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Yes midwives all do VE's. If a midwife has an existing injury that prevents her undertaking a core skill requirement she might find it difficult to get a job. Just as in the U.K., midwives are moved to other wards in time of high activity so although your job might be on a particular ward, they can be deployed anywhere. Happy to answer any questions Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I can really understand your fears, I felt exactly the same, 5 years ago I was coming to work in a managers position and I thought the local Aussies would hate that I, a new Pom, would be managing them. I couldn't have been made to feel more welcome! On my first day they were all excited to meet me and in my office was a bag of Aussie goodies (vegemite, lamingtons etc) and a welcome card that they had all signed. I was incredibly touched by the gesture and it was an amazing start to a great relationship I have developed. I have since moved jobs a couple of times but the people I met in my first job are all still great friends. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We have been here 5 years, we came when we were in our early 40's with three kids. I couldn't have imagined coming out here what the emotional toil would be on our children who had to leave cousins and family and friends behind. They have settled well now though and we are here permanently (we have all just got Citizenship) We decided to come here and not look back, the emotional and financial cost was so high we couldn't go through it again. Just don't think about future plans too much as everything changes, think about what is important now, one step at a time. Good luck! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great post! It's hard doing all that with kids too, I came over on my own for the first two months and got everything set up for the family it was good just getting on with it without distractions, I started work 10 days after arriving so had to do everything quickly. One bit of advice about getting a rental (we live in Sydney).... I knew getting a rental would be very competitive and we would probably not be strong candidates, I decided to put together a one page 'newsletter' for prospective landlords, introducing us as a family and included some photos. I got the first rental I applied for and was absolutely over the moon, it was a stunning house with river views. The real estate agent told me the newsletter swung it for us, the landlord didn't really want kids in the house but when he read the letter he immediately offered to us! We stayed there for 3 years and loved the place, we had to move out as he wanted it back to renovate and move into and I didn't blame him! We are building a house at the moment so in another rental while it's being built...house prices are crazy in Sydney, our build will cost around $840,000 when it's done with land and build costs but buying an equivalent already complete would have cost us $1.5m at least. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great post, we have just turned the 5 year mark since arriving and we still love it as much as when we first arrived, we became Aus citizens last month and this country is very much home now. Prices have fallen for many things since we arrived, I think food prices have fallen as have clothing. I had to go and visit the UK last year and I thought prices were no cheaper there for many things, remember walking round Tesco and converting prices and being very surprised at how most things were priced the same as Aus. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you go with Singapore airlines and book a one way ticket for emigration they will allow you 40kg checked luggage each. At least they did in 2012 so check they still do this Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep agree with dental! Costs are off the scale, our oldest son had all his orthodontist work done on the NHS, our daughter came to Aus with braces but still needed the second half of the work done ($5500), our youngest has just started and his teeth aren't that bad, just crooked on one side and no overbite to sort out but it is still costing $7800. Bupa have paid $1600 towards the cost, and the rest we pay monthly to the dentist over 18 months, we did not have to apply for the payment plan it was offered at the initial appointment. You won't be expected to front up fees, our daughters costs (different orthodontist) were paid exactly the same way. Bupa pays the cost of two annual checkups for the kids so their checkups are 'free' within the health fund. We have top family cover at $300 a month but we definitely get a lot of use out of it especially the extras (dental/physio/opticians etc) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You will find it expensive now if you are over 30 and or have been here over 12 months. The government gives you one year grace when you emigrate so you can join a private health care fund within 12 months from when you arrive with no additional levies. We did that and we had to get a letter from immigration to provide our insurance company with proof that we were within the 12 month window. After the 12 months, the levies rise substantially. We have family cover with Bupa and have found it really good we have a concessional rate through my employer so I think we get a good deal comparing against others. See if your employer has a preferred health fund which would give you concessional rates, it's really worth doing and you may save some money that way. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Please call the police, you are at serious risk of harm. I know you don't want to destroy his life but he is destroying yours. He will NEVER change and his behaviour will get worse. You need to report this, you will be looked after and protected. No woman deserves to be treated like this, you have done nothing wrong. Please get help! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You should also be aware that on a 457 visa and working in NSW you will have to pay school fees for your children even if they go to a local government school. This can be very expensive! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I kept all our main costs we moved in 2012 and I was sponsored PR. We still had to pay our PR visa and all our moving costs, all up we didn't get much change out of £30k (family of 5) and that was including a shipping container of our furniture and worldly possessions. Also provided the bond for our rental, the more you can do yourselves and not use an agent the less it will cost you. Have to say we risked a lot to come here and therefore we were determined to make it work and it has done so in every way. We are so happy we made the move!! Oh by the way the younger your children the less you will pay for everything - visa, medical, police check etc I could list all the costs if you wanted. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just get a holiday rental or Airbnb for a month and prioritise finding a rental as soon as you arrive. I rented a 2 bed holiday apartment for 4 weeks when I arrived, it cost about £2000 for the month but by the end of the second week I had my rental signed up, I found renting highly competitive and difficult I did everything to get myself into a good position- paperwork all in order and a letter to the potential landlord explaining I would be a good and respectful tenant. It worked for me. I found no estate agent would consider me for a rental until I had arrived. And yes having a job will be essential to prove you can pay the rent. