GeoSurfer

Hi guys, I'm switching over my UK license and getting a QLD one. I need to prove I'm fit to drive as I have a permanent eye condition in one eye which means I need to fill out form F3712 Medical Certificate for Motor Driver. This has three sections, one for me, one for my treating doctor and one for a specialist/optometrist if needed. I don't currently have a GP, is this something I will have to go private for? I have registered for Medicare but not sure it's gone through yet due to the woman at the office telling me she thought she had done it wrong and I may not be covered. Additionally, I have a letter from my UK eye specialist stating I am safe to drive, but I am 99% certain the people at the licensing place won't accept this and will demand I go to an Aussie doctor to repeat the exact same thing and fill out the forms they love so much! Anyone else had any experience doing this? I'm in Brisbane, some walk in doctors place would be ideal, I'm fine with paying. Thanks

Thanks, I got it on a piece of paper as you said. She said minimum 3 weeks but she said she might have done it wrong with the address so that's reassuring. It's absolutely ridiculous they employ people to type in the details I wrote down when it would be much cheaper for them and much easier for the public if we could just do it online ourselves. I don't have my birth certificate but hopefully what I have is enough for drivers, I need to find an Aus doctor now because I have an eye condition which I need to prove won't affect my driving despite having a UK letter from my eye specialist saying it won't. Really need to embrace the digital age, thank God I don't live in the sticks or it would be even more of an inconvenience.

Hey guys, very quick question. Going to my Medicare appointment in an hour or so and just wondering if they give you the card there and then or if you have to have it posted out to you? Need to sort my drivers license and need Medicare card as an evidence item (got bank card and passport but need 3), I'll do it all today if I can get the card right away then head down to Transport. Thanks QLD if that matters. Edit: Hmm.... If visa counts as a document proving identity, may not need Medicare card as that will hit three required IDs.

Just to add: Went Singapore Airlines last week with the extra 10kg allowance, no problems although the woman at Manchester needed to see the visa (print it) and call up and confirm, also gave me a receipt. She did weigh my cabin bag so I was glad I made sure it was under 7kg. I had 2 cases (23kg and 17kg) one cabin bag (7kg) and one laptop bag in cabin too (5kg). Do that per person and you've got plenty. Get a big taxi

Thanks all! @JetBlast, fantastic stuff, thanks so much for all the detail and pictures, really helpful! I'll print the map of Singapore Airport and take it with me, thanks for the tip about scanning my ticket too. I'm in cattle class economy (definitely no upgrades now the pound has disintegrated!) so the seat info is very much appreciated, the plugs are very welcome too, I'm sure I can fill a few hours with Angry Birds on my phone now I have emailed about the extra luggage allowance this morning, hopefully they'll get back to me on that one, although carrying two 20kg cases on my own at the other end might feel a bit knackering. At least it won't be 40C! :smile: EDIT: Email confirms they still will do provided my visa is 'unstamped/unused' when I get there, which it obviously is, hopefully no hiccups with the passport!

Hi all, Flying out on Sunday (on me own :embarrassed:) Just a few questions... Flying with Singapore Airlines from Manchester to Brisbane via Singapore. I can (and will) check in 48 hours before departure. How does bag drop work? Is it unmanned? I have only checked in online for flights I didn't have hold luggage before so went straight through. I have read that if you require documentation checks for the destination country (visas) this will be done at the desk. Not really sure what the process is going to be. I guess it must be manned because online check in can't give you the sticky luggage labels? Ticket doesn't mention it but judging by the flight numbers and FlightRadar we also stop in Munich, get off then back on again and carry on. Anyone else done this route? Wish I could just stay on... Any answers appreciated.

Yeah sorry I should have specified, I'd be renting not looking to buy. Hopefully that means the body corp thing doesn't apply. The size thing is a good point, I've learned to see past the photos, the same thing happened in London where they tried to make properties look bigger than they were. I'd be looking at getting one in the centre of everything if I could, somewhere like Kangeroo Point in Brisbane which caught my interest although I'd need to research the transport in areas like that. Not overly concerned about noise, one of the benefits of being hearing impaired is the blissful nights silence.

Looks like reading is your downfall. Only tip I have for that is learn to skim read and understand, not just skim read. They intentionally add lots of red herrings so you need to really take in the information to answer the question, skim reading it all and looking for the key words isn't enough. Practice papers are your friends.

I thought the neighbours may be a factor (guess they can't all be 'goooooood friends'). I'd imagine the complexes aren't big enough for bogan families though? I'd have thought they'd mostly be quiet but very unsociable Chinese/Asian migrant couples as there often are in London. I'll only be renting for the first few years, so should it be a disaster I can easily bail when the contract is up.

