you a more valid answer. You do however have to pay for classes- at my school usually between $10-15 for 'standard' classes (maths/english/IT/sport/history) but can range to $50 for classes that run solely on these costs (cooking to buy the food/tech to buy the materials) and some classes like Outdoor education can cost in the $100's due to the amount of activities and camps they will go on. Uniform and school books can all be bought second hand and I would encourage you to use sites like ebay and gumtree to buy/sell books- and stationery can be bought anywhere for a few dollars. I would say that $300 for each children is a good place to start for a budget, but be aware that you may find hidden costs in excursions or you may have to replace a missing textbook half way through the year. For their first year in Australia I would also say the costs will be higher as you will need to buy a full set of uniform but these will last them a few years and they pay for themselves as they last long. For my school summer dresses are around the $60 mark, shirts $20-25, jackets $50 and jumpers $50. School shoes can also be very expensive, but they will last so are worth it. For these reasons I would say have a bit more money put aside for the beginning, but you can always buy second hand and also ask your school what their policy on uniform is as you may be able to buy some generic school coloured clothes cheaply in kmart or Target or they may allow them to wear runners (trainers) so I think it will depend on the age of your kids and what school they are going to. So I'd say $900 sound good, but perhaps have an extra hundred for emergencies. If you're still in the UK/don't have a permanent Aus address may I suggest looking at a few school in the areas you like just to get an idea of what to expect? Hope this helps and good luck.

As I have now said many times, I meant to mention my state in the original post- it should have read "Everyone in Victoria pays the same..." Again, I don't want to sound rude or insulting but I made a small mistake and have been hammered with posts about it already. I understand that people are only trying to help the OP out but so was I, I was giving my view on Victorian schools, as the thread didn't mention which state they were going to when I commented- yes- if I had included my state it would have made things easier, but can we move on from it and try to encourage positive answers rather than penalising me for only trying to help- something I've been addressing since this first came up last night? I'm sure you all have better things to do with your time than nit pick comments made only in good will.

Can you stop your constant attack of everything I post? I'm sure the OP would like their thread to get back on track and for us to stop this constant bickering, and you're clogging up my emails. You keep coming back the fact that I didn't mention that I was in Vic, which was a mistake I realised as soon as I posted it, however I didn't think I'd get this much hassle over it- and which I have explained to you many times that was accidental and you have constantly brought it back up in spiteful ways. Goodbye, and again, good luck to the OP with Australia, I hope you've got the answers you were looking for.

Hi, yes I do understand, in my post I mean that getting permanent residency is an important decisions to make if you have the opportunity- it makes things like university fees easier as you can apply for HEX- personally- when I was first told about PR I didn't want it but that now, a few years later I can see the good it is and that you can still keep your UK citizenship, or go the full hog and become a proper Aussie. In my post I also thought I included that I'm in Vic, where you don't pay fees unless you're in private education and as the OP didn't mention what state they were going to, I thought I was adding the proper opinion, however I seem to have just confused some people.

The original post didn't specify state- and I thought I specified my state, and again, I did talk about other things to do with the school system in my post. I do understand that it's important to give relevant info considering it is such a huge decision to make when moving- which I thought I did, and if I had I don't think we'd be having this argument right now. Goodnight and good luck to the OP on their adventure.

I really don't want this reply to sound rude because I don't mean it to- but I live in Victoria and my post is actually so very accurate for my situation. We're on a 457 visa and we go to state schools. We don't have to pay any school fees other than voluntary fees which we do and the costs of school classes and uniforms/ excursions ect. I thought I included my state in my original post which would therefore implying I'm just offering information about Victorian school. And again- I really don't want to appear rude or insulting- but I said exactly 8 words about this topic and then gave much more information and advice on other information about Australian school culture in general.

Thanks- I knew it was- was starting to wonder if anyone else was on the same page as me. My sister's birthday is the beginning of March and she had to do 2 years of nursery as she just missed out of getting into the school year as a result, which when moving to Australia got her bumped up a year. If you're aged 4 before the 28/29 Feb then you get into the school year. If your birthday is later than that then you start the in the August/September being 5 years old.

