The Smith Clan

We estimated around 30k 2 parents and 3 children. Possibly higher. That included moving 2 dogs and a cat too. Visas and agent fees are enough just to start with. Its shocking how quickly it adds up.

Best wishes

I would like here from those who are in Aus and have now retired and how they are finding retirement.

 

When I was working I was so busy during the week and on weekends busy with household things life really just went on and I didnt think to much about the UK and never thought about retirement. Now retired and due to reasons I wont go into we are not comfortable financially.

 

This has meant retiring to an area a good couple of hours from a capital city. Hope was to at least get stuck into gardening, but with little rain and poor soil that has not worked. SO, what to do in retirement in Aus if you are not financially able to travel ? Not much to be honest. Not in to lawn bowls, or fishing, or football.

 

Yes could join clubs like Lions, but find Aussies are hard to get close to, they dont seem to understand the british sense of humour or even our work ethic.

 

Everything is so far away you need to have a car, and even then we are starting to realize there is little to do. The heat in summer is oppresive, Love winter but it only last for about 8 weeks here.

Have looked at the cost of going back but with the exchange rate if we sold our house, we would not be able to buy another even close to the standard we have now ( and it is pretty basic) in a rural area, of England .

 

For a long time now I have realized how much I have left behind in the UK, always a castle to visit, a walk around the village and a friendly chat. I cant even put into word the ache I feel knowing I am now stuck here, until I die.

 

For many it works and they love it, all I say is if you are coming over put plans in place so that IF one day you decide it is not for you, then you are able to return.

Is there no way you can return, would family not financially support you to move back. There is the option of renting if you could not buy in the UK. You may not get the home you have now but happiness is very important!

i lived in Braunton and worked in Croyde for YEARS. After that Mid-Devon became my home, Exeter is my favourite city in the world, and Devon countryside just can't be beaten. I wish with all my heart that my life takes me back there one day

Noticed a few on here that have moved back to Devon or Exeter, going to have to visit. Ive spent many happy holidays in Cornwall (Hayle st ives ) but never been to Devon and only stopped off at Exeter for service.

Australia is very multicultural, particularly around the larger cities. My children are mixed race and don't have any apparent issues, nor does my wife. I'm told that the regional towns can be a little closed minded, but this hasn't been our experience. We were also told by people before we moved here that racism is rife, but have found the country very multicultural.

That is good to hear, we are going to Brisbane in August and this is ideally where we plan to settle, if we move.

very interesting post Maria...I am black & so is my hubby when we initially told friends here in the UK that we were thinking of making the move I got negative comments about people not being receptive & I still do. However I live in a village in Lincolnshire & we are the only black people here.... My attitude of not being bothered as to whether or not I look different to my neighbour next door has seen me through the many moves we have made being an ex army wife as well. However I am very protective of my children as I'm sure you are which is why you are searching for answers in advance.

 

I choose schools for my children very carefully & I always ensure that I give them the opportunity to meet other ethnicities in school and socially. I have opted for some independent schools which have different ethnicities attending as well as Offering zero tolerance to bullying.... Being treated different is one of the issues that unless you have experienced it you will never appreciate the impact on an idividual and particularly a child.

 

I attended a migration forum forum in Sheffield in 2013 and met with an Australian immigration rep who was promoting Melbourne and his advice to us was to look into Melbourne because it was more multicultural. It might be worth looking into areas in Oz with a more established multicultural society which will minimise being seen as different....

 

 

All the best..

Thank you faithmove7 for your response, that's an idea for me to research.

Are you still planning the move?

I feel like i'm on an emotional rollercoaster making this decision, I never thought making a decision could impact so much on me!

Best wishes from an ex army wife too

Maria x

Thank you for your responses and cider drinking coder I totally agree there is there is no place for racism anywhere.

From doing lots of reading on here and having met a chap from Oz who openly made the following statement "you might have a problem if you were black" when I asked if we would easily make friends if we moved to Oz, I would like to ask others of there experiences.

