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Hi everyone, We fly to Perth on the 8th of November with Singapore Airlines. I was wondering if anyone had travelled recently and could just confirm this checklist I have to make sure I haven't missed anything before our flight. Been a long time waiting to travel and had a recent scare with the introduction of VTL flights as we was on one, and our kids obviously aren't vaccinated (3 and 5) had to change the first leg after a few days of struggle, only to be then told they can now go on the flight with a vaccinated adult was very frustrating and we have ended up with a longer stop over at Singapore. Anyway here is what I have let me know if you think I have missed anything TIA: Visa Exemption PCR tests (48 hours for Singapore) Australian Travel declaration G2G pass for WA Have i missed anything for transiting through Singapore I have read everything and I'm sure I haven't but just wanted someone else's experience thanks !

Wondering if anyone has any insight on booking flights from the UK via airlines other than those that fly from the UK to Australia, namely Singapore, Qatar, Etihad and Emirates (https://uk.embassy.gov.au/lhlh/CAOTA.html) The prices are quite high for the above airlines and there are other routes on Skyscanner or Kayak via the US or Malaysia for example. Some posts here mention people getting bumped and when rebooking having to wait in transit for a lot longer than the initial booking. Instead of that I was thinking about booking something transiting via the US with United, Delta, AA (https://usa.embassy.gov.au/news/covid19-stay-informed) or transiting via KL, Malaysia (https://malaysia.highcommission.gov.au/klpr/covid19.html#transit_malaysia) The prices are a fair bit less than the carriers from the UK, with some journeys of under 30 hours which we're willing to do, and there's probably a similar chance of being bumped, but presumably as long as we start the journey in the UK, they can't bump us mid-travel and strand us in an airport like Tom Hanks in The Terminal? Am thinking through different scenarios to cover bases.

So following a horrific phone call back in March regarding my mum's health I was granted exemption to leave Oz to return to the UK. Thank goodness she is recovering and I am currently living with her and supporting her in that journey. I however left behind my job (who have so kindly let me continue working remotely), my partner and my home. I was granted my 820 visa a couple of days before leaving the country also. My question is, as my mum continues to recover i'm beginning to think about my return to Oz. I always knew it would be incredibly hard but I wonder if anyone has managed it and how hard it was? From what I gather as an 820 holder I don't need exemption to get back in it's just getting flights that's the impossible part? Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Hello, my visa and travel exemption has just come through and my company want me to travel before the beginning of June (late notice, I know) with my wife and 2 kids. we’re moving from Aberdeen to Perth. some of the options for flights that aren’t ridiculous prices are via Singapore but I’ve found it very difficult to understand the transit rules. Those flights would be going via Aberdeen - Amsterdam - Singapore - Perth. I couldn’t tell for sure but is there some rule that you can only transit through Singapore from the Uk if you’re on the Singapore Airways LHR-Singapore flight? all very confusing!

Update on some flights. We bought a ticket for Dev 24 with Qatar found out they are only allowed 45 passengers for flights coming into Melbourne, we just had our April 7 flight cancelled. Decided to rebook a business class flight with Etihad in July, sick of of having flights cancelled since December and now my wife is pregnant with our pregnancy date being November 2021 and our 309 VISA cutoff date being November 2021. Fun times! Anyone flying back to Aus on economy flights to Melbourne, it’s a tough road! I feel for you all.

Hi all, So glad to have found this forum! 12 months later than planned (thanks COVID!), my partner and I finally received our 4 year TSS visa and travel exemption to move to Sydney. We have had a bit of a nightmare with the cost of flights (work are not covering our moving expenses but that’s another story…) and are booked to travel from London> Doha> Sydney at the end of March with Qantas, which is the cheapest we could find. I’m slightly worried with flight cancellations and needing to get a negative test before flying – feels so close but also those final hoops to jump through. Has anyone successfully got on a Qantas flight recently with no last-minute cancellations? Living We are in our late twenties and previously lived in London (Vauxhall/ Oval area) – enjoy pubs, bars and nice restaurants but equally love the outdoors (hiking, beaches etc). Does anyone have any advice on where would be best to move? We are thinking Zetland, Waterloo, Paddington, Bondi Junction, Surry Hills, Moore Park, Redfern. We need to be a commutable distance to CBD ideally and do not have a huge budget for renting. Moving Only have a 20kg luggage case included with our flight. We do not have any white goods, furniture etc to transport but I would like to bring as much of my personal items, clothing, shoes etc as possible. Does anyone have any recommendations on how best to transport - I do not think we will be needing a container – potentially a few storage boxes etc? I’ve seen MoveCube and Sendmybag mentioned on here, any experiences of either? Sorry for all the questions, any help/ advice would be much appreciated. I’ve loved reading all your threads Thanks, Ellie

