Lavers

Will you look at renting if it still doesnt sell for a while? True...if we didnt come when we did then it would have been next year easy until we could have made it.

I know and im bothered about a few extra thousand haha. Rate is up at 1.83 and may hit 1.9 again shortly, I think the trouble in VIC is sending the rate that way. If it hits 1.9 I'll send the rest of my cash and it furnishes some of the house for free

Just keep an eye on the exchange rate as it is creeping back into your/mine favour just gone up to 1.83

Yeah it worked fine, I got 5 single socket adaptors of amazon for £12 I think, then I got a strip adaptor with 4 sockets in for around the same amount. All sockets worked fine. Definitely kept my eldest busy.

I'd seen on here about parking with the flow of traffic which was a good job, I've also noticed the amount of filter arrows at lights...it madness. Been good walking around as you get to take things in a little more, I've also noticed that the green man at a crossing doesnt give you enough time to cross the road Another things is that the Aussies think I'm Scottish or Irish hahaha do they think that the only english accent is like the queen? I was taking the girls to the zoo next friday for my little girls birthday, so I will just get the yearly membership as that will allow us free entry into Monarto zoo as well. I shall have to look at McLaren vale Curly haha

That's brilliant thank you, we are going to get a car tomorrow or Monday then we can start having a good look around. Then I suppose I best start looking at jobs A lady recommended gorge wildlife as it's a good place to hold a koala. Then my wife has found out that one of her old school friends lives in Strathalbyn on a farm, so she has said that the girls can go and have a ride on her horses. So far so good

So finally free, went straight to the beach and were greeted by a couple of dolphins

Cheers Curly We have our list of about 20 areas to look at haha but like you say we need to have a drive around to see how they feel. I think we are trying to stay in catchment areas for Brighton/Unley high school as they are highly though of. Ultimately though its going to depend on what's up for rental when we are ready to rent. I had a look at Mitchem girls online, it does look good and no catchment area

Cheers guys We will probably do what you did Curly to be honest, stay central whilst we get started then move further a field when we are settled. I've noticed that a lot of public primary schools are well rated, but it's the high schools which seem to drop down. Just seen an ok rental in Pasadena which would put us in a good catchment area with Unley high which seems a decent school. We aren't really bothered about buying in the area we rent as what we could afford would be tiny compared to moving further south or the hills. Where we lived in the UK was semirural so I think we would prefer that long time.

I'm thinking of staying somewhere more central to start now, aiming to get the kids in to fairly decent schools. Then in a year or 2 when we look at buying it doesnt matter if we move north or south. I'll have a good look around these areas next week when I'm free but I'm liking the look of Plympton area (does anyone know anything about it). When I buy I definitely like the look of Sheidow park.

Hi Nic Yeah I've used the bettereducation and myschool websites to get the school rankings and catchment zones. We will only be using government schools and all these areas seem to have good primary schools, it's just the high schools that let some of the areas down. When we buy we would want to be a little more out of the CBD so we have a little more room, but I was just thinking whilst we rent is it better to get the kids into one of the better schools. Just trying to whittle the list down abit, but if theres non to really avoid I will check them all out

But like you say I have to make it there first haha

Cheers for that Wanderer...so mine shows this. When did the serps happen? I started work in 98.

Ah well never mind. If you both go on your tax account with HMRC does it show 30years on there for you still or 35? When did they do this serps thing?

I think if you were paying in before a certain date, then it stays at 30. I've checked my online account and it says 30...I hope that's correct anyway

I have had a look on homely just interested in anyone's personal experience of here, although the reviews on homely are personal.

So whilst I've plenty of time on my hands I am trying to just get a starting point of which areas to look at around Adelaide. So just after some advice if some of these areas should be avoided, we have 2 girls 10 & 4. Aberfoyle Park Flagstaff Hill Sheidow Park Ridgehaven Flinders Park Hillcrest Hallett Cove West Lake Shore Klemzig Warradale Evandale Marino Manningham Northgate Plympton Morphetville Glengowrie Trott Park Mitchell Park Mount Barker Fulham Gardens Vale Park Some of them we couldn't afford to buy but will be renting for the 1st year or so, so we could get them into better state schools then move out of the area when we buy. Thanks

I'll probably leave it a few yrs as I've only 7 yrs to get the full amount anyway, so if I pay top ups now and we return to the UK at some point, then I'll have wasted my money. The good thing with Aus is that companies are putting 9.5% into a pension for you, as in the UK the basic pension is 3% from your company/tax relief.

Hopefully we both love it and theres no looking back, after that its atleast to get citizenship for the girls (unless it's really that bad). We will just take one day at a time and see how we feel. On a plus side neither off us are really close to our families, so that should help a little with not feeling home sick.

Haha cheers mate I am 38 in a few weeks. I've got 22 full years then what I've paid over the last 3 months before leaving should cover this years NI as well. How much is it a year do you know?

They never checked temperatures when we flew. This is the reason they are all doing qaurantine though so it should be expected. We where all treated as if we had it all the way through our qaurantine.

Cheers Curly I had 2 pigeons tapping on my window this morning at 7 o'clock, wouldn't have minded if it where parrots. An old friend moved to Melbourne 20 years ago and his wife went back to England a few times as she couldn't settle, then after the 4th or 5th time she went back to Aus and never looked back. Cheers mate you can show me the ropes.

Yeah I've just stuck with the phone I have.

Do a search online, I've just ordered 2 sim cards from moose which are on telstra I think. $14.80 each with unlimited calls (in Australia), unlimited txt and 6GB of data. The contracts seem expensive but when you are earning dollars they will work out the same as the UK.

Cheers mate it is nice to be free(ish) just a shame we have to do another 14 days self isolation. No never been before but always fancied Australia, I dont know why but I have. My wife wanted to come for a month and see if we liked it but I didnt see the point as it would have cost a fair wedge and I knew we would like it. The way I look at it is, I still have to work, still have to pay the Bills and I'll still have 2 cheeky monkeys to look after but if we can have the weather then that will be a big bonus. There are a few lads i used to work with who emigrated to Aus and they have never looked back so I thought why not, worse case it's a plane back home with no what ifs in 20yrs time. no doubt we will be visiting at some point when things all ease a little bit. How is it with your wife being back home? You ready for a break again