My children are mixed raced as I am and although most people do not notice I am mixed race, my children have darker skin and clearly mixed race. We live in a mostly white area and we have had 1/2 occasions when my daughter has been called brown, I am not blind and I know racism exists in the UK, though we have moved forward a lot compared to back in 60'70's. My question is would this be a problem in Oz, is it likely my child could be bullied, I am not asking this because I believe ppl from OZ are all racist, this is purely to help us make an informed decision, it may be the person from Oz who I spoke to was the wrong person but some ppl have posted threads that people use the term wog openly and I am trying to get some honest open feedback.

Post not intended to cause offence.

Maria x

To access gp and any hospital treatment we may require what healthcare package covers this and also do I pay on top for ambulance cover? Would be on 189 visa.

We are a family of 5 moving to Brisbane kids will be 13,11 and 7. How much in savings would you advise to bring or did you use whilst finding work and what would be the minimum amount of time we should at least account for (until get a job)

I am a social worker and my husband will be need to retrain for his gas engineer role also qualified mechanical engineer. I know I will also have to retrain so may not be able to jump into social worker role.

All help appreciated.

Maria x

Just costing up everything, would be arriving on visa 189 are there school fees to reckon into costs.

Some people have mentioned paying school fees and not sure if this depends on what visa you arrive on.

All responses very much appreciated!

Maria x

There seems to be so many positives in moving back to the UK, just the job situation holding you back. If taking the financial cut would mean you would really financially struggle then you would need to look at if you could make it work but if more due to the position change I would go with all the positives you mention. Also once back in Uk its easier to get another job.

For us moving to Oz its the financial aspects that have played a great part in making the decision to move, its got to be financially viable. I am not the best person re pensions and so on and how this impacts being out the UK but sure there is someone who can advise.

Best Wishes

Maria

We are using Golden Arrow in April for our Shar Pei inbox me if you want the details

Shar Pei are a breed that airlines worry about carrying as they are a bracheleptic breed but Golden Arrow have been great I trying to put my mind at rest ! Quarantine fees end up about $1700 and the permit to import was $480 so it's an expensive excercise but leaving the baby to us is not an option

thanks yes I will inbox and get a quote.

Maria x

We had a full container including having our car in it.

 

We bought everything new the day after we arrived

 

Super A Mart for furniture

 

 

Kmart for the basics to get us started

 

It was great fun buying all new

did shipping the car cost on top of shipping container, as this sounds a cheaper option for us if we can fit it in. also im guessing you can fill up the car with boxes and items too?

Maria

Would be arriving on visa 189, are there costs for schooling on this visa? Children would be approximately 13, 11 and 7 when we move.

Are there wrap around clubs for after school or activities for kids at school. We don't have a location but may possible be around landsbourgh area.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Maria x

Trying to work out shipping costs, is it worth taking furniture or is it cheaper to buy once we arrive. Will need a 20ft for personal belongings, kids items etc, is 40ft much more?

Thanks in advance.

Maria x

Hi everyone,

 

Does anyone know which airline provides more than 30k luggage allowance. I'm travelling from uk to Oz in the next couple of months. I'm planning on taking two large suitcases plus hand luggage. Thanks in advance

we are travelling with virgin Australia luggage allowance 30k

Hi , our standard Labradoodle has just been released (last Sunday) from quarantine and we used Golden Arrow to manage the process for us. He's arrived safely and is very healthy too. He's a large dog, standard poodle/Lab cross, and very energetic. We had to leave him in the UK for 4 weeks over Xmas and New Year to complete his final blood tests and parasite treatments before he was 'ready' to ship.

 

I've given a bit of detail below as to who we chose, why we chose them and why it was a good choice for us. I know that when researching myself I wanted to know detail of OP's actual experience and thought it might help some here!

 

We wanted to find somewhere that we believed would look after him really well and also give him special attention to get used to the crate for his trip. Due to an early puppy experience of a tummy upset whilst crated overnight he has had a massive aversion to them ever since. After his castration the vets had to take him out of his pen until we arrived to collect as he had attacked it within a few minutes! So you can imagine our concern.

