ScottieGirl

Whichever way you go the delivery and customs clearance at the other end is subcontracted to a local operator, no point contacting the UK outfit. You do seem to have been unlucky I have made the move twice and know plenty of others who have done it and whilst the wait has always been longer that UK customs clearance has happened when they said it would. I can't help wondering if you are being given the brush off and it was never actually booked in for the security check. Can you contact customs to verify? My goods cleared customs very quickly but I had to wait 2 weeks for delivery, basically I offered several dates and they picked the last one. Not a problem for me as it was going into storage again but it demonstrated that t if you don't push you go to the back of a long queue. Especially at Christmas. Enjoy the new air bed. Like you I am sleeping on the floor and I will be bed shopping in the sales, my Aussie Queen divan base would not fit up the stairs as it is in one piece. Fortunately the mattress did so at least I am on a proper mattress

The only communication I got from quarantine was notification the dogs had arrived and the bill the day before the dogs were ready to be collected.

My shared container took 17 weeks, 7 of which was in Sydney waiting for a corresponding load to fill the container. I was quoted 14 weeks but told it could take longer depending on when they could match it with anorher load. UK customs took 1 day to clear it although I was quoted up to a week.

I used to treat it like a summer holiday. Stack of books, plate of cheese and a nice bottle of red. Long coastal walk on boxing day. It was too hot in Sydney for the traditional rituals and I found it better to do something different than try and replicate an English Christmas which just made me miss home more. I am really enjoying my first cold Christmas again, put the tree up yesterday so pretty with the lights and you can really enjoy them as it gets dark early.

I never had an accent for which I am very thankful as the Brummie twang is not my favorite. I had a Geordie friend and a Scouse colleague both of whom kept their strong accents, the stronger it is the harder it is to lose. I love a Scottish lilt. Always surprised me that there is not much variation in the Aussie accents.

I have never understood the permanence thing, nothing in life is permanent. I have read a few posts from people on here going the other way trying to get visas and it has made me appreciate how hard it now is. I am truly grateful for the opportunity.

I have just moved back to my home town time for family reasons after 30 years away, 10 in London and 20 in Sydney. In many ways I am now the outsider, I have moved on. Last night at a party I got to talk to lot's of new people, most them said I now have an Aussie twang!

Verry true, makes you wonder why these people make the move in the first place. Then they complain that things are different, what on earth where they expecting? I understand some people find migrating is not for them, thats OK move back but don't bloody moan about it, you were lucky you had the opportunity. Most don't.

My fur babies flew back to the earlier in the year and they were in a lot better shape than I was after the flight. The crates are large and they are unlikely to be the only one on the flight. The oldest has flown round the globe twice and spent time in jail , aka quarantine, with no ill effects. I was worried about her this time as she was on QF1 which has a short stopover in Dubai but the animals are not offloaded and she has arthritis but it all went smoothly.

Which bank is it? I use RBS and they have a card reader that issues a code that you have to use with your debit or credit card to set up new payees. My Aus bank sends codes via SMS to my mobile. You shoukd be able to register for on line banking then set up your security system but if it requires a physical device you will have to wait for them to post it. You can forget about overseas phone calls ain't gonna happen.

It stops in Dubai for an hour.

Whilst the most liveable it's currently the 6th most expensive for real estate. So great place for millionaires to move to. Personally I don't count living in a suburb more than half an hour away as living in the city.

Whereas dog owners worry about what the native wildlife will do to their furry friends. The two just aren't compatible.

Well he/she is not Flag; the posts aren't pompous enough.

Not sure FB will stay on the forum, think she may not be able to hack it ???