jumpingjellybean

Has the climate cut on seasonal illnesses? Don’t quite understand your meaning here exactly ?! But certainly sufferer less flu in winter if that is your meaning? Has the outdoor lifestyle helped to improve your general fitness? YES Does the different food and diet have an impact? YES Does the extra sunshine lift your mood and sense of well-being? YES

Mmmmm If you cannot afford the North Shore rents.........then not quite sure how you will afford the Northern Beaches. Plus the public transport and traffic congestion is one thousand times worse than the North Shore. On the PLUS side, the Northern Beaches is the BEST place ever to live in terms of lifestyle. :smile:

Like it or not - Sydney will be your best option for work and school.

You lucky bugger........be excited.

2016 Dates: http://www.visitbroome.com.au/discover/facts-figures/staircase-to-the-moon

Agree 1000% with you.

Prairie Girl Have you ever been to the Ice Skating Rink at Macquarie Mall? I am just wondering what it is like in terms of ease of use, cost, etc.....

Definitely the places to live - somewhere to the WEST of Chatswood on the train line like above, or even somewhere NORTH on the train line like Hornsby. Avoid EAST say Frenchs Forest like the plague; as not on a train line and so the traffic during rush hour is horrific. I normally travel before or after rush hour. But yesterday was late leaving work and got caught up in it. What a nightmare! It took me 1 hour in a car, to get from one side of Chatswood to Frenchs Forest. It was 8km (just under 5 miles) So if your job is in Chatswood, choose somewhere close by with numerous buses like Lane Cove, or somewhere close by where you can walk from like Roseville, or somewhere on a train line like Ryde or Hornsby.

I have found it very similar actually. Doing the WHV and living in one place for a set period whilst working.....feels like what I am doing now in my life. I work, I have expenses, I buy things, I commute, I often do touristy and leisure things in my downtime. Did this on the WHV and I do it now. The only real difference now is a permanent stay and I have a better cash flow than when I was backpacking. From myself and many people I know, if you have spent a year here on a WHV prior, you are 99.99% almost guaranteed to settle in and be happy here long term. Because you already know what to expect and you are use to living independently away from your family and friends.

Is it all worth it? Only you can answer that. I say YES YES YES - you lived in Australia for a year and loved every second of it - so remember that and stop your moping, get your arse into gear and keep pushing onwards and upwards to achieve your dream and goal for the future. These are my words of encouragement; not sure if you would class them as "wise" though. :laugh:

Interesting comment. How do you feel or know when you fit in? What exactly makes you feel like an outsider?

Here are three more places in Australia that sell them: http://wensleys.com.au/index.php/our-products/ https://www.wursthaus.com.au/products/english-pork-pies.htm http://www.teddiesnsweets.com.au/index.html

Yes well I was being slightly sarcastic

Why don't you try making them yourself fresh; rather than shipping them in cold storage. They will taste so much better fresh. http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipe/raised-pork-pie They are so easy to make - even I can make them.

I brought a Pork Pie from Thomas Dux Grocers in Sydney and forced my Australian partner to eat it. The gesture went down like a lead balloon! The following shops in Western Australia sell Pork Pies and Black Puddings, etc.... * The Star of the North based in Currambine * Best of British based in Joondalup * British Provender based in Canning Vale * The Great British Sausage Company based in Bibra Lake * Sweets of London based in Perth CBD The Blue Thistle based in Malaga WA use to sell them; but closed down earlier this year.

Bring a ten year supply of bisto gravy granules :laugh:

I have no idea how popular it is in the UK - so cannot really compare. But it is very popular here. Yoga and pilates are even more popular than zumba.

That's Life! I have met quite a few couples who spend six months in the UK and six months in Australia. Nice if you can afford it. :smile: They spend the Australian winter in the UK and the UK winter in Australia. One of the couples had been doing this every year for the past fifteen years. If you can afford it and don't mind the travel - that would be a good balance maybe - get the best of both worlds without too much yearning for the other.

Definitely sounds like a Ping-Pong-Pom in the making to me! :laugh:

Bring your standard whatever now clothes etc... Given how quickly children grow there is no point stocking up on five years worth of clothes and shoes. Just a waste of time and money. Target and Kmart are super cheap for adults and kids clothes, shoes and bedding. But don't bother bringing anything extra - unless you like reading A LOT. New books are a bit expensive in Australia. But second hand books are really cheap. Apart from books, everything else including clothes (despite what some say) are cheap. Save on shipping costs and storage costs and just buy things here. Cheap places to purchase just about anything from are: Kmart Target Fantastic Furniture Gumtree eBay Red Cross or Salvation Army Aldi Costco Bunnings Trash Nothing: https://trashnothing.com/groups/australia/new-south-wales-act/ Anything you can buy in Dublin you can get here pretty much. There are quite a few dedicated Irish shops here too for food etc...

I would be very wary about saying it in public or in front of strangers. It is like the N word - classed as very offensive.

So what can you recommend there? I hear the Manly to Spit Bridge walk is good. I have done part but never done the whole thing. Is the Aquarium worth a visit? Is the Adriano Zumbo bakery / cake shop still there? Someone told me it had closed. What eateries or bars would you recommend in the area? Why do you like Manly so much? I like it for itself, but finding a parking spot in summer is very hard.

Yes I know. Wow what a gorgeous house at a great rental price. Perhaps "too good to be true". Maybe it is next door to a Hells Angels Clubhouse! :laugh:

I have not yet used it. But got the brochure and seen many "Go Get" cars parked on back streets around various suburbs. It is a brilliant idea.

This place looks lovely: http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-green+point-417082386 Green Point to Gosford is ten minutes in a car