Hi all, I've been looking on Real Estate and so on and I've noticed quite a lot of what appear to be new build apartments on nice complexes with a pool and a gym included, I'm sure you've seen a few. As a young single professional with no urges to do any gardening or pool cleaning these places seem tailor-made for people like me, but I've seen them available for less than the $450+/week I would expect them to be, judging by the pictures and location alone, so what's the catch? I can see why they don't appeal to families but why aren't they snapped up as quickly as you'd perhaps think? I'm certain I could find one that was within my price range and if the only downsides are the fact they are usually 1 bedroom/not for families I may be onto a winner, but I was hoping someone could shed some light.... Cheers.

The visa has been secured so I can start thinking about practicalities. I am coming alone and have no furniture to bring with me, so I'm going to try and get all I want to take in 2 cases and hope an airline takes pity on me and lets me have 40kg baggage allowance. I'm looking for ideas to utilise the little space I have as best as possible. I'm going to get one of these CD booklets to take all my games and DVDs in as I can manage without the boxes, the box sets in particular are bulky so I think it's a definite space saver: Anyone got any tips or advice?

Panic time more like. I waited for CO to request medical and PCC (no rush so didn't front load), they also asked for birth certificate. Could've uploaded all up front but still went through quick enough. My medical had extra checks but these were very quick, probably because I pestered the clinic and my GP so they rushed the documents through. Scary feeling! I enjoy my work so very mixed feelings at the moment. Other Spatial Scientist, I don't think profession matters that much. I travel a lot but I haven't lived abroad and I never had to do form 80 so there were no checks on my travel. As above, my medical wasn't straightforward as I needed to request specialist reports from GP afterwards, but that didn't affect it much. I was very 'proactive', chasing up documents etc. I'm sure they would have got round to me eventually but as everything was sat there ready to approve, I thought I'd chance my arm at a call.

Rang at midnight last night, straight through, promised to check my account before the end of play. 5am, grant received. 8am, notice handed in.

Rang 70 times, no answer. Sometimes the standard message so it's obviously the right number, sometimes it fails to ring through and says number not recognised. Wondering whether they've changed it to stop people ringing.

Phone fixed, trying again in the morning. Everything crossed.

Rang up this morning, got through on 2nd attempt but mobile decided the mic was going to break so they hung up when they couldn't hear me. Rang from landline and never got through. 7AM is when the message goes to 'office closed'. :cry: I doubt they are but anyone know if they're open Saturdays?

Rang at 7 but got the office closed message, I presume if they are open it puts you in a queue? What's the latest people have managed to get through, they obviously clock off before 3:30pm?

Explicitly says on eMedical etc that patients will be asked to strip to underwear only but women may have to have a breast examination if they are at risk. Agree it's dubious how some people are having half a medical, I'm glad I had a thorough one as it means I'm confident I'm not dying.

Me too, but they were hardly cupping the balls though! :emoticon_doctor_sna

You keep your underwear on throughout, they never venture near the unmentionables and the nurse doesn't watch the weeing through the door, she just gets on with paperwork and listens out for any unscrewing/shenanigans.

What aspects are you bothered about? It's really very quick and friendly.

Can't say I know what it is like for kids but the overwhelming opinion from people who live there/have been is that you need to be able to cope with a lot of humidity. Have you been before? I'd imagine the beaches are probably not as safe for kids up there either but I'll let someone wiser discuss that.

I can't say what they will do differently for kids but what I had to do: - Go in and give passport to admin doctor, confirm everything and pay - Off to another doctor for urine test, door was left open but I didn't have to strip or anything which was odd because I could have easily had a sample in a pocket if I was a crim - Eye tests reading numbers through a device that looked like a microscope - Blood pressure - Blood sample - Off to another doctor, off with the clothes, checking for hernias, shining lights in eyes, hitting knees with hammers, strength tests (push pull the doc around) - Off to the radiographer, xrays of the chest standing up, 10 second job Can't imagine it will be too different for the kids, just a bit less rigorous and more 'fun'. You may be waiting around a while with 4 of you, it took me just under 2 hours for everything to be done.

What times do people ring up? I assume they'll not work explicitly their advertised hours (who does?) but trying to deduce whether they'd be more likely to start early or finish late.

They wanted birth certificate, PCC and medicals. I uploaded birth certificate, PCC and did the medical which is now supposedly 'cleared' but no documents are attached (but may never be anyway). So I guess I have completed the request, just don't want to alert them prematurely... I've bitten the bullet and pressed it, I'm sure/hopeful they won't kick off too much if it's early!