Briar

This came through on my FB timeline from friends in the UK a few months ago. At the time it made me realise how lucky most of us are that we know/knew our parents and our "roots". It also made me realise how powerful social media can be as this message for help is constantly moving around the internet and could conceivably solve the mystery, if in fact the subject person wishes to be found.

Wifey makes a mean pork pie from the Hairy Biker Recipe Book.

I understood that "Barra" was the shortened form of Barramundi. Can you explain the difference please?

Take your life in your hands if you drink there!

Interesting comparison.

Personal view, but I think prices were bolstered by the mining boom and the heavy spenders that inhabited the bars, cafes, restaurants etc in Perth at that time, and we all paid the cost. This boom now being a thing of the past and the economy in a decline, we are seeing some hospitality outlets closing or lowering prices if they want to stay in business, especially in the suburbs.

Gumtree and IKEA, with Target and KMart to fill the gaps, and you can't go wrong.

I certainly agree with the above posts. Just because you are lodging a visa application does not mean that it will be approved, so to sell your house before you have the visa granted would be extreme folly.

I think this is a very individual thing and depends very much on who you are as a person, more than where you live. If you are outgoing and friendly, then you will mostly be met with the same. However if you are constantly complaining about things and comparing Oz to UK, then you will obviously have issues making friends. Perhaps also your line of work/career/sport/interests etc, might have an impact on the type of people you meet along the way. It takes time to set up a friend network in a new place, and some of those new friends can go on to be lifelong friends, but others can just slip by the wayside after a while, and you should be prepared for that. Personally I don't think it is any harder to make friends in Perth than it is in any other place..... just comes back to the type of person you are I guess.

Hampton Court, Richmond Park, Kew Gardens, Portabello Market, Borough Market, concert at the Albert Hall.... will Buckingham Palace be open to the public during the time you will be there as that is well worth a visit.

I don't get homesick per se, but there are times if I am watching a movie or a programme on tv and it is set in the area I used to live, that I get a feeling of nostalgia. I first came to Australia in 2004, and have been back to UK 5 times since then. Each time I enjoyed my visit there, but was very happy to return to Australia at the end of each visit. My wife is also English, (we met and married in Australia when we both had PR) and she does get homesick now and again. She says she never knows when it will hit her, or what starts it off, but over the past 10 years she says it has reduced considerably and she is always very happy to return to Australia as she considers this her home now. Mind you, she still has family in UK, whereas I don't, so maybe that has something to do with it.

Before we became Citizens, my wife had to go back to UK in a hurry because of a death in her family. At that time she had just had her UK passport renewed and her PR visa was attached to the old passport. We contacted Immigration who advised that as she was leaving Australia the next day, that there was insufficient time to submit the form to have the passport details changed, and that she should carry both passports with her. Which she did, and it was no problem. So I suggest that you don't just rely on the form 929 being actioned in time, but that you carry all passports with you.

Surely that is a bit negative. Things are tough in WA at the moment and people need to be aware of that, but suggesting they will be out of work for a year is perhaps overdoing it.

I agree and I just hope that they have access to some very specialised counselling as they will be on a strong pathway to suffer from PTSD otherwise.

Corbyn is a man with some very serious mental health issues as well.

I thought that too Parly. And then today I read on a news report... can't remember which one.. that the majority of the residents were moslems... surely they wouldn't do that to their own???

Some good advice on this thread Ciara. As far as suitcase or backpack goes..... I had a backpack but at times wished it had wheels, but my WHV time was in 2005/6 and I am sure that luggage manufacturers might have made such a beast since then, so have a look around. The old adage of "you get what you pay for" is certainly true with luggage, so whatever you decide to buy, make sure it is a good brand and sturdy as it will take a bashing.

That was how it worked when I did my WHV farm work in Tully in 2005 but I have no idea if the same rules apply. Sorry not very helpful. From memory there was a helpline attached to the website we got our job through, but again I can't remember the name..... Mr Google might help you.

Long time lurker but first time member and poster here. Some great information and experiences on this thread. I am an Australian Citizen now, but when I did my 2 years WHV in 2005 and 2006 I worked mainly in rural areas as I found it easier to get work. I am a secondary teacher (English) and did a bit of relief teaching in country schools in WA as the education authority were desparate for teachers at that time. I also picked fruit in Tully (Qld) and was a barista in Darwin and Sydney. I wasn't a lover of hostels though, so 4 of us who met in Sydney, bought an old Ford station wagon and some camping equipment and camped as much as possible. Luckily one of the guys was a mechanic and his skills were called on a fair bit as we made our way around the country. I totally loved the whole experience, and the best advice I can give is to be prepared to step outside your comfort zone and try new experiences, but also listen to your gut feeling.