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No, you’re right, 4hrs is unrealistic. However, I’m sure if we managed to find somewhere between Gosford and Sydney, it wouldn’t be out of the question - he already has a 1hr commute at each end of the day here in UK.

Thank you! Nice to know we are not being completely unrealistic

Sorry to jump on another thread, but we are potentially moving back to Australia later this year - husband has a job offer in Sydney (we lived in Melbourne previously) and I was wondering how commutable it would be from the Gosford/Brisbane Water area...?? We’d rather do a longer commute and get more for our money house wise (renting initially). Is that an unrealistic commute...?

Hi Bob, Many thanks for your explanation ?? She’s currently on antibiotics for a recovering leg wound - would the antibiotics effect the results of the results of the test? Should I wait til the course is finished and out of her system??

My dog is already vaccinated against rabies - her last vaccination was in May this year. Is there a time limit on when the blood test can be performed? I know it’s usually 28 days after the vaccine, but what happens if the pet in question is already vaccinated against rabies...? Does she need to revaccinated then tested? Or can the test be done anytime if the pet is already vaccinated and up to date?

My husband has been offered a job in Canberra. Please can anyone give me information (good and bad) about living in Canberra with a you family - children aged 11 and 13. Which areas are nice and which are less desirable? Schools - good public secondary schools? I’ve visited Canberra once, very briefly on route from Sydney to Melbourne on a road trip.... From what I saw, it seems modern and clean but I’m looking for info on what it’s like to live there... I see the rental market is more expensive than say Melbourne - is it easy to find a rental property? And in particular, one that would allow a small dog...? Many thanks

Hi all, we are moving back to Melbourne later this year and I'm looking for advice re best suburbs for families and schooling. We previously lived in Bundoora and my children, then 3 and 5 went to preschool and school in Greensborough. We liked the area but are also open to other suggestions. Our children are now almost 11 and 13 so access to good schools will be the deciding factor - along with the daily commute for my OH to work. I went back recently and was amazed at how many suburbs have changed and grown - Doreen, for example, was much much smaller than it is now!! We have looked online at rentals in Doreen and the surrounding area, but as OH will be working in the CBD, we're worried that the daily commute would be unrealistic. We are pretty familiar with Eltham, Greensborough, Diamond Creek and that general area and feel that being familiar would help us settle in again. But at the same time, we'd like to look at other possible areas in case we are missing out. We love Park Orchards but rentals seem to be few and far between!Many thanks

I disagree that food prices are lower. Yes they dropped but they are steadily climbing again - most likely due to Brexit! I can't be the only person who's weekly shopping is steadily rising since the referendum...?

What is the difference? I can't see anything other than eligible passports and cost but both seem to give the same conditions if you hold a UK passport....

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Thanks. It's so hard finding out unbiased info on Australian schools - much easier here when you can jus look up ofsted!

I'm looking for info on schools, both primary and secondary, around these areas. Also general info about these areas would be gratefully received! I've visited them before but that was when they were very much still open grassland - I believe there has been a lot of development in the last 5yrs. Many thanks

I'm not sure if this is in the correct section. When we returned to the UK, having lived in Australia for just under 3yrs, we had to pay 6mths rent upfront in order to secure a rental property. Is this something that is also generally required on arrival in Australia? I know that when we arrived in Australia we had no issues with being granted car finance etc - which I was surprised at, being a new migrant with no credit history. How easy is it to secure a rental property as a new migrant? I should add that my husband and kids are all Australian citizens and I have PR.

Please can I ask who you used to ship your belongings and how much it cost? Did you self pack?

We may be interested in the satnav if it's still available?

Thank you! That has really put my mind at rest and I feel a lot better about the process now.

Thank you - that's very encouraging to read!

Has anyone ever shipped a very nervous (dislikes vets!) small dog...? I'm worried that the whole process will be too stressful for her. She's nervous around strangers and won't be easy for a stranger to handle. I'm just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience and how did it turn out? Do they ever get over the stress?

I think you've hit the nail on the head! I didn't settle because I didn't allow it - too focused on going home to enjoy life as it was... I know I didn't put much effort into making friends as I was only biding time til I was gone. Always comparing things to UK and thinking of things as wrong rather than different! Maybe I have matured in the last 5yrs and can look back differently.... Or perhaps it is just rose tinted specs.... Life here isn't bad at all. Although the prospect of ever buying an inhabitable house is depressing, but I expect the same prospects in Aus. We don't live near family - haven't done for over 15yrs. We don't really see the majority of family any more than we did when we lived in Australia. Homesickness is a strange thing though and often makes you think your past life was better than it actually was... We have good friends here but all of these friendships have been formed since our return to UK. The class structure in England irritates me. I say England as I don't think it's as apparent in Scotland or Wales but that could just be me experience. I miss the lovely big houses we lived in in Australia and the outdoor living. I always said that if Australia were closer to the UK geographically, then I'd have stayed.... So perhaps it was just the isolated feeling.

WOW!! I hate to think how much money they've thrown at it... Do they have children??

Hi! I suspect I missed that boat as we returned home in 2011... Are you still in Aus?

Hello all. I am new to the forum (have lurked for a while but only just joined) and would like some advice and opinions, possibly from people in a similar position.... We (myself, my husband and then 3yr old and 1yr old) emigrated" to Australia in 2008 via my husband's lateral transfer to the ADF. We were initially posted to Singleton NSW and, to cut a long story short, I hated it on arrival. Complete culture shock and felt completely isolated. My husband, on the other hand, was happy in Aus - nothing much changed for him, same job, familiar faces and contacts with a less stressful work environment. Fast forward 12mths and we manufactured a move to Melbourne - I loved Melbourne! However, the seed of going home to UK had already began to germinate and so I never settled. I remained completely focused on organising the move home. Although I enjoyed Melbourne, I still felt quite isolated - but I guess that's understandable given the short period of time we lived there (18 mths). Anyway, we left Australia in 2011 and were lucky enough to sort ourselves out with schools, a house and my husband walked straight into a good job (that he still has). However, after about 2yrs, I started to feel like I missed Australia.... So every now and then, the conversation pops up but then it's swept back under the carpet. But this time it really is a serious itch and I find myself thinking "what if" ALL THE TIME 5 years on.... My husband says I should go back to visit and get a feel for it under different circumstances but I'm worried I would see it from a different perspective without the rest of the family... We can't afford for us all to have a holiday at the minute due to school, cost etc. I never understood the term "ping pong Poms" but I really do now and it's an awful feeling!! I should add that my husband and children all now have Aussie citizenship and I have an expired PR visa. I've looked into it and all I would need is to apply for is a RRV so it wouldn't be a long drawn out exercise to go back.... Other than my husband getting a job offer! Are there any other Ping Pommers?? Any advice? Any experiences to share, good or bad?