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Hi, We are a family of 4, two children (8) and (4) husband is a stonemason/bricklayer and we have been to seen agent and told we could get a PR Visa. We are trying to decide 100% before we start to spend what little savings we have. I would really love to hear from other families in the same position or families who have made the move... I have spent weeks researching online.. Struggling with the decision as am worried about having to send home money to top up mortgage once we get to Perth? Is anyone doing this? how do you find it? Can it be done? Planning on hubby going out first and us following in about 6months, we would both hope to be working, I have worked in Office Management for over 5yrs... Is it hard to get administration type jobs out there? Has anyone had to take the IELTS exam? How did you find it? We are both currently working here but are bearly getting by.. husband works away from home from Mon-Fri and has been doing this for 3.5yrs we just can't keep going like this and see going for the Visa as a chance to all at least live together. We don't want to be rich just want to know if it is possible to live out there (as have read about how expensive it is) and send home money to pay mortage..(shorfall of about 300-400 per month) Would really really appreciate if anyone would like to share their experience of this with me... thanks...

Hello all, I've just joined this site so thought I'd say hi. I'm planning on moving over to Queensland later this year. I'm going to spend a little time visiting different suburbs and areas etc to get a feel for them and see where I'd like to settle but wondered if anyone could give me some suggestions? I'm considering commutable distance to Brisbane or further up the sunshine coast (perhaps in between). Work options for me are greatly increased if i an get into Brisbane CBD. The problem however is I really fancy being near a swimming / surfing beach and I believe that these are an hour or so away from Brissie. The thought of being able to go for a surf each morning before work is quite literally a dream. Also, I like places that have an arty and community feel, ideally with independent shops rather than large Coles stores etc. Any ideas? Look forward to hearing your suggestions. G

Hi all, I'm new to the forum so hope I'm posting this in the right place. We're a family with 11month old twins considering a move from Birmingham to Melbourne. Looking for some advice from those with a bit of experience. 1) Quality of life - what is it really like when compared with the UK? We have a good standard of life here and would hope to improve on that. 2) Finances - with the exchange rate against us, are house prices out of our reach? We would like a 4+ bedroom family home in a good suburb with good free school. Any ideas on guide prices? 3) Suburbs - we've been to Melbourne once but are not sure on what are the decent, family friendly suburbs. My husband will likely be working in Dandenong but we don't want to live there - so something commutable from there would be good. 4) Schools - are the free schools any good? I know some friends who all recommend fee paying schools but I presume this is quite expensive. 5) Childcare - can anyone give me an idea on childcare costs - ie nursery/childminders/nannies etc? My husband and I will both be working and finding someone trustworthy in a country where we know no one would be paramount! 6) Renting a house - I presume we will initially rent a house - any ideas on prices for this? Also, how much should we budget for groceries/utilities/phones/broadband etc? 7) Visas - Are there any benefits on arriving with a PR as opposed to a 457 visa? Any ideas on timescales for both? 8) Healthcare - do you have to pay to see a doctor there? Is the standard comparable to the UK? 9) Family oriented - generally how do you spend the weekends/free time with your family? I am quite limited here in the UK and it would be great to have more things to do with my children. 10) Any tips/advice etc for moving over? How long did it take before Melbourne felt like 'home'? Thanks very much in advance for anyone who's taken the time to reply to my myriad of questions! Jessica

Hi, I am a newbies to the forum and this is my 1st time posting new thread. I will be migrating to Australia and staying in Truganina in 2 months time. Can anyone share with me the living in Truganina, good or bad about the living there:chatterbox:, pls just share with me so that I can get prepared:notworthy: Pls share with me about the crime rate at this area as well:cry:. I have 2 boys, age 2 & 5 years old. I am also looking for Public State School for my elder son, pls share with me those government run with good reputation school around this area?? Thanking you all in advance as I really need help :confused:

Hi I thought I would share our experiences from our first 4 weeks in Perth, some of it may be useful and some not but these are things that we have encountered since we arrived. My husband and our 3 children 11,8 & 5 arrived on the 30th of May, we had arranged a few things before arriving so I will try and break it down into the "what we done" and "what we wished we had done". Before arrival: We booked a 6 week furnished rental, to give us time to find a more permanent rental. - This worked out well and we are due to move into our new unfurnished rental in a week. Shipped some boxes of stuff over although not our furniture - wish I had brought more stuff with us as we have had to go and buy beds, tables, sofa's the lot, having said that prices for stuff like that seems quite reasonable and there are end of season sales on at this time of year so bargains to be had. Job - my husband had a job offer before we left the UK, however we did not get any relocation etc as most companies are nervous about doing this as they have been burnt before so they will look to tie you in for a couple of years if they do give a relocation package. After Arriving: We hired a car for first 2 weeks - this was fine and cost us around $30 a day so not too bad - We have since bought a car on finance rather than outright to ensure we have a credit rating in Oz, no issues with this as long as you can prove your job, visa and bank details etc We are living in Quinns for first 6 weeks which is nice but a good 10 min drive to the train station and school in Clarkson - so new rental is in Clarkson for a lesser commute. We got the kids enrolled in a Private Catholic School - which works out at around $3000 pa for all 3 - what we didnt account for was the cost and strictness of the school uniforms with just the winter uniforms costing $400+. We then had to buy all their books including jotters and stationary which then came to roughly $100 per child!! Biggest hurdle was getting the kids to wear the black school shoes lol General observations: Its harder to get a contract mobile than it is to buy a car!! Make sure your first rental has broadband or you will like us have to use a mobile dongle- hopeless !! and you need the internet to research houses etc! Be prepared for the cost of things - it is expensive compared with the UK for most things eg bananas x 4 $10!,! chocolate bars - $3, beer x24 bottles $50, on the other hand a bottle of Jacobs creek rose $7, steaks/butcher meat etc are quite cheap. Supermarkets - they stock a lot of brands that you recognise but they dont open late especially at the weekends with most closing at 4 - 5pm Train service and Bus service - are very good with regular trains and spotlessly clean - takes about 30 mins to get into the CBD from Clarkson ( last station on the Joondalup line) Weather is lovely during the day just now at around 22 degrees, however gets very chilly at night and the houses are designed to be cool so can be a bit cold! Bring all your clothes, shoes, boots etc with you, as not a great selection here and for up to date styles can be a bit expensive! High school - they all do it differntly and you need to enrol well in advance of the kids leaving primary. Lots of great things to do and places to go with the kids, parks, zoo etc Drivers Licence & Medicare - very easy to do, just need to go in and fill out forms with some ID, passport, visa etc and you get a temp card/ licence and then a week or so later your permanent one arrives in the post. Nice Areas (in my opinion): To be fair most areas we have looked at are lovely and have lots of positives, however we are trying to be handy for a train station and the school and the beach!! Mindarie - north, close to marina Clarkson - north, good transport, 10 min drive from beach Butler - north Quinns Rock - north, near beach Kinross - north Jindalee - north, near beach Mullaloo - near beach Ocean Reef- near beach Sorrento - near beach Subiaco - near CBD All are lovely and we will be hard pushed to decide where we will buy/build! and of course the closer to the CBD or the beach the more expensive the house!! I hope this helps someone out there and if i think of anything else i will add it, if anyone has any questions feel free to ask on here or pm me. Cheers PS apologies if this is boring and or useless!!:biggrin: useful site on Perth - http://www.perthpoms.com

Hi to you I'm Ali, my partner is Chris and my son is Gregory (12 in April) and we're on the move to Mandurah in WA in the next few months (hopefully sooner rather than later). Still some things to sort here but once sorted we should be out in the sun in April this year leaving the wet, grey and cold behind us. Can't wait! We plan to move to either the Halls Head area or South Yunderup but we'll wait to make up our minds on that after we've arrived. My son will be going to the new school in South Yunderup, Austin Cove Baptist College so if anyone knows anything about that or about that area then it would be great to hear from you. I'm just keen to get chatting to people who are in the vicinity and get to know new friends and to hear your news and views. Look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes Ali :laugh:

Hello everyone! I'm a 26 year old female Environmental Consultant and I'm going to be moving to Sydney (from Manchester) at the end of October. I'm really, really excited about coming over but I don't know anyone in Sydney, and as I'm coming over by myself I thought I'd post a little message to try get to know a few people for when I get there! I’m easy-going and I love reading, films, theatre, cooking (and eating!), arts and crafts, music, walking, having a good old chat over a glass of wine and loads of other things! Any advice or friendship you could offer would be gratefully received, so please get in touch if I sound like your kind of gal (in a non ‘Lonely Hearts Column’ kind of way!) Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope to hear from you soon, Ellie