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree with the council leisurecentres they are fab and definitely consider these if you end up living/working nearby to them. My virgin active membership is $65 a fortnight so not cheap but will do me until a new leisure centre opens up in my suburb in a couple of years time! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I can comment on two of those..I'm an experienced cyclist and unfortunately I think Sydney is the worst and most dangerous place in the world to be a cyclist I used to cycle all the time in the UK and never gave a second thought as to whether the traffic would be considerate - I never had a problem. There are some cycle lanes and Sydney is trying to get more so it's getting better but you take your life into your own hands mostly! Gyms- these are on almost every street you can pay as much or as little as you want. A good 24/7 gym will cost around $20 a week with up to date and good quality equipment but will often be unstaffed out of hours. I am a member of Virgin Active which have a few in Sydney and Melbourne and I love it, they have a pool, classes, great equipment, yoga, Pilates, climbing wall and it is always staffed, the one I go to opens at 5.30am but most open at 6am. I have made really great friends from my work and socialise with them regularly but I also have a family so not out all the time!! We have been in Sydney for 5 years and absolutely love it, no intention of moving back to the UK. Also the housing situation is very $$$ we are building a house, it's the cheapest way we could get our own place and it's 50km outside Sydney :-( our eldest son lives with his girlfriend in Balmain where they rent an apartment for $500 a week but it's quite old and basic, they are moving soon and looking for something newer with aircon but for $500 a week they need to move further out of the CBD. Weather - not as cold as Melbourne, it's winter now and around 18c it will go down to single figures soon. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes I read 110k and just shortened it, sorry I wasn't clear. My son was renting in Surrey hills and now Balmain where he has a one bed apartment for $465 a week which is a bargain but it's extremely basic. He was renting a room in surry hills for just under $300 a week and it was like a student house! He has viewed many many places and believe me the pictures you see on websites are usually nothing like the reality!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

For $110 you will be sharing a rental house which will look like student digs. Sydney housing is extremely expensive but the social lifestyle is amazing, expect to pay a lot more for everything except petrol! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We only emigrated with me having been over, the rest of the family trusted me and followed! It definitely helps having visited and I personally would never emigrate without visiting first so good job it was me that did that! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Moved over nearly 5years ago on a bit of a whim, saw an advert for nurses and midwives needed in NSW and booked an appointment in London with the recruitment team. Was offered a job and permanent residency sponsorship on the spot so decided to go through the process to see where it took us. 9 months later we were in Sydney and haven't looked back since. We love our life here and jobs and careers have worked out bette than we could have hoped for. We have just been approved for citizenship and we are in the middle of building a house, buying a home has taken far longer than we had hoped due to the crazy Sydney housing costs but we will be in our own place by Xmas. To all those considering it...take the chance you never know where it will lead, we have been back to the UK for visits a few times and each time we have looked forward to coming back home to Aus! We are here for good!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We do!!!! Family season ticket holders :-)

I moved out here in June 2012 followed by our children in August 2012 then hubby 2012. We have never been risk takers, always played things safe but hubby was in the RAF for 29 years so we were used to moving every 2 years to new towns/cities starting new schools and jobs so emigration was a thought from about 2008 when I qualified as a midwife. We put it aside for a few years as life was good in the UK and kids were settled and we bought a lovely house in Cambridge. Then...I had some 'me' time in 2011 (from my lovely husband that lasted just three weeks lol) but I came out to Aus to visit friends in Melbourne and Sydney. Whilst here I visited a few hospitals, by thought hmmmm maybe we would come here and live, I had a great time. Back home I discussed it with hubby, and OMG....it was like a perfect storm, everything slotted into place!! I looked discovered NSW Health were going to be in London interviewing nurses and midwives for sponsorship at the same time we had already booked a London break, submitted my CV, was interviewed and offered a job at just where I wanted us to go, my AHPRA registration was approved in just 6 weeks, our PR visa took just 3 weeks to be approved, the hospital I was going to contacted me and asked me if they could interview me for a manager post which I was then successful in getting, hubby was medically discharged from the RAF on a full medical pension (tax free too) our eldest graduated from uni and decided to come with us, we sold our house (lost a LOT of money but still had equity to come to Aus with). We are now living in our rental in Sydney been here since July 2012 and hopefully we will buy a home in 12 months time after we have saved a bit more. Hubby landed a fantastic job 3 months ago and I was promoted again in June this year. Our eldest got a job in North Sydney using his degree qualification and moved out 4 months ago, our other two children are loving it here and joining in everything thats going on. We have season tickets to Aussie Rules Footy and for the Sydney Opera House, we have travelled so much since being here and we have found most aussies lovely, welcoming and friendly. On my first day at work I was given a little pack by the midwives at work, it consisted of English tea, lamingtons, vegimite, bottle of shiraz and a Boags beer and some aussie flags. I love the pom/aussie banter and have a lot of fun with everyone about it. Financially we are better off than we have ever been sometimes we look at each other and can not believe how good things have worked out for us. Outside of work I run with a running group and we have all become really good friends, hubby has joined the BushWalkers search and Rescue team and we are determined to integrate and not live an 'expat' life. That's not to say we have not had our challenges, emigrating takes enormous resources, mentally, emotionally and financially. So the negatives....well my mum has become seriously ill and I am going back to visit her next May but may need to bring the flight forward. I miss not being able to jump in the car and drive to see her. I miss my friends very much too and whilst the wages we earn are nothing like we could have got in the UK, everything is so expensive in comparison (except petrol). However, this is our life and we are NOT moving back, we are so pleased to have made the move, so happy we took a risk. We are looking forward to getting our citizenship and hopefully buying a house but not looking forward to the huge mortgage that will come with it here in Sydney!! I have loved reading all the stories.