Hi, I moved to Melbourne when I was 14 and I'm not going to lie to you- it will be hard. But this is the best thing that ever happened to our family. There will be some days when you will wonder why you lived in Scotland for 15 years instead of Australia and then they're will be some days when you will want to be back more than anything else. I was miserable for a good 2 years but now- I'm in such a good place after being here for 3 and a half years. I love Australia and see it as a land of opportunity for me and my family. I plan on moving back in a couple of years and am just taking life as it comes. I honestly struggled more with my transition from primary to secondary than I did with moving to Australian schools. I had a tour and started 2 days later and surprised my self with making new friends quite quickly. Friends was the thing I was most scared about as I'm really shy but it was so easy to fit into a group. Sometimes I do miss my old friends (like now when they're getting uni offers and I've only just started my final year) but the I email them or meet up when I'm back for a holiday and it's like nothing happened. Sometimes all you'll want it to say one word to someone that doesn't have an Australian accent so just drop your friends a wee email. I actually only email 2 of my friends now as the rest just never replied, but they're my best friends and we always meet up when I'm back and they mean the most to me. It is hard sometimes- my grandfather died last year and all I could think was that if I'd never moved I could have spent another 3 years with him, my dog is sadly on her last legs (literally) and I think of all the cuddles I could have given her in 3 years if we were still with her, my dad had cancer almost 2 years ago and I just think that I would have been surrounded by so much more love than I was there- but everyone was always so supportive with me when it all happened that I just have to get on with it. Instead I try to look at all the positives out here- I know the economy is bad in the UK but I've had a job out here for 2 years now- I really love it sometimes and really hate it at other times. I have made more friends than I ever had in my life out here. I see parrots every day, we take a ten minute drive and I see kangaroos, I'm a 40 minute train ride into the city, I go into the city with friends all the time, I have grown as a person- I was always so shy and I think it is partly with having to slow down my speech and talk louder that I have come out of my shell- I love debating. I have actually become closer to God- ironic as I haven't been to church since we left, I've done so much more in my short lifetime than I ever would have if I'd stayed at home, and I plan on doing so much more in the coming years. Education wise, you would probable go into year 9 (third year- they started the school year in Feb) and you would be doing your options plus english and maths. It is a very different education system- not better or worse- just different. I do think that for me (being academic) that I'd have gotten more out of the structured UK system but I have learned so much more out here. At home you would choose a language, a tech/art, a science, english, maths and something else, where as school here is you do a class for a semester and you have to choose a cooking class (horticulture, nutrition, global foods ect) /tech subject (wood/ metal/automotives) , english, maths, an art subject (clay, painting, camera, ect) a sport subject (plain old sport/health/ KNITTING- yes knitting! and girly things like that) and all sorts of things. I would at many times have preferred the structure of the Scottish system but in the end- I'll get my world recognised qualification and I'll get into my chosen career somehow. Uniform- yes we know it looks hideous- but everyone is wearing it and trust me, everyone thinks it's hideous. When we came here for a holiday we would play "who can spot the ugliest uniform"- the purple one- and I was horrified when I tried on my blue dress and white socks because now tourists would be judging me! I seem to have been writing a lot so I'll finish it here- good luck with your move and I really hope I haven't scared you off- Australia is literally the best thing that has ever happened to me- I had a lot of bad days in the beginning- but for me- once I passed the 2 year mark I started to see Australia as my home and the last bad day was when my papa died. It always hurts to say goodbye but I've found writing it down helps me deal with my issues. (I find saying good bye a few hours before you have to leave helps so that you get it over with and are then in a different state of mind, and then say goodbye to friends a few days before so you get it over and done with and you don't have to worry about it) I hope I've helped you out a little and message me if you have any other worries about the move- I always hated it when people would tell me they knew how I felt when I know they didn't but honestly- I know exactly how you feel. Fiona,

Everyone pays the same no matter what your visa is but for university I would recommend looking into permanent residency because it is so ridiculously expensive as your kids will be considered international. I didn't like the idea when my mum first suggested it to me as I wanted to remain Scottish but it doesn't change your citizenship and it helps if you want to come back to Aus in the future of you choose to move back to the UK. But books second hand if you can, and check with your chosen school what their uniform policy is as you may be able to get some generic stuff cheaply. Good luck. And if it says 'voluntary' you really on't have to pay it- remember that- but ultimately if no one payed them them the school would have to close. We payed it for so long until it just became too much considering we don't have to pay it and I asked friends who told me they're never payed for school.

In Victoria you only have to pay 'voluntary' fees but I do think you have to pay much more for other states. Depending on private v's public expect to pay and arm and two legs for private school. A word of advice because no one told us when we moved- the school will give you a book/stationery/uniform list. Please DON'T buy them new if you can help it. Work books were around $2 each on the list and you can pick them up for 50 cent in Kmart or Target, NEVER buy textbooks new if you can help it, trust me, it's just not worth it, and remember gumtree/ebay will become your best friend towards the end of the year, and we were told about the school second hand uniform shop but choose to buy new-big mistake. I had the idea that only 'poor' people would do that but everyone likes a bargain. For the primary we were at you could just buy polos with the school colour rather than the $30 ones with the badge, and they are mostly all usually less strict than secondary about things like shoes/bags/cardigans so check with the school you choose what their policy is and ask about buying second hand. Good luck