Hello All, I came across this webpage and finding it very useful. My husband and I are considering a move to Australia, Its a crazy big move for us as we know no one there and will be leaving everything we know behind in the UK. We don't really know too much about the visa situation but I know that my husbands profession is on the skills list. I'm not really sure on the next necessary steps to make, I have read mixed messages Re the visa application as I have read I should get an agent to help with the process? and others say save your money for the move and complete it yourself? Which I have no idea on the first steps? And also with regard to how much money we will need to emigrate? Housing situation is also something we want to know more about, we own our house (have a mortgage on) in the uk and would sell and move to Aus, does anyone know if we can buy in Aus straight away or within like a year so we can rent first to be sure on area etc. I have also been looking into areas and loving sunshine coast, permitting that my husband can get work there, We need to look at schools for our two children (6 and 3) and would love to be within walking distance. Here in uk they go to a catholic school and love the link between church and school but not sure if this is a possibility in oz? I have spent to long researching and we are looking at booking flights to go out in 2013 to investigate the area, schools jobs etc. its all very scary but a move we would love to make, We also have to tackle telling friends and family our plans (which is the bit i dreading the most!) If anyone had any advice or is in the same situation, I would love to hear from you. Just realised I may gave gone on a bit so apologise in advance Many Thanks Sarah and Family in uk

I am moving go Brisbane From Yorkshire but I don't know which places are best to live In. I have 4 children and the oldest is 17 years old. I want a new surbub that is still developing with new houses. I am not very fond of old places so new places are ideal and I want a place that has parks and nice schools for the kids. I was going to move to north lakes but I have been advised against it. What places could you recommend ? I have tried to search for new survive online but I have had no luck so please help!!

Looking to move over to aus, i have partner plus two children were under 30 and kids are 1 and nearly 3. I think the uk has had its day my partner cannot find a job in the uk she has no skills but is currently going to college learning about payroll, im mechanic started out in cars but now has moved to hgv/plant. I have companys ringing me asking if i want to live/work in aus car dealership offering 60k is this enough to live on? also hgv company offering 78k at most or a mining company offering 90k Were looking to live in the the vic area?

Hi Folks, Hoping to emigrate to Perth Wa Autumn/Winter 2011 My Wife Angie, Myself Jamie and our Young kids 5 and 2, Anyone from Aberdeen Scotland planning on moving there to? Be good to hear from you if you are Cheers Jamie

Hello there I'm 14, and my dad has been working abroad since I was 11, so my family decided to have him closer to home with a better job and better quality of life, we'd move to Australia. I don't know much about life there, so I'm a bit reluctant to go, so it would be nice if I could get the advantages/disadvantages of moving there from the UK. We're planning to move to somewhere in New South Wales. Also, I go to a grammar school, is that going to affect whether or not I'll be put back a year like I've been told I would be? It's supposedly a higher level of schooling in the UK, but I don't know whether that matters or not. Thanks

Hi everyone. Just joined the forum looking for advice/opinions on moving back to Australia. Moved there 3 years ago and only lasted 3 weeks and hated it so much I moved straight back. Now I thinks I may have done the wrong thing. The UK is sinking fast and I want out but my fear is that i will go back to Australia just as the recession hit there:wacko:.

Hi one and all. My visa has finally arrived, after a long wait of 4 years. whoop whoop, I have planned to move end of Jan and played my move card to my company. Excellent, you say, well they have come back with a good offer plus development and career growth. In the UK I am relatively comfortable, house, car good job etc. 4 years ago when I lodged the visa I would have gone in an shot, now, I am having second thoughts. Having worked very hard to achieve relative comfort in the UK, do I really want to give this up and start again in Oz? Any advise from those that have made the move would be welcomed. (I am mid 30s, no kids so the move would be easyish).

Hi guys, it looks like Warrnambool here we come (fingers crossed) when house is sold. I'm after as much info from people who are already living in Warrnambool as to their opinions, good and bad places to live, what schools are like from kinde to secondary, tafe - anyone got kids going their and what do they think of it. What are the towns/villages etc like around Warrnambool, I know they're about 12 - 20 mins away from the centre - does anyone find this to be a problem. Shopping and entertainment - what's it like any good for kids 16 to 20 yrs - is there enough nightlife for them. I would love to hear from people who have made the move already - how are you finding it - who helped you - which shippers did you use - are they any good - how did you go about renting - did you get any help from Regional Victoria. I think that will do for now but if you can tell me anything please do. Thanks in advance, Helenx and the rest of the terry family.

Hi Everyone ! Me and my finance and our little 1 year old girl are moving to Perth in October Im 20 years old and looking to meet other young mums to make friends with. Anyone out already or going out soon, let me know x

I would love to hear from anyone living in the Cairns area who can give me the right information on suburbs and flood prone areas!? Also removal companies from interstate? We are looking to move from Rockingham, WA to North Queensland next year and need help on deciding whether very far north Queensland is a good idea compared to say, Sunshine Coast?? Advice on living in Cairns CBD is ok and what areas are best? Thanks so much to anyone that can reply! Kate:confused:

When I finally get to Oz (and it is actually looking like it might happen now) I was thinking......who would I most like to sit down with, have a beer and chat to..... and then who would I least like to........... I would most like to have that beer with Bobj :yes:..........and least like to meet .............................................................................................. the Funnel Web Spider :shocked: What about you?