 

When searching for a company we obviously were concerned to get a competitive quote ( as it is so expensive) but also really needed what we hoped would be the best care and prep for him before travel. Golden Arrow had good recommendations on this forum and in communicating with them before hand they were so reassuring. They have decades of experience. Their quote was indeed very competitive also. I took a trip from our home just North of London ( so you can see how much the care of the dog was important for me not to use a London based company) to their kennels and I'm glad I did. It is lovely. The whole team there are lovely. It is as if the dogs/cats are their family. The facilities for exercising the dog I would suggest are second to none. The onsite handyman skills of their carpenter are a big bonus as they custom make on site to the exact size of your pet which is very robust indeed. It is so much stronger than the kennel made for our cats by a nearby Heathrow based exporter several years before on a previous trip to Oz. The cats crate was indeed adequate, just nowhere near as robust. GA kept me up to date throughout the few weeks of his stay with emails and photos and they got him used to his crate well in advance of travel. When he arrived in Melbourne, AQIS sent me an email to say not only that he had arrived safely, but ' he has appeared to travel very well'. You can imagine my relief! GA have also been in touch a few times since he's been back with us this week to see how he's been settling in as well.

 

Re costs, then AQIS now charge a standard set fee of AUD 1,200 plus a few set fees including AUD29/day. This worked out a bit cheaper all in than the previous cAUD130/night quoted earlier in the thread and I wasn't charged any additional fees. Golden Arrow paid for the standard fee and set fees up front on my behalf and I paid them the whole in GBP.

 

I do agree it is a horrendous cost now and we couldn't afford it this time for our two now elderly cats. They've done the trip to and fro once before. They have had to stay at home with my Mum this time. They have settled in really well and I think are enjoying the dedicated attention without our dog hassling them all the time! I definitely miss them more than they miss me!

 

By the way, for internal Australia transfers I would recommend Petraveller based in Melbourne! They also seem to really care for the pets and send you reassuring emails/texts and photos.

 

Good luck!

Congrates on the move, best of luck. What was the total bill with golden arrow?

Maria x

I was recently told they used to be able to go together but not anymore. I have a very nervous cavvie and this worries me as he is fine with my other dog and they board together when we go away, they are very close.

They mark it in 4 sections. Listening, Writing, Reading & Speaking. You have to score 79 out of 90 on all 4 sections to get the 20 points. The main thing to remember with the speaking is to just keep talking as again if you pause for more than 3 seconds the mic turns off. Keeping talking even if its a umm or ahh

 

Best of luck, im sure you will do just fine

Many thanks

Sorry......I believe the English test is valid for 2 years

That's good news, thank you.

They mark it in 4 sections. Listening, Writing, Reading & Speaking. You have to score 79 out of 90 on all 4 sections to get the 20 points. The main thing to remember with the speaking is to just keep talking as again if you pause for more than 3 seconds the mic turns off. Keeping talking even if its a umm or ahh

 

Best of luck, im sure you will do just fine

Many thanks

Good evening my british chums!

 

Well after 2 years, we arrived in Darwin a month ago........I used to look through threads to try and get answers, Are there snakes? Is it hot? Price of accommodation? Is it like "Home & Away"? *rolls eyes* So heres a guide on how much dolla dolla cash your gonna have to spill for a life down under!

 

So heres a rough guide for you novices wanting a better life in OZ.

 

We went with Immigration 2Oz. Go to the DownUnder centre in london. You can meet John, Warrick and Bianca and Tiffany.

First step we done is £200 to start the process off. They do things in 5 steps, you supplying documents with each step.

Another 2 payments of £400.

Two payments of £800.

One payment of £1000.

In-between these steps was the IELTS Test. (Hahahaha it sucked!) DONT expect to pass first time, its like your driving test. Do it once to get used to it. Husband done it 3rd time.

 

Now we came on a 489 skilled visa. You have to work for 1 year out of the 2 years then you can apply for residency. We got told 457 visa, you lose your job, you come home. Tough Boobies.

 

My husband is a chippy and needed to change his qualifications to aussie qualifications. You do that at a centre in dartford. Cost £800ish.

 

Whitecard. £140ish. YOU NEED IT IF YOUR A TRADE!

 

Visa cost husband £1850. Me £1200ish. Kids 2x £480 each.

 

Last stage is done, you get your visa. HURRAY!

