"To Do" List during reccie visit????

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi All

 

I'm looking for some help for some friends of mine, please. They have been granted a Contributory Parent visa but they won't be moving to Oz permanently till they have sold their house in the UK. They are going to Oz for 5 weeks in January 2008 to validate their visas and to do a reccie.

 

They know that they want to live in the Northern Rivers area of NSW (Byron, Bangalow, Federal etc.) Between us, they and I have come up with a list of some of the jobs they could usefully do whilst they are there, but we all suspect that there are other, useful, tasks that we have overlooked. If anybody can think of anything that ought to be on the list but isn't, please could you let me know?

 

The list we have compiled so far is as follows:

 

• Check out house prices, house types and areas
  
• Check out house rentals locally
  
• Check out building plots for sale
  
• Register with Medicare
  
• Find out about and get Aussie drving licences if possible
  
• Consult a tax accountant (because Hubby does offshore FIFO - he is in the gas industry)
  
• Find out about storage and delivery arrangements & charges for container
  
• Open Ozzie bank account if possible
  
• Check out prices of white goods to decide whether to ship or buy new in Oz
  
• Ditto beds & bed linen

All of us feel that this is a suspiciously short list and that there are probably a dozen other jobs that could usefully added to it.

 

If anyone can think of any jobs that could usefully be added to the list, please reply to this thread.

 

Very many thanks

 

Gill

[Life on easy street]

Looks like a comprehensive list

 

You can open an Australian Bank account while still in the U.K

I opened an account with Westpac on line before I left the U.K.

some of the other banks offer the same service.

 

Water

If you are intrested in Gardening check out the cost of water

and the water restrictions in the place you plan to move to.

 

Info on driving in Austalia

http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/transport/26129-driving-australia-new-post.html

[Guest koala12]

Hi Gill

This seems to cover most things and I can't think of anything else other than.......enjoy their time in Oz, look around and think 'this will be our home soon!'........

 

Karen

[calNgary]

What are they doing about vehicles ,Gill? maybe they can check out prices or if they going to hire every time they come over have a chat with a company to arrange a 'deal'.Will they need to inform Centrelink of anything ? wish them lots of luck from us at poms in oz,,

Cal x

[Guest Gollywobbler]

i All

 

Cal - thanks for this suggestion. What happened was that there was a query over Hubby's chest x-ray, resulting in them only being given 6 moonths to validate the visa They have to make their initial entrey to Oz by 30 January.

 

So they plan to travel out to Brisbane on 4th Jan & return on 8th Feb. Their son lives in Southport, so I imagine that he will meet them in Brisbane and that they will all go back to Southport to start with.

 

After this trip, they will return to the UK ad Hubby will continue to do FIFO between the UK and Algeria, where he works (Luvverly jubberly - NOT, accordng to both Hubby ad Bobcat, who has also worked there!) When they have sold their house in the UK, the Missus will move to Oz full time and they'll buy a house, cars etc.

 

The company has agreed to fly Hubby back and forth between Brisbane & Algeria on a month on, month off basis once Hubby's Base Camp is in Oz, as it were. He's very senior, very experienced, could write his own ticket job-wise so the company want to hang onto him. I must say, I wouldn't want to do such long trips every month but apparently he'll be in Business Class, so maybe it will work out OK.

 

Cal - what did you do about your white goods and beds? I've heard that bed sizes are slightly different in Oz. Is this so? Also, is it worth shipping white goods or is it better to get new stuff in Oz, please?

 

Thanks

 

Gill

[alcocainmel]

what did you do about your white goods and beds? I've heard that bed sizes are slightly different in Oz. Is this so? Also, is it worth shipping white goods or is it better to get new stuff in Oz, please?

 

Thanks

 

Gill

 

When we got here we bought a new fridge/freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, Queen size bed and mattress, 2 bedside tables, double mattress for boys to sleep on and 3 seater chase sofa. We paid just over $4000.

It did work out cheeper than if we had bought in the UK.

White goods here are very reasonable. Also if when you go shopping you explain to the shop assistant that you need various items they will offer you a really good deal!!

 

Hope this helps your friends Gill.

Deb xx

[Guest koala12]

Hi Gill,

We also bought new beds out here and all the white goods and found prices compared very favourably to those in UK. Bed sizes are different in that you get single, large single, double, queen and king size. We took the view that it was only worth paying to ship stuff out here that had several years of life left in it otherwise it was better to buy new once we got here! White goods are also quite reasonably priced and obviously as you would in UK you shop around for what you want at the best possible price.

Hope that helps...

 

Karen x

[calNgary]

I too bought everything out here and thought prices were reasonable.Ikea is always a safe bet , www.fantasticfurniture.com.au is another good store where you can get some great starter packages ,,for better quality furniture have a look at Super A-mart ,i use Retrovision for white goods as their after sales is good,hope this helps

Cal x