In the UK the cut off date for the school year is the end of Feb and in AUs it's end of March. this could either cause a few problems or not- depending on the kids birthdays. When we moved my sister (March birthday) was up a year, I (November) was put back about 6 months and my brother (June) was put up due to academics and being able to cope. From my year now, I actually have a lot of friends who have just turned 18 and could have been put in the year above due to being born from Jan to March and would have made it inn, however for some reason didn't. I'd also say they're is (not a culture) but a bit of an accaptance with holding kids back. I don't know if you will have experienced this but I have a friend who is almost a whole year older than me (2 weeks in it) and she repeated a year in primary, and have another friend who could have been in the year above me but stayed back and then repeated another year due to ill health. She will be 20 when she starts uni compared to the 17-18 year olds in her year. Work with the schools- take a recent school report for your daughter and the school should be able to accommodate her needs depending on where they think she'll do best. I hated the idea of repeating half a school year (I learned nothing for a whole year) and know that if I go to do uni in the UK I'll be a year behind my friends but that's just what happened when we moved and I can't help that.

I moved here when I was 13 and from what I remember we used Britannia- very good service however they did pack my chemistry homework! For the things we didn't want to take with us we put them all in one wardrobe with a note saying not to pack, the same with kitchen cupboards. In terms of when to get quotes think about how long it will take to ship, how soon you want to be in Aus and how long you are going to budget to find accommodation. Also, I would say make sure you get a decent quote by taking the quote-man round and telling them what you want to pack so that they're not just generalising.

Like someone has already said, if it's state schools you're after then you will be guaranteed a place. We're in Melbourne and the primary school we like was very popular and only accepted those in the catchment area. Some school accept those outside of catchment areas depending on their student numbers. I'm not too sure about private schools but I think if you were paying so much money to them then they'd be happy to accept you. I started Aus school at the end of year 8 and my sister in year 5 and I found it a lot easier than my transition to secondary in the UK- I think I was their new 'celebrity' Good luck

Would you really leave her behind and go to Australia? For us the move was to be together as a family and even without our cat we don't feel complete. Why don't you come out on a holiday? Take a look at the lifestyle, maybe have a tour of a school? I moved when I was 14 and didn't want to come but never said anything and was miserable for the first few years but now I just love Australia. How long do you see your self living in Australia for? If it's long term- understand that her entire life would be abandoned for a country that she would technically only have to spend 2 years in until she's old enough to go back- and that's what I would do if I was her- I was saving my money for a plane ticket home for the first year. You can only show her the good Australia has to offer- qualifications, jobs for teenagers are easy enough to get if you hand out enough resumes. I didn't like australia until about our 3rd year, by which time if it doesn't grow on her she will have left. Her friends would have moved on and she would be considered an international uni student in the UK- possibly limiting course choices. Have you started the visa application yet? It takes a while and then there's the packing, getting flights and temporary accommodation, getting settled and starting school- the hardest part is saying goodbye. It will be a hard slog if she really doesn't want to go. I'm sorry this post seems so negative but you really won't be able to change her mind in an instant, if she doesn't want to go I doubt you'd ever leave her behind so explain why you want to make the move, she will make new friends but ultimately if she doesn't want to go she wont stay long. I would say though that 16 is totally the wrong age to move! Half way through GCSE's if I remember? If you were in Victoria though she'd be the right age to start VCE and would get world wide qualifications at the end of 2 years, but what would she do about the UK qualifications she already has if school isn't the right thing for her and decided to move back without a high school certificate and only a hand full of GCSE's?

It will be hard but if you don't feel happy here then have you tried going back for a holiday? Why not take a month or so off and see family, and then just be in Scotland for the rest of the time? take a look at what has happened since you left. Would you be happy with house prices, would you move to another part of the country, would your children settle into the local schools? It will always be a hard decision so make sure you're not looking through rose tinted glasses. the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Good luck

I would say do what you feel is right. If going to Australia is something you want to do then do it, if you want to back cakes all day then do it. I would say though, the first year can be incredibly hard with things like first birthday/christmas/new year ect without loved ones can be a sad and hard thing to go through, it definitely does get easier. Maybe find work in a school doing temp work so you have an income then branch out into something else? It can be hard but people make a new life for themselves all the time. Bear in mind the wages may be higher than in the UK but the cost of living is comparative to it. Don't expect it to be a straight forward life change but embrace the adventure. good luck.

When telling friends about the costs we would always emphasize the "voluntary". Ie: Pay or we'll hang a bell round your childs neck and everyone will know you didn't pay. This year we're not in a financial position to pay them, but I know people who NEVER pay. They simply say "It's a private school, I'm not paying!" I'd feel guilty too if I could pay and didn't.