Hi, has anyone received a travel exemption for work purposes? In a bit of a dilemma..my husband and I need to give 12 and 8 weeks off of work respectively but it states that u have to apply no more than 2 months before your flight but if we get refused then we'll have paid for flights we cant use and no jobs..does anyone have any advice?

Hi, Im just wondering if anyone has managed to get family over from the UK to visit recently? (unlikely - I know) I am due a baby in October and my parents wanted to fly over to help (as I have 2 other toddlers). We have no family support here and so I was gutted once I realised this covid situation wasn't going away anytime soon. I was pretty sure that there was no way of them getting over, but some people have told me I should apply for an exemption via home affairs and you never know............. ????? I am aware that even if they did make it over then they would have to go into quarantine etc. Just wondering if anyone has successfully managed to get an exemption and their family has been allowed in? I must add that I am a citizen, live in QLD and my parents are Scottish if any of that makes a difference.

Hi need some guidance. My travel facility on my PR189 visa expires in Nov2020. Although I am planning to fly down to Australia after sometime late Aug2020 when the virus situation is expected to be under control. However, I just heard some news that some flights will put a hold on all flying to Australia. And also few middle eastern flights have been asked to limit the economy passenger to a very small number and so prices are now sky rocketted. Any one with travel plans soon, please share / advise, if no flights then hiw do we plan to travel to be within the due date.

Hi all, I see that Qantas has released some more repatriation flights from LHR to MEL, but does anyone know if you're allowed to get off when they land in PER, since the flight goes direct from LHR-PER-MEL? THANKS SO MUCH ANYONE THAT CAN HELP!!

Hi all We are just booking flights for a visit to the UK planned for late next year. We are wondering if anyone has any experience of trying to upgrade a flight from tourist to premium economy after booking but several weeks before the day of travel - is this easy to do, or is it pot luck?

Hey Everyone, I applied for my second year visa on the 19th of Dec and haven't heard anything. My boyfriend and I worked on the same farms for the same time and he got his visa approval back straight away. The only question we answered differently was that I had been outside of the UK for more than 6months. Is it because I out this that it is taking longer? We wanted to fly back out on the 23rd of Jan bit worried it will take ages as some people have said they are still waiting 2/3months later? My mum is flying out in the 4th of Feb so I hope I get it! Please help with any other similar stories or why you think it is taking so long? I am really stressing!

What a great idea. It is a shame they aren't extending it to UK/Australia The airline is now giving a “fly now pay later” option with the cost spread over up to five years, using payment provider PayFort, which accepts payment plans from three months to 60 months. “We understand travel can be a significant expense, especially for families and those on a tight budget,” Justin Warby, Etihad Airways vice president for digital strategy and innovation, said in a statement. “This new initiative is a great way for people to book and enjoy their travel without having to worry about paying in one large sum.” Warby also said this option would be an opportunity to upsell premium options, like first class tickets or private suites, to customers who would otherwise not be able to afford it. “When we were designing this product, we were really looking at how we can assist those low-to-medium income travelers and families,” he said. “Of course, spreading the payment over a period of months is also a great way to indulge in premium cabins.” Etihad is the first in its region to offer this type of credit. However, the option is only available to customers who are residents of UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

Hi guys Can anyone help with this question (as I can't find anything on the Etihad website!). We are moving from Manchester to Brisbane on a PR visa in September 2017. We have 42,000 guest miles with Etihad. Ideally I want to use some of these to take an extra suitcase(s) with us but I've been told that we won't know how many miles we need for an extra bag until we book the flight and have a booking reference. We are sending the majority of our stuff over by sea in a movecube in the next few weeks and if I can't use the air miles to take the extra case I will obviously need to factor in sending more stuff in the movecube. Why can't Etihad just state an extra suitcase is 30,000 miles or whatever it is!! Does anyone know the answer? We have a 3 year old child so the idea was to take a suitcase of toys so she has familiar things around her when we arrive - if not it's a 3.5 month wait before it arrives by sea. Thanks!

