sk1221

1 hour ago, nanda said:

@Hex Understand Hex. I was just trying to boost the spirits up for the larger good of the forum members but looks like it was a false boost anyways. Most probably the date was May 2018!

The date was definitely May 2019

5 minutes ago, nanda said:

Congratulations!! Very happy for you. You have waited patiently for long for your nomination and now your visa has been granted quite fast. That’s great!

First success for this week! Hope more people will get their good news.

Enjoy!

Thanks @nanda nearly 2 years for nom and 17 months for visa doesn’t seem fast!! Fingers crossed for more good news this week

Silent reader for a VERY long time!!! I remember this topic being a few hundred pages....

Our visa is approved I’m so happy  

Details in my signature

11 hours ago, FKS said:

Thanks, that's encouraging. The problem is with the immigration E-medicals site. Good to know that we should be able to get an appointment with BUPA quite quickly once they do eventually fix the site! 

Keep trying  I went in and out a few times before it worked

22 hours ago, FKS said:

Hi 

Has anyone managed to use the E-medicals my health declarations site in the last 10 days or so. We have been trying to fill in the online forms so that we can get a HAP ID and book our medical for about 10 days and the system hasn't been working. We've spoken to immigration who were completely unable to help or tell us when the problem would be fixed and there is nothing we can do to progress things without the HAP ID to book our medicals, which we wanted to do before lodging our Visa application on 31.8.17. 

Also, does anyone know how long it takes to get an appointment (for a family) once you have a HAP ID. We are in Sydney. 

Thanks for any help! 

FI 

We booked ours about a week ago (2 adults and 1 child) and got our appointment the next day. There were a lot of appointment options for the next 4 days when we looked 

23 minutes ago, Toots said:

Rental houses are the pits during cold weather or even very hot weather because they are badly insulated.  Many years ago we rented what looked like a half decent flat in Sydney - all newly painted so looked fresh and clean.  As time went on it had a real problem with mould - absolutely disgusting.  At least when you have your own house you can make it as comfy as you want.  Our log stove has a fan and heats a large area of the house.  Don't need air con in the summer here in Tassie.

That's what ours is like! We are trying everything to keep the mould at bay, but still spending every weekend cleaning the ceilings and window surrounds!!

8 minutes ago, M1cha3la said:

We are English, so we shall moan about the weather 

Most people can not understand why I feel so cold. But like you say, 6c in a morning when you get up is cold. And if your house is anything like ours, it is probably 4c inside. And while yes it does get colder than that in the UK, you rarely feel it, because of central heating and double glazing. Radiators are the last thing I thought i'd miss 

Good luck with the potential move, it is very exciting. Have you visited Perth before?

Our place is freeezing lol!!

No not yet, we are heading over for a long weekend the last weekend in July

14 minutes ago, M1cha3la said:

Sydney house prices are terrifying. Perth is not cheap but compared to Sydney it is.

I think the weather will be better. When we visited Sydney in December I nearly died, but it was because it was humid. Perth is dry heat, so I never really feel too hot. This last 12 months have not been my definition of hot at all though. Winter carried on forever last year. My friends (work colleague) said they are normally in their pool by early October, but had to wait till mid November last year. Then there wasn't really the month of 40c + that is also known as January. I was really looking forward to it, so naturally I am feeling short changed  it is endless sunshine here though. Well not today, its raining. But usually it is sunshine 

 

It was 6 degrees when we got up this morning  brrr but at least it's dry!!! Not like summer when it's always (or seems to be always) raining!!! 

I'll stop being a winging Pom now  

11 hours ago, M1cha3la said:

Hiiii my lovelies 

 

I have been here a year  I have no idea where it has gone if I am honest, and I have also not spent nearly enough time on here repying all the help I received. I would like to say it is because I have been too busy enjoying life here.. Maybe. Maybe not, honestly I am not sure.

Buckle up. Here we go.. 

