DrDougster

We've just moved here with a 1yr old. It will depend a lot on where you work. Some nice suburbs in North part of town near Casuarina Square which is a great shopping centre. Lots of childcare options too as the university and hospital are out this way. We got a friend to look around an apartment for us and send up to date photos. She collected an ikea order for us and dropped it in the apartment and we've moved straight into a great place on the foreshore at Nightcliff. We happened to go through Thrive property NT. Belinda was good. They have a property in Lyons which is very nice looking - we happened to drive by it the other day: https://m.realestate.com.au/property-house-nt-lyons-423959614 Moving directly in was very useful for us and has worked out brilliantly. I can have a look at somewhere if you like/I can fit it in. Do it! It's a beautiful place to live at this time of year...

Don't lots of people take thiamine in Darwin because they're smashing the booze! ?

Can't speak highly enough of Westpac. Personal service and what seems like a very good transfer rate - fee free 1% off real rate for £6K starter cash so $10407 today. We went for moving straight into the apartment!!! Don't fret - a friend looked around it and said we should definitely go for it and we haggled a bit. Said friend is collecting an Ikea order for us and dropping it off. I've arranged the electricity to be put on the day before we get there and the internet connection is being turned on too. Cancelled internet, tv etc here. I've cancelled all my professional memberships, changed house insurance, got car covers. Cleaner is going to do a couple of hrs every fortnight to keep an eye on things. What am I missing?

I wouldn't take that advice from GP! Wait to see resp consultant on Weds. Every chance that you could still be "a" on medical but wait for the resp opinion. Sarcoid comes in all manner of severity of disease so impossible to comment further. (Resp consultant.)

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Submitted 20th Feb 2018 Self Acknowledged 22nd Feb Further info requested 26th Feb- applied for an extension to the 28 days on 20th March. Prioritised and granted 26th April

Thank you to everyone - going to buy a 5T

Might go for buying second hand and selling if we leave early. We've always owned our cars.

Interesting. Are the security guards at Samsung the real "Guardians of the Galaxies"?

Anyone got any advice for a dual sim phone to keep UK number and have an Aus one?

The phones thing is a another minefield. At the moment we both have iPhone 6s that our little treasure has smashed. I'll have a work phone and we very rarely call anyone outside of Whatsapp or facetime. I wonder if the best "other phone" would be a dual sim for my wife so she has her UK number and an Aus number. Is it best to buy the power adaptors here? I think I'll ship the Neo to keep me sane.

Thank you! Very useful. Red book in hand and going to get 1yr check up done here.

Member, observer, about to move... So, we're making the move. However, it is now with some trepidation given some odd emails from my employers/future colleagues. My plan is that me, my wife and our baby (who will be 1 three days after we land) will travel light as we're on a 457 and I've listened to the warnings/horror stories on here. We're going to keep our house and cars in UK for now and see how it goes for a few months. I've got a job in Darwin which will allow us to rent a nice apartment and my wife will be going back LTFT working with the University there. I have a few questions which are forum fodder: 1) How long should we plan to "stick it out", "experience it", "settle in" before we make decision to stay or not? (expected answer is six months) I've booked flexi return flights through Singapore. 2) Despite the warnings about renting online I am tempted to do all the paperwork for this place before we go: https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unit-nt-nightcliff-422575634 anyone in Darwin got any thoughts? 3) I've done the usual BUPA quick insurance for the 457 but should I do the medicare reciprocal cover? - it looks like it would save about $1000 a year 4) What am I forgetting? What are the big/little things? Turning the water off, SORN the cars etc. 5) Insanely stupid question: when I went to Aus "back in the day" I'm sure I had to send off my passport. Is it all "on the line" now? Can we just get on the plane? I've set up a bank account - Westpac were brilliant, got insurance, going to ship a few bits with sevenseas, going to rent a car and then lease, being shown around the above property the day after we arrive... Thank you for creating and contributing to a great site which has helped me so much! Waggons roll!

Yup, 457 approved today. I think I'm in the fortunate group of people who got priority status and get approved in a matter of days. I Initially submitted on 20th Feb and then asked for an extension with extenuating circumstances from AHPRA and the silence was deafening! I updated it with the registration in principal and my recruitment consultant asked for a priority application and it was approved in a week. I suspect it is a bimodal distribution: I'm a UK medical consultant going to an area of need.

I had some great, honest advice from an immigration law practitioner Gisella Ali from visa2land. Her advice was "You've got this sorted, submit it" and she didn't charge a penny/cent. She also helped with an extension on the 28 day limit for documents on a 457 which was granted today. Given that she didn't charge me for helping me I think a positive post about her is due!

Brilliant, thank you. Further stupid question - voltages the same? Worth just putting TV in the cube?

I was considering putting my Mac screen in the Movecube. Is this a terrible idea or will it be ok if well packed?

Hi Iron Chef - I've an interesting dilemma and would welcome your advice. It looks like the Merc W204 estate was never available in Aus and I have an employer who has offered to import a car. I've got a 2011 W204 350CDI estate with all extras including a panoramic roof. Or: I've got a 1997 S1 Lotus Elise and I can't believe those red book prices are correct for it. The red book price of private trade min $34,400 looks worth shipping the Merc but if we're keeping it in Darwin I could suffer the heat in the 'lise