Peachy

Golden Arrow. Fab service and the cheapest of the quotes we got. Very impressed with the care of our pets.

Hi Lem I am usually very positive about people looking into relocation. However I suggest that you think v carefully before you spend all that money. Australia is swamped with lawyers. I work in government and half the people here are studying to become lawyers. Unless you have something that you will set you apart from the local graduates I think that you could struggle. Alternatively you may be just using your skills as a way to get the visa. If you want a long term career in law you are probably better staying put. I am also worried about you paying all tjis money and then you don't get your application in before it comes off the list. If I can offer any more constructive advice do get in touch and don't want to stamp out your enthusiasm.

Slightly repeating someone else's post, but being a former northerner, think that the comparison with Huddersfield and Wakefield sounds about right. If you would be happy to live in either of these places, but with 'Leeds equivalent', that being Brisbane, being a flight away then you will be fine. Townsville and Rockhampton are great for some people, but wouldn't describe either as having a vibrant cosmopolitan cafe culture.

The weatherzone app is pretty good - it will tell you % chance of rainfall and also the amount of rainfall in mm. Often there is a reasonable chance of rain but then it is only1 - 2mm. Haven't checked what the week holds for you but hopefully it doesn't rain too much

Not sure if it is the same in nursing but when I have been involved in recruitment in Aus. we contact the referees and check visa status for all of the individuals that will be on the order of merit. We then compile the full report for sign off at a higher level. Good luck with it!

Getting a job at the Sunny Coast would be a very good choice. That would be a great lifestyle for a family (in my opinion anyway!). Reasonably priced housing, fabulous beaches and Brisbane close by.

Oh course not, but if you are looking for an improvement on life in the UK for yourself and better chances for your child, you would factor affordability into the move and choice of location.

Are you set on Sydney? Would be super expensive on one salary. Think carefully about making the jump over here if you are not satisfied with nursing in the UK. I have a few nurse friends over here and the hours, red tape and administration are not all that over here too! Obviously depends on where you work though. Don't want to put you off as relocating is the best thing that we ever did as a family :-) - just think about the part of Australia and quality of life you will be able to achieve. Transferring to nursing in Sydney won't necessarily improve your quality of life, and you may find it tougher with no local support network. Given that you are applying to AHPRA I imagine you have done the research already, so good luck!!!

Most things are pretty comparable. If you buy clothes for your kids from Asda and Sainburys then you get the equivalent from Kmart and Big W. Same with bedding and kitchen equipment. If you are a Debenhams or John Lewis shopper then there is David Jones and Myer. We stocked up on a few things before we came over but in fact it was pretty pointless use of container space. Wish we had brought our books over instead - the second hand book market is a bit lacking! You can easily get things shipped from Next and M & S with little or no cost for shipping. We still buy our cds from Amazon UK as cheaper than Australia, even with shipping.

Hi I have found that most schools have before and afterschools clubs. There is recognition that a lot of parents have to work. Even better is that the state pays half of the fees and it isn't means tested (although I think that the fees overall are probably a bit more expensive because the provider knows that parents get state support). I phoned up from the UK and got the space in the before and after school reserved before we came over because otherwise we would have had to look at another school. P

TBH I can't remember re fees. Had to pay a couple of weeks up front, plus a bond, but wasn't as much as I was expecting. Was also surprised that we could pay weekly if we wanted to.

Hi We brought with us the estate agents photos from our house showing its good condition, details of our employment in the UK and details of work lined up in Australia. We also obtained reference from our estate agent because we were renting our house out for the first year of the move. I supplied a personal statement explaining our circumstances and that we had been home owners in the UK etc. Basically as much detail as possible. Viewings can be absolutely heaving or no one there at all - just depends on the location and style of the property. If it is raining it tends to put people off! Develop a relationship with the local estate agents - they are quite influential and it can make the difference between securing the property or not. Good luck.

Amazing photos. Were you on a boat? I would love to see whales but I get horrendously sea sick.

Hi Glad you have made it to Australia :-) Have some good friends in Warner. Area is fine. Very reasonably priced housing. Options to build. Close to some lovely rural areas and also a short drive to Strathpine station for getting the train to CBD. Don't know anything about the schools though. P

Still not quite sure if your aim is to get to Australia or not!! You also mention pay - and criminal law not paying as much. Not sure that we can be a lot of help if you are financially motivated rather than looking for a career that will motivate you for the next 40 years. [This isn't meant to sound aggressive - just difficult to help if you have lots of options/ I am not sure where you are heading/ your goal is earning a lot of money!]

