Tootsie

Rather chilly in Sydney at the moment. Only getting to a top of 15 today. I have my thermals on. But just seen someone wandering around in shorts and thongs.

I brought some Walkers recently from a "British Sweets and Treats" store in Sydney (Woolworths also have a British section). But not as good as I remember them. Like everything in life - doesn't seem to taste as good when an adult.

Hello Again There seems to be a large population of South Africans living in Asquith - upper north shore

Hello Anywhere on the North Shore (or Upper North Shore) would probably suit. Extremely easy and quick access into the CBD, from any suburb along the railway line. By train, Milsons Point would be 5 minutes and Berowra would be 50 minutes and everything else in between somewhere. It is renowned as a boring place to live if you are single, enjoy parties and late nights in bars. However, a very respectable and safe place to raise a family. It is classed as leafy green and blue circle living. There is a main train line that goes from the city, over the bridge, and from Milsons Point (Lower North Shire), to Turrumurra (Middle North Shore) and Berowra (Upper North Shore) and then onto the Central Coast from there. Running alongside the entire railway line is the Pacific Highway, and it has a good bus service along there too. The train service is excellent. It is on time, clean and safe. If you live nearby you could walk to the station, or each station has some parking. Many of the best schools in Sydney are located along this route or very nearby. Some suburbs along the route properties are more expensive than others, but even there prices change depending on what side of the track you live (i.e.) East side of the track in Wahroonga, is more expensive than the West side. Unfortunately, there is a lot of snobbery in Sydney. Therefore, if you like showing off and name-dropping, then make sure you live on the East side!! ? There is a website called "North Shore Mums", which may be worth you viewing: http://www.northshoremums.com.au/

? Yes well this is 1000 % true. I don't know how it works in the UK, as I never had to see a recruitment agent over there. But in Sydney, recruitment agents advertise "genetic" jobs that don't actually exist. You apply for them , are interviewed and then suddenly that job is gone. They either have just-the-job-for-you (some crappy job you didn't want), or nothing is proceeded further despite a promise of a 2nd interview. At first I thought I was imagining things. But I noticed a pattern. Then it was actually verbally confirmed to me. I was at an office party and the partner of one of my colleagues was a recruitment agent and he confirmed everything and more. Not sure classed as illegal. But certainly unethical. Apparently the process helps with the recruitment agent meeting their monthly targets. Probably doesn't happen in every firm. But certainly does happen in some. Of course there are bona-fida jobs and you can get proper jobs through recruitment agents. But many of them are not real Most of my best jobs here I found in the local newspaper job page.

I don't need to check the commute time. My friend Sarah lives there already and commutes into the CBD daily. Has done daily for the past 15 years, so I would say her times are spot on accurate. She normally takes the train the whole way. There is plenty of free parking near Berowra station too, but she normally walks there. The train trip takes 46 minutes from Berowra to Wynyard. Occasionally she drives into the city before rush hour, and can do that within one hour too. Her firm has a private parking area for employees. Only a mad person would drive into the CBD daily and look for random parking. Luckily lots of firms offer free or subsidized parking in the city, but that would need to be negotiated as part of the employment package.

Hello. Well one of the major sticking point here, is the over abundance of IT specialists. Every man and his dog is an IT specialist. Half the universities are full of Indians and Asians doing IT degrees. My niece (an Australian by birth) cannot find a job in IT, despite the fact she is highly qualified. If you need a job desperately for money, then I suggest you take anything going. You may need to take a job in another industry. That will give you experience working in Oz (will look good on the resume) and with one foot in the door, you may be able to network with others.

Hello. Well yes there is a chance you will be discriminated against. Especially if you decided to move to an redneck outback isolated (Queensland) town. However, you should be fine in the cities. And if you moved to somewhere like Chatswood in NSW, you would fit right in. I go shopping in Chatswood and feel like I am the odd one out, as virtually everyone there is Asian and many of the shop signs are in Chinese. I am white and British and I have been discriminated against in Oz. It is just one of those things in life, that you need to learn to deal with.

Look on somewhere like the website: Aussie House Sitters OR Mindahome

Loads of places to choose from: hotels, motels, short-term business apartments, caravan parks, backpacker hostels, and so on. We booked into a cheap motel style place. This was in the days before the internet. I found the information in the Lonely Planet Backpacking Guide to Australia, and rang them up. I explained that I was moving to Sydney and would need some short term accommodation whilst looking for a more permanent place to live. If I can do it with just a book, well the possibilities are endless with the internet. Actually they gave us a good weekly discount when we said we would be staying for six weeks. Ended up staying for three months. A cabin in a caravan park is a very good idea too.

Well you are only moving to Australia. It is only a 24 hour flight away. You are hardly moving to the moon. The kids can SKYPE. Your parents could come out and visit and versa visa. I know of a few people who had this situation. And the parents came out to visit, loved the place and moved here permanently too. I can understand the initial upset and shock. But emotional blackmail is taking things too far, and is very selfish of them. Maybe tell them you are just moving for 6 - 12 months, as that would be more manageable than them thinking it was a forever move.

Hello. I would not be over worrying about this. I have lived in Australia since 1994 and in all that time, I have seen less than ten snakes. And they have all been outside. Snakes like to hang out in long grass near creeks, so avoid tramping around in those areas. You will see more snakes if you live in the country (bush), than you would in the city and surrounding suburbs......?Although probably a good idea for you to stay away from the Brisbane Snake Catchers Facebook page - that is likely to give anyone the heebeejeebees.

Hello. I have found gas very cheap way of heating and cooking. In our last place we had gas bottles delivered for cooking purposes. One canister cost about $100.00, and lasted us nearly a year. In our new place we just use gas for heating. We brought a Rinnai Dynamo 15 free standing gas heater. Cost about $800. Heats the living room and beyond up magnificently. Don't need to keep it on all night. Just enough to heat the room that takes the chill off.

Hello. Berowra is a nice area. Near a National Park. Nice place to either raise a family, or retire to. House prices going up but still affordable. Takes around 45 minutes to one hour to commute by car. Train about the same. Nearest big shopping and medical hub is Hornsby about 15 minutes away. A friend of mine lives there and loves it.

Lane Cove. As I already posted on your other comment

Hello Matt. Houses are still fairly cheap and probably a good place to buy. Cannot imagine you would have problems renting it out. Lots of people rent in Gosford and commute to Sydney. I personally find the place a bit depressing. But you don't have to live there. If you are planning to live in the investment house eventually, then buying somewhere nicer like MacMasters Beach or Avoca Beach would be better.

Hello. I use to live in Lane Cove and got the bus to the Macquarie Uni area daily. It took 30 minutes by bus and 12 minutes by car. You can get a nice unit in Lane Cove for $650. Good shopping area. Nice little village feel. Good restaurants. Longueville Hotel (pub) close by. Plus direct bus to the city. Lane Cove National Park and river walks are nearby. Very pretty area.