You say that you have one more year that you have to stay in Darwin for so why not stay and start saving if you don't already do so, then after that year try somewhere new. If the UK is really the place for both of you then make that decision. You could either have a baby in UK or Australia, depending on what citizenship you would prefer for him/her to have (if born in Aus, then it would be Aus by birth, and eligible for UK passport because of its parents) Totally up to you, but you would probably want to be near your family with the baby. Use savings to put aside money, as said above, babies don't need designer prams and new expensive cots. You should think about what you want from life, maybe your Australian adventure has finished, maybe it's time to go home? Then again, maybe it's only the beginning of another Australian adventure for you? Sit down,close your eyes and picture "home". Where do you see yourself? Or why not ask your self where you see yourself raising your family? God bless and good luck. x

I'm not sure what visa you would be moving to Australia on but uniform allowance is for Au citizens im sure, always worth while applying and being turned down rather than never knowing if you're entitled to it or not. School fees this year for us are around $300 each. Remember they ARE voluntary, but even though it seems alot of money it is always best to pay at least some of it or for one child if you can afford it.

A friend of mine repeated year 10 due to being in hospital for most of the year. We're all still friends with her and she's made new friends too but sometimes feels like everyone around her is immature. We asked her if it is because they're younger than her or because it's simply what they're like and she says it's because she's a whole year older than them and is subsequently more mature. It will always be up to the school but bear in mind your daughter may not be as advanced socially or emotionally to be in a year full of older students. There is a girl in the year younger than me doing 2 and a half vce subjects (maths only counts as a half as it isn't graded) and would always be in my science class when she was in year 9. She wasn't even much more clever than anyone in her year, she just put so much effort into her studies she gave the impression she was clever. (As such we can all agree that she is a poo who tries too hard and is so fake in front of teachers) Would your daughter be seriously affected if she did an extra year of school? I presume she's the oldest? - so it's not like her siblings are growing up and leaving her behind? I REALLY don't want to seem rude or judgmental but SO many parents come to the new school and say how clever their child is just to put them up a year (it actually worked with my sister- but she is actually one of the smartest people i know) People sometimes boast about being a year ahead and it does my head in. Think about what's best for your daughter as you are the only one who will be able to answer your own question.

You'd really need to plead your case with the head master but (I'm not trying to asume anything as I'm sure you know your child best) would it really be very detrimental to her education to repeat a year? The school would surely be able to cater for her like her old school did by giving her harder reading books ect. It's not so much about academic potential as much as emotional and if they don't think she could cope in a class with older students then that's the bottom line. Take report cards ect when you go to see the school and show them just what she's capable of.

I'm not sure about it being illegal but I finnish school for the year next week, so your 16 year old wouldn't miss much if you had a house and chose to keep her off until the new year anyway. I know you may not like to think of them not knowing anyone for the summer inless they start school soon, but once you find an area, then they can join clubs ect. to meet friends. I knew a family who contacted the school maybe a couple of months before school ended and didn't start until the next year, where as we joined the school with only 2 weeks left of term. I think it's up to you what you'd rather do, I found it both good and bad starting then as I met new friends so I knew I wouldn't be alone at the start of the new year but also I wouldn't have anyone to show me around the next year as I wasn't the "new girl" anymore and 2 weeks wasn't long enough to know where i was going. I managed it though. Take your time with it, you don't want to rush into moving to an area simply because you want them in schools if you don't see yourself settling there and just having to move your girls on in a few months. Your 16 y/o might like to keep in touch with friends and find out what she would be doing in school and go onto bbc bitesize just to continue learning over the break if you can't get into schools? Good luck, and I'm almost completely certain you won't be arrested for not having them in school.

My school is so strict on uniforms. The colour is blue but you can't even buy grey trousers as they have to have the school name embroidered on them. Why not wait and see what the uniform looks like, you can then always get a delivery of clothes from ASDA (I think they do free delivery to Aus, and if not, it'll still be cheaper than here)? You may just have to accept that uniforms cost a lot over here. Get second hand if you can, if your kids are in prep/year 7 (begining of school) or thereabout then you could just get it new/excelent condition and get it a size up or two to make it last? Get to know people in the area who may be able to give you hand me downs? Try looking at local charity shops as we regularly find cheap official jumpers or dresses. I have noticed though, that the uniform is really good quality and unless you out grow it, it will generally last you for years. Also, if you don't mind returning them, then just get a $10 pair of shoes from Kmart or somewhere, when they break (they WILL break at some point) return them and ask for a free replacement. I know it seems like a hassle but a pair of school shoes for $10-20 for the whole year is better than $100 for a year. A bit despicable, I know, but if your kids don't mind doing it, why not send them into the lost property and see what they can dig out that fits? I've personally never done ti but if I ever lost my jumper I'd be pinching one out of the box like a flash. I know plenty of people who find jumpers/books on the ground at parks, wait a while, and if it's still there the next day or so take it for themselves. It is horrible to think of it being done to you but hey, a free jumper doesn't sound so bad if it saves you $60 does it? I hope you can get a few ideas here, or even just console yourself knowing that you're not the only one shocked at the uniforms, and good luck with your Australian adventure.