Hi Westmoreland I am not sure what sort of career advice that you are seeking. Are you already in Australia? Are you looking for a route to take you to Australia? If so, law and accountancy are tricky for different reasons and may come off the list in the nearish future. Could you clarify your goal and we may be able to help a little more. Many thanks P

It will depend upon your degree and VIC requirements . I did my degree 20 years ago and I didn't do company law. In Queensland everyone seems to have to do civil procedure and constitutional law. I also have evidence and trusts. There seem to be a reasonable number of inhouse positions and government jobs but there is strong competition. Australia certainly isn't short of lawyers despite it being on the skills list and many of those want to get out of private practice. The key seems to be making contacts and ensuring that you demonstrate transferable skills. One thing I have discovered is that everyone within a certain field knows each other - networking is even more critical here than in the UK. Good luck with your move!

Hi I have been extremely lucky and got PR via my husband who is a social worker. I haven't embarked on the conversion course yet because I am not sure whether I am to return to private practice. I have managed to find a job that I love in a similar field but outside the private sector so I enjoy the benefits of flexi time and no more costs and time targets! I may do the courses to keep my options open in the future. Sorry that I can't help you - I am keeping an eye on this thread because I may go down the route of qualifying over here at some point.

Below is what QLD says - it appears that once you are admitted you can practice throughout Australia but I haven't looked at the detail: Practitioners admitted to other Australian jurisdictions You should be aware that admission in Queensland via the Mutual Recognition (Queensland) Act 1992 is NO LONGER REQUIRED as Queensland is part of the national legal profession. Practitioners admitted to practise in any Australian jurisdiction are entitled to apply for a Queensland Practising Certificate without seeking admission in Queensland based on their admission in another Australian jurisdiction. You can obtain a practising certificate in Queensland from the Queensland Law Society (QLS) (as a solicitor) or Queensland Bar Association (as a barrister). I draw your attention to sections 5 to 8 of the Legal Profession Act 2007.

Unfortunately doesn't seem to make any difference whether you have already studied them or not - I have done most of these at a very prestigious uni with lots of experience as a solicitor but still have a list that long. Seems that there are a lot of hurdles for UK solicitors. Although the profession is on the skills list, in reality there are large numbers of qualified solicitors looking for jobs - from what I have seen in QLD there isn't a shortage of lawyers so I don't think that the Law Society is that desperate to have people come over. Hope this doesn't come across as negative! Just speaking from my experience over here and with the right profile / experience there should be opportunities.

That looks pretty much like my list of courses! Depressing reading isn't it after years of studying in the UK. I haven't embarked on it yet for costs reasons (and luckily OH is on skills list as well). I wish your husband all the best with it. Would be interested to know how he gets on as at some point I will have to swallow the fees and go back to study and exams.

We went last year. Camped in designated camp ground. Despite a torrential downpour it was one of our best experiences as a family. Astonishingly beautiful. You need a decent 4x4. We went in a Nissan Patrol and would not have wanted to go in UK style 4x4. You need maxtrax to unbog yourself. My sister's fiance lost his car in the sand 10 years ago so it does happen! You will have an amazing time.

Hi, to be blunt about it, as mentioned above you need to do all the required core subjects (details are available online - I think everyone has to study constitutional law at an Australian university ) and then do your 2 year training contract. Once you have the academics right and the training and you are ready to be admitted / have been admitted in Australia you should get a positive skills assessment. Before this point you will get a letter saying you need to study x y z. You can't apply for your visa until everything is done. It is a really tough route to migration unfortunately. If you are at the beginning of this process and haven't commenced your degree you are looking at 5 years before applying. Really sorry this isn't a more positive response. You could always consider a student visa.

If you type into google council of legal education Victoria skills assessment you get taken to the correct info on the top link. Sorry can't post link from phone. All the info should be on the website. I have also found the advisors in QLD in similar organization very helpful for clarifying anything tricky. I anticipate that you would have similar experience in Victoria.

Children salt is very strange - like sprinkling the packet of flavouring from supa noodles over your food.