Hi all anyone on here has moved from Adelaide to Melbourne or the other way round? Looking for a moving company but one that can lift furniture if needed up a few floors into the air if it doesn't fit through stairs - 60/70s type of apartments. Already been given one quote of someone that can do that ... Just wanted to compare. Anyone else had the issue of furniture not fitting through the stairs? Been told that even a queen bed could be a problem.

As said... trying to decide between John Mason and White & Co Anyone have any advice... recommendation or NO! comments... How far off the quoted cubic feet were they ? Thanks

Then don't forget our sister forums. www.lifeinvictoria.com www.perthpoms.com www.pomsinadelaide.com

hi everyone, as a way of "giving back" to this forum and to the wonderful people who helped us so much when we were planning our move over from London, I thought I'd outline our experience and observations thus far. If anyone has any particular questions, I am more than happy to help. We did the "sell the house, ship our stuff and send the pets" thing. House: in London, took 4 months from the date when offer was accepted to the date we finally moved out. The house sale was probably the most stressful part of the whole "leaving" London part of the journey. Stuff: we shipped a 20 foot container on 15th June, and our local shippers advised us earlier this week that it is due to arrive in Brisbane on / around 22nd July. We used PSS and they were absolutely brilliant (though we are yet to see whether everything makes it over ok!) We have also shipped our two vespa scooters in the same container. Cats: We flew our two cats over - they were collected on 10th June, arrived in Sydney 15th June and were flown up to us on 15th July. Both are absolutely fine for the experience, they were back to normal in hours of being with us. We used Golden Arrow in UK and Dogtainers in Oz (to fly them from Sydney to Sunshine Coast) and highly recommend them both. Observations on arriving in Oz and trying to get organised: I suggest that after you sort out somewhere to stay for the first few days, the next thing to do is get a mobile phone. A couple of tips: 1 - be aware that to get a prepaid SIM card, you still need to show photo ID and give an Australian address (you just need to give it, not show proof of it). If you don't have an oz address when you get here, see if you can give a friend's. Its only for a prepaid card. 2 - bring an unlocked mobile phone with you. Even an old one will do - this will save you loads of money. And its way easier to unlock phones in the UK than in Oz, from what I have gathered. Another suggestion: internet access. I suggest if you can, you bring a laptop over with you. When you get here, you can buy a USB stick / dongle like they sell in the UK, from say Telstra. Again, you need ID and address (but not proof of address). This will work out to be cheaper in the long run than using internet cafes (if you can find one), and is probably way more convenient. if I think of more observations that might be of help to people, I'll add them. Any questions, fire away, regards sg

Hi all, Would really appreciate the benefit of your experience on this one. We had our visa granted about 4 weeks ago and we are unbelievably excited about making to move to Perth. As we have limited funds, we decided to wait until I secured a job (VET teacher/lecturer) before making the permanent move out to Perth. However, so far, this has proved more difficult than I first thought. Despite having mountains of experience and qualifications and a diversity of skills, I am even struggling to get shortlisted for even a basic teaching role. I have changed my CV to suit, tailoired my letters to meet the criteria in the format that the Aussies are loking for, but time after time, they are shortlisting Aussies over me and after speaking to a number of employers (who have been brutally honest), they are stating that I am a risk to employ because of not being there for a face to face interview and the chance that I might not come (which isn't that case). I completely understand where they are coming from and know that if I could get my foot in the door somewhere, I would be fine. We have sold everything (and I mean everything short of our clothes and a few small bits we want to take) and are currently residing with family. Not the most ideal situation. We also have a 16month boy to consider. We vhave enough money to cover costs for the first month, possibly 2 at a stretch. Our dilemma is this: Do we sit and wait until I eventually get offered a job. Or, do we book our flights, apply for jobs notifying them of when we are arriving and do some serious job seeking when we get there. Any advice you guys could offer would be much appreciated. Thanks Chris

Then why not join our sister forum www.lifeinvictoria.com

Hello Ladies/Guys, My 457 granted 3 weeks back and i will be moving coming Jan to Bunbury. I would like to meet new friends. I love partying, sports and going out.. I'm not sure yet if i am going to rent or share any advises or recommendationn Thnkxxx