 

Actually no, now the BS starts.

 

Medicals, we went to the spire centre in brentwood. You CANT go to a pupa or your own doctors. It needs to be a immigration doctor. £350 each. £80ish for each kids.

 

Police checks you can do online, £40 each ish.

 

We went with PSS movers. £1400. That was based on 270 square foot. We had to pay a clearance fee of $160 when arrived at OZ. Everyone has to pay that no matter what company your with. So we got told.

 

Don't bother bringing big furniture. You can get stuff off gumtree. Big W, Kmart and Target do nice new stuff for cheap. Its better to take the personal stuff and save money than bring everything and pay a fortune!

 

Flights cost us £2800 one way booking on CheapOair. Apparently they don't do "open returns" anymore. So its cheaper buying a oneway.

 

We booked a months accommodation for £985.70 for 2 adults, 2 kids at the travelodge mirambeena in darwin city. Hotel club.com! Look for "KIDS STAY FREE" Cuts costs down so much!

 

Getting a house took us 1DAY! No lie, if you go prepared, we took copies of our previous landlords reference and bank statements showing we paid rent. We went with Ray White.

 

Swapping your drivers license is easy and cost $26. You go to the aussie "DVLA" pass a simple eye test, take a photo and get it there and then! DONT SPEED! Today i went 5mph and got a $200 fine. Not happy. But yeah, watch your speed.

 

Childcare is just.....bloody hell. *heart attack* Goodstart centres charge $101 for under 2's and $89 for over 2's. A DAY! For 1 DAY!

 

We buy gas bottles, electric is 3 monthly, 1 water bill is 3 monthly. No council tax if you rent, no tv license. Petrol is cheap. Food is ASTRONOMICAL!! We easily spend $300 on our big shop. $100 every week. Buy a BBQ and shop locally. You'll see loads of stalls at the site of the road. Clothes are stupid expensive. Stock up on Primark clothes before you come!

 

We haven't actually seen any spiders or snakes. We have tons of lizards and frogs in the garden. Its just about being careful. Mozzies are f&^%ing awful! So are the flies, so buy a citronella candle and a load of fly traps!

 

Aussie folk are nice. Very blunt and to the point. I kinda get they don't get sarcasm.

 

I wouldn't personally bring my cat. Its too hot. We've only seen one cat......and it was dead. Or the kids got told it was sleeping, with its eyes out on the grass.....they seemed ok with that.

 

Homesickness hits you hard. I miss irn bru. I miss soreen cake! I miss my local take away! Even thou chinese and indian food is awesome here!

 

Thats it. If I have anything wrong, please say. This is only my personal experience.

 

Oh, IM not meant to be racist but the local abbos can be so racist. I got called a "white racist shitbag" on my first night because I never gave him a dollar. I didn't have any money on me! LOL.

Thank you for posting considering that agent have spoken with John, good luck with your new life X

I'd go along with the 30-50k total cost. I've spent well over 30 to date and I'm still in the UK.

sounds like it 189 is best option then, yes it's looking very expensive!

is there any reason you have not moved yet CaptainC I see you have been granted your visa. It all quickly adds up!

We are considering emigration from uk and visiting in August, looking for any social workers happy to meet up for a chat and hopefully get a feel for social work in oz. Also to chat on here prior to visit. I work in older adults and also have experience in adults with learning disabilities. We are a family and love to meet up in Brisbane.

thanks, Maria x

I sat the PTE -A back in October and scored 20 points. If you are a native speaker and ok on a computer / Typing you should be fine, it was relatively easy, easier than I thought it would be. I disagree with CiderDrinkingCoder though, I do think you need to familiarise yourself with the format of the test or it will just throw you on the day. For example on the speaking part if you don't start talking within 3 seconds the microphone switches off and you move onto the next question. I studied every evening for the 3 weeks up until the test and really think it was worth it. I don't think I would have got the 20 points if I had not practiced. It just makes you more confident on the day and comfortable with what to expect.

looks like PTE is my safest bet, how long does this last once you get the points?

yes would have study before as really need the 20 points.

thanks for he info on speaking part I won't forget that bit!

what % do you have to get to get 20 points?

thanks