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

I forgot to mention that:

Meditation (as opposed to medication) is excellent for people suffering from depression.

Guided meditations on tape or CD are particularly useful.

Sydney's northern suburbs can be a bit like this..

Been living in Palm Beach (the next suburb over to Avalon) this past year.

And Avalon is exactly like this in some respects.

Especially the stripey t-shirt "uniform" for true blue locals.

But it is a great area to live in nevertheless.

Dear Jumpingjillybean, I received SS 489 Visa from Southern Inland-NSW and I'm permitted to work in this region expect Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong

You may be permitted to work there. But given my last post. I would put the feelers out before arriving if you can. Just to get a feel of the places and what is on offer. Because you have to pay your rent somehow, and arriving and not being able to find work immediately, may be painful!

It covers a huge inland area from just south of Sydney down to the Bombala area.

Chances of getting a job: Buckley's and none

Well not totally impossible.

But quite hard I would say - especially for a foreigner

Towns outside main cities can be a bit parochial. Unless you have a desperately needed skill (doctor), from experience it can sometimes be hard to find work; at least quickly.

Jobs tend to go to locals first.

as they live in specific regional areas, of which Southern Inland is one

So where does that cover exactly?

planning relocate to Southern Inland region of NSW.

What is your definition of Southern Inland?

What jobs are you experienced in?

I would also suggest driving or getting a bus (preferably driving yourself) from Darwin to Alice Springs.

Yes a plane would be much quicker.

But to drive gives you a proper idea of the immense scale of the area.

Plus if planned well, there are numerous places to stop en-route. I really liked Litchfield Park, Mataranka Springs, Daly Waters and Devils Marbles. Don't bother with Winston Churchill's Head Rock though!

http://www.darwintoalicesprings.com/Darwin-to-Alice-Springs-Stuart-Highway-camper-self-drive-route-travel-guide.htm

he'll be really alone and in the middle of the most remote area....

Alice Springs is remote; as in a long way from other places. The nearest "town" is is about 200km away. But it is not like living in the middle of nowhere "remote" by yourself in the bush.

It is a fairly modern town with all the mod cons and a big tourist area too. It is a service center for the drive from Adelaide to Darwin; so they have to cater for that.

I am sure there are some areas you should avoid but most areas are like that.

The main problem with Alice is drunk Aboriginals fighting with each other. This is a sad social case. But being a youth worker your husband will be quite tolerant and understanding than most.

Beautiful surrounds to explore. And having work experience in Alice will look very good on the resume should you move onto the city later.

We are starting to plan our next holiday and have decided on a camping holiday to Fraser Island. Has anyone tried this? Did you go to the fenced area or did you brave the dingos? Did you hire a 4x4 or take your own?

Yes I have done it twice. It was excellent.

First time we hired a 4WD and the second time we took our own.

There was no fenced area when I went. So we just camped on the side of the road, in the forest areas, on the beach dunes. Or at the designated camp site - which was very basic with one drop toilet.

Probably changed quite a lot since I was last there.

Saw one dingo on the beach otherwise that was it. Do NOT feed the dingoes or leave food out where they can scavenge (pretend you are camping in grizzly bear country!) to minimize risk of attack. Remember they are a wild animal and should not be petted. Most incidences seem to stem from human to animal interaction.

Hi, we're moving to Sydney and trying to decide on best school for our 2 daughters (9 and 11). Both PLC and Ravenswood look good. Does anyone have any experience with these schools or can offer any advice. Many thanks.

I suggest Hornsby Girls High School instead : http://www.hornsbygir-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/home

It has a very good reputation.

And as says Wikipedia "Academically, Hornsby Girls' is regularly ranked first in the Hornsby region in terms of Higher School Certificate (HSC) results and is repeatedly ranked as one of the top five performing schools in the state".

and what about white goods? Are the big chains really the best place to go?

http://www.thegoodguys.com.au/

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-fridges-freezers/sydney-city-sydney/fridge/k0c20061l3003795r500

http://www.lg.com/au/fridges/all-fridges

http://www.electroseconds.com.au/

Each town or city will have something similar

Depends how much you want to spend, and what quality you want.

When we first arrived, we did a Fantastic Furniture package. First rented the furniture for a year and then brought a package.

http://www.fantasticfurniture.com.au

The idea was to have this cheaper stuff for about 5 years before upgrading to a better quality brand like Nick Scali Furniture....... But the Fantastic Furniture really was actually fantastic, and the stuff has lasted almost 20 years.

the major disadvantage of Citalapram is that it has destroyed my libido!

The herbal mix I took last year worked for depression and libido.

Another reason for me lowering the dosage - I was happy and horny all the time :laugh: to the point of distraction!

Suffering from Crohn's Disease must wear you down? I thought there might be some support groups around for something like this?

There are online. But never met anyone else in real life who has it. The daily grind of it gets me down and depression is associated with it - although had depression long before Crohns.

Blimey, that is absolutely NOT Lifeline protocol

Yes I know. Rare I am sure. But heard of other people it has happened too as well.

And don't forget Lifeline 131114, there for you on those bleak days.

I phoned them for depression once.

Reply was that ........"if I found Jesus and took him into my life"........ I would not be depressed.

WTF they are not allowed to do that.

Anyway I was so shocked by their response that it snapped me out of my depression.

I have had bouts of the Black Dog my entire life. Made worse in the past 15 years by a medical condition that is hard to cope with and wears me down (Crohn's). I have minimal support in Australia with this.

Personally I don't like taking medication drugs at all. I am very sensitive and suffer from side effects. Which then require yet more medication to correct.

Last year I saw a herbalist and she put me on a mixture of Rhodiola and Schisandra, and they changed my life.........I was literally happy 24/7 with no side effects. In fact, I was so happy all the time, I had to cut back on the dosage!! :smile:

I forgot to mention previously:

Medications will not cure you; they just suppress the symptoms.

Even worse they can have horrible long term side effects like liver damage.

Whilst they are ok for short term use to help with pain relief, you really need to address the underlying issues for true healing to occur.

A friend of mine got relief after staying at below for three weeks (under the care of a naturopath there), and then following their methods strictly 100% afterwards.

Worked for a number of years too, before she slid back into bad diet habits and the gout returned.

http://www.hopewood.com.au/

is there any food/drink I can take to help the symptoms?

Yes…………… And there is food / drink you should avoid too.

A vegan or raw vegan diet would help (it helped me with arthritis). But no-one ever wants to do that!

Really, diet and supplements may be your best bet.

https://beamingwithhealth.com.au/community/conditions/gout

https://www.drfuhrman.com/library/what-is-a-nutritarian-diet.aspx

http://www.blackmores.com.au/arthritis-joint-bone-and-muscle/gout?gclid=CKud96jn1sUCFRcJvAodpy0ANA

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/01/19/five-steps-to-overcoming-gout-naturally.aspx

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART00368/Gout.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/gout.html

http://www.myhealthtips.in/2014/06/herbs-for-gout.html

But make sure you see a herbalist or naturopath for professional advice – as some herbs can interact with other medications and health conditions.