Hey all, Myself and my partner are looking at going back to the UK for Christmas from Sydney. I've been looking at dates roughly around the 23rd Dec to the 3rd of Jan. I've been searching around for flights and would really just like any suggestions of airlines that would be the most affordable over christmas time and good value for money. Any help or previous experience shared would be much appreciated, ie- websites, airlines, flight companies, any tricks to drive the price down. Thanks so much, Dave

Hi Guys, I've all but completed my application for the work holiday visa, but was wondering whether the date you give as your 'entry date' has to be abided by? I haven't yet booked flights, so cannot give an exact date. Did you guys book flights before obtaining a visa, or is this something they're easy on? Thanks for your help!!

Does anyone know a good way to find out about flights with a stopover? Things like Skyscanner don't appear to show us these options. We are moving from the UK (Manchester is our nearest airport) to Sydney around June 2015, and the family want to have a stopover somewhere. If anyone has any advice on good places for a stopover. The factors that are important: value Stopover destination Any help much appreciated. The Roberts family.

So the person I was meant to be going travelling with has bailed on me!! Im heading out at the end of March and would be nice to have someone to travel with at least and possibly spend a little bit of time with out there!! If anyone is also looking for a buddy then message me and we can exchange info and see where it heads!! Cheers guys Daniel

So after spending almost a year in NZ we eventually hopped the pond to Australia. Taken from my blog 'Yorkshire and Beyond', here's how the first 6 months went... You know the feeling – you’ve been sat in all evening contemplating a takeaway. There’s plenty of food in the house, but something’s clicked in your mind and you won’t settle for anything less than greasy, filthy, life-shortening ‘food’, served up in a polystyrene box. You cave in to temptation and imagination, everything starts well but you remain seated a few hours later filled with guilt and self-loathing. Fortunately, my arrival into Australia was nothing like this. It was great. We turned up with about $2,500 (about £1,300) between us. In Sydney. A less than preferable start to proceedings, but we were optimistic. A hotel room and a taxi to the hotel room later (usually, a dorm room in a hostel would have sufficed but availability was still feeling the brunt of New Years’ fever) and that’s about a tenth of our money gone. Within an hour. At this rate of spending we’d have been gone quick enough to not have to worry about another night’s accommodation, at least. Obtaining a car was our sole aim, and that we did on our second day. A few calls here and there and we had ourselves a $1,300 (about 700 quid) Holden Commodore. ‘Executive’ model, I should add. It looked ****, but it was cheap and had a bed (camping mattress) and camping equipment (some dodgy cutlery in a box). That was it, just a bit of lying about where we lived and we were set! The following week or so, before we really decided to make a plan, was probably the most surreal week of my life so far. Driving up the East Coast of Australia, sleeping wherever the hell we wanted to, and generally having the most care-free of times (in between remembering we’re skint). The car was going as well as we could have expected given it was cheaper than some phones, but we needed money. 2 people can only live on cereal bars for so long. We were in Brisbane by this point, and without money or working air con, we needed work for the sake of our health if nothing else. The first job we were offered turned out to be anything but a job, it was some bollocks ‘scheme’ or whatever, and it’s one I advise you to remember should you ever get out there yourself. We agreed to join a company who offered work towards your 2nd year visa, costing us a mere $100 each (the company was legit), was given the location of a tomato farm and subsequently set off on a 14-hour drive up to Bundaberg. About half an hour away, we rang to confirm the address to be told we have another $800 or so to pay before we can start work, this would cover accommodation expenses/travel expenses/a ‘job bond’. A what!? Any particular reasons why this wasn’t mentioned before we essentially drove the equivalent of England to Liechtenstein. **** creek, no paddle. My 21st birthday was a few days later, spent sat in a car park with Lauren and a few warm beers. She’d done her best to lift spirits by putting a candle in a muffin. Times were hard. This whole series of events would turn out to be what I regard as the most educating experience I had while away. We quickly learnt that the more you dwell and feel sorry for yourself, the worse things get. The arguments get more intense and the hatred for everything you own becomes slightly worrying (slow phones, a shaking car and a 10L water drum with the shittest lid ever made). We had only one option, and that was to get off our arses and find a job. We drove back down to Brisbane with an exhaust pipe tied on with the drawstring from my shorts, we’d been in better situations but at this stage we didn’t care. We soon found ourselves with a stop-gap of a job, Lauren nannying 5 children and me being employed essentially as a handyman/bitch for a family with quite a lot more money than us. A couple of weeks in and we were overjoyed, we were watered, fed, had somewhere to settle for a while and most importantly had money hitting the bank. The house was on the outskirts of Toowoomba, the biggest inland city Australia has to offer (it’s still rubbish), and was situated overlooking a huge valley. Outdoor pool, the