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

Hi Haven't read all the other responses so not sure when someone is on a 457. The catch up jabs are free for children up to 10 on a 189. Probably easier to get here - had struggle to get chicken pox jab for eldest in the UK. Youngest was going to have it here but is immune. 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

That is school fees for a public school if you are on a 457 work sponsored visa. In QLD you don't pay; in some of the other states you do. From what people have said, there are sometimes waivers, but until you know, I would budget on those sorts of costs for schooling in Canberra for each child.

I agree with srh82 too.

Look at smart jobs - the qld gov recruitment website. My oh is a social worker and obtained a permanent position before we came out.

It depends if your priority is being on train line. Upper Kedron - smart - more expensive - nice but very estate housing. May be outside your budget to buy. Albany Creek - lovely community - I have lots of friends there - nice schools - good mix of houses Keperra - would not be my first choice - nice pockets but also not so nice - on trainline Everton Hills - okay I think but don't know much about P

Ferny Grove High is a normal state high school as is Ferny Grove, Ferny Hills and Patrick Road primary schools. Ferny Hills is quite small. Patrick Road is bigger but has a slightly better reputation academically and socially. I don't think that you would go wrong with any of the primary schools. From recollection Patrick Road had after school and holiday club but I am not sure about Ferny Hills. You do have to contribute to books, and the uniforms are really pricey in comparison to the UK. If you are on a 457 you will have to pay fees.

I take my car to the garage in Toowoong so I have spent many hours walking the streets and sitting in cafes there. There are some nice streets but the traffic is pretty terrible. It is expensive to live but isn't as nice as Paddington or other smart suburbs. I feel that it is overrated. A lot of the nicer houses on the hill look onto the main roads. The shopping centre really isn't all that (although there is a good second hand book shop). It is quite built up in parts. The station isn't very conveniently located - unless you are very close or enjoy a walk you have to cycle or drive to the station. That is a very negative picture, and it isn't that bad! It's just that if I had the money to live in Paddington and similarly priced suburbs, I wouldn't be spending the money in Toowong.

Our interests tend to be family oriented so it doesn't crop up very often. There are heaps of facebook groups for mums where they organise get togethers and you can ask for recommendations for babysitters. Quite a lot of people I know have partners who work away and it seems that friends are a huge support. You can do babysitting swaps. That said, I do think that migration is for the relatively self sufficient. You have to be pretty independent to move across the world without family support. If you rely upon your parents here and you have a very close knit extended family it will be tricky. My family are located across the UK so it hasn't made any difference to me re babysitting. I suggest that you join up to some fb groups before you relocate - you can get a feel of the different communities and the networks for support.

In relation to schooling, Paddington just doesn't have a public secondary close by (at least that is my understanding). There are some good state public schools and some not so good. The Gap, Albany Creek, Eaton's Hill High Schools are all fine. I don't know much about the others. Private school fees are considerably less here which is why families with even an average income send their kids to private high school. Religious schools make up a large proportion of the education sector and you should not be put off if you are not religious. They are partially government funded and then the top up is paid by parents. The cost of a religious high school is in the region of $6,000 a year. Full private fees are more expensive but not outrageous (unless you opt for one of the top schools in Brisbane). Have a look on google street view at the suburb 'hubs' - you should get a bit of a feel of the centres of the suburbs. A lot of suburbs have malls/ shopping centres rather than a street cafe culture. Paddington does have the little shops and would be a good fit for you by the sound of it, if you can resolve the issue with schooling. Travelling to the CBD is okay by bus but you will get stuck in traffic. South of the river, West End is very popular and also has the small shops and cafes, but I don't know about the school situation. It isn't as smart as Paddington but is regarded as a hip area. Just my personal opinion taking into account your comments, but in close proximity to Paddington I would avoid Toowong, Herston, Bowen Hills, Fortitude Valley.

Have just had a look. Think it is a bit sad that one of the options for selecting your suburb is 'Almost all English speaking' - in combination with the 'university educated' choice we can select primarily white, well educated communities. Not so great for creating a cultural mix.... Perhaps people selecting these options should think about living in Britain. [sorry for hi-jacking your useful post]

ps. just noticed that you said 'not private' for schooling. Why is that? If it is budget, then Paddington likely to be out of the question; if it is ethics/ principle then suggest that you have a rethink - a huge number of kids are educated in the private/ religious sector here. I would have never contemplated it in the UK but do so here.