Work

We came with no pre set up work. Hubby was the main visa holder as an Finance Controller (accountant). I was lucky, I got a job 4 weeks after moving here, as a general admin, it was a step back from my previous roles, but strangly an increase in pay. I hate it, but it pays the bills and a year on I am still in it.. Hubby (bless him) truely has struggled. It has taken 10 months and 400 + applications and a major pay cut to get a permanent job here. I won't lie, it is tough for accountants in my hubbies field. General feel: I read it before I came and I could go on about incompetence and nepotism in the Australian workforce, yes,  it is very much there. Without going into hours of detail, career wise, we are both miserable. 

Money

Damn the brexit. We completed on our house sale the day after the vote. Good bye 2.05 hello 1.60. Yeay. We sat and waited and waited, the £ is screwed. Lets move on.

Houses

Compared to our part of the UK, it is bloody expensive here. But then to be fair, we did not live near a major city in the UK. We rented for the first 12 months. An rubbish old 80's style house that is cold, damp and dusty. Yes, pictures online lie, but we visited in person so we have no one to blame but ourselves  what a location though, sea views and a pool. I forgive my realestate agent for being shocking, they all are. 12 months in, we brought another 80's style cold, damp house for far more $ than I am comfortable with. But I am still in Leicester price mode,  not Perth prices. $630k for 3 bed still feels ridiculous though..

Weather

Move to Aus, it is warm they said.... LIES. I have never felt so cold in my life 

I am told we moved during the coldest winter/summer on record (my luck!). Sure, those 28c days are peachy, but 4c at night in that 80's single glazed house, with no central heating, it has not been fun. Perth, you need to sort this s**t please 

 

Social Life

We have no social life. But that is ok, we didn't in the UK either to be fair. We are not sociable per se, we do not have a big circle of friends so have not missed out on that. But, in the 12 months living in our rental, despite seeing our neighbors on the drive way everyday, I have no idea who they are. 

On the flip side, 2 hours in our new house 3 lovely neighbours (nosey sods) came around to say hi. Maybe its suburb related, maybe its owner/rental related. Who knows. I am sure if you make an effort to make friends (unlike us) then you will be fine.

Cost of living

We have not really noticed a diference. Yes, cheese is more expensive. But god fuel is cheap. It is swings and round abouts. We paid £6 for a glass of wine in the UK, its $9 here. Neither here nor there really for us. Overall, taking every houshold cost into account, I would say no more expensive or cheaper than the UK.

Overall

My god, I sound miserable. Honestly, we love it here. Yes, it has been the hardest year of our lives. We "knew" it would be tough. We "knew" it would take time. We had no idea. It has been the biggest learning curve for me and I discovered I am far more British that I realised.. I was the driver of this move and have felt in many ways accountable for it all. The days hubby was so depressed when he couldn't find a job. The days we froze watching movies. The day my mom got rushed into hospital and I was the other side of the world. Emigrating sucks.

But it is also the best thing we have ever done. Every day on the way to (my hell) of a job, I am in awe of the stunning beauty that WA has to offer. The ocean, the gorgeous parakeets, the sunshine. We are miserable here but we also love it here, in a weird twisted way. We know that the current jobs, houses ect are not forever and we have a hope for the future that we never had in the UK. 

So. Would I do the last 12 months again?

Yes 

Thanks for reading (to the end... if you got this far )

Great update. This sounds so much like us.....only difference we are in Sydney!!

We were considering moving to Perth in the next 6 months or so as we were sure the weather would be slightly better  

And we could ever afford to buy a property here.....I am so over renting overpriced properties 

My husbands job was here!! Yeah I joined the FB page a few weeks ago so should really post on it at some point...Starting to really enjoy it now that I'm finding my feet. Starting little one in an occasional day care in next few weeks so I can get job hunting properly

Hi Trabonita. Move went great thanks!! Where are you moving to?

Hi everyone. This is my first time posting after getting a lot of great information from the forums. So thanks very much We are leaving Scotland on Tuesday to move to the Terrigal with our nearly 3 year old daughter. I just wanted to ask if there was anyone in that area with children the same age? My husband will be working full time and I'd like to try and meet some other mums if possible? Also any information regarding the best place to look for part time admin/customer service jobs would be great thanks very much