lot… What we didn’t know, was that the mother of the satanic little bastards Lauren had to somehow try and tame throughout the day, was a passive-aggressive lunatic who sacked us after a month, with 2 hours notice, because we watched TV a lot while the kids were at school. Yes. That happened. Work came thick and fast after this, after leaving her house we both had jobs in Brisbane within the week, and spent about 6 weeks living the city life. We lived just above South Bank, and it was breathtaking. I worked on boats once more (bigger, more expensive, more ****) and Lauren in a café. It was great. We didn’t spend a great deal of time in Sydney but I think I’d prefer Brisbane regardless. It was smaller, quieter and had a beach right smack in the middle of it. What more could you want? Oh, and they had a half-decent football team and a pub that sold proper beer and showed Leeds games. Oh aye. Times were great, and even when we inevitably left our jobs and hit the road again, we did so knowing money was there. We could afford the finer things in life, like a sandwich (possibly), or clothes that fit. I felt like a real backpacker, driving around not giving a **** about ‘no camping’ signs or whether we had enough petrol to get to a town that I couldn’t pronounce the name of. We drove around for a while, meeting people, drinking with people and then meeting more people. It actually becomes difficult to live in a way where you see it as perfect, I’d find myself over-excitable at the smallest of events and struggled to keep a level head in Hungry Jack’s when I saw a Frozen Coke was a mere dollar. It wasn’t always easy, however, and it wasn’t always roses. I did miss parts of home after a year away. Apart from the obvious pairing of family and football, I missed being able to get a bath, being able to put beer in a fridge and I missed owning socks. The adage of not knowing what you have until it’s gone can certainly be classed as applicable when it comes to not being able to lay down in bed without thoughts of Wolf Creek or even worse, a council fine. Our next discovery was Airlie Beach… Where do I start? This place was our final stop on our post-work tour (we had a few other jobs here and there to top ourselves up, but work had become something we could somehow afford to turn down) and would be my favourite by a considerable distance. It was everything I imagined when I thought of Australia, everything we were yet to see, and everything I had started to the existence of. Known as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, it was picture perfect. Beaches, palm trees, islands all complimented by water which I can only describe as looking a bit like Listerine (the blue one, obviously). The weather was incredible, we’d already met some great people, and we weren’t leaving without a fight. We arrived well and truly out of season, and despite the whole town still offering a lively backpacker vibe, with bars full every night, there weren’t much work available on the mainland. We whittled ourselves down to pennies once more through the costs of survival, beer and a spot of sea fishing (I won). Never more desperate for a bit of luck, it arrived in the form of a job offer on one of the nearby islands. We’d gotten good at last ditching it. The job was the same for us both, housekeeping for One&Only, a company regarded as providing the most prestige hotel resorts and locations in the world. This wasn’t right, I barely made my own bed, let alone someone else’s! I won’t go into depths about the job or the location, I’ll let the pictures do that. However, I certainly don’t think island work, “works”, at least not for me. Island fever is something I thought existed in films, but no, it makes people go a little bit mental. There were a few people we worked with who’d had screws loosened whilst there, several potential fights, a few stolen golf carts and the odd knife threat. We’d met a few cracking people, and work was a breeze, but being told how to brush my hair and tie my shoelaces was enough to sway the both of us and 4 others to perform an impromptu disappearing act about a month into the job. Homesickness had start to creep in, and doubts were there as to whether we wanted to continue searching for work. Our car was quickly running out of registration and we’d have had to start again, not something we could afford without a decent stint of work. We couldn’t really be arsed, and after a day of strawberry picking, we all but confirmed we couldn’t be arsed to go through it all again so soon. We had a chat and realised we both had similar feelings, and within 12 hours of doing so, we were on a plane home. Spontaneity seemed to be the one thing we kept consistent. A couple of short stays in Kuala Lumpur and Sri Lanka to mix things up en route and then Heathrow. Where had the last 16 months gone? I didn’t really know whether this was ‘the end’, I didn’t know how I was gonna feel when I got home. I half thought this was the time to get back and get into a job, saving traveling for the odd week off work. Part of me wanted to think that it was “out of my system”, but no. Far from the case. I loved seeing family, I loved being back on home turf, but within a day or two I had itchy feet. I'm now back in Australia and have been living on an Outback cattle farm for the last 6 weeks. No regret in sight! One thing I have left out of this is a massive thank you to the people we met who helped us out along the way. It’s cliché but we really couldn’t have managed it without them. I hope a few will be reading this, I’m sure you’ll know who you are – cheers, we owe you! From the strangers giving us lifts to those pretty much making us family expecting nothing in return. People are awesome! Feedback, advice and discussion are fully welcome!

We are heading out to Cairns next week for three reasons, for the little one to meet his Aussie Grandparents, to go to my sister-in-law's wedding and to do our final reccie to decide whether we're going to aim for a move to Cairns Sept 2015. We've gone for a much longer journey time (42hours door to door) to save ourselves £1000 so looking for any advice as to traveling with and entertaining such a little one. He's a pretty chilled out boy normally so we're hoping we all arrive with our sanity intacted. Also any tips for helping him with jetlag would be appreciated.child

hi everyone. I am going back to the UK for more than 12 months with my son who currently only has his aussie pp. I was going to apply for his UK one when we get back. does anyone know if he will be allowed entry with me without a valid return airfare? as flights generally are only valid for 12 months I didn't want to waste money on a return fare. but not sure if it is a visa requirement for an australian entering the UK to have a return airfare even if it is a dependant travelling with a parent? (he's 22months old). Thanks

Hi me and my boyfriend are applying for our working holiday visa soon and looking to arrive October in Sydney (we are 19 & 18... (if thats relevant?)) I was wondering if it will be possible for us to rent an apartment if we only have a 417 working holiday visa? Also is it necessary for us to book an open return ticket? We wanted to just buy one way tickets to oz, and then travel Asia when our visa expires. If you have any other information that you have about ANYTHING on moving to oz that would be great! I've tried reading as much info possible but don't want to miss out anything important- its starting to give me a headache :huh: Thanks!

Been in Oz a year now and by and large, we (wife and 3 children) are all loving it. We are missing family and friends a lot and this is exacerbated by my Mum having been diagnosed with a heart condition and my brother-in-law having a serious and un-treatable brain tumour. Sometimes, you feel a long, long way away. Hence looking at the cheapest way of getting back to the UK for us and our 3 kids for a visit. Can anyone recommend who to approach for cost effective tickets to get us back? Can't be doing with long stopovers, too many changes - kids are young enough to be told what to do, but old enough to be very grumpy!

from London to Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney (see small print at bottom of web page for dates etc). http://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_GB/latest-offers/flights/promotion-code-multiple-diy-fares/special-fares-to-australia-and-new-zealand.html?cm_sp=LON-_-OFFERS-_-LHRAUS21DEC13 Book before 31 January 2014.

Hello! Bit of a long shot, but.... Has anyone used the Quicksmart backpack stroller for travelling? My youngest will be 3 when we travel. She has a Trunki, but in the event of a full-scale meltdown I will need to strap her into a buggy if we need to get to a gate quickly! This stroller seems perfect as it packs away and can even fit in the overhead lockers. Is it